Restaurant in DC Union Sta. bites the dust

[MARC Rider]

On my commute home, I noticed that the Center Cafe was shut down, all the tables cleared away, the bar empty. Don't know what happened, and don't know if there will be a replacement. A shame, I used to stop for drinks waiting for 188 or 97. One bartender would even give me top shelf gin in my martini, but just charge regular price, but I don't think that's why the place folded. It was a bit pricey for the food served, but the setting in the Great Hall was worth stopping by for a drink.

 

[AmtrakBlue]

I saw that today and wondered.

 

[jphjaxfl]

I had eaten several meals at Center Cafe at Union Station also had cocktails there. Sorry to hear it's gone.

 

[RalphCT]

Here's a link to a story on the Center Cafe at the Washington DC Union Station from the Washington Post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/last-call-for-the-center-cafe-where-doug-knew-your-drink/2016/03/01/18d3b62e-dfc7-11e5-846c-10191d1fc4ec_story.html

 

[Thirdrail7]

They've really decimated Washington's appeal. There is seriously no reason to stop there. Hell, even the Capital City Brewery is gone.

 

[afigg]

On my commute home, I noticed that the Center Cafe was shut down, all the tables cleared away, the bar empty. Don't know what happened, and don't know if there will be a replacement. A shame, I used to stop for drinks waiting for 188 or 97. One bartender would even give me top shelf gin in my martini, but just charge regular price, but I don't think that's why the place folded. It was a bit pricey for the food served, but the setting in the Great Hall was worth stopping by for a drink.

The changes to the Main Hall has been in the works for some time. The plan is to return the Main Hall to be an open waiting area. I think the plan to add escalators in the Main Hall leading down to the reconfigured and expanded lower level is still in the new design. The Greater Greater Washington blog had a post on the proposed plans back in 2012: Union Station Main Hall redesign is close, but not quite right, This is part of the changes underway to the mix of retail stores and food places in the station, effectively to national and regional chain stores and restaurants.

Construction to expand and reconfigure the existing concourse part of the station is supposed to start later in 2016 as Phase 1 of the DC Union station Master Plan. So more changes are coming to WAS.

 

[justinslot]

That's sad. That was the only real bar in Union Station, right? There's a bar inside Uno but it isn't nearly the same.

The food there was just okay. But the drinks actually were good.

 

[Ryan]

Thunder Grill has a bar.

 

[justinslot]

Thunder Grill has a bar.

I did not know that--thanks! Will check it out next time I'm there.

 

[Anderson]

That's a real shame...I remember grabbing lunch there one day back in HS (I was on a summer camp trip to Capitol Hill; suffice it to say that I always managed to find the other guy in the group who was up for grabbing better-than-average food to pair up with) as well as a few times over the last few years.

Honestly, I think the incessant construction in the Main Hall did them in. That room has been under pretty continual renovation since that earthquake and it...did not help the ambiance.

 

[capltd29]

They've really decimated Washington's appeal. There is seriously no reason to stop there. Hell, even the Capital City Brewery is gone.

Yeah. Since there's nothing at all to do outside of the station. DC has nothing to offer at all. Might as well be Tomah, WI.

 

[oldtimer]

Many years ago I had the pleasure of meeting Maya Angelou at the Center Bar.

 

[Rail Freak]

Last October, while connecting to the SM, the bartender told me that he had worked there for 24 years!

 

[Asher]

After reading RALPHCTs link I regret I didn't take the opportunity to have a drink when I was there last December.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

They've really decimated Washington's appeal. There is seriously no reason to stop there. Hell, even the Capital City Brewery is gone.

The original Capitol City Brewery is only a mile and a half away on H Street. Ten minute bus ride. They closed the one by Union Station because it was too close to their other downtown location.

I used to date a girl that worked a block from the H St one. Must have eaten there 30 or 40 times.

 

[MARC Rider]

Hey, the Center Cafe is back! Or it never went away. It is now located in the upstairs level of the Thunder Grill. Enter the Thunder Grill, find the spiral staircase and walk upstairs.

The bar is a lot smaller than the old one, and, of course, the setting is not the same. But the bartender remembered me! Which is amazing because I never went there all that often.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Hey, the Center Cafe is back! Or it never went away. It is now located in the upstairs level of the Thunder Grill. Enter the Thunder Grill, find the spiral staircase and walk upstairs.

The bar is a lot smaller than the old one, and, of course, the setting is not the same. But the bartender remembered me! Which is amazing because I never went there all that often.

Thank you for the information!That is good to know. I made the mistake of wandering into Shake Shack and ordering without looking at the prices. What a mistake! :angry2:

 

[AmtrakBlue]

Hey, the Center Cafe is back! Or it never went away. It is now located in the upstairs level of the Thunder Grill. Enter the Thunder Grill, find the spiral staircase and walk upstairs.

The bar is a lot smaller than the old one, and, of course, the setting is not the same. But the bartender remembered me! Which is amazing because I never went there all that often.

Thank you for the information!That is good to know. I made the mistake of wandering into Shake Shack and ordering without looking at the prices. What a mistake! :angry2:

Oh, but their fries are so good. That has become my go to place - fries & milkshake.Luckily for my wallet I don't get down there often. And I do Taco Bell when I'm being good with my frugalness.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Hey, the Center Cafe is back! Or it never went away. It is now located in the upstairs level of the Thunder Grill. Enter the Thunder Grill, find the spiral staircase and walk upstairs.

The bar is a lot smaller than the old one, and, of course, the setting is not the same. But the bartender remembered me! Which is amazing because I never went there all that often.

Thank you for the information!That is good to know. I made the mistake of wandering into Shake Shack and ordering without looking at the prices. What a mistake! :angry2:

Oh, but their fries are so good. That has become my go to place - fries & milkshake.Luckily for my wallet I don't get down there often. And I do Taco Bell when I'm being good with my frugalness.

I miss that good Pizza/Italian place that was in the Food Court against one of the end walls. Good slices and reasonably priced.

 

[afigg]

The scaffolding has finally been removed from the Great Hall at DC Union Station. A flickr link to a neat photo of the restored Great Hall with the center restaurant now gone was posted on the BeyondDC website: https://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/26296431394. I'll have to check out the front hall when I go through Union Station later this week.