Celebrated table

Elbow Lunch Counter

A chrome-clad counter serves massive pastrami sandwiches and sweet pastries in Brussels’ Matongé neighborhood.

The story

Elbow Lunch Counter Brings Classic American Diner Fare to Brussels

The Owner and the Kitchen

Elbow Lunch Counter brings classic American diner fare to Brussels. Tyler founded the spot after years behind the bar at La Meilleur Jeunesse, bringing a straightforward New York approach to the Matongé neighborhood. He installed a chrome-clad open kitchen where house pastrami cures continuously. This honest method of American cooking recently earned him a place on the Le Fooding list for 2026.

Hearty Sandwiches and Sweet Finishes

Every order arrives at an unapologetically generous scale. The signature pastrami stacks thick layers of cured meat alongside a runny egg, glistening onions, and sharp mustard inside a soft baguette. Customers who prefer a toasted hero can choose the turkey roast with bacon and heirloom tomato. Warm cinnamon rolls and glazed donuts round out the service when savory plates are finished.

Chrome Counters and Swivel Stools

Patrons pull up to the elevated wooden bar to watch the kitchen work. Mini poster boards hang above the pass to announce lunch rotations and weekend catering options. The room stays intentionally loud, often pumping classic rock while staff stack ingredients onto bread. Visitors booking a seat quickly learn why the neighborhood treats this counter as a reliable fixture.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026
Le Fooding
Listed

Details

At a glance

Le Fooding 2026 — Listed
Cuisines American
Services Counter Dining, Takeaway

History

On the record

2026
Le Fooding — Listed

An American-style diner in the middle of Matongé? New Yorker Tyler (who used to tend bar at La Meilleur Jeunesse) has made his mark in the neighborhood with his cheeky sandwiches that bellow Born in the USA to blocked ears. Mini “Special of the day” posters, a chrome-clad open kitchen, a high counter for resting your elbows on and swivel stools… We’ve yet to take a seat and things have already taken off. What landed on our plate that day at lunch? A layered pastrami sammie like you’d get at Schwartz Deli, with a runny egg, glistening onions and spicy mustard stuffed into a mass-produced baguette, which is likely to wind up all over your face. Of course, the portions seem to have been designed for a grizzly bear roaming the Utah mountains… Also on the menu: classic Reubens, greasy cheesesteaks, tuna melts, and even cinnamon rolls and donuts. Salad lovers, be on your way – there’s nothing to see here. // Toni Negroni

Established

Location

Find us

Rue de la Paix 32, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium
Brussels, Belgium
+32 2 512 13 03
Visit website
Map showing Elbow Lunch Counter