This place is an absolute must-stop! If you love chocolate--or even just like it--you'll become a…read moretrue chocolate lover after tasting these incredible creations. I convinced my husband to try their ice cream sandwich, and he's notoriously picky. After one bite, he declared, "That's the best ice cream sandwich I've ever had!" The chocolates are beautifully displayed, and any assortment would make an impressive gift, even for the most discerning chocolate enthusiast. Located just around the corner from the Main Street shops, it's well worth the short walk. Treat yourself and give it a try--you won't be disappointed!

I recently had a good experience at Joy Chocolate in Essex Center. I drove by on my way to lunch…read moreand stopped at Joy on my way back. Joy is a cute chocolate shop. They make their own chocolates and creations. I bought two different types of chocolate bars, a bag of mint cookie malt balls and milk chocolate potato chip bark. I thought everything was good. The standout item for me was a hybrid chocolate bar with white chocolate and a brightly flavored red confection component. The red part was pleasantly tart and contrasted well with the sweet white parts. The dark chocolate bar was good. Seemed like high quality. I am a fan of both mint balls and potato chip bark. I liked both versions. I have to admit, I have not kept up with the prices of chocolate bars of this nature. The bars were a decent, but not huge, size. I think they were around $6 each, which I didn't notice until later. I know prices of a lot of things have gone up. This may be the market price now for small batch artisan chocolate. The price is probably higher than I would spend on a regular basis, but it's fine once in while. The experience definitely felt high end in terms of atmosphere and service. 4.25 Stars

Essex Coffee is my favorite place to get coffee and pastries in this area! They also have beautiful…read moreartwork for sale by local artists. Definitely go here if your in the area! The staff is so friendly and they get to know you very quick! The cherry on top is they have punch cards!

This was my first time going to Essex and it had such a cute downtown/historical area. I got a…read morelatte and a tea because I mean I couldn't just choose one. Service was great! 4 stars only because I am not a tea drinker so I preferred the coffee.

Bought tickets for the North Pole Express through the Essex Steam Train online. Although it was…read moreincredibly rainy throughout our visit, they did their best to accommodate for everyone. As you arrive after parking, you are able to pick up your tickets through the ticket booth. It had indicated me through the emails that the tickets would have been delivered in the mail and I would have to have them prepared, but they never arrived or delivered. You are able to pick them up at the booth. As you embark on the North Pole Express experience, your actor on your carriage/wagon will begin to story-tell, and they also sing a few Christmas songs throughout the experience. They pass a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie to each passenger. I'd personally say that this experience was more directed towards kids. This was my first experience with something like this, but if I were to ever return, it would mainly be to bring a child, since it's geared towards children. I've heard there are other North Pole Express train experiences in other cities that are more adult oriented. Although this was the case, it was still an enjoyable experience. Both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus appeared outside and soon made their way to the carriages. The actress was incredibly interactive and kind with everyone on board.

Everything was Amazing, From the Decor to the Service and the food was very exceptional. The…read moreWaiters & Waitress staff were impeccably friendly & Polite. We have done One previously and was Just as Impressed. Folks if you've never done one of these please check it out and do one. You won't regret it. Try the Essex Train & Essex's River Boat experience. It's very relaxing and Enjoyable.

This place has great chicken salad and potato salad to go. Their pastries and sandwiches are…read morewonderful. I think they would reach a broader audience if they had a simple latte machine. They offer tea and coffee which is great for an older clientele, but if they wanted to expand their audience a basic espresso machine would do wonders. Id actually sit here more and eat if they had a basic machine to offer iced and hot lattes. It would pay for itself in like a day and a half.

Thank you helpers for recommending this gem on the way to our beachy destination. Super cute,…read morelittle, hidden and charming cafe. It was bustling with families, but we took or delicious sandwiches and Harney teas to go. We had a turkey blt wrap and grilled cheese with tomato and fig jam; sooooo good!

Such a nice place!! I especially enjoyed the ice cream mini flight for only seven dollars. Four…read moresmall cute mini scoops of your favorite flavors! I went with the raspberry coconut, Nutella chip, Essex, mud and pistachio, of course! They were all delicious!! Highly recommended. Service was amazing!!

S'mores and Reece's ice cream both outstanding. Even better when they are in a waffle cone. The…read moreline moved quick and was worth the five min wait. We'll be back to try more flavors!

Love Porky Pete's. We've enjoyed their pulled pork for about the last 20 years, and their food has…read morebeen consistently excellent. Plus they're genuinely nice people. I like to top their pulled pork with Stubbs or some other thick, sweet bbq sauce. Lots of bbq places get lazy and put out pulled pork with chunks of fat, thinking the customer won't mind or notice. I appreciate that Porky Pete's cares about this detail as much as I do.

Little tiny place, shares a building with a small gas station. Slogan is "Best BBQ Allowed above…read morethe Mason Dixon line" ... okay, calm down. Picnic tables outside under the trees but it seems like they've been neglected for years, not sure who they actually belong to. Legs are almost completely sunk into the ground. We hopped over to Cliff's Meats next door, they had a few better tables on the side of their place. They also make a few little snacks, cookies and what they call "Chest Bars" I think. And they have a chocolates counter with all kinds of chocolatier options from someone they work with in Maine. Porky Pete's has a combo option but the ribs can't be part of it. He only sells ribs in a full rack. Couldn't bring myself to get an entire full rack of ribs for $4 more than the combo plate. Didn't have any more rib eaters with me. So the combo states that it comes with "Pork, Chicken, and Beef Brisket" ... When I asked what exactly "Pork and Chicken" meant I said "Is that Ribs? or Pulled? Or Half Chicken? Or Shoulder? Or what?" and for some reason I got a "No ... it's Pork and Chicken and Beef Brisket" ... not sure what that was all about but whatever I guess. Came with 2 sides, choice of "Mother Selene's Potato Salad" "Chad's Baked Beans" "Keely's Cole Slaw" or "Emily's Pasta Salad". He has Mac and Cheese and Mashed Potatoes too but you can only order that stuff in advance like it's only for catering. Or you can get a big tub of it that's been sitting in the fridge up front for however long. So the meats in a combo platter are all pulled. Even the brisket. Why the menu can't just say "Pulled Pork, Pulled Chicken, Pulled Brisket" I have no idea. Texture and smell looked pretty good. Chicken was very well seasoned and moist, more chopped than pulled if anything but the flavor was excellent. Brisket had some of their sauce on it, very stringy meat and I've never really like pulled beef, I feel like beef cuts should always be respected a bit more like a sliced Brisket or a good steak. But it was okay I guess, just very very heavy. Pulled pork was pretty good too, I like that it wasn't obviously sitting in a crock pot soaking in a bunch of flavor of something else. Put there was no sauce on the pork? Chicken is sauces and seasoned like crazy, beef is dosed in sauce, pork is completely naked? Had to put some of the bean sauce on the pork. Got it with Beans and Potato Salad. Beans were actually very good, I think I saw Pinto and a bit of a red bean? maybe just regular kidney. But the bean gravy actually sticks to the beans rather than falls off like crazy like a stew. all in all it was a nice bean flavor gravy too, I do like the apple flavors in my traditional New England baked beans but that nice essence of bean was fun. Potato Salad straight up looked like Ambrosia (A desert marshmallow salad). These guys claim that their BBQ style comes from Tennessee so I went to look up if this is what Tennessee Potato Salad actually looks like, not even a little. The mayo had an orange tint to it, a few pieces of red bell pepper are probably to blame for that. It tasted fine, little too much mayo for my liking, just wasn't what I was expecting. It was good though. "Tennessee Light Corn Bread" this is the first I'm ever hearing about a "Light Corn Bread" and apparently it is a thing in Tennessee. This was the weirdest looking cornbread I've ever seen. Yellow didn't excited, it was almost a piece of wonder bread. I read somewhere that this style is supposed to be very sweet. The bread from this place though had almost zero flavor other than actual corn. It was so dry it immediately sucked the moister out of my mouth. But I think there is a market out there for this kind of bread, some people like this style. Okay so this "Chest Bar" kind of reminded me of Shoo'fly pie for flavor, but like in more of a brownie texture. They said "It's better than an energy drink" and I took that to mean it's like one of those organic healthy bars but he could have been joking. It very much tasted like a Blondie bar disguised as a lighter colored gingerbread.

Noah's 63 is a great spot for a relaxed and satisfying brunch in Essex. The restaurant has a really…read morenice nautical atmosphere that fits the shoreline setting perfectly. The décor is tasteful and modern without feeling overdone, and it gives the whole place a comfortable, coastal vibe that makes you want to linger a little longer over your coffee. Service was excellent during our visit. The staff was courteous, friendly, and attentive without being intrusive, which always makes a meal more enjoyable. The brunch menu has a lot of tempting options, and everything we ordered delivered. I had the soufflé with sourdough toast and a side of bacon, and it was delicious. The soufflé was light and flavorful, and the sourdough was a great accompaniment. We also tried the Nutella-stuffed French toast and the breakfast potatoes. The French toast was a great indulgent brunch dish, and the potatoes were perfectly cooked and well seasoned. Overall, it was a really enjoyable brunch experience. If you're in the Essex area and looking for a comfortable spot with a great brunch menu, Noah's 63 is definitely worth checking out. Parking was a little tricky, as the lot next the pizza place next door was full despite there only being one other diner in the restaurant. But if you go down the driveway next to the museum you can park next to a boat in the boatyard and the entrance is down there.

Great service and an excellent choice of spaces to dine or enjoy their signature cocktails. There…read moreis not a bad seat in the house. There is something for everyone. Enjoy

My visit last month was 40 years in the making. When I was a kid my dad would always make a stop at…read morethe Gris and my sister and I would take photos, especially of the always up holiday tree but we never ate there or stayed there because in the words of my dad, " It's only for adults. I'm almost 50 and live on the West Coast so for my summer sabbatical a stay and a meal was a dream come true and on it's 250th birthday too! The Stay : Check in was easy and the front desk staff gave my boyfriend and I a full folder of facts and information on what to do at the inn and beyond. We also secured reservations for dinner later. We had a lovely corner room on the third floor. The bed was high but comfortable and modernized in the sense that the AC unit worked well and so did the wifi. The bathroom was probably the weakest point - small and not great water pressure but hello you are in the oldest continuously run inn in the US. There are many charming nooks and crannies including adjacent sitting rooms and outdoor rocking chairs. The Meal : 7:30 Dinner reservation and we were seated right away in the back dining area where we were surrounded by images of boats and ships. It was busy but the service was prompt and attentive. The bread was warm and yummy. I had a delicious bowl of New England Clam Chowder and the grilled pork chop off the summer menu. It was so delicious and filling that even though I really wanted dessert , I couldn't fit any more. My boyfriend's prime rib was fall off the bone tender. When we left the tavern was full because it was Sea Shanty night! Cannot wait to make visiting an adult tradition.

My wife and I have wanted to try The Griswold Inn for many years, and our schedule finally allowed…read moreus to make the trip ahead of a nearby show. Reservations via OpenTable were easy. When we arrived at the hostess station, she verified the reservation and immediately led us to a table in a small room off the main dining area and bar. The entire dining area is old wood -- floor, wall, ceiling -- and the room we were in had narrow floor-to-ceiling bookcases filled with hardcover books. I write this to demonstrate that all the decor served to dampen the sound despite nearly all tables being occupied. While you could hear the bustle and conversations around you, you could still have a conversation. Our server greeted us promptly and took a drink order. When he returned with our drinks, we ordered the clam chowder and braised short ribs for my wife and a wedge salad with the dry-rubbed pork chop for me. After entering our order, our server returned with a basket of warm dinner rolls and butter, then minutes later brought out our soup and salad. Both appetizers were terrific, and I think that may be one of the best blue cheese dressings I've had. Water glasses were refilled frequently without being asked and dishes were cleared by other waitstaff. We never wanted for anything, and none of the comings and goings were disruptive. This was a professional and competent team. Our entrees were served shortly after we finished our appetizers, and they were beautifully presented on the plates. My wife loved her short ribs, which she said melted in her mouth. Until this meal, I've yet to find pork chops to surpass the ones I make at home, but this was truly exceptional! While the mango salsa topping the chop was nice, it was completely unnecessary as the chop was well seasoned and juicy. We capped off the meal with desserts, a chocolate mousse pie for my wife, a warm butter caramel cake with berry compote for me. Delicious! We'll be back to this gem of a place!

Great service, a special atmosphere for special occasions. The food is always excellent in an…read moreelegant setting.

Delicious food, menu has a great selection of choices, all served beautifully. Service could not…read morebe better. Cozy, very accommodating, exquisite decorated.

We have had family events there for last several years. They have a casual indoor atmosphere with…read moremusic as well as outdoor seating and fire pits. Their menu has many choices and staff are accommodating and engaging with the guests. My meal resulted in a second one of leftovers.I would definitely recommend if you are in the area.

While the ambiance was nice and the band was very good (The Bernadette's), we had a terrible meal…read more Both of us ordered the scallops. The fries were soggy and under cooked and the scallops were cool and nearly raw inside. After eating 2 of them we had to send them back to be re-cooked. They came back with the outside hard and crusty but the inside was still nearly raw. Sent them back again and told them to forget it. The raw scallops didn't sit well and had to make a run to the bathroom. They did take off the charge for the scallops but I'll never eat here again.