This place never disappoints. The food is incredible, the drinks are on point, and the staff truly make the experience. If Jonathan and Jay are behind the bar, you're in for a great time -- hands down some of the best bartenders in the city. They're personable, attentive, and every drink comes out perfectly made. We came for brunch and did the bottomless food option (which was absolutely worth it). They also offer bottomless drinks, but we'll save that for next time. The Nitro Grey Goose espresso martini and Aperol spritz were both excellent. They even have Aperol spritz flights with flavors like guava and pineapple -- such a fun touch. The atmosphere strikes that perfect balance between lively and comfortable, and it's always a bonus when the chef comes out to personally deliver dishes. You can tell there's pride in what they're serving. Highly recommend checking this spot out. And if you've already been, you already know it's a place you keep coming back to. read more

Had the worst experience at this restaurant. Arrived at 1 PM and was told we'd be seated in 5 minutes--but 25 minutes went by and nothing happened. We ordered food, but it never came out (even after I asked another server 45 minutes later). No drinks, no silverware. I spoke to the manager, but nothing really changed. He seemed more concerned about cleaning tables (even though no new people were coming in) than taking care of his current customers. Eventually, we left because the desserts were taking so long. A $250 check for such crappy service just isn't worth it. I've been a loyal customer of Makers Union and Thompson Hospitality, but man, these people really dropped the ball. I would understand if they were slammed, but that wasn't the case--the server was so slow that even another table commented on it to us. No "I'm sorry," no "We'd like to make it right"--nothing. But of course, when it was time to bring the check, the server showed up in two seconds. Definitely rethinking my choices from now on. read more

Makers Union was really delicious and the staff was super friendly! The restaurant was very well decorated and spacious which allowed for my 2 year old niece to have ample space walking around our table to greet everyone at our table. I ordered an Impossible Kebab platter and my Fiance ordered the fired chicken sandwich which filled the both of us up. I was a little bummed their frozen margarita machine wasn't ready at our 6PM reservation but I'll be sure to try it the next time we visit! read more

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My friend and I enjoyed the unlimited brunch for $42, with the $25 bottomless old fashioned add on. The plates are shareable and most dishes were delicious. We tried quite a few of the items on the menu but the brown sugar bacon was the star! The wait team were great and very accommodating. The restaurant is nice and although there were a few families, most were small groups looking to have a boozy brunch. Would definitely go again. read more

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This spot was amazing - great food and really good vibes. Diamond, our server, provided great service and was super helpful Taylor, the manager was very kind and really accommodating. Highly recommend! read more

The service wasn't great but our server was so sweet! The food was good but the overall experience was just okay. We also did visit on a Monday so that may have factored into that. read more

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I have been to other Maker's Union locations before and this place never disappoints! Note that this location only does happy hour at the bar instead of throughout the restaurant like the other locations, which is a bit disappointing. To drink, I highly suggest the prickly pear frozen margarita if you'd like something, or lemon martini for something more strong. My absolute favorite items are the Crispy Brussels (10/10 on my Brussels scale, iykyk) and the Impossible Kebabs. I am so thankful that they have a creative and delicious vegetarian options, but I love about this dish is that it is a full meal. You have the protein, the rice, and assortment of fresh and cooked vegetables. I did find that the kebab dish at this location was a bit less flavorful than at the Reston location, but it could have just been an off day. They make a fabulous Mac & cheese! We also started with the nachos, which were decent, but they too lacked that extra little bit of flavor I was hoping for. I really appreciate how our waitress was so attentive to my friend's food allergies - she felt very safe dining here! read more

Makers Union - Impossible Kebabs - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very friendly service that makes you welcomed and good food. This is my new favorite place for great crispy chicken sandwich and wine.

The food was amazing! The service was impeccable and had a nice atmosphere. All this at a reasonable price.

We came here for restraunt week. Service was slow to start, but quickly picked up. The Nashville chicken tenders were a great starter, super tender and moist. The Steak & Fries were phenomenal. Perfectly cooked and seasoned. The Chimichurri from the steak and Parmesan fries paired soo well together. Lastly, the cinnamon bread pudding was good, but nothing to write home about. Could have used more of a flavor pop, slightly bland, but serviceable. read more

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This was my first time coming here and it definitely won't be my last. Unlimited and bottomless brunch will always get me! Had a reservation at 1:15 but due to traffic I was due to arrive after the 15 minute grace period. I called and they were so accommodating. The food....sooooo good. Like everything was delicious. The chicken and waffles are HUGE so definitely come hungry. With all of the hustle and bustle, there was little to almost no wait on your food. Our waiter Ethan was lovely. Will be back soon! read more

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Had a 1:15 PM reservation at Makers Union and still got told we had to wait at least 30 minutes because there was a line out the door and they were "overbooked." So basically, they take reservations just for decoration. If I wanted to wait in line, I wouldn't have bothered booking ahead. The hostess looked overwhelmed, the place was chaotic. Do better. Don't offer reservations if you can't actually honor them. read more

The food was great of this place! Ordered some the classic burger which came exactly th taste we ordered The staff was also helpful in suggesting other dish. read more

Makers Union - I - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I do think that this restaurant has really good chi, and has used the space well, especially being on the wharf, which sometimes can feel a bit manufactured. This feels like an intentional restaurant, if that makes sense. I had the chicken and waffles as my dish and I would say, it was just so so, and I would have liked more flavor with the chicken; the waffles could've been a bit lighter and fluffier, as they were slightly difficult to cut. However, our server was extremely kind, even though it was his first day, and the host, and who I would assume was the manager were extremely accommodating of the stroller that I wheeled in. Overall, really good, we went for lunch. Everyone's food came out in a timely weigh, again just the one star deduction for the flavor of my food. Looking forward to going back though! read more

Food was 3.5/5 Service was 4 Ambiance 4 The food was good some things were better than others but overall I would come back here. I love that they have the all you can eat brunch option which we tried out. You get 3 appetizers and 3 main entrees. You're allowed to order as many of the apps and mains you choose. We really enjoyed the monkey bread it was so delicious aswell as the chicken and waffles. I got the yuzu lemon drop martini which was very delicious and had sugar in the rim. I would come back here to try a few more things on the menu. The service was pretty good. Our waiter was very attentive and made sure we enjoyed our time. The space was very cute. It wasn't very big but the bar area seemed a bit more lively and packed. We sat on the sides by some book shelves and I'm glad it was a more spacious area. I noticed there are some tables outside for when the weather is much nicer. Checked out the bathroom which was around the bar area in the back. It had 2 stalls but was spacious and clean. I can definitely see myself coming back here it was a good brunch spot. read more

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Im going to preface this with the fact that they weren't busy.I'm giving this spot a 2, because the waitress was nice. The restaurant itself was nice, modern and spacious. Came with friends for brunch and got the Family Style Unlimited Brunch. Our waitress was nice, but the drinks were slow and I'm not sure why. We ordered Deviled Eggs, Kale Caesar Salad, Crispy Brussel Sprouts, Nashville Hot Chicken Tenders, Maryland Crab Cake Benedict and the Makers Scramble. The deviled eggs were deviled with roe.... They lacked flavor. The "kale" Caesar salad had a few pieces of kale but was mainly romaine. It had good flavor and was actually one of the best things we ate, besides the Brussels. We also got bottomless mimosas. We MAYBE had 3/4 mimosas each during the entirety of our time there. I've never had Nashville hot anything that had oil sitting at the bottom; the chicken was sitting in oil. The manager even made a joke asking if we wanted to put in another order of the "greasy boys". After this experience, I think it's best to keep it simple. Not the best brunch I've had by far, despite the variety in the menu. I'd explore your options. read more

Makers Union - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This review is for customer service only. I reached out via email because they could not answer my questions over the phone about a large group reservation for an upcoming celebration. Somehow, the catering and private events manager, Josianna Mason, was the one responding. Which did not make sense, since I kept clarifying that this is not a private event, just a large group reservation. From the very beginning, she made it clear that the only thing this place cares about is money. I was hoping for some clarity, and instead I got repeated lines about the spend minimum. I explained that I cannot guarantee what everyone will order and that everyone would be placing an order. She did not listen. It was one of the worst customer service experiences I have ever had. Because of this, I will never dine at this establishment and I would not recommend it to anyone. If you want a celebration full of joy and good food, this is not the place. If you want to make sure you spend enough money, then you are in luck! read more

They ran out of the risotto for the scallops!!! Came here for a work team dinner and they were good at accommodating us. Drinks and appetizers were brought out at very different times and mine was brought out on the very slow side....the mac n cheese was creamy and filling, spinach artichoke dip was YUM (i was also starving). I decided to get the scallops and it was unique, they serve the scallops with a small piece of grapefruit on top and it definitely added a very zesty fresh touch to the scallops, not sure if I liked it or not. Since they ran out of the risotto, i got creamy mushroom quinoa and brussell sprouts as my 2 sides. The brussell sprouts were too greasy, but...the creamy quinoa caught me by surprised! It was absolutely delicious, worth getting again!! Some of my coworkers ordered the wings as their starters and it looked delicious! The steak also looked AMAZING. if i ever come again, i will definitely order the steak! read more

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The food here is absolutely delicious, but a bit pricey! The ambiance is super cute and the staff were very helpful and friendly. Lots of TVs and plenty of seating. We made a reservation upon arrival and we were seated right away. Our food came out in a timely manner even though the place was packed! They have a bottomless brunch option but we weren't really in the mood for that. It's about $35 per person. Instead, I got the Makers Flat Iron Steak which came with broccolini and Parmesan garlic butter fries. You have the option to get eggs or fries with this dish but I wasn't in the mood for eggs and those fries were amazing. My steak was cooked to perfection but I didn't care for the broccolini. It wasn't nasty just bland. My daughter got the chicken and waffles and crushed it! She's usually a picky eater but not this go round lol. She said the waffles were super fluffy and the chicken was boneless but crunchy. My husband got the cheeseburger with fries and said it was great. He didn't leave anything on his plate so I took his word for it lol. Our waitress was very nice and made sure to check on us, you can also see your food being made here with the open kitchen which is a plus for me. Clean bathrooms!!! I love a clean women's bathroom because let's be honest women can be gross lol. The parking sucks but it's DC, wouldn't expect anything less. You can park in the garage but that cost me $26 and we were only there for an hour and some change. Try to park on the street if you can and pay attention to the signs because the towing is reinforced. read more

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A neighborhood restaurant on the Wharf with a mission to lure customers back with a new menu, talented bartenders and a luminous atmosphere. Seems like they are taking the right steps. read more

Makers Union - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A decent food option at the Wharf with options for appetizers, grain bowls, and main dishes. I have visited this location twice and had a good time each visit (Saturday nights before shows/events). It is always crowded, so highly recommend making a reservation or being open to grabbing a seat at their bar. The food is a little bit pricier than expected, but there are some more budget friendly options. Funny enough my favorite dish is the Caesar salad. IDK what it is about theirs but it looks and tastes good! For drinks I don't really have a favorite. They are all VERY sugary so I wouldn't order another one of their menu cocktails. MU isn't my first choice at the Wharf but it's a solid option if you're looking for American food. read more

Makers Union - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Have dined here a number of times and has yet to disappoint. Food and service were excellent. Highly recommend for those seeking a filling meal in a relaxed atmosphere. read more

I came at the right time on the right day. Beautiful day where it wasn't packed. Had the deviled eggs and the chicken and waffles. Not too bad. What I enjoyed the most were the drinks. I LOVED THE SWINGS ESPRESSO MARTINI. So good that I had to have 2. Also had Aaron (the bartender) hook me up with an Irish Coffee. It definitely did not disappoint. I'd come back here again read more

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I came to Makers Union and got the chicken and waffles to go, and it was so disappointing. The chicken was very dry and had an unappealing texture and had no flavor at all. I also asked for dark meat, but I'm pretty sure they gave me white meat. The waffles were ok, and the best part of the meal was the honey butter. Otherwise, I should have just gotten fried chicken from the Safeway a few blocks away. It would have tasted better for sure. Also, when I came in, it was unclear where I could go to order, and the servers just stood around and ignored me. Also, they gave me the wrong order at first. The restaurant itself was loud and not a place I would want to go back to. read more

Makers Union - Chicken And Waffles - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Makers Union is best considered as an extensive bar with real food. The salmon and flounder were the most popular of the nights selections. The salmon is a healthier portion with the cream, mushroom quinoa, even though the vegetables are slight. The flounder was prepared well but could use a sauce for additional flavor. Thankfully the vegetables portion was a good size since that dish didn't come with a carb. Not a must go for dinner amongst the options at the wharf but it may fit your needs due to time, cost and the vibe you're seeking at the time. read more

Makers Union - Salmon with creamy, mushroom quinoa - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

SERVICE WAS FAST ON A BUSY DAY! That's so rare since it was Mardi gras and they didn't even have us wait on a table. I will say our reservation was at 12:30 but still that was shocking. The staff is so attentive and caring and made the experience so good. GET THE MONKEY BREAD it was yummy I wish I could have taken it home. Lastly it's so clean on the inside that I will be back for a brunch here soon cause I had the best experience ever. read more

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Decided to bring a friend who was visiting here for brunch. I made a reservation & we were seated promptly. It wasn't that busy around 12, but it filled up quickly. Service was great. We got the deviled eggs, Brussel sprouts & breakfast nachos for appetizers. The brussel sprouts were our favorite!! The nachos weee very good too. Loved the texture of the tortillas chips. We got the salmon lox, crab Benedict & French toast for entrees. The salmon was good, but the crab cake was super fresh! The French toast was a great finish. We tried the various flavors of mimosas, watermelon & strawberry was our favorite. Definitely recommend this place for a great brunch!! read more

Every time I go into this place they're NEVER attentive, specifically the bartenders... I just sat at the bar and watched them serve everyone else around me while I was simply waiting for a premade drink to go smh! She couldn't even tell me the price of the drink or give me a menu. She couldn't get the premade slushee that had the plastic to go cups sitting right next to the machine but I digress.. It's sad because it's always the bartenders! I've tried to give this place a try several times but it feels like the bartenders are prejudice because so far I've been here 4 separate times and I've had the exact same bad customer experience at the bar each time but I'll watch their interactions and efficiency with others and it's different. I think I've tried enough. I'm definitely never going back I definitely won't be sending any of our hotel guest here if this is the service they'll be receiving. read more

We headed to brunch at another restaurant in the area but the service was awful so we left and headed to the wharf. We stumbled across makers Union and decided to give it a try. The vibe here was relaxed, a little rustic and cozy. The staff was awesome! Everyone was very attentive and pleasant. We met the manager partner of the restaurant, Ivan. He was such a nice guy. He chatted with us for about 10 mins telling us all about the restaurant and it's soon to be 3 locations in the DMV. I loved their brunch and bottomless mimosa options. Very reasonable priced, especially for the wharf. I loved the waffles with mixed berries and my friend had the French toast. To drink I had a peach and prickly pear mimosa mix and he had the watermelon. They have live music on Thursdays, Saturdays and one other day. Definitely check them out. read more

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Aarón and Salvador are amazing. Love the vibe here. It's super festive and the food and drinks are yessss!!!! read more

Makers Union - Sugar cookie - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had my mother's birthday dinner here, pretty cute and nice inside. Didnt take any other pictures of my food besides the soup but it was so good ! I ordered a burger with a lemon drop martini which were both good. read more

Makers Union - Thai She Crab Soup - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We originally planned to dine elsewhere yesterday for restaurant week as we wanted more options on the menu but we couldn't secure a reservation so last minute so we chose to dine here. Their restaurant week menu, although limited, offered an appetizer, entree, and dessert for $40 a person. We started with the brussel sprouts and Nashville hot chicken tenders. Both were excellent. The Brussels were sweet but had little red peppers for some kick and had the perfect crunch. The Nashville tenders were a great surprise as I'm not usually a huge Nashville hot chicken fan because sometimes the spices can be overwhelming and I prefer traditional buffalo, but these hit the spot. Perfectly spicy with the coleslaw. For entrees, I got the seafood Diablo pasta. This was also spicy, but super flavorful and had a lot of lobster in it. I loved the garlic bread as well. My dad got the makers steak frites with chimichurri. The steak was perfectly medium and the chimichurri was a great complement. We also loved both sides, especially the Parmesan fries. Lastly for dessert, I got the cinnamon raisin bread pudding. I was pleasantly surprised this came with ice cream. It was warm gooey and splendid. My dad got the brownie, which technically wasn't on the restaurant week menu, but the server told us it was available. This was next level. The brownie on its own was rich and chocolatey and only enhanced by the ice cream, fudge, and whipped cream. Overall, we are glad our first choice restaurant didn't work out as we discovered this new spot! The service was good and they were setting up for live music so I'd definitely come back to try their normal menu. Another nice perk is that we signed up for their rewards program when paying and earned 10% back from just this one visit. read more

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When I made the reservation, I visited the website to review the menu in advance of our visit. Nowhere did it say that the bottomless brunch would be the only offering; no ordering from the menu. The website advised that the typical cost per person was $20-30. Bottomless brunch is $49. The orders were delivered to the table cold and dry when they should have been hot. I requested a "fresh" crab cake Benedict and it came out drier and colder than the first one was. There were items that were tasty, but, absolutely nothing was fresh or made to order. Just be forewarned. read more

Went to Maker's Union for a brunch and it was okay. The space is beautiful and the service is good...although our waiter got a little snappy when 1/4 of us didn't give 18% tip (even though gratuity was included lol) but anyways. The food was not that good. We got the Nashville tenders, the breakfast nachos and spinach artichoke dip for appetizers. The breakfast nachos was a miss for us. The cheese was a bit cold and the chips outweighed the topping. We left that one pretty untouched. The spinach artichoke dip was okay (still not hot) but take it with a grain of salt from me because it's not my fave food. Chicken was alright nothing crazy. For our entrees we got the chicken and waffles, breakfast scramble, and the French toast. The best thing was the French toast. The chicken on the chicken and waffles was lacking seasoning..A LOT of seasoning. The scramble was also not crazy. I think all our food was a bit cold lol. The mimosas were good. Yk strong but you can't really mess up a mimosa. So really, it was a pretty subpar experience TLDR: food was a bit cold and lacked seasoning, waiter was a bit snappy but the place is pretty. read more

Makers Union - Family style appetizers - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We're a Black family, and we booked this restaurant for 4:15 PM on May 10th to celebrate my graduation. First arriving were my mother, sister, nephew, and me; my father and brother were parking the car. We were met by the hostess upon arrival, to whom I verified our reservation time. She checked the reservation and requested us to wait briefly. Five minutes later, she returned and said "Party of 6," and led us toward our table. A white man suddenly confronted my mother when we arrived at our table and, in an accusing voice, yelled, "We have a reservation!" My mother, surprised and caught off guard, responded calmly, "We have a reservation, too," as we were already being guided to our table by the hostess. Despite this, the man tossed his bags on the table, and his child sat down--pretty much taking our designated table. My mother, confused and seeking clarity, asked the hostess what was happening. She shrugged and simply said, "I don't know." The hostess left, and we returned to the waiting area while the man and his family remained seated. At this point my sister wanted to talk with the manager, who is also white. I believe his name is probably Jamie or Jeremy. I don't fully remember, but it starts with the letter J. When she told him about what was happening, he ignored and dismissed her concerns without any acknowledgement. Observing this, my mother spoke with the manager directly. He finally offered to seat us at another table, but this one was next to the restrooms, a location that felt disrespectful given the situation and the occasion. I relived the incident in my mind while seated, and the full gravity of the situation became apparent. My mother, sister, and I were all displeased, not only by the customer's behavior but also by the manager's dismissiveness and the subpar customer service. My mother approached him once more to calmly articulate the feelings of disrespect we experienced, but she was met with condescension. He clearly undermines my mother's legitimate frustration by telling her, "You can tell me what's going on, but don't get upset while doing so." In other words, what he was telling my mother was she is free to inform him of the situation; however, refrain from becoming upset in the process. He acknowledged that the other customer was wrong; however, he declined to relocate the customer to a different table. When my brother arrived and learned what had occurred, he was equally upset. He thought about addressing the customer directly at one point, but he turned away out of respect for the children present. We finally agreed to leave the dining establishment. Before doing so my brother calmly addressed the customer, but the manager approached my brother and immediately assumed my brother was acting aggressively---even though he was calm. Rather than taking responsibility, the manager projected his own mistakes onto us, making his own presumptions about our intentions. He let my brother know that he was disrupting the customer's experience, but he did not seem interested in our experience. We were extremely dissatisfied, offended, and felt disrespected as we left the restaurant. I had been anticipating this day--a chance to celebrate an amazing achievement with my family--for weeks. Racial and gender-based microaggressions and the poor handling of a straightforward issue that could have been handled with basic respect and customer service robbed us of that excitement. It was upsetting to watch the hostess see everything that happened and fail to stand up for us and clarify the seating arrangements. It was upsetting to see the manager allow a customer behave toward my mother and sister disrespectfully and ignorantly. The entire experience turned what should have been an exciting day into an upsetting one. It pointed out the biases and unfair practices that persist in customer service situations. What makes this even more upsetting is that I had personally looked forward to dining here, especially after learning the restaurant was Black-owned. I was excited to support a business rooted in my community, and I saw many Black patrons both in the restaurant and online praising the food and atmosphere. Unfortunately, our experience was significantly less than what we had hoped for, and it can be difficult to feel ignored or unwanted in a place that meant to have embraced us rather than silence us. read more

Has such a great time here - Friday night. Wonderful server and great atmosphere. Offered the ribeye and it was one of the best steaks I have had recently. Loved the Wharf area. read more

This is how you do happy hour! The fish tacos were delicious and dirty martinis perfectly prepared. Thank you Orson for the excellent service and cocktails! read more

Makers Union - Dirty martini and fish tacos at Happy Hour! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was great. Had the salmon with mushroom risotto and chicken and waffles. Large portions and relaxed vibe. Very accommodating for gluten allergies. Server was very nice and attentive. Would come again. read more

Makers Union - Chicken and waffles (dark meat) - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good Food, Great Service, Food was hot every time a dish came out. Definitely recommend the Nashville hot tenders, Mac and cheese, Crab Benedict if you like crab, everything was spot on. The ambience was pretty too! read more

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the service was very slow and the waitress was subpar and the food was okay. This was my first visit, I will not be back., read more

Makers Union - nothing, still waiting on my food - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia