This is the second time I am writing this review because yelp will occasionally just not post a review that was written nor save a draft. I apologize if my fury towards the time wasted shines through. Anyway, I was thrilled to see this place during research for my recent trip to Cincinnati. I think every town (every city might be more reasonable) should have a place like this. I, like some other reviewers, was surprised to see that this place is only pick up and delivery. It actually works out because you are able to peruse the menu in peace instead of the person behind the counter impatiently staring at you like a (I had to remove a word here because Yelp thought I was being "offensive" in my hypothetical scenario, use your imagination) who didn't immediately know what to order within a second of seeing the menu. There are a few picnic tables outside if you wanted to eat on location. This was our last 1/2 day before a flight later in the afternoon and had a lot of eating to do so we decided to just split the breakfast sandwich. The sandwich contains vegan sausage, seasoned tofu, vegan hollandaise sauce all in between a homemade biscuit. The sandwich was FIRE. The proteins were hearty and that hollandaise sauce was absolutely delicious. I only meant to have a bite but I couldn't stop eating it. My only criticism is that the thing was very small, much smaller than expecting for the price of over $10. I interacted briefly with someone I think is probably the owner and she was super nice. She mentioned that their biscuit cutter has gotten smaller and that they plan on getting new, larger ones. She told me this completely unprompted when I went inside looking for a trash receptacle. Thinking about it now it was as if she read my mind but upon further reflection the glass between where she was and the picnic tables outside probably wasn't sound proof lol. From our sample size, the food here is very good. I would probably order something like the burrito next time to get my money's worth. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - breakfast sandwich - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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As I write, this is basically a takeout place. They do have a couple of picnic tables outside of their little kitchen, which is near the Findlay Market, which is not a great-looking area. The menu, while all vegan, is a mix of styles, and sometimes I wonder if I'm harder on vegetarian restaurants about my tastes than I am on normal ones. I'm not really into the whole fake meat thing, but they still had some interesting options. The lunch box I ended up with had biscuits, mac and cheese, and a soupy side of beans and greens. It was a little more liquid and a little less of the actual beans and greens than I'd hoped, but when you throw in a good quality vegan butter, it was tasty stuff. The truffle mac and cheese was lightly coated with something that wasn't cheese, but was delicate and nuanced enough in flavor that I was happy with it. It was pricier than the non-vegan equivalent would be, but at least it's something worth eating for those who have a hard time eating out. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Comfort Lunch Box - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

I truly don't remember ever eating anything else from Essen with the exception of their DECADENT chocolate chip cookies, of which I ate a ridiculous amount over the course of the year that I lived in Cincinnati. Gooey, soft, large, and utterly delicious, these are a must-try when ordering from Essen. read more

A to-go only, all-vegan breakfast eatery with top-notch food. I showed up around 9:45am not having realized it was online orders only. The woman who greeted me was nice enough to put my order through in person. I ordered the breakfast bowl ($12 after tax), and she had it out in 5 minutes -- nice! The bowl comes with tofu scramble, vegan chorizo, and breakfast potatoes, on a big bed of spinach, drizzled with spicy mayo and perhaps some Mexican spices. It was lightly spicy, very flavourful, and filling. Really great stuff. Highly recommended. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Breakfast bowl - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Essen has lovely food and their staff is very friendly. I do have to say that I was slightly disappointed to see that the size of the bread is much smaller than it was the last time I ordered one of their pesto grilled cheese sandwiches. read more

Delicious food! I had the breakfast bowl with beyond chorizo. Very flavorful! Highly recommend if you are wanting healthy alternatives for breakfast. read more

On my first trip to Cincy this past July I made it a mission to find some local vegan options. Oh BOY am I glad I found Essen! I stopped here for weekend brunch and got the comfort platter and the sausage & egg on a biscuit. Yes that meant I had double biscuits... which also meant I had double the heaven. Somehow these biscuits were the most fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth biscuits I have ever had.... And they were vegan!!! I'll be back in town soon for work and I will most definitely be coming back to try more! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Comfort Lunch Box & Breakfast Sandwich - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Essen is a little gem in OTR. This all-vegan eatery is pretty non-contact these days. All orders are done one-line with pickup at the door. No entering into the business. Employees were very helpful and masked/gloved up. All the food is packaged (a little too much packaging in my opinion) with sanitary, wrapped utensils. Three of us (one vegan, one vegetarian, and one gluten-free omni) went to Essen on Sat for brunch. We got there about 30 min before closing and worried about having an issue. No problems whatsoever. We chatted out front at one of the two picnic tables while our food was prepared. Between late morning and close, you can chose from brunch or lunch items, score! I was starving and went for the biscuits and mushroom gravy with tofu scramble as my side and an extra side of breakfast potatoes. The two biscuits were fluffy and a little sweet. The gravy was super creamy and mushroomy. I liked both, just not together. The sweetness didn't work with the savory for me. The tofu scramble had peppers and onions and tasted like what I'd make at home, yummy! The breakfast potatoes has a slice blend that had a little kick and was delicious. I was stuffed for $18 (including sparkling water and tip). My friends went with the veggie burger and the summer bowl. I heard that the burger was very basic and the summer bowl was fresh and filling. I'd like to try Essen's lunch or dinner (starts at 5 pm) options on my next visit. read more

Run, don't walk to Essen! Shoot, everyone needs to do us all a favor and keep Essen around for as long as possible. If you're looking for vegan food - this is your spot. If you're looking for a place to get vegan food for a vegan date, or if you want food that's so good a non-vegan will ask to go back, this is your spot. You can order on their website for pick up, even curbside service; perfect for Covid times and even rainy days. Speaking in specifics now: - Their smoky truffle mac and cheese is a must-try. I am not even a fan of mushrooms but I can't keep myself from ordering a side with everything. I got a side with my order of their Buckwheat Soba Noodle Bowl today! - Their Buckwheat Soba Noodle Bowl was super good, really fresh ingredients, including brussels and edamame, carrots, and marinated tofu. It was a filling meal, and actually I waited awhile before getting into that irresistible mac. - Their breakfast menu is also on point! I've had their breakfast sandwiches with "sausage" and their substitute hollandaise sauce, with added avocado of course. I look forward to trying more on their menu and I'm just so glad they're here! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Snapped a photo of this side of mac&cheese - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Absolutely fabulous. How I have missed grilled cheese sandwiches and bisques as a vegan. Miss it no more, Essen makes vegan versions that are as good as the originals. Fantastic vegan Cincy chili and chocolate chip cookies. And you can eat it at the hippest bar in the Nati, the Orbit Room. Thank you to both! read more

Wow!! We were absolutely blown away by the flavors, truly inspired!! Keep up the great work ladies

My friend and husband all decided to stop here for the vegan food. Turns out you can't really "stop in," but you can order food to eat next door at the orbit room. I ordered the Buddha bowl, my friend got a beyond burger and my husband had the Philly cheese steak. We also used the Yelp check in for desserts. They loved their food and I can attest that my husband's food was amazing. Mine was good but I'd expected it to be served warm and it seemed to have been refrigerated. Would've been better warm, IMO. I got the buckeyes and my husband got the snickers desserts - both were BOMB! I will dream of those two for a while. The orbit room next door is a fun place to enjoy the food with a drink and nice jazz. read more

I picked up a vegan carrot cake from Essen. They don't have room to sit so I just did pick up. I ordered over the phone. They packaged the carrot cake slice neatly and had it ready for me when I arrived - it was a pretty seamless handoff. I liked the carrot cake itself. Didn't like the icing as much. I plan to go back and try their other food items soon! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - a piece of cake in a box - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great place with tasty food. Definitely love stopping by and grabbing lunch here on the go

Very good vegan breakfast place! As others have mentioned only takeout but they have seating outside. One downside was there was no coffee on day we went. Service was prompt and friendly. read more

Being a vegan is difficult when trying to find vegan restaurants in Cincinnati. This place is amazing, the food is incredibly addictive. You must try everything, especially the coneys. I can't get enough of this place. Additionally, the employees and owner down here have great personalities and are very helpful. read more

Well, I had no idea this place was takeout & not a restaurant but that's ok since they have picnic tables outside. I came for breakfast & got the breakfast sandwich which was simply delicious, I subbed spinach for tofu & it was awesome. I also got a selection of tasty desserts; carrot walnut cake, buckeyes & a peanut butter brookie. I didn't eat all of them at once as tempting as it was. The service was great & friendly, it was nice to chitchat while my food was being made. So do not miss out on this vegan gem, they're awesome! read more

Great spot from the look to the feel to the food. It's located in a sketchy part of CinCii which wouldn't surprise me if the foot traffic is affected by that. I found this place on Yelp and immediately decided to go by to try the Rueben. This place is 100% Vegan which is super dope to me as I eat Vegan 99.8% of the time. After seeing pictures of the Rueben and reading reviews I was SET on getting it. Parking is non existent as the entire one way street/block is No Parking/Tow zone. I drove around the block maybe 3 times and when I found parking a block away there was too many sketchy people for me to walk. I ended up calling to order and just park in the No parking to pick up my order and the owner let me know that I could park on the side with my flashers. There is a little driveway not so much driveway right past the place on the left. There is a door to someone home there but it can fit about 4 car with two being blocked in. I decided to take him up on that and go inside to order and see what else was to be offered. I ended up sticking with the Rueben but I can't say I wasn't tempted by the other many options. I REALLY enjoyed my Rueben it was so much flavor, the aroma was just as yummy. People were walking pass my office coming in asking "where did you go and what is that heavenly smell" of course I answered that the heavenly smell was ME (lol). The Rueben was wrapped so neatly and next to it was two neatly wrapped pickle spears. Those pickles were so good they had a spice to them but wasn't like a spiced dill. I enjoyed this place so much I've been one a week for 3 weeks and took others back with me. My colleagues have tried the veggie burger and the grill cheese that was just released last week when we came in and came with tomato soup. Did I mention you get a bag of chips? I tried the red wine and vinegar chips one day. They were interesting but good just a little strong. Mostly recently I had the Sea Salt Kettle chips which were good. I'm a plain Jane when it come to chips and such so they were right up my alley. There is a Check-In offer currently (Sept.2019) Check-In on Yelp you get a yummy Vegan chocolate chip cookie. Be sure to show the offer to the person taking your order as it appears in the app after your check in. read more

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Amazing! Vegan, authentic and simply delicious. First time and will surely be back. I never eat, when I do I steer away from chain restaurants where food is loaded with msg. Total for acrambled tofu, biscuits and portobello mushroom gravy along with two breakfast burrito one with tofu scramble and the other with soyrizo, total came to less than $30 and leaving you full for hours read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Tofu scramble potatoe burrito 100% - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Super good! I was surprised all the vegan food was good but it was excellent. Would definitely get again.

I'm not vegan, but after living in Cali for years, I'd grown accustomed to awesome vegan food when I was either out with vegan friends or just trying to pretend to be a good person. Unfortunately, Cincinnati has for the most part not caught on to healthy, high-quality vegan food. Most of my previous attempts yielded hummus and bread or really awful Indian food, at best a weird veggie burger. Essen has saved the day!! The menu is short, but it changes every week, and oh. my. god does it look delicious every single time. I tried the tacos, and they were both fabulous and loaded with all the delicious vegan staples that are apparently still a secret in this part of the country - jackfruit, radish, poblano, etc. Ordering online was super quick and easy. It's a bit pricy for take-out lunch, but since they are using such high quality ingredients and it looks like their business model is mostly relying on catering, no surprise. It's a shame this place is down the street from me but only open for lunch, when I'm normally at work - my lazy ass would be picking up dinner here all the time if they were open later! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Tacos - so good. - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Yesterday I was pressed for time but wanted something good to eat. When I say good I mean good for us and good tasting. I have been wanting to try ESSEN and yesterday was the day. The people were lovely and so was the food! The price was fair. We had the zucchini ricotta flat bread date night special. Plus they were kind enough to include an extra sweet treat. If you are looking for something yummy and plant based make sure to stop by. Good eats! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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We grabbed this to go and ate at a nearby bar. Tons of vegan options, really enjoyed the vegan hot dog!

Omg this place is amazing!! All vegan and all chef-made dishes ! The best vegan breakfast in Cincy !

First time today and I will be back. Bacon cheeseburger, Comfort dinner and a brownie! The truffle mac and cheese and the chocolate chip cookie. Biscuits and the greens. Yes I ate them all tonight. Thank you so much!! read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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Maybe I am spoiled by the vegan food scene up in Columbus, but I was completely unimpressed with my meal here. The good: -The Snickers cheesecake was my favorite thing that I ordered, a delicious and rich mix of flavors and textures -The tomato bisque was well balanced and satisfying, but could have used more salt. The "bad": -The bacon cheddar burger was nothing special. A beyond patty with "mushroom bacon" (there was really nothing bacon-y about it) and vegan cheese/sauce. It was solidly average, I've had both better and worse vegan burgers. -The greens and beans were ok, also could have used more salt. -The mac and cheese was not very creamy or cheesy, and rather bland, but it was edible. The ugly: The dressing on the side salad was absolutely horrid. It tasted like a latex condom, and the texture was unpleasant to boot. Neither me nor the friend that shared my meal with me could stomach it. Honestly I'd go back and try again, that Belgian waffle looked really tempting. But it seems like the kitchen undersalts the entire menu. read more

This place is exactly what it says - vegan food you will crave. It's really hard to find good quality vegan food from places that actually CARE and don't just throw it on their menu to satisfy the masses. This place is doing it right. 10/10 would recommend and be back next time we are in town. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Breakfast Wrap - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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I love Essen! Their waffles & homemade jam make a perfect breakfast, and I highly recommend their breakfast catering for those early business meetings. I don't mind going into the office for the meetings when I know Essen is the caterer! The pumpkin chili is a perfect lunch for these chilly days, but I have to say the bacon cheddar burger, with its fresh toppings, is the best! I can tell that Essen cares about the quality of their food, it shows in the taste!! read more

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The walnut carrot cake is perfection. Had the chorizo breakfast wrap, hands down best breakfast burrito I've ever had in my life. Staff is wonderful. read more

I've been vegan for close to 5 years now and it's always great finding new plant based/vegan options here in Cincinnati! The belgian waffles are a personal favorite of mine here, as I am always on the hunt for vegan brunch food, and these are by far the best vegan waffles I've had eating out anywhere! Even my non-vegan friends I've brought here with me have loved everything they have tried! I still need to try majority of the menu, but sadly they're never open when I'm off work since they're closed Sundays and I work until 3 every other day. Hopefully Essen will continue to grow! As a vegan baker myself, I always appreciate well made vegan food that tastes really amazing and that isn't trying to be something it's not. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Belgian Waffles w/ blueberry compote & maple syrup - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

We hired Essen to cater our wedding a couple weeks ago and I HIGHLY REGRET that decision. The communication was terrible. The contact person didn't reply to emails, my husband decided to message owner directly through Facebook messenger, a few weeks out from our wedding, to let her know that we were starting to have a horrible experience with the company. Still no response from her. Finally someone got back to us. They ended up being an hour late to our wedding. Therefore, appetizers were not served as appetizers, but at the end of our buffet. The main dishes were served cold. We have a text message from the contact person( 2:30 pm day of the wedding) about having table cloths and she responded saying she did have them and they were all packed and ready to go. However, they told one of the people who was waiting for them that they needed to stop at Walmart for table cloths??? Their tardiness created a whole domino effect. We did not get to eat at all, we didn't get to have family photos, and above all else it left a bad experience we remember from our wedding day. I thought that considering what happened, we would receive an email or phone call from them. Instead, 4 days later, we wrote them an email about our experience with them for our wedding day. We felt that our experience was not worth the $4,500 we spent for a head count of 70-80 people. Even the other vendors commented to us about how unprofessional they presented themselves, and very unprepared. Our bartender, who were incredible, even said they asked them for supplies. Overall, we were very excited to have them cater our wedding but it fell extremely short! We never asked for a refund of any kind, just that our experience was not worth the $4,500 we invested. We thought they would maybe offer SOMETHING, but instead we received an email back from them blaming us for every reason stated above. It was our fault that they weren't prepared, our fault they were late, and were told it was not their job to be a wedding planner and that they have never seen a bride and groom be their own wedding planners, which we never said anything about them planning a single thing, so I'm not sure what that even meant. We were told that they showed up, served the food, and people liked it, so they considered it to be successful, therefore being worth the $4,500. So, if you want an event catered, I would DEFINITELY suggest NOT using Essen! You've been warned! read more

I am absolutely blown away by how amazing the food and the service is here! The first time I ordered from here they gave us a free side and the last time I ordered we got free cookies. I will forever support your business! Thank you for making Cincinnati vegan friendly read more

Almost Five Stars. 1. Call in your order before you arrive. 2. There is no out door seating. Except two small picnic tables occupied by people on their phones and the other by people waiting for their order. 3. Excellent food! Flavorful, decent portions, good variety. 4. A bit pricey but probably because they use good ingredients. 5. Order, pick up, go have a picnic somewhere nice. read more

Ahoy happy vegans! Essen is a small, take out only establishment (breakfast and lunch only, except for Wednesday dinner) about a block from Findlay Market. Parking is extremely scarce, so if you're not living or working in that neighborhood, I'd recommend the order via GrubHub option. Now to the food: the menu is short, but excellent. I think the best item I've had was the Nicoise Salad, which features a scoop of vegan tuna salad. The greens and vegetables were very fresh and the dressing was perfect. After eating this, I had massive amounts of energy all afternoon and a happy, upbeat feeling. The tacos are quite good as well; I was disappointed when my cauliflower al pastor included only two tiny pieces of cauliflower, but at least the other vegetables were tasty and filling. The tortillas themselves were rough, handmade, thick ones--amazing! The veggie burger was ok--I didn't enjoy the thick, gummy bun and didn't receive the special ketchup but the patty itself, sweet potato fries, and side salad were good. I really had a good impression of the people who work here. I think they care about the quality, and, if I may, the energy of the food that is prepared here. The food is packaged up very nicely (and somewhat unnecessarily?) in a small white lightweight paper box with all individual items wrapped or in containers inside. The presentation makes it a treat to order one of these, and a coworker came by to see what I had gotten myself for lunch! Yes, by the time you factor in the tip for GrubHub, this is on the pricier end of lunch. You are getting a quality meal though, and the salads are extremely fresh and have more vegetables in them than the typical $10 salad in Cincy. I hope they will be successful enough to be able to scale up their operation in order to offer more items, lower the prices just a bit, and open a brick and mortar? Cincinnati is ready for it! read more

This is the second time I've had ESSEN now and wow! I am so impressed. I ordered their biscuits and gravy as well as the breakfast burrito. That breakfast burrito was the best I've had. Hands down. Both were delicious and very filling. This place is incredible, only downside is they have two small tables inside for dining. Hope they expand to a bigger building eventually. Aside from the limited seating this place is a great stop for vegans in Cincinnati! Would recommend to even non vegans. read more

What a phenomenal breakfast! I gotta tell you, I am beyond impressed with this food. I had the biscuits and portabella mushroom gravy with potatoes and the tofu scramble. The potatoes were great, the gravy was WOW! Fan-FLIPPIN-Tastic!, and the Tofu scramble . . .OMG. So I was actually craving eggs this morning, but felt compelled to try this. I am happy I did. The chef is talented in seasoning that tofu perfectly. The texture and seasoning totally pulled off the scrambled eggs taste and aesthetics. I'm hearing the Mortal Kombat FLAWLESS VICTORY in my head right now. Prayerfully, they'll offer gluten free options at some point; cuz real talk, I had no business eating those biscuits or the gravy, ha ha ha. This experience was definitely worth me paying for it later. I'll do a Dr. Sebi Chelation cleanse. I apologize for not taking a photo, it's already IN my gastro-intestinal tract. Doh! Ha ha ha ha XD read more

This place was fantastic! Great food, neat space and excellent service. Must visit if u Vegan . Thanks for the best Sandwich :) read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

Great carry out place in OTR. I had the creamy avocado panna cotta and it was delicious. Will definitely be back again. Update: I have been back several times and it's always good but the Summer Corn Dish is crazy good. I want ten more right now. read more

ESSEN Kitchen - Vegan Food in OTR! - Vegan Near Me - Cincinnati, Ohio

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This spot is so fresh, innovative, and super super yummy. This spot was one of the only plant based spots I could find in Cincinnati!! There were a few others places that just had vegan options, but this spot blew everything out of the water. The presentation and colors and flavors of the dish jive so well! Aside from this spot being absolutely amazing in all aspects, the customer service was the friendliest! Everyone there had a heart of service and the owners have such a passion to share their gift of health. They take the time to get to know their customers and do what they can to enhance their experience. Thanks so much I'll be coming back tomorrow!!! read more

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What a great little pop up! Had these guys at Sam Adams tap room. They are super proud of their healthy options and offer great service. I am not vegan or vegetarian but I appreciate when those types of food can be just as satisfying as something with meat. On this particular night they were offering different types of tacos, and I had 2 of the poblano, and one Monk Fruit. My friend also got their chips and bean dip which she liked. Made with very high quality ingredients. Check these guys out! read more