Location: Essex
Top Restaurants in Essex
Top Things to do in Essex
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Most Popular Bar food in Essex, Connecticut, United States
Find out what Bar restaurants to try in Essex. Essex is a town in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 6,683 at the 2010 census. It is made up of three villages: Essex Village, Centerbrook, and Ivoryton.
Things to do in Essex
10. Little Pub
Overall Ratings
4 based on 68 reviews
Reviewed By ShorelineGuy
Had the cilantro chicken salad which had zero cilantro. Also kale salad with grilled chicken.... definitely needed something else as it tasted blank. Calamari app was ok but could have been cooked more. Overall was a nice lunch but nothing to be excited about.
9. The Blue Hound Taproom
Overall Ratings
4 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By LetsGoBack
Our party of seven ate at the taproom this week. We are frequent diners at the Cookery downstairs, and thought the taproom would also be something out of the ordinary. Our server was great. She was prompt and attentive, and timed the arrival of our entrees perfectly after our appetizers- thank you! We shared pulled pork nachos and artichoke spinach dip, which were fine. The cider and beer choices were plentiful, and the wine drinkers among us also had some good options. The personal pizza and pulled pork sandwiches were enjoyed. The southwest salad was so-so- nothing wrong with it but no wow factor. Although the turkey pot pies were HUGE, it took us a while to figure out what might have caused what we felt was a flavor miss- out guess is that the sauce was made with evaporated milk, which gave it an unpleasant sweet taste- would have been perfect if made with a roux and chicken broth.All in all it was not a bad dinner, just not a memorable one.
8. Otter Cove Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 198 reviews
Reviewed By Dory
My husband and I selected Otter Cove because it was so close to the Quality Inn where we were stopping for the night. We were pleased. Food was very good and service was prompt and friendly. I had the Mongolian ribs which were fall off the bone tender and very tasty. Husband had baked Haddock with crab and that was very good as well. Would recommend if you are in town
7. Monkey Farm
Overall Ratings
4 based on 205 reviews
Full service Bar & dining-room , great food, large menu, reasonable prices. Enclosed porch, smoking deck, Pinball, Pool & Darts. Wifi Juke-Box. Bar is open Mon- Thurs 9:00am - 1:00am Friday & Saturday 9:00am-2:00am Sunday 11:00am - 1:00 am
Reviewed By Formerly F
We had never stopped here before - not pleased. The place is mainly for drinkers packed around a noisy bar. Food is ordinary, service is slow. Many other better choices in the area. Cannot recommend.
6. Penny Lane Pub & Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 374 reviews
Reviewed By Maureen M
Had lunch here today, sat outside, other people had their dogs sitting or lying with them. I had the shrimp salad and my husband had the plant based burger. My salad had s nice mix of flavors and his did taste like a burger. We each had the dressing on the side and only used 1/2 of it.
5. Ivoryton Tavern Cafe
Overall Ratings
4 based on 123 reviews
A small family run 100 year old Tavern with a big heart! We are located adjacent to the Ivoryton Playhouse which makes for a great "date night"! Enjoy a great dinner at the Tavern, then walk a few steps to enjoy one the the Playhouse's professional shows.
Reviewed By Sheila L
The crab dip is amazing. Itâs enough for 10 people. We were only four. The burgers were amazing. Cooked to order, rare was rare, medium was medium. I canât give bigger praise just for that. Every single one of us was happy with our meal. It was a bit copious, but, the leftovers were welcome the next day. The ambience was lively and the service was wonderful. Just for that we would go back again. A lovely local pub, good food, nice company. Everything that you would want in a local joint. This might just become one of our weekly hangouts!Thank you for your review. We are especially glad to hear that you felt at home in a friendly cordial environment. Looking forward to serving you again.
Most Popular Italian food in Essex, Connecticut, United States
4. Red House Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 134 reviews
Red House provides an array of food and drink that keeps customers wondering what is coming next. Whether it is seasonal menus, southern bbq, hot trends we keep are customers coming by keeping our ingredients fresh.
Reviewed By Coopermom2017
Tonightâs meal was even better than the first! I had the roasted Brussels sprout salad with a side of Pulled Pork. It was delicious. My husband had the Roasted Beet salad and said it was also very good. The special dessert was an orange infused rice pudding, which was fabulous! Our dinner was made even more enjoyable by our waitress, Amanda. She was so personable and made sure we had everything we needed.
3. Scotch Plains Tavern
Overall Ratings
3 based on 53 reviews
Reviewed By xxxxxxcxx
My 15 year old & I stopped for lunch around 2:30 on a Sunday. There was a good amount of people but not packed. My son ordered the cheddar, fried onion burger. Its came with cheddar fried onions and a pile of mushrooms. Kind of strange because theres no word of mushrooms on the menu. The fried onions were terrible they were put into the fryer while the oil was cold and they came out pale white and soaked it oil. He liked the mushrooms eventhough he didn't order them. It also to 5 mins to find someone to bring ketchup to the table. Fries were nothing special. For $16 you need to hit a burger out of the park. Not so here. I ordered the chicken caeser salad with homemade croutons. It can on a rectangular plate 5" wide and probably 10" long. The salad took up half the plate with 2 croutons. The chicken was half of a chicken breast cut in half. Hardly a $5 add on for a 1/4 of a chicken breast. The salad was soaked in dressing. The dressing wasn't bad but it wasn't Caesar it was a creamy lemon dressing. The croutons were terrible. You'd think they'd be crunchy but they were just stale old bread. Terrible! So a $15 salad and a $16 burger were both very underwhelming. We saw the waitress 3 times. Order , water, bill. They will not be seeing me again and I live close. Way over priced for what their serving.
2. Black Seal Seafood Grille
Overall Ratings
3 based on 173 reviews
Reviewed By grandma4920
After our trolley and riverboat trip we drove into Essex at the the suggestion of one of the crew members had lunch at the Black Seal. Delicious soups, salads, stuffed clam, burgers, etc. the town is a great place to walk around in as well.
1. Griswold Inn ~ Dining
Overall Ratings
4 based on 515 reviews
Located in the âstorybookâ village of Essex mere steps from the Connecticut River, this 1776 landmark offers three distinct dining experiences. âHistoric Diningâ is offered in four handsome rooms - The Covered Bridge, The Gun Room, The Library and The Ess
Reviewed By MelissaScottkk58
I highly recommend going to the bar on Monday evenings to hear the Jovial Crew. Try to get a table in the center of the room because it will end up being standing room only in the aisles. They were great and so much fun! You can sing even if you've never heard the songs are the words are repetitive and the chords predictable. We also had a delicious goat cheese salad and my husband enjoyed his cavatelli with veggies. It was nice that they had popcorn to snack on while waiting. Don't miss the sea shanties!!!!!!Greetings from The Gris, Melissa! We're so glad you enjoyed Sea Shanties with us! Cliff Haslam and his Jovial Crew have been performing at our place on Monday nights for over 47 years!!! They are renowned in the "Folk Music/Songs of the Sea" world and have a very loyal following as we're sure you observed. There are no strangers in the Tap Room on Monday nights - only friends not yet met which by the end of the evening...All are linking arms! A spirited evening indeed - not to be missed. Thank you for visiting! On a related note - you may know we feature live music every night of the week! Our entertainment calendar may be found on our website at griswoldinn.com.
Where to eat Pizza food in Essex: The Best Restaurants and Bars
