Service at Makers Union Is Hit or Miss
A restaurant can have five-star food, but if it has one-star service, it drags the whole dining experience down.
That is the case at Makers Union’s Wharf location where the food is top notch, but you have a 50-50 chance of having a good experience.
Maker’s Union’s Wharf location at 664 Maine Ave. SW. (Photo: Maker’s Union)
On my first visit, for a birthday celebration, the service was subpar. When we arrived for dinner – several hours after the end of brunch service – many of our server’s tables still hadn’t been cleared from brunch. In fact, tables in the section between the restrooms and the kitchen were littered with used plates, dirty silverware and discarded glasses.
To begin, we ordered a $45 carafe of Sippin’ Sangria made with Tempranillo wine, berry brandy, triple sec, pomegranate juice and blackberries. However, when it arrived at the table, the carafe was three-fours ice. Two of us got 1 ½ glasses of sangria each. The cost of three single glasses, which would have been the same amount of sangria, would have only cost $36.
The pan-seared scallop appetizer, which never arrived until our second visit. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
When we inquired which vegetables were included in the roasted vegetables side dish, our server didn’t know and had to ask the kitchen. It took her three visits to our table to finally have an answer.
To begin our celebration dinner, we ordered pan-seared scallops with a brown butter sauce, orange and grapefruit segments and pomegranate molasses ($21) and spinach and artichoke dip ($15) with mozzarella, roasted garlic and tortilla chips for our appetizers. While the dip was tasty, the scallops never arrived – ever. At first our server said the scallops would be right out, then blamed the delay on the kitchen staff. Finally, after our entrée had arrived and we had finished, we canceled the scallops. The whole time, the server stood in the glass-fronted kitchen chatting with the hostess/expediter/shift manger and kitchen staff.
The three-course tomahawk ribeye steak dinner with parmesan garlic fries (back l to r), mac and cheese and crispy
Brussels sprouts. (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
For our entrée, we opted for the three-course tomahawk ribeye dinner for two ($165), which included a 42-ounce long bone ribeye steak with garlic butter, salad, two sides – we chose mac and cheese and parmesan garlic butter fries – and shared dessert. The mac and cheese was fine, but not very cheesy. The fries, however, lacked any parmesan, garlic or butter flavor and just tasted like plain fries. We also got an order of crispy Brussels sprouts ($8) with Fresno chili, hot honey, ginger, mint, cilantro and roasted peanuts, which was the best of the sides we ate.
For dessert, we got a free brownie sundae for the birthday and an order of cinnamon bread pudding, which was supposed to be included with the dinner for two. However, when the bill arrived, there was a $10 charge for the bread pudding. When we pointed it out to our server, she went to have it removed but came back with a $4 charge for something we hadn’t even ordered. When we pointed it out again, she went back to the hostess/expediter/shift manager, who came to our table to say she was taking it off, but the tomahawk steak came with cheesecake, an option we were not even offered. (There is no dessert menu, at least not that we were given.)
Butternut squash and scallop risotto (Photo: Mark Heckathorn/DC on Heels)
On my second visit, the service was 100 percent, although it was on a Tuesday and the staff knew we were coming. Appetizers included the pan-seared scallops we never received on our first visit and buffalo wings with carrots, celery and ranch. Both were amazing and definitely worth ordering again, although the scallops were $21 for three while the wings were $15 for five.
This time, we chose individual entrees. I ordered the butternut squash and scallop risotto with mushrooms and pesto oil ($38) with a side of the grilled vegetables ($8). The risotto was delicious with the sweet butternut squash pieces and tangy pesto oil topped with the four perfectly grilled scallops. My friend had the grilled 14-ource ribeye with garlic-herb butter ($46), Brussels ($4 up charge) instead of the chargrilled broccolini and a loaded baked potato.
Ribeye with garlic-herb butter, Brussels sprouts and a loaded baked potato. (Photo: Nick Bullock/DC on Heels)
For dessert, we both chose key lime pie ($15), which was better than the brownie sundae or bread pudding we had on our first visit. It seems like the dessert menu changes on a whim, since there was no menu and we were only told what was available.
One other thing to note, we were charged $7 for a bottle of still water. It looked and tasted like a bottle of tap water in a label-less bottle. We were never told there was a charge for the water and there was nothing on the menu about it.
Key lime pie. (Photo: Nick Bullock/DC on Heels)
Makers Union, 664 Maine Ave. SW, is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday. Brunch is served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. weekends. Other locations include 1450 S. Eads St., Suite 65, Arlington and the original at 1811 Library St., Reston. A fourth location at 3701 Newark St. NW in Cathedral Commons, which opened on Feb. 13, 2024, closed permanently at the beginning of September after only 6 ½ months.
