Pink Tiger on the Wharf — Restaurant in Washington

Okay, so you know how there's that place everyone's been raving about? Well, we'd been hearing all the buzz and were dying to check it out. Last night, we finally made it happen! Stepping inside, the place was absolutely electric. They had live music going, and the whole atmosphere was just buzzing with energy – totally set the mood for a fantastic night of food and tunes.

Let's talk drinks. I went for a classic mojito, and it was spot on. My friend, though, decided to get a little adventurous and asked for a custom drink. Get this: guava syrup, Casamigos reposado, and a splash of prosecco on top. It came out this awesome pink color, and she loved it – which is saying something because she's not usually a big cocktail person. Huge props to Jeff the bartender for whipping that up! Seriously, they should consider adding that masterpiece to their official menu.

Now, for the food – OMG, where do I even start? First up, we snagged the Ahi tuna nachos. We were in the mood to try something different, and these totally hit the mark. The tuna was so fresh, and it mixed perfectly with the sweet mango and corn. Plus, the sauce they used brought it all together with the crunchy nachos. So good!

Then, we got the lumpia, and let me tell you, they were perfectly crispy and delicious. The dumplings were a really nice treat too – just what we were hoping for.

The skewers? Pure delight! They were so tender and juicy, definitely not dry at all. You could tell they were fresh off the grill.

For our main course, we decided to share the filet mignon beef & broccoli. It actually reminded me a bit of that popular Filipino dish, "pares," but Chef Joseph totally elevated it. The way he paired it with the broccoli and carrots was genius – seriously impressive.

And for the grand finale – dessert! They brought out this big freshly homemade cookies, all warm and gooey in a skillet, served with homemade ice cream. Words can't even describe how amazing this was. You HAVE to try it if you go. It wasn't even on the menu yet, but you can totally ask for it. Trust me on this one!

What made the night even cooler was getting to meet the owners, Brooke and Peter. They were so incredibly nice and down-to-earth. And they weren't just standing around – they were right in the thick of it, helping seat guests, clearing tables, and just making sure everyone is happy and having a memorable experience in their restaurant. Major kudos to them!

Chef Joseph was a legend too. He was making his rounds, chatting with everyone, checking if they were enjoying their food and if they needed anything. And then, to top it all off, at the end of the night, he actually sang a song! Talk about a "Singing Chef" – he totally redefined the term. Bravo, Chef!

The wine sommelier was also a rockstar, buzzing around all night. I even saw them clearing tables and helping out guests with questions. That kind of teamwork is a huge plus for any restaurant.

All the staff, especially the bartenders, were super attentive. I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone all night. My only tiny suggestion would be for everyone to flash those smiles a bit more. I get it, working in hospitality is exhausting (I work at the biggest hotel and convention center in Maryland, so I know the drill!). But even when you're tired, that smile can make a huge difference. That goes for the managers too!

Overall, though, we had an absolutely fantastic time. It was so much fun, and we're already planning our next visit. This time, we're definitely bringing a bigger crew of...

CUSTOMER BEWARE! There is a strong likelihood that if you order bar drinks, they will try to sneak an extra on to your bill. Then after mediocre service, try to add 30% tip for herself. They made no effort to reimburse for the drink and were not pleased with the 20%….which was more than generous.

They did not get the order right, which resulted in 3 different Pad Thai bowls and all of them tasted vastly different…no consistency at all. None of them good.

There’s a reason this place was not crowded. The owner came by the table before we ate and was sweet, but after the poor food and sneaky charges we never had the opportunity to speak with her again to discuss.

Groovy vibe, but I would suggest bypassing this one.

Edit:

Thank you to the owner for your personal reply.

While I am certain that you did not intentionally avoid our table, I want to clarify a few things. We saw you moments after we were seated so I had no feedback at that time on service or food. My concern was not with you.

While I agree that the food tastes are our own, I believe that our opinions on the Pad Thai align with plenty of other reviews on here. For further clarification, our orders requested chicken as a protein and no scallions. The other order asked for no egg. What we got was both with egg, none with chicken, both were loaded with scallions and onions. While Irene did have another dish prepared, it was not opinion that all 3 dishes were visibly different in sauce and taste confirmed this. We were not impressed but, honestly, it was not the Pad Thai that warranted the review.

Since you mentioned her by name, Irene, was friendly and did offer us the happy hour menu at the table since we had kids which was very nice. When she explained the accommodation, we offered to decline the happy hour and pay full price. However, she insisted and we ordered a glass of wine and The Purist. We also ordered 2 happy hour appetizers, dumplings and edamame, which were actually rather good.

The concern was when the bill arrived. We noticed the attempt to charge 28% on the tab by pressing the amount for us. Something we usually would not disagree with…especially for small businesses. However, the incorrect order and quality of the main dish did not warrant the extra tip so we changed it to a still reasonable 20%. It wasn’t until after we paid that we realized there was a Chardonnay on the bill and the appetizers were charged at full price.

I didn’t argue the appetizers since, as you pointed out, the happy hour menu was a very generous offering, but I did bring the $9 Chardonnay to Irene’s attention and she made it seem as if there wasn’t much she could do. If it was about the money, I’d have argued, but at this point it was the principal. It was clear that, once the tip amount was changed, the friendly service was over.

It would seem that, by reading other reviews, that this behavior is not uncommon among your staff, whether you are aware of it or not. The multiple accounts of similar action warrants the appearance of dishonesty, in my opinion.

I appreciate you taking up for your staff, but I do hope you also take the reviews into...

Disappointed Despite the Beautiful Atmosphere

I truly hope this review is taken constructively, as my intention is to offer honest feedback that can help improve future guest experiences.

My mother-in-law chose this restaurant to celebrate her 61st birthday. She drove over two hours because she was excited about the beautiful decor and the photo-worthy ambiance. On a positive note, we had to push our reservation an hour later due to traffic, and the staff was very accommodating, which we appreciated. The hostess was also warm and welcoming upon arrival.

Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t live up to expectations. While the space is visually stunning, the service, food quality, and portion sizes—especially considering the high prices—left much to be desired.

Our server appeared visibly annoyed throughout the evening. I understand my mother-in-law had some difficulty deciding on a starter and later realized her choice included pork (which she doesn’t eat), prompting her to change it before it arrived. While she didn’t notice, I saw the server roll his eyes—which, intentional or not, left a poor impression. I was a server for 10 years, and I understand that guests can be difficult at times, but professionalism is key—especially during a celebration.

Additionally, the server’s uniform had noticeable stains, and his shirt was unbuttoned 1–2 buttons lower than expected, showing well below the collarbone. I understand that may sound nit-picky, but paired with everything else, it just didn’t reflect the level of professionalism you’d expect from a fine dining establishment.

As for the food: I ordered the scallop ceviche appetizer ($24), which came with just four very small scallops and lacked seasoning—missing both salt and citrus. I then had the chicken pad Thai ($26 + $7 for chicken), which was another disappointment. It tasted flat, and oddly heavy on soy sauce, which is not typical of traditional pad Thai. Honestly, my neighborhood Thai spot offers much better flavor and value.

At the end of the meal, the server did bring out the birthday cake with candles, which was a thoughtful gesture. However, the original cake box was thrown away without asking, and since there was still most of the cake left between five people, we would have preferred to keep the original box. While to-go containers were offered, keeping the box would have been a more considerate option.

All in all, while the decor and ambiance are beautiful, the overall experience didn’t justify the cost. I won’t be returning, but I do hope this feedback is...