AJ Cafe
2557 South Ave, Wappingers Falls, NY, 12590
AJ Cafe Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Wappingers Falls for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Wappingers Falls for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Wappingers Falls for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2557 South Ave
Wappingers Falls, NY, 12590 - Phone (845) 632-1631
- Website https://www.ajcafewappingers.com
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Lisa M.
It is seriously loud in this restaurant on Sunday brunch. That's probably my only complaint. This is not the place for a chilled out, recover from Saturday night excess, brunch. The music is pumping and the open space echoes with tipsy brunchers trying to be heard over the loud music. That said, the food was decent for the $23 and there's nothing wrong with the complimentary Mimosas. I had the scallops with poached eggs, done just the way I like them. There's something quite delicious about golden yolks oozing sunnily over scallops and greens. Just don't go here for a quiet Sunday brunch.
(3)Cheries K.
We had tried getting a table at Essex previously but without a reservation, the wait will be excruciatingly long at the wrong time. We made a res and went. It would be a good place to go with a bunch of friends with the intent to drink a lot.
(2)Alex P.
Came here for happy hour (which starts at 6) we got there a little early and posted up by the bar. 6pm rolled around and immediately got some seats (theres plenty of seating). We went for happy hour so that means $1 oysters and half price drinks. I got a couple glasses of scotch for 5 bucks a pop (a steal in ny) and my friend got some fruity cocktail, which they seem to make a lot of. I ordered the Half Pound Angus Burger, Essex Style, which topped the burger with a BBQ Short Rib and some fancy cheese. By far, the best burger I've ever had. Comes with a side of fries for $15, which I rationalized by taking advantage of the half priced drinks. I'll definitely go back.
(4)eileen h.
$18 brunch that includes 3 mimosas will get me there! I suppose this place is the "it" spot for brunch on saturdays. Service wasn't that great (i assume it's because they didn't have enough waiters to service the amount of people there). The restaurant has some interesting decor and is very well lit. I ordered the dish that has gravy. It was good eating eggs and sausage with the gravy. Portions are smaller than some of the other dishes though. If you're there for an early brunch, beware of glaring eyes. Patrons waiting at the bar will stare at your table until you're up and out of the place so they can sit. It's not really a place to relax while eating brunch, but it's good for the deal!
(4)Kathy H.
I went on a Thursday evening and it was happening without being overly crowded. My friend and I easily got two seats at the bar and the bartenders was very friendly without being overattentive. The NY Yankees game was on in the background, which was appropriate considering there are baseballs glued all over the East Wall. I have never been to Brunch here, but have only come for the drinks and $1 Oysters which have never failed me. $1 Oysters on Mondays and Thursdays and half off drinks on Thursdays from 6-9 (and sometimes past 9 if you have drinks at the bar). It would be a good date place.
(4)Ashley H.
The food just gets better, and I just get drunker every time I go to brunch for Essex. There are a number of possible ways a trip to Essex could turn out. But, inevitably, here is how my trip always turns out: -We get there, slightly hungover, vowing not to touch a sip of mimosas, bloody marys or hair of the dog bullshit whatevs -5 minutes into the wait, we get drink vouchers and say, "Oh, I guess we can just get one drink. it's free right?" -3 drinks later, we have found some unknowing hipster victim to laugh at mirthlessly because they look like they've been ransacking the Pretty in Pink set mixed with Eddie Van Halen's closet -We get seated just as we are losing our cool, and our buzz and know exactly what we want to order.... more drinks. -We enjoy great and healthy food for a very reasonable price, while gossiping while "sipping" our 8th/9th/10th drink of choice -Pay bill and decide with all that money we saved by not going to a hotel bar for brunch we might as well head to Soho and "window shop" (this is the same lame excuse making that amounted our current inebriation). -Drop hundreds of dollars drunk shopping. God, I love you, Essex.
(5)TJ G.
Went here for dinner with a few friends, really unimpressed. Our waitress was really unintelligent and very inattentive. We were constantly waiting around to place our order, get drinks etc. The food is as equally horrible as the service. We ordered Oysters to start. They were very good, and tasted even better when we all puked them up later. For my entrée I order the "Filet Mignon, " except, it wasn't Filet Mignon at all. Instead it was an ugly chunk of roast beef that tasted like garbage. Overpriced, crappy food and crappy service, but at least the place looks nice.
(2)Sachin P.
What a waste of time! I ordered the wasabi encrusted salmon. What i got was undercooked fish covered in a sad wasabi paste from a tube over a sloppy presentation of vegetables. After sending the fish back, it was still undercooked. I am normally good with checking out yelp before i go to a place, but for some reason i didn't check. I guess this one was my fault!
(2)Izac H.
Saturday morning, 1045 AM, the sky is overcast and the streets are bare. Two dodgy looking men are lurking near Essex and despite the owner's protestations they enter and wait for the bar to open. The Bloody Mary mix is being made, the prognosis isn't good, horseradish from a jar, lemon juice from a bottle and a brand of vodka that looks like it would have been peddled by a man with one eye and golden teeth. The two men nod disapprovingly. 30 minutes and 5 Bloody Marys for $15 later the men stumble out the door, their distaste palpable. For the record I was not one of those men, I lost my self respect 6 hours earlier.
(2)Jacqueline D.
The brunch is really just bad. That's all there is to say. All the hype and no follow through. There are so many other brunch places in LES so don't waste your time.
(1)Oliver C.
I've been to this place for happy hour, dinner and a night out on the town. The ambiance of the place is very warm, comforting and ideal for a date if need be. It can also get loud especially during happy hours which makes it a fun place to be. Typical of LES places, it is long, deep and narrow. Excellent happy hours on Thursdays. One of the better deals in the city with specialized cocktails. The food here during dinner is quite good. Thursday specials for dinner are their $1 oysters, now if only I could determine what type of oysters they are.... but for $1 that's an absolute bargain. As the night progresses, there will be a DJ spinning some records which I guess turns this place into a lounge kind of place. In short, this establishment is a swiss-army knife. Happy hour bar, restaurant, club (yes there are girls dancing to the music so I do consider it to be clubbish) Well worth a visit to Essex if you're in the neighborhood
(3)Tom E.
Pretty crap, waitress was rude, food was slow, I'm talking an hour wait for eggs and we arrived at 11.45 for brunch. Everyone at brunch has to be pay $22.95 which includes 3 alcoholic drinks even if they aren't boozing, the person not drinking at our table ordered something from the regular menu, the check came and they had been charged $10 more than the menu for the non brunch item to make it the same price as the brunch items. No drinks were bought with that item though - not even offered orange juice. Thanks for letting us know! If the person has been told that she was going to have to pay $22.95 for that item she would have ordered what she really wanted from the brunch menu. The food was fine not great but not bad.
(1)Dana F.
Dear Essex, you had me and Jen F. at "$16 Maine lobster." Each night of the week, Essex has a dinner special. On Wednesday night, it happens to be lobster. I was expecting a tiny little guy, lots of shell, and no meat. I was pleasantly surprised that there was plenty of sweet lobster meat and it was cooked to juicy perfection. You'll have to shell the lobster yourself, but it's worth the work. The special comes with corn on the cob and potatoes as sides as well as a big plate of bread. We also ordered fries to go along with dinner, but they were disappointing - soft and soggy. On Wednesdays, drinks are half price until 9pm, which we also took advantage of (until we continued our bar tour of the LES). The bar area is great if you just want to grab a drink - the bartender was also very nice.
(4)Alcione G.
Essex brunch is where it's at! It's cash only but totally worth it. For $20 you get one of their delicious entrees plus three nicely topped alcoholic beverages. Your choices are mimosas, bloody marys or screwdrivers. My favorite dish is the Mexican Matzo Brie- scrambled eggs with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo. It's incredibly hearty! The atmosphere is pretty fabulous. You can go there and party mid-day or take it easy. It's always packed so make reservations or prepare to wait. I've taken two groups of out of town guests there and both have left with smiles ear to ear. Cheap, good food and great brunch atmosphere.
(4)Simone T.
the endless blood marys were spectacular but the endless chatterings of what seemed like a thousand "mary's" were defeaning. i'm not oppsoed to girl power but the place was lined with women!!!!!! yeowza! thank heavnes the food was great. had the lobster benedict and it helped soothe my ears.
(3)Mona L.
4.5. Attentive service, great prices, excellent drinks and cool, comfortable atmosphere. Am a new fan of their chill HH. Came here yesterday for the first time and was surprised to see how dead it was at 6pm (when it opened). But, when you think about it, it's a great thing because where can you go for HH and have easy, audible conversation with ample space, all without having to deal with annoying people or super loud noise? A party of 2, we had the semi-circle booth table to ourselves the whole time we were there. We took our time ordering, starting off with their $1 East Coast oyster specials (yay!) and making our way to calamari and scallop appetizers. The calamari was the better of the two appetizers. Slightly spicy, super crisp and flavorful and ample in portion, it's so worth the $11. But, by far, the highlight of the HH is their unbelievable half off drinks specials. Their watermelon martini is probably the best of its kind-- it's super fresh, refreshing and perfectly sweet. And if you're like me and don't like sweet drinks, try their green tea martini or their Blood Orange Martini. Definitely coming back here again for quality time with friends over drinks.
(4)Julie B.
Definitely a fun brunch spot. It was pretty crowded and we kind of were ushered away from our table as soon as we paid. A little annoying, but I get where they are coming from. Food was great and the price was awesome. Service was pretty good too (though they did forget a side dish we ordered). All in all, great place for a boozy brunch!
(4)Jessica C.
I have been sitting here for an hour waiting for food. I have waited too long to leave. Waiting an hour+ for dinner. Dumb. Having hos hammer bhind me for half an hour. Dumb. Watching people seated after us eat and leave first. Dumb. This place gets worse and worse every time I've come here over the past three years. Learned my lesson? Probably not.
(1)jackie c.
Just did the all you can eat mussels Tuesday. I am currently in a mussel and frite induced coma. I tried both white wine garlic and tomato chorizo sauces and loved both!!! An order of delicious calamari, 3 bowls of mussels and one serving of frites with mayo later and I couldn't move. I also took advantage of the 1/2 off beer special. Clearly, my digestive tract is screaming "No more!!!". I will be coming back for more sometime soon. The service today was not bad. The wait staff had palm pilots. Cute. All in all, a great evening.
(4)Kaleigh C.
The food and drinks are great! Very cool vibe, the only complaint is the service. I made a reservation and still had to wait 30 mins for a table. Also, the waitress that was serving my table was not very friendly and we had to wait a few minutes to order another round of drinks. Over all, brunch was great!
(3)Joanne L.
Note to Essex: Please put up a warning sign on the outside of your restaurant on Saturdays and Sundays from the hours of 11-4:30 that says the following- "Entrance to this establishment will result in the loss of productivity for the remainder of the weekend." Note to those heading here for brunch: book your reservation, cancel your evening plans and forget about your Sunday laundry, to-do list, or finally going to visit Aunt Beth. And buckle up - because brunch here is a drunken, rowdy good time. As other reviewers have noted, the prix-fixe brunch of $18 comes with 3 mimosas/bloody mary's/screwdrivers, but a lot of times they don't really keep track. The waitresses walk around with pitchers of mimosas and every time my glass is a sip away from being empty, it quickly gets refilled. Brilliant!!! In my opinion, this fact alone is the draw of this place - but the food is also pretty good to boot. My eggs benedict was very tasty but admittedly not any more distinctive than what's served at other brunch spots. My friend, however, ordered the Mac n' Cheese with Chicken Apple sausage and although we were already really full from all the food and drinks, we wanted seconds (esp. the sausage!). We also ordered a side of the potato pancakes with apple sauce and it was a delectable combo of savory & sweet flavors. One more piece of advice before you go....brunch is cash only, so make sure to hit up the ATM prior to getting there!
(4)Karin R.
I wasn't sure how this place could get any better...but on Wednesday night...I learned the following: The $18 lobster dinner with potatoes and corn on the cob = delicious!! Nikki (our server) and Sara (the bartender) are seriously the sweetest, nicest, most amazing...they just REALLY made the already yummy food and drinks 20 times better!! How is that even possible?? Oh, I know how it can get better...Nikki informed my friend and I that we could go across the street and get some cupcakes (that I had been craving all day long) and bring them back to Essex to have them with our chocolate espresso martinis...done!! And so happy about it!!
(5)Claire W.
The first time I was at Essex, I loved it. Loved the food, loved the drinks, and it was overall a great experience. When I went back again last night for happy hour, the food was still good but the drinks left more to be desired... Then there was the same problem as the first time - the service. The service could use some serious improvement. Even though our waitress was sweet but she kind of had a funny attitude. I personally did not have any problems with her but our table all saw the face she gave my friend when we asked her for change of $100. On the other hand, I learned from my first time here that there will be a lengthy wait period for oyster orders, but we waited more than 30 minutes for our dozen last night and that was just unacceptable. 4 stars for the food - loved the catfish, it is a bit on the salty side but I don't really mind that. The seafood pasta special I had last night was fantastic too, but I remember the waitress telling me that it was with linguine and I somehow got angelhair. Oysters were yummy as usual, I especially like that they put cilantro in their cocktail sauce. Hopefully the next time I go they will get my Mango Mojito right, it was one of the main reasons why I liked this place but the one I had last night was just a disaster.
(4)Sarah G.
I LOVED my Essex brunch. We had a reservation for 11:30. We showed up about 15 minutes late and were seated right away. This worked out fabulously...since they do not start serving booze until noon. By the time we sat down and perused the menu...it was drinking time! The food was great. Everything we ordered was amazing. I will say the surprise of the day was the side potato latke we ordered. It was better than my jewish grandmas! Next time I go I am for sure ordering the latke as my meal. I truly think this brunch is the best deal around. Huge meal, unlimited drinks (they say 3 but they are always filling you back up with you are close to empty) and free coffee (before 1) all for 16 bucks?!?! Thats great! I definitely suggest making reservations as the waiting area was pretty packed. Essex was a great place for brunch and I know I will be back soon! ps....brunch is cash only so come prepared!
(5)Andy N.
I arrived at around 6:30pm with a few friends and we got a table right away. The waitress was nice and very patient while we waited for a friend that had not gotten to Essex yet. We each ordered half a dozen raw oysters which were only 1$ each! The waitress explained to us that they actually had 2 types for customers to choose from, the oysters from the East or West. The West ones as she explained were a bit more creamy but they were 50 cents more per oyster. We all ended up getting the East oysters. The oysters came with two types of sauce, one was more like a marinara/cocktail sauce and the other appeared to be a vinegar/wine type of sauce. They oysters were not the best I've ever had but they were great for the price. I ended up ordering a wasabi crusted salmon cooked to medium rare as the entree. The wasabi crust gave it great flavor but unfortunately half of the salmon was over cooked (not medium rare). The restaurant was very casual and comfortable. I would definitely come back again.
(3)Andrew D.
I still like this place. Came here with my family for a dinner on Saturday night. This time we had the short ribs, potato pancakes and salmon for the main course. Wasabi crusted salmon was very satisfying and served over fresh zucchini. It was dead at 7 pm but slowly by 9 it was crowded. The cool crowd is very sex and the city and good for people watching. My only gripe is the small bathrooms.
(4)Sylvia B.
it was okay..... had the trio of tartares to start. honestly they all tasted the same, which was disappointing. the warm goat cheese salad is quite good, but how wrong can you go with that... the roasted duck breast entree is pretty good but a little too salty i wouldn't mind going again.. but maybe for brunch next time
(3)Jay M.
Lots of rules to dine at Essex. If I make an Open Table reservation, not sure why I need to confirm via phone (I typically make reservations online to avoid having to do this). If I buy a Groupon, I shouldn't need to show it at the beginning of my meal and have to email a copy after I present it on Groupon's iphone app (We showed at the end and were told we should have at the beginning -- at first were told we wouldn't be able to use it for this reason). If someone orders the chicken and wants spinach instead of mixed vegetables, it should be "no problem" rather than "no." In addition to all the things above, I was turned off when reading the Open Table confirm email that said things like... "We accept all major credit cards for dinner. BRUNCH IS CASH ONLY," and listed out a very specific CANCELLATION POLICY FOR RESERVATIONS OF 7 OR MORE. ALL CAPS SEEM UNNECESSARY AND RUDE. Maybe the restaurateur is a lawyer as well! Too bad for all these "bad tastes" in my mouth because all in all, the food was pretty good and the space, though really loud, was a cool place to go on a Saturday night for dinner. Also, the prices were very fair. Loved those potato pancakes. As crunchy as I have ever had a potato pancake and the high-quality ingredients on top like goat cheese, lox and caviar and traditional sauteed onions were excellent. We also liked the calamari, though the presentation was simple, it was executed better than most. Loved the option to get a $50 pitcher of margaritas. The $23 lamb chops were a good deal. Nice meaty pieces of lamb cooked just as I requested, medium rare with spinach and fresh mushrooms. Enjoyable but a "little saucy" for my friend's taste. The apple dessert was really good, chocolate cake was fairly standard order and not worth the 15 minute wait.
(3)Juli S.
I went for Saturday brunch and yes it was a happening scene. We didn't have to wait for our 1pm reservation, which is amazing. We were seated upstairs on the balcony, which is fine as you have a nice view of the entire restaurant. The noise level is high since everyone is yapping and having a good time, plus the room echoes. So that's where it gets its little star (even though I had to give it at least one anyways.) Now for the stuff that really counts: Service sucked and was basically non-existent. The unlimited mimosa/bloody mary part of brunch was bs since they never came around for you to ask for a refill! I did manage to flag someone down twice while they ran past. So I did get two refills of alcohol-absent warm "mimosas". My friend switched to the warm mimosas after her bloody mary came out tasting like ketchup. The french toast was bland and not hot. The tiny portion of fruit looked like it came out of a can. The coffee sucked and it came out after my plate did. Bottom line: Don't waste your time or $$ here.
(1)Christine Y.
I was searching for a good brunch place for an eclectic group of friends - one who is vegetarian, one who is gluten-intolerant, and one who is a "conservative" eater - Essex made all of us very happy!! I made reservations for 11:15am on a Saturday and was promptly seated upstairs after we arrived. The waitress brought out our drinks (choice of mimosas, bloody marys, or screwdrivers - we tried them all and mimosas are by far the best) and refilled them dutifully throughout our entire meal --- pretty much anytime your glass was nearing its halfway mark! I ordered the crispy potato pancakes with sauteed apples & honey cream sauce & spinach-shiitake-black bean hash with bacon - good!!! The sweetness of the apples were a great compliment to the potato pancakes, and the bacon was thick-cut and not very fatty. My friends ordered the eggs + bacon + fruit + salad + home fries combo (which was HUGE) and challah french toast with bananas foster sauce & fresh fruit. Everyone loved their meals, and the endless drinks didn't hurt either! The atmosphere was buzzing with energy - fun, loud, and hip. The servers were friendly and happy. Fixed price brunch @ $18 (including 3 drinks).
(3)Leo S.
This is exactly what you could expect from a great brunch staple in New York. The 3 mimosa/bloody mary/screw driver brunch combo makes it easier to stay longer and enjoy catching up with your friends after a long and tough week at work (lucky you still have one ;-) Menu was making industrious efforts to be more elaborate and original than neighboring brunch options. Blazing music filled the air. In overall a good experience, but mostly for the drinks!
(5)Stephanie C.
The oysters were warm when we got them... enough said.
(2)Cristin M.
After waiting 2 hours for a table at Essex, I was ready to leave before they even called our name. Fortunately, we were next on the list, as long as no more hipsters came in with reservations. We were seated, and were waited on immediately. We went in for the $16 brunch special that included three drinks, which seemed like quite a deal. The drinks were mildly potent which was nice too. I ordered the potato pancakes with black bean/spinach/shiitake "hash" and an apple compote. The potato pancakes were okay, a little too fried crispy for my taste, but the apple compote definitely brought them up a notch. The hash was not really a traditional hash, but rather just some black beans, spinach, and mushrooms cooked together. On the bland side. Fortunately, my friends dishes were tastier. One ordered the scallops, that were cooked perfectly plump. The Mexican scramble was really good. The spices and herbs really brightened up the herbs. I wish I would have ordered that dish! All in all, I can't say that my dish was worth the wait, but the place is good for people watching and the service was efficient and friendly.
(3)KimbalPeudle M.
One of the BEST brunch deals in the city. The food has been consistently good for years and the drinks are always excellent and seemingly never ending. Only difference is the price has increased, but it's still one hell of a deal. The onion rolls alone are worth it. If you like Bloody Mary's and bacon try the Bloody Mort. It's always packed and the music is crappy and loud, but for what it lacks in atmosphere the food and drink make up for it.
(5)Tanu R.
I had brunch here today while visiting a friend in New York and it was definitely a good time. Then again, you can't go wrong with endless mimosas and bloody mary's. I had the "Aristocrat" which was a potato pancake topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs (they were poached to perfection), and salmon caviar. For $18 it was more than amazing not just for New York but for brunch anywhere. I loved the tennis balls glued to the walls too- interesting but quite artistic decor. And the staff is extremely friendly and always keep your glasses full with whatever you are drinking. This is definitely a great brunch place but I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a quiet Sunday brunch as it gets VERY loud and they keep the music on very high.
(4)Tom S.
Brunch was fantastic here, except.. they don't take Credit Cards!! This was the worst part about it. Anyways, I ordered the Deep Fried South. It came out really quick, biscuit was awesome, eggs were cooked perfectly. Then there was this tiny piece of chicken. It was about the size of my thumb (2 pieces). The sausage gravy was great. I give this dish 3.5 - 4 stars. My lady fried got the corned beef w/ eggs. This came with 3 eggs, some potatoes and a good size portion of corned beef. Not bad. I give this dish a 3 because it was kind of boring. The waitress was really nice, she took our drink order and served it up lightning quick. Although it says you get 3 drinks with brunch, if you order the mimosa, it's practically unlimited. 5 stars! STAY AWAY from the bloody mary if you don't like spicy tomatoe juice w/alcohol. The wait was long, make reservations! Overall: food was good, drinks and wait staff were great,service was extremely quick and food came out so fast. If you want some brunch, this place is a must go to. Their menu was large, tons of great items to get. Essex, I will be back.
(4)Kelly G.
The brunch here is incredible. I am a big eggs Benedict fan, so the fact they have 4 varieties of it (including lobster and crab cake) makes my mouth water. And nothing cures a watering mouth like their Bloody Marys and mimosas. Their decor is fun, and slightly upscale, and they attract an eclectic group of customers, or eccentric if you include me. I hope you guys do brunch again there soon
(5)Sara S.
Used to love this restaurant, but the service and food went downhill. Of course, the price has gone up. Our waiter was way too casual, making wavelike gestures as though he was a surfer dude from LA. When returning one of our glasses because it had lipstick on it, the bartender wiped it off with his fingers and tried to give us the glass back! Every single staffer was extremely rude to us, and the wait time was not accurate at all. The food was very average, nothing special. We were rushed from our table with drink tickets, which is standard practice there. Also very, very crowded, which is the least of it's problems.
(1)Katie H.
I believe Sundays were created for brunch. There is nothing more lovely to me than rolling out of bed late on a crisp but sunny fall Sunday and eating and drinking my face off with friends. Essex is the perfect place for doing just that. We didn't make a reservation and were told we would be seated by 12:15 (it was 11:45). We sat at the bar and waited until noon so we could order drinks. 3 mimosas for me, 3 bloody mary's for my friend and about an hour and 10 minutes later we were offered a table in the bar. Our bartender must have gone to the alcoholic's school of math, because we were only charged $6 for our drinks. We each modified our entrees a bit, which our pleasant and quick server said was no problem. I LOVED my crab benedict (on biscuits in stead of english muffins) and my friend enjoyed her mac n cheese. A few more drinks (you supposedly get 3 but no one is counting) and we left - full, drunk, and enjoying the perfect Sunday. PS - cash only
(5)Francesca R.
A-OK is how it sums it up. The food was good but was COLD when I got it. DIdn't complain because our server was super nice and I was too hungry to wait any longer for them to warm it up.
(3)Elle S.
used to love this place for brunch, but over the last year it has gotten progressively worse. the food here is NOT great. you basically come for the bottmless brunch and ambience. yesterday was the WORST experience at essex to date. we got there late - about 5p so we were seated quickly since it was way after the brunch rush. i ordered the mac n cheese. GROSSSS. actually, it wasnt gross because it tasted like nothing! even a ton of salt and pepper on that b*tch couldnt help it. ugh. (i've tried the steak and eggs here too, which are equally as bland. the country fried steak is ok but a tiny portion. bad bad bad....if you want safe, go with the baked eggs or the mexican matzo brei. only consistent things on the menu IMO) bothered that my meal sucked so badly, i was like - hey, at least let me get my drink on for the $$ i'm paying, right? well, that would have been great if the waitress actually paid attention to us! our glasses were always empty and it took her about 10 min to even check on us. the place wasnt even packed at ALL. officially writing essex off. it's a good thing there are like 1000 other places in ny that do brunch - 999 of them probably better than this place.
(1)Karla V.
This place was horrible. We had a reservation for 15, and were seated 1/2 hour later. The food was cold and flavorless. The air conditioner, I guess was broken because the heat was terrible. I wanted to tell the people that were waiting to be seated to leave, Essex brunch is not worth it. There far better places to have Brunch in the city.
(1)Daisy H.
2nd to worst brunch experience I have ever had. Loud cheesy club music, tweens texting on phones, rude service, tourists with cameras, unlimited mimosa gave us terrible terrible headaches, food ok, not presented well and not much of it. I thought it would be a fun to get a little silly on the libations but we were so disappointed that it ruined our buzz.
(2)O C.
Sunday brunch is a great time... Mimosas &/or bloody marys with a nice scramble.
(5)Selina G.
great food and great price
(5)caitlin o.
We had an obnoxious server that really rubbed me and my date the wrong way. First, she plopped down my martini glass on our crooked table and just stood watching me repeatedly move it so it wouldn't slide off... and when it inevitably got jostled and spilled all over the table, i had to flag her down and even though I specifically requested a wet rag, she gave me an adjacent table's napkin and made me clean it myself. On top of that, she was really overselling (unconvincingly) to the point of telling me that a dish had "a lot of flavor!" Uh... great. It's a flipping restaurant. I hope it has flavor. Another thing that really ticked me off was even though we had a reservation for 2, we got seated at a table of 2, set for 2... with an extra chair. Why? it just took up leg room. The entrees were nothing to write home about, but the side dishes (edamame and citrus salad; corn salsa) were excellent. Won't be back for dinner, definitely... and not tempted enough by the brunch specials to stare at the ridiculous spraypainted tennis balls covering one side of the (late 90s Jersey aesthetic) dining room again.
(2)Steph S.
Everytime I've walked by this place, there are always crowds of people standing outside waiting to get in. I finally decided to try it. I arrived 15 min before my reservation and despite there clearly being open tables, I was told to wait the full 15 min until my reservation at 12:30. We were seated promptly at 12:30 and our waitress seemed sweet and was attentive throughout. I liked that the menu had extensive offerings. The CEO was good and the Mexican Matzo Brei was so-so. I can't say that I am impressed by the taste of the food but for the size and price (including alcohol), it's decent. Nothing special. Definitely not worth waiting in line for.
(2)Sasha H.
Went for dinner with a restaurant.com coupon, and honestly wasn't expecting much. (I've found that most places offering restaurant.com coupons are not particularly known for their food or just downright mediocre). But we were definitely pleasantly surprised here! Prior to arriving, I sleuthed the menu online and was happy to find that they had $1 oyster specials and half-off drinks during happy hour, and happily, we arrived during those hours! We had the crabcake and seared diver scallop entrees, a dozen oysters, and the catfish entree. I had a Ciroc white grape martini and my companion had a pear mojito. The oysters were fresh and perfect, they have a homemade cocktail sauce which really makes them pop in your mouth (thats what she said). The diver scallops were the only low note in a meal that was otherwise spectacular. Considering we ordered almost all seafood, we were surprised at how they were able to really deliver on all the dishes. The crabcake was amazing, well seasoned, browned, and complemented perfectly by the underlying salad. The catfish, though a tad bland, was perfect for me because I'd rather my fish underseasoned than over, so you can actually taste it. I wasn't a huge fan of my martini, and should have stuck to my old standby - a margarita. (Tequila is my main squeeze) Plus with vodka, if Diddy can't get it right, who can? (SO kidding). Essex is apparently also a great place to get your mack on - during our short meal in the lofted dining space, we were able to witness one gentleman lay the game on a young hussy sitting alone. I overheard his opening line - it was something like, "I saw you sitting there and you were just TOO gorgeous", delivered with Shakespearean hand gestures while crouched table-side on his knees. Doubtful, since you were seated with your back to her, but who am I to judge? Dinner AND entertainment? Thanks restaurant.com !! PS - definitely coming back for brunch!
(4)jayda i.
took my gf from LA here for a NY brunch. pros: *service - friendly wait staff and host. really warm. *price - $20 for brunch item and 3 drinks (mimosa or bloody mary). super deal. *ambience - nice, clean space w/huge windows for natural sunlight to filter in. cons: *not the best food in the world. food is mediocre (had the crab benedict and it was nothing to write home about).
(3)Dan F.
Interesting place I must say...Even though it was packed and told us it would be a 45 minute wait we were seated in roughly 15 minutes. The service was OK once we had the initial meet & greet at the table with the waitress. I will say I really enjoyed the ordering procedure. One package and everything to choose from is on one page and includes 3 drinks (screwdriver, bloody mary, mimosa). I took the Bloody option. I will say it really wasn't that good. Best I could describe is it tasted like there was oyster juice in it. By the 3rd one the cheapest vodka available set in and I couldn't taste it anymore. The food here really hit the spot with good portions and good quality. Very fun atmosphere with things going on all the time. I was a little put off because we were sitting in the balcony area and they started putting chairs on the tables before we left. Bottom Line: Fun atmosphere...Great place to bring friends and good quality food. Drinks were just OK but I will mention with the mimosas they did use Tropicana OJ.
(4)S. M.
I returned to Essex last night for dinner, and I still liked it!!! Monday nights are half-priced drinks and $1 oysters from 6-9, which is a killer hook to get people to come in! I had the wasabi crusted salmon and it was delicious and I had the summer rolls as an appetizer which came with three tasty sauces. My friends shared the cheeseburger empanadas, which they all equally enjoyed. We did try the $1 oysters and they were really good! I loves me some oysters..... . My fiance had the potato pancakes (three ways!) and he really liked them (especially with warm goat cheese- oh it was so yummy I couldn't stop eating it off of his plate!). So Essex has successfully continued to impress me with their food and fun extras. Its a great place to go and just hang out in a fun environment. Monday night was not packed at all but you bet your bottom dollar you better make a reservation if you're coming for brunch.
(4)Meiling Z.
I've been here numerous times before and chose to celebrate my birthday here this past wkend. Essex is really a hit and miss sort of place. There specials are good especially for the price but nothing else on the menu really does it for me. I loved the lamb chops the first time I tried them but they haven't been as good whenever I've ordered them after. I would only go back for happy hours.
(3)Lynn H.
Food - 3.5 Ambience - 3 Service - 3 Reservations were at 1:20 on a Saturday and we were seated promptly in a booth no less. Our waitress was fairly non-existent after our taking our order, but that was to be expected given how packed the place was. Not sure that we all got our 3 drinks worth but I guess it's not bad for $17 for brunch & drinks in Manhattan. Even if the champagne was flat. But I've never met a champagne that I haven't liked (or at least drank heartily), so ... We all ordered different dishes and the portions were large: - Lobster benedict - so good with nice chunks of lobster and a creamy hollandise sauce - Mexican Matzo Brei - scrambled eggs with tortilla strips, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo - The CEO - chorizo, eggs & onions - the Hubby quite enjoyed this - 3 eggs any style with fresh fruite and choice of bacon, chicken apple sausage, breakfast sausage or tempeh bacon - I had 3 eggs over-easy, which was exactly the way they arrived - the chicken apple sausage was flavorful - Crispy potato pancakes with sauteed apples and honey cream sauce & spinach-shiitake black bean sauce Enjoyed ourselves immensely. Would definitely recommend this place. Also really enjoyed walking around the Essex St. Market - such cheap produce! $1.00 for herbs! Unbelievable.
(4)Tim W.
No Nope Nada Nil Just didn't work. When I first moved to the LES in 1999 Essex opened shortly thereafter before the crazed "new" LES. It was good then, but I had an occasion to go back, my first time for dinner. It just didn't work. i mean its this amazing space with taaaaacky decorations. I mean red...not even complimentary red is EVERYWHERE, what is that..? and what is that crap artwork all over the walls....AND a television? Anyway...the food is just meh...glad i had a coupon because i would have been evil if i spent the amount of money i did on the meal. The apps: I have to say the better of the meal. I had the scallops. Well seared however uneven in shape, were well served with a nice summer salad. My friend had the calamari. Nicely fried, not greasy, but the sauce was just yuck...as i mention below...what is going on here...what cuisine is this??...we asked for a basic marinara for sauce and the very nice server was nice to bring us a big cup for dipping. The rest is down hill... I had the special amberjack over black beans spinach and coconut rice. It just didn't work from the start. Im not sure what they were going for Asian? Thai? Latin? whaa...it was just meh. My friend go the "pork tenderloin" which turned out to be just pork LOIN.... NOT tenderloin. I mean come on I can tell the difference...totally different cut of meat. HELLO CHEF...go back to cooking class 101. Nice try. At dinners end...do you want to have some dessert...says the server...not from here my dining friend says...eek...we skip to SSS and delight in pudding and cupcakes!!!
(2)Allie C.
So. I FINALLY made it to Essex. After reading the reviews, i always put off going here because i DO NOT LIKE WAITING - AT ALL. It was going to rain alllll day. We didn't know what to do. We weren't starving so i suggested Essex. Why are all the girls here all dressed up for breakfast? Obviously this place is all about the scenery (aside from unlimited mimosas). CONS: 1 hour wait corny crowd waitress who would fill up my friend's glass and when i held mine out she acted like she didn't see me and walked away. whore. PROS: i like those windows above the bar that let the natural sunlight shine thru during the day. nice decor/atmosphere big servings decent-good food UNLIMITED UNLIMITED UNLIMITED. Would i come back for brunch? Maybe. But not making plans for it right now...However, i am planning on coming here for oyster, mussel, AND lobster night. My GF lovesssss mussels n oysters and I love me some lobster!
(3)Ruth J.
Loved the fact that you could reserve a table on-line. The food was good, and the atmosphere was favorable (a little loud though, but fun-loud not obnoxious-loud). Only gripes would be that it was a little difficult to find and that the waitress definitely never thanked us after receiving payment and a great tip; would still go back, don't know if I would necessarily rave about it to friends.
(4)Missy T.
I went here for dinner with a friend.It's a great place for appetizers and drinks not really for a full course dinner. We try having dinner it did not work out. But the service was good, Fast and friendly however, the only reason I give them 3 stars is because of the taste of the food .It was not great for the price. I will think it will be more delicious and tasty. It was just blah. Might go here again but not anytime soon.
(3)Nai W.
Essex used to be a great place for oyster lovers. I like their industrial windows and open layout, also their Monday & Thursday $1 oyster and happy hr thing. I had been there twice, once for lunch, once for dinner. I love the oyster deal. However this time i got really disappointed and pissed. We had a party of three and made a reservation on Thursday night 6:45 through Open Table website. One of the girl arrived 15 mins late at 7. I understand all party must arrived before we could get seated. But the front desk girl let us wait until 8:30. It was packed that day because of the happy hr. But she kept giving tables to bigger party who arrived later than us. I felt we were ignored since we only have 3 people, most big group with 5+ got seated faster. My friend got mad and complained got received huge attitude. She said her system indicate that we arrived at 8 ! ridiculous!! We felt so pissed that we found the manager, he agreed to give free drink, but we got seated nearby the entrance where the bathroom at. We ordered 15 oyster for appetizer while we wait for a better table. Guess what? after all the shit, we got our appetizer 30 mins later with wrong drinks. My friend's Manhattan taste like cough syrup.. eek! and the oyster wasn't good compared to my first visit here. It was alots smaller and not as fresh. If the manager or someone who runs the place ever sees this: It take one good meal to bring your customers back, also one bad experience to spread the bad words out. Word of mouth is the most efficient way of advertising, also very efficient the other way around.
(1)Michael F.
I went for an early dinner on a very lazy Sunday afternoon. Service was quick and friendly, music was at a pleasant volume, there were maybe 13 diners in total and definitely no wait. Pork belly was done proper and fatty, had a crust that stuck to my teeth in the best way. Swordfish steak was good but a little dry, the seafood ratatouille was, surprisingly, not overcooked at all. Oysters are always good, caper sauce was fairly mild. Lamb chops were standard, the ricotta gnocchi and spinach that came with it were browned just right and I'd be happy with a plate of that on its own. They were out of a lot of things this Sunday evening (out of two beers and the tartare trio), but they were more than helpful about suggesting something else.
(4)Amanda H.
I went here a couple Sundays ago for brunch with some co-workers and had a great time. A professional, fun crowd with great food and amazing mimosas! As our glasses ran low, they just kept filling us up (my type of place)... The price rates were GREAT! Very affordable and in a cool location on the lower east side. Great place for social networking, music, and an overall good time... I've only been here once on a Sunday for brunch, but will definitely go back, check it out
(4)Thuy P.
Essex has daily specials which aren't bad if you want to save a few bucks. 1/2 off drinks from 6pm-9pm is the best deal you can get. Almost the entire drink menu is 1/2 off (with a very few exceptions)... wine, beer, mixed cocktails, etc. Wednesdays they serve 1/2 lb lobster with 2 sides for $18 which isn't too terrible. Sides can be substituted with a vegetable if you do not want the usual fries or potato. On Thursdays, they have $1 oysters. These are usually large Blue Point oysters with other selections from time to time. The oysters are usually a hit or miss here. Some weeks are outstanding... other times, the oysters aren't that fresh. Try at your own risk. If not for the food, check out the sweet drink deals from 6-9pm.
(3)Andrew L.
Very strange place for a Chicagoan... went for late brunch on a Saturday and it was packed with people (mostly women) who looked like they were dressed for nightclubbing. Loud club music and a massive throng at the bar completed the dissociation from my homier brunch routines. I'm sure many of the reviews mention this is a "see and be seen" scene, which makes for great people-watching. All the glamor made me hope that there was substance underneath the glitter, and I wasn't disappointed. After we were seated I couldn't have been more impressed by the service. The brunch deal with mimosa refills is quite a bargain for NYC, and the food was quite solid. Extra props to the staff for navigating the crowd gracefully and remaining attentive despite the crowd.
(3)Andrew T.
I've been here once for brunch and once for dinner. Both were memorable. Brunch: inexpensive and delicious dishes that included unlimited mimosas, bloodys or screwdrivers. Its a real see-and-be-seen kind of vibe. Feels like a night out, with good loud-ish music. Dinner: everyone's food was GREAT. Most had steak. I had the catfish which was tender and flavorful in all the right ways. The only smudge on the evening was that the mojitos seemed to be universally disliked. I'm not taking off a star for that though - since Brunch was also so great. This place is solid because the atmosphere feels cool but not pretentious at all.
(5)Michael C.
Average brunch at Essex. The alcohol for brunch (3 drinks/person) starts at noon, some sort of Blue state remnant., so I can't fault them for that. The food was bland and uninspired, so much so I can't even remember what sort of boring dish I had.
(3)Jessica L.
I thought the overall experience was OK.. we had the $1 special oysters, which was pretty decent, for that price. we also had the 1/2 off sangria, that was a rip off, they put so much ice and the 1/2 price sangria only applies to the glass and not the pitcher...
(3)rebecca k.
I've been for their brunch which is OK at best. I thought though that they would do better at dinner. WOW was i wrong! It's more of a nightclub at night. However, the menu looked interesting. We stood in front of 3 workers for about 3 minutes before we were acknowledged when we walked in. We were seated and didnt' get to place a drink order for 10 more minutes. We ordered and over an hour later NOT EVEN OUR APPS arrived. At this point, I got mad and cancelled our order. They were like "it's only going to be another 10 minutes"... But nope I was not going to give my money to a restaurant that makes you wait an hour and change for a salad and fried calamari.. BUT the real kicker is that even though we were totally put out and inconvenienced on a Saturday night, they STILL gave us our bill for the two drinks we had while we were waiting. (Let me also point out that we had finished those drinks AND the water a half an hour before - no one came by to offer a refill or anything). I refused to pay and had the manager comp us, which they did - no arguments. Ended up at La Esquina for takeaway tacos. 1/10 th of the price and guess what??? We had food in our hands in under 15 minutes. BOOOOOOO ESSEX.. DO NOT BOTHER!
(1)Brittney A.
Came here for my birthday dinner with my boyfriend and in the end, left disappointed. The night started out great and we were promptly seated for our reservation. However, it felt as time went on we were being rushed. As I'm finishing my dessert, my boyfriend and I decide to order another round of drinks. As I'm trying to enjoy my dessert they are starting to push tables together for a party. It seems that part of the party got there early and they are standing over my table watching my boyfriend and I eat. It was extremely awkward, to say the least. The waiter apologizes and tells me we need to leave because of another party. My boyfriend and I were in and out within an hour. I go downstairs and ask to speak to the manage but instead the hostess was sent over. She was extremely nice and trying to manage the situation. When I finally figure out who the manage is it turns out I saw him before when they were pushing tables together sitting down on his phone. I was outraged he could not come over and mention to us how we were being pushed out but made his waiter do it. I kept asking for the manager and he would not come over. I had to go up to him and instead of an apology he starts to yell at me and accused me of wanting him to the pay bill meanwhile, we've already paid. He tried to tell me that people are only seated for an hour to an hour and a half tops which I know is a lie because I've been to this restaurant many times with one of my good friends and we've spent hours in a booth there on a Saturday. All he could do was offer me a free dessert after I already had one. I was extremely annoyed that he just could not apologize. The food was good but the management is terrible and quite rude. Would not recommend to other friends. Some of my friends are regulars and have not gone back because of this.
(2)Erin P.
I was excited to try their brunch because the menu looked great and it's a pretty good deal ($23.95 for three drinks and a brunch dish), plus the venue is spacious and lively! I was disappointed when we let the waitress with blonde & brown hair and glasses know that there were floating pieces of what looked like bread in our water, and she didn't even apologize! She just went "Ok, I'll get you a new one." Like, hello, you're representing the establishment, you apologize on behalf of them. Duh, girl. She just had a stank face throughout the whole meal. They took about 7 minutes to bring out the burger while everyone else's dish was at the table, and it wasn't even the right burger! They also took ten minutes to bring out a side of bacon that was ordered with the food. The main downside is that the staff is just rude and the food is meh. Won't be returning here.
(2)Mary C.
VENUE: It's barely noon when we arrive at Essex Restaurant for brunch. Even with a reservation, we found ourselves crammed like sardines near the entrance, waiting for a table. Turns out by New York state law, alcoholic beverages cannot be served prior to noon on Sundays. Normally that wouldn't be a problem for most brunch spots, but at Essex, the alcohol is every bit as important as the breakfast fare itself. I am going to remember this establishment by the amount of alcohol that moves through the bar. Watching the bar for just a couple minutes left me fascinated at how quickly the champagne, vodka. and orange juice on the shelf was depleting. It's not until I saw a menu that it all made reasonable sense. "$22.95 Weekend brunch includes 3 Bloody Mary's Mimosas or Screwdrivers". Clearly the folks at Essex aren't joking around about doing brunch the right way. FOOD & DRINK: The Aristocrat ($22.95, includes 3 drinks)- Potato pancakes, House-cured smoked salmon gravlax, Salmon caviar, Sour cream, Poached eggs I've never been a big brunch fan, but this Aristocrat could just about convert me. The poached egg was perfectly cooked, and those potato pancakes were TO DIE FOR. Having 3 tall glasses of bubbly mimosas to wash it down was the cherry on top! Essex Mimosa ($4 or free with a brunch order) These aren't your typical complimentary brunch mimosas. I watched them make these at the bar, and are definitely more than equal parts juice and alcohol. Definitely not to be consumed for the empty stomach! Bloody Morty ($7) - Homemade bacon vodka and bacon garnish For $3 more you can upgrade one of your Bloody Mary's to a Bloody Morty, which is a bacon infused Bloody Mary. It's a commonly known fact that everything tastes better with bacon (who's with me here?), so we saw no reason not to order it. And let me tell you, this ended up tasting more like bacon, than bacon itself. Very concentrated bacon vodka, with a spicy Tabasco punch at the end. THOUGHTS: Whether it be because of the food or the alcohol induced endorphins, brunch a tEssex Restaurant definitely brought an enjoyable experience!
(5)Nicole M.
This place was bustling when we got there so we had a hard time making it to hostess to find where our party was already seated. We were taken upstairs but then asked to wait downstairs until there were enough tables to accommodate our large party. Not terrible. Our waiter hands us our menus and told us we had two minutes to decide. Thank you, Big Ben. We placed our orders and had about 3 mimosas overfilled by the buss boy before we could flag anyone down for napkins to wipe up the mess. Not the kind of service I prefer when dining out-even on a crowded weekend morning. The food was really yummy. I had the French toast and could have easily eaten 2 more pieces. My boyfriend had the crab egg Benedict which he also really enjoyed. The bread they give you prior to your meal is really delicious. Overall the service was sub-par and the portions were small considering the price. We hit up Five Guys afterwards because we were both still hungry. Not a top pick of mine for brunch.
(3)Azinda M.
I had a very awesome experience here for my friend's birthday party! They were able to have bottle service, which my classmates all enjoyed, as well as giving each of us a free drink ticket. So, it was really awesome and they were able to accommodate a big group of about 25 of us. By looking around, it seemed like there were a ton of parties there as well, and there was space for everyone. Essex has a pretty large space, as well as 2 balcony-type lounge areas on either side of their bar. They play music but it's not really a dance place, just FYI. Also, the cupcakes they served for my friend were AWESOME--so soft and moist! Ahhh. Loved it. Anyways, I don't know if there was some deal for the birthday party or if it was because we were told to come after 11:00pm, but it was awesome, and I would recommend it.
(4)Erika L.
Just finished brunch with my bestie and had a great time. We order the lobster mac and cheese and it was yummy! What made it the best was our waiter Mo! He was great. Thanks essex and Mo !!!
(5)David S.
Not even sure where to begin. The place was super crowded and super tiny. We arrived there to eat with a table of 15 or so but we had reservations. Well we arrived around 8 or so for our reservation and we waited over ONE HOUR and 15 minutes to be seated. The silly worthless hostess kept saying she would get our table get our table get or table but all she did is go try to harass the people in our table to leave so we could sit. Seriously? You over book and then you lose our reservation and try to hustle the people you gave our reserved table to? Then the food...orders wrong....people served and some weren't. Entrees out when appetizers are still not all out.... This place was a joke. Terrible and will never come back unless the food is free and even then it's unlikely.
(1)Cecelia B.
Brought my parents here for a birthday dinner. The food was great and the atmosphere is nice. My parents can be picky but they really enjoyed the meal. Good work Essex!
(4)Regina D.
I cant say anything about the food, I only had drinks here. The drink was weak and tasted more like mango juice rather then mango mojitos. Over all ambiance is fun and upbeat. I was here for Paint Night, it was perfect venue for such event
(2)Alex V.
The brunch special is SO good! I got The Aristocrat and it was DELICIOUS! That, plus 3 mimosas, for $24.95, can't be beat. I'll definitely be returning!
(4)Simona G.
This place is awesome for brunch especially on Sunday! However I was not impressed by the food....
(3)Stephanie S.
I was here on a Thursday night with a couple of girlfriends around 7, which left us one hour to enjoy as many half-off cocktails we could down before Happy Hour was over at 8pm! My favorite was the Expresso Martini which was pretty sweet-tasting for a drink made with actual expresso (but the combination of caffeine and alcohol will get you WIRED, much like drinking a 4Loko!) The only vegan entree I could see was the Potato Cake Napoleon which was two of their famous potato pancakes layered with a saute of mushrooms, spinach, and asparagus in yummy truffle oil. The waitress did mention that they don't separate the oil for different plates, but I personally don't care, and it's honestly pretty impossible to be that strict when you're eating out. My friends loved the ceviche which came in a big metal martini glass with their homemade chips. I also tried some of the shoestring fries that came with a friend's steak dish but they were nothing special. There are two balconies across from each other which creates some separation in the eating area and is probably useful for noise mitigation on days when this place is more crowded. After our meal, a couple of us stayed downstairs at the bar for a couple last drinks. The service was fine. I wasn't blown away per se, but it's a nice place in the LES to just hang out and catch up with friends.
(3)E G.
Have loved the food here since the day the place opened ...try the burger it won't disappoint
(5)Amanda A.
Awesome service. Moe was so kind and helpful while we were waiting for our table. Fries are BOMB and bacon is crispy
(5)Jessica M.
Great birthday dinner a few weeks ago for a friend. We were a large party and they were very accommodating. When our table wasn't ready in time, they provided free drink tickets at the bar for us. We worked with a wonderful waiter, Mo, who was super helpful during our meal. He worked well to accommodate all 15 of us! I had the task of figuring out how to split the bill and Mo was extremely helpful. It all went very smoothly!
(5)Megan H.
Skip - there was nothing special about brunch at Essex. Nothing blew us away, but nothing was terrible (except the bar/host staff attitude - way too cool to talk to me, I guess). We went early - 11:30 to avoid the crowds which by 12:30 was really big and overdressed. I thought service by the wait staff was quick and everyone who waited on us was really nice. Also impressed that it wasn't difficult to get our drink refills, but maybe because they weren't too busy yet. The complementary onion rolls are awesome! But good onion rolls and a nice waitress isn't why I visit a restaurant. The food was pretty average. The Deep South (chicken fried steak with eggs, sausage gravy and biscuit) was deeply disappointing and not southern at all. Crappy cut of steak, bland gravy and frozen doughy biscuit. The highlight of the dishes in my group was the Mexican Matzo Brei - scrambled eggs, with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo. Pretty hard to mess those ingredients up! Additionally, I found the set price (~$23 for brunch + 3 drinks) really annoying given that I didn't want alcohol. There was no lower price for not drinking. And brunch is cash only just to piss you off a little more.
(2)Jade F.
I had been here a few times for happy hour, which is awesome, and was equally pleased with the dinner. I had the arugula and beet salad as an appetizer which was so good. For an entree the scallops and risotto was a little salty for my taste but I enjoyed it as well. I was equally surprised and pleased that they have happy hour on Sunday nights too! I will definitely be back for their brunch.
(4)Don M.
4 1/2 stars for brunch! It can get a little loud and crowded in here so I recommend getting a reservation if you plan on the brunch. Depending on your table and the people around you your experience might be different. It can be a little tight but if you put your vodka goggles on you may not notice that stranger's elbow that's a quarter inch from yours. The food was pretty good, like 4 stars. I had lobster benedict and it satisfied. Not the best lobster or muffin ever but definitely pretty good. They say you get 3 drinks with your brunch, but we found it to be more like 5 or 6. They aren't shy with the vodka which is a positive.....unless you were hoping to have a productive rest of the day.
(4)Sean S.
Essex has been around a while, and has never really let me down. I guess I usually go here for the bar, and people watching. It gets crowded on weekends, but weekdays are better. Actually the Yelp event at Essex Market moved itself over here afterward, and that was a pretty interesting evening itself. Somehow it got a little over crowded as we didn't have the place all to ourselves. Still the drinks were stiff. Fancy a margarita anyone?
(4)Nelson W.
Despite lowered expectations after prior experience, Essex's brunch manages to continue its ability to underwhelm. Their salmon gravlax remains salty and lacking freshness. Home fries came soggy and bland. And if poached eggs weren't the easiest thing to prepare, they could have quite easily fudge that up too. Even if one were to be safe with the Angus burger and fries, the only compliment made was for the gruyere cheese. But then again, let us ignore the food for a moment. Albeit easy to do, the coffee tasted terrible - like a cross between Tim Horton's and Folgers Crystals. (No offense to those who enjoy either one of them.) For a twenty dollar brunch, I don't believe it is unrealistic to expect good food, good service, and good ambiance. The only catch is that you have to go somewhere else for those expectations to be met. Let's just hope that $1 Oysters/Lobster Nights are still worth trying.
(2)Stephanie C.
Yup. Came back and still shitty. Holla at Amal if you read this! :) Why would I come back you say? Well, I went to the Yelp Elite event across the street last night with my bf. He went to the Groupon Buy it Now section and got a free groupon for $30 worth for this place. It was convenient because it was right across the street. Yes, it was Wed night and the place was not filled to capacity, and we sat upstairs which is probably the most ignored section (like 15 tables per waitress- silly). BUT does that honestly justify an 1 hour wait for food? he whole damn dinner was almost 3 hours and then I had to trek all the way uptown to the UES only to get a crap night of sleep and wake up grumpy now writing this review at work. That being said. Allegedly, a health inspector came in 10 min into our meal (he sat next to us like the big bad wolf... scaring patrons and staff alike. Our waitress was so fearful and whispered into our ear..."it's his reason the food is taking so long..the chef had to stop cooking..."...and when I asked about a meal update after waiting 35 min, the hostess wouldn't even mutter a word). Jesus people! I know a health check is important but I find it very hard to believe that a the world had to stop because of the health check guy... I mean that was really bad for their business. I quickly noticed that it wasn't just us but EVERY table was waiting in agony. Yes, we got lots of free crap bread (room temp white loaf with butter ) and eventually fried calamari.. which was prob. the best thing I had- with some like of lime/chipotle dipping sauce. The calamari was tender and golden fried- good while hot- but it's hard to fuck up that. When the food finally came it was just ok. I got the warm goat cheese salad- on arugula, with walnuts and beets. I was expecting a crouton goat cheese type thing (you know breaded and fried for 3 seconds..very Barefoot Contessa..yum) but it was not crispy and I think baked. The beet was attached to the cheese and did not have any flavor. The dressing would have appreciated on the side- it was a raspberry vinaigrette. I also got the famed potato pancake with sweet onions and applesauce. Onions were too sweet and buttery- but that's not their fault, just not my thing. The apple sauce was good- but it was probably Mott's. The cake itself was too fried- it washed away the flavor of the potato. The greens were greens. My bf got the grilled half chicken with porcini mashed. I got the mashed p's (thanks the strong albeit bitter flavor of the porcini) was the best thing I tried- that and the fried calamari. He thought the chicken was good but it was too fatty for me. It was a good portion though. Good thing we only paid $10 for dinner. If we had to cough up a full price for a 3 hour dinner and mediocre food, I would have calling up the manager this morning. Safe to say I ain't going back- they can't do brunch, and they cant' do dinner. The waitress was sweet though. We still gave a tip- after all, she was alone and it wasn't her fault they got surprised with the health inspector.
(2)Sara N.
The dollar oysters were what intrigued my boyfriend and I to venture down to the LES and try this place. The service was friendly and the drinks were half off until 9 PM. The only downside was a food inspector came in around 8:45 and the entire kitchen had to shut down until about 9:30. For about 45 minutes, we sat at our table with empty glasses and dirty plates. But considering that it wasn't the restaurant's fault, they made up for it and comped our dessert. A solid four stars and I would def come back.
(4)Gregory T.
ok so as im reading the reviews i learned a new word..... DRUNCH.... This is definitely the place to go if you are a swanky wannabe who needs an excuse to drink. Granted everyone else in the place seemed to be enjoying themselves. perhaps it was the horrible tasting mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloodymaries that come with a $24 brunch entree. I must say the mimosas tasted REALLY BAD, but got the job done when thinking about my Blood alchohol level. I was buzzing for about a solid hour and a half. The food was "eh" at best. Was not impressed at all for the "fancy/ trendy" environment it boasts. My GF and i came rather early 11:20 ish. and seats were already filled, so we sat at the bar. Bar staff was cool and staff in general seemed decent, but i was NOT impressed to say the least. about 20 minutes later there was a line of about 10-15 ppl. early bird catches the worm i guess. Maybe im a bit biased because i prefer more of the home-ly feel to brunch spots, or at least a less rowdy diner, but honestly the quality of the food and drinks does not match the ambiance its trying to show. Im more of a regular eat and chillax type person so being in "the new hot spot" wasn't for me. I would recommend this place honestly never, but would tell a group of friends waing up with a hangover to hit this place up to continue the party. just look nice and presentable and u'll blend it with the rest of the wannabes.
(2)Lauren S.
You're not going to find a better, classier brunch for a large group of a folks. Essex is gorgeous, has loads of natural light and makes the ugliest of hangovers look good. They're notorious for not paying much attention to that 3 cocktails with brunch rule. I like their Bialys a lot and the mimosas are hit or miss. I'd go with the screwdrivers. Haven't been here for any other meal. If you're planning to get a large group together make a res with a bunch of not flaky friends who have a penchant for showing up on time and you'll have a delightful time. If you can, get seated upstairs. You'll have to traverse the stairs to get to the bathroom but it's away from all the noise of hungry diners waiting to be seated. If your group takes too long, they coax you out with drink tickets. So yeah...there's that. Happy dining.
(4)Hong L.
Been here once for oysters but this review is for the nightlife in essex. At around midnight on a Saturday night, Essex had a few people there. The place, itself, is very hip and trendy. The music is good - plays the pop & hip pop songs. I brought a crowd of 10 people in and we sat wherever we wanted. No one bothered us. They let us do our own thing which was to : 1) grab the balloons and roses the waiters had from a previous party, 2) dance in the dining area, and 3) just being silly! A great way to end the night. We ordered a pitcher of mango mojito - $50 ouch but well worth it. Thanks for my boyfriend for treating.
(4)Red J.
So I recently came here for dinner and I have to say that brunch is a much better experience. Even though we were with a big group, the service was exceptionally slow, to the point that even the waitress apologized without any complaints from us and she offered us a round of drinks half off. This didn't make up for the terribly long wait we endured for our mediocre food. What really made no sense to me was that after we took care of our bill, she gave us a bunch of free drink tickets that were only good for that night. Why would she do this?? We were already done with our meal and we had no intentions of staying at the restaurant. It made absolutely no sense for her to give us these drink tickets. She could have just given us a free round of drinks rather than the half off drinks and we still would have remembered to tip her for that, if the tip is what she was really concerned about. Anyhow I ended up just giving the free drink tickets away to those at the bar. If we couldn't use them, there was no reason why others couldn't enjoy what we had to suffer for! For brunch this place is ok, for dinner just pass and go somewhere else if you can.
(2)Jason G.
This is probably my favorite brunch spot in all of New York. NYC has millions of great breakfast options, but Essex encompass everything you'd want and more. The food is pretty pretty pretty good. The service is outstanding. They say brunch (around $23) comes with just 3 mimosas but I'm pretty sure they continue to pour until you tap out. They're extremely easy going with rule. The vibe is totally LES (Lower East Side). You know hipster heaven with a touch of ?uestlove? The Mexican omelet is the way to go here. I've yet to have a bad experience at this place and even when they want to boot you from your table after a few hours, they usually kill you with kindness by offering you free drinks at the bar. The place is always packed for brunch and you literally have to push through people just to get out and more than likely you're waiting an awfully long time just to get in, but when it's all said and done it'll be worth it.
(4)Sajid Z.
Came here for my sister's birthday brunch. I liked the location I guess but the food was not all that great. I'm not going to lie- I've had worse but for a place with a reputation like this... they should do better. The drinks at brunch? You mean strictly Orange Juice right? Because I could swear I said Screwdriver and NOT OJ on the rocks. I ordered the Burger and it was at a best all right. I guess I expected too much. Whatever- it fit a lot of people in a restaurant setting and I guess that's what counts. The service was great though- don't get it wrong. Very nice place as well and the atmosphere was pretty damn cool. I come to places for food and beverages as well as enjoyment. I may have had a bad experience once but I'll come back for a follow-up because this place has so much potential. 2/5 for Food 4/5 for Atmosphere 1/5 for Drinks 2/5 for Prices 2/5 for Just enjoying the place overall- I expected more. I was considering giving it a two/five star rating but- the girls all around made up for it.
(3)Dakota W.
We decided to eat at Essex on Christmas night since we were not able to go back home for Christmas. We made the reservation for 5 people at 7:30. We arrived early and were seated early. We enjoyed the decor and the amazing ambience. We ordered our food around 7:45ish and order more cocktails. (Lets just fast forward this story). Our food didn't arrive until 9:30. Our server, Summer, lied to us and said that they had no more bread to bring us while we waited for almost 2 hours for our food. Then said the reason the food took so long was bc the computer frozen, then backtracked and said the Internet went down, then finished up by saying it was just her fault. Needless to say, we were not happy so we called a manager over. The manager, Sue, came over and did not make the situation any better. She ended up blaming the server for everything and she said she had nothing to do with this situation. She became very loud and was waiving her fingers in our faces saying she was in the back running food so there was technically no manager for the night. Sue was very unprofessional and did not handle the situation accordingly. As a manager you should never place the blame on another employee of the restaurant... You just need to own the mistake and make the experience better. Conclusion: I doubt we will be going back to Essex to eat and we told Summer the manager had blamed her for everything and she does not deserve to work at a place like this. We told her she should start looking for a new job where management knows how to do their job and how to protect and take care of their employees. I hope Summer finds a new job ASAP!
(1)Devin S.
I came here for dinner a little more than a month ago for a friend's birthday. From the beginning, there were problems. Through some planning mixup, my friend's boyfriend reserved 17 seats for us for dinner in the bar area instead of the restaurant area. We didn't mind this so much... until our hostess informed us that there weren't actually 17 seats and "usually some people stand." After much struggling on both sides, we were finally allowed to push enough tables and chairs together for 14 people while the other 3 sat at a higher cocktail table with stools near us. Then, to make matters worse, the same hostess informs us that our party of 17 doesn't "get a server," and we have to order from the bar. 17 people having dinner and drinks have to order from the bar? Really? I had a quick chat with the manager. When I returned to the table, a friend asks me if I ordered something. I half-jokingly replied that I "ordered us a waitress." The *oh-so-lovely* hostess is walking past us at that point, and I guess somehow interprets this conversation as being about her(?), and snottily interrupts to say, "I'm not a waitress, I'm a hostess" with a mocking smile. Don't worry, I set her straight, too. The good news is that our server for the rest of the night was wonderful! Very helpful and attentive. Some other positives: - Jalapeño margaritas - if you like jalapeño/have a decent spice tolerance, I highly recommend it. Unlike any other drink you'll order, and actually quite good - unless you hate that kind of spice, in which case you should avoid because it's strong and will probably make you sick. - Tasty scallops app with watermelon, croutons and some kind of vinegar - loved the flavor and texture combinations - Tasty duck entree Unfortunately the food wasn't actually good enough on the whole to bring this up to a 3-star. The mussels in particular were disappointing. The supposed "white wine broth" tasted more like chicken broth. We had also ordered a round of peach margaritas and, while strong, they did not taste anything like peach. Perhaps the other flavors are better? Overall, I was underwhelmed and left with a pretty bad taste in my mouth thanks to the first 30 minutes or so of our visit. Don't plan to return.
(2)anthony r.
So many reviews.. But look, its really good. We did lobster night recently .. $18 bucks for a fully loaded lobster dish and $1 oysters.. . Can't be beat in the L.E.S after over 10 years of trade.. Still a fan
(4)Bernadette M.
very good place for brunch. their apple sausage is very good too. i am just amazed that they serve the brunch menu until 8pm and the oyster for less than a dollar? oh we love it! will come back soon!
(3)Vi N.
This review is for dinner only. I had a $50 coupon for $25 from open table. I made reservations right on yelp (they make it so easy!) We started out w/some cocktails: -Blood Orange Mojito: Yummy! Perfect on a hot day! -Pear Bellini: Tasted like regular bellini. For grub we got: -Scallops w/cruton watermelon salad: this was AMAZING! The cruton salad was sooooooo good! watermelon, peaches, basil and a light dressing, compilments the scallops very well. -Tilapia/mango ceviche: this was good, but the scallops wins hands down. -NY Steak w/sweet potato fries: portion was huge! was good but nothing special -Potato pancake w/salmon: this was good, the pancakes were super crispy and salmon tasted fresh. -Coconut cream pie: this was good, the portion was HUGE, waaay too much for one person, you should definitely share it w/the table. The atmosphere was mellow. The placed was not crowded on a Friday nite. A noticed some empty tables around. The service was great, everyone was super attentive. I will definitely be back, hopefully to try the brunch next time.
(4)Gisel C.
Never going to this place again - hair in my burnt pancake horrible fruit, hair in my friends plate and hair in the bloody mary this girl next to us was drinking. HAIR EVERYWHERE, absolutely disgusting. To make it up they offered us two drinks for free but we were so disgusted by the food we just ended up giving the tickets to some random people. Pro- mimosas were good other than that I don't recommend getting burnt "chocolate-chip" pancakes or food that was way overpriced. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene may agree: a816-restaurantinspectio… Sorry Essex.
(1)Luyba Z.
This is ONLY an oyster review. Enjoyed the cozy atmosphere and came here in the evening on a weekday with a friend. There was a a painting class going on upstairs. We ordered the $1 Oysters and a couple of drinks. The oysters were huge and the service was good! Definitely coming back here for Raw Oysters!
(4)Angela N.
You gotta love the $1.00 oysters here on Mondays! SlurpSlurp!! I can just fill up on dozen(s) of those and some latkes and call it a night. They have a wonderful brunch menu too (tho think the price went up, it's now $20)...try the Sunday Platter. It doesn't look like much food but it'll fill you up (white fish, bailey, gravlax, caper/onions, etc.). You get three drinks with your meal too..which is a steal if you know brunch in NY. They make a mean Bloody Mary but the Mimosa is mediocre (cheap champagne); stick w/ the juices and you'll be fine. Tip: Check Restaurant.com for coupons; it's really worth it w/ a group of people and I've used it a number of times - staff recognize and honor coupon. Read fine print though, it's not good on weekends!
(5)Katie J.
Neat old warehouse with a great vibe Sub par food Too loud Loved the endless pours on the mimosas Multiple extreme pedestrian traffic jams near the bar Friendly staff Honestly, we were all just too hungover for this place on Sunday morning.
(3)Bethany P.
Wow did we have an interesting experience at Essex. First of all, I gave it three stars b/c the food was good (not amazing) and those three drinks with brunch for around $23 are phenomenal. Now to the nitty gritty. My group of seven arrived around 10:45 on Easter Sunday. We had an 11AM reservation. When we arrived the staff was still setting up and not really seating anyone. While we were waiting I observed a woman who I took to be the manager yelling at a few frightened-looking waitresses and running around with a sour look on her face. We were seated and our waitress informed us that she could not serve us alcohol until noon since it was Sunday - an old NYC law apparently. Ok, no big deal. We'll take our time we said, the restaurant is empty anyway. Our waitress just smiled and said ok but if it got busy she'd just give us drink tickets for the bar. Fair enough. I'm not going to lie, we stalled a little but it did take some legit time for our group of seven to settle on orders. While we chose our food we ordered coffees. While we were reading the menu the angry woman I saw when I first arrived came over to our table and proceeded to half-lecture, half-yell at us saying that we needed to order and that the customers would soon be busting the doors down to get in so our table would be needed. We took a look around the 2/3 empty restaurant and sat stunned. I felt like a school kid being yelled at by a teacher, not a 20-something patron trying to enjoy her brunch. Needless to say when she finally walked away we were pissed. Our waitress seemed apologetic but what could she say with her boss lurking nearby. RIght when we were about to place our order the waitress had to run and get something. In that 2 minute gap the angry manager came back and started in again. She said over and over how many people were going to be coming in and that we had to order NOW (note the restaurant is still mostly empty). One of the guys in my party finally had enough and told the woman firmly that we were just about to order and that our waitress had walked away. She said something snide and walked away. The rest of the meal was pleasant. The angry woman tried to curry our favor with speedy refills and a couple smiles. We were not amused. I have only been treated that poorly at a restaurant once before, nearly 2 years ago and I haven't been back since. It's such a let down when you have a good meal and great company and the customer service is just awful.
(3)Nic K.
Great brunch deal with $18 drinks included with a pretty decent breakfast. It is packed on Sunday mornings, so make sure to get reservations in advance. It's also a bit packed, but that can be expected for a great deal like this on a sunday morning. Will definitely go again.
(4)Michelle L.
Came here for dinner on a Thursday night around 7 ish. I did read some reviews about this place before hand. I must say the service was pretty amazing, they were friendly and attentive. I guess it depends on the time and day you're here? I'm sure whenever places get crowded things get crazy. Anyhow, I ordered the catfish with shrimp over seasoned potatoes. It was my first time ordering catfish lol and I was satified. The portion was somewhat big. Oh yea, I also had the calamari, the calamari itself was alright, what made it yummy was the spicy gaucamole dip! Overall this place is pretty decent, will definitely come back for another dinner or perhaps brunch!
(4)Jensen R.
I've heard a lot of great things about Essex so I'm surprised that I didn't like this place more. Everything was just "meh"...nothing great, nothing awful, but definitely nothing worth a return trip. I was here for brunch and I was really happy that we were seated almost right away, but the service from that point on fell flat. It was a "bottomless brunch" but we only got one refill..which we had to ask for. The food was fine, but again - nothing great! We were also seated upstairs which ended up being way too warm because we were directly in the sun. I know the restaurant can't control the sun, so I'm not being too hard on them about that, but considering everything else was a little underwhelming it just compounded our disappointment. Maybe we just had a bad experience considering so many other good reviews, but this place certainly won't be topping my list of brunch spots. I think I'll stick with my faves, il Bastardo & The Smith.
(2)Elyse M.
This place was wonderful!! Mo was so attentive and was very good at recognizing what the table needed before we had to ask for it! The service is a reason to return he was amazing! Mimosas were great also
(5)Kate L.
Loved Mo's service!! He's so aware of his customers needs. Food was average but service was great!
(5)Jeanette L.
Disclaimer - we didn't actually eat here. Came in on Saturday around 1:30pm and put our name down for a table of 5. They told us 45 min so we waited. And waited...and waited. Checked back a few times and each time the hostess (very nice!) said she'd let us know and at one point, you're very close to being seated!) Then, more and more time went by (let's be nice and say it was only 1.5 hours) and eventually we found out that there was a mix up and it'd be "a while longer" until we were seated. By this time it was past 3 and although they were nice and gave us free drink tickets....we were hungry! I def want to go back and try this place b/c the food looked good and there must be a reason why ppl wait this long but...geebus! 2 hour wait? I shall re-review this place once I actually eat. :) But just a warning, prepare for a wait! (And, if it's any indication for how their reservations work - a group of ppl next to us were PISSED b/c they had a reservation but still had to wait A LONG TIME - more than 45 min but not sure how long in total)
(2)Will V.
Fun drunk brunch as the waiters rarely seem to keep to the three drink max. Food is decent too, but a bit loud for a table for two. Much better for big loud groups where you don't want to be shushed by the next table. Overall fun, loud and decent food. Kind of annoying when they push you out of your seat, I understand having to turn the tables and they do give you a ticket for a drink at the bar so they play it right, just a sucky part of having a popular place.
(3)Diane Z.
The happy hours!! Oysters, mussels, mango mojitos, oh my! The brunch is ok, just regular. But the happy hour/specials are awesome!
(4)Jenny C.
I've been coming to Essex since 2009 and they had the best filet mignon! With a salad on the side. I don't remember what the sauce was, but it's not the same kind they serve now. Bring it back please!! They have a good happy hour that used to last until 9pm, but have scaled it back to 8pm. Half price drinks! On weekends they have a boozy brunch, 3 drinks come with your meal, I believe. Last time I had it was 2010!
(4)Steven T.
My friend that lives in NY took me out to this place on Saturday noon. Lets just say I don't remember the last half of my stay in this restaurant very well. For the time I do remember. We got there around 1330 and it was PACKED. We got 2 rounds of drinks before we even looked at the menu. The food was alright, but the drinks were what we were there for. With every meal you're supposed to get 3 drinks, but depending who serves you that can be only 3 or until you find yourself stumbling out of the restaurant. Lets hope you're lucky when you go. Overall, nice interior and atmosphere. The service was good and the food was okay. Good place to start off a Saturday.
(4)Kirsten F.
BRUNCH I will ALWAYS love you XO
(4)Emily W.
Came here with a girlfriend for brunch and loved this place. Definitely had the happening vibe of the Lower East Side - was packed and full of energy. I tried the Bloody Mary flavored with bacon and found it interesting - not sure was my cup of tea. But the Lobster Eggs Benedict were amazing - the lobster was so fresh and the eggs were cooked just right. Seems like a good spot for a boozy weekend brunch meet-up.
(4)Marina T.
Love the happy hour specials. $1 oysters, half priced drinks, unlimited mussels for $18....etc. LOVE them! Friendly atmosphere, decent food and drinks, and good deals!
(4)Jennifer F.
This is my all time favorite NYC brunch venue. There are only a few short rules one MUST follow to get the optimal experience: 1) For larger than a party of 4, make a reservation WEEKS in advance. Like I guess two weeks is fine. 2) Always make a reservation. See #1. 3) They will NOT sit you until your entire party has arrived. Never. Ever. PLUS- They'll keep refilling your mimosa glass even more than the allotted three times, they have an amazing vegan dish, and if they want your table, they'll give you free drink tickets. Hold out for that.
(5)Chris V.
Its a bit hectic when you arrive with people standing around waiting for their tables. Because they only sit parties when everyone has arrived there are a lot of people stood at the bar. This does mean if you are sitting in that area expect to have a bag, or random backside next to you whilst you eat. This said, we had a booth and having arrived with 7 instead of the 6 people we had booked for the server was very accommodating and found us an additional setting. I promised my friends from out of town that we would have a bottomless mimosa brunch in true NY style. I as a little dismayed when I noted that the menu stated a maximum of 3 as part of the brunch deal. This turned out to be more guidance than anything else as our server happily poured me my 4th and 5th glass, an act she was very well tipped for! The food was excellent, I ordered the Southern which was fantastic, other members of the group had the Mexican which was consumed with equal delight. The afternoon was rounded off perfectly as our server handed us tickets to enjoy even more complementary cocktails at the bar.
(4)Jorge A.
I went here for brunch a few weekends ago. A lot of people had recommended me this spot, so I have to admit I had high expectations. And definitely it didn't fulfill them at all. The food was ok, nothing too spectacular. It's difficult not to get eggs right! The services was terrible. I asked if I could change the alcoholic drinks for a coffee (as alcoholic drinks are included in the fixed price) and the waitress was so annoyed about it. I was not asking anything too complicated! It was just a cup of coffee instead of a mimosa.
(2)Jo B.
I'd wanted to try Essex for brunch for a long time, so when we encountered no line and the brunch menu available the day after the Fourth, the bf and I didn't hesitate to snag a table. Unlike most restaurants in the area, Essex is in a huge, loft-like space. It was nice and cool on a scorcher of a day. We were immediately provided with the brunch menu: I ordered the Aristrocrat and the bf chose steak and eggs. I had coffee to start and then we both switched to mimosas (which were more like unlimited mimosas -- not just the three that are included with brunch -- because they were constantly topped off). The food came out really quickly. The Aristocrat was amazing. It's a potato pancake topped with smoked salmon and salmon roe, with two poached eggs and sour cream on the side, all served on a bed of mixed greens. The potato pancake was crispy and flavorful, although it could've been a bit less oily. Everything else was really good: the salmon was flavorful and tender, the eggs were perfectly done. The bf's steak and eggs were cooked exactly to order, although the potatoes that came on the side were disappointingly cold and underwhelming. The cash-only brunch policy sent us scrambling to the ATM as soon as we noticed it. Somewhat annoying, but thankfully there is an ATM outside the restaurant and dozens more in a two block radius.
(4)Tara L.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good dinner was at a place that has been much better known for brunch (to me at least). I had a Groupon for $30 for Essex and went with my dad and my husband to try it out. Since the food was fairly reasonably priced, we decided to just go for it and get a pitcher of margaritas since we were getting $30 off. The mango margarita was killer...really heavy on the booze but the mango juice made it very drinkable and the sliced limes in the pitcher were a nice touch. It would not have been worth the $50 price without getting $30 off though. We got the cheese plate which was pretty good...standard selection but the honey and the apricot (I think) compote were really good. I got the potato pancakes all three ways and all were delightful. The best was the potato pancakes with a huge pile of smoked salmon and salmon caviar but the others (sauteed onions on one, goat cheese & arugula on the other) were really good as well. The potato pancakes were fried golden and crispy most of the way through with a nice and soft center...exactly the way I like them. The mussels in white wine sauce were one of the better iterations I've had recently...heavily spiced broth with all good decent sized mussels. There was not a bad mussel in the bowl. The bread and butter was actually one of the highlights of the meal particularly when used to sop up the broth that the mussels came in! I don't know if I would go back here just because there are so many restaurants I want to try in any given week but I did really enjoy dinner.
(4)Raquel R S.
I went here for brunch for the $20 for any entree and three drinks. The drinks - I had two bloody mary's with no what it seems like no alcohol but alot of hot sauce. Couldn't make it to the third. The baked manchego mac and cheese is to DIE FOR! The burger was pretty good and the service was too but it's just loud at Essex. Really.
(3)Caroline V.
Had brunch here last spring and it was a madhouse in there!! Crazy amounts of people at the bar/entry so make sure you reserve a table otherwise you'll be waiting forever...Although that might not be a bad thing since their drinks are $3?? cheap and STRONG. We were seated upstairs and had a nice view of the whole place. Decor is nice, tables are close together but not in an awful way. Brunch comes with 3 drinks (mimosa, bloody mary or screwdriver). I tried one of each and spent the rest afternoon hungover... Great service, good food and a great deal! $16 = brunch, 3 drinks and all the coffee and tea you can drink
(3)Vincent K.
When my NYC friend came to the bay area to visit, she was surprised we paid for mimosas at Brunch? I gave her an odd look. This time, I was giving the odd yet amazed look....$16-$18 for weekend brunch WITH drinks???? You New Yorkers got it sooo good. And being that it was the day after Halloween celebration, I was surprised how packed it was and the slight few who still had their stocking and facepaint on. The place was awesome though, from the high ceiling, the busy sounding vibe, smell of brunch food, and just the general feel of the place. i'm glad my friend took me here and even recommended the scallop brunch choice with the potato pancake...definite winner. The side of banana pancakes was also really good. I even tricked my table mate to split with me and get the benedict with crab.....soo good.
(5)Miss L.
Oysters were filthy with plentiful of sand and tasted no where close to fresh. The place is really dirty, as I found a thick long black hair on my plate. DISGUSTING! Service was also very poor. Waited a good 10 minutes before being acknowledged. If you want good/fresh oysters with a good ambiance and service, go to The Mermaid Inn or Millesme!
(1)Nancy H.
So over-rated and so not worth the wait. I had heard rave reviews so when friends came in Cali I decided to take them here for brunch. We made reservations for 2pm, which is already very late in the afternoon. We still had to wait over an hr. If a restaurant can't honor a reservation, especially one that requires a credit card to hold it, they shouldn't take them. The food took forever. Despite being starving after I found the food borderline gross. The dish was cold and they missed the 'egg whites only' part of my order. I didn't bother sending it back.
(1)Raven F.
We waited an hour for our Sunday Brunch reservation. I get it-they're busy... so then why even accept reservations if you can't honor it? They gave us a free drink while we waited, so at least there was that. Our food was solid... nothing fantastic that I'll remember deeply or anything. Also pretty sure our waitress was drunk. She was just awkward and started crying at the bar behind us. Kind of... sad? All in all, I would go back for the $20 all-inclusive brunch, but it's NOT worth waiting an hour with a reservation.
(2)Erica F.
Besides being nearly assaulted with a dessert menu and getting into a heated debate over weather the calamari came with avocado sauce or dip, I had a fairly good experience here. me: we'll have an order of the calamari waitress: the what? me: the calamari... with the habanero avocado dip (as it states clearly in the menu ...as I point to it in the menu) waitress: (looking at my menu) ah yes ok, the avocado sauce? me: the calamari... with the avocado dip waitress: yea, ok calamari with avocado sauce me: yea, ok fine and by assault, I of course don't mean assault at all, I just mean I'd never had a waitress of so few words fling a dessert menu at my boyfriend and I... without even asking if we were interested in any dessert or coffee or anything to wisp around and disappear again for another 10 minutes. Especially after we weren't even able to finish our meals and said we were stuffed to max capacity. But ok, fine I can look over that. I had always wanted to give Essex a try, so being methodically cheap I got a $25 restaurant.com gift certificate for a whopping $2. The food was good, it was nothing astonishing, in face I was expecting a little more. I had the potato pancakes napoleon, which were pretty much hash browns with stuff on them, but they were good. The calamari was... calamari. My boyfriend got the porkchops, and tho I'm not a pork fan, I tried it out and all the vegies it came with, and that was all really good. The decor is fun, so that's always a big plus for me. The food came fast and hot. Another big plus. Over all.... this place was 'A-OK' with me. Though realistically I probably wouldn't go back.
(3)trisha o.
hmmm --- i had no idea there was a brunch special with drinks. is this new? i came here for brunch (obviously) and like others have stated, it's a cool set-up -- just maybe a tad dark for noon (we were sitting in the back). i ordered the stuffed cornflake french toast -- which was fine, but a little dry. other friends enjoyed their meals. in retrospect, it did seems a bit expensive for what it was ($40 pp)! not sure i'd recommend it to someone i liked . . .
(3)Alana E.
$20 will get you: - A table or seat at the bar - 3 strong drinks - a killer brunch entree ...but be prepared to wait in line. What i love about this place is that it's very open, has high ceilings -- you don't feel cramped at all -- a great place to meet friends, meet your boyfriend's parents, etc -- because there's enough space and great lighting :) Come but be prepared to get a little tipsy.
(4)Susan Y.
Traveled through snow and sleet for the lobster special and drinks.. and though we were a half an hour late, our waitress extended our happy hour drinks for our party and we were happily warming up with some kickin martinis and sangrias. Props to the waitresses at essex, I've came here many times and the service is awesome. Though sometimes, the wait for food is alil long, it's well worth it. Our lobster came out perfectly cooked and though we got plenty of bread and mussels ($10 for a huge portion) as a start. An A+ for big groups and drinks!!!
(4)Justina W.
I wasn't sure about this place at first because I had read so many mixed reviews on Yelp. But this place exceeded my expectations. I'm not sure why so many people complained about the food - it was served piping hot, ingredients were fresh and high quality, and portions were generous. I got the salmon benedict. Benedict is my favorite brunch fare so I'm picky about how it's done. The eggs were perfectly runny. I hate poached eggs that are on their way to becoming soft-boiled. It's like ordering steak well-done. What's the point? The salmon was fresh and not fishy. Also good are the biscuits and gravy (my friend got them with eggs over easy - these folks know how to do eggs; they were perfect, not overdone, not underdone). I even checked out our neighbors' dishes and they looked really good - the mac and cheese was generous and baked to a perfect brown. Also, our waitress was friendly and competent. If you've followed my other reviews you'll notice a theme of intolerance for incompetent wait staff with attitude problems. So if I am pleased with the service somewhere, you know it's good. Bloody Marys were pretty good, especially considering how many they serve in a day. Our waitress was happy to keep our drinks topped off throughout the meal. As for the wait...we were there at 11:30 on a Sunday and only waited 15 minutes. Plow through the hangover and get there early; it's worth it.
(4)Stacey S.
I really liked this place. Atmosphere was great - quintessential industrial loft space in LES. Great music, and not too loud - huge pet peeve of mine. I don't mind a sore throat after a good old fashion night of binge drinking but please don't make me yell at dinner. Food was very good. Amongst a table of seven we tried the salmon, short ribs, duck salad, tilapia and mango ceviche, mussels, and a few other things that sangria and 2 pitchers of jalepeno margaritas have blurred. Can we stop and talk about that for a minute? Jalapeno margaritas. I am the last person on earth who would ever enjoy a spicy drink (an avid brunch-er, I unfortunately despise Bloody Marys). I also hate tequila. But dear GOD this was wonderful. Borderline too spicy, but yet still subtly sweet enough to be refreshing and enjoyable. I couldn't get enough. Minus a star because our waitress tried too hard to up-sell everything and because the drinks were not strong enough (and that is coming from a girl whose only goal in college was to disguise even the tiniest hint of alcohol with orange juice or diet coke). Fortunately my cocktail preferences have improved, but the alcohol-to-mix content just didn't hold up.
(4)David W.
Two Stars for a bad brunch experience, four stars for an excellent dinner. Let's average that out to three stars. Bought a groupon ($15 for $30) here for their famed brunch. My friends and I wanted to try an NYC drunk brunch and Essex seemed like the place. Let me just say that Essex is NOT said place. Made reservations for 11:30 on a sunday. Place was packed even though you can't actually drink until noon. (I did not know this until I got there, but they were kind enough to serve us coffee and tea for free until we could start in on our three drinks.) $20 for all entrees and that includes drinks. This would be a good deal if the food had been up to par. I got steak and eggs which I believe was a couple dollars more. The steak was rubbery, and eggs were ok. Honestly there was nothing special about the food. Drinks were strong. That is what is important I can imagine when it comes to this. I had read that no one really counts how many you get, but I actually wound up with less than my three per person alottment due to the poor service. The waitress had attitude, and worst of all when I tried to use my groupon she informed that I couldn't. This was in small print on the groupon itself, and completely my fault for not seeing that, but still, I was not enthused about A having to pay full price for brunch and B having to come back to a place I didn't really like in the first place. Well months later the groupon is about to expire and I drag my boyfriend down for dinner. Needless to say Essex during the week is a completely different experience. The restaurant wasn't crowded and I was easily able to get a reservation day off for a wednesday night. On wednesdays they have an $18 lobsters special which had I been in the mood I would have jumped on, but I had my eye on the $13 mac and cheese. All of their drinks are half off till 9pm, and we took advantage by trying a few cocktails. These were all fantastic, much better than the generic mimosas served on the weekends. And at $5 a pop, pretty reasonable too. Boyfriend got the burger, and was very satisfied with it, I watched him devour it in a matter of minutes. Mac and cheese was delicious as well. They also have $1 oysters all night which we tried, and they were great too, if a bit on the smaller side. Still at that price I am not complaining. Service was a complete 180 from the brunch experience. Our waitress was attentive, and friendly. Plus the atmosphere was quieter, and more relaxed than the hectic weekend crowds. So the bottom line is this go to essex for dinner, and avoid their brunch.
(3)Jane K.
Went here for brunch, so I'm not sure how they do for dinner. Bruch: they are JUST OKAY. I don't think it is worth coming back here again. Yes they have unlimited bloody mary, screwdrivers, and mimosas... so maybe some of y'all like that stuff. I could have made the food at home myself. A lot of people hype up the potato pancake...it tastes like McDonald's hash browns. Not that anything is wrong with hash browns (it is really amazing) but I expected something a little different from this place. Now that I have spoken of McDs I think their breakfast sandwich and hash browns would have beat Essex.
(2)Dennis K.
If you're looking for a place that's economic yet stylish, this is the place. I tried oysters for the very first time here a few weeks ago and loved it. $1 oysters...who can wrong? Seared diver scallops over croutons, watermelon, peaches & basil appetizer was awesome. The jumbo lump crab cake over hearts of palm salad was good too. Two thumbs up for the fried calamari with habañero-avocado dip!! I could have done without the tilapia ceviche with homemade tortilla chips b/c it wasn't too tasty. 1/2 price drinks during happy hour is also a huge plus!
(4)Dave K.
My girlfriend and I went to this restaurant for dinner yesterday. That being said we arrived at about a quarter to 6 for a 6pm reservation. It's a nice cozy atmosphere. The bar tender/waiter told us immedeately and rudely that they were closed when we checked-in until we told him we had a reservation. He looked like we were bothering him. We sat and waited at the bar until they opened and were seated at about 6:10, but the kitchen didn't open until 6:30. We were seated in a section that was apparently reserved for a party that we were not invited to so we moved. The waitress couldn't give recommendations because she was a vegitarian (but she and the hostess were the nicest people there, but no common sense). The food took forever to arrive and wasn't that great. The check took even longer (about 40 min.) and the waitress didn't look twice or say "thanks for coming out", "its not you its me", or "I hope you die", or anything as we left. The staff acted like they were all millionares and this was just a part-time gig and I should be so glad that I was graced with their presence. Also while we were there a chick slipped and hurt her neck on the floor and had to be taken to the hospital, guess the floors are also slippery. Long and short, don't waste your time people at the DMV are friendler. Pros: Big TV's, Nice furniture, good open space Cons: Rude Staff, limited info on website, limited food selection, average food, value Probably won't be back unless if I was forced and I just HAPPENED to be there.
(2)Laura A.
With specials everyday except for Fridays including Oysters, Mussels, Maine lobster, Brunch and Drinks looks like Essex has opted for calling attention of New Yorkers with great deals. Brunch is the headline at Essex, as shows that more than 70% of the reviews describe brunch experiences; and having take a look to some of them I'll keep on mind Alex C. quote "went there for brunch. food, 3 stars. price, 5 stars". Since during regular brunch time Essex is packed I like the fact that they offer a Sunday Sundown brunch starting at 4pm until 8pm. But talking about my times at Essex my rate is actually 4 for the Lobster night, but 2 star for drinks that happened randomly on a Friday night because Le Lupanar was totally empty. On Wednesdays night you can have one Lobster, served whole in the shell, for just $16 coming with corn on cob and potatoes and if you go between 6 to 9pm you can also have half price drinks; which actually happen from Monday through Thursday. That night our server extended us the special price for drinks after 9pm. Our lobster was juicy, tasty and well cooked; very tender and fresh. The size is enough for dinner, will not induce food coma, tho. Our waitress was very friendly but a bit slow. Essex has an upstairs level to be seated which has the disadvantage that the servers will not be frequently around and if you need them you will have to go downstairs or just wait. The place was packed and I think there isn't too many servers to handle it. We were waiting in the bar area until our party was complete and a bit more until our table was ready even although we had a reservation. I didn't mind at all that day since the waiting time at the bar was nice. Don't miss to take a look around; I loved it. Open space, Loft type and impressive luminosity that will not bother you. Walls and ceiling are creamy-white but they did a great job with the contrasting furniture, very modern and in dark wooden, dark floor and even a red wall; white lamps however and tall plants in green that I always like to see. I find downstairs dinning room perfect for a group of friends but although not having servers around could be a disadvantage, I still prefer the terrace upstairs for intimacy, the lighting is just soft, giant windows, transparent curtains. Dating space. A friend of mine have been there several times for the Oyster special night and he keeps telling that is really good as well. The same friend however was back for the lobster another Wednesday and they run out that night having to order items from the regular menu and he wasn't that impressed. This fact has been stopping me to go back and try something different. The wine list is really good. I can recognize some good Spanish wines, I was happy to taste a Rosé "Marqués de Cáceres" from La Rioja. Its an sparkling wine served in a flute glass, sour and sweet. Of course Pinot, Chardonnay, the regular types but also Zinfandel wines, the variete Shiraz, Albariño, my favorite white wine and if you like bubbles you have several Champagnes to order . Drinks other than wine are pretty standard, either during the happy hour or any other time. My vodka with cranberries during the Happy Hour was served with too much ice. During our random drinks night I tried the Ginger Pear Sakétini and although I liked it, the flavor wasn't well balanced to my taste. It was very strong. I think they used dry Sake. The Strawberry Cream Martini had a weird flavor. With prices between $9 to $11 is not expensive but having around places as White Star, same price but a recognized speakeasy as good as M&H, I don't have any doubt about what should be my destination. The place was always loud, in particular that Friday night and the crowd was in their 20s and 30s, mostly groups separate by genders, flirting between each other [wink] Based in my visits to Essex and reading others reviews my mental resume should be: Yes for lobster. Always book a table. The service has things to improve. Maybe brunch and if this happen will be late on Sundays. Lower your expectations and go to White Star for drinks.
(3)Diane W.
Really fun place to go with friends for brunch, but it's also ridiculously loud and almost impossible to have a conversation. The mimosas weren't very strong, and it took a lot of effort to get the waitress to even notice that our glasses were empty. The food was pretty good. Potato pancakes with salmon and poached eggs, but I'm also totally in love with poached eggs. Great place to go with acquaintances, especially if you want to avoid having long conversations. Just be prepared to wait
(3)Starry S.
The service was good. BUT...we all came to consensus that all the meat my group had were tasteless and dry. Pass the A1 sauce please.. Sangria pitcher $45...wow. Yea poor wallet.. My potato pancake napoleon with veggies was boring. I was better off with a sandwich. sigh :( Come here for brunch. That's what they are known for.
(2)Diana B.
Crowded and loud, but they kept the drinks flowing. 3 my a$$ - more like, as many mimosas as you want until after you get the check and AFTER you have paid. Very nice. Food was not the best, but not the worst. My eggs benedict first came out cold with a cold English Muffin, but I asked them for a replacement meal and that came out quickly and was warmer. Overall - great deal - about $23 for unlimited drinks, (unlimited coffee, etc. before 12 noon) and a nice meal. I may come back. You get a free drink ticket to use at the bar when you finish your meal. That is a plus.
(4)Al J.
Maybe I'm just too old, but I was by no means a fan of this place. I was there with 4 other people for a friend's bday. We wanted to enjoy brunch and catch up, but immediately upon sitting the server was all over us to hurry up and order. The drinks are essentially unlimited but the second you take your last bite of food you are expected to pay and get out. Food was decent. Not amazing. Mimosa tasted cheap.
(2)Natasha U.
You need to go here with a big group. It is almost essential. This way, you can get yourself a table and not have to wait two years during the peak hours of Sunday brunch. I went with a group of approximately 20. Now that was a trip. I mean, I was thinking when we all gathered at the front, how is this going to work? Can they fit us all? This place is packed, but no...I was proven wrong..like way wrong. Kudos to the bartender got us started on our bottomless drinks while we waited for the rest of our party to arrive. Nice touch! Once we had all arrived, we were seated and our waitress was not only efficient and sharp at taking all of our orders and getting them straight, but our glasses were always full. They say three drinks, but, actually, they hooked us up for the duration of the time we were dining there. I ordered the chorizo and eggs and I loved it! Big portions and it was quite tasty. I actually was sitting there running mouth and at the same time thinking..damn this $18 brunch deal is definitely a deal. Ambiance: yes, it is loud, yes, there are tourists that caught on to the place, but, like I said, this would not be my spot if I was going with less than 6 people. It's a fun group brunch spot and for the way they handled our party, I would say it's a great place to gather your group. Just make sure you make arrangements before hand with the restaurant and prepare to have a blast. I know we sure did.
(4)Tanya F.
I went for dinner on friday night. We were about 15 min late for our reservation but were still seated right away which was nice. This place seems to be much less of a sh*t show than what I've heard the brunch is like. They have a nice wine list. Unfortunately I picked the bottle and i ordered something far sweeter than my friends and I typically like. Oops! But that's my fault not the restaurant's. We had the calamari as an app. (I personally think that's a boring choice when there are so many more interesting options like cheeseburger empanadas!!) I didn't choose the app but as far as calamari goes it was done really well. Right proportion of crispy breading to chewy inside. It was served with this amazing avocado habanero sauce. Only problem was they serve the sauce in much too small of a bowl. We needed more half way through. On to dinner... The potato cake napoleon has so much potential. Fried potato, asparagus, mushrooms, spinach. Such great ingredients. But unfortunately it's super bland. According to the menu it comes with truffle oil, but I definitely didn't taste any and that's a hard flavor to miss. Shane(my buddy) got the lamb. My other friends, Joe and Tom both got the salmon. Shane seemed to like his dish a lot, though for me it was a little fatty. The salmon was great and it came with this wasabi sauce that gave it more than a little kick!! It was a fun evening and cheap too, thanks to scoutmob!!!
(3)Porsha M.
Although the LES can get to be a bit much these days (it's popularity seems to have caught on with tourists)...I enjoyed myself at Essex. I have a "thing" about decor and the way this place is set up lends itself to accommodating big groups or you can find a nook to sit in with a few of your closest people. I went here for dinner and the fried calamari was a little rubbery, but it was served with this avocado dip that certainly made up for it. My friend had their jumbo-lump crabcake and said it was delicious. Overall, the four stars relates mostly to the ambiance of this joint. I definitely plan on visiting again for brunch.
(4)erika s.
Here's how our morning at Essex went: - walk into Essex for brunch at 11 am sharp (so not a zoo yet...) - wait at the door to be seated - hostess walks by us once, twice, three times - people starting to gather behind us, waiting, waiting, waiting... - notice waitress at serving station in middle of restaurant - we walk over, "are we waiting in the right spot to be seated?" - "no, you have to stand here [in middle of restaurant]." - hostess comes over, gives us angry, dirty, evil, cherry-eye look "for two??? [grrrrrrr]" - we are seated upstairs, we decide we'll never come here again - upstairs waitress breezes by, big smile, free espressos, fresh buns - mimosas arrive, waitresses' good energy contagious, we're happier now - waitress continuously fills water, coffee, mimosas, food is great - we decide we will come back, the waitress gets big tip and karma will eventually catch up with hostess
(4)Mike D.
Excellent brunch place. Bringing a big group is probably better and you'll have a lot more fun, especially with bottomless brunch cocktails (3 drink limit but they lose track from all the refilling they do). Makes for great conversation in an already noisy establishment. The Bloody Mary here is bloody good! Trendy crowd. Walking through the group of people waiting to be seated at the bar, you could feel the ego in the room. Good music, funky arthouse vibe in a space that feels like a warehouse. Great, lively atmosphere. Tall ceilings with 2nd level dining on both sides of the restaurant. The brunch menu is extensive and you'll have an easy time picking something you're craving from benedicts to huevos rancheros to omelettes, but the blueberry pancakes are my fave, they're pretty much cakes, so thick and fluffy. All the dishes are filling and decently priced! A must-see for brunch people and lovers of morning alcohol!
(4)Joan H.
I came for the all you can eat moules frites/half price drinks night - and it was splendid! For $14.99 we had all you can eat moules frites, and all drinks were about $4-5 apiece at half off. The mussels were large and succulent (surprising for an AYCE night), and the fries were good - the medium cut (not the stick thing ones nor the steak fries). I don't know if I'd recommend a cocktail (I had some variation on the cosmo, and it tasted like syrup). Although my first white wine was a little warm, the waittress ensured the second was perfectly chilled. It was decently busy, but our server did her best to take care of things. The bus boys were good about getting dishes cleared (especially as we stacked up the shells). The scene is a bit trendy, as you are in some old factory; and the people around you are generally young and social (or as in our unfortunate case, making out too much). I did not have to wait for a table at 8pm Tuesday night and I did not have to wait for my whole "party" to be seated or anything annoying. The music is festive and a wee bit loud - so, sorry, no romance for you. But we generally had a good time, especially for cheap eats in the LES. I'd definitely check out other special nights.
(4)Stacy W.
This place was good, but I'm knocking a star off for the bout of food poisoning I got. $1 oysters is a great deal, but they weren't shucked very carefully. They had bits of shell/dirt in them. What the hell, I still ate them. I love my seafood. There's always that risk! I think i'll be picking up the oyster meat first with the mini fork than slurping it right off the shell next time. I couldn't decide what to get and ended up getting two appetizers to nibble on. The seared diver scallops over croutons, watermelon, peaches & basil and jumbo crab cake over hearts of palm salad were both tasty. The actual crab cake was just ok, but I prefer my crabcake less breaded and more chunky meat. I went on a Wednesday when they have a $18 lobster dinner meal, which most people get. If you love lobster, it's definitely worth the deal. Potato pancake with salmon gravalax & caviar was really yummy. I'll still come back again, but I may avoid the oysters. There were other entrees I wanted to try.
(3)Keejoo L.
Brunch seems the meal to eat at this place after skimming through the other reviews. However I ended up here for dinner, perhaps I will make the journey down here for a super rich brunch one day. This place is relatively small, dimly lit and a little loud but .. I suppose its fine with the space provided. You enter through this totally incased brick building the windows are set high so dont expect a view of the outside world from inside this restaurant. The bar is located directly on the right hand side. Then tables follow, I noted that there was upstairs seating but maybe they only utilize it when there is a bigger crowd. (also I was there fairly late on a Tuesday) THe menu is fairly straight forward, they give you a paper list of specials then a wine list and a normal menu which is basically half food and half drinks. After scanning the menu for more than the normal time I ended up ordering the 'Roasted Duck Breast' It comes on a bed of bok choy and a little duck spring roll on the side. Quite a lovely presentation and tasty dish. The sauce that it is served in was tasty as well. .A soy sweet sauce that the duck sits in. WIthout the sauce I imagine that the dish would be quite bland and boring. Perhaps if I ever venture back here again the server mentioned that the Spicy Chipotle Pork Loin and the Burger were the specials of the place. Burgers I feel are so casual.. Who knows, maybe their burger is out of this world and I really missed out though! Anyways, the meal was great, and the place is really great too. Its a small charm located in the LES. Im so fortunate that I was able to go here. They have a wide range of wines and beers and an extensive list of other mixed drinks to pair along with your meal.
(4)Ki G.
I came here because Yelpers suggested it and I was glad I came. Although when I called for a reservation, they said they were fully booked, I walked in with my date and managed to snag a table in 15 mins. The perfect amount of time to enjoy my first Mimosa of the day. After being seated, I realized that maybe I shouldn't have had that mimosa because the $16 brunch menu comes with 3 refills of either a Bloody Mary, Mimosa or some other drink I can't remember now. I only remember these two because I had the Mimosa's while my date had the Bloody Mary's. I used my quota and left very happy. Probably another reason why they get 4 instead of 3 stars. The portions were perfect, if not as large as you would get at a diner. But this isn't a diner, its Essex - a hip, trendy place where hipsters and wannabes abound! That accounted for the noise, so if you want a quiet lazy brunch, go someplace quiet and lazy The staff was polite and professional and our waitress was a doll, so cute! I think having a friendly waiter/ess always makes the dining experience so much better. So that's my addition to the other reviews of Essex. I will come back!
(4)Helmut D.
Food is delicious! Came here for brunch, made reservations for 11am on a Saturday morning. Didn't really need to, the place gets packed towards noon. No alcohol served till 11am. Sat upstairs away from the bar. The place has a real rustic industrial feel, not much of a view. The food was great, probably the best brioche french toast I've had in a while. Bacon crispy just the way I like. Eggs Benedict and creamy hollandaise sauce Mmm good. Food was served quickly and hot. Don't forget to bring cash cause this place doesn't take credit or debit cards. That sucked, I had to leave my guest, run out to the ATM and get hit with ATM fees.
(4)May L.
After all the great reviews, I decided to try it out. Unfortunately, I wasnt a big fan of this place. The $1 raw oyster was tempting but I didnt think it was that fresh or tasted as good as it should've. We also ordered the mussels in tomato chorizo sauce and cheeseburger empanadas. I didn't like the sauce that came with the empanadas, its not what i was use to and it didnt compliment it at all. The mussels were a little tasteless. I felt that like it was a soup and with every bite must come with the soupy sauce for it to have any flavor. I dont think i will be making the trip downtown for this place again.
(3)Dante P.
great place to go for brunch and for dinner.. such great specials and a great ambiance to meet up with friends for brunch, Sex and The City style! :) The brunches with 3 free drinks are fun.. Had opportunities where the waiter, in need of the table, bribed my group to go down to the bar to drink more so he can have table.. I'm ok with that! :)
(4)Chelsea L.
As I am always looking for a great brunch spot, I made my way to the Essex by some friends advice and was not disappointed! Your brunch ($20 set price) comes with 3 cocktails, yes 3!, and if your seated by the bar you get the excitement of hearing champagne bottles opening every few minutes! Their bloody mary was way to peppery and stiff for me (I'm sure not a bad thing for some people) so my other drinks were mimosas which were great. I tried the crispy potato pancakes with sautéed apples & honey cream sauce & spinach-shiitake-black bean hash. The potato pancakes could have had a stronger flavor but the hash was awesome and light! The portions are large so come hungry! I would definitely recommend reservations as it gets packed as the morning progresses. Also, they only take cash so come prepared or there's an ATM just out side. All together, one of the best deals in the city for brunch!
(4)Marie B.
Essex seems to know a thing or two or five about hospitality. Examine: Exhibit A - they serve complimentary coffee, tea, and soda before noon. Exhibit B - post noon, they offer a $18 brunch with bottomless screwdrivers, mimosas and blood marys. Exhibit C - their food is pretty decent. (I had the Ceo-Chorizo, Scrambled Eggs & Onions - very chorizo-y and cheesy. Yum!) Exhibit D- fast, friendly, efficient service Exhibit E - you are always in good company. This place is always packed with good looking people, creating an atmosphere that is fun and one that you want to be a part of. Conclusion: other brunch venues, take notes!
(4)Natalie B.
Do Come Here If... ...you want a casual, hipster-sceney brunch. ...you need a break from the usual SoHo, WV & Meatpacking standard spots. ...on a budget: $18 fixed prix brunch which includes an entree, 3 bloodies, screwdrivers, or mimosas, mixed greens and home fries. ...you like large, open spaces remniscent of a club during the day with lots of sunlight. ...warm comfort food of several varieties (think Mexican, Southern, Jewish, etc) make your tummy happy in the morning/early afternoon. ...a good time is overall objective. Don't Come Here If... ...you hate loud places. ...good service is just as important to you as the food. ...waiting for a table with contiuously changing time estimates irks you to the point of 'giving the hostess a piece of your mind'. ...you're claustrophobic or get anxious in crowded spaces. ...you like your drinks strong and tasty - as opposed to watery and bland. ...long waits between dishes that render your food cold tend to ruin your brunch experience. Personally, I'm a fan of this place. First, I live a block away so it's a convenient location for me. Second, I've found that you receive the best service when seated at the bar - great views of the flat screen TV, prompt drink delivery, and fairly timed delivery of your entree (still steaming hot). Lastly, the lofty space and high ceilings let in loads of sunlight and mask the fact that it's actually as crowded as the dance floor at Tenjune. The young crowd generates an energetic atmosphere that bolsters an afternoon of leisurely good time!
(3)Sami W.
I had cash on me this time so I am going full force and giving it the 5 stars. It's an awesome place, the brunch special is now $18 but the drinks are still $3! I ordered the eggs Benedict, it was as good as I remember it. The wait is a bitch and brunch is only Saturday and Sunday!
(5)Gretchen W.
I came to Essex for my monthly girls night dinner and we all enjoyed our meal. Essex seems to be best known for its amazing brunch with drink specials, which I have yet to partake in. My table of ladies were excited to hear that happy hour went 'till 9pm and that all drinks, including wine, were half-price. My first cocktail was the Green Tea Vodka with Pimms, mint, and lime. While I'd like to say this was fantastic, it was honestly kinda weird. There was a strong bitter taste and the mint was reminiscent of a Mojito gone awry. I chose wine as my other drink, and was happy with my selection. Overall, they do have an interesting and pretty extensive cocktail menu. Surely many of the drinks are yummy. I just chose wrong. We started our meal with something healthy to share, the Cheeseburger Empanadas, which were loaded with cheesy and beefy goodness with a dipping sauce to boot. Next, I had the Roasted Duck Breast with duck spring roll, which was tasty and cooked well. It was fun to have the spring roll in addition to the sliced duck breast. Two people at the table had the Herbed Colorado Lamb Chops over sauteed spinach and ricotta gnocchi. I didn't taste the lamb, although both friends enjoyed it. I did try the gnocchi, because they had been prepared in a way I hadn't really come across- Cooked, maybe fried, they looked like little browned dough balls and tasted great! Very interesting side dish. Lastly, my friend tried the Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with asparagus and roasted potatoes. This was a yummy dish, and as my friend is a huge fan of sweet potato fries, they let her substitute that in for the potatoes. For dessert, we all shared a piece of the Peanut Butter "Sigh" Pie, and boy was that good. I think the sigh must be the feeling of relief from opening your pants. Very rich, very tasty, very good! Overall, a nice meal at a nice restaurant.
(4)K-Dizzle F.
essex, i adore you. this is my absolute favorite brunch spot in the city. ~$20 includes "three" (aka unlimited) drinks [mimosa, screw driver, or bloody mary], a *~*fabulous*~* meal, warm bread, precious butter, and an atmosphere that gets you ready to party. i've brought friends, colleagues, and family to sex+es and without fail it's been a hit. my one warning is that you're looking for an intimate or deep conversation, you probably won't find it during the weekend brunch as the noise level can reach great heights. may you be persuaded to dance on a bar top at 6pm on a sunday evening after brunch at essex's, as well.
(5)Alan L.
the food is definitely different from the typical 'drunk-brunch' food selections. there were even items on the menu we'd never heard of before - kinda made me feel fancy (and dumb). the look of the place was very cool, and the space much lighter than i expected from the outside. sitting up on one of the lofts made it fun watching everything down below. it sucked that a party of 15 ordered right before we did and our food took about 40 min to arrive. it did not suck that the waitress was sincerely sorry and kept filling our drinks the entire time. we also got 18% (or was it 8%? i kinda forget after all the drinks) off our bill for the wait, so no harm no foul. 3 stairs for the decor and food - another star because i had to go into work afterwards and thanks to essex had a good buzz on arrival.
(4)Candace F.
I saw a Groupon for this restaurant and decided to buy 2 and I wasn't able to use both at the same time because we only had 3 people in our party and you're suppose to show the Groupon upon seating. What a bummer and my bad for not reading the fine print! Since they couldn't cut us a break I ended up giving my Groupons away. We were the first ones to get there and we were seated at one of the smaller tables by the bar. We ordered cocktails at half off - $5 for a Blood Orange Cosmo and a Ginger Pear Saketini. Let's just say my friend and I were both tipsy from 1 drink each - either we're lightweights (high probability) or they were generous with the alcohol. The drinks were good - mixed well and almost couldn't taste the alcohol. We had: Potato Cake Napoleon, Mussels in a white wine sauce with garlic with a side of fries, and the special of the day Lobster and rock shrimp ravioli with a white cream sauce. The Lower East Side doesn't disappoint - good value for the dollar. Potato Cake was delicious - came with asparagus and other veggies and the texture of the cake itself was soft but with semi-crunchy edges. Mussels are my favorite so I ended up finishing the whole pot myself and shared a few with my friends. These mussels aren't the big/tough/rubbery kind - it was the petite small tender juicy kind. I drenched my fries and bread in the broth. It was a never ending pile of shells of which the waiter kept switching out. It would have been great having an empty bowl to put all the oysters as oppose to a small plate. Lastly, the ravioli was surprisingly light considering it was covered in a cream sauce. There were 4 huge raviolis on the plate with rock shrimp and some other seafood on top. We were provided a fine meal and we were satisfied. No room for dessert and no tolerance for extra drinks. This is a cool place for Happy Hour - I liked the modern decor and the lighting. It's a comfortable place for hanging out with friends.
(4)Feygens S.
Brunch is off the chain here!...I went with my whole family and we had a blast upstairs in the dinning room. Downstairs bar was packed and it was Sunday. Not sure if it was for an event or something but pretty ppl were getting toasted at the bar early...lol The location is great too. Just a hop over the Williamsburg Bridge and your there!
(3)Dae S.
I now know why there is such a huge wait for this place. It's a prix fixed menu that includes 3 drinks. Not bad if you're in the mood for a boozy brunch which is always fun. The food wasn't anything special. If I'm going to have 3+ drinks at brunch, I'm not looking for gourmet food. There are a lot of places with good food and drink specials so I wouldn't come here again. Looked like there were a LOT of out of towners around. Must be all the damn Yelp reviews..
(2)Stephanie C.
Everyone talks about their main courses but try the appetizers. I love their cerviche with tilapia.
(4)Shari R.
best fries ever!! $25 New Year's brunch special included a meal and 3 drinks. your choice from mimosa, screwdriver or bloody mary. The crabcake eggs benedict were okay, but the mixed greens and french fried that came along side were delicious. It was absolutely what I was looking for. I had the baked eggs over bacon and ham. It was a little bit salty but the monterey jack cheese made it worthwhile. We were seated right away which was surprising because there were plenty of people waiting in line before us. It was an excellent brunch place and we will definitely visit there again to try everything on the menu.
(4)Frank S.
If you're looking for a crowded place for brunch where you can spend 3 hours from the minute you get there til you leave getting drunk on weak mimosas, eating average food(I've never had anything here that wasn't dry, bland, and low quality), and staring at sullen faces full of bad attitudes and rude ungracious dispositions then this is your place. And believe it or not you would not be alone. So be prepared to spend half your afternoon waiting amongst the crowd to partake in this exact experience. Yet I'm sure I'll find myself back there sometime soon as well thinking the same thing.. "why?" That's really the only reason you're here.. it's strictly for the scene. The food is average at best.. the drinks weak.. the service crude.. and the wait at times unbearable. However if you wanna be amongst the masses for their Sunday funday adventure then block out your 12-3 afternoon window and don't say I didn't tell you so. Also.. I read about how people think this place is a "great" deal for brunch. Honestly.. $20 for a below average egg dish and 3 OJ's with a splash of $2 champagne is not "great" by any means in my opinion. Trust me.. you can find much better out there.. just bust out of your bubble and look hard enough.
(2)Benjamin H.
Tuesday night special: $14 all-you-can-eat mussels & fries. This is an awesome deal. Combine that with half-price drinks from 6-9pm and you've got yourself a fiiiine Tuesday night. I'll be honest, I expected a bowl half filled with cracked, closed mussels and some limp fries. Not at all the case. Over the course of the meal I got three bowls of mussels and had to discard exactly two individual mussels. And both plates of fries were still stinging-hot and crispy from the fryer. A half-priced bottle Ommegang beer made for a Belgian dinner in a decidedly non-Belgian restaurant.
(4)Karen F.
make a reservation. this significantly changed the experience. had i not made a reservation i would have been waiting for over 40 minutes to get a table AND probably been squished. however, this did not happen. i was in a nice booth with plenty of room. all because i made a reservation. do it. secondly, you must do brunch here. brunch is the best meal of the week and essex is the place to do brunch. actually, it's the only way. and get the mexican matzo brei. it will make you do the happy dance FOR SURE. you can get drunk, satisfied, and happy all for $18 plus tax and tip (cash only). not bad my friend, not bad.
(4)Jennifer H.
The food sucked, the service sucked, and there was an incredibly long wait for nothing. Yeah, you get three free drinks with your brunch, but I'd rather pay the $18 without the drinks and get better food. And for some reason, everyone who was there was waaaayyy overdressed. Did I miss the memo?
(2)Sarah E.
First off, I usually love this place. I come for dinner, brunch, and just to hang out at the bar and drink at night. It has a great chill atmosphere and the drinks are made well. However, if you are coming to eat and want great service, pass on this place. The past few times I have been here I have been very disappointed. The service is TERRIBLE. They are very slow, they take their time seating you- if they even feel like seating you at all. Worst of all they, they are so rude. The last time I went was for brunch, my reservations were for 11- when they open, they did not start to seat anyone until 11:20. When they finally got to me, I requested my favorite seat in the house, the rude hostess took me upstairs instead. If it were not for the awesome waitress Heather, who got me the seat that I wanted and gave great service (the best I have ever had there) I would have walked out. This place acts like they are a high end place instead of Brooklyn hipster crowd they mostly have there. Pros: Brunch- Free drinks with 18$ food? sign me up anytime! atmosphere anytime of day or night is great Food- although sometimes cold, I have never had bad food there. strong drinks at brunch Cons: Wait time for the restaurant Hostess and managers are rude (waiters and waitress usually ok) not good for large parties not worth it if you're in a hurry to eat I would give it 4 stars but I took one off because of the service.
(3)Rachel B from LES B.
The classic SATC type place - this place is da bomb! It has classy, sassy Brunch and then down home and sophisticated dishes for dinner - not many, but enough to make you drool over the selection. I started out with the lobster roll which had FRESH clumps of delectable lobster combined with jicama and julienned carrots and a surprise piece or two of grapefruit! It came with 3 dipping sauces ranging from sweet to zesty to spicy, and a nice portion of mesclun to make into a side salad. Then for dinner I had the baby lampchops, which were cooked so they were crispy along the outside and tender in the middler - this was with 2 chorizo dumplings which added a really interesting flair to the mildness of the chops. They have a nice dessert selection too - for those of you who want to includge - a peanutbutter sigh pie, which I'm told makes you sigh! And for the Uber-diva LESer like me - a small Black and White Cake - which is similar to the cookie - but bigger, and really, really MOIST! Highly recommend for the cool vibes, fun eye candy - big dinner groups or romantic tete-a-tetes!!!
(5)Laurie W.
Ah, brunch, how I love it. I rarely end up going, for some reason, so when I do I like it to be good, with a side of laidback. We were seated quickly for having seven people, which was nice. The price is reasonable and my standard three-egg breakfast was good. I like fairly straightforward breakfast food when I go out, because I like it and I rarely cook it for myself. My eggs were a little weird but not bad-tasting (I'm not a fan of clumping them all together in a giant egg with three yolks. Just a personal preference.) The bacon was good and the potatoes were okay. Some of the more complicated meals that my tablemates were having didn't look so great, to tell the truth, but could just be because of my preference for a basic breakfast. One friend had some potato pancakes that were way too big and a little over-fried for my taste, and I think hers too, given the look on her face. The Southern breakfast next to me just looked like gravy central, but I guess that's the point. I think someone else got the Mexican and liked it, and my other friend had a steak salad that she cleaned up. The green salad on the side of my eggs was a nice touch, and the dressing was good. So overall I'd give the food three stars, as no one was completely disappointed. Service was low-key and attentive, and there was the reputed "topping off of drinks" for no extra charge. The original versions of the Bloodys were quite watery - definitely nothing extravagant, and I love them so that I'd almost rather pay for a good one when I get to go out to brunch. But it's all the name of the game at Essex, and the Mimosas were good, so that made up for it (I switched after one Bloody Mary.) The space is really bright and pretty, and busy in a comfortable sort of way. I enjoyed hanging out on the Lower East Side this trip to NYC so I'll definitely go back - and for sixteen bucks, (plus tip, of course) you really can't go wrong with brunch at Essex.
(4)Mike S.
THE place to go on a Saturday or Sunday morning for brunch after a long night out. Loud and upbeat type of atmosphere with a great brunch special. $20 will get you any entree on the brunch menu plus 3 bloody marys, mimosas or screwdrivers. But just be prepared to wait for an hour or two when you arrive because everyone else in the city usually has the same idea.
(5)Defne A.
As I was about to walk into Essex, I overheard people rave about their brunch as they walked by. I started to wonder, am I going at the wrong time? Nope! Dinner was wonderful. The service is another story. It was my friend's birthday dinner and there were about 15 of us. Never a good idea, but hey, it wasn't my birthday. The food: Delicious! I had the catfish over shrimp and potato onion hash. I cleaned my plate. Other people in the party ordered mussels and french fries (both yummy), the pork loin (extremely yummy), and the potato pancakes (the yummiest of the three). The drinks: I started out with a pomegranate martini. It was a little too sweet for my taste, so I switched over to vodka sodas. They do have an extensive drink menu of martinis, mojitos and margaritas. The atmoshere: We were on the top floor at a secluded table. I loved that we weren't cramped in the restaurant, especially since the bar area was crowed with a capital C. The service: The waitress was very rude due to the fact that her gratuity was already to be included. She watched us count our money while paying the bill. She literally looked over our shoulders. Despite the service, I want to go back to try the brunch. And they have dollar oysters all night on Tuesdays. I want to go back to NY, preferably on a Tuesday.
(4)Matt K.
Arrived with 2 people on a Sunday for "brunch" (1pm), hungry and sober. Waited 30 mins for a table. Ate the Mexican Matzo Brei - scrambled eggs with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo. One of the best egg/breakfast dishes I've ever had. 4 mimosas later (included in the $18 brunch special), we left absolutely stuffed, bloated, slightly drunk, and satisfied. All I could possibly ask for. Some acoustical treatment in the restaurant (a pretty big space-all brick) would be good to cut down on it's "loudness" (mostly chatter). We found it slightly difficult to converse at a comfortable volume level. Maybe I'm just getting old... Will definitely go back. Great place to bring guests from out of town.
(4)S Y.
If you want to get tipsy at brunch, go to Essex. If waiting 1+ hours for a table at Clinton St. Bakery for brunch is an overwhelming thought, go to Essex (you'll definitely wait more at Clinton than Essex). If you want something elegant and satisfying, try The Aristocrat- the combination of rich gravlax, salty salmon roe, crispy potato pancake, creamy poached eggs and sour cream (mmmm). If you want to go somewhere "hip", "trendy" and "LES" go to Essex. BUT if you want a "sh***********t. This is AMAZING!!!" kind of brunch, go to Clinton, not Essex.
(3)Nikkita M.
Large group(15) came here for a fun Sunday brunch. Unlike most Manhattan boozie brunches, the food here was top notch and they weren't stingy with the drinks. A lovely waitress handled our large and loud group with accuracy and patience. Burger looked great, I had the mac and cheese which was phenomenal. All in all, it may not be unlimited but definitely more worth it.
(5)Sarah L.
I came to Essex for the first time yesterday for brunch with 8 girls and we had an overall great experience! A few of the girls had particular requests regarding food and alcohol and all of them were accommodated without any trouble. The mimosa's which came with the brunch menu were really delicious and I'm sure I ended up having more than the three that are included in the price of $22.95 (really great value for money!). I ordered the french toast and it was definitely one of the best I've ever had - I would love to try some of the other options on the menu! Everyone was happy with what they ordered and all commented on the quality being great. I was a little hesitant to how great the food would be as they were so busy, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a great brunch location and I'm definitely a fan!
(4)Lynette B.
Oh, Essex. We used to be so close...the first place I would think of taking my out-of-town guests...the place I would put up with crazy waits and uncomfortably close seating for...but things have changed. Maybe it's me. I used to be enamored by the fact that I was eating at a place the SATC girls would frequent. Then it was a love for the 3-drink (which translates to "chug and you shall receive more") brunch special. But really, I was in love with the food. The Mexican Matzo Brei. But Saturday, it just wasn't the same. I was over SATC, over the hour long wait, over the cramped quarters and seemingly over the food. It wasn't what it used to be. I'll still go back. Maybe on a Sunday at 11:30 before the thirsty crowds wake up. Maybe then things will be the way they used to be between us...
(3)Melanie K.
What a great place for brunch! Excellent Bloody Mary's! Great service! A must for brunch!
(5)Joe S.
Essex, is such a gem in New York City. From Brunch to a late night drink over looking the hip and cool LES. I went their this past Saturday for my best friend's girlfriend's birthday brunch and the experience was phenomenal. Mo the waiter seated us comfortably a this awesome top section of the restaurant and treated us like gold. He was even interacting with the table making sure they had everything they needed every second. I have to say, besides the amazing company, amazing food and drinks, it was the service that Mo provided that would make me come back and back over again. Thanks Mo and Thank you Essex!
(5)Christine D.
I came here with a group of 13 people for a birthday brunch and had an exceptional time. We were seated in the upper level at a long table by the window. As soon as we sat down, our server took our drink orders, and throughout the entire three hour duration she was there to refill our glasses before they were ever empty! She could not have been more on it! I ordered the aristocrat which had smoked salmon on potato pancakes--it was great! Everyone else in my party also enjoyed their food. I was hesitant about coming here because some of the reviews were negative, but the drinks were STRONG, the food was great, and the service was amazing!
(5)Meaghan M.
I had the best birthday brunch ever at Essex! I know that in NYC, we pretty much have our pick of boozy brunches but we all know the food can be very hit or miss. Essex's food was damn delicious and the $35(? I think!!) party brunch menu option can't be beat. It was 2 hours of unlimited mimosas with my friends and the waitress was really amazing about never letting our glass stay empty for more than a minute. Normally, she was refilling our glasses when they were only about half empty. Essex was a little annoying about getting us seated initially, but I get it. It was so worth it and I would definitely go back next time I was looking for an unlimited drinking option with brunch. Would I go for just the food? Maybe not. But they do always include the free 3 drinks with their brunch, and that I would go back for. Because I am an alcoholic. And cheap. Essex-- good work.
(4)Alice Z.
We came as a group of 4 to brunch. They don't seat you until your entire group has arrived so make sure they're on time if you're hungry! They have boozy brunch. I decided to get the crab eggs benedict. The egg was cooked perfectly runny and the crab was absolutely delicious and had that seafood taste. They have this fixed brunch menu of ordering an entree and you get 2 drinks. If you get anything that's not a mimosa, they're very strict on the 2 drink limit. However if you get the mimosas, waitresses come around with pitches of mimosas that will continuously fill your drink so even though it's technically 2 drinks, if you get a mimosa, it's unlimited. I would suggest ordering 1 non-mimosa drink and then 1 mimosa (aka all the mimosas). Their screwdrivers are pretty strong too. You can definitely taste the alcohol. The restaurant itself is pretty trendy and has a lot of lighting which is nice. There's a bar right as you enter were people were just sitting and watching the World Cup game. They also have upstairs seating. It's great for groups. There were tons of booths and long tables that could serve 6+ and probably up to 12 people but definitely call in and reserve if you're going to have that big of a group. tl;dr Once our food came after a good 10 minutes, we all realized we were talking and just eating. The food was that good + unlimited drinks. You can't really beat that.
(5)Melissa S.
The food is underwhelming. AND I tried two entrees. I think the people writing all these amazing reviews are still drunk from their endless mimosas. Skip this place if you're looking for good food
(2)Rosie E.
Their pre-fixed meals are well priced for group outings and birthday reservations!! My meal was delicious and the ambience was great.
(4)Al F.
Went here for a friend's bday, it was all good! Best part about it was Jon, who made sure we were good 100% of the time, would definitely return, thanks Essex & especially Jon!
(4)Elexus H.
The food and crowd was great! However, my table of nine people felt a bit rush after some of my party was finish. This was suppose to be a get Birthday Brunch but it felt more like an assembly line. I understand Saturday brunch is limited to a two hour timeframe; however staff was rude informing us we can finish our drinks at the tiny bar, when we still had 15 minutes left. Good food but I would not revisit the location .
(2)Liselle M.
I went here for brunch this past weekend and it was pretty much all bad. I got there early for my reservation and figured I would just have a drink at the bar while waiting for my friends to arive. Immediately I'm turned off, because the bartender was acting like he couldn't be bothered and was very rude when I asked him the drink specials. They have a full bar, but it seems like you are not allowed to order anything else outside of mimosas, bloody marys or screw drivers during brunch. Because of the bartender's attitude I didn't even bother to ask if I could have a different cocktail. We are then seated in the hottest area of the restaurant on an extremely hot day. Under the skylight, we were sweating the entire meal. You get 3 drinks with the brunch prix fixe, before we received our last cocktail the check was placed on the table. Then the waiter had the nerve to ask us if we could pay our bill. Can I get my third cocktail first and should I guzzle it once I receive it because you are kicking me out before I receive everything that I paid for. The food also wasn't good. I ordered the steak and eggs cooked medium and received a very well done steak in strips with a strange tasting sauce on the side. I am not sure why this place was so packed, because there are so many excellent brunch spots in the city.
(2)Kelvin T.
You get what you pay for. Although you may think that the prices are value the quality of ingredients and level of service is on par. Don't expect your server to be at your beckon call, or your food to arrive at the correct temperature, nor you beef/tuna to be grade "a". Additionally since the restaurant is in a warehouse, there is not much noise insulation, so your left shouting over each others conversation.
(2)Lilibeth C.
Great great great brunch place !!! Absolutely loved it!!! Mimosas included unlimited & the food was excellent - YOU MUST GETTHE MEXICAN BRIE !!!! This dish is to die for. The lobster Benedict (ordered it because I saw it on yelp - it's not on the menu) it was really yummy also. The short rib hash was nothing out of this world. Would definitely return.
(5)Jennifer N.
I've loved Essex for about ten years now. Great boozy brunch. I had a lovely graduation party here. And most recently, a board dinner for an organization I'm involved with. Mo took amazing care of us, making sure our dinner was wonderful and throwing in a couple little perks here and there. The meal and service was so wonderful, as I've come to expect. It was a little loud. And less sceney than it was 6 or 7 years ago (thank god!). A great experience overall.
(4)Wendy Z.
My friends and I came here for brunch on a Sunday and lucky us, we were seated almost immediately compared to larger groups who had a longer waiting period. We were seated upstairs and I'm sure it was a two person table but they added an extra seat to accommodate our number, which we were fine with. The brunch menu is $24.95 for three drinks, mimosa, screw driver or bloody mary. I ordered The Deep South and it was delicious!! My eggs were really nicely cooked and the chicken steak was sooo good. I also found the service rather nice here, we were given the old menu (they had just changed menus that morning apparently) and my friend ordered something that was removed from the menu but they said they'll still make her meal for her. Which I found sweet when they could've just asked her to choose something else. The music here was also on point, rather upbeat and being seated upstairs you can see the entire restaurant bustle about and it helped the mood. For the drinks, they pretty much refill it when you're out or when you ask for them to. You can also change out your drink if you decide you want to try something new. I'm guessing because it was during busy hours during brunch we were given the bill before I had finished (my friends both finished first) and were given free drink tickets down at the bar. Thought they won't tell you to leave it's pretty much silently asked. We ended up leaving a bit later after talking and it was nice enough of an experience and I would come here again!
(4)Dennis C.
I was teetering between 3 and 4 stars here, but ultimately gave it 4 because of the good times I've had here and the "endless Mimosas". I've come here three times for brunch. Had "The Deep South" (chicken-fried steak) twice, and "The CEO" once. My first two times here I had fond memories of the food. The chicken-fried steak was tremendous and the sausage gravy was A+. The vegetables that came with "The CEO" were well seasoned and flavorful. The chorizo was spectacular. The last time I came here was for Labor Day brunch and I ordered "The Deep South" again. The chicken-fried steak was overdone this time and tough to chew. The Bloody Mary had too much pepper and Tabasco, I teared up a little bit. Was disappointed by my last trip, but I've been happy with my previous ones!
(4)Christine C.
We had a gilt voucher for dinner. The service was very good and attentive, but the food was so-so. It has a lofty high ceiling and would be a good place for drinks after work.
(3)Nisa N.
Awesome happy hour and weekday specials. Everyone probably knows about the lobster dinner on Wednesday, and if you don't know, now you know. $21.95 for 1.25 lb lobster and sides. HH drinks are all half off. They don't have appetizer specials but damn they are so good regardless. The scene is LES chic, not terribly loud in the early evening. I love sitting in the booths just past the bar. Service was on point both times I went.
(4)Joanna K.
This place is definitely happening on a Saturday afternoon for brunch. Very upbeat, fun atmosphere and for that I'll give it 4 stars. Service was also pretty on spot, but as for the food it was just okay, nothing special.
(4)Araceli A.
Went here for a friends birthday and had brunch. The food was good and they quickly refill drinks. Brunch deal includes unlimited mimosas, bloody Mary's, and screw drivers. Service was excellent despite our loud crowd. They also gave us free drink tickets for the first floor bar. Great place for large groups.
(4)Johnny Y.
What is going on here!? I remember this place being so much better then it was today. Food portion is minimal. It became more of a date spot then a group hangout. I get they're trying to do the fusion thing. The food was not at par. Especially the seafood!? I expected it to be fresh! Wow it tasted like defrosted, drenched in butter sauce. Drinks were way too strong. I don't mind a kick to my drinks, but if I ordered a mojito. It shouldn't be going tasting like 151 !? We also requested them to help cut a birthday cake... which the waiter came over and whispered into my ear that it'll cost 1$ a slice for them to cut!? Are you serious!? I've gone to so many restaurants. Never have I heard them charge us $1 a slice!? That's just a new low for me.
(1)Jamie L.
Brunch was amazing! The potato pancakes and mimosas were delicious, but the real star of the show was Mo. His service was fast, personable, and made for a great experience.
(5)Sonam S.
So when you're up for boozy brunch - this place provides a diverse menu beyond your typical huevos rancheros (although I love that dish). The lobster benedict is absolutely yum. Although this isn't a bottomless brunch - they did give us some free drinks at the bar after our meal (because they somewhat kicked us out of our table).
(4)Judy S.
Not as great of a deal as previously thought. Because Sunday brunch is such a thing, they shoo you out. So we get there at noon and wait for like thirty minutes to get seated. We get seated and the kitchen is swamped. So we get our first brunch drinks and complimentary Everything Bagels. This was sweet and appreciated (I love complimentary food, nom) but it took us maybe another thirty minutes for the food to arrive, ridiculous! And we naturally devoured the food -- we were starving (shrimp n' grits may be my future default here, so good!). And after they came and cleared our plates speedily. We expected to chat and keep mimosa-ing on. But because it was so crowded, we got one more free drink at the bar as they shooed us out. After this experience, though Sunday brunch includes more complimentary food and drink, it's not worth it. Come early for Saturday brunch instead and just leisurely enjoy your brunch to the fullest!
(4)Owais R.
Essex restaurant is a cool and trendy place, but beware of their food. The burger caused riots inside of my stomach within 2 hours. The service was excellent though!
(3)Cherie L.
Came in for some quick salads after a hard workout and they were delicious. I had the shrimp and avocado salad. It was warm grilled shrimp with fresh avocados, and pieces of melon all on top of baby spinach. It even came with large bread slices! The ambiance was dimmed lighting and the servers were very attentive. If you want to go for a date or even a larger party for four or more, they can accommodate easily! I didn't try any more dishes so I cannot attest to them but lovely place, so try it out.
(4)Amber U.
This afternoon I joined a friend for brunch at Essex. It was my first time at the restaurant. Even though we had reservations, Essex was packed. While the hostess was trying her best to manage the crown, more and more people were arriving and the crowd was becoming impatient. I have to say, once we were finally seated it was well worn the wait. We ordered the Mexican Matzo Brei. It was incredible. Our server, Mo, set the bar for exceptional service. Mo made our experience one to remember. He was attentive, friendly and treated us with the utmost care and professionalism. We sat at table 21 and were treated like royalty. Our glasses were always full and our food arrived promptly. It's rare in the city to frequent a restaurant because of one server, but that will certainly be the case for us. We will be Essex regulars, well, as long as we can sit at Mo's table!
(4)Neema P.
Food is good, mimosa deal is awesome, and service is great. Oh and the price for it all is even better. $25 for 3 mimosa (more like bottomless they just keep topping it off) and an entree. Must go back when i'm in Nyc again.
(5)Sabrina M.
My first impression was good, but the food and service did not live up to expectations. Here are the pluses: Essex has lots of natural lighting from the enormous windows, especially during brunch. The restaurant is spacious and has a high ceiling that spans two floors. We saw some of the Netherlands vs. Mexico World Cup game at the bar. However, while the ambiance was nice, the food was meh and overpriced. My friends and I went for the prix fixe brunch. I had the shrimp and avocado salad, which relied too much on the dressing. I tried a friend's blueberry pancakes, which came with too little fruit and was overcooked. Most people could probably make way yummier ones at home. Also, Essex's brunch is cash only, which makes no sense because it's a large restaurant, not a mom & pop shop. Hellooooo, we are in the 21st century. Go get a card reader.
(2)Monica T.
Came here for my birthday bash last night. The decor & crowd seems really nice. One of my guests had been there the night before for something & another guest had worked there before. Another guest mentioned that this used to be a fish market. I didn't have enough guests for waitress service but that didn't kill the party since we did get the free table, drink tickets and cupcakes. These were no ordinary, bland cupcakes by the way. I got a chocolate/peanut butter blend with cream cheese icing and one of my friends got a lemon flavor that you would have thought was vanilla. Some of the drinks didn't come out so good but the staff we dealt with were okay. I wish there'd been a little more attentiveness to us but I give them the extra star for ambiance & decor. I definitely see this being a good venue for an event & I'd return.
(4)Becky S.
Love it here. Go to spot for dinner, drinks and brunch (especially oyster happy hour!). Also Mo is the man!!
(5)Gwen S.
This place was awesome! They have a great brunch menu which is $24 bucks which includes 3 drinks (mimosa,screwdriver or Bloody Mary). I had the manchego mac n cheese with the chicken apple sausage. I forget what everyone else had but theirs was great too. I never eat dessert but their chocolate molten cake al a mode was fantastic. Now, I'm officially going back on my diet. Service was prompt and our waiter was nice. I will for sure return.
(5)Alicia Z.
Perfect place to go for a boozy Sunday brunch with your girlfriends! 5 stars for food -- I ordered the CEO, which was delicious. My friends ordered other dishes like the Aristocrat and Deep South, and they all completely cleaned their plates. 4 stars for the service -- although we had a reservation, we had to wait over 20 minutes once our whole party had arrived. However, the hostess was very apologetic and gave us extra drink tickets (despite the fact that the mimosas were essentially unlimited anyway!)
(4)Paul C.
Went here last night for the first time and whenever I go to a place for the first time I have the burger because if they can fuck that up they can fuck everything up. They didn't. There was three of us, myself, my girlfriend and a mental Filipino who she went to school with. We lucked out and got the booth. So, for starters they had an order of oysters which looked OK and an order of HOW-FRIGGING-GOOD calamari....this calamari was absolutely delicious! For the main courses my g/f had the duck, Mental had the Angus hangar steak frites and I had the burger. Duck, cooked perfectly but only comes with bok choi and this isn't changeable. But that might be some of the best quack-quack I've ever eaten. Steak, great, and with some duck fat fries...holy full coronary Batman! Anything that bad for you has got to be good! And it was! The burger - lush, moist, a delicious blend of meat, perfectly cooked to medium rare yet very warm throughout and the toppings were super too. The only negative point I would say is that this burger is so juicy, moist and supermodel tasty is that the bun is very light and doesn't hold up to the torrent of liquid gorgeousness that your hands are going to get very familiar with. I would still order it again though! For desert my g/f had a coconut and cream cake which was so good I wanted to snort it and Mental has some kind of chocolate brownie that should probably be shipped to ISIS to calm them down a bit. I wanted a brandy but they don't stock brandy so I ordered a port...which came in a brandy glass. Que? I should also say that the service was attentive and professional and thoroughly pleasant. I don't think that this place a bargain spot but you do get the quality that you pay for and for that I recommend it and I will be back.
(4)Natasha K.
The only thing really great about this place is the unlimited brunch booze. Other than that.........there are tons of other great places in New York to experience. Our waiter came over every 2 minutes asking if we were ready to order when my friend and I had just sat down and had not even looked at the menu. We were midst conversation which he interrupted on several occasions until I asked him to please give us some time to look at the menu. Eggs Benedict were cold on cold english muffins with hardly no hollandaise sauce. I have most def experienced better.
(2)Chrissy K.
My two friends and I were seated right away for our reservation in a pretty packed room today. Very trendy vibe from the start. We took advantage of the brunch specials, and I got the spinach and tomato omelette with some mimosas. My friends ordered the pancakes (which looked divine) and a special with beans and chips. The food was pretty decent, but I have to say what really pushed me to give more points was the service. Our waitress was extremely nice, and checked up on us several times throughout the meal. She refilled our drinks throughout the meal and was always sure to bring out other silverware if she needed it. We're looking to come back with a larger group for a birthday, as we saw the restaurant accommodated that size party. Totally great and worth the trip down to the lower east side!
(4)Win C.
Half off Happy Hour Drinks...bring it on!!! As for dinner: 1) Scallop with creamy risotto - decent! 2) Filet Mignon with brussels sprouts - Delicious!
(3)Michael F.
Ok, so I am not an amateur at this place. I've been here dozens and dozens (and dozens) of times. Not much in recent years, but it used to be a ritual with a certain segment of my friends. I've eaten at just about every table upstairs on both sides. I'm tempted to give y'all one star, and although there were a few redeeming spots, definitely not enough to get to more than two. In fact, two is generous. Here were the problems this past Sunday, 3/17/13: 1. Hostess woman, white top, black jeans: you're very attractive, yes. You'd be even more attractive if you smile when a customer comes up to you. It's really not that cool to be 'cool'. You're my first point of contact and I got what seemed like attitude. I had a reservation, be pleasant. I'm about to spend my money in the restaurant you are the liaison for. SMILE AND BE NICE. Thanks. My friend who first checked in for our party also got attitude. Seriously? Greetings, 1 star. 2. We had a 2:30 reservation. Our party was all collected at 2:35; we had one person cancel at the last minute from our party of four plus an infant, so there were only three of us plus an infant instead. Given the turnover, why on EARTH did it take more than 45 minutes to get seated? This is fairly gross mismanagement of reservations. Why did I even make one? Fifteen minutes is the outer limit of acceptability for these things. We stood for almost an hour with an infant. Put yourself in your customers' shoes for just a second; how would you like to be waiting that long when you had a reservation even without an infant? Table assignment seems capricious. Waiting and reservation logistics, negative 3 stars. 3. I've eaten Eggs Benedict at Essex so many times, I can't even imagine how many times. This version was a dismal failure. To wit, the following: yelp.com/biz_photos/esse… If there is one cardinal sin of Eggs Benedict (and poached eggs in general), it is overcooking. Would YOU want to eat that (unless, of course, you specified that you wanted them with hard yolks)? For me, this is a disaster, but given all that happened and how long we waited, I was reticent to send them back. I ate them and sucked it up. Food experience, 1 star. 4. The french fries. Seriously, what happened to those magical home fries you used to have, the ones with the onion and (I believe) tomato? They were fantastic. These were... fries. French fries with Eggs Benedict? You are not the Sunburnt Cow. FAIL. 1 star. 5. Ok, those tennis balls have been on your wall for a LONG TIME. I know how it is, it's easy when you work in or own a place to not even see things that are in plain sight. Those tennis balls are disgusting; they're dusty and they should either be replaced, or removed altogether. Looking at white tennis balls caked with dust is not what you want to see in a restaurant or while you're eating. Removal would really detract from nothing, so I'd suggest it. Dirt, negative 3 stars. Bright spots: 1. Hostess woman was actually fairly patient when seating us and helping my friend deal with her stroller. No smile, but patient. 3 stars. 2. Our waitress was very nice, patient and poured us lots of drinks. 4 stars. 3. My friend David liked his shrimp dish a lot. 4 stars. 4. Another waiter gave us three free drink tickets in order to soften the blow of hastening us to free up our table. 4 stars. Add up all of the above, get 12, divide by 9 (five negative, four positive), and get 1.3333 I'm being generous by moving it up to 2. Get your act together, Essex. There's a fair amount of AYCD brunch in this city, and there's no excuse for crappy food, dirt or poor customer service. Brunch was $90 for three people before tip. Not worth it.
(2)Barry C.
This place is a dump. Not quite a bar, not quite a restaurant. Jut a steaming pile of turd
(1)Nicole E.
I kind of wish I could give this higher stars but it was so meh. Actually, I think what really bothered me the most were the plastic glasses. For a place that is supposedly trendy and filled with mildly attractive young people, you can afford to give us actual glasses. They served the champagne in these weird, super thick glasses. It felt really cheap. The one positive thing was the food. I had the shrimp and avocado salad and it was delicious. I will say that they do not count how many mimosas or drinks you have. So that 3 drink minimum is basically how ever much you can drink while you're there. Which to be honest, isn't that long. They brought food out for 6 people in less than 10 minutes. We were pretty shocked at how fast it came out. No one really said anything about their food. I suspect people mostly come here for the unlimited drinks and the atmosphere.
(2)Yelena K.
Here in Essex lies the #2 best burger in the city. And they actually cooked in medium rare for me! A+ Boozy brunch is standard boozy brunch, but if you sit at the bar they'll give you free booze and there's college football on. A++
(3)Nick B.
When trying to find reservations for a good brunch in manhattan last minute on a sunday, this is the only place you'll really get in, and I don't know why. The food is delicious, the atmosphere is great and the staff is attentive. They can't serve alcohol before 12PM on sunday so if you have an 11:30 reservation you won't get your mimosa until 12, but i'll tell you this at 12PM on the DOT, you're glass is full.
(4)Edwin S.
This is a great place with good food, strong mimosas and a young hip crowd. Essex gets packed which can be a turnoff if you're not in the mood to literally rub shoulders with people while waiting for your table, but if you are, then this place is perfect to see and be seen. They have a la carte $4 mimosas which after a few rounds are super strong. Obvi I love a strong mimosa and they delivery on that. It's best to make reservations in advance because walk-ins for parties larger than 2 can be difficult to accommodate. I've been here at least 4 times and have enjoyed the food and drinks both times. It's a great place for a date or for hanging out with your snobbier friends while keeping to a modest budget.
(4)Christina V.
A must try if you're ever in the area! We came here for brunch on Saturday because the brunch menu sounded amazing. Brunch is served on Saturday 11-4PM and Sunday 11-8PM. Brunch is CASH ONLY. The menu is pretty awesome. It is $23.95 for brunch + 3 bloody marys, screwdrivers or mimosas (which kept getting refilled by our waiter, so probably 3+) Check out the full brunch menu online, but I will talk about the benedict dish that I ordered! I got the crabcake benedict (an additional $3 on top of $23.95) which came with potatoes and salad. The crabcakes were absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. The texture was slightly crispy on the outside and each bite just melted in my mouth. Sadly, my eggs were not poached to how I normally like them. I cut into my eggs waiting for the yolk to ooze out and moisten the crabcakes and english muffin but it was cooked more on the soft boiled side. Nothing bad about it, but just a little disappointing because I love runny yolk! My friends ordered benedicts as well and for them, one egg was cooked soft boiled and one was runny. Salad was cool and refreshing, potatoes were kind of soft and chewy...I prefer a little more crisp, but they were seasoned well and flavorful. Our waiter was very attentive and we got two plates of onion bread before our dishes came out because our food was taking a while and he refilled our mimosa glasses so they were always filled to the top. Some tips: Book a reservation online (open table or through their website), come early, cash only for brunch
(4)Wuhoo S.
Great brunch! Got the vegan Mexican scramble.
(4)Michelle Y.
The food is average but it is a great place for a prix fixe boozy brunch with a group of friends. it's very hard to find a decent brunch place in NYC that will take reservations for large groups. Especially one that isn't overpriced. Their $23.95 Brunch Special includes a brunch entree and 3 brunch cocktails (it used to be unlimited, by the way...womp womp). Their eggs benedict with salmon is decent but definitely nothing memorable. For the price, however, its a great deal and you will have a great time boozin' at noon with friends. Keep in mind that they're not allowed to serve alcohol until noon on Sundays so if you come before, expect to eat before you drink. Cash only, don't forget.
(3)Amanda E.
I always enjoy their happy hour specials (half off drinks) and $1 oysters! I love their fresh watermelon martinis and scallop and risotto!
(4)Laura M.
I love Essex! Fairly priced brunch that is actually really delicious! And.... complimentary mimosas!!! I always get the manchego mac n cheese. Its... so... good. Oh man, I'm getting hungry now. I wanna leave work and go to Essex.... Actually, don't check this place out... too many people already know about it!!!!
(4)Trevor P.
Killer happy hour deals. Half price drinks and one dollar blue point oysters? You can eat until you're full and drink delicious beers for a fraction of what you'd expect in this neighborhood. Service is friendly and fast, and the atmosphere is open/airy. Sliders are also excellent. But you should really be focusing your attention on the 3-4 dozen oysters you've ordered.
(4)Elaine L.
went there for a birthday brunch fun and great experience.
(4)Jason P.
Brunch here is something you need to plan ahead. Reservations are your best bet which can be made through Yelp (aka OpenTable) as well. If you're planning on coming on a Sunday, plan at least a week ahead as the 12:00 pm slot and thereafter get filled fairly quick. Slots from 11:00 am - 12:00 pm don't tend to fill up as quick since alcohol cannot be served before noon on Sundays (as per New York state's blue law). It's especially anti-climatic if you come here for their brunch special before noon and have to wait for your alcoholic beverages. We had reservations for 11:30 am, but could not be seated until our whole party was there. Conveniently, the rest of our party got there only a few minutes before noon, so it didn't take long for our drinks to be served after we were seated. The decor is minimal with large white brick walls and a few plants for aesthetics. There is a bar area that serves double-duty as the waiting area. It can get very crowded during brunch hours, almost to the point where you feel like you're in a club and you can't really walk around. There are three areas for seating, a section beside the bar, and two areas located on the second floor (one in the front and one in the back). The brunch special is $22.95 for any entree, with several items having an additional surcharge, and also includes 3 bloody marys, screwdrivers, or mimosas. But don't worry about the 3 drink limit as the waitress will frequently come by to refill your drinks with disregard of how many drinks you actually had. The Bloody Mary and Screwdrivers are served in shot glasses with a lot of ice making it hard to drink without the straw but the alcohol content was decent. Just make sure to drink it fast so it doesn't get watered down. Meanwhile, the mimosas are served in tall champagne-like glasses making consumption a whole lot easier. The Bloody Mary was probably my favorite since I really enjoyed the spice kick factor. Also included in the brunch special is coffee or tea which is promptly served upon being seated. That being said, table service is great as the waitress will check up on your frequently, partly because they want to make sure you are happy and to get you to leave as quick as possible (read on to find out why). I ordered The Aristocrat, potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & poached eggs. Two perfectly poached eggs, with the egg white nice and soft, and yolk creamy without one bit of it being overcooked or solidified. The eggs were complimented with fresh salmon caviar. Biting into each egg was an explosion of salty and juicy goodness. Yum! The salmon gravlax, which is cured salmon, was fresh. The potato pancake was perfectly crisp on the outside and very delicious. Overall, the Aristocrat is a solid dish that makes that steep $22.95 price tag feel a lot more reasonable. I also tried the 3 eggs any style with fresh fruit and breakfast sausage served with mixed greens & home fries. The scrambled eggs had a nice fluffiness, and the chunks of home fries were cooked to softness and subtle spiciness. It's a solid dish that won't disappoint, but it's fairly easy to get this as dozens, if not hundreds, of other breakfast establishments. At $22.95, I would recommend ordering a more delicately prepared and intricate dish. By 1pm, the front bar was packed. As soon as we all finished our meals, our waitress dropped off the check. After 10-15 minutes she noticed we still didn't pay for the bill and came by again and gave each of us a ticket for a free drink at the bar. It was her polite way of saying, pay and leave so that we can serve the next guest. We felt a bit rushed, but I understand the business semantics as they don't want people just sitting away the day taking away business. Essex is a solid spot for brunch, with solid dishes that won't disappoint. Although drinks are limited to 3 varieties, the lenient restrictions on 3 drinks a person are definitely worth noting. It's a great place to meet up with friends though don't expect a cozy and quiet meal here. If you haven't been here, I recommend checking it out. You'll either love it or hate it.
(4)Espresso K.
I'm hesitant to give it even one star. It took an hour to get our food. When it did come out it didn't even all come out together. All I got was excuses about the slow food but no attempt to make it right. All in all I would suggest going to a different restaurant. When my steak came out it was over done and the mac&cheese was burnt. How do you burn Mac & cheese? This place just plain sucks, keep walking and you'll find a ton of other great restaurants in the area.
(1)Daisy P.
Disappointed by this place. Food is very mediocre and my friend who sat next to me said her eggs tasted fake like powdered eggs. Ugh! I ordered the Chicken Fried Steak and I must say, I've had better at Denny's. The service was actually great and the unlimited brunch at $34.95 was a pretty good deal and they let us stay for close to 3hrs. Unfortunately friendly service doesn't make up for bad food. Needs improvement.
(2)Amanda H.
First of all, we walked in and the decor of this place looked like a spoof of American Psycho -- like maybe they haven't updated the place in about 22 years? However, there's no accounting for taste, I guess, and we could have absolutely forgiven the decor if the food had been decent. It was not. I ordered the "famous" potato pancakes with black bean, spinach, and shitake hash. First, let me say that it is unconscionable to mix together a few disparate ingredients and call it a "hash." And whatever apple-honey sauce came with the potato pancakes was actually curdling on my plate. My girlfriend ordered the mexican egg dish, and while it was preferable to whatever was happening on my plate, it was still pretty awful -- eggs and gobs of cheese mixed with chunks of tortilla chips that got progressively soggier as we sat there. Our server, however, was very attentive and on point. And the "three" mimosas that come with brunch are served from pitchers, and it didn't seem like anybody was keeping track. All in all, a good deal if all you want to do is sip mimosas and nibble on some toast.
(2)Shirley T.
Came here for brunch on a Saturday afternoon. My bf and I were seated right away despite it being so crowded, guess we got lucky. We were seated on the second level by the stairs. The crowd was lively and it was noisy, but in a good way. The brunch deal was $23.95 each (includes an entree and choice of three bloody marys, mimosas, screwdrivers, teas or coffees each) We had the macaroni & cheese, Mexican matzo & the brunch salad with shrimp. Since we had a third entree outside of the brunch deal, our waitress charged us separately for the cheapest entree, yes! The macaroni & cheese was definitely the best dish. It was creamy and cheesy with the crispy coating. The small mixed greens salad it came with was amazing. It also came with three pieces of chicken apple sausages, which I didn't like too much. The Mexican matzo dish was interesting and pretty tasty. I just wish the tortilla chips were on the side instead of in the eggs, this way you can dip it into the guac the dish comes with. The brunch salad was... well, it was boring. It had lettuce, croutons and grilled shrimp (at least the shrimps were grilled nicely) The dressing was delicious. But the salad was very lame. I will definitely be back with the girls!
(4)Eva W.
One of my favorite brunch spots. And I brunch. A lot. Typically, I judge places by their food, not their atmosphere. Not with Essex. Their food is good, definitely better than mediocre. But the atmosphere is ALIVE. You absolutely must make a reservation, it is cash only, and you need to be in the mood to be around a lot of drunk and rowdy people. But that is what a real brunch is all about, right?! There is a flat price of $25 (I think?!) which gets you food and three alcoholic beverages. When you arrive, they give you three tickets. I have never been charged for drinking more than three drinks, but I think they just have to do that to control things. Their "Bloody Morty" (which has an additional charge) is to DIE FOR if you are a bacon lover. It has home cured bacon and home infused bacon vodka. Need I say more?! Their traditional Bloody Mary's and Mimosas are also fabulous. I have tried a lot of items off their menu. I can't remember them all, but some that stick out were the "Aristocrat" (smoked salmon and capers over potato pancakes with poached eggs) and the "Lobster Benedict". Both were really good, especially for the price. It isn't fine dining, but it is still delicious. Let me reiterate-- the atmosphere. High ceilings. Loud. Bright. ALIVE. That is why I love this place. Between the flat rate (no surprises) and lively environment, it is the perfect brunch spot for a young crowd that likes good food but still wants to be... young! So try it. But really, make a reservation. Then try it. :)
(4)Neal P.
I'm not hating the experience nor the food. Its just, I'm being as straight forward about our brunch. It was a party of 4, My wife, cousin and his wife. First timers here, saw the menu makeup, and pics on Yelp. I was impressed, so we booked, well, we ordered the Aristocrat, my cousing ordered the Ceo, his wife ordered the Mexican Matzo Brei. They seemed content, but we were a little disappointed, the dish lacked the wow factor, no hollandaise sauce, sour cream instead, Medium sized Eggs, that should have been the star, were not. The Salmon Gravalax and Roe had a nice touch to the dish, the potato pancakes okay. The Price, décor and ambiance was nice, and lets not forget for $23.95 plus the drinks very good. Were going to give them another shot. I cook for a living, and know a thing or two about brunch!
(3)Meri S.
I've only been here once, on a Friday night, but it was terrific. The food was amazing, most specifically, the duck entrée. Also, I'm not usually a fan of fried foods (*gasp*) but my group shared the fried calamari and it was really good - not "too" fried such that you couldn't taste the calamari. There was one dish, a potato pancake appetizer, that we collectively weren't thrilled with but, all in all, a great place. The ambiance was very upbeat and fun until about 11pm when it turned into a club-like scene and I was outta there! Last point, the service was great. My group overstayed our welcome a bit at our table and our waiter offered us each a free drink at the bar so that we'd open it up for the next party. I was ready go home at that point, but who am I to turn down a free drink?
(5)Neline S.
My coworkers and I were wandering around the Lower East Side. One was hungry and most of us wanted happy hour deals. I've been here a couple times for dinner so this time we decided to try the happy hour deals. Our hostess was pleasant and seated us in a comfy booth towards the back. All cocktails were half - priced which were great! They had selections of bellinis with your choice of mango, peach, and strawberry to name a few. They had gin cocktails, whisky cocktails, happy hour wines. Of course I was drawn to the Whiskey honey pot which consisted of ginger ale, honey, whiskey, bitters. One of the girls ordered a sangria. We were obviously hungry since E ordered the Angus Burger with fries, S ordered the happy hour mussels and E.C. ordered calamari and french fries. The calamari was good and can be hit or miss at various restaurants due to overcooking. It had the right amount of salt and came hit the spot just right. Towards later in the evening, more people were coming in waiting for tables but it was great we weren't pushed out. I like Essex and was glad my coworkers liked it as well.
(4)Ariel M.
We showed up right when they opened and were seated almost immediately. We sat upstairs and it is definitely a tight fit but not uncomfortable. The only uncomfortable bit was I unfortunately had the seat where the sun was beaming straight through a sun roof. I had the vegan tofu scramble and it was delicious. The refills for our drinks were consistent and service was fantastic.
(4)Erin E.
YUUUMMM. I came here on Presidents' Day with a group of girlfriends for some brunch. 12:15 reservation, we were seated right away and the place was pretty empty. I think it was a weird day because some people had off work while others didn't, but anyway... I don't even know where to start with this brunch - $22.95 for your entree and 3 drinks (we all had mimosas) - although it's not really 3 because they keep coming around with a mimosa PITCHER and topping off your glass. I thought pitchers of mimosa only existed in my dreams... ummm, yes please. Most of the table got the Mexican Matzo Brei, which I didn't get to try, but all the girls seemed to love it. I had the LES Matzo Brei with homemade apple sauce, and bacon instead of the chicken apple sausage that it usually comes with (they were out of it). This matzo brei was top notch - it tasted *almost* as good as my Jewish mother's, and the homemade apple sauce was to die for. The bacon was cooked just the way I like it too. The salty bacon with the tart and sweet apple sauce was magic. Surprisingly, they didn't rush us out of our table right away, and refilled our drinks 1 or 2 more times as we sat and gabbed. Around 1:30 it started to get super crowded, and eventually our waitress came over and hinted we should leave... and by hinted, I mean she gave us all free drink tickets for the bar. "Am I in heaven?" I thought to myself as I prepared to drink yet another glass of OJ and champagne. Brunch is CASH ONLY! So hit that ATM before you arrive.
(4)Denise R.
Had my 21st birthday brunch here and the service made it amazing - wouldn't have wanted to spend it anywhere else. Ask for johnathon and you're guaranteed a good time.
(5)Albert A.
Came here for brunch. Had resy for 4:30 on a Sunday. place wasn't as crowded as usual which was good. Got sat very quickly. Food - Was OK at best.....It wasn't BAD, but it wasn't memorable. Had the Crab cake eggs benedict. Poached eggs were a bit over cooked for my taste and the crab cake itself was a bit bland. Fries and small side salad were OK. Drinks - The saving grace for the meal. Mimosas had a good amount of bubbly in them and not too much juice. Went down to the bar area after brunch to have some extra drinks. The happy hour was great! 2 Martinis (very well made btw) and a beer for 16 bux is a steal in nyc. Staff - Staff was friendly and attentive. Bartender made some great martinis. Would go back for the happy hour but I'd look elsewhere for brunch. There are a million brunch places in the city to choose from.
(3)Jennifer C.
One of the worst brunch experiences I've had in NYC. We arrived a little early for a friends bday brunch reservation. Our waitress took about a year to come to our table, and even longer to return with our beverage order. Even though a member of our party was not drinking, she was required to pay the open bar price (which put a sour taste in her mouth). After returning with our mediocre beverages 20 min after we ordered. The half dead waitress moved at glacial pace to take our food orders. A year later our food came out cold and was barely edible. We asked for extra napkins about 12x, but some how the waitress kept forgetting (yet had plenty of time to chat with her friends in the corner). By the time brunch was over, my party and I were reasonably annoyed. The only reason we didn't throw a tantrum, was because it was our friend's bday and she did not deserve it.
(1)Jackie S.
Great brunch spot- MAKE A RESERVATION, place is paaaaaaacked. The brunch deal is very good. Get the Mexican matzo brei, very good, as are the potato pancakes. The only reason why I'm not giving this a full 5 stars is because I felt the waitress wasn't as attentive as she could have been. Took a while to get a coffee refill and I had to ask at least twice.
(4)Zee Y.
Went to this place for a birthday dinner. The place was okay. We sat in the balcony area since we had a large party. Music was good, ranged from RnB to Pop. The food was decent. I ordered the kale Caesar salad and for an entree I had steak. The steak was very dry and it also wasn't very warm, so that wasn't great. We had a 2.5 hour open bar so our server kept bringing us drinks once he saw our glasses were nearly empty. The weird thing was that my second round of Cosmo tasted extremely different from my first round and not in a good way. I wasn't too happy with my second drink. However, the service was very good. Our servers were very attentive and friendly.
(3)Derek H.
Was absolutely delicious! The waiter got us tanked. We loved the pre fixed meal. The muscles were also on point!
(5)Brandon H.
Came here with a group of 10 and had a blast. We had a Saturday 315 PM reservation so it wasn't as hectic as it would have been if it was at an earlier time. We got Salome for our waitress and she was fantastic. She was on top of everything, constantly refilling all of our drinks and making sure the booze was constantly flowing. All of the food was very good. No one had any complaints about their dishes. All in all I would definitely come back here for brunch. Thanks Salome for making our brunch great!
(5)Angie D.
Several years ago...the potato pancakes were my number 1 for appetizers and not anymore..until i went recent. I must say they have slacked off..(the texture and taste of the potato pancakes). The cheeseburger empanada also tasted different..the only thing that gave flavor was the cheese. Those appetizers were memorable..and now they're disappointing. It's edible but not the best food in the world. my boyfriend and i had the grilled free range half-chicken with mixed vegetables & porcini mashed potatoes. the dish was good..the chicken was juicy and lacked flavor. I'm not planning to go back anytime soon.
(2)Alison S.
My friends and I went here for brunch one Saturday morning before our kickball game. The restaurant has a pretty strick policy about sitting parties before the entire group has arrived, but my party was sat as soon as we were all there. The drink poilcy says three drinks are included but everytime I have been there the servers have been more liberal with the drinks!!! I had the Mexican Matza Brei which was fantastic. Our server was great and my whole party really enjoyed themselves.
(5)Pam S.
The upside: Good food at reasonable prices in a nice restaurant with a good atmosphere and awesome high ceilings. They gave us drinks while we waited an hour for the table (a nice gesture, although the drinks did suck - see below). Add $2 to the meal and you can get the skirt steak dish. They were accommodating enough to let me replace my over-easy eggs with an omelette with no extra cost. The downside: They gave us enough room to fit 10 people when we booked for 15.. and made us wait an hour before we were seated. The three drinks that come with the Sunday brunch ($17 for the meal and 3 drinks) are kind of yucky. You can choose from a nasty bloody mary, or a not-as-cold-as-it-should-be mimosa. The balance: Good food, bad drinks, long wait, good deal + good for large groups, although you better be prepared for "cozy" seating. Generally a great place for lunch. Reservations recommended.
(4)Tiffany H.
$20 brunch which includes breakfast and three mimosas, except that if you arrive too early before noon, they don't serve you those alcoholic drinks, however, they DO still charge you for the entire $20! The food is not worth $20, and maybe $10 considering how expensive it is here. But I can think of a dozen other places that you can have much better food for $10. Very bland, had to add a lot of salt and pepper and well, just adequate. I must be spoiled by all the great breakfast joints in Berkeley. I would give this place zero stars if possible.
(1)Jennifer G.
over-rated. clap clap clap clap clap. over-rated. clap clap clap clap clap. That was a cheer we'd do at my high school at soccer games. And I don't know why, but as I left Essex two weeks ago, this popped up in my head. Was it the mimosas that were practically all OJ? Who knows. The menu is extensive which is definitely a plus, but doesn't make up for the fact that the food isn't worth the hype.
(3)Jon S.
Crabcakes Benedict and 3 bloody marys-- this is the breakfast of champions.* I fueled up at Essex before participating in an all-day marathon**. It was just what I needed - definitely a turbocharged meal, and very healthy***. I really dug the ambience, it's in a great neighborhood, what else could you ask for?**** * Alcoholic champions ** Drinking marathon *** For the spirit, not the liver. **** Another round of blood marys?
(4)Diana G.
Very 'scenester' for brunch. I would recommend making reservations in advance to get seating.. the menu items are unique.. Mexican Matzo Brei , Challah French Toast w/Bananas Foster.. and more! it comes with three drinks we had Mimosas and they didn't skimp one bit on the champagne! Great birthday brunch!
(4)Emily G.
Came here for Brunch which I am sure people have heard about the amazing $25 3 drink/entree deal. Well turns out if you order the mimosa version of that, you get way more than 3 drinks (a plus in my eyes) because they are constantly making them to serve in pitchers throughout the course of the day. And they do not skimp on the champagne! So on to the rest of the experience...one of my best friends and I decided to go here on a whim one Saturday afternoon and actually reserved a table on Opentable 1 hr before we were going to show up. It was probably the best decision we could have ever made, because as we passed lines of disgruntled brunch-folk crowd waiting around for a table, ours was right there for us (Use Opentable for brunch when you can people!). We had a table at the top of the restaurant, which actually overlooks Essex (kinda cool, despite the fact it's not really the prettiest view). She ordered the Eggs Benedict and I ordered the Egg white omelet, which while taking a longggg time to be served the portions were really quite decent and included a side salad and hash browns, and both of us were really happy with the meal. On the side we ordered one of the potato pancakes, because being the Jews that we are, we had to test it out. It was definitely good and the apple sauce seemed homemade, but not worth the $5 price tag for 1 small pancake. Overall though this was a surprisingly good brunch and I would definitely go back with a group or parents.
(4)Nedda K.
One of the best brunch places I've been to in the city. Make sure to have cash-- brunch is cash only. If you are sure you're going, call a couple days before to make a reservation. Plan to wait 15-30 minutes once you get there after your reservation. Sunday brunch is very crowded and busy. Any kind of eggs benedict is a sure fire hit. The mimosas are great. Your glass will never be empty! Brunch includes 3 drinks.
(5)Gene E.
Came here for brunch. Had reservations. They were SLOW in seating us. SLOW in bringing us drinks. SLOW in bringing us food. Basically, the service here really blows. The food is good, but slightly forgettable. There are a lot of brunch places that can meet this in food. Had the "Deep South." Biscuit, eggs, and gravy were good. Chicken fried steak was decent. 3 drinks included with brunch, but it will be a pain getting them sense the service sucks. The only positive is that they can't really keep track of how much you're drinking since their heads are in their asses, but will be like pulling teeth to get them over to you.
(3)Lindsay S.
My friend had her birthday dinner here on Saturday. It was my first dinner experience at Essex and it was a good one! I'm not a salad person but had such a fantastic salad here: mixed greens, calabaza, sheeps milk cheese, and pumpkin seeds. So refreshing! After dinner, they gave us drink tickets for the bar. Again with the drink tickets! Why can't every restaurant do this!?
(5)Carrie S.
Free Champagne in the bathroom... Yes please! You're going to see a lot of want to be girls in Forever 21 dresses but they're got a good atmosphere.
(4)Jessica W.
I wish I could give this restaurant a better rating but I was put off by a situation I will highlight in this review after I give positive feedback about the restaurant. I had the Mexican which was absolutely delicious and cheesy and wonderful as was my friends meals. My server was totally cool, really attentive, and never left our mimosa glasses even less than half full. She always had a smile on her face, and if I were her...weaving in and out of the hungry masses of pissed off people waiting to eat...I would be a lot less sweet. We had to wait about a half hour for brunch which was fine, we totally understood but when we attempted to order drinks for the bartender..he was kept telling us we had to wait and that there were many people waiting..and never came back to our group and was very rude when we kept asking if we can order drinks, just grunting and not responding to me. There were only about 12 people around the bar at this point. I honestly felt like he wanted to lose costumers. In fact if you go into Essex and see a short, balding man behind the bar flip him off for me. I couldnt believe how rude he was. Really confused why a great restaurant like this would keep an employee like him around. Thankfully the food and service was great and made me forget about how angry he made me.
(3)huong n.
This is my favorite brunch place so far. The minosa seems bottomless! The food is good and the wait staff is nice, efficient, and attentive. I went home happy and bubbly. I will come back to this place once the memory of my terrible hangover is gone.
(4)Diana C.
A friend and I came here after 'inoteca was packed. The plan was to grab dinner, drinks, and play catch up. Instead of ordering entrees, both of us opted to go with the raw oysters and bottle special and a bunch of apps. The apps were marvelously good. The scallops over white beans & chorizo are great. If I had to pick my favorite out of the 4 apps I ate that night, it would be that one. I'm not a beans fan but the flavor combination definitely won me over. The raw oysters were yummy, but just a bit too gritty with sand. Service was just ok, and we could obviously tell the waitress wanted our table ASAP. I hate being rushed during catchup, but it was a friday night so I could understand. It was insanely crowded by the time we left! I'd definitely go back again to play catch up and slurp down some raw oysters on their $1 oyster Mondays!
(4)Aurora S.
LOVED IT ! Went there on Tuesday night and had a great experience. The waitress was so friendly and pleasant .The food was excellent and the drinks as well.The portions were pretty huge and its always a great deal .All you can eat mussels and fries for $ 18. Who can beat that ?! Not only that but the drinks were half price until 9.I had my favorite watermelon martini which was very refreshing. I highly recommend it to everyone and would definitely go there again
(5)Alyssa K.
Overrated. Came here for the infamous drunk brunch. Our reservation was for 11:30, and even though the brunch menu advertises the 3 free cocktails, it fails to mention that they don't start serving them until after noon. Our waitress was one rude bitch. My friend didn't even tip her; instead she tipped the other waitress who was working who was more attentive to our needs. They need better service. I ordered the eggs benedict with spinach, and it was just okay. Not anything to rave about, and certainly not worth the $16. I have had exponentially superior brunches elsewhere, and for cheaper. The busboy cleared our plates before I even finished my potatoes...I didn't like them that much anyway, but seriously, I obviously wasn't done eating. In the end, none of us got our three cocktails since we were rushed out. Awful. Two of us had the mimosas, and my other friend had the bloody mary, which she said was the most disgusting one she ever had (she later switched to a mimosa). The $16 brunch is obviously only worth it if the wait staff lets you stay for the 3+ drinks. And they really are bottomless. The servers go around refilling the cocktails as if they're water. So make your reservation near the end of brunch and hope you don't get the same bitchy waitress we did. And if you HAVE to eat brunch before noon, go elsewhere. Brunch is $16 whether you get the cocktails or not.
(2)Catherine A.
Oh Essex...how I do love thee! I've been more times than I can count (mainly because I've always left a little tipsy). Brunch is fantastic and totally worth the wait. The menu says brunch includes 3 drinks (mimosas or bloody marys) but whenever I've been, they just keep refilling and refilling until I leave. Can't beat bottomless alcohol. And to top it all off, the food is delicious.
(4)nicole b.
This review is only for the brunch. I love this place for three reasons. 1. Unlimited Cocktails! First of all, the Prix Fixe brunch with unlimited drinks has to be the greatest of all God's creations. I know technically you only get 3 drinks in the Essex brunch plan but I've never left with fewer than 4 screwdrivers floating amiably in my stomach. It's pretty easy to get unlimited cocktails but do you really need to start off your Sunday with more than three strong vodka drinks? Yeah me too. 2. They have screwdrivers. Almost every other "booze included" brunch plan limits your options to wussy mimosas or dreaded bloody marys. I hate bloody marys. Also, I'm not a scientist but I'm pretty sure that the shot of vodka in the Mary is way more alcoholic than the splash of cheap champagne in a mimosa. Any brunch plan that understands that alcohol dependency doesn't always go hand in hand with a love of tomato juice get's a thumbs up from me! 3. The food is great. The menu has a wide variety of options but I generally stick to the Mexican Matzo Brei because it is so freaking good. I'm a sucker for Mexi breakfast options and the Essex really hits the spot. The potatoes are wonderful as well. Oh! and you get free Bialy type roll jam packed with onions before your meal. The only problems I have with this place are the crowds and occasionally the service. If you sit in or near the bar you are going to be surrounded by the hundreds of thousands of people waiting for their table and it can be a bit uncomfortable. Those loitering masses are also probably the reason why the servers seem at times confused and overwhelmed. Don't worry this is only a problem while you are sober. After cocktail number 2 it's pretty much smooth sailing. Does anyone know why there are baseballs glued to the wall?
(4)Paola S.
went here with my boyfriend for after-work drinks and possibly dinner. we've never been and always wanted to go so we gave the place a try. SETTING: the place is bigger than I thought! I don't know why but when someone says "raw bar", I think of a scattering of lemon wedges & shells, and just sitting at a bar with a bib while the guy chucking oysters right in front of you is filling your plate one half shell at a time. in other words, MESSY. that's definitely not the vibe here. it's typical of nyc restaurants - dim lighting, nice décor and tiny tables. FOOD: ok so don't judge me when I list down all we ordered for two people. 40 OYSTERS - humid afternoon, horrendous day at work, $1 oysters. so perfect. SCALLOPS OVER CROUTONS, WATERMELON, PEACHES & BASIL - this was okay. sounds so amazing on the menu... but what a letdown. the scallops were way overcooked and didn't taste fresh. ehhh STEAMED MUSSELS WITH WINE, GARLIC & HERBS - I LOVE steamed mussels. I love mussels in general! i was also kinda dissapointed by this - surprising since HOW IN THE HELL CAN A STEAMING BOWL OF MUSSELS BE SO DISAPPOINTING?! IT tasted okay at best, but the mussels were super tiny!!! I had a similarly-sized bowl at Cassis for brunch once and the mussels were much bigger. here, they were tiny and even though they were drenched in broth, they didn't taste juicy to me. FIRECRACKER BBQ SHORT RIBS - I thought this was the best dish - which was funny because we came here for the seafood and ended up liking the meat the best! SERVICE: I could tell that the server was slammed since we were seated on the 2nd floor by the entrance and there's a big party of at least 10 girls next to us. she was nice but could have been more attentive (I felt bad because she was all flustered as she tried to open our bottle of reisling) PRICE: the whole thing ended up being $200 with tip, for two people who can eat like a whole battalion. keep in mind we also got TWO BOTTLES OF REISLING. it's not bad but I wouldn't spend this much again at this place especially because of the tiny mussels and the dissapointing scallops. although, I WOULD come back here just for oysters. xoxo
(2)Sara S.
The Essex waitstaff can eat it. If this were a real restaurant, and we were the last ones in the restaurant, and therefore, no other diners could have stolen it as was rudely retorted by the hostess, I'm pretty sure my wallet would've been returned. If this were a real restaurant, the manager and hostess might have at least acted like they were the tiniest bit interested in helping. I know exactly who you five waiters and waitresses are who were two tables over counting your tips, so if you are reading this, at least have the courtesy to return the shit you can't use to my address. And hope you enjoyed the $500 in cash/subway card/gift cards, assholes. Otherwise, I've always enjoyed dinners and brunches at Essex, but never again.. also, I hope everyone else boycotts this place.. but I doubt it, since where else can you get an awesome 3-cocktail brunch or $16 lobster dinner in the LES?
(1)Michael B.
TOP REVIEW - TOP REVIEW - TOP REVIEW Essex is the best brunch and the best brunch for the money I've had in NYC. $16 bucks for an excellent meal and three bloody marys or mimosas. We ate at the bar, so the bartender ended up filling my mimosa glass an extra three times....not bad. I had baked eggs over crispy ham with melted jack cheese, salad, and breakfast potatoes. Tasted just like you read it, delicious. People were staring at my plate when it arrived. My gf had scrambled egg whites and chicken and apple sausage with breakfast potatoes and salad. The egg whites were fluffy, and the sausage was awesome! Can we talk about atmosphere? Beautiful interiors with 30 ft ceilings? Check. Cool LESiders? Check. Unpretentious atmosphere? Music at a resonable volume to aid your mimosa's work on Sunday? Check. This place is so badass. Go.
(5)Jessica L.
A very festive brunch atmosphere, it is worth the wait!!!
(4)D M.
Yum!! I've been here twice on trips to NYC, due to having groupons, and both times did not disappoint. The meal my mom and I had on trip two was a little better, but it was just due to my specific tastes. On my visit with my mom, we both ordered glasses of Oregon wine, which started the dinner off to the right start. Former Oegonians love Oregon wines. My pinot noir was perfectly peppery and light, and her riesling was sweeter and more complex. And did I mention half price? Yeah, we went during happy hour. I ordered six $1 oysters, and they were perfect. For the entrees, I ordered the grilled half chicken with mixed vegetables and porcini mashed potatoes, and my mom ordered the potato cake napoleon with sauteed spinach, shitake mushrooms, asparagus and truffle oil. I was worried the chicken would be too big, but it was a really small bird and the leg and breast were cut carved and served-no extra messy chicken. The chicken was perfectly grilled and moist. I was amazed at how perfect the mixed veggies were, and it may have been extra yummy because they were served on the mashed potatoes and had a little gravy on them. I could have just eaten a big bowl of the veggies. The mashed potatoes were good, and while I don't like mushrooms in things, the potatoes just had the flavor and not whole mushrooms in it, so they were great. My mom loved her entree, and I tried a little bite of the spinach and it was perfectly seasoned. In both visits here, everything was seasoned just right, which I appreciate. The service is low key and easy, and the waitstaff is there to please. Is it wrong that I'd come back next time I'm in NYC? The food is good and it's a really good experience whenever I go. And amazing happy hour/cheap boozy brunch! Yeah, I'll be back.
(4)Diane L.
What more can you ask for when looking for a yummy Sunday brunch? $16 dollars.. mimosas.. and a very delicious menu My only peeve is make sure you book reservations at least 2-3 weeks out.. if you just show up that morning, your wait will be at least 1-3 hours.
(4)Chris P.
I haven't yet gone here for anything other than weekend brunch, but I really enjoy coming here on Sunday mornings (errr.. maybe more towards afternoon). The 3 drinks and food for $16 is an awesome deal - plus, I've noticed that they just refill your mimosas without counting, so it's an even better deal. The chocolate chip bananna pancakes are ridiculously good.. get them. Yes, the wait is usually long - but while you wait it's only $3 for drinks, so I enjoy the wait! This isn't a place that I'll go to every weekend, but will make sure to bring my friends/family when they visit, at the very least!
(5)kiomi k.
im a fan of the food here, but not the place as a whole. i got the egg benedict with canadian bacon. the bacon was really tasty, i was surprised. the potatoes are really tasty. the rest of my party finished their entire servings of the mac n cheese and sausage. the maples chicken apple sausage is the best ive ever tasted. this place was packed on a saturday afternoon. it was like a fashion show as well. the service was pretty good. always filling our mimosas and bloody marys. im unsure if id go back, it was way too crowded and loud. bah-humbug.
(3)Maulana D.
I've been to Essex twice, the first time I went with a group of 30 women for Brunch, the waitress was awesome and the food was great! And now the bad part...the second time I went, it was just 3 of us and the hostess was outright rude! We waited nearly 2 hours for a table because we asked not to be seated at 1 specific table (right under the hostess podium and in the direct path of the servers coming in and out of the kitchen) so after waiting 2 hours she still put us there and she was just as nasty to everyone else who was waiting. I will never go there again and neither has my group.
(2)Meggan D.
Went on a Saturday night for dinner. The place was packed and the music was really loud, but I liked that. I had the Blackened Catfish which didn't seem like a big plate, but I was stuffed. It wasn't as spicy as I had hoped, but the sauce was really good and complimented the cruchy fish well. I split a pitcher of Sangria with someone else which was only $35. Overall, the meal was pretty cheap and the food was good.
(4)Becki W.
I agree with Amy about the big problem - making a decision. I narrowed it down to 5 before making Steve M decide for me from my remaining choices. Lobster Benedict was my first choice, but Victoria and Jax's Challah French Toast with Bananas Foster and Fresh Fruit was a damn close second. Luckily I got Victoria to trade bites. I wanted to order the Aristocrat just so I can say the words, it also sounded like a good dish. Damn so many choices And the brunch was only $16, including 3 drinks (Bloody mary, mimosa, or screwdrivers) The bloody marys has fresh horseradish bits.... soooooooooooo good. I even had a celebrity sighting, so the good word has made its way around.
(5)Abby W.
Love Essex! $16 Brunch w/3 drinks (screwdriver, mimosa or bloody Mary) need I say more? if I need to I will add that the food is delicious, great service, fun atmosphere
(5)Candice L.
Dinner last night was... ok... The food was ok (nothing spectacular). The service was ok (nothing spectacular). Have been hungover from holiday drinking and stuck with a diet coke, so I can't comment on the drinks. The portions were fairly large and the prices very reasonable . $25/pp for entree, beverage, dessert, and tip! I will be back because: (a) the space is comfortable. (b) it's in the neighborhood. (c) looks like a great spot for brunch... (not so much for dinner!) (d) and the music was great!
(3)Trisha S.
Good for large groups but a little noisy for my liking and get ready to wait for a while!
(4)Corinne Z.
I made a reservation for a late brunch on Easter Sunday. The place is noisy, but expected for the neighborhood. They are generous with the cocktails for the brunch, however, what we most were disappointed in, was the food. It came out rather quickly but the chicken (in the chicken fried steak) was 'rubbery.' The food was just not up to par for a $27 brunch item. I wouldn't go back.
(2)Sue S.
A solid 2.5. Went for brunch because the price was oh so sweet ($18 for meal plus 3 drinks). The food, not so much. I ordered Potato Pancakes with sauteed apples & honey cream sauce and spinach-shiitake-black bean hash, and it was kind of... meh. Unimpressive. The drink special was great, though, and they didn't keep count of how many glasses you got if you stuck to the same drink, so I ended up getting 4 mimosas instead of 3. However, the wait staff tries to get rid of you as quickly as possible, so suck down the drinks quickly to get the most bang for your buck :)
(2)Brian M.
I wouldn't go without a reservation on a Sunday and it's always packed and it takes a little while to get a table but once you do this place is amazing. Food is fantastic, service is good, and the drinks are delicious, strong, and bottomless. And the price is fantastic.
(5)Thea T.
Oh the mussels on special. Delightful... though I'm not sure they were that great or if I was so loaded by the time the food arrived to not notice the quality. Anyway, they've got some great early evening deals on mussels, lobster, and brunch, and it's really close to a lot of bars in the LES, so it's a good spot. It's never been that crowded, which is a plus, though I tend to go at strange hours (really early or really late). This place works for me!
(4)Jennifer S.
I love the cute little decor for this restaurant. My friends and I didn't come for brunch or food, we came for a few drinks. The pitchers of red and/or white sangria were $35/pitcher. I recommend the white sangria, it was tasty! I would love to try their brunch and $1 oyster nights on Monday.
(4)Melissa M.
Essex is by far my favorite boozy brunch place. Technically it's a limit of 3 drinks but they always just keep on refilling your glass and the mimosas are delicious. The food is also fantastic - I usually get the 3 eggs - it's a plate full of everything you want: 3 eggs, yummy chicken sausage, salad and home fries. And....they have green Tabasco sauce. Makes the meal even more delicious. The staff is always very nice, the space is great and it's a wonderful start to the day! My one complaint is that it's hard to score a reservation and they don't usually honor the exact time of the reservation.
(4)Sarah E.
The best thing about Essex is the price--$16 for your brunch entree plus three drinks (or more, if you get the mimosas--they kept filling our glasses with a pitcher without keeping count). I'm not saying the drinks are good, exactly--but it's a very good value if you want a boozy brunch. The food was not great but quite good. Filled with drunken hipsters. A fun experience.
(3)Sammy B.
I went with a friend on Saturday at 12 and were able to get a table right away. I got the mac 'n cheese, which was only okay. It was sort of bland for my taste, but at least they gave a large portion of it, and spicing it up with salt & pepper was good enough. I tried their mimosa, which turned out to be incredibly strong. I guess that's a good thing? I like the atmosphere of this place. It feels really busy like a cafeteria; very energetic place.
(4)Shannon W.
Summary: Yummy Great Prices Good for Groups Make a reservation! We made a reservation for 11:30 My companion went to some loft party in The Meatpacking district, didn't get home until 5:30 AM and thus, when we picked him up at his hotel at 11:15 he was A) Not ready and B) still drunk, but towards the sick end. Not to worry ;I called Essex let the hostess know we were running late she said "no problem" . When we arrived about 15 Min. late we were seated promptly and our waiter showed up soon after. Brunch doesn't start until 12 which meant that we had to wait a few min. for our official Brunch drinks ( Mimosa, Screwdriver, or Bloody Mary) . My still drunk companion ordered the cute ( but basic) little fruit plate ($4) I had the Rib Eye Steak and eggs ($17- includes three of the above cocktails) Food arrived - Yum! eggs, were fluffy, steak well marinated. Mimosa's were made with icky Tropicana O.J but considering the price - I sucked it down like a bar-room floozy. It get's really crowded almost as soon as the clock strikes twelve so If you can manage to drag yourself there, try to reserve for 11:30 or so.
(3)Jen G.
PERFECT SUNDAY BRUNCH: It's inexpensive, you get great food, AND of course cocktails (mimosa, bloody mary's) are included! How can you go wrong? Great spot to being out-of-town guests and friends, it's very "NYC."
(5)Sandra G.
I'm a fan of good brunch and that's what you could find at this fabulous contemporary restaurant on both Saturdays and Sundays... Unlimited Brunch drinks say no more! make sure you come ready to wait for a table but be patient it'll be worth your time and money for a good meal at this true LES jewel.
(4)Tina S.
This is my absolute favorite restaurant in the entire city, and believe me, i've been around. I almost don't want to give it 5 stars because i don't want it to get too popular (although their $15 including 3 drinks brunch already is!). The drinks are made with perfection, the jewish/latin cuisine is original, and the prices are completely reasonable. Great atmosphere, bright and sunny during the day and a great lounge at night with awesome tunes. My girls and I went on a super lavish binge, we got 7 martinis, 2 appetizers (the calamari is the best I've ever had), a chicken, a salmon, and a filet dish, $150. what. what. don't even front, you know it doesn't get better than this. And the price in no way compromises the quality of food, it's the best.
(5)Natasha B.
I've been to Essex for brunch and happy hour and have been fairly satisfied each time. Located in the LES, its pretty nice for LES bar standards. For Sunday brunch, they have a 3 drink mimosa special with your meal and all the brunch items are DELICIOUS as my friends and I have tried almost all of them. The only thing missing is a bottomless option as most brunch places offer this option nowadays. The weekday happy hour is pretty impressive with all drinks half price and they have an extensive cocktail menu which is pretty nice when you're used to well drinks or beer. The place doesn't get too crowded since there are so many bars in the area which could be good or bad depending on what you're looking for. Definitely not the place to meet people and mingle. The dinner menu is also extensive and although good, you may not want to pay for that during an afterwork happy hour. I will definitely recommend!
(3)Scarlett S.
The brunch menu, which is priced at $18, comes with 3 Mimosas! The potato pancakes are delicious. The other items on the menu were not exceptional, just typical brunch cooked decently. I like the open layout of the place. There's the main floor and on both sides there's a second floor overlooking the main floor. The staff is attentive and its not overly loud.
(4)Jennifer G.
The food was good, and the mimosas were always full on the sunday I went in for brunch, but the atmosphere blows. You have to walk through crowds of people just to find the host and usually there is a long line. But the music was SO loud! I had to scream just to hear my friend sitting next to me, and the servers seemed completely out of it. Overall, I won't go back.
(2)Suzanne G.
The food at Essex is fabulous, and their all-you-can drink brunch special is even better. Reservations are a must, and you will still have to wait at least 20 minutes for your table after you arrive. That's alright though, because I don't feel that rushed when we're eating. The waitress was very friendly, and graciously kept pouring mimosas for us even though the "special" had ended at 4:30. Essex is one of the best weekend brunch spots- the food isn't compromised with the all-you-can-drink mimosas and you end up leaving tipsy, with a belly full of delicious food!
(4)Alex C.
went there for brunch. food, 3 stars. price, 5 stars. 3 drinks and an entree for $16? are you kidding me? this place rocks. order the mimosa and they will keep refilling it as long as you're still sitting straight. my friends and i had about 5 before we decided to leave and head to another bar. the food is pretty good. the aristocrat is amazing! make sure to make reservations...i sat on the balcony and the waiting area downstairs was so packed it looked like a club to me...
(4)Sarah M.
Saturday brunch. Eggs Benny (yum). Bottomless Mimosas (yum again). Will I be there again? Yes.
(5)Keri S.
Great place for that all in one brunch fix: yummy hang over food, all you can drink mimosa's and some incredible people watching. The menu says a three drink refill with each meal but I swear the waiter walks around topping you off a million times so you forget how many you've actually had...until you walk out. One small down side is crowded waits.
(4)Pam W.
After checking out the Essex Street Market, we had walked past this restaurant and decided to give it a try after seeing the menu posted outside. Had a reservation for 7 on a Saturday, and arrived around 6:50, upon which the restaurant was oddly somewhat empty, with the exception of about 5 ppl at the bar. We were informed that our table would be ready at 7 and asked to wait by the bar. Jumping at this opportunity to run across the street to pick up some cupcakes from sugar sweet sunshine, one person in the group stayed at the bar, while the other three of us left for 10 minutes. Much to our surprise, when we came back, the bar area was packed, yet the tables were empty. Suddenly it was a mad rush for everyone to be seated at 7. Logistics-wise, probably not the best way to seat people, but if the food proved to be good, then that's all that mattered to me. What we ordered: - Fried Calamari - what can I say? i love fried calamari. This was not the greatest calamari - it seemed soggy and not well fried - Seared Scallops - this was one of the tastier dishes - scallops were well cooked for the most part - Pork belly sliders - the meat itself was odd, some parts were super dry and stringy, while other parts were melt in your mouth. seemed as though it was thrown together with leftover scraps of pork belly. smothered in a very heavy bbq type sauce which was a little overwhelming. - Tuna sushi spring roll - exactly what the name implied - nothing special - Cheeseburger empanadas - not like a traditional empanada. very heavy on the outside crust, minimal meat filling. disappointing - Essex Famous Potato Pancake with onions and apple sauce - again, nothing special. greasy and heavy. I'm hoping it was just an off-day with the deep frier - Cuban sandwich - this was just ok. again, exactly what you'd expect - Cajun spiced catfish - this was actually the best dish - the tastiest. the cajun spices were a little overwhelming, but a welcome change from the items listed abov, and the shrimp and potato hash delicious as well. Ended the meal with a coconut custard pie and molten chocolate cake, which again, were nothing special. Overall, the food was just average. Nothing I really disliked, but nothing that really stood out. This is not a place I would go out of my way to revisit. With so many other options in the lower east side, I don't think I will find myself returning in the near future.
(3)Tampa R.
Although Essex is known for its Brunch, I went to Essex with a group of 7 for dinner and we really enjoyed it. I found this place on opentable.com ; was looking for a modern dinner place on the lower east side with a young crowd and we seemed to find a really good spot! The looks of the inside resemble an old firehouse or even a school gymnasium. It's very open and loft-like with plenty of seating and about 15 stools around the bar as well. With 7 people in our group, I'm pretty sure we sampled the entire menu and each dish was delicious. I would recommend their fish special that they'll tell you as you're seated - several of us had this (it was Cod that night) and it was great! Some of the reviews mention the volume of people's conversations, but I didn't find that to be a problem. But then again, I may have been one of the loud mouths they're referring to!
(4)Amy W.
Bad service. Hostesses are all very rude and not helpful at all. They sound annoyed when you call and hang up before you can say another word! The wait is forever and its overcrowded and noisy. Its such an uncomfortable and cramped place. The food is good though, but the rude snobby hostesses and overcrowding makes you not want to go there ever again. So unless you make a reservation like 2 weeks before you want to go, dont waste your time unless you're desparate.
(1)mia w.
i live in the L.E.S so i have many options for brunch, and if you like drinking at brunch like i do, then you must go. the $18 for 3 mimosa or bloody mary is the best deal in the 'hood. great variety of food on the menu and it's consistently good. super loud daytime on the wknds but worth it.
(4)Renee C.
no wonder you have to make reservations for sunday brunch...essex is fabulous! thank goodness we had reservations because when we arrived, there were a lot of ravenous people waiting around. luckily, we got a table on the second floor. nothing ruins a meal more than hungry people staring at you hoping you'll hurry up and leave so they can have their turns. vultures, I tell you. i got the aristocrat, which came with mixed greens and home fries in addition to mimosas (keep 'em coming!). brunch made me so full, i thought my friend would have to roll me home like violet in charlie and the chocolate factory when she turns into a blueberry and the oompa loompas have to roll her away to get juiced.
(4)David S.
Brunch at Essex was fantastic. I wasn't sure what kind of place I should expect, but I really loved it! The restaurant itself is really nice: very large room with high ceilings and a lot of natural light coming from the high windows on one of the walls. My boyfriend and I were seated almost immediately, given some onion bread with butter, and asked right away whether we'd be drinking bloody mary's or mimosas... Hell, why would anyone want to drink anything else when these two come with free unlimited refills as part of the brunch special ($16)? Yeah, the menu says only two refills, but they really weren't counting. We had mimosas... and by that I mean many mimosas... well, enough mimosas to leave the place a little drunk... I had the eggs benedict, which were good although I can hardly judge by experience, as I'd never had eggs benedict before. My boyfriend had the three eggs with apple sausage and potatoes: yummy too. I'm hoping to go back soon to try out some of the more unusual brunch dishes. Good music, and fun crowd too, with quite a bit of eye-candy. But most importantly: any place serving unlimited champagne for breakfast gets five stars in my book.
(5)Ming L.
I have not been for dinner, so this is simply a review for brunch. It says brunch comes with 3 drinks, but its basically bottomless since they begin pouring the next one when you're only half done, and I didn't see it on my bill. Just for that, it gets 3 stars. The food is wonderful for brunch. The black bean and shitake hash is a great side, the Lobster benedict is tasty, and everything I tried off of everyone else's plate was delicious as well. So that gets another 2 stars. So why 4 stars? Let's take a half of one of those bad boys away for waiting more than an hour even with a reservation. I mean it wasn't Nobu! And then another half for the collection of people that look like they would like to be featured in Time-Out. You know...the emaciated, can't figure out if I'm a hipster or heroine addict, I'm wearing a scarf and sunglasses inside although it's May crowd...know what I mean?
(4)Edward I.
I haven't been here in a while. A good hangout before going anyplace in downtown. Food is pretty decent but it runs out of space pretty fast. Try to get reservations. Last time I went was to have drinks, the one before that was for dinner with friends. Since it's only a block away from the F train, it's convenient for those who don't have cars.
(4)Amaka O.
Unlimited mimosas for Sunday brunch pretty much wins on all levels. My food was cool, the drinks kept coming and coming [and coming] which I appreciated. The line SUCKS, I think there is a certain point the day before that you can make reservations, but we missed that point, so the wait was at least an hour....I still had a great time tho
(4)Kristina R.
Great place for brunch - 3 drinks with your brunch for $18. A salad of mixed greens comes with most entrees - which is a sort of weird pairing for dishes such as eggs benedict (what I ordered). Great hollandaise sauce and perfectly cooked eggs - yummy tomato-ey potatoes. Our waitress was pretty cool and down to earth and spotted our empty drinks in one second from across the room. The only downside is how incredibly loud and crowded it gets.
(4)anna D.
Two words: chick city.
(3)Hiromi N.
Lower East Side Baby!!! Thanks to Lysee's recommendation I got to experience brunch at the Essex. Amazingly, even though they offer the complimentary 3 drinks with your brunch, I did not get snockered. I was too full to even get past my 2nd Mimosa. Oh and they do NOT make those things weak, so you won't feel cheated out of alcohol with the complimentary drinks. Last year it was a group of 6 that gathered around the table to enjoy a little conversation and a lot of food. My choice of the fresh spinach omelette, which I ordered with egg whites only, was excelente. Really. I had a difficult choice b/c part of me was craving the chorizo. Oh...and the salmon gravalax. There are times when I wish my tummy was as big as my eyes!!! or even better, my mouth!!! The atmosphere is pretty raucous because of the warehouse-esque building that the Essex is housed within. The brick walls just reverberate sound and it is super popular for Sunday brunch, therefore it is really hard to talk and hear people at your own table at times. The good thing is that the service is efficient and helpful!
(4)Heather C.
I came here a few weeks ago with a few friends on a Sunday morning, and I had a pretty good experience. Besides the fact that I was hungover, and there were soooo many people there (waiting and eating), everything was cool. There were about twenty or more different choices of what you could have for breakfast, and I ended up having a spinach/mushroom/beans platter with potato pancakes and apple glaze. It was really good, it tasted SO fresh and it was filling. Three cocktails come with the brunch, and I was only refilled three times, but I'm sure if I stayed longer I would have gotten another one. As long as you make a reservation, and everyone in your party is there on time you shouldn't have to wait too long, and you'll have a good time. But just a warning; if you actually have things to do that day, you might want to save the alcoholic brunch for another day, because those drinks are surprisingly strong.
(4)Maryanne L.
This place is really great... I've been for brunch, lobster night (Wednesday's) and dinner and it has always been consistent reasonably priced really good food. Their drinks are also delicious (watermelon martinis!!) and it's always a fun energetic ambiance.
(4)Carolyn M.
Amazing place for brunch... great food, great environment, relatively inexpensive. be prepared to wait if you do not have a reservation. and make reservations early. We made Sunday brunch reservations on that Wednesday for 6 and we couldn't get a table until 5 pm. A very late brunch indeed, but well worth the wait. I will go back time and time again, though will make the reservations way further in advance.
(5)Helen K.
aside from the $1 oysters, i like this place because it's a great place to just walk in for quick dinners or happy hours with friends without trying to bust your ass getting a last minute reservation somewhere on weekdays. never too crowded(at least on weekdays), laid back, food always comes out fast, but watch out, I've heard of bad batches of oysters that weren't that fresh. but what do you expect if they're a $1. try the cheeseburger empanadas and the mussels in thai sauce-my faves on their menu.
(3)Libby S.
Great space. The architecture/ int. design alone, is worth the visit. Other +'s... - Was easy to make a booking the day before for a large group of people. And just as easy to change the #s in that booking approx. 3-4 times ;-). - The hostess was so absolutely refreshingly nice, on the phone, as well as when we got there, that I forgot I was in NY! (Her against some of the DB's at Rosa Mexicano's --- night and day!) - Drinks at the bar were good. Drinks at the table were good. - The food was good/ v. good. Good selections for vegetarians. - The wait-staff were fabulous at handling a table of very drunk, talkative, internationals ;-). They handled every strange request with grace and absolutely no attitude. Another point at which I was like "Am I in NY?".
(4)Christine L.
the drinks were creative and well-mixed (the green zinger was very well-thought out and executed). the food was amazing. the oysters were so fresh and clean. we ordered the lamb chop and short rib. both were cooked perfectly to order. the gnocchi with the lamb chop was so good i never wanted it to end. the service was very cordial if a bit slow (there were only a few tables - don't know why the kitchen took so long). the place filled up as the night got later and there was a fun vibe at the bar. will DEFINITELY return. there were lots of things on the menu i wanted to try - can't wait to come again.
(4)Daniel P.
If the other food had been as delicious as that one dreamy potato pancake with caramelized onions and apple sauce, we wouldn't be having this discussion, young man. And you spent too much money.
(2)Meg M.
This place is amaaaaazing. Have been 4 times and would go again in a second. HUGE portions for brunch and 3 complementary cocktails for $18! If you order the mimosa they keep just coming around and re-filling them so you end up with more than 3. There is really not a bad thing on the menu. Just make sure you make a reservation REALLY early because they're packed.
(5)grace c.
A $16 brunch that includes 3 glasses of mimosa, screwdriver or bloody mary for all you alchies out there. I have only been here for brunch so can only speak for their brunch, which has never disappointed me. It's one of my places to go to for some home goodness brunch grub. I especially like their mac 'n cheese, which while isn't really a brunch item but is one of the better mac 'n cheeses I have had in NYC.
(4)Vicky L.
friday night in the lower east side is a trip. it's crowded, it's noisy, it's a bitch to get a table, and it's filled with people who don't live in manhattan crowding around the bar just waiting to swoop in on your table as soon as you are done eating. case in pt, 8 pm, 5 friends trying to get a table @ Azul. No luck. Then 'inoteca, 2.5 hour wait, then schillers, wasn't worth the wait. Finally, we found Essex, a typical les haunt, in that it is super low key trendy, but atypical night because it was happening without being too obvious. My kind of place. I had a GREAT night. It was perfect. Wine all around, food kept coming to the table. We ate, then we hung out, then we ordered Sangria, a DJ started spinning, then we hung out some more, and before we knew it, it was 1 am. :) niiiiice.... i'll be back for the brunch...
(5)Denise C.
I've gotta say, with all the good reviews this place got I wasn't all that impressed and here's why: The Good: 1. Cocktails: Watermelon martini - so tasty with real watermelon chunks! Strawberry Mojito - not the typical mojito with some kind of carbonation going on in there, but it was really good 2. Decor: interesting set up with a balcony seating in the front and back of the restaurant. AND tennis balls on the wall! The BAD & UGLY (Yes, they get grouped together) 1. We got our drinks menus first, which isn't a bad thing, but the reason they didn't give us the food menu at the same time is because they ran out! And we had to wait a good 20 minutes before getting out menus. They had several large parties that night, but how do you run out of food menus before drink menus!! 2. Service was sloooooowwwwwww. Usually you just have to make eye contact with them or give them the little nod and you've got their attention, right? Umm....I guess this waitress just thought you were hitting on her because we literally had to wave our hand in the air to get her attention...several times. Towards the end when we were paying for our bill, we just brought our bill to her because our arms got enough of a work out. 3. Food: the food wasn't necessarily bad, but I wasn't all that impressed. Sweet potato fries - oily and flimsy. I like mine with more crunch to it. Crab cake - bit more bread crumby than I would like altho it def had some good chunk of crab in there potato pancakes with salmon and caviar - their "signature dish" and it was actually a decent dish. goat cheese stuffed chicken - ehhh...not impressed I don't think I'd come back for another meal, but my friend said they have a great deal on Tuesday (I think) with $5 martinis (try the watermelon!) and unlimited mussels and fries. That would prob be the only reason I'd come back here again.
(2)Adriana L.
Stopped in at about 6 to reserve a table which wasn't a problem, the place wasn't full yet. Came back by 7 and it was packed! But the hostess brought us right to our table. Our server was helpful and attentive when we were ordering. Once she took our orders and brought us or drinks we waited about 45 minutes for our food. Ridiculous! She couldn't even bring out our side of sweet potato fries first. I got the pork loin which was lacking in flavor. The sweet potato fries were not crispy at all, soggy -- what a disappointment. The drinks are strong and have a decent cocktail menu. The server explained to us that it was the last day for their Groupon deal so everyone was trying to get their coupon in at the last minute. This wouldn't be my first choice to go to next time, but I would give it another chance.
(2)Susie L.
I went with a friend for brunch on Saturday at noon and it was packed. Pros: You get three free drinks (mimosas, screw drivers, or bloody mary's) with brunch, an attractive, young crowd, and a interestingly designed interior. Cons: The food on the whole is greasy and a little better than mediocre. The music is incredibly loud and inappropriate for brunch (for god's sake, it's brunch, not a freaking club!) In sum, I'd only go to Essex (for brunch anyway) if I was determined to get drunk at noon on a weekend while eating some decent potato pancakes. Oh, and I should add that it's cash only for brunch.
(3)Jennifer I.
Was out with a few friends on Good Friday, trying to find somewhere to eat. We ended up at Essex - The food was wonderful, the service was okay. I'll definitely go back. Try the potato pancakes -- they rock!!
(4)Howard C.
If you're ever in New York, you have to experience weekend Brunch. I went to Essex for their Memorial Day brunch. Even though we had reservations, we still waited around 30-40 minutes for our table at 2pm. For $18, the food is definitely edible when paired with the bottomless mimosas. Just come here with a group of friends, knock back some mimosas and enjoy a fun drunk rest of the day!
(4)Muppet A.
Came here for lobster night last week. $16 for a fresh lobster is really not a bad deal. The lobster was cooked in shell all at once, so the claws came out perfectly but the body was a little bit tough and overcooked. The accoutrements aren't all that exciting in comparison (bathed in butter), but there's a certain charm to working to get to your food. Definitely not for a dainty eater. Will definitely come back for Oyster Night.
(4)Elizabeth v.
Came here for brunch last weekend. It's a good thing I did not show before 12 as they then do not serve the alcoholic beverages yet! So make sure you keep that in mind. The place was busy so we had brunch at the bar so I can not say too much about service. You do miss out on the scone at the bar :( The food was OK and hit the spot. The drinks were good too. A place that is worth re-visiting again.
(3)Amy J.
came here for Brunch on Sunday around noon time, unlimited mimosas! I must say I got a nice buzz after my meal. I really liked my apple sausage that came along with my 3 eggs any style. The table next to us got some sort of waffle, and it smells good! Pro: less than 5 min wait for us!
(3)Grace L.
I really like this place because its not too much and its just enough if you know what I mean. The service is really great and all the bartenders and staff are really accomodating. The food is yummy and the drinks are even better. I can't wait to try the brunch.
(4)Jessica M.
We went for dinner. Maybe that was the problem??? First round of drinks took a little while, okay. Appetizers came pretty quickly but not what we ordered! (Blame went to waitress' little ordering computer.) Mac and cheese to share but not really very hot. Ordered 2nd round of drinks. 15 minutes later, drinks but mac was ice cold. No waitress in sight so asked busser if they could reheat it and he said we had to speak to the waitress. Asked for the check and the manager. Both took a long time to show up. Manager so unsympathetic it was laughable. There are so many restaurants around here. I was tempted to go back to try the brunch but the manager's attitutude sealed the deal against that. Don't bother!
(1)Paul K.
In a land of overpriced ... well ... everything, this place offers an incredible deal for brunch. Granted, I snuck in with a group of 5 right before the kitchen closed, and we were seated immediately. (Evading the overcrowding problems alluded to in multiple other reviews.) But I thought the food was great, the server was quite attentive and kind, and I left buzzed, happy, and not too broke. Will definitely go back next time I'm eastcoasting it.
(5)Christine S.
We had reservations last night at 7pm. Waited at the bar after letting the hostess know we would like to sit. Strawberry mojito was watery and tasteless, kettle soda not strong enough. Mango mojito was better but needs improvement as well. By 7:15 and 2 walks over to the hostess stand (about 5 other tables were already sat) we were still waiting for our table. I was totally ignored and was told one more minute. The place was empty so i didn't understand the wait. Finally we were brought upstairs to an empty section and shown to a 2 top, there were three of us. I can understand if the place was packed but if the restaurant is empty we want a table we can fit more than 2 plates on. We informed the hostess that the table was unacceptable and received an argument and nasty attitude from her. The best move of the night was leaving there asap after feeling as though they were discriminating against us and went over to Rayuela. Fantastic service and amazing food!! Go there instead!!
(1)Dena S.
I love brunch here - what's better than all you can drink mimosas with yummy hangover curing food in an eclectic LES atomosphere? The music is quite loud though - so if you are nursing a hangover headache be sure to pop a few advil before coming in....... Also - its cash only so be prepared.
(4)Ira B.
The loudness here is unbearable. We couldn't carry on a conversation; and because of the cacophony I hardly tasted my food. Our waitress screwed up our order, bringing appetizers and entrees at the same time.
(1)Jason H.
Brunch is a time to sit back and relax, fill up on some grub, and have a little hair of the dog that bit you the night before. I want creative egg dishes and bottomless mimosas. I also don't want to wait around forever to eat... especially since I'm likely hungover and a little cranky. Essex comes through on ALMOST all counts (everything except the wait... if you are a walk in, be prepared to walk right back out for at least an hour. The good thing is that they give you a pretty accurate time to come back). Plenty of options for breakfast, with tons of egg options. I had the Mexican Matzo Brie and also tried some of the Challah French Toast. The Mexican Matzo Brie was good but surprisingly a little bland, while the french toast was too rich for my tastes. Both were good, but I had higher hopes given what I had heard about this place. Brunch is $16 CASH and includes 3 drinks... but my mimosa was rarely empty as the waitress constantly walked around w/ a pitcher topping us off. That is what I call service. After 4 or 5 glasses I forgot all about the hour and fifteen minute wait. We were politely told to leave though to make room for a big party. Granted we were done eating for quite a while but still it was a bit annoying. We were compensated with a free drink ticket each which helped soften the blow... even though after all those mimosas I had no desire to hit the bar.
(4)Julie K.
don't even bother me why I give them only 1star.. if I could, I do want to give non star! I was 15 mins late.. so, didn't know how the f*cking hostess had treated my dearly friends.. when they saw me, we went to the hostess to get our seats.. but apparently we had to wait for 20 mins with 2 minutes waiting excuse at the bar to get our table.. that's it! OK! we sat down.. got Mimosas.. got bread without any plates! that's it! OK! got plates.. WTH on my plate? is that egg? is that parsley? that's it! OK! got new plate.. I needed my water and food! "take my order, please!" that's it! OK! finally all set.. but food?? almost 30 mins later.. my Sunday Platte showed up! WOW! actually mine was heaven! the crunchy bread, house - cured salmon glavlax, capers, onions, tomatoes, bialy, and whitefish salad were perfectly ensemble! that's it! "more water please!" no water until another 30 mins! that's it! the waitress didn't smile at all.. she was busy to chat with other wait staffs.. that's it! OK! should I put the tip for all of these shit? even my friends loved the music selection and kudos on Midori Sour from the bar.. I am NOT going back! you know.. I don't like to say f*cking F-words at all.. I HATE f*cking F-words with passion! but this place made me to use lots of f*cking F-words! THAT'S IT!
(1)Midori O.
I actually would say 3.7 instead of 4. Just because the music is little too loud and the lobster is just a ok. I've been to this place a couple times, romantic occasion, party occasion and for brunch. I would say go for the brunch! Just because they have three mimosa, screw driver, or bloody mary with the brunch! I had a egg bendict with salmon and it was good portion and decent taste. I thought the mimosa is too weak at the beginning, but we all got little tipsy at the end of the meal. Oh, just a reminder, go there around noon, they won't serve any alcohol till noon. Decor and the service is decent that I would come back once in a while.
(4)sue z.
Was very disappointed when we received the bill. They offered two kinds of Oysters, never saying that only one kind was $1. They also said Half price drinks but for $10 beer, the price came to $6 not five. The waitress claimed it was set that way in the computer and could do nothing about the bill, Essex falsely advertises. The place is OK, but I wouldn't recommend or go back because I left felling like I was taken.
(3)Don T.
Told the wait was a half-hour for brunch, seated an hour later after speaking with the hostess twice, who was not terribly friendly and offered no apology. Good deal between food and drinks, Mexican Matzo Brei was unreal and why I'd even consider going back. Crowded and somewhat rushed, but maybe I should have expected that.
(2)Jessica H.
Absolutely love the brunch here. I splurged on the crab cake eggs benedict which was fantastic. Also got to try the french toast and the tempeh bacon which was great. I think the only miss at the table were the pancakes. Be prepared to stay a while since as long as your eating the mimosas keep coming. :)
(5)Vanessa X.
A busy industrial looking restaurant with two high ceiling levels. Upstairs are for larger groups with good potential for dueling/shouting matches since one section directly faces the other and sounds reverberates off the walls pretty well. When we got the $20 brunch menu special there was a collective "THREE drinks?!" Yup, three drinks. Mimosas, bloody mary's, or screwdrivers. Then you've got the main brunch items including a lot of egg selections. The portions are huge and deserving of the title brunch. I made the mistake of getting the blueberry pancakes which were probably one of the worst pancakes I've ever had. The only redeeming thing about them was the fact that the blueberries in the pancakes were real. Seriously you can make better pancakes with packaged mix. It was dry with too much flour and basically I got a mouthful full of sticky bland dough. Sigh. But I won't judge an entire place on one dish, especially since everyone else seemed to like their Eggs Benedict or whatnot. The THREE drinks also helped. The only weird thing was that they had to charge $25 each on credit card when in fact it was only $20 per person, and since we didn't have cash on hand we paid $5 each for a group of 20 people just for the privilege of using our credit card. And they couldn't charge until after 7PM. Wtf?
(3)Zach W.
Going to this place made me revisit some of my previous rankings and increase them. This restaurant is truly gross. I went for a birthday with 10 friends for a 3 hour open bar and things started off ok. Then... I looking in my drink and saw 2 dead flies in it. I was disgusted. When I pointed it out to the waitress, she said "its protein" and then asked if I wanted another "free drink" . When you pay for an open bar, the drinks arent free. The food was equally bad. The mussels tasted fishy and one dish the potato pancake and lox was so bad that a friend could not eat it. The experience was beyond terrible that I put a reminder in my phone to write this post to save you all from this venue.
(1)Vanessa A.
Went for brunch and it was delicious! Definitely make a reservation. ours was for shortly after noon; restaurant was slightly crowded then but by the time we left around 2 it was packed. My gfs and I all loved the dishes we got. Definitely enough to choose from. Portions are generous. We also shared a side of the macaroni and cheese; it probably was the only thing i wasn't impressed with.
(4)Julie W.
I am definitely a full fledged fan of Essex. I've been coming back for years now, and every time I come, regardless of who I'm with, what I eat/drink or when I arrive, the food and service are always impeccable! I'd recommend pretty much everything on the drinks and food menu. And not to mention, the prices are always very very reasonable.
(5)Clint A.
This place has become such a scene. the food is passable but nothing to write home about and with the all you can drink mimosa brunch, it's almost impossible to flag down a waitress to fill your glass. I probably wouldn't be so hard on this place if I lived near the LES but given that it's a schlep to get there from Astoria on a Sunday, it's just not worth it.
(2)Jackie h.
had brunch was very dissapointed.we had a reservation and still waited over 2 hours!!food was ok,service was good
(2)Jessica A.
I can't wait to try the brunch! Went on a Thursday night when there are 1/2 priced drinks from 6-9 and $1 oysters all night. I am not an oyster person, but slurped down 2. I've heard they are aphrodisiacs...enough of a reason for me. I had the fillet special, which was HUGE and delicious. I'm happy I saved room for that enormous hunk of meat. Even without the potatoes (which I heard were amazing), I was full and happy. Meat cooked perfectly to order- had the nice line of red in the middle of my medium-rare. Martinis were also mixed to the perfect degree of dirty. Some like em really dirty, if you know what I mean. Others just want them a little dirty. All in all, a great experience. I will certainly be returning for the good prices, great atmosphere, delicious food, and awesome service.
(5)Allison J.
I came in here for dinner because the sandwich board outside said "All You Can Eat Mussels, Tuesdays $14." Well, I went on a Wednesday, which is $14 Lobster night. Still, I wanted mussels so... I got a $9 plate of mussels in white wine and garlic. There wasn't enough broth and I was bummed because my friend loves to soak it all up with the bread and I didn't want to short change her experience. So... I sacrificed my share of broth and ate the majority of the mussels instead. The dish satisfied the craving though... it wasn't that fabulous. We had a potato cake with goat cheese and that was very tasty. We made the mistake of ordering a potato napoleon though and didn't care for it. The spinich in the dish was garlicky good, and the potato pancakes they used for the napoleon were good too... but... no, I wouldn't order it again. Our waiter was new but he was pleasant and accomodated my pregnant woman request for watermelon from the bar. Damn! I couldn't have the watermelon martini I really wanted! I'd go back only if I happened to be in the area and didn't know where else to go. The space is nice and I can see where dinner later in the evening would be busy.
(3)Grace R.
Pretty good food. Pretty miserable and needlessly stroppy hostess ("you should check your coats it's REALLY hot upstairs".. "no, we're OK thanks"... *sighs rolls eyes*). Apologetic and pleasant but fairly inept waitstaff. Screechy hen do on the next table. 3 stars for the food, the coolish space and the waitress being really nice even though she was a bit crap. Minus points for hostess, volume and yes, it was REALLY hot upstairs.
(3)john c.
Had the corned beef hash. The absolute VERY best I've ever had! Great service and great drinks
(5)Alexandra W.
This is hopping and loud at 11am, and I love it! We sat at the bar table because we didn't have a reservation, and that got pretty crowded and hectic once it got late enough that people were waiting by the bar to be seated. (It didn't help that it was POURING outside, so everyone crowded in). I'd definitely go back, but I'd want to sit at a real table, maybe upstairs.
(4)D W.
When you first step into Essex, you are first struck with the wonderful loft space and the amazing light coming through the large windows. But then after a while, you realize the food is the main attraction here. The brunch is an amazing deal - an entree plus 3 cocktail drinks for $16. (FYI - the drinks aren't available until Noon, so if you come too early, you'd be paying the same thing for just the entree). I had the manchego mac & cheese (creamy, flavorful and cheezy) with chicken apple sausages (sweet and juicy) - sooo good. I also tried my friend's potato pancakes with apples and honey cream - also quite delicious. Our service started off on the grumpy side, but quickly became quite endearing. It does get quite crowded, but they do take reservations. I'd definitely come back next time I'm in NY.
(4)Anon 7.
i came here for brunch, this place has good valued meals at $23 for an entree and 3 drinks. the drinks are mediocre but again you can't really expect top notch for the price. we took our time and after 1.5 hours the waitress said that there was a reservation waiting for our table and she then gave us 4 drink tickets at the bar. i thought that was really generous, so i will certainly be back
(4)katie n.
Truly exemplifies what brunch should be. A diverse $15 prix fixe menu with lunch AND breakfast items, along with 3 bloody maries or mimosas (HINT - if you go on the later side, say 3pm, they'll just keep topping off your glass till you roll out of there), prompt service, and yummy bread and rolls brought to your table while you wait for your order, makes this my favorite brunch spot in the city. True to the former reviews, either make a reservation or be prepared to WAIT. i like to grab cupcakes at sugar sweet sunshine across the street while I wait. and then browse through edith machinist, a great vintage store, on rivington. there are plenty of ways to kill an hour in the LES while waiting for a table at essex, especially when you know how sweet your reward will be.
(5)Chantelle D.
Ooooh - I went here this weekend for brunch and I was VERY pleasantly surprised. We were meeting a large group and were just an itsy bit late so there was no room for the 3 of us at the table. Not to fear, we weren't too bothered (as they weren't that fun anyways) so we trotted downstairs and sat at the bar. Now mind you, I had had a heavy night the Friday before so I wasn't planning on drinking; however, as soon as I cracked open the menu and saw not only that they had a DELICIOUS selection of prix fixe brunch options (not just one or two, but about 10 or so! I had the CEO - scrambled eggs, chorizo and onions) BUT I haven't even gotten to the best part: three drinks included - your choice of mimosa, bloody mary or a screwdriver - all for $16! So I basically had to give in and get tanked. The other best part? We met some new friends who were also on a similar path. Needless to say, I'll definitely be heading back.
(4)Christina C.
The brunch special is pretty great: an entree and 3 drinks (plus more if you have a nice waitress) for $15...if you arrive at least by noon on Sunday. I made the mistake of making a reservation for 11 o'clock, and the city of NY can't serve alcohol on Sunday's until 12. Bummer. But my friends and I stretched out our stay until noon for some lousy mimosas and bloody marys. The food was good, the waitress had attitude, but the atmosophere is cool...if you're not too picky about your drinks you'll enjoy it. However, in my opinion, this place is just about average.
(3)L J.
Great music, the food was good. The wasabi will BITE you. We made a reservation and had to wait about 20 minutes, but the hostess gave us drink tickets. We saw a lot of birthday parties on Saturday night. Great for groups.
(4)Katie L.
dollar oysters, half-priced drinks during happy hour, how can you go wrong? my espresso martini was strong but with a nice hint of flavor. please get the pork belly sliders. this place is in my top 10 list. atmosphere is classic and clean, meaning you won't find padded booths and such, but a nice dark decor with sharp square-edged furniture pieces. don't know how other nights are, i went on a monday night and all was A-OK.
(4)Monica T.
Brunch is until 5pm which is great. 16$ for brunch with includes 3 alcoholic drinks. Best banana/chocolate pancakes I've ever had!! I hear they're really popular with their raw oysters at night--fresh and cheap...I'll definitely go back next time for that.
(4)Erica B.
Great space. Too bad they didn't capitalize on this. The drinks are weak (we had a jumbo pitcher of mango margs). The Mac and Cheese was soooo sub-par. The crab cake was actually damn good tho. The calamari eh, the spinach filo thing eh, all in all, seemingly impressive menu, and underwhelming preparation. Do I even want to try it for brunch? Seems like I might have to...but miss it on dinner.
(2)Leah S.
Walking into this place for brunch, you gotta know you're signing up for a bit of an ordeal. The wait is long, space in the entryway gets cramped, the crowd is a little restless, and the hostesses are perpetually confused. But once you sit down, you can leave that all behind and get nice and tipsy with free mimosas, screwdrivers and bloody marys. The drinks are strong and keep on coming, as much as you want to drink. Don't fill up on the rolls, the food is really good - they have a nice selection, yummy breakfast potatoes and truly amazing potato pancakes! All that for a mere $16, you're willing to put up with the noise and confusion. I've taken several out of town guests here and they all love it ... plenty of 'scene' to entertain, but still solid quality and most of all, you can walk out of here with a great mid-day buzz!
(4)Jesse S.
The wait is awful. The crowd is worse. But the food and drinks are fantastic.
(4)S K.
The atmosphere was great and so was the food. I had the scallops appetizer and chicken with goat cheese for my entree- both very tasty! The wait staff was very attentive. The drink special was pretty good too!!
(4)Anita C.
Unlike most people, I went here for dinner ... Interesting and creative menu, with well executed items. I especially like the trio of tartare appetizer - beef, salmon and tuna. It was nice to be able to try all three kinds on one plate. Entrees range from $10 to about $20, the duck breast with Israeli couscous was a hit. Can't say much about the drinks here because I wasn't drinking, but my friend tossed down about a half dozen blood orange mojitos - made of fruit so real that he found orange seeds in his drink. Service was adequate, and the decor is industrual-like with exposed pipes and high ceilings. It's unlike many LES restaurants because it's not tiny - you won't have to worry about bumping elbows with the people at the next table. Note: we went in a group of ten, and sat at the table in the back. The table was arranged in an L shape which became a bit awkward because the two people sitting on the short end of the table were pretty much isolated from the rest of the group.
(4)Katie D.
best brunch i have had or will ever have in my life. please get me on the next flight to jfk.
(5)Sara L.
The secret weapon at Essex is simple. Reservations. I usually try to call on Wednesday if I know for sure I'm going to be there for a Saturday or Sunday brunch. The 3 drinks with your meal deal is a pretty sweet bonus prize on an already pretty decent brunch menu. I'm a sucker for the French toast. I love the chicken apple sausage too. If you don't do the reservations, don't try to go until about 3:00 or go early at 11:00.
(3)steph d.
Last night came here after a fun time at Verlaine. This place was just ok, we didn't stay long, but had a drink at the bar and it was dark, an older type of crowd. They have an upstairs but we didn't venture into the bar any further. I don't think I would go back, it didn't impress me.
(2)Kelsey Q.
One word: call ahead. You will not get into this place on a Saturday morning without reservations. That fact alone should give first-time diners an indication of the quality and service at Essex, the hip LES brunch spot in the Essex Market building. The place may be packed the entire time you are there, but the food is excellent and the flow of screwdrivers/mimosas/bloody marys that is included with your meal make the price worth it. The staff is helpful and attentive, and the eggs benedict is faaaaaantastic.
(5)AZAM A.
Very lively and great place for brunch plenty time to drink while you wait to get seated a good deal
(4)Theresa L.
Bad food and even worst service
(1)Sasha B.
I have been to Essex twice now and have def found my favorite dishes. The reason I gave it 4 stars is because the first time I had an awesome experience...second time...not so much. The first time I went was during their Thursday Happy Hour (hence the excellent experience). All drinks are half off during the Happy Hr. We ordered Calamari for appetizers - delish. They are perfectly fried, aren't rubbery, and come with a delish avacado dip (which surprisingly pairs nicely with the calamari). I then ordered a beet + goat cheese salad (yum) and the mash potatoes (yum) for my main dish. The second time I came here I ordered Steamed Mussels...should have stuck to the mash potatoes. The mussels were extremely sandy, fishy, and the texture was mushy. I'm usually a huge fan of mussels but it is safe to say that I will never order them here again. For dessert lovers - selection is very minimal and nothing exciting. The atmosphere here is great....good for dates, girls' night out, and big group dinners. Best seating in my opinion is the upstairs. And the price is def Manhattan affordable - $10 to $18 range for entrees.
(4)Sarah B.
I came to Essex with a party of 50 plus, so needless to say, it was a loud and boisterous night. There was only one bar tender which meant, good luck. Although distracted by others asking all those fun questions like, What do you do? Where are you from?, I still noticed how cool the walls were at Essex. They are covered with painted tennis balls. How perfectly random.
(4)JM G.
I'm a big fan of brunching in the city and I'm not sure I would put Essex on my list of favorites. The space has a very cool vibe, but reservations are a must unless you want to drink overpriced breakfast cocktails at the bar for an hour while you wait for a table. The brunch at one point included unlimited beverages, but it looks like they're trying to scale it back a bit. The service isn't anything to write home about, but the food is great. As a French toast connoisseur , I wouldn't recommend the Challah. Stick with the steak and eggs or the CEO breakfast.
(2)Maria A.
We went there for brunch while in New York and loved it! I highly recommend the lobster eggs benedict dish, it's the best I've had in a while. The place was great, we had no reservation and seemed to get there at a perfect time because we didn't have to wait. The staff was friendly and service was good. Will definitely go back there when I return the New York.
(5)Barbara H.
I've been here a few times for brunch and dinner and I can't remember anything bad about it but on the flip side, there's nothing memorable either though the space is pretty cool. We had one hostess there that was on a ridiculous power trip when I spoke to her about our reservation and luckily the nicer hostess chimed in before I had the chance to beat her. We had a great chipper waitress on the upstairs side above the restrooms though I can't remember her name at the moment. They don't take the 3 drink maximum seriously during brunch and the potato latkes are delish. For those who like seafood (I DON'T) I believe they have lobster and mussel all-you-can-eat prefix meals during the week.
(3)tamar a.
Vile. I went once for lobster night. The lobster was barely defrosted and it was limp and tasteless. The drinks were passable, but otherwise, the food was absolutely inedible. The decor here is very cool, but truly, I wouldn't touch anything that comes on a plate and not in a glass.
(1)Allison K.
I have to say that after hearing about Essex for so long both on Yelp and beyond, I was kind of disappointed with the one thing that I was expecting to be awesome about the experience---the food. The fish dish (was it Tilapia? Catfish? who knows....everything that it was served with was pretty overpowering) that I ordered was in this too-salty creamy sauce that was not sufficiently described in the menu--there was no indication that there was a cream sauce involved...and it was just....not that great. Maybe I should have stuck with my original choice that the waitress warned me was very spicy. Admittedly, the appetizers i shared before this dish--the tilapia ceviche and especially the scallops with watermelon were really tasty. I will give this much hyped spot credit for dealing pretty well (none of the attitude that I was expecting) with the fact that the pretty large party that i was a part of wasn't actually ready to sit down until nearly an hour after our reservation time (yeah, well, that's b/c they won't seat you until everyone's there!) and I did very happily indulge in a $5 (half price) blood orange mojito while i waited for the late comers, along with those too-tasty homemade potato chips at the bar. Overall, a fair experience, but I don't think I'll be back unless it's for some really exceptional reason.
(3)Katie R.
I finally tried Essex for dinner and it was a horrible experience. We had a 7:00 reservation and didn't get our food until 9:00! No apology from the server, only attitude. The food was fine, but anything would have tasted good at that point. No longer a fan of Essex....
(1)Beth W.
Brunch anyone? How bout bottomless mimosas?? I'm sorry, was I not speaking loud enough - that's right, BOTTOMLESS mimosas. Or Bloody Mary's, or Screwdrivers. This place is AWESOME - on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, $15 flat rate for any of the brunch meals - plus three of the above listed drinks. (Except for the fact that it's not just three, because they just keep on bringing them!) The food is so so so awesome. I've never had Eggs Benedict that perfect. And I'm from the South, and we LOVE some Eggs Benedict! I've brought tons of friends there and no one has ever had a complaint about their food. The menu is very original as well as the place itself! Only negative - it gets very crowded and the wait can be long, so make a reservation!
(5)Myra C.
its a great place for brunch. what they seem to be known for are their drinks though. for under 20, you can get a brunch and 3 drinks (mimosa, blood mary, or bubbly). typical brunch menu--the eggs benedict on salmon was cooked just right and served with a side salad and potatoes. they serve brunch until late (we arrived at 3.30) so its perfect for a lazy sunday afternoon. the place was still pretty packed though, so i'd definitely try to make a reservation beforehand! its also got a pretty chaotic atmosphere.
(4)Chutia S.
before doing brunch, i'd been to essex as part of a pub crawl in the area and it was nothing remarkable. however, the drunken mimosa filled hour spent talking shit about the people at the bar downstairs were priceless. the mimosas DID NOT stop flowing and the host/manager person gave us drink tickets to vacate the eff out of our tables quickly so they could seat another group. the food itself wasn't so bad. me being severely hungover and hungry, i dealt with the complimentary cold onion-filled bread with no complaints. the eggs benedict my friend ordered were definitely the best thing i tasted and i'll definitely be getting those next time. the chorizo and scrambled egg thing i got wasn't that great. i'm definitely coming back for the environment, drinks, and eggs benedict.
(4)Yu-Ching L.
I go here for the $1 oyster nights and order a side of fries with that. It's more of a snack if anything. Haven't tried the main plates but I'm not really a fan of American fare. I know, I know...I live in America. I've heard that one before.
(4)Sam P.
Wow - I'm totally having Yelp Deja vu, because I was damn sure I had reviewed this already, especially because it's one of my favorite restaurants in NYC! Essex is a gem. It's really phenomenal food in a setting that makes you feel like you should be paying more for it. A sort of tropical/industrial duplex environment in the heart of the Lower East Side, this place has one of the best brunch deals around, and dinner is delish, fun, and CHEAP! It's a great place to take friends, as it never fails to impress without breaking the bank. Food is a mixture of Jewish favorites (potato pancakes anyone?) with Cuban influences (Medianoche...mmmm...drool). Great service too. One of my top recommendations.
(5)Bergdorf Brunette ..
Not much to add to the other 86 reviews. Good food. Cheap. Strong bloody marys. Close to the subway. Hurrah.
(4)Charlotte G.
pros: sooo delicious! happy hour menus are such a deal. steamed mussels in lemon/garlic sauce were really flavorful. best i've had since most restaurants dont seem to ever get mussels tasting good. dip your bread in the broth/sauce, so good. oysters were delicious. vinigrette went well w/ it. try the mango mojito I believe? that was nice as well. all prices were fair/cheap cons: calamari was very different. I didn't like it that much. seemed oily and very odd dipping sauce. my friend liked it though.
(4)Liz L.
Dinner gets 3 stars, brunch gets only 1. I've been twice for dinner and thought it was OK, the menu has a nice range of choices and some cute comfort food-y options like mac and cheese or potato latkes. Went here with a large group and the waitress was great, and we liked everything we ordered. I've since been back twice and have been less impressed with each visit. The second trip was dinner, the wait was long, the service was slow, and we got stuck upstairs where it was freezing. The food was fine, though. The third time, went for brunch. While the menu was big, they didn't allow substitutions. At all. I wanted potato pancakes which on the dinner menu, come in three different topping varieties. One of those has salmon which I don't eat, but the waitress would not let me get two of another variety and skip the salmon. She also wouldn't let me order the pancakes a la carte. Actually, she did, but then she came back to ask me to order something else. Same happened to my friend who ordered something else. When the food finally came it was pretty lackluster. The place was packed and the service was truly awful. We had a hard time getting more water, our check, you name it. I haven't been back since, but if I do return it won't be for brunch.
(2)Joseph H.
Awful experience. Let me start by saying that I live in the neighborhood and have been coming to Essex for brunch off and on for years. Not anymore. I don't mind waiting for a table, but I do mind being lied to by the staff - repeatedly - about how long it's going to take to get one. Yesterday, it was 20 minutes when we put our name down, which turned into 30, then 45, and then "I don't know how long it's going to take." We were also told that we were the next three-top and then they proceeded to seat another party of three a few minutes later. Had they said "it'll be an hour," that would have been fine and we would have grabbed a drink somewhere else in the meantime. I politely explained that point - and that I did not appreciate being given misinformation - to the host. His response, "well, as you can see it's really busy. You're next on the list, but I don't know how long it's going to take. You're more than welcome to go somewhere else." Which, of course, we did. And, after years of going to Essex, I'll never go back. What also irks me is that, after years of being in business, they can't get it together. Even if you have a reservation, you have to wait. And if you don't, they can't tell you how long you'll have to stick around. The food is decent, but certainly not worth the hassle and attitude.
(1)Ray C.
Had brunch here for my wife's birthday with a party of 7. Tried four or five different dishes and they were all good, nothing really outstanding. The mimosas weren't that good. Had a weird after taste to it which may have been from the cheap OJ. Was annoyed that we couldn't substitute coffee for the alcohol and ended up having to pay for it.
(3)Amita K.
best chocobanana pancakes ever. great mimosas. trendy but crowded. must make a reservation before dropping in otherwise you will wait forever. nice place for brunch with friends.
(4)j c.
Three drink $15 brunch? Like a unicorn frolicking in a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, apparently - no one believes me when I mention the brunch at Essex. Sure, the wait can be impossible, even with reservations, but any place that keeps the drinks coming is worth it. Food is pretty good, too; maybe not the most amazing eggs or whatever that I've ever had, but again, that's where the drinks come in, especially the tangy bloody mary. Service was pretty responsive, considering the crowd.
(5)S S.
I went here for brunch last weekend with a few friends, and we had a great time! The food was very good, and they keep the drinks coming the whole time. Considering how busy that place is, the service was relatively fast. The only issue is that they won't seat you until your whole party is there (which was somewhat difficult for our hungover group), and depending on the bartender, you may or may not be able to get free drinks while you wait. Overall a great restaurant and I would go back again!
(4)Kailei R.
I LOVE this place. Definitely make a reservation if you can. If I remember correctly you get an entree and three drinks (yes, including brunch cocktails) for just $15! What a deal!
(4)Thomas K.
I like brunch here a lot but it's always a terrible wait and sometimes seems unorganized. Nevertheless the food is very good (I've had almost everything on the brunch menu) and the Bloody Marys are strong and spicy. I love going back.
(4)Ani V.
A trendy inconspicuous restaurant on the Lower East Side. You need reservations otherwise you will be waiting quite a while to be seated. Once you are seated be ready to scream as it is quite crowded. The food is a fusion of Spanish and Jewish which are fabulous by themselves but the chefs at Essex I think had a hard time melding the two together. Sundays they offer a fixed brunch menu. It comes with three different types of alcohol:bloody Mary's, screwdriver and mimosa. The Bloody Mary is much better than the actual meal and service.
(1)callie b.
the unlimited mimosas were great. they kept refilling them and our glasses were never empty. the smoked salmon was inedible, it was a cold thick lump of fish that i took one bite of and spit out. the mac&cheese came late, and was disappointing. presented on a flat plate and looked like they had scooped it out from a big thing and microwaved some cheese on it. the pancakes and french toast were amaz. come for the atmos and drinks, and avoid the salmon, i guess is what i am saying here. they sat our large group prompty, that was a plus.
(3)Julianne C.
If I was reviewing Essex on emotions alone, I'd give this restaurant 5 stars! I had a great time at dinner here last night with my girls from San Francisco (including a fellow Yelper Denise). They were all visiting for one reason or another and it was like old times back in the Bay Area. We laughed, we talked, we ate and then ate some more. It was a great restaurant to do some catching up. The restaurant wasn't too loud but it was still lively and our waitress was attentive and fun. The dinner entrees were pretty good but the appetizers/starters were probably better. But hello, let's not forget most importantly, half priced drinks from 6-9pm. And their $1 oysters all night! My Spicy Chipotle Pork Loin was pretty good and the dozen Blue Point Oysters were yum yum. My friend's Cuban Sandwich was delicious, too! I won't go into dessert because I don't think I was in full command of my brain, at this point. My $4 cabernet blend wine had taken over! But I do remember fighting for the last spoonful of dessert along with my 4 girlfriends. Good times!
(4)anne s.
I've only been here for Brunch. Honestly, everything they have is great but if I had to pick one it would be the lobster benedict. if you do decide to go, get it! The only reason why I give this place 4 stars is b/c the service is quite slow but it's understandable considering it's always busy. FYI - make reservations and make them early.
(4)Laura D.
We made a reservation for 13 to celebrate a friend's bachelorette. There was a glitch and our reservation was switch to the following week. The hostess and staff are amazing and accommodated us on the fly! This place is hip and food/drinks delicious. Thanks for such a lovely brunch!!!
(5)Alex F.
review for BRUNCH. Essex brunch is a great deal, 3 mimosas and food for $16?? Awesome. The food is also pretty good. It's a huge space so good for large groups. For some reason it was full of kids from jersey, maybe because we came too early (1030 - my friend is weird). Obviously brunch is at 2. Nothing special but good service and good deal.
(4)Melissa D.
We walked in with no reservation and we were able to get full service at the bar for four people. The bartender was really attentive and even though our food arrived an hour after we ordered and the portion sizes were smaller than I would have liked, we loved the atmosphere and they gave us a lobster truffle Mac and cheese on the house (which was deliciousss). Beautiful decor, high ceilings, highly recommended!
(4)Yee C.
I've been to essex a few times - mainly for dinner/happy hour. in the summertime (or maybe they're still doing it now?) they had dollar oysters + 1/2 priced drinks on thursdays which i LOVED! however, you have to go early to get a good selection of oysters, bc they run out and you're stuck with the most unpopular varieties at the end of the night. the food has been spotty - the first time I came to dinner, I had a rolled up chicken breast that contained breadcrumbs or something in the middle (sorry, I forget!) that was sooooo good - moist, well cooked chicken with a delicious filling. so, when I came for dinner the next time, I ordered it again, and it was kind of dry and sad. sigh. I've also tried the gnocchi app (decently good but nothing that exciting) and the potato pancakes (again, all right, but not so good I'd order it again)... the vibe here is fun, and I love the decor, so that bumps it up from 3 to 4 stars... oh, and the dollar oysters!
(4)BKLYN T.
great happy hour. doesn't get too crowded and therefore it's always easy to get the waitresses' attention for your next drink. nice decor. love the tennis ball wall. fries were pretty good. and i've had fries at a lot of bars :) i didn't eat dinner here, but whatever other people got, it looked and smelled really good. i suppose it gets a bit more expensive after happy hour and the crowd reflected that, but i don't think it's overpriced. it's a nice place. happy hour is cheap without the place being too dive-y. i'd like to try the place again for brunch.
(4)Shana R.
Recently, I had brunch with a friend of mine and a few of her friends who were visiting from all corners of the globe. Reservations were made at Essex, somewhat of a Lower East Side brunch institution. The light, loft like space is usually excessively crowded with twenty somethings anxious to get their weekend boozy brunch on. Groups of Gen-X and Y'ers typically spill out of the front door and huddle on the sidewalk at the corner of the restaurant's namesake, Essex and Rivington Streets. While I may have as recently as two weeks ago, been carded when buying a bottle of wine, a twenty-something I am not. There are plenty of brunch places in and around the Lower East Side that are not as busy, have good but-mostly-lacking-in vegan-options menu and allow one to indulge in a two hour all-you can-drink brunch cocktail fest. Let's face it, brunch is not always about the food, but which place has the best return on investment in terms of booze. I was not the one making plans, so I suspended my boycott and I'm so glad I did. Had I held steadfast I would have not learned of the few vegan dishes on the menu in addition to the liberally flowing cocktails. There would be no substitutions or a meal made up of side dishes. Oh no, not here. In addition to the full on vegan meals on the menu, tempeh bacon was a side dish. You had me at hello. I ordered the Vegan Mexican Matzo Brei sans soy cheese, of which I am absolutely not a fan. It doesn't melt and tastes like plastic. I can only imagine what happens when introduced into your digestive system. Not sexy. Essentially, the Vegan Mexican Matzo Brei was like if chilequiles and the traditional dish had a baby. Tofu was used in place of scrambled eggs, softened tortilla chips in place of bite size pieces of matzo and it was dressed with tomatoes, onions and cilantro. On the side were sauteed spinach with shittake mushrooms and a generous pile of avocado. The only suggestion I would make is if there was a dollop of tofu or cashew sour cream I left full, happy and a little tipsy. The true signs of a good brunch. It was a lovely surprise and I'm actually be willing to continue to suspend the boycott, though I won't just go and wait hours on end, congregating on the sidewalk in front in hopes of getting a table. There must be reservations. Brunch is $20, is cash only and reservations recommended knifestylesofthefitandfa…
(4)Katie W.
yes it's crowded, yes it's hot, but no you will not get a better unlimited brunch deal with quality food, quick service and cool beats anywhere else. make a reservation, expect to wait 30+ mins past that time, then drink up and enjoy.
(4)Jimena V.
Came here for Sunday brunch and loved it!! The food and the service were great! The crowd was very cool too, very hipster and just overall very relaxed. Exactly what you need on a Sunday afternoon, especially if you've had a rough weekend lol
(5)Vicky P.
One of my favorite places to come to for Sunday brunch!!!!!!!!!!!! Reservations are HIGHLY recommended. I don't live in NY but I make SURE i go to Essex whenever I come to NY....It's a RITUAL. The wait staff has never disappointed me, the food comes out quick.... drinks are never half-full... and the ambiance is so "Sex & the City-ish" !! Took my girls here from MIA and they loved it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(5)Helen V.
Came here for brunch on a Saturday around noon. We made reservations for 11:30 for 5 ladies but our whole party didn't arrive until about 12. The hostess was really nice and seated us right away anyway! So no problem there. We did the $18 brunch special. I had the Scallops topped with the potato cake and eggs. I really liked the potato cake. It was extra crispy even though my poached egg broke all over it. I'm a big fan of hash browns so their version is definitely an upgrade. We all chose mimosa as our choice of drink and I'm pretty sure we got more than 3 glasses full. Our waitress kept on returning and refilling our glasses! Overall, a great brunch experience! The service was good as well as the prices! Score.
(4)Monica R.
Came here with Michael F on a lovely Saturday afternoon. I never NEVER resist a brunch date. Especially one that includes free flowing mimosas for almost THREE hours. They poured those babies like it was going out of style. And the fact that we were seated at a table on the second floor loft area, I was able to burn about 137 mimosa-induced calories from the many bathroom trips up and down the stairs. For real. I counted. And that brings me to the bathroom situation. +1 star for having the Xelerator hand dryer- those things are amazing and dry your hands in like 3 seconds flat. BUT, for such a snazzy establishment, I would expect the restroom (particularly the women's restroom) to be a bit larger than a sardine can. It is at these moments where I wish I had a penis. My chocolate pancakes were spectacular- fluffy, chocolatey, delicious. The fruit salad was not just your average watermelon, honeydew and cantaloupe mixture- thank god, because I DESPISE melon. There were yummy chunks of granny smith apple, pineapple, grapes, strawberries... mmmmm. The eggs were cooked just right and the potatoes- OUT OF THIS WORLD. I exited brunch, well... DRUNK. And there was still daylight. Boy was that confusing.
(4)Stephanie M.
Hey I have a great Idea for a restaurant, let's make the cheap stuff taste really good but let's make the full priced things entirely not worth it. You can't beat the long happy hours and $1 oysters on Thursday, but don't bother ordering anything else off the menu. My friends and I shared the potato pancakes, salmon, and mac and cheese. The only thing that tasted good was the mac and cheese, but it was carelessly scooped on to the plate like my lunch lady use to do in high school. The watermelon martini was delicious, and you can't beat the location but I was overall disappointed in the quality of the food. There are only two reasons why I would come here: 1. cheap happy hour 2. everywhere else in the neighborhood is packed.
(2)Julie T.
Nothing beats good food, drinks and company. We visited this establishment for Brunch on a Saturday! Let's start by saying if you want a quiet place to have some food this is not the place to go. It was very busy and loud maybe it had something to do with St. Pattys Day not sure but on to the food and service. Service was good our waitress was super attentive always kept our water glasses and drinks full. Food was pretty damn good! Most of the table ordered the Lobster Benedict which was amazing, I had the Crab Benedict which was good but I prefer the Lobster another gf had the Aristocrat which she was really happy about!! All in all we had a great time and the food was good. Hope to visit again soon
(5)Paul K.
One of the worst food experiences ever. The food is terrible and overpriced. I can't believe this establishment is still around. The Oysters are terrible; the worst I've ever had by far. Wasabi crusted salmon was hilarious. Everyone should go there and try it. THAT'S how bad it was. Super not-hip. Overpriced.
(1)Haley G.
I give the Roasted Duck Breast entree 4 stars! It was delish! :)
(4)Courtney S.
Literally could not ask for better brunch! I had the tomato & spinach omelet - to die for! Friends had assorted menu items and all were wonderful. The rolls they put on the table basically taste like an everything bagel - YUM!! Menu says 'three' drinks are included in brunch, well funny story... the waiter just kept pouring! They also give you an extra drink ticket to use at the bar after your meal AND some people that were leaving gave us their extra tickets, so suffice it to say it was a GOOD brunch!!!! Will be coming back :)
(5)Travis L.
Meh, dinner was rather disappointing. I ordered the burger med. rare with jalapenos, swiss, bacon and avocado and received it well done sans jalapenos. It took so long that I didn't want to wait for the kitchen to cook another one. I ended up getting my jalapenos but they were not properly cut to fit on a burger, like others at the table had, and the bacon was so hard I could barely take a proper bite out of my burger. My girlfriend ordered the clams in tomato sauce and was served clams in a white sauce... so yeah. Thumbs down. The rest of the table didn't seem to have any complaints but the also didn't have any complements either. Bottom line; Could not recommend to my friends.
(2)Joleen Z.
So I've heard so many great things about Essex, mostly involving the $18 brunch that includes 3 Screwdrivers, Mimosas, or Bloody Marys. Since I had just ran a 1/2 marathon that morning, nothing sounded more disgusting than alcohol so maybe this review will deserve a revisit on the point of sheer value for alcohol consumption. Maybe the nasty, sub-par food becomes edible after 3 beverages. I hate the layout of this restaurant, the huge crowd waiting by the bar, and how this is the most unrelaxing place to ever have a leisurely brunch experience. Even when you are in the upstairs area, you feel smooshed. And I hate to smoosh with people i don't know! Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30am-4:30pm and then they also have "Sunday Sundown" brunch from 4:30pm-8:00pm. Again, the main draw is definitely the drinks. The food was disgusting. It was like greasy eggs, nasty potatoes. Fruit salad that was mushy and not fresh. I ate maybe 4 bites and didn't bother to look at the rest. Will try to give it one more chance, but basically the two stars are for the facts you can make brunch reservations online through OT (rare) and the other is the service is really friendly and not the typical disenchanted hipster I tend to find (and really dislike) in this area. Also, no credit cards for brunch only? Stupid rule.
(2)Lara R.
Essex is one of my favorite NYC brunch spots. I definitely preferred my outing here WITH reservations over the one where we just opted to head over. Makes the dining experience much more pleasurable. You can be guaranteed to be greeted with a long wait, sans-reservations. The blueberry pancakes here are great, as well as the bananas foster french toast. Mmmm. And the mimosas... oh no, they do not hold you to the 3 as stated on the menu. However, to keep them a'coming, you have to take a grazing approach to your main course (a little tip...). I'll definitely be back again. And again...
(4)Patricia S.
Essex is a great brunch place for those who believe in the good old-fashioned "hair of the dog" remedy. $20 gets you a heaping plate of brunch with 3 bloody marys or mimosas. Been there twice, and got the Mexican Matzoh Brei each time. It's a dizzying amalgamation of tortillas, avocado, matzoh brei, cheese, and diced tomatoes, with a side of black beans, sour cream, and guacamole. Can never finish the whole thing ... but that doesn't stop me from trying! Have been seated both upstairs and downstairs, and service is generally the same anywhere - not super friendly, but extremely efficient, as I'm sure there's some kind of contest as to how many tables they can turn in an hour. Glasses are never empty, I'm guessing drunk guests tip better than those with irritating hangovers. There's usually a wait, depending on what time you brunch (15 mins for 11 or 11:30 and generally longer the later in the morning you go). There's a huge food selection for weekend brunch, so I'll probably be back to try something other than the Matzoh Brei.
(3)Lorraine Kim E.
I have to this restaurant twice for dinner and both time my experience was good I did not have reservations and they were cool again it, the food was good and fresh and loved the potato pancakes I would recommend this place I have never had desert there because across the street is my favorite cupcake place :) P.S. its one of those pretty people restaurants lol but I dont care all our money is green.
(4)Renee C.
So There's no better way to entertain guests with pretty high expectations from the far west than to take them to $1 oyster night @ Essex :) I thought their brunch was good already...with their 3 complimentary cocktails for $18. I tend to come out a little tips..well a little more than tipsed....but I may like their Thursday nights even better cause there's no wait for a table. Our waitress Kate was awesome and I had great company. The oysters were fresh and yummy and the mussels were great too :) I love seafood! :)
(4)Sasha C.
this is my go to spot for $1 oysters! and plus i always come armed with a restaurant.com voucher. makes things cheaper and makes me happier. i also usually have the mussels, pork belly sliders, calamari, a bunch of other appetizers to share. somehow the bill always manages to creep up but its always a good meal. i love siting on the top balcony floor only because it feels more private and less booths. the service is usually pretty slow because the waiters trek up and down the stairs and are not always attentive in seeing that you need more drink refills. but i guess thats what you get for sitting on the second floor.
(4)James C.
I really wanted to give this place 4 stars, but because of the service, I just couldn't. SERVICE REALLY WOULD BE A 2!!! SERVICE: I have to address that first. We had to ask more than once for a drink. 2 tables seated after us were taken care of, received drinks, etc despite our requests. And the place wasn't yet crowded! Our salads arrived quickly, and they were awesome, but well before we were finished, our entree's arrived and were "stuffed" on our table. FOOD: Delicious. We both had the arugula salad with warm goat cheese and beets. SO GOOD!!! My dining partner had the lamb chops with spinach. I got a taste and they were impeccable! So freaking good. I had the wasabi glazed salmon. VERY GOOD, although the wasabi was a bit overwhelming. I did ask for extra veggies versus rice, which they did... and the veggies were amazing. We also ordered the grilled veggie side, which was awesome! I'm not saying don't try this place, but beware of the service...
(3)Matt D.
One of the premiere brunches in the city offers (almost) endless mimosas + an impressive food selection. We were considering this Australian burger (beef with cheese and an egg on top) but decided on the macaroni and cheese and applewood smoked sausage. INCREDIBLE. Essex is a victim of its own success, however. It's often overcrowded and while reservations are a must, I don't see the benefit since you're still packed in like sardines. Waitresses are often slow to fill your glass due to the sheer volume of people, but it's due to understaffing. I highly recommend the brunch at Essex. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. Service: 3.5 out of 5 stars.
(4)Laura D.
Went there for a holiday party last friday. me and one of my colleagues ordered the salmon from the company menu list (don't know if that's on their regular menu). i only took a couple of bites because it was super fishy ... needless to day a couple of hours later i got sick and threw up like crazy. my friend got sick the next morning and had to throw up several times as well. either of us was drunk so it could not have been from the alcohol. spent the saturday sick in bed and had a lingering fish taste in my mouth for the rest weekend. lovely!
(1)Larisa T.
Went here for the infamous brunch. Not impressed. Here's why: -It's like Club Brunch. The loud music was annoying. -They have fancy palm pilots to place orders, but they messed up one of our orders. I think a pad and paper works better. -The salmon in my dish definitely came from a can. That's not forgivable. On the plus side, the place has an energetic vibe, and the 3 drinks were pretty good. The food is ok. I really don't know how it got so popular.
(3)Rebecca K.
I came here for brunch with a party of 6 and no reservation on a Saturday. Although the wait was about 45 minutes, it gave everyone time to go get cash at a nearby ATM (cash only) and the vibrant bar scene gave us something to do while we waited. The Buzztable app has a voucher for a free drink. We went for pomegranate mimosas, which were delicious and although unusual the bartender and waitress accommodated. Once seated, the service and the food were excellent. I never thought I would say this, but the potato pancakes were better than my mothers and the complementary 3-drinks were the perfect amount. I will definitely be back! It was a great, open, and lively atmosphere for a Saturday brunch in a very unique space.
(5)Meredith F.
Other reviewers have said it, but I'll say it again...$18 pre-fixe brunch including bottomless mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloody mary's...whaaa? Add to that the onion rolls and butter served up as you wait, the thickly battered crispy potato cakes, and perfectly cooked steak and eggs over-easy--sold! The hostesses and servers were an absolute delight--this is going to become a brunch staple for sure. (It also doesn't hurt that the Doughnut Plant is a very short walk from here for a quick sweet fix afterwards!)
(4)Charles V.
Went here for brunch on a beautiful sunday. The place was packed and the food was good, not terrific but good. The drinks were endless, bloody marys were more bloody than mary but all was pretty good.
(3)Jen Y.
I've been to Essex for both their brunch and dinner with mixed experiences, so my review is in two parts. Brunch: The $18 deal is great! The menu has a nice variety, and the dishes are delicious. Skip some of the sides (for instance the spinach, black bean and mushrooms--I don't even know why it's on the menu). Get in early, or you are guaranteed to be waiting, even as soon as 30 minutes after the doors open. Service is consistently very attentive, swift and excellent. Dinner: I've only done dinner here twice, and both visits were VERY disappointing, especially given I really enjoy the brunch. The first visit was awful. Our party of 6 waited forever to have our orders taken. We then waited about 30 minutes before we complained about our appetizers not coming out. We were assured they'd be coming soon...but it never happened. We had to ask for bread (we were pretty drunk after an hour of cocktails without food). We cancelled our apps and asked for the main dishes. Another 30 minutes later, they arrived. Certainly not worth the 2 hour wait. Another dinner visit here was just ok. In my book, brunch is definitely the way to go.
(3)Nils H.
We came here for my girlfriend's birthday dinner for about ~20 people, and they made it a total breeze for us. They have a prix fixe menu for about $65 which also includes all you can drink booze (and not just cheap bottom shelf stuff either). The menu was OK overall, but good enough for a group our size. Probably a little more expensive than it should have been, but such is the premium for convenience. Took off one star because our waitress (while awesome) was the only person for our entire table. Thus, it took extra long to do anything (e.g., trying to maximize value from the open bar) because she had to cycle through everyone. Other than that, I'd recommend this place for large group outings.
(4)Rebecca B.
So I came to Essex once for dinner. Wrote a not-so-nice review on my food blog because as a whole, everything was mediocre. Well, I eat my words a bit as now I have tried Essex's brunch, and all is well in the world. $16 for all you can drink mimosas or bloodies. (Sure, it says "3" on the menu, but they're not counting and neither should you!) I didn't try the bloodies (after scathing Yelp reviews), but the mimosas hit the spot. As did the food! 2 friends and I split the omelet with spinach, sheeps milk cheese and tomato (with egg whites), the potato pancakes with spinach, black beans, and an appley sauce, and the mexican matzo brie - made with tortilla chips and beans. All were delicious! My favorite was the omelet, the cheese was fantastic. Service was so-so, but can't expect much from a crowded Sunday brunch at a restaurant with unlimited beverages! I have much more respect for Essex after brunch, but I'll never eat dinner there again.
(4)Jade L.
Before booking this place for a big group dinner, most of the reviews that I read were for brunch! I decided to take the plunge and made reservations for a birthday dinner here anyway. It worked out pretty well. We had a group of 12 people and they accomodated us nicely. Our group was seated immediately in the upstairs section, which was a plus. I wasn't a big fan of the long table though. Our conversations were restricted because we couldn't scream down to the other end of the table. A round table would have been better. Service was blah, but the food was for the most part good (with really good portion size)! We ordered an assortment of appetizers. The majority of the table was a big fan of the spicy avocado dip for the calamari. Calamari itself was great and the tartare was tasty too. Everyone seemed pleased with their entree, except the lamb was not cooked perfectly. Overall, it was a good dining experience. I would most likely come back to try out the highly talked about brunch!
(4)Joe C.
it's all about cheap cheap cheap! 1 buck oysters, half price drinks and bar food that is not too shabby. worth eating if u're around the area.
(2)Andrea L.
I loved this place. I went for brunch and the food was great and the drinks kept coming. For the price, you really can't do better. The waitress was really, really friendly and accommodating. It was a little crowded when I went on a Sunday morning, but there are two levels so they were able to seat most people. Make sure you get there for brunch before noon but after 11:15. You'll be sure to beat the rush but won't be there too long before they start serving alcohol.
(4)Helga N.
Hmm... they try to make the food interesting.. I wish the flavors matched! but I liked this place... nice decor especially for the blocked! Crowd was mixed ... old young ..whatever... and a wide variety menu.. went here instead of Schiller's down the block because of one of the picky guest who couldn't find anything they liked on the menu.. will i be back.. not anytime soon... but wont avoid at all if I'm down there.
(3)faith s.
For $16.00 bucks, one can feast on great food and 3 drinks...Brunch it up!!
(4)Michael W.
great spot for later in evening, wasn't crowded
(4)Brian H.
im not even sure if i even enjoyed eating my food because by the time i got my plate, i might have been too drunk for it. after a busy saturday night, nothing says hangover cure like drinking unlimited mimosas while feeling like you are at a club similar to the one you were the night before. definitely a lot of eye candy, and the waitstaff were extremely nice, which is surprising because i might have said some horrible things in my inebriated state. i remember getting my omelette thinking it was a godsend from heaven. four stars drunk, three and a half sober? ill never know.
(4)Robyn A.
I had a brunch reservation here but waited for an hour (and then left) without being seated. It was noisy and uber-annoying in there.
(1)G. L.
this place gets 4 stars for the simple fact that i got unlimited mimosas throughout the course of my brunch. i never saw the bottom of my glass! that's what i call great service :D the food itself, however, (i got the essex cubano sandwich) left something to be desired. but who needs food when you've got unlimited mimosas?!?
(4)miz m.
I know lots of people love Essex for their 3-drink brunch, but I've been here for both brunch and dinner and I've been totally unimpressed both times. The waitstaff can be very slow. One time I had to flag someone down just to get a refill of water. Oh and the wait for a table for brunch can be horrible. We're talking one hour when they say it'll only be 20 minutes. Ugh. I like my brunches big and tasty and Essex has skimpy-sized portions that don't really taste all that special.
(2)Chinku G.
I set up a dinner party for 22 people. We all had a great time, and the food was great. Their happy hour and lobster nites are a super deal also!
(4)Amy S.
reservations, shmeservations. while i often forget to make a rez for brunch here, it is highly encouraged as many of the starving, hungover masses who gather in the hallowed entryway of essex are turned away for not having the foresight to call ahead. however, you can have reservations and STILL wait for more than 30 minutes to be sat. but just wait it out. brunch here is well worth your time. shuffle your feet, gossip with your friends, and wait for it. wait for what? many many many drinks. they say 3 come with your food-$16 for the whole shebang. but really, your friendly waitperson will just keep refilling and refilling your glass-so whether youre swilling bloody marys, mimosas or screwdrivers, be prepared to have many. the food is also really tremendous. not overly fussy, everything is quickly and expertly prepared. when i didnt eat the meatz i would always get the tempeh bacon which was the best fake bacon i've ever had. these days, i'm partial to the chicken apple sausage which is enough to rouse me from bed on my most hungover of days. sitting upstairs at essex and having a languid, leisurely and boozy brunch is one of my most favorite things about living in new york. i'll see you on the line.
(5)Rich S.
Tasty sunday brunch for $15 that included 3 drinks. Make sure you get a reservation and even then you may wait for a table.
(4)Miz C.
get the mimosa. they never stop refilling it. some of the brunch menu is borderline questionable but i usually get too buzzed too care. MAKE A RESERVATION! you can do it online @ opentable.com
(5)Sonny D.
i know that everyone's been raving about the brunch deal here, but for a seafood freak like me, it's all about $16-lobster wednesdays! yeah!
(5)Sarah O.
Jewish and Latin food. Great for Sunday brunch. This is the lower east side, and as brunch is a staple on the weekend agenda, it gets crowded. But have no fear..there is actually a Sunday brunch bar scene here. I kid you not. Sure, people have traded in their Foster's and Martinis for Bellinis, Mimosas and Bloody Marys', but it's a 'scene' nonetheless. The hostesses are a bit disgruntled, and often confused, as I've found. They can't quite get the table availability right for the 2 upstairs sections. But the food is quite good, once you get seated and sorted. I love that the Matzoh Brie, which is a traditional Passover breakfast dish made with crumbled matzoh, egg and milk and sort of fried like a fritatta, is almost sacreligious in its accoutremant of chicken apple sausage. It feels naughty. They also have a Wednesday night Lobster special for $14, with each addt'l lobster only $8. I have yet to try this, but I hear it's pretty decent. Let's review....Jewish/Latin fare that comes with quite a 'social scene on the Lower East Side. Sunday brunch is literally a party thrown by a famous DJ.' As a famous NY columnist often says, 'Only in New York, kids...only in New York.'
(4)Theresa X.
came here for the Wed. night Lobster special $14 inc. 2 sides and it was eh. lobster is lobster i guess but it was blah. i think i'll stick to my spanish spot in Jersey for cheap lobster
(2)sarah m.
All I can say is STAY AWAY! My family and I went here for Mother's day. My sister had called to make the reservation for 11 am and mentioned there would be three small children and 7 adults. They never mentioned that the only menu they served was a $25 all you can drink brunch but you could not drink until 12! Once we sat down it took forever for someone to help us. We were also surprised there was no kids menu or non drinking menu option. They wanted us to pay $25 for each of the kids' food even though they don't drink! What a rip-off. When My sister went to speak to the manager he refused to talk to her and even turned his back on her and walked away. It took an hour to get the food we ordered and even then my food did not come with my family's it came 20 minutes later. The food was cold and tasteless. This was a horrible experience and on Mother's Day no less. They were severely understaffed and unprepared. It was the worst dining experience I have ever had!!!
(1)Amanda C.
Swanky L.E.S. establishment with great service and tasty food! Super Hip. The Pimptastic DJ was spinning some hot tunes last night (Just ask Gab).The crab cakes are a bit spicy, but the "banitzas" are heaven. HEAVEN. Ok, I haven't done the brunch yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it!
(4)Courtney P.
Tyra Banks as a talk show host. Spandex bike shorts. Lindsey Lohan doing anything. George Bush for president. While these things may SOUND like a good idea, they really sort of aren't. (And that last one doesn't even SOUND like a good idea. I digress.) Same with Cucumber Vodka saketinis and Pomegranate Martinis. SOUNDS like a good idea. Not really great in reality. But honestly, this is the case with many drinks around the city, and those places don't have a 3 hour $5 happy hour drinks with $1 oysters on Thursday. Okay, the oysters were a bit gritty, but they were good nonetheless. The service was friendly, though a bit overwhelmed. And the decor is suprisingly open and airy for a LES establishment. And though I didn't love those two drinks, some of the others were more promising. And hey, the drinks weren't nearly as reprehensible as picturing George Bush in those aforementioned bike shorts.
(4)Lisa F.
Overall, this was a fun and laid back place to enjoy brunch with friends. I wanted a place where I could actually make a reservation given that we were a group of 5. We were there by 11am, and it wasn't crazy crowded...but by 12pm it was INSANE! We were able to eat upstairs which was nice, since people are packed by the bar waiting for their tables downstairs. The food is pretty good...not great, but for $22.95 you get any entree on the menu plus bottomless Mimosas, Screwdriviers or Bloody Mary's. YOU CAN NOT BEAT THAT!!! The menu offers a good amount of variety...various egg dishes with some sweet/savory options as well. If you are looking for a fun place that's not too over the top, not too stuffy/upscale with decent food and a great drink special then I highly recommend this!!!!
(4)Dara M.
The food here was just ok. They tried really hard to make it fancy, but it lacked in taste. The tartar platter was over salty, and just plain gross. It came with corn chips! Can you believe it? I wasn't impressed with the food there. The bar area was nice, so I suppose it would be a good place to go get a drink, but it was loud, and hard to hear what the person next to you was saying. I don't think I'd go back here.
(3)Charise S.
Okay, I think I have been to Essex enough times to leave a review. Now I am a brunchinista. absolutely love spot that do the Pre-Fixe style brunch w/ the unlimited Mimosas. The selection is very eclectic, and from what i've had, the Mac & Cheese ( Pretty Good) Mexican Matzo Brei ( Excellent) & the French Toast ( Delish) its a good choice for brunch. Now the down side is don't really expect to have a good conversation, the place stay so crowded you'll be having a shouting match with those at your table. Still as the mimosas keep coming, you won't even care anymore. Dinner- Essex has become one of my new favorite places courtesy of their Weekly Wednesday special....$16 Lobster ( LUV IT!) & drinks are half off until 9pm....I repeat half off until 9pm. Which means $4-$5. Be prepared to be a little loosey goosey, tipsy wipsy when you leave. In the end, its a cool spot in LES, be sure to make reservations, b/c the wait may be even longer if you don't
(4)Lisa T.
Their happy hour is muy bueno! half off drinks (that are very strong) and $1 mussels. LOVE their salsa they give for the mussels but warning: they'll give you onion breath. Potato pancakes were not good. My favorite dish, which I introduced to all my friends who now love it, is the steamed mussels in red sauce. The red sauce tastes like gourmet tomato soup. I always drink it as a soup.
(4)Mandy S.
Love this place for a lazy Sunday Drunk Brunch with friends. Even with a reservation, expect to wait. Expect a long wait if you have a party of 10 or more. I came here for my birthday brunch with a group of friends and waited a good 45 minutes minimum. But they keep you topped off with those drinks, so all is forgiven. Food is good. It's $25 for food and three drinks. Do you see why reservations are necessary and why you still have to wait a while?
(4)Jen L.
On late-ish chilly Sunday, I was dying to fiiiiinally check this place out. After all the hootin' and hollarin' about Essex, it was like an accomplishment to have made it here; even more of an accomplishment when you consider how long we waited for a table. But, some things are worth waiting for ... like the perfect middle table next to the railing, on the second floor overlooking the gallery down below. It's the LES boys and girls, so if it appears to you that everyone is cooler than thou, they probably (think they) are. 1 star for the stellar seat in the house. On to more important things - like drinks. Those mimosas really hit the spot, and they're generous with the number of glasses, so I'd almost call this bottomless, unless you want to be drunk at brunch, in which case .. maybe not bottomless for you. 1 star for the generous pouring of drinks. Order the mac 'n cheese. We had it as a side, and almost fought eachother for the last spoonful. The Aristocrat was, eh, ok. The potato pancake was good. The Mexican Matzo Brei was a plate full of messiness, but I'm no mexican fan on a good day. 1 star for the mac 'n cheese. Everyday is a better day when it starts with mac 'n cheese.
(3)Vincent L.
can a place get points for just being trendy? you bet your ass it can. essex is a place with average food, okay service, and decent atmosphere. but it's trendy and popular and attracts a good crowd. the first thing you should know is to come for their brunch. the food, again, is okay, but it's basically unlimited alcohol. okay, technically, it's three drinks, but you'll see how busy it gets during brunch so no one really knows how many drinks you've had. and by the fifth one, you'll probably lose count too. and like beer goggles, the food becomes tastier by then. dinner here is okay. it's a similar crowd, but less touristy. the appetizers are pretty damn good (try the short rib sliders and mussels), but i've never been impressed with the entrees. again, the place is pretty small, but it attracts a fun crowd, so if you grab a few drinks, it all ends up being a pretty experience.
(4)F C.
Very nicely designed place that is at its best on a sunny Sunday brunch. Great value too, $18, three drinks included -- plus unlimited supply of coffee and tea. It can get really crowded, but it never felt packed to me. Make a reservation and get a seat in one of the sun lit mezzanines, they are great. The weekly specials are great too; Mondays and Thursdays $1 oysters are excellent. Pair that with 1/2 price drinks, and there is absolutely no way you can go wrong.
(5)Sharlene C.
grabbed dinner with a friend last night here. i got a open table spotlight coupon for $25 for $50. i went during happy hour so i could capitalize on the $1 oysters (got a dozen) and half price drinks. kept it classy with a glass of the sauvignon blanc. i was craving meat so i went with the burger. my friend got the blacken catfish. my burger was aiight. a little dry and i was realizing the waiter never asked me how i wanted it cooked. it was medium nonetheless. i had a bit of the catfish and it was nice and lite. when it came time to pay i had a mild heart attack as the server said my coupon wasn't going through. he was a sweet heart though and tried a few more times until it did. he confessed it wasn't the coupon but the hostess entering it. i'll be back for happy hour, but pass on the burger
(3)Brit P.
Great brunch menu, tons to choose from, and all you can drink. It is however, very loud. Expect a long wait before being seated despite any reservation that is made. People crowd around at the front, and are relentless when it comes to passing by to either go to your table or go to the bathroom. Had a great time none the less.
(3)Dennis T.
Review only for the nightlife. We walked in. Crazy crowded. There was a sea of douches. No talent. Immediately walked back out. True story.
(2)Claire X.
Essex only gets 4 stars form me as we had to wait 30 minutes to be seated even though we had a reservation. However, it's completely understandable as Essex is brunch madhouse (in the best way). I won't repeat much as brunch at Essex is well-reviewed, but the bloody mary's are the best I've had in the city at this price point and the poached eggs were perfectly, perfectly cooked. This is my new go to brunch spot on the LES, or if I'm being honest, the east side!
(4)Yvonne Y.
Great brunch place! $16 = entree and 3 mimosas/screwdrivers/bloody mary's Add $2 for specialty entrees like the diver scallops or crab/lobster meals. You must must must order the latkes. No matter what you have...order a side of latkes. I had the lobster benedict...which was very nice and the seafood very fresh- i think I shoulda gone with the diver scallops though. I ordered a latke on the side and it was really the best latke i've ever had. the diver scallops came with the latke so it would have been the right amount of food. I will say, however, the eggs were poached perfectly...not dripping water or anything. the potatoes that came with the lobster benedict were ok - but in running up the filling carb points, go with the latkes. extra points for the server who put up with us during Saturday brunch. If you knew me and my friends, you would know that this can be quite the feat (ex. it took us about half an hour alone to order). She didn't even pressure us to push through the meal and leave...Extra special gooey brownie points.
(4)Alicia M.
Solid place. Good menu. Ok service. Nice brunch... You get the drift - the place is a good safe choice, but nothing exceptional!
(4)Rebecca L.
The tables and chairs upstairs kill the vibe of this place. Also, the food kind of sucks? Had the calbaza salad which was extremely salty for some reason and the crab cake which was just not good. My boyfriend has the pork loin and it was super chewy. Coconut Cream Pie was A+ though, so there's a star.
(1)Linda W.
one of my really good friend made this discovery. absolutely LOVE the ambiance of this place. the wait staff is super super friendly! drinks food and dessert! food was off the hook! loved the mussels and the spicy chipotle pork loins. it was amazing!!! i tried the mac and cheese, that was ok. i swear i had the most DELICIOUS peanu butter pie ever. its actually called the peanut butter "sigh" pie and i can totally see why. take one bite just one bite and you're like in heaven. have it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. great place!
(4)Daniela H.
Great brunch, but warning the wait could be long. Last time found myself walking into a 2 to a 3 hour wait. The place is always very crowded and could be loud. But food is good.
(3)Becca S.
Please place your left hand on this bible, raise your right hand, and repeat after me: I, (your name), do solemnly swear that I have no plans, obligations, deadlines or any other such responsibilities on this day (state today's date) aside from this food that I am about to eat and these 42 bloody marys I am about to consume. Thank you, you now have permission to have brunch at Essex. You won't remember it, but the food is great--fantastic potato pancakes, perfect poached eggs, solid cubano sandwich, and matzoh brie! Just like mom used to make. And yes, just like everyone says, you'll get way more than 3 drinks. Once my friend and I were lingering, and because they wanted our table (which was perfectly reasonable, we'd been there for an hour and a half and there were hordes of people in line), they gave us drink tickets so we could continue drinking at the bar for free! Outstanding.
(5)michelle k.
we're always here for happy hour and the $1 oysters but it's NEVER consistent. the food is mediocre and nothing memorable. you would think 'who can hate on $1 oysters' but actually i learned that you can when the oysters come out warm or when it doesn't taste fresh. some of the cocktails were pretty good though.
(3)Karen B.
Sunday brunch is the reason to go here -- $16 for a tasty entree plus "3 drinks" (choice of bloody mary, screwdriver and/or mimosa) which seem to be refilled over and over and over again... I recommend any of the poached egg dishes (eggs benedict, lobster benedict, crabcake benedict) and anything served on the crispy potato pancake. Be prepared for a wait though. This place is popular, but the servers do their best to make your meal an enjoyable one.
(4)Whoopssica R.
this restaurant is overwhelmed and under staffed. had a 2:30 reservation. got seated at 3:15. food came to the table at 4:15. our waitress was very nice and kept the bloody marys flowing. so by the time the exceedingly mediocre food came out, nobody cared much what they were eating. if you enjoy food or value your time, this place may not be right for you.
(2)Maggie M.
Great food, good vibe, awesome BRUNCH!
(4)Laura B.
I've been here twice, once for a birthday party and most recently for dinner. This place is generally a little on the loud side for my liking for a meal, but the atmosphere is good otherwise. When we arrived at 8pm it wasn't too crazy and felt much more intimate. By 10pm when we left however, it was a bit of a sensory overload. The food was well cooked and reasonably priced. I had the roasted chicken with sides of shredded grilled veggies, very good, and porcini mushroom mashed potatoes. The potatoes seriously lacked salt, but that is not difficult to fix oneself. My dining partner had the salmon, which he enjoyed. All in all a good option on the LES.
(4)Karyn B.
Expect at least a 2 hour wait. It's worth it, but make sure you plan your day accordingly! Good news though-- they'll send you a text when your table is ready, so you can walk around or, if you live close enough, go back home and sleep off your hangover from the night before for a few hours. I've been here a few times-- always a good time. Seating upstairs is the best as there's more space and less super hungry people glaring at you hoping you'll hurry up and leave. Bloody marys here are some of the best I've ever had! The mix is just the right amount of spicy and awesomeness. They're also really good about refills-- you'll never have an empty glass. My friend had chicken fried steak and literally licked his plate. Other friend had lobster benedict and gave it a thumbs up. I had the huevos rancheros (called Mexican Matza Brei or something on the menu)-- its good, but not to-die-for.
(4)Denise L.
This is a perfect place for a large group! Good food, inexpensive prices, great vibe and space. My girlfriends and I came here the other weekend and the 5 of us had an awesome time! We had a spacious roundish table that allowed all of us to see each other and have 1 conversation. I hate long tables where you can't even see the people sitting on the same side as you. I started off with the lobster spring roll. It was delicious. Lots of fresh lobster meat and salad wrapped in rice paper. For my entree I had the mussels and frites. It was huge! Tons of mussels cooked in tomato wine broth and crispy fries. Dessert was heavenly. We ordered 3 desserts and the 5 of us devoured it in like 5 minutes. It was so much fun. We shared the banana foster, black and white cake, and apple pie crisp. The apple crisp and ice cream was my favorite. Definitely check out Essex if you're looking for a affordable place for a large group.
(4)Danielle S.
Went for the 3 drink brunch. Place was super packed and really loud, thank god we had a reservation. I couldn't even hear the person next to me so not good for catching up with the ladies. Food was mediocre and mostly cold; drinks were super strong, just like I like em. Might consider going back for dinner but def not brunch.
(2)Wendy C.
Monday night we weren't talking about sex, We were too busy shucking Blue Point oysters at Essex. These oysters are fleshy, juicy, briny, and raw... Thanks to the dopamine they made the lionesses in us roar! The price is certainly a bargain at a dollar per piece, But we weren't counting how many we had since we enjoyed our feast!
(4)Justine N.
This is a great place to consider if you're planning a group dinner. I booked reservations a couple of weeks in advance for a Friday night dinner for a party of 15. Almost everyone was late (~30-40 minutes late, in fact) but the hostess didn't give me a hard time about it and she seated us promptly once the last person arrived. (There's a full bar with ample seating if you're ever stuck waiting around for your tardy friends). The food isn't anything spectacular, but it's good enough and the prices are very wallet-friendly. We ended up splitting the bill evenly among the group and it came out to $35 a person (which covered entrees, a few shared appetizers and 1-2 drinks for most of the group). Not too shabby. The service was efficient and friendly, which is a plus too.
(4)Nancy L.
Like most things in Manhattan Essex is overrated. Reservations had to be made a month in advance so I was expecting a brunchtastic meal but just ended up slightly tipsy (courtesy of a few bloody marys) and simply satiated. There were a lot of people waiting for seats but its probably just because it's the latest "it" place and not because the food is great. The lobster benedict was pretty bland, probably due to a poor hollandaise. On the plus side they were 4/4 for perfectly poached eggs which in my experience has been hit or miss. The lobster itself was pretty good too, probably would make a good dish in itself. Potato pancake was bland as well, so the ketchup was flowing. All our dishes were also lukewarm by the time we got them, which made them even less enjoyable. The only bright point were our sides of mac and cheese (not too cheesey, just right with the crispiness) and apple chicken sausage (just the right balance of sweet and savory). The decor is really cute and the place has a nice open airy feel, I think it used to be some sort of warehouse. The music was blaring and a little too loud for me... see above point about "it" place to be. All in all I think I'd rather to stick to Brooklyn for brunch spots.
(3)Reshma B.
Surprisingly I haven't been to Essex for brunch but it has become my go-to spot for drinks. They've got an extensive drink menu - mostly martinis and cocktails ranging from $10-$11 - and they are great. I've come here on a Fri and a Sat night and both times we easily got seats even though the place got crowded (people just don't want to sit? who knows). There is a DJ perched on the 2nd floor. The music is mostly techno/house with a mix of the current stuff - good for background music. Not a place for dancing really, but a good spot in the LES to catch up with friends over some tasty drinks.
(4)Tyler b.
i went here with a group of 9. not an easy table to wait on, i'll admit, but still i was a little disappointed by the service. my "over easy" eggs were also overcooked.... and, though this is completely my fault, i wish SOMEONE would have told me the special bacon i thought i was ordering was actually something vegan. that said, everyone else was very happy with their meal. only 20 bucks, which is pretty good for new york, especially if you consider the included 3 FREE DRINKS!!! seriously! mimosas and bloody maries and irish coffees, all free, up to 3 a person!!! what kind of a crazy, fantastic brunch place is this??? as if i wasn't enough of an alcoholic. thanks essex.
(4)Ken S.
If you are looking to get drunk for brunch, go here!
(4)mary k.
I been there for their $1 oyster night (Tues? or Wed? or was it Mon?) Pro: I liked the ambiance in the restaurant/bar, nice place to go on a date or to meet your friends for a quick drink after work, great appetizers Its kind of far from where I live, so I only gave it 4 stars. But I love them oysters!
(4)S S.
I came for a friend's (large) birthday brunch. Despite a weird thing happening (a waiter somehow dropped a glass over the second story and onto someone in my party), our waitress was attentive and the food was good. The drink refills were consistent and other than a little bit of a wait (with a reservation), we were impressed with the way they handled our group of 12. I've also stopped in for a drink at night at the bar and no issues there - my blood orange cocktail was pretty good and the bartender quick.
(4)Michelle L.
oysters for $1 yay! so fresh. perfect with the cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon!! the catfish here is ok. a bit too salty for me but the shrimp is yum! the mushrooms here are decent. try it. i am a mushroom fanatic..
(4)Julie P.
This review is for their dinner menu, I understand that their brunch is much better. My husband and I visited awhile ago with a Scout Mob coupon. I had the very very heavy (not in a good way) mac and cheese and he had the short ribs, which were alright but nothing to write home about. Their cocktails were great. If their bar was bigger, I'd recommend coming here for apps and a drink, but I'd skip dinner... lots of other places that offer a better value and more flavor.
(2)Eric T.
I went here with my girlfriend last week for her birthday. I made an OpenTable reservation and also had a spotlight coupon to receive a discount on our meal. The service was good and the food was also good not great. We had a few appetizers and a main course. The happy hour special includes half-off drinks which was great.
(4)Danielle S.
Essex used to have an all you can drink brunch...now it's down to 3 freebies. Ehhhh, OK. I guess. I mean, sigh. What's brunch without getting toasted? I've been to Essex for dinner and wasn't impressed. It wasn't bad but for the cost certainly not noteworthy. The thing Essex has going for it is the $1 oyster night. Not going to tell you which day it is...after all, I want to be able to get a seat at the bar.
(3)Melinda L.
I had an extremely bad experience here and will never go back. Our reservations were not honored, people were everywhere because the place just doesn't handle reservations well or doesn't have the right floorplan configuration. People are on top of you while you eat, blocking the walkway to the bathroom, drinking and spilling stuff because it's so crowded ... My list goes on. All for what? Average brunch food and a manager that will argue with you rather than adhere to the 'the customer is always right' mantra. The guy really shouldn't be in any business involving people.
(1)Cristina R.
The Food is great and the people that habitat this place are usually good looking enough to keep you content as you wait an extra half hour for your table, despite having a reservation. Note to self: Brunch is C-A-S-H only (Specials are $16 and come with 3 mimosa's/bloodymary's, Sides are an additional $4 each, Drinks other than bloody's/mimosas are about $6 each) The bar (usually stacked with at least 10 trays of already poured mimosa's and bloody mary's) is the lurking zone for slacking hipsters with no reservation so be prepared to stand. From the looks of it, I only saw hard liquor on the shelf so if your one of those beer-n-eggs types, you might be disappointed.
(4)Kei Ling W.
Friends took me out for brunch yesterday to celebrate my bday. We went to Essex for their brunch deal which is $16 for any brunch dish with 3 drinks (mimosa, screwdriver, or bloody mary). We made reservations on OpenTable.com for 11:45am and the table was already ready for us when we got there, no wait, no hassle. When we finished eating and left, there was a huge line of people waiting for seats, and this was around 1pm. Each one of us ordered a different breakfast dish but I got to taste them all!!! Yahoooo!!! Dishes were: Ribeye Steak with eggs, The Aristocrat, mac & cheese, and eggs benedict with salmon. We received complimentary bread while we tried to decide on what to order. The bread was horrible. It was a type of jewish bread made with a lot of onions in the middle and garlic on top. It was an innovative touch to the regular bread basket but it's not something I would go back for. Too much onion in the middle and the onions carried such a pungent flavor that it tasted more like onion then bread. The eggs benedict was okay; it was decent. You can never mess up eggs benedict since it's such an easy dish. They gave a salad and potatoes on the side. The potatoes was not good, instead of regular potatoes, they make their potatoes with a spicy sauce that do NOT mix with the eggs benedict. Ribeye steak with eggs: was an extra $2. The ribeye steak was so very thin, totally not worth a $18 brunch item. It looked more like flank steak plus it was not seasoned and cooked well, so the steak actually came out to be very old and no flavored once chewed into. The Aristocrat: an extra $2. This was an innovative dish of Eggs Benedict except that the poached egg had no holladise sauce and the english muffin was subsitituted for a potato pancake. The potato pancake was really good, although it was a bit greasy, but it tasted exactly like a big hash brown. Mac & cheese: made with Mosiago cheese. was really good. I believe this was one of my favorite dishes. Service: Waitress was sooo nice. occasionally checked up on us, never gave us attitude since we took a looonnnggg time in deciding on what to eat. She always gave us a smile, really nice.
(3)lauralee s.
So, we had reservations. Then they couldn't find us in the crowd. So we found them and whined a little. So then they found us and stuck mimosas in our hands. And then we all found a table and it all went up hill from there. We found a diverse menu with lots of inventive brunch food. Aside from the spinachy black bean hash stuff which I found to be bland and disappointing, we all found ourselves stuffed to the brim. It didn't help that the mimosa glasses found themselves never empty (except that one that my brother happened to find himself breaking) and our servers and hosts where fun and chatty. And although I'm not a fan of announcing my birthday at restaurants, my sister and brother have big mouths and it got around, so I found myself ending brunch with a delicious but really sweet peanut butter pie. Thumbs up, Essex.
(4)Justin P.
Very inauspicious entrance to this hide away drunken brunch spot. They were full to capacity and then some for Easter today. Our reservations earned us a table & service immediately & my date and I took a seat on the upper level towards the back. $20 for brunch including 3 alcoholic drinks & complimentary breakfast juices and coffees until 12PM when it becomes legit to serve booze. I ended up with about 5 mimosa/bloody marys & wasn't charged extra...(thanks!) I had biscuits & gravy with poached eggs which tasted excellent, but was probably one of the ugliest looking plates in the whole room!
(4)tue l.
This restaurant was a very disappointing experience. Food was alright, but service was the worst I've seen in a long time. First of all my friend and I went there for the $1 oyster special. We asked the waitress what types of oyster she recommends and proceeded to order a dozen of each type. When the bill came out, half of them were not the advertised special. We felt quite cheated. We both ordered oysters, appetizer, salad, and entree to share, but of course it took a good 30-40 minutes to get the oysters (which they just needed to put on a plate of ice!). Upon removing the oysters from our table, the buss boy spilled the shell water on my friend's shoes and didn't even apologize for it. Then they brought out our entree before our appetizer and salad...twice! By the time we got the food and in the right order, things were not the right temperatures. On top of all that, my mojito consisted of 8 limes in a tiny cup and barely any liquor. At the end of the meal, we took the extra itemized receipt (which apparently wasn't for us) and went to the restroom before leaving. The waitress chased us down in there, but mistaken another girl for us. After serving us for the last 1.5 hours, she didn't even recognize faces! Goes to show you how attentive she was.
(1)Fen H.
$1 oysters are pretty good and they also have half price drinks on Sunday-Thurs from 6-9. I had the strawberry maragarita and it was good. The food here is decent.
(3)Haley S.
Okay, so I may be biased since a friend of mine works here, but I have dinner here at least once every two weeks. Tuesday is great for the $14 all you can eat mussels special...great fries. I also love the mac and cheese and the short rib appetizer that I sometimes get as a main. The drinks are great....particularly love the pear bellini and the white grape martini.
(4)Robbie B.
wait is retarded on the weekends. this place is a magnet for b&t bastards with aviators and lacoste shirts. the mimosa/brunch deal is sweet though..... $15. service kind of shit. interior cool and lots of light. cool 2nd floor.
(3)S N.
Quintissential New York brunch experience, long waits and all. One look at the insane brunch-time crowd will be almost enough to make you want to turn around and try your chances elsewhere, but brunch here is definitely worth the wait. Is it the best food in the world?? No. But the experience and free-flowing booze is what weekend brunch in the city is all about. My favorite menu items include the burger, the manchego mac & cheese, the Mexican Matzo Brei, and the chocolate chip pancakes. The brunch drinks are variable in terms of quality and strength, but i'll take it considering how quick the waitstaff is to hit the refills (without you having to ask). The service is fast and polite despite the chaos and the prices are very reasonable to boot.
(4)Noy N.
Don't loss your time in this place. Bad service, very noise, long wait and normal food.
(1)Kobe B.
Been here dozen of times, especially for the $1 oyster special. Last Thursday, 8 of us went to have oysters and 5 of us got food poisoning the following Saturday. Body aching, etc and some of us were sick up to 4 days later...I won't begin to get into it. For those of you that have unfortunately experienced food poisoning, you get it. Those of our party that didn't get sick seemed to have not eaten the last plate that was served to us. Once I called the manager to let him know, he completely got defensive and was pretty much accusing me of lying saying that if it was food poisoning it would have happened the next day. Excuse me, we did our research and it can hit up to 72 hours later and for 5 of the 8 of us to feel the exact same symptoms on the same day. Hmmmmmm? A little more than a coincidence, don't you think? Another thing he said was something to the effect of we serve over 200 oysters in a night and only 5 of you got sick so what am I supposed to do? I mean really? How bout you handle your food correctly? Because they have this special every week, they need to know to be really careful of what they are serving their customers and how they handle raw food. So disappointing since we have been here so many times before. For you oyster lovers, be weary!
(1)Scott B.
Essex is one of the most over-reviewed places on Yelp, so I'll keep it brief. OMG LET'S DO A LIST!!! 1. Everyone complained about a bitchy hostess. She apparently was gone this Sunday because MY hostess was lovely and gave me 2 free drinks when our wait for a table was longer than expected. 2. Something really sad happened to the bartender. I could see the torment in his eyes. Sam P. (not that one) suggests his turtle died. I submit that dead turtles are the same as live ones. 3. Oh, and the place is fun and the food is delicious if you care about stuff like that. The only things not so cute were the buckets of bloody mary that just looked like buckets of blood. 4. Oh, and there's something alien about those delicious onion and poppy rolls they serve. You wouldn't expect it, but I defy you to eat one without smearing butter all over your face.
(5)roderick A.
I had my hopes up for this place, because of all the love that a bunch of people have given to it. I mean, so much love you'd think that Essex was the supermodel of brunch places. Man, what a disappointment. First off, the pretentiousness of this place is so thick, you'd need Obi-Wan's light saber to cut through it. The "hostess", and i'm using that term very loosely, was so rude you'd think she's French. Honey, you're supposed to be the first person that customers see when they come into your place. YOU are representing Essex. But why act so snooty about it? WE are going there, to buy your food and in essence to pay for your salary. Don't act so damn snotty to my friend, who is physically capable of kicking your ass. Then again, my five year old niece is capable of kicking your 85 pound, waifish ass. (but is it wrong that I thought she had a cute face?) You figure after that little snot of a hostess, things have nowhere to go but up, right kids? Nope, it was still bad, though nowhere as bad as Eva Braun up there. We didnt get water for about 20 minutes, and only after asking twice for it. Received bread for us to munch on, but no plates. And when I did get the plate, it had dried up egg in it. Yeah, that good. The food, we hoped, would make up for all the bad that had transpired. Sadly, or should I say predictably, it did not. Just not a good experience at this place. Maybe the food didn't taste great because we were all pissed at the hostess and it psychologically messed it all up for us. Or maybe the food was just plain bad. And whoever said this place was loud is right. Its three weeks later, and my ears are still ringing from how loud it is. Yes i am exaggerating but it does sound good, doesn't it?
(1)Christine P.
Stopped by Essex at 2pm on a Sunday afternoon with a party of 3. Luckily, we were seated immediately. $20 for brunch with 3 glasses of mimosas is definitely a great deal. I ordered the baked eggs over crispy which were yummy. The service was just okay because it got super packed within five minutes of being seated. Can't really complain about how crowded it got because that's pretty typical for Sunday Brunch in NY. As long as the food tastes good and the mimosas keep coming, I'm good! LOL.
(4)K.I.M. S.
I always have a good time when I come here, which is the largest part of what going out to eat or going out to drink is about. Won't take up any more words among 530 reviews, I'm sure it's all been said and I'm tired. Want fun? Essex. That is all.
(5)Koku K.
Brunch here is good. It's very lively, and the waitstaff is friendly. I see people talking about unlimited mimosas, but we were given the standard three. We did however receive an additional mimosa when we were asked to switch tables to accomodate a larger reservation. Not a big deal. I just can't get with waiting in line for brunch though. Especially when there are plenty of other places in the city where I can get a cheaper deal w/half the wait. Did brunch at Essex blow me away? It wasn't the best I've ever had, but it was certainly very good. I also don't think it's fair to penalize them for their popularity. They don't have a line for nothing. However, this experience for me is just not justifiable. I go to brunch because I want to meet w/friends, and because I'm HUNGRY. I can expect a wait, but 40 minutes? Standing in line? Hanging out at the bar while my table's getting ready? It's just not that serious. Good deal for someone else; not exactly deserving of all the hoopla though.
(4)Amelia P.
One of the first places I went besides corner slices in NYC. Initially I went for the Wednesday $14 Lobster dinner. Which might cost more than that now. It was a deal, but the 1/2 an ear of corn is a BAD idea out of season. And, of course, if you drink you spend at least $40 on the signature cocktails. Then I started going for dinner. I was still pretty poor so a friend and I would get the goat cheese salad (yum yum! warm little browned pucks or goat cheese!) with beets, one appetizer(something different every time), and and entree to split (usually the chicken). Always good, all of it, though I adore the short rib appetizer with spicy hush puppies. Once I got the sheep's milk cheese salad instead of the beet/goat combo and I was having salad envy all night of my friend across the table. But then he envied me when I got the cheeseburger empanadas. And rightly so. I thought they could have been cheesier, but were pretty yummy and the sauce was like a home-made version of "special sauce". Finally I managed to get to a brunch for the first time ever in living in NYC for over 5 years (I work weekends) and I ordered the "Southern" somehow my table's orders got messed up and we got a huge apology and got to drink as much as we wanted during our wait. I was tanked when the food FINALLY came and tore into it like I hadn't eaten in YEARS. First time I have eaten edible biscuits-n-gravy in NYC. Kiss my backside old devil moon! The portion was not of gargantuan southern proportions, but was exactly enough that I felt satisfied and not miserable. The sausage gravy and patty were quite tasty and the screwdrivers were a bottomless cup. Afterward I accidentally bought $15 worth of Jelly Bellys at economy candy!!! if it wasn't for the parade of intolerable people and the loud, often annoying music this place would get 5 stars from me. So if you go when it is mellow it is better.
(4)Dj U.
Brunch is great at this place. The menu has an interesting array of breakfast dishes that should satisfy most in your party. If they aren't feeling the food? Make them drink the bottomless Mimosas and the food should seem more appealing to them, by the third. The drawback is the loud pumping music and the crowd roaring over the music. Don't bring your friends that speaks like a mouse, or you may end up making them feel isolated. I guess the loud atmosphere could substitute for caffine if you opt for the Mimosa?
(4)Danny n.
This is what happens when you don't read yelp before going out. So I entered this place last night with a frind from out of town. I didn't know that it was famous for its brunch.. so I went in for Dinner. I ordered mussels in a chorizo sauce, they tasted great!!!. I recommend to just order the mussels and some bread. Main course: My friend ordered chicken with cheese and potatoes. It was decent It tasted fairly well. I ordered the duck: I can't remember the plate name,but I was the worst duck I have tasted in my life!!!. I have eaten in a lot of places. It was supposed to by grill it was broil at the best. I ended up eating my friend's chicken. The service was good and fast.. I don't think I will come again for dinner at this place Brunch might be good ..
(3)Kate W.
Great place for brunch with your girlfriends - I came here at about 4pm, and it was still packed! I didn't think the service was amazing, but the restaurant itself is in a really cool loft. The burger (with the fried egg!) and mimosas were good, but not mind-blowing. Still, really fun place, and I'll most likely go back!
(3)Jinny S.
I really like the brunch here. Sure, it's a bit loud inside and the food is just typical. But it's a great deal for the city, especially with the 3 drinks included. And sometimes, I can be cheap. Or at least I can appreciate cheap. I've also been here for late night drinks and for that purpose, it's perfect. Plenty of seating for a large group and fairly yummy drinks. And at night, it's not as hard to hear the people you're there with. I also like the design of the space inside. They were very creative with the design of their second floor, which allows for more seating upstairs without obscuring the downstairs from the natural light coming through the skylight. Makes you feel like you're inside and outside at the same time.
(4)Amanda O.
Came here for a graduation dinner with a sizable group. To start, we all shared 3 different potato pancakes: one topped with goat cheese, another with salmon and caviar and the last I think with applesauce and caramelized onions--the goat cheese one was my favorite (they may have been on the specials list, since I don't see them listed on the regular dinner menu). My favorite drink (ordered on a whim) was hands down the Mango Lava Lamp. The table's list of entrees is as follows: the grilled free-range half chicken with porcini mashed potatoes, the manchego mac n' cheese (one with lobster, one without), the cajun spiced catfish over shrimp, potato and scallion hash and the wasabi-crusted atlantic salmon over sauteed veggies and himalayan red rice. I myself ordered angus "baseball" steak with lobster mashed potatoes, asparagus and mushroom-peppercorn sauce--it was pretty satisfying and tasty. Aside from my own dish (since I pretty much sampled everyone else's too), my favorites were the porcini mashed potatoes (which came with the free-range chicken) and the manchego mac n' cheese with lobster. We saved room for dessert and decided on the bananas foster and the molten chocolate cake to share. They were ok, but nothing I was overly impressed with. I wasn't much of a fan of the odd interior design/layout of the restaurant (it's bi-level, with lots of seating on the ground floor and it looked like maybe a few tables on the upper levels on either side; at the time we went, one group took over one side and was having what looked like a birthday dinner; maybe I wouldn't have minded the layout that much if we had sat upstairs), but otherwise I had a decent time at Essex. Our waitress (whose name unfortunately I never got, maybe because of how loud it was in there with the DJ and all) was super nice and attentive.
(3)Jelissa T.
Actually went here a few months back on halloween for brunch. The environment was great for a first date. The place was packed and we had to wait about 15 mins to be seated though we had reservations. The food was ok, I had the french toast. If I recall it had too much anise, it over powered the whole dish. The mimosas are unlimited but can take a while to come around since they are so busy. I would recommend but not on the top of my list to visit again.
(3)Rebecca K.
Great spot for brunch! The food isn't to die for but good ambiance/scene, the brunch special, and drinks. Their $20 brunch includes three brunch cocktails and lots of interesting options. The food was good, the bloody mary's delicious and spicy, and the ambiance in the restaurant is great. I had the eggs scramble with salmon, this was good but a bit salty. My friends had versions of matzah brie and omelets and enjoyed their meals. This is a good place to go with a group of friends because a great location, and you can make a reservation!
(3)Miguel J.
I love this place and my friends and I meet up here for Sunday brunch on many occasions. The food is good, the drinks are great and you definitely can't complain about $18 for 3 alcoholic beverages and a nice plate of delicious food. Only thing is you will definitely need a reservation because this place is becoming way too popular that you will be waiting forever to get a table.
(5)Jennifer H.
This brunch is entirely as good as everybody says, at least in terms of food quality. The deal isn't quite as good if you come before 11 - legally, booze can't be served in New York until noon, so from 11-12, you get free coffee and tea with your meal instead of the three drinks. This makes the $18 brunch suddenly less of a kickass deal, but no less delicious. Also, it's slightly less overwhelmingly busy from 11-12, so maybe that's the price you pay for getting in easily and not having to talk over several over conversations. Who knows? Either way, the food is delicious, the staff is friendly and I'm a big fan.
(4)Maria M.
I was so freakin excited about trying this place, but a little while into it, I realized that these kinds of places are the reason I don't really like the LES. It's a nice space. I definitely liked the architecture and it had lots of light. Like wearing-sunglasses-at-the-table kind of light. I would love it as a loft. Picture happy hour at Verlaine, only 10 times the people. And they are all hipster-hell. Summer dresses and cowboy boots and attitudes, oh ick. First off, let me say, my compliments to the DJ, or whoever put together the playlist. Great music! Just turn it down a little. I couldn't even hear my Scottish Conqueror, and he was right in front of me. Kudos for the $4 Midori sours. I actually didn't mind the teeny glasses. And kudos for having that HOTT bartender. Muaac! My reservation was at 2:15. A couple of us were late, and the hostess of course would not seat us until our party was complete. Translation: This establishment is full of shit. Or maybe just the hostess. Since one of us had texted to say she was running way late, I changed the reso to three. She said to come back in when the third arrived, so we did just that. When I said the fourth would meet us there later, the hostess was quick to say "Well, she won't be able to sit down or eat anything", which I thought rude and stupid because there was room for her. At least when our friend arrived, we were able to get her a chair, and the waitress gave her a mimosa for free, which was way nice of her. But what kind of shit was that for the hostess to say? Anyway, she told us to have a seat at the bar and she would seat us in TWO MINUTES, which turned into about 20. Add another 10 to get our order taken. Add yet another 20 to get our food. So 50 minutes of pure waiting around. Of course, I thought the food was going to be special. Nope. I ordered the Southern, scrambled eggs, sausage patty and biscuit with gravy. It was good, but my mistake to have ordered something southern in New York. I should have known better. They did keep the mimosas coming, which was great, of course, but we wanted to try one of each drink. Nope, it didn't work that way. Check out the looks on my friends' faces in the local photos. That says it all. Anyone who says they like brunch here must just like the drinks, and I'm with you on that. But you can't honestly like the food here, or at least think it is a stand out. FYI: Not that good. The drinks are definitely its strength. The waitress was not bad, but didn't really go out of her way either. When we were finally seated, they brought us the bread, but no plates for the bread. The Scottish Conqueror did not have a knife. The waitress brought plates, but one had egg and parsley on it, so she brought another, dropped that, and then brought another. Just not her day, but we tipped her fairly well anyway. They did keep the mimosas coming, but the water came in those same teeny glasses, and they didn't keep that coming. I think we all left with headaches. I'm glad you others had a great time there, but maybe we didn't have the "big spender" looks on our faces, we were not a big group, or something. I don't know. But I do know that next time I come to this area to eat, I'll just go have a kimchi hot dog around the corner and polish that off with a Sugar Sweet cupcake or two. 2.5 stars, rounded.
(3)Domu A.
I've been here for brunch, once. I consider my group of 3 lucky to have got a table without a reservation, although we arrived before it opened. And when it opened...well, they let us in. Out of the cold. Great! We queued. And we watched the staff eat...in front of us. They weren't hurrying. I've worked in the food and beverage industry and I know what it's like to be working on an empty stomach, so I think it's a good idea that they eat breakfast beforehand. But if the restaurant opens at 11am, it opens at 11am, or five past 11, after they've eaten. Everyone shouldn't have to wait 15 minutes to watch them eat. I thought it was rude. Oh, and not everyone got to eat. That guy cleaning the tables upstairs, and that one downstairs? Yeah. Familiar scene. The food itself was decent. The 3 drinks are a waste on me, although you can substitute any for a glass of orange concentrate or plain black coffee. They don't serve any other coffee bevs. I guess it speeds up orders. Oh, no alcohol served before noon. Not that I mind. The room itself is nice with two split levels and a lot of natural light. This I like.
(3)Michelle H.
Brunch food = solid. Atmosphere = loud Drinks = decent Everyone in my family enjoyed their entrees: Challah french toast, corned beef hash (strips of corned beef and not the canned kind - woohoo), the deep south, the CEO and the mexican matzo brie. What is great about this place is they offer a lot of breakfast/brunch dishes that most other restaurants don't. Thus you can try something you normally can't find elsewhere. The bad is there are so many options, it makes it so hard to make a decision. As everyone mentioned, the drinks are pretty much bottomless. The bloody marys were the favorite in our group. Word of caution: it's extremely LOUD here, so if you're looking for a nice, calm brunch place where you're not screaming at one another, don't go here. But if you're coming just for the food, good place to check out at least once. I'll definitely be back to try some of their other wonderful selections. Also, CASH ONLY for brunch!!
(4)Amanda H.
Saturday night private birthday party on back upstairs area. Private bartender was a plus, prices were not. NINE dollars for a vodka tonic? Seriously? If I had a dollar for every-time I said "who does this place think it is, _______?" I would probably have $5, but instead I spent it on dumb expensive well drinks. Music was your typical Lady GaGa, club dance jams - fit the scene. Super crowded everywhere, just try dancing I dare you. By the time I got around to ordering a snack the kitchen was closed, but the fancy plates of food walking around smelled and looked great. I suppose I'll have to come back and try this fabulous brunch everyones yelping about - but until then it's going on my suck it list. Not a place I want to spend my money on a Saturday night.
(2)Andrew M.
Wow. Flavors: complex, subtle, overwhelming, rich. Savored every bite. GF and I split mac and cheese, and the tilapia. Service: friedly, fast, accodomating. Price: amazing. we ended up coming on Monday night (1/2 price oysters) during happy hour (before 9 I think, 1/2 price drinks) with a $25 restaurant.com gift cert. 12 oysters, 2 glasses of wine and 2 entrees ran up to a whopping $30 before tip. Negatives ... ambiance could be better as you are sharing space with a bar but that's just nitpicky. May have to make this a regular stop on way home from LES bikram
(5)Diana N.
Chose Essex for its seemingly enticing, varied, and well-priced brunch menu, which included 3 cocktails (your choice of bloody mary, mimosa, or screwdriver) and any entree for $23. Met up with a girlfriend for a 3pm reservation on Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. We didn't anticipate too much of a crowd, being that it was both a holiday weekend in the city and on the later side for brunch. I got there around 2:40 (unheard of for me - I'm typically 10-15 minutes late for EVERYthing, shamefully), at which time the entire restaurant was absolutely packed. I mean bursting at the seams with people, and LOUD as all hell. This did not make for the best first impression, especially for someone desperately seeking a cool, relaxing reprieve from the sweltering city heat. In fairness, the crowd did slim down significantly by the time my friend arrived 20 minutes later, and we waited under 10 minutes to be seated. I do have to make note of the clientele, because it was just SO homogenous that it was actually off-putting. The crowd was dominated by young women who looked to have been imported straight from the Hamptons' club scene, with a smattering of their similarly dressed male counterparts. I don't recall seeing anyone I would have pegged for over 30 anywhere in the room, and my friend and I may have been the only people there whose outfits could not have translated into nightlife attire. Now, mind you, we are both native Long Islanders, but, as my friend so eloquently put it, "I stayed in the City this weekend to AVOID the Long Island vibe, not to be smacked in the face with it!"... or something like that. So, just a word of caution to anyone looking for a "low-key" type of atmosphere - this ain't it. On to the food! It was good..enough. And that's all it was, hence my rating. We shared the eggs benedict with spinach and the mixed greens salad with steak. The high-note for us both was that the steak was well-seasoned. We wished for more pumpkin seeds in the salad, and actually, more greens as well. We found the salad portion shockingly small, and were very glad that the egg dish came with some greens on the side, or we likely would have requested more. We were given bread upon being seated, and that too, was just fine. I had both mimosas and a screwdriver, which basically tasted the same. Shout out to poor quality liquor! But that's to be expected in an all-inclusive brunch, so I'm really not complaining... Really! My friend had some bloody marys, which I hate and she loves, and she said they were totally satisfying. Overall, we agreed that the brunch was a good value, and might return for that fact alone, despite the food leaving something to be desired. "Not every meal needs to be a gourmet, life-changing experience!" we reasoned. So if you're looking for a place to have some light and standard brunch fare and get a little tipsy, and you can put ambiance aside for the sake of your wallet, Essex should suit you just fine! P.S. Two quick notes: 1. Brunch is cash only (boo) 2. On Sundays, brunch is served til 8pm (yay!)
(2)Amanda E.
There are places that are busy and bustling in a good way and for good reason (Balthazar, Blue Ribbon, Cookshop). Essex is decidedly not in that category. The place is a disaster. You can't move, let alone breathe in the bar area, which is not a good thing since the hostess stand is located AFTER the bar area. Worst restaurant/bar layout ever conceived. Bad service. Mediocre food. Terrible cocktails. Fruit flies everywhere. But I guess that's what you get for an $18 brunch that includes 3 drinks!
(2)Meg P.
I wasn't supposed to have brunch at 4 pm but that is what ended up happening at this place because it was so packed when we arrived at 2, we ended up waiting 1.5 hours for a table. I was ok with waiting because I had a seat at the bar and the bloody mary's were good and only $3. I then became un-ok with waiting when it was clear that our party of 2 had been passed by almost everyone else who was waiting. Ok so the hostess forgot, no big deal. We finally sit at 3:30, I'm drunk because all I've eaten all day was a bowl of cereal and then I had 3 bloody's and a mimosa on that. We order, I'm happy. So far so good, if the review were to end now, I'd give them 4 stars because I've been here for drinks in the evenings and always had good times. But the brunch didn't end there. Table next to us asked the waitress for ketchup and pepper in return the waitress reached over to our table without saying a word and grabs the ketchup and pepper. Puts on other table, walks away. I don't know, that's rude. So food comes, it's good, not great. Waitress refills our mimosa's. Then takes the ketchup (that we reclaimed) off our table so she can refill it, again, no questions asked. I was just kind of annoyed at this time. Two minutes later, how are you doing? then takes salt and pepper. COME ON! Just ask and we'll say ok. One more half assed drink refill and a check. Working sundays has to blow. Working sunday brunches when all customers get at least 3 drinks b/c they are free, blows more. Being a beeatch about it and therefore only getting the requist tip amount, blows the most. She blows but the place itself is fun for a drinkfest brunch if you don't mind waiting in lines that last hours.
(3)Laurie c.
I came here for dinner. Had the potato pancake (it's like a hash brown) and the filet mignon with sweet potato fries. The food was pretty good and filling! The place gets pretty packed with large groups, however, and the tables are so close together you have to talk louder just to hear yourself.
(4)T N.
One of my favorite boozy brunches! A lot of unique items on their menu. My favorites: all the Matzo-brei dishes, the blueberry pancakes, the Challah french toast, the LEO, the Aristocrat, and the bacon-infused bloody Morty (when available). There's now a 3 drink limit, but if you behave, they will usually pour you more or give you a free drink ticket on your way out. It gets loud and a bit overwhelming here when brunch is in full swing, so I usually go for an earlier reservation.
(5)Vanessa H.
We scored a table upstairs for drinks with friends on a Friday night, when the streets were throbbing with hipsters and gentrifiers. Eurotrash music playing at full blast and not the coolest of clientle (for example, a b-and-t woman in a red dress with a red heart-shaped bag from Target) but the bar is a less grungy alternative in the gentrifying LES.
(3)Super-Lucky T.
i came here with my husband, he got the mac and cheese which he enjoyed very much, i love their $1oysters... i ordered salmon and it was amazing... it had perfect texture and flavor... i love the combination of wasabi crust on top of the salmon, and rice... drinks wise, i ordered a few drinks since it was half off, gotta try their white grape martini, strawberry mojito, but definitly the white grape martini... not crazy about the raspberry martini... i will be coming back soon with my friends also awesome atmosphere, great music
(4)Jan C.
Wander around LES, looking for a place to have Sunday brunch, we came across the menu for Essex and was immediately drawn in, not by food, but their price. $16 for brunch includes your choice of 3 drinks of Mimosa, Blood Mary, or Screwdriver. We only had to wait for a few minute for a party of two. Sat down and the server immediately came by for our drink order. We ordered the mimosa and coffee (coffee & tea, free before noon.) The menu was full of great choices, but I like my brunch simple. Basic eggs and bacon is all I really need, I know boring, but there were prepared the exactly the way I order them and were delicious. The French toast with bananas, made from challah, was perfect, no need for any syrup. The service was very prompt and attentive. Oh, they say three drinks, but it's more like as much as you like. They just keep refilling our mimosa glasses and were able to try the bloody mary. The place is very open and decorated nicely, but the music was a little too loud causing me to repeat myself and/or lean forward to hear. Also, cash only for brunch, so make sure you hit the ATM first.
(4)Dorim L.
One word to describe Essex? LOUD! When I'm eating brunch, I'd like some peace and quiet while dining and talking to friends. The club-like music was so loud, we couldn't hear each other. The drinks and food were great but the loud music took much of our enjoyment away. Cut the music and this place is a five star! The four stars should show how much I loved the food but again: cut the noise already!
(4)Markay H.
How can you not like Essex for brunch?? I refuse to get anything besides the Potato Pancakes with Black Bean hash. Although I am also a fan of the bf's Mexican Matzo Brei order. The three drinks usually turn into four or five, and if they want you to leave the table after eating, then they will throw some bar tickets your way. This is a great spot for a group too- just make sure to make a reservation.
(4)Janna S.
I mean, alright, sure. How much can I complain about a $20 brunch deal that includes three mimosas/screwdrivers? Not a lot, so I won't, but I will say this-- I put a reservation in for 1, and was not seated until 2 (and that is WITH a prior reservation.) The hostess did not seem to care, and did not offer any apology for it. My friends and I managed to get spots at the bar, so after an hour, we didn't really care, either. I ordered the potato latkes with spinach and black beans. They were fine. Best part of the experience was realizing Natalie Portman was sitting next to us the entire time. Perhaps that's why she comes here- everyone is too drunk off of mimosas to notice her.
(2)Amy M.
The worst thing about this place is trying to make a decision! What do you want to eat? Everything sounds delicious, everything looks amazing. What do you want to drink? Aargh! I decided on steak and eggs, comes with home fries and a salad. I was pleasantly surprised with the portion size based on other reviews. I opted for the mimosas because I knew we were getting a pitcher for our table. I think next time I would order the lobster benedict or the Aristocrat. We had a large party and maybe that's why it took so long to get our food. But our waitress was very attentive even though she wasn't feeling well. (she had laryngitis) They even have week day specials that include mussels, lobster and half price drinks. I will definitely be coming back to this place!
(4)Amanda K.
I don't understand how this place has high remarks at all. We had a RESERVATION at 2 p.m. We got there right before two, checked in and then waited for an hour and a half. I'm sorry, but I thought the point of a reservation was to not wait that ridiculous amount of time. So we finally checked in again and the hostess told us that she was sorry and had completely overlooked us and would seat us right then. We then waited for another 15 minutes as they took FIVE more groups past us, including a huge group of 15. Everytime we looked at them to ask why they would completely ignore us. We ended up leaving after waiting an hour and 45 minutes. I don't care how good the place is, the employees are rude, do not care about the customer and it's over packed. I would NOT recommend this place at all and the employees should learn a thing called respect and customer service.
(1)Lindsay K.
(Just drinks) In the belly of the Lower East Side, it's often impossible to find a somewhat quiet place with tables. Enter Essex, which is open late and chock full of empty dinner tables ready to take shots off of. Minus a star for the pricey cocktails and the stuck up bartender who poured them.
(3)Max L.
If not good old and new friends I went with, this place would never be remembered on my NYC brunch map. The place was extremely loud in a closed, garage-like place. We were asked (politely, but still) to yield the table after 1.5 hour. Salmon and scrambled eggs (LEO as it was called on the menu) was decent but definitely not memorable . I still wondered why this place is extremely popular. Maybe it's because three drinks are included in the $18 brunch. But it's very good for people watching. And you can bring your iPhone charger with you.
(3)Nadia G.
This brunch place is very unassuming, but does not disappoint. MAKE SURE TO BRING CASH ... NO CREDIT CARDS ACCEPTED. The mimosas were free-flowing and the menu is very extensive for brunch. It was a good value for the menu ($18 including 3 drinks) considering other places in NYC. I had the baked egg and ham dish, which was very good. The mixed green salad was good as well. I had the black bean hash as an appetizer. It was good, but turned out to be too much food as the entree portions are very generous. I really enjoyed the onion bread that comes with the meal. Overall, it was worth the trip from Midtown for brunch.
(4)Tom L.
If Essex only sold their watermelon martini, it would still be the best place to drink on the LES. During their happy hour specials on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with every drink at half price and cheap food, this makes it possibly the most awesome place on earth. The aforementioned martini is made from FRESH WATERMELON--and has to be tasted to be believed. Don't miss the shots, either. Other highlights are the potato pancakes with three varieties of toppings--all delicious. I'm giving it four stars only because I can't afford to go here when it's not half-off night. And I don't want to dine with the people who can.
(4)Jen W.
One of the classics for a boozy brunch! You get 3 mimosas, bloody mary's or screwdrivers with brunch app and entrée for $18. Squeeze into a bar seat if there's no room - make reservations for popular weekend brunch over a week in advance if you want in
(4)Elizabeth C.
The only reason why I gave Essex two stars as opposed to one is that the service and atmosphere were good, as expected. The food that my date and I ordered were simple dishes that could be used to fairly rate any restaurant and they were both terrible. I ordered Potato Cake Napoleon Layered with (sautéed spinach, shitake mushrooms, asparagus & truffle oil). Describe as three potato pancakes staked with mushrooms, spinach and asparagus layered between them. To begin, the dish arrived cold. At this point there is no need to discuss the under/over cooked veggies or the greasy flavorless potato pancakes because cold food is just unacceptable. The taste of truffle oil was oddly missing. Oddly because it practically ruined my boyfriend's side dish that didn't mention having truffle oil in it. My boyfriend had the Grilled Half-chicken (with mixed vegetables & porcini mashed potatoes). This is dish that if you cook it incorrectly, speaks volumes about your entire menu. It's grilled chicken, and what we received tasted boiled without seasoning and left outside to dry in the sun. The final touch was the truffle oil that was mistakenly left out of my dish an showed up in his mashed potatoes rendering them inedible. Sorry Essex, the meal was so embarrassing, we can't even give you a second chance.
(2)Sooji P.
they deserve another half star for their service. great service. good food. i like the venue more than anything...
(3)Peter H.
really cool atmosphere. building has high ceilings. somewhat attractive crowd. appetizers were interesting. The potato pancakes and cheeseburger empanadas were tasty. I had the macaroni and cheese dinner with "haricot vert" (some kind of string bean). that was below average. A upper moderately priced restaurant i've been pinched harder. Getting a table on a weekend wasn't that hard but the place does fill up fast.
(3)Alaina W.
Essex has a trendy vibe that's supplemented with friendly service. Our hostess was a bit confused but she was really nice, and put our names up higher on the list since we had tried calling and they don't take official reservations for brunch. The space has an industrial feel, with high ceilings and exposed pipes. I felt like I was in a hip, underground club that gets turned into a brunch place during the day. The menu selections are vast and everything looks tempting. I had the potato pancakes and they were excellent. $15 brunch at a trendy place on the LES with three drinks included? You can't get much better than that.
(4)Michael R.
A favorite brunch place... 3 drinks and a choice of entree for $16 = tasty value. Most waiters are quite lax about the 3 drinks cap, so for all intents and purposes, this brunch deal is really all-you-can-drink. Pow! So many options only one can be chosen. Today I had 3 poached eggs over coarse-grained potato hash topped with pulled corned beef brisket. D-A-M-N good... Then I popped a few Lipitor to counteract the cholesterol. Other top picks: The Aristocrat (potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, poached eggs & salmon caviar) and the Deep South (chicken fried steak, gravy, eggs any style, heart attack). The wait, even with a reservation, can be a bit long for some, but $3 drinks at the bar ease the pain. Usually quite the scene with a few B/C-list cameos here and there. Have brunch then wonder over to Roasting Plant for coffee and down to Doughnut Plant for dessert. Got to have something to go with the coffee...
(4)Donsta L.
Hypester. Hype-a-lie-yah. Hypernator. Too much hype equals too long of a wait. Nearly hour half wait for a four top. The group of four before us was sat maybe 25 min before prior as we watched groups of 2 and 3 be seated... I don't get it. Food was okay, the mac and cheese was too rich for my blood but, the chicken fried steak and the Cubano was delicious. I am pretty sure everyone comes here for the nearly bottomless mimosa, bloody mary, and screwdrivers. Technically it's only 3 drinks but the waitresses are good about keeping those drinks coming. Come here if you want a decent brunch and get sloshed in the day time. But if you're looking for a good meal and move on with your day save Essex for a lazy afternoon.
(3)Yamini J.
Yes, the scene is great. And Yes, who doesn't like Mimosas for 2 dollars! But a freaking 2 and a half hours for a table! Seriously?! NEVER ever go there without a reservation! We took a little walk around the area...squeezed our way through the crowds to the front to check for our table every half hour..geez! Made no difference...we still waited and waited for our table. Hmm, as I'm writing this review, I'm wondering why we were so desperate to have brunch there. Ha ha! So yes, take my tip. Always make a reservation! Enjoy!!
(3)Brenda M.
Came at 11am for brunch on Saturday and was seated without a wait. About an hour later, the place was full so I am sure there was a wait. The place is located in a loft restaurant with two upstair lofts and a central area, all decorated in modern decor. They have quite a selection of brunch items that can be ordered and it is $18 with three mimosas. My first mimosa was warm which I find unacceptable. Just like white wine should always be chilled to really get the right flavor, champagne is the same way. I was forced to put ice in it because I just cant drink a warm mimosa even though I would normally never put ice in it. The mimosa pitcher should definitely be placed on ice if not being served immediately. The refills all came chilled thankfully and they filled them well. Throughout brunch, you could hear the pop of the champagne bottles being opened. We were served onion bread while waiting which Im not too fond of (dont like the onions) but I ate regardless as I was hungry. I ordered three softly scrambled eggs and chicken sausage which tasted quite yummy. I would say that they overcooked my eggs though. I like them very lightly scrambled so they are fluffy and soft. My companion ordered the Mexican Matzo Brei which I thought was poorly executed and I would never order myself. Overall I enjoyed my brunch but not the best brunch out there. The food was decent and I enjoyed the mimosas.
(3)Julia E.
Great boozy brunch, but come early or come late to avoid the line. Mexican matzo brei is unreal, and I really love the bread they serve - kind of like an everything bagel/potato bread hybrid. Drinks are basically unlimited (which can get dangerous if you're not careful) so the $23 price tag is hefty, but not absurd. If you really want to spend $30 on brunch (with tax and tip) the food is great. That said, sometimes you just want $12 pancakes and a coffee. This is not that place. Never been for the bar scene or dinner, so can't speak to that unfortunately.
(4)Marina G.
Heard great things...but nothing special. I'm a brunch lover and the food here was flat out not tasty. Portions are huge though and drinks are included for $17. Super crowded so make a reservation. Could use a bit of a facelift inside.
(2)Cindy Y.
I'm surprised this place has so many stars. The food is not that great; but, I guess people are too drunk to notice. If you're really only interested in the drink specials, then this place is for you. If you want to enjoy a delicious meal, then this is not the place for you.
(2)Bermie H.
There have only been 353 reviews prior to mine so I feel that I need to help get the word out on this place. I went during the busiest time to brunch. Sunday at 12:30pm. The four of us did not have reservations so we waited about 45 minutes to be seated. Service was good and you can't lose on the $18 brunch deal. I got the Deep South which is $2 more. It's country fried steak with 3 eggs and a biscuit. The food was okay and I don't mind the 3 drinks (Screwdriver, Mimosas, and Bloody Mary). If the Bloody Mary doesn't have enough kick for you there's Tabasco sauce on the table.
(3)uyen d.
The reason why the oysters are $1 because they're small and not fresh. I wouldn't call that a deal if you're going to end up getting sick from it. The drinks for 1/2 off happy hour is probably the best deal in town. My husband had the pancakes and i had the wasabi crusted salmon. The food was edible, i wouldn't come here for food. The wait staff was ok, we were over charged for another table's drinks. I guess it was an honest mistake but it was still annoying. I wouldn't come here to eat, but maybe for drinks.
(3)Erica S.
We ate here for Christmas day brunch and it was VERY DELICIOUS!!! the servers were very attentive even though they were slammed. I would definitely come here again. we had the smoked salmon on a potato pancake with poached eggs.
(5)Krista T.
All I can speak for is Sunday brunch. Three drinks are included with the brunch price, so forgive me for assuming it would be mediocre. I was pleasantly surprised to find the bloody marys totally decent! My favorite part was that, despite the fact the place was literally brimming with people, service was on point and (most importantly) they kept the alcohol coming. We made reservation for a party of six and I had to elbow through the bar to find the hostess, but as soon as I found her she sat us right away. The food was great, not the best, but it comes with THREE DRINKS, so who cares!
(5)Angela W.
so overrated. I can't believe it's still as packed as when I came here for the mimosa brunch two years ago. Both times, I was tantalized by the Deep South (chicken fried steak + eggs + biscuits & gravy). both times, I had a companion who was tantalized by the Aristocrat (potato pancake + salmon gravlax + poached eggs + salmon caviar). Both times, we have been underwhelmed by both dishes. For the Deep South, the biscuit was dry and a far cry from the buttery delights of actual southern cuisine, the steak was dry, and neither could recover because they did not put on enough gravy!!! For the Aristocrat, the eggs were over-poached to the point that the yolk of the egg was solid. The ambiance and energy is great once you have a table, but the food is not worth it. Life is too short for bad food. Go to one of the thousands of other brunch restaurants in NYC.
(2)J B.
Came here for their happy hour (half off drinks!) and $1 oysters. Pros: the oysters were great, and the drinks were strong. Their mojitos were particularly good. Service was good, despite the crowds. Cons: Maybe it was just because it was happy hour, but it was really very crowded. We were near the bar, and there was barely room to stand. The restaurant part also seemed pretty crowded. The place is pretty stylish; I felt a little underdressed in jeans. Seemed like a good place for a birthday party, or to take out of town guests.
(4)Kristin S.
I'm officially obsessed. Yup, completely in love. Essex has a hot looking crowd that does NOT have an asshole vibe (yay!), is wonderfully decorated, has the perfect space for a lower-key but posh dinner, apparently has amazing brunch (I'm still waiting to try it), has decent prices, and a good DJ. Andddd their "crappiest" light beer is Amstel Light. Yeah, Amstel Light. I will just say that drinking Amstel Light is pretty much like drinking pure gold in a bottle to me. It's just that classy. You can bet I'll be returning here as soon as humanely possible. And next time I plan to conquer their brunch menu. High five, Essex!
(5)Angela I.
SO THIS where all the rude trendy hipster people join together for brunch hungover on Sunday! This is the first brunch joint that I went to with a long wait that I didn't enjoy after dining. A friend and I got to Essex around 12:30. After walking through the most crowded restaurant I've ever been to we were told, by a really snotty and rude hostess, that we would be an over two hour wait. We put our names down anyway hoping that we'd get seated faster since we're just a party of two. We sat by the bar and found out that there was no wait for dining at the bar so we decided to skip the wait and be served by the bartender. The menu is eclectic and there is a $16 brunch special with a brunch drink included. However, both my friend and I were disappointed with the food and it was difficult to enjoy anything with the loud club music blasting in our ears and obnoxious people standing around making ridiculously dumb comments. The mimosa I got was really strong though. So that might be a plus for some. It really sucks because the decor there is really beautiful with lots of lighting and great open space (in the seating areas...). If the restaurant wasn't so crazy and the food slightly below average, I would love go there on a regular basis. I will not return! Bread Starter Score: Negative Zero; Nothing was served and even if they served me bread made by God's hands, I still wouldn't come back.
(1)Darci M.
MAKE A RESERVATION (at least one day in advance) or come prepared to wait multiple hours. Unfortunately, we were not in either of those categories and arrived hungry but made to wait almost two hours. This place is really all about the experience. And I think Phil H's review highlights that perspective. It is for sure a great deal, $20 for breakfast and 3 mimosas, bloody marys or screwdrivers. The food is okay and the drinks are produced in mass quantities, but certainly a great way to spend a Sunday Fun Day if you have no where in particular to be. Note: this place is CASH ONLY so be sure to run to the ATM either before or during your wait. Enjoy!
(3)Cody S.
If you're looking for a place that does Saturday and Sunday brunch, Essex may be your spot. Most NYC establishments seem to only offer Sunday brunch, but Essex opens at 11am on Saturday for Brunch as well. I'd recommend reservations as the place was PACKED by about 20 minutes into the service. I began to worry about the place when as we were waiting to be seated a young waitress came walking past us coughing and hacking into her hands like she had emphysema. My hopes were she was heading to wash her hands, my fears were that she was heading to serve. Unfortunately, it was the latter. Fortunately she wasn't serving us. Brunch is cash only and as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. $18 (cash) for brunch including 3 each of your choice of the following drinks: bloody mary, mimosa, screwdriver) in Manhattan. Bar liquor folks, nothing top shelf. Most entreés fit the $18 price, though for some they tack on an extra $2-$3. It's Manhattan, where else can you get all that for $18? Exactly. You do the math. The food is not bad, but it's nothing remarkable either. Pretty much go to your local diner and they'll have the same thing quality wise. My wife had lobster eggs benedict with home fries. The lobster was good, the hollandaise sauce was tasty but a tad "thick" and the home fries were simply not good at all. I had the "Deep South." A chicken fried steak w/ eggs, biscuit and gravy. They CFS was poor as the batter didn't cling to it well and I think it still had marks from where the jockey was hitting it. The sausage gravy used a fennel pork sausage, so I'm assuming it was a mild Italian sausage (nothing Deep South about that). The biscuit however, was very good. We also tried a side of manchego macaroni and cheese. Not good at all. Burned (instead of crispy) on the edges, which gave the whole thing a bitter flavor. This place isn't Norma's, the Water Club, or Bryant Park Grill...but then you already knew that when you saw the $18 price tag. It's worth the price to come here, but don't expect to be blown away by the food.
(2)Daniel Y.
I came here for dinner during a trip to NY. I had high expectations going in because of the reviews but wasn't impressed. I had oysters on the half shell and steamed mussels. Everything was OK but nothing blew me away. I would have given this place 3 stars except I tried ordering a virgin cocktail (allergic to alcohol) and the bartender said he couldn't do it. I take this to mean either he was too lazy to make me a drink because it wouldn't cost as much as an alcoholic drink OR he's incompetent as a mixologist.
(2)Bonita S.
We arrived at 2:45 for my 3:15 RSVP for Saturday brunch, their was a baby shower that took up much of the second floor area and everywhere else no one appeared to be getting up. It took an hour and 15 minutes to finally be seated but the hostess who apologized for the wait, which was nice. Once we sat down we understood why no one was getting up, although their was a 3 drink with brunch special every time we took a sip of our amazing mimosa's we got a refill so it was understandable why no one was leaving. The menu was standard brunch style and although I ordered the pretty basic french toast they arrived burnt to a crunchy crisp. I promptly had the waitress return them and gave the kitchen a chance to try again. They did and the food, service and 6 or 7 mimosa refills later we were happily buzzed and on our way!
(3)Cher A.
Such a hipster hangout and it's really "scene-y" but the brunch deal is so good and the food is actually pretty damn good that it begs for repeats.
(4)Daphne H.
I'm taking away 1 star simply because I waited for 2 hours for a table here on Sunday...other than that, this place is good. Of course I had to pick the day when its the busiest but we tried Clinton St Baking Co and to no avail were we getting in for brunch..Oh well... $18 for brunch - good food and 3 drinks (mimosa, bloody mary or screwdriver). The bread they serve is YUMMY, either that or i was dying of hunger and needed to eat anything! I had the benedict with canadian bacon and a side of chicken apple sausages (which i recommend having!) He had the Aristocrat. We polished everything off! FYI - make reservations and be prepared to wait anyay. Also note that its LOUD - I left hoarse from yelling over my conversation. but awesome house music blasting. And for brunch its CASH ONLY. But the food was delish :) Not sure if its well worth the 2 hour wait though..
(3)Stacey C.
At first glance I thought we were walking into a school cafeteria, lol but once inside its so cozy and cool. Wonderful brunch great prices, the mimosas were on point and the service was great!
(5)L. E. S.
I would say 4 stars wraps Essex up pretty well. It's a very, very solid brunch spot, not expensive, good creative food, and can't beat the 3 drinks with your $20 brunch. I had heard it was really clubby which is why I took my time making it to this place. But the music isn't that loud, during the day there's plenty of (natural) light and while crowded it is not annoying at all. Food is not amazing so no 5 stars, but I was very happy with my meal.
(4)Corinne M.
Essex is good, but its fallen victim to being one of those "great but way too popular and redonkly crowded" restaurants in NYC. Why does everyone flock to the same restaurants? 2 of us stopped in around noon and waited 45 minutes for a table. The concept is very much a New York concept: brunch and 3 b-marys (or screwdrivers or mimosas) for $16. The food was tasty: I had the Mexican Matzo Brei and my friend had the French Toast. Both pretty good. All in all fun and tasty. (Note: the drinks are definitely made for rapid consumption -- ie not that tasty, but who cares?) When we left at around two, the bar area was even more jam packed with people waiting than it was when we came in. It was like Sat night at the bar, but at brunch. Good place to go with a group and get tanked.
(3)Stacey P.
Very attentive, great food, great for boozy brunch. Get there at 11 30 otherwise it gets extremely crowded.
(5)Jesal P.
For Vegetarians: In my opinion, Essex provides an interesting paradox. It's the ideal place to get a lot of hair from the dog that bit you last night: $18/entrée includes 3 screwdrivers or mimosas (with only $3 for each additional cocktail). But if you find yourself in such a desperate state, you definitely won't be able to wait out the line. Instead, plan ahead and make a reservation. Is it worth the effort? Definitely! Those crispy potato pancakes with sautéed apples and honey cream sauce have your name written all over them, my friend. veggiewala.wordpress.com
(3)Nicole M.
There are a lot of mixed reviews for Essex brunch, so I thought I should chime in and share that my friend and I had a wonderful time here Sunday afternoon. I made Yelp reservations, which I screwed up and made for 3 hours earlier than when we actually arrived, and when I heard this news, expected to be placed at the bottom of a long line. Instead, the host was extremely helpful, ushered us right to the bar and handed us mimosas and within 5 minutes we were seated and refilled. They should probably give up and just call this a bottomless mimosa brunch, as our waitress was very diligent about refilling our glasses and let us lounge at our table for as long as we pleased. The food was fine, nothing to write home about, but not bad either.....it is really the atmosphere and drinks that would bring me back to Essex brunch. A great way to relax on a weekend afternoon with friends.
(4)Lai-Nin W.
Was brought here by a friend for Brunch. They have brunch in the evenings, and when i went it was about $20 for an entree and three mimosas or bloody marys (your choice). Good food- great atmosphere- perfect brunch!
(4)Paola G.
I made reservations for 5, they sat us pretty much on time... I had the potato pancakes with apple sauce and hash. The potato pancakes were just the right crispiness and the applesauce was so fresh and not overly sweet. The combination of textures and flavors were just right. My friends ordered the eggs benedict, it was so deliciously rich, if you dont mind the calories, go for it! Mimosas were great, especially since they kept coming! It's a nice space, plenty of natural sunlight. It gets really crowded so make reservations, they do tend to kind of rush you out though.
(4)Radford T.
I wasn't exactly joking around when I told friends during lunch a few weeks ago that Yelp was starting to take over my social life, and since I don't have many friends to begin with, it really meant that for better or worse, Yelp was starting to become my social life. I suppose, in an attempt to seem less like a socially inept loser who sits in front of his computer in his Transformers boxers all day, what I really meant here is that I have been spending more and more time with other Yelpers. And so when I started wondering what I would do with myself on Christmas Day when most of my friends are sure to be having family time, it seemed completely natural that I would stumble upon information that would lead me to have lunch with a group of Yelpers at Essex on Christmas Day. To the disappointment of children and Christmas enthusiasts all over NYC, we did not have a white Christmas this year. But this was good luck on my part since I woke up late and had to get from Flushing to the Lower East Side where Essex is located. The subway wasn't going to do the job. It's Chinatown shuttle to the rescue! The weather was good and the roads were sparse of other vehicles; the driver took advantage of this good fortune and the shuttle arrived in Chinatown in 20 minutes flat. I didn't even have time for a proper nap! By the time I walked over and reached Essex, all the other Yelpers were already there. And wow it was packed! I was extremely glad that Janeen B. had the wisdom to make a reservation. I guess many other New Yorkers preferred to spend Christmas afternoon with friends brunching at a swanky spot in the LES over a few bloody maries or sangrias. I squeezed into the seat next to my Cantonese bro Will C. and my first order of business? Screwdriver, please. My drink came within minutes and it was very tasty indeed. I perused the menu while I chatted up with the other Yelpers and as soon as I spotted that one of the ingredients in the "CEO" was chorizo, I knew I had to order it. As I am writing this review now and looking at Essex's menu online, it reads that the CEO comes with chorizo, scrambled eggs, and onions served with corn tortillas. But I distinctly remember there being no onions, and instead there was fried potato pieces. Maybe the potatoes were only for the Christmas menu? At any rate, the wait for our food was not long, and we had good conversations and good bloody maries, screwdrivers, and mimosas to accompany us. The chorizos turned out to be diced and scrambled into the scrambled eggs, and the potatoes were of a reddish colour. I was not sure what seasoning they used for the potatoes that gave them the colour, but I did like it a lot. Fried potatoes are often very dry, but what was served at Essex was not. Scrambling the chorizo into the scrambled eggs was a nice touch - delicious, but living in Queens, I've definitely had better chorizo. Conversating with other Yelpers while we continued our merry making, aka drinking and eating, I was very impressed with how well our waitress handled the busy and full tables for which she was responsible. I doubted that serving tables at a restaurant full of yuppies was her idea of an ideal Christmas. All in all, Essex was excellent. I would definitely go back.
(4)Yaas A.
Completely overrated. I've been wanting to try Essex brunch for years and great expectations. We were let down big time, so I'll take my friends elsewhere. Like someplace where the staff actually cares about serving good food. This was such a horrible experience, especially since we were with guests from out of town. I would've liked for them to have a better brunch experience. Bread was ice cold, eggs in omelets weren't even mixed (we had complete yolk chunks! If I wanted fried eggs, I would've ordered that), sausages were undercooked, potatoes were cold, no cream/half&half for coffee, waitress had an attitude whenever we asked for anything. Luckily we had an 11am reservation, so we skipped this wait. Unfortunately this also meant having to wait an hour to be served our mimosas. They do offer "free" coffee, tea, and sodas while you wait it out. By the time we were done, the place was insanely packed. I can see why they don't need to give a crap about serving good food when they have a line out the door. But ya know, it would be nice if they could live up to the hype.
(2)Cassandra W.
Before moving to NYC, I would have never expected that one day I'd be getting drunk before 1pm and eating brunch. Just kidding. Before moving to NYC, I would have never expected that one day I'd be getting drunk before 1pm, eating brunch and listening to extremely loud house music. HAHAHA. Before moving to NYC, I would have never expected that one day I'd be getting drunk off of unlimited mimosas before 1pm, eating delicious brunch and listening to extremely loud house music all the while actually enjoying it. True. Good service, but you must either make a reservation or be prepared to wait. Refills come fast and without any sign of resentment. Food is good, bathroom is clean. Good stuff.
(5)Courtney D.
This must be a 'big group kind of place.' My favorite brunch partner and I headed here relatively early for Sunday brunch. We were told the wait was 45 minutes. TWO HOURS LATER (there has never been a case more suitable than this for allcaps) fatigued and broke because we spent all our money on $3 mimosas at the bar (cheap, but we had many) we finally resorted to taking one of those little tables across from the bar. So we waited two hours only to be seated in the crowded waiting area. Fail. I ordered steak and eggs, medium rare, and it came out without a hint of pink. I have no qualms about getting the food the way I want it when I'm sober, much less after 7+ mimosas, so I sent it back and another came out fine. The waitress was incredibly considerate and attentive. My mimosa glass was never empty. She earned this place 2 stars. The 3rd is for the hollandaise. Good food, good atmosphere (ladies on the prowl, go with a girl friend, you are sure to get chatted up) and good price (as long as you don't spend all your $$ at the bar during the wait) but either make a reservation the day before or go with a big group cause it was absolutely not worth the hell we went through.
(3)C A.
This review is only for the bar at night on a weekday. So, I've been here a few times and have always gotten pretty trashed for a reasonable price. The bar isn't that big and it is mostly are restaurant, but honestly, I don't think I've even walked past the bar before. The bartenders a quick and friendly... well, they're also busy so not a lot of time for chit-chat. The bar always gets filled up, and it looks like the rest of the place does too. Remember the entrance is on Rivington. It's a nice space. Restrooms are near the front. The subway is about a block away. There are other bars in the area if you want to hop around. The bartender Sabrina was awsome. Drinks come out fast and strong.
(4)Pamela O.
I have been here twice now for bachelorette parties and love it! Great food! Fun time. Only caveat is they are militant about not seating you until everyone arrives.
(5)Joanna C.
Four stars for food One star for initial service... Which overrides the food in this case... I recently hosted my sister's bridal shower at the Essex knowing that she really loves this restaurant. I had booked the party over a month in advance and was under the impression that this place had experience with big groups... After all, their website advertises "balcony brunches" for large parties... Apparently I was wrong!! When our 27 guests arrived on time for our reservation we were not even greeted by a hostess and were left standing in the doorway for about 30 minutes because (as one rude hostess put it) the manager made them seat people on the wait list despite the fact that a large party was on their way. Did I mention that many of our guests were from out of town and that we were paying CASH?? When we tried to get answers as to why our tables were not available the hostess remarked "if you've ever been here before then you should know that we always have to wait." And when we requested to speak with a manager she said the he "probably won't want to talk to us." What kind if manager refuses to speak with a customer... Especially when it concerns close to 30 meals paid in cash???? In all fairness, there was one hostess that was much more pleasant and seemed to actually understand the concept of customer service... This second hostess graciously offered us some sort of apology and eventually got us to our tables and pointed the manager out to me.... To be frank, the manager is a huge PRICK with dirty teeth and a bad attitude. First of all, when I approached him I asked if he was the guy in charge and he LIED saying he was not the manager of the restaurant (even though the hostess said he was). And he immediately blamed the situation on me. In order to accommodate our party (that I had booked way in advance and confirmed days before), he ended up moving other customers mid-meal... Saying things like "you don't want to sit next to this party anyway... You know how a bunch of women can be". I was left to apologize to those tables and thank them for their understanding!!! He also called my sister a nasty name and gave us such attitude the entire time!!! He insisted that our party was incomplete which is why we were forced to wait so long for a table(ok, so only 25 of the 27 were actually there on time... Big deal! We agreed to pay for the 27 meals regardless!). BUT once our party finally got settled, our waitress and bus staff were so so nice and very helpful. And the food and drinks are quite good. The manager did end up giving us a discount (at first he tried to offer us a free round of drinks... Even though their brunch comes with drinks anyway... What a f-ing douche). Bottom line here: Good food but be warned that you may still end up leaving with a bad taste in your mouth. And the manager should probably be fired or at least take a course in customer service.
(1)Eliza C.
Thursdays dollar oysters and 1/2 price drinks. Other food - really really good. quite chic atmosphere. space design very industrial. tall ceilings. not so apparent that it's a resturant from the outside..
(4)Yoon U.
This is a great place to go for brunch with a group. You can get a brunch dish and 3 drinks for $20. How can you resist that! It does get fairly crowded on weekends, but the ambiance is great and the service is excellent. The entrees are good for what you get, and they refill your drink before you know it. Because they are booked back to back, they often have to ask you to vacate your table. But, they give you a drink ticket at the bar, so rather than feeling angry that you are basically being kicked out, you are more than happy to vacate the table (might also be the 3 cocktails that you have consumed). If you are looking for some top notch brunch place, this probably isn't the place for you, but if you are looking for a fun place to go for a boozy brunch with friends, this is the place for you. I will definitely be going back.
(4)Jade H.
I really enjoyed thos potato pancakes which they were known for. My pork belly sliders were meerly ok. Burgers looked big but thats pretty much all I can appreciate about it. It wasn't a super special place, but I can say this this store is a solid restaurant and is likely one of those restaurant that deliver a product you can trust.
(3)Neil J.
Went for brunch. Great scene, lots of cool LES-ers having fun, supporting a good vibe. Great place to meet friends. Food not special though.
(2)Nicole C.
The first time I came here is a good story. I came with my brother, he had just moved back to the city so we decided to have a traditional brunch in honor of his arrival. I obviously made a reservation, since one would figure that the whole world wants to go to brunch during the weekend. We get there early and are told we have to wait until the time of our reservation to be seated- fine. So we wait. Keep in mind the place was completely packed. You could not stand anywhere without being in someone's way. So finally our reservation time comes around and we go up to the front again, and are told again we have to wait. We wait 15 minutes, and are told the same thing, the girls eating at our table had already paid and were just sitting there! Since they couldn't kick them out we had to wait. Half an hour passes and at this time the host asks us if we wouldn't prefer to just eat at the bar since it is open. I say we prefer to sit at a table since we haven't seen each other in a long time and want to catch up. So then 45 minutes go by and the host comes up to us and says he feels really bad we have been waiting so long, so he tells us to sit at the bar AND ORDER ANYTHING ON THE MENU FOR FREE-- there is such a thing as a free meal!!! So we get our mimosas (which the bartender kept refilling every 5 minutes), I order the crispy potato pancakes with sauteed apples and honey cream sauce and spinach-shitake black bean hash. I only ate the potato pancake (I am such a big fan of potato pancakes!) I am not a big veggie eater, so I left that to my brother. It was soooo good! My brother ordered the salmon platter (what else would you want to eat newly arrived in NYC?!) and it came with this white fish spread which I had never tried-- spectacular! So we left completely smashed and vowed to bring our jewish mom back for the potato pancake and chala french toast... Our second time at Essex for brunch was much easier to be seated. I ordered the mac and cheese-- so gooey and cheesey and delish! The chicken apple sausage tasted like chicken-apple--haha- amazing! SO GOOD! One of the people who was with us that day is alergic to literally anything and everything, and our waitress was so nice, she kept going back and forth from the kicthen to our table to try and find something our friend could eat without dying or chocking.... She ended up just having eggs and fruit. They were so cool about it though, and very helpful. Definitely one of the best places for brunch since there will be something for everyone! OH- and BRUNCH IS CASH ONLY!
(4)Amanda S.
** $1 OYSTERS all night AND 1/2 PRICE DRINKS 6-9pm - monday and thursday nights** I am totally into this place! I came here on a monday night ready to order 20+ oysters. For $1 a piece, they were pretty delish. And for a monday night, this place was pretty hoppin' ... but not TOOO busy. There was no wait to get a table, however many of the tables were occupied. Inviting atmosphere and excellent service. The menu is different but temping. This place is most definitely worth a try for dinner. I'll be stopping in for their notorious brunch very soon ! TRY THIS: Oysterssss .. duhhh !! Scallops with the fruit - so strange but SO good ! Watermelon martini Goat cheese stuffed chicken breast - this was to DIE for ! If you go here for anything .. at least go for $1 oyster nights. How rare is it to find cheap oysters after Happy Hour ?!? GET HERE !
(4)Cindy C.
1/2 priced happy hour drinks everyday from 6-9, and great daily specials. Monday's $1 Oysters, Tuesday's bottomless Mussels are awesome, but nothing beats Wednesday's Whole Maine Lobster for $16! yuummmm. Also great from brunch and larger parties.
(4)Susanna K.
I would honestly give this place at most 3 stars. Service- I knocked off a star because of poor service. If I'm going to drop over 30 bucks at a restaurant I would expect good service. On the contrary, my waitress was rude and abrupt. Not even a goodbye after a 20% tip. But lets talk about the food.... I ordered the blackened catfish with shrimp and scallion mash. The catfish was certainly blackened but not much flavor... (I think it desperately needed some salt). The four pieces of shrimp that circled around the catfish was lovely (soft and tender)......and now about the scallion mash..... The main reason why I ordered this dish was for the "scallion mash". Yes written with quotations because it WASN'T scallion MASH! The "chef" sprinkled some scallions on top of the baked cube-like potatoes. They should've described the dish as blackened catfish with home fries garnished with scallions! By the way catfish with "home fries" cost $18. (Do you think it's worth it? well you can take a gamble and find out for yourself!) The misleading description of the dish knocked off the second star. P.S. Sangria $35 per pitcher...think twice guys!
(3)Miao W.
One of those melted sunny Sundays when you have to go into the office to work some windowless overtime-- go to Essex, get some good smoked salmon, watch arrays of Bloody Marys line up at the bar industrial style, count baseballs on the wall as your waitress funnels all the Mimosas into your yard, lower the fence let the buzz flow, the music grow, pick up a phone call sounding like you were partying at 2 in the afternoon... --still thinking that you need to go into work afterwards. But happily decide not to.
(4)Lauren M.
What was I thinking? I KNEW this place is famous for its brunch and what do I do? I take my out-of-town friends there for dinner! Now, in my defense, I didn't plan ahead and getting reservations at 3 p.m. for 5 people for a Friday night is just about impossible. And, the dinner reviews seemed adequate. But, as my one-star review indicates, we were not impressed. The food was mediocre -- one friend's was overly salty, my potato cake napolean was virtually tasteless. Adding to the experience was the fact that we were seated in this randomly placed booth between the hostess stand and where the waiters stand around. So our cold-as-ice waitress stood directly behind our table almost the entire time. It was super awkward because the place was dead and she could clearly hear everything we said.. Stay far far away from Essex during dinner!
(1)Elisabeth Z.
Dont go before Noon on Sundays! I took my family there for brunch because they have amazing Lobster Benedict and a great brunch in general! However they cant serve the cocktails that come with brunch until noon and they didn't mention this when I called to make a reservation for 6 two months before we went. Set us up for 11, and we did feel a little rushed once our food arrived. There was a huge line of people waiting for tables the entire time we were there- popular place. We took our time and enjoyed our food and were there long enough to enjoy some brunch bevies as well! Great place, and I will absolutely go back on my next trip- just wont make a reservation before noon!
(4)Becky R.
Crazy crazy crazy busy during brunch hours! Apparently this is the place to see & be seen. You MUST arrive before 12noon if you want to get a table before nightfall. Problem is - no alcohol in NYC before 12noon. Come again? Yeah, I just learned that too. But don't worry, early birds! Essex does its best to compensate for this silly, silly law by offering free non-alcoholic beverages until the clock strikes 12, and theeeen you can indulge in the 3 drinks included with your $18 brunch. Basically, this place is a madhouse. Get here early or make a res (do they take reservations? I don't even know). Food was good, service was fast, and the drinks are a'flowin. After waiting so long for our table my group tried to take our sweet time, but with such a huge wait our waitress was giving us the boot as soon as we were done eating. Again, Essex tries to make it up to you by giving everyone a free drink at the bar for vacating your table asap. Only problem is finding enough standing room by the bar to drink it!
(3)Liz D.
Hey Essex, here's a recommendation: Don't have douche bags answering your phones. I was a frequent patron of Essex when I lived on the LES, and enjoyed that I could have a ton of drinks for brunch for a cheap price. Granted their food isn't anything to write home about, but it's decent. So I figured hey let me see if they will book a table for a baby shower. I called and was greeted by the worlds biggest douchebag. He was completely rude and unhelpful and basically told me I had to book a balcony or nothing at all, even though my party size was well under their minimum for a balcony reservation. If anyone is looking to book a bridal/baby shower here I suggest you go elsewhere. I hear Jane has a lovely private room available for booking.
(2)Mariya Y.
This is a brunch review: Delicious onion bread, amazing entrees, and strong mimosas...what else can you ask for? My friend and I went for a late brunch on a Saturday (around 2pm) and it was PACKED!!! We were informed that the wait was going to be 1.5 hrs, but if we wanted to hunt for a table around the bar area-we were welcome to do that. We REALLY lucked out and got a table within minutes! Our waitress was SUPER friendly and kept filling our mimosa glasses (3 drinks are included in your $16 brunch...but she just kept them filled the whole time!). I had the eggs benedict w/smoked salmon - so moist and the eggs were poached to perfection! The spicy home potatoes were a great complement. My friend got the Mexican Matzo Brei-so flavorful!!! After we paid our bill, we opted for just another round of mimosas (at $3 each!!) Overall-this place is amazing! Friendly service, GREAT and STRONG drinks, awesome food, and cheap! I'm amazed!
(5)Brittany L.
Expensive but worth it. I will definitely be going back. Fresh food, great (strong) drinks. I totally recommend making a reservation, it gets CRAZY crowded.
(3)Sascha M.
Another awesome aycd brunch spot, well technically I believe it's 3 drinks included but they keep refilling. Trendy music, young hipster crowd. The brunch deal is amazing even though they raised the price to $20. They have quite a few food options and everything I've had was pretty decent.
(4)Bea P.
The Lower East Side is a neighborhood I have always viewed through the fuzzy, otherworld-y lenses of a sufficiently, and thus happily, drunk person. And this is during the daytime. The reason for the daytime good time has always been brunch at Essex, my favorite place to stuff my gullet on weekends. Whenever Essex comes up in a conversation with friends, it is always accompanied by a knowing nod and, "Essex: great place to get trashed before 3 pm. Essex." Like we're in Zoolander or something. It's not that the drinks are particularly creative or particularly tasty, although their mimosas are far from disgusting. It's that their drinks are potent and plentiful, and in this city what more can you ask for? But lest you think I go just to throw back shots of orange juice-flavored sparkling wine and complain about how the neighborhood's not what it used to be (like I'd know), the food itself is fantastic. You pay $18 for a prix fixe menu and "three" complimentary drinks. In reality, they'll top you up like it's water. The food is solid, hearty brunch food with the slightest tweak to send it to the next level. I always get The Aristocrat ($2 extra), which is poached eggs, gravlax, and salmon roe over their specialty, potato pancakes, served with a small salad and sour cream. Friends that I've gone with have ordered the omelets and the mexican matzo brei and no plate has gone back unlicked. OK, I exaggerate. Only a little. I've only been once for dinner during a $1 oyster night (accompanied with the tartare trio and -- of course -- potato pancake w/ salmon) and it was pleasant enough. The oysters were fresh, though on the small side -- basically, you get what you pay for. I much prefer the casual vibe of brunch, although it does get jam-packed and noisy and there isn't a real waiting area. The place gets tons of light which stops you from feeling stifled in such a small, crowded restaurant. In short: bring cash, bring friends, and be prepared to wait. And to get tipsy, at the very least. It's definitely worth it.
(5)Jake P.
Good Food, service and setting
(4)Lizz K.
Brunch here was not what a brunch should be. This was stressful and full of waiting for a table to open up because it gets that crowded on the weekend for the brunching hours. I have never felt so over looked when I've gone to eat out anywhere. Now for the food. So, I'm half polish/austrian jew and I know what matzoh brei is supposed to be. But I was intrigued with the Mexican twist. That was pretty much the end of that. When my plate arrived, it looked like nachos. I'm pretty sure I didn't order nachos. But having ordered it, and still a little interested, I dug in. Now, for what this was, it wasn't horrible. But it was nothing that resembled a matzoh brei. So, why are they calling it that? Still bewildered. The only saving point for this place was the cocktails. Very happy with my multiple Mimosas. With a meal like that, I needed something. Oh, and the company was amazing. Love my ladies. But that shouldn't be what any establishment would want their customers to feel. They need to fix something.
(2)Jeanelle S.
Per some friends' suggestions, my first food stop after getting off the plane at LGA was to hit up Essex for brunch. I was assured it was a solid value and there were plentiful mimosas. Sounds good to me; sign me up! I was also warned about the wait (even with a reservation, which we had). No big deal. I wasn't THAT hungry anyway! It's all good because there's some prime people watching in here. Those on post-date meals, those on first dates, gal pals in to gab, it trended to the young and not-so-family oriented. Oh, and this isn't the place to have a quiet intimate brunch, as it gets a little noisy in here. About twenty minutes after our reservation time, we were seated in the upper loft portion of this lively, industrial like space (curiously decorated by tennis balls on the exposed white brick walls). Great, a better people watching vantage point! Unfortunately I wasn't drinking (some freak hormonal thing I've since taken care of), so I was stuck drinking OJ in this mimosa wonderland. Unfortunately, their OJ is only okay in the mimosas, as this was maybe two clicks above Tang on the juice spectrum. Oh well. It was wet and didn't taste horrible. I could manage. My friend, on the other hand, enjoyed her mimosas thoroughly (and even got started early at the bar while we waited to be seated) Being the chorizo whore I am, I ordered the CEO (which I guess is short for chorizo, eggs and onions). It was served with corn tortillas so I could kinda make my own lil breakfast tacos. The food wasn't GREAT but it wasn't bad either. Just good enough for me to eat it and not complain, I guess. My friend had some salad with chicken and pumpkin seeds that she was raving about, so at least she was happy with her food. I think I'd enjoy this place a lot more if they upgraded to real OJ (and kept that as refilled as the mimosas) or I could belly up and enjoy the cocktail portion of the meal. And maybe pick some other brunch delicacy as my choice was just alright. So far, it's not bad, not great. Just adequate. I'd give it another go if I lived in the area.
(3)Phillip L.
Brunch at Essex was one of the worst brunch experiences I've had in NYC. My grievances: 1. Even with reservations at 2pm, we still waited 20 minutes in the most claustraphobic, awful waiting area in the front bar area. There was almost no way to move through - control your crowds! 2. Speaking of those crowds... we were nicely seated in the middle of that crowd at a table that obvious should not be there when that packed. Due to how crowded it was, one of my friends couldn't even lean back in his chair and I was MISTAKEN FOR FURNITURE. A guy just started leaning on my shoulder and when I turned to glare at him, he said, "Oh man, so sorry! I thought you were like, something to lean on!" - NO. 3. This magical land of never-ending mimosas never happened. To be fair, the menu clearly states the brunch includes 3 mimosas, but for how crappy the location of our table was, you'd think they would have been a bit more generous. You could also tell they were in a hurry to flip tables as quickly as possible. The food itself was pretty good, but nothing is worth that clusterf**k of a waiting area. I'm surprised it's not a fire hazard as it blocks the entire entrance. Don't come here for brunch unless you enjoy being treated like cattle.
(2)Jeff C.
Went back w/ my foodie group as a backup for Shopsins, since they wouldn't seat 8 of us, even at 4 x 2 tables. Waited roughly 45min for a party of 8. We sat down at 1pm. Their $16 specials include 3 mimosas/bloody marys/screwdrivers. I wasn't impressed w/ their brunch, as it looked better than it tasted. The blueberry pancakes and eggs benedict someone ordered looked and tasted okay though, according to my cohorts. I won't try brunch here again, as there are a myriad of options to choose from in this great city! Ordered: -The Deep South chicken fried steak with biscuits, eggs & sausage gravy (+$2 supp) - chicken fried steak was a huge fail for me, no idea why they charged me more for this, as it wasn't good at all -Crispy potato pancakes with sautéed apples & honey cream sauce & spinach-shiitake-black bean hash - the veggies and sauce were good, the potato pancakes were big masses of fried brownness, not thin and lightly crisped like I had imagined, overdone IMO -Side of Chicken Apple Sausage ($4) - 3 skinny links, a bit overcooked, blah Total came out to $25/pp after everything I took my foodie meetup here: meetup.com/teamfoodie/ph…
(3)L. L.
Love the happy hour deal, the drinks are half off which is worth the try. The place itself is pretty big and dark, very sweet environment. I also tried the oysters which I will say is just average not super fresh, but then again, it is only $1. The drinks are worth the try.
(3)Julie L.
I came here for a birthday dinner the other night. It was pretty crowded, but probably because of their happy hour from 6-9, def. worth checking out for their half off drinks. I really enjoyed my white grape martini, it really hit the spot. A friend of mine got the watermelon martini, avoid it at all costs cause its just nasty. I shared the Seafood Paella, which was not bad. It had mussels, octopus, shrimp, and chicken. Again not the best but it was not the worst, it was edible in a good way. My friend ordered the tare tar appetizer, i'm not sure about what the meats were, but one of them was really good with a hint of lime, served with tortilla chips. Overall, the prices are not that bad, and come at happy hour and you can get drinks for cheap. Not bad, worth checking out. I really want to make a visit for the famous brunch served here.
(3)Linda Y.
This place is nice, but one thing.. as all of the other reviewers said - way too crowded, and VERY VERY trendy, and that can be seen as a good thing and a bad thing. Now even though the wait is long, the food gets to the table soon, and for $16 w/o tip, you get three cups of alcohol, you can choose between a Mimosa, Bloody Mary, or Screwdriver, for the non alcoholics there are Orange Juice... and of course water. The deal is this, if you switch drinks from the original you order with then there is a surcharge, personally, I enjoyed the screw driver with a French toast dish. This place has a website that you can make reservations online, so if you want breakfast with alcohol, then this is the place for you! also if you make the reservations, and not the right amount of people showed up, they can apparently charge you for about $20 a missing person. That's what my acquaintance said, after two of my other friends didn't make it. Oh and another thing, the bathroom is right near the front of the restaurant, and it is very tiny with two stalls, and an interesting sink., so ladies expect to wait back to back to use this tiny spot. Other than minor critiques for the restroom, I definitely wouldn't mind coming here again.
(4)Jennifer I.
I've been waiting to find a brunch spot that I just LOVE and I've finally found one. My friends got there right at 11am, and since I tend to always run a little behind, they put their names in and the hostess said she would seat us as soon as I got there. Well, they told us they couldn't seat us once I arrived 10 minutes later--but then saw how upset my friends got and gave us a table. I thought that was pretty stellar of them! Then, the mimosas were amazing...and our waitress was extremely friendly and kept filling our glasses even though the $16 brunch only includes three drinks. The food was delicious and they gave a good size American portion--which means I was stuffed to the gills when I was done eating it all. Yep, I practically licked the plate. We all had a great time--and I loved the white tennis balls all over the walls-quirky and cute. Also, the place was super packed by 11:30 so I would recommend you get there right at 11am if you don't have a reservation--or make one! It's definitely worth it. And since state law does not permit serving alcohol before 12, they have free coffee drinks and soda to tide you over until the magic hour! The service was amazing, the food was awesome and it was just an overall fun, hip crowd. I will definitely be going back!
(5)Natasha B.
I've had many fun times at Essex. I love going there for happy hour, grabbing some $1 oysters, and nibble on waffle fries. I have never been here for lunch, but I REALLY love this place for happy hour. It gets really crowded at night, and the crowd is hardly the one I want to be part of, but the food is always pretty good, and the drinks are always strong.
(4)Evan W.
I went to Essex with a friend and long-time LES-er, and given the plethora of other delicious eateries in the neighborhood, I was confident that Essex would deliver. To my friend's credit, he had never been there... We ended up waiting 45-60 minutes for a Saturday brunch, despite being told that it would take 30 minutes or less. OK, so they're busy, for that alone I wouldn't fault them. At some point we started noticing other tables for 2 going to parties who had arrived after us. When I went up to check the status of our place in line, we were seated immediately at a table right next to the hostess. That sort of made me think that they really weren't on top of things at all. While waiting for our table we ordered drinks at the bar. Mimosas and bloody maries are cheap ($3) but as you watch them making hoards of them with generic store brand vodka and cheap champagne, it's hard to feel like you're really getting a deal. All the brunch options come with three alcoholic drinks for a whopping $18. It's a clever ploy, I'll admit. I bet most people don't even consume all three. And three is really just a rough number... it means they'll keep coming to your table and topping off your glass until you pay the check. The food was really sub-par (hence the 2 stars... I'm only docking a point for the mediocre service). The eggs in my dish were super overcooked... almost rubbery. The potato pancakes that my friend got as a side ($4) weren't much bigger than potato chips. Some of the food that I saw coming out looked half-way decent, which made me regret my order (the Southern breakfast). But still, if you can't cook eggs, you shouldn't serve brunch. The only point in returning would be to get drunk on $3 brunch drinks at the bar, but then, that's probably never going to happen. Maybe 10 years ago when I thought drunkenness was super rad. The $18 brunch is definitely NOT worth it. Not worth the wait, not worth your money, not worth your stomach real estate.
(2)Sandy C.
This place is always a reliable place to go. Food is always good and drinks are plenty! Get there before 1 PM for weekend brunch or you'll have to wait a while. It's a pretty loud place though, not good for dates.
(4)Helen W.
I love raw oysters. Their special is $1 sun - thu night i believe. The filet mignon is good also. I've had most of their entrees and appetizers. pretty good.
(4)Reilly O.
great brunch spot 22.95 for brunch + 3 cocktails, and they have the biggest brunch menu I have ever seen, and the food was great. i will definitely go again.
(4)Euphrosini S.
This is a pretty fun brunch spot.. conveniently located, nice decor, nice atmosphere and a creative menu with good food.... it did take forever to sit and the waiting area was super crowded. The hostesses kept telling us different times which I can understand because you can't really predict a wait. Once we sat and the bloody mary was poured then everything was fine. It's not the type of place you go to have an intimate brunch meal because the music and dining area are pretty loud... it seems to be more popular for its "cool" points but I will probably definitely go back with the understanding that it will probably take an hour to be seated..
(4)Maureen P.
I could get used to this... alcohol being included with the cost of a $16 brunch. Toronto Canada has yet to inherit this concept. (Please cross your fingers with me to make this happen.) 3 bloody Marys, screwdrivers or mimosas at 11 in the morning?! Hell yea! Bring it on! Alcohol tips the scale towards Essex' favor. The food tasted good. Did the mimosas cloud my better judgment? I'm not sure, but the warm and fuzzy alcohol related emotions could not disguise the frozen onion bread and cold butter served as a starter. Plus the alcohol was making me antsy - probably part of Essex' game plan to get us outta there quickly to free up tables for the never ending crowd constantly entering their doors. Here's the 411: 4 for my lobster benny (yes, you heard correctly - only $2 more for lobster), 5 for my 3 mimosas, 3 for the service and 3 for the daytime club ambiance. Overall, I'll average this rating a 4! Here's a couple of pointers: - Make reservations. It's mad busy once doors open. And if you made reservations online, call them to confirm. Our online resos magically disappeared. (Yea, right!) Luckily we called before hand. - Doors open at 11am (on the weekends). Don't arrive a minute early. We literally walked through their doors 3 minutes before 11 and they would not let us wait inside. (Are you fricken kidding me? I thought they were joking.) "We don't open until 11", we were told. "Please wait outside." WTF? But for brunch and alcohol at this outstanding price point, I didn't expect much. Hmmmmmm... it's possible my rating may be a tad generous, but alcohol does tend to loosen people up. Ha!
(4)Steve C.
We came here for AYCE mussels. It's a nice restaurant and much bigger than I expected. They have a full bar and it's got a good vibe. The mussels were small but they kept bringing more. Even encouraging us to break the record of 5 pots. So that was nice they weren't being stingy for AYCE nights. I wouldn't order the mussels again but would definitely want to try the other dishes.
(4)Katie S.
Great for brunch and catching up with old friends. We got there around 3 and this place was packed but we were still able to be seated right away. The service was great we got our drinks and food quick.
(5)Johnny M.
We had a reservation but still had to wait a little while, but it wasnt a huge deal because we got some drinks at the bar first. We had two different waitresses. Both very sweet and kept out mimosas coming. Good place for brunch.
(4)Sarah T.
I have been to this restaurant a couple of times and have always had an enjoyable experience until this last sunday for brunch. I made reservations and my friend and I were seated immediately. Our server, a dude with a black mohawk, was not up to par. He ignored us! I saw him standing around doing nothing on several occaisions. When we received our food, our drinks were empty and he did not refill them until we asked for new ones. Then when we finished our food, I pushed my plate to the side to signify completion, ten minutes later our server came over to check on us, my friend asked him if he could find someone to clear away our plates, he said yes and walked away, then came back 5 minutes later to clear them away himself, like he should have done the first time. If you get this guy, ask for a different server! Otherwise the food as always was great!
(3)stephanie k.
This is my FAVORITE brunch place in the city- by far. Admittedly, it's gotten quite popular so the wait slowly gets longer and the service lags every few times I go because a few people on staff call out last minute and they're understaffed (I always find myself chatting up our servers there so I get the scoop). The entrees are delicious. I've just about everything on the menu. The drinks can range from being watered down to so strong that you only need one... but the mimosa pitcher never stops pouring so it's well worth the $$. Make sure your whole party is there when your table is ready or else they won't seat you! If you know in advance you want to go to brunch one weekend, call during the week to make a reservation (they don't do same day reservations).
(5)Brittany L.
went to this place with just one person. thank god. it was PACKED. and rightfully so! my food was delicious, my drinks were perfect. i would like to go back asap!
(4)Drucie B.
DO NOT GO! The service was abysmal, we waited an hour for our main courses. It was deafeningly loud. For one small potato pancake they charge $7! My friends and I all agreed we have never had a worse dinner out.
(1)Brillat-Savarin J.
Me and Goethe on the moon. Clan MacGregor in a room on the moon. Nous ne parlons jamais dans l'allemand. Never, Danke! Never, Tausend Dank! Never, Danke vielmals! Never, Recht schönen Dank! Never, Ich danke Ihnen! Ich bin sehr dankbar für... Never, Haben Sie vielen Dank! Never, Vielen Dank! Never, Mit tiefer Dankbarkeit! Always, merci, mon ami...merci. Me and Goethe on the moon. Clan MacGregor in a room on the moon. Nous ne parlons jamais dans l'allemand.
(5)C W.
Awesome brunch with mamosa or screwdrivers (3 included in price). This place is attached to an awesome market on the lower east side. Food is really fresh, awesome menu options for brunch. Good spot to unwind for brunch. make reservations, or come early (they start at 11). Our waitress ended up giving us bottomless drinks. Don't forget it is CASH ONLY. Hit the market next door for some itmes you can snack on later in the day, they have fresh everything. I had the Deep South (it was chicken fried steak, biscuit and gravy, and potatoes). It was good, ask for extra gravy though.
(4)Elizabeth M.
Went here for brunch with my bro and girlfriend. I had the CHALLAH FRENCH TOAST WITH BANANAS FOSTER SAUCE & FRESH FRUIT. It was great that the drinks were included with meal, with numerous refills allowed, so my choice was a mimosa. Food was good. A bit crowded, but well worth it when we were ready to chow down. I want to go back and try the manchego macaroni & cheese with chicken apple sausage and of course, Mimosa.
(4)Raquel R.
Excellent food! Essex overall is one of my favorites. I've been there for brunch and dinner and never had a single one bad experience. A good selection of food, the price is affordable and the service is superb. For brunch I usually order the Mexican Matzo Brei for brunch, and it has never failed me. I've only been to Essex once for dinner, and the food highly exceeded my expectations. No complaints, and Essex will sure be seeing me again soon.
(5)The Elf A.
I wanted to go to brunch for my birthday with a good friend of mine, I'm picky and I wanted unlimited mimosas with a chill atmosphere. I'd describe this place as hipster chic and classy. Brunch was only 22.95 and had really great options for breakfast (very fancy options), I had the french toast with fresh fruit and banana cream. It was YUMMY. You get 3 choices of drinks, bloody mary, screw driver, or mimosas. The drink weren't unlimited and you only get 3. The drinks were nice and strong. This place is well worth going to, I spent 30 dollars for breakfast (this includes tip and tax) and had three drinks included with my breakfast Beautiful art work and a very open space. It sorta feels like your outside meanwhile your inside. Staff was immediately attentive and kind. I highly recommend this place for anyone who wants brunch in the LES.
(5)Mike H.
Had a reservation but we've been sitting here for 45 minutes waiting. Noisy, rude wait staff, and just a shitty brunch experience all around.
(1)Saskia S.
I have to agree with S.W...Essex is an excellent place to get drunk mid-morning on a Sunday! Sadly, if you are a busy graduate student with lots of work to do, getting sloshed at noon may not be the best way to start your day. Things I liked: 1. The Mimosas. Pre-made? Who cares! Champagne tastes good at any time! 2. The chocolate pancakes with banana comfit. Do you like your breakfast sugary and full of calories? This one is the way to go! 3. The crabcake eggs Benedict. Really a pretty good deal. Crabcakes on their own are often $16 and this meal comes with the english muffin, eggs, arugula salad and home fries. Plus the aforementioned mimosas. 4. Supposedly you get 3 glasses free with your $16 meal. I think I had 5. The good thing about pre-mixed drinks is that they have a pitcher..and they just kept refilling our glasses. Yikes! Things I did not like: 1. We had to wait almost an hour to get seated. This is AFTER we tried to make reservations, were told they did not accept them and then see people waltzing in the next day to claim their spots. Hm. Maybe you can only make reservations if you're special? 2. It's really crowded and they're obviously trying to flip tables as quickly as possible. We actually heard one waitress offer free drink tickets to a table of girls just to get them to finish up and stand near the bar. Practical but tacky! 3. They ran out of some of their menu items while we were waiting to be seated. If you know you are going to be packed, order enough food!
(3)Emaan M.
Essex boasts an excellent brunch with three drinks included. Some people say that they keep filling up your glass and dont really keep track of how many times but that def didn't happen to me. Food was yummy - i got a mexican scramble which was delicious. Reservation is mandatory.
(4)Kiris C.
I had my baby shower brunch here today. I had a party of 12 and we had to wait a while for a table to be ready but that is pretty typical when going to brunch anywhere in the city on a sat or sun. Our server was very nice and the food was tasty. It was a good deal considering you get 3 included cocktails with your brunch and they weren't really counting anyway. All my friends were pretty drunk by the time we left and I definitely recommend coming here if you want to do brunch with a group.
(4)Deena W.
I made a res online at OpenTable.com for brunch about a month ago, so needless to say, expectations were high. They won't seat you until everyone is there, so we had to make them wait nearly half an hour until one of friends got there. Once he arrived, they seated us immediately. It was pretty impressive considering the huge line. The Mexican Matzo Brei was SO great. It's basically this eggs, black beans and matzo pile with a side of avocado and tomato salsa. Delicious. One of my friends got the potato pancake dish with apples and honey cream sauce, and it was amaaazing. We all really enjoyed our food, and the drinks weren't bad either. After we paid, a couple of my friends were planning to meet up for a mimosa. They needed our table, so the waitress gave us a few free drink tickets to make up for the inconvenience. So nice! We got seats at the bar downstairs and had a great time. I'll most definitely return.
(5)Bo B.
Will NEVER go back... Met two friends this past Saturday for bruch. I arrived at 12:50 and was quoted a wait time of an hour. I checked in several times and was then told that they told me 2 pm. Okay, not a big deal, 10 minutes difference. But at 2:30 we were still not seated. FINALLY at 2:40 our table was ready. Food was mediocre at best and the wait was just brutal, particularly given that the hostess quoted us such an inaccurate wait time. Finally, as we were waiting, we were buying drinks from the bar (with 2 hours of waiting for your table who needs the "free" drinks that come with brunch?) and were charged a different price each time. Isn't that illegal? Seriously never going back and would not recommend.
(1)Jack N.
I swear this place is made for girls. But I'm not a girl, so what do I know? Maybe cuz they have a weekend brunch that have 3 mix drinks (bloody mary, screwdriver, mimosas) for $16? Okay, maybe its really for the lush crowd, as they also have daily 1/2 price drinks specials. If that's not enough, they will buy you a round of drinks if they screw you over in terms of the seating (took them a while to figure out that 5 ppl won't fit in a edge table that barely seats 4). I tried the $16 lobster special, and the dollar oyster special. Definitely go w/ the dollar oyster. The lobster was watery, expect to have lobster juices flying around when you crack them open. Oh, one of the girls that I had dinner w/ drip some lobster juice on her Anthropologie jeans. Oh No!!!! You know what that means??? Being a guy, I have no idea, until someone told me its like dripping lobster juice on a PS3. Oh, okay. I get it. Warning to female Yelpers, don't wear expensive stuff when you come here. But dang, you still gotta look good, right? Alright. Don't order the lobster here. Its not worth the risk.
(4)Emma L.
I've been here for Tuesday mussels, Wednesday Lobsters, Thursday (and Monday) Oysters and weekend brunch - but today, I'll be reviewing a saturday night at the Essex bar. Yes, I've whored it all the way through with this restaurant and this past Saturday I've hit new levels. The bar was very chill and not crowded (I just came from Bob's). Good way to end the night with a group of good friends just sitting around, watching Tampa Bay cream Boston in the 11th inning with other fellow NY-haters, in a nice comfortable place. Good job Essex!
(4)Rian R.
Tried Essex for the first time today and i think this might be the worst brunch experience i've had on both coasts. They told us it was an hour wait and 1 hour later told us it would be 30 minutes longer. after 30 minutes we were told it would be an additional 30 minutes. After another 30 minutes we were told our table was wrapping up. It was an additional 30 minutes until our table was ready. TWO 1/2 HOURS total for a quoted 1 hour wait. the only pro this place has to offer is handing out drink tickets for when they're "running behind" which should be indicative of how commonplace my experience there must be. if you don't mind being lied to and wasting your sat/sun waiting for a brunch spot (the food others were eating looked pretty ordinary... nothing too spectacular to merit the wait) then this might not be a bad choice for you. also - hostesses did not take responsibility for their misquote of estimated time. i will avoid this place like the plague.
(1)Lauren L.
I came here for brunch and made a reservation a week well in advance. I arrived here and found it to be a hipster haven with music loud enough to rival that of a club. If you have a hangover, this is definitely not the place to go as the loudness of this place will have your head throbbing in no time. With a reservation, they told me that there was only one table in front of me so my friends and I hung around and waited. After seeing group after group be led in before me, I went up to inquire again about our table. They said that they were still waiting on people to leave. A half hour later they told me that I was now int the 'top four' to be seated. Excuse me, wasn't I second to be seated half an hour ago? And now I'm in the next 4? If I wait half an hour more am I going to be in the next 16?? The hostesses were snotty, the music too loud, and the scene way too hipster and pretentious (girls were outfitted in full on ho-wear at noon). My friends and I left and went to the Stanton Social and had a nice brunch seated in the upstairs area where it was quiet and service was pleasant and attentive.
(1)G-Girl P.
We were told the wait for 4 people would be 20-30 minutes. We ended up waiting 1 HOUR! There's nothing exceptional about the food. The only plus side is the three drinks deal. Unless you plan on getting buzzed early in the day, no point in coming here.
(2)Anne K.
WARNING: This place is not suitable for the faint of heart, easily irritable, or women who are pregnant. This place IS for people who do not care about service, nor a quiet dining experience, but do wish it was socially acceptable to party and be boozed from 11am- 4pm in broad daylight. I am (un?)fortunately one of the latter. This place is one of my favorites. The first time I went in, you had to squeeze through all the population of the lower east side to give your name to a hostess who looks either hungover or drunk herself- whatever, respect. I did not have to wait long, because my friends had already waited the prerequisite 2 hour wait. Prince and Michael Jackson's great hits were blasting, while I sat down and was served booze immediately. If you go, make friends with the mohawked mimosa server named Rez. He will make sure that you in no way thirsty (nor sober). If he is tired, he will literally set down a pitcher of mimosa for you to ravage on your own. This place is the originator of DRUNCH (a.k.a. drunk brunch). Do not go, unless you want the rest of your day to be completely unproductive and spent passed out.
(5)Linda L.
I've only been here for happy hour and I usually stick with the dollar oysters and the half off drinks. I usually order a mojito and I'll ask for a splash of mango if i'm feeling rebellious :b
(4)J. S.
For dinner I find Essex to be "eh" while brunch I find quite good....although you must must must absolutley must be prepared for a few things. For starters, I recommend making a reservation for brunch...if you don't well then be prepared to wait anywhere from 45 mins to 2 hours....it really depends on the weekend, the weather, and the crowd. The people who frequent Essex make me think of those who are trying just a bit too hard...it's about looking cool and downing those mimosas....I find the women to be on the young side and a bit obnoxious and the men are way into the "too cool for school" mode.....but once you FINALLY sit down to eat you will be quite happy when you see that you get a full entree which includes 3 alcoholic beverages (mimosa, bloody mary, bellini, or screw driver) and it only costs you $16!!!!! Everything else at Essex is lacking big time.....from the atmosphere, to once again the people, to the obscene noise level, to the "whatever" attitude staff .....although one note about the staff - When we had brunch yesterday we were messing around with the waitress and making her laugh....I did though tell her twice I had to have egg whites (I can not eat the yolks or I get royally sick) but when my dish came it was yolked up to the heavens.....she apologized and took my entire entree off the bill.... For 3 people the entire bill came to about $39 I believe....not bad my friends not bad at all......
(4)P M.
Nov 1, 2010 update Sad to be downgrading this place by two whole stars. Had dinner here last night (Sunday) and it's nowhere close to what it used to be. Service was ridiculously slow even though the bar was pretty much empty and not even half the restaurant was full. It took over 10 minutes for someone to even approach us to take our drink orders once we were seated. Food was really ok, nothing great. The only thing I had that was exceptional was the scallop appetizer. They were out of a bunch of things on their menu. I was told this was due to Sunday brunch. Why stay open for dinner then? I guess they're just serving whatever is left over. The only thing that remains great are the drinks and happy hour. Which is all I'll be going back here for. 2008 review: Planned a small birthday dinner here for a friend and couldn't be more pleased with everything about this place. First off - the drinks. Mango mojitos were awesome and the sangria (had the red) was absolutely the best I've had. Which finally knocks Tapeo, Boston's off the top of my list after 10 years! Watermelon martini was strong, but too sweet for me. Food - Very fresh mussels, calamari with the most unusual dip: avacado with habanero. Potato pancakes were to die for. My favorite was definitely the one with sauteed onions and apple sauce. For entrees, i shared the sea bass and the lamb chops, both of which were good, but i could have kept ordering appetizers instead. Had the apple tart for dessert. Deelish. I have to say, the service really completed our evening. Our waitress was so attentive and very patient (what with 9 women who couldn't stop chatting long enough to order!). We were never left waiting for anything for any period of time. We were ordering sangrias by the glass when our waitress stopped us and suggested a pitcher so it would work out a lot better for us. We would have racked up a ridiculous bill instead! I seriously haven't had such great service for a while. Best of all, at the end of the night, the price was right. Will definitely be back and would highly recommend for large groups.
(3)Ricky C.
very good oyster specials...everything else is ok! heard great things about brunch though!
(3)Joe T.
great place for fun drinks, good food and awesome service, we went on sunday.. happy hour til 8pm, brunch served til 8pm was amazing. friendly staff. this place is a new fave. cant wait to go back.
(4)Shabnam A.
So i made a reservation for Saturday afternoon, which is "prime time morning after brunch time." The hostess was sweet and full of smiles which I loved, but they were definitely not eager to seat my large party of 12 before EVERYONE arrived. But, that's pretty standard so I wasn't too offended. Once we were seated on a table made for 6 and somehow shoved in, one of my slightly hungover friends moved his seat with the waitress behind him and she was NOT a happy camper! She gave us dirty/frustrated/annoyed looks the entire brunch! She then decided to charge us after a few rounds of drinks, which I yelped about and they typically don't do! So i was rather frustrated myself (but on my way to being rather drunk as well). Anywho, the music was loud n bumpin, the food was good, and its likely that me and my slightly obnoxiously drunk friends were outta control and the waitress was dully angry with us. BUT, given the TYPE of restaurant it is, with 'unlimited' mimosas, loud music, and trendy young people, one would expect patrons to get pretty drunk and rowdy RIGHT??
(3)Karen J.
I would most definitely go again! I went with a group of 13 this weekend at 3:30 pm. And yes, breakfast is still an acceptable meal at this time in the afternoon. Essex has a great selection of entrees ranging from $16 to $20 and you get pretty much as much as you can drink while you are there. Arriving later in the afternoon works to your advantage as you aren't hurried out the door as fast but the cut off time of 4:30 quickly approaches. Everyone at our table tried something different. I had the southern because who doesn't enjoy sausage and white gravy! Good home cooking your mama would approve of! When I go back I am so having the crab cake benedict. I don't think my friend enjoyed me staring at her meal so intently. With most of the meals you get a green salad and homefries. I tried the homefries but was not as impressed as they had a red pepper taste to them. I guess they use that instead of ketchup for the stickiness effect. Our waitress was attentive and well versed at refilling our glasses. Everyone left happy and slightly buzzed. The perfect disposition to be in after you have brunched with friends!
(4)Le Anne A.
Need brunch, go to Essex! Unlimited mimosas check, great brunch menu, check, bang for your buck, check! You are going to enjoy every minute of your dining experience here.
(4)Carolyn N.
We tried to go for brunch today. What a total toilet that place was! I have NEVER EVER been treated so horrendously by jumped up, arrogant restaurant staff in my life. And I mean that most sincerely, The attitude of the manager was so bad, that at first we thought it was a joke! But no, he really was talking to us like we were lucky to be in there and/or were naughty children. In a city that's full of amazing restaurants run by great people this is not one of them and I would not waste my time or money in there. Dump. We ended up walking a few blocks to an absolutely knock out tapas place - a great reminder of why there's no need to suck up the crappy service in a place like Essex.
(1)Jackie t.
I have been going to brunch at Essex for years, always impressed, always had a great time and delicious breakfast (holler @ a lobster benedict!!) ---Make a reservation if you go for brunch though, you will wait. Only recently I went there at night time for their $1 oysters & 1/2 price cocktails. It was a nice little deal! The oysters were great and so were the drinks. My friend and I just met for a quick drink before dinner (we went somewhere else for dinner) but I really enjoyed it. Super cheap and satisfying. Good spot for a group of friends, guys or girls, to kick back mid-week and feel like you're doin it big with oysters and fancy drinks, but really you're walkin out with a full wallet (& belly!)
(4)Michelle P.
Seriously the best place for brunch. Huge selection from eggs to steak at $17 with unlimited mimosas?? Definitely a great place to go with a group of friends for a weekend brunch - or actually THE PLACE. Be sure to book well in advance on opentable.com . I don't understand why anyone would go anywhere else in the city. . . . Great vibe, delicious food, unlimited drinks (they don't actually limit you to three), and lots of sunlight even though you are indoors.
(5)Ann R.
All I can say is Sunday Brunch!!!!! Noon mimosas.....sooo worth the price!!!! Make reservations as it gets packed!!!!
(5)Randy M.
Essex is very very noisy, the place feels dirty and the food is not great or even good. First I ordered a salad which was small but okay not great then I ordered the salmon entre and it literally was the smallest piece of salmon I have ever eaten. It was placed on the middle of a big white plate with litterally about 4 pieces of very oily julienned carrots or zucchini. It kinda reminded me of airline food. I would not really go here again. It was also packed with young people drinking, drinking and drinking. I got the impression this is more a bar than a good restaurant. On the day I went I did see a lot of drinking and ordering of oysters but after my experience I really wouldn't dare order anthing raw at this place.
(2)Laura A.
two things about this place annoy me. 1. they start brunch at 11:30 and boast how they include 3 drinks. but then they won't/can't serve you until noon, which is really awkward if you get there right at 11:30. perhaps this is only a problem for me, since it seems like people in nyc generally like to eat their meals a solid 2-3 hours after everybody else. 2. they're only cash only at brunch? WTF? we got there at 11:30 and got our food. the potato pancakes were ridiculously awful. potato pancakes are supposed to be potato patties filled with oniony deliciousness. this was frozen home fry grated pieces, formed into a kind of ball and deep fried beyond recognition, so any attempt to stick my fork in it to eat it would result in shards going across the room. it was coupled with like a spoonful of black beans. i was expecting a lot of food so i was seriously disappointed. and then we had to wait until noon to order our drinks, and our waiter was totally trying to push us to leave because it got super crowded. and then we got our drinks and they were really watered down! so despite hoping to leave this place full and buzzed, i left it still hungry and with no buzz to speak of despite downing 3 mimosas in less than 5 minutes. judging from the other rave reviews, maybe i just had a bad experience. i'll definitely consider trying it again, and hopefully i won't be disappointed again.
(2)Janet M.
Yeah, this place is alright. And by alright, I mean pretty fuckly awesome. The calamari with avocado-habanero dip was out of this world. If I had it my way, I would roam the earth with a steady IV drip of that stuff. We also had the steamed mussels with chorizo in a tomato-cilantro broth. After several loaves of bread were consumed sopping up this divine nectar, we then proceeded to the main course. Imagine my surprise and shock then, when the goat cheese stuffed chicken breast emerged tragically overcooked and poorly plated (pinwheels? come on!). Perhaps I had the one miss out of 50 hits, who knows? Oh, I'm also adding half a star because a 3 course meal for 12 WITH drinks came out to only $40 pp, tax and tip included. This is indeed a rarity, if not an impossibility in the LES, folks!!!
(4)John Y.
Was seriously in the mood for some moules frites and saw they had all you can eat Mussles and fries on Tuesdays so came after work. Was pleasantly busy. Not so much that you can't talk, but not so empty that you get weirded out. Made reservations on Opentable (but no points! what's up with that?) and was promptly seated when I got there. The service was great. Our server was very attentive and seemed to have a good sense for when to stop by and when to leave us alone. That said, something was up in the kitchen because they were extremely slow and disjointed. I was there with 3 other people, 1 salad came out almost immediately, followed by about 30 minutes of nothing. Then bread came out, followed by another 15 minutes of waiting. I'm hesitant to think this is systemic because after the initial period of suckiness, the food started to flow. I wasn't discouraged from getting more bowls of mussels and the fries never stopped. I found them to be pretty tasty, cooked in white wine, garlic and herbs; pretty traditional tasting. My wife had a tomato based sauce with chorizo that I didn't like, but she preferred. Had a pretty good time and the happy hour special is great! 1/2 off drinks. We were there after 9 and they still gave us the 50% off till we left. Will definitely have to try the brunch, but line waiting seriously sucks.
(4)Michael L.
Pretty fun place to come for brunch. The food isn't bad, but the real reason to come is to just kick back with your friends and the bottomless mimosas. In that sense, it's almost more like a bar then a restaurant. There's a huge wait to get, it feels like a total scene, there's pounding music, and there's a roar from everyone trying to make themselves heard to their friends. That part is kinda a drag, but once you're in it's a good time. You probably know just from this description whether this is a place you'd like or not.
(5)Sam F.
Essex has a pretty good brunch deal. It's hard to bead 15 bucks for a fantastic meal and a bunch of drinks. However, I got kind of tired of coming here because it is absurdly loud, the service is terrible and there is always a huge line. Even after I got smart and started making reservations it still took 45 minutes to an hour to get seated and as often as not they would lose my reservation. I do miss eating sea scallops and drinking mimosas for breakfast but honestly, there are better places to get brunch that aren't as slow, loud or generally douchey.
(3)Andy W.
Horrible in every way possible. Our two course dinner (starters and mains) took about 3 hours to complete. The service was comically bad and most of the staff was either overtly rude or saccharine in their fake niceness. The food looked like something that they serve you out of chafing dishes at large business meetings and tasted worse. Furthermore, most of it arrived cold, all the meats had been overcooked and butterflied, and the fish for the dietary restricted came with errant pieces of chorizo floating around, which was certainly not on the menu and lead to Jewish-kosher-related guilt and anger. I had the cheeseburger empanada which were soggy and congealed, and the cubano, which was pedestrian, though the plantains were good once I had properly seasoned them, a treatment that would have been better accomplished in the kitchen than at the table. Steer well clear of this place for dinner if you enjoy, you know, eating dinner. Also, the bar crowd that filtered in after we were done eating was uniformly ugly and I feared getting picked up by one of those goblins.
(1)Gabby D.
We discovered Essex a few weeks back (it's a little inconspicuous)and managed to easily get a table for a late Saturday evening dinner. Their selection of martinis were not just amazing and delicious but also quite affordable. Needless to say dinner was everything we wanted and more. Possibly the best calamari I've ever had! The Jewish and Latin twist on their dishes makes for many a yummy treat! Towards the end of dinner the music became even hotter and crowds started rolling in to just enjoy the bar. We had to go back and try out their infamous Sunday brunch! $15 food and 3 drinks included?!?! Oh yes!!! We exhaustingly waited for over an hour and a half for a table, but their $4 mimosas, bloody mary's, and screwdrivers held us over for 45 mins of our wait. They have a great brunch selection, and surprisingly though it was crazy busy--service was great, attentive, and fast! The crowd is fashionable and fabulous--and apparently this is the place to be for brunch. Even groups of guys take up spaces at the bar to enjoy downing screwdrivers for hours at a time. It's the perfect Sunday substitute for football off-season! I'd recommend definitely attempting to get a reservation for brunch but still bring comfy shoes and patience!
(5)Clara A.
not a bad place to dine out in. the food is tasty, it looks good inside, and the service is great. not a place for poor lovers. its edgy but still classy.
(4)Jay A.
great spot. good food. good inexpensive lobsters on wednesdays.
(5)sarah m.
clear your day when you have plans for brunch at essex. sundays are fun days with this amazing $15 brunch complete with three cocktails that are almost never just three. the servers are attentive to your table and like to keep all glasses filled to the brim. the complimentary bread that tastes like an everything bagel is the perfect beginning to your meal. my highest recommendation is for the mexican matzo brei, a wonderful twist on huevos rancheros with tortilla chips and cheese mixed in with eggs and black beans. best when visited with a big group of friends, but depending on the time you go beware of the wait. try to make a reservation a few days in advance. the space is artistic and hip with high ceilings and good natural light. the music never makes any sense, but the patrons hardly notice. they are too busy laughing, drinking, and wondering why they didn't listen to me when i said to clear their day.
(4)dee w.
this is one my favorite places for brunch in the city. if you make a reservation ahead of time, there will be no problem with being seated promptly. i find that the service is more attentive when you are seated in the downstairs section (probably because you are right in their face). the last time i went, i was seated upstairs, and had brought my bf for the first time after raving about it, but the service was only subpar. the food is really good (my favorite is the sunday platter) and they will usually give you more than the 3 advertised drinks if you are nice.
(4)brian s.
Ugh. I'm a pretty easy to please guy, but this place was weak. Start with the rude waitress who wanted absolutely nothing to do with us (even though the joint was largely empty on a saturday night). Then I had the wasabi-crusted salmon, which sounded awesome on the menu. In reality, it was a borderline raw slab of salmon with some breadcrumbs and wasabi paste drizzled sloppily on top. There was nothing crusty about it. Except for the service.
(1)Rob P.
Very disappointing. The coffee, served from a hotel style dispenser was weak and tasteless. Staff are grumpy. The eggs Benedict was probably the worst I've ever had, which is strange because they like to charge a fortune for it. Very odd that the place was chock full of people. Maybe they've got no tastebuds
(1)Donna B.
good food , brunch deal was great, young, fun and lively vibe, but there was a wait even with a reservation. after waiting 15-20 min to be seated with a reservation, after eating our food (fast because we were so hungry) and while on our second drink (3 included w brunch entree) our waitress asked us if would be willing to give up our table and seats to sit in the crowded bar w no seats if she gave us two free drinks. um kind of nice of her to throw in the extra two drinks (that are already included) but trying to make us give up our table so soon( not even an hour) left a pretty bad taste in our mouth. really spoiled our brunch. would have probably returned for the great brunch deal if it wasn't for that.
(3)Mandi G.
Get the crab cake Benedict for brunch but skip the potatoes that come with it. I'm from Dallas and have not had such a delicious brunch until I came to new York. Great location, loved the bottomless mimosas!
(4)Huba G.
despite being one of the few who thinks breakfast is overrated, i love breakfast food. we decided to for the sunday brunch and after a bit of a wait (it was really busy and really loud) we were seated on the loft levels overlooking the bar and a view of the street as well. the brunch special is a great value. the lobster eggs benedict rocked and the three screwdrivers was just the right amount of alcohol for sunday afternoon. also try the chicken apple sausages like others have suggested. the poached eggs with seared scallops was also delicious. our neighbors had some pancakes that looked so tempting and i'm looking forward to returning and trying them.
(4)Veronica B.
Came here last night for their happy hour; oysters were fresh & came out quickly. Stuck with their mango & raspberry mojitos which were really good. My friend had their martinis which were definitely on the stronger side. I also had the sweet potato fries & calamari which I would recommend. Prices were more then reasonable, drinks were half off from 6-9pm & oysters $1 each. Reason I took off a star is because of our waitress was very inattentive. She would walk right past us as we signaled for her attention unless we yelled out at her. She yawned in front of us & there was way too much staring going on.
(4)Andre C.
First Time there was on a Sunday, a friend wanted to have brunch there. Lets just say it was the first and last time i will ever go there during brunch. The Host was very friendly but when you set a reservation you should not be expected to wait for 3 hours to get a table. Finally 3 hours later we get a table and then i realize that people don't go there for the food! Its all regarding the drink tickets. Regarding food Ive had better in dinners, but when you are surrounded with friends everything becomes more tolerable. A few months Later a friend of mine decided to have her birthday party there and i made it very clear that it was a bad idea, but it was her birthday and she wanted to go there because it was close to her place. It was a Sunday night and the place was dead and even knowing it was empty the food still toke a long time to be served. Once again i was not impressed with the food but the main event for the evening was not the Restaurant but my friends Birthday. We had fun but that was my last time there. Not for me!
(2)Lorelei D.
Love it here. Wish it wasn't so hard to get into.
(5)Erwin John T.
The food was really great! i am always skeptical of fusion restaurants but the fod here was a great blend of fresh seasonal ingredients. The service was great, i dont think i had to ask for refil on my drinks. The DJ spun good lounge + upbeat music. Try the duck and the mac and cheese entree was delicious. The scalops were cooked perfectly. i will come back to this place just because its location, food and service were just superior.
(5)Romana Claretta H.
great brunch spot! gets super crowded and loud, but brunch menu is good, not to mention the great deal of 3 drinks included in the fix price of $21! cant beat that.
(3)Michael D.
Twofer for Essex - I've been here once for brunch (drinks only) and once going out (also drinks only). The night experience is more appealing to me because you're hearing the music; during brunch, you're hearing lots and lots of loud talking that's bouncing off the concrete, bare walls. At night, unsurprisingly, it gets a little crowded, and you'll have to do some navigating to get from one side of the room to the other. An area upstairs is a nice respite but doesn't always have someone manning the small bar there. Not bad.
(4)Shannon D.
Dinner rating. Fun decoration, waitress Phoebe was a doll but service was slow, prices are reasonable, particularly during happy hour, food was mediocre, nothing to write home about
(3)Soozie H.
My friends and I walked into Essex lastnight and was greeted by a practically empty restaurant! We stood around at the hostess podium waiting and looking like a bunch of idiots cuz no one came around to seat us! We finally walked to the bar where there were 2 employee's working and one woman told us to just sit whereever we wanted. There were about a total of 12 patrons there and so, the choice was vast! All weekend, it seemed like any place I went to had NO A/C which made eating really uncomfy given how HOT it's been! Welp, just my luck, Essex had an awful POWERFUL A/C blasting and it was COLD! I mean, talk about brrrr......We weren't the only patron's who asked several times if the A/C could be turned down cuz we overheard other ppl making the same request but...all our efforts were futile! WHY CAN'T THESE PLACES GET SOMETHING SO SIMPLE RIGHT?! WTF?! So we sat and sat w/no menu's for awhile..FINALLY, the woman who told us to seat ourselves REMEMBERED we were there and came over to hand us menu's. She came back around a bit later to take our drink and food order's. We shared the Potatoe Pancakes done 3-ways. It was quite delish and is similar to hash browns but fancier. There was Smoked Salmon, Cream Cheese and Onions with some Caviar as toppings. It was YUM! We then ordered our entrees: Catfish with potatoes ontop of shrimp- I wasn't too thrilled w/the Catfish but liked the sauce and so my plate was DECENT. Friend #1- Filet Mignon and sweet potatoe string fries- She said the steak was prepared the way she requested but the sauce was too spicy. OKAY Friend #2- Pork chops ontop of corn. Had the same spicy sauce as my other friend's Filet and was also OKAY. Friend #3- Short ribs and Spinach Samosa- both OKAY Friend #4- Tilapia Ceviche and Cram cake- the Ceviche was OKAY but the Crab cake is a BIG serving and made of fresh crabmeat! YUM! The 2 desserts we ordered were: Coconut Cream Pie and Peanut Butter "sigh" Pie- Of the two, the Coconut was YUM! Overall, the food was all good but they REALLY need to work on their food presentation! It all came out just THERE without any effort put into making it look "nice". I dunno', maybe cuz it was a long holiday weekend, there wasn't much ppl in the city and so they didn't care as much. The service was also real lacking and although our server checked in on us, it was just not up to par. Par being for a restaurant that charged above 'cheap eats prices". We'll come back to check out their infamous brunch special though.
(3)noah s.
Good food, lots of drinks and probably annoying if you don't have a reservation. We had one though so we were seated pretty quickly once all of our party got there. I guess they are trying to crack down on people getting totally shitfaced because with each drink we also got a healthy dose of "ANOTHER ONE?!" from the waitress followed by her slowing us up by talking for a few minutes. The food was great. I had the Chicken Fried Steak with Eggs and Biscuits and Gravy. It was all perfect for a big drunky brunch. I am a huge Bloody Mary fan and theirs were nice and spicy and stronger than most places that do unlimited/included with brunch. Make a reservation especially if you have a big party. The folks without reservations had to wait a while but I do think they were served a few drinks while waiting so it isn't all bad. Also it is cash only here.
(4)Krystal L.
I've only been to this place on Thursday nights for the oysters (going tonight, actually!!) and I really like it. Does get loud at times and gets so busy sometimes the waiter/waitresses are m.i.a. but the food is great and reasonably priced!!
(4)Melody H.
Essex keeps getting better for me. I haven't done brunch in a while because I don't have the patience to wait, but I went in last night for Lobster Wednesday and I was very pleased with my $16 lobster, potatoes, and corn platter and the half price ($5) blood orange margaritas I consumed between 6 and 9 pm. They pour heavy handed, just the way I like it. Everything was delicious, although service was a bit slow. Which is fine, since I had my margaritas and some lovely lady friends to keep me company.
(5)lifetime w.
My debit card was overcharged. When I called I was asked to call back 3 times before I asked for the GM who refused to do anything unless I showed up during a 1 hour window in person the next day. Sorry but when you rip me off, and I lead a busy life in NYC, I am not subject to your rudeness and whims. He told me "YOU DON"T KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO." I guess he's in the Jewish Mafia. Whatever. He was rude and didn't help us after he ripped us off. We're disputing the charges with our bank. ESSEX ripped us off and refused to do anything to help us when we could tell them the time of our reservation, date, name, charges, etc. With all the good restaurants in NYC why go here? The GM was a total jerk to us after we spent money there and tipped over 20%.
(1)Christy R.
A friend told me that Essex was great for brunch and they were right. I did make a reservation for 11am, which was a smart thing. Do it as early as possible, because this place is hoppin' and very popular. It's sunny and busy and still very "brunch chic." I took three girlfriends for a bachelorette weekend brunch and couldn't have made a better choice. (Plus, the hostess looks uncannily like Natalie Portman. Very striking) Service was nothing to rave about, but it was adequate. I had refills when I needed them and our food came relatively quickly. They take orders on a touch screen phone, so we actually thought our server was being really rude and unprofessional when she walked up to our table, until we realized what she was doing! Startled us, but it's a cool idea. $18 prixe fixe, an entree and 3 mimosas/bloody marys/screwdrivers. I wish that they were bottomless, I really do. The mimosas were all right, not as good as some I've had, but not awful. They're not true sticklers for when they cut you off, some of the my friends had a fourth refill, but I, oddly, was cut off at three. It's not consistent, so it made me a little peeved that my friends had four and I only had three. But, nothing that brought me down from the great experience. I had banana chocolate pancakes, and they were quite ingenious! Usually the mix-in's in pancakes are quite visible and sink to the bottom-- but these were almost like stuffed pancakes! I don't know how they managed to keep it all so centralized, but it was delicious. Fluffy and a great ratio of "mix-in's." My friends had everything from potato pancakes to sausage gravy and biscuits to eggs and apple turkey sausage...not a complaint to be heard-- just lots of yummy noises. I will definitely be back to Essex for brunch. Kudos. P.S. Be advised-- Brunch is CASH ONLY.
(4)Brandice H.
Yummy cozy nice atmosphere. I ordered the Les Matzobrei. The unlimited brunch drinks were good as well.
(5)Shane L.
I was just here last night for a Halloween party. It was fantastic! The music was fun, nothing too extreme - from Kelly Clarkson to Tupac (hadn't heard California Love in years!) to Bon Jovi... Pretty well mixed too! The drinks were your standard fare, though the glasses seemed a bit larger than normal - always a plus. Although there are two upstairs areas, my friends and I stuck to the lower dance area - standing and dancing around a both of tired friends. Just a warning: if there's a party going on, it can take a while to get in. We had to wait in line, go for a 30min drink, then come back to the line before we finally got in... One totally irrelevant issue: their flag-sign-thingy needs to be fixed. It says: Essex Bar Brunch Restaurant Okay, in case you didn't know, the first and last are places you go to eat and drink - physical places. What the heck is a brunch? It isn't a physical place! "One of these things is not like the other..."
(4)Michelle L.
Another cool brunch spot in the LES. About $18 gets you 3 drinks (mimosa, bloody mary or screwdriver) along with your brunch entree. They start you out with some yummy challah bread and if you finish it they keep it comin. I ordered the mexican matzo brei which was absolutely delicious! The service was a little spotty but the place was super packed so it was kind of understandable. The space is really cool - huge ceilings to allow for a loft-like seating area upstairs, baseballs glued to the east wall (actually I found that strange, but interesting), and a fun bar area. Word to the wise - if possible, get here before noon because it is difficult to get a table after that.
(4)Betsey L.
i've had both brunch and dinner here. i'm a fan of the brunch but not a fan of dinner....or maybe it was the entrees we ordered. we got a potato pancake as a starter and that was great- got sauteed onion/applesauce. i was expecting them to change out the silverware between our starter and main but that did not happen, they just placed my silverware on the table (w/ no napkin underneath! gross!!) got the duck breast and wasabi crusted salmon as the main, as recommended by our server. duck breast - the duck breast itself was very good but the spring rolls served w/ the dish were soggy w/ the sauce on the bottom and tasted like a $1 egg roll i'd purchase from a chinese take out place. wasabi crusted salmon- so imagine this on top of the salmon- chunks of wasabi (not evenly spread) with flaky crispy crusty stuff sprinkled on top. i think this wasabi-crust could've been done MUCH better, it just looked so sad and was not good bc the wasabi was just there. i mean, chunks of it. i took all of it off and just ate the salmon. though i wasn't fully satisfied w/ my dinner....it was OK bc i had a $25 gift certificate from restaurant.com to help defray the cost!
(3)Lianne Z.
I used to live across the street from this NYC staple. I used to think it was an over-hyped trying-too-hard-to-be trendy yuppie hangout but a few months into neighboring with this popular hotspot, I changed my opinion. Dinners are good, although weekdays are quiet. Their Lobster Night isn't a bad deal. The lobster was cooked nice and tender and came with two sides. For only $16, I couldn't really complain. I've gone on all-you-can-eat mussel nights and they really do stay true to their word and continue to bring you little metal pot after pot of juicy mussels with flavorful broth. The quality was okay but the broth made up for it. The stuffed chicken was pretty good as well, as is their sangria and all appetizers (I think they have happy hour half-off drinks from 7-10 pm). The best part about this place is their brunch. I think Sundays are overrated because you have to reserve a week in advance and still have to wait for a half hour to two hours at times. Saturdays are quieter and although the food and deals are the same, it just doesn't say NYC Sunday Brunch. They have a $16 brunch which includes 3 drinks (the waitresses are clearly well-trained on the term "fill to the brim", not to mention no one's counting anyways) and the entree of your choice (some have a supplemental fee). Try their classic breakfast with roasted potatoes, spring mix, eggs your choice, and delicious sweet and savory chicken apple sausages. The Salmon egg benedict is perfection (just enough texture explosion of smoked salmon, creamy hollandaise and soft poached egg), but I was not impressed with the Lobster egg benedict which was a bit on the dry side and no true outstanding flavor (and not enough meat to give you that bang for your buck, you know?) . Mimosas/Bloody Marys are average, but really, who is complaining about alcohol with brunch? I'm usually there trying to cure my hangover by drinking more. Overall, just trust me. Try it.
(4)B ..
Brunch hot spot for the youngins since I couldn't imagine any other age group that would want Mimosas/Screwdrivers or Bloody Mary's for brunch. Included in one set brunch price of $18 is 3 glasses of the above choices of drinks along with a main dish. I ordered the following dish: "3 eggs any style with fresh fruit & choice of bacon, chicken apple sausage, breakfast sausage, or tempeh bacon". I really enjoyed my dish since I appreciate the healthier aspect of breakfast: fruit, salad, & eggs, yet got some tasty breakfast foods in as well: apple sausage & potatoes. Expect to wait about an hour despite having reservations and to wait some more for your food to arrive. Meanwhile, drink a mimosa or two, or three, and be merry! Salud!
(3)Brad G.
Brunch until 4:30. Their lobster benedict is awesome and for $20 it includes 3 mimosas (wink, wink - the waitstaff doesn't keep count). The wait can be a bit crazy, but the food is very good and the drinks keep coming.
(4)Mimi C.
The happy hour oysters were whatver, but the drinks ok pretty cool :)
(3)Lauren Vanessa Z.
We went for Sunday brunch at 11:30, right before it got crazy busy. Cash only on Sundays, y'all. The interior of this joint is cool, very bright and open. They have a brunch deal, 3 drinks and an entree for $25 or $30. They weren't keeping track of how many drinks we had though, coming over and filling my mimosa whenever it needed topping off, so we probably drank more than 3. (Although, alcohol doesn't get served until 12 on Sundays, so we did have to wait a second to get our drinks.) I got the salmon on an English muffin with egg, and it was so delicious. I wish I had some right now, actually. I could eat it every single day and be happy. After we finished eating, they gave us a bunch more drink tickets so they could clear our table and seat some of the other billions of people that were waiting in the entryway. We headed to the bar and kept drinking, but it was a madhouse over there. It's clearly a popular spot, and for good reason!
(5)Lori Y.
I avoid Essex for brunch due to the long wait. For dinner, the food doesn't stand out. They used to have pork chops with chipotle sauce and that was unique, but it seems that's no longer on the menu. This is a place you go for the atmosphere. The ceilings are high and the decor trendy. But the wait staff is blah...they used to be more attentive.
(2)Sarah W.
I love this place. Very easy going, casual and spacious. Space wise, it feels like williamsburg or dumbo loft feel. Half price drink special was such a steal and got me well buzzed until we waited for our friends to arrive and sitted for dinner at the bar. We went there for $16 Lobster special night on Wendesday and the lobster was unbelivable. It was cooked just perfect falling out of the shell easy and not runny. It was so good that everyone was wondering if we're supposed to eat the brain too? and they did. HaHa Not sure how much normally on other nights but I am definiely coming back. One of best I had. The service was very attentive and one of friend got lobster caviar in his lobster and we shared with the hostess who's never tried one before. yummy.. I love sitting inside loft hearing rain fall on the skylight and this would be perfect place for such day with some wine - quite romantic.
(4)Eva L.
I've only been here for dinner and I've had a great experience every time. The staff here is very friendly. It's great for groups of friends. Drinks and food are really good too. My favorite is the key lime mojito (drooling as I type). Prices are especially good when I come with a restaurant.com certificate. Though it's pretty fair even without it. Highly recommend
(4)Angie C.
My girlfriend is a fan of the umlimited mimosa brunch places in the city, so of course we turned to Essex for their brunch deal which includes 3 drinks. The food edible, nothing special. This is regarding the crispy potatoes with sauteed apples, spinach, mushroom, black beans. Good thing coming at 2pm means there is no wait for brunch.
(3)Steph P.
Groupon on vacation! I had originally bought 2 groupons for this restaurant because we were planning on having 4 people. When our 4th couldn't make it, we technically could only use 1 groupon. I explained the situation to the waitress, that we were from out of town, could we still use the second groupon. She looked at me blankly. Ok.... We sat on the second level balcony, which was prime for people watching at the bar. Our waitress was a little goofy, I think she was new. I was also a little disappointed that we were basically at a two top with three chairs, but we love each other so closeness is ok. Thurs night = half price drinks and $1 oysters. I had two watermelon martinis that were yummy (even though the second had a lot more booze) and tasted my friends' blood orange cosmo and green zinger (green tea vodka, pimm's, mint and lime) which were both tasty. I started with the warm goat cheese salad with beets that was fantastic. The beets were slices covered with toasty warm goat cheese. I wanted everything on the menu, but decided to share the three ways potato pancakes. Can I just say, I have never had a deep fried potato pancake? I was expecting something crispy but thin. This was super crunch on the outside and really greasy. And I don't recall goat cheese on the one that was supposed to have it. I also ordered a side of plantains that came with a salsa with hearts of palm, onion and tomato. It was a nice salsa, but plantains need sour cream. They just do. My fellow diners had mixed feelings about the food as well. I think I may have been happier if I had ordered differently, but I'm not convinced I would go again.
(3)Colleen S.
I frequented the LES on many occasions for dinners and drinks, but was never drawn to Essex at all. If it were not for the huge yellow banner above their door, I would have never noticed the corner street location with the faded bricks and gray windows. Maybe I'm just really unobservant or people just know this place by word of mouth because it was packed on a Friday night. The bar was already flanked by people at 8pm. My friends and I squeezed into a table on the upper level, ordered two pitchers of sangria and went straight for our entrees. I thought the sangria could have used some more wine, and the food, a little less soy sauce. I had the wasabi-crusted salmon with sauteed veggies over Himalayan red rice. You know those wasabi pea snacks you get in the Asian grocery stores? Yep, that was the crusting. Besides the fact that the salmon was cooked well with a nice crispy skin, the soy sauce was overpowering on the sauteed veggies and red rice. Overall, there was nothing outstanding about Essex, other than the 45-minute wait for our food, and the waiter nearly smacking me in the face with the plate as he was handing me my dish. But the next time I come across this place when I am in the area, I will just walk past it knowing that there's nothing really special inside, just like the way it looks on the outside.
(3)Dee S.
This place is the most over-hyped brunch spot in the city, in my opinion. Long waits for what amounts to a brunch for $20 that includes booze. The food is decent, don't get me wrong, but you could make the same thing at my place for $6 without all the attitude, and with the booze. I just abhor places that are famous because of the "scene." If you want to be seen on a Sunday when you're probably already hungover, sure, it's got appeal. But when you're sitting at a table and the conversation between the 2 other broads you're with turns asinine, and you try and look interested in the wall art, don't be surprised when you have people angrily glaring at you because they think you were staring at them. The place is cramped and full of pretty annoying folks.
(2)Loren H.
So I went on Christmas morning with my family (4ppl), without reservations. We waited about 20 minutes, not too bad. The bottomless mimosas were a delight, but they were made with cheap OJ, so: ehh not bad, not fabulous either. Food was delicious, I had eggs , biscuits, and chicken fried steak all smothered with gravy, I was amost licking the plate when I was finished. My parents enjoyed their food. My roommate had pancakes that were a little on the small side. Plus for her, a non-drinker, it wasn't worth the $25 price (apparently they raised the price $7 just because it was Christmas). The fluctuating price and teeny flapjacks are the only thing keeping me from giving this place 5 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal and can't wait to go back and try one of the many selections of potato pancakes. To top it off the decor is very modern and airy and the staff was cordial and efficient.
(4)Ansley W.
I wouldn't go back. Sure, the duck with bok choy was quite tasty, but my boyfriend's cubano was overly chewy and light on the meat. What really kills this place is the service. We had dinner on a Thursday night- even with a reservation for 7:30, we had a half hour wait to be seated. Our server spilled a drink on me and barely apologized. The restaurant was so loud that I had a headache by the end of the meal and if you want to have a conversation, you will have to scream. So because of the noise, the cramped space, and the poor service, Essex was a disapointment. There are other places to get a tasty duck breast with good service.
(2)Yanfen L.
Would like to go back and try the steak again.
(4)Vic L.
I'd give it 1.5 but oh well. Came here for my aunt's bday. Usually restaurants arent packed early in the week especially on a Tuesday. The place was about 60% crowded w/ most people at the bar. The special was an all you can eat mussel bowl. We sat on the second floor above the kitchen and granted we were a party of 10, I was left wondering why it took 30 min for 3 cooked appetizers and a dozen oysters. On the second floor you can see the other tables have gotten their food or were all enjoying the bottomless bowls of mussels. A big party obviously takes longer to prepare the meals, but an hour and a half on a almost half empty restaurant when the majority of the tables have already gotten their food was just edging me on. Pear Mojito: Where's the pear taste?? Heck, wheres the liquor?!?! Blackened Catfish: Salty. If it was the seasoning, they need to cut back on it or not add salt to their mixture because I felt more dehydrated than after running a mile. The potatoes were borderline cooked/uncooked. Squid ink ravioli stuffed w/ a seafood mix: Bland, tasteless, and the inside was so overcooked it felt like eating a hard cheese. Salmon: Well done when asked for medium. Fried calamari: Why did mine come w/ tomato sauce when it says it's suppose to be habanero avocado? Another order came out fine. Seems either the batter wasnt made properly or the fryer wasnt hot enough because the crust just flaked off and I had more fried batter on my plate than squid? Oysters: Ran out of West coast oysters, fine. But why are the other ones the size of quarters? Looks like they sliced one in half and put 2 on some empty shells. The service was good in the beginning. Our waitress was nice and attentive. The food runners and bus boys looked like they could care less about any and everything. Just dropping the oyster plates randomly at the table. Cousin had to ask 2x for a refill of fries when it should be automatic cuz it comes WITH the mussels as a side. I had good expectations of this place because the atmosphere is nice and great for a dinner date. Unfortunately the wait time for the food on a fairly empty restaurant greatly dissappointed me as did the food. Didnt think I'd spend 3 hrs at this place.
(1)B P.
Even though we were sat 40 minutes after our reservation time, we had an amazing time at Essex. The waitress topped off our drinks every 10 mins, our food was delivered quickly, and everything tasted phenomenal. Quick tip: Order the Aristocrat. Definitely an awesome place to have Sunday brunch and kick off the week. I loved all of the open lighting and the general style of Essex.
(4)Tiff K.
Brunch at Essex lives up to its reputation! My friend and I arrived right around 11AM right after Essex opened. We were probably the 3rd or 4th table seated and the bar was pretty empty. Fifteen minutes later I decided to stretch and take a look around and lo and behold the bar is packed! Tip- make a reservation and arrive early! The prix fixe choices (+3 drinks!) were great and the food portions were generous. Service was as fine, we got the help we needed without unnecessary questions during our brunch. This is a great place for a lively group meal on a relaxing weekend. Highly recommended!
(4)Dan R.
Good food. Terrible service. Slow. Too loud. Too many people. Brunch is cash only, and includes three alcoholic drinks, like it or not. The food was really pretty good but the experience was just no good, and the service was among the worst I've ever endured.
(2)Kevin K.
It was a Sunday brunch and this place was crazy packed, we had a reseravtion, but still had to wait more than 45 minutes for our table. We waited in the bar and got started drinking our mimosas. I was buzzed even before we got to our table. Then the almost unlimited mimosas started coming. I got the chicken fried steak with eggs and a side of bacon. I gotta have bacon at brunch! The CFS was tiny, and below average in taste, but I was feeling great and our waitress kept refilling my mimosa. The eggs were fine and the side of bacon was decent sized. The bacon was crispy. I love crispy Bacon. At that point anything would have been great. For the price and atmosphere I was pretty pleased and buzzed. My girlfriend and friend enjoyed their meals or maybe they were just tanked too.
(3)Cindy C.
Plan your visits...or, time your visits. Especially for sunday aycd brunch. first visit left such an impression...and buzz, that I brought some friends who were visiting to do the quintessential new york brunch. By midday, the place was swamped and clearly, there was going to be a wait, but like any other new york resident, brunch, more so than anything, perhaps is the ONE thing people tend to stick around and wait for....as I explained this to my kind visitors, their eyes widened in shock and nodded politely when told the wait was a minimal 30-45 mins (which, hey, as we all know is a relatively decent wait time) After a gruesome wait during which we got hungrier and hungrier and questioned the hostess' integrity when she kept informing us that we were "next" but somehow kept leading other people to their tables..and not before one of my friends exclaimed "do you really wait this long for brunch normally?!" we were finally seated. Almost immediately, i gulped down the mimosa that appeared within lightning speed...and surprise surprise, all was forgotten. Brunch is a great deal, and having a good brunch buzz is amazing. However, the long wait time and the deceit of the hostess probably means that I'm reluctant to return for the third time. Oh...and fyi, i did eat here. but i just drank more. *brunch is cash only..
(3)Jon F.
Came here on a Wednesday during their 1/2 off happy hour. We had a dozen $1 Blue Point oysters and the $18 Wednesday Maine Lobster special. Both did not disappoint. We weren't blown away, but didn't expect amazing seafood at that price. Service was very friendly, definitely will come here again for the oysters and happy hour.
(4)Ms. J.
I would give this place a solid three and a half stars, but since that's not an option, three it will have to be. I've been on a real pay-for-what-you-get kick lately...I realize that may not really make sense, but basically I mean I've been eating cheap Asian food for what I hope is not too distant from market price. Anyway, I definitely didn't feel ripped off at Essex, which I guess sadly is just about my number one requirement in a restaurant right now. I got the (really yummy) crab cakes and a side of mixed vegetables but I regret not ordering the all-you-can-eat mussels which one of our party took more than advantage of. I also sampled the tuna spring rolls and a potato cake. Everything, I thought, was reasonably priced. Again, I hate having to be the person that judges places based on value per price, but alas, I am SO that person. Service was friendly and they did not say a word when we wanted to split the bill on various cards + cash so, bravo to their waitstaff and their powers of mathematics. They even extended happy hour for us (I think so they could avoid serving us each 4 drinks at once at 7:50? classy). I hope three stars and "A-OK" are not seen as a low rating because I really did like this place - it's just unlikely I would come back in light of there being so many infinitely cheaper and equally as delicious places in the city. But for a special occasion or a LES snack, two thumbs up! Essex is a win.
(3)Megan C.
Seems that plenty of Yelpers have enjoyed their meals here for quite some time we had fun but it was nothing to write hoe about. Decent portions, plenty of space in the restaurant to spare. Not sure if this Health/Racket Club type space was a home to something else before but Essex seems to do a good job of making the oddly shaped building feel comfortable. Service was okay. Date Rating: 4 Pick up Scale: 2 Note: Maybe they'll get better.
(3)Elizabeth P.
The service is lacking and I really dislike the uncomfortable, strange way they handle the hostess post when things aren't hectic... you walk in and have no idea where to go, and the case on sunday for me was a casually dressed chick sitting at a table nearby eating yogurt stood up disinterested and asked how many. wow. See, if I'm going to spend more that like, $10 on a meal I expect the service to be at least on par with mcdonalds or the friendly neighborhood hallal guy. In any case, the mexican matzo brei here is juicy, cheesy, sour cream-y and delicious. I've also tried the steak, which was tasty and well prepared, but I didn't care too much for the gravy they douse it in. The brunch is a great deal, but make reservations, or you'll be waiting forever. If they'd just improve their service, this place would be pretty nice.
(3)arpee q.
my friend, J., introduced me to this place post-"no pants subway ride". pretty nice inside. can get pretty crowded and loud in bar area, but not too much of a problem. i hear that the wait can be pretty long sometimes, but a) the first time i went, we met with people who had been waiting already, and 2) the next time i went, the NY giants were playing in the playoffs. the really cool thing about essex that sets it apart from most drunch places is that they have "sundown brunch" which means they have AYCD brunch until NINE PM. nuts, right?
(3)Melissa M.
I am a native Lower East Sider- And so, I am always hesitant to see these hipster joints pop up...and well- after many times walking by- I finally decided to go in and try brunch. Totally not worth it.The place reminded me of the owner- (I guess that is a good thing.....he has definetly left his mark...) It is uptight, over rated, and well...just too about showing face. The food is decent but nothing you cannot find at a high end diner. At the end of the day- if you're about letting every know how cool you are- and that matters to you..eat here. I find everyone is looking around, instead of actually enjoying the food. Also- what I found really annoying- they rush you.They're trying to get people in and out...and I ordered (to try the food) for a party of 2 - 4 different menu items. Then I was sent to the bar to finish my drink...and was told that if other people came in - they would have to move me. I dropped good money, and was treated pretty poorly. It just was not worth it. But,hey- to each their own. melissa
(1)Erin L.
Not bad. It's a fun brunch place with music in the background........"ooooh baby baby and when i get that feeling, i want sexual healinggggg...sexual healing..oh baby...makes me feel so fine!" Three mimosas was all I needed :) The mexican matzo brie and the potato pancakes were yummy, oh and can't forget a side of chicken sausage! =)
(4)Lucy Z.
This place is super trendy and definitely a popular joint too bad the food is not that great. Everyone comes for brunch, sometimes there is a wait. Typical LES crowd.
(3)Tommy L.
The wait can be long. The crowds can be ginormous. But this is probably the best mimosa (or screwdriver and blood mary brunch) I've had during the short time I am here in NYC! I've sampled both the seared diver scallops atop a bed of arugula salad and the scrumptious mac and cheese -- which is generously proportioned and accompanied by home-made apple sausages. It only gets better when you're in good company and amid great conversation. Whether you are heading to Essex on a date or for a social gathering of sorts, I'd highly recommend making a reservation. Really, the only way you can detract from your experience at Essex is by not making a reservation beforehand. Don't be caught in that situation!
(4)Doug J.
OK, my review is based soley on the wait time. I made an online reservation for 2:45pm on a Sunday. I arrived on time, and after checking in 15 minute increments, each time I was told that "my table has their check and will be leaving any moment." By 3:45pm, my party of 3 were really hungry and getting angry. Once a big party of 8 left, I approached the hostess and asked if they could break the two tables apart and if we could have one of them. So I had to suggest that. Once this was done, the hostess called a party of 4 to get the table first and I had to push my way upfront to make them realize we had been waiting so long. So if you're so busy on a Sunday, Essex, don't offer reservations on opentable. Just say you're busy and I won't come. Oh, well, I'm never coming again anyway.
(1)Casey R.
This is probably one of my favorite all you can drink brunch spots. Not only are the drinks endless (even though they say you can only have 3) but the food is great too! They also have the same deal on Sunday nights called "The Sunday Sundown". The Essex is a 'must try' for everyone!!
(4)William B.
Came here for Easter brunch and kinda have mixed feelings about the whole place. I use to live a couple blocks away for quite some time and would always hear people rave about the brunch here. Outside they had the "Easter" menu up which had a good variety of items with either three mimosas, bloody marys, or screwdrivers. All for the grand total of 25 dollars. Now to me, when you put a Cuban sandwich with some plantains on the menu, and add three low quality mixed drinks, that doesn't equal 25 dollars to me. The plus side is that I probably had more then 3 mimosas but never got charged for the extra ones. (the waitress kept walking around with a pitcher filling everyone's glass up). The downside was it tasted more like I was drinking prosecco. The cuban itself was quite good and cut into pieces so I could handle it, even in my inebriated stated. This is definitely a scene that people flock to which some people love and then the people from the neighborhood tolerate. Honestly, won't be seeking out this place anytime soon.
(3)Lady B.
If you are in the mood for a really long wait (an hour past our reservation time), a real headache and zero chance of conversation with your friends (WHAT DID YOU SAY? I"M SORRY I CAN"T HEAR YOU! DID YOU SAY SOMETHING?? WHAT???) plus attitude from the front-of-house staff and a dining experience matched only by coach airline meal service - boogie on over to Essex. Oh and that one star was for the fact that while waiting I used the loo and there was a scrap of paper on the roll i managed to pull off somehow.
(1)Peter P.
From start to finish our experience was an absolute train wreck. The hostess claimed that they were cleaning our table as our group was arriving. Little did we know that the party that had supposedly already left was still occupying the table. When we had brought the subject up to the hostess (after asking the to see a manager multiple times), she proceeded to laugh in our face as if our 45 minute wait was funny. During our wait, I had a tough time understanding the male bartender's unbelievable sense of entitlement - rude, inattentive and borderline disrespectful. After finally being seated, there seemed to be another 20 minute wait for utensils and water. We unfortunately chose the price fixed menu. For the 60 bucks plus tax, you're better off spending the money and going to a nice steakhouse and having a proper dinner....or saving your money and eating at a 99 cent pizza stand. My pork belly tacos were minuscule and I'm still debating if what I ate was actually pork belly. About 90 percent of our party chose the hanger steak with French fries as their entree and I can guarantee that 100% of them wish they never had. Everyone's steak was totally undercooked and mine personally felt like it was hand delivered straight from the freezer. Lets not forget a member of our party who received his entree as we were ready to leave. I honestly can't say enough bad things about this place. I award you no stars and may god have mercy on your soul.
(1)Tiffani D.
Went for weekend brunch on a Saturday at 2pm. You could barely walk once you got inside, and even with a reservation you will have to wait. The hostess (Isabel?) was SO RUDE and unapologetic. Could not believe that a restaurant would hire someone who is so blatantly rude to customers. All the other patrons who were waiting for their tables made comments regarding how rude she was as well. Once we were seated about 30 minutes later, we could hardly hold a conversation due to the loudness. Once the food arrived, 2 of us received our food and then 20 minutes later the other meal came. WE had pretty much had it with this place until Mo, sensing our displeasure, came over and offered us mimosas and provided us with drink tickets to make up for our experience. He was WONDERFUL!!! If it weren't for him, I would've given this place 1 star due to the hostess' rudeness and the overall disorganization.
(3)Tina W.
Came here for a birthday a while back. Love the space, brick walls and open area. I had a stuffed chicken with goat cheese, which was ok. The waitress was nice and patient, as we were waiting for a large party to arrive.
(3)Em C.
You will understand why there is a house DJ and general loud atmosphere once you get drunk at brunch like everyone else. This place is filled with people who would only make eye contact with you in hopes of seeing their own reflection in your eyes. Crispy pancakes= amazing -- do it! & bloody mary addition makes it all OK.
(4)ZeeDee B.
If you're looking for a faux trendy, pretentious, over-hyped, over-priced prix-fixe brunch with mediocre food, snobby staff, and extra long wait even with reservations, this is your jam. Ok, let me slow down a bit. I get why people like this place. They do give you three free mimosas or bloody mary's with your $18 prix fixe. But is it really worth it if you have to wait an hour, even with reservations? Is it really worth it if your waitress is going to tell you that you need to hurry up and order and can still get your free drinks but have to have them at the bar which is crowded with terrible people? I THINK NOT! And the food was.... fine. I had a standard lox benedict with potatoes. But unfortunately, "fine" food for a place like this is just not good enough. Look, if I can't talk you out of going to this place (you have some friends that just OMG OMG "HAVE" to try it) just make sure you arrive with a full stomach and bring an Encyclopedia to read while you wait. Prepare yourself for the likely possibility that you're going to have a waiter/waitress that sucks. And unless you live in a cave, you're definitely not going to try any food that you haven't tried before.
(2)Ruthanna K.
Okay the service here kinda sux but everything else is awesome!!! They have specials and happy hour daily and...LOBSTER wednesday!!! (The $5 martinis don't hurt either) Try the latkes!!!!
(4)Stephanie C.
I try and visit Essex every 2-3 months or so for their weekend brunch. I have to admit that its appeal is starting to wear off. Compared to Paradou or Bagatelle, Essex is slowly descending on the hierarchy of champagne brunches in Manhattan. Although their brunch deal is unbeatable, the general environment and atmosphere isn't so interesting anymore. It's ALWAYS crowded with people in the entry way. It's a battle to get to the host/hostess. Their bathroom stiiiinks (and it's especially great when people open and close the bathroom door and you're standing in the entry way). Their service is extremely rushed, their food is getting a little sloppy, cocktails aren't that good...and the tables are jam packed together etc. etc. Overall, I think this place starts to get a little boring after the 4th or 5th time. What I do still like about Essex is the fact that if you have a reservation, your wait time is always less than 5 minutes. Very efficient in that aspect. If you go, I would always recommend that you make a reservation through Open Table, otherwise you might get stuck waiting in that awful entry way (next to the smelly bathroom) with pushy pepole for a very looooong time. Also, try and get a table on one of the upstairs balconies.
(3)JC D.
This place is not for grown ups, mostly just 20s-somthings that look like teenagers trying to get drunk off the 3-drink brunch. It's not "energetic," but ear piercing loud due to the loft style of the building. We sat on the second floor where we had a view of his "art" installation, which amounted to a bunch of tennis balls that were glue to the wall. Problem is they couldn't clean them and they were caked with dust a grime. The food was terrible, something most single teenage guys are able to make in their dorm room. Had the chicken with Caesar salad, the most "gourmet" thing on the menu and it was just a bunch of tasteless lettuce and a grilled piece of tasteless chicken. As for the booze the mimosa was warm and tasteless (hum I am sensing a theme) Oh and then there is the "cash only" policy. While I respect skimming money from the government for the most part this is just extremely inconvenient for customers who are told and then end of the meal they have to go several blocks away to this or that bank to get money. Their defense---there is a tiny note at the bottom of the back of the menu. Of course, why didn't I notice that? They do not tell customers as they come in. If they had we just would have left then and that would have saved us a HUGELY disappointing meal. The best things about NYC is eclectic food choices. There is a great restaurant on every corner. So do yourself a favor and turn the corner and walk right past Essex to any one of 1000s of great restaurants in the city. You will thank me.
(1)Jerome Y.
Went for dinner and the all-you-can-drink. Our waitress was giving us drinks so attentively I was impressed.
(4)Stevie S.
I went to this place with a friend for their $20 brunch special on Sunday (brunch here is cash only, by the way). It was super packed. We got there at about 12:30 and had to get on a list to be seated. The hostess said it would be a 45 minute wait, but we weren't seated until about an hour and a half later! They got us started on some mimosas and gave us menus to look at while we waited. We managed to get a table on the upper level, which was really nice since downstairs was still very crowded with people waiting to be seated and members of the waitstaff pushing through with trays of food and drinks. The $20 brunch special includes any entree and up to 3 brunch cocktails (mimosa, bloody mary, or screwdriver). I had the crispy potato pancakes with sautéed apples & honey cream sauce: delicious! The spinach-shiitake-black bean hash that came on the side was just okay, though. The food, the drinks, and the service were each worthy of at least 3 stars, but I'm only giving this place 2 because waiting an hour and a half to be seated is just not okay. If I go there again, I will make reservations first and plan to be there for at least 3 hours. C'est la vie!
(2)Jay R.
If you're a typical New York hipster who seeks out the hottest places to do brunch, this is the place for you. I, however, would rather not wait 90 minutes for a table so that my waiter can give me mediocre service because everyone is on a prix fix, and then be rushed out because the place is so packed. The food is great, but not good enough to be worth the wait or lack of great service.
(2)Becksn K.
Yummy lobster special on Wednesday for 18 $ & happy hour cocktails. Seems to be a pretty good spot for first dates. Oysters are ok, but not wow (you had some dirt from the outside in the oysters - probably they didnt clean the knife), the lobster was delicious. Will come back!
(5)Jennifer N.
Seems like everyone comes here for brunch. I came here on a Friday night for "a" drink at the bar (singular), and my group ends up getting 3 rounds of complimentary drinks. :D I like the atmosphere, it wasn't too crowded of a bar so there is room to gather around and chat. Also, as the night progressed the music got really good, they played dance club/hip hop music and other popular songs which I like to dance to. Too bad the place doesn't have a dance floor. It seems like most people come here for dinner and drinks, then head out to their party destination. The place started to die down around 12:30 a.m. but it doesn't stay open that late either. They have two upper level balconies with dining tables, the DJ booth is located in one of them. Also, there are plenty of chairs by the bar. I am satisfied with the atmosphere, the music, and the friendliness of the bartenders. I am a fan of this place and will be back for drinks but probably not the food, seems like the food is lacking based on everyone's reviews.
(4)K A.
Wait is long (even if you had reservations like we did) on a weekend. We were seated 40 minutes after our reservation time but they upped the three drinks with brunch to a true AYCD, to make up for it. Food is actually pretty good and brought out quickly, if I went again I would order the Aristocrat. If you want mimosas come early as they run out of sparkling wine on ice and then they are relatively warm. Bloody Mary's were decent, reasonably strong and appropriately spiced. One thing to note is the crowd is a bit older (28-32), which I think is more due to how long this place has been around than the neighborhood. Cash only. Not worth the trip from Midtown for me but might be a different story if I lived in the area.
(3)M P.
This place is bumping on the weekends so please make a reservation but the food and waitresses that overfill your mimosas are awesome. I think that the chorizo items on the brunch menu are the major win but I loved their waffles and their egg dishes are great. I have had a time or two where the eggs were a little runny - but I devoured the dish so it could not have been that much of a problem. Great place to MAKE A RESERVATION and bring friends or family. I brought my friend German here and he loved it! Come ready to chow down and have a few good drinks with people you love.
(4)Jennifer R.
Scouted this place out for it's seemingly infamous $16 brunch. We were prepared to wait a while, but scooted in at a table for 2 under the nose of all the larger groups waiting. The space is odd, but I liked sitting on the upper level with all the light coming in. I had scallops and egg deliciousness, aka heaven in brunch form. The drinks were good, but I didn't realize I was commiting to all 3 of my drinks being mimosas when I asked for one initially. Luckily, my friend ordered a bloody mary so we shared. in summary: i left very full of delicious food, slightly buzzed, and quite content.
(4)Betty M.
The staff is friendly and the food was great. On Thursdays they have all you can eat mussels and I enjoyed that much. On another occasion I went for their oysters which were freshly shucked without much drain of natural juices. I went with the Wasabi Encrusted Salmon, though I didn't like or dislike it, the overall experience was good.
(4)Davina D.
sorry Wednesday lobster specials, you haven't lived up to your hype. twist that cockiness into a drink, ya'll could do some much better.
(2)Natasha L.
I'm not sure why we go here for brunch, but we always do. And then we always end up waiting for a ridiculously long time, despite reservations. We're talking, 30-45 minutes, frequently. My friends love the bottomless mimosas, I'd say the food is adequate. The staff always seems begrudging, but maybe that's just their thing.
(3)Jessica D.
I have never eaten so well for such a low price. Try the dollar osters on thursday nights. Happy hour has half off delicious drinks. Food was fantastic... every dish was excellent!
(5)Loretta H.
I wish Yelp have a zero star rating system - because that is what this place truly deserves. If you are just looking to get drunk and dine in a college drunken cafeteria, this is the place to be. But just make sure you go there to drink and not eat. And for all the people who think this is a place for drunken trendy hipsters - no this is a sea of douchebags and sorority wannabes. I went there for brunch and is the worst mistake ever. We end up almost throwing down 5 bucks and walking out. I ordered an ice Cappuccino, waitress took the order and brought me an ice coffee. When I asked about the Cappuccino, she said, "we just cannot do it, it just doesn't work that way!" She was really stumbling with words and I could hardly understand what that meant. But how can you as a waitress force fed your customer whatever you want? The food came 45 minutes afterwards. Tables and tables had gotten their food before us when they came later. We asked the waitress, she told us this is normal and just have a drink and chill. We had been really nice to her so far. But this is just unacceptable. We finally decided to throw down a 5 bucks and leave. And she finally (after 5 times of us asking her to check on our food) ran downstairs and grab our plates. We ate, throw down whatever we owe without even leaving a dollar tip and walked out. Never been this angry at any restaurant. O woops, this is not a restaurant, this is a large eating hall of some lame dorm. Bad service, bad crowd and bad food.
(1)Lisa F.
Fantastic seafood entrees and very strong drinks make this place a winner!
(4)Bill S.
I want to give this place three stars, the service was like watching paint dry. They brought out my appetizer after my dinner as well as the bread plate came real late. But long story short, the food rules here so I'll give them the extra star. I came here last night about 7:00 and it wasn't too crowded. I grab a beer at the bar and I'm waiting for my table and all of a sudden the place starts to get pumpin'?? Loud music, people everywhere, this is all happening at 7:30 on a Tuesday night? I ordered the Pork Loin which was cooked really well, not too dry and the BBQ sauce made it funk-d-fied. After my 4 drinks and the loud music, I was told the dessert was from across the street? I'm not sure what that meant but the coconut custard pie was outrageous. This place is also famous for their potato pancakes, how could you not order them while your here? They are sooo good. Just like grandma used to make. (not my grandmother but you get the picture) So I had horrible, slow service but the waitress who was so nice to me gave me a free glass of wine. I also had a few Hennepin beers which were really good. So I'm a lover and not a hater! 4 stars for you Essex. Enjoy.
(4)Jess P.
I'm not sure whether to be annoyed at this place for messing up so much, or to commend it for (sort of) making up for it each time. Probably just annoyed since there are just as good brunch places that don't mess up, period. One time, the waitress spilled a drink on my friend's shirt. But then she spent the next 15 minutes or so knelt behind him, dabbing it with baking soda trying to get the stain out, and then I believe she said they'd cover the dry cleaning bill. Spills happen and the response from the service was good, so this was nice. Then just yesterday, we waited for our brunch food for more than an hour, which is when I flagged down the waitress and asked her what was going on. She said it should be no problem, that our food would be out soon and she'd check with the chef. Well, she came back and apologetically told us that they actually completely lost our order, in addition to another table's. We literally saw two tables arrive, order, get their meals and drinks, and leave, before we even got ours. I wonder if she would have even noticed if I hadn't said anything. She tried to make up for it by saying they'd comp all our drinks, but unless you're ordering Bloody Morty's all breakfast, that's a pretty useless offer during brunch hour, considering we were dining on the fixed-price brunch menu which already included all the drinks that we were ordering at the time (mimosas and bloody marys). I think two hours of our time wasted, with completely no information or updates initiated by the waitstaff, is worth more than four saved dollars. I like the atmosphere and great natural lighting of this restaurant, their unlimited brunch drink deal, and their 3-hour open-bar + dinner prix fixe menu, but thinking about it, the food is only mediocre. I've had a handful of the brunch meals, and the steak for dinner, and I wasn't really satisfied with any of them. Also, the mimosas are also often served lukewarm. Gross. And cash-only for brunch, another minus. It's not a dealbreaker, but consider the competition that does accept cards, always. Next time, I'll probably give them the benefit of the doubt and come with a clean slate/open mind, but after a third screw-up, I probably won't be back.
(3)Tiffany S.
Yay for boozy brunches. $23 for an AYCD brunch - Cash only. They claim it's 3 cocktails with your brunch.. but really, it's unlimited. They're always generous with the drinks too. I actually found a stand of hair midway through my food. Uh, yuck???? The waitress replaced my meal and didn't charge me for my meal at all which was good. I was full and lost my appetite when the second dish came sooo.. I loaded up on the booze instead. The food itself is ok, but who cares because you'll be drunk off your ass anyway. I like the potato pancakes with the apple and honey cream sauce though.
(3)Nga C.
Essex is one of my FAVORITE RESTAURANTS!! Their food is always consistently good and their slews of drinks are absolutely amazing. To start off, their drinks are always delicious and full of flavors. I strongly recommend their fresh watermelon martini. Not only is it mouth watering, but it's also refreshing!!! Their espresso martini is also very good and it's perfect especially after a meal. As far as their food, their crab cake over hearts of palm salad ($11) is a definite must!!! Unlike most places that use claw or rib meat, they use JUMBO LUMP instead. Not only is the meat more high end, but it taste much sweeter and more mouthful. The décor of the restaurant is equally impressive. Although the outside of the building might look deceiving, the inside is quite the contrary. It's chic, modern, down to earth, yet fun, trendy and spacious. I especially like the mezzanine because it offers different perspectives of the restaurant depending on where you're seated. Let's just say that this restaurant is seriously the perfect synergy for anyone who is looking for good food, but who is also on a tight budget. All in all, I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, because it's really that GOOD!!! _________________________________ -Brunch: $20 includes 3 drinks (bloody marys, screwdrivers or mimosas) -Lobster Night, includes potatoes and corn on the cob: $18 -Oysters All Night Happy Hours -Half Price Drinks (6-9pm/Sun-Thur)
(5)Michelle S.
Great place. It's odd that we had to wait for our entire party to be seated (we had 4 of the 5 people there). Ask to sit in Mo's section - you won't be disappointed
(4)Archa D.
One of my favorite places to go! The only downfalls are sometimes waiting longer than expected for a table, and the food is mediocre. But service is excellent, and the bottomless brunch is awesome! The staff is super friendly, and you could tell just how popular this place is by the crowd you see almost every weekend!
(4)Daniel A.
One of my favorite spots for drunk brunch! Also, ask to be served by Mo- he is the man!
(5)Marie D.
It takes a lot for me to wanna go and write a bad review! Went for the $1 oysters. While of course I wasn't expecting anything incredible, the oysters were just bad, as in NOT FRESH. Smelled crazy and tasted the same. We ate one each and then called someone to let them know they were bad. Here is where the real problem happened : like I said I'm going for $1 oysters so I know there's a risk. But when we told the waitress we though something was not right with the oysters, she didn't look surprised AT ALL, barely said sorry, and just really looked like this happens every 2 tables. At least act a little surprised... It was scary how normal this seemed to be! I'm also surprised the oysters even came out given how strongly they smelled. Never, ever going back there.
(1)Joyce K.
BRUNCH- $20 bucks, CASH ONLY. All the ladies brunching here had HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE ROCKS on their fingers. I guess this is the most fun a married woman can have. Tell the hubby you are going to "brunch" w the girlfriends when really you are getting wasted...classic!! He would never know from the looks of the place..it looks like a big open loft ...very classy..but not. FOOD: Crabcake benedict- extra 2 bucks but oh soooo good. Potato pancakes- nice and crispy and yummy but I don't know why there are so many raving reviews. Drinks are strong. I watched the waitress make the screwdrivers...half the cup is vodka, the rest is champagne w a splash of OJ. Woman are you trying to make me drunk?! I finished my mimosas fast so there was an empty cup for her to refill every time she came to check on us. I think i had like 6 mimosas at least. My friends took it more easy and probably just had the 3 drinks that come w the meal. Really if you are a normal human 3 is a decent amount of drinks for the length of one meal. Haha.. the waitress took our order with her PDA. When is the last time you saw a PDA. HILARIOUS!!!!!!!
(4)Linh N.
Essex is located in the lower east side, in a big loft, adorned with white-painted-tennis balls on the wall. The vibe is cool, casual, young, and chill. The lighting is on the darker side. The music is inviting, with a mix of top 40s and 90s. We came here for a 8pm reservation. Upon arrival, the hostess was non-strategically placed in the middle of the restaurant, past the bar, down the skinny walkway, leading to a traffic jam while waiting 30 minutes for the table. Aside from that fact, the restaurant was very open and spacious. Good for groups up to 8. Now the best thing about Essex is their happy hour. Half price drinks daily until 9pm. Since it wasn't until 8:30p when we got sat, we quickly ordered 3 rounds of mojitos and downed them like water, partly to meet meet the happy hour deadline, but partly because the mojitos were very good. I ordered the cajun catfish with shrimp, over scallions and hash ($18). The catfish was moist and tender, with just the right seasoning. The portions were just right. My friends ordered the chicken and they enjoyed their dishes as well. In summary, the vibe at Essex was very cool. Drinks, especially during happy hour were awesome, the food was good, and the experience was memorable.
(4)Yad L.
SERVICE: Rude and inattentive. From the host to the waitresses, they couldn't care less about service and are skilled at ignoring customers. I felt like we had to beg them to be seated and then beg them to get our orders taken. This happens every time I go there. Won't bother eating there again. RESTAURANT: Or club? It's too loud even for me (who usually think louder places have their charms). Tables next to us had to scream to talk and the tables were less than a foot apart. Unbearable! I can still hear them wailing echo in my eardrums. OYSTERS: Though they are cheap (I can't dispute there), their $1 oysters are seriously not worth it. Not fresh and just leave you craving for better quality ones. Their $1.5 oysters are a bit better but I'd rather skip this nonsense (and possible stomach pains the next day) and go somewhere like Ed's Lobster on Tuesdays for their $2 oysters special. POTATO PANCAKES: These little things are delicious. But not enough to tolerate the horrible dining experience there. What a shame!
(2)Ava H.
After reading previous reviews about the looooooooong wait, I'm so glad I went at the time I did because by the time we left, the crowd was aplenty. I was quite amazed by the nail art on the wait staff, but the service was lackluster. I guess that's expected for such a big place as well as a big crowd to go along with it. The food overall is good, with quite a few selections to choose from. I had the CEO-scrambled eggs with chorizo, home fries and mixed greens. Loved the eggs, hated the home fries. No liquor is served before noon on Sundays so the option for free refills on coffee, tea, soda and unsweetened iced tea. The mimosas were good and I will be going back for $1 oyster nights with my extra drink ticket.
(3)Shelley W.
Dude gross. Don't do it. Came here for brunch and one word summarizes that whole experience: MISTAKE. At about $35 a person after tax/tip, this meal was not worth it and food was barely edible. You'd actually be happier taking $35 and putting it through a shredder and going to McDonalds for an Egg McMuffin. There was a hair in one of our friend's dishes. Looking back, this hair might have been the most appetizing ingredient from the meal. The poached egg on my Eggs Benedict was overcooked so the yolk was solid. Come on, Cooking 101. It was unlimited "fresh" squeezed orange juice that Sunday, but I never even asked for a refill because something tasted off. Setting is nice though, with a spacious light-filled loft interior, but ambiance will not override the disaster in front of you. At least the bar has a TV so you can follow a sports game instead of trying to stomach your breakfast. No wonder they offer all-you-can-drink mimosas here for drunk brunch; you literally have to be blacked out wasted, to the point where your taste buds are numb from the alcohol, to eat this food. So appalled!
(1)John M.
Great food and drink selection. Went for a friends bday with about 10 ppl. Service was great. Misleading at first as far as which drinks were included in the specials when making the reservation over the phone.
(4)Jana P.
Not a fan. Food is mediocre. Service is terrible -- Sure, they're quick with the food, but as soon as you finish the meal, they rush you out of the restaurant: "Would you mind going to the bar downstairs so we can't give away your table?" Yes, I mind! And ... the downstairs is a total hot mess. 3 AM on a Fri/Sat night is one thing, but 1 PM on a Sunday ... no thanks. Don't think I'll be coming back here.....
(1)Jeanne L.
Friday/Saturday night Happy Hour from midnight til 1AM: -- $1 oysters. -- Half price drinks. ($5 mojitos!) -- No wait! -- Service could have been better. Our waitress was not very happy to serve us.
(3)Alexa B.
The food wasn't amazing, I had macaroni and cheese, which is a little odd for brunch I'll admit. The unlimited drinks were great. Our server wasn't the most hospitable, but she did make sure to keep those drinks full. They didn't seem to care about the 3 drink limit or whatever it was supposed to be, so this is definitely a good place to go if you're trying to get a good buzz.
(3)Noor B.
Thank God I didn't have the experience that others seemed to have had. My friend and I had reservations which we were late to because the F train got derailed and yadda yadda yadda. As soon as we came in we were seated with no problems. I enjoyed the brunch so much. I got a pretty regular meal. Eggs, chicken sausage, breakfast potatoes. But my friend ordered the blueberry pancakes and WOOOOOOO they were so delicious. I mean delicious. I've got to go back soon.
(5)Alexa C.
Good group spot for drinks/dinner but nothing special. Much friendlier staff and nicer decor/vibe than the Euro-trash essence I was expecting. (I hear that's true of the brunch crowd.) The hostess sat us right away, despite lacking a few members of our reservation, so that we could jump on the Happy Hour - an awesome half-off all drinks until 9pm. We sipped strong margaritas (just so-so flavor), mojitos (fresh and not overly sweet), and solid wine selections for 5 bucks each while nibbling on the complimentary crusty bread. The salads were a hit, particularly the warm goat cheese and beet offering served on balsamic-dressed arugula and toasted walnuts, and the appetizer portion is enough for a meal. The staff delivered really friendly if idiosyncratic service. All were very warm though gave the impression of not quite being on top of their game. The large space and tables accommodate groups quite well but render the restaurant quite noisy as well.
(3)Billy L.
This was my third time to Essex: 1. Went with college friends to bring them to a NY place they would remember with great drinks for a reasonable price. 2. Came here on a date. My love of Essex lasted a lot longer than that relationship (it was my fault. I'm a man. It's always my fault) 3. Came here for drinks and appetizers mid-week with co-workers. The fact you can get two jalapeno margaritas for $10 for happy hour as well as $1 oysters on most weekdays is great. The food is very tasty. The cheeseburger empanadas, calamari with jabanero avocado dip, and a potato pancake were all eaten very quickly. Free bread was nice too as I don't think that is too common at a happy hour. This is a great spot to come for happy hour and the brunch is unreal from what I've heard. Overall, great prices in a location known for expensive food or really cheap fast food makes this a go to casual dining spot.
(5)Helena W.
always tell myself to try a new HH spot but I always come back here. Essex is a safe bet! Can't beat their oyster special...saids $1 but it's really $1.50 now. Not sure if it's because we got West Coast oysters but you get to choose between East or West....go with West. Plus 1/2 price HH drinks until 9pm. They make some strong cocktails...try the white grape. Notable food on the menu... Fried Calamari Tuna Sushi Spring Roll Salmon Caviar Potato Pancake Mussels with white wine...add the fries for 2 bucks! Great for groups. Brunch is great here too.
(4)Alba U.
Very nice burger, very nice brunch (love the mimosas - though I strongly urge them to replace the plastic flutes with the genuine article glass, as most brunch purists get distracted by the feel of it!)
(4)K G.
Surprising! Ate here for a big birthday party. Everything we had was fantastic! I ate the sea bass, which was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Someone else got the macaroni and cheese, which was possibly the very best restaurant Mac and cheese that I've ever had (and I LOVE Mac and cheese and get it often). The scallops appetizer was great, as was the roast chicken. I highly, highly recommend this place. The only downside? The service was a bit slow, which I am perfectly happy to chalk up to the size of our party. Weird location, but definitely worth the trip from midtown!
(5)Christine D.
Came on a Thursday night with my brother for some dinner. Luckily we strolled in a few minutes before the clock hand struck 8 and were able to order a drink still on happy hour special. 5-8 $1 Oysters (east coast) $2 (west coast) and half off drinks! East coast oysters were delicious. I am a huge oyster fan and will be returning for more at a $1 a pop! I ordered the salmon potato pancake and ceviche which were both excellent! (ceviche per the waitress' recommendation and it did not disappoint) My brother had the striped bass special which was a tad too salty. Overall, I like the place but it did now WOW me.. I would come back for more oysters as previously stated and also want to try the brunch!
(3)Kendra M.
Honestly I loved this place! We came in on a Thursday night with a Groupon which usually places turn their noses up at Groupons, but the hostess was so sweet! She gave us a great table. Our server was sweet too, answered all my questions (I ask a ton of questions) and was just a great server. Food came out quickly- we had the calamari (yummy especially the sauce) and the seared salmon (so effing good). So we had a Groupon and shared an app and entree, most would be pissed- nope our server still treated like we had just spent a million bucks! Next time I will come hungry so I can eat more- I highly recommend!!
(5)Shwetha V.
great brunch spot for groups - 2 drinks + entree. The drinks are a bit watered down. The food is average. gets busy -- but a trendy joint.
(3)Chantelle E.
We came in for brunch on Saturday and had a ball!! We did a mexican style omelet and the crab cake eggs benedict (WHICH WAS TO DIE FOR). The food was great and the 3 mimosas's included in the $22 just kept flowing! I am sure by the time we were done we had more like 5 mimosa's but hey, who's counting anyways. Toward the end of the meal, beings it was so busy, the waitress politely asked us to wrap things up so she could seat another group, and in so gave us more drink tickets for the bar! I'll take it! =-) Even cash pay at the bar, the drinks are about $4 during brunch time. Overall, great place, good food, good service, nice decor, and good music. Now, how to get my hometown Seattle to catch on to this whole "brunch" experience!
(5)eddie c.
Roaming the LES and got a rumbly in your tumbly? BAM - $1 oysters happy hour at Essex! What!? You been spending so much money on booze from the bar and don't think you can afford $1 oysters? BOOM! - restaurant.com/rdc/essex… There's a restaurant.com for all you sissy-cats that drink but can't get yo drink on. Now that you're a playa with this deal, do yourself a favor and get a sh** -load of oysters and make sure you a get extra of that purple junk SAW-CE to down these savory delights. Oh and if you want to know how these f'in things taste, I don't like oysters. I just thought I'd share.
(3)Carly C.
Reasons why brunch at Essex rocks my socks: 1- Brunch comes with THREE alcoholic drinks (THREE non-watered down mimosas / bloody marys / screwdrivers) 2- Large brunch menu, lots of variety. You WILL need extra time to decide. Just let your waitress know now. 3- Food was delicious! Scrambled eggs were soft and fluffy, cooked perfectly. Lobster benedict, delicious (Side note: I normally hate eggs) 4- Three words: Chicken apple sausage. Don't pass up on it. Can I have seconds, please?
(5)Rosa C.
I was contemplating on giving this space a 3 star but after much pondering I decided on a 4. For the girls monthly dinner I arrived an hour early. What do I do? I engage in happy hour. I ordered the mango lava lamp and their tilapia & mango ceviche. Now many of you yelpers out there know that I despise cilantro. Of all herbs I cannot stand cilantro. So one would assume I would not enjoy their ceviche. BUT BOY OH BOY let me tell you this ceviche was delicious! It had ample amounts of tilapia, mango, tomato, onion, avocado and cilantro. I didn't even mind the cilantro. The chips it came along had such a spice to it - it balanced out the herb. I have never had bits of mango in ceviche but it complemented the tilapia. The tilapia was cut in squares, juicy and tasted so fresh. LOVED IT! The mango lava lamp was a tad strong which is not bad for a $5 cocktail. However I do think their other drinks are a lot better. I tried the King George, Pickled Saint and the strawberry mojito. The king george was weird tasting - champagne and red bull. It is an odd mix. My favorites were definitely the pickled saint and the strawberry mojito. I would lean more towards the pickled saint because it was so refreshing and light. Definitely a drink for a workday happy hour. Finally my party arrives so we ordered some appetizers and entrees. For appetizers we ordered the crab cake and the lobster mash potatoes. Both were delicious. The crab cake app is a singular crab cake with hearts of palm salad underneath. Pricey but tasty. I lovedddd the lobster mash potatoes. They put ample amount of lobster meat in the mash potatoes. (I just wished they put it in a nicer bowl for presentation.) Entrees - we had the baseball steak, lobster mac & cheese and the pork chop. Out of all of the plates the pork chop presentation looked the best. The baseball steak was cooked and seasoned like any normal steak so nothing too remarkable. I'm not normally a fan of pork chop because most restaurants tend to overcook it and becomes really dry. This was the case. The spinach and creamed corn did little to help - I think the corn had too much cream (sort of lost the corn flavor). The lobster mac & cheese was very cheesy with cold haricot, edamame and citrus salad. The lobster mac & cheese was the sloppiest looking plate. I didn't think the dish was bad. I liked the mac & cheese and I think the cold salad tasted well against the dish. (After much thinking I would definitely prefer the appetizers over the entrees.) We also tried the the oysters: east and west coast. My first time - not bad...not bad. Not really sure what to think of it. For dessert - we ordered the molten chocolate cake, the banana foster and the coconut and mango sorbet. My favorite was definitely the banana foster. All of the desserts were presented beautifully, the banana foster and sorbet were in martini glasses. Both of the sorbets tasted exactly like mango and coconut but in sorbet. Delicious! The banana foster had a bit of rum in it (from what I tasted). I don't remember what the molten chocolate cake tasted (so obviously not memorable). Not big on the restrooms (you know me and restrooms). The restaurant decor is simple and clean which is nice. You could never tell it is a restaurant from the outside. It looks like some factory. We went on a Monday night so the place was pretty empty. I wonder what it looks like on a weekend. I would definitely come back to check it out during the weekend. Also the reviews I had read previously was for brunch so I might want to check it out. I never knew there were $1 oysters around the city so not to sure if this is the spot - but definitely keep an open mind and try it out! ~happy eatings!
(4)Rapha P.
Really good cheap boozy brunch! Food is better than the drinks.
(4)Kevin C.
Great happy hour! Half off drinks and $1 oysters. Such a good deal. I had a delicious raspberry smoothie cocktail and my girlfriend had a key lime martini for $10. The oysters were fresh and the homemade cocktail sauce was very good. We also split a Cajun catfish over shrimp. The seasoning was very flavorful and strong and overall I enjoyed the dish. Portions were a bit on the small side though, but I'm not complaining since we had such great deals with the oysters and drinks. This is a divey type place with a chill ambiance. By dive I mean that the bathrooms aren't the cleanest - okay they're darn right disgusting. And this isn't the place for a romantic date since the ambiant noise can reach 100+ decibal range. But, I would come back for happy hour any time for the half off drinks and $1 oysters.
(3)Kendy N.
What I ordered: - Lobster Benedict - Crab Cake Benedict - Blueberry Pancakes Time: Sunday 2pm for Brunch Summary: Definitely reserve a day or two ahead of time. Heard good things about this joint so always wanted to give it a try. Definitely not a disappointment. The brunch menu wasn't overwhelming at all, just enough for people to decide on. The Lobster Benedict and Crab Cake Benedict was amazing. Everything was cooked and seasoned perfectly. Garden salad and home fries came with the dish. Those were good too. For brunch, you also get to choose one alcoholic drink from their selective menu plus 3 free refills. One downside was the blueberry pancakes, it tasted like reheated frozen pancakes. Other than that, the atmosphere was great! Will come back again for sure!
(4)Pete D.
You'd think by the overwhelmed staff that it was the first time they were open for brunch. We felt rushed from the moment we sat down. The waitress kept trying to take plates that were clearly still being eaten. We had one drink and as soon as we finished eating, we were told we couldn't stay at the table (we'd been seated less than an hour). The incredibly unprofessional waitress counted the top in front of us and gave us a dirty look. I almost always over tip. If she'd been more concerned about service and less about getting rid of us so she can get another party to pay her the flat rate, her tip would've been ample. We were forced to join everyone else who had been kicked out of their tables at the bar. The bartender seemed to be in over his head as well. If you want par food and terrible service, this place is perfect for you.
(1)Cam D.
Went for the Brunch: $22.95 and that includes your meal and 3 drinks (Screwdriver, Mimosa, or Bloody Mary).
(4)Nona C.
5 stars for$1 oysters!! This is my second time enjoying this deal and I can't wait to go back hehehe! The seared scallops were also wonderfully done... and this is coming from someone who's best meal of her life were perfectly seared scallops in NOLA! I've been here for brunch and was much less impressed with the quality of the food. The drinks, as people have said, are x3 but they don't keep track and just keep filling you up when you're only half way thru! :) Enjoy your oysters yelpers!
(5)susana b.
The food was good, however the place is a dump..The service is mediocre . Carpet on the floor?? It can't be higienic!. .I was expecting something a little bit more upscale.. Even considering the up & coming area that is the LES. Oh don't get me started on the 'included in the prefix price Mimosas/Bloody Marys" they were a joke.. probably used the cheapest bottom of all bottoms shelves sparklin wine with the cheapest of OJs. & The BM were so spicy and nasty I can't begin to describe them. I almost forgot.. All of this disappointment and "drum roll pls" YOU HAVE TO PAY ALL IN CASH!!! NO Credit/Debit cards excepted. Did we get prior notification?? Well, ofcourse NOT!! Not at the time of reservation, nor when they seat us down, squeezed in beween the wall & the upstairs bar!! Who reads the area of the menu that says what type of payment they accept?? WTF, I wont be coming back. and I'll repeat it a few more times.
(1)Katie N.
I've been here several times for happy hour and once for dinner. The food is OK here - the portions are small. I ordered an appetizer salad as my meal and it was literally a handful of lettuce, 3 shrimp and a half an avacado... but the price did not match the portion! The $1 oysters are a good deal and the half-priced drinks during HH make this one of my go-to girl spots after work. I like the way Essex feels on the inside. It's a cute spot with nice second floor seating as well. I was surprised it was so empty the last time I was there as it used to be a pretty hot spot.
(3)Chris M.
The first rule about brunch, if you're not drunk outta your mind after brunch, you didn't really brunch, you lunched. With that in mind, Essex offers the usual array of brunch staples - steak sandwich, eggs benedict, etc - all with slight unique twists. What the twists are? Beats me. Because they offer three other brunch staples - screwdrivers, mimosas, and bloody marys. I believe three drinks (any combo of the three) come with brunch. But the waitresses don't really count. Say nice things to them, get more free drinks. Or it couid be unlimited...not too sure. After the third, we all stopped counting and became extra friendly. Come hungry, leave laughing at everything and anything. oh. and full. Happy eating, suckers.
(4)Pierre S.
Food was rather bland. Drinks had little taste as well. Watered down (you get 3 for the price of one, expected)
(2)Tarra T.
Sadly Essex has been hit by the recession. They've increased their all you can drink brunch price by $3 and decreased their portion size. What used to be an amazing brunch with great value is now just "A-OK". My favorite dishes still are the Deep South, Southern and the Mexica Matzo Brie (think juevos rancheros). Can't go wrong with these and the unlimited mimosas, screw drivers and bloody marys. To get the best value...eat slow, drink often!
(3)Danielle M.
Okay, so I had a reservation for a Saturday at 2:30; when we got there the place was mobbed and had to wait at least a half our to be seated. The biggest problem I had was not the wait time, it was the fact that the hostess stand is positioned half way through the restaurant and with the crowd, you could barely get through. Once we were seated our table was within the crowds, people were bumping into us, until about 3:30 when the crowd actually died down. I do like this place and would probably go back though because the mimosas were strong and good and the food was great and how can you beat the price! $22.95 for unlimited mimosas and a plate of brunch food?! however we were also short changed on our bill by $20.. luckily we noticed it! I would go back but make sure you're not starving or impatient..
(3)Jay B.
Went in for the "Christmas Brunch". No Comment......on a few different levels. Our waitress was very nice. That was the single, solitary redeeming quality of this restaurant.
(1)John K.
I've only come for the bar. Their lounge is nice. It has a good ambiance. They have happy hour specials, even on a Friday night! :) I think they start after midnight. Would probably come here more, but there's a lot of other good places in LES too.
(4)Matt B.
A group of friends and I went to Essex on a recent Saturday night for dinner (6 of us). Overall the experience was subpar and I would not eat here again. The food was bland and really uninspired. 3 of us had the chipotle pork loin, 2 of us the potato layered thing and 1 of us the salmon. The pork was really nothing special. It was not marinated and the chipotle sauce was clearly added after cooking. The sauce, the only real flavor, tasted like a cheap store bought variety. It came on a bed of corn/mushroom salad which was decent. Also, the waitress asked us how we would like the pork cooked? Like we were ordering steak? Isn't that tantamount to asking "how would you like your chicken cooked?" The potato layered thing was soaked in oil. The description on the menu promised truffle essence, I assure you there was not a hint of that delicious truffle oil smell or taste. What a pity because the bland taste of that dish really could have used some nice truffle oil flavor. I didn't try the salmon, but my friend who had it said it was ok, not bad, not good. The service itself was terrible. The waitress was constantly reaching in front of us (pouring us water while we were cutting our food). When pouring the wine she dripped water from the wine bucket on my pork. The real nightmare came when we ordered desert. It took 30 minutes for the waitress to come out and explain that they ran out of one of the pies. We changed it to a cake, 20 minutes later the deserts came out (excuse was: the chocolate molten cake takes a while to cook. BTW the center was warm at best and we ordered that 50 mins ago!). We were offered a sorbet dish as an apology, which was nice. That dish itself was ok, strawberry sorbet was kind of gummy and freezer burnt, but the passion fruit was good. It took another 30 mins to get the check after repeated attempts to flag down the waitress. Atmosphere is weird. Music is loud (like being in a club). Bathroom is in front of resto so you have to push your way through the heavily overcrowded bar area to get there. I would not recommend this place. I will not be going back. Too many great restaurants in this city to waste a night at a place like this. Note that they require the full party in attendance to seat you.
(1)Zach S.
I have only been here for brunch. That being said the food at brunch is average to above average depending on what you get. I raised it another star because you get three drinks with your food and then after that mimosas (and maybe bloody mary's?) are just $3. The few times I have been here Essex has helped turn a quiet Sunday into a Sunday Funday...more often than not friends and myself will have one too many here then hit up the liquor store down the street for another bottle of champagne to continue the celebration elsewhere. Stay thirsty.
(4)C D.
Love love love this place. If you're impatient and have a party of more than two, don't try going on a Saturday or Sunday without a reservation. I love the bottomless mimosas, the sunny electric atmosphere, and I don't even mind the hipsters. The food, when done right is normally great, but every once in a while it's off ( last time my potato latkes were kinda burnt and dry and my poached eggs were cooked solid). I guess the brunch at Essex is like the little girl in the nursery rhyme: "When she was good she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrid." Still, bottomless mimosas, guys. The Aristocrat is good, so is the French Toast, so is the shiitake mushroom/black-bean and apple dish with the potato latkes. Give Essex a try, they USUALLY don't disappoint. The waitresses are normally sweet too. Only con past the long wait and sometimey food? The snooty hostesses. I'm thinking of one in particular. Girl you work at a "just pretty good" restaurant on the LES, not at Chip's or Le Bernardin. Be easy, we're all hustling trying to get by in this city, you're not above anybody, and you being a hostess at the same place for years kind of drives that point home, so...be nice :-)
(3)Edna C.
I've been here several times in the past five years, and my most recent visit fell extremely short of my expectations. I came here for happy hour and dinner. The drinks here were decent, and great happy hour prices. Margaritas were strong. The food however was beyond lacking. All the portions were small & lacked any type of flavor. The lobster mashed potatoes was dry & tasted like it was made from instant powdered mix. The potato pancake was good, but such an extremely small pancake. Not to mention they didnt have any mussels on a Monday night!
(3)Gillad M.
In one word: Awesome! Young crowd, fun vibe, and incredible food. Essex is a pretty large place with two upstairs areas overlooking the bar (people were constantly taking pictures of the place). Admittedly, the young and rowdy crowd makes it pretty loud for weekend brunch. We were a party of eight and everybody agreed that the food was delectable. I had The Aristocrat (potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar, poached eggs, and a side of what I think was sour cream). The potato pancake was crispy and hot and reminded me so much of a perfectly made Hanukkah latkes. Every bite I took included all of the many items on my plate and the combined taste was impressive. Brunch also came with three mimosas / screwdrivers / bloody marys, but nobody was counting how many mimosas I had. Sadly, I must state that we waited about an hour and a half for a table for eight. They don't take reservations and it took a while for them to clear a table for us (point is, if you have a large party, go at 11:00 a.m. when it's a little less busy). Also, they placed us at the table RIGHT in front of the bar so there was constantly a crowd of people surrounding our table. On a better note, the service was excellent and the waitress was looking out for us (though I still wonder how the staff maneuvers through the crowd of people at the bar). Overall, despite the fact that I have an ever growing list of brunch places I want to experience, I would DEFINITELY come here again. Enjoy.
(5)Silan A.
It's definitely a fun atmosphere for brunch. And an inexpensive option if you're trying to do boozy brunch with friends, because although the special says 3 complimentary breakfast cocktails they kept refilling our glasses. They definitely try to rush you in and out to make as much money as they can for weekend brunch, which sort of bothered me. They dropped the check before we completely finished our meals without asking if we wanted anything else (which I did). The food was good but not great. For the price I didn't expect too much, but my eggs Benedict was far from the best I've had. If you're looking for an inexpensive boozy brunch with friends, I wouldn't count this out but I would probably look into other restaurants first. I would prefer to spend the extra money on brunch food that is much tastier.
(2)John H.
5 Stars for this place's consistently amazing Wednesday Night $18 lobster special. You get a healthy sized 1.25 lb lobster with fresh corn on the cob and deliciously seasoned potatoes that makes you wish you had them for breakfast. This pairs well with any of their super reasonable bottles of wine. My friends went especially nuts for the fact that happy hour prices are honored at your table until 8pm, meaning you can experiment and explore the menu of half priced cocktails (most are good - a few are hit or miss) at $5 a pop as well a good selection of $1 east coast or $2 west coast oysters. Any other night, dinner is pretty reliable though I highly recommend having a reservation, especially on the weekends. The wait staff is hit or miss occasionally being a little slow with water refills, but the bus boys are super attentive and at times guilty of pulling your plate prematurely before you've had your last bite of food. For appetizers, I really enjoyed all of the potato pancakes and salads. For mains, I recommend the baseball steak with lobster mashed potatoes or the wasabi crusted salmon or roasted duck breast. I've always been way too full to even try dessert, though they all look pretty delicious. Overall this place is great if you want a solid dinner before hitting up all the nearby bars without completely blowing your money. I haven't been to the brunch yet, but might consider it at some point!
(4)Brittanie M.
Essex is the perfect spot for lovers of boozy brunch. The food isn't much to jump up and down about, but its decent. I went with a group of friends and we had a blast. The hostess stand is in the most awkward place, the middle of the restaurant past the bar. We only had to wait about 10 minutes to be seated for our 3:30 pm reservation and were taken to a table in the downstairs area. Yes, this place is loud but that's to be expected with boozy brunch. The food was decent and our server pretty good. Even though you're suppose to only have three drinks, she didn't even keep count. I had 5 or 6 mimosas and could have easily had more. So be nice and your server probably won't keep count.
(3)Jen F.
My sister, Dana F. and I came here one night for those $16 Maine Lobsters. It was totally worth it. Not only was the price right, but the lobster was delicious! While waiting for my late sister, I had a seat at the bar. They had my favorite beer here- Purple Haze- so I downed some of those. Not only did they have this beer, but it was $4 bucks. FOUR BUCKS! The happy hour specials alone made this place awesome, but throw a cheap lobster in there and it's heaven. The atmosphere is very.."gentle." Its candlelit even though people are hacking into lobsters. Love it.
(4)Alyssa C.
Average food, below average service but a good scene. Four of us went here for brunch and got the brunch special - brunch entree and 3 drinks for $25. Good deal for the area and the atmosphere is really fun. Food was pretty good, but nothing to write home about. Our waitress was obviously annoyed with us as we took our time. At one point they asked us to leave the table so they could fill it with another party. While they did give us drink tickets to accommodate, I left unimpressed.
(3)Kelsey E.
Good, not great, food. Yes the oysters were $1 during happy hour, but they didn't taste very fresh and I only ate two of the six.
(3)Ashley B.
$1 oysters Sunday - Friday automatically makes me a fan. Add on 1/2 priced cocktails for Happy Hour from 5-8pm, just adds to the fun. I walked in with my cousin around 6pm on a Friday night for some drinks and catch up time. Had no problem finding two seats at the bar. I ordered the Pickled Saint (St. Germain, Gin, Cucumber, and Mint) and he order some lemonade and vodka concoction that I don't think is on the menu anymore. Both drinks were tasty, refreshing, and strong. The staff left us alone, but was always around when our glasses were empty. A dozen oysters each and a few cocktails later, we were well on our way to a good Friday night!
(4)D R.
Extremely crowded, super noisy for a brunch over the weekend and sadly the food doesn't justify either of the two pains. They are also in a hurry to get you out since people are always waiting. You end up sitting in a stranger's lap and as soon as you rest its time to vacate :). If you are in the neighborhood and just want to check it out do so but nothing outstanding about it.
(2)Cyndy B.
Totally over rated!!! Fixed brunch price, $22.99. However for OJ and coffee there is an extra charge. Pretty ridiculous! And what brunch place doesn't have toast?!?!?! Meal came out to $100 and honestly I wouldn't mind if the food was worth it but it was completely not! The upstairs area was freezing cold with the AC on. Essex is trendy, hip and over priced!
(1)Juan P.
I would love to say. Loved the food but instead I never tasted it. The bar was hot and loud and crowded. Reminded me of a college dive around happy hour drinks were decent but we should have known that something was up when they offered us a free one while we waited because the wait list was actually twice as long and the hostess had the I'll attitude. Don't be fooled they keep two lists the hipster regular list and the foolish first timer list on the iPad. Never again u shouldn't either.
(1)Joanna T.
Easter brunch - this place was packed, and they wouldn't seat us until everybody arrived. The food was ok...I guess everything in New York is kind of expensive, but I expected the food to be a lot better. The three drinks was nice - their orange juice is really good, but everything else was meh. I got the potato pancakes with smoked salmon - on paper it looks great, but when it arrived I was not as ecstatic. Our waitress was great though! She was super nice and helpful :)
(2)Toan N.
Essex is one of my favorites. The place is conveniently located in the LES, the menu has a good selection of goodies, the pricing is affordable, and the service is superb. I have never had a bad experience at Essex. Go in a large group and they can definitely accommodate you. Be sure to reserve a table through OpenTable. If you walk in without a reservation on a weeknight, they'll even give you one of their comfy booths on the ground floor...for a party of 2. A booth usually seats up to 6 people. My favorite entree is the cajun catfish over hash potatoes and shrimp.
(4)Laura C.
came here couple times with my friends on weekend nights, overall very pleasing and comfortable environment. We were mainly there for the $1 oyster that they offered, the oysters come very quickly, however, I think they weren't as good as some other places that I have tried. One thing I really have to say is I love their drink special. One of my favorite is the mango lava. IT taste really good, I am not very into mix drinks, but this one is very good,
(3)ReviewHaiku F.
The bloody morty Is the best morning cocktail EVER! Best get it!
(3)Monica C.
This review is for their brunch. Came here for brunch on Memorial Day mainly because we stopped by Clinton St Baking Co and the wait was going to be 1.5 hours. We figured we would be seated and eating at Essex by that time so we drove over just in time for their opening at 11 AM. The ambiance was pretty nice, there is a full bar by the entrance, high ceilings and two levels. We were seated upstairs by the window, it was cute and well lit, perfect for brunch. Their menu for brunch consists of an entree along with 3 glasses of either Bloody Mary, screwdrivers, or mimosa for $23 (with several entree options which required a supplementary fee). I opted for the mimosa and watched as they made it. They did not skimp on the alcohol! The drink was bubbly deliciousness not too strong, just right for my liking. My bf had a screwdriver, which he said tasted like cheap vodka. Kinda figures, I mean 3 glasses free with your meal, how much can you really ask for. For the entree, I ordered the Lobster Benedict (they charge 3$ extra for that option as well as the crab cake Benedict) I've been craving succulent lobster meat Benedict since I fell in love with the one I had a Clinton St the week before (such a shame it was just a limited time special for that week). However I was a little disappointed at the one I had here probably because I had high hopes after reading the great reviews on it. Their lobster pieces were in such little bitty pieces and wasn't flavorful. The eggs were poached pretty well, but the English muffin was a little on the hard/chewy side for my liking. The potatoes that came with my dish was pretty good but the salad was nothing special. My boyfriend ordered the aristocrat - salmon with salmon caviar on top of a potato pancake served along with two poached eggs. Reminded me of a deconstructed Salmon Eggs Benedict served atop potato pancake rather than english muffin... GENIUS! The potato pancake was soo good and crispy and went perfectly with the salmon. I will probably order that next time as opposed to my lobster Benedict. The service here was ok. Will I be back? Probably not anytime too soon for brunch, maybe when I am in the mood for some more of their aristocrat with several glasses of bubblies. However, I have been dying to come here for HH one day and try their oysters!
(3)Sandy S.
Date: 04/12/2012 "$1 Oysters Sunday-Friday Happy Hour All Night Long" After two dozen oysters at the bar, I still think Clyde's ( clydes.com ) has better HH oysters. All the reviews mention brunch... Perhaps I should come back for a weekend meal.
(3)Kay G.
Thought to take mom and aunt for a nice day out. Brunch was terrible. Upon my arrival the tall blonde hostess seemed uninterested and vacant. She passed me the first time as I was coming in and didn't acknowledge me, not even a glance as to say "be right with you." I finally got her attention and her attitude was nothing to be desired. We didn't wait long to be sat. Fortunately because I made a reservation. (Strongly advise to do so.) Brunch was $28.95 that does include 3 brunch drinks. The food was terrible. I ordered French toast with challah bread and if I'm honest I doubt that it was the bread as described. It came to me soggy and eggy. So much egg I had a cinnamon omelette on top of soppy bread. I sent it back and the waiter was accommodating. I ended up with the 3 eggs over easy. The eggs weren't cooked fully. By this point I was too fed up to return the second dish. I strongly do not recommend this place. It's no where close to being worth the $28.
(2)Tina W.
For some reason, I didn't think the raw oysters here were that good. Also, they were very tiny. I recommend getting the potato pancakes with salmon. That is amazing. It's hashbrowns with salmon. It's just a small plate so I suggest getting more if you're into it. I would like to come back here for brunch though, because the menu looks great.
(3)Andy C.
The last few times I've been here the food didn't seem the same. The fries, the cocktail sauce for the oysters, the bacon (wasn't thick cut). Not sure if they changed chef's, but I left disappointed.
(2)Namrata A.
Overrated beyond belief. Yes, you get three drinks with your brunch for $18 (and you can try to even squeeze more out of them) but is it worth the crazy crowd? No way. Let's also mention the crowd that goes here - super pretentious dressed up folks, it is brunch people. The food: nothing to rave home about. It took forever to come, but the waitress was super on point so she deserved a nice tip. Not going back again, I'll go elsewhere and enjoy better food and less noise (but I'll miss the high ceilings).
(3)Viv O.
Great place to have brunch with friends.. HOWEVER, the wait is crazy long and when we finally got seated, we had to wait for about 15 to at least get a class of water.. Our waitress gave us dirty champagne flutes .. when we informed her of this she immediately changed our glasses and gave us an additional refill :) The meals are all fresh and hot as they arrive!! Would return again in the future..
(4)Courtney F.
I've been coming to Essex for a while. I never rated it on yelp because it's one of those places that everyone seems to just go to and love. Essex has tons of regulars and it's always pretty full so they must be doing something right. Cocktails/Bar The bartenders are always friendly when I've been there, both Rosie and Elizabeth. They make suggestions and whip up cocktails when I'm undecided (which is often). The blood orange and pomegranate margaritas and mojitos initially pulled me in, but now I''m a huge fan of their newer drink the pickled saint! This place is hands down the *best* for happy hour. Especially on Thursdays. Dinner Vegetarians are hard pressed to find a menu as friendly as this one. I've gone to dinner with avid meat eaters who were happy with both the lamb and the potato pancakes. My favorite dishes are the wasabi crusted salmon and manchengo mac and cheese (with green beans and i think clementine slices on the side)!! Best appetizers have to be the calamari with wasabi dipping sauce and the sweet potato fries. Oh and the OYSTERS for a dollar!!! hello!!! Brunch Boozy and delicious! Baked eggs, tempeh bacon, AMAZING home fries. And if you're friendly you can easily snag a drink ticket to keep the party going at the bar after your meal. I always swap out the ham with a vegetarian option and the waitresses are pleasant and happy to oblige. Service I have never had a problem here, ever. I visited Christmas day and had no problems. My coworker also frequents and has never ever had an issue. I've met people elsewhere who also rave about Essex, not sure why there are so many negative reviews.. I've also used groupons and restaurant.com coupons here and unlike other places, they happily accept my coupon and continue to pleasantly serve me.
(5)Sarah G.
Three drinks included with your brunch entrée purchase??? And by three drinks you mean bottomless mimosa as an option and then an additional three drink tickets to use after your meal at the bar downstairs on top the drinks you've already had with your meal??? Tell me why they don't have these brunch places in Boston again? Oh right. NYC is brunch heaven. Seriously though. They give you these tasty tasty onion rolls to start off your brunch and to start off your thirst for that bottomless mimosa. The other people at my table loved their bloody marys, but I know most people can't have too many of those in a row, so bottomless mimosa it is!! I didn't hear one complaint about anyone's dishes, other than the fact that Matt J's potato pancakes, although they were delicious, it was not the biggest of portions in the world, and Matt J. eats quite a lot! Good thing my mexican omelette style dish was gigantic! Complete with beans and everything else all folded in, I was happy that Matt had to help me out with this one! And their pancakes?? That was the one dish that definitely took a couple trips around the block and literally "got around" our table, because a couple bites into it, she realized how wikipedia would have used these pancakes in its definition for perfection, and she was nice enough to share the love. And she was right!! Those pancakes melted in your mouth!! I almost gave three stars, because we waited FOREVER to get our food. Good think those onion rolls were there, because with bottomless mimosa it is a little dangerous to keep refilling that and not my stomach with actual food! Brunch gets PACKED here, BUT the amazing thing is, besides all of the free booze?? They actually take reservations!! They won't seat you until your whole party is there, but they held our party of 8 for 30 minutes while two slow pokes in our group took their sweet time to get there. What could be better???
(4)Katie L.
Went with my best friend on a wednesday night to take advantage of their lobster night deal. It was exactly what we needed after a long day at work. Between the two of us we got: - A glass of champagne, a glass of wine, a margharita ( all1/2 off cuz of happy hour) - 2 lobster dinners ($18 each yum!) - a dozen oysters ($1 each all night long) - fried calamari - peanut butter 'sigh' pie - cappucinos OMG it was amazing!!! The drinks we good quality, the lobsters were big, juicy, and fresh and not rubbery. Served with perfectly cooked corn on the cob and roasted potatoes. The oysters were so so fresh! Although they could have done a better job shucking, there were a few that were a bit beat up. But i'm guessing with the amount of oysters they shell out in one night, those pour shuckers are in the back shucking away fast and furious style! They serve 2 sauces with the oyster, a red wine vinegar sauce and a spicy cocktail sauce (divine!). We even started to dip our bread in the cocktail sauce after all the oysters were gone. I was afraid the peanut butter 'sigh' pie would be too heavy, too sweet, or too thick. It was AMAZING! Apparently while talking to our waiter we learned they get it special ordered from Sugar Sweet Sunshine bakery down the street. It was almost like a mouse, light and creamy and peanut buttery. WIth a light graham cracker + brown sugar crust. It went perfect with my cappucino (perfectly made by the way). The only things that were 'ok' was the bread they bring to the table: bread should be warm and toasted, and the be warned, that is Mayo not butter in that little sauce cup with the bread! Also the fried calamari was just so-so, standard calamari, nothing special. Service was great! We had a reservation but my friend showed up an hr late, and she still upheld our reservation and seated us the second i said "ok we're here and we'll sit now". Had i wanted to sit at a table without my whole party she was ok with that too. The waiter brought my champagne with my oysters and waited to bring my wine when my entree came out, exactly as per my request. I will be making Wednesday lobster nights at Essex a part of my weekly routine! :)
(5)Corey C.
Essex is probably on one of the best corners for business in LES which makes it great for people to meet up. Food quality overall is great and they have a good brunch menu and happy hour specials. One thing I may say is some food quality is not up to par and their prices have increase slightly over the years that I've been going
(4)Christine M.
The brunch food isn't unforgettable or anything but it's decent and a really good all you can drink deal. Fun place if you're hungover and want to make a reservation for brunch. The mimosas are good and it's really rowdy for for a weekend brunch place if you're looking to continue last nights party.
(3)David A.
If you're looking for a mediocre and overpriced brunch, you found the place. It's hot and loud so you'd assume it will be a great experience. But you'll be lying to yourself. The bloody mary was spicy (so if you're into that you'd think it would be good) but it's a pre-packaged mix that has a bland flavor. The menu seems good, but the food I got wasn't the one I ordered, but that was fine. What wasn't fine was it was burnt and had very little flavor. The mimosas were strong which was nice but nothing else special. The only redeeming factor was my friend's french fries. I subbed out one of my drinks for an iced coffee -- but it was watered down and flavorless. Overall, Essex is not worth the hype and nobody from LES actually eats there so it'll continue being a bad joint for yuppie upper east bankers.
(2)Steph H.
With all the trendy places littered about the Lower East Side, I am a bit confused as to what all the excitement over this place is. I wound up here with friends on a Saturday night pretty much because it was the one place that had a table for six (without reservations) at around 7:30 pm... Everywhere else was telling us we would be out of luck until at least midnight, so we were ecstatic when Essex said they could take us. That atmosphere is very industrial/night club and definitely seems geared more toward letting the fashionistas be seen than serving up good food. The music playing was quite loud, and while it wasn't deafening, it definitely meant we had to nearly yell at one another to have a conversation... and it only got worse, the later it got. Maybe the staff at Essex are going for a trendy, romantic place, but it really just felt like this wasn't a place to eat dinner. The one thing that struck me when I was looking over the menu is that everything seemed to be very reasonably priced; I expected prices to be through the roof, but the cocktails, apps, and entrées were much cheaper than I expected. The cocktails themselves were actually very delicious (the blood orange cosmo was not a mistake), but I was disappointed that our waitress was fairly in the dark when it came to asking about non-cocktail bar selections. My husband wanted to order a whiskey or bourbon, and our waitress didn't really know what was on offer, until she grabbed a menu, and even then, couldn't really answer any questions (like the vintages) about the liquor on that. As for the food, this is where I was really underwhelmed. We ordered a few apps, and they were teeny tiny, and while fried mac & cheese kabobs may sound delicious, these were seriously bland and insipid. My mussels & fries that I ordered had good flavor (though the fries were only mediocre - not nearly crispy enough, nor worth the extra $3!), but the mussels themselves were very tiny and shriveled, and not as succulent as I'm used to. My husband ordered the pork chop and found it very tough; he would have sent it back had our server ever appeared again... Needless to say, she wasn't present very often, so the opportunity never arose, so thank goodness his sides were tasty and well-prepared! Overall, I just wasn't impressed with Essex as a dining spot. I could conceive of coming back for drinks, maybe, but even though brunch is supposedly amazing, nothing I ate was sufficiently tasty that I would have any interest in trying the food again. This seems like a place that value style over substance and as a restaurant, I have to say I don't get the appeal. There are far too many restaurants in NY to spend time and money on clunkers, so I doubt I'll be back.
(2)Amanda S.
Update- came back for another birthday brunch and things were much better. I got the Vegan Matzo Brei which was delicious and creamy even though it obviously had no cream. Other diners raved about the French Toast and the non-vegan Matzo Brei and of course, the bialys are too die for. They don't serve them hot but maybe they aren't supposed to be?? My only complaint is that the waitress didn't give me any cutlery and it took me about 10 walk-bys to get her attention. In her defense, serving a restaurant full of AYCD'ers is no easy task. She probably thought I was flagging her down for an extra mimosa :). Waa!! I was so sad to eat here yesterday and have a really bad experience. I've been to Essex many times in the past (though not for about 6 months) and that is the only reason I gave it 2 stars instead of 1...hoping it was an off day. First, arrived to find the place full of SCREAMING drunks. They probably wouldn't have bothered me but we had a reservation and had to wait 30 minutes so the group of guys in lacrosse jerseys by the bar got really old really fast. Next, the brunch price is now $27.95. That's fine- still not a bad deal- but their website still says $22.95. They updated their website to include a Memorial Day 2012 special (that was last week!!) so you think they'd at least update the brunch price while they were at it...I can't imagine the price jumped $5 in one week. The host of this brunch sent an email telling us how much brunch was "all-inclusive" but was completely wrong because of the website and half the group had to go run to the ATM...it's also Cash Only. Next, they wouldn't allow us to split our bill (even though the group was 20ppl and 5 of us wanted to split off so we could leave early). Next, my potato pancake dish was just gross. The "spinach-shiitake-black bean hash" looked like someone mixed frozen spinach with canned black beans and let them sit together til they were the same temperature. The "apples & honey cream sauce" was congealed and cold. Couldn't eat it at all. My fiancee got a Lobster Benedict which we sent back because the Lobster, egg and english muffin were all cold - not room temperature but actually cool to the touch- and chewy. They get credit for filling drinks quickly, but the food was just not what it used to be. I hope this was just an off-day for them because Essex was one of those places we ALWAYS suggested to out-of-towners and friends looking for delicious and cheap boozy brunch.
(4)Eric M.
Food - 4.5/5 Value - 4/5 Service - 4/5 Atmosphere - 4/5 Came here for brunch around 2PM. Don't be fooled by reservation times, they in most likelihood will not be kept. There are tons of people, usually mid-late 20's, here who linger or take their time eating because of the de-facto unlimited drinks. The bar being situated in between the entrance/exit and the tables is kind of a turnoff during day service when its packed with people. That having been said, the waitress that served us was very nice and kept the drinks coming. I had the potato pancakes with apple and honey sauce served with spinach-shitake bean hash. They were slamming. I was awfully irritated from the wait and the huge crowd (also hadn't eaten the whole day), and my mood changed immediately. One of my friends had their corned beef hash, also amazing. I tried a little bit of some other dishes and felt the same. The only thing keeping me from coming back is the crowd.
(4)Will C.
Thank you Janeen and fellow Yelpers for an awesome brunch! Lesson of the meal: restaurants need to serve both crispy and loose bacon (let's add thick bacon to that as well). My Angus burger was delicious with fries--I only wish the plate was a little hotter. Tho, where we were sitting on the balcony was plenty hot. People-watching, I was surprised to see two girls fight to get the SITC spot on the balcony. Our bartenders were very good as glasses were replaced and water was poured without asking.
(5)Rossy M.
Honestly, it could be much better. Drinks: the mimosas were a hit or miss, some of them being super strong and others just tasted like plain OJ. We had to keep asking the waiter to refill our cups, otherwise we would've waited 15-20 mins between each refill. One person at our party was having screwdrivers and despite asking the waiter several times, I think she only had about 4 in the 2 1/2 hours we were there. Food: MEH.... Left much to be desired. Some of us ordered the burgers and though it was OK taste wise, it looked super sloppy and it was just too big/messy to eat. Mine in specific was over cooked and dry. One of my friend's bf had the Shrimp Avocado salad and it was a joke, it really came with about 4 shrimp. Service: ................................... I can't even. We were a large group and I have to admit we were a bit rowdy at some points, but our waiter was just rude. Every time we would ask him to refill the mimosas it was like he was doing US a favor and he would pour the drinks so aggressively they would overflow and make a mess on the table. We had to keep asking for napkins, and in one occasion when we asked the "hostess" or w.e she was a question she dismissed us by saying "ASK YOUR SERVER" and walked away. Overall just not good service at all. Ambience: Whack. You can barely hear the music, not that you should care anyways because the song selections suck. It was Sunday at around 4pm so I expected the place to be a little more upbeat, but NOPE. I had a good time because of my friends, but I wouldn't return to this place for Brunch.
(3)Regi V.
Great brunch place for big groups. The food was okay, but the service was great. Ask for Mo, he's amazing! :)
(5)Ezella V.
Will have to go back for brunch because the brunch menu looks AMAZING, but the late night dinner after our arrival in New York did not disappoint. The filet mignon was very tender and well seasoned. The free range chicken was juicy enough for my husband who never eats white meat because "it's dry." The burgers were good for my sons with an aged tasting cheddar cheese. The service was great. Enjoyed.
(4)Eddy R.
Bad service, everything was thrown around and no one seems to really care. Food was cold, table dirty, took our drinks before they were done. Never coming here again.
(1)Layne M.
Word for the wise: Make a reservation. Onto the review portion, we showed up during prime brunch hours on Sunday around noon with four very hungover friends. We were quoted 35 minutes so we wandered into the Essex Market to get some coffee from Porto Rico Coffee and check out the weird food they had. After about an hour without a text from the restaurant, we went back. Luckily, the hostess was able to get us a really great table a few minutes later. Us women-folk ordered the eggs benedict and the men ordered the biscuits & gravy. The eggs benedict was excellent. The potatoes were delicious and the eggs were perfectly done. The guys said their biscuits & gravy were good as well but weirdly, they put the gravy on the scrambled eggs but not the biscuits. Who does that? Their menu says that you get 3 drinks so we all ordered bloody marys. They definitely refilled our cups more than 3 times and they basically had to pour us out of the table when we finished. The hostesses were swamped but very friendly and our waitress was absolutely awesome. She didn't even complain when I tumbled into her and spilled coffee all over her. What a champ. Cash only. Bring some dough. It's about $30 with tip per person for the brunch. I think it was definitely worth it.
(4)Malcolm R.
Came for brunch: Cool place with good energy, decent layout, good lighting. The food was somewhere between pub food and restaurant food, probably closer to pub food - it was all enjoyable but nothing particularly great. The Bloody Mary along the same lines - decent and spicy, although watery and obviously prepared long in advance. Service for our 16 person table was great - I could hardly finish my drink before I was asked if I wanted another (unlimited brunch only for parties of 12+). The standard deal is $24 for food and 3 drinks. The experience was OK - I enjoyed it but it's not a place I would try to come back in the future, mainly given the pub food/drink at brunch. On another note, I did a Paint Nite here on a Monday night and that was legit. Great way to spend a couple hours on a Monday.
(3)Vince E.
This review is for the happy hour. Until 7, almost all cocktails are half off, which includes specialty and regular cocktails, beers and wines. On the night I went, they also had $1 oysters on the half shell. The environment is that of a great warehouse. It can get kind of loud for normal conversation. In all, a great option for happy hour at great prices, and that is not at all divey
(4)Diana L.
Only came here for dinner but for me, I just order from the appeitzers menu. APPS TO TRY: STEAMED PEI MUSSELS WITH CHORIZO IN TOMATO-CILANTRO BROTH they also let you try it with a garlic broth but if you like broth that gives you a tiny kick, this is good. We also ordered the calamari and just dipped it in the sauce (bread too). SEARED DAYBOAT SCALLOPS OVER CROUTONS, WATERMELON, ROASTED PEACHES AND BASIL YUM! The different textures and flavors create such a delicious dish! BRAISED ANGUS SHORT RIB SLIDERS WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE warning to those who do not like wasabi. order it WITHOUT the sauce. I for one do not like wasabi but I can tell if it wasn't for the sauce this slider would have been delicious. The short rib was cooked perfectly and just melts in your mouth.
(4)Ray S.
The brunch was delicious and the service was great will be eating there again. I had the deep south which was chicken fried steak with scrambled eggs with gravy and a biscuit.
(4)Jo K.
Essex accommodated a party of 10 for sunday brunch. Amazing, isn't it? It's also a really cute place and you can have a brunch entree and unlimited drinks for like $23 or something. Besides that it wasn't anything memorable. I will say however that the food really has potential but maybe it was too busy (it certainly felt like it, everyone including the servers and busboys was literally running around) and our food just looked like it was thrown together and tossed out at our table. I got a burger with a fried egg and the egg yolk was cooked all the way through, they got me a new egg but everything just felt so rushed. Not to say I didn't enjoy my burger, it was good. I think it might of been the best thing out of everything our table ordered. Also it's cash only.
(3)Kathy R.
Brunch is cash-only, which is a bit of a drag. But, if you make a reservation, you can get seated close to promptly. I was actually 20 minutes late to my reservation, but only had to wait 10 minutes. The place is huge, but it does get crowded with a lot of people. I could still hear the person I was with so no big points deducted for being crowded. The mimosas are bottomless so be prepared for a boozy day. The bloody marys are limited to 3 max in the prix fixe menu. The food is good - not amazingly great, but definitely good to keep returning.
(4)Liz B.
I was very please with the environment to begin with, we had to wait for a party of ten and although crowded there was space to stand at the bar. I went for a Sunday brunch. The table that we got was very appropriate for a ten person party (unlike a certain Stanton Social who does not care about packing you in) Essex food is very good and the waitress was excellent. I wish I could remember her name, but she was very attentive and you don't have to be in a place like that, because its popular and people would come back anyway. Food was good and original, everything on the menu was there you could possibly imagine for a brunch. Highly recommended. Waitress did such a good job i wish i could remember deserves credit (she has blue eyes and light brown hair () and wore it in a pony tail lol best shout out i could do for not remembering someones name.
(5)Divya K.
Came here for dinner. unimpressed by the food. the tbm salad is not what you'd expect, its a lump of cheese with some tomato over greens. the fish in the ceviche tasted fishy and the mango was old. same with the steak and lamb main dishes- had a very meaty taste and was not fresh. the potato pancake with goat cheese is decent. meh, there are better restaurants.
(2)Helena H.
One of my favorite spots for Brunch if you're in LES. They have a great selection of American Brunch and it comes along with a DRINK! (ahem....). Prices are not bad . So if you want to bring your Date after a nice (Clap Clap) Night..... OR... Bunch of Girls / Guys get together.
(4)Anastacia S.
I am giving Essex 4 stars for their brunch - 2 hours of unlimited cocktails and good brunch food at a REALLY reasonable price - I'm definitely a fan! Things to note: - Make a reservation - They will ask you to leave after 2 hours if they are busy, so don't be surprised when that happens, just move down to the bar to continue your day drinking and let other people have a turn - They usually have their special weekend brunch on holiday Mondays, like MLK day - Be nice to your server and she/he will treat you well (this means if it is not busy you may be able to keep your table - and your cocktails - past the 2 hour mark) - The food is actually really good! - It is VERY loud, like nightclub loud (which is what Essex is in the evenings) so it is hard to have a conversation and can actually be a little head pounding - It kind of has that day after nightclub smell to it, which isn't very appetizing, but again, JUST KEEP DRINKING!!
(4)M P.
The food is mediocre. Their "famous" potato pancake is a disgusting mashed potato fritter, dry and under seasoned. Baby food is sexier than that entree. Their capellini were eatable, but, once again, they needed seasoning. However, the food is the least of Essex's problems. Their service leaves a lot to be desired. We were rushed to finish eating, even though there was no people coming in and they had five available tables. Ridiculous. Aside from that, we were't even offered the dessert menu, and upon requesting it we were informed they only had two of their four "specials", the waiter didn't even bother telling us what they had, therefore, we didn't even bothered asking. They get two stars because the place looks clean and we didn't have to wait at all to be seated. And yet I am never going back...
(2)Tiffany C.
I've been to Essex on two separate occasions: Open bar at night and happy hour/dinner. I was not impressed on both occasions. Open Bar: My friend "won" an open bar night for her and a bunch of friends. The drinks were super watered-down. I felt like I was just drinking soda all night. I understand the drinks were free, but at least give me a little something! It also got so crowded there was absolutely no room to move. Happy Hour/Dinner: Please avoid the happy hour $1 oysters. They did a terrible job at shucking the oysters. There were so many small pieces of shells in my oyster that I had to keep spitting it out. For dinner, I shared the crab cake and angus steak frites with my boyfriend. The crab cake was okay but not worth $13. The angus steak frites ($22) was drenched in sauce and was extremely difficult to chew even though I ordered medium. I don't mind paying good money for food, but honestly, the nicest thing I can say about the food at Essex is "mehhhh." The drinks at happy hour were stronger than that open bar night I referenced above. TIP: Essex only accepts cash for brunch but they do take credit cards for happy hour and dinner. All in all, there are better places in New York with better deals. I will not be going back to Essex again.
(2)Tillie K.
I come here like at least once a month for their $1 oysters and their happy hour drinks special, which tastes good all the time. The Service here is kind of slow tho to be honest. I have no idea why but I always have to wait for my food and it seems to be forever! every time I come, or maybe it's cause I'm hungry? their GRILLED SHRIMP & AVOCADO SALAD, CRISPY FRIED CALAMARI, and STEAMED PEI MUSSELS is good ANGUS SHORT RIB SLIDERS were a no go. don't order this! The location of essex is very convenient to grab a cab or to take the metro subway. there is always a open table because they have a semi 2nd floor. I never really got to wait for my table which is good. This is a great spot for a causal dinner out just to eat and go. I still want to try their WEDNESDAY LOBSTER SPECIAL - 1 LB. FRESH MAINE LOBSTER
(4)Nhu T.
Review for brunch. We ordered off the menu (not the brunch prix fixe) and food was pretty good. My friend and I were satisfied. The decor is cool and minimal and I just really enjoyed the environment. I had poached eggs with scallops while my friend had some type of assorted breakfast dish.
(4)Kate T.
I wouldn't be surprised if Essex was in an episode of SATC that revolved around mid-20's wannabe socialites. I went to a boozy brunch birthday here -- I'd say you can't beat it for $23 with three drinks....except you definitely can. The food is so-so, but if you're lit you wouldn't know any better. I had the hash over three eggs, which was just OK but the beef was kind of stringy and dry, and I don't like beef jerky in my hash, yo. Drink options are screwdrivers (for those of you who mean business), mimosas, and bloody marys. My friends said the marys were decent. Apparently Essex makes a bacon-vodka bloody mary but they were out of the infused vodka that day. The place is two levels, super cramped and loud, and has a bar in the middle. On a Sunday you'll wait a solid hour for a larger table. Bottom line -- Cheap, lots of options on the menu, but more about the scene than the eats. Cash only brunch. I prefer Poco in ABC.
(2)David B.
This restaurant was super fun. All you can drink is totally worth it. But you have to ask for Mo and tip him big! He is the best waiter I've had in a while!
(5)D A.
I used to go to Essex all the time for Happy Hour. The bartenders are nice. I decided to do a Happy Hr birthday and came another time, both to be disappointed by a rude waitress and clueless hostess. I came before my Bday to reserve a bar table, so I could eat while my friends were arriving. The hostess said I couldn't reserve one. The day of, we waited for a specific bar table for over an hour, then the waitress came and said there was a reservation there! She was pretty rude about it. Then I came for boozy brunch on a monday holiday, so it wasn't packed. The same waitress explains that the $23.99 includes three drinks no matter if it is alcohol or not. She was adamant that we could not just order brunch at a lower price. As we discuss whether we should stay, because most of us didn't want to drink, she was very pushy. Mind you, the restaurant was not busy.
(1)Lindsey T.
My friend and I came here for brunch on Saturday, had Mo as our waiter. The food was great and Mo was super attentive and friendly. We will definitely be back for brunch again.
(5)Jason S.
Great happy hour specials $ oysters half priced drinks 5-8. Also tried the Burrata it was pretty sweet.
(4)Kyle Y.
Essex is fantastic! An upscale bar and restaurant in a great space with plenty of natural light- particularly during brunch hours. I've been here for drinks and for brunch yet plan to come back for dinner soon. The cocktails are good, including the creative list of house specialties. Impressive liquor collection, I'm a gin drinker and they had various bottles I'd never heard of. Highly recommend brunch, the bagel and lox spread with capers and a schmear was decadent. For larger groups, you should probably make a reservation. For two you can almost always get a spot at the bar or elsewhere.
(4)Danielle H.
It would be really difficult to not get wasted at brunch here. Seriously, I do not throw around the term "strong drink" liberally. My roomie and I both ordered the screwdrivers and there was only a dash of OJ in there. And after a night of drinking, it is difficult to get them down. I almost asked if the waitress could make a weaker version at one point...but then I decided to just suck it up and get my money's worth. Upon leaving this place, I had this weird sensation of being trashed and hungover at the same time. It's definitely better than a pure hangover. As for the food, it was okay. I kind of wished I went with my first instinct and got the french toast, but I got the potato pancakes instead and I wasn't impressed. They really didn't taste any better than frozen tater tots. But the free BREAD! That stuff was good. I actually got mad when I saw other tables not finishing theirs and thought about grabbing it...but then I remembered that drunkenness is not an excuse to forego my manners. I'd definitely come back and try a different dish. Next time I will remember not to drink the night before. Also, as annoying as it is for a place this big, it is cash only.
(5)Christina H.
booooozy brunch time. this is a standard on our brunch rotation if we are looking for drinks to abound and dont care much about the food. service is usually pretty efficient and friendly enough given the crowds and drinking they have to deal with. the food here is just ok. i've made the rounds through the menu and it's mostly passable with nothing that really stands out. i usually end up with a benedict of some sort though i have also had the salad, cheeseburger, and other egg options. you really arent here for the food, and i dont think that i would come outside of the boozy brunch. the last time we were here was mid-summer and the place was blazing hot. seriously had to have been about 85+ degrees inside and our entire table was incredibly uncomfortable for the entire meal. weird to have to take that into consideration in an indoor restaurant space, but i probably would think twice before coming back in the summer.
(3)Joseph C.
The brunch was delicious. While you could go elsewhere and think you'd spend less, at 23 per person for 4 liberally sized drinks and a brunch entrée, for the quality it's a steal. Our server Derek was incredible, friendly, and generous and the atmosphere was fun and hip. Couldn't have asked for a better brunch experience- they even retweeted a pic! Could you ask for more?
(5)Courtney L.
Essex is our (my friends and I) go to Brunch spot. We have dined her for Brunch several times. We are huge fans of the manager whose name is Sue. EVERY time we come, we have been lucky enough to be in the section that she is working. She kept our glasses full, she was so in tune with us she knew what we needed before we even asked. We love you Essex! P.S. The Lobster Benedict is to die for!!
(4)George G.
Decided to crash the boozy-brunch at Essex. Restaurant is OpenTable compatible and Cash Only at Brunch. Brunch is fixed-price at $22.95/pp and includes THREE (3) Brunch Cocktails (Bloody Mary, Mimosa, or Screwdriver). The menu is lengthy and full of eggy items but also caters to those, like me, that would rather skip the eggs for something else. Lunch items were also to be found on the menu. Hearty Onion Rolls kick off the meal. They're soft and warm and very oniony. I am not a huge fan of eggs but decided to try The Southern (Sausage Biscuits and Gravy with Patty Sausage and Eggs any style -- I had mine scrambled). Portions were large. Food was tasty. Service friendly. If you dine for Brunch on Sunday and arrive before cocktails can be served (12:00PM) your beverages are complementary whether they be coffee, iced coffee, soda, etc... found that to be a nice touch.
(4)C J.
Food was mediocre. I had the potato pancakes which were greasy and had no flavor. Service was good but it's a cash only brunch! We each took turns going to the ATM. The mimosas kept getting refilled throughout the meal so that was nice ! Don't think I'll be back though:-(
(2)Wendi G.
aristocrat was bomb. don't ever not eat it.
(5)Carla B.
I want to preface this by saying that I love their brunch deal - $23.00 for a meal + 3 drinks. Their food is also really good, particularly their Mexican Matzo Brei. My big beef with Essex is the fact that, even if you have a reservation, you still have to wait 30 minutes or so to be seated. I find that to be a little ridiculous. Also, their staff is not very friendly; they seem to be a bit snooty. This place is definitely sceney and attracts people as such.
(3)Einat L.
What an awesome place for a Sunday brunch!!! Great food, flowing drinks, and funky playlist. Will definitely be back!
(5)Alex C.
Stopped by for brunch in a group of 6. Food was excellent, bottomless drinks are great. Ask for Mo when you stop by--his service is excellent!
(5)Anna B.
I came here last night for the PaintNite event which was upstairs in the crammed room. Anyway, we walked in and immediately the hostess bombarded us to see if we were there for Happy Hour or PaintNite - annoying. She informed us that they were not ready yet and will be in about 10 mins aka 'please get a drink at the bar.' We went to the bar and asked for the drink menu. After deciding on a pitcher of sangria I told the bartender what we wanted (for me and two friends). He goes, "the glasses of sangria are half price; the pitcher is not." The half priced happy hour drinks were not on my radar and I was a taken back and confused and simply informed him that, "we were prepared to pay the $45!" Then the shock of his statement set in! Classless, rude and ballsy! Instant turn off to the entire place and will never ever recommend it to any and all of my friends and if it is ever mentioned to me, I will certainly bring up this incident!
(1)Sarah D.
Love Essex! I found them on yelp, took my friends here for my birthday and had the best service. The food was amazing, drinks were fabulous and atmosphere was superb. Couldn't have picked a better spot to celebrate!
(5)Angel L.
Want to wake up and have drinks for breakfast? Why not. This place is definitely good for that. 3 drinks, meal, bread for $24. Beware this place gets packed. Their bloody marys are incredibly spicy. This is definitely a trendy place to be.
(4)S S.
The food were excellent! Great value for awesome food! 1/2 price on the drinks till 7pm (even on Friday). AHI TUNA TARTARE - Super delicious Potato Pancakes - it's hash brown! PAN SEARED ATLANTIC SALMON - delicious CAJUN SPICED CATFISH - delicious
(4)Meredith K.
Such a great brunch experience! My friends and I were in town visiting from California and the atmosphere was so bright and cheerful. The food was excellent. We each had a different dish and they were all fantastic! We were especially a fan of the potato pancakes. They were super delicious. Make sure to ask for Derrick his service was so attentive and friendly. I often judge service by keeping my drink full and our mimosas were always full! Many bottomless places never do a good job filling them up. Even better, he kept refilling our water and coffees before they were even halfway empty. His food recommendations were great. We ended up getting the aristocrat, the omelette, the baked eggs, and the Mexican. Definitely glad we decided to try this place out!
(5)nicole t.
This is our GO TO brunch place. Every dish we've ever had is awesome. The waitresses are always super fast and generous with drinks. It's a loud scene but it's super fun. This place is awesome. 5 stars.
(5)Odochi I.
This place is really cool and I loved the vegan options! They did a great job refilling the mimosas, which was really cool. Make a reservation and be sure to get there on time it gets really full, but it's worth it. I may come here for a birthday or girl's day out.
(4)Tencia L.
Essex is the best brunch and I love mimosas and they have very good salad and also Mo is the best waiter
(5)Lauren B.
Oh Essex. Essex is my happy place for Martini Mondays. Also Martini Thursdays and the occasional Martini Fridays. I've only had the bar food, but I will say their fried green tomatoes are BANGIN, as are the calamari. Maybe it's all the martinis talking, but I found their fried food crunchy and delicious, and always hot. The atmosphere is really fun - varied ages and personalities. Can't say much about the brunch but absolutely worth it for happy hour.
(4)A. S.
Came for brunch with a crew, we had a reservation and were seated easily. Brunch was only ok, but it was a good value with the included drinks and I was surprised to see (bc it's quite busy) they don't really rush you. I appreciate that hospitality, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the food. Nothing bad, it was just ok. Some people were dressed like it was the club. Chill.
(3)Jamilia D.
I went to a Sunday Brunch here and it was fantastic! The crowd here is very L.A. despite the fact that it's in NY - the hipsters, sorority girls and celebrities only in their head. I actually arrived a little late (oh, subway!!) but the other half of our party had been waiting for 30 minutes already. The place was beyond packed. We waited a little longer, maybe 15 more minutes and were finally seated in the upstairs section. Despite the initial wait once we were seated the service was really quick once we got to our table. They do pack everyone in so it's pretty much like sitting at one big table. Don't talk about anything you wouldn't want the party 6 inches away to hear. Anyway, the food: Ordered the $23.95 brunch special. We were only supposed to receive 3 complimentary mimosas but the waitress kept refilling our glasses which was just fine with me! It's your standard cheap champagne + OJ restaurant mimosa but after 10 you're feeling pretty great. For food I had the Crabcake Benedict which was phenomenal! They definitely take more care in preparing the food than the cocktails but overall it's a really great place to grab a bite for a reasonable price.
(5)Douglas K.
I came here on Wednesday with my girlfriend for a quick drink and and some finger foods. I've been here several times and I'm not disappointed. It wasn't too busy at 7:30pm and the decor is trendy and intimate but can get packed doing prime time. We ordered a few beers, dozen oysters, sliders, and calamari. They have $1 oysters I think every day now and they were fresh and delicious. The sliders were okay, but the calamari was awesome. It was fresh, crispy, and it comes with an avocado dip instead of cocktail sauce. Drinks are also 1/2 during their happy hour special, so it was only $50 for the both of us. I highly recommended coming here because they have a great happy hour and the food is delicious. It's great for a big party or for an intimate date. A must try!
(5)Steffanie R.
Went here for Brunch with the girls and had an amazing time. They say 3 drinks, but I hat at least 5 mimosa's. Since we had 8 people we made reservations for 1:15pm, they won't seat you unless everyone is there. It was really crowded by 2pm. I had the potato cakes with the apples in honey sauce (AMAZING I wish I got a bowl of this) the black beans with mushrooms and spinach just didn't make since with the whole plate, they should really reconsider adding something else. Everyone else loved their food. Our waitress was amazing, didn't rush us or anything! We loved her. I will come back!!!
(4)Elisa H.
Came here for my birthday and had an amazing brunch with fifteen of my friends. Mo was amazing, such an attentive and friendly waiter and sweet person!! I highly recommend Essex!!!
(5)Jason C.
Came here for the oyster specials. Can't go wrong with $1 oysters, right? The oysters were good but I would have liked a better sauce selection (ie. horseradish sauce). And I would have liked it if the oysters were shucked. And fyi, the east coast oysters are $1 and the west coast oysters are $2. Go there during happy hour and enjoy awesome watermelon martinis! And the short rib sliders are ok. I would probably pass on that in the future.
(3)Lili K.
Come for the late night happy hour...I believe it's around midnight for 1/2 off drinks. Other than that, it's just too pricey! I had the burger which was ok...the workers weren't the friendliest, however. Just come here to preparty. At least it's spacious and not too packed for that!
(3)Dave H.
Essex was our final stop one Saturday. No bouncer, no cover, no problems: even with a light crowd, we got a table in about ten minutes. Despite Essex's deceptively-spartan exterior, it's quite chic, with gentle lighting, candlelit tables, and strategically-placed bamboo stalks. A DJ spun that night, filling the open, well-ventilated space with low-key tunes. Low-key was good, as we could easily carry on a conversation. Definitely a relaxing place to lounge. A flatscreen above the bar played sports, without sound - do those things need to be everywhere? Our accommodating - and super cute - pixie of a waitress told us her name was Kat. "Like Kit Kat?" I asked. (I think she smiled? I should have stopped talking and just grunted in the direction of their bar.) I then asked what shots she liked, and she said straight liquor. She brought over Jameson ($7/shot), and I made quick work of mine.
(4)Lauren R.
SIGH... I LOVE the food here. The drinks are great. I've been several times for dinner and a few times for Brunch as well. Literally NO complaints about the menus. My parents came to NYC to visit me and I insisted on taking them here for brunch because I knew they would enjoy it as much as I did. We made reservations for 2:30pm because I was worried that there would be traffic coming from uptown. (The drive can take 20 min or an hour, depending.) We arrived almost an hour early and checked in with the hostess, who told us it would be at least 30 minutes. Because it gets so crowded for brunch, we went outside to wait. I was standing right by the door when the hostess returned a few minutes later and announced our table was ready. SWEET! We walked in, not realizing my dad was still smoking a cigarette outside. The waitress seemed a bit frazzled and asked if our whole party was present. I said yes, that we had all been in the same cab and that my dad must still be outside. She seemed flustered, but seated us anyhow. Moments later, a man came up and demanded where the other person was. I explained again, that he was just outside and that he'd be in shortly. He stormed off and then quickly returned, stating that there was no one outside matching my dad's description. He asked why I was lying (mind you, in front of my MOTHER) and started to demand that we get up from the table... just as my dad strolled in and seated himself next to my mom. Realizing he was wrong, he made some other rude comment about us making others wait, and then let our server take over. Our server quickly apologized and explained that he was the OWNER. Now I've worked in a restaurant before. I know the protocol for seating incomplete parties. But I'm also 27 years old and way over my "lying" years. If you want to yell at me, be my guest. But please don't do it in front of my parents when I'm simply trying to show them an excellent dining experience during their short visit in NYC. We were grateful to have been seated earlier than our reservation time. And we're great customers - we order alcohol, decide quickly, over order, eat fast, and tip well. As delicious as the food is, the situation left a horrible taste in my mouth.
(2)Mister L.
Came in early on christmas they sat 3 of us on a 2 top in a literally empty restaurant we left
(1)Ellen Z.
Every time I've been here, it's been with my cousin. One of my favorite places in NYC! Gotta love the $1 oysters! :p
(5)Diana C.
LOVE LOVE this spot during happy hour! things you MUST try here: - oysters ($1 each!! I don't even like oysters that much but they're pretty good here) - lobster mashed potatoes - fried calamari (comes with this green, guac look-a-like sauce that tastes so bomb) I believe happy hour is sun-thus until 8pm?
(4)Jen D.
OYSTERS!!!! So good. I had the lobster mac & cheese for an entree (after all the oysters) which had an overwhelming lobster smell to it. Didn't really like that very much. However, will be coming back for those oysters. And brunch - those pictures look yum. 4 stars for the decor, oysters, the fun atmosphere, and the solid food around me. Will have to come back and try other entrees to really give a true 4 star.
(4)LeAnn L.
So after a nightmare happy hour incident here a few weeks ago, I decided to go back and try their boozy brunch. I live right down the street so I decided to try out this brunch spot that many people seem to like. We made reservations for yesterday at 3:45. We arrived maybe 10 minutes late. I REALLY hate how their hostess stand is in the middle of the floor, not near the door. Completely unprofessional and annoying. The place was uncomfortably packed and noisy. Can't they send people away or tell them to come back in an hour? Anyways, my party of 4, including myself, ended up waiting a full 45 minutes to be seated. It got to the point where my friends and I would take turns asking the hostess when we'd be seated and each time she told us she was waiting for the table to pay their bill... Finally we got seated in the upstairs area (thank goodness) which was significantly quieter than the downstairs area. everyone at the table had probably 5 drinks a piece. The food was decent, nothing special in my opinion, I got the burger because I figured I couldn't go wrong with that. I woke up this morning around 2am with a KILLER headache from all the cheap "champagne." I've visted many brunch spots over the year and I never had a headache that bad from brunch.... Don't think I'll be back. Gave Essex 2 chances and that's enough for me.
(2)Elsie W.
GET THE POTATO PANCAKES WITH SALMON. In fact, get 2. For yourself. It's a hashbrown with salmon. Two of my favorite foods. We must've consumed about 120 raw oysters. They have $1 blue points, $2 others. Came here on a Monday night, so it wasn't crowded at all. I love their happy hour prices; half off all drinks on the menu, which include cocktails, margaritas, mojitos, sangria, wine! Our waitress was great. I asked her about their dessert wines, and she brought back 2 kinds for me to try. I'm hooked.
(5)Rose Marie A.
My first visit to Essex was on a Sunday evening for dinner. It was truly an amazing experience. The atmosphere was fantastic: dimly lit, cozy and intimate. My date and I sat side-by-side in a large booth and enjoyed people watching in the restaurant. The service was great - our server was friendly, knowledgable and as helpful as one would hope. She gave great recommendations for the menu and was attentive without crowding us. We ordered appetizers (Grilled Shrimp & Avacado and Tuna Tartare) and they were delicious. For our entrees, my date had the Salmon, and it was decent. I ordered the Scallop Risotto and it was spectacular. My date definitely had serious case of entree envy. I'd definitely recommend Essex and will be visiting again soon.
(4)Tenicka B.
This place is a total waste of time. Not only is the brunch menu a complete wash but the service is absolutely terrible. Sure the place is jam packed at 12PM on a Saturday full of hipsters, LES girls, and all kinds of rude fashionistas that any brunch place could offer. But seriously? The hostess was completely obliviously to time. And rude and frankly lacked any type of empathy. She had originally quoted us 20 minutes. It turned out to be an HOUR and 20 minutes with so much prompting on our behalf. A drunk helper who I'm guessing was the manager, interrupted me while I was talking to the hostess to tell me that it would just be an 10 additional minutes. It ended up being 30 additional minutes. Then after we ate and sat for 40 minutes, the waitress asked us to leave because they needed the table. What a complete waste of a Saturday. They tried to offer us tickets for free drinks at the bar. Later on we went to Sons of Essex across the street of the music and crowd. It was a way better use of our time. Never again.
(1)Jeremy P.
The atmosphere is more bar than resteraunt. Its really loud, and downstairs is pretty mobbed. Its not a place to have a conversation with your meal. The service wasn't great either. You yell your order at the waitress who can't hear you despite yelling, so you point to the menu item. Then your server will spend a minute or two trying to find that item on a very trendy iPad POS device before she can take the next order. Its slow, impersonal, and cumbersome. Its like watching someone do paperwork. Do your self a favor and don't make any special requests or order off menu. I'm pretty sure my waitress quit or lost her job mid meal because someone else was called in to close out our dinner. The food isn't so much mediocre as inconsistent. At its best its good (not great). At its worst its pretty bad. Short rib sliders were served on a soggy bun. Imagine dunking a burger bun in water, that's how soggy the slider comes out. The Ahi Tuna was bland. Ruben spring rolls were good and the fillet was good. I liked the pre fixe option, and the drinks were good and reasonably priced, or what serves as reasonable in Manhattan at any rate. There are just MUCH better places to eat in the neighborhood.
(2)Kristina L.
This place is quite big for NYC I must say. Its not very welcoming when you first get in, someone did walk up to us when we got there, however there is no area where the hostess stand to greet you or let you know what the deal is. I would say that the service is OK. Not the best and they were not very attentive. they paid min attention to us and it wasn't even that busy. Its very loud inside, granted there is a bar there as well near the from entrance. Its probably loud due to the large sealing and maybe it echos?.... Cajun spiced catfish over shrimp potato and scallion hash - This dish was pretty tasty, kind of salty, but not bad. Overall: I say try their brunch, I heard its better (thats next on my to do list), but dinner is OK, but not the best.
(3)Nati R.
Love this place. Extremely well priced, amazing wine list, cheap oysters. Ambiance is sorta grungy hip open layout LES fair, very tall ceilings. Nothing mindblowing here, but very solid place. Service is always FUCKING AMAZING.
(4)Katrina C.
I had my birthday brunch here. They were really accommodating of the large group, the service was perfect (friendly and attentive, but not pushy) and, of course, the food was great. It wasn't gourmet, there's no saffron or whatever, but it is certainly better than just passable. There were a lot of things on the menu that I wanted to try, so I'll be back for more. Oh, and, only God knows how much we ended up drinking. Definitely more than 3 drinks, but I'm not complaining.
(5)Andy K.
They have a pretty decent Happy Hour Sun-Friday with half price drinks and $1 Oysters until 8PM. The prix-Fixe dinner of an Appetizer, Entree and 1 Drink for $30 isn't too bad either. Food portions could be a little bigger and probably need a few more appetizers that can be shared with larger parties.
(3)Olena Y.
Came here last weekend for Saturday brunch. Was skeptical re all negative reviews. The food was good and the mimosas were unlimited. It wasn't that loud and we were there during prime brunch hours. Definitely will come back.
(5)Jimmy G.
Essex is ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL. I had my birthday brunch here on Sunday. The restaurant met and EXCEEDED all my expectations. We were late for our reservation. The hostess was absolutely gracious about it and in fact gave us all free drink tickets while we waited for our table. I reserved spaces for 10 people but a few extra friends showed up. The staff pulled up an extra table so everyone would have room to sit! Their prix fixe brunch is a good deal. You get an entree and 3 free drinks. The drinks are stiff and there is always a waiter to get you a new drink. They are not at all stingy about it. I think I may have gotten more than 3 drinks. Their food is also amazing. I ordered matza omelettes. Most of my friends raved about the different dishes they ordered. Will definitely return to Essex and recommend the restaurant to my friends.
(5)Marcus C.
I was surprised to find that this place has very good Sangria (I am not a connoisseur by any measure, though). Food: potato pancakes were very good! Service: generally friendly and responsive. Decor/Ambiance: good mesh of new-age American style bar and restaurant.
(4)D T.
This used to be my go to brunch spot with friends.....but. recently I had to cancel a reservation with less then 24 hours notice and they charged me a $100.00 cancellation fee!!! Are you freaking kidding me? The food is NOT that good, a Michelin star restaurant it is not. The noise level is like a nightclub, the service is spotty at best, and the clientele is a sea of horn rimmed glasses and ironic t-shirts. Yawn. The only reason anyone comes to this place is for the 3 drinks that come with brunch. To charge a $100 cancellation fee when they can easily fill that table... and when the best restaurants in the city don't even do that? Beyond ridiculous. I'm done with this place forever.
(2)Lorena H.
I really do like Essex for brunch; have a great menu selection plus drinks! My main problem with them is the wait time. Although I make reservations my husband and are always stuck waiting an hour or more to be seated!! What's the point of me making reservations when I still have to wait?! The place is super crowded with no waiting area so you have people constantly pushing you and trying to get through, so annoying!!!! Also the staff isn't that great either... The last time I went was Valentines Day and I honestly don't see myself going back for a long time if I ever do.
(3)Lily P.
Great brunch!!! Tons of options from potatoes pancakes, seafood, mexican, eggs, whatever you want for brunch. It was $20 with 3 drinks included. It was very busy there so make you RSVP earlier. Also they don't eat incomplete parties of people which we learned about. My friends got the eggs benedicts (with crab cake and also some with lobster). The crab cake one was amazing and I don't think there has been another brunch where the food was just that good. I got the 3 eggs with apple sausage, potatoes, salad, fruit. The apple sausage was amazing with pieces of the apple in it and it was just great. The potato pancakes were really good if you like mushrooms. Everything was just really on point nad well done. Portions were large. The only bad thing about the place was the orange juice wasn't fresh squeezed and at room temp (warm) so they put ice in it..which I'm not a fan of.
(4)Athena C.
Since I got a coupon online, I had to come here on a week night knowing they are mostly known for their brunch. I had a great experience regardless. We had to wait for my boyfriend for a while they let us sit down without the complete party, which I felt so grateful for. LOL I ordered a glass of Mango Margarita while waiting and it definitely kept me buzzed and distracted. The fried calamari was good but nothing special. I got the Cuban Sandwich for my entree and my boyfriend got their Wednesday special, a whole Lobster with cobb of corn and some potatoes. The sandwich was grilled and the flavor was great. The lobster on the other hand, is slightly small but fresh and juicy. My Italian friend also really likes his Swordfish with Mussels and he requested that I give Essex a great rating. I heard their famous dish is the potato pancake and I look forward to returning for brunch sometime.
(4)Joelle G.
Fun & trendy spot. Lively music. Sports on the flatscreens!! Excellent bartenders who make dangerously good drinks. 1-2 and you're done. Good appetizers. What more could you ask for? The people who work here are beyond nice. Very accommodating. My new favorite spot definitely.
(5)Samantha S.
The food was great; the service was pretty terrible. A friend and I decided to try this place for Sunday brunch, and of course as the NYC brunch life goes it was incredibly busy, but the hostess was great at getting us a table quickly. As we sat down she mentioned we'd have to give up the table in an hour - we figured that would be plenty of time to eat so we said okay. But then the service was painfully slow - it took the full hour just for our food to come out. As soon as the food arrived, someone came to our table and told us we would have to move. They moved us to a table in the corner of the restaurant that was nestled in the middle of a large birthday party reservation. Those guests seemed to be under the impression from their hostess that our table was actually theirs, and they tried to take it from us while we were finally getting started to eat our food. We wrapped up as quickly as possible because we really just wanted to get out of the restaurant at this point, but then when the check came back I realized I was charged $271 instead of $27. They of course voided the charge, but $271 is a pretty large and careless mistake. Perhaps the experience would be different on a week night or an otherwise less busy time, but it seems like they have a poor handle on their service when the restaurant gets busy.
(1)Tyrene M.
I usually book a table here every wednesday and grab a bunch of friends for $1 oysters and $5 cocktails, its great on wednesdays, not crowded and not loud. Great spot to catching up with friends over oysters and cocktails. The staff are great, they always go the extra mile. Have been coming here for oysters for years, love it.
(5)Erum R.
I liked this place a lot for brunch. Didn't find it overpriced and really liked that we could make a reservation. It has that industrial look and gets really busy but it isn't a headache since there are so many different seating sections. The food was good and drinks were plentiful and we didn't pay an arm and a leg like we usually do during weekend brunch. I'd recommend this place for a big group, as long as you make the reservation early enough, for brunch any weekend!
(4)Dominique P.
This is my ultimate budget brunch spot. I normally always get the 3 eggs any style but this time opted for the burger, which was absolutletly delicious. The fries were so awesome you dont even need ketchup! I give this place 5 stars especially for consistency. Besides you cant beat a brunch in the city that comes with 3 drinks for under $25. As far as the service goes do expect to wait if you miss your reservation but they make it up to you with unlimited drinks! So win win. I see myself becoming a regular very soon.
(5)Francis R.
3.5 Went here to watch a Bulls/Heat playoff game a few weeks back and thought it was a pretty cool place. I wasn't exactly super impressed with Essex, but their potato pancakes and happy hour prices on Oysters were definitely huge pluses. 30 for $30? Yes please!
(3)Harper S.
For my birthday my best friends decided to throw me a surprise brunch. I had absolutely no idea this was happening and considering I'm the one that plans everything we do, couldn't imagine they could ever pull something like this off. They did and they're incredible. Sadly the restaurant wasn't very accommodating. My friend called several weeks ago to make the reservation and asked for a private or semi-private space. Everyone seemed to be fine and helpful on the phone but the day of the party - they did everything but that. They put us at a back L shaped makeshift table. Not only was it in the center of everything but we had to SCREAM across the table to talk to one another and were basically on top of each other. Why say you're going to do one thing and not stick to that? She didn't call three times to confirm we were all set for NO reason. Needless to say, we had an amazing timely solely because we were in each others presence but the food was very mediocre and the way this was handled was unacceptable. Oh and we were kicked out of the table after two hours because they needed our table, so they threw drink tickets at us and told us we could continue drinking at the crowded bar. Over you.
(2)Erica T.
Uh.... $1 oysters! Duh! So yummy! East and west coast oysters available to you liking. I barely ever get any entrees when I come. My goal usually is to have oysters! Haha.. But I do get the fried calamari! That avocado dip is so good! I came here for brunch also.. WOW! Completely different atmosphere! It's usually very quiet, dark, elegant place when I go for oysters. Very good for intimate dates! But wow, brunch was something else! Definitely a brunch party! Music was amazing! The bar filled with people! The wait was so long! I'm so glad we had reservations! I'd definitely prefer brunch food over dinner. Definitely should check it out. Their drinks never fail to please me.
(4)Peter K.
I guess it was finally time for me to eat dinner here. I do have to say I was pretty satisfied. They had a great list of specials, where I ordered from and was pretty pleased with what I got. It was my first time ever ordering sturgeon. I am a big fish person and I still was not sure on what I was getting into. The fish itself was a generous portion, with little or no seasoning. It was good because I was able to taste the fish itself (now knowing not a favorite). It just flaked off the skin. Perfectly cooked. The side of green beans had some potatoes floating around in them. Wasn't bad. Good selection of drinks and beer. Service was good too. This place has been around for awhile and I am not sure how good it was early on, but from what I have had, it is still really good.
(4)Judy C.
OooOOo yeah Brunch! Must be my favorite meal of the day. I could egg in every meal. The wait is usually a little crazed and standing with the 50 people waiting near the bar warrants a few of their mango mojitos made with mango puree! Lovely~ Once we get seated the service is pretty quick... I usually order: The Deep South - chicken fried steak with biscuits, eggs & sausage gravy ~O M G challah french toast withbananas foster sauce & fresh fruit ~ I don't usually order the sweet stuff for brunch since I'm so tempted by the salty goodness. But this is ooey gooey good! Worth every calorie. Just say to yourself that the fruit balances the butter in the foster. manchego macaroni & cheese with chicken apple sausage ~ A really really surprisingly good mac n' cheese! I wish I could get all three, so it's best to bring your friends and try them all. I think I'll just go back next weekend.....
(4)Josh R.
I guess this is the classical NY boozy brunch place, as such it's my benchmark that all other brunches must meet. I'm consistent, always order the aristocrat - they do a mean smoked salmon and potato pancake; but I've tried other's eggs or french toast and each one has its own unique and enjoyable taste. The atmosphere is noisy, fun and young - it'll make you feel hip, even if you're not. The servers are all friendly, somehow keep themselves together admist the bustline brunch rush and are very generous with refilling your glasses - I did not experience any difficulties waiting for drinks, but it does help when you're sitting right beside the bar. I'll go back, probably once every 2-3 months; definitely get a reservation ahead of time otherwise expect that you'll be waiting.
(4)Monica Q.
Came here for brunch and I was terribly disappointed. The food was absolutely abysmal and the drinks were equally as awful. It's also cash only which is pretty inconvenient and quite frankly antiquated. This place is sub-par at best. Don't waste your time.
(1)Catherine F.
Best for early or late brunch. If you want to do a 1:00 pm they'll shoo you out by 2:00 pm so its a bit rushed. Either way, a spirited atmosphere, solid drinks and delicious shrimp and grits. Oh and make a reservation.
(4)The Glutton ..
Great food, good music and you will definitely leave drunk.
(3)Maeve C.
Food was a solid 4 stars, but the attitude + service lowered this baby to a 3...you hate to see that. My boyfriend's sister was turning 21, so for the occasion she made a reservation for 10 at 9:30 pm. At the time she made the reservation, the restaurant informed her that they charge a $20 per person fee for a cancelled reservation, which is a pretty harsh penalty, and just seemed kind of unnecessary.* We sat down when our table was finally ready, around 10:15, and our waitress came over to take our drink order. But we didn't have drink menus yet. So we asked for drink menus, and got ONE for our table of TEN. We were all in a good mood because we weren't in a rush or particularly starving, but this does not seem to be an effective way to run a restaurant. Finally, we passed the drink menu around so everyone put their orders in, then we ordered our food. Although most of it came out in a decent amount of time, they forgot to put in two people's orders, sadface. Anyway, as compensation the chef sent out 4 plates of potato pancakes with lox, creme fraiche, and salmon roe. YUM. I would recommend getting some to share with your table, because these babies are salty, crispy, and absolutely necessary. For my own meal, I ordered the salmon with kale and quinoa and was really happy. I was asked how I wanted my salmon cooked, and I said medium well, but what I actually got was well-done. Not ideal, but I should have just asked for it to be medium. The kale was absolutely delicious, I don't know what they did to it but it was amazingly flavorful and tender. The quinoa was similarly delicious and flavorful, and I got to feel healthy and fortified for my night of drinking... I stole a bite or two of my boyfriend's risotto with scallops and I was pretty jealous of its buttery scallops and risotto that was bursting with flavor. He was actually complaining that there were TOO MANY scallops because of how rich it all was, but really enjoyed the dish. I tried the Pickled Saint cocktail, which is gin, St. Germain, mint, and cucumber, and I would highly recommend it. It's like a slightly English mojito that's super refreshing and not overwhelming. Overall, I liked Essex, but beware that it is almost like a club with how loud the music is/how all the girls are dressed. If you do go, be sure to bring your appetite and patience, and order the potato pancakes! *Maybe there's some sad deposed dictator running the reservation book?
(3)Maria A.
This place is beautiful, I highly recommend it for brunch however reservations are a must. This said, when my boyfriend and I showed up, they were kind enough to give us a cancelled table. Great staff, great food - we will definitely come back!
(5)Ashley L.
Good for brunch if you like unlimited drinks, mediocre food, and an upbeat environment. - make a reservation or wait, quite busy during brunch - young yuppie crowd for the most part - pretty loud, crowded environment, seating/tables are close together to accommodate the high volume - service is subpar...had to ask at least 4 times for utensils because the waitress kept forgetting, she also forgot to give us our change from our bill - food is also subpar, average at most. My eggs benedict eggs were cooked all the way through, yolk solid as a rock...same with my friend's poached eggs, yolks solid as a rock... They have many brunch options and the unlimited drinks is a great deal BUT I think there are other brunch spots in the area that offer similar deals with better quality food and service.
(3)Jennifer S.
My girlfriends and I knew we'd be starving after the NYC Half-Marathon so we made brunch reservations for 8 at Essex. First, I loved the atmosphere - lots of natural light and exposed brick (and baseballs glued to the wall - you just have to see it). Although half of our party (oddly, the half that did NOT run the 13.1 miles that morning) was late, they held our table for a full thirty minutes despite it being very busy. Overall, I was very happy with the service being friendly and, once we were sat, attentive without rushing us! Essex is know for the "boozy brunch" - which includes 3 brunch cocktails and an entree for $22 - not a bad deal. I stuck with iced coffee - but the rest of the table seemed to thoroughly enjoy their mimosas and bloody Mary's. I ordered the chicken-fried steak with gravy, biscuits, and poached eggs - totally not my typical entree of choice - but I needed some serious calories after the race so it was perfecto. A few tips: Come with cash and come early or with reservations!
(4)Liza K.
Went for brunch. Food was good. Drinks were ok. Crowded and loud. Long wait to be seated. Expected more.
(3)Meredith R.
Great place for a drunk brunch. Before we were seated, we already had a drink in hand. The waitress was just attentive enough, and the woman in charge of refilling mimosas was more so. The menu selection was about expected and the Mexican dish that's essentially egg nachos is divine. I was underwhelmed with my overcooked omelet but enjoyed the experience on the whole greatly. As an aside, it's a perfect spot for pride weekend if you want to take part in the festivities.
(4)Richard D.
Love the late night happy hour on Saturday night. It makes the drinks more pocket friendly since it's half off. I first came here due to a yelp afterparty after the essex street market event way back when and I have come back here many times since. I feel like goldilocks when hitting up bars around here. Other bars are too douchy, too divey, too crowded, too dead, but Essex is juuuuuuust right.
(4)Van-Ann B.
I went here once a few years ago, and seemed to remember having an enjoyable experience with good food. Unfortunately, last Sunday when I came here for brunch, I did not have the same experience. It's quite a shame that the food did not match up to the social ambience/lofty feel of the restaurant. Such a cool, unique LES spot deserves the same quality of food IMO! The last time I was here, I ordered the eggs, sunny side up, which came with a salad, fruit and roasted potatoes. First of all, I had asked for toast on the side. Apparently they don't have toast! Ummm what? They do serve brunch, right? Secondly, the egg white part of my eggs were really thick! I hadn't really ever seen anything like it. I think it made it taste more egg whitey than yolky (and we all know that the yolk is the best part!). Third, my potatoes looked so sad! and they tasted sad! They were kind of soggy and bland, not at all crispy or seasoned like I've had at oh the other hundreds of places that serve brunch in new york. My friend ordered the deep southern brunch that came with the chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy. Now being from the south, i know my chicken fried steak AND biscuits and gravy. The biscuits and gravy were passable, at best. The chicken fried steak didn't taste anything like chicken fried steak.. again, it was just another sad piece of bland meat wasting precious space on our brunch table. and to top it all off, the orange juice in the mimosas were so watered down that it was basically like drinking water! they must get their orange juice from orangina or something. again, what a shame since this place does have arguably one of the coolest set ups for a Sunday morning brunch...
(2)Nyla C.
Ok. So very briefly. 1) our food took an hour to come. As in people came after us got out food before us and left before we got an entre 2) when it came it was cold, like frigid not even tepid 3) thankfully they remade our food very fast. Oh wait they actually just took the food and nuked it. To be all the way clear they brought back nuked Mac and cheese meaning that the cheese was oily and not existent. My medium rare steak came back medium well suspiciously. Better yet, they gave us the exact same sausage we had already tried just reheated --on a grill--so burnt with bite marks included. So to be clear whatever anyone else ate today had our germs on it. Cool. 4) Our waiter was confused as to where she was working. Sunday brunch. Stop being stressed and rolling your eyes. In addition, when I made a request, my friend saw her mumble under her breath "a pain in my ass." **the mimosas were unlimited **they comped our food. So maybe this is not normal.
(1)Nicole N.
I had brunch here today with a group of 10 friends and I have to say it was by far one of the worst experiences I've had. Not sure why people like this place but for me it was meh. The food was pretty bad, I had to send my potato pancakes back and replaced it with the shrimp and grits which was at least edible. Most of the group did not like their meals either. Kind of an epic fail. The staff was not very accommodating and it sucked that they added 20% gratuity to our bill because because it was 5% gratuity service. Bad food, bad service and it was soooooo hot in there. I won't be going back here.
(1)Kristin C.
Came here for brunch yesterday around 4pm and was seated right away upstairs. I ordered the challah french toast with banana foster sauce. The sauce was good at first, but the more I kept eating, the worse it got and I only ate about half. Otherwise, a great experience. Our waitress was SO nice and kept refilling our glasses without us needing to ask :) Before we left the table, she handed us free drink tickets to have more brunch drinks at the bar. When we were walking down the stairs, a different waitress handed us the mimosa and bloody mary in her hand. I think she made too many for one table and my friend and I just lucked out and crossed her path at the right time. I would come back again because the price is right and the service was good. Also, I'm pretty sure that happy hour on Sundays starts at 5pm and drinks are only $4.
(4)Evan D.
Holly amazing breakfast ... Make sure u make reservations : )
(4)jessica L.
The oyster is amazing, the cocktail sauce just makes this place the best oyster bar in the world! drinks are good for happy hour price. The regular dinner menu is over priced for its ok quality. We order more than 70 oysters for two ppl all the time. Love this place.
(5)Diana S.
Brunch is a staple in NYC and in my diet. My coworker suggested we do a boozy brunch and we ended up coming to Essex. Our reservation was for 8 people ( they hold your cc number and will charge you $10 for each no show) and we were seated rather promptly once our entire party arrived. There are so few good brunch places that takes ressies! +1 star. I ordered the Diver Scallops with Poached Eggs over greens with potato pancakes ($2 supplement). I was expecting huge scallops because diver scallops are usually larger as they're hand picked by divers..but they were just mediocre in size. My favorite part of the dish was the potato pancakes!! So good. I definitely had food envy for my friend's chicken fried steak...as I've NEVER ever had it before! Def made a mental note to get that next time. Your meal comes with 3 drinks (their mimosas are preeettyy yum), but they don't really count...so drink away! At the end of the meal (we speculate to nicely tell us to leave our tables), we each received 3 drink tickets for the bar downstairs. This would have been awesome if the bar wasn't crowded with people waiting to be seated and if we all didn't have plans after brunch. So we just ended up giving our drink tickets away to people who were waiting because they only worked for that day! Sadface. Oh well, sharing is caring!
(4)Tim T.
This place sucks. Never come here on a weekend night. We waited over 2 hours for our food to come.
(1)Laura H.
Maybe it's because I was sober but this place was loud, trashy and the food was TERRIBLE. The bacon was sickly sweet from too much maple, the eggs were cold and hard and the fruit looked like it'd be left out for a couple days. I've never had such an immediate bad reaction to a place. To be avoided at all costs
(1)Janine B.
Came here for the Labor Day Weekend Brunch Marathon on Friday, so it wasn't the crowded experience many have had. Our server was attentive without being overbearing and we were grateful never to have to flag anyone down for the next drink or refill. That kept things really pleasant and we were able to fully enjoy our meal and the great modern setting, with awesome decor, beautiful sun coming in through the windows, and the very comfortable booth we were in. Very strong and very spicy Bloody Marys, but definitely in a good way! Food-wise I enjoyed the CEO. Comes with tasty mixed greens and nicely spicy home fries. I would go back (even knowing that it will be more crowded next time) and will recommend it to many friends.
(5)Dee D.
I LOVE THIS PLACE. I come here for a monthly brunch. We have been going here as a large group for 3 years. The staff is so friendly. We always feel so welcome and every item on the menu is perfection.
(5)Hannah L.
I went to Essex last night with a group of my girl friends and had an excellent night! The food was delicious and the service was incredible. I had steak which was cooked perfectly. My friends enjoyed the risotto, salad with shrimp, and the salmon. Mo, our server, was attentive and helped us to select our food and drink orders. He also had a great sense of humor and kept our table laughing. We will absolutely be back soon!!
(5)Sean M.
Not a bad spot. The decor is nice and the space is huge for NYC. Came here for an event and had fun. The beers are priced ala NYC but they are cold. I came in here during the blizzard and was greeted like I was royalty, which was awesome. The hostess reminded me of someone I used to work with as well, which was interesting.
(4)Madison L.
I come here quite often, If i was to go out to the city for happy hour this would be my go to place. Mainly for their $1 oysters and their HH drinks. I usually order their $1 oysters (of course, oyster lover over here) fried calamari - their green dipping sauce is amazing, it really is what makes the dish so tasty steamed mussels pot - it's really good, theres two styles you can choose and both is great salmon potato pancakes - love it ! if you're a salmon lover and you like hashbrowns, this is your dish ! the potato pancake always comes out crispy, never soggy sweet potato fries - crispy and sweet like how fries are suppose to be I can't give it 5 stars because their service isn't on the fast side. Sometimes the food takes forever to get out and you would have to ask the waitress if they forgot about you.
(4)Holly C.
I've been meaning to come here as a coworker of mine told me about their $1 raw oysters HH special. I still have to come again for that because I came for a Saturday brunch. We had reservations at 2:30 PM but didn't get seated until 3:30. Despite the long wait, it wasn't bad - the bar area was crowded with people also waiting, and the place itself was very lively. Our waitress was great - fun to talk to and very generous with drinks. It's supposed to be 3 drinks with your brunch, but she kept filling our mimosas so we probably got double that amount. Even when we asked for the check, and the restaurant was closing down, we asked for one more round and she brought back glasses & filled them up. It's such a simple decor, but something about it just works. I think it's the combination of the decor and the trendy LES crowd. Brunches: 1) The Aristocrat (potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & poached eggs). I wasn't too crazy about the caviar but the rest of it was very good. Loved the potato pancake which I was a bit hesitant about first. 2) Mexican Matzo Brei (scrambled eggs, tortilla crisps, monterey jack & avocado with black beans & pico de gallo) 3) Challah French toast with bananas foster sauce & fresh fruit (I'm usually not a fan of French toast but this was really good. On the sweeter side). Everything was delicious & presentation was neat. I recommend going here for a later brunch time so that you can enjoy time with your friends. I had heard that earlier in the day, they'll sometimes give you a drink ticket to get the remaining of your drinks at the bar.
(4)Neil H.
I think the key to a great brunch is that you get to eat something you can't make at home. If I'm game for heading out on a Sunday morning, it's because I'm interested in hanging out with my girlfriend and other friends, and having great food. We had heard great things about Essex. And they took good care of us. My main gripe is that as they got busy they lost our food order, leaving us sitting there for way too long. After a while, we asked what was up, and they got our food to us quickly. And, they gave us an additional drink on the house. The best brunches are when you order something that you can't make at home. I think I ordered the wrong thing, but am certainly happy to give them another try sometime soon.
(3)alissa s.
Essex has become my favorite thursday night spot downtown. it has a cool interior and a fun, comfy atmosphere. Drinks are half price all night on thursdays (happy hour is til 8 other nights)and they have pretty good cocktails so you cant beat that. It gets crowded later on around 10 with the young crowd, but if your a little older or not looking for a crazy night out, its a good place to go a bit earlier, sit at the bar with a date or friends and have a few cocktails and a bite to eat.
(4)Julia M.
Seriously? $23 cash-only brunch special that comes with three free Bloodies/Mimosas/Screwdrivers? I'm there! My friends and I had brunch at Essex for Galentine's Day, and I gotta tell ya -- the drinks were flowing, the Mexican matzah brei was delicious, and the waitstaff was always very patient, even when the remainder of our party of 8 was still trickling in. My only gripe is the fact that it's cash only.
(4)Jonathan R.
Came here today with a group of friends. Place is packedddd!!!!!!!!!!! worst than a club cant walk without bumping into someone. We had reservations for 2:30pm, We all arrive around 2pm, we were seated at 3:15pm. We were all given free drink tickets for the inconvenience. When we sit at the table, i realize that almost all of our forks and knives are dirty. 5 minutes after we ordered, the waitress comes back and informs one my friends that they're out of chicken. My friend became very upset and said she didn't want to eat anything and said that she would probably order something different when she sees our food at the table. Well the food never came, the hostess came to her and told her that she cannot sit at the table without ordering food and that she had to go sit at the bar and wait until we were done eating. She ended up walking out the restaurant and we did too. Hostess extremely rude This place sucks
(1)Cynthia C.
I've always wanted to try Essex, always walking by during the late night scene, so I took my better here for our anniversary and I was highly disappointed. The menu online was what they were serving TWO menus ago, and the food was bland and boring, esp for a $30 lamb chop with no meat. The server was NOT excited to be there, and it set off a bad tone for the night. Positives; the drinks and the hostesses. Absolutely will not be coming back.
(2)Victoria H.
The BF and i came here for brunch on a sunday. And as always, we were late for our reservation =[ but they were so nice about it and we had our table within 5 mins. Yay for that! We both ordered benedicts ( crab and lobster) and a blueberry pancake on the side. The benedicts were soooooooo delicious. Every bite was very flavorful. Even the side salad and the potatoes. The blueberry pancake was eh for us. it reminded me of the frozen ones that you get from the supermarket. And it looked a little bit too greasy for our liking. It also comes with 3 drinks with your choice of screwdriver , bloody mary or mimosa. i don't think they count so i guess it can be unlimited. Sadly we're not much of a alcoholic drinker so it wasn't that worth it for us. tax and tips together with the bill came to about $60+
(4)D M.
Always good!!! Dinner or Brunch Brunch can get a little noisy with a long wait- but everything is always fresh and delicious. They also always offer interesting drink and food specials-
(4)Tiffany Y.
Came here for brunch today with 4 friends for a 1:30pm reservation. Wow, that bar area is PACKED! Once everyone had arrived, we checked in with the hostess (almost feels like you're at a day club trying to get to her), but didn't get seated until at least 30 minutes after we checked in. We were told it would be "any minute." We were seated upstairs, which was pretty cool, but still managed to find ourselves having the yell over the noise coming from the bar. I ordered the Aristocrat (potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & poached eggs) off of their brunch menu. They brought out seasoned bread for the table, our dishes came shortly thereafter and about an hour after we sat down, we shuffled out of there. There wasn't much hooplah around the drinks with my party. The brunch was came out to $23 per person, and with tax and tip we all put in $30. Please note that brunch is cash only.
(3)Helena K.
Food is great, but DEFINATELY NOT FOR BRUNCH!!! we had a 3'O CLOCK reservation. First off, this place is crowded beyonddd understanding!! PLACE IS SO PACKED YOU CANNOT STAND OR GET TO THE BAR. We had a group of 6 girls and it took over AN HOUR to get seated with squished standing LUCKILY near the wall. It was so packed and everytime we went to ask to be seated they kept saying "shortly...ONLY ONE MORE TABLE...". They did however give us a drink ticket, which still only permitted a mimosa, bloody mary, or a screw driver. We had to squeeze an dwait our way to the bar any way. Either case, we got seated and we were starving by this time. It was wayy too packed and hectic for a saturday. I understand if we walked in, but every person had a reservation. They definately overbooked and did nto manage properly.
(1)Theresa G.
I'll preface this by saying that Essex knows what type of place it is (crowded, trendy, with lots of booze), and it's not the type of place I like. So, I'm biased. I went here for a friend's birthday brunch. Pros: --Potato pancakes were excellent --Very generous with the drinks (you get three with brunch) --Big enough place to host big parties --Food and drinks came quickly Cons: --LOUD, even for brunch; Most people were dressed like they were clubbing. This weirded me out. --CROWDED. We had a reservation so were seated quickly, but I got the impression you would wait forever without one. --They gave us cold bread and rock-hard, just-out-of-the-fridge butter. Butter that is impossible to spread is a pet-peeve. --Our first round of drinks were brought to the table spilling over the sides and onto the table. I cleaned it up myself because the waitress was so busy she dashed off without noticing. --Our waitress literally groaned and rolled her eyes when we asked to see another menu for someone who had shown up late. (I know, it sucks when people are late, but really?) Basically, this place is impossibly crowded with way overworked staff. They seem to want to get you your food/drinks and get you out the door as quickly as possible. It's not the atmosphere I'm looking for in Sunday brunch.
(2)Vicky M.
Came here for happy hour and dinner with a few friends. Wasn't too crowded and my friends had no problem getting seated right away, even though half our party was late. Throughout the evening the waitress was fantastic- not hovering but always around when we needed her. She was super understanding and accommodating when we asked to split the tab as well. Delicious drinks and pretty strong too! My friends all got second rounds of the lava lamp- tasty but a bit too sweet for my taste (I recommend the pear mojito, so refreshing). They have a great happy hour meal special: $30 for an app, entree, and drink. I had the ceviche which was great, though a bit too spicy. Scallop risotto for the entree which was delicious! My friends had the mac and cheese and potato pancake entree- again everything was super tasty! Would happily return. Also they had a cool painting and wine class going on upstairs while we dined! Looked like a lot of fun.
(5)Celeste M.
This is a review for Saturday Brunch. I was pleasantly surprised as many of the reviews I read for brunch were that this place was a subpar boozy brunch spot. That's definitely false. I came here with a 2:30 (prime brunch time) reservation with 3 of my friends with little expectations based on the reviews I read. My group was a little late and arrived at 2:45. They won't seat you until your whole party is present, which is understandable. When the whole group had arrived, the hostess promptly seated us. The seating wasn't ideal. I mean, It is a tight space. No complaints though as the service from our waitress and the busboys immediately made up for it. The waitress promptly filled out flutes with mimosas and kept them filled for the entirety of the meal. It's basically AYCD. You can also switch between screwdrivers, mimosas and bloody marys if you so desire. The food was great as well. They have a little something for everyone on their weekend brunch menu. All in all, I would advise you to check it out for yourself and definitely make a reservation. I used Opentable and they gave me a courtesy call to confirm.
(4)Anna K.
eggs benedict with spinach the aristocrat crispy potato pancakes with sautéed apples & honey cream sauce 20 min quoted wait 60 min actual wait. loud and crowded average brunch food the service was even worse. 3 drinks with that was kind of a must.
(2)Betty C.
I only go to this place for the $1 oyster special. I have probably been here at least 5 times. If you are going for the oysters, i would recommend to get there earlier. I feel like the later it gets, the oysters are not as fresh and clean. I am really picky and don't like the large oysters and usually only eat the smaller ones. When it gets closer to 9pm, the oysters are huge! I also had their "baseball" steak which is good! This place has two floors and every time i came here i didn't need a reservations.
(3)Chui L.
I love love loveee this place! Most places end happy hour by 7pm but Essex goes til 9pm! YAY! This accommodates my working friends who don't have the perfect 9-5 schedule or weekdays off. $1 oysters that are well shucked and fresh? I've had both HH and dinner here many times, never disappointed, but I haven't tried their brunch special yet. One of these days... with all the glowing reviews and my own positive experiences here, I can't wait! PS- Make a reservation. Period.
(5)Lauren J.
Actually wanted to try Clinton Street Baking Co, but my friends won't wake up at a normal hour ("normal" meaning - lets get there at 9 AM)! Went to Clinton at 2 and they weren't even taking reservations anymore (over a 3 hr wait)! Even though I had never been there, I remembered that Essex was in the area, so my friend and I walked over for brunch. When we walked in, the front area/bar was super-crazy packed. We had to sideways-slide and "excuse me, excuse me" our way to the hostess stand. Maybe they should just put it at the front, but whatever. We were told that it would be a 30-minute wait, so I put in my name and gave them my cell number so they could let me know when our table was ready. We walked back towards the front of the restaurant to chat and wait (the bar was completely full of loud young peeps in large groups drinking mimosas). There were only 2 of us, so we found a good little nook. That was until more people starting coming in and crowding around us. I was about to elbow a ho, but I kept my temper in check and tried to just laugh it off and make fun of people with my friend. I guess it was my fault for trying to have brunch in the tri-state area on Cinco De Mayo... Speaking of Cinco de Mayo, a 23-ish year old girl came in wearing not one, but TWO huge sombreros on her head. She was standing behind my friend and she got about half an inch from poking him in the head with her large hats. After about 40 minutes, I decided to brave my way to the hostess stand again. It took a while because of all the goddamned people who didn't want to move. If it wasn't so crowded, I would have checked in at 30 minutes and 3 seconds. I checked in with the hostess and she couldn't find my name at first. I saw it on the 2nd of her two ipads and pointed myself out. She said "Is your friend here?" Me - "Yup, we've been here. Just wanted to check in on the timing." Hostess - "We can seat you now." Instead of braving the crowd again, I texted my friend to meet me on the other side of the restaurant and come up the stairs to our table (there are two balconies on the side). I'm glad we got a little corner balcony table because the people eating on the main floor were getting bumped around. So we sit down and I notice there are not one, not two, but THREE open tables for 2. So basically, if I hadn't checked in, who knows how long we would have been waiting. Sigh... So the food and service thereafter.... The brunch comes with 3 brunch cocktails. I ordered the blueberry pancakes and my friend ordered the egg breakfast. We both got mimosas and ordered a side of fries to share ('cause we're fatties like that). The food took a while to come out, but we were drinking and chatting and were on no kind of schedule, so it was fine. When my pancakes came out, I got NO syrup. After about 3 minutes, I was able to flag down the waiter to ask for it. 10 minutes go by.... I see the waiter at the stand making pitchers of mimosas. Again, the only reason I haven't gotten up yet is because my friend would have to move for me to get by. I'm telling myself to keep cool in my head, but that didn't work forever. I finally ask my friend to move and walk over to the waiter. He rolled his eyes when I asked for syrup again, but it was because he had asked one of the bus boys to get it for me and he obviously hadn't. I was kind of pissed because to me, syrup MAKES pancakes. I literally hadn't had a bite and my friend (eating eggs), was trying wait for me, even though I asked him not to. Anyways - finally got the syrup and the pancakes ended up being wonderful. They were large, so I could only eat about half. The blueberries were baked in (not in a sauce on top), so that was a def plus. I would totally order these again (take THAT Clinton Street and your forever wait!) The fries were super salty, but that is exactly how we wanted them. My friend liked his cheesy egg and bacon dish with homefries, so the food was a hit. The waiter apologized about the syrup and told us that he would give us unlimited mimosas. I kind of think they do that anyway, but I guess the gesture of actually saying it was nice (???). He was true to his word and kept refilling our glasses, even after we had paid the bill. To recap - the wait was annoying because of the crowd of people around us. Also, the hostess obviously wasn't paying attention to our reservation and I know that we could have been seated a lot earlier. The food was good and the unlimited mimosas were a plus. Waiting for syrup got annoying and I might have been in a shittier mood about it if I wasn't with my awesome friend with no place else to be. Bottom line - I would like to return to Essex, but maybe go at Noon instead of 2:15/2:30 to avoid some of the louder crowds.
(3)Sarah H.
I love unlimited anything :-) I went for brunch. The potato pancakes were great. The bloody mary's were decent. I didn't even mind the whole "cash only" thing. I'll definitely visit again.
(4)Rosena C.
Came here a few times for brunch with friends. Usually takes about an hour to secure a table, as this place is extremely popular. I always get the steak salad but all the food is pretty decent. The staff here is also very generous with drinks. One time they gave my girlfriends and I a stack of tickets for free drinks at the bar. Score!
(4)El Z.
Had reservations for 6 people at 1 pm this past Sunday. Showed up and the place was swarming with college kids. It was so loud you could barely hear yourself think. Went to check-in and the girls were SUCH BITCHES, you wouldn't even believe (there was a short brunette with awful eye makeup and a tall-ish dirty blonde). I told them we were now a party of 4 vs. 6. They told me it would be 20 minutes before we could get our table and how downsizing our party was gonna take longer. SERIOUSLY?! Ten minutes later, I went to check in again and they questioned why I hadn't checked in yet and when I said I had, they couldn't remember me. On top of that, when asked why the table still wasn't ready, they claimed it wasn't their fault and poured on the attitude. Needless to say, we left and I will NEVER come back. AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COSTS! IT'S NOT WORTH THE $23 FAKE "ALL-YOU-CAN-DRINK BRUNCH". That cost only includes 3 drinks!!!
(1)Kitty W.
My girlfriends I were walking the williamsburg bridge after attending a yelp elite event, and decided to swing by essex for some late night oysters. Ok, the oysters were alright, not the best, but I'm not going to complain when East are $1.50 and West Hama Hamas are $2 each. But our food took 40 minutes, and it still didn't arrive at our table and we were all oyster-ed out already. What was our nonchalant rude waitress' excuse? "the kitchen has to serve the party upstairs first" - Seriously girl?! Your kitchen is going to dedicate an hour to ONE party and keep the rest of the diners on floor one starving? Whatever, so we decided to just drop the food and get the check and bounce. She arrived with the check, with a huge attitude (why? cause three girls are starving and can't wait anymore?).. sigh.. no need to explain further. Rude and slow service. I wouldn't even give two stars if I didn't enjoy it's convenient location for my late night oyster fixes..
(2)Valerie V.
I came here for my birthday day brunch Saturday. It was amazingly delicious. For just $20 you get 3 brunch drinks and your choice of brunch foods from a very extensive menu. They even have matzoh brie in a few tasty varieties. I got the Manchego Mac and Cheese with chicken apple sausage. I'm starting to salivate just thinking about it. If I could, I would eat that for every meal the rest of the weekend. Not only is the price good but the food, so tasty. So memorable, I got a little defensive when they wanted to take my plate away. The downside, the crowd and hostess staff are a tad pretentious but even with that, it didn't take away from the experience. Overall it made for a perfect and delicious birthday brunch. P.s. Brunch is cash only and they'll only seat you once your full party has arrived. Best to make a reservation to be sure you have a seat.
(5)Deep M.
Exterior warehouse like look give this place a feeling of being expansive, and the High ceilings only add to that feel. But as you try to make your way to the hostess through the narrow bar area, that feeling all but goes away. And if you have to wait, which I think is a guarantee, it can make you feel like a sardine. However, we were given a few free drinks at the bar while we waited, so kudos to that. Drinks were strong, flavorful, and they keep on coming, often when you don't even ask! They weren't keeping tabs on how many, and we drank more than they charged us for! Server was great, helpful, and somehow magically appeared every time we needed her! She also was clearly there to help make our experience a rocking one. Great service! Food: They had some great selections, although flavor/taste wasn't something to write home about. Missed out on a 5 star only because of the wait and the place being crowded: but I guess that itself speaks "volumes" about Essex's popularity.
(4)Jennifer S.
Ok I have been here for brunch a couple times and had a good time. The space is bright and sunny and the food is good. The brunch special is $23 and includes 3 drinks (screw driver, mimosa, or bloody mary), but they don't really count and often give drink tickets for extra drinks. However brunch is ALWAYS very crowded so make sure to make reservations and then make sure to be on time because you can't sit until everyone arrives. There is no real area to wait either, because the bar is always full at brunch and there is just a very tiny space by the door. It is also very loud, bad acoustics. Essex probably would have received 3 stars from me because I do like them as a brunch spot, but I recently went there for happy hour and dinner and my opinion of the restaurant changed. When we arrived at like 6pm there was almost no one there. The wait staff kept trying to clear our plates before we were done eating. For example we ordered appetizers while waiting for other friends to arrive. As soon as we were done, they quickly cleared everything. When our friends arrived we ordered another appetizer, and the waitress brought more side plates for everyone. Within 3 minutes the bus boy came over and cleared the table of all the plates. We were going to stay longer, but got so annoyed by the staff that we left. I will say happy hour has a good special (half off drinks 5-8) and the martinis were strong.
(2)Jenny H.
$1 oysters during happy hours 5-8 everyday except Saturday. I have been there a few times and every time we would order 3-4 dozens of oysters. Delicious and fresh!!!!! We also ordered mussels and sliders. Pretty decent. Drinks are half price during happy hour too.
(5)Andrea P.
I ate here a few months ago, while visiting a friend in the city. We came in for the $23 brunch special on a Saturday morning. This place was packed, and the tables are extremely close together. Once I got over the tight quarters, I really enjoyed my meal here. I ordered the Aristocrat, which is on the small side, but very good. It's also nice that the brunch price includes two mimosas.
(3)Katelynn D.
Great entrees, really generous mimosa refilling, trendy atmosphere! It's a little cramped, but where in NYC isn't? Waitresses are nice and efficient. We were at our table a little too long, so they gave us free drink tickets to use at the bar...perfect way to get us to leave!
(4)Adam S.
Can't beat the price for an all-you-can-drink brunch. (I think, officially, you only get three drinks, but the waitress certainly wasn't counting for our table.) The brunch fare was standard - certainly satisfying but didn't stand out in any way.
(4)Aiza K.
Best friend and I decided to have Brunch here on a Sunday. As soon as my friend came, we were promptly seated upstairs. I could already tell the food was going to be amazing as I was peeking over to see what others had ordered. Their brunch deal in my opinion is a great price. You get three drinks and a brunch dish, and they do have a great selection of things. I think it's about 22.95 per person. It was my first time trying Crab Benedict, and my friend had some Mexican scrambled eggs dish. Both were delicious, and we also ordered to share french toast which was VERY DELICIOUS! All the food and drinks were FANTASTIC! They do not serve alcoholic drinks till noon (required by law) so we had to wait for that, but it was worth it. The Bloody Mary's were DELICIOUS! I actually had mine virgin, but nonetheless they were great. Friend had them with the alcohol and he loved it. Waitress was sweet, attentive, and able to give good suggestions. It quickly became crowded with people, and by the time were were finished, a big part of like 10 came in. Waitress actually came over to us and gave us two tickets for complimentary drinks at the bar as she said they will be needing the tables, which was okay I guess considering we were already done with our meal, but I think that would be upsetting if we were still eating and she did that. We paid, and left, and noticed that it was getting more and more crowded. They are a very popular spot and understood why. Bottom Line: A future trip will surely be made to Essex.
(4)Brian J.
This place is really good. They have good oyster specials (if you like them) and all aroun good food. A group of 4 of us shared calamari and we all were able to enjoy a good portion. The burger sounds good, but its not as special as you'd think after reading it on the menu. The chicken dish is fantastic. Reservations a must for brunch or weekend.
(4)Matteo R.
I came here of their oyster happy hour, which is a pretty sweet deal: $1 oysters ALL NIGHT Sunday through Thursday; drinks 1/2 off 6-9pm[1]. For happy hour, they have one West Coast variety and one East Coast one. The West Coast oysters were Hama Hama (from the Hama Hama river on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State): they come in a beautiful sand-green shell, are small in size, with firm meat, briny flavor, and light finish. The East Coast oysters were Blue Point (from Great South Bay in Long Island): larger in size, very mild taste, bland and boring[2]. My jalapeno margarita ($10) was not bad at all: I like spicy drinks, and this one definitely had a balanced kick to it that went well with the oysters. While sipping my margarita and enjoying the oysters, I couldn't help notice their extensive brunch menu. I don't believe in brunch, but I feel that I could potentially revisit my beliefs at this place. The best seats in the house? By the bar, of course! ------------------------------------------------- [1] The $18 Maine lobster plus potatoes and corn on the cob dinner special that they serve on Wednesday night sounds sweet as well. [2] Blue Points can be a bit of a hit or miss, unfortunately. There is a lot of inconsistency when it comes to Blue Points: they can range from pretty good to very bland.
(3)Thomas A.
I am a huge fan of this place. I've been here only 3 times, but each time i show up here, i thoroughly enjoy it more and more. They offer great daily specials. Monday nights are $1 oyster nights, Tuesdays are all you can eat mussels, Wednesday is cheap lobster, and Thursday is $1 oysters again. The 1st time i was here was a few years ago when I went with friends for the Tuesday all you can eat mussels and fries. It was sooo good that each of destroyed 4 pots of mussels a piece. The 2nd time i was here, i went with 2 friends for brunch. Needless to say that his place is a crazy popular brunch spot. We had brunch reservations and we still had to wait some time to get seated. The place was very crowded. I had the Deep South, which is chicken fried steak, biscuits, eggs, and sausage gravy. It was good, but tad on the small side. I was expecting a huge piece of chicken fried steak so i was quite disappointed on the size. Last night, i went with my gf for the $1 oyster special. It also helped that i had a Groupon coupon. We ordered a dozen bluepoint oysters for $12. My gf had the blackened catfish over shrimp, potatoes and scallion hash. The catfish was cooked and seasoned perfectly. It was very moist and flavorful. Usually when i try catfish at other establishments, they tend to overcook it and it tends to be very dry. This was flaky, moist, and succulent. The shrimp were cooked well too. I didn't try the hash, so I can't comment on that. I ordered the colorado lamb chops with sauteed spinach and ricotta gnocchi. The lamb chops were cooked a beautiful medium rare. The crust of the chops were a tad over seasoned with the salt, but it was still very tasty. The spinach with mushrooms had a nice flavor. The ricotta gnocchi were amazing; i devoured everything. The Essex menu looks amazing, and they have great dinner specials on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. The bar area is narrow but the restaurant does open up since there are two sections on the 2nd floor in addition to the main floor seating area. Caveat, you'll need to make reservations in advance for brunch on the weekends. You don't really need to make reservations during the week. If it wasn't so crowded during weekend brunch and the size of the chicken fried steak, i would have given this place 5 stars.
(4)Anny H.
Food and service are great. Didn't like the seating arrangements.
(4)Gordon C.
$1 Blue Point Oyster Happy Hour? Sign me up! No-brainer. Just do it. Noteworthy dish: Cajun Spiced Catfish with shrimp and hash. Nice. Melty and spicy catfish, perfectly sauteed shrimp, and who doesn't like some old fashioned home fries? Calamari comes with a sauce similar to the Pio Pio sauce - score.
(4)Wendy G.
Sunday brunch at Essex has the widest selection of brunch menu in the city. I had a lobster benedict, which was amazing. Portion wise they are also very generous, with $25 it comes with an entree, bread, 3 alcoholic beverages (mimosa, bloody mary, screwdriver) and before 12 you've got complimentary coffee/espresso. After tips we paid like 30 bucks each person. Essex is probably the hottest place for brunch in LES, because it's large (two spacious floors), trendy, and seem to cater to everyone's taste. With its popularity, Essex's service needs to catch up: dining guests don't really get enough attention to feel they are welcomed, as all waitresses are even too busy to take care of the food!
(4)Norman C.
One of my go to spots in the LES for drinks and food. The happy hour is when I usually frequent this bar/restaurant. Half off on the Green Zinger drink is pretty good. 6 dollars for a nice strong drink and dollar oysters? That's win right there. Pork belly sliders, win. Cheeseburger Empanadas? Another win! I've also had dinner in this restaurant as well. And I must say the pork chop and baseball angus steak is pretty good for such a late night dinner. The lobster mashed potatoes that accompanied the angus steak was definitely a hit in my books. Nice big chunks of lobster with most bites was pretty heavenly. While not a michelin restaurant by any means. It's a good local LES spot. It's good. Nuff said. Wednesday special. 1 1/2 lb lobster. Good deal. Get this!!!
(5)Phil H.
Let me preface this review by proclaiming - THAT I AM TOTALLY F**KING DRUNK OFF MY ASS RIGHT NOW! Wow, am I sh*tfaced and totally rocked from what turned out to be a six and a half hour brunch bender. I don't remember much of what I ate, and I am still trying to figure out where my pants are, but I had a great Sunday! Holy Crapola! Did you know that Economy Candy is right across the street? This place looks like Willy Wonka threw up! Can you actually get the bedspins while still out on the street? Whoa, candy cigarettes and pop rocks! Maybe not a good idea right now. But back to Essex. Had a 3:00 reservation and entered into a crazy cramped and loud bar area. Checked in with the hostess and was told it would be a few minutes. Had to wait amongst the LES scenesters and play body bumpers for about 15 minutes or so alongside the crowded bar. I felt bad for those sitting at the tables along it as all of our asses were constantly pushing into their faces and backs. Nothing like a face full of ass with your omelet! Hostess came by and rescued us from this mass of humanity and led us to the holy grail of seating - a table right in front of the bar on the upstairs level! I was so happy I wanted to jump for joy. The waitress that served our area was absolutely kick ass! She was funny, cool, friendly, and Australian. We joked around with her the whole time we were there. Along the way super strong bloody mary's and mimosa's kept magically appearing on our table. I must admit, they are very liberal about the three drinks with brunch here as I lost count after the 6th or 7th glass. Yes, this was power drinking, and I watched the heavy alcohol pours they were putting in each glass. Wonderful! I am going to request a table by her again no doubt! I think I blacked out at one point during the meal. Oh, we did actually eat. We ordered the Mexican Matzo Brei - scrambled eggs with tortilla crisps, monterey jack, avocado, black beans & pico de gallo. Perfect meal with about 10 bloody mary's! We also ordered the three eggs poached with fresh fruit & chicken apple sausage and potatoes. Both plates were decently tasty and filling. A few onion rolls were also placed on our table when we sat down. More then enough food to help soak up all the alcohol we consumed. But there's more! When we received our bill we were given tickets for two more drinks at the bar. Brunch is cash only and at $20 it is a bargain considering all the drinks we had. At this point crowd had dwindled down a bit and we grabbed two seats at the bar and resumed drinking. After a few more our waitress saw us as she walked by and we waved hello. Before we knew it the bartender told us another round was on the house gratis from our waitress! I felt like we were in a dream of an alternate NYC where fairies and alcoholic sugar plums danced happily all around us. I do have to say we had a great afternoon brunch here. You do get a lot for $20. It is very crowded and loud, so reservations are a must. What is great is that brunch is served 11-8 PM so getting there after 3 or 4 also seems like a thinner crowd situation and a more relaxing time to arrive. I know not everyone will have the same experience we had, but be friendly and outgoing with the staff and you never know - drinks might magically appear! Man, am I still heavily buzzed! The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round. Mmmm.....Ho Ho's. Yum.
(5)Lauren P.
Why is this place so popular?! Because it's located in the lower east side! GAH! This was possibly the worst food I have ever eaten. The hostess was rude. The waitress was rude, and here is the kicker- the place was not even busy! Essex was a waste of time. But hey- the place had a cool atmosphere, if you don't look up at the dirty balls.
(1)Alex V.
I'm not a native to New York, but happen to travel there quite often. I have been to several brunch places and Essex is definitely one of my very favorites. I love the two-level style. It has such a bright and trendy decor/ambience. The food was delicious and definitely appreciated the unlimited mimosas on a Saturday morning! I had a fantastic omelet - and it filled me up all day long. It is a bit loud in there...so I wouldn't plan on trying to have an intimate conversation over breakfast at this spot. It can accommodate groups, but you could expect to wait for a bit unless you have a reservation far in advance.
(4)Melody N.
** Disclaimer: This review is for the nightlife/bar aspect of this establishment ** I attended a birthday bottle service event at Essex on a Saturday night. I'm not sure about the details of how she got this deal but with the bottle service, we also got a one hour open bar from 11-12am. Wristband is needed so there is a guestlist assigned. My rating is based primarily on service which was horrendous. Let's start with the hostess, our first contact. Where is the service with a smile? I know i know, it's a busy night and there are probably a lot of obnoxious people around her but really, you are at a hostess at a bar on a Saturday night. That should already be expected. AND it wasn't only the grumpy cat face but she presented unfriendly service throughout the night. I saw how she interacted with other customers and she showed the same lackluster service. Now onto the Bottle Service waitress. We didn't have to deal with her much as we actually had to order the bottle at the bar... but with that said, she came and delivered the bottle in a hurry and was gone. There was no greeting and I don't think she even knew who was hosting... but anyway, there goes the mandatory 20% tip. Let's continue with this tipping business. There were 2 bartenders in service that night. One female and a bald male (who later I found out was possibly the manager). The female bartender was accommodating and provided quick service. It was still part of the one hour open bar, so my friend and I flashed our bracelets and gave her a $5 tip for our two drinks. Yes, it's not a crazy large tip but in NY where customary is $1/drink, I think we were more than fair in our tip. Let's fast forward 10-15 minutes (it is open bar and we wanted to get as many drinks in, let's be real here...). We approached the male bartender this time. I had ordered a jack and coke previously and they did indeed pour in jack daniels so they had this included in the open bar. So my friend decided to ask what kind of vodka is included in the open bar. The bartender replied grey goose. C'mon, who wouldn't get excited hearing that?! So we ordered a jack and coke which he made correctly, and goose with soda, which he poured in some house alcohol. He pushes it our direction and rightfully so, my friend and i gave eachother a weird look. He then says and I quote "No tip?! OK! Don't expect service here" and proceeds to walk away. My friend and I were like, WTF just happened especially since we were holding another $5 bill unseen by the bartender. He comes around a few seconds later because we were conveniently located by the ice and I tell him that we were just confused because he said he would be using grey goose. And he says, "how do you expect to get grey goose when you don't tip". Needless to complain any longer, he did not even give us the opportunity to tip. He was straight up rude who expected tip for not providing proper service. We would have tipped him regardless if it wasn't grey but don't say it's included and give us house vodka. It still confuses me but what I am certain of is that if he is indeed a manager, he will most likely run the nightlife of Essex down. His staff looked miserable and if I worked with a person with the likes of his, I also would hate being at work. To end on a good note, at least the horrendous service was *consistent* right?
(2)Gina K.
I came here for happy hour drinks ($6 long islands!!). I had one long island iced tea and the lava lamp cocktail. Both were pretty strong, which is a must for me. We also got steamed mussels in red sauce, which were so good. The red sauce has sausages and onions in it, which was also a nice little pleasant surprise. My friend told me they used to have curried mussels, but now they only offer them red or white. Essex has a big open loft feel to it. The ceilings are really high and there is even an upper level. It wasn't crowded at all in terms of personal space, but there was definitely a substantial crowd, especially for Tuesday evening. I like that the happy hour here goes until 9pm, unlike other happy hours that end at 7 the latest. I definitely had a blast here and would definitely come back again, maybe for brunch next time.
(4)Ranu R.
This is Essex's 600th review. I think that says it all. Great space! Yummy food. Solid drinks. Happy hour was great! Half price drinks and $1 oysters. Really sweet hostess and server, loved them both! Ate: Oysters (ask for Tabasco), Potato Pancake with Salmon, Calamari (loved the dipping sauce, something made with avocado-cilantro-jalapeno), Lamb Appetizer (wow wow wow), Sweet Potato Fries (not the best I've ever had, but solid), Bread and Butter (nom) Drank: Mojitos, followed by more mojitos (strawberry--recommended!) It's a fun, loud place, so not good for an intimate date, but fun for drinks and solid food. Can't wait to come back for the boozy brunch!
(4)Natalie W.
The old standby, sure thing, my bottom b*tch. Essex is a no-brainer when it comes to Sunday Funday kickoff brunch spots. The food is yummy, the price point is perfect and the staff is friendly.Will never get sick of it!
(4)Ophelia L.
My friends came here cuz we were in the area and wanted something cheap to eat for dinner. This place is situated right next to the Essex market so they're also good for fresh seafood here. The place is very casual and clean and laid-back. We had our complimentary bread and butter. The bread's texture isnt very soft or chewy, but the butter spread magically made up for all that was lacking in that bread: yelp.com/biz_photos/hRZy… I wasn't very hungry so I picked my main entree as the "Essex Famous Potato Pancake w/ homemade salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & sour cream" = $7. The gravlax is like slices of raw salmon. And anything dipped in sour crm is just heavenly: yelp.com/biz_photos/hRZy… The dish was small, but it was cheap and kept me satisfied. The best part was the caviar popping in my mouth =D One of my friends got the potato cake napoleon w/ sauteed spinach, shitake mushrooms, asparagus & truffle oil: yelp.com/biz_photos/hRZy… He even said that this has the most veggies he's had in awhile lols Their bathrooms are clean as well and the waitress was super nice and friendly and always ready to help us and kept our waters filled. Definitely coming back here again to try out their other dishes and their brunch menu too! Their drinks menu looked interesting too, esp the godiva chocolate martini!
(5)Irene W.
LOVE this place for brunch! Food on the menu is superb and although the brunch deal says it includes 3 drinks, it's pretty much bottomless because they keep refilling your glass and don't really keep track :) such an awesome deal. I can't wait to go back with my girls, a definite favorite brunch spot for me.
(5)Chanel B.
This ever so popular spot is one of my friends and I places for brunch. The location is tucked in and is easy to pass by however, if you know what is good for you besides the unlimited drinks with your meal it is the chicken apple sausages.
(4)Gamal H.
The pitchers of cocktails and good service are more memorable than the food. We had dinner here a while back. There was no host right at the door and that normally makes me question the service. The experience tends to suffer if people have to wander around the bar before they reach the dinner host. When I did reach the host station, everything was very smooth. We ate fairly early (9ish), we had a reservation and the place wasn't crowded on a Thursday night but I've seen more than a few places take that same scenario and make a mess of it, so I was pleased. The warehouse height of the ceilings and the comfortable seating make you feel like you could be somewhere in Brooklyn, minus the hipsters. A portion of their drink menu comes by the pitcher and I recommend taking advantage of that (since you were going to do that anyway). The salmon was decent and I enjoyed the fries (but this isn't really news. I almost always enjoy fries). The service is prompt but not instrusive and the background music isn't going to annoy you. Essex is definitely a place to go back to, even if you don't want to destroy a pitcher of liquor. Have fun. G
(4)Akwaugo U.
I would've given this establishment more stars if it wasn't for the ridiculous wait we experienced. We had Saturday brunch reservations for 3:30 pm and did not get seated until 5:10 pm. However, they still allowed us to have brunch despite the time we were actually seated. The food was good. I had the CEO and my friend had the Deep South or Southern (whichever one had the chicken fried steak). After 1 complimentary mimosa at the bar and 3 screw drivers that were part of the brunch deal, we were buzzing and ready to conquer the next spot. I would go back but would definitely try earlier on just to see if the waiting is the same.
(3)Carlen M.
I have attended Essex Restaurant once before for brunch, and was happy with my experience. Also, for some reason, "word on the street" is that this place is amazing for brunch. A bunch of friends and I decided to have a girl's brunch to catch up and figured Essex would be a great choice because of their great selection of food and 3 brunch drinks with every order. I must say, this will be the last time I ever go to Essex for brunch. I ordered the Lobster benedict and was not all that impressed. It came to the table with barely any lobster on it. I am used to ordering lobster benedict with a lot of lobster! There were small shredded pieces loosely sprinkled onto the english muffin and covered in the egg to camouflage the missing lobster. I expected to received many more chunks of lobster. Overall, the flavor of the dish was good. The potatoes were also very succulent. But, I still just can't get over the lack of lobster that I paid $2 extra for. To make my experience even worse, the waitress only gave each of us two out of three rounds of drinks and tried to rush us out of our table. Since brunch included 3 drinks per person, I inquired on my third round, and was told that she needed us to pay our bill, and that she would give us drink tickets to get our round at the bar. This was absolutely ridiculous, because when we got to the bar, it was so over crowded, without a seat in sight, or even a spot to get in and order a drink! The waitress could have easily brought us our round while we were sorting our bill, but decided to be unaccommodating. My friends and I just decided to give up our last round and leave this joint because the scene at the bar just seems too stressful. So long Essex, you were good while you lasted! I will not be attending Essex for brunch ever again!
(2)Leslie F.
For a trendy, young spirited, energetic, let loose kind of Sunday morning drink and fare devouring session, there is one place and one place only. Lower East Side's, Essex is the name in the Bloody Mary and egg game. Walking into the industrial two-story, loft style restaurant, one feels as if they've stepped foot into a metal and concrete jungle of forced fun. I say, "forced fun" because at Essex, patrons receive three breakfast libations with brunch. Choose from the spicy and simple Bloody, the "put your game face on," Screwdriver, or the classic and bubbly, Mimosa. After finally making our way up to the second floor (with a less than ideal wait even with reservations), a Bloody Mary was in order. For two bucks extra, I upgraded my Bloody to a "Bacon Mary," a very intelligent and rather obvious decision, I'd say. Did I mention the waiters keep no track with how many drinks they've poured you? Forced fun indeed, if you can keep up! With a menu that requires heavy drooling on your shirt, there is something for everyone at this Jewish and Latin inspired brunch and lunch hotspot. I ordered the special of the day: Seared Scallops served over potato pancakes and two poached eggs. The gorgeous golden-crusted scallops cut like silk and tasted so divine with the yolk from the poached eggs and the crispy, perfectly greasy, potato pancake. I was in pure culinary bliss. This dish was so tasty in fact; I took almost an hour consuming it. I wanted to really savor one of the top 10 brunches I have had to date. My friend, Megan ordered their Crab cake Benedict. Though she felt the egg was cooked just the way she loves it (she's a sucker for a really runny yolk), she was a bit disappointed with the crab cake. After taking one big bite from the yolky, crabby, hollandaise madness, I understood her minor heartbreak. Though seasoned quite well, the crab cakes were in need of some more crab and less filler. Other than that, this Benedict was scrumptious. Mimosa and Bloody Mary refills to my left and right, we could've chatted and chuckled in our cozy spot for hours. Essex is a place for partying and eating simultaneously and I think that's the point. Solid fare, exceptional service and fabulously fun ambiance exists here. It is not where you go for romance. It isn't even where you go for the most extravagant kind of feast. You go here for one seriously happening time.
(4)Ashwin M.
Saturday Brunch: Crazy scene, quite the party atmosphere on a Saturday mid-afternoon. Tons of large parties in this boisterous atmosphere, so just make sure you know what you're getting yourself into in case that's not your thing. Also, it's CASH ONLY, so plan accordingly. Food/drinks were fine, 3.5-4 stars. Service was pretty dismal, 2 stars. Crab cake benedict was delicious, as was french toast. Omelet selection was pretty good. Bloody marys were rather hastily made. You could tell they were just trying to churn them out ASAP. Waitress didn't check on us very often, forgot to take the order of a few in our party who arrived late, and basically grabbed my plate away from me while I was still eating. Perhaps things go wrong because there's so many large parties at Essex. Maybe going with a group of 4 or less is a better idea.
(3)Danielle B.
I came here for brunch with my husband and we had a pretty good experience. I had the French toast which was a huge portion and really good. My husband got the eggs plate with chicken apple sausage. We both enjoyed our food. Because we came before 12 we had to wait for our mimosas and screwdrivers but, they promptly starting taking orders at 12. The drinks were strong and well worth the wait. They gave us free drink tickets for the bar before we left, so we stopped at the bar and were taken care of very quickly. Again, great drinks. Overall, we liked this place but, was a little loud and crowded for my taste.
(4)Adam B.
This review has nothing to do with the waiter, but more so to do with management. Mo, our waiter was OUTSTANDING! He handled a group of 28 people essentially by himself with barely any hiccups - none of the mistakes were his, but the kitchen and managements. I hosted my wife's 30th birthday dinner here last Sat night. We did the pri fix meal with open bar. Drinks were plentiful and the food was pretty delicious. Some people complained about cold dishes, but all and all everyone seemed happy. Great job, Mo! Now onto management. I booked the reservation with one person who was extremely nice and made the initial process very easy. Then came the hard part... First I call to leave my credit card information with the hostess as I was asked to do. One day later I receive a phone call asking me to provide my CC info. I'm like, hmmmm that's a bit disheartening. I literally did this yesterday. The person said sorry and hung up. Then 45 mins later I get a call from someone else asking the same thing. I told them the same thing and they told me they'd look into it. Then 24 hours later I get a call from another person asking me for the same thing. Obviously at this point I'm a bit worried... So I decide it's prob a perfect time to go over what I paid for to make sure they have it right. They didn't. I had originally planned to add desserts to the deal. When I spoke to the person on the phone, they had no clue. So they "added it".... Sure enough when I arrived there was no dessert added to the deal - in fact they didn't even have enough dessert to offer. Mind you this is for a 30TH BIRTHDAY as I had explained roughly five times. Also during the planning they said that they could fit up to 33 people in our section....umm yeah, never. We had 28 and it was a tight squeeze - no one could get in or out of their seats. Anyway, the staff their is brilliant. The management might need a change. If it's that hard to coordinate it might not be the right fit. They just seem to be amateurs and the staff seem to be the pros.
(3)Crystal Y.
Made it to happy hour $1 oysters. They were not fresh. I was very disappointed. Ordered their salmon. Way over cooked. My boyfriend ordered the burger medium rare. It was definitely well-done. We were both disappointed.
(1)Shaviece H.
After much research of brunch venues in NYC, I selected Essex to celebrate my birthday. Which are two of my favorite things to do. We had reservations for 12:45 but due to the crazy traffic (on a Sunday) we ended up having to wait for two of our guests to arrive from NJ. The hostess, Reema, was cool about it, let us know it would be a wait but that they could still accommodate us. I was grateful for this. We checked in (I'm a Yelper after all :) and got Mimosa's while we waited for $6! The party had begun even before we were seated. The vibe was definitely high energy. Essex was packed! It didn't take long to be seated and we almost immediately were receiving another mimosa as soon as we sat down. The waiter was kind enough to fulfill my request of mostly champagne and a little OJ. We all ordered different entrees and the shrimp and avocado salad, french toast and burger were a hit. The shrimp and grits were not what was expected (see the picture posted) I don't think folks from the south that have an idea of what Shrimp and Grits should be would order it again. As it was more of a hip NYC version. All in all. I was tipsy, my food was delicious and Essex had great service. I will definitely be back!
(4)Stephanie A.
Certainly enjoyed Brunch at this place. After a long night out this was exactly what I needed as a remedy. It was super packed but we did not have to wait for a table. This is a super cool trendy spot. For $24.95 you will get unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Mary's with your choice of a dish. The menu says 3 Mimosas but our waitress kept filling up our glasses without regard. I ordered the "Deep South" which was country fried steak with gravy, eggs and a biscuit. The food was really good although I didn't eat too much of the eggs because i definitely was not in the mood for it. But the steak, biscuit and gravy was exactly what I needed. The vibe is definitely fun and relaxed. I will definitely be coming back here for Brunch!!
(4)Pam C.
Had an awesome brunch at Essex! It gets really crowded in the weekends, but the walk in wait was not horribly long for our party of 4. It's tucked away and doesn't seem to be located near any other restaurants, so it can be hard to find. The restaurant is located next to the market in a warehouse, so it looks like a loft with the high ceilings and the half-second floor. The space, combined with the mobs of young, hip people, mean that Essex is airy, bright, and extremely loud. Not a good place for a quiet, relaxed brunch, but great for a loud gathering of friends. The menu is pretty good, with some really great options. The Aristocrat (potato pancakes with eggs, smoked salmon and sour cream) was delicious, and the Eggs Benedict stands its own pretty well. I got the chicken cutlet with biscuits, sausage gravy and eggs, which was pretty good too - very heavy with generous portions of everything. None of this food is going to be like the *best* benidict, or the *best* biscuits and gravy, but all combined it's very good and nothing to complain about. Service was fairly prompt, and the food came out at a good rate. The brunch ostensibly comes with three drinks (at $24.95), but they are definitely not counting. The waitstaff walk around with large pitchers of mimosas, and they will refill your glass like water. The mimosas seemed pretty heavy on the champagne, but the screwdriver was mostly orange juice. The bloody mary was *extremely* peppery and spicy - not what I prefer, but definitely can see people really being into this. The staff seems to really want to turn tables, since like four people came and asked if I was done with my half eaten plate. There's a bar with TVs that was showing the world cup, which made for even more noise. Extremely crowded, and loud, but with a great space and lighting so it feels lively and not cramped. Would definitely recommend!
(5)Larry Z.
Last time I was here everything was great, except the poached egg on my shrimp and grits. It was so overcooked that it was pretty much hardboiled. My server Mo asked for my order and the shrimp and grits loving person I am, I ordered them again. I did tell him about my experience from last time. This time the egg came out perfect and I loved my meal. I will be back again, mostly thanks to Mo. Having a great server goes a long way in my book.
(5)Chris B.
We were in NYC for a bachelor party and found a perfect spot for dinner. We chose the prix fix menu, which was $60 and included open bar. The dinner consisted of your choice of an appetizer and an entree. The tacos I had were fantastic, but off the top of my head I forget what type of meat was in them. I want to say it was pork maybe. My flank steak was excellent. Everything came out hot. I was a little skeptical on the open bar. I didn't think they'd come by too often. I was wrong. At one point I had three full drinks in front of me. Our server was accommodating and helped us have an awesome start to our night!
(4)Doris C.
Won a giveaway for a free pay for 25 people. Staff was super accommodating and hey, free champagne and drinks for a big group? Awesome! Thank you for the gift and for being a great venue
(4)Cessie C.
Went for brunch on a Sunday. They have a great deal. $25 bucks gets you an entree and 3 cocktails. We had the banana chocolate pancakes topped with strawberries & blueberries. They were absolutely delicious. My only complaint is that there weren't a lot of bananas in the actual pancakes and the chocolate was buried in the middle. We also ordered the lobster Benedict. Also very delicious, al thought they served it with mixed greens (even though they said it came with Kale) and the greens themselves weren't the freshest. Also ordered a side of the hand cut fries. YUMMMMMM. Those were my favorite. For cocktails, I chose the mimosas. The first one came with too much OJ and not enough bubbly. I asked the waiter to swap it out and he ended up brining me champagne for the remainder of the drinks with non OJ- MUCH BETTER! Service was great, the music is awesome, and the crowd is great. They have a nice bar scene and delicious. Really enjoyed the whole experience and I'd def come back.
(4)Tiffany D.
Saturday morning and I am in desperate need of some brunch. So the bestie and I head to Essex. Inside, the place looks like a converted warehouse (tall ceilings exposed brick and PVC pipes). The walls are interestingly decorated with hundreds of baseballs. Like, they are just all glued or nailed to the wall somehow. It's pretty cool. The restaurant is attached to Essex market, which is pretty neat, as when you sit on the top floor, you can peer into the market place next door from a window that connect the two. The staff consists of polite, trendy looking young people. Think blunt bangs and red lips. The crowd consists of young professionals and people in their early 30's on OK Cupid dates. How do I know? I just know. Excerpt from conversation nearby "Your eyes look greener in person". :) Food: I ordered: Tender lox, Potato cakes, 2 poached eggs. Topped with salmon roe and a dollop of sour cream served on a bed of spinach. It was really good and fresh. I thought it could have used some kind of heat though. Hot sauce? I don't know, it could be the Southern in me. Beverage: Mimosa. Pretty good mimosas and guess what? With the brunch special ($25) you get 3 mimosas! Which I think is an excellent deal. Also, according to my friend who is a regular, it's actually unlimited mimosas as they don't really keep track. But I wouldn't know, because I was DONE after two and a half glasses. #lightweight. All in all, I'd say give it a try! I'd like to go back and try other things. :) Wear: An infinity scarf and never take it off.
(4)Sangita S.
Planned a huge birthday brunch here for three of my friends' birthdays and it was perfect. We had a group of 20 so they gave us the upstairs loft area. The service was good especially for a group of aggressive mimosa drinkers. They let us move around and enjoy the space and be a pretty loud group. They were super friendly and helpful with the cakes. I think everyone was happy with the food. It turned out to be a great event. The staff was very easy to work with!
(4)Kenny C.
Always wanted to come to Essex for brunch, but came here for dinner with a friend instead. It was a Gilt City dinner deal, which came with one starter, two entrees, and four beers/cocktails, so it was a pretty good value. Anyway, we started out with the Chef's Mezze and paid extra for pork belly tacos as a second starter. The chef's mezze had nicely deep fried falafel balls and a pretty good babaganoush. The pork tacos, while a bit pricey, were good. Nice and tender and sauced nicely. For my main, I had the dayboat scallops over risotto. The risotto had mascarpone in it, so it was a little cheesy, but not overwhelmingly so. The scallops were great, though there were just a few of them. I wouldn't pay the full price ($25) for the entree, but I do love me some scallops. All in all, it was a pretty good experience. Hope to be back for brunch, as it seems like the rest of NYC already has.
(4)Sharon W.
This place is awesome for their happy hour. The drinks aren't weak or too strong, just right. However, I don't think their oysters were very good that evening we went. Their oysters usually taste much more fresh than it did that evening. We also had the restaurant week pre fixe meal. Had the pork belly tacos which were very tasty and they have 3 stuffed tacos that it was good enough to fill me while eating the oysters. The entree was the scalup risotto which was also very tasty and creamy. Lastly we had the coconut and raspberry sorbet with fruit which was very cleansing to the palette. I would absolutely come again for the restaurant week pre rice menu.
(4)Tia N.
I like Essex and their late sunday brunch..... we was offered unlimited mimosas since my blue points took forever to come out. in addition to that our food took over a hour to receive so much tha our waiter felt bad and brought us a bowl of fruit to munch on while our stomach rumbled and we waited. the wait was unacceptable which is why I gave 3 instead of 4 stars. Once we received our food (the deep south and the southern) we was happy... The food was good I loved the chicken sausage and the biscuit with sausage gravy was great! Bellinis was standard oysters was average as well..... Essex is a hip brunch place people leave here bent!!! by time we came 5:30 the place was cleared out so we had a calm late brunch.... I been here once before to brunch and I had fun it was in the mist of brunch so it was packed and jumping! don't remember what I ate though.... If you want a party boozy brunch go here if you want a more relaxed brunch arrive late
(3)Eugene L.
My last visit to Essex was pretty disappointing. The oysters were disgusting, sandy, and not shucked properly. My friend's burger was served cold, and the pork tacos were underwhelming. The fries and my drink were still ok, but I did not leave here satisfied.
(2)Amaya S.
::::::::::LOCATION:::::::::: On the Lower East Side (near some of my favorite bars) at the base of the Williamsburg Bridge. Major cross-streets: Delancey & Essex. The entrance is on Rivington. ::::::::::AMBIANCE:::::::::: Very lively. Bright and airy. We went for Sunday Brunch so it was CROWDED, with a capital C. It is the place to be for brunch. There is seating upstairs, at the bar, and further into the dining area. Not overly decorated (which is nice). ::::::::::FOOD:::::::::: For $24.95 you can pick any entree on their brunch menu and you get 3 brunch cocktails (Bloody Mary, Screwdriver, Mimosa) - Brunch Cocktails: I originally ordered a Bloody Mary, and uh....don't waste your time. It tastes watered down. I switched to the Mimosa and left feeling NICE. - Short Rib Hash: OMG!!!!! This is the perfect way to wake up. Tender Short Rib with Duck Fat Potatoes and 2 eggs any style. I didn't add anything, no salt, hot sauce or nothing Jesus...it was perfect just the way it was. I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied, id order this again...like today (im hungry now just thinking about it). - Shrimp and Grits: Succulent Shrimp, Creamy Grits, Eggs and a Biscuit. This was an awesome dish also. The only problem is the leave the ends of the tail on the shrimp. Look I know it looks good for presentation, but no one like them... NO ONE. My son said these were the best grits he has ever had (my mom wont be too happy about that statement). ::::::::::THINGS TO KNOW:::::::::: Again, this place is super crowded and you will have to wait. I believe we waited for about 20-30 minutes. Its a big clusterf*ck near the bar/entrance area. You can get some drinks at the bar as you wait. Enjoy, I did!
(4)Katie M.
Came here for dinner for restaurant week, food was underwhelming. The chicken dish was greasy, bland and overcooked paired with a few chopped up soggy vegetables. Clearly brunch is there strong suit.
(3)Johannah B.
Went for brunch with 4 friends to celebrate a birthday. We did the $25.95 prix fixe with 3 drinks. The server was chill - she was refilling our mimosas by the end even though we were only paying for the three. The space is gorgeous but cavernous and SO LOUD. We could not hear the server and she couldn't hear us. The food was not worth the price. Two friends got the shrimp and avocado salad (which is really their fault because who gets that for brunch) but it was made up mostly of cucumbers. I got the 2 eggs any style dish and it was good but nothing special and I expected something special from Essex. The Bloody Mary's are watered down. I know this place is excellent but I would suggest not coming for brunch specifically.
(2)MandA R.
Ok so my husband made reservations for my birthday dinner here on Open Table and said it was a breeze. When we arrived, I was greeted with a "Happy Birthday!" He put in the notes that I was excited for birthday oysters, yet they did not tell us upon arrival that they had run out of oysters. They obviously got the note though because they knew it was my birthday. What was even weirder is that when we sat down and ordered drinks from our waitress she did not mention they ran out of oysters, even though this place has a happy hour special for oysters. We ordered them when she came back again to then be told that they ran out! I just feel like they should tell you when you first are seated so you don't spend time looking at the menu and deciding on something they don't have. Even weirder, when we ordered our entrees, we then found out they didn't have the lobster ravioli I was ordering. Again, why wouldn't our waitress tell us what they are out of in advance, so we don't mull over the menu, make a selection, THEN find out we can't have it?? It just seemed so backward to me. They were out of other menu items too that she didn't tell us about until after we tried to order our meals. I suggested that she tell the guests what the restaurant is out of before they order their meals and have their heart set on something from the menu that isn't available (in my case, lobster ravioli). She didn't seem happy by my suggestion, but this has never actually happened to me before. Usually when something runs out on the menu, the server tells you before you spend time looking at the menu and are ready to order. Besides that annoyance, this place was really cool inside. I liked the decor and the overall feel of the place. It looks like it's in an old warehouse or commercial space, with high ceilings and industrial looking windows. I ended up ordering a chicken and rice dish and my husband ordered scallops and risotto. I enjoyed mine but husband felt like the risotto was overcooked (mushy) and the scallops were bland. Luckily, the drinks made up for everything that this experience was lacking. They were good and strong!! I had jalapeno margaritas and husband had mango margaritas. We had a great time anyways but not sure we'd be back- there are too many other good places in the area.
(2)Tonia L.
Even though our part was incomplete, and I was way early, I was allowed to take our table. Our server Chiselle was the sweetest. Our foo way amazing. No complaints. Coming back for brunch!!
(4)Leila G.
one of my FAVORITE brunch spots. The drinks aren't unlimited but the food is amazing. Most brunch places have bottomless mimosas and nasty food, which I personally do not prefer. Love this place.
(5)Steve W.
Went for brunch with my fiance, her best friend and the best friend's boyfriend on Sunday around 2:30. The place was pretty packed, but since we made reservations, we had a table in about 10 minutes. The place was pretty loud between the background music and chatter. The meal was DELICIOUS and the drinks were great. We didn't take pictures but two of us had the Aristocrat (crispy potato pancake, perfect poached eggs, and delicious salmon. This was all served with a dollop of sour cream and a small salad; I would highly recommend this! One of us also had a chicken friend steak (which I heard was good) and a cheeseburger that was one of the best we have ever had. I would definitely be sure to check this out, but this wasn't a date night place (unless you like loud ambiance.
(4)Roc R.
Just ehhhh- about everything. Had dinner here a couple Sat. ago and we sat there a good 20 mins before anyone came over to acknowledge us (no, it was not busy). Food wasn't bad but nothing to write home about. I had mac and cheese with lobster and the lobster pcs were really tough and it had like 3 big pcs instead of bite size chunks...had to use a knife and fork for the mac and cheese...ummokay. I finally gave up and pulled the lobster out. The plus side was that they gave us free drink tickets after our meal so we hung out at the bar for a bit. Bartender was sweet, did not get her name. I wouldn't be totally opposed to coming here again if I had no choice.
(3)Jess G.
Let me start by explaining the perplex setup this place has. The bar is what customers first encounter rather than the hostess area which is actually located more towards the middle/back of the restaurant making it hard to check-in. Occasionally, the hostess holding the ipad would walk to the front and do her hostess duty. If not, you had to walk to the back and try to get her attention. Don't get me wrong, very friendly staff members but this set up just makes it look a bit disorganized and chaotic. Brunch is $24.95 which includes a plate and 3 drinks (mimosa, screwdriver, or bloody mary). Few observations: are you sure you are only giving 3 drinks pp or are you serving a bottomless brunch? As soon as the mimosa glass was half empty the waiter would pour more in the glass, just for mimosas. I got the screwdriver so i missed out bc I was served 1 drink at a time. I'm all for a bottomless brunch but let me know bc I was clearly misinformed. During my 2nd drink I wanted to switch to a mimosa instead but it just became complicated, so can we switch drink options through out our meal? Also, we understood that brunch ended at 4:30 when the waitress came over and started wiping down our table. We got it. But then they lit the light only at our table. ok, yes we know we have to leave soon but we were all pretty much still finishing our 3rd drink and there were still other customers surrounding our table plus the place was pretty empty by the end of brunch I doubt you were in desperate need of a table and you don't close and reopen again for dinner. So what's the rush? There are unique food options which is what caught my eye and made me come here in the first place. The food was yummy but not to die for as the pictures lead you to believe. I guess its just the dynamic of this whole restaurant service that had me a little confused. I would consider it as a brunch option with a small group of friends (4 max). Such a crowded scene makes it look like it is the brunch place to attend but you are not missing much if you don't make it here.
(3)Monique R.
Meh. The dishes didnt blow my mind. The restaurant is cramped. I brought my bridal party here for a ladies' brunch. we arrived at 11:30 on a sunday. They dont serve alcohol until noon on sundays so it really picks up after 12. Our table for 3 was small- cramped. our plates barely fit. We all had the crab cakes benedict, huevos rancheros, shrimp and grits and an order of fries. they were just okay. My dish was the shrimp and grits. It was lacking flavor, not salt but something extra. Just boring. And my poached eggs had solid yolks. The fries were chewy and salty. The mimosas were good. And we each got two refills. We decided to order dessert. A coconut cream pie. It was a monstrous. And had long strands of shredded coconut throughout. It was not creamy but clumpy and came covered in whipped cream and pineapple. Pineapple which one of the ladies was very allergic to and not listed as such in the menu. Wasn't very memorable.
(2)Stephanie J.
Had a ladies brunch with two of my faves. I was really impressed by the space. It was bright and full of energy. The staff is young friendly and accommodating. I ordered the shrimp and grits and my cocktail of choice was the belini. I love this place BUT I woke up with a really bad stomach ache the next day and could not hold anything down. I don't have sensitive stomach and my friends did not get sick. I don't think I will get this plate again when I go back.
(3)Melissa M.
I really loved this place... went here on an early Friday evening for the oysters special. The place is very spacious, the layout is nice enough to even, if they decided to, double it some sort of late night lounge. Ok the food: Oysters were the meatiest MEATIEST oysters I have ever had, this place make Mermaid Inn oysters look like a joke. Crab cake was one huge crab cake with a picadillo of corn black beans tomato and onions, good enough for two people. Calamari was fried evenly, nicely, not greasy at all and served with a green sauce. I think I would have like it better if it were the red sauce. My boyfriend had the The Pickled saint drink (pretty strong) and I had the St Germain champagne cocktail. loved the food it was great the service was excellent and waiters/bussers were on point very attentive. Will definitely be returning again.
(4)Jesica L.
A trendy, but reasonably priced brunch spot. I'm a fan and will definitely come back again.
(4)Staci R.
Came to Essex for brunch with friends. The place was live with people and music. After reading other Yelp reviews I expected that although we had a reservation we'd have to wait a bit and that we did. We were seated after about 15 mins after our reservation. Our waiter came over and promptly poured us some waters and mimosas. He informed us that orders were taking long today but for that reason we would get unlimited mimosas until our orders came instead of the customary 3 per brunch order. Woot woot! Our mimosas were the potent but good which is just how I like them. To eat I had the Essex Famous Potato Pancakes and my friends ordered the Short Rib Hash and Vegan Mexican Matzo Brei. We all shores our meals very much. There were no complaints and we all cleaned our plates. My friends and I were reuniting for the first time in a while so we had lots to catch up on. We ended up staying at Essex for about 5 hours chatting away and they didn't bother us or harass us to leave like many other places do which we appreciated. All in all a great experience. I would recommend it!
(5)Lauren A.
Essex is good if you want a cheap brunch including drinks. Food is OK, not great but comes with three drinks. Although, the mimosas were all from pitchers so the ratio of orange juice to champagne was a little much. The bloody mary was standard. I had the omelette and my friend had the shrimp and grits. It was as if the food is all just cooked ahead of time and served for speed. All in all this place is good for what it is, cheap brunch including drinks, don't expect too much.
(3)Tommy M.
-Came here for the dollar oysters, left slightly dissapointed. Half of our 48 oysters ordered were literally nickle sized. I don't expect all their dollar oysters to be generous in size, but seriously, half of them? -Their pork belly tacos were also sub-p
(2)Krits R.
They have a great oyster happy hour and a late one too that stretches till 8 pm Some cocktails are a miss but for the most part, strong drinks, solid food, fresh oysters. Cant lost on this deal. It a nice spot too- high ceilings, great area to go bar hopping and generally it has become a sure shot bet for a brunch or a happy hour. Give it a go!
(3)K M.
This was my first time here and I must say that I was partially pleased. To start off the place was a bit crowded yet the atmosphere was lively with vibrant people. I just can't get over the extremely small ladies restroom however, which was poorly kept. Aside from wondering where the hostess was upon my arrival, oh wait, did I mention that the overcrowding at the entrance makes it hard for a first timer to see the hostess. Well yes, it did. Needless to say, the hostess was extremely warm and welcoming so she made me feel welcome. Despite the overcrowding, the table wait was not long at all. Now....on to the food, I ordered "the Deep South" which consisted of a chicken fried steak, eggs topped with sausage gravy and biscuit and of course, unlimited mimosas. The biscuit was extremely dry and kept falling apart. The chicken fried steak was horrible and the best part of my meal were the eggs and the side of delicious french toast. Would I visit again? I would for those great mimosas, eggs and French toast but I really wish they would improve that bathroom and push the hostess station to the door so first timers won't be totally lost.
(2)Jay L.
The food was great! The service was excellent! Mo (our server) was professional and amazing! Definitely good for party groups (we had the whole 2nd floor). Definitely will be back!
(5)Isabella B.
Happy hour: drinks are half price and the oysters are a dollar each. The veggie burger is pretty good.
(4)Joel H.
I was here last week Wednesday with my sister and Brother. Yes it was restaurant week, yes it was extremely busy and yet our wait wasnt more than 15 to 20 mins (No reservation). Joyce was our server and she was on point. Attentive throughout the night. Didnt miss a beat. The Lobster meal, I highly recommend! It comes with a side of potatoes and corn on the Cobb. Appitizer I recommend the calamari. The Menu isnt short of Great options.
(5)Gelina T.
Been multiple times. I'd say the food is good (not great) but the unlimited mimosas are a plus for brunch. Lobster Wednesday's are awesome and love the yelper drink check in discounts.
(4)Erica J.
I spent my weekend in the city and decided to find a place that had $1 oysters. Really, that was the main reason for having this dinner. We made reservations for 6:45 but we ran late, it was no biggie and they seated us promptly. The place was rather empty at 7PM. A group of drunk people standing outside, we figured the drinks must be good; and they definitely were. The pickled saint was great! strong and refreshing on a hot day and long walk. The fried calamari was good, crispy and fresh. The arugula and goat cheese potatp pancake was pretty to die for, with a nice slab of melted goat cheese. For the main entree we ordered the catfish, which was good but too salty for our liking. Oh, but I thought we came here for oysters. we put in an order for 12. The table next to us who ordered probably 5 minutes before us, probably ordered 2 dozen of those bad boys for 2 people. they looked good, man they looked good. Half way through our appetizers our waiter comes over and tells us there are no oysters left. What? literally? not even 2? My face literally went from happy to sad. I wouldn't have minded if they had just mentioned it earlier that way i would have gone my merry way somewhere else, i feel like they told us halfway through our appetizer because they wanted us to stay. i didnt see anyone else get oysters after the table next to us got theirs, so they clearly knew they had none. Coming from Jersey, you better bet I had a whole list of places I wanted to check out, and i only came here because their HH ended at 8. So that knocked down 1 star. The other star got taken because their bathroom was just DISGUSTING. It looked like a club bathroom by 4AM. toilet paper all over the place, reaked of urine, everything was wet. it seriously turned me off.
(3)Miami Guy H.
Every once in awhile the Miami Guy ventures outside is geographic comfort zone. This is one of those times. Went to the Big Apple with the spousal unit and decided to have an early morning Sunday brunch at this place. I did my research on the internet and you couldn't beat a $24 price fix menu with 3 brunch style alcoholic beverages of your choice. This place is in SoHo/Bowery. They have two floors. The upstairs where we sat hosts a bunch of two tops. And they can be bunched together for a bigger group of 4 to 6 xcetera. I don't have a problem with that. (ALL CAPS FOR EMPHASIS NOT YELLING!) MY BIGGEST PROBLEM WAS THAT THE TABLES PLACED SO CLOSE TOGETHER THAT EVERY TIME A SERVER PASSED BY ME THEIR DERRIERE RUBBED UP AGAINST ME. Maybe you are into to that..... I'm not. The only DERRIERE I want rubbing up against me is my wife's or Kate Upton...... That's it. Period. It is so distracting to bumped into every two seconds while you are trying to eat or hold a conversation. That said the food was very well presented and was fine. Period. If you go try Open Table for a reservation. At the time of this review they were affiliated with OpenTable. Remember if you go tip well...... Miami Guy here
(3)Dan F.
Essex has a fun atmosphere and a cool physical venue, but their brunch menu is easily one of worst I have experienced in NYC. I am not a picky eater whatsoever--I go to Epstein's, Freeman's, Sauce, and a bunch of other brunch places in LES and the East Village regularly, and I couldn't even attempt to finish my brunch at Essex. My girlfriend and I got the Southern Style brunch (chicken fried steak, biscuits, gravy, and eggs) and the Mac & Cheese, both of which were highly recommended in prior Yelp reviews. The steak was extremely chewy, difficult to cut through, and appeared to be a low quality cut of meat. The biscuit was cold, stale, and dry--supermarket quality at best. The only redeeming aspect was the eggs, which were light and fluffy, but we didn't expect the eggs to be the best part of this meal. The mac and cheese tasted identically to a Stouffer's TV dinner. The side salad was just field greens without dressing. The side of apple sausage was decent, but very small (imagine again, out of a TV dinner). We opted into the $25 booze brunch deal (3 drinks and a brunch entrée). The drinks were tiny (served out of a 8 or 9 oz old fashioned glass) with orange juice concentrate (we saw the bartenders pour out of it) and cheap vodka. It was also difficult to place our orders--we tried to get the servers' attention several times with no success. Finally, we did get the server's attention, who then did not take our order but instead passed it onto someone else five minutes later. There are much, much better brunch places out in this neighborhood.
(2)Josh B.
I was really impressed with this place, it was fantastic! My friends and I woke up late, and this was the only Brunch place open till 8, and so we gave it a shot. The atmosphere was great, the food portions and choices were fantastic...the presentation was great..despite being somewhat busy (about 75% full), service was perfect. Food was delivered quick, main meals served just as we finished appetizers, and drink refills as soon as we finished our drinks, without ever being intrusive as can sometimes be the case. Top notch hospitality staff. Having said that, our server made an issue with charging us the correct amount, and accidentally charged our cards the wrong amount and had to correct this. This doesn't matter to me as mistakes can happen anytime, and the issue was fixed quickly and they gave us 2 free drinks each to make up for it. Everything was great, this place is highly recommended.
(5)Melanie B.
Great food and fun atmosphere! Love endless mimosas! But felt a bit rushed at the end.
(4)Jessie H.
Essex, what am I going to do with you?! You've been one of my go-to brunch spots for years! I love your food, I don't even mind your waits but your service has gone seriously downhill. I had my boozy birthday brunch here for the second time a few weeks ago to celebrate turning 25 for the fourth time. I made a reservation for 17 people at 1:45 (for the large party brunch deal - $35 for an entree and two hours of unlimited drinks) on a Sunday and got there a few minutes early. By the time the reservation time rolled around, there were about 10 of us there. The hostess had us wait by the bar for another 15 minutes or so and then came back, gave us each one drink ticket each and told us that our two hours of unlimited drinks was starting, but that they still couldn't seat us. A little annoying, but not everyone was there (we were up to 14 at that point) and at least we were getting our drinks on. We got sat around 2:30 on one of the upstairs balcony. I was under the impression that I had reserved said balcony (based on their website and the price we were quoted for the large party "balcony," brunch) but that wasn't even the issue. The problem was that the table was TINY (see pic - the little table on the end wasn't added until I complained to a manager and they moved a family dining with their infant.) There was no way that we were all going to fit - and most of my friends are pretty thin! The second problem was the waitress. She SUCKED. We had to repeatedly ask for water, repeatedly ask for drinks, repeatedly ask for silverware and for napkins. She couldn't handle taking more than 2 or 3 drink/food orders at a time which was annoying. I was a waitress for years and am generally sympathetic to service but this was atrocious! Thankfully I was surrounded by my closest friends and fairly liquored up (because they, NOT the waitress made sure the birthday girl always had a drink) so still had a good time, but she really put a damper on the day. The food is still great (I had the latkes but the Benedict's, french toast, southerner and mac and cheese all got rave reviews) but the portions have gotten pretty small (and I am not one to complain about portion size normally.) This is a 2.5 star review. I'm rounding up to three because of the food quality and happy memories past but I won't be back with a large party again.
(3)Jenny C.
I came here in a group of 17 people to celebrate my dear friend's birthday. My husband and I were the first to arrive for our 11am reservation and were greeted by the nice hostess who asked us to relax at the bar since they were not opened as of yet (it was around 10:45am at that time and they open at 11am) - that's cool since it was very windy and chilly outside. My first impression is that it is a very hip and trendy spot - very open in terms of space and has good lighting. Suddenly my peaceful observations were interrupted when a man who appears to be either the owner (or manager) started throwing the F-bomb and cursing up a storm at the top of his lungs at the employees about something being done incorrectly like he was Chef Gordon Ramsay. My stunned look caught the attention of the young bartender who looked at me awkwardly as it appears he was embarrassed by this man's behavior. I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt that the "boss" did not notice two customers sitting there in the corner before opening hours. But either way, that is a very disrespectful way to speak to anyone and it probably happens a lot since the 10 or so employees there seem to pay him no mind - as if it is just another day. However as soon as more customers started walking him, he completely changed his tune and seemed so pleasant as he asked the customers to please hang out at the bar as we wait - scary two face! We were seated shortly after our reservation upstairs and our somewhat rude waitress (who never introduced herself - appeared flustered with having such a massive party to tend to) started taking our drink orders. We did the bottomless drinks brunch which costed $34.95 (mandatory for large parties). Drinks were strong and our cups were never left empty. The food took a while to come out; about an hour and a half into our two hour limit. I ordered "the Deep South" which consists of chicken fried steak, 3 eggs cooked to your liking, a biscuit, and topped with sausage gravy. Massive portion alert! First off, I had no idea chicken fried steak is not chicken at all, but beef! Apparently it is synonomous with country fried steak - What?! Yeah, I had no clue and was wondering why my chicken was brown (and so was another friend who ordered the same thing!) - so obviously I'm not the only loser who does not know this. I mean, what if I am allergic to beef or if it is against my religion? Anyway the food was mediocre, definitely edible. My husband ordered the Essex burger with hand-cut fries and said his burger was too dry, but his fries were fairly good. They charge an additional $1.50 each for any toppings to want to add in the burger such as cheese, caramelized onions, jalapeños, mushrooms - EACH! Anyway, everyone else ate their food and no one seemed to make much comment about whether it was good or bad (never a good sign so I assume it is just okay). Overall the atmosphere was definitely fun with the flowing drinks and fun young crowd, but the food wasn't so good and the workers were not exactly the friendliest. Bleh, I'll pass in the future.
(2)Holly S.
Went here for a girl's night out. We were going to go with the Restaurant Week menu but got seduced by the regular menu. $1 oysters and half priced drinks! What could be bad? Afterwards, I had the mussels (very good), one friend had the salmon (good), one had the chicken (kinda good) and the other friend had the short rib sliders (super good!) and something else. Cocktails were lovely and the wine was nice. All in all a great evening out with good service and good vibes.
(4)Courtney L.
Had an awesome brunch experience here! Our server Mo was super attentive and sweet--food is great and it's not too crowded and crazy (like most other brunch places in NYC on a Sunday) if you get in early enough.
(5)Kris M.
We came here for restaurant week and were excited to check Essex out! Turns out it was very overpriced and only mediocre food. Service was incredibly slow, and even drinks took forever. Expensive food but no cloth napkins were provided. The upstairs area makes me think of a banquet, and it's not at all chic or delightful. Pass!
(2)Thomas W.
3 1/2 stars for this Lower East version of Lauriol Canyon. It is amazing how the Lower East Side has become a hotbed for Latino culture, including restaurant/bars. Essexi is certainly a youthful, restaurant where you can have some fun, and quality food. The bluepoint oyster appetizers were wonderful, although I question whether they were bluepoints. The potato pancake with goat cheese did not live up to my expectations except for the goat cheese. The scallops with risooto was a fine dish, and the sangria was refreshing, although not as strong as I would have liked. If you are looking for a trendy Lower East side meal Essex will do the trick.
(3)Brittany C.
Mo was the most amazing server of all time. He kept our drinks full and also our bellies. He was so nice and amazing and we loved every moment of us being here. I was the bachelorette at the bachelorette party and it literally made my evening. I love him so much. Thank you for helping to make this night so memorable and wonderful
(5)Elizabeth T.
I came here for my brunch to celebrate my birthday. I think I had about 10-12 people in my party so I made a reservation ahead of time. They seated us within the next 10-15 mins and let us start our unlimited booze at the bar which was A-okay with me. I had mainly mimosas which were pretty strong and they never left my glass empty. The bread sucked, it seemed like they bought it from the bread aisle of your local super market. The food was okay, not mind blowing. We sat on the second area in the corner which was great for my large party. I chose a later time slot because there is a 3hr limit for reservations after 3:30pm (2hrs for before 3:30). I think towards the end the place really emptied out it and the servers were cleaning up already even though our 3 hours were not up yet. I would recommend this place if you have a large party to satisfy and want to drink as much as possible, not the best brunch food joint in NYC.
(3)Andrew M.
Went here yesterday and ordered off the previous fix for restaurant week. I had the blueprint oysters with pan seared Atlantic salmon and the sorbet with berris. I also used the yelp drink discount to order the watermelon martini. The food and drinks were great and definitely worth the value! My friend and I both enjoyed ourselves. The one thing they could use would be a hostess stand or something when you walk in. Both another couple and us kind of stood there awkwardly when we first got there and since they were busy and no one approached us for a few minutes it made for an awkward first impression but we did like the atmosphere and food and the service was ok.
(4)Samantha S.
Made a reservation a month in advance for a 20 person brunch which included unlimited Mimosas, Screwdrivers, Bloody Mary's and one brunch entree of our choice. The price was $35 per person before gratuity. Warning, the online information is inaccurate, stating the brunch is $25 p/p. It's $35. Here is what went down that day. The reservation was for 3:30, so we made sure to arrive at 3:15 so that we had enough time to gather the group together, be seated, etc. We wanted every second of those three unlimited boozing hours. After all, it was a mini college sorority reunion and we hadn't seen each other in a long time! The place is deceiving, looks very small from the outside but extends back pretty far. Only two bathroom stalls for women in the entire place and they are located immediately upon walking into the restaurant, so there is a constant traffic jam immediately entering the place. There is no hostess stand or anyone checking in parties seating people. It was pretty disorganized and a little bit of a mad house at 3:15 on a Saturday afternoon. The bar had Bloody Mary's pre-poured in rocks glasses ready to dispense them to anyone who was involved with the all you can drink brunch. Few things less appetizing than warm Bloody Mary's sitting out for god only knows how many hours at a time. If they tasted good, I would have been okay with it but they were AWFUL. The mix had sunk to the bottom from sitting there all day and the vodka was on top. They were warm, tasteless and watery. So disappointing, needed to be shaken and kept in a cooler. We would have been more than happy waiting the extra twenty minutes or so in between drinks to wait for a proper Bloody to be crafted. We weren't seated until around 3:50 and when we were, we were escorted to a large table at the top of the stairs. There were other parties ranging from 3 to 8 upstairs as well. Booth seating, so I knew once I was seated in the dead center, I wasn't moving for the next three hours until brunch was over. Getting out of that with a group of 20 just wasn't happening. We were given menus, one side had a list of entrees included for a $60 brunch and the other side was ours, indicating it was for the $34 brunch. However, on that menu, there were sides, drink options, and other choices for an upcharge. Since the bloody Mary's we were given were so horrible, a couple of us decided to upgrade to the Bloody Morty which was a Bloody but with bacon infused vodka. We figured that maybe these would be cold, fresh and drinkable. THEY WERE HORRENDOUS. I am not even trying to exaggerate, undrinkable and nauseating. They had such an intense smoky flavor that it was wildly overwhelming and sickening. The bacon they placed in the drink was fatty and undercooked. We immediately all switched to mimosas after the $3 upcharge of yuck. The mimosas weren't anything special but at least they did the job. They were served in plastic glasses they had seen better days. I had an empty glass for maybe a maximum of five minutes at one point. Our waitress Joyce (I think that was her name), was PHENOMENAL. She was running around like crazy making sure all 20 of us had exactly what we needed, we were all really thankful for her. It was difficult to pick out an entree as many of the options were super heavy, almost New Orleans style food. Mac and Cheese, Shrimp n Grits, Deep South Eggs and sides, Burgers, Matzo Brie, Pancakes, etc. When you're boozing like we were, you don't want something super heavy, especially when you plan to head out afterwards. I found something I could work with, omelette with spinach mushrooms and sheep milk cheese which was accompanied with home fries. I should have gotten the burger, or the huevos rancheros. Actually, I should/could have gotten anything else offered and it probably would have been better than my food. It was horrible. The potatoes on the side were overcooked and tasteless, the omelette was worse. It was SO dry, definitely made with a liquid egg batter, a little hard in places and the contents inside were worse. The mushrooms were so incredibly tough and chewy I had to push them to the side. My friends enjoyed their food for the most part so overall the verdict was A-OK, just not for me. Rumor has it the fries were amazing. Food took forever and then some to come out too. Our server really made all the difference in my feelings towards this place. Drinks were bad, food was bad, but she was great and attentive and even when the all you can drink brunch had ended, she came over to all of us and topped off our mimosas. We really appreciated it. Good company, and great service can really alter one's opinion about a place and it did so for me, however I would be very inclined to check out a different brunch place in the future. Get a bathroom upstairs. Do you know the struggle of sitting for 3 hours, participating in unlimited alcoholic beverages and then having to walk down massive stairs to use the restroom. It's a challenge.
(2)Allison S.
Wonderful place for happy hour! Drinks are 1/2 price and they have dollar oysters. The pours were generous, and the drink menu was diverse. I especially recommend the Smoking Gun! The oysters were fresh and of high quality. Would absolutely come back!
(4)Anjani V.
This place is a great loud boozy brunch place, the food is pretty good, and although they say only 3 drinks, they generally keep topping you off beyond that. I don't like how the entrance is always super crowded and unorganized, and it can get a tad too loud. All in all, great $25 brunch deal though.
(4)Carol W.
Dear Essex House, You're wonderful! Great location, great ambiance and great specials. Who doesn't love $1 oysters from 5pm-8pm? I recall we ordered 100 and still wanted more and they were fresh because I didn't have any bathroom troubles (Hallelujah!). The entrees are delicious, not too salty, not too bland -- just right. I realized some restaurants are overly salty because their chefs smoke and then it leaves me gulping tons and tons of water. Talk about bloating and water retention. Well not here, the entrees are cooked to perfection, very fresh and did I mention there's a tv at the bar?! The bathrooms are right by the door which leads me to believe those who are locals or frequent the neighborhood don't really have to dine in to use their bathrooms because they are literally right by the door. Great dinner spot for big groups. It does get a bit noisy during prime time so if you're going on a first date and you want to make conversation, this place is not it. Go during off-peak hours, totally bring a date and enjoy their half price drinks. Love their pancakes with salmon, short ribs and burgers. Heck, I love their entire menu; you won't be disappointed. Sincerely, Essex fan ...what up!?
(5)Torrie A.
Came here for brunch as a party of 6. Made reservations a few days in advance and were seated right away. We must've beat the crowd though (our resv were for 11am) because it was PACKED by the time we finished eating. We all really liked our food but the top two orders were definitely the challah banana fosters french toast and the chocolate chip banana pancakes. AMAZING. Plus you get 3 drinks included with your order so that was awesome!! Overall, awesome experience here and will go again!! Great brunch spot
(5)Roland C.
$1 Blue point oysters during HH with half off drinks. 5-8pm Sun Mon Tue Wed Fri. 5-Midnight Thurs
(5)Luigi C.
Let's be honest, Essex may not be the best place for delicious brunch food, but it certainly gets serious points for having a reasonably priced boozie brunch menu (under $25). The food isn't bad at all and the selection of offerings they have is great, but it could be better. As for my order, I got the Aristocrat -- salmon gravlax, salmon caviar, poached eggs and sour cream on top of potato pancakes. Sounds delicious and fancy right? It was actually a decent dish, but felt it lacked seasoning overall. I definitely thought the poached eggs (cooked perfectly) could have used some Hollandaise sauce to tie in the entire dish. Also, I thought they could have simply done more with the sour cream by mixing in some chives or dill rather than just plain sour cream. Lastly, I thought the potato pancake was a bit on the dry/over cooked side, and it reminded me more of a hash brown than a pancake. As for the drinks, the mimosas were great and non-stop. That in itself made up for everything. I really wouldn't mind coming back to Essex for another boozie brunch, because like I said, the food isn't bad and the drinks that come with it are on point. The Aristocrat - 3.5/5
(4)Katherine D.
I've been here twice for brunch and if you are in the mood for a youthful, boozy and jam-packed Manhattan brunch, this is the right spot. Because of the high volume of customers this restaurant accommodates and the speediness of the service, there is a bit of a trade off with the quality of the food. However, it's a fun experience and the people watching is fun. I would go back again, but only when I'm in the mood for that kind of brunch.
(4)Ingrid S.
"I have never been to the Essex." "Oh, we must go!" Ingrid walks in. "No, I've totally been to the Essex. I lied." In my defense, it was several several years ago for someone I barely knew's birthday and they chose to have it at non-happy hour and I thought they were a creep. Mainly because I was a cheap temp. Years later I like the décor. Modern with a bunch of baseballs stuck to the wall. Drinks were half off and they have $1 oysters until around 8pm. They also apparently have a phenomenal brunch here that I may just have to check out one day. I had the Pickled Saint which consists of copious amounts of Gin and Pickle juice and I was in love. My friend's Green Zinger wasn't bad either: Green Tea vodka, Pimms, Mint & Lime. Nothing was overwhelmingly sweet or too empowering on taste. The bread here is nice and fluffy and delicious. Especially when your first cocktail of the evening hits you a little too hard as it totally did for me. They even refilled that glorious bread basket. We split a half dozen oysters. All $1 fresh oysters with lemon and the usual accutrements that come with oysters on ice. I tried one and it was okay. I'm not the biggest fan of them in the first place and then one of my friends pointed at another oyster and just stopped and stared. The frigging thing was MOVING. A little tendril I kid you not slithered out of the shell and proceeded to squiggle around. I'm kind of mortified. I was mortified. She was mortified. We asked the waitress if she could take back the one oyster and then she asked if we wanted it replaced. Well, duh. Yeah. But a preferably more dead one. The table of two people on a date next to us squirmed and then started asking questions. To be honest, I kind of found it hilarious. But this entire experience has given me a little bit more trepidation the next time I see a $1 oyster shoved under my nose.
(4)Felicia M.
I just went to brunch here with 8 other girls, and it was so fun. This is a very popular place for brunch. You cannot simply just walk in on a Saturday, because everyone wants to be here! That's what it seemed like when I was there. If you want brunch, for $24 you get an entree and 3 drinks (Bloody Mary, mimosa, or screwdriver). But wait... We got wayyyy over 3 drinks, this place was definitely a bottomless brunch. We were so pleased when we got our bill, and with tip and tax we each only owed $30. The spinach eggs benedict was to die for. And they bring out these everything bagel rolls, that have onions and garlic inside of the breading, and it's just deliciousness inside and out! We sat at brunch from 3-6:30PM, and no one tried kicking us out... Probably because we were having too much fun. This was a great place for a great reunion!
(5)Alex R.
Overpriced. I bought an egg benedict and they charged me $25. And it wasnt even good. They charged it as a deal that went with two drinks but wouldnt lower the price even if i didnt order the drinks
(1)Lucie T.
This review is for the happy hour only. So lots of drinks to choose from and the happy hour is more conveniently timed from 5-8. though as you can imagine it gets full and you can't sit at tables unless you order food. One more great thing about this happy hour is that you can get your hands on $1 oysters :). Enjoy !
(4)Mike C.
The food here was amazing, but I had to deduct a star because of some of the silliness involved with this place: - $23 flat rate for brunch that includes 3 drinks: if you don't drink, like me, this is a ridiculous waste of money - cash only - close quarters force you to listen to annoying hipster/food snob conversations Now that I got that out of the way, let's talk about the positives, which do actually far outweigh the negatives here. So yeah, for those of us that aren't alcoholic, it would be nice to be able to order items a la carte off the brunch menu without being forced to pay for drinks we don't get. I would have ordered and enjoyed much more food if I didn't have to pay all that. Sure, I get that a lot of people find this to be the most amazing deal ever since it's really cheap for all that alcohol, but what about fatties like me that just want to eat a lot of good food? OK, now really, onto the positives. To start off, for the complimentary bread you get an awesome really soft, slightly warm, oniony roll. Excellent start. For our entrees, we got the Chocolate Chip & Banana Pancakes and The Sunday Platter (house-cured salmon gravlax, whitefish salad, fresh cream cheese, capers & Kossar's bialy). Both were delicious and really satisfying. The pancakes were very generous on the chocolate, which was melted and spread nicely throughout the middle of the pancakes. The lox and the whitefish went really good together on the bialy. We actually asked for some more of the delicious complimentary onion rolls to use to make some sandwiches with the additional lox we had, and they were nice enough to give us a couple more. We also got the much talked about potato pancakes - they were OK, but nothing special (I mean, they're fried potatoes, so clearly they taste very good, but whatever). If I decide I want to brave the hipsters again and come back for dinner, where I am not forced to pay for alcohol, I might add a star if the dinner menu has food as good as I had at brunch.
(3)Robert C.
I arrived early to meet my friend for brunch without a reservation. When I asked the hostess, she told me they would be be able to accommodate me. However, I could only be seated when my entire party was here. I knew one of my friends was running late, so that was the only frustrating experience. She did however suggest the bar, it offered open seating for brunch and included their full menu. I took up the offer and sat down at the bar. Since NY does not allow the serving of alcohol until noon on Sundays, they do offer complimentary coffee and drinks until noon. This I really enjoyed. Free coffee always helps me feel better. I ordered The Aristocrat, which came with potato pancakes, salmon gravlax, salmon caviar, and two poached eggs. Delicious, I cleaned my plate. Three drinks are included in their brunch prix fixe meal at $24 dollars. I had three screwdrivers (and was given a fourth for free). The experience was enjoyable and the atmosphere fun. A good brunch desitnation.
(4)Andy Z.
Came here a few times with friends just for the dollar oysters and drinks. Oysters are big and juicy, and beer is ... well beer. Can't go wrong with this combo
(4)Kayo N.
Perfect boozy brunch for weekends, all for a cut-rate price of $23 bucks. 3 drinks plus the standard brunch fare, but with an emphasis on Jewish food, like Matzoh Brei, and Potato Pancake. The aristocrat, with smoked salmon, caviar, and potato pancake over greens was perfectly serviceable, although it could have used some sort of sauce. Not mind-blowing by any means, but with all that booze, it needn't be.
(4)Monica T.
Paint Nite date with my ladies on a Tuesday night. There was a happy hour from I think 4pm - 8pm,half off drinks and food (other than bottle beer and pitchers drinks). We got here around 6:45pm but our event did not start until 7pm. The bar area was busy and the dining area were pack as well. So we decided to get seated upstairs for our painting event before we get our drinks. For the event, we have our own server, so we didn't have to come back down to grab our drinks. HOWEVER, i don't think the HH price applies upstairs, so do double check before you head up to painting! We also ordered cheese plate and sliders to munch on during painting. Two sliders per order (not enough to share between 3 of us), but were good solid sliders. Definitely would like to come back for the brunch specials!!
(4)Jill L.
Visited Essex with a party of 15+ ladies for a pre-bachelorette party brunch. The section we were in was a private "party room"- I'd describe it more like a loft- that overlooked the restaurant. It was cool to have the space all to ourselves. How their brunch menu works is that its a prix fixe (we paid approx. $30 a person- I believe it's less if you aren't in the party room) and includes an entree and three adult beverages (bloody mary, mimosa or screwdriver). Based solely on that, it's a pretty good deal. Especially when you are with a large group- makes splitting the bill super easy. I wasn't counting, but I'm pretty sure I drank more than my three alloted mimosas. Well, I couldn't count because I was getting DRUNK off said mimosas. The waitress kept coming around with a pitcher of mimosas and topping everyone off. Now, we did notice the champagne to orange juice ratio decreased as the meal went on, but my liver is probably thanking them for that right now. For my entree, I ordered the "famous" potato pancakes, that came with a homemade creamy applesauce and a spinach-black bean-mushroom hash. This is where Essex began to lose stars. I liked the applesauce (and plan to attempt to recreate it for Hannukah this year) but the potato pancakes were way too fried. And the hash had a lot of potential but wasn't properly seasoned. And the food was pretty cold by the time I ate it. Now I totally understand that it's difficult to get 15+ meals out at once. But don't rent out a party room (and charge extra per meal for it) if you don't have the capabilities to get a majority of the food out at one time. Overall, I liked Essex- it was convenient to get to (right next to the Delancey Essex subway stop), the atmosphere was comfortable but hip, service was good, and the prix fixe brunch was a good deal. I'd suggest coming with a maximum of 4 or 5 people to get the best experience for a perfect boozy brunch.
(3)Hit U.
Great food with nice specials. Good selection of wine, my steak and fries were well-seasoned and cooked as requested.
(4)Ed L.
I love boozy brunch at Essex. While not an AYCD brunch, it truly gets the job done! Essex attracts a hip and attractive Lower East Side Crowd, many of whom are still wearing sunglasses to help combat the effects from the previous evening. The brunch is very popular, so get there early! The brunch menu has your standard offerings with some standouts. I love to get the Southern, the Deep South and the Aristocrat. And who can forget the Manchego Mac and Cheese. Nomnomnom! The restaurant is bright and spacious even in the relatively narrow space with two second floor seating sections which offer great people watching vantage points. The service has always been good and they're very generous with the "three drink" brunch special. I have been burned once at this location. My guest and I showed up on the later side of brunch and they had run out of several items. Every time my guest would order something, they would come back 5 minutes later to tell us they had run out of the item. They ended up coming back to us two more times to tell us her alternate choices were unavailable. I've since been back and this has never happened again, but to be on the safe side, come early. Happy drunching aka drunk brunching!
(4)Lisa W.
-Best part of the place is the 3 drink deal, good price point, and the sun streaming through the ceiling windows that give the space the necessary bright and sunny brunch feel. -Less good part is the food. -Worst part is the crowd and the wait. Essex is o
(3)Amanda A.
I really wish I could give this place more stars...I came here on bday for brunch. I originally had a party of 10 and it grew to 13. So thanks for accomadting I was very appreciative of that. The brunch prices of 23 and 34 with 3 drinks or unlimited and your meal included isn't a price. So the prices are reasonable. Besides the one hostess that didn't how to communicate properly the servers were decent. But the dish I ordered was meh. I ordered the shrimp and grits and everyone at the table that has had my cooking shared my shrimp and grits is far better. My grits were lumpy and little flavorless and that killed the dish and my shrimp was overcooked. Grits should be smooth and creamy and shrimp should tender. My friends that ordered the lobster mac and cheese were certainly pleased with their dish. So thats a plus. But I'd say skip ordering the shrimp and grits until they change the recipe. I was originally looking to have an atmosphere of a real brunch party, where a DJ is actually playing the lights dim, curtains or blinds are drawn kind of deal. Since they didn't have a live DJ I asked prior to actually booking the reservation if it was a party atmosphere and well...I was told " it's party on both Saturday and Sunday"....eh wasn't the case the pre-recorded music was blah. Overall, my friends and I made the experience better. But I would have liked better music and food.
(3)C T.
A great place for a boozy brunch with good food (a combination not easy to find). Try the french toast! It's amazing.
(4)Alexandra F.
EP.IC. is the only word that describes DRUNCH here. I can't... I just... ok it's cause the whole four hours I spent there were such a shitshow, but the best kinda shitshow ever. DRUNCH is fab. You get supposedly "THREE" drinks with your meal for $22, but you will get a lot more. Especially if you're nice to the waitress and tip her some dolla dolla billz. The people I was at brunch with basically slipped her a $20 every few minutes so she kept refilling our mimosa glasses. And then, even after we had hogged the table for a few hours, they gave us all drink tickets for the bar so we could continue our drinking down there. I got the benedict and it was TASTY. The brunch menu here is pretty expansive, but everything's great. And the mimosas are STRONG. Do your drunch here. RIGHT NOW. OK? OK.
(4)Brittany H.
Came here for another round of mimosas after brunch at a venue nearby. Loved the ambiance of this place. Really well lit, music wasn't too overbearing and for folks that still wanted to watch the game, that was still going on on every TV. Mimosas were nice and somewhat strong and only $4 which is a treat (yea... I think $4 is cheap for a mimosa). I had a look at the menu and it seemed edible. I'm a huge fan of shrimp and grits so I will definitely be back for brunch to try. I also like how the brunch goes all the way to 8P.... cause let's face it. After a long Saturday night, ain't nobody tryna get to brunch all early on Sunday. Period.
(3)Ann O.
My friends and I had such a nice, quiet night here. Last night we were expecting more people to come because they're usually pack here but it was surprisingly pretty quiet which we liked because we got to talk to each other and chat with Rachel the bartender at the time. Let me just say - she was awesome! Super nice! She recommended drinks that we absolutely loved! We were here from 10:30-12 and it was 1/2 off all the drinks on the menu. Great happy hour prices! I got a Mango Lava Lamp, my sister got a Mango Mojito and our friend got a Blood Orange drink - we all liked our drink. Rachel made it pretty strong but still good! We had three shots that were all recommended by Rachel. We like the sweet stuff and she definitely catered to what we wanted. She made us a Russian Prelude and a Jolly Rancher Shot. Never had the Russian Prelude but it was really good - tasted kinda like a mocha frap. We just loved Rachel! She made our time at Essex super fun! Shout out also to the manager (i think he was the manager) - but he was generous and kind to us. Definitely will be coming back!
(5)Lina F.
They have a discounted happy hour before 7 PM - 1/2 drinks. However the dinner was terrible. I had the bass in miso broth and it was terrible. I wont waste my time since the fish costed me $30 with tax and tips. The service is great, but the busboy kept asking if I was done ... which I wasnt Spend your money elsewhere please - this wasnt worth it.
(2)Neil H.
Don't believe the hype. Food was average at best. Atmosphere was cool, mimosas were good, service was fine, but don't come here expecting great brunch food. All 3 of us ordered a different plate and none of us were impressed. Avoid the chicken fried steak and potato pancakes. I would not come here again.
(2)Bin H.
Disappointing brunch! Came here based on a friend's recommendation. Honestly, I could've prepared a better brunch than this place. There's a good selection of food and drinks available, but they're just NOT tasty! It was flavorless, bland, and COLD! The iced tea my friend ordered in lieu of a Bloody Mary was actually bitter. I ended up ordering an iced coffee. You're pretty much out of luck if you don't drink because the Brunch Special gives you three alcoholic beverages (past noon thanks to NYC laws) with your meal. The service was just okay.. there are lots of servers hanging around. I don't know what went wrong since we made reservations and the restaurant itself wasn't even filled when we got seated.
(2)Alicia C.
Made a Mother's Day reservation about a month ago. Check today and suddenly they've increased the brunch price just for Mother's Day, for the exact same brunch. What bullshit. Capitalizing on family time simply to make a profit, higher price but no added benefit? Really shitty, Essex.
(1)Crystal K.
Welcome to brunch heaven! We always sit at the bar, as we are a more casual bunch. The mimosas are always poured generously & the food is typical brunch fare. Eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, omelets, orange juice, bloody marys, etc. I highly recommend you make a reservation & go immediately! Take cash, as they are a cash only spot. Not unlike many places in New York. Go forth & brunch
(5)Olena P.
I have been coming here for many years for after work drinks and dinner etc. I had the pleasure of going for brunch and boy was it good!! I had the shrimp and grits it was fanastic!!! My friends had the aristocract which is salmon over potato pancakes with poached eggs and caviar. I must say those were the best potato pancakes i have ever eaten. Great price, good service. This place is always a hit for dinner, and now i can say its a hit fir brunch too!
(4)Karen S.
Went for Saturday brunch, & left happy. Our table was ready within 10 minutes, and the server was great. We actually only had 2 of the 3 included drinks while we were eating, so we were given a ticket to get the 3rd down at the bar when we were finished. Pros: - $24 includes a brunch dish & 3 drinks - they accept reservations - friendly staff - good food with vegetarian options - strong drinks Cons: - OMG it's so loud - the waiting/bar areas are super cramped, so you're constantly bumping into other patrons & staff - brunch is cash only
(4)Jess M.
Delicious meal! Our waiter Mo was great!!!!!! Definitely recommend it!
(5)Allison S.
I've been here for Brunch, Happy Hour and Wednesday night for their Lobster Special, I love this place. Happiness explodes from this place that I want to cry tears of confitti! Brunch: It is always crowded, so make a reservation and make sure you whole party is there on time or you will have to wait. So tell your "fashionable late friends" to come 30 minutes earlier ;) They really don't count how many drinks you had, they just keep on refilling and refilling, very dangerous! By the time you leave the place you have a great buzz or for us light weights, you're done for the day. Great selection of meals, I mean they have chicken fried chicken and biscuits and gravy!! Happy Hour: This place gets a lot of hype for it's brunch but definitely try it for Happy Hour. It's half off speciality drinks, which are pretty good and $1 oysters, depending if you like oysters or not, but I love them. I will say they trick you a bit, $1 oysters are East Coast oysters and the West Coast oysters are $2. The west coast oyster have a stronger taste so if you're not into the fishy stuff just stick to the East Coast ones, plus they are bigger! Wednesday Night Lobster Special: I mean, where do you find $18 lobster, which are around 1.25 lbs, potatoes and corn on the cob in the city?!! I really can't say anything bad about the deal, the lobster or anything, it just plain as day a good deal! Service was attentive without being all over your table. I like that the servers have handheld devices to put in orders. I saw that one of the servers accidently spilled a little of my champagne and automatically come back and refilled my glass with more. Essex is a must for the Lower East Side and a great place to take out of towners for a fun boozy brunch!
(5)Coleen K.
Came here when I was visiting a friend over a long weekend. I decided upon Essex for brunch because I had heard great things about the drink deal (3 drinks + food = $23). I had heard mixed reviews about the food, but loved what I got! The vibe in there is super crowded and somewhat trendy. It's got a lot of natural light and the noise level is pretty high for a brunch place (then again, its kind of like being at a bar in the middle of the day). We sat in the upstairs area, which was cool because it has a balcony that looks onto the rest of the restaurant below. I started out with a bloody mary that was delish-- had a nice kick and lots of horse radish. Just the way I like em. I got the mexican eggs, my date got the eggs benedict. Both were very tasty. Loved their sides of potatoes and beans. We switched to mimosas, and were actually each able to squeeze 4 drinks, rather than 3, out of our waitress. Service was pretty attentive even though the place was jam packed. Overall, lots of fun if you want an up-beat, somewhat drunken brunch.
(4)Peter C.
Came for a quick drink, ended up staying for dinner due to a inconvenient rain storm. The building may not look like much from the outside, but I dig the interior. The big, high windows give it an open and airy feel that is still somehow secretive since no one outside can see you. Although, the one wall by the bar painted shiny red, combined with the black entranceway, somehow made me feel like I was in a cheap college bar at first. Anyway, as much as I enjoyed this place, it left much to be desired. The oysters were...not good, frankly. They were...limp, not plump. The wine tasted...watered down. Or maybe just that cheap? I drink a lot (well, not a LOT) of cheaper wine though, and have never come across something this watery. Some of the apps were good - calamari and spare ribs, for instance. I don't think I'd be back other than for a (non-wine) drink at the bar though. Great bartenders though!
(3)Jacqueline M.
I love and hate Essex. And here is why: My friends and I made reservations for 4 at 2:00 pm for brunch. When we got there, we had to fight the crowd of waiting customers at the bar to get to the hostess. Since it was a Sunday, the subways were messed up and one of us were late. The hostess wouldn't seat us until all of us were here. And even after the last of us arrived, we still had to wait another half hour for a table. Lesson to learn: if everyone arrives early, you may be seated on time. On the bright side, the $23 prix fixe brunch comes with three drinks. We all ordered mimosas while waiting at the bar, and our three drinks turned into "we will fill your glass when it's starting to look empty." Essex is always bustling with people during brunch time. However, we were seated upstairs and it was pretty comfortable. We all ended up getting the lox, eggs, and potato pancakes because it was absolutely the best thing on the menu. The potato pancakes were to die for, and one of my friends actually ordered more! However, if you aren't a fan of eggs, smelly fish, or fried food, there's plenty of other breakfast foods like pancakes and waffles. Overall, if you have some time to enjoy a long brunch, this is definitely your spot.
(4)Matt M.
A solid brunch place. 3 drinks included, complimentary juice/coffee. You have to pay in cash, which is... whatever. NYC is like that though, you never know when you'll have to pull out bills. We had great service. Our server was attentive: I easily caught her eye and she would come immediately over, and this in the middle of a rush. I never had to lift a hand to get service. Someone below complained that it was a bit crowded... I'm not sure where in Manhattan they go that they're the only ones at the bar. The place was bustling during Sunday brunch, but they handled it well, everyone fit in, service never suffered. Most of the people around me seemed to be having a pretty good time. The reason it gets 4 stars and not 5 is because the food was just a bit bland. The selection was great, the dishes were well thought out, they just lacked in execution. They weren't bad; there wasn't quite enough punch, if that makes sense. Otherwise, I was satisfied.
(4)Denise D.
I have been here a couple times, but only for the happy hour drinks and dollar oysters, so my review is only for that. The space is very large, with high ceilings, and very open. I sat at the bar the first time, and got a table the second time, and service was good, and quick, both times. I believe you can do no better than $1 oysters, and this place does not disappoint. They have always been fresh bluepoints, and they come with a couple of different sauces. I love the vinaigrette type one.. yum.. or to add a dabble of Tabasco. My mouth is watering already. As for the drinks, my mouth equally waters for those. They have very tasty martinis, with uber delicious flavors like strawberries, white grape, watermelon, green tea, cucumber, and many more. A really great selection, and half price during happy hour, making it a really super deal. You can guarantee to see me here again with a martini in one hand, and an oyster in the other!
(4)Irm M.
So I did the boozy brunch here on a Saturday. Not really my thing to drink during the day. But hey it's all the rage now so I figured why not?! My overall opinion...it's fine and dandy as far as boozy brunches go, but beyond that it's nothing special. I came here mainly because it was one of the only places I was able to make a reservation at within a week's (or month's) notice at any of the trendy Lower East Side brunch spots. Most don't even accept reservations. Since I'm not too keen on the whole wait two hours to eat thing, I decided to come here. My friend and I waited about five minutes once arriving to be seated. We were taken upstairs and seated right near the mimosa mini-bar. (Score!) The drinks got me buzzed pretty fast. Our waitress came over quickly to take our order and the busboys set us up fast despite the packed house. I scanned the menu for my favorite brunch options. No omelettes? Or pancakes?! Weep :( I went with what I thought sounded great but ended up just being....eh. It was eggs with avocado, pico de gallo, peppers, beans. I thought it would be a burrito without a tortilla. The meal seemed to be churned through a blender though. There were barely any avocados on the dish. It didn't taste bad, but definitely not what I was craving. At the end of the meal, the waitress came over and bribed us to move to the bar with drink tickets. They really want to turn tables over here. This isn't a place to sit and hang out all day, unless you plan on buying food and drinks continuously. I did get pretty drunk off my four mimosas though! Of course immediately following brunch I came home, took a nap, and popped some Advil to relieve my hangover from the cheap champagne. I guess I really am an old lady after all....
(3)Naomi T.
The brunch menu was basically what you would get anywhere else. Got the standard eggs and bacon and it was fine but nothing to write home about, but maybe that's my fault for picking that entree. What we really came for was the unlimited mimosas, and they really delivered in that department. The waiter was really attentive and constantly refilling our glasses, which was just what we needed to start the Fourth of July off right.
(3)Bruce M.
Came here for brunch with a group of 10 yesterday and had a good experience. We made reservations and the staff was on point with handling everything. Even though our party was about 10 mins late they got us seated immediately and poured us mimosas IMMEDIATELY. Before we could think about what to order we had drinks in hand. This is how AYCD brunch is supposed to be! The food: I ordered the "Deep South" which comes with chicken fried steak, eggs and a biscuit with sausage gravy. This meal was both enjoyable and filling. The chicken fried steak could have been seasoned a little better but I'm in NYC not New Orleans so it was good enough for NYC brunch standards. The biscuit was very good, nice and soft! And the sausage gravy was pretty good as well. The bottom line here is this meal was satisfying to my taste buds and my desire for a good value. I didn't leave here feeling like I got ripped off like I did at *ahem* the last brunch spot I reviewed. I'm giving Essex 4 stars for their brunch. Mainly because their staff did a very good job of getting my large party in, getting or food out and keeping our drinks full. Once again, I'm here for AYCD And if your keeping my drink full that's half the battle. Our server was friendly and did a good job of making sure we had everything we needed in a timely fashion. I would defiantly come back here if I had a large party. Most places either can't accommodate a party of 10+ or do a poor job at it.
(4)Melanie T.
I've been to Essex on two separate occasions; brunch, and happy hour. Brunch prices are decent, but my shrimp n cheesy grits was subpar with barely any cheese in my grits, and served lukewarm! Nothing peeves me out more than lukewarm foods that are suppose to be served piping hot. As for the drinks, you're allowed 3 drinks maximum of screwdrivers, bloody Mary's, or mimosas, which were pretty good. Make a reservation for weekend brunch because you'll be waiting until the end of time for a seat. For happy hour, it's jammed packed inside and the service was a bit shoddy. We had a large group, which is completely understandable, but the drinks took a while to arrive and came after our food came. Our waitress was MIA for majority of the night. Overall, Essex is okay-ish, but I wouldn't go back willingly.
(2)Laurie V.
Of all the places I miss in NYC, this is one of the ones I miss the most. I first came here in like 2004ish (whoa- over ten years ago) and it was a hot-spot for brunch. Unlimited mimosas, with generous pours. Plentiful entrees. I believe my go-to was called "The Southern", which was essentially biscuits and gravy. I think this venue was billed as latin/jewish fusion, which made for some interesting entrees (think latkes served with salsa....or something like that...I am sure it was way more scrumptious than what I'm describing it right now....) I had many a drunken Sunday afternoon here with my girlfriends. It would get pretty packed, but not if you went early enough. None of the other sleepy-heads were quite out of bed if you timed it right.
(5)Karen F.
Essex, you have been a delight! Here I was on a Saturday afternoon figuring out where to get brunch the next day with a friend from out of town. My other absolute favorite boozy brunch places need a reservation at least a month out in advanced and I was so upset that they were booked to the tea. Then, my other friend found Essex, called them up, asked if they accepted walk-ins, and they did! I will admit, it took me forever to find the place since there was a huge black awning, but I couldn't for the life of me find an entrance. The restaurant wasn't too loud/crowded ether and it was 11am! Where's everyone turning up before they have to go back to work? Oh well, it was a nice atmosphere. Brunch was delicious and perfect portions- we were stuffed. Each meal came with 3 drinks (your choice of mimosa, bloody mary, or screw driver) for $25 per person (before tax and tip). My friend saw the bartender pour a bottle of champagne into a pitcher, so we knew the drinks were strong. She also saw them use OJ concentrate... hrm. I got the salmon gravlax eggs benedict and it was very good. Our waitress was very attentive and knew when to swoop in and grab our empty glasses. There wasn't a time that we felt rushed to leave and the waitress even gave us an extra drink after we finished our meals and the tables were cleared! How wonderful!
(4)Tiffany I.
First let me address Doug the waiter and how amazing he was. We did the NYC restaurant week dinner menu which is limited but Doug still gave suggestion where is could especially in terms of drinks and desserts Between my table we ordered the oysters... I'm not too much a fan but but with the red sauce they were very good we also had the tacos (Delilah and some kind of dough balls - don't remember what they were called. Side bar : ally he drinks were two4one. Which was awesome. Dinner: I got the salon - very soft and flavorful but I wish there was areal side with it, like mixed vegetables or rice. The steak seemed to be very good as well which came with mashed potatoes. I happen to go into the restroom which was fairly clean I suppose. The reason I gave the place 4 stars is because it's not somewhere I would consistently eat. Great place great vibes... But more of a rAndom dinner night thing then somewhere I must go again
(4)Quoc L.
I wish my experience at this restaurant were as good as the TV show I'm watching on Netflix is. *Whispers* 3rd Rock From the Sun. Brunch until 8 o'clock-- lookin' good. $25 for a chicken fried steak and 3 mimosas... I... I guess. "How would you like your eggs?" Runny, sunny-side up. I wish I had the option of my biscuit burnt or not burnt because if you refer to my picture, that's not an attractive color for a biscuit. Sometimes I like to make a little sandwich out of my chicken. Biscuit, eggs, gravy, chicken, and more biscuit. There existed no structural integrity for that biscuit, I ate my chicken with a fork. Not bad, but now the biscuit had crumbled into a pile of grits. Cool, I suppose *whispers* not cool. For $25 I was hoping to get a bigger piece of meat and more gravy. I instead was given 3 eggs to fill the plate-- that was not runny as per not agreement. At least they got the sunny side up right. Tsk Tsk Tsk. Just counting down the stars. The mimosas were alright and so were the $1 oysters... but I can't seem to justify dishing out $50 for alright. This has been the friendly version of this review. To hear more colorful language, simply send me a text reminding me of my $50 dent closer to my credit limit.
(2)Aaron L.
Went with a party of 25 for a birthday. Got the top section all to ourselves with a private waiter named Mo. He was hands down the best server i have had in NYC. Our open bar deal meant our drinks were never empty and the service was impeccable. Food was delicious with great portions and the orange margaritas were out of this world. Would come back in a heartbeat.
(5)Amanda G.
I bought a voucher to treat my sister to dinner for her birthday. We made reservations and when we arrived, we were greeted by a very pleasant hostess and seated immediately. Our server came over and informed us that happy hour would be ending soon so, if we wanted to take advantage of their offerings, to order quickly. We decided to get a heaping pile of their dollar oysters. They were fresh and well prepared. We also got a few cocktails even though the voucher came with drinks since they were discounted. We each tried the Honey Pot and the Watermelon Martini, both of which were very good. For starters, we shared the Essex Famous Potato Pancakes with Gravlax and Salmon Caviar; NOM. They were SOOOOO good. For the second course, I had the Scallops atop Risotto which tasted great but the size of the meal was significantly smaller than other pictures I've seen of it. That was a bit of a let down; even the scallops were half the size of the normal serving and I am attributing that to the fact that we were using a voucher. It happens more often than not. My sister ordered the Salmon which was served with red quinoa and kale tabbouleh. It had a good taste but was a bit over for my liking; my sister on the other hand, likes her food well done so she was happy with the dish. We shared the Warm Molten Lava cake for dessert; it was as it is at most places, a lava cake. Nothing overwhelmingly special about it but it tasted good and we enjoyed it. We had a good night, save for the rambunctious and slightly belligerent group seated next to us but we were in our dining bubble and tried our best to enjoy our space and evening. We both left, wanting to return and I will definitely try them again.
(3)Molly S.
Came here for dinner on a Friday night ~7:30. It wasn't SUPER packed about 80%. We had a total of 4 people in our party, except some of us (me...) were really late. We had a reservation for 7:30, and two of us arrived on time, while two of us arrived at around 8. However, the hostess sat the two people who had arrived without us and they were able to order drinks and apps as they waited! This is the FIRST TIME i've EVER heard of this, it was great!! The service was pretty good, we all ordered the burger (no bun, no fries) and it was cooked well and really filling. The side salad was fresh, a little heavy on the dressing (a vinaigrette), I would recommend if you opt for a side salad instead of fries to ask for the dressing on the side. Great location for going out in the LES later. Nothing AMAZING on the menu, could have a larger menu with slightly more options.
(4)Erica J.
After 5 days exploring NY, my husband and I had our last real meal in the city here--brunch! We got reservations via OpenTable (very easy) and they called to confirm 2 days before. Their brunch deal is this: $25.99 gets you three drinks (mimosas, bloody Mary's or screwdrivers) plus a brunch entree. I had 3 mimosas and the "Aristocrat" which had two delicious potato pancakes, lightly smoked salmon, salmon caviar, 2 poached eggs, and greens/sour cream. My dish was fantastic and there was too much for me to finish! Combined with the booze I thought I got my money's worth. My hubby got bloody Mary's (he said they were just OK) and Classic Eggs Benedict. He would've liked more hollandaise sauce on his Benedict but he said it was good. Cool space, friendly waitstaff keeping your drinks coming, and good food--perfect last meal in NYC!
(4)Stephanie A.
I visited here for dinner with co-workers before heading to Escape the Room. I was stuck between giving it three and four stars, but I really had to go with four. The ambiance is awesome. Candlelit, open, spacious and very trendy place to hang out on the Lower East side. Really modern and chic atmosphere that is not pretentious. Our server was phenomenal. He was very patient, speedy and efficient, fun and humorous, and pretty much felt like family by the end of the night. We went with the open bar option, and normally wait staff tends to take their time when delivering drinks, he was RUNNING to us with them, that in and of itself deserves five stars! Such an awesome personality, I truly wish I remembered his name. We started with the DOLLAR OYSTERS, we got about two dozen for our table and they were delicious and came with lemons and two sauces, varying size oysters which is great. Such good bang for your buck. We decided to spring for the 60$ price fix menu option. This included unlimited drinks for 2.5 hours, an appetizer per person, and an entree per person. Totally worth the price! As I said earlier, the drinks were free flowing and strong yet delicious, perfectly made. We went through several pitches of regular mojitos, mango mojtos, white sangria and red sangria, ALL strong and delicious. The food...was OK, I was definitely not disappointed, but was definitely underwhelmed. My appetizer were the mussels in white sauce. Great tasting sauce, nice amount of mussels, but the mussels were so tiny, probably each one was the size of a fingernail. I guess the amount of mussels makes up for the size? For an entree I got the steak and mashed potatoes. I usually am very snobby about steak, the steak was OK but not the best I've ever had. I will say it was easy to eat and melt in your mouth good. The potatoes were bland. I tried a co-workers vegetable risotto, it was OK, but definitely not creamy enough! Co-workers who ordered the mac and cheese loved it. Really fun experience, decent food, great drinks, great price, I'd come back!
(4)Danielle P.
Came here on a Thursday night with a group of friends for happy hour drinks and dollar oysters. The good news is that they've got late night happy hour (begins around 8 and goes until midnight) so if you're the kind of person that's always stuck at the office until late (like myself) you can still enjoy some cheap drinks and happy hour vibes over at Essex We made a reservation for 9 pm, but it took a while for them to have a table ready for us. They were also out of a few essential drink ingredients (mango puree for their mango mojito which I hear is off the chain) but other than those few bumps our experience at Essex was a positive one. I recommend paying them a visit!
(4)Victoria L.
I came here for a bachelorette brunch celebration in NYC with 7 other girls and we had a pleasant experience here at Essex! Because we had a large group, we did the $35 prix fixe menu which offered the standard/main brunch items with 3 mimosas each. I ordered the challah French toast which was pretty decent. It came with small raspberries, strawberries, and a small scoop of banana fosters on the side. To be honest, I think I've tried better and fluffier French toast with a nicer presentation at other places. I also tried a little bit of the famous Aristocrat, it was pretty good as well. The service here was super friendly and even with a large party, the staff was accommodating. It's also a cute and casual atmosphere inside, and the noise level didn't get too loud either. I'm glad we tried this brunch place out!
(3)Katie Z.
Came here for Sunday brunch with friends. Before I continue, I must make note that their brunch lasts until 8pm! YEP, now that's a Sunday Funday. The wait wasn't long at all (I'm assuming because of the snow storm). I appreciate that they let us wait at a table while our friends were stuck in the snow and tried to make it. Our waiter was friendly and funny. We had the unlimited mimosas, of course, and our waiter was awesome at making sure that our glasses were never empty. I don't even remember what my friends ordered - all I know is that I totally won with the Lobster Benedict. They gave me a nice chunk o' Lobster! I was completely satisfied. The place gets crowded and loud but I felt like the tables weren't on top of each other like other places. Upstairs, there seemed to be private parties for birthdays. Not a bad idea. We sat. We ate. We drank. We stumbled out. I had a great time, can't wait to return.
(4)Karen R.
Essex is a fun boozy brunch spot for large groups. They are super accommodating if you make your reservation a few days in advance. They advertise three mimosas for their boozy brunch, but the waiters are pretty generous. There's a lot of natural lighting, so it's also a prime pick for any Instagram enthusiasts. They have a lot of nice vegetarian/pescetarian options, so if you have either of those dietary restrictions you should be fine ordering at Essex! I would note, however, that their menu lacks the sweeter brunch options.
(4)Gina S.
A nice escape from the Lower East Side crowd. I've gone for after dinner drinks at the bar. It usually ends up with ordering too many drinks and eating half the menu with friends. They have a nice mix of apps and dinner entrees. I love their specialty drinks, especially the one with St Germaine and mint. I've been here for brunch and it is a great deal. All you can drink and yummy food. It gets really crowded so I would make a reservation first..
(4)Chris C.
Came here for restaurant week with my boyfriend. Made a reservation at around 8:20 for 8:45 when a reservation at another restaurant fell through. After about 45 minutes when we only had our drinks, we were informed by 3 different people that a health inspector had come and they had to stop cooking in the kitchen. Didn't really mind though because they offered our next round of drinks on the house. Free drinks are always great!! Time went by super quick so we didn't really notice it had been that long anyway. Drinks are super strong and the mango lava lamp is DELICIOUS. Totally recommend that. Anyway, we ordered the pork tacos and the oysters but we actually had to change the oysters to the ahi tuna because they couldn't make that for some reason with the inspector in the kitchen. Both were great though. For entrees we had the pork tenderloin and the scallops with risotto. My boyfriend really enjoyed his pork. The risotto was so creamy and tasty. Scallops were cooked great. I'm writing this as we wait for our desserts--chocolate cake and raspberry sorbet; but idk how you can go wrong with either of those. Also, our waitress and another guy always came by frequently to check on us, to fill our water, and to take any of our empty plates. This is something really important to my boyfriend especially lol. I would definitely come back here just for the mango lava lamp cocktail. Literally the best cocktail I've ever had.
(5)Thuy H.
Best oyster/ happy hours in the city!!! Four of us ate 72 oysters for $1 each, 4 more appetizers, 8 drinks and the bill came out to be around $190!!! Such a good deal! JOY was our server and she is very helpful with suggestions for foods, drinks and was sooo nice!!! Great service and atmosphere to hang out and have great conversation with!!! It can be a little date spot for couples who love seafood such a lovely place and definitely will go back!
(5)Ana S.
After doing much research as to where to brunch in NYC, we decided to come to Essex. Awesome decision! We arrived around 1:30 and expected to wait at least 20 min to be seated, but we were seated upstairs right away! The hostess was super friendly and made us feel welcomed. Food was great, they had a good selection for thier brunch menu. Mimosas were on point. Our waiter Moe was one of the best waiters i've ever had in the city. Very attentive and friendly. Ambiance is upbeat, perfect place to go to with a group if friends. Essex has become one of our favorites and we are already planning our next trip here!
(5)Krish B.
Loved this place! Went with a group of 10 people for bottomless brunch and the service was incredible. Great food and many choices! Sue, our server was wonderful! Definitely recommend this place for big groups!
(5)Jenny M.
Went here for an birthday gathering with my girlfriends and we all had an amazing experience and can't wait to go back. We made an reservation for 6:30pm and I thought we would have wait even though we arrived on time but instead we were seated right away. The waitress was so friendly and sweet. They are currently offering restaurant week at this location but we came here for the regular dinner menu since it was happy hour plus on Wednesday they have a lobster special. The place is pretty loud with the background music but we were quite loud ourselves.
(5)Rikin K.
I would probably never come here gain, in the past 6months I've been here about 3times but this last time I had made reservations for a party of 15! We were seated promptly but that's where the positives about this place ends. We waited like 30mins before they took our order! Then we got the unlimited drinks and they server would come so slow and after a while she's like we won't serve you anymore I'm like what the hell. Don't come here if you're looking for a good brunch place!
(1)Glenn V.
What to say that hasn't been touched on yet with so many informative reviews? Well, here goes.. The reservation system through Open Table was seamlessly easy. Click the Drop down box for number of guests, date and time and your all set up. The follow-up call a day after to confirm, confirmed my suspicion that Essex will be packed at 2pm for a Saturday brunch. And packed they were. No question that the drinks flowed to me like milk and honey in our upper deck two top tier, that was located in the far back, a foot from a mystery door and a half a foot from the bar. This would typically be a great seat, referring to bar proximity but did not provide useful to me on this day. Infact it was a tad of a hindrance. The Shrimp and Grits sounded like a good bet for a later-day than usual hangover for food sustenance and for the most part was just that. The grits were a tad lumpy for my liking but did exhibit a flavor that I will continue to have fond memories of. Was there bacon in there?.. Three attractive sunny side up eggs topped the dish, peering up at me like a trout freshly plucked from the Three Mile Island fishing pier, yet lacked the run of the yolk which I do enjoy in my grits, bit let's not split hairs or my meal. "Kindly remove your fork, I don't care how good looking you are". The shrimp was not peel n eat size nor the tiny inconsequential size, which with a topping of blackened spicing worked quite well. An up-charge of $1.50 will buy you a side of jalapeno's which I had hoped would have been roasted, but still a worth while purchase. The drinks, well they were everything I had read about and more. Our very sweet server kept smiling and pouring even though her attention was needed for the same reason, everywhere and all at the same time.
(4)Julie T.
Excellent & creative food. Very busy place & noisy but fun. Great Bloody Mary's & mimosas. A definite must
(4)Lisa T.
Their happy hour is muy bueno! half off drinks (that are very strong) and $1 mussels. LOVE their salsa they give for the mussels but warning: they'll give you onion breath. Potato pancakes were not good. My favorite dish, which I introduced to all my friends who now love it, is the steamed mussels in red sauce. The red sauce tastes like gourmet tomato soup. I always drink it as a soup.
(5)Emily M.
Came here for brunch on a Sunday. The space is great, simplistic with high ceilings and tons of natural light. Music was fun, house-y and upbeat, and at a good volume. There were several people waiting to be seated but we were seated promptly within 10 minutes. Waitstaff are super friendly, shoutout to Mo, Isa, and Carlos ;) Their brunch deal is any entree plus 3 drinks. The bloody mary was delicious, good spiciness, not weak, but definitely weaker than their mimosas, which are mostly champagne with a splash of OJ, just how I like em. Price for the brunch is around $27. In my experiences with brunch deals which include drinks, the food is always sup-par, maybe cause they can get you drunk enough that you don't care. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the food here. My friend got French toast bananas foster, one of the best french toasts I have ever had, will opt for this in my future visits. I got the aristocrat, which was like a potato latke eggs benedict with huge pieces of raw salmon. Was hesitant at first, but salmon was SO fresh. There was a large group of bachelorette bitches brunching near us. I overheard a couple of them complaining about I have no idea what, but later I saw the server bring them all free bottles of champagne and shots of fireball sent by the owner/manager. We finished our food, and were pleasantly surprised to get a couple extra mimosas on the house. I inquired why the restaurant was so hospitable, giving us extra mimosa and the ladies next to us free shots. The server explained to me that the owner's philosophy is centered around customer satisfaction, and that the price of a few shots is nothing if customers genuinely had a good experience and could pass on the good review to others. I thought this was pretty intelligent, with our generation being so review/yelp crazed. But it truly does separate an establishment when you feel well taken care of. C'mon, this is NYC; you can find great food and drinks in A LOT of places, but feeling as welcome and taken care of as Essex made me feel is a rare find in the big apple. Will be sure to come back!
(5)Christine L.
So, first off, my review is for DINNER, not the bar or finger foods, which seem to be getting great reviews. I came here for my friend's birthday dinner on a Saturday night, and I was quickly disappointed. I asked our waitress, who was extremely nice and helpful, for some recommendations, and decided to try the duck, and decided to order the $1 oysters because, well, they're $1. The duck was EW. SO much fat it was painful to swallow (that's what she said?) and on top of that the dish was around $20. All the other dishes looked fairly unimpressive...I had a taste of the pork chops which were meh at best, the mac and cheese looked like easy mac with lots of melted cheese on top, and the burger looked like any other johnny rockets burger. The whole place was extremely loud and rowdy, and on two occasions someone screamed really loudly. So basically, this place gets a 2 and not a 1 because the waitress was soo nice considering the rowdy crowd, and the oysters weren't half bad. If I ever come back, it'll be to try the drinks or the brunch menu, but never again for dinner.
(2)Kevin M.
I come here much less now than before, but decided to give it a try again. Came here last Thursday night, it was the usual busy (not super busy at all). Let me just say simply. Service was from "A to Z", Yes "A to Z", horrible on all levels... The only good service was from the " Mexican busboy" That's it.... The food was half good, half not, their drinks were really just okay. The oysters and chirozo mussels are the best...., their apps are alright, a side of spinach is good too.
(1)Parisa S.
Awful. Just awful. I don't care that it's bottomless drinks and only $20 for brunch. There's no excuse for inedible food (or drinks with 0.005% alcohol content, for that matter). Way overrated, people.
(1)Victoria L.
$1 oysters! and their cocktails are delicious! happy hour is fun!
(4)Sophia J.
I actually like this place. Grabbed dinner with an old friend. Had the catfish which was very good and a watermelon martini. I would come back here again.
(4)Sonal S.
came here for brunch. Food was quite okay. But I wasnt too thrilled with the 22$ fixed brunch with the booze, since I would prefer OJ/ Coffee in the morning. Wont come back for brunch
(3)Lily C.
Good looking crowds, good flow of drinks, and nice service. However, the food was definitely lacking. I made reservation for 3 of us for sunday brunch. We got seated in a timely manner once everyone got there. The waitress was really nice and got our drink orders right away. When the food came, presentation was nice. However it was so greasy and i was dissapointed as my potatoes clumped ontop of my salad. eh wasnt good. Brunch was 22.95 + tax/tip, came out to be almost 30 a person. I dont think ill be back since there's better food for the same amt of price
(2)D S.
The $22.95 brunch special packs 'em in here. The food is serviceable, but the inclusion of three drinks makes this one of the best bargains in the Big Snapple. Our waitress, an Ali Lohan look-alike, was attentive and sweet and I never felt rushed. Oh, they also give you drink coupons at the end of your meal for MORE booze. What's NOT to love?!?!?!
(4)Jo D.
Went here last night - the music was amazing - great DJ - tasty drinks - Definitely want to come back for Brunch
(4)Anne K.
This is THE boozy brunch spot, and this is coming from someone with a lot of experience. Huge menu selection. Unlimited mimosas, blood mary's and/or screwdrivers. Awesome ambiance. And friendly service. A couple things: for the love of god, try the pancakes. I am an egg person, period. I always get eggs. But, when my friend and I geniously decided to split and omelet and the chocolate banana pancakes, I literally gobbled down my share of the pancakies within minutes. I wore those chocolate chips on my face with pride. Second, try all three of the drinks. I'm also not a bloody mary person, but this drink was a perfect blend of spicy and alcoholic. Yum. My BF deemed his screwdriver not strong enough and asked for his next refill to have more of a kick: I kid you not, they brought him a glass of vodka with a splash of orange juice. They don't skimp on the details here. Third, don't even THINK about coming here for brunch without a reservation. That being said, we were all 45 minutes late (I know, I know.... we're those people. I still blame the F train) and the restaurant was still able to accommodate us. Again, very friendly people here. Finally, and this might be the most important, you CANNOT drink alcohol until noon. NOON. Meaning, if you have an 11am reservation, that's right, you won't be served the boozy portion until noon. So, make a reservation for 11:45am to beat the 12/12:30 rush. Also, it is CASH ONLY for brunch. Plan accordingly.
(5)Suzanne B.
Brunch, Brunch, Brunch. EVERYONE goes here for the unlimited brunch which is fun and delicious. It is always packed on a Sat/Sun, always loud and lively with a DJ and at least four or five bday parties at a time. The food is all good but because of the crowds the service can lack. Make sure your entire party is on-time to early because they will not partially seat you but be prepared to wait a bit even with a rez.
(3)Megan C.
$22.95 for a brunch that includes three boozy brunch beverages. THREE. That really should be all she wrote, but I'll expand for those of you that need more motivation to visit Essex. (Weirdos.) $22.95 for a brunch that includes three boozy brunch beverages AND they have biscuits and gravy. I really don't know what else you could ask for. The mama, the roommate, the boyfriend and I left here yesterday pleasantly stuffed and sauced and not too much poorer. Love it!
(4)Chad T.
What a wonderful place for brunch! I had the lobster benedict, and I'm not sure exactly how they poach eggs like that. They're creamy on the outside... Like magic. You get your pick of OJ, Bellini, bloody mary, etc. Make sure to come by 11:30, otherwise forget it and go somewhere else in the neighborhood.
(5)Catherine C.
Been here for brunch, happy hour and dinner First off, brunch. Very good food. Comfort style entrees. I believe it was $18 for 3 bloody marys, screwdrivers, or mimosas and an entree. It was a GOOD brunch. Happy hour is from 6-9pm with half off drinks, which equals a FUN TIME. Now for dinner, I've been there on a Wednesday and a Thursday. Their Wed dinner special is maine lobster for $16. WORTH IT! Their Thur special is $1 oysters, which are amazing. I love oysters!
(4)Alex C.
This is a place for big groups of ppl that want to get really, really drunk on the weekends. That's honestly the only scenario I can imagine this place being enjoyable.
(1)Andrea S.
you would think that a place with a link on their site for "brunch parties" would have their act together. and you would be wrong. i called essex three weeks in advance (call #1) to plan a surprise birthday brunch and spoke to a lovely helpful woman who booked me for a large table in a private-ish area in the front balcony. she told me to confirm the table at least 5 days in advance - so i did (call #2). this is when i found out that if it's 14 people or more, it's $28 pp but 13 or less is $23. for the same food/drinks. um, ok. then, final phone call, 2 days before, to make sure it was noted that it was a surprise party and all the details were set. wonderful, sounds great. except saturday afternoon rolls around, and we are seated on the main floor at the very back (next to the kitchen) at a table made up of several tables pushed together into an L shape (so a couple people were squeezed in a corner while others had their back to them). i literally sat with my legs on top of my friend's, whose chair was added on to the end of the booth. and this makeshift table was ready AFTER our scheduled reservation time (uhh, surprise!!). please, essex, add insult to injury. after we spent $400 on brunch, which includes 3 drinks, they told us they needed the table for people who were waiting (wouldn't that have been a non-issue if we had gotten the originally reserved private table upstairs??), threw a bunch of tickets at us for drinks and told us to have our last round at the overcrowded bar. seriously. food was fine, the waitress was great about refilling drinks and their pancakes are good - this is the ONLY reason there are 2 stars here and not one. not worth the time and effort - take your group of friends elsewhere.
(2)Jister Y.
Come here if you like mimosas and want to get drunk^^ on a Saturday afternoon. The food is okay, the atmosphere is loud and live, but the brunch deal is pretty darn good. :)
(3)Shannon C.
I came to Essex based on a friend's recommendation as Essex beinga fun, party style restaurant to grab mimosas and brunch. After having a 12:45 reservation, my group of 4 didn't get seated until AFTER1:45pm. The hostess was unfriendly, and continued to tell me only 10 more minutes when I would check in on our wait. This place was TOO crowded, and managed absolutely POORLY. There was only horribly crowded standing room in the bar area. In this same bar area, there were a few tables were actually trying to dine...not sure how happy they were with the experience of drunk people bumping into them throughout the meal. In addition to that, we noticed waiters trying to dodge crowds as they were running fresh food plates to customers on the other side of the restaurant. Talk about health code problem. I will never return and tell all of my friends too. Food was also bland. I got the Matze Scramble, and had to overdose it in hot sauce and pepper to add flavor. The only friend of mine that was happy with her food ordered the Eggs Benedict...I don't see this as making up for my meal, since if you screw up Eggs Benedict as a restaurant then you really know you've failed as an establishment. Don't forget, that CASH only was frustrating, and not announced to us by the waiter before ordering. Finally, as soon as we finished eating, they cleared each person's plate one at a time. Not all at once (bad etiquette) and dropped the bill. We actually heard the hostess say drop the bill so they get up asap. NEVER GO HERE
(1)David G.
Great brunch place! I've never seen Essex empty which is usually a good sign. The atmosphere is fun and young, the food is delicious, and the booze usually keeps flowing. All in all this is a great spot to have brunch with friends on the weekends.
(5)Jennifer B.
Oh my! My friend had a Groupon here so we decided to stop in on a Wednesday. Who knew that it was also lobster night. The place was super crowded but we were able to snag some seats at the bar. I ordered the lobster special ($18 for a lobster, corn and potatoes) and my friend got the burger. Happy hour runs until 9PM, so we got a drink (or two) while waiting for our food. The restaurant had run out of bread and service was particularly slow. The bartender kept apologizing for the wait and offered us a free round of drinks. She said the kitchen was slammed because it was the last day to use the Groupon. I can't really complain, because my share only cost me $22 with tax and tip. And let me tell you what a steal this was: one lobster dinner + three oysters + two martinis for $22 = Happy Jenn!
(5)Diana H.
I came here for brunch and it is quite the scene. I made reservations through open table for 1130am got there at 1115 and was seated right away (good thing too because at noon people were waiting outside to get in!) I can see why it is so popular, they have fun and innovative brunch items and you get to pick from screw driver, mimosa and bloody mary any 3 in combination for $20!! AMAZING.. they were so strong I had to stop after 2 screw drivers! The scene is vibrant and loud which is fun if you are with a group of friends. The only bad thing is it is very tight so you get bumped into a lot from people trying to get to their table and there is no place to put your bag because a table of 4 literally only fits 4 people and their food.
(4)Yelp T.
I don't know where to start. I called Essex to make sure my reservation was set since I was bringing visitors here to get the ultimate NYC brunch experience. As soon as I arrived, our table was ready with Eva, our waitress ready to take our drink order. She was very attentive (even though I can be a bit picky at times, asking for celery, no ice, this, that, and more) and happy to be waiting on us. Her sidekick, Kevin was also there to give us drinks, and anything else we needed. We were treated so nicely there, I was so humbled by the staff. Needless to say the food matched the service as everyone thoroughly devoured their entrees. I had the corned-beef hash and I am still freaking out about how savory the dish was. My hubby had it the last time we were here and forgot to give me a bite (typical) because it was so good - thus I know I had to try it. He had it again and continued to scarf the corn-beef and potatoes so I'm glad I ordered a plate of my own. My friend had the baked eggs and loved it. Her husband had the mac and cheese and I almost fainted when I tried it because it was so delicious. Not enough great things to say about our experience at Essex. We left happier, tipsier people full of laughter, smiles and satisfied bellies! This was all thanks to Eva, Kevin and the staff at Essex. Thank you Essex..thank you.
(5)Jade W.
I went for the oyster happy hour. The oysters themselves weren't very fresh and rather rubbery. The blood orange margarita was to die for! Everything else seemed rather mediocre on the menu. Probably would go back but not very often.
(2)Benoit D.
My favorite place for brunch in this city. Always an amazing crowd, service is most of the time excellent. Prices are great, music is cool, drinks are great. OK, so this place is the perfect place if you want to get a drunch. This place is just perfect !
(5)Elaine L.
I've only been here with out of towners. The first time was great then the 2nd and 3rd time weren't even close to the first impression. Drinks were pre-made and sitting there. You'll notice when you see a layer of melted ice floating above your bloody mary. The bread that comes before your meal looks like it should be warm but it's not. Feels more like it just came straight from the bag. The food is not bad, just ok. Portions are big though. I rarely go to brunch where it comes with alcohol anymore bc most of the time it's watered down. I rather pay for a good drink than to have a bad one tacked onto my meal. Waste of stomach space. I grow out of places I once liked quickly. Ny gives you that option.
(3)Denis S.
$16 for Brunch and 3 drinks! Wooooo. Well, the problem is that the food is definitely not worth it, and the drinks don't make up for it. The mimosas were watered down, and while I heard the bloody Mary's were strong, that's just not my drink of choice. The place was also crowded with people who were way too dressed up for a Sunday afternoon and had way too much attitude to boot. To top it all off, we were asked to leave our seats early so that the huge line of people waiting to sit down could move a bit. Yes, they did give us free drink tickets. What kind of drinks do you think we could get with those tickets? Yup, more of the same. If the first three weren't worth it, the fourth one won't be much better. 3 stars means I'd wouldn't prefer to come here, but I wouldn't fight it if people wanted to go.
(3)Jeanne C.
Great brunch spot. Used to come here tons because I lived in the same street corner on Essex/Rivington. The ambiance is definitely Sex and the City-esque. Great spot to go with your girlfriends. Best thing about it is the CHEAP prices. Supposedly comes with 3 drinks, but they really refill your drinks unlimited to the point where you're plastered, having a great time, and speaking 100 decibels above normal hearing. I usually get the standard brunch choice, eggs and chicken apple sausage. Yum. I love this place. The only negative thing might be the wait. Even with reservations in advance, you could still be waiting 30-45 minutes when you get there, and they won't seat until your whole party arrives. Sometimes they'll comp you drinks at the bar while you're waiting, which is nice.
(4)Katie Z.
By the reviews I've read, you go here for the boozy brunch (3 drinks and choice of food for $16 is a damn good deal).... but we went for dinner. On the weekdays, happy hour runs from 7-9pm and includes 1/2 priced drinks. Sweet! I ordered the green tea vodka/pimms/lime and mint cocktail and it was, well, weird. Not bad...but not good either. Just sort of weird. It had this faintly familiar taste of something I couldn't place but I think was something between candy and melted plastic. So I switched to Pinot Noir for my next drink. We got the cheeseburger empanadas to start. They are much like they sound. Hamburger and cheese encased in a fried, doughy empanada served with a Russian dressing-like dipping sauce on the side. Healthy? No. Tasty? Yes. As an entree, I got the lamb chops served with ricotta gnocchi and spinach with mushrooms and red peppers. This was excellent. The meat (3 beautiful chops) was perfectly cooked. The gnocchi was pan fried and crispy and so, so buttery and amazing. The spinach was very flavorful, too. It was great. We shared the Peanut Butter "Sigh" Pie a la mode as a dessert. It is this creamy peanut butter pie in what appeared to be a crust made of sugar. It was amazing, and rich, and decadent. I'm going to have to go back for a boozy brunch, since that's what everyone writes home about, but dinner was good and I could easily have done more damage than I actually did with that 1/2 price happy hour. Brownie points for me!
(4)Annette V.
I went to Essex for brunch recently with some friends and we really weren't expecting much from the food. I mean, $22.95 for a brunch that includes three drinks? How good could the food be? I'm pleased to report that we were very pleasantly surprised by how awesome the food ended up being. I went with the potato pancakes - crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and all around delicious (especially the apple & honey cream sauce). The side of shiitake-black bean hash was an odd pairing with the potato pancakes, but it was still quite tasty. I sampled my fellow diners' dishes - chocolate-banana pancakes, Mexican scramble, and manchego mac & cheese - and all were delicious. We all enjoyed the wonderful mimosas, which were refilled from a pitcher. Essex lost us a bit in the end, though, when we were asked to give up our table for drink tickets. That part was fine - what was not fine was the rude bartenders who initially screwed up our drink order and, when they finally gave us the screwdrivers we ordered, seemed to have forgotten to include the vodka in the drinks. All in all, though, Essex was a solid brunch spot and I would definitely recommend giving it a try. Tip: remember that brunch is cash only!
(4)Lauren C.
Dear Essex - Where do I begin? Our love affair has been going on for years, and even though you keep upping the stakes (and you're brunch prices), I can't help but come back for more of your sweet mimosa indulgence. The menu says "3 drinks with meal," but I've never left there knowing how many drinks your sweet pitchers have filled. Nor, do I ever leave sober. After a trip to Essex, the day never ends with, "great, see you later tonight." The day continues right into the night... and into the wee hours of the morning. When we finally get home, I dream of a rendezvous with you the next morning....
(4)Amy G.
Went for brunch on a Sunday. Had a reservation but had to wait 45 minutes for a table. Were crammed by the door and the bar with no real room to either head to the bar or relax and wait. The space is pretty cool, some baseball installation on the wall but when I actually looked at it only saw the large amount of dust and dirt. The brunch menu was just ok and the food was not that great. Got the french toast and was pretty underwhelmed. The best part was the drinks. Menu says you get 3 drinks with the meal but the waitress just kept on refilling as the glass went down so ended up with much more than 3 drinks. Kept getting served drinks until food was done. In order to get us to leave the table gave each person 2 free drink tickets for the bar which was pretty great but by that point wanted to head out. Passed them onto other people who were still stuck waiting for their table.
(2)Sara H.
Being able to make a reservation for 7, thereby skipping the crowded Sunday brunch waiting area - 5 stars Seated almost immediately upon arrival - 4 stars Intensely onion-flavored rolls for the table upon sitting down (rather than after hemming and hawing over the menu for half an hour before ordering) - 3 stars Mimosas with far more OJ than champagne- 2 stars Large and filling omelette, though its ingredients were poorly mixed and I was underwhelmed by the quality and flavor of the goat cheese and large tomato and spinach chunks- 3 downgraded to a 2 Coffee not included- 1 star Cappuccino made with dirt-flavored coffee- 2 stars Very loud and crowded atmosphere- 2 stars Overall score- 2 stars
(2)Tanya B.
You can't beat this brunch, which makes sense that it's always way, way, way too crowded and crazy. It's worth it, but not a spot to just pop into or if you have a straggler in your party. Went here for dinner for the 1st time tonight and just loved it! We went on the early side. Relaxed, pleasant atmosphere. The cocktail happy hour is incredible, the entrees are delectable and well balanced but wonderful sized portions. I feel like that's a nearly impossible combo to find anywhere. I ordered the potato cake, super yummy but have to say the truffle oil wasn't very pronounced, I'm going to try the chicken with pine nuts and figs next time. Our waitress Naomi was absolutely stellar. Her recommendations were spot on. Love a waitstaff who's taste you can trust. For cocktails, the watermelon martini is amazing, a perfect summer treat.
(5)Lauren M.
Came here for Brunch on Saturday. The place was pretty packed but we got seated quickly. They say its 3 mimosas but we ended up having about 6 by the time we left and to get us up from the table our waitress gave us another drink ticket. Can't complain about that. Food was good, I had the Aristocrat... delicious. It was the perfect place for a Boozy Brunch with some girlfriends.
(4)monica y.
I came here for dinner both times. It's a meh. We sat upstairs and it was way more secluded and romantic rather than sitting in the noisy downstairs area. I had roasted duck and it was okay. It wasn't good enough for me to want to come again for dinner, but I still would like to try brunch since everyone raves about the unlimited mimosas. When youre that drunk, everything tastes spectacular. I always do space out for several minutes why they chose to super glue white tennis balls to the wall. It works 100% of the time, 60% of the time.
(3)Lama B.
Essex remains a 3. That said, I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner and drinks experience last night, but I cannot graduate it beyond a 3 when it comes to flavor and creativity. If only there were a 3.5... We snagged a table for 7 and made our way over for a late dinner at 10 pm. I was the last to arrive, and our table was bustling with martinis, laughter, and a competition to see who's cat was cuter. I think we won. I'm just saying. After ordering my standard vodka martini with 3 olives, I ordered the mussels with chorizo and tomato sauce, and George ordered the steak. The table had lamb chops, mac and cheese, french fries, and sword fish. The highlight of my night was the martini. It was honestly perfect and I wanted to remember to ask the bartender how he made it but I forgot. It had just the right amount of martini, was smooth and ice cold. I must admit I had more than one...ok maybe 3..dont judge me. The tomato sauce with the mussels was spicy and deep, bathing the perfectly tender morsels of mussel. The disappointing part of the dish was the chorizo which tasted more like chopped hot dog meat and lacked any flavor of its own. I think without it, this dish would have been a home run. The cheeseburger empanadas and lamb chops were not very good at all, and tasted fatty and burnt. The steak was good, and the swordfish was decent. With the exception of the lamb chops, there was nothing really wrong with any of the execution, but the food is very mid range. We had the peanut butter cake and the coconut cake for dessert, as well as the blood orange sorbet. All were ok, but nothing stood out enough to compel any of us to finish even half of them. All in all the music was great, the service was excellent, the place is really happening, but the food is simply OK. Would definitely go back for drinks or a casual dinner. Oh. And another martini.
(3)Andrea L.
I need to get around to brunching here bc of all the buzz, but I'm afraid of all the socialite wannabe types.... Nevertheless, dinner at Essex with a deal courtesy of scoutmob was successful. There was a ton of stuff on the menu that made me salivate just by reading, but to be honest I don't remember anything except the braised pork belly sliders: decadent, savory, balanced with the sweet tang of onions... I want more! (3.5 stars)
(4)Quana C.
I like anything that includes 3 drinks in the price and under 25 bucks! Brunch was good here. I had a very hard time trying to narrow down what I wanted and finally decided on The Southern. Sausage patty with a biscuit, gravy and scrambled eggs. Very nice. My gravy was a lil luke warm but the eggs under neath were steaming hot....very weird. The sausage patty was good the eggs ok and the gravy was so-so. Our waitress was ok she got what we needed when we needed it. I made it through 2 mimosas and still have a drink ticket for one that I will be using because I am so going back for that burger topped with a short rib.......which is what I should have got...but there is always next time.
(3)Hava C.
If I could give this place a zero, I would. The food is probably the worst I have ever had in a "restaurant", the service is less than mediocre and I wish I could get a refund on my meal. Calamari is half cold by the time it gets to your table and the Mac and Cheese is not even something I would expect from an amateur chef! How do you screw up a simple Mac and Cheese?...By having it at the Essex apparently. The chef should be fired and the menu and service leave much to be desired. Avoid at all costs, you'll be doing yourself a favor.
(1)Alyvia M.
I was told that we would be waiting in line for hours. I was scared that we wouldn't eat before 3pm, but was pleasantly surprised when we were immediately seated upstairs overlooking the entire restaurant. My mimosas were refilled before I was able to notice that the glass was empty, the eggs were poached perfectly, and the bialys were delicious! I wasn't a fan of their home fries, but it really didn't matter because I was so full off the crab cake benedict that I didn't care. The potato pancakes with the shiitake spinach black bean hash was TO DIE FOR, the mixture of savory and sweet was awesome. It also had a beautiful array of textures, from crunchy to soft. The bill was so cheap, it was a steal! I will be back soon!
(4)Amanda P.
Well the hostess told me we couldn't sit at our table we made a reservation for because the people sitting there have dementia. I asked her if she would kindly tell them that someone is waiting for their table and she would not. So they finally sat us in a tiny, cramped space where my friends had to sit with their stomachs pressed against the table so the busboys could get to their plate station next to us. When we asked if we could move they said no and when we asked if we could order they said not yet, someone has my electronic device. So we said actually we are going to leave and they acted pleasantly pleased and not at all concerned that they were losing three customers. blahhhhhhh
(1)Laura T.
Came here with my girls for my birthday brunch back in April and had a good time. Like everyone is saying, reservations are a must. Even though we had a reservation (Sunday early afternoon) they still made us wait about 20-30 minutes .. this place is THAT poppin', especially for brunch. For the price, you can't beat the unlimited pouring on the drinks. (Hope you're a drinker like I am :P) My girls and I all agreed the food was good, no complaints there. Most of them had some sort of egg/meat dish while I decided to give into my sweet tooth and went for the challah french toast with banana foster sauce and fresh fruit. Our server, though a bit consumed with waiting on most of the tables upstairs(I would be too if I had to), was still friendly and willingly took pictures for us. One or two things to make note of, brunch is cash only and I wouldn't suggest getting the bloody mary's. I'm not a bloody mary drinker but when I tasted my friend's drink it was wayyyyy too peppery. Stick to the screwdrivers or mimosas. Still haven't tried this place after work or for dinner but for brunch, I'll be back.
(4)Natalya R.
My best friend been trying to make come here for over a year now. The wonderful part is their brunch is until 9. Awesome! They have unlimited mimosa, bloody mary and some other drinks. The food was good but its not a place I would go back to.
(3)Carol K.
Came here for lunch in September with four girlfriends. We were in New York and heard good things about brunch. We have heard that it gets crowded for brunch. We got there around 11 a.m. and there was no wait. Once we sat down, we saw the crowd come in. It was supposed to be three drinks with drink. We just ordered one and the waitress just came and kept refilling. She was great. Brunch was pretty good. I got the Scallops and that was so yummy!!! Would definitely come back for brunch when in New York!!
(4)Angela L.
Mediocre. Went there for a Saturday brunch and it was not what I expected. Their brunch menus are $23/person and cash only. It does, however, include 3 bloody marys, screwdrivers, or mimosas. You cannot switch between the 3. And if you prefer non-alcoholic drinks like coffee, it go toward your 3 drinks, but you cannot order any of the alcoholic drinks as your 2nd and 3rd. The mimosa was too strong, the screwdriver was diluted, and the regular orange juice was not even cold. The food was decent, but was not worth the $23 even if it included drinks. The names were fancy, portions were good, the taste just wasn't special enough. Almost every item contained eggs. The scallops weren't bad. The steak was okay too. My party thought the food came off a buffet line instead. The service was also not too good. We were ignored a lot.
(2)Diana Z.
Essex is a very popular brunch spot in LES - as evidenced by the huge crowd that shows up every weekend. Their menu is huge and very interesting, although I wouldn't say the food was actually that memorable. For $22.95 you get your choice of entree with 3 boozy drinks (mimosa, bloody mary, or screwdriver) starting at noon. You can swap out a drink for juice or coffee/tea but then what's the point? You shouldn't expect to get hammered from these drinks anyways (not very strong). If you're looking for a brunch spot with a few imbibement choices for a group - this is a decent choice.
(3)Mark L.
I finally went to Essex for brunch with my fiance on Sunday (off on Monday for President's Day) and enjoyed it. The place was packed, which was annoying but expected, so I bought two bloody mary's for $4 each (very reasonable, but tasted just OK). We sat down only after a 5-10 minute wait. Our waitress was super-friendly and she was on-point with refills. I order the Aristocrat and it was simple, yet delicious. I love that they serve potato pancakes. Yes, it's more drinking-oriented but you really can't beat the price.
(4)Melissa T.
Def. coming back here! Big portions & the servers are very attentive & constantly refilled our mimosa flutes. My eggs Benedict were a bit luke warm but great none the less. We (friend & I) tipped our servers well & they refilled out flutes one last time (making it my 6th drink & my friends 5th) & even received a free drink ticket for the bar. Sunday brunch price ($23) was definitelyyyyyy worth it.
(4)Eugene K.
I didn't want to go in but the gf insisted because it was right across the street from the bar we were meeting friends. We walk in and the place is empty. The staff was having there "specials" meeting in one of the front tables. Very discrete. A couple just walked in before us so they were seated upstairs. Not sure why because the whole place was empty. But we waited for the hostess who came back, answered the phone and proceeded to take a phone reservation, which lasted a good 10 minutes. Finally, she gets off and leads us to a table...upstairs...RIGHT NEXT TO THE COUPLE IN FRONT OF US. I looked around and there were empty tables upstairs throughout. If you haven't been to the tables upstairs, there's a good foot of space between each table of two. It made absolutely no sense. I asked if we could have a different table and was told that they're all reserved. fuck you very much. Don't get the wasabi crusted salmon.
(1)Jamiyla C.
I loooove the brunch drink special. The Bloody Mary's are yum and hit the spot! My French toast was also nothing to sneeze at. What sucked was the crowd. And I mean crowd. Folks were rolling up in this joint like it was an afternoon club! Pushing like they all forgot how to form the words "excuse me." Not a good thing for when a small, hungry woman just wants to eat. I made reservations for a friend's birthday at 1p yet we weren't seated until 1:30, 1:45p. What the hell is the point of taking reservations? If it weren't for the good brunch and drinks, I'd never return to this place. But this combo can sometimes be hard to find so what the heck? Until Essex can work on their ambiance (or boot all the jerks on the junks), they gets no real love.
(2)Michael L.
Based only on their signature brunch which is $23 and includes 3 mimosa/bloody marys/screwdrivers and is CASH ONLY. I ordered the Cubano, and the wifey ordered the Aristocrat. The aristocrat consists of a potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & poached eggs. The bread that was served reminded me of the everything bagel but it was a roll, and was served cold. The drinks are rather strong so its a good place to get a little tipsy. The service was good, and they made sure the drinks came on time. My cubano sandwich was pretty good too, the roast pork was yummy. I wish it had a pastry basket of some sort with croissants, muffins, different breads, toast, etc. Also the waitress automatically refilled my drink without asking me if I wanted to change my drink (which I did). However, the food was good and the alcohol was welcome. May or may not come back
(3)Tiffany D.
Brunch menu is extensive, so there's something for everyone. Hubs had the Deep South, which consists of a pretty excellent chicken fried steak served with sausage gravy and biscuits. I got the corned beef hash with scrambled eggs. The corned beef was shredded, but I prefer ground. Loved the mimosas, which they seemed to continually refill throughout the meal. Make sure to bring cash for brunch! And keep in mind the entrance to the place is actually on Rivington, not Essex.
(4)Cathia L.
I came here with my cousin for her 21st birthday, we wanted to start her day with a nice brunch and drinks. The food was okay, nothing you wouldn't find at any old diner. What set it apart was the 3 drinks that came with your meal. This place is crazy packed, hardy anywhere to stand and wait for your table. We had a reservation and still ended up waiting for over an hour.
(2)Sam S.
GREAT Happy HOUR: $1 oysters, 1/2 off all drinks. Sun-Friday 5pm-8pm. But drinks are inconsistent. Staff is bad. they have some regulars that are just not worth dealing with.
(2)Dirk S.
Went there this morning for a brunch. Must admit, I did have high expectations. Many good stories and the pics of the lofty location were promising. Turned out to be a disappointment. Over-priced low quality food. This seems to be the place where people go because it is hip to go, not because of the quality. Maybe the three cocktails included in the price had something to do with it.
(2)Gabriela R.
Know before you go... The food here is amazing! This is their only saving grace. Breakfast potatoes...amazing! The CEO...scrambled eggs with chorizo, onions and jalapenos...amazing! Chocolate and banana pancakes...amazing! But...after having made reservations for Sunday brunch, our party still had to wait over an hour to get our table. The hostess stands is in the middle of the restaurant after the crowded bar so to get to her is quite challenging. As for our server, he spilled water on one of our guests and was annoyed when we had to ask him twice for extra napkins to clean his mess. There are some reviews that mention an all you can drink brunch. This is not true. On the menu it's clearly stated that your brunch only includes 3 drinks - your choice of bloody marys, mimosas or screwdrivers. This isn't terrible unless you make the mistake of ordering mimosas. Our server would refill our glasses before we were done with them. When we asked him about this he assured us that he always did this and would refill our glasses four or five times to make up for the difference. By the end of our brunch I had only received 2 glasses before he took my glass away. I guess he didn't like that we had questioned him. LIke I said...food amazing...service terrible...
(3)Stephanie O.
Living in the LES, I was surprised to have never noticed this place. I've passed by it numerous times, noticed the yellow banner, but never really took notice. I finally took notice when I bought a gift certificate and checked it out on Sunday. I made reservations through OpenTable so you wouldn't expect to wait to be seated after making reservations, right? WRONG!!! I'd waited a good 15 minutes to be seated. I was feeling pretty salty by the time I was finally seated but I didn't want to ruin my Sunday afternoon so I went with a positive attitude. And it's a good thing I did. Essex's servers more than compensated for the long wait by promptly serving my order. I had their baked eggs with home fries and a side of salad. The brunch menu includes 3 mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloody marys. I'd love to give Essex 5 stars, but the long wait and scenesters (get a life, people :-D ) were annoying. I'll be back soon again though :-)
(4)Kaylyn C.
I went here for my birthday because I was sent a promotional opportunity in the mail. It claimed there would be a free premium cocktails for my guests, access to a V.I.P lounge, cupcakes, and a four hundred dollar bottle of vodka. My guests did get in for free. I was told that "there is no guarantee your guests will sit together." We had to push two tables together ourselves. When all of my guests arrived the man, seemingly in charge said, "Can I help you?" I informed him that all my guests arrived and he said, "That's like six people." Luckily, the rest of my guests came to greet me there. He then said, "Fine, bring them the bottle." It looked like a twenty five dollar one from the liquor store. There were only a few cupcakes for fifteen people. Needless to say, I am never going to go to this establishment again and I am encouraging all of my family, friends, coworkers, and acquaintances to do the same. I feel sorry for the wonderful staff who was trying to accommodate us, but that man was downright despicable. I am the most professional; person in the world and very easy to please, but this upset me so deeply that I had to let others know.
(1)Kenny C.
My foodie road dog, and I decided to have Brunch at Essex. I rarely travel below Houston St., so I was looking forward to this trip to the L to the E to the S! I knew in advance to make a reservation. So I went to handy dandy Opentable to make a reservation. Even though I secured a reservation I knew I would still have to wait. So be forewarned - a reservation will get you in, but not necessarily at the time you booked. If you have after Brunch plans, please be sure to manage your time wisely. Essex's entrance is located on Rivington St., despite an Essex St. address. This entrance was formally the northern entrance to the Essex Street Market. Once you turn the corner onto Rivington, you know you've arrived, as you'll be met by a swarm of people waiting to be seated. I fought my way to the hostess stand, in the middle of the restaurant, and was told it would be another 10/15 min. Not bad as I expected an minimum of one hour. I used the time to check out the space. Once you're inside the restaurant space is light and airy, thanks to the large windows on the Essex street side of the building. To your right is a big well stocked bar, straight a head are the main dining and rear loft dining areas. Above the entrance is the front loft dining space. Opposite the bar is the "tennis ball" art piece, which I fail to "get". I'm pretty quick and usually get modern art, but I need translation for this piece. This piece looks like a double fault to me! We're seated at a table on the rear dining loft. Even though noise rises, I feel the loft spaces are not as loud as the lower level. Our Server Cat (who might I add was fab-u-lous) greets us and gives us the rundown on how brunch works. Before we had to time to thank her, two mimosas appeared, hey it doesn't hurt to sit next to the bar. My friend ordered the Eggs Benedict and I ordered a salad, one egg over easy, a side of chicken apple sausage and an order of plain pancakes. My salad arrived, it was nice light and refreshing. While awaiting our entrees we struck up a convo with the ladies next to us. One ordered the Mexican scramble, and claimed it is super popular. The other order the French Toast and for a minute I wondered if I made a mistake as the French Toast looked sooooo fluffy and light. She said that the French Toast was really good, but the sauce was way too sweet for her taste. Our entree's arrived, sans the egg and sausage. A few minutes later the sausage arrive. About five minutes later a rock hard fried egg appeared and was quickly sent back. The egg returned and finally I just told our server to take it off the menu. How can you not prepare an egg over easy?? The Eggs Benedict smelled wonderful and my pancakes were huge, light and fluffy. They get a solid 9. If the butter was softer and syrup warm, they would have received a perfect 10. I was underwhelmed by the chicken Apple Sausage, as I've had better. Overall this is a nice spot and despite the minor snafu's the food is solid and very good portions for the price. I would head here again as I like the fast paced energy and free cocktails. If you're looking for a laid back brunch spot, this is not the place. Note: Brunch is Ca$h only.
(4)Ronda M.
My girlfriend and I had to wait almost an hour for a table because I arrived a few mins later than my reservation. The wait was worth it because our brunch was splendid! I ordered the crab cake benedict with home fries and mixed greens and my friend ordered the Sunday platter. Loved the Mimosa too! Overall, great food and drinks. I plan to go back to try other dishes. My eye is on the Mexican Matzo Brei.
(4)Gracie G.
BEST BRUNCH EVER. + Sunday - $22.00 for brunch item and 3 brunch drinks (but they don't keep track and keep on pouring as long as you're there so it's basically unlimited) Mimosas are GOOD - perfect mix of bubbly and OJ + Ambiance - looks like crap on the outside - is SUPER bright and spacious on the inside with almost ceiling to floor windows = light everywhere and very airy. + Food is pretty good too - the Eggs Benedict were great although I didn't like the potatoes so much and I made the mistake of trying them with lobster - which meant the eggs were hot and lobster was cold. Won't do it again. I loved that they put only a dollop of hollandaise sauce - I despise when some places drench the eggs with this fattening sauce - ruins everything. + Our waitress was really cool - great about ordering, filling drinks etc. Finally, she gave us an extra ticket for yet another drink at the bar downstairs lol. Boozy brunch accomplished - Does get PACKED after 1pm... b/c apparently NYC doesn't serve alcohol on Sundays until noon, so everyone comes after noon. We were lucky to get there at 1145am and snag a good table and have space to eat before the massive crowd. Try getting there before 1 if possible. - Bathrooms are TINY. - Brunch is CASH ONLY. Still - loved it - will be back!
(4)Kaimin N.
Amazing happy hour!! Half price off all the drinks, even the fancy cocktails!! $1 oysters all night long! For food i defnitely recommend the beef sliders... they were tender and juicy and tasty! I tried my friends' dishes - the lamb loin and filet mignon were really good too!! Weird thing is when the waitress asked my friend how she wants her pork done... aren't we supposed to eat pork well-done?! Well, so she said however the chef thinks is the best way to cook it.. and she got hers tender and she didn't get any virus from it so I guess it's all good. will definitely be back for the Lobster wednesday!!
(4)Colin L.
I came here for brunch with a bunch of people for a friend's birthday. Several people in our party were very late, and although they didn't let us sit down, they held our table which was nice. Their brunch menu is fairly extensive and a pretty good deal, lots of food and three drinks for $23. The food, however, was thoroughly mediocre. Those onion "rolls" that they have out on the table are dry and terrible. I had the eggs benedict witht he salmon which was bland and boring. The home fries it came with were bizarre, sweet and undercooked, and weird. The bloody marys were nice and spicy, which I like, but something tells me they were so spicy in order to hide the fact that they have no flavor. I don't know, people seem to love this place, and the setting seems to allow for a pretty sweet backdrop for facebook pictures of your FUN NYC BRUNCH. If you want to have boring food while surrounded by a great many obnoxious people wearing sunglasses inside and taking pouty lipped pictures of themselves for the entirety of their meal, by all means. But there are many more fish in the culinary sea, in this, the age of the boozy brunch.
(2)Keith Alexander S.
I would not recommend this restaurant to ANYONE. I called on Thursday afternoon to make reservations for Saturday. The employee who picked up the phone would barley let me tell him what i was call for before rushing me. I asked for a table on Saturday for about 2pm he informed me that they where full and there earliest availability was 4pm which would not work for me at all. He advised me to make the reservation and to call on Friday because they may have some cancellations. So i call the following day to see if there where any opening and was again rushed on the phone and I asked to cancel as they did not have the time I needed, the quickly hung up one me before I can clarify with them, but i let it go cause they where so rude. I wake up Sunday morning to a $130 charge from them! So i call and speak to a young lady who explains that they charge $130 if no one shows up for the reservation. I inform her that I did in fact cancel. she said i should have gotten a email conformation and and it would have explained the $130 for no shows, i explain to her i was never informed this and i was not asked for a email address. She then add that you have to cancel with in 48 hours of your reservation... How can i cancel a reservation that was made under 48 hours. Had i known they where going to charge my card $130 i would have never made the reservation in the first place as it was just a back up reservation. I find there process very misleading and it seems they need a full time reservation specialist who can give the full information. I will never attempt to eat at this restaurant simply because of the underhanded process. I am still trying to get in touch with a manager who seems to only be in the restaurant for mon - fri dinner. I would not recommend you make reservations with them as they are not great at the process they have. $130 is absolutely ridiculous for a cancellation fee. They also failed to inform the day of for the "no show", had i not checked my account i would have never known. I would give the -5 stars actually.
(1)Jessica M.
I went here for my anniversary, boy it was fantastic. LOVED the oysters. It was fresh and clean- and i'm not a big fan of oysters as my partner is. Anyways ordered drinks boy it was strong, but I like it. We also ordered the famous potato pancakes with salmon- that was pretty good. Blackened catfish was wonderful, creamy and so good. The strip steak was decent too,I can just say. I will be coming here again for the oysters. Our waitress was nice and attentive, for our first time here it was nice to visit.
(5)Jackie W.
Should have listened to the reviews, as we usually do. Overall vibe is fine enough, and service was generally pleasant. Trendy spot to go for brunch. But: - Onion roll served when you get in is a nice touch, but would be nice and have a lot more flavor if warmed. - There should be an option to just order an entree without having to pay $24 for the special. I don't drink and my boyfriend only wanted 1 drink, so paying that much for the mediocre entree definitely was not worth it. - Speaking of the entree, we both got the Vegan Matzo Brie, which was served relatively cold. The chips were soggy, spinach was lacking and not fresh, and I got terrible food poisoning within the hour (it was all I had eaten that day) that still, 3 days later, is not fully gone. Needless to say, we will never return. Many other (better and equally trendy) brunch spots that don't make me ill!
(1)Alex W.
good atmostphere and food
(4)Benjamin C.
I had Brunch here once and I felt like they brought it to a new low. I thought I was getting eggs and smoked salmon. I got half cooked eggs with chopped up half cooked salmon mixed together. I never send anything back but to tell you the truth a side of spit probably wouldn't have made it look any worse because of the bagel that was burnt so black it was absorbing the light in the atmosphere. The only reason why I gave it two stars is because they do have good drinks.
(2)Cara K.
I made a reservation for 7 for brunch, but called ahead and downgraded to 5 the day before, no problem. When we got to the restaurant, they made us wait until the whole party was there before they would seat us. I get that. However, once all of us arrived, we had to wait another 15 minutes to be seated. The best things about Essex are the loud, fun crowd and the almost- bottomless cocktails (they refilled us a 4th time)! The food is good, I had a nice challah French toast, and my friends' savory meals were even better!
(4)Michelle W.
Essex..... I love to hate you and I hate loving you. I hate coming here because it's a total (as Lu H. said) "sceney" place - but I love coming here because the food is consistently amazing. Plus, they don't actually count how many mimosas you're drinking - so it's a totally boozy brunch (which is a requirement for any brunch I go to). Definitely make a reservation before coming here - because even with the reservation, you're in for a wait. Luckily, their brunches are served until 8pm on Sundays, so it's all good as long as you get here. And remember to bring cash - brunch is cash only!! The lovely Miss Kerry P & I came here as a "welcome to NYC Kerry/great to finally meet you in person" brunch - and I'm so glad we did. Good food + good company = good time. I got the Aristocrat & she got the shrimp & grits. The Aristocrat is absolutely delicious - it had everything I loved for breakfast on one plate: smoked salmon, hash browns (which they call potato pancakes*), poached eggs & sour cream. Kerry's shrimp and grits looked awesome too... until the girls at the table next to us got biscuits on their shrimp & grits and Kerry didn't. That wasn't cool. Plus, my mimosa kept getting refilled faster than her bloody mary - so much faster that she decided to switch after her first glass. And another note - they tend to switch to plastic cups (think picnics or cheap frat houses that can't afford the red cups) when brunch gets busy, so your drink (especially your bloody mary) will seriously downsize. Stick with the mimosas. Overall, a fun brunch experience - and perfect for a late-ish brunch. Though there are other places I prefer for boozy brunches. -- * Why would you call hash browns potato pancakes? When I hear potato pancakes, I automatically think latkes - don't bring my hopes down and serve me [albeit delicious] hash browns.
(4)Lerato M.
Today I had my birthday brunch party at Essex! I love love the place the food the service Amazing. I had Egg Benedict yummy Ooh my goodness I can't wait to go back.
(5)Komal P.
Went for a friend's birthday. We were a party of 5 people with brunch reservations. As with many brunch places in nyc, this place was packed and loud. However we were seated right away. We all went for the brunch special which included an entree and 3 mimosas/bloody marys/screwdrivers. I ordered a vegan tofu scramble which was delicious - it had tofu, avacado, tortilla chips and beans. I added hot sauce for more flavor. The mimosas and screwdrivers were really good but I was not a fan of their bloody mary (too much vodka for my taste). I also tried the pancakes which were very fluffy! Our waitress was attentive and friendly. I guess the downside is the "boozy brunch" option for $25 limits you at 3 drinks (our waitress told us we used up our 3 drinks). Overall I had a great brunch experience at this place!
(4)Roxie R.
Food is 100% service is 170%!!!! Our waiter was amazing, legit like magic. He got things we needed before We even knew we needed them. The food was heavenly. The brunch was a good find 24.95 plus three drinks!!!! Best brunch I've ever had!
(5)Jessica G.
Came here for a friends birthday brunch on a Sunday. We were a party of 7, two people were running late but the hostess let the rest of us sit anyway which many restaurants wouldn't allow. Our waitress was great, our water glasses were never empty and she kept refilling our mimosas. The menu says three drinks come with each entree but I think we must have gotten more than that. The ambiance is great, bright and airy and upbeat music in the background. I ordered the French toast which was just ok, but my friends all really enjoyed their dishes. Our party was also sitting around chatting for a while after we paid the bill, and no one kicked us out even though they could have used the table. That was greatly appreciated, and again, most restaurants wouldn't have done the same (especially for brunch). This place is great for groups, I will definitely go back.
(4)Kaeley D.
Went here last night for my birthday dinner and had Mo for our server. We had a huge party of 17 and he made sure everything was great. We all had our drinks constantly filled and the food came out very quickly for such a large party. He genuinely wanted us to all have a good time and we definitely did. Would recommend him as a server and Essex to everyone!
(5)Simon A.
We ordered the salmon and a burger and both were delicious. The quinoa cucumber salad underneath the salmon was very tasty. Service was helpful and polite as well. Id definitely go back
(5)Mercedes R.
I came in for brunch with low expectations, but they definetly suprised me. The service wasn't anything to rave about and at first it's a little awkward trying to figure out where the host stand was, but the food definetly hit the spot. I had "The CEO" and it was delicous, the tortilla was an added plus- I wish they gave you more than two! As far as the unlimited drinks, they just keep going until your done never really tracking how many you've already had. Overall, it was definetly worth a visit especially for that brunch price.
(4)Dee T.
This place is a hidden gem! Let's start off by the happy hour 6 bucks till 8pm and the $1 oysters! I'm in complete love with this place! For dinner they have to special daily prefixes which is $33 for compliments drink of choice, one huge appetizer and ANY man course $65 for unlimited drinks for 2 hours, one app and nay main course! The food I give was 5 starts, we went in a group we had the mussels, lobster Mac and cheese and jumbo lump crab cakes! Main course the filet minon, grilled salmon, and pork ribs! So delish!
(5)Brittany B.
This place is pretty mediocre. The first time I went I thought the food was ok, but the second time I could tell the quality was really suffering. I know everyone wants a good drinks+food deal for brunch, but I think you can find much better deals in the city. Tables are close together, very loud and sloppy, and wait staff is just trying to get you out of there
(2)Rachael V.
Mo was literally THE BEST server I have ever had! A group of us girls, 10, did the Prefixe menu for an app, entree and 2 1/2 hours all you can drink for 60$. What a deal!!! Mo was SO attentive making sure ALL our drinks were constantly filled and he was always around with pitchers of more drinks! We loved him! Thank you so much! (As he currently pours me more...)
(5)Emily P.
I went to Essex for a group dinner on a summer night, and I had mixed feelings. I'll start out with the positives - the atmosphere and service at Essex is great - it objectively was a great place to have a dinner because of their prix fixe dinner menu with all-you-can-drink for two hours. The waitress was amazing and brought us pitchers of mojitos and was really good about filling up our drinks and our water glasses. She was quick with bringing out food and really accommodating when we asked to put a birthday candle in one of their desserts. Unfortunately, though the positives stop there. The food was very much not worth the price we paid. For appetizers, most of my friends ordered the mussels, but they did not get decent sized portions, and most of the mussels were actually closed. The best appetizer was honestly the kale salad, but it's really hard to mess that up. For our main meal, we all ordered the steak (got to get our money's worth), but it wasn't well-prepared, and it was a tiny portion. I unfortunately won't be returning to Essex for dinner.
(2)Laura C.
I've only been here for brunch, which was good, but not the best I've had. I came here with a bunch of college roommates and we had to wait a while to get seated since the entire bottom floor by the hostess was jammed with people. The brunch is $24 for your meal and three drinks. We found they just refill you a bunch anyways so you're not really restricted to three rounds. However, the drinks are not strong at all- I felt totally fine by the time we were leaving. We were there for about an hour and a half and then were asked to leave since there were so many other people waiting to be seated. I got the smoked salmon dish which was good, but I personally feel like there's nothing to mess up here. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their own dish, but no one has suggested coming back. Go if you're in the area, but definitely not in my top 3 for bottomless brunch.
(3)Justin H.
Very tasty brunch, with a fantastic bottomless drink deal. My friend was having a joyful 4th of July brunch when trouble stroke. He had just finished a delectable mimosa when he set his glass down on the table. This occurrence showed us that Essex has way too fragile of glasses, and hopefully they will look into nicer ones. Everything else was great.
(4)Jess D.
$60 open bar prefix say whatttttt?? I came here for a bachelorette I planned for my friend and we had a great time. The staff was really great as I kept changing the number of people in our party and we showed up with one less than on my reservation and less than they usually allow for the prix fixe. (Thanks guys!) Okay so they restaurant itself is nice and open so you don't feel too crowded at all. The service was attentive and the drinks flowing. I really appreciate that they didn't skimp on the drinks at all! When our pitcher was nearing the bottom our waitress quickly made her way to the table to fill us up again! I think they let us run a bit over 2.5 hours while we finished our meal which I really appreciated. They gave us these tickets for the bar after too! #winning For dinner I had the pork belly tacos and they were delicious. All of the other girls had the mussels and raved about them. They were an amazing portion for an appetizer too! For my main dish I had the steak (duhh) and it was well cooked and seasoned. Delishhhhhh I would 100% recommend coming here for the open bar prix fixe... they can be SO hard to find around the city (with the exception of brunch of course), I spent hours searching for the right fit and this hit the mark!
(4)Lynn T.
Came here on a Sunday for a bday brunch. Because we were a reserved party of 17, the brunch option was $34.95 for bottomless brunch (entree + choice of unlimited Bloody Mary, mimosa, or screwdriver for 2hrs; after 2pm I believe you can reserve for 3hrs). If less than 10ppl your option is $24.95 for an entree with three drinks included. They were super awesome to seat us without our entire party present. Our table was on the balcony at the rear of the restaurant and offered us floor to ceiling views of people traffic on Essex street. Great options to choose from on the menu but i gravitated toward the biscuit with sausage gravy served with eggs. Food arrived not to long after all 17 of us ordered and drinks were super strong! Food was great, my sunny side up eggs were nice and runny and not overdone as one often finds in a big crowded restaurant (this place was hopping at 11am!). Waitress was great. Service was prompt. She was so great to plate up our outside cupcakes for the bday girl without issue. Overall experience was enjoyable. Place wasn't too loud that one couldn't hear each other speak. Natural lighting was everything for me. Food is solid and portions are moderately sized. Would definitely come again if in the area.
(4)Miguelito J.
I went here the other day and it's been a while since I have (moved to west coast for a few years). And I must say the service and food was great. When we walked in our reservations were held despite the place being busy for brunch. We were quickly seated and a server came to explain the difference in brunch menus and immediately asked us which drinks did we want to start with. He was an attentive waiter and the drinks kept on coming.
(4)PD K.
I went for Saturday brunch with my wife and sat at the bar which I thought was a great choice. The bartenders were nice and refill for the drink was quick. Loved it! Had 2 mimosas and couple of other drinks. The food was very good and I have been to many brunch places but it was one of better experiences. Only downside is it's so loud and busy. But it's New York and what do you expect on Saturday lunch. I would give 3 and half if I can. I would have to sit in a table to get a better sense of this place!
(3)Alex B.
I came to Essex for brunch this past weekend for a friends birthday for the first time. The restaurant itself is really beautiful- right when you walk in is the bar and really high ceilings. The entire space is really open and airy which is always a plus in NYC. This is where the problem starts for me though- when you first walk in it is extremely crowded. The hostess stand is past the bar and most of the time the hostesses are walking around the bar area with ipads- they are very hard to find. We had a reservation for 1:30 and the table wasn't ready so they gave us a bunch of drink tickets which was great. We had a group of 15 people so I realize that is definitely not easy to accommodate- the waiter was great and was constantly refilling our drinks and never rushed us to leave (we were there for about 3 hours). The bloody mary's were made with a homemade mix and they were amazing- probably the best I have ever had at a bottomless brunch. I ordered The Southern and when they brought it out the eggs were not cooked. I couldn't eat them and it was pretty disappointing. It also arrived to the table 5 minutes after everyone else already had their food. As I mentioned earlier- we were in a huge group and everyone else loved their food so one out of 15 isn't terrible. I would definitely go back but with a smaller group!
(3)Kathleen Y.
Great place to grab an affordable, delicious brunch with some close friends! Been here twice so far for Sunday Brunch and can't beat the $25 deal with 3 drinks included. I've heard rumors that this place was closing down, so was surprised to see recent reviews (but very happy!). SERVICE: friendly and on-top-of-it, even though they were quite busy with other tables FOOD: Excellent and nice options. "The Aristocrat" is a perfect, FRESH stack of potato, egg, and salmon and was a nice accompaniment to the orange juice (which was of course, a great accompaniment to the vodka it was mixed with!!) My bf got the "Mexican Matzo Brie", which he says was also delicious...which I believe, but cannot verify, because he wouldn't give me any:) PRICE: $25 for entree + 3 strong (in a good way) drinks! Approved! SUGGESTIONS: 1. If you get the unlimited deal, be careful--- never had to wait long for our drinks! 2. Stand up every now and then, so you're not surprised at the end. 3. Bring some non-drinkers (for reason of faith/ liver-lovers), so you can split their free drinks amongst the rest of you gluttons! 4. Bring sunglasses and don them as you exit--- DayDrinking is a whole other beast:)
(5)Linh L.
This is the go to spot for HH becos they have $1 oysters and half off drinks. They also have daily specials so each day something is super cheap! (ie: they previously had lobster specials on wed nights not sure if thas still goin on) every time i come i must get their salmon potato cake (i think thas the name?) and the mussels in white sauce. Those are the two must haves for me. Their drinks are good too.. Mostly get mojitos. Their service varies becos they tend to forget abt u when it gets busy.. They have two sides to the 2nd fl and the whole ground level so i guess they do lose track sometimes.
(3)Gypsy F.
Recommend by our local bar tender we decided to check it out. Best brunch great Bloody Mary's great way to start Sunday Funday!
(5)Lilly T.
Oh, I love you, overpriced brunches of New York City! I came sans-reservation with a best friend one cold winter Saturday. Walking in, the high ceiling and open space was inviting, but jam packed with brunchers. We were seated promptly upstairs on the some what quieter second level, amidst the cloud of loud, laughing hipster semi-drunks on the first floor with the full service bar and it wasn't even 1pm yet (it is illegal to serve or consume alcohol before 1pm on Sundays per NYS law, but thankfully it was a Saturday.) Brunch was a big selection from crab cake Benedicts to Mexican matzo breis. Being in the boring breakfast club, I had 3 eggs sunny side with vegan bacon, mixed greens, home fries and fresh fruit (all in the same plate, which was a bit crowded.) Brunch is a flat $24 before tax and tip, so pick the most expensive-sounding option! Oh but the best part of brunch? It comes with three mimosas, bloody marys or screw drivers. Drinks are very fresh. I'd definitely come again for them. Cash only for brunch. Also $1 oyster and half price drinks during happy hour!
(4)Jasmine C.
Went with a bunch of girls for dinner and shared basically all of the appetizers. I found the calamari underwhelming (one of the girls really liked the avocado dip tho) but overall enjoyed the food and thought it was adequate. We also got the pork tacos, kale salad, fries, potato pancake, short rib sliders, tuna, mac and cheese with chorizo and chicken lollipops. My faves were probably the chicken (surprisingly, nice flavor and perfectly cooked - not dry!) and short rib sliders (not too saucy like they sometimes are). We got the coconut pie and lava cake for dessert. I loved the coconut pie and I suppose the cake was decent but I'm not a huge fan of dark chocolate so probably couldn't give someone who does like chocolate a good opinion. Service was extremely attentive and thoughtful. I noted the waiter brought over extra ketchup without our asking and water was always deftly and efficiently refilled. Plates were also removed quickly which was essential since the table was small and we shared a lot of stuff. The one thing of note was that the music was soooooo loud. I was screaming at the person sitting right next to me and all of us were eventually driven out by the noise (my throat literally hurt from trying to converse). It was like having dinner in a bar. Very uncomfortable and I will not be returning for a meal because of this. The noise is the sole reason I rated this restaurant a 2 instead of a 3.
(2)Sherry C.
I went here for brunch because when I had dinner here, it was pretty good. The brunch was delicious and the food was served fast. But the free drinks with the brunch tasted watered down and non alcoholic at all. I might not come here again because although the food is yummy, i need a place with good drinks too! I enjoy boozy brunches.
(3)Kay K.
Love the vibes when you come in there all the waiters and waitresses where on point they all welcome you and serve you...so we came for the Cousin Bday she wanted to have a nice lay back day with a little of music and Essex rock it out!... I mean what the fudge everything taste good their brunch menu are absolutely the bomb we clean the plate off like we was starving..lmaooo but my cousin had a blast so see you next time Essex. My Applaud to the manager some restaurants should take notes!!!! Xoxo Essex
(4)Amy T.
Pretty good place for brunch! Came here with four people, made a reservation ahead time because I heard this place gets really packed on weekends! For the brunch menu, you get 3 drinks and any of the brunch food for 23.95. BRING CASH ! They don't accept cards during brunch time !!! Food: grilled shrimp was pretty good, 4-5 shrimps ..... Veggie burger was kinda weird! I didn't really like that! The veggie patty was not fresh at all! I would avoid that ! Egg Benedict with lobster was pretty good! $4 extra for lobster Smoke salmon was okay So as you can see food wise, it was okay however, our waiter was really on top of our drinks which made everything so much better ! Would I go back? Yes. Pretty good deal for brunch. The music was a little loud but it's NYC !
(4)Dan T.
I booked Essex for a group brunch on a Sunday with some apprehension due to some of the other reviews I'd read. I'm happy to say that the service was actually great and would not hesitate recommending it for a group booking. They even sat us before 2 of our group 9 arrived because one of our party had a toddler with them. The food was solid - I had the beef hash which when it arrived was not what I expected (it looked pretty unappetizing actually) but tasted good. The atmosphere was good as the place was pretty much full even at our booking of 11.30am. I like the fact that there is a lot of natural light because of the skylights and windows so even though it was a nice day I didn't feel like I was missing out. Also love the affordable set menu with 3 cocktails included. Bottom line - great place to book for groups for brunch (but based on other reviews your better off with an early brunch).
(4)Jenine P.
I've been here so many times I think I'm ready to review! First off, Essex often has deals on Gilt city and I buy every one. Some places- if you bring one of those certificates in- they treat you poorly. I'm happy to say the service here has always been friendly and fast- no matter who has served us. And the food is pretty amazing too! Guess that's why I keep coming back right? Try the Tilapia ceviche and short rib sliders for apps. For the main course- well, the filet is usually as good as a steak house. Do it. I'm also pretty in love with the blackened catfish - it's covered in a pretty awesome cream sauce over shrimp. Yum. If you're getting dessert, try the peanut butter pie- just make sure you split it!
(5)Waye E.
Went here w/ my best friend on memorial day for brunch. Wasn't crazy for the starter bread....too many onions. I had the steak and eggs, it was decent. I asked for medium well but it seemed more well if anything. However, the server kept refilling our mimosas even past 3...Awesome! I'll come here again.
(3)V V.
Great service at a great space located in the heart of LeS. White washed walls compliment this brunch special spot where the drinks are the fav but the cuisine is a great compliment to an already great astethic. Happy hour features half priced drinks and dollar oysters. All in all a great spot.
(5)Maria L.
Extremely upsetting Mother's Day Brunch. I've been here before for brunch and happy hour/oysters. Great experiences in the past with a fun crowd and atmosphere. But this visit (about two years since my previous visit) really warranted a bad review. What to comment on: 1. We made reservations for 3 for 11:30. When we arrived, they sat us upstairs where no one else was seated, as if we were parasites or something. Then, when we asked for a bigger table (they squeezed us three into a table for two). When we asked to be moved, they said that those tables were probably reserved for bigger parties. I'm sorry, we made reservations well in advance too. Also, the whole upper section was EMPTY! 2. The waiter was very intrusive the entire time, just bringing in his hand into our meals whenever he pleased. 3. The meal itself was mediocre. Not worth the 27 dollars Mother's Day Brunch, or lack thereof. 4. The only redeeming part was the Deep South dish. That was particularly tasty. 5. Forgot to mention that you must pay for brunch in ALL CASH!!!!! 6. Also, they follow the rules and don't serve alcohol for brunch before noon. Make sure you're not there till after noon if you're planning on starting your Sunday funday. Overall, it began with the poor service that put a sour taste in our mouths. We will not be returning here. To be honest, with so many cool places in LES, there's no reason to come here for overpriced tasteless brunch and bad service.
(2)Shijia C.
This place is okay. Came in with 3 other friends for brunch on sunday. Food were pretty decent but the restaurant doesn't have that much character. They have a fix menu for brunch in total of $23.95 that comes with 3 boozy drinks (mimosa, bloody mary or something else I forgot). I wasn't a fan of their drinks..they were pretty water down and not that good. And remember brunch = CASH ONLY - which we did not know.. The food was pretty outstanding tho. I got some smoked salmon with hash potatoe dish and fish egg it was really good. and someone else got a deep fried steak and also egg Benedict. all pretty good. This place is pretty big and usually pretty easy to make reservation. We came in around noon with reservation for 4 but there were a bunch of tables still open. So I think it would be an easy place for brunch if you just want to walk in.
(3)Deb H.
I came here for a friends birthday brunch on a Saturday and left happy! The brunch menu includes 3 mimosas and an entree. I loved the mexican entree...I can't quite remember the name BUT it was pretty much breakfast nachos. Beans, eggs, tortilla chips, guac, and poco de gallo. I was happy and satisfied. I would come back to this restaurant again! Make sure you make a reservation, and the bar is fun to hang out at after.
(4)F. A.
Well - we went again - for brunch on a Sunday. The service was poor, the eggs cold when I finally got them (we ordered as the 3rd table and still waited for 45minutes for our brunch) and the check was wrong. We won't go there again - and I can't recommend it in any way. They must have had a good day when we went for the 1st time!
(2)Candace E.
If you come here make sure you ask for derek! I've been all over the country and I've never had a better server at any restaurant let alone this one. His only concern is the customer and I couldn't ask for anything more! Thank you derek!!!
(5)Clarice H.
I made a reservation online, confirmed it 48 hours in advanced, but unfortunately arrived a little less than 20 minutes late with my whole party of 6, half who were jetlagged from half way around the world. I swore to them that this was my ultimate favorite brunch spot, the experience to have, and that the staff was great, so everyone was expecting to have a great time. OH BOY WAS I VERY VERY VERY WRONG! We walked in behind three groups of people whom the bouncer told them that there was no wait and that the line was only for checking in because they didn't have a reservation. I checked in with the maitre'd and she confirmed my reservation. Another two groups came in behind me. Everyone else that came in before AND AFTER my whole group was attended to and seated promptly and my group was left standing at the door for 30 minutes before we were told by another staff member that we had missed our 15 minute grace period and our table was already given away (to the people that we checked in with). Our only option was to sit at the bar or else we would have to wait at least 45 minutes because OUR PARTY OF 6 WAS TOO DIFFICULT TO SEAT (I have been here in the past with a party of 15 with no problem) and there was nothing she could do because it was a full house. We stood at the doorway for another 10 minutes and yet no one walked in. Sorry, it was not that busy and I do not understand why you guys had to wait so long to tell us that we could not be seated. The only excuse that was given to us was that the maitre'd was "new and did not know the policy so she didn't tell us upon checking in". Sorry, but is that even a valid excuse? If your staff messed up, then shouldn't we have been seated? You could have just seated us as a courtesy and give us a nice heads up and say don't be late next time! I did not appreciate the fact that we had to wait 30 minutes before we were attended to and ending up being told that our table was given away because of insufficient training of an employee and having the employee say, "it was my bad" and think that the problem was solved. If I was told upon check-in that I had to wait 45 minutes, I would not have been angry, but for me and my guests to stand 30 minutes with no service at the doorway and be asked to wait at least another 45 minutes because of poor staff training is BEYOND RIDICULOUS. If you are running a minute more than 15 minutes late because of traffic, poor directions, or MTA problems, don't even bother to show up for your reservation because this is how you will be treated. Their strict 15 minute policy means that they will give your table away. Don't get me wrong, the food and drinks here are great, but I will never come back even though I have been a loyal patron who has come here for brunch, introduced friends to this place, and threw my birthday parties here in the past. Two words: UTTERLY DISAPPOINTED! :(
(1)Michael S.
I had the immense pleasure of dining at Essex this Sunday for brunch with a group of eight. Our unique experience began after we were seated and began perusing the brunch menu. $23.95 for potentially endless mimosas and bloody Marys sounded like a good deal. Having been to my fair share of brunch spots in Manhattan, I floated a question to our lovely waitress about accommodating some of the non-drinkers at the table. She pursed her lips, stared straight into my eyes, and made sure that I digested, apparently, the full stupidity of my question. "OK", I said after an awkward silence, understanding her wordless communique implying that I was rather unfortunately fucking retarded. "Do you guys also have an alternative lunch menu by any chance?" Her eyes rolled deep into the impenetrable recesses of her mind. "It's brunch. B-runch," she said, the slight pause in her enunciation under-lining the separation of the capital B from the rest of the syllable, her slightly upturned left eyebrow accentuating the permanence of her bitchy resting face. After she tossed her hair and whisked back into the kitchen, we were brought a plate stacked with biscuits and some butter to start us off. We each reached for the luscious, golden bread, only to discover that they had the rock solid consistency and frigidity of corpses. When our waitress came back to take our order, someone else in our party piped up to ask whether there would be some way to get the biscuits warmed up. Almost on cue, our waitress said "No". Collectively, we understood that her expression implied, "Do you think I have warm biscuits tucked away in my fucking asshole?" We appreciated her transparency and honesty about the availability of warmth from her soul, and smiled away our faux-pas of a request. Drinks! Now with the formalities out of the way, let's go on to the drinks! The drinks were definitely unique among all the brunch places we've visited. The lone individual in our party who ordered the Bloody Mary found the trick to making it flavorful (as it had the unique consistency and taste of water): pouring the entire bottle of Tabasco sauce so kindly provided by the restaurant for our enjoyment. As for mimosas, I shall let the attached photograph demonstrate the ample variety of coloration in the drinks, demonstrating a fabulous range from piss-poor champagne to plastic-carton orange juice -- absolutely unprecedented. Food! Our party ordered the following items: Eggs Benedict Manchego Macaroni & Cheese The Aristocrat Blueberry / Chocolate-Banana Pancakes The crowning achievement of the restaurant was perhaps the artistic verve with which they served the pancakes. The attached picture doesn't do justice to the presentation of three unevenly-cooked, dense discs of batter, accoutered with a playful sprinkling of artisanal fruits, presumably fresh from the metallic valleys of 'Dole.' If I had to describe the style of the food at Essex, I would have to say the patron artist is Jackson Pollock, because everything looked as if someone took objects and threw them together in an eclectic order around the plate-canvas. If I had to describe the temperature of the food, it would be the long and everlasting past winter in NYC. If I had to describe the quality of the food, I would use the adjective "home-cooking", where home means "a student dorm where the only appliances available are a feeble microwave adorned with crusty pasta stains and a refrigerator full of beer." In the interest of full disclosure, I had the Aristocrat -- my main takeaway was that the potato pancakes are legendary for being nicely crisped and ice-cold. Demographics Clientele seems to be 90% Anglo-Saxons of the basic betch variety. As they are highly known for their culinary sophistication, I shall let that be a validation of the general joie-de-vivre and selfied air that suffuses this paradise of a brunch spot. In summary: Pros -Rids your wallet of all that nasty cash -Provides opportunities for selfies on IG and check-ins on 4SQ and maybe both at the same time, you betch -Food will cure second degree burns -Drinks have plenty of water -Plating is essentially modern art -Sets you up with your weekly dose of Vitamin A(ttitude) Cons: - None
(1)Scott N.
Food was very good but not happy about 3 drinks included. New York law will not allow them to serve until after 12 on Sunday. Since we sat down at 11:15 and finished eating at noon we assumed that the price would not include drinks. As we finished eating the server told us he could now bring us drinks. He never told us that we would have to pay for them even though they couldn't serve us till we were done. There was no way the six of us could drink 3 cocktails after eating so much. And we needed to be across town anyway. Wouldn't have cared if they would have told us when we sat down.
(3)Kristen K.
I just finished a lovely Saturday brunch and I was more than impressed with this place and the service. We got here 15 min early and the hostess was able to seat us immediately. We were then greeted by our waitress Isa (sorry I butchered the name lol) but she was super sweet and friendly. I had the chicken fried steak which was AMAZING, while my friends had the lobster mac and cheese and a cheeseburger with a fried egg and fries. The food was amazing. Also the drinks were sooooo good! Definitely get the bloody Mary's. I am so coming back!!!!!
(5)Always H.
LOUD and way too crowded for brunch. Essex represents what has long gone wrong with the LES. It's definitely a scene -- an invasion by the B&T / Murray Hill / UES sloppy crowd. All of this would be okay if the food is great, but it's overwhelmingly disappointing. Food is consistently greasy. Neither I nor my friends enjoyed the meal. And the Bloody Mary, my favorite brunch drink, is tasteless and watery. Skip.
(1)Nathan D.
Amazing happy hour, half off all drinks. Food is pretty good. Service is great. Also love there house cocktails very impressive and tasty.
(4)Roopa S.
Feel like this is one of the most average brunch spots I have dined at (purely speaking from the point of view of food quality). In terms of the dining experience as a whole, this place has its perks. The cool twist is that it looks like a grungey, run-down place from the outside but once you step inside you are instantly met with a trendy take on decor. The one negative regarding the dining experience as a whole is how loud it can get during peak morning brunch hours. It makes it hard to converse with a larger group of people. Now, speaking to food... -Starter Bread: Tasted like it was bought from Costco in the bulk section. Vegan Mexican Matzo Brei: Probably my favorite dish that I tried, though I didn't particularly love it. The tortilla crisps added a nice crunch to the otherwise "goopy" texture of the scrambled eggs...and the black beans/pico de gallo mixture were also quite tasty. Overall, nothing standout, and I feel like any other amateur chef could make a similar dish. -Chocolate Banana Pancakes: Looked extremely unappealing when it arrived at our table. It was massive-- stuffed with chocolate and banana. The texture of the inside was good-- chewy and more on the fluffy side, but again...nothing standout. -Omelet: Normal omelet. Could be made by a college student in a dorm room. It ends up feeling pricier than you would have liked because of the automatic "all you can drink" set price that is attached to your order. I would not come back here, just because I feel like it has nothing special to offer and that I can find better brunch food....well practically anywhere else.
(2)Kristy L.
Terrible customer service! 1 star for the calamari and mash potatoes and another star for the interior of the restaurant.
(2)jessica l.
Let me preface with the good: The food was pretty good - the prix fixe menu is actually great for a big group. The ambience in the balcony (after getting through a ridiculous throng of 20 somethings making out by the bar at 7pm) was nice. The hostess was gracious and very apologetic about our long wait and the servers were absolutely lovely. That (bald, male, looks more like a bouncer) manager though... A few of my party were late after we booked the space with 30 minimum and we were under the number at the time. The waitress told the manager the situation, which was understandable, but then instead of communicating that info to me like an adult, he presented himself as pretty irate and gave me the choices of paying for the full 30 (which we ended up doing) or putting another table or two up there. I asked him to give me five minutes to consult with my colleagues and feel the room and he looked at his watch as though I were asking him to shoulder Atlas' burden and begrudgingly agreed. I pointed out that they seated us 30 minutes late and we had to stand by the door (while one of the ladies in my party was heavily pregnant), at which point a normal restaurant would provide some sort of comp service or apology, he proceeded to yell at me since my entire party wasn't there. That's kind of beside the point - we were renting out an event space AKA for the duration of that time, we should be able to hang out there even if we weren't ready to eat a damn bite. As if all that wasn't enough, I went back downstairs to grab some people who were waiting in the front and came late and on my way back, I saw him yelling at the really sweet waitress about the 30 minimum rule. Dude, we already said we'd pay. Get over yourself and stop abusing your staff, who are obviously the only reason people keep coming back. They're certainly not doing it for the management.
(3)Mimee S.
Skip the food and just go for the drinks. Came here on a friday. Drinks were half priced and $1 oysters which was not bad at all.
(3)Lauren P.
Happy hour is half off drinks. $1 oysters...I'm with it! I stopped by with some friends for Valentine's Day and it was decent. The appetizers were yummy and we were treated well. Our waitress was friendly and she accommodated our friends when about 4 new people arrived to our party. I don't eat oysters, but I heard through the grapevine that they were bomb. I would totally make this a date spot. I would stop by again. Essex is in a good location. Wouldn't recommend closing out the night here. Simply a place to grab some grub at and keep it moving. The calamari is AMAZINGLY tender!
(4)Justin W.
It's a scene and if that's what you want then this is a place to be. Even though I liked our server, she never brought us any bread!! After hearing the other yelpers rave on and on about the bread, I was really looking forward to the bread. Also being 4PM on the Sunday before Labor day, why did I have to wait so long between my Bloody Mary's?? The Bloody Mary's were very good. Spicy and Strong!
(4)Edwin V.
we originally went craving $1 oysters. they were good. we also ordered the latkes and shrimp salad. food and service was good. just wish they still had some of their creme brûlée. would definitely go back.
(4)Joann O.
My friend & I came here for brunch. Service was good & so was the food. They ran out of steak so that was a bummer! They did not give us the option for unlimited mimosas but 4 mimosas in, we were feeling it! They give 3 mimosas with each meal for a certain price. The place is pretty cool, super crowded! Definitely need reservations.
(4)Sandy L.
1.5 lets start it off as , the 3 drinks either mimosa , screwdriver or Bloody Mary with the serving of a brunch plate . Drinks were good ! I got the orange mimosa it was the good amount of orange juice n the liquor . The Benedict was ehh the worst I can say I have . The egg was not poach anymore then the hollandaise sauce was too little & the home fries were not the greatest . The worst disappointment : prefer Jane instead . Pro : staff was helpful n nice , a group of 15 will have a table upstairs . They served onion bread with butter before brunch starts . Con : guess you mainly pay for the location & don't know what else
(2)Michelle W.
I'm disappointed with you Essex. My friends and I have been coming to you for years for our HH. We love your half price drinks (which to your credit is still GREAT!) but your food prices have gone up and your portions reduced. Your $1 oysters are great but I guess that's all your good for these days along with your drinks. I don't think I'll be back for brunch/dinner in the future but I may still have a drink or two if I am in the neighborhood.
(3)Chris G.
ceilings are hiiiiiiiiiiigh.. Love this place - food is 9/10 menu if varied and scene is FUN cool colors all around - has good decor and the prices are more than reasonable cuz they have some damn good deals! PRIFIX MENU WHICH INCLUDES APP, ENTREE, AND COCTAIL!!!! Idl where else coctails r apart of the prefix.. Has a TV, $21 LOBSTER meal on WED, cool people, cool scene YOU'LL BE FULL - healthy portions
(5)Christine K.
Yeah for great company...2 stars for gosh aweful food. The potato pancakes were a good started but it went down from there. I asked the waitress how the swordfish was. She praised it like it was the next best thing. When I bit into the lackluster taste of a fish with grimy mussels I was a disappointed. As with my friend with her steak and sweet potato fries. Another girlfriend of mine liked her lambshank but overall I'd prefer to go somewhere else. Surprisingly enough I would love to come back for brunch. heard that was really good.
(2)Zayed K.
The awesomeness of this place as a brunch spot is obviously well documented (and the praise is appropriate, and well deserved), but for the purpose of this review I wanted to focus on my dinner from a few hours earlier this night, and specifically the great service that was provided. Seriously, my group and I were admittedly lacking of certain courtesies tonight, and they put up with everything without any attitude at all. For starters, I changed the time and size of our reservation with a only a few hours notice - no problem. When I arrived 15 minutes late - only to find out I was the first person in our party to arrive - I asked how long they could hold our table, fully expecting a curt reply, maybe to the extent of "not much longer". But all I got from the host was a warm smile and a, "No problem at all, just let me know when your friends are here". And when my friends finally got there another 15 minutes later, short one person, they sat us immediately (even got an awesome table, not pushed away in a back corner or anything). Already this is rather impressive, especially considering it was a Saturday night. The place wasn't completely packed yet, but was getting pretty close, so I don't think it was particularly easy for them to manage this. Then throughout the dinner service they were friendly (and prompt), coming back to take our orders multiple times, because we took forever to getting to decisions, and then because not everyone was ready as we finally started ordering. They accommodated odd change requests to the food, such as getting the fried calamari without breading (I know, don't ask) with not much more than a quizzical look. They were on point with water refills. And when we were done, the place was very packed, but there was no pressure/ suggestive glances our way, as we sat there and chatted for quite a while longer. Also, when they did mess up, and brought me the wrong drink order for my second one, they took it off our bill without my having to ask (the green zinger is delicious btw). Now I realise much of this is how things should be done, but let's face the fact that it's not necessarily what we've come to expect from extremely popular and busy restaurants in very popular neighbourhoods in this city. So they deserve a lot of credit for maintaining such hospitality, and such a friendly demeanour. Not to mention the food is fantastic, and very well priced (great oysters, salads, and orzo with mushrooms). This has always been a great fun place to swing by, and for me they exemplified that tonight. Sure won't be long before I go back again.
(4)Laura G.
A smidgen hard to find at first, but I knew we'd found it when I saw the people waiting outside the door. I got nervous that there would be a long wait for brunch, but thankfully I had made a reservation on OpenTable for 11:00am the night before. When they opened at 11, we wandered in with everyone else but were then called to the head of the line since we had a reservation. We were promptly seated upstairs and brought water immediately, even though they suddenly had a full house. The restaurant architecture and design are so cool! It's kind of like a lofty enclosed open air former market place with lots of natural light streaming in. The two ends of the place are small loft spaces with approx 8-10 tables in each area. On the first level is the bar and several more tables. The brunch food was so fantastic (even though they couldn't accommodate my blueberry AND banana pancake request.) The Mexican Matzo Brei was especially innovative and scrumptious - with tortilla chips mixed in with the eggs. Apparently there is a 3 free drink maximum with the $16 brunch, but I've heard they don't strictly enforce that. I loved that since they're not allowed to serve alcohol before noon, that they give you free unlimited tea, water, soda, coffee, and cappuccino.
(5)Dorian B.
Fun and trendy spot, great for brunch, crowded however so service will be lacking as a result, food was def good tho - dined for sunday brunch in November
(4)liliana c.
LOVE brunching at the Essex...can't beat a $20 brunch menu with 3 drinks!!! And usually the waitress will keep refilling so it's almost like a an all-you-can-drink. The brunch menu is really diverse and the portions are substantial. During the week, they have great promos like "dollar oysters" or "half priced drinks" .... fun fun fun! I docked it one star for the dining experience... they rush you off your table too fast. The wait is too long to begin with and when you sit down, they take your order fast and try to get you out of the table fast. That's annoying. Other than that, it's a great NYC spot!
(4)Peter D.
Even though I frequent Essex, I didn't realize what a loud, LES scene this place was until I brought my mother when she was in town. It's kind of like how you don't realize how truly offensive certain rap lyrics are (I don't give a f*ck if this chick was my own mother, I'd still f*ck her with no rubber and c*m inside her and have a son and a new brother at the same time, and just say that it ain't mine) until the song comes on in the car, and you hear Mom gasp. Still, a good time was had by all. This is a brunch where you can get drunk without much difficulty. You're most likely going to be standing at the crowded bar for anywhere from 20 minutes up to 2 hours waiting for a table. And although only 3 Bloody Marys or Mimosas are included with your brunch meal, no one's counting. Downside: the Marys are pretty watery and not that great.* My primary reason for going to this place, as opposed to a couple better options in the neighborhood, is the cheeseburger. It's GOOD. Juicy, Worchestershire flavor, and more often than not it's a perfect medium rare. Get the egg on top. Live a little. Warning: if you order off the brunch menu, you are paying for those 3 Marys/Mimosas, regardless of whether or not you want them. Mom didn't. __________ *I have to disagree with the people that loved the Bloody Mary here. Since moving back to NYC from NOLA, I've found good Bloodys hard to come by (and no one has the spicy beans). However, Yuca Bar makes a tasty one, and the Crustacean Mary at Alias is what's good.
(4)Rachel L.
I have recently tried to make brunch with my girlfriends at least a bi-weekly event, so we were excited to try Essex. The space is pretty awesome in my opinion..giant open warehouse/lofty feel to it with an upstairs. I had assumed it would be a madhouse there, but we had made a reservation for 2 pm on a saturday and we were not seated until after 3 pm, which I really did not appreciate. Standing in the crowd waiting to be seated was also really uncomfortable, it was almost akin to standing on a crowded subway. In one of the hostess's defense, she was very apologetic and sweet and gave us drink tickets while we waited and made sure we had our glasses filled toward the end of our wait. I appreciated that, but still - unacceptable. That being said, I was with two good friends and we were still having fun chatting etc. so it wasn't thaat big of a deal. When we were finally seated we were served those onion rolls which were really delicious. I ordered the grilled flat-iron steak and eggs, which was fine (I know this may not have been the wisest order choice). The steak seemed to be just OK quality. It was cooked medium rare as I had requested, but it wasn't particularly flavorful. The eggs were nothing special either. I had read reviews in which it was made clear that the food at Essex is mediocre, so I was not expecting anything sensational. My friends ordered the potato pancakes and the mexican matzoh brei, which they both said they enjoyed. We drank mimosas the whole way through..the mimosas were good, although they could have re-filled us one or two more times while we were eating. I was buzzed by the end of our meal. Overall it was a fun experience despite the wait but I am not rushing back there as there are so many fun AYCD brunch spots in NYC that I have yet to try. Also- not cool that brunch is cash only.
(3)Zhanna K.
Make sure you ask for Mo! He was wonderful... So accommodating with a group of six demanding women! Our food was delicious and the mimosas were more than I expected! I'll definitely be back!
(5)Min K.
no. nope. no. this place is cash only. brunch is $22.95. you get three drinks (choose frmo bloody mary, screw driver, or mimosa). i got the potato pancakes because all the yelpers recommended it. it's called potato pancakes but in reality, it's glorified greasy hash browns. the applesauce was just ok. just baby food on the side and the bean/mushroom salad? i know beans are cheap, but damn--can we please get some more greens? my salad looked like a lump of charcoal because it was drowned with black beans. this place isnt bad but i dont think i'd make the effort to come here again. i lied, i don't even think i'd eat here even i was in the area.
(2)Jess C.
I would only come here for Happy Hour or Drunch bc of the deals. Huge space for LES. They have a long bar area with TVs when you first enter, lots of tables + booths in the back, then two sets of stairs for upstairs seating in "loft" areas. The food itself was okay. The manchego mac & cheese was too cheesy for me, and my Angus Burger was WAY undercooked. I asked for it be cooked medium and it looked raw, maybe rare. I would've made our server bring it back, but I was being a wimp / he was giving us a hard time already & I didn't want him to stop by our table again (see below). My friend and I came at the end of happy hour mainly for the mussels, not the drinks -- We both had to get up super early the next day and wanted to get a good night's rest. When we didn't order drinks, our server confirmed that we didn't want drinks. We said, "Yes, no drinks, thanks," which is totally cool. But then, throughout the entire night, he KEPT coming back to ask if we wanted drinks. At least 5 times. NO, DUDE. You must get some commission if your customers order drinks, but, listen, NO MEANS NO. You coming to ask us every 5 min isn't going to change our minds. Ugh I was so annoyed, we just wanted him to GO AWAY PLZ. If it weren't for those delicious mussels, I would've ran out of there.
(2)Rachael S.
This is a very popular brunch spot, always busy on Sunday morning. My husband and I finally made our way to Essex with a couple of our friends about a month ago - we rolled out of there with full bellies, a little buzzed, and quite frankly it did not disappoint. As other have mentioned, while they say that the brunch includes "three drinks", they are definitely liberal with the alcohol. They came around a few times to top off our drinks, and even when we were finished with our meal, they gave us each a voucher ticket to claim at the bar for another drink before we left. The food itself was 3 - 3.5 stars, in my opinion. I've had better with respect to the food itself. I opted for the lobster eggs benedict, which came with a generous portion of hashbrown potatoes and small side salad. The lobster eggs benedict was pretty good and the dressing on the salad was great; however, I didn't touch much of the potatoes as they were just okay. One con was that we got the impression that they were trying to "hurry us along" and boot us out the door, which was a little annoying. But we didn't really let it bother us - it was understandable, as they had a CROWD of people waiiting for tables, and I'm sure they were just trying to keep things moving. It just came off as a little "rude" - but no matter, we still enjoyed ourselves. Just a head's up, the restaurant was consistently busy - so even with a reservation, expect a wait (at least if you're going for brunch on a Sunday morning). Overall, good experience.
(3)Joyce H.
Let's start with the good: really nice space, lots of natural light through the windows, loft-like feel. Really friendly waitresses. We had a reservation so we didn't wait long at all. That's the reason why it's 2 stars and not 1. That being said, the brunch food was not good at all :( I tried the potato pancakes as well as the lobster eggs benedict with potatoes and both were very disappointing. My poached egg on my benedict was entirely cooked, and the lobster was barely covering the english muffin. The potatoes were hard and overcooked. The potato pancake was decent but is something I can make (hash browns) at home. Because it was easter brunch the bill was $27 for an entree and a drink, and with tax/tip it came out to around $35 a person. I like the idea of boozy brunch here - I think it would be fun but until they redo their food, I don't think I'll be wanting to come back here.
(2)Nikki A.
I came here for brunch yesterday with a large group and we had so much fun! Our waiter, Moe, was so friendly and nice and kept everyone at our table happy. The food was good--I loved the complimentary onion bread. I ordered the lobster benedict, which was yummy, although some of the pieces of lobster tasted very fishy. Several of my friends got the Mexican Matzah Brie which they raved about. The drinks were nice--always love a good mimosa! This is a great place for a big birthday brunch or other celebratory brunch. I highly recommend requesting Moe as a waiter! I look forward to coming again.
(4)Jacobus B.
Not that great of a place. Super loud, making it hard to even hear your table mates. Food was blah. Overcooked scrambled eggs and terrible chicken-apple sausage. Definitely will not be back, nor can I recommend this place.
(2)Adam C.
Essex brunch used to be a really great spot for weekend brunch but my last two times there I have been very disappointed. They had brunch on President's Day this year and since my friends and I had the day off from work we decided to go. My friend and I really wanted the bagel and lox platter and were really looking forward to it since the last time we came they ran out of it. When we got there they didn't have that as an option on the menu for President's Day which was very disappointing. As an alternative we decided on the Aristocrat--which has the smoked salmon we have been craving. When we placed our order with the waitress she informed us that the Aristocrat as well as THREE other menu choices were no longer available as they had run out of the ingredients. I really wanted smoked salmon that day but I settled with a really crappy eggs benedict with a stale English muffin. My question is that if you know you are going to serve brunch an extra day other than the typical weekend; why wouldn't you make sure you had enough food to cover that day? This happened the time before this trip; they ran out of smoked salmon too! This is a brunch place in the LES; why are they not stocked with lox for their weekend brunch? I am definitely NOT coming back!
(1)Ariel J.
I came here with my girlfriends for brunch- $24 for an entree and 3 drinks. Our waiter and the staff there were very friendly and accommodating. However the actual food experience was a bit questionable. two of us had the burger (which was delish) - my only complaint about that was that cheese was considered an extra topping which was $1.50 each. Most places don't really do that. While it was annoying, it was something I could live with. One of my friends got the eggs Benedict with salmon. While eating, she found a quarter-sized shell in her food. We told the waiter who apologized profusely and then brought out another one...which STILL had eggshells in it. The waiter ended up comping her meal and gave us unlimited drinks. So the service by the waiter was def 5-star worthy. But the actual food I would give 3. I just cannot understand how a restaurant can make the same mistake twice! Minus that it was a good experience - I think I would go back again, would just have to double and triple inspect my food.
(3)Carol Y.
Food are okay. $22.95 standard BRUNCH pricing for everyone even if you dont drink. everything on the brunch menu is $22.95 regardless if you only eat a piece of bread. but you dont come here for the food you come here for the UNLIMITED MIMOSAS. love mimosa in NY. love being drunk by 12pm. hahaa but if you want want to try the food -- i recommend the The Aristocrat (really good!). i think its even better than the eggs benedict. potato pancake topped with house-cured salmon gravlax, salmon caviar & poached eggs. yum!
(4)Cherisse M.
Decent brunch spot, for $24 you can't really expect much more. The food was decent, and the drinks were good. Just wish the restaurant was a bit more clean and welcoming. Every glass and all silverware definitely received a once over from me.
(3)Maeve M.
--Let me preface this review by saying this is based on brunch the day of the St. Patrick's day parade, which was a very busy day for Essex. Because of that, I felt compelled to not be upset over the fact that we waited almost 45 minutes for a table that
(2)Ben K.
Came in on Xmas day for brunch. The food was pretty good - not mind blowing, but good enough I'd happily come back again. The prix fixe brunch is a better deal than many places - many food choices, 3 drinks and if somehow you need more, additional ones are a good price (good pours). The service is good, but seems rather disorganized. With a reservation and a house full of empty tables it still took about 15 minutes to get seated. The check was screwed up, and that was handled poorly without going in to details. They were attentive and accommodating no question. It seems to be one of the best spots in the immediate area, and I won't hesitate to come back again. It tends to be very busy, reservations are the way to go.
(3)Alice W.
I give this place 3 stars for brunch because I am a non-drinker but you have to do their $23 brunch special. Instead of samosas and bloody marry's, you get free coffee and juice, but coffee and juice is soooo much cheaper than alcohol so they should have a lower price for the non-drinker. The decor is very trendy, but it can get quite loud. If you wanna get brunch, come before 12pm when the line starts to form. Salmon gravlax eggs benedict: pretty standard fare. challah french toast with bananas foster sauce & fresh fruit: Pretty good, not the best I've ever had, but decent. It comes with this opaque "banana foster sauce" cream that was unexpected on french toast but tasted ok. Overall, I think this place may be worth it for a drinker, but having a non-drinker option would make it better.
(3)Tiffany C.
Was a little disappointed yesterday when we were notified that they recently changed chefs, so a lot of their old items (which we loved) were not there. The new replacements were just okay... I guess the best thing we ate tonight was the $1 raw oysters, and the ever so addicting sauces that accompanied them. The mussel dish with white wine and shallots were just okay. Mussels were bland, but the shallots were good. Sauce was just bleh. Usually my friends fight over the mussels, but tonight we had a hard time finishing them. We also ordered the filet mignon, which was just alright. The mashed potato and Brussels sprouts came out nicely. The crispy chicken with i think couscous was okay. The crispy skin on the chicken was yummy, but the couscous was flavorless. Service was great, there really wasn't much people dining there on a Tuesday night. A little disorganized though, because different waiters keep coming to our table and asking if they can remove some plates.. I will definitely be back for more oysters!
(3)Barbara J.
Short and simple: $23 brunch and includes three drinks. Staff: Very welcoming. Drinks: OKAY. Food: Blah. Our food came out extremely fast and it was cold. Service: Good Extra: My friend went to the bathroom and she said it was extremely dirty. After I ate my food of course. That did it to me and I will not be returning to Essex.
(2)John V.
The weekday Happy Hour is pretty decent here, with the $1 oysters and half off drinks at the bar. The best part of happy hour is the relatively chill vibe. By contrast, brunch here is teetering stress. All brunch options is also pretty decent, but, again, it's packed. Be prepared to wait.
(4)Lu H.
Great boozy brunch! People definitely come here to see and be seen. So yes, it's sceney. There was a hostess here who looked a lot like Natalie Portman, with a half shaven head. Fortunately, this is a sceney place where the food is worth coming for. At $23 for an entree and 3 drinks, it's not a steal but the entrees are more unique an a typical brunch spot. Last time I got the Mexican Matzo Brei - an egg scramble with a generous helping of black beans. With this dish you must get the chorizo. It's not up for discussion, and you will not regret it. It's safe to say that with their expansive menu, you can go with what you typically like -- their pancake, waffle, and french toast dishes are good. I love the Mexican Matzo Brei and the Aristocrat -- both a twist on the usual brunch fare. The Aristocrat is great if you like smoked salmon, and the roe adds an extra kick of flavor. If you don't want to go boozy, they will let you substitute orange or grapefruit juice for mimosas.
(4)Mitchell L.
Celebrated my birthday here recently on a Saturday night. This place was great for our group of 15. We sat upstairs and the seating and lighting were comfortable and intimate. We chose the prefixe menu that included an app, entree and 2 and a half hours of unlimited cocktails. all for only 65 dollars. Talk about an AMAZING deal. The drinks were flowing and the server was attentive and pretty quick with bringing out the drinks. Loved that you could order anything, from dirty martinis, wine, mojitos, Margs etc etc. EVeryone in our party was beyond satisfied with our food. I had the Ahi tuna app which was tasty and the salmon which was cooked perfectly. I would definitely recommend this place !
(4)Ben B.
Went here the first time for brunch and had heard awesome things. We were a party of two, showed up around 2pm and the wait was still about a half hour. Not too bad and the hostess was very nice. The food and deal is awesome. $16 for a true entree and three drinks, can't beat that on a Sunday. The food is very good, portions are reasonable. As a guy I will tell you that you won't leave stuffed, but you won't leave completely full either. Thinking that it was awesome for brunch I went back with my fiance and one of our friends for dinner, the $1 oyster Thursday. The oysters were good, but I found the rest of the food to not be that great of a deal. One crabcake for $10...that's a little steep. A great deal though is the $6 potato pancake topped high with gravlax. I definitely expect to go back for the brunch, but I'm not so sure about dinner, there are just too many options and it is kind of a trek to get out there.
(4)Maia A.
Great prefix brunch spot! The food was prepared well and the mimosas kept coming. Fast, attentive servers. Hip scene so be sure to make a reservation. Loved the raw space design of the restaurant, in addition to the balcony seating.
(4)Lindsay P.
Went here for dinner last night and had a decent experience. We were seated right away, at a high table in the bar area which did not seem an issue at first until a large party came in and drowned out any hope of hearing conversation. It is a nice atmosphere with a good going-out vibe. Service was good and quick, so a plus for that. We ordered two of the specialty cocktails, which were tasty but were overpriced for what they were. The food was decently good but nothing I would come back for. We got the short rib slider appetizer, which you would think might come with more than just 2 sliders. Thankfully I looked inside mine before I bit into it because it was the fattiest piece of meat I have ever been served, more fat than meat to it. Almost inedible but I tried to salvage a bit so I could eat it. The calamari was quite good with the best part being the dipping sauce. We got the mussels with the tomato chorizo sauce, which were the highlight of the meal. Very tasty. They no longer serve sweet potato fries, so we added the regular fries which were very oily and not impressive. Lastly, we split the napolean cake entree with spinach, asparagus, truffle oil. This was a tasty dish and the vegetables were very nice, but the potato cakes were quite oily. I came here for brunch 2 or 3 years ago and really enjoyed it, but now I understand why they are known for their brunch and not dinner. Overall, a decent meal but with so many other places to try in NYC, nothing made me want to return which is why I cannot give more than 3 stars. Go here for brunch or drinks with a good bar scene, skip the dinner.
(3)Grace L.
3.5/5 The Aristocrat was as good as expected - great variety of textures in the dish but just lacked a little in flavor. A bit of hot sauce goes a long way to fix that, though. Minus stars because it's so loud I couldn't hear my friend sitting a foot away from me, and because the layout of the wait area isn't very smart. People waiting around getting bumped from every direction by busboys. Maybe they should put the host closer to the door(?). Just a thought.
(3)Sophie B.
I love Essex for brunch. For $24 you can get an entree and 3 drinks, though everytime I've come here, the drinks are unlimited! Food is nice, I like the Shrimp and Grits. Other people I've come with have raved about the burger too but I'm yet to try that. The aristocrat with all salmon is delicious. The only bad side is if you book too late, there's often a wait for your booked table. It's also loud if you sit downstairs and a little cramped at the bar - but this is only at the beginning!
(4)Michael S.
I haven't been to this spot in a long time so decided to give it a try again. What a disappointment! I made a reservation for 2PM figuring it wouldn't be so crowded. Not only was i wrong but checking in and being jammed in between the bar and only service hallway is not comforting. The noise level at this place is DEAFENING. Do NOT expect to have any semblance of a normal conversation unless you like to scream. I'm vegan and while I realize this isn't the right place for me I did see they had a vegan matzah brie item on the menu. It gave me a stomach ache all day! My date didn't like her food either, it was burned. Their choices of tea were chamomile and Lipton's. That's just unacceptable. Not all of us are coffee drinkers. They take the order via a tablet which is way cool but only accept cash? This place needs to be rethought and redone. SKIP IT!
(1)Priyanka P.
3.5 stars to be precise. Went there with a work friend and we were off alcohol-- bad idea! Come here only if you're ready to drink, otherwise the deal isn't worth it! $24.95 for 3 mimosas/bloody mary's/screwdrivers and one entree. Sweet deal! Super buzzing atmosphere, with a bar area and tons of upstairs and downstairs seating. They seat you fairly quickly but if you're coming here in a larger group, be sure to make a reservation as it gets pretty crowded on the weekends. I was vegetarian on the day I went, so I went for the vegan tofu scramble. It was good. As good as vegan gets for me. My friend got the mac and cheese with the chicken sausage and loved it! Service was polite, only negative was we were seated near where the servers fill water/drinks so it was messy. Our neighbor table was also extremely loud, which was distracting. If you're coming to chat and catch up, this is not the place-- come here with a loud group and ready to drink!
(3)Jin Y.
My friends and I had a great time at Essex for dinner. The food was delicious and we shared: 1. Half-Pound Angus Burger & French Fries with fried egg - Mmm... it was delicious 2. Potato cake napoleon with sautéed spinach, shitake mushrooms, asparagus & truffle oil - I really like this dish and great for vegetarians. 3. Tuna sushi spring roll with wasabi & sweet ginger sauce - I thought this tasted a little weird. 4. Steamed PEI mussels in white wine broth - Broth was delicious! 5. Steamed PEI mussels with chorizo in tomato cilantro broth - Again, delicious broth! 6. Fried calamari with habañero-avocado dip - Loved the dipping sauce.
(4)Sidra M.
Came to brunch here recently and the food was decent. The fries were by far my favorite and I also loved the Mac n cheese. For any vegetarians out there, there's no meat in the Mac n cheese but they give you sausage on the side idk why but it wasn't appealing. My friends also thought the food was decent and the drinks were good. It's a good place to try out and it's near a lot of fun spots.
(3)Jajayy B.
I've come here a few times for brunch and once for paint nite. Overall I am a fan---the food is pretty good and the service was friendly and fast. I like coming here for brunch because you can usually get a reservation last minute----that morning or the night before----but the crowd is always good and energetic. I always get the shrimp and grits and bloody Marys (why mess with a good thing and try something new) but the other dishes always look excellent and my friend are always satisfied with their food and their portions. My only qualms with the food have been when they forgot to omit the bacon in my grits and when my friends order was covered in hair. When this happened both dishes were quickly replaced but the hair incident was pretty disgusting. She also ordered a dish with shrimp and it looked like they had dropped one of her shrimp on the kitchen floor and picked it up and put it back on the plate. It wasn't just one hair it was a clump and there was some other debris on it. The waitress was horrified and comped her meal as well as gave us an extra drink for free. I really appreciated the professionalism but it seems like the kitchen has its problems. Other notes about this place---space is pretty tight especially on the upper levels however this is not unusual for NYC so its almost a moot point. Overall I enjoy the food and drinks at this establishment and have always had good service. I will continue to come here in the future but will always check my food for hair!
(4)Melanie S.
If you're looking for a fun, inexpensive, boozy brunch that actually serves up good food, come here. I've been twice and have had an awesome time. The drinks are constantly flowing, primarily because their waitresses are so cool. I've had the huevos rancheros both times because its that amazing. Most boozy brunches slack on the food, but not this place. You also get a huge portion - all for $21! Only drawback is that you may have a bit of a wait, but if you're waiting on a table drinks at the bar are only $4. Also, it gets a little loud during prime hours, but after a few drinks you start to forget.
(5)Roy P.
CASH ONLY. Annoying. I ordered "The Southern" with egg whites and it was delicious! Two strong bloody mary's and 1 mimosa later we were having a great time. The atmosphere is busy. A lot of girls in the place which outnumber the guys almost 5 to 1. All in all it is a great place for brunch. It would be much better if they accepted credit cards and I'm sure the average customer spend would probably triple.
(3)Caitlin D.
This brunch was great! I got the chocolate chip banana pancakes which were really thick and so good! Their fries are also arguably the best fries with the perfect amount of crunch and salt. Having three mimosas included in the meal price of $25 was also a plus. The only reason I didn't give it five stars is because they kept filling up our drinks when they were half full so it was hard to know if we really got three drinks. I would also recommend doing reservations or getting there early. Either way be sure to show up with your whole group because you'll have to wait till everyone gets there anyway.
(4)M K.
The wait time was 1 hour even with a reservation. The food was not great (bland and not exciting) and the drinks were just ok. I don't recommend this place to anyone. I was really excited to go here with my girlfriends but the entire experience was ruined by the staff. I had reserved a table for 4 but only 2 of us were there. They told us we couldn't be seated until we were all there. A little later we found out that one of our friends couldn't make it. When my other friend arrived, I told them we were all here and they said a table for 3 is entirely different from a table for 4. They told us we had to wait again. By this time, already 15-20 min had passed. We waited another 15 min before we went up again to ask when we will be seated. They clearly forgot about us because they didn't even remember there were now 3 of us instead of 4. They told us they'll get us a table in a couple minutes. We waited another 10 min when the hostess came over and gave us tickets for free drinks while we waited. After we got drinks we waited another 10 min when the hostess came over and asked us if we were the table for 6 and she quickly realized we were only 3 (she was not the brightest crayon in the box). After this, we were finally seated 10 min later. Our total wait time was about 1 hour even with a reservation. However when we got to our table, the table was originally a table for 4 that simply had 1 chair left out! When we got to our table we thought we wouldn't have any more troubles; however that was not the case. We ordered our food but our table didn't have any utensils. We had to ask for silverware and for water. They brought over bread but for some reason only brought 2 loaves instead of 3 when there were clearly 3 people at the table. When we got our food, one of my friends who had ordered pancakes wanted syrup but the waitstaff wasn't very speedy and she had to wait some time. The drinks that came with the brunch were also disgusting. In general, the food was OK. Not that great. The blueberry pancakes were okay, the shrimp and grits were okay, and the LES (scrambled eggs, matzo, sausage) was okay. It wasn't that delicious and it was certainly NOT worth the wait. I will not be returning and not recommending this place to anyone.
(1)Katie P.
Mediocre food, and terribly long wait times for brunch... I don't understand the hype- don't waste your time.
(2)Liz B.
I just had brunch at Essex for the first time with Derek. He was a very courteous server and made my visit a real treat. I asked for his recommendation on what to order. He suggested a couple tasty options and I went with the omelette. He made it easy to substitute the hash browns for a side salad. My friends had mimosas and their glasses were never even half way empty. My coffee cup was kept full as well. He even brought steamed milk to keep it hot. I will definitely come back again and look for this server.
(5)Almando p.
I enjoyed my half chicken and vegetables there. I would definitely go again. I got the calamari also It was good. Drinks were half price I got the lava lamp I thought it was good. I would recommend coming to this lace to eat.
(4)Emily D.
Drinks were plentiful and just right. Mimosas were served to everyone at our ginormous table immediately - I'm not even sure if someone asked for this or if they just magically read our minds. Food was filling enough and also pretty delicious. Challah French toast was good but probably not enough food if you didn't eat regular breakfast when you woke up. Also, the "fresh fruit" refers to about 4 blackberries and slices of strawberries. The syrup disappeared halfway through my eating experience, which was a bit disappointing because I wanted more. Overall, this place has a fun atmosphere for brunch with friends. The bass was kickin and the people were VERY into it.
(5)Amittva S.
Came here for drinks with some friends--NOT for brunch; so I have nothing to say about brunch. But I had a great time. I could hear myself talk, which is unusual and nice (that may have been because of the winter storm). The service was fantastic: attentive but not intrusive. Drinks came quickly and they managed individual checks for twenty people impressively. The only downside is that they didn't have any beers on tap. Which I find weird. But they had a decent selection of bottled beer. Oh, and the place is a little more dressy than I would have expected. Oops?
(4)Ally S.
The best part about this place is that it says you get three drinks with your brunch but from what I could see they will just continue to refill your drink until you leave. We probably got more like 4-5 mimosas. We left right after we paid our bill though so we didn't overstay our welcome. Also, they're not ripping you off on the drinks. It was mostly booze with a splash of juice. I had the tofu scramble. It was fine, but didn't blow my mind. I could make a better one at home. But overall no complaints since it was a decent vegan option right on the menu. Other vegan tips: They have tempeh bacon. They have a vegan burger but not a vegan bun (the nice, knowledgeable, waitress alerted me to this, so bonus points!). The rolls that they give you when you sit down are not vegan. My friend had the (non-vegan) pancakes and liked them. Other: We had a reservation and had to wait about 15 minutes. The place was pretty packed but it wasn't terrible. Also, heads up guys, the brunch clientele seems to be about 90% ladies.
(4)Sarah M.
One of the best brunch deals in the city, and everyone knows it, so you HAVE TO make a reservation (a few days in advance). As far as bunch prix fixe menus go, Essex by far has the best variety. You'll find everything from delicious Jewish breakfast staples (bagels, smoked salmon aka "gravlax", capers, onions) to juevos rancheros-like creations; a number of benedicts (including crab and lobster!), big salad choices, paninis and burgers. The menu is pretty much overwhelming and anything is a good choice. Prix fixe includes 3 drinks which is phenomenal for just ~$23. The bloody Mary's are excellent - just the right mixture of salty and spicy (too-spicy bloodies are the worst.) This place is great for "birthday brunches" or large groups, ESPECIALLY for girls, since there are so many options on the menu for picky eaters and the service is very friendly, attentive and patient. Again, don't come here without a reservation. Apparently their Thursday $1 oyster happy hour is the jumpoff (on my to do list.) IMPORTANT TIP: For some reason Google maps shows this place with the entrance on the east side Essex. IT'S NOT. The entrance is on Rivington (on the corner, south side). The east side block of Essex between Rivington & Delancey is a food market, so don't wander down the street like a magoo looking for Essex's entrance like I did.
(5)Stephen A.
The food here was fantastic, the staff was very friendly... until our food was gone. Then they really worked to get us to leave... too bad. That will probably keep me from going back. Which is probably fine by them, as they seem too busy to care if I come back.
(3)Henry A.
We waited 2 hours for our food, after they seated another table so close to us I could feel the heat of of some other guys back against mine. When the food finally got there our food was cold and the steaks we ordered gross and chewy. i work in the industry and usually find something to like, but I honestly would've gone to Applebees. At least there you could expect garbage like this. With the experience I had, I find it hard to believe this location has so many positive reviews. I will never be returning.
(1)Andrew H.
last time I had Essex was over 5 years ago, my sister introduced me to this place and it had been one of my favorite brunch spots, one that I held fondly in my memory for a really long time until I would one day come back and eat at this place (I only come to NY about twice every year). Fast forward to current day, a more older, experienced me, with the savvyness of a yelper, and this place is now just an average place (food wise) to me. The atmosphere of the place is really awesome, it's in a loft-style venue, big open tall ceilings with 1st level and 2nd level seating. The energy is awesome, you definitely get the NY vibe here. Food wise I thought it was just ok. The Lobster benedict is a pretty good brunch item. The other popular dish that many people get here is the Mexican Brei, which is basically just a huge omelet w/ chorizos, something I could make at home. I don't get the hype about the potato pancakes either, I thought it was rather basic. So my once fond memory brought me back to reality that this is a good brunch place, but not amongst the better ones I have had. I do give this place props for making their mimosas/bloody mary's strong, most places skimp on that when it is included in the meal. Overall, a solid place, nice atmosphere, food was just a notch below so I am going to give this place a solid 3 stars, but not an excellent 4 stars.
(3)Latoya G.
the server was really nice which upped the rating to 3. (he gave extra drink tix which i couldn't even use because we had to head out). :-( the food was ehhh.. needed A LOT of salt to be edible. tea was served very lukewarm. after i finished eating, saw a wonderful ROACH crawling up the wall right by our table. i know they are a norm in NYC eateries, but do i have to say hello to one???
(3)Elliott B.
Great service--Essex was able to bump our party size up from 4 to 5 despite inconveniencing them. Unlimited coctails flew to our table as we ate brunch, a Mimosa overload. And the convince us not to dally, they gave us a ticket for a free drink at the bar on the way out! Food was standard brunch fare, but the place is fantastically nice ;)
(4)Bernadette H.
This place is awful. Usually I don't write reviews on places how bad they are, since I work in the restaurant business as well, and I know mistakes happen, but Essex worth the time to let ppl know about the rude staff and the clumsy operation on a daily basis. I've had a res for 6 ppl at 2.30. One person was still missing around 3, and the "nice" hostess let us know that they can't seat us, unless the party is completed, and also she advised us that if the last person doesn't show up, she gonna give our table away, because that's their policy. The table wasn't even ready, I asked 3 times weather they had it or not, she didn't even bother answering. After that we left, didn't even want to tell them that we are not staying. That was my third time there, same attitude, same unorganized place. I'd highly recommend to avoid this restaurant.
(1)Bill H.
What a hip, trendy spot. Many very beautiful 20 and 30-somethings sipping all manner of wonderful libations. nyc at its finest.
(4)Sara H.
On my ever-expanding quest to do everything trendy in New York, I made a res for sunday brunch at Essex. Initially, I bugged out because I thought theyd be maniacs about reservations (I made it for 4, then had 6 people want to come, then had two back out, then 1 surprise guest. Then I was 15 minutes late and made everyone wait for me). So despite being hte kind of group that makes hostesses want to take a long walk on a short pier, she kindly accepted the change and the lateness. On to the food! It was delish. Spicy and fun, I had some crabcake benedicts, which was banging. The manchego mac and cheese was a bit too cheesy, and was this weird, crunchy pancake kind of deal. but good. Id eat it right now. Dont fret about the 3 cocktails thing. Our server gladly came around and refilled our mimosas, and gave us tickets to drink at the bar after. All in all a terrific Sunday funday. Also, extra points for being close to the suway
(4)Joanna Y.
I went here for Happy Hour oysters, which were $1 each. The oysters were SO small...!!! They at least tasted clean I guess, but I would need to eat half a dozen oysters for it to be equivalent to one normal sized oyster. Disappointing :( Bonus star for our super nice waitress who was very attentive and refilled our water and bread constantly.
(3)Jill M.
My friend who was visiting from out-of-town and I were excited to try brunch at Essex on Christmas Day. We walked in (without a reservation) and were excited to see that there were plenty of seats available. The "hostess" took us upstairs to a table that faced the wall and was about 6 inches from a stand holding extra plates, glasses, etc. After listening to the loud rattling from the staff loading and unloading plates and glasses, and hoping for a more relaxing experience, I asked another "hostess" if we could have our table changed. Rather than take us to another available table (of which there were many) she instead gave me an attitude and told me it wasn't noisy and that I would have to speak to a manager. I've lived in NYC for almost 14 years and have never experienced such an obnoxious encounter, much less from someone in the hospitality industry, and especially in an economic climate where I would think restaurants would want your business. Needless to say, my friend and I walked out. With so many other great restaurants in NYC to try, we will never return to Essex. And judging from some of the other reviews I've read, I believe there are others who share the same sentiment.
(1)Anna F.
AMAZING place for bottomless brunch and great food.
(5)Anna S.
This review is based strictly on my experience, not including the food, because we walked out before we began. We had a brunch reservation. It was my first time at the restaurant. When we walked in, the host podium was located in the middle of the restaurant, not right by the entrance. This seems like terrible design, given the hosts are supposed to greet and guide incoming guests. I had no idea who to talk to or where to go. Nor did anyone approach us, so we stood around by the door for 5-10 minutes until we had to approach what looked like a host podium, where who looked like a manager and a hostess hovered. Even when we approached them, they made zero eye contact...(hospitality industry...?) If you want to be that sort of fancy L.E.S. establishment you're going for, maybe the hosts should have a basic dress code... that's not an American Apparel ad? They sat the three of us on a table for two, facing another table (which was very close and awkward). Anyway, the lady who approached us at the table (server? manager? don't know) was kind and understanding when we explained we were leaving.
(1)Vishal M.
Awesome happy hour. We were seated before our reservation and our waitress was polite and helpful. $5 drinks until 8pm. Mango mojito was the undisputed favorite drink at our table. We ordered a couple of rounds of the East Coast Oysters, which are great for a buck a piece. The highlight is the Wednesday Night Lobster Special, $18 for a sweet 1.25oz lobster with butter, potatoes, and corn on the cob. Simply amazing.
(5)Iris C.
Ohio girl alert! One of my favorite things about NYC is the brunches. You seriously cannot get brunch with 3 bloody marys for $22 in Columbus. Won't happen. My friends that brought me to Essex warned me that we could be in for a long wait, but we arrived around 12:30 on a Saturday and waited only about 15 minutes. (Now, I'm told this is the exception.) Overall, the bloody mary's were just okay. So, if I were rating based only on those this would be a 3 star review. However, the food was fantastic and the service was prompt and very friendly. It was packed beyond belief as we were leaving and that was probably around 2 or so. OMG. Just remembered...one drawback was the teeny tiny bathroom. So, if you have a giant purse or a bulky coat you'd do well to leave it with a friend or something.
(4)Raphael B.
Came here for brunch last Saturday. The waiting staff was very friendly, accommodating, and even refilled our mimosas without us asking. We ended up having more than the 3 alloted drinks but for no extra charge. The reason why I'm only giving 3 stars is the quality of the food. I'm quite demanding of my brunch experience, given that there are so many great options in NYC. For $30, I expected the entrees to be tastier. I had the challah French toast and the banana foster lacked flavor. My friend had the potato pancakes and locks and again, not enough flavor.
(3)Eran L.
We had brunch at Essex today, Super Bowl Sunday. It was solid. My wife and father in law both had burgers, my kids had pancakes and French toast, and his girlfriend had salad and an omelet. The service was pretty good as was the food. It seemed that whatever they lacked in quality if anything was made up in quantity. The bloodied were decent. If you're looking for a scene-y type place with good food then checkout Essex.
(3)Elle K.
Yummy Brunch but very crazy wait. The atmosphere in there is live though. Def worth a visit.
(4)Susana P.
We went to Essex for Saturday Brunch and were glad we had a reservation as the restaurant was packed when we arrived for our 11:15am reservation. We picked this restaurant for it's brunch deal of $22.95 for brunch with includes 3 drinks. We especially liked that they were generous with the alcohol in the drinks! The food was great, drinks were great and service was good considering they were busy. We will definitely be going back for brunch.
(4)Ian C.
The Weekend Brunch special for $18 is probably one of the best deals in the city. The menu is a combination of brunch and dinner and you also get three drinks (your choice between a bloody mary, screwdriver and/or mimosa) during the course of the meal. For starters, we ordered the fried calamari with a habenero-avocado sauce and the potato pancake sampler. I really liked the calamari--i could have just ordered that for myself and be happy, but i shared with everyone. The potato pancakes were pretty good. I wasn't a big fan of the goat cheese, but everyone else seemed to like it. My favorite was the gravlax. As for the main course, it was a hard choice to make after looking over the menu. It all looked pretty good, but in the end, I chose the wasabi-crusted salmon with the braised veggies. The portion was a little small, compared to the other dishes--it made me feel a little inadequate. At least the salmon was fantastic--it was cooked perfectly to my liking and the crust was amazing and not at all sinus-clearing spicy. In the end, I had a pleasant experience. I really didn't have a big issue with making reservations, like some other people seem to have. Yeah, I had to wait like an extra 20-25 minutes or so, but we were a pretty big group and they needed just one table, and those folks at that table were just saddling up by the time I got there. And we were waiting for 2 other people to arrive and they finally did right when we were getting seated. So, I would definitely come back to try some of the other specials they have during the week.
(4)J C.
The stars goes mainly to the good service and the drinks. Love their jalapeno margarita!!! I wasn't impressed at all by their food. Went there on a Saturday night was able to get a table for 7 fairly quickly, the hostess and the waiter were attentive. I ordered a burger, was extremely disappointed since I really wanted a good burger that night. I ordered it in medium rare, it came as a medium and the meat taste SUPER dry. My husband also ordered a burger, he didn't like his either. We shared calamari for appetizer which was alright, I do like their guacamole mixed dipping sauce though. Our friends order the mussels as their main entrees, they were quite good, the mussel was very meaty and fresh.
(3)Debbie L.
Went here for brunch with friends and it was insanely packed and busy. Giving 2 stars because my fork had junk caked on it, and my water glass had a coat of brown film (cola?) stuck on the inside bottom of the glass. That's just nasty and shows they aren't good at cleaning...so check your silverware and glassware! Brunch comes with 3 drinks...the bloody mary's are made in buckets (no joke) so if that's any indication of what it tastes like you may want to opt for something else. I love bloody mary's and these were mediocre at best. I've had better bloody mary's in business class on airplanes. I had the shrimp and grits which was just ok. The biscuit was really good but before I could finish, the server cleared my plate without even asking if I was done. That was super rude. Glad I tried the place, but I wouldn't go here again and wouldn't bother recommending it for brunch. It's NY, there are way better options.
(2)Carmen Y.
Yup, just like all the other fellow yelpers have mentioned......this place gets super crowded for brunch. Even with rezzies, expect to still wait at least 20 minutes like my friend and I did. PROS: -choice of brunch entree + 3 cocktails (choice of bloody marys, mimosas, and screw drivers....can mix and match too) for $22.95.....wooohoooooo! -tasty dishes CONS: -way too crowded and there's barely anywhere to stand while waiting because the staff will just move you out of their way -TOO LOUD So 2 pros and 2 cons. What do you do when it's so loud that you can barely make conversation with the person sitting across from you? That's where the 3 cocktails come in place. We drank and drank and drank. My friend and I had originally planned to go shopping in Soho after brunch, but by 4pm, we didn't make it due to cocktails galore. Instead, we each headed home and ended up napping away a fine Sunday. Thanks, Essex.
(3)Kelly T.
Get here right when they open or be prepared to wait...forevery. Oh, and make sure your whole party is there (though I played the "my friend is out at the ATM" card, then I played the "stepping out for a smokie" card...hey, I had a plane to catch). By 11:30 there was a line out the door. Please note: NO ALKIE before noon on Sundays. I was done with brunch and my $18 all you drink was kinda wasted. NY sucks that way.
(3)Diana A.
This place gets pretty crazy during brunch. It's a fun place to meet up with friends for a weekend catch up, but be sure to show up as soon as it opens. Otherwise, you'll need more than a few drinks to calm yourself after the chaos of waiting a herd until your table is available.
(3)David L.
This place was great, food was good, the ambiance was good...the wait staff was friendly and funny. They were very accommodating and they held the place down since it was packed for Easter Sunday brunch. Although I had resies set for 12 30 and did not get seated until 1 15, they gave us complimentary drink tickets to take over to the bar when we finished our meal. My friends and I all enjoyed the over flowing amount of booze that came to use each time we were running low. We did not have to ask for more, they noticed that our glasses were a bit shy and they brought over another one. On to the food...no complaints, just praises. If there were any folks in here looking to go on an easter egg hunt after, it wasnt happening because the food was plentiful and it would have put them all in a food coma as it sure did it to us.
(4)Sarah B.
Essex is a solid brunch spot, which explains why it is always packed. They do not take credit card for brunch, but they do take reservations. The brunch menu has a good amount of variety, with the classics represented well. I particularly love the numerous iterations of benedict on offer, and that there is an (awesome) scallop dish on the brunch menu. The other plus has been widely noted here: The three drinks included with the meal can turn into endless refills while you eat, especially if you go for mimosas. Essex is also a great place for happy hour, with half priced drinks until 9:00 and $1 oysters every weeknight. And their Wednesday $18 whole lobster special is a deal - the lobster is always done right, and it comes with corn on the cob and a baked potato! The service here varies: I've had stank girls too disgruntled they are not modeling to listen to what I'm saying, and I've had cheerful, friendly people. If it was more consistently the latter, I'd probably be here more often. As it is, Essex is not a favorite, but I appreciate its strengths.
(4)Vanessa T.
I love brunch. Breakfast/lunch + alcohol, what's not to love? Especially when it comes in the form of a potato pancake topped with smoked salmon, poached eggs & salmon caviar. Mmmmm... I've been to brunch a few times and never had a hassle. Even the time they needed our table (way after we had finished our meal and really were just sitting around talking at that point), the hostess apologized, asked if we minded moving to the bar and gave us a whole row of drink tickets. This after a non-stop waterfall of mimosas. Now that's service! Can't really say the same about dinner though. The few times I did have dinner there, I was less than thrilled with my entrees. The blackened catfish over shrimp was dry and salty. I didn't even make it halfway through. And although the Wednesday night lobster special was good, I've actually been to places with even better deals. HH however, is great. Half off drink specials until 9pm. We've made it one of our regular Thursday night spots. Most of the drinks on the menu are great. I'm on a mojito kick and mango is my current favorite. Not too crazy about the jalapeno mojito though. As far as appetizers go, I can only say this about what I've tried... - trio of steak, tuna, & salmon tartare: yummy. Yummy every time I've ordered it...and for those of you that are iffy with steak tartare (or any of them for that matter), I've asked them to switch it out for either another salmon or tuna and they're really good about doing so. - the fried calamari is eh as far as calamari goes, but the habanero-avocado dip that it comes with makes it a little more worth getting. - jumbo lump crabcake over hears of palm salad: although not that jumbo, is still yummy. - short ribs over polenta in a porcini mushroom sauce: in my opinion, everyone should try this. It was that good. Portion size wasn't bad either. - seared diver scallops over croutons, watermelon, roasted peaches & basil: really good. The scallops were done just right and the watermelon & roasted peaches sitting on top complemented it so well. - cheeseburger empanadas: a little on the dry side. I wasn't too crazy about them. - tilapia ceviche with homemade tortilla chips: really yummy Yeah, I've been to Essex quite a few times.
(3)Sylvia W.
Went for dinner twice and both times it wasn't worth it. Decor +1 Good Drinks +1 Good Service +1 The food is just okay. When I went, I was really disappointed with the oysters.
(3)Scott S.
Essex is just perfect. The brunch food is fantastic with great portions, the alcohol doesn't stop flowing, and all you have to pay is $18!? In NYC? There has to be a catch, but I'm not sure what it is. The place is crowded, but I really like the decor. The wait wasnt bad, if you make a rez it's usually less than 15 min wait. There were four of us and we were already pretty drunk by the time the food arrived. We ordered mexican matzah brie, eggs benedict, eggs with churrizzo and scallops. One of us had the bright idea to just pass around our plates, which is actually a fantastic idea when you are drunk and starving. I am getting so hungry thinking about the food. I had the eggs with churrizo and loved it! Although the eggs benedict and mex matzah brie were pretty ridic also. tough to say what i will order next time, but i probably won't be sober by the time it arrives. Ohh and the chicken sausage side was bangin
(5)Sandee L.
Happy Hour weekdays from 5pm - 9pm. All their drinks are half off and oysters (west and east coast) are $1 each. They have an extensive and creative drink menu. Delish! For dinner, we got the PEI mussels in tomato and chorizo broth with fries, pork belly sliders, charred octopus, tuna sushi spring rolls and a dozen of the raw oysters. The stars of the show were the mussels with fries and pork belly sliders. The tomato and chorizo broth was so yummy I kept dipping the bread and the fries in it. The pork belly sliders were out of this world....moist pork crisped to perfection for that extra *crunch* accompanied by a tart coleslaw in a fluffy, sweet bun. Yum yum! The raw oysters and charred octopus were on par with what you'd expect: nothing special. At first I was kinda digging the tuna sushi spring rolls: the roll wrapper is fried (fried goodness....hahahaah), but the tuna itself ended up being really dense and not light sashimi tasting at all. Service was attentive and friendly. I love the venue and the ambiance.
(4)Kia M.
Monthly book club review meeting started out as normal; chatty chicks looking for trendy place to act like we are really discussing a book. The wait was about 20 minutes for Sunday Brunch w/ reservations but soo worth it. 4 Mimosas and chicken apple sausage later (combination will make your eyes bleed) AMAZING!! I am a Believer and Fan of Essex. .. Didn't think we needed unlimited drinks but for the price it is a real value & Booze Gem in the city.
(4)Zachary S.
I've only been here for brunch. Let's get it straight- Essex isn't a place you visit for the food- it's a place where you go to hang out with 8 of your friends in an affordable, drunky setting. Lots of mimosa refills, friendly wait staff (which is impressive, given how many people jostle about to get seated at this place), and food that isn't necessarily inventive or spectacular, but is at least done well enough.
(4)Jen G.
Very cool place...different...food is very good (huge selection of omelettes/various brunch menu items). Love the mimosas (I believe brunch includes 3 glasses of mimosas or Marys). A definite must-try.
(4)Chrysantha C.
I woke up yesterday morning feening to eat oysters and ceviche... I thought about City Crab or FISH... but I decided that I wanted to try something new. I found a thread on CHOWHOUND about ESSEX's $1 ALL-Day-THURSDAY oyster happy hour. I figured that there would be no way I'd make it in time for Ten Bells' HH so I decided ESSEX it is! I ordered 20 Blue Point Oysters which came with two sauces: a mignonette type sauce with chiles or jalapeno because there was a nice kick to it & another topping that resembled a finely diced salsa fresca - both were wonderful to pile on each oyster. For an appetizer it was a toss up between the calamari with avocado/jalapeno dipping sauce, the crab cakes on hearts of palm, or the tilapia & mango ceviche. Being that I was feening for ceviche all morning, that was the natural choice. But the choice fish wasn't too appealing to me, only because in my cultural, Tilapia was always considered a poor man's fish. In the Philippines, Tilapia is one of the cheapest fish that you can find plus its farmed. To this day, my parents think its crazy that Tilapia is on mainstream menus... although it is meaty and flavorful and easy on the pocket. I asked the waitress which of the three she recommended - and without hesitation, she said CEVICHE! and so, Ceviche it was! The ceviche was pretty good. I liked that they used a partialyl ripe/green mango. I was worried it would be a super sweet ripe mango that would over power the entire dish... the green mango added bite and a refreshing flavor. I also did not make it to happy hour on time, but my kind waitress gave me my first bottle of beer at 1/2 price anyway... Service was great, there was no room at the bar but the waitress gave me a table with no fuss or pressure to order anything from the menu. The food came quickly and every four minutes someone was refilling my water cup =0) The couple in front of me ordered the Swordfish over a seafood bouillabaisse... I could see PEM's, Scallops, and huge tiger shrimp. This is definitely on my To-Do-List to order the next time I pay ESSEX a visit! I loved the lofty vibe with the white painted tennis balls that were intricately placed on the walls to create gorgeous light patters. The music was great too! the HIGHLIGHT of my night was eating Oysters to Pharcyde's "Passing Me By" - who would have ever thought? Only in my apartment would that happen - other than here, at THE ESSEX!
(4)Sean S.
Great place to go with a group of folks for a boozy brunch. Make a reservation, but still be prepared to wait as this place is packed. Everyone was happy with their food choices and the bartenders' heavy-handed pours. I can personally testify to the lobster eggs benedict (which my wife preferred) and the crab cake eggs benedict (which I preferred) as good choices. Don't forget to bring cash during brunch.
(4)Priya M.
Came here for Sunday brunch with a group of girlfriends. 3.5 stars Like: the crowd, the space (very high ceilings, and the tennis ball wall), the price (brunch + 3 mimosas are around $23), the service The food itself was just decent and the wait time was pretty long. Seemingly it gets crowded later in the afternoon so getting there around 11:30am was beneficial.
(4)Matt E.
Very trendy place in the same building (but separate entrance) as the Essex Market. The brunch is their biggest draw but unless you go on Sunday before they can legally serve alcohol the wait is ridiculous. The brunch is $18 and comes with 3 drinks but it doesn't seem they were really keeping track of how many they were pouring when I went (that's a good thing). The biscuits and gravy were good but was just a small side of the dish with a small portion. The place is beautiful, especially when you get to sit at one of the lofts and overlook the whole place. The food was nothing amazing but it wasn't disappointing either. If the lines weren't so long I'd definitely make a couple more return trips. UPDATE: I came back for dinner with a Groupon-like deal. I had a great scallop and risotto meal and my girlfriend loved her burger. We split a lobster mac and cheese that was packed with fresh lobster meat. For dessert we split a perfect slice of a peanut butter mouse pie. We really enjoyed our experience and had no complains whatsoever.
(4)Alaina W.
My second brunch visit to Essex essentially cancelled out any good vibes from my first. It was one of those terrible restaurant experiences that you and your friends bond over because you have all experienced the same unnecessary trauma (but it's worth a laugh later). The hell started when we were told the wait would be 45 minutes (at 2:30 PM on a Saturday, which was kind of shocking in an of itself), but no matter, we decided to around the corner and grab a drink while we waited. After an hour and a half of radio silence, I finally called and was placed on hold for 10 minutes before being told it would be another 20 minutes before we were seated. When we finally WERE seated, our waitress was very short with us, but when she brought us our drinks at long last, we thought we were saved. Wrong. I was served the worst bloody mary I've had in NYC, and when I asked to switch to mimosas, I was readily ignored. Our food arrived with french fries on the side instead of home fries. This. Is. Not. Okay. When we asked the waitress why this had happened, she informed us that they were out of home fries and that we "should have come earlier." (Maybe if we hadn't waited twice as long as we'd been told, we WOULD have been there earlier.) When we pressed her for other side options, she reluctantly brought us a plate of fruit, but told us that was all that she could "spare." The visit was rounded out when the three of us decided to split a giant pancake, after admiring the one that our table neighbors had ordered, and we were, once again, given the wrong order. It was pretty much the cherry on top of a series of unfortunate events, although the taste of the pancake (when they finally got it right) did a little to erase the bad taste that was left in our mouths.
(1)Monica H.
Came here for brunch last Saturday for a friend's birthday. Made a reservation, which was probably one of the smartest things I've done. We were sold on the $22.95 brunch that included 3 popular brunch libations. I indulged in their lobster benedict and was not disappointed. I had heard great things about this brunch spot, but was weary that it was just a fancy brunch spot that might serve small portions on giant white plates (you all know what I'm talking about) On the contrary, they serve generous portions of food - 2 lobster benedicts, home fries and mixed greens and to top it off, my mimosa glass was never empty. The only qualm I have was being kicked out of our table after we were finished eating. As each person is entitled to 3 drinks, one of our diners was still working on their second and asked for the third. The waitress then presented him with a ticket to get their drink at the bar because 'they needed the table.' I get it, every restaurant needs to make money and turn tables over.... But it's not like we were one of those tables that linger and hold up precious dining space in order to chat about inane subject matters; the busboy had literally cleared our plates before we were asked to get up. The place was packed, but I think beginning-to-end service should still be the crux of any dining establishment. Yes, you feed your patrons, but in the end it's your patrons who feed you.
(3)Josh F.
Essex was one of the most hyped restaurants i've ever known in my life. I've heard whispers of it's brunch majesty since I first began trekking to NYC. Much like Lebron James, sometimes a great hype can actually be exceeded by the reality....I'll be shocked if anything trumps Essex combination of great taste, colorful atmosphere, and low price. We had to reserve for brunch insanely early; talking months in advance. The minute the doors opened at 11, people began pouring in. Capacity at 1130. From what I've been lead to understand, it stays that way until after 4! There was about 30 selections on the brunch menu. Selections from the simple (eggs to order, fresh fruit, and tempeh bacon) to the more complex (pressed Cubano sandwiches) to the sublime. (challah twist French toast, omelette with chuorico/endive/chives/goat cheese) I got the divers scallops over a latke (potato pancake) and mixed greens with two poached eggs. The eggs were balls of poached perfection, an unusual departure from the flatened milky concoctions I'm used to. Scallops were lightly pan seared, falling off the fork, and delightful. Latke was crispy and flakey and had a great taste. Could not have been more pleased l tasted around; the Mexican matzo-brei was tasteful and light, combining tortilla and corn/sour cream/avacado with black beans and scrambled eggs. The French toast was dazzled with fresh fruit and a syrupy-butter cinnamon topper, and were enormous. Did I mention these plates were 18$ with three drinks? (mimosas, screwdrivers and bloody mary's: get the bloody, it's killer) You just don't see that kind of deal in NYC very often. Essex was a fabulous experience, hope to go again and soon. Top notch.
(5)Mandy Y.
It seems like everyone that goes here for brunch is super duper unhappy with the service and how crowded it is during those hours. That's why I'm here to tell you to solely go for their happy hour, $1 oysters, and dinner! Seriouslyyyy, it's probably your best bet to make a reservation but it's really no big deal if you show up there earlier than the rest of your party. (They seat you anyways.) It was kinda empty on a Tuesday after work but the place got crowded slowly but surely. The waitress was a complete sweetheart and kept encouraging our alcoholic tendencies. She didn't blink twice when we kept ordering platter after platter of oysters. Just tell them you want the $1.00 oysters, unless you want to live life on the edge and try the other species. Eventually the oysters WILL add up, unless you're just feasting on oysters alone. We ordered the sea bass and crab mashed potatoes/asparagus as a shared entree and it was pretty good as well. Buzzed, full from the oysters, and happy with the service. I definitely look forward to going back for even brunch. I will definitely be back for the oysters if not the Happy Hour because Essex now has a special place in my heart.
(5)Vinny T.
Good atmosphere, calamari with the green dipping sauce is really good, happy hour is good also.
(4)Vivian L.
A little disappointed with my brunch experience here, probably because I was expecting it to be amazing. I ordered the crispy potato pancakes, which were good, but not particularly impressive in my opinion. I kind of wish I had ordered something else after I started eating it. The mimosas though were fantastic and definitely heavy on the champagne =P. We didn't get our full 3 glasses so our waitress gave us drink tickets for the bar. It was kind of obvious at the end that we were being pushed out as our waitress kept coming back as we were finishing our drinks to take some plates away, to take some silverware away; etc. I'm also not a fan of their cash-only policy for brunch. The space itself is bright and trendy, with an industrial feel. There definitely started to be a crowd out the door as we were leaving, so try to make a reservation or you might have to wait awhile to get seated. And don't worry about coming before noon on Sunday, there's complimentary coffee/tea/soda before noon until they can serve you your alcohol =).
(3)Alan G.
Mo is the best
(4)Mandy L.
I hadn't been back to Essex for years (and I mean years ago, when the tennis balls stuck on the wall were still really white), but recently returned for a bday brunch party. I thoroughly enjoyed my chorizo, scrambled eggs & onions served with corn tortillas, but decided I can make that on my own. One plus side is the $22.95 brunch deal includes 3 drinks, but the waitress didn't seem to count so she just kept pouring!
(3)Jess L.
I recommend getting here on the earlier side for brunch; it fills up really quickly! To be honest, the brunch selection looks more interesting that it did in real life. For example, the scallops were modest: just four around a bed of salad and a cripsy potato "pancake." However, you can't beat the practically bottomless drinks, which come to your table faster than you can ask for another. And the drinks are quite strong! My two largest beef(s?) with this place: 1) Our waitress rushed our ordering and rolled her eyes when she left the table. Yes, I know Essex is busy, but at the time, Essex was not. And her behavior was off-putting. 2) This place takes itself so seriously. There are staunch rules about changing your party number and how much you're charged if X% of your party is missing. It causes unnecessary stress. I would have given this place two stars except that I really liked the architecture and the ambiance for a weekend brunch.
(3)Xin S.
Small typical NYC restaurant. Fast service good food. Reasonable prices. STRONG drinks! Came here twice once with a girl friend. Second time with my husband. Beware if you sit upstairs dont drink too much cause the stairs are steep and the bathrooms are located on the first floor. Love their scallops. Warm goat cheese salad...yum!. Entrees. Rack of Lamb. standard. Great place to stop by before a night out for a quick bite and a drink.
(3)Victoria F.
Unfortunately, the prices went up to $22.95 and the service went down hill. We waited awhile to be seated and we had reservations! I was a little frustrated with the overly crowded atmosphere and the pushy service. Our food came so quickly, that I felt we were rushed to finish our 3 included drinks. I do give them props for their strong drinks, but I wish it wasn't so hot, noisy, and cramped in there. I've been there about 3-4 times in the past few years and think this most recent visit was the last.
(3)Anita A.
My siblings and I came here after reading the yelp reviews and looking for a brunch spot that would squeeze us in. We came down to Essex and it was packed with people waiting to get seated. Lucky for us we got seated immediately and our service was super fast despite the crowd. The food is excellent which made our trek to the LES for brunch on a cold winter day worth it. Note brunch is cash only but that wouldn't deter me from coming here again.
(5)Elliot P.
LOUD. That being said. Did you hear me I said that being said, this was one loud restaurant at brunch. On the pricey side - the $23 and change brunch does include three drinks (Not even a buzz after the third.). I had the smoked salmon and whitefish salad platter. Where was the whitefish I asked when the food was placed n front of me. Three small (very small) cones of whitefish salad made up the whitefish part of the platter. At least the salmon portion was more than sufficient. My beautiful wife had the matzoh brie and it was passably good. All right, my mother's was better (Of course it was!). The ambiance was poor, did you hear me when I said that this place was loud? It was, and it permeated every part of our brunch.
(3)Keli H.
I came here for the dollar oyster specials and was not impressed by the oysters. Although service was great, the oysters were shucked poorly. My recommendation: get your oysters from somewhere else.
(3)Jennifer R.
Can someone please explain to me what makes this place so popular for brunch? We got here around 3 on a Saturday, and I felt like I was at a sorority reunion at some crappy Murray Hill bar. The music was way too loud (sorry, but I'm on the brink of 30 and actually like to enjoy conversation with friends while I eat) and the food was nothing to rave about. I did like the Mexican matzo brei, but my friends had mixed reviews about their dishes. The one good thing was that they don't stick to just 3 drinks with your entree, and walk around with pitchers of mimosas to make sure your glass is full at all times. I don't get the hype. There are way better brunch spots with better food and drinks in a way more comfortable atmosphere. This overrated brunch is also cash only.
(2)Annie D.
The gist? My friends and I went for brunch and I thought the food was rather forgettable, the service inconsistent and the Bloody Mary one of the worst I've ever had. Now, the experience wasn't ALL bad (good company, after all), but I just can't see the appeal unless the bottomless (read: NOT bottomless) brunch beverages alter your perception. The good: -Bright and sunny atmosphere. Our balcony view of the craziness below was a prime spot too. -The large portions of food. If you're going for quantity vs. quality, this will do the trick. My Mexican breakfast scramble wasn't bad either (I'd give it a 6 out of 10), though I did drench it in hot sauce. -Our second server. Very attentive and nice. The not-so-good: -The reservation policy. Like one of the other reviewers said, the policy of charging you a percentage if your whole party doesn't show up causes unnecessary stress. It's a bummer when places make you put a credit card down for a reservation... but it's even weirder here because apparently it's cash-only when the bill comes. And even with a reservation, we still had to wait to sit down in a room full of empty tables. -Our first server. Our waiter had a really hard time explaining the no alcohol thing clearly. (Note that on Sundays, NYC cannot serve alcohol until noon, so you're effed when you unknowingly make a reservation at 11 a.m.) We were obviously confused and feeling short-changed since there was no alternative price listed for non-alcoholic brunch, but he didn't offer us any answers. Instead of simply letting us know what was going on, he seemed to just pass our table off to another server (who was much better, as noted above). She explained how drinks work pre-noon and it was sorted out, but it wasn't a great first impression. -The (not) bottomless beverages. I'm gonna be real with you: since the food is kind of mediocre, the biggest appeal of this brunch is getting tipsy during it (all brunches, really). To be fair, the menu doesn't say bottomless. It says brunch includes three drinks, but from the other reviews and accounts of friends, it sounded unofficially bottomless. However, our drinks didn't start until 30 minutes into our meal so we were asked to vacate our table for another reservation after two drinks (one of mine being that terrible Bloody Mary). Our server set us up with tickets to each have one more mimosa at the bar, but still... not bottomless. Sad face.
(2)Jae C.
Delicious boozy brunch. I believe it is around $25-30 all in and comes with a variety of options for your meal and three drinks (mimosas, screwdriver, etc.). They weren't really keeping track at all so consider it unlimited. The food was pretty good quality and the vibe was bright and lively. Kinda hard to hear since there are so many people chatting and it is so loud but all in all a great brunch spot. Make a rsvp since the weekend brunches get packed pretty quickly.
(4)Jackie O.
OKAY, so apparently Essex got voted the best brunch.. maybe that's why everyone rated it so well... my friend got a voucher from gilt city, and we couldn't use it for brunch so we went for dinner.. HUGE mistake!! I thought about writing a really nasty review but I slept on it for a night. Still woke up with a really bad taste in my mouth.. the meal I had was really sub-par... I should also mention that the service is HORRIBLE.. super SLOW, and it was a Wednesday night around 8:30.. plenty of other people were getting service and they kind of ignored us? for no reason.. we weren't drunk or anything! I actually had to move tables because our table was in the center of the room ... and I kept getting hit when anyone would walk by.. the water server, bus boy, even a patron.. I just couldn't take it anymore so we had to move tables! it was kind of ridiculous! So we ordered the pork belly sliders... got really excited about them, but they came and they were meh. not so great. kind of a let down. and if you know me, I LOVE PORK! sigh. Waited for our mains for probably 30 mins plus.. we were so hungry.. and they didn't give us bread or anything (which I'm actually thankful for.. I shouldn't eat so much bread) but literally I was starving.. oh also the coke tasted weird.. ANYWAY my friend ordered the wasabi salmon and it actually looked really good, I had a bite and it was delicious! I had the veal skirt steak over orzo with mushrooms and zucchini... it sounded good in theory (I kind of love veal, like a good veal marsala.. yummo) but this was WAY too buttery.. and I kind of felt really gross for finishing most of it, but I was starving so.. I woke up with a really bad taste in my mouth this morning, even after coffee and brushing my teeth. Overall not a good experience.. maybe I need to go back and try brunch! I love brunch.. I mean, how hard is it to screw up brunch, right?
(2)Maly A.
Another really good brunch spot that offers a GREAT deal for the $$. The pre-fix brunch includes 3 drinks and food is good too. A young/hipster crowd, gets really packed & rather loud. Reservations are recommended otherwise you're looking at an hour wait easily (if not more).
(4)Tom S.
There are only really a few drawbacks about Essex. The space is a little cramped and brunch gets crowded in the early afternoon, but I suppose you could run into that anywhere. I also find it funny that they advertise their prix fixe brunch deal as $20 when half of the items on the menu cost extra. Regardless, it's still a good deal. The drinks were okay but my entree was phenomenal. Based on the reviews here, I ordered the potato pancakes and I was definitely not disappointed. The sauteed apples were an awesome substitute for applesauce and the spinach-shiitake-black bean hash was crazy good. It all worked really well together. I have to try making that hash at home.
(4)Diane D.
A few months ago I scheduled a brunch here on a Sunday and had no issues. After my whole party arrived we waited maybe 10 minutes before we were seated. Our reservation was on the later side of brunch so maybe that had something to do with it. The food came prompt and was yummy. They have a 3 limit max on drinks but when we went most of the servers were walking around with pitchers of mimosas and would just pour whenever they saw we were running low. We most certainly left with a heavy buzz. Another time I went was for dinner on a Wednesday and the experience was equally great. Half off drinks and good, quick food.
(4)CeeCee A.
I've been here a number of times for brunch, and I really do love this place. Even my out-of-town guests enjoyed their experience here. There's a wide selection of dishes for brunch, and I loved every dish that I have ordered: "eggs benedicts w/ candian bacon, salmon gravlax or spinach", "lobster benedict", "crabcake benedict", "The CEO - chorizo, scrambled eggs & onions served with tortillas", "The Aristocrat - potato pancake topped with salmon gravlax", and "The Deep South - chicken fried steak with biscuits, eggs & gravy" - all delicious! My absolute fave is the Aristocrat. Oh, and the chicken apple sausage - yum! The brunch includes 3 of any of the following: bloody marys, screwdrivers, mimosas - all very strong and fabulous! (Sometimes they've given more than three - bonus...shhh!) Once, I remember that our server felt bad that our food took longer than usual; so, she gave us two drink tickets (each person) to make up for it. :-) One brunch item + 3 drinks = $20, which is an A+ in my book. [Note: 1. Some items may be an additional $2-3, and 2. Cash only for brunch.] I'll admit that the servers can be a bit slow and not as attentive as I'd like. However, I've gone during the busiest times for brunch; so, that's why I let it slide. So, in my opinion, the service is pretty decent. The ambiance is nice; the restaurant is very bright and clean. If I love this place, why did I just give it four stars instead of five? Well, the only that that annoys me is that even after making a reservation, I've had to wait about 20-40mins. And since it gets pretty packed with people, waiting by the bar can be very annoying. This has happened to me every single time. So, if you plan on coming here, be prepared!
(4)Keith T.
I came here for a friend's birthday brunch yesterday. The Good: - Tasty food. - Generous mimosa distribution. - Cool space. The Bad: - Expensive ($24 per person). - Wouldn't seat us until whole party present. - Wouldn't serve alcohol until noon. - Small-ish portions of food. - Refused to "customize" any dishes (substitute an extra biscuit for eggs). - Trainee took our order. "Real" waitress had to come back to correct it 3 times. I was left with an overwhelming feeling of "meh." I'm not rushing to return any time soon.
(2)Herbet P.
You know you're stepping up in the world when you start having brunch! They say 6 mimosas but they just keep filling your glass... Food was good - forgot what i had. Unfortunately its cash only but theres lots of pretty girls everywhere. the scale tips to the positive.
(4)Maritza S.
~Wednesday night is my favorite night~ These "fresh to death" specials keeps me coming back for more... If you want to spend about $25 (your share) on dinner and drinks on a Wednesday night to get you out of your mid-week blues, you will love Essex. -$1 Oysters -Great Dinner special (Whole Lobster with two sides for $18) and other great deals for the night -Half Price Drinks (good selection) Everything else on the menu is reasonable too. It is a pleasant dining atmosphere, cozy with friendly service and a nice mix of people. Ask for a table on the second level overlooking the place, it is nice... I like the dim lighting too You don't have to make a reservation but I always do to guarantee I don't have to wait. Happy Hour begins at 6pm. Enjoy!
(4)Dan H.
I'd wager that the food is better in prison. Best part of the meal was the cold French fry I stole from the guy at the table with me.
(1)Amal R.
Yet another one of my horrible brunch experiences in New York. I should stop using the excuse of "seeing friends" to do brunch in NYC, especially when I don't even like brunch foods. Went here for a very late (2:45) brunch reservation. Unfortunately I got there 10 min late and our 3rd party member got there 30 min late. We decided to wait it out for our reservation. But while we were waiting I realized this is not a place I would ever go to on my own. I showed up in my hoodie and jeans, because come on, it's a friggin' Sunday brunch and my lazy day. I was really the only one. People here were overly trendy, even for NYC. If not for the sun beaming through the windows, I'd say we were at some hip lounge/club filled with finance dbags and girls doused in makeup and fake tans. I kind of lost my appetite a little just rubbing elbows with everyone. And rub elbows we did. There was absolutely no place to move while we waited and the hostesses, and waiters were constantly shoving their way through us. And finally the coup de grace. After waiting another 30 min (it is now 345), we were told to wait by our stairs by the hostess, so we could be seated at the upper balcony. After 5 min, we see a party of 3 go up. She had given our table to someone else!!! When we asked the hostess about it she just mumbled and walked away. That's when we had it and just left to have a much happier experience at a burger place nearby. For what it's worth, if you actually get seated for brunch the food and drinks looked pretty good, but I could find just as good food 10 min from home.
(1)M W.
Had better brunch elsewhere. Food was average, service was average, prices were a little high - this certainly doesn't negate the 45min wait at 3:00pm on a Sunday afternoon. The exterior looks a little suspicious but interior moderm and well-lit. On our visit there, we were entertained by two gentleman that sat by the bar who consistently without fail, sense and stare that every female patrons that enters the establishment and undress them with their eyes.
(3)Michelle W.
this review is specifically for the brunch. keep in mind, brunch is cash only, but so worth it. As always, the food was delicious. They really don't keep tabs on how many drinks you have, they just keep refilling which was perfectly fine! I got the pancakes and loved it! They were extremely thick and fluffy pancakes...almost as if they stacked two pancakes on top of each other. The middle was filled with chocolate and bananas and cooked to perfection. I loved everything about my meal. Essex never fails to deliver.
(4)Karina A.
Essex has been on my "list" for a while, and I finally was able to check it out yesterday. Went in around 3ish, and waited 15 minutes. Sat upstairs (which you should try to request, because it gets very loud downstairs) and listened to some hip hop playing in the background, while we waited for our waitress. We got the $20 brunch special with 3 drinks.. My friend ordered the corned beef hash and 2 fried eggs, which she was a fan of and I ordered the mexican matzoh brei which was very good. Drink refills were quick, waitress was friendly, cool hipster downtown scene.. I'll come back.
(4)Tom G.
Dinner is ok here. Brunch is why people come here. The servers are nice, but it gets so busy in there, they night not be as attentive as they would like. Calamari, is my fav there, I also recommend the tartare. FYI:This place is crawling with douchy people, inside and outside. The wait would be very long (SAT and SUN).
(3)T G.
I can't really put into words how much I love and enjoy coming to Essex for brunch... I have been quite a few times and I am never disappointed other them when they run out of chicken apple sausage(once)... The drinks are on point and are a deal when you are waiting for your table.. The manchego mac and cheese is to die for!!! So yummy. I have also had the vegan omelet which was freakin great... I went most recently for Vday and you'd think it would have been a hassle but service was great, the wait was appropriate and the drinks were better then ever.. My guest & I thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and they cannot stop talking about it.. I had the french toast with banana foster sauce, so good.. You may also want to try the eggs benedict, all version are awesome!!!
(5)Nick B.
This is a great place for happy hour. $1 oysters and half priced drinks with good company always leads to a great night. The establishment has an open loft feel. If you're not into the cramped sweat box bar scene. They have a wide selection of sweet drinks with a ton of different twists on the mojito. You can stand at the bar but there are usually enough booths to comfortably host a group of 4-6.
(4)G C.
Happy hour Sun-Thurs 6-9pm: Half off drinks and $1 oysters. Decent mojitos in many flavors. Bartender recommended the orange blood martini but I'm not a martini girl so I passed. Octopus with eggplant was the winner here. I would come back for the happy hour drinks. Margaritas, sangrias, and mojitos are sold in PITCHERS. My good friends know how I feel about those. Will bring gfs here for inebriation. It's a nice space with a good bar. 3.5 stars.
(3)sherry c.
I went to Essex for my husband's birthday. I called to make a reservation and the person who answered failed to tell me that large parties (we had 16 people) are required to order from a prix fixe menu. One day before the reservation, a rude staff member called me to confirm the reservation and also asked me $65 or $75. I told him I was unaware of what he was talking about and he said that they didn't mark me down for which price I wanted for the prix fixe menu. I told him no one informed me that we HAD to go with the prix fixe. He said that I had no choice and was very rude. I called the restaurant later in the day with the intent to cancel my reservation but another staff member answered and she was extremely helpful and friendly. She told me that she saw that it was their mistake and they will accommodate our party anyway without ordering from the prix fixe menu. Needless to say I didn't cancel. The food was great and there were many compliments on the restaurant choice. The steamed mussels were in a seemingly endless pot, the sweet potato fried and the potato pancakes were memorable for me. I ordered the filet mignon and it was disappointing -- I always order my beef medium well -- this was extremely dry inside and not tasty at all. The sangria pitcher we ordered tasted watered down but the overall experience was great. Our waitress was patient and helpful, the food arrived quickly for a large party, and they gave us free drink tickets for the bar after!
(4)Marcie M.
Let's just say that I am NOT a breakfast fan but I am a brunch fan. I love burgers and fries in the a.m. especially when I'm traveling. I always crave protein. On my last official morning in NYC, my friend Sarah made reservations for 7 of us to indulge at Essex. We hopped on the subway (an experience this Indy girl has never had) to hit up her fave brunch location. The menu was very extensive and our meal included bloody marys and orange juice mimosas (can I just say...PERFECTION?!?!). What I loved most was that I could get a burger and an egg...together, on my sandwich and it was cooked to perfection and melted on my tongue. It was EXACTLY what I envisioned as my ideal brunch meal. Not breakfast but not quite lunch either. It was incredible!! But, I want to also mention that I loved the bread before our meal. FANTASTIC ...I love my carbs and I had plenty of them in NYC...Essex was no exception for great carbs to fill my belly! Not only that but what a cool place. I thought the only downside was it appeared that none of the waitresses were forced to follow a dress code and for brunch, I thought they were a bit underdressed. Not offensively so but a bit too much skin for my taste so early on a Saturday a.m. I definitely think that they should at least go home, shower and change out of their party clothes before coming into work. This place is great for groups, informal business lunches, and brunch! And, it was a steal in NYC, IMO.
(4)Michelle S.
Great brunch. Food is delicious, unlimited mimosas while you're eating. comes out to about $30 per person with tax/tip. Gets crowded - make a reservation!
(4)Casey M.
Main points of Essex: - I'm somehow still tasting yesterday's brunch today (ew) -"Three drinks included with brunch" really means "the waitress will come by your table twice to top you off" (so drink quickly) -We were given incorrect change, the waitress basically told us we lied about the amount we gave her, then finally gave is the right change (but with a lot of 'tude) I won't be back.
(2)Ian J.
Awful brunch. Awful food. Sure, the pre-fix deal isn't bad because you get food, can get hammered if they happen to mix the drinks well that morning. (You get 3, so it might happen) If it does, it'll make the food more tolerable, and encourage you to leave a tip at all for the lousy service and awful food.
(1)Marla M.
$1 oyster happy hour is why I love this place! Also, the brunch is great. Unlimited mimosas or bloody marys (technically 3 I think, but they hardly ever keep track) and the food is yummy. The wait sucks at times even with a reservation, but it's a nice place to hang with your friends over some good food and drinks.
(4)Lylan M.
Been here several times, both for brunch and dinner. It's always reliably good. The setting is nice and the service is generally good too. Absolutely no complaints and I'll be going back.
(4)Michelle L.
This is a review for the Essex brunch. I've never been here at night so I can't comment on that. I'm a little ashamed to say that I've done this brunch twice now, and have tried to do it three times. The first time was pretty decent, and I got a nice buzz on from unlimited mimosas, which were actually refilled often, and ate some decent brunch food. It was loud and we had to wait about 15 minutes to be seated, but overall it was a pleasant experience. The second time I tried to do brunch here with a larger group (6) and we tried calling ahead from about 11am on and no one would answer the phone to take a reservation, so we figured we'd just go down there and see if we could get in. We arrived at about 2:30pm and they told us it'd be over an hour wait. Yuck. So we moved on and went elsewhere... Recently the BF and I decided to try our luck again thinking, since we were just a couple like the first time we'd be able to get seated faster. Again we tried to call but no one would answer the phone. We arrived at Essex at 12:15pm and were told we could be seated in 45 minutes so we decided to put our names in and wait around. Well 45 minutes came and went and we weren't called to be seated. Meanwhile many many groups came in after us and were seated. After another 10 minutes, we inquired with one of the hostesses just to make sure we were still on the list and she told us that yes, she had one party before us and we'd be next. OK, so we continue to wait....After a few minutes she came over and told us that actually there were two lists and laughed like "oh, hehe, silly us...." but there was no apology or food forthcoming. Finally BF went to talked to the other hostess (the one who originally quoted us 45 minutes) and explained that we'd be waiting an hour and a half. She seated us right away and we were served. So, moral of the story, the food here is pretty OK and you can get unlimited booze. However, they serve no booze before noon, and anytime after noon it is so busy you will not be able to get anyone on the staffs attention. The servers are completely outnumbered, and it's just chaos. There are much better experiences to be had in this city and I doubt I'll be returning to Essex unless I can get a reservation in writing beforehand!
(2)Brittany H.
brunch here on the weekends is like waiting for a ride at the amusement park. chaos due to the massive wait & limited space... $18 brunch specials comes w/ 3 drinks ... and a delightful assortment of brunch choices, savory, sweet, American, Latin almost French or Russian. I would say the majority of good ole' American staples, eggs, omelettes and pancakes. I mean, my point is they have a wonderful selection and many varieties to choose from. What not to expect: gourmet food...but the eggs are decent here plus when you bring alcohol in the mix, you've got yourself a decent meal that will last you until dinner time. i had the smoked salmon lox here with caviar on top and potato pancake. a bit greasy on the fried pancake portion.... but that's precisely what i just ordered right? This place has a better rep for being a happy hour/bar establishment than "fine dining". I wouldn't even classify it as such. the deals found here are pretty special, hence the reason why so many people flock here for happy hour and weekends. drinks are dirt cheap even if they are not specially priced. they have an awesome upper level, plenty of sunshine shining in...other than that... pretty generic, decent establishment
(3)Pamela L.
This place is full of action after 8:30-9pm. My husband and I came here for dinner and were seated on the balcony level. It was still quiet and slow when we arrived at 7:30 on a summer Saturday, but people started coming in after the sun goes down, I think that's when they started pumping up the music too. Food was ok, we ordered 2 appetizers, 2 entrees and shared a dessert. My husband enjoyed the food more than I did. Chocolate cake was yummy and was the highlight of my meal. I was unable to finish my entrée and asked to get the rest to go. To my surprise, our waitress couldn't find me a to-go box, I thought that was kinda odd!
(3)Stephanie M.
Came here for a bachlorette party brunch. I didn't go out the night before, so wasn't in such bad shape as some of our companions, but it smelled and looked awesome when we walked in. The service was so-so... it took a long time to get orders - especially drink refills. For someone with a huge table and a reservation.... they were kind of quick to push us into the main bar area after we finished eating. Service aside, the food was great and it was so well lit with all the high windows and ceiling! I really enjoyed it and would totally go back.
(4)Anastacia S.
The main thing we'd go to Essex for was oysters & happy hour. The dollar oysters are pretty good. Of course, now there are a dozen oyster places in the neighborhood, so maybe that's no longer a draw. But for about a year, this was our regular spot. I've only had one entree here, but gone through most of the appetizers. My opinion of the restaurant started to drop when they altered many of our favorite items on the menu. I'm all for experimenting with the menu, but didn't understand why they would switch up some ingredients in a perfectly good plate. There used to be a delicious mushroom gruyere quesadilla, and one day it just tasted different. Turns out they had added duck and taken out the mushrooms.... we couldn't even pick out the duck flavor when we were eating them. The spare rib sliders were PERFECT when we first ordered them (and a dozen times after that). But, the last time I was there, they had taken out the frizzled onions (why!?) and changed up the horseradish sauce. After my two favorite appetizers were nixed, I wasn't all that excited to return. They did have one of my favorite drinks, though, which was a Pickled Saint (a mojito but with gin instead of rum). Unfortunately the drinks were always slow in coming out, no matter how empty the rest of the restaurant was. I got into the habit of ordering another drink when mine was half empty, and sometimes it still took too long.
(2)Waz W.
When we had friends in town earlier this month, we decided that a boozey brunch was a must! $24 for a brunch entree and three mimosas or bloody marys. Sounds pretty good to me! Trendy place in the Lower East Side. Even for a small group, I highly recommend that you make reservations. It's VERY loud on the first floor. Kinda surprised by how dressed up some people were... or did they not make it home the night before? I indulged in the Lobster Benedict. Perfectly poached eggs with nice creamy yolks. The hollandaise sauce with the lobster is a match made in heaven. The english muffin was too buttery for me. The Salmon Gravlax Benedict looked good too. My husband enjoyed the Mexican Matzo Brei, but it looked like a terrifying amount of eggs. Food is pretty good. They don't keep track of how many cocktails you've had, so it ends up being unlimited. I'll be back to try the Crab Cake Benedict.
(4)Meaghan K.
The brunch is decent for the price. They give you really good garlic bread to start. They were pretty generous with the mimosas but didn't leave a pitcher on the table, and I felt the mimosas were pretty watered down. Great ambiance, lots of light. I'd come here again.
(3)M R.
A FEW MONTHS AGO... I HAD A BAD SEXUAL EXPERIENCE That's how un-memorable this place was to me. OK, we came, ate, drank & moved on quickly. That's how they do you at this location. drinks, order, eat & move the "hell" out so we can sit other patrons here. t's like a bad sexual experience where I say "I've had better". And thank God for that!!
(2)Suzanne G.
Came here for brunch with my girlfriends. Unfortunately we overindulged the night before and couldn't fully take advantage of the three free drinks, although I did enjoy one strong bloody mary. The coffee and food were delicious! HUGE portions! Good deal for $22, especially if you take advantage of the three free drinks! We will be back.
(4)Arlene Y.
Came here on two different occasions, and both occasions I had a great time. Came here during their happy hour deal, when its 1 dollar oysters, and half off drinks. The oysters were fresh and delicious! In addition my girlfriends and I ordered a bunch of appetizers: 1) Mussels- were the best 2) Hamburger empanadas- they were interesting 3)Fried calamari - the avocado dip was what made this dish shine 4)Angus short rib sliders- they were not as great as I thought it would be. The other time we came for the Boozy brunch - for 23 dollars. (the website claims that it is 3 drinks only, but the waiters do not keep count. ) the waiters were really attentive and they kept refilling our glasses, until we were seeing double. The two dishes I recommend for brunch are: 1) The lobster Benedict- their seafood items are really worth it as they are fresh and good for your money. 2) The Mexican matzo brei- deliciousness in a dish great place with great deals!
(4)