Essex is a pub/bar hybrid now, so I will divide this into food and bar parts.
Food: I was actually a bit surprised by how much I liked the food here. It's not fancy and it's not the best food I've had, but you can do worse for bar food. The burgers are pretty good and there are even some vegetarian options. If you are in the neighborhood and would like a bite and a beer on an afternoon, it would suit your needs.
Bar: The biggest problem with the Essex is that they do not have a cheap, crap-ish beer on the menu. You would think that given the neighborhood and the clientele that they would have some PBR or some Genesee or some Yuengling -- but all they have is Rolling Rock on tap which is a) disgusting, and b) overpriced at $9/pitcher. I know that they are probably trying to drive out some of the customers who like cheap beer, but it's Buffalo so you are going to have to make some concessions. But, they do have a nice selection of beers if you are looking to spend a little more (prices are similar to places on Elmwood like Cole's). There is a nice dartboard in the back and the pool table is good (but you cannot really play when the place gets crowded).
Anyway, it's still pretty chill. The jukebox is great and everyone is usually pretty relaxed there. I miss the old days when it was a little more run down but it's nice to see the place get fixed up and the food is a nice touch.
I was very excited to try their new menu items, but the service was bad and the food was meh. Â We ordered the PLT salad, soup, and a side of mac and cheese to start then a single order of wings. Â It took 25 - 30 minutes just to get the soup and salad. Â Now I am very forgiving if the restaurant was busy, but there were maybe 12 people there ordering food. Â
Out of the three things we ordered, the PLT salad was the most memorable. Â After we finished our food, so about 40 minutes in, we inquired about our wings only to find out that the order was never put in and they just ran out. Â We were given this news right as the person next to us received their order, which they place 20 minutes after ours. Â Once again, I am a forgiving person, and having been in the business before, I would have done only one thing to a couple who waited 45 minutes for their food....comp.... Â comp, comp, comp! Â Take care of the drinks or give us another round for free....SOMETHING!! Â I don't blame people for mistakes, stuff happens all the time, but they should compensate for their errors if they want to keep my business. Â Â
So the sad thing now is that I will most likely never go back for food and will only have this experience to remember this place by.
Essex is a cool pub located a few blocks away from the busy Elmwood strip. With reasonably priced drinks and a unique crowd, this place stole my heart right away as it reminds me of the bar I used to work at before I moved to Tonawanda.
The walls are covered with old license plates from various states and a lot of cool artwork (mostly beer signs). The bartenders were friendly and pretty quick. They have some good beer on tap, including at least one local beer from Flying Bison.
The whole time we were there, the kitchen was busy bringing out food - all of which looked delicious. We took a look at their menu, which includes vegetarian options and plenty of meat-lover dishes, and everything sounded appetizing.
They also have an old school dart board, those ones where you have to keep track of your score yourself. There's also a pool table and one of those kinda fun touch screen game machines. But the coolest game in this place is the flat arcade style game that disguises itself as a table. Includes the classic game Galaga.
I'm definitely planning on going back for lunch one of these days and I guarantee I'll be back for the drinks too.
Essex is my favorite bar in Buffalo. It's a stones throw away from my place, it's open seven days a week & the jukebox allows me to be in semi control of that evenings soundtrack. I've never had a terrible experience here. There have been nights when its dead but even then there's a relaxed vibe. It's like Spot but with alcohol. For the most part though I've got nothing but good memories of drinking with friends while the snow pounds the city outside.
Review Source:Time was, you would never think about food being served at the Essex. It was a dive bar, a place to drown your sorrows while sitting between an aged punk, and an old man who smelled of urine and despair. The jukebox was the best in town, and everyone knew your name when you walked in. Today, everything is different.
Oh, the jukebox is still great. The staff still seems to know the name of all their customers. Mackie, the new owner, greets you as a long lost brother when you walk through the door. Instead of despair, you smell pork...wonderful, smoked, delicious pork.
The Essex now serves food, and by god, what food they sell! Mackie keeps a smoker running, serving some of the best meats in the city. The smoked pastrami sandwiches are incredible. The ribs like an orgasm served on a plate. The beer selection rocks, and it would be hard to picture a more friendly place to eat.
I've never seen a bar change so much of itself, while still retaining it's character and spirit. Every change, every coat of paint, every repair, I viewed with a level of skepticism, and fear. This was unfounded. This classic place of Buffalo lore remains a place everyone should go. It keeps it's history, while transforming itself into a place of good cheer, good food and good people. Bravo, Essex!
Stopped in late to watch the end of the Sabres game and was very impressed with the service and food. This bar is mostly seen as a dive / hipster bar, but it is more than that. It is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
For this review I wanted to focus on the food. I was hungry, the night was cold, and the soup was calling. At only $3.50 per bowl and given the aforementioned - dive bar feel - I was not going into this meal with high expectations.
First, I tried 'Memmaw's Chicken n Dumplings Soup', described as a, 'hearty chicken stew with scratch made dumplings.' Upon first glance, the soup was not impressive looking. It had a think, gravy-like broth that hid all of the tasty ingredients. This gave it an appearance that made me think 'bowl of brown mush.' But after one bite I knew this was gonna be good. The dumplings are bite sized and there was a good amount in the bowl. Overall this hearty soup was very tasty and left me wanting to order another bowl. But with ALL soups only being $3.50, I thought I would try another offering.
Next up, 'Sweet Corn & Poblano Chowder with Pastrami.' I really like corn chowder and after the precious bowl, it is safe to say I had high hopes...and I was not let down. The broth was thick and was similar to the gravy like broth with the dumplings, but it worked with this soup. The pastrami was cut up into tiny bits, which I wish would have been bigger, but the corn and potatoes along with the other ingredients worked well together. I am not a super spicy food person, so I was worried how spicy this would be, but for me it was great. It only had a subtle pepper taste which was perfect for me.
Some may not love the gravy-like broth, but on this cold night it hit the spot. Some might think the poblano needs more kick, but for my taste buds it was enough. I will definitely try some more offerings on my next visit.
Essex Pub now has a kitchen! Â And it's not your typical boring pub fare either. Â Among the standouts are the BBQ wings and the PLT. Â According to the owner, the wings are done similar to Chinese restaurants Ming's on Main and Ming Teh in Fort Erie. Â Dry rubbed, smoked, then fried, these wings were packed w/ BBQ flavor, meat falling off the bone, and deliciously juicy on the inside. Â The PLT was also awesome and this is coming from someone who is normally not too big of a fan of pastrami. Â The difference is Essex cuts it thick and crisps it to perfection. Â Complete w/ a waitstaff and new outdoor seating and soon to add tables and a lunch service, this neighborhood-friendly bar just upped the ante big-time.
Review Source:Once upon a time, this place was scary, but now it is populated by harmless hipsters. Â Not even over-the-top annoying hipsters, just guys with beards and girls with glasses, having a beer.
Good beers are on tap, good music is playing (mostly the 80s-90's alternative stuff folks my age never stopped listening to).
It's a big risk serving wings in Buffalo that different from the norm, but Essex dared to smoke them and coat them in barbecue sauce, and it worked out very well. Â I was not the only patron waving about the wings.
This place just feels right. Â There is good beer on tap, tasty food, darts, comfy music and friendly staff and patrons. Â The owner is a really good guy, and it shows through his bar.
If you see people playing darts on your way to the head, don't storm through to the it, bumping into them and apologizing, you may inevitably cause that person throwing to accidentally throw a dart into your leg. Â Be more aware&cautious of walking to the bathroom, nobody cares if you're drunk.
Essex has always existed as a great neighborhood pub.
Some nights are better than others.
The owner flys off the handle for no reason and has an attitude problem. The bar is great for a hipster but isn't for me. I am going to stay away from this place considering I was never a fan of it to begin with since there's been a lot of crime in that area for a long time, plus the place smelled like puke when I was in there multiple times. Judging by the looks of things i t's probably part of the wood by now.
Review Source:This is exactly the kind of bar where you'd find me if I lived in Buffalo--but I don't. So, this is exactly the bar I will go hang out at when I'm in Buffalo. Let's just hope it's often!
Besides being an awesome hole-in-wall, neighborhood pub, this place even carries a little taste of home on tap. Great Lakes, baby! You really can't go wrong here no matter who you are. As yelper Ryan W mentioned, it's quite the mixed bag.
Like pool? Darts? A bar with some character and history? Cheap drinks? This is the place for you! The vibe reminded me of Cleveland (and I mean that in the best way possible) so I instantly felt at ease. Besides, you can't beat a great jukebox--and this place has got one!
I'd definitely come back to imbibe, but let's just wait until it's a little warmer outside. Or, well... maybe next time I could just dress for the weather. That's an option, too.
***Well, the business got VERY VERY ANGRY with me (check their Facebook page) so I've decided to bring down the tone on why I don't like it.***
This is a dive bar, yes, but not as crap-holey as you will find elsewhere in the city. It does not smell like vomit. Â But oh! They have karaoke! Yes they do! One guy actually made some very passable attempts at some country songs. I was pretty impressed. Cheap beer.
Listen. Suppose you go to a place and 50% of the time the bartenders can't give you back correct change for your $20. Wouldn't you feel something is wrong? Wouldn't that color your opinion of the place?
And then, what if, instead of an apology, you get your picture posted on their Facebook timeline, with instructions for their fans to "slap" you?
Let's get some things straight, Essex. Unlike some Yelpers, I'm not the guy who won't put my face and name to a place when I torch it. I don't feel threatened.
Secondly, who is the asshole? The person who points out a lack of professionalism in the bar staff, albeit in a not so kind way, or the place that responds by issuing threats? What kind of people own this joint?
Keep my picture up, I don't care. This place sucks and so do the people running it.
This bar is a geographical oddity: whether you live on the Westside, on Elmwood or in Allentown, it's magically "just around the corner" from it all, tucked away on Rhode Island in a residential 'hood with plenty of parking.
Inside, the crowd and the vibe is a similarly mixed bag. You've got grungesters from god knows where nursing a beer in the corner or bogarting the pool tables. You've got ladies on the lam from the Elmwood party scene, dressed to the nines drinking vodka and cran. And you've got hipsters who biked through the snow from Allentown to split pitchers of Rolling Rock.
Me? I'm not sure where I fit in there, but the great thing is, that's not something I have to worry about at Essex. Personally, I like hang my coat on the wall, take over the back table on the right (it has a radiator underneath!), sip on a cold glass of Great Lakes' Edmund Fitzgerald, and listen whatever good jam's on the juke. But you can do whatever you like. No judgement here!
This tiny pub has a lot to offer- great service and the best jukebox in town.
There are only four taps but the beers are chosen mindfully to have a good variety of the most popular styles (e.g. one porter, one Belgian) Â Last night I had a Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald. Word has it the cocktail customers are happy, too.
The jukebox contains lots of gems; the 90s alternative faves, seminal rock and solo albums and some of the more popular punk bands like Social D.
One of my favorite things about Essex is that it is located such that you get the Allen St. feeling but with ample street parking.
one: best bar atmosphere i've found in buffalo---laid back, loud (but not too loud), good place to go with a group of friends for a late night
two: sweet jukebox + pool = good entertainment
three: attentive bartenders and cheap drinks
four: nice mix of locals, art kids, and people who would not surprise me if they slept on the bar stools
possible con: the bathrooms don't really have doors, but who's looking anyway?
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