The Howard Theatre — Attraction in Washington

This review is for the weekly GOSPEL BRUNCH.

First, were this a review just of the actual Gospel performance, I would rate it a solid 4-stars (the show is rather short and fairly expensive, which is why I don't give a full five-stars). The performers are excellent and their musical abilities are outstanding.

The one-star review (and trust me, that's generous) is for the Howard Theatre brunch and service during the Gospel brunch. I don't even know where to begin. All I can say is that the Howard Theatre is an embarrassment in terms of how it is run, the food they produce, and the service (if you can call it "service"). Furthermore, the price for these offensively bad things is just insulting.

We arrived at 12:30, when the theater's website says it opens the doors for brunch. Show is supposed to start at 1:30. Of course, the doors didn't open until 12:50, and the actual brunch/show wasn't sold out. This should have been the first clue as I know of no other gospel brunch anywhere that is not sold out every week.

Rather than write a thesis on why this place is so horrible, I'll list some bullet points:

20 min late opening the doors Show started 20 minutes late too The Howard Theatre website lists Gospel Brunch as an "all you can eat buffet". However, not only is it NOT an all you can eat buffet, but the ticket price for Gospel Brunch DOES NOT INCLUDE food. When you sit down, there is a placard that says there is a $20 minimum, per person for brunch. So they lie with their false advertising. I ended up paying $80 for Gospel brunch ($33 for the tickets, $47 for food and mimosas). While our table did get served in a somewhat timely manner, the table next to us (our group of friends who sat at the same time we did) did not even get greeted by a server for over 1.5 hours. In fact, the show was ending before their food even arrived. I had to speak to a manager twice about this, and finally insisted that they have their meals comped. Our food arrived cold, and frankly, was not that excellent. $20 for cold chicken and waffles is an embarrassment. My friends' eggs were cold as well. We paid for "bottomless" mimosas, which was a joke because we couldn't get the server to come refill them. My friend asked for coffee but was told they don't serve coffee there. Yet, when I was returning from the bathroom, I noticed an entire table with coffee. When the show ended and we asked for the bill, it took 30 minutes to get the bill, then another 20 minutes for the server to charge the cards. Considering how expensive the entire experience was, it is unacceptable that the show lasted less than an hour. Yes, the performance was great, but only five songs?

The Howard Theatre is a storied institution with a great deal of history. It's shameful how poorly run it is, and more importantly, it's offensive how this bastion within the community nickles and dimes community members so much with little in return. The owners should immediately replace the management with competent people interested in developing a respectful and sustainable business.

UPDATE: I have called twice and left a message for the manager to call me. I've received no response. This place is...

To whom it may concern,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express my deep disappointment and frustration regarding my recent experience starting at 10:30 pm on March 7th at the Howard Theatre. As someone with profound respect for African history and accomplishments, I was eagerly looking forward to attending the Burna Boy concert, expecting an evening filled with cultural celebration and musical enjoyment. However, the reality of the event fell far short of my expectations, leaving me with a sour impression of the Howard Theatre and its management.

Upon arriving at the venue, it became evident that the event was marred by unpreparedness and unprofessionalism. The advertised promises of a full show and a celebratory atmosphere were overshadowed by a sense of chaos and disregard for patrons' experience. The demeanor of many of the workers, including security personnel, was nothing short of discourteous and disinterested, reflecting poorly on the reputation of the Howard Theatre. I was shocked to encounter resistance from staff when attempting to find seating, despite having purchased a ticket and endured a lengthy wait for Burna Boy's performance.

Furthermore, the atmosphere within the venue was tarnished by the presence of individuals engaging in smoking and excessive drinking, which detracted from the intended celebratory ambiance of the event. As a young woman concerned for my safety and well-being, I found the treatment I received upon voicing my concerns to be particularly distressing. It is unacceptable for patrons to be subjected to rudeness and disrespect, especially in a space that purports to uphold cultural significance and provide a welcoming environment for all attendees.

I implore the management of the Howard Theatre to reconsider their hiring practices and prioritize the selection of personnel who embody the values of professionalism and respect for patrons. The treatment I experienced is indicative of systemic issues within the organization that must be addressed promptly to avoid further alienation of customers and damage to the reputation of the theatre.

Regrettably, I have lost faith in the Howard Theatre and will not consider investing in future events hosted at the venue. Furthermore, I intend to make my concerns public in the hope that they will be acknowledged and remedied in a transparent manner.

Patrons should not be subjected to such disrespectful treatment by staff members, regardless of their role within the organization.

In conclusion, I urge the management of the Howard Theatre to take my complaint seriously and undertake necessary measures to rectify the issues outlined herein. As a patron who holds deep respect for Afrakan culture and its contributions, I sincerely hope that steps will be taken to restore the integrity and reputation of the Howard Theatre as a cultural landmark. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

I spoke with John that night and another woman. Several of the staff on that period need proper customer...

The venue is great, and the majority of the staff is very friendly, but sadly it appears that there is still some cultural sensitivity training that needs to happen at this theater. What is equally sad is that I am sure this review will not make a difference.

I went to the Howard theater yesterday for the flamenco show to celebrate my mom's birthday and to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. Immediately after the show, I mean within the first few minutes my mom had to go to the bathroom to which I sat down and waited for her on the sofas they have in the waiting area adjacent to the bathrooms. There were about four of us waiting for ladies to come out of the bathroom, I was the only Hispanic among them, everyone else was white, and I was sitting on one of the sofas checking my phone.

It's at this time that one of the security guys who later would tell me his name is Calvin, comes directly at me, and tells me that I need to get going, that there is another show coming, and that essentially this isn't a spot to hang around in. Meanwhile, there are three other people also waiting but says nothing to them, it was directed at me. Furthermore it was the disrespectful way in his approach, it is not as if he was saying it politely in any way. To which I tell him I'm waiting for my mom, he says that's ok and continues to blurb something to which I tell him I'm not sitting for my health, it is obvious that it's just a bathroom waiting area not a lounge, as he walks away and says he is not going to get into a back and forth with me.

It was so blatantly obvious that he targeted me for being Hispanic that the gentleman to my right had to come over and almost apologize for what happened and said he saw the whole thing and that it had nothing to do with me just sitting there. Calvin had to walk past three other white men also waiting for people to come out of the bathrooms to come to tell me to leave, it was that targeted. I work for a National Latino non-profit, and this type of institutional racism embedded in our culture is the type of thing we try to fight across the country. The unfortunate thing is that Calvin will probably not think he has done anything wrong. Sadly racism is seen across minorities all the time, and we don't even realize it.

So this is a message to Calvin and to the rest of the security staff at the Howard Theater: there will be Hispanics coming to watch the flamenco show this week. Please treat them with as much respect as you would treat the white guests who will...