We enjoyed this venue. We had some beers and a pretzel upstairs while waiting for doors to open for the show. Bar is a few steps away from the stage. Fast and friendly service. Smaller venue but can hold a lot of people.
The Union Stage space is very good, but the 80s dance party on June 25 with DJ Dave Paul was disappointing for 2 reasons. First, too many of the songs were covers of the originals. Second, there was a very dominant drum machine added to all the songs. The songs completely lost their character and were blended together into a dull mass-produced soup. The message that came across was that after all the music from that decade couldn't have been that good, if we have to 'improve' it to motivate people to dance.
A most excellent venue if standing (as in NO seating for regular ticket holders) amid a sea of mostly unmasked bipeds on a concrete floor in dark, windowless dungeons excites you. Featured music acts are one or two steps above what is offered at local suburban coffee houses. Meh. Most of the staff were polite.
We didn't eat but here is the skinny on the venue. Great Location! Upstairs is the Pizza Joint. Head downstairs to the venue, standing room only. It was very small, but very intimate with the artist. There is a bar ($15 for 2 drinks) and coat check. Bathrooms were clean. Parking was $45 for just under 3 hrs. on Sunday night. Be mindful of that, but it is VERY close to the venue.
Small intimate venue with great sound and lineups. Can get pretty crowded but still a fun place to see a show. The VIP area is a little weird, I wouldn't pay extra for it, as it's just a few tables roped off behind General Admisson. I doubt you would be able to see if it was a packed show. Easy to Uber or Lyft to, and is located in a super cute part of the Wharf District. If I lived in DC I would definitely come here often.
Great little joint to hear some live music. Easy to get to, just a short walk from the L’Enfant Plaza Metro stop. Saw Will Hoge, and was right up next to the stage. Looking forward to seeing more shows here soon.
Attended a show at Union Stage this weekend with my child & we had a great time! The venue is very intimate so the band can really feed off the crowd's energy and vice versa. I thought it was cool how to venue is basically under the restaurant. The only thing I thought was weird was the "premier plus seating" was only 4 seats roped off to the side... other than that it was great!
Open after the Anthem. Crowded. Roadhouse-y.
Be cautious buying tickets from this venue! I was going to see a show on Feb 22nd and it was postponed. The band I was going to see posted about their new tour dates and they were no longer going to perform at union stage and instead at a venue called DC9. I never received a refund from union stage, despite their website states you will receive a refund if a show is canceled. There is my $50 down the drain. I emailed them twice and no response. Very unfortunate that they're deciding to take advantage of their customers and ignoring them. I've been to this venue before and enjoyed my time there. But now, I am going to stay away and don't want to support this venue.
Pizza is great (thin crust!). If you’re going to see a show at this venue, arrive early to grab drinks and pizza at upstairs bar. Music is downstairs. Great location in DC. Explore the wharf while you are there.