The Belgian Shop

Store

Chemin du Couloury 1
Verviers, 4800
Belgium

+32 87 39 42 40 ‎ | map
belgianshop.com

Online store.
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.66
Reviews:
23
Ratings:
26
pDev:
25.41%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by nodder:
Photo of nodder
Rated by nodder from New York

4.08/5  rDev +11.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5

Dec 17, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of KnightTemplar
Reviewed by KnightTemplar

2.48/5  rDev -32.2%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4
This business should be out of business. Shame on me for not checking their reviews before I ordered - a large one at that. I am out over $168 worth of products. I have emailed numerous times and tried calling, but nothing. No response. No tracking numbers, and the worst customer service I've experienced online in years. Do yourself a favor - read reviews before ordering and do business with someone else.
Nov 24, 2023
Photo of overplayed
Reviewed by overplayed from Virginia

4.27/5  rDev +16.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.75
Ordered 6 westy 12s and received them in less than a week. They were packaged reasonably well in very thick cardboard box with partitioning and peanuts. Glad I did not have to test the customer service that some of the older reviews here talk about. Shipping to Virginia was also very reasonable at $30.
Nov 12, 2022
Photo of Jimboslicehomeslice
Reviewed by Jimboslicehomeslice

5/5  rDev +36.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Hello I am from PA

Had a hankering for a specific beer from Belgium, googled it and ordered on a whim after reading this page. I have done work in E-Commerce (Ironically I have shipped beer glasses to Belgium previously) and can say that the prices and overseas shipping are as reasonable as one can expect. I ordered 8 bottles of one type of beer. I will order again.
Sep 27, 2021
Photo of Noun
Reviewed by Noun from Idaho

2.48/5  rDev -32.2%
vibe: 1 | quality: 3 | service: 1 | selection: 4
Be aware before ordering from these guys. Bruno is rude and thought I was trying to rip him off over an $8 beer out of a $150 order. When I asked why there was a change to my order he simply insisted I was wrong and repeated over and over when you ordered you agreed to our “Terms and Conditions” (ie tough luck). He also said he’s winning this dispute. What kind of response is that?
Good job Bruno another dissatisfied customer and hopefully this review keeps you from getting more customers.
Jun 26, 2019
 
Rated: 4.21 by generallee from Virginia

Apr 22, 2018
Photo of Kevin082
Reviewed by Kevin082 from California

1.8/5  rDev -50.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 3
I ordered 12 beers from Belgian Shop on the 16th of June, 2014, at a shipped cost of around $115.00. The beer arrived today, a bit over 2 weeks for shipping, which seems relatively quick given the ground covered. Unfortunately, the packaging was not equal to the shipping speed - of the 12 beers ordered, 8 of them were broken.

The beer was in a cardboard box, the exterior thickly wrapped in plastic (presumably both for protection and to avoid spillage); I believe the box was initially partitioned, but the spilled beer had turned the box into a sodden mess, so it was difficult to tell other than by the amount of cardboard. The box was padded with styrofoam peanuts, but the bottles were not individually wrapped, which IMO they need to be for an international shipment like this, especially since a bit of extra plastic would add negligibly to the high shipping costs.

Overall I am extremely disappointed with the purchase, and am hoping that the company responds to my service request rather than necessitating a chargeback.

Update 7/14/14: I attempted repeatedly to get some sort of acknowledgement or response from Belgian Shop regarding the damage to my order, including sending multiple e-mails with picture attachments indicating the state of the packaging and its contents upon receipt. I received no response and have been forced to file a dispute with my credit card company.
Jul 01, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by HoppyBastard1 from Pennsylvania

Jun 20, 2014
Photo of Nathanael1974
Reviewed by Nathanael1974 from Colorado

2.1/5  rDev -42.6%
vibe: 1 | quality: 1 | service: 1 | selection: 5
BEWARE- I ordered once and it was flawless, then I decided to order again. BIG MISTAKE placed an order over 165 American Dollars. The Post Office shipped it back to Belgian Shop and I still have yet to get a credit, I have sent over 15 emails in the 60 day period and have gotten NO replies.
DO NOT ORDER FROM THEM!
Feb 13, 2014
Photo of Kuromaru
Reviewed by Kuromaru from Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -7.7%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 2.75 | service: 2 | selection: 5 | food: 4.75
I have ordered numerous times from BelgianShop, basically because they are the only game in town when it comes to getting some Belgian beers delivered to the US. Really, for that reason alone, this site is worth giving a shot. The website is pretty user-friendly, but also quite dated. The selection of beer (as well as all kinds of other goodies) is remarkable. You can spend a good chunk of time deciding what beers to try, though the descriptions/ reviews of the beers are not always particularly useful (they're kind of a mash of advertising and objective review, with sometimes interesting results). So, the good news: awesome selection; it would take a lifetime to try everything on the site. The not-so-good news: 1) the beer isn't outrageously priced by any means, but it's expensive after shipping; 2) the customer service is pretty bad; 3) shipping takes a long time, and tracking is generally unavailable.

Expect shipping costs to be $65 or more, depending on what/ how much you order. So, if you're ordering any significant amount of beer, you'll be paying $150 plus. Depending on how many different beers you order, it can take several weeks for your oder to fill before it ships. This is where the customer service really fails. After you're charged, you're basically left in the dark as to when your order leaves or how long it will get to you. Email correspondence is not answered promptly. And by that I mean anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks. Shipping itself is obviously going to vary depending on location, but expect three to four weeks. If you're planning on ordering for a specific occasion, you will need to place your order about two months in advance at least.

My recommendation: do not mix and match a case with twelve different beers; keep it simple so that the order fills faster and gets out the door faster. Also, order way ahead of time and be patient. I've never had an order come incorrect, just much later than expected.
Mar 28, 2013
Photo of TinFang
Reviewed by TinFang from California

3.89/5  rDev +6.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 5
After all the excitement about the Westvleteren release I started looking on line and The Belgian Shop turned up. I decided to respect the brothers' wishes and didn't order any, but I did put together a box of two sixers from Brasserie de Legendes and one of their glasses.

I got an immediate order confirmation followed up by a live email. My card was charged immediately. All the beer was expensive (about $6 per 33cl bottle) the glass was reasonable ($12). "Standard" shipping was $52 with a $9 fuel surcharge.

Perhaps the staff would have been more responsive if I wrote in French. I ordered on 6 Jan and followed up on 28 Jan, which got an immediate reply "We're waiting on the distributor, sorry". They did not respond to my follow up on 12 Feb when I suggested that i add to the order to completely fill the box and it could have held a few bottles more.

I got the shipping notification on 13 Feb but for 10 days there was no further activity. The box arrived 19 Feb without notice. The USPS tracking site showed the box info entered on 5 Feb and I don't recall any further updates. Packaging was secure, the glass was in itsown separate box and each bottle was swathed in two layers of bubblewrap.

Would i buy from them again? I'm thinking about it right now. TBS provides obscure ales that I maybe could find in the Los Angeles area as well as some that look hard to find period. My time is very valuable to me and I have precious little of it, so TBS based on selection and convenience is right around the threshold of what I'm willing to spend.

Other reviewers have had better experiences with lead time, and I suspect that ordering specific items from a really small brewery caused the delay. Would have been nice to get some communication about this, and perhaps a free bottle as compensation.

Two standout features are the variety of products and the alphabetic presentation on the site. I find the TBS site easier to browse than Beerboxx and the comments are mostly "borrowed" from other anglophone sources. I learned a few things that were not mentioned on BA or the brewery's site.
Mar 17, 2013
Photo of OWSLEY069
Reviewed by OWSLEY069 from Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev +2.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I have been using Belgian Shop for a few years and have always had good experiences. I find it a bit odd that there is a lack of tracking numbers, and they use a European shipping company that makes my head spin, but I have always got what I ordered in a timely fashion. This is a nice resource to find new products not yet in the states, or even rarer products that are hard to come by. Glasses have always arrived in good condition and packaged nicely. There is only two issues I have...1. I hate the fact that there are certain products that you have to buy multiples, which becomes a bit pricey, and 2. the shipping. I really won't complain about the shipping charges because I get it, but it can get a bit expensive for that.
Dec 16, 2011
Photo of azorie
Reviewed by azorie from Florida

3.88/5  rDev +6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 5
I have used these folks in the past and I never had an issue until the price of the beers exceeded what I could get the for here. The only beer I ever ordered was Trappist Westvleteren of course. I never had an issue on that. I ordered cheese and chocolate all at once and never had an issue. Once the 12 got over 12 euro (their price) I gave up on drinking it until I got in country.

That said I have heard of others having problems. Unless they got a beer you have to have I would avoid them now. Their lack of email response and customer service will piss off allot of folks.

who what you want, have LOTS of time to get it. Do not be surprised If you never get it, as if the old USPS sees a leak and opens it, I doubt you ever get the box. I ordered from them 6 times and twice it smelled like beer but I still received it.

good luck.

prices westy just too expensive, the rest is no bargain either. Sometimes the magnums are a deal. sometimes.
Sep 27, 2011
Photo of jojokatjo
Reviewed by jojokatjo from New Jersey

2.3/5  rDev -37.2%
I am very disappointed with this company. They make a big deal on their website about customer service but fall far short. I placed an order at the end of November for a few items that I wanted to give my dear husband for Christmas. It is now a couple of days before Christmas and no delivery. I am quite sure that Belgian Shop shipped but according to tracking info the package has never left Belgium.

My complaint with them is that they won't respond to my emails and the postal service will not trace the package for me - the shipper has to initiate from inside the country of origin. It is easy to look good if nothing goes wrong but real customer service comes into play when things don't go smoothly.

Luckily my credit card company allowed me to dispute the charges - I kept detailed records of all my unanswered coorespondence.

It is unfortunate that a company that offers such a large selection to an international market refuses to assist its customers when something goes wrong. Buyer beware - you may not get anything in the end (except maybe a big headache).
Dec 23, 2010
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

4.5/5  rDev +23%
I've ordered a few times from The Belgian Shop. My first order was for 6 bottles of Westvleteren 12 and 4 of the 8. This was quite a few years ago, when the 12 was selling for ~US$12 each!

More recently, I bought 6 bottles of the Guinness John Martin version Stout. It's very easy to place an online order with this shop and given the distance from them to me, shipping was reasonable time wise and was pretty much on par with other overseas stores price wise.

Always well packaged so there's never a chance of any damage, I've been happy with my purchases from The Belgian Shop but, I would not touch the Westvleterens for sale there at current prices. No way. Other beers *are* good values so..I'll split the difference and put "value" at a bit pricey rather than "very expensive".
Nov 27, 2010
Photo of jophish17
Reviewed by jophish17 from Georgia

2.95/5  rDev -19.4%
Ordered some beer and glassware once, stuff I've never seen in America

The site is pretty outdated, but functional. They offer a wide range of Belgian beers, both common things you can get stateside, and beers that don't leave Belgium otherwise. They offer all trappists, including the Westvleteren's, but at an extreme premium. Pricing, otherwise, is decent - of course, shipping across the pond will hurt the wallet. Nice selection of glassware, and a small selection of Belgian chocolates, cheeses, and other snacks. The quality was ok -- some of the beers I received were past their prime but drinkable; the service seemed a bit slow. Simply put, a decent place to buy beer you can't get without traveling to Belgium.
Nov 03, 2010
Photo of libellus
Reviewed by libellus from California

2.6/5  rDev -29%
I placed an order with Belgian Shop recently and it will be my last, even though they are one of the only places that I can get Mort Subite Gueuze and some of the Belgian lambics.

I placed my order online. Total was over $200 with the shipping cost about $55 of that total. Their site states that "generally it takes a few days to receive AT YOUR DOOR your order." I e-mailed them right away with the order info that they provided me and said that part of this order was for a gift and that I needed it by a certain time frame. I received a fairly prompt e-mail back stating they couldn't ship right away because they were waiting for product from their supplier and it would be the end of the following week.

- Why are not in stock items being sold without some sort of warning? Had I known that something was out of stock I would have eliminated it from my order. There were a few items that I was unable to order because the site said they were out of stock so I was surprised to find more items out of stock.

Continuing... I responded right away and asked what item(s) were out of stock and if they could be removed so the rest of the order could ship. No response. I waited another week and emailed again. This time I received a response that all items were ready to ship except 1, could I let them know what I wanted to order instead of that item. I told them that I had already told them to remove anything not in stock from the order. They also said that although I had indicated my order was a gift, I did not tell them when I needed the order to arrive, which was completely false as I had e-mailed them that info over a week earlier.

Another week passed with no response and no shipment notification. By this time the gift portion was a moot point because the date I needed that part had passed a week earlier. I received no response to the next 2 e-mails I sent so I contacted my credit card company.

Belgian Shop might have a good selection in theory. This was my third order with them and, now, my last. My experiences have not the best overall but this one was so bad it prompted me to write this. I'm sure that my experience is more on the rare side but to me, it is unacceptable how Belgian Shop handled this and I thought people should be made aware.

I do have all of the e-mail communication if anyone has doubts or is curious.
Feb 16, 2010
Photo of pwoody11
Reviewed by pwoody11 from Delaware

4.7/5  rDev +28.4%
Ordered from here online. Found it using google trying to find a place that sells Westvleteren. The website was pretty good. It could use a few slight improvements.

I purchased 2 of each Westy 12, 8, and blonde ($175) and also 2 Brugse Zot 6° ($12). Shipping was $54. So as you can see it is quite expensive. Comparing to prices of Westy 12 on Ebay, it's actually not far off from what I've seen them go for on there.

Customer service was top notch and beer was packaged well and delivered in a timely manner. Big plus is there was no signature required for the delivery, so I didn't have to worry about missing it.

If you want a westy as bad as I did and have the scratch to throw down it, I recommend this place to you.
Jan 15, 2010
Photo of AgeOfQuarrel
Reviewed by AgeOfQuarrel from Pennsylvania

4.55/5  rDev +24.3%
Today a small white box, wrapped in celophane, was waiting for me when I got home. On the box under the postal description read "sample bottle of soda," so I know the goods I had been waiting for had arrived. Score. The bottles were all wrapped individually in bubble wrap and taped, and plenty of packing peanuts. They threw in a few coasters too, which isn't bad.

I placed my order 1/28 and it arrived on 2/18. 21 days total. The website says all packages should arrive 15-18 days after placing the order, so I can't really complain there.

The selection is good. Not huge, not small. But obviously the reason Americans order from there is because they have items you just can't find for sale over here.

The value was a little expensive. Mind you, I ordered two Westvleteren 12's. Being one of the hardest beers to find, I didn't mind shelling out a little extra. The minimum order is $50, and I fell something like a dollar short. So I had to throw something else in there just to be able to actually place my order. Shipping was a killer. My total haul was 2 Westy 12s and 1 Rochefort 10. With shipping, fuel, and some other random fee I ended up paying just under $80. Some people might think that's crazy, and I probably would have too about a year ago. Overall, I think it was worth it. As long as you're willing to pay, they will take care of your hard-to-find beer needs.
Feb 18, 2009
Photo of koopa
Reviewed by koopa from New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -9.8%
I had a terrible experience with this website. I could handle $67 to ship a case from overseas. What I couldn't handle was just how many advertised beers weren't in stock. Update your website more often please! I'm not going to go into detail because its a painful memory I've finally let go of but this place took nearly 4 months to get my order to me. They simply lost my order once. They asked me for substitutions at least 3-4 times over the coarse of the 3.5 months that they delayed getting the order processed. They promised me "bonus gifts" to make up for their series of errors and simply sent me some bar coasters. Their response to my emails was pitiful. They simply ignored emails whenever they felt like it. The beers were way overpriced. $5 for a Hoegaarden Rose that costs $1.35 US per bottle in Amsterdam! I will never use this service again.
Oct 15, 2008
Photo of Phatz
Reviewed by Phatz from Pennsylvania

4.45/5  rDev +21.6%
This may be one of the greatest discoveries of my beer shopping lifetime. Or worst my portfolio might reflect. Westvleteren beers. Westvleteren beers. Westvleteren beers! =) Glassware and dozens of other Belgian beers and Euro Beers, we can't get hear. The beer selection quantity is not larger than I have seen but the names and beers available are coveted. It is a bit pricey and shipping is not cheap but if you want it ... I do WARN YOU ...
WARNING:
SHIPPING IS SLOW! But that doesn't mean I won't order from them time and time again. Just know that it may take 6 weeks or more for your beer to arrive. My first order arrived 9 weeks from the day I first got on the website. My cheese went bad but I should have known to stick to beer and chocolate and glasses and the rest of the non-perishables. But I encourage you to be patient and stay in touch with them via e-mail. I have had great success with prompt e-mail replies letting me know what was going on all along the way. When my packages did arrive they have been very well wrapped and cushioned and stuffed full of coasters and pamphlets and stuff for pack rats like me to display =)

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers!
Oct 16, 2006
Photo of akorsak
Reviewed by akorsak from Pennsylvania

4.14/5  rDev +13.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Quality: Very nice layout of the website, allowing for easy navigation through beers, glassware and Belgian delicacies. Very nice photographs of the beers as well.

Service: Checking out was fairly easy but had a number of screens to click through. From previous purchases, I know that their shipping and handling practices are top notch, ensuring that the precious beers survive the long trip from Belgian to the US.

Selection: The selection runs to several hundred Belgian beers and related accessories, including rare and hard-to-find beers. I bit on the Westy Superpack, as the last case that I bought 2 years ago is almost out. I will certainly continue to purchase from this site.

Like all things beer-related, your tastes dictate the value.
Oct 11, 2006
Photo of mdagnew
Reviewed by mdagnew from Northern Ireland

4.05/5  rDev +10.7%
I have used The Belgian Shop on 4 occasions now and have been pretty impressed so far...

They have a very good selection of beers and in the past i have ordered loads of stuff i wouldn't have been able to get anywhere else - things like Atomium Grand Cru, Moinette, Moneuse, Fantome, Boon, De Ranke and quite a few others.... sadly they don't have very much Cantillion which is a bit of a bummer...

The first couple of times i ordered i also managed to get some bottles of Westy 8 and 12 for about £4 a bottle....

I also ordered a Fantome glass on one occasion but was slightly disappointed as the image was slightly worn...

Service can be a bit slow and i've had to email them on each occasion to check what was happening with the order - in total it usually seems to take around 3 weeks to get the order delivered... Shipping to Northern Ireland was pretty reasonable at about £15 - not bad considering i've been given quotes of over £25 to ship from England !!

Overall i would definitely recommend Belgian Shop....
Sep 20, 2006
Photo of kevinl6
Reviewed by kevinl6 from South Carolina

4.85/5  rDev +32.5%
I ordered some glasses in the past, and they took a little while to get here, but they were responsive to my e-mails. I just received my order of the Westy super pak - 8 blondes, 8 8s, and 8 12s. About $190 including shipping, but you have 24 Westy's delivered to your doorstep in about 1 week!! I suppose it is perceived value, but to me, it is well worth it. They have a large selection, and I will be ordering again. Additionally, they have a large selection of glassware, including a new design of the Rochefort Chalice, which I really liked.
Aug 24, 2004
Photo of Gusler
Reviewed by Gusler from Arizona

2.7/5  rDev -26.2%
I have had great success with these people in the past, but I've heard they have slipped greatly in service and response. While the beers are reasonably priced, and the shipping not all that bad, everything else has gone to hell in a hand basket.

It's been a month since they charged my Credit Card, "NO Beer", its been setting in Memphis, because of their failure to include "THEIR" registration number, the FDA requested said number 4 days ago, and they have not complied, and they have refused to answer my emails, and request for services, so my advise to you avoid these people like "Mad Cow Dieses"!

Besides that they are plagiarizing reviews and info from BA and Ratebeer without recognition or compensation.
Aug 04, 2004
Photo of TheLongBeachBum
Reviewed by TheLongBeachBum from California

4.85/5  rDev +32.5%
Despite annual trips to Belgium, after having been in the USA for 2 years, my craving for Westvleteren reached boiling point and I folded. I decided drastic action was required, and I hit the Web via BA’s BeerFly.

Long story - Short, I ended up ordering a Crate of Westvleteren from BelgiumShop.com, 8 x 12’s, 8 x 8’s and 8 x Blondes. The shipping is a little expensive for small orders, but added to the cost of the 24 Westies, it still worked out cheaper than stocking up Stateside, that is, of course, even if you could find these beers!!

Even though the shipping seemed a little steep, it was money well spent. For the Package arrived in super double quick time, quite literally in a couple of days from my order slinging its way through the Cables to Belgium. Delivered by FedEx Super-Quick Special Priority Beer Service, I was simply amazed how soon it arrived - I expected to wait at least a week. The Packing was nothing short excellent, and of the highest quality. Each unlabeled bottle individually well clothed in bubble wrap, they all stood neatly to attention in a wooden crate and the box was packed well with more polystyrene chips than I have ever seen. They even threw in some literature and Westvleteren Beer Coasters for good measure.

The Selection on the Site for Belgium Beers is very good, but a little light on the traditional lambics for my personal liking - I wish they would do more. Hence the 4.5. That’s the only criticism though.

With the Shipping, it is fair to say that you need to buy in bulk to get the best deal from these guys though.

That said, I cannot speak highly enough of the Excellent On-Line Service I received.
Nov 02, 2003
The Belgian Shop in Verviers, Belgium
Place rating: 3.66 out of 5 with 26 ratings