This review began as a two and turned into a five. The reason was not the food (unimaginably good), the ambience, sublime, but the service, which was rescued so the five star is fully earned. The James is the best pub (think gastropub) experience in the vicinity. The owner is terrific, always friendly and amiable. Now to the problem. Our first waiter (a woman) brought us to a two seater outside, with six empty four seaters (the other two were occupied by one couple each). I asked if we could also sit at the four seater, and she began to argue about "what happens when we have a foursome who can't sit here?" I said, it's five o'clock, we'll be out of here before anyone shows up. The make this shorter, she persisted and finally made one of those passive aggressive statements, "if you insist..." By the way, when we paid our bill, none of the four seaters were seated with any more than two people. PS the fish sandwich and mussels are superb. Our waiter who saved the day, Scarlett. Thank you. read more

Service was excellent! Ambiance great. Food was mediocre to good. The tuna on wonton starter was bland, needed to be spiced up or more sauce. Shrimp tacos were OK but the shell became soggy before I got to it. Beet salad was quite good. read more

The staff was incredibly attentive & welcoming. The entire waitstaff was phenomenal. Food was excellent. I ordered the Autumn (butternut squash) ravioli, and the sticky toffee carrot cake. Enjoyed and would order both again. The prices were a tad higher than I'd expect for a tavern, but it's Essex with a several fancy restaurants right there. Very eclectic menu, so something for everyone. read more

Best soda bread I've ever had. Normally it's bland , and this was anything but. Onion rings were good too. I had the chicken and waffles, and it was good , not great. I tried my nephews clam plate and it was quite good Excellent brunch drink menu Servers were all nice. I'd go back read more

We stopped by for brunch on Sunday and didn't have to wait to be seated. The waitress was kind and asked us if we wanted to try their homemade soda bread. It was delicious, but we wish she would've disclosed that it would be added to the bill at an additional $8 cost. I ordered the eggs Benny and my boyfriend ordered the half roasted chicken. Both meals were good, but we felt that some items (potatoes and chicken) were a bit too salty. We thoroughly enjoyed the homemade carrot cake. It comes with ginger ice cream and we were able to swap it out for vanilla. Overall, the food was good and enjoyable. read more

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Horrible service -waited 1/2 hour to get bill at 3pm Restaurant is Pricey for value of food read more

The food was very tasty. We had the biscuits to start. I enjoyed my brunch burger .. my husband didn't really like his grilled cheese but oh well. read more

The James - Biscuits - Irish Pub Near Me - Essex, Massachusetts

How can you ruin a steak? I ordered steak tips medium well and they came absolutely singed. Worst steak I've had in my life. Great ambience though. read more

We had a fantastic time eating at The James. The atmosphere was great and the service was quick. Unfortunately all beer was served gripped by the glass on the rim, totally ignoring hygiene. The last thing you want to do at dinner is get sick. Always grip the glass in the lower third or by the base keeping your hands far away from where the guest's mouth makes contact. read more

Really good food! Service is excellent everyone is so nice and the Ambience is amazing, food is on point, would return? Yes I will ® chef knows what he is doing! read more

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Great pub/restaurant. Great service. Good ambience. Been twice. Love the smoked haddock chowder. Everything I've had there is good. read more

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Arugula salad - lightly, perfectly dressed Burger amazing Fries amazing Short rib and ale pot pie amazing Dog friendly Perfectly poured Guinness Local beer selection Going back to work thru menu, so many good choices read more

Late lunch, Tuesday afternoon. The staff had lots of time for me and we had several short conversations, all very pleasant. It was a cold bitter day, so I ordered the Tomato Bisque and Grilled Cheese sandwich with bacon added. Perfect. Washed it down with a pint of Blizzard '78. Again, perfect. Coffee after meal. Still perfect. It is a new restaurant so everything is nice and shiny. Excellent table settings. It is nice. read more

Made a reservation for 6 at 5pm on a busy Saturday. Our Table was ready and the service overall was excellent. Had the Clam chowder, it was good however not Hot, disappointing as they had recently won the local Chowder fest. Had high expectations but Cape Ann has a high bar so we were surprised. Fish and Chips were good, again not great. Portions were not huge, compared to other Cape Ann mainstays. Other diners had the Baked Haddock (average) and Fried Clams which were excellent. read more

Newest version of a resturant at this location. The food and drink are wonderful. The staff goes out of their way to be friendly and helpful. I also appreciate the Irish Pub atmosphere. It's a fairly new place but I think ot will be around a long time. read more

My dish ( halibut) was not good. Everyone else enjoyed their meal. Kelly was our server and was very nice I would try it again read more

It's doesn't get much better than this: The James. Amazing top-notch Irish/New England food with cool staff and ambience. We come here to celebrate and for Sunday lunch! read more

The James Pub & Provisions opened another location in the former Village Restaurant in Essex. Their other pub is in Needham. This casual Irish pub and restaurant was very busy on a cloudy Tuesday evening with their parking lot just about full. I found a spot way in the back of the parking lot near the dirt patch.  Once I entered the place, there was ample seating with covered outdoor seating, seating around the full service bar, high tops, booths, corner booths, and more table seating. There are several TVs around the bar. The place was a bit noisy with lots of conversing. I took a seat up at the bar for prompt service. The bartender gave me food and drink menus to look at.  The food menu offerings include a good variety of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, salads, haddock chowder, main entrees (bangers & mash, fish & chips, chicken, seafood, steak frites), a kids menu and desserts, The bar offers 12 beers on tap, wine, liquor, and cocktails. The pricing here is moderate high. I got an ice water and ordered the Corned Beef Croquettes ($12 plus tax) and the Fish & Chips ($22 plus tax). The food came out hot, remarkably quick in about 6 minutes. My food was deep fried, so hence the speedy delivery. The 2 Corned Beef Croquettes were deep fried crisp outside with a soft mixture of chopped corned beef, potato, & peppers inside and a creamy drizzle on the bottom. The fish & chips were pretty good, which was comprised of a thick piece of battered deep fried haddock with salted firm golden shoestring fries and napa slaw (vinegar taste), ketchup and a creamy dressing on the side. I did get a small box for the little bit of food I did not finish. I passed on dessert since I had already stopped for ice cream an hour before dinner at The James. The check was presented which was $36.38 with tax and before tip. Overall, my deep fried dinner was pretty good. I almost ordered the Mussels appetizer and the Bangers & Mash entree, which I will probably order next time. The service here was very prompt at the bar, despite the dining room and outdoor dining areas very busy. read more

Friendly staff, a gorgeously decorated interior (try sitting in the library room with a big group! It's so peaceful with its books and green walls), a lovely bar, and the intensely addictive IRISH NACHOS! This restaurant has been a hit since the day it opened. My whole family loves it here. You can't go wrong. read more

The food was excellent and the service was wonderful. When we sat down, we noticed a large party on the porch and we were worried that we might not get served in a timely manner. Our waitress, Kelly, realized we had been waiting a bit longer than we should have, so she took our order and miraculously our plates came out very quickly. I had the ribs (4) which were perfectly cooked along with a tasty salad. My husband had the fish sandwich and onion rings. He enjoyed both. But Kelly really made the evening special with her attentive service and bright personality. It was Trivia Night in the bar area, but it wasn't loud, so we enjoyed a peaceful meal. read more

We came here yesterday for the first time. We had lunch with friends. We loved how big, yet comfy the restaurant was. It wasn't too noisy, we were able to have conversations with our friends with ease. The service was what makes us want to come back. While one of our meals wasn't up to our liking, the waitress and manager were both so kind and helpful. read more

Great addition to the north shore of Boston landscape,this restaurant/pub with Irish roots is on point with cozy digs,friendly staff and on point food. From the small bites to the Uber fresh seafood and Irish specialties like bangers and mashed and a Sunday roast special with traditional Yorkshire pudding,it's worth a visit. Oh and the Irish soda bread! The night we visited it was a Sunday night and the place was packed with families and couples, which is always a good sign. Plenty of parking reservations suggested. read more

Went back to try again. The short rib and ale pie is absolutely the ultimate comfort food. Delicious, warm, and just right for a cold evening! Loved it and loved the trivia guy - heard that going on in the bar. Fun atmosphere. read more

Our waitress didn't apologize at first and seemed annoyed. A manager should have come over to talk to us. We still had to pay for the rest of our meal too. read more

The James - "Our lettuce comes bagged, it's just a cricket" How The James handled finding a bug in our food. - Irish Pub Near Me - Essex, Massachusetts

We had a wonderful experience & meal at The James! It began at the door with Asia & Mike- history of the place & its importance to generations of Essex families! Kelly was our tour guide through cocktails, apps, dinner & the OMG carrot cake!!!!! Thank you thank you for our new favorite spot! Pls. Keep our spot warm in the library; be home soon! The Kanes read more

Went to this bar on a night when there was live music. I was having a fun night with my siblings. The owner said the table next to us complained we were too loud. We were literally in a bar at 8pm with live music being criticized for laughing. Don't come to this establishment if you intend to enjoy yourself. read more

Seafood chowder was amazing! Great food, service and atmosphere. First time there and will go back.

My eldest son took me here for dinner last night. We were greeted by a lovely hostess. We sat at the very busy bar and Justin, our bartender was cordial. My son ordered the short rib & ale pie ($28) and I ordered the bangers and mash ($24). Both entrees were tasty but not hearty enough for the price they're asking. My son's came with a small salad on the side where mine did not which I thought was odd. I like "Irish pub grub" but I think The James prices are too steep considering the view is a parking lot, not the Essex River. read more

Love the James!!! I have celiac disease and they are amazing with making sure everything is safe for me, especially Jessie has been so attentive to allergies and I have always had a great meal! Great vibe and friendly staff!! read more

We've been several times and I'm trying to love the place but that hasn't happened. I really like the vibe of the place. Their outdoor dining (while not on the water) is very comfortable. Cocktails have always been good. The food is just ok nothing special. I was raised with it and there isn't a lot you can do with Irish themed food. This trip we tried the Irish nachos. The potatoes were great but the toppings have a lot to be desired, I should have read the description better. My suggestion is to add some real cheese not cheese spread. I found the ribs dry and burnt but my husband liked them. Here was the most disappointing part of our visit. After a ho hum meal we thought we'd get a good dessert (the strawberry rhubarb tart?). Only at the moment of asking for it did we find out the baker had an emergency so no special dessert and no soda bread apparently ( I did over hear someone mentioning that before). Not that emergencies don't happen but perhaps someone, maybe even the hostess could have mentioned it sooner. Maybe train someone to fill in, but I know that is easier said than done. We got a light dinner hoping to treat ourselves to dessert. I had a drink thinking we would be there a bit longer. We were there quite awhile though since I think we were forgotten on the patio and eventually asked the hostess to find our waitress. Other than today service there has been very attentive. read more

We have been here twice and both times were outstanding. First time was for dinner- the server couldn't be nicer and she was hilarious. The flatbread app was delicious and I thoroughly enjoyed my burger. The truffle fries were addictive. The second time we came for brunch and that was also delicious. The biscuits were tasty and my omelette was perfectly cooked. We will be back! read more

Excellent manager, terrible worst food ever! Waitress was also pretty bad. But food was so bad!!

Service was great. However, the Bison Bolognese was, charitably, awful. A cream sauce mixed with thick balsamic dressing did no compliment the noodles/ fettucine... the two or more sauces were mismatched and overpowered the plate. The meat (presumably Bison) was lostin the sauces and not a primary element in this dish or sufficient in amount for a dish that should highlight same. The Oysters (2) for $3.50 each were overpriced for size and overpowered by competing additions, i.e. cocktail sauce (with horseradish), Lemon, and some sort of oily (?l) dipping sauce. In short, another item with competing sauces and overpriced. I mean "come on", $1.75 or $2.00 per large oyster is standard and would bring in a " Happy Hour" crowd at 4:45 PM (when we were there). My Mom had the Ruben which was average... definitely not piled high (as you might expect at a deli) with the meat. With so many restaurants in the area, reasonable. I complained about the Bolognes, and to their credit, the staff recognised that I was underwhelmed and comp'd the meal. Typically the chef would come out to discuss the discontent re the meal sent back... but not at The James. The James could really step up it's food game. Beer and wine prices were a faie value. And we appreciate the teamwork of the outfront staff. They worked well together, but we won't be back any time soon. read more

I would have loved to have taken a picture of the delicious Irish Breakfast but unfortunately it was just too good and I had it half devoured before thinking about adding a review! As an Irish man, this breakfast hit the nail on the head! A full Irish and a pot of Barry's tea! Sure you couldn't beat it! The James is the real deal and Cormac and the team do a fantastic job of making everyone feel at home! I can see many more visits to the James for breakfast, lunch and dinner! read more

If I could, I would leave no stars. I ordered the chicken sandwich with no bread to go but when it got when I got home and opened the package what did I see but a sandwich with bread. No big deal you might say - but with this particular sandwich, the cheese and coleslaw were all melted into the bread so that when I took the bread off, all I was left with was a piece of chicken and three pickles. The cheese and most of the Cole slaw stuck into the bread. Not exactly the dinner I had in mind and when I called to complain the manager, Corbin, didn't really seem to care very much. There are lots of choices out there and I won't be going back to The James in Essex. read more

WOW. Awesome spot Good drinks, amazing food, and solid service. Definitely worth checking out read more

Date Night at The James on a perfect summer evening We had two of the Pies, Wild Mushroom with Blue Cheese and the Short Ribs with onions - delicious! Our waitress was fabulous too. read more

The James - Wild Mushroom Pie - Irish Pub Near Me - Essex, Massachusetts

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Visiting a friend up north. New restaurant he wanted to try. Food was ok nothing great. Fish and chips. Huge piece of fish beer battered. Batter a bit uncooked inside. Better if it had been cooked in smaller portions. Fries were good. Coleslaw was too much vinegar. Root beer I ordered was not sweet at all like usual root beer. All in all a bit disappointing. read more

WORST experience in a very long time. Sat next to a table of young adults whose language would make a sailor blush. Now know who to contact locally for drug deals. Spoke to management, they didn't seem to care. Waitress doted on large group (expecting big tip??? they seemed to know staff) had to wait ridiculous amount of time for even silverware! then for a drink, then for the bill, which was huge. Do NOT recommend. read more

Have been numerous times since they opened hoping they would be a success. At the beginning I was not a big fan of the menu but they have made some modifications and additions and IMO it has gotten better. I went this past Monday and got salad and tips and a beer. Both disappointing (beer was flat) and the salad uninspired. And I am a low maintenance guy. They also appeared to be short staffed. After 50 years eating at The Village I am so hoping these folks make it work. But they will need to up the quality and consistency and upgrade staffing, especially in the summer. Time is over to get the kinks out. And there is new competition across the street. Rooting for you but starting to have doubts. read more