Essex

I took my friend out for her birthday and had a wonderful time. The staff was simply wonderful and very cheerful. The four of us ordered 4 appetizers, highly recommend the fried calamari with a delicious guacomole dipping sauce. Everything was awesome and the portions were generous. Four appetizers were enough for four people, considering we drank 2 bottles of outstanding wine (which was also a good price). Overall I had the best time here. We spent over 2 hours just drinking and continuously munching of whatever appetizers we had left and the waitress even brought over more bread to allow us to keep snacking on the outstanding sauce left over in the giant bowl of mussels we ordered. This place is perfect for a date or to just have a delicious dinner with friends or family. The decor was also very fun and trendy!

I, too, can understand why someone would have some problems with the waitstaff here, but I know it's not stopping you from going back. The place has serious allure. I've been several times and every time the food is great, the people are nice, and the drinks just keep coming. It's a great experience and a wonderful start to the day. I highly recommend it.

It is hard to find words that decribe the way the waitress treated our party of 7. Let us start with rude and combine it with frosty and aggravated and you have the way she greeted us. It only got worse from there. The food was great but the lasting memory will be of the poor waitress.

I have been a huge fan of Essex since my first visit, last summer. Lobster night is fantastic and brunch is the best in the city for the best value. Service had been spacey and slow in the past, but you could forgive it because all else is so perfect. In recent weeks, however, the service has exponentially improved. Impeccable service at our last brunch there. Way to go, Essex! Just keeps getting better. What a gem!

Essex is a great place to go with a group. It is big and open with many large round and long tables and the atmosphere is great. Food selection, taste and pricing is pretty good. However, the service is poor. My party of 12 people and I made a reservation a week in advance for a birthday. The reservation was for 8:00, we got seated close to 9:00 after waiting at the bar for an hour. The food took forever and we felt like we were bothering the waitress trying to order even one drink. If you have a lot of patience or can go at an off time, I would recommend Essex. But this restaurant needs to make improvements. They can not deal with being slammed or even just busy.

I think this place rocks! I just read a couple of reviews posted before me...and I can definitely see why things were said the way they were said. I am just trying to be objective about the places I go to. I am awfully sorry for those who have a bad experience at Essex...but it can happen anywhere, right? And admit..if the place is busy..it can be very easy to get slammed..and sometimes forget about things, which does not make the place bad with bad service. Every time I have been there I had outstanding service and the food was simply one of the best I have ever tried. So..if you go to a place where wait is a common thing (especially if you don't have a reservation) I don't think it is a reson to be sooo critcal. Afterwards, the stuff is extremely friendly, the food is excellent, the atmosphere is great! Just give it another try!

Their oysters are the freshest, fattest and most delicious in the city -- and at $1, they are also the cheapest. Also recommended, the crabcake: all lump meat, it rivals City Crab's and costs less. I like also that you can still have a conversation without shouting and the decor is hip but comfortable. I didn't have any problem with the service the night I went, but I could see if it got busy, you might easily be forgotten. Overall, one of my all time favorites.