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- Neighborhoods:
- Downtown, Lower East Side
- Categories:
- Restaurants, Grocery Stores
- Cuisine:
- Traditional American, Latin American
- Price:
- $$
- Restaurant Special Features:
- Payment Methods:
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At a Glance
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85% ambiance
“It's a nice cozy atmosphere.”
100% dessert
“We went with a large group and ordered about a dozen decent sized lobsters with potatoes and corn for $14 each as well a the best mammoth crab cakes I have ever had.”
88% drinks
“...had she given me a reasonable answer, I would have dropped it, but the menu and sign outside, even the waitress clearly stated 1/2 price drinks on EVERYTHING (except pitchers of sangria and bottles of wine), yet that is not what they are charging peop”
85% food quality
“have done brunch there many times now, and we keep going back because the food is very good, the booze is free-flowin', and the people watching is great.”
82% menu variety
“The menu is unique and the portions are satisfying (I always have leftovers with the burger and mexican matzah brei).”
90% overall
“great place”
100% return potential
“Regardless, it's still a good deal and I will still go back, because the food is tastey and the deals are good.”
65% service
“love the food so I will go back but don't expect to be charmed by the staff.”
89% value
“despite it all, this place is awesome if you factor in the price and quality of food!”
78% wait time
“The advertised unlimited mimosas and bloody marys is too good to be true until you realize that they keep down your drink count because the service is so slow.”
Write a Tip for
Essex
From The Owner of Essex
Essex Restaurant
@EssexNYC
Cinco de Mayo @ Essex http://t.co/mBDatgPMt2 http://t.co/AoiMUpZpv6
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18 days ago
Tips for Essex
September 05, 2009
Worst Music in NYC. Get a new dj if you want people to stay and dance.I can't stand a place that has such great potential but lacks in every way. I went to a birthday party on Friday for my friend and this place needs help. The disc jockey was playing, the worst music from the 90's. The service was great the trays of fruit were fresh and yummy and the cocktails were perfect. Get a new dj if you want people to stay and drink. I left way too early due to the horrible music and horrible system, that seems to be way off.
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Heart
September 01, 2009
Slow poor service. Extremely long wait, even when they tell you 30 minutes. Slow food service and waitstaff with no personality, and hostessess who obviously have no brains to estimate time. Food was good and prices affordable but definitely much better places to eat.skip it!
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Heart
July 13, 2009
Horrible Services Continues - Better Brunch Spots Elsewhere.
I have been to Essex numerous times and each time, the level of service continues to decline. After sitting down at our table, we waited for over 45 minutes before our orders arrive. When the plates did arrive, the food was cold like they have been sitting around for 20 minutes. Additionally, two groups of customers with similar in numbers of people arrived at their tables 20 minutes after we sat down and they received their plates (some of the same orders) before we did. When one of my group members attempted to point out the delay to the male manager, he literally just walked away and ignored her.
Overall, I used to enjoy eating brunch here, but after a few times of horrible service, I recommend anyone looking for decent brunch to go other restaurants. There other so many other good options to choose in LES.
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Heart
May 05, 2009
Love the Monday Night Specials. Went on Monday evening with a couple of friends for dinner and had a spectacular experience. Our waitress, a lovely woman from South Africa, helped us through an extensive food and drink menu and was spot on with her choices. Cheeseburger Empanadas were amazing. And you can beat the prices-$1 oysters and half-price Martinis for happy hour. Can't wait to try brunch.
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Heart
May 03, 2009
Trendy place but horrible service. We had the worst table service at this restaurant. The dinner lasted 2 1/2 hours as we waited what seemed like eternity for our appetizers and entrees. When our appetizer and entree dishes finally came out, 3 out of the 4 plates were cold. What would have been a great meal was ruined. The waitress was inattentive -- she did not provide cutlery for the entree after our first set was taken away. We noticed other tables were also waiting for their food. What was most disappointing was that the waitress and the hostess didn't care after we brought up the issue. The bar area is good if you're just looking for a place for drinks. Do not come here for dinner.
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Heart
April 14, 2009
GREAT Easter!!. Having read the previous reviews of Essex and figuring Easter brunch might be a bit of a madhouse, I made reservations about 5 days in advance (no problem, by the way, they still had several times available). Upon arrival, I was totally glad I did, as it was utter bedlam inside - in my experience though, any place with this many people waiting to eat is usually worth it! And it totally was - the Easter brunch menu had an astonishingly wide selection of amazing dishes, and additionally it comes with THREE cocktails, your choice of mimosas, screwdrivers, or bloody mary's? All for twenty bucks?? I was blown away. The food was first rate, the atmosphere was lively and fun, and we couldn't have had a better time. Bigups to Essex, you gotta come check this place out!!
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Heart
March 24, 2009
Best Brunch in town. This place serves up the best brunch in town. I wouldn't listen to any of the negative reviews. Make sure you plan ahead and show up very early or prepare to wait as you can easily wait for over 1.5 hours to be sat on any given weekend day for brunch.
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Heart
March 09, 2009
You haven't had the best brunch unless you've been to Essex!!. This has got to be the best place for a brunch EVER!! Their food is absolutely delicious..and inexpensive!! Not to mention first 3 rounds of drinks for free..mimosa, bloody mary or the screwdriver. although I DO recommend calling in advance for reservations, because you will be waiting for a VERY long time, an hour the LEAST..but once you've had a meal from their you will understand why its such a great place!!!
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Heart
March 01, 2009
Time Well Wasted.
Picture it. LES. Random, chilly, late morning/early afternoon Sunday.
My 2 friends and I head over to Essex. We heard the food was creative and hearty and the space was cool. We put ourselves on the list. We are fine with the 45 minute wait. AFTER 75 MINUTES! - we ask, what's going on? The hostess very flippantly says another 30-45 MINUTES! We saw people who came in after us but were larger parties get seated first. We saw them ask for large parties who had left. We saw them take people who had only just gotten there but were 5-6 people get seated because that was the size of the table. They had no respect for the other smaller parties who were waiting patiently.
We didn't really need to give this waiting room our money.
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Heart
January 27, 2009
Best Brunch Ever!!. My girls and I went to Brunch last weekend and had a blast. I have been taking my friends and out of town'ers and parents there for years. Yes the place is crowded and yes the place can be loud but that is why we all love Essex's. The prices are just right for the location and the drinks are tasty and everlasting. I can't believe that people can complain about a brunch where the portions are huge and selection is just right and the price is only $16. I wish all these uptown "shanghai posters" would just stay up there, if you want a five star restaurant then go will you! All these uptown or non NY'ers just don't get it. We go to Essex's cause we are hung over, still wearing the same outfit from the night before, smelling like the walk of shame, needing to just get drunk to forget about the night we just had, lighten up and shut up already!! Get crazy, rock your smudged makeup and your sunglasses dance and drink and wait for table like everyone else and just have some good ole LES NYC Brunch fun! Essex's we love you!
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Heart
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Essex
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