I popped in for lunch before catching my train. What a surprise! I was seated right away at the bar. I had a delicious cocktail and put my order in. I had the short rib hash which was one of the best dishes I've had in my life, seriously. The ambiance is cozy and warm. If I'm ever in Poughkeepsie, I'll come back! read more

Outstanding food! Bummer choice to only have kuerig coffee and No refills so every cup of coffee was $4 more- hard to enjoy sunday brunch without unlimited coffee!!! read more

Small plates, Big flavor! Ordered: Shrimp salad, jerk ribs, local lettuce salad, flat iron steak, scallops, cheesecake, toast of the day. No alcohol. Bill: $130 (before tip) Overall: this was our first time here, and it was date night for my husband and I. Great service, the food took a little while, but the owner (CIA grad) is preparing everything himself. It's a bit on the pricey side, but I'd say the quality is there. Will go again. read more

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Amazing food. Great little place for dinner! We loved it! Going back soon with friends. Beautiful ambiance! Very clean. Love this place

Stopped in for brunch on a Sunday around 12:30. There were only about 2 tables seated. I ordered the chicken and waffles and the French omelet. It was all so delicious. The chicken and waffles was the BEST I've ever had. There were notes of citrus and vanilla but not overbearing to the the dish as a whole. The omelet was also scrumptious with a side salad dressed perfectly. I was so shook because everything was seasoned excellently(a rarity in the Hudson Valley) all the flavors just worked. By the time I left the restaurant was packed. I shall be back!!!! read more

Enjoyed an well overdue date with my husband at this cozy spot. He had fried chicken and waffles,and I had the fried chicken with wedges. When I tell you the food was AMAZING, it was just that! The food stayed hot from start to finish and the flavors were outstanding! The portions were very hardy and filling, with nothing left over, so we ordered the jerk ribs and plantains to go! Thank you Chef Brandon for a great meal! We'll be back! read more

Our second visit- staff is great, food is even better! The waffles with the citrus butter don't need the syrup but you want to use it because it is real maple syrup! The chicken- moist with the perfect blend of spices and crunchy coating. Make a reservation- you will be glad you went! read more

Essie's Restaurant - Jambalaya Croquettes - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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There is a reason this restaurant has a 5 star rating on YELP! Because it has earned it! I found Essie's while in the area and used YELP to find a good place for dinner where we could enjoy local food. So happy I found Essie's and happier that I made a reservation! Essie's is small, so a reservation is highly recommended. We sat in the window seat and had an amazing experience. Loved the decor and warm atmosphere. Our waiter was extra friendly and recommended other places to check out while we are in the area. We started out with drinks (of course!). I had a mixed bourbon (or tequila? Not sure) based drink from the bar and the husband a local beer. Both great! We also shared the Grit Croquettes $8 and Arugula Salad special, both were fantastic! For our entrees the husband had Chicken & Dumplings for $21, a chicken confit over kale. He was in culinary heaven. I had Goat Bolognese for $28, ground goat over house made cavatelli, and I joined the husband in heaven. This was some seriously amazing food. Chef Brandon came out to greet us after we had finished eating and we enjoyed meeting him. Down to Earth, friendly guy! This was an amazing meal and fantastic experience. Thank you to YELP for helping us find it. read more

Excellent! The jambalaya croquettes were to die for! Will definitely go back. Met the chef and he was very nice. Also, the wait staff was was very friendly and attentive read more

I'm was in town for a wedding and stumbled upon Essie's. The best chicken and waffles I've ever had! Great cocktails too!

Loved it! We were there on a Wednesday and the food was fantastic. We are still talking about it. Had the plantains and grits croquette for apps. So good! Those plantains were really different and something special. We tried the petit filet, the pork loin and the chicken and dumplings as entrees and we all agreed that our dishes were delicious. We were sharing bites around the table and there was enough for all to bring some home and look forward to the next day. We thought that we had a lot of deliciousness for the price. read more

I had a business dinner at Essie's last night and it was nothing short of AMAZING!!! They have a great specialty cocktail list, we tried quite a few of them and they all exceeded expectations, DELICIOUS!!! We also had the appetizer special of fried shrimp with a Shiracha aioli and let me tell you, I would and could eat 6 pounds of these, that is how good they were!!! Our entrees; the fish of the day, and the steak, were also spot on, cooked perfectly, flavorful, and extremely satisfying. This place is perfect and I cannot wait to return. The ambience, the service, and the food and beverages make for a wonderful dining experience and evening out. read more

I was visiting a local friend for the weekend who had a short list of restaurants she thought I would like. Not only was Essie's number 1 on that list, but I was arriving on a late-ish train and they were the only folks open late enough to accommodate so it all worked out nicely in the end. There were a couple of large parties, a couple of groups of four, a couple of couples, and some folks at the small bar when we arrived. So your birthdays, your friends groups, and your date nights are all well accommodated here. But those not on a date won't feel awkward, even though I'd consider the vibe both chill and romantic. As it was the tail end of the night, the rest of the patrons were all finishing up and everyone looked pleased and satisfied. I could tell we were in for a treat. Every single thing on the menu and drinks menu sounded absolutely delicious, and everything we tried actually was. We were offered a slice of bread and some really good butter to munch while waiting for our drinks. I started off with a lovely Pear Negroni (Hi I am a Negroni addict. Hi.) my friend got a Gimlet and we mulled over the menu. We decided to split a couple of things because neither of us was starving, but both of us wanted to try everything! There's nothing better than sharing when you really want to see what a new-to-you place is made of. We ordered: Grit Croquettes - Crispy and amazing with a really nice and light garlic aioli. Fancy comfort nibbles at their finest! Local Cheese plate - It was fun to hear about the cheeses and have my dining companion know each local farm they came from. Each selection was paired with either a nice honey or jam. They do lose a point here for not offering us bread to go with the cheese, but the person looking after our table seemed both new and overwhelmed, plus we didn't want to load up on bread so we never asked and it was fine. Currant Rose mead from Salt Point - really lovely color and wonderfully dry. A good mead is hard to find! Fish of the day - Scallops beautifully seared with cauliflower, carrots, and fingerling potatoes in a light and lovely broth. I am so. picky. when it comes to scallops and these were done perfectly! I'm so glad we went for it. Dessert - would you believe we were so satisfied after those three dishes we decided to skip dessert? I know! WHO AM I? But we'll definitely be back for the next time I visit, and/or brunch which looks really nice! Everything was plated nicely, but you get no photos from me because the lighting is fairly low (hi, date nights) and I didn't bring my real camera. They seem very accommodating to GF needs, and I am going to recommend this place to a newly-local vegan friend and her omnivore (read: meat-loving) guy so I'll wait for a report from her on that front. That or invite myself along to join them! I would recommend reservations, especially on the weekends, and do expect your dinner to be a bit on the pricey side. That came as a bit of a shock to me, but I pay these kinds of prices all the time in Manhattan so maybe I was more prepared for that. And I do love a good, true farm-to-table restaurant who clearly dow hat they love and love what they do. Well done, Essie's. read more

From start to finish, this was the best meal I have had in months. Our server asked if we had any allergies or food sensitivities, then went through the menu with us and explained the specials. The flavors that come through from each plate is unique and indescribably satisfying. The smoked orange whiskey sour was incredible- you can taste the smokiness. The plantains were unreal. The nachos- which throw you off at first because they aren't the typical hot nachos- were so delicious. The jerk ribs were cooked to absolute perfection, falling off the bone tender. We came on "full fish Friday" which my wife thoroughly enjoyed (I don't eat fish so I can't comment on it, but she said it was lovely). I had the pork scallopini... which I was shocked by... I have never been able to cut a piece of pork with a butter knife before, perfectly cooked. I ordered an Apple whiskey sour once I finished dinner, and aside from describing it as Christmas in a cup... the only other word that come to mind, is perfection. So the owner, Brandon, works the front of the house- greeting customers as well as bartending. He makes sure to check each plate for a perfect presentation before it goes out to guests. He's very personable and an incredible mixologist. We will surely be returning very soon. Very happy to have such high quality food in the area. read more

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I think this is the first time I've "eaten" at one restaurant, then after paying, left to walk down the street to another. After sitting I was told that it was a Tuesday, you couldn't order any of the entrees, but they had a couple of pasta dishes. I'm trying to stay away from carbs, so I ordered the grilled octopus appetizer and the spinach salad. The portion of the octopus was very small (for the price), and I think there was more charcoal dust on it than meat. The spinach salad was excellent, although I think the bacon was almost raw. That being said, the reception and the service was excellent, warm and welcoming. I hope this review comes off as constructive criticism, and not just to complain. Memo: after receiving notice from the owner about my comments, let me just say I didn't go to your website, just used Yelp, and I was happy to order off of what you had- it just wasn't good, especially for the price. I was trying to be kind, but..... read more

What a great addition to the local food scene. Chef Brandon really puts his heart and soul into his food. We started with the grits croquettes and the bacon lardons. The croquettes were a perfect balance of crunch and flavor but the superstar on the appetizers is certainly the lardons. Glazed in a dense and rich sauce of sherry, cinnamon, cardamom, clove and other deep rich flavors these beautifully smoky bits of pork goodness were a true standout. Up next was the grilled octopus salad. A wonderful medley of perfectly grilled octopus, orange, pickled onions and cauliflower, this dish paired beautifully with a crisp Chardonnay from their carefully curated wine list. Finally we were on to our mains. Chicken and dumplings with the chicken cooked in a confit style along side miniature dumplings in a rich broth. When people say, tastes like chicken, they refer to the bland tasteless Everyman flavorlessness of chicken. This however tasted like the chickens my family raised. A deep and rewarding "chickenness" pervaded the dish. Finally, my second favorite dish (after the bacon) was the spice and herb crusted albacore tuna. First, 2 slabs of beautiful albacore tuna, over edamame, sprouts and broccoli rabe. Sounds great, right? But then you taste the wonderfully deep lobster broth that is obviously fussed over and cooked for hours and it brings everything on the plate together. An amazing symphony of flavors. After our meal we enjoyed the company of our chef who was so passionate about what he does and it was lovely to see that passion translated onto his plates. Highly recommended. Enjoy! read more

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Cool vibes, bartender was great and accommodating chicken sandwich was delicious def recommend

Last evening-really nice. We had the Jerk Ribs and Local Ripened & Aged Milk for "nibbles", a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to celebrate my favorite BIL' s retirement ( long distance). Moved onto Grilled Octopus Stew ( sea island red peas, bacon, fennel, lemon, tomato, onions, garlic bread crumbs) and Willie had Fish of the Day ( don't remember exact name, but cooked to perfection). Waitresses were on spot (Ashlyn's first night, being trained by the expert Destiny). Very pleasant chatting, met great family (WMC Health- MHR) had laughs and warm feelings. Highly recommend read more

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My wife and I had lunch here on Sunday. The server was very nice and attentive. And the food was great.

I tried this restaurant out while I was in PK today. I ordered the crab cake Benedict which was really good though a bit pricey. My daughter ordered the frittata which was tasty but flat, literally. She said it needed salt and pepper. LOL. My cocktail was good and the atmosphere was nice. Overall this was a 3.85 dining experience. read more

Met some friends at the bar last night at Essie's. I was beyond blown away with this little slice of heaven in Poughkeepsie. The service was top notch, along with the food and atmosphere. We started off with two orders of the jerk ribs , which they made one portion gluten free for "that one guy" in our party. Next we all got the steak dinner, which again they were extremely accommodating to my gluten free buddy, editing the dish for him. Lastly, I got the chocolate Cremoux for dessert to bring home to the wife, she was a huge fan. Thank you again for a breath of fresh air while dining in Poughkeepsie. We will be back soon. read more

Food is great. Bring a date or sit at the bar for single. Keep it pushin' tons of great restaurants in the valley to support.

Food and service was great for brunch! Big potions! Drinks were the only complaint - I thought my Bloody Mary was pretty watered down and my husband wasn't a fan of the bottled coke alternative they had. read more

Essie's Restaurant - Crispy Chicken Sandwich with egg and Essie's Hand Cut Everything Bagel Wedges - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

I meant to eat at the restaurant for months now; the menu, the location and the decor were all calling my name. Then, I was extremely happy to hear that they offer brunch on Sundays (because who doesn't like brunch). Upon seating, the waitress came to ask for our drinks order and to know about any food allergies we might have. I mentioned that I was mildly lactose intolerant. All the dishes that I order that day had dairy as a main ingredient, and every time before she processed my order, the waitress reminded me of my allergy and asked me if I wanted to change my order (very thoughtful of her). For appetizers, I had toast of the day, it was made with aioli pesto and grated cheese. My entree was Shrimps N' Grits. I have been craving that dish for some time and the chef delivered! It was exquisite! For my drink, I had the Hudson Valley Mule. It was not to my taste, although well prepared by the bartender. I will be back to try more things from their menu. I see that sometimes they have outdoor seating, I will see if next time I can bring my puppy. read more

Essie's Restaurant - Belgium waffles - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Essie's Restaurant Tuesday June 14, 2016 There's a new kid in town yet he's been here before. Brandon Walker is back and he is better than ever. Essie, his Grandmother, is the namesake of a very cool new restaurant in Poughkeepsie's Little Italy. We were at the Bardavon Opera House one night recently and overheard two Cops talking about a new place to eat. I said to them, "You should know where all the great places are." They said we should watch out for Essie's. The chef was the original chef from the Nic L Inn and that it's going to be great. I remembered the early days of the Nic L Inn and how great it was so we got excited. Fast forward to now with a bunch of social media and local press and we get invited to the soft opening. Essie's and accomplished Chef Brandon Walker and his very attentive staff have curated a really fun, intimate and sophisticated vibe to sample food from his heritage. Jamaica, the Carolina's and just plain American with a twist. You will like what he has to offer. The Crispy Jerk Pork Lardons start your trip through to the Grilled Octopus Salad and a Monkfish with Plantains, Chayote, Collard Greens and Coconut Curry Nage. Yumm Yumm Yumm. With a reasonable wine list and some cool cocktails and beers, we must come back to sample Brandon's entire menu. And you should too. See you there. Use Rsy! read more

Essie's Restaurant - Not to be missed. - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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This restaurant is small and homey, but the inconsistency makes it hard. I ate there and had a great chicken dish. I was so excited to have the same dish. I ordered, but the dish, when it arrived was totally different. This business Lazily, while keeping the same menu they change the recipe- which is shocking. When I asked about it, they said they change their menu seasonally-but that's not accurate- it's deceitful. The food was also VERY salty and extremely expensive. read more

Red velvet chicken and waffles quite tasty. That vanilla butter is the truth. Great crunch and flavor to the fried chicken. Pineapple mojito yum yum read more

Amazing food and drinks along with great service. Chef Brandon was very friendly. Order the Jambalaya croquettes!

We stopped by Essie's a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night, looking for a quiet meal. I called ahead for a table as it's a small restaurant & it was raining hard. No problem, the place was busy but not full. I waited at the bar for my SO while he parked the car & was immediately given a glass of water and a menu to peruse. Nice. There are cocktails of the day listed on the blackboard wall that looked amazing, but we decided instead to go for some wine by the glass. Not an extensive selection, but very nice choices. Essie's dinner menu is broken up into 'nibbles', 'small plates' and 'plates'. The table next to us was having the Mole scented roast chicken & pork scallopini & both looked delicious! However we decided to split some nibbles and small plates. The toast of the day had homemade farmers cheese and heirloom tomatoes with pea shoots (yum!) and the artisanal cheese plate was delicious. Copious amounts of fresh baked bread was offered along with all dishes and obviously locally made butter (with just the right amount of salt). We followed with the beet nachos (the waitress made sure I knew it was 'beet' not 'meat' were very good but a touch spicy for me. My SO had the mussels and clams in a lemongrass coconut broth (Thai style?) which he declared amazing! Our server was obviously well trained & very attentive & neither our wine glasses nor our bread plates stayed empty for long. The cool blues playing, the simple yet elegant decor make this a great addition to Poughkeepsie. Extra great touch was Chef Walker coming out to meet all his patrons once they had eaten. Very professional read more

I can thank MetroNorth weekend track work for my discovery of Essie's. Though an exclusive Harlem Line user since 1998, a weekend that brought me up to CT to visit my parents also included me taking a train to a shuttle bus to a train just to get to Wassaic. I suggested that my parents take me to Poughkeepsie to catch a direct train back to the city - easy breezy! - and we made a little Sunday adventure out of it. Tasked with finding a brunch spot - but of course - I noticed Essie's walkable proximity to the train station. Not knowing the area or how parking might be in other spots, we opted for Essie's, and it was a good decision! A small yet spacious spot, Essie's boasts a wonderful southern-influenced menu, absolutely one of those menus where you wish you could try everything; if only our stomachs and wallets could afford it. Ha! Though I struggled between picking a few choices, I opted for the chicken & waffles with with vanilla citrus butter, local honey and preserved apples. My mom went for the Smoked Bacon Hash. My father went for their daily fritatta special with a side salad. It was all exquisite! I'm a self-proclaimed chicken & waffles snob - anyone from NYC uses Sweet Chick or Amy Ruth's as a good benchmark - and these chicken and waffles definitely hit it! The chicken was especially crisp yet juicy, the slight grease of its oil happily lingering on my hands even after a few hand washes! The hash was amazing, generous chunks on bacon and potato throughout. I didn't grad a bite of my dad's frittata, but I know he was extremely pleased with it. Though their alochol selection looked dreamy, I wanted to forgo the post-brunch buzz on a two hour train back to Manhattan - ha! - and I opted for the Hibiscus Lemonade. *phew* So tart and flavorful! A glass of that will DEFINITELY wake you up better than any coffee could! Great food, great music, and great service all equate to a great experience, and I'm bummed that I don't live a bit closer to Poughkeepsie! That was my first time in that city since 2006 when I partied with old Marist friends at Mahoney's Pub. Haaa. BUT! If I ever end up in Poughkeepsie again, Essie's will definitely be a spot to return to. For those that live in the area, GO. read more

Essie's Restaurant - EPIC chicken & waffles! - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

The Restaurant did not have major food items no jerk ribs, no froth for the Expresso, etc! No good sound system, service was slow. They added Gratuity tho! Stock your Pantry, especially when someone is having an event at your establishment. read more

Fantastic dinner. Menu is small, and service isn't as polished as lots of places, but the staff are friendly, the setting is cool, and the food and drink are fantastic. The cocktails are really well crafted. I had an old fashioned and spouse had the melon sidecar. They were both really well-balanced and tasty. For dinner I had the jerk ribs and jambalaya croquettes appetizers and spouse had chicken and dumplings. We both loved our food. Daughter had the vegetarian bowl and also loved it. Can't say enough about how good the food was. You're not going to get Michelin star service, but the food is there! read more

My husband John and I are newly married and decided to have our rehearsal dinner here a couple weeks ago. We are not from the area so we had to search a bit to find a good restaurant. When I first talked to Brandon the chef and owner he was so accommodating and made up a fabulous menu for us and our guests including wine and beer that was very affordable. He reserved the whole restaurant for us that night! We started out by having the chefs selection of meat and cheeses and the fried plantains and both were soo delicious ! We had a 3 course meal that consisted of salad , a choice of steak, chicken, or pasta and then sorbet for dessert ! Everything was so delicious and I have to say the steak might be the best steak I've ever had !! All of our family and friends kept raving about how good the food was, how nice everyone was that worked there, and how cute the restaurant was. The chef even gave me a complimentary dessert (chocolate coconut creme Brûlée) which was beyond delicious !! We were so happy we decided to have our rehearsal dinner here! It really was the perfect way to start off our wedding weekend and it beyond exceeded our expectations ! Thanks so much to everyone at Essie's again ! We will DEFINITELY recommend this restaurant to everyone who is in the area !!!! Also John and I decided that we will make it a tradition to come to Essie's every year for dinner on our anniversary read more

Essie's Restaurant - Coulotte steak -- words cant even describe how good !! - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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We loved coming to Essie's. The food was hot & tasty. We tried to be patient with our server, understanding that restaurants are challenged...but service was not the best. We will not return read more

We were in town to attend a local event and decided to book based on the amazing reviews in addition to wanting to support a local small business owned by a CIA grad. Positives: 1) The hostess was quite friendly. 2) The croquettes were delicious. Unfortunately the entrees were uninspiring. Cons: 1) The steak was grisly. We had two versions (one with; the other without peppercorn sauce due to a dairy allergy) however they looked and tasted the same with way too much glaze. 2) The vegetable pho was a mess of vegetables with a flavorless broth. 3) I considered the roasted chicken to be a safety dish--one that you can't do wrong, but it was overpowered by the squash, pickled onion and carrot mash. I usually don't write negative reviews, but $400 later we left extremely disappointed. read more

Amazing food and cocktails in a beautiful space run by a wonderful chef and staff! The cheese plate was fantastic local fresh cheese paired with beautiful honey & preserves. I had the cod which tasted incredible- seemed simple but with beautiful flavors and fresh veggies. My mom had the chicken and it was one of the most flavorful pieces of chicken I've ever tasted! The cocktails were delicious- hibiscus rum cocktail and an apple & pear sidecar. Desert was a cheesecake which was just absolutely to die for! I've been avoiding sugar for months and the cheesecake looked so amazing I HAD to splurge. To top it off the staff was lovely- attentive without being overwhelming, made wonderful recommendations, and just a joy to dine with. Will definitely be back! read more

I don't normally write Yelp reviews but this was just too good not to. I've been wanting to try this place for a while, luckily my sister was visiting and took me there for my birthday. We started with a cheese plate that we shared It came with local honey and was excellent. I ordered the skirt steak and my sister ordered the roasted chicken, we both took our first bites at the same time, looked at each other with our eyes widened in silence and just sat there in awe. It was probably the best meal I've ever had at a restaurant. Kudos to the chef for this amazing place. It was really cute inside and the chef seemed very nice (and easy on the eyes!) Will most definitely be back! Do yourself a favor and go eat here! You can tell he uses quality ingredients. Amazing read more

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Traveling 7 hours on a plane works up an appetite. The stars aligned in my favor finding Essie's a short jaunt from my hotel. Essie's is in a perfectly quaint upstate New York neighborhood with street parking. The food far exceeded my expectations and I fear I will forever compare future meals to the incredible flavor at Essie's. I didn't find the wait to be too long for my food and when it arrived, it was the perfect temperature. I am fairly sure the butter for my bread was freshly churned...the whole meal was just inexplicable in the best way possible. read more

Amazing chickory and arugula salad! So fresh! And the fried chicken sets the bar for the competition.

A black owned business I am honored to support! Any meal prepared by Chef Walker will be a delight. He pays very close attention to details and makes all his food with passion. The quality of take-out during COVID has not changed. Love the high quality food and service he has brought to the community. read more