Location: Essex
Top Restaurants in Essex
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Where to eat Bar food in Essex: The Best Restaurants and Bars
Best Bar restaurants nearby. Discover the best Bar food in Essex. View Menus, Photos and Reviews for Bar restaurants near you.. Essex is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston and 13 miles (21 km) Southeast of Newburyport. The population was 3,504 at the 2010 census.
Things to do in Essex
10. Cala's Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 104 reviews
Reviewed By colleenbrookexo
This restaurant has a great atmosphere - a dining room and a bar with high tops. The service was wonderful. We were greeted immediately, and we were checked on numerous times while dining. The menu is average, and pricing is not bad. It was just nothing special. I got a burger, which was cooked properly, but it was an average burger. My boyfriend got the fish and chips, and the portion of fish was very small - two small cutlet-sized pieces. It was just average.Dear Coleen, We are happy to read you were comfortable at Cala's and the service exceeded your expectations! Thank you for the feedback on the burger and size of the fish, we will absolutely pass that on to the chef. Lauren Manager Calas
9. Choate Bridge Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 219 reviews
Reviewed By Bostonian80
Fried clams were first rate. Pub burger thick, delicious and cooked to perfection. Grilled chicken sandwich top notch. Interior is dated but in a charming way. Everything was a bit old fashioned which is to say utterly enjoyable. So pleased we CBR. Keep up the good work. A real antidote to todayâs plastic world.
8. The Farm
Overall Ratings
3 based on 73 reviews
Live Music, Free Horseshoes & Volleyball
Reviewed By Joe V
We went there for the first time today. It was GREAT. The food is out of this world and soooooo good. The prices are fair and they give you plenty of food.
7. Shea's Riverside Restaurant & Bar
Overall Ratings
4 based on 39 reviews
Reviewed By Enzalina
We love Shea's! I love that I can get fantastic gluten free food and not worry about getting sick. I love that the drinks taste like you are getting the appropriate amount of alcohol and not some watered down liquid. I love that the servers are friendly and attentive. Our last visit Jason was our server and he was the best. The calamari was so good. The salmon cooked perfectly. My husband is a snob when eating beef out but he said the steak tips were delicious. We love the atmosphere outside and look forward to coming back again. I do have to say though, and it's the reason I didn't give it 5 stars is your hosts stink! It never use to be this way. We walked in this Friday evening and the host took one look at us and walked AWAY!! Luckily, our friends were already there so we just went off to find them. You need some better hosts!
6. Boat House Grille
Overall Ratings
4 based on 29 reviews
Boat House Grille Essex, MA features delicious seafood, prime cut steaks, an oyster/raw bar, pasta, salads, burgers, homemade desserts and fun eats in a casual, relaxing atmosphere.
Reviewed By pajpaj
Sorry to say that Boat House Grille, a seafood restaurant and not too far from the ocean, serves up plastic straws with every drink they serve... including 2 plastic stirrers with alcoholic drinks. They also have trays of plastic straws on the bar so you can take more. When asked why they pass out so many straws, the bartender laughed it off. With a plastic crisis all over our planet, these guys don't get it. I hope they change their policy. Right now plastic is being found in our water and food... yes, all that plastic has gone up the food chain and is now being served up to humans. The fried haddock sandwich with coleslaw and chipotle sauce is delicious but I hope many of trip advisor review readers join the chorus of those who say single-use plastic and straws and stirrers are endangering our oceans... and tell that to the management at Boat House Grille.
5. The Boathouse Grille
Overall Ratings
4 based on 91 reviews
Reviewed By Linda P
After a beautiful couple of hours on Crane Beach we arrived at the Boathouse Grill around 3:30pm, a Sunday afternoon. Not crowded in the main dining area so we were seated immediately. The bar area did look packed though, football Sunday. The menu is extensive, so much so that deciding on what you want to eat is a challenge, everything looked so appealing. Service was great and efficient. We started with the chowder special of the day which was corn and bacon. My husband ordered it, I did not, when it came I had a taste and it was delicious so I asked our waitress for a bowl. Others got the traditional clam chowder and a side salad. All very good. Be prepared for a ton of food during your main course. All of our dishes were heaping platefuls of food. The fried clam dinner was overflowing with clams, french fries, onion rings and coleslaw. It was nice not to have to order a side of onion rings or fries, having the combo was perfect. The clams were whole bellies and just to my liking, smaller bellies which I prefer. And the breading was not overly greasy. The lobster roll was very good, my friend said but she's had better. The Boathouse bouillabaisse was loaded with seafood, great presentation. The only thing left in the bowl was the broth and empty shells, a big hit. A very enjoyable early dinner out, come hungry!
4. C.K. Pearl
Overall Ratings
4 based on 209 reviews
Reviewed By MrsK8Ball
This restaurant is confused. I am not sure if they are fancy or if they are a wanna be dive bar. Now... don't get me wrong... the food was pretty good. We ordered a bunch of shareables and fish tacos. The prices were decent for the amount of food and drink we got. The dessert my husband loved which was raspberry shortcake from the chef's backyard. The waiter even whispered it was a good choice. The grits dish had popcorn on it not sure what that did for the dish. Overall we would visit again over a longer stay.
3. Blue Marlin Grill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 184 reviews
Reviewed By Meredith T
Essex and Gloucester, Massachusetts are loaded with great little restaurants. On a sultry summer Sunday when one of our group was craving fried seafood, all the usual places came to mind. As we cruised past one after another, the lines seemed to grow longer. Finally, fighting the hunger that was becoming ravenous, we made The Blue Marlin our last stop. There was about a thirty-minute wait, but waiting is made very pleasant. There are outdoor benches, benches in the entry, and another inside by the reception desk where we finally plunked our weary selves. Art by local muralists covers the walls, and the decor echoes the name. Everything sure was blue! The bar was hoppin' with lots of locals and groups at the hi-top tables. Our foursome of tall people opted for a booth in the dining room. Great bar, with a wide selection of beer and ale, more limited wine offerings. Service and attention were excellent, yet not intrusive. One of our party had the fried combo plate, with golden crispy onion rings, fries, fried scallops, shrimp, and haddock, as well as a cup of chowder. We prefer the thicker chowders, which this was. Another had the shrimp plate, which is almost like the combo, but with only shrimp. A third deviated from the seafood theme and had steak, which was perfectly done and very good. The fourth member of our group had the coconut shrimp "appetizer," which was really a meal in itself. Six golden butterflied shrimp came with a tasty, tangy sauce hard to resist.This is a comfortable, casual, friendly place that serves great food
2. Village Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 306 reviews
*Now taking reservations for large group functions September-April* BONS winners for fried clams and clam chowder we serve classic New England seafood with recipes dating back to 1956. Featuring 12 specialty home made desserts, local fresh (never frozen)
Reviewed By Classydiner
The people at the little maritime museum across the way recommended this restaurant. We were looking for a late afternoon snack. It looks like a diner from the outside. It is gigantic inside. Many rooms. Our snack turned into a great fried Ipswich Belly clam lunch/dinner. One platter was enough for us to share with a cup of chowder to start. I rarely get fried clams, as they are usually small, and stringy. These were nice big belly clams and fresh. Two sides came with it. The slaw was very good and we got the green beans. The cornbread was like a dessert! Service was friendly and attentive. Drink refills came when needed.
Most Popular Soups food in Essex, Massachusetts, United States
1. Windward Grille Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 241 reviews
Antique New England farmhouse with 1800's barn attached. Fireplaces lit during the winter months. Large rustic bar with high-top seating around bar area. Booth and table seating available in several dining rooms. Special value priced specials available Mo
Reviewed By Joshrazz
Come here weekly with my family or just the wife. Amazing food consistently from the steak to the seafood to the drinks everything is prestine. Wonderful wait staff always the same faces. Feel so welcome every time I come in. Specials are always on point.
