Essex St. Pub

So, I live in the neighborhood, but this is actually my first time coming to Essex Street. Let me start off by saying I was pleasantly surprised. I ordered a jack and Coke, a water with lemon, and the hickory smoked barbecue chicken burrito. I even got a side order of bacon since I have my dog with me I figured if he got too anxious that I would give them some bacon while I ate. The waitress was very nice she even brought out a little tin filled with water for my dog since it was so warm today. I like the idea that they have outdoor seating because I like to walk my dog around the neighborhood a lot. The strange thing is that the Jack and cokes come in these tiny little glasses which were smaller than my water glass. So I had two of those. The food was really really good. I would deathly recommend it. There was a lot of seasoning a lot of mean a lot of vegetables everything came out nice and warm. And that even comes with homemade pico de gallo.

Essex is definitely my wife and I’s favorite bar in Buffalo. Macky the owner is awesome, as are all of the bartenders, all of the staff in general. There menu has something for everybody (including vegan options). They always have a fantastic selection of beers on tap, great liquor selection, and wine. Last week they knocked it out of the park catering my wife and I’s wedding. It was their first big event and it went flawlessly! I love this place so damn much and was so excited to share it with my friends and family! I highly recommend considering the pub for your next event. It was phenomenal. Thanks guys!

Little dive bar off of Richmond Ave in the Elmwood area. Pool table, juke box, etc. Pretty decent grub here. $ 6 beers for a place like this seems steep to me. Lot of regulars here on the weekdays. Have yet to be here on a weekend. Try the Hickory Smoked Jalapeño Casinos.

Wow. Yes, the wings are the best I’ve ever had. They are rubbed, smokes and then seared with an amazing sauce. I plan to return and build a meal around them. The cornbread was soft, warm, delicious, slightly sweet and moist! The lemon basil salad offered a nice refreshment to to the fantastic barbecue sauce.

So … Lunch time and so many options but so little time. There’s nothing that says classic Buffalo more than a corner Tavern … Bar … or Pub so today my choice was this corner pub for my noontime visit.
Ok, first … Boss, no matter how much stress I do not do liquid lunches although this dark cold pub has the feeling that there must be someone who has slipped from the bar stool because it is so dark AND cold inside.
At least there’s rock n’roll in the background because a corner beer joint in Buffalo would not be worth it’s bison without rock.
It’s noon … I am alone … It’s dark and cold … I ask when does the pub start to get energy (including heat … At least from body heat) and I am told after four. My bad luck … Can’t stay until the cool pool table has players around it or the darts start flying.
The menu is short with a BBQ feel to it … Strongly debated the chili but went sloppy joe because it has their bbq Mac and cheese on the sandwich. Decided to go with the corn bread side after getting «eh» reaction from the bar tender; she seemed to feel good about the corn bread.
So, I sat at the bar with my water/​lemon and I sat. Did I mention dark and … I guess I did but I felt cold. Time was ticking … A man rushes in with what looks like a «take out» bag and heads into the kitchen. Surprisingly my lunch appears in front of me minutes later (I would be bizarre coincidence but did I mention no one else was there?).
The sandwich looked good and messy (Sloppy Joes are meant to be messy.) plus the decent sized piece of corn bread looked good.
The corn bread was good, warm and moist (good choice) but my sandwich rather pedestrian. There was a very slight BBQ twang to the sauce but the few pieces of BBQ Mac and Cheese had me wondering whether it is a classic dish by itself because it added nothing to my sandwich.
As I walked out the door onto a wintry Rhode Island Street I saw the light of the day with my eyes adjusting from the darkness … The signage says award winner so I am guessing things heat up at the Essex as the sun goes down. I just picked the wrong time of day to check it out as the song once filled the AM airwaves «All by myself»

I do like it here. If it were in my neighborhood I would go more often. I’ve been twice, once for dinner and again for lunch.
I’ve gotten the PLT (pastrami lettuce tomato) as my main meal both times. The pastrami is sliced thin and crisp so it truly resembles bacon. It’s on toasted sourdough. Has good flavor and is nice and crunchy. I got mac and cheese on the side which is slightly greasy but absolutely delicious. My only complaint food-​wise is that the portion of mac and cheese is super small, even for a side. It’s $ 13 for the sandwich and mac so you expect to get a somewhat decent serving. Instead, you have a few bites and it’s gone.
The atmosphere is definitely divey, which is fine given that they were a bar before a restaurant. The entire vibe though strikes me as a bar that won’t admit it’s now a restaurant. It’s like, they don’t give you exceptional service or aren’t exceptionally friendly because that’s what a «restaurant» would do, and we’re not a restaurant, we’re a bar. I don’t know that I totally love that about them but I do think it’s true.
Overall I do like this place and would go back a third time. I would like to see them kind of recognize that people go there for their food and they should take pride in making it the best experience possible.

Rueben on marble rye to die for even though I don’t recall any Swiss. So cold neither my friend nor I took out jackets off the entire meal. Pool table is fun but takes over the whole bar. Excellent pickle (even tho my friend warned me of the sanitary concerns of pickle jars). Maybe the fingernail bacterial adds to the flavor.

The place is a cool pub. The food however wasn’t that great. The Mac and cheese was dry and the brisket was gross. It was tough and tasted a lot like over cooked pot roast. The nachos were pretty tasty. Overall it wasn’t terrible but one should steer clear of the brisket.

This place is super cool! Came in for drinks on a Friday night and met some friends. Lot’s of old school charm in here. They feature a cool old music player that features all older music, seems to fit the crowed. The music is good though i had no complains about anything that people were playing.
The bar has plenty of room, large pool table and dart boards are available as well. The beer selection is great and offers something of everyone, I tried the gingerbread UFO and it was actually pretty good!
Certainly a friendly late night crowed, mainly people in their mid 20’s to mid 30’s. There were two bartenders on staff and both were helpful when i was deciding on what i wanted to drink!
I’m excited to come back and maybe try some food or even just enjoy some beers with friends again.

This is my local bar, and I couldn’t be prouder of it. The food is fantastic and no matter what you order, it will not disappoint (their BBQ wings are my favorite). Service is spectacular and friendly, no matter how busy it gets, and the prices are very reasonable. The only downside is the size, not ideal for large happy hours or parties, but that’s also part of the charm. LOVE this place!

I love Essex! It’s a neighborhood watering hole near my job and we go there for beers multiple times. The food is great — the burgers are really notable! I love both nacho iterations, too. Even the beef on weck was on point! Stop by for beers, snacks, and play pool — it’s a great time!

I know that plenty of people say this but let me start off by saying that I’ve worked in the service industry for 10+ years. And not just worked 20 years ago when I was in college, I mean worked as in currently still do.
ANYWAYS — that been said, I experienced the worst service in my life at Essex recently. I came here after an event down the street and was excited for some BBQ/​Vegan eats. The hostess was pleasant and seated us promptly. We were greeted by our server and asked about a particular beer on tap to which the server just replied «No» and then did not offer anything else. That’s fine, so we picked a different beer.
Moving on, I order the dish with the VEGAN Pulled Pork (spaghetti squash) which came with two sides in which I picked greens and the MacDaddy mac n’ cheese. VEGAN Pulled Pork. VEGAN. They have a regular pulled pork sandwich on the menu which I’m sure is delicious but there is a reason that I’m specifically not choosing that one and getting the VEGAN sandwich. (Really trying hard not to sound like a snobby vegetarian here but I’m assuming you all got my drift that I don’t meat and if I did, I would have ordered the actual pulled pork sandwich.)
When the food comes, I noticed that the mac n’ cheese had bacon in it which was not stated on the menu (that’s fine — if you make your mac n’ cheese with bacon, more power to you) but going back to the original point that since I had ordered the VEGAN pulled pork, you would think when I ordered the mac n’ cheese with the sneaky bacon in it, a server might say something. Just sayin’. So when our server checked on us, I explained that I did not realize that the mac n’ cheese had bacon in it. «Yah, it does» was the response. And then follow by awkward silence. So I asked if it was possible to have another side. «What do you want?» was the response. Panicked for being an inconvenience, I order the coleslaw. Now, I just want to emphasize that at this point, I’m trying to be empathetic. I get it. Serving table is not fun. Maybe the server having a bad night.
But then I start to think there is just a personal vendetta between this server that I had never met and myself as I hear the server go into the back and yell «Ugh, she doesn’t want the mac n’ cheese.» Now I’m pissed.
Fast-​forward a minute later and the coleslaw is slammed on my table.
Moving on to the bill…
I was charged for the coleslaw.
Which was available as one of the 2 options with the sandwich but apparently is an upgrade when you’re being somewhat of an inconvenience.
At this point, I’m done. You can have your $ 2. So my companion and I split the check — $ 20 cash and a card. The server comes back with my credit card receipt and asks «Do you want your $ 2 back?» — I’m assuming it’s for the coleslaw in which I reply that it’s fine. BUT it wasn’t for the coleslaw. She meant the change from my companion’s $ 20 (which was more than $ 2). YOU NEVER ASSUME THE CHANGE IS YOUR TIP. In this case, it’s lucky she did because that was all the tip she got. The absolute most ridiculous service I have ever had.
The food was good. There’s your 2-​stars.

I’ve been to Essex Street pub for beers a few times before. I honestly don’t get the appeal of the bar itself, honestly. It’s cramped, and they don’t have a lot of beer on tap. Thus, I never really come here.
That was until I learned about their excellent food! My fiancé and I decided to do some takeout one night after work. Everything on the menu sounded so good! We ordered the Smoked Bourbon Surfer BBQ wings, the Hickory Smoked BBQ Chicken Burrito, and the Essex Brisket Burrito. The wings were amazing! $ 7 for 6 delicious wings, smoked, juicy, and flavorful. I really loved my burrito (Hickory Smoked Chicken BBQ Burrito). I thought it was delicious, and smoked chicken was very good. My fiancé was a little disappointed with his brisket burrito, though, saying that he thought it lacked flavor.
I can honestly say that we will order again, however. I really want to try the smoked burger next time, since everyone says they are amazin! The menu is large and everything sounds delicious! They use their smoke system for most of their menu, which helps deliver great flavor. You would not expect a tiny hipster dive bar like this to have such great food, but you will surely be surprised.

Great little bar with laid back vibes and above average bar food! I live the wings, rare BBQ wings here in Buffalo.

Pretty good atmosphere. Staff was sweet although spread a little thin, it seemed. The food was great but a little more expensive than we were expecting. Decent beer choice. Very small, but it didn’t bother us too much.

I’d heard a lot of good things about the new menu at Essex Street, and was not disappointed with the selections of tasty food – featuring a lot of lunch choices for meat eaters, vegetarians, and vegans.
The venue still has the divy, neighborhood vibe that has made it a staple of West Side life for decades, but it’s a bit cleaned up to befit its reincarnation as more than a gin joint (although it certainly still seems perfectly suitable to your gin joint needs). Kitschy artwork, dark wood, a pool table, and an honest-​to-​god dart board help set the stage. You can tuck into a small room at the back, sit at a front window ledge and watch the world roll by, or venture outside onto the patio. It all feels warm, inviting, and intimate.
The quality of our meal was good, but not AMAZING. The bread on my reuben was on the verge of being burned, and my husband’s sandwich was pretty lacking on the meat – barely enough to cover the bread. (I hate to bring pricing into it, but I have to say we also felt it was a little out of whack with the quality/​portions; this could be different with the dinner menu, as I’ve seen other reviewers raving about dishes that were not on the menu we received.)
Long story short, we liked it – and liked it enough to give it another try, this time probably for dinner.

I rediscovered this place last summer. Hadn’t been there in many many years. My brother and I stopped in late on a Sunday night for a drink and found out that they served food. Can’t remember if they served food back in the day. But the burgers are on point! So yummy. Have gone back many times. The bartenders are hit and miss. Some are nice and some are to busy chatting with friends and are dismissive. This bar can get busy on weekends. I recommend going during afternoon and weekday nights. Not busy and is much more enjoyable.

Where are all the darts?!
Anyways, this place was ideal for cheap brews and food, that are hearty and tasty. Bravo to this lil’ divey place for having Vegetarian options! The nachos were spicy and killer. With a good selection of local beers as well as a PERFECT juke box, this place was a welcomed respite for our travel-​weary selves. Great bartenders, too! Just a solid place.

If you find yourself hungry and thirsty on a Friday evening, and the top rated Essex st pub shows up in your search results, don’t bother. Unless you haven’t showered in a month and ride a 60s era bicycle and wear cut off jeans, you will not be served. But… Once you are served and the bartender finally takes your drink order (rolling her eyes while asking what’s on tap) it comes back warm and poorly dressed. My credit card was demanded up front before I ordered while people are coming in getting served with no money taken and walking away from the bar with glass at 8pm. When asked to start a tab «we don’t do that here». I wonder were all of those people drinking for free? Well thanks a lot bartender I nor any of my friends, coworkers or acquaintances will never come back.

Skip the brisket (Essex Platter)… Also I think they should stop calling it brisket all together… I would call it more of a dry roast beef. Blahh not at all what I was expecting. Coleslaw and bbq sauce was good

Went to Essex on Sunday for some afternoon drinks. $ 7 rolling rock pitchers is amazing, also have a good draft selection and bottled beer selection. We sat outside on the patio which is nice but small. We ended up getting dinner, We got the hot pastrami and the roast beef. We also got the nachos. All were very good. The only complaint was that some of the people that go to the bar are pretty interesting characters. Not a horrible thing but it was absolutely more enjoyable when they were not there. Looking forward to going back for one of the clam bakes though!

This is my go to spot on the west side when I want a drink or some good bbq (highly recommend). Mostly bar, some restaurant, the outdoor seating during the summer is great as are the tables in the back. You definitely get the feel of what Buffalo traditionally is here, rather than all the new «gastropubs.»
The only downside is that it can get a little loud.

I’ve been here more times than I’d like to admit. And I couldn’t even tell you why. The place is super trendy and really hipster friendly. But also not. The crowds have always been varied. The food is great! I’ve gotten myself a Reuben here and it was very tasty and super filling. Prices are what you’d expect. The location is kind of odd and parking can sometimes be a pain. But even though I don’t know why I keep coming here… I usually find myself here.

Something you should know about Essex is that it’s infamous in England, partly for its «Essex Girls.» You can maybe consider them to be a cross between «Vegas Girls» and «Jersey Girls», if you need some sort of comparison. If Essex St. Pub was full of Essex Girls then I think it would be even more popular than it is… let’s leave it at that. What is great about this place, other than the fact that the word «sex» is part of the name, is that it’s open super late, and its food menu is super original.
I tried this place at the behest of Brian. Actually I am not sure why behest is being used in this context because it wasn’t really at his specific or particular behest, but he and several others in the area that I like and respect have tried it, and loved it. And as they say, you have to try it to love it. In fact they have all become regulars… some of them live right round the corner, in fact. So this place has been championed by quite a few over the preceding months.
I stopped in and asked them which burger I should get… grilled (Brian’s fave) or smoked (house special). They recommended the latter, so I tried it. It was a little under $ 10.
Bad or good? Let’s start with the good.
1) It’s a really cool place. It’s the kind of place you’d want to hang out in for sure. Some of you.
2) The smoky taste of the burger is excellent. I really enjoyed the taste and it made quite a difference from the typical burger that I’ve been used to lately.
3) The chips that came with the burger tasted almost homemade and quite good, yet were crinkle cut.
Now for the bad.
1) The burger was a bit dry. The meat had a great flavour but could have been much juicier to rock my world.
2) The burger was covered in condiments, which I am fine with, but all of them tasted like sugar. Very nutrisweet. So it was like eating a sugary smoky burger.
3) I think the bun was slightly stale (sorry) and this part really annoys me because I don’t do stale, at all, ever. I ripped the stale-​est parts off and stuck to the rest.
4) They said 15 mins, I arrived in under 13, and the food was already boxed up and lukewarm… that’s just a personal pet peeve of mine since I like my food piping hot.
5) It’s not a huge portion. If you think you’ll get filled up for $ 10 on this burger, you probably won’t. If I was starving I could have easily eaten two of them.
And thus completes the task. I think it would get a higher rating if not for the sweet taste and the stale bun. I can deal with the different, dry style and the lukewarm-​ness (because I can just not call ahead next time).
Anyway this is a VERY different burger to whatever you’re used to, it’ll definitely slot right into my top 20 in the region… maybe top 15… if you’d like to try a smoked burger check it out. Next time I’m around I’ll try some of their other offerings possibly.
If this were the E-​Sex Street Pub, then it would be focused on people that meet on the internet, decide to do the wild thing, then pick a street, and meet there, and then, um, do it. Which sounds like, well, basically, any bar, ever. But in this case it’s a bar that has no fryer and makes all of its awesome meats by smoking or grilling them. So no E-​Sex. Unfortunately.

Delicious food. Good beer.
Bartender was a weirdo — that one guy. He kept singing the entire time behind the bar while we were sitting at it. And he wasn’t that good.

Vegetarians like casual pub grub, too, and Essex delivers. We had the veggie burrito and the «pulled pork,» which was a barbecue treatment of spaghetti squash on a bun. Very creative!
We were also impressed with the sound environment. The tunes were playing just loud enough to be heard but not so loud as to drown out conversation, and so conversation rules at Essex. The happy, ambient noise is of people talking to each other, not shouting to be heard over the jukebox. This alone is worth an extra thumbs up. We also like the dining room to the back, in case you’d rather have your meal at a table instead of a bar counter.
And, most importantly, Essex goes out of its way to accommodate cyclists, which is a huge public service. Ample bike racks in front. A drunk cyclist cannot do nearly the damage as a drunk driver. So if you’re planning to lift a few, get on your bike, head to Essex, and avoid the DWI.

I’ve been a patron of the Essex for 7 – 8 years. I admit everyone there knows my name. Just call me Norm. I’ve watched it change from a corner bar with a «divey» vibe to a pub with a solid menu. There was a time when being hungry at the Essex meant asking for the delivery menus. Now you just ask for their menu.
The owner Macky is a smoker perfectionist. I remember devouring his brisket and such at local charity events and gatherings of friends long before the Essex served food. For me this is one of the charms of the Essex. My local watering hole now serves the food I’ve known and loved for years. At the same time, if I stopped there my review would be incomplete. Setting all of that aside I’ll give you my opinion of the Essex as objectively as possible.
The staff at the Essex is really solid. Everyone is friendly and they get your order right. The food is tasty and my wife has quickly become a fan of the smoked burger bringing many friends with her. We pick up from them regularly. For the record the smoked burger is a consistently medium burger (sorry that’s your only choice) that you will devour. Having said that, I prefer the BBQ ribs or the grill burger (RARE!) personally. Wet wipes are thoughtfully provided.
One thing I like about the Essex is the vegetarian menu options. I typically go for something with meat, but the owner took time to customize his menu to the regulars and that meant a strong vegetarian offering. Smoked spaghetti squash anyone?
I love this bar. As a hang out it is top notch. If you’re a regular it’s home. As a first timer coming for food I can only give it four stars. It all comes down to seating. There’s no good place to settle in and enjoy your meal other than the bar. It’s an understandable problem as it’s a popular place to shoot pool and darts and there just isn’t room for much else. If they can sort that I would give it five stars without a doubt.