One of my favorite places to go. The food is always amazing. Great service. You will never go wrong here

Loved our food. Special occasion. Chef came out to visit. Really great. We will be back read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

Dear friends treated us to an excellent dinner at Essence Kitchen & Bar in beautiful Chino Valley, Arizona! The seasonal menu here offers classic favorites as well as innovative dishes made with the freshest, highest quality ingredients. This place clearly has a passion for food and dedication to hospitality and service. I ordered the "N'Awlins BBQ Shrimp". Cajun dusted shrimp in a rich spicy tomato sauce with scallions and lemon, served over cilantro lime rice and seared greens. Such an outstanding dish! Plump, succulent, perfectly cooked shrimp. An absolute combustion of flavor. Essence features an exquisite wine list along with a great selection of craft beers and specialty cocktails. Highly recommended if you're ever in the greater Prescott Valley area. read more

The food was excellent, very well presented (plated). The broth for the steamed clams was so delicious I felt like drinking the remainder of bowl. I had the steelhead trout. Service was great. And nice ambiance, nothing loud and never too crowded. read more

We are huge fans of Essence and this week we ordered appetizers off their new menu. Our favorites were the artichoke and spinach flat bread, and the bacon wrapped dates (so glad they kept it on the menu!). I also had the Fork and Knife Caesar Salad which I hadn't had before. I really liked the pieces of anchovies they put on it and the side of garlic bread to go with it. I'll definitely be ordering that one again! read more

Essence is a new favorite! Took my guy there for his Birthday dinner as neither of us had tried it to date. Had the Hawaiian Poke and blue cheese filled bacon wrapped dates with whipped maple dippy sauce for apps. They were both melt in your mouth delish, but those DATES!! Please don't EVER take them off menu! My guy had the seafood linguini which he loved down to the last bite. I had the parm/herb crusted chicken. The sauce was DIVINE and the chicken so tender and juicy! Chef was circulating and our server was his daughter. She is SUCH doll! Actually everyone we encountered were super kind and friendly. Never felt rushed! We were thrilled to see how popular this place is. Reservations are really a must! We were stuffed but the dessert selection could tempt a saint! Try it- you will NOT be disappointed!! read more

This is hands-down one of the best restaurants in the quad-city area. Be sure to get a reservation because they fill up. Service is outstanding, and the food has never disappointed. All the fish is amazing, and the desserts are so worth the calories! read more

We had won a gift certificate, so my wife and I decided to go there for lunch. We have tried most of the eats and greasy spoons here in CV and Prescott and some are OK. Essence is another level above all others. Who would think that here in Hicksville a place to eat would have a real chef. The prices are moderate for the fine food and excellent service. We will not bother with the other eateries anymore. I would give it 6 stars. read more

Superb experience! Very friendly attentive polished staff who love what they do. The food was very delectable with a beautiful presentation. Great value. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great music, and great vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] So lucky to have them in our community. We will be back! read more

One of the food selection is Poke lettuce wrap. The poke taste was just like eating back home in Hawaii. The chef still has his taste for Hawaii flavors. Great service and prices read more

A famous New York restaurateur, Danny Meyer, once said, "A restaurant should remove you from the mundane burdens of everyday life and transport you to another world." Growing up, my family wasn't very lucrative with money; if anything, we lacked it. So hardly ever would my family go out to restaurants, nevertheless a five-star restaurant. So when Freshman year came around and my parents decided to take me to Essence Kitchen + Bar, I was shocked, Not only at the fact that we were eating at a five star restaurant but also the fact that the entire experience seemed to make me forget all my worries and stress of starting high school. That I got to spend one night not worried about my next paper or next math assignment; that I got to turn my brain off and escape to a place where everything I wanted was handed to me. Essence is more than just a restaurant; it serves as a peaceful escape from the stress and chaos of daily life. Upon walking into Essence, you are met with the sweet aroma of salt water, mint, and wine. You feel as though you just walked into a beachside heaven, even though it's in the middle of the desert. The ambiance is both rich and calming, as if you were breathing in 24k Gold. One of the most shocking parts of this restaurant is its odd place of residence. Placed at the corner of the only shopping center in a town with a population of 13,815, where most of its residents live in trailor parks and cant efford a 5 star resturant. Not only is the location odd but any residents this town could tell you what an inigma the resturant is because most of them fail with in 2 years of opening and defying all odds have been here since 2018. One of the most unique parts about eating here is the atmosphere, where the husband and wife duo who run the restaurant will walk up to your table and introduce themselves, and make the whole night feel like you are old friends with the whole staff. In addition to the ambiance and service, the food here is amazing. Upon sitting down, you are served cucumber mint water, which is so refreshing that you feel as though you will never thirst again. On top of this the food here with multitude of google reviews to back it up for example, A review from Dr. Mark Bravo through Google reviews stated this about the restaurant, "Not to minimize Chino Valley but this spot is a gem in the most remote of places and situated in a shopping market center. What a fabulous meal. The attention to detail and TLC is FANTASTIC. The meals are 5-star in preparation and presentation. The cocktails are reasonably priced and equally complement the food operation as the drinks look like works of art. You won't be disappointed." Due to Esscene being a higher-end restaurant, you wouldn't expect to see people from lower-income backgrounds or middle-class families with more than two children. For the most part, this is a date restaurant - the perfect place for an anniversary or a first date if you want to make a good impression. Most of the people who visit here don't just keep returning for the food, but for the outstanding service, for example, some reviews say "We were visiting from out of town and took our family there for dinner. The lady who greeted us had a smile on her face every time she addressed us. She even stopped to have a conversation and asked about where we were from." As well as "The waitstaff is plentiful and very attentive. My water glass was never empty." The reviews of this restaurant are enough testimony to get anyone curious and want to try the small-town restaurant out. Most people who visit her go online to rave about it and express how people who haven't had the pleasure of trying it should make a trip. For example, some reviews say, "Both were highly recommended and did not disappoint." A restaurant atmosphere should be light and fun and make you forget all about the world around you, and for me, Essence is where I could breathe, laugh, and let go of my worries, even just for a while. And that's the magic of Essence: it reminds you that even in the most unexpected places, there can be beauty, warmth, and a chance to escape. wrote this for a school assignment posted it for extra credit read more

Outstanding!! Great service, Delicious food and attentive, professional staff!! Wish this was in Phoenix!! read more

The small restaurant in Chino Valley is an absolute must go to!! We've been a number of times, this last time for my hubby's birthday And he had the trout alomndine and said it was delicious. I had the sea bass in banana leaves and it was so good I wanted to lick the bowl it was presented in. Every time we visit this wonderful restaurant and try something new, we are never disappointed. Everything has always been been exquisite. Looking g forward to our next visit read more

We had a great dinner here with friends. We were very pleased with the waitress and management also helped us, which was very nice. My husband said the steak was the best he's had in a long time. Will be going back again. read more

If you don't like the food here, you'd have to be exceptionally hard-to-please. Came here with a friend for dinner, and Essence is exactly what he promised. The adult beverages are very, very good, and I thought that mine was a generous pour. It sounds strange, but you HAVE to try the bacon-wrapped dates. Yummmmm. The food was exceptional, so good that I brought my girlfriend here to dine two days later. She's an excellent cook in her own right, and is very discerning: she loved the food, as did I. You'd never expect to find such an excellent restaurant in northern Arizona, especially not in a strip mall. A word of warning: if the restaurant is open, have reservations. I'm saving the best for last: the service is superb and impeccable. This is a family-owned restaurant and they operate with precise teamwork. The staff is for the most part family (as far as I could learn): they're very busy, but attentive. Expect to wait a bit, but why not enjoy your company while you're waiting? Why do you have to wait? The restaurant and staff are very busy, every table filled, and quality takes time. Despite that, every one of the staff are genuinely very nice, pleasant, easy to work with, attentive. The chef came out of the kitchen and introduced himself, told us a little about the business, asked how we enjoyed the food ("tremendously!"), and thanked us for being rhere. While I'm a visitor, I've only been here twice... not because I didn't want to come here to eat, but because I waited until the last day to try to make a reservation. What I can report about my experience is that it was worth the wait: I wasn't disappointed by anything here. We'll be returning. read more

Food, service, everything was awesomely awesome! Reservations are recommended. We will be back again!

Took my bride there for Valentine's Day. This place is awesome! Beautiful layout, incredible food and outstanding wait staff. One of the best filet mignons I've ever had. Somebody needs to give the chef a medal! read more

Its a cute little spot. This was my first time there with the family. My boys had the cheese burger slider and the Flatbread cheese pizza. They loved the food. We had 2 additional burgers and the spinach salad and angel hair pasta and I added shrimp. Everything we had was delicious. And we had the mojitos which were fantastic in this heat. The service was amazing. We never had an empty water glass and they all seemed to work as a team to ensure dishes were picked up and if anyone needed anything. The owner is so personable and joked with us and made our experience even more top notch. If you want a cute date or a nice place to bring your family, GO! And trust me, grab dessert read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Kids Flatbread cheese pizza - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

Wow. An unassuming location down from Safeway in Chino Valley is where you'll find Essence. The owner ( 1/2 of the ownership) is friendly and every time we've eaten there she's been seen strolling through the tables and asking how everything was. This restaurant must have actually done some training with their staff, everyone, host busboy , server, and bartender are professional, courteous and knowledgeable about their menu. Been here six times...every time, o matter what we order, it's been phenomenal. Don't try without reservations, but DO try this wonderful restaurant read more

Oh my gosh, everything was amazing here! Our server Darrin and the owner Julia were both just fantastic. As was all the service. We had the Poke small plate and for our main courses sea bass, jerk chicken, and the mushroom salad with blackened chicken. All of it was divine! And then there was dessert, just when I thought things couldn't get better...we had the flourless chocolate torte and the churro donut stuffed with peaches and peaches and ice cream on top. And since we were celebrating birthdays they gave us scoops of ice cream with candles. I highly recommend this place, and we are so glad we took a friend's recommendation. Oh and I forgot how awesome the beverages were too! The watermelon cucumber punch, the blackberry sangria and the royal Manhattan were all fantastic! And also the cucumber water (they kept us hydrated) was lovely. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Flourless chocolate torte, churro peach ala mode - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

Caprese salad looked good but taste was not, Bacon wrapped dates were awesome! Shrimp and creamed corn were nice. The owner is always there and asked me about my meal. The chef, her husband, also stopped by my table. The lower rating is because of little or no taste in the salad and the rice that was served with the shrimp. read more

Soooooo good. We've been trying to dine here for quite some time and finally made it. Everything was delicious. Chicken Alfredo was outstanding!! Shrimp appetizer and the clams, made you wanting more. We will definitely be regulars from now on. Service was great and nice cozy atmosphere. Can't wait to try their steaks and fish. read more

Simply the best food, service and dining experience in the Prescott area. The owners are always gracious and accommodating, the servers too. Everything is delicious and nicely plated. read more

Bravo Chef Jason! Tonight we made the 20 minute drive from Prescott to Chino Valley to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday based on a reccomendation. It was well worth the trip! In auspicious location to say the least. Corner location in the supermarket shopping plaza right next door to Domino's PIzza. We started with the artichoke hearts. Stuffed with goat cheese and lightly fried. They just melted in our mouth. Three of us had signature cocktails. All winners. I had the Jamaican Jerk Chicken. It was fabulous. The chicken was certainly the star of the meal, but I must comment on the sweet black beans. I typically hate black beans. These were just delicious and with the rice and plantains so nicely complimented the chicken. My wife had the squid ink pasta with seafood. We all tasted it and raved. My mother-in-law and sister-in-law split the mahi-mahi nothing but kudos from them. Birthdays need dessert so key lime pie and a churro donut with raspberry compote and vanilla ice cream. Mmmmm. The front of the store staff was all friendly and helpful. Our server seemed to still be coming up to speed on some of the menu items, but worked hard and got answers to our questions. It was a treat to have Chef Jason visit us at the table. The prices were very fair. Now I am from California and used to different market, but I would have expected it to be another 15-20% higher for what we were served. At least back home in CA. The place was busy on a Wednesday night and I understand it is normally at least that busy. So make reservations. We made some, arrived a tad early, and were seated in minutes. So whether you are in Chino Valley, Prescott or places beyond, make the trip. It is worth it. We will be back. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Dining room - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

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Impeccable service and gorgeous food.. support this amazing first class restaurant. I would definitely recommend

This was our first experience at Essence, heard the rave reviews and decided to go out with our friends. The place was extremely busy. We were seated immediately and our drink order was taken. We ordered appetizers which were delicious, however, when the main course finally arrived, they apologized for the long wait due to large parties being served first. My Filet Mignon was over cooked which they said would prepare me a second. In the meantime, I asked them to take it lightly on the salt. When it came to me the second time, it was almost rare. Needless to say, they had to take it back and add more cooking time. Finally, I got my steak prepared the way I ordered it but it was over salted. I can't say it was a great experience since everyone was done with their meals long before me. They did however, refund the meal off our bill which was good. This establishment is not cheap. I guess I would have thought a steak would have been the easiest to prepare. read more

Great service Wonderful food, I had a burger and my cocktail was delicious! Will be back. Would be wise to book a reservation as there is limited seating. read more

We just had the most lovely and delightful dinner at Essence Kitchen! It's definitely fancier than the location implies, everyone was well dressed and there for a treat. We came in with our 13 month old son who is good but still, challenging. The manager/owner went above and beyond to make sure he/we were comfortable providing more than we could ever have asked for. Probably not an establishment that sees a large number of toddlers they were able to accommodate our every need including providing toys, snacks and getting our food out ASAP. The food was great, i especially loved the pork sliders, the chocolate and peanut butter martinis and the blueberry cheesecake was amazing. For two new parents who never get out we couldn't have asked for a better night or better service. It was a real treat and the perfect holiday date night. Highly, highly recommend!!!! read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Chocolate peanut butter Martin - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

What can we say about Essence! Great tasting and unique drinks, huge and varied menu, lovely hosts and happy staff. Our first visit convinced us we are now going to be regulars! read more

Delicious food. Excellent service. We went for an early dinner at 3pm. Started with wine & beer and the BBQ pulled pork Flatbread. My husband had the ribeye. It was perfectly cooked rare. I had the sea bass in the sake, mirin & miso seafood broth. Great portions. Service was excellent. I forgot to take a picture of the chocolate, peanut butter banana cheesecake...it didn't last long! Have been before and will go back again soon. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Ribeye steak with garlic mashed potatoes, crispy onions & honey glazed carrotd - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

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One word: WOW! This place is great! Don't let the location of being by a grocery store affect your decision on whether or not to eat here. The food is great! We had the Flat Bread followed by a Cesar salad. The rib eye was done to perfection. We finished with a wonderful New York style Cheesecake with salted caramel "drizzle". The staff was great. Chef came out and checked in at every table. They have a great refreshing non-alcoholic drink called a Ginger Rose. It's very refreshing. We are definitely coming back. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Menu cover - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

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Very warm, welcoming atmosphere. Adequate bar selections. Attentive service, great desserts. Nice Social Hour options. Disliked the canned mandarin oranges served on my salad, snap peas were very tough and stringy. The BleuBurger had very little blue cheese. The pasta dish looked like it was made from boxed pasta and canned tomatoes. I will return for another experience but not what I expected from a "fresh serve" restaurant. Please teach your wait staff proper serving etiquette, i.e, "serve food on the left side (of the patron) clear from the right." read more

Great food, excellent service ( sometimes it's a little overwhelming ) and the ambiance could use a few nicer modifications ( it appears a lot of their decor is from Amazon, just not the vibe I am looking for when paying $120+ for a meal ) read more

The service was awesome. The food was over. The top brought friends from out of town and they thought it was the best.

When one imagines dining in a 5-star restaurant filled with epicurean delights prepared by a first-rate chef, certain cities might come to mind: San Francisco, Carmel, and New York City, for example. My friend would add Chicago. Even in Arizona, one can find top-notch dining in Sedona and Scottsdale. But never--nay, never ever--would the town of Chino Valley, Prescott's rural neighbor, cross your mind. You might find good grub at some Chino Valley eatery, if you don't mind a bit of a greasy spoon, but fine dining? Uh-uh. Well, think again. Chino Valley has arrived with the Essence Kitchen & Bar. One word: Wowzers. Previous reviews raved about an appetizer: the Smoked-Bacon-Wrapped Dates--stuffed with a bit of bleu cheese. As if that wasn't enough to send you into orbit, it comes with maple syrup aioli for dipping. Why wouldn't I order it? Wonderful, with a capital "W." Essence focuses on fish. Wait, what? Seafood in the middle of the high desert? Never would I ever (that's what San Francisco, Carmel, and Seattle are for...). Until now. There are always several seafood choices on the menu--for lunch and dinner--and for dinner, a special is added. I opted for the scallops, field greens (which looked more like Swiss chard), and mushroom risotto. The scallops were cooked perfectly topped with a 3-citrus beurre blanc. The greens were good--tart, as chard is wont to be. (I figured, even if it hadn't been good, I'm at least getting a week's worth of Vitamin A and that might offset the bacon consumed earlier.) The mushroom risotto, though! If it's anywhere on the menu--get it! It will send you into an operatic aria! My friend who dined with me ordered the Paniolo burger. She's a bit petite and that burger may be bigger than she is! It was a two-fisted, two-meal entrée; she's got dinner covered for tomorrow (Not tonight, because, well, who's going to have an appetite after THIS huge meal?) My friend said it was delicious, and coming from her, that is high praise: she is one finicky diner; if she's happy, you can bet you will be, too. Though the restaurant was pretty full, Mary, our waitress, was attentive-- and personable. She's a seasoned waitress, so we were in capable hands. The owner, Julie, came around frequently to tend to drinks. The chef (co-owner) stopped by to check on our meal and chatted for a bit--a nice, old-fashioned touch. And waitress Mary has a hot tip for you: you may be able to get by for weekday lunches without a reservation (as we did today), but perish the thought for dinner-- even on weekdays. The place is out-the-door. Also: they are closed on Mondays. read more

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What a very special place Ambiance is quaint, service extraordinary and food delicious The special for the day was sea bass which was perfectly prepared. Many other selections on the menu and I'm sure they are all delicious. Jason, Julia, Nicole, thank you for providing a wonderful dining experience. We'll certainly be back read more

Essence has really good food; however, we had a very concerning issue arise. I made a reservation for six of us as we were celebrating our 49th 50th and 52nd anniversaries. When I called to make reservations, I was not informed that there would be a limited menu available that night (apparently special for Valentine's Day but this was not Valentine's Day). It was the day after. When we were seated, we were presented with the menu and out of the entrées, seven of them were fish dishes and they were all $20-$65. It was a concern for me because I had asked people to look at the menu and choose their meals ... and now these meals were not available. The other thing that happened is that because it was our anniversaries, they were going to be giving each of us couples a complimentary dessert to share but they neglected to tell us this as we ordered three desserts. Because of this, we ended up with six desserts for six people. It was too much. I am so disappointed that this happened and hope that the communication will be better if we ever decide to dine again at this restaurant. read more

I rarely take the time to write a review for a restaurant, but when the food is delicious and service is on point, I must! We were passing through and looking for something memorable. After a warm welcoming, we were promptly seated, and all our questions answered. Our food arrived quickly, perfectly prepared, with beautifully presented. I wish we lived closer!!! If I ever get the opportunity to return, I will! Nonetheless this place left an impression and I would HIGHLY recommend!! We enjoyed the blackened Catfish, Hawaiian Poke, Pulled Pork Sliders, and Churro Donut. read more

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My favorite celebration restaurant in the Prescott Quad Cities area Thank you Julia and Josh for an amazing dinner! From ambiance, adorable tables and comfortable chairs, terrific and affordable wine list, charming and talented service staff to the amazing culinary dishes. From the BBQ Shrimp to the perfectly cooked Sea Bass, everything was delicious. LOVED the perfect birthday desserts too Visiting y'all made gaining yet another birthday fun! See you again ... soon, before the next birthday read more

What can I say-simply the best! We had our first meal there two months ago and have been back five times since. The food is amazing! The service spot on and the staff friendly, professional, attentive and well informed. The menu choices are wonderful and I had the best Filet Mignon I have had in my 80 years on the planet! If you are looking for an amazing dining experience, this is it! read more