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In today’s review… we’ll cover a restaurant that has the flair & branding of a typical flashy Wharf venue, yet serves traditional pub food with decent flavors!

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The Ratings

Our simple & honest checklist covers a restaurant’s key ingredients:
Ambiance, Service, and Food.

7.5/10

Live music… and good live music (only Thurs/Fri/Sat nights)! While Makers Union is located off of Maine Avenue (street side vs. river-facing), this gastropub puts on a little scene for itself with sports games on the TVs and the typical flashy exuberance of other party-esque Wharf venues. I mean the entrance has a mirror with the wording “I got nauti at… Makers Union” and the righthand side wall has a fluorescent pink sign screaming “Let’s Get Nauti” — that should give you an idea of the vibe. Nevertheless, Makers Union is a good spot for a fancier-than-normal pub lunch, brunch, or dinner where you’ll see a decent mix of casual diners and more dressed up adventurers.

7.5/10

While if you accidentally step inside the restaurant with your furry pet, you’ll immediately be scorned… do not fret, as this restaurant actually has a hidden pet menu when you sit outside on the patio. You can order a few different items to include a ground beef patty with vegetables and potatoes for $5 — now that’s a nice treat for the good boy!

Back to our waiters… the staff are pleasant and nice, meeting all expectations for a local restaurant and always checking in with you in a timely manner. Food is served rather quickly, so you shouldn’t worry about long wait times.

6.5/10

Our expectations going into the restaurant were not high — we were expecting an OK, average, but satisfactory meal. We were wrong to have doubted the Wharf’s gastropub addition that wants you to “eat what makes you happy.” The eatery is actually quite decent and tasty. Not a standout hit by any means, but a local repeat venue when wanting to grab a quick and reliable bite for sure.

If you’re looking for a juicy starter, make sure to get the chargrilled Makers Wings, preferably buffalo-style. For lunch, the Asian Steak Salad is a light and healthy choice — but beware, you won’t taste many of the listed ingredients like cilantro, mint, and cucumbers. We think this salad could use a flavor boost. For dinner, we tried the Poke Bowl (awkwardly not served in a bowl, but rather in a rounded plate). Here, the flavors were decent with all of the traditional ingredients you’d find in a normal poke bowl. Nothing experimental or new, just salmon (or tuna) with rice, avocado, edamame, carrots, onions, and good ole sesame ginger and sriracha mayo. One of the more popular dishes on the menu is the Alfredo Pasta (with chicken or shrimp). The gruyere-parmesan cream sauce covered linguini, served with a nicely toasted slice of garlic bread, is a solid staple and will surely fill you up.

Fun bonus for coffee enthusiasts: the Caramel Cappuccino is delicious!

Reservation & Menu: