Michaela N.

The service was amazing. The ambience was open, and clean, I couldn't stop looking at the artwork all around the high ceilings. Being able to look into the kitchen was very comforting. But beyond that the kitchen being able to look out, I could notice their attention to detail with wanting to pace the meal, which was delicious! We had the lamb and it was so tender. It fell off the bone. The cornbread was delicious with the very savory butter. My top excitement was the carrots. We are definitely planning to go back.

Calder S.

Most of the food at Marcus was delicious, but a couple dishes could use some tweaks, service was only okay, and the dessert course was a letdown. It's well worth a visit and has 5-star potential. I visited on a Saturday with a group of four at 6:30 PM; prime time. The place was busy but not full, especially not the bar, which was empty most of the time (maybe start happy hour?). We were seated on one side of a very long, very solid wood table. It reminded me of that movie trope where two people try to have a conversation from opposite ends of a huge table. Fortunately, we were all seated together. The opposite end was used for another group, much later on. We kept wondering who would arrive and be our sort-of dinner companions. First, a round of cocktails. The Brown Butter Soul ($16) was a standard whiskey sour; it didn't look or taste like its name, or bring anything new to the table, so it was a disappointment. It also looked identical to the Solara ($17), except for the latter's tomato garnish. The Abyssinian Blaze ($17), on the other hand, was like a negroni but with berbere spice on the back, giving it a novel taste. I'd order that one again. Everything on the menu sounded great. We knew we had to get the cornbread and the crab rice, but other things were TBD. The Blue Cornbread ($12 for two pieces) was excellent -- an attractive brown color outside, a grey-blue inside, texture moist but not crumbly, and most of all delicious with the yassa butter accompaniment. Yassa (a West African dish prepared with onions, lemon or mustard) was a new flavor for me, and it was great. The Steak Tartare ($23) was one of the better interpretations I've had recently. It was a surprisingly colorful dish, for a tartare, thanks to tiny, pure white mushrooms, dark red onion jam, yellow egg yolk, and orange spices in the steak. The brown bread that came with it was also great. We all enjoyed the restaurant's riff on an everything bagel + lox, the Smoked Fish Pate ($23). It was another colorful dish, well presented, if a fairly traditional take. The everything lavash was fun and tasty. Another seafood dish was Tuna Crudo ($25, ~5 pieces of fish). It was good but not too different from other crudos. It came with slices of kiwi, but only three to go with the five slices of fish. While the main dish was an attractive mix of red and green, the dark yellow sauce on the side of the bowl was a bit off putting. The Cuttlefish Tortelloni ($40, 5 tortelloni) was great with its lobster emulsion. You could have put any filling inside and it would have been good. The Crispy Sweet Potato ($13) with some creme fraiche and roe was good, but only interesting if you got everything together. The ratios were a bit off -- too much potato -- so that when you are passing it around your group, it's too easy to not get enough toppings. Finally, the Crab Rice ($68) with mushroom, pickled alligator pear, and uni bearnaise. We were divided on this dish. Some people loved it, others did not; all the components blended together into a single flavor, which I liked, but I also found very acidic and one-note. The acidic flavors paired well with the sweet potato side dish. I couldn't taste any crab or individual ingredients. It felt more like a tasty side dish than a main course. I would eat it again, but I would want a different protein that stands out more. Our dessert course started off on a confusing and disappointing note. A few days before, the Marcus Instagram account posted about a "Mumbo Sauce Salted Caramel Ice Cream" which was featured in a Food & Wine magazine article. Guess what? It's not available. In fact, our server had never heard of it. We had to show them the Instagram post to convince them to ask the kitchen about it; they didn't have it. Why are you advertising something on your Insta (and getting national media attention) for something you don't have? C'mon. Dessert brought the Strawberry Breton and Buttermilk Tart ($15 each). The breton was not good, and I would not have identified it as a breton. The pastry was dense and too thick. The strawberry sauce was the main flavor. The net result tasted like a strawberry Pop-Tart, so it tasted good enough, but wasn't appropriate for a $15 restaurant dessert. The Buttermilk Tart was a very good rendition, although the green tomato sorbet didn't taste as interesting as it sounded. This ended up being a lot of food for four people, so we had about half of the crab rice and some of the potato left over. The check came with four tiny house-made gummy fish -- their take on Swedish fish. This was a sweet note, but not enough to make up for the previous dessert disappointments.

Ethan G.

I'm really stuck on my review for Marcus because the highs were high and the lows were meh. My positives were that, I really enjoyed the crab fried rice. I liked that it was kind of a choose your own adventure and there was a lot of flavor. It was a good amount of crab and was a hearty meal. The biggest star for me was the sweet potato side dish. It was perfectly crispy, well seasoned, and tbh I want that recipe. My lows originally put this at a 3, but I also know my experience isn't everyone's. Our party was seated in the side room instead of the main dining room, and when i asked the host if we could moved, she told me there was a table available but that it was reserved and that made me more confused because I also had a reservation? The ambiance was very lacking in the side room. They also have a table side dessert that I was excited for but the server told me the cart could not fit through the door so it was also disappointing (but he did check and said they could still do the whole service if I wanted dessert). Those were just bummers. The cornbread also I'd skip because it wasn't really moist.

Ijeoma O.

I was torn between giving this place two or three stars as the service was spotty and I wouldn't recommend coming here for food or drinks, which is disappointing because I was really looking forward to trying this restaurant. The night started out strong as the best dishes were the appetizers and side, but the meal went downhill as the night progressed. Yes, order the blue cornbread. The flavors are unique and taste absolutely wonderful. Loved the sweet berbere honey on top. One order comes with two, so if you're with a big party you'll want to order multiple plates. This is the star dish of the restaurant. If the other dishes went in this direction, the restaurant could be great. Honorable mentions are the crispy sweet potatoes (I don't usually eat sweet potato but I liked this dish) and possiblyy the baked oysters (unique flavors but the toppings were a bit too heavy for an oyster). All the main dishes, I wouldn't order again. The crab rice had too much going on, the flavors were competing with each other so I couldn't enjoy it. I had one small servings and was done. The salmon was slightly undercooked in the middle and underwhelming. The sweet potato just heavily overpowered the other flavors on the dish and threw it off. When I ate the salmon without the jus, the dish was just fine. A very simple dish I wouldn't go out to order. Others at the table ordered the roasted sea bass. I liked the char on the fish and it was cooked well but again a very simple, underwhelming dish. Would not order again. The cocktail menu is very limited. I didn't care for any of the drinks we ordered at the table. There is an extensive wine selection so that may be the route you want to take if you come here. The birthday dessert is bizarre in the worst way. I think it was a small piece of cake topped with mousse that was then topped with caramel coated popcorn.. I can't comprehend the reason as to why they would serve this as a birthday dessert. It's not even on the dessert menu, and once you see it and try it, you begin to understand why. Overall, beautiful restaurant and great ambiance. However, the menu and flavors are all over the place, the drinks are subpar, and the service was slow. Would not recommend coming here for dinner. Maybee come here for a glass a wine and small bites (aka the blue cornbread)?

Ericka E.

Beautiful restaurant! Attentive service. Food was delicious Cornbread is an absolute must and if you pair that with those greens, you're in business. The greens slapped! (That's a good thing ) I also got the gnocchi and pork belly (with tiger prawn) which were both good. As a foodie who has watched almost every single coking competition show I recognized Exec Chef Anthony Jones immediately and got a picture with him too

JANELLE W.

Grabbed a seat at the bar with no plans for a full dinner--just wanted to sample a few bites. Three small plates and two perfect martinis later, I left more than satisfied. The smoked fish pate was a standout: rich and flavorful, paired with house-made crackers that were crisp, light, and just right. Add in the smoky fish, salmon roe, and a touch of pickled onion and pickles--it all came together beautifully. The snapper crudo was equally impressive--fresh, vibrant, and perfectly balanced with avocado and a bright citrus base. Absolutely loved it. Even the greens held their own, topped with crispy onions that added great texture. Two martinis in, and the night was officially made. I'm already planning a return visit--next time with company, since a few dishes on the menu are made for sharing. A perfect excuse to come back.

Nancy R.

Sometimes there's a dish that you have that you find you can't forget.  It's one that you look forward to having again and it becomes a memory of an evening well spent.  Such is the case for the tamarind braised lamb shoulder at Marcus.   Yum!  It is so flavorful and the portion is so generous.  Plus, it comes accompanied by the super contrast of the pickled vegetables and the just plain goodness of well-cooked collards.  So satisfying!  This dish alone is well worth the trip.  But wait, there's more....  The simple sounding crispy sweet potato was also delicious and, true to its name, the skin was delightfully crispy.  You could hear the crisp.  We also enjoyed the popular blue cornbread which had a really nice texture.  For drinks, we had the velvet detour.  It was also really good - and - it didn't come with a giant ice cube - YAH!  Those giant ice cubes drive me crazy!  So, I was very happy to be able to enjoy my cocktail without an iceberg ramming into my face every time I took a sip.  Dessert was the praline cake which was beautifully colorful and served tableside.  We appreciated all the excellent and friendly service we received and it was fun to see one of the talented staff assemble the various parts of our sweet treat.  The only very small downside to our wonderful dinner was that, for some reason, although we were there early when the dining room was still quiet, someone was seated at the table right next to us instead of at a number of other tables one or more over.  It felt like a little bit of a shadow on our privacy when there were many other options.  But, that's a small thing.  All in all, we really enjoyed our dinner at Marcus and that lamb shoulder is on my list of faves for sure.

Khanh-Chau M.

I'm so glad my friend and I found out we both wanted to try this place and made a reservation here because this place was absolutely fantastic with food, service, and ambiance! Came on a Thursday night after jumping off the Metro and a decent amount of people were there. I was offered coat check which was very helpful. Staff were very friendly and attentive. The place is inside a hotel but very beautiful to be seated in. I had blue cornbread as an appetizer and it was jaw-dropping with how amazing it was just cornbread and butter. The bread was denser than expecting, but went extremely well with the yassa butter; it was quite addictive. One cornbread already filled me up, honestly. I had the dry aged ribeye, which was delicious. The meat itself was juicy, tender, and had a nice crisp/flavour on the outside. The dish came along with sauce, some sautéed vegetables, and something else a bit more on the crunchy/grainy side, but I can't remember what it was called. Everything worked so well with each other but were also quite delicious individually too. The cauliflower was impressive, being refreshing and tasty as one of the few vegan dishes here, and is still quite great. The drinks and dessert were quite a nice touch too. There wasn't anything that appealed to me initially on the drink menu, but seems like the cocktails are hits regardless. I had a great time dining here, and I'd definitely come again and recommend to my friends! I would like to try one of their gatherings dishes next time, hoping that I'd have room for it!

Lily J.

My friend and I had a belated birthday meetup and I'm not sure how this restaurant popped up but I'm glad it did. PARKING/TRANSPORTATION: It's within walking distance of the NOMA/Gallaudet metro stop. They have valet parking for $25 if you're attending the restaurant only. $65 for overnight guest. I'm unsure of nearby parking as I Ubered in this day. LOCATION/AMBIANCE: The restaurant is located in the 5-Star Morrow Hotel. Random, but I loved the bathroom. I believe there are about 5 stalls, one handicapped. The doors go from ceiling to floor and shows vacant or occupied. The restaurant was beautifully designed. Very upscale and dimly lit when the sun sets. I arrived a little before opening, and the second they opened the doors, the restaurant filled quickly. SERVICE: Carlos was our server and he was so incredibly warm, knowledgeable and made great suggestions. Service in general was perfect. FOOD: BLUSHING ROOT COCKTAIL dark & light rum, mauby bark, hibiscus flirtatiously earthy twist on the daquiri. - botanical & smooth This was sweeter than I thought it would be. When I first read the ingredients,I thought it would be a little more earthy but this was a pleasant surprise. BLUE CORNBREAD yassa butter, berbere honey This turned out to be a little more savory/salty than I thought. When I saw honey I thought maybe it would be a little sweet. I enjoyed it though. SEARED SCALLOPS plantain mole, maitake, pickled chayote This wasn't bad, just a little more salty than I would have preferred. CRISPY PORK BELLY tiger prawn, apricot mustard, radicchio, spiced jus Pork belly is always a hit or miss. While this was good, I feel I've had better pork belly elsewhere so I can't say I would order this again. DRY AGED RIBEYE* trumpet mushrooms, berbere crust, black garlic jus I didn't get to try this but my friend said it was cooked to perfection and had no gristle or fat. She would return for this dish. MEL'S CRAB RICE shiitake mushroom, pickled alligator pear, uni bernaise I know this is the staple item on the menu but I was a little disappointed. It just wasn't what I expected. I loved the textural elements and the bearnaise was to die for. I can see how many would love this but I think I was looking for something different. SWEET POTATO STICKY TOFFEE CAKE SERVED FOR 2 candied pepitas, smoked sage ice cream This was my favorite item on the menu hands down. I love sticky toffee cake in general but I don't care for sweet potato. This is the first item I've had that balanced the flavor so well. I would go back for this dessert in a heartbeat. It was rich, flavorful and... One person can eat it. Believe me. Oh and this may be small but for those who love this perk, they pack your food up for you to take home. OVERALL: I would return to this restaurant. There were other items I wanted to try and while there may have been some hit and misses, I feel misses may have been attributed to personal preferences.

Kai M.

Celebrating Black History Month by supporting Black owned businesses. Join me! I must say that the food scene in DC is impressing me everyday and I'm here for it. This place embodies fine dining. After all, the mastermind behind this place is the Marcus Samuelsson!!! Staff: The staff was incredible. Brandon wore many hats but did an amazing job at making guests feel welcomed while recommending everything from wine pairings to desserts. Then there was our amazing waiter, Oudone! He was a star and knew his items on the menu from front to back. Drinks: The cocktails were impeccable and unique. Talk about incorporating spices into a drink, this place offered it. I ordered the Solara and my boyfriend had the Velvet detour. The Solara: Blanco tequila mixed with vine-ripened tomato and citrus for a sun-kissed, fresh cocktail with bright warmth. This was sinfully good! A bright and playful cocktail which lived up to its refreshing description. The Velvet detour: Tamarind, cognac, and lemon juice shaken for a luxurious, smooth cocktail with a soft, velvety texture. Amazing! And listen in, the tamarind balanced the cognac just right, creating another cocktail magic. FOOD Table Talk- Blue Cornbread: I'm uncertain how anyone could not love this cornbread. Honey, this starter was a sweet lure down the food rabbit hole, the one you don't want to be rescued from. It was phenomenal! And the Yassa butter and sweet berbere honey was chefs kiss! Snapper Crudo: After a sweet start, the snapper crudo presented the citrus flavors that we needed to reset our palate in order to intake another wave of flavor goodness. Whew, this dish was citrusy and absolutely fresh, an amazing continuation of the food journey. Impressions- Seared Scallops: By now I'm thoroughly impressed and wondered to myself "what else can Chef hit us with?" Well, along came the best seared scallops that I've ever had! Rested on a bed of plantain mole, this dish brought together cultures and I truly appreciated that. What a delightful addition to the evening. Gatherings- Tamarind Braised Lamb Shoulder: So of course by the main dish, we're already sold on this place and deciding on our return. And then the Tamarind Braised Lamb made its exquisite entrance. Paired with a side of saffron pickled vegetables (helpful to balance the fat from the lamb) and Dorothy's collard greens (baby this the one!). This entree was enough for more than 2 people so my boyfriend and I had quite a few servings days following. Saffron pickled vegetables were perfect and again, an excellent break from the fattiness carried by the lamb shoulder. The Dorothy's collard greens were divine. The Tamarind Braised pork shoulder was AH-MA-ZING! Whew! I'm still on a high at how gooooooood this was. Talk about perfectly seasoned and slow cooked to perfection. I think the meat melted by simply looking at it. So of course we were in a food coma at this point and then the sweets menu came out. I felt as if we needed to gather our strength to indulge in something and the Sweet Potato Sticky Toffee Cake was our poison of choice! A literal dream! Brandon informed us that the sage ice cream on the cake was smoked. So, we wondered "how?". Well, turns out that the ingredients are smoked and added together and bam! The BEST ice cream you'll ever have! The sweet potato sticky toffee cake was sin in a skillet. OMG this cake was fluffy, light, and surprisingly not too sweet. Balanced with the smoked sage ice cream on top, our tummies were satisfied!!!! As we closed off the night we were presented with a sweet jelly fish which simply melts in your mouth. A beautiful way to say "thank you for dining with us" and the perfect end to an extraordinary night! Make the reservations and go enjoy! You won't regret it!

Aimee B.

The interior here is so lovely, and the bar makes amazing drinks (caffeinated lemonade was delicious and refreshing). We were ushered to our table in the back room. Between six, I think we ordered everything off the menu and it was beautiful and delicious, very generous portions too. The only miss was the baked oysters, they came drenched in an overly spicy in what tasted like unpleasantly spiced chorizo sauce that drowned out the oyster if there even was one in there, yowsa. The salmon was good but came with some very undercooked asparagus (raw!)...funny bc I also ordered a side of carrots - mix of colors-and these had good flavor but were on the undercooked side as well. I had to leave early but the lamb and beef dishes were impressive. I will definte come back again.

Victoria M.

This meal was such a beautiful, elevated experience. The restaurant itself is elegant without being too over the top. It's a comfortable environment that feels warm and exciting. The bar is beautiful, and as I waited for my party I had initially sat there. I saw there was an option to sit there and eat, which is great if you're staying at the attached hotel. I don't believe you need reservations to sit at the bar, but something you will want to confirm. I started with the oysters which were salty and fresh. My friends had ordered the cornbread and they enjoyed it. I also ordered the scallops which were cooked perfectly. The plate presentation was beautiful and the added flavors made this my favorite dish, until I tried the crab rice. Warning, this is massive. We were a table of four and this could have easily been our entree, with us ordering a side or two max. Also, believe the hype, it's delicious. They prepare table side and it's an experience. It's magic in your mouth and when there's leftovers everyone wants to take some home. Dessert was the praline cake and a scoop of sorbet. The cake presentation is done table side and was a fun, campy experience. We were rooting for the cake when it was ready for us to dig in. Overall, the cake was good, but the sorbet was delicious. I could have ordered a scoop to myself! My meal at Marcus was so fun, delicious, and really enjoyable. It was so engaging and made it a memorable meal. I highly recommended, although it may be tricky for vegetarians.

Kiersten W.

The decor was beautiful, service was less attentive than expected for the price point, but perhaps that is so the patrons to not feel rushed and can enjoy their meal. The Velvet Detour cocktail was delicious. The food... Each item we ordered was full of flavors and very good solo. However, I didn't feel the dishes complemented each other so it was overwhelming when I wld pair more than 1 item together at a time. As for dessert, we got the Praline cake and it was a pass for me... Please don't let my review discourage your visit. I wld go back for sure...