DC Warf
 

Is the Warf in DC worth visiting for Food/Shopping etc.?

I am from San Francisco, and our Warf is a tourist trap, with terrible food and I would never recommend people to visit it.

It has been quite a few years since I visited DC's wharf area but my recollection was that it was more a seafood market with a couple of seafood restos. Though touristy, the San Francisco wharf area had more to do and see then.

Do check online to see what's open these days but I think the museums and government buildings are more draws in DC.

The Wharf is a hot area in DC these days -- there is a music venue, lots of restaurants, some good, some not and some stores. Its jammed on weekends. Its a mix of locals and tourist. Its very popular. I think Tdudette is remembering it from days long gone -- the area was rehabbed quite a few years ago i nto a venue with just about everything.

Yestravel about sums it up. It's totally changed from many years ago, lots of development and the trendy place to go, at least for young people. Like loud outdoor music. It also has a water ferry stop that goes to/from Georgetown and I think maybe Alexandria Old Town, but not sure as I haven't done it. There are some very good restaurants, but not cheap (Del Mar for example, Mi Vida is good and chearper, and a few outposts of some decent ones that are also in other areas, like Hanks Oyster Bar). And of course some bars.

Of course there is no ocean here, so it's just an urban seafood market like Fulton's in NY. The only local thing are Chesapeake Bay crabs but they haven't been very good the last few years. As a visitor, of course, you wouldn't be buying seafood anyway, i suppose. I'm more a California girl, having gone to UCLA and living in the LA area many years when younger and I think these local crabs are revolting myself and don't even like them. Nothing like Dungeness IMO. This place isn't really as much of a real wharf as yours is. I mean yours really is a wharf and is or was used by fishermen, there are major ferry routes, etc. There are small pleasure boats piered at the DC Wharf, and some smaller cruise boats like that water taxi, but it's really a marina.

But if you just want some place to knock around a bit if you have free time, sure. Or if you are interested in the water taxi.

YOu don't come to DC to go shopping, the Wharf is no exception and nowhere I would recommend you go to go shopping. I don't know what you'd want to shop for, but if you are from a big city, you don't come here to do it, unless you want some DC souvenirs, of course. I don't know if they sell that stuff down there or not, there are places around Fords Theater and Union Stn that have souvenir stuff. I suppose they probably do given lots of tourists are around there.

water taxi
https://www.wharfdc.com/getting-here/water-taxi/

Let me put my 2 cents in. Maryland Blue Crabs are NOT "revolting". Millions would disagree with her. People prefer one type of crab to another thats true. Being a local my entire life I much prefer blue crabs to dungeness, from the west coast, which are larger and easier to eat but less flavorful. Dungeness crabs are fine, but different as are Stone crabs and various other crabs from around the world. While everywhere in DC is pretty much populated with "young people", I'm not young and we, along with many friends, have gone to the wharf for various reasons. As to visiting the wharf, I go to the Ferry bldgs (is that the SF wharf) and always enjoy seeing what they have. Depending upon what you are looking to do you could easily skip the wharf or decide to check it out. I have had some good meals there.

I agree with everything you've said up to and including blue crabs.

Glad to see the updates!

Is this the seafood market?
https://www.wharfdc.com/fish-market/

Also local: Oysters, clams, scallops, rockfish, sea trout, bluefish, perch, spot, catfish......

OMG, I love bluefish but it’s so hard to find. Add to the list croaker and drum. No one has mentioned our most prized delicacy. Something hard to find anywhere else, the season for which is eagerly anticipated and celebrated….soft shell crabs. Heaven on a plate or a roll.