Parked on the same side as the restaurant but noticed parking directly across the street in the lot. Reservations were not made and we were immediately greeted and seated. Our server remembered us from the last time we were there and our drink order. The flavored lemon drops are the best and they're made with tequila with a lemon head at the bottom. Everything I've had here is delious. The kale to me is one of the best. I've had the lamb chops, steak and salmon, each were perfectly seasoned well and very good. Hush puppies were also served prior to our meal coming and I'm told they were good. We ordered deviled eggs with shrimps and they were made perfectly. This place is a vibe. We got there before the crowd came in. We noticed a musician come in with his instrument but wasn't there long enough to hear live music. But the energy and vibe in this place is definitely a go. read more

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I really wanted to support Essie's. This was our second time at Essie's. This time we found the food was not as tasty. The stuffed shrimp was very salty, as well as the spinach. The Hush Puppies were very sweet, and the Bread Pudding was super sugary. Some of us have dietary restrictions. So, unfortunately, we will not be returning. We're sad about our experience there! Thank you! read more

The atmosphere is great as usual. Mya the bartender we on point and very attentive. My shrimp tacos were cooked to perfection. I'm not a spicy food girl and they have a little kick to them, but they were delicious The sliders were nice and juicy and the sauce was flavorful. My Bourbon wings were cooked just right. All in all I will definitely be returning. read more

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Our dinner at Essie's was excellent! We didn't realize that it was Open Mic Night but were treated to some fine, professional-sounding soul singers during our dinner. Most importantly, the food was superb. I had a blackened salmon dish that I will remember for a long time, fresh, flavorful, and just the right amount of "zing". The sweet potato chips that came with the salmon were wonderful, as well. The complementary hush puppies that came out to start our meal were also terrific, bursting with flavor. The place has a lounge-y but somewhat minimalist feel, casual, but fun and welcoming. read more

Very cozy environment, The staff were all very nice and easy going, the food was very good, the music had everybody singing along !! I will go back !!! read more

Love this place! The decor and attention to detail is lovely, the food is delicious, and the staff is friendly and awesome! Went for a last minute happy hour and tried a few items: Crab cake (jumbo lump)-was eaten too quickly to take a pic but it was delicious (not on the happy hour menu) Fish tacos-crispy fresh fish seasoned and cooked well, fresh purple and white cabbage with the perfect pop of acid (again eaten before a pic could be taken) Hand cut fries- were seasoned well, crisp on the outside and pillowy on the inside just how I like Bourbon wings-deliciously sticky with a lil kick on the back end Margaritas-were strong and delicious Our server Nicole was attentive and knowledgeable Karaoke started around 7 and rounded out the experience. 10/10 Will definitely be back again and again read more

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I had an amazing dinner at Essie's!! My only issue was the lemon drop was wayyyy to sour because the put lemon heads in the... my waitress was kind and patient. She also gave recommendations. The vibe was chill. Wasn't busy at all. Will be returning read more

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The food was delicious! At our table we had the braised short ribs, shrimp and grits and the French toast. I had the braised short ribs and grits and it was filling and very flavorful, served in a bowl and garnished with green onions. Portion size was perfect for me. I ate every bite and was a little stuffed. 4/7 at the table had the shrimp and grits. Comments included Awesome, delicious, tasty, good. The teenage member of our group had the French toast. She described them as exquisite. The atmosphere is pleasant with a jazzy ambiance. It was an all around pleasant experience. Will definitely visit again when we are in Clementon! read more

Essie's Restaurant & Lounge - Shrimp and grits - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

Food was great but service was very slow and inconsistent especially when considering the cost.

Came here to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was my first time, but apparently they come often to enjoy the happy hour. It's a cute restaurant. The food was worth the drive and that Emerald cocktail was very delicious! Should have gotten two. Server was okay, he did disappear for a bit though it wasn't busy so that was odd, but once we asked someone else for him, he was right back at the table. I can see myself there again! read more

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The restaurant was overall fine. The food was decent and tasted good, but nothing particularly stood out. The biggest issue was the wait time it took a VERY long time for our food to come out. Service felt quite slow throughout the visit, which made the experience less enjoyable. If you're not in a rush and don't mind waiting, it's an okay spot, but be prepared for delays. read more

Great food, service and atmosphere . Staff was very attentive. Food had great flavor

This is a fairly new restaurant and indeed a hidden gem! My husband and I met friends for cocktails and dinner last night. The place is new, clean with a hip vibe. The staff is friendly and very accommodating. We even met the owners, a young African American couple whom you will immediately admire after conversing with them. We started in the bar area thinking we'd stick with the happy hour fare. The cocktails were on point! The appetizers were also yummy. I sampled the wings, shrimp and fish taco. All were good and the fish tacos could have been a complete meal. We moved to the main dining area to have a quieter more intimate dinner. My girlfriend and I both ordered the 1/2 chicken with smashed potatoes and kale. The meal was very plentiful and scrumptious. We took home most of it. My husband and another friend had the salmon, sweet potatoes and kale. My husband cleaned his plate so I knew that meal was a hit. We also had their signature hush puppies....whoa...some of the best I've ever tasted. The hush puppies are even complementary with a dinner entrée. Of course, we had their irresistible bread pudding for dessert....delicious! I really, really enjoyed the service, food and vibe. The only drawback is that there is only street parking. A parking lot would be much more convenient for patrons. Yet, Essie's Restaurant and Lounge is that hidden gem that you should definitely should check out! Spend your money here because you won't be disappointed. read more

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Wonderful experience. We stopped in for happy hour on a Friday (5-7p). We were greeted right away and seated. The staff were so nice. We ordered $4 margaritas (they had various flavor options); I enjoyed the mango. To eat I ate the bourbon chicken wings. You get 5 meaty wings and the flavor is tasty. I enjoyed the beef sliders (3). Everything was seasoned and good well. The prices, atmosphere and staff are great. Definitely a new local spot. - street parking - good music - great drinks - flavorful food read more

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Essies's the food was delicious the fish and shrimp tacos was the bomb, we came for happy hour, the ambience was great as well, I will definitely be visiting again!! read more

Essie's Restaurant & Lounge - Shrimp tacos - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

I had a really unpleasant experience here during "HAPPY HOUR" because the owner, Cherie treated me horribly. After my food and beverages arrived, she tried to make me move to a table where I was uncomfortable, even though the restaurant/bar was empty when I arrived. Her attitude ruined the night. Even after my party arrived, she never came over to make things right. Her husband never came over either. I will never recommend or step foot in there again. No one should ever treat customers that way. The owners behavior overshadows my whole experience so I won't bother to review the food, I was too upset to enjoy it. It was half empty all three times I've been, so shame on them for make people feel unwanted, they could use the customers. read more

Essies is a really nice clean lounge. They have a really good Happy Hour menu, and the food is delicious. There is a bar as well. The restaurant is clean and has a nice warm vibe. Wednesday was Karaoke night, and the DJ and host were fun. There is street parking available l. read more

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Really classy place with R&B music in the background. Food is delicious and I had a hard time deciding what to order. Need to come back and get more items. Friendly staff and great customer service. Drinks had cute names like Nuck& Buck and Side Jawn. Can't wait to come here in the summer. I can see myself dressing up in a cute summer dress for brunch with the girls! read more

The customer service sucks! I wouldn't go here to enjoy drinks, the bartenders lack consistency in making good drinks, and when asked to make good on their own mistakes, they want the patrons to pay for the drinks they failed to make with tastefulness. The food is good, if you order food to go, to avoid the nasty demeanor of the lead hostess, who speaks with broken English and slang. While you wait for your food, take advantage of the music and clean establishment, and get out of there. read more

Is nice fit out good I service Is great Happy hour on Friday. Cocktails as low as 5 course. You could sit at the bar and just chill with a few half price apps. Or you could sit down and have will be back read more

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This a nice place , live good music. Only for Boss, Beautiful woman inside and out , good vibes and people that like Good service and good food and ambiance read more

This place is a hidden gem. It is gorgeous! The music was a touch too loud but the selection was great. The food was amazing, I can't express how wonderful that sautéed kale was. The service was a little spotty at times, you can definitely tell that our server was in the weeds, he lacked experience, but he was very pleasant and I'm sure with time he'll be great! We will definitely be back. read more

Essie's Restaurant & Lounge - 1/2 chicken with kale greens - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

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Went during Happy Hour and the drinks were good for the price. Hush puppies and salad was very good Bourbon wings were eatable but a little over cooked, buffalo wings and mini burgers looked good and my friend's shrimp tacos and fried rice was tasty. I would definitely return. Nice atmosphere and staff were friendly. read more

Went on Father's Day and ordered the Shrimp and Grits that was absolutely amazing!! My server was kind and generous! And also, the band that was playing was awesome! Definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

Was excited to try this place because of the reels I saw on IG. Drove over an hour and although the employees were pleasant, the overall experience was not worth the drive or money. We were seated quickly because we had a reservation. The location is beautiful and well decorated. We were seated in a large booth towards the front door. Our waitress was nice and came right over to take the drink order. The drinks came pretty quickly but everything was a wait. We ordered appetizers and the entrees at the same time. Generally, appetizers are to come out first but that was not our case. Our appetizers came out a few minutes before our food and all of it took almost 2 hours to arrive...literally. For appetizers I ordered the Sweet & Spicy Shrimp with Avacado mousse. I wasn't impressed at all. The avacado mousse was not really a good mix with the shrimp. Also, the shrimp were basic. For an entree I ordered the gumbo with lobster tail. The gumbo was cool but the lobster tail on top was not. Both were cold and the lobster tail tasted like they literally pulled it out the ocean, ripped the tail off, and threw it on top lol. Just horrible. The best part of my order was the drink I had and the little hush puppies. I really wanted to try dessert because they had a good selection to choose from but I waited so long, I couldnt bare to wait another hour for dessert. Don't even get me started on the lamb chops my sister ordered. There was NO lamb on them chops for $40...ROBBERY! The plus side of this experience was how kind the staff members we encountered were. They apologized so much and took a little something off the bill. Although they were kind, I'm not in any rush to return. They may want to find a better routine for their kitchen staff because no one should wait that long for appetizers. If you plan to visit, I recommend taking a pillow and blanket because you can literally take a nice nap while waiting for your food. read more

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Love the drinks. The service is quick, the place is clean. The person working here was very kind in helping my friend that wasn't too knowledable with the place. We all had a great experience here and would recommend the location read more

Our food was wonderful, the atmosphere was great and the drinks were very good. The staff was friendly and we had a good time. read more

Essie's Restaurant & Lounge - Bread Pudding - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

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This is by far one of the best hidden gems of the supper club/ southern/ bar restaurants. A friend of mine was helping me find a place to have dinner last minute and quick for wife's birthday due to a timing conflict with another place in Philly. He told me about Essie's, and I set a quick RSVP for 4 and the next day my wife and another couple went. Pros: * The food is great!!!!! Well-seasoned and full of flavor. My wife had Seafood Gumbo With shrimp, lobster tail, crawfish, chicken andouille sausage, and okra served with white rice. I had the Cajun Chicken Alfrado, which was the best I've had outside the home. My friends had the ship and fish tacos which they enjoyed a lot. The service was good, and the waitress checked on us several times. * The vibe is intimate in the cut relaxed with a bar as well See Web site. * Music was laid back RB/Soul/ Old school Hip Hop. (I've not seen the live music yet but heard it was good) * They do comedy shows and live music at times as stated above. * They have a room to accommodate larger groups and parties if needed. Cons: * They are really, really under the radar as far as social media is concerned and/or searchable on the internet. I've done a search for them and had a hard time finding them. If my friend hadn't already been there for a family birthday, I would never have found it on the internet etc. yes if you know of them, they are on Facebook etc.. but if you don't you can't find them. * This is personal observation so take it with a grain of salt, but I wish they had a dress code as the setting, music etc. is more upscale supper club. The mode lighting and overall setting is a perfect couples spot. My party/group had button up shirts and shoes, the ladies had put that sexy on for the night out etc.. looking sharp. It was a little off sitting next to sweats, sneakers, crocs and slides. I get you don't want to exclude or hinder your ability to make money by excluding people, but you should also want a better class of people who don't mind spending good money for a goodtime and place. The setting was classier than the look and dress of people who were coming into eat and drink. It would be nice to see dress to impress when going out on date. read more

it unfortunately won't let me reply underneath this "business owners" comment. Please have your facts straight before you comment I in fact was not intoxicated I drove the restaurant and no foul language was used. How could we have used foul language when we were completely ignored to order. It was about 730 before we left and there wasn't that many customers spending Valentines day because I saw MANY empty tables! I really hope for the business sake the service improves because with the energy yall put out it is horrendous. read more

When I say it's a vibe here.. it's just that. Service was beyond great and so much more. When entering through the front door your greeted and asked if you have reservations. Please make reservations to eat at table but my sister and I didn't so we sat at the bar which was really nice. TV's at the bar which you can watch live band performance that made your head move to the beat. We order alligator bites(first time for us which taste like turkey meat) and fish tacos. All so good and satisfying. For drinks we order an side jawn and apple crips margaritas. BOMB!! A much to pay a visit to eat here for the experience. Can't wait until next Tuesday to order the jambalaya and salmon burger. Thank you for the great hospitality Essie. read more

Such a fabulous find! Everything was delicious especially enjoyed the chicken shrimp etouffe, gumbo, bourbon wings, and not to be missed (we will drive back just for ....) the incredible bread pudding! Staff were so friendly and attentive. We will be back. read more

Came here last night with a friend The owner was very pleasant and active inside of the lounge I had the bourbon wings which were phenomenal a Mango margarita, A signature drink called the nuck and buck and a glass of Moscato! The atmosphere was great and very classy I will definitely be back!!! read more

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First time visiting this place. We were going to get something to eat and noticed they were advertising for a comedy show so we bought tickets. The food and service was good but it was not a good place for a comedy show especially if you have to pay extra. That show should have been included with the food. There were only four tables filled besides the table where we were sitting in the area where the show was held. In the room next to the area where the shows are held was extra sitting and the bar area. Both areas were open enough to each other that if you were sitting in the bar area you could still hear and see the comedy show but the only difference was the customers sitting in the bar area didn't have to pay to see the show Also the show included three comedians that were okay but one comedy could not complete his part because he ended up arguing with one of the tables of four women as if they wanted to fight. WTF!!!! They should have refunded our money for that show. Do not go see a show there! read more

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Today, is my husband and I first time dining at Essie's Restaurant & Lounge. Well, they did not disappoint! We received complimentary Hush Puppies w/ popcorn butter - so delicious! We enjoyed the appetizers...The bourbon wings were delicious! Not too sweet and just enough of sweetness to satisfy your tongue. I noticed these wings had enough sauce on them because my husband did not ask for extra bourbon sauce. The lemon pepper wings were delicious too! When you bite into these wings, you will enjoy the delicious flavors marinating on your palate. The Crystal Marinated Alligator Bites w/ swamp remoulade sauce tastes so good! Also, if you like spice, you must try the Sweet & Spicy Colossal Shrimp on top of an avocado mousse - so delicious! For my meal, I had the Blackened Salmon with a Cajun crème sauce, honey bourbon sweet potato chips & braised kale was scrumptious--a must have! The salmon was oh so tender and paired deliciously with the honey bourbon sweet potato chips and displayed nicely on the plate. The braised kale was flavorful and cooked to perfection. My husband's meal was a 16 oz Ribeye w/compound butter, three cheese au gratin potatoes, braised kale w/ red & green peppers - so delicious! The ribeye was oh so tender and the Au gratin potatoes were so creamy that it melted in your mouth! Now for dessert, we shared the Bread Pudding...OMG, it was flavorful and scrumptious!! The crust on the outer side was crisp to perfection!! You must try this!! So when you visit, sit back, relax and indulge...allow the flavors to pow wow in your mouth! Last but not least, top these dishes off with a mellow cocktail. I had a mango margarita. It was good! They didn't hold back on the alcohol. My husband had the peach Long Island Ice Tea. It was good too but again they didn't hold back on the alcohol.The ambiance was great and we loved the music selection. Our waitress, Lauren, and the staff were impeccable! Thank you all for your superb customer service! We will be back! read more

This place was a whole vibe for me on a Thursday night. The staff was welcoming and interactive. The food was good, my wine was good. I am excited to return. No fault of their own, my only complaint would have to be the parking. If not for that, easy 5 stars. read more

Great food and good music, even decent drinks. But the alcohol is WATERED DOWN. Me & my friends spent over a hundred dollars each mostly drinks on our bill & did not have a slight buzz. Shots are $14, they are a bit over priced with liquor and you won't feel a thing. read more

Essie's Restaurant & Lounge - Food is delicious. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Clementon, New Jersey

I'm a real "from scratch" cook and I absolutely loved the food! So did we all! I tasted my family's dishes and everything was perfectly seasoned, chicken was fresh! Salmon was perfect! ( And I just got back from Alaska!) the server was so cute!!! We're bringing our family back again!!! So glad my sister in love introduced us to Essie's!!!! read more

Clean establishment. Friendly vibe. Food was spectacular. Service was a little slow but the waitress did let us know orders were a little backed up. I chalked it up to them being a new establishment. We had the Cajun Salmon over bed of sweet potatoes and the Steak. Definitely going back and to try for Happy Hour. read more

Went to dinner on a weeknight. Got seated quickly. Limited menu, I wish there were more appetizers, like chicken fingers, or salads or soups. Dinner menu is also limited..need more choices and add more side dishes, like Mac and cheese, grits, et. The restaurant was clean, service was fine, but restaurant was noisy. There's a bar right next to the dining area, and there's music playing, so there's a lot of background noise. The drinks on the menu looked good, but are $15 each, and had a lot of ingredients; need to add additional, simpler drinks for those who just want "gin and juice." Food was pretty good, but a little pricey. I got the salmon and kale greens; I didn't like the greens, but kale isn't my favorite anyway. Friend got the gumbo and said it was tasty. But it needed cornbread. Great 2 c a new, local restaurant, look forward to additional menu items. read more

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The venue is,esthetically, very nice. I enjoyed my time there. My only negative was that the food had too much spice. I really don't care for a lot of spice in my food. read more