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    ESSEN Kitchen

    4.6 (92 reviews)

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    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - ESSEN Kitchen

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    Breakfast bowl
    Matt B.

    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.

    Comfort Lunch Box & Breakfast Sandwich
    Victoria C.

    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!

    Snapped a photo of this side of mac&cheese
    Samantha S.

    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!

    a piece of cake in a box
    Hile E.

    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!

    REUBEN Box
    Bianka M.

    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.

    Tofu scramble potatoe burrito 100%
    Michelle V.

    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

    Tacos - so good.
    Lindsay B.

    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!

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    6 years ago

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    Lida B.

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    Lida B.

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    7 years ago

    I had the Reuben today and it was very good. It had good flavor. The side kale was also very good. I recommend Essen!

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    Lida B.

    Glad to hear you enjoyed the food Sam! Thanks for stopping in!

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    7 years ago

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    Lida B.

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    7 years ago

    Sooooo yummy!! I ran into this place on my way downtown and it's the only good vegan spot I can find in town. Highly recommended :)

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    Page 3 of 3

    Ask the Community - ESSEN Kitchen

    Is there a walk-in seating area inside? If so, how many people can it accommodate?

    No, not really. The two times I've been in, someone was sitting at the one and only stool right in the area where you pick up your food. It really is a grab and go kind of place.

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    People searched for Vegan 3,725 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

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    Almost V'Gan Lounge

    Almost V'Gan Lounge

    4.1(30 reviews)
    0.7 miDowntown

    We visited this place while in town for the Blk Wine Fest! It was on their list of places for a pre…read moreevent wine crawl. They had a dj who did not miss the vibes! Plus, free VEGAN wine sampling. Let me say that we are not vegan but love to try different foods & we enjoyed everything we ordered, including the drinks. Everything was also very filling. We split 3 apps between us 2 & couldn't finish them This was a nice black owned spot to support during our weekend visit!

    I discovered Almost V'gan while in town for work and walking the streets of downtown Cincy. They…read morehad a sign out front that mentioned they do vegan food and as a vegetarian of seventeen years, it was like they were calling my name. I also noticed that they are Black-owned,which is awesome to see. At the time, they had only been open for, I wanna say, two-ish weeks so my colleague and I decided to give it a go. The staff was eager to greet us and we got a seat right away. The space itself is magnificent. The bright bursts of color caught my attention first. It's definitely a vibrant space, modern, trendy, photogenic, fun, and creative. You got to check out the bathrooms - so cool! From what I gathered, the owner helped design it himself. The service is what stood out next. Everyone was so friendly, the chef and owner came to our table to check in, which is always a nice touch. As for food, I was only in for a quick bite so I went with the kale caesar salad and a side of truffle fries. I love me a good kale caesar and that definitely hit the spot. The only con with the food was that the serving sizes were rather small for the price. I believe this spot turns into a nightlife experience in the evenings. They have a full bar and even a DJ booth. I would no doubt visit again in the evening. It's great for a date night or evening with friends. Overall, I hope they succeed and recommend you give them a try, even if you don't like vegan food.

    Photos
    Almost V'Gan Lounge
    Almost V'Gan Lounge
    Almost V'Gan Lounge - Restroom

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    Restroom

    Herban Vegans - Cheezecake. Dessert Menu. Strawberry cheesecake

    Herban Vegans

    4.3(26 reviews)
    6.2 miOakley

    Not sure what happened to Herban. I usually love this place and am a big supporter of local…read morebusinesses. We went there this afternoon to get a bite to eat. The place was relatively empty. It took over an half an hour for our food to be prepped even tho the place was relatively empty. Our oyster mushroom wings where quite tasty but the rest... The fries we ordered were super greasy, the gumbo tasted burned, the sliders where just ok. Bummer... I am still giving 3 stars and hope it was a one time bad experience..

    I was looking for a spot to grab lunch and came across Oakley kitchen. This was my first time at…read morethis food court, ample parking outside, lots of sitting indoors. Herban Vegans was the first restaurant window that caught my eye. I'm not Vegan but menu looked appealing so I decided to get the lunch menu/ platter. It was the jackfruit ribs + 3 sides. I went with the savory mixed greens, mac, and potato salad. And my my MY! What a flavor explosion. The jackfruit was flavorful, I gobbled it up and wished they had given a bigger serving. The Mac! Where do I even start? It honestly tastes better than some Mac and cheese I've had. I don't know how they got it creamy and delicious and yet still vegan, but I'm a fan! The potato salad was also a yummy win for me. Stumbling on this restaurant was a pleasant surprise. Definitely check it out!

    Photos
    Herban Vegans - Downstairs area, bar and food.

    Downstairs area, bar and food.

    Herban Vegans - Fried oyster Mushrooms

    Fried oyster Mushrooms

    Herban Vegans

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    Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

    Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

    4.4(1.7k reviews)
    1.1 miDowntown
    $$

    I loved my experience at Maplewood! The staff was very friendly and the food was great. The…read moreambiance is super cool too and I love the design of the restaurant. The food was very fresh and I'd definitely order from here again. Check this out for brunch if you're in Cincinnati! I'll for sure be returning soon.

    We discovered this place nearby our hotel and were looking for a good brunch spot. The reviews and…read moremenu looked good so we gave Maplewood Kitchen a try. The space is open, bright and well decorated making it very inviting for brunch. You order at the counter from the menus placed along the wall then food is delivered to your table. The various brunch items all sounded very inviting so I was having trouble deciding what to order. So I got a recommendation to try the Shakshuka. Not sure how to pronounce it but when it arrived it was just the right portion and quite tasty for brunch. It's a bowl with a red pepper sauce and feta cheese and kale along with eggs sunny side up. The dish is served with pita so you can do a little bit of dipping in the tasty sauce. To accompany our food we selected the mimosa service and bloody mary pitcher. A pitcher is just perfect for sharing. And the mimosa service was delightful. The server arrived with a bottle of Prosecco and small carafes of orange, grapefruit and blood orange juices to mix yourself. The food was fresh and tasty with prompt delivery of our food to our table. Not quite a full service restaurant since you have to order at the counter but still a nice experience located downtown.

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    Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
    Maplewood Kitchen and Bar
    Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

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    Café Alma - French toast

    Café Alma

    4.6(274 reviews)
    6.7 miPleasant Ridge
    $$

    I came for the rose water pistachio waffles. They did not disappoint! They were light and floral,…read moreas I expected. They executed this wonderfully! Only thing is I wish they could make it gluten free. I got the Mira bowl in a kid size portion and had boiled eggs as an add on. Perfect portion! The bartender recommended the smaller size since I was getting waffles and I'm glad she made that suggestion. Lavender latte with oatmilk was light and delicate. Just what I was looking for. Nothing was too sweet and I enjoyed everything. The inside had a nice airy feel to it. They have a cute little kids corner filled with books and fun stuff for the little ones to stay busy while waiting on meals. They close at 3 so I recommend enjoying it for brunch/lunch!

    Ambiance is a 4, very obvious it's the community place to gather. Seating is available at the bar…read morewhere there are baked goods like biscotti, mini muffins, chocolate chip cookies and banana bread are on display. Or you can be seated at a table in a large open dining area. Very community conscious with a ramp for wheelchair to get from main hostess area to the dining area. I was seated right away. Being visitor from VA Beach, I asked what's the recommended dish, the server suggested omelette. But I wasn't in the mood for omelette so I saw shakshuka. I tried their Green Goddess version that has spinach (instead of tomato sauce) and feta. The food is a solid 3. I also ordered the Dubai Chocolate latte. It was a 3 as you taste more the milk than the chocolate syrup. I also got their chocolate chip banana bread.

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    Café Alma - Rehearsal dinner held at Café Alma

    Rehearsal dinner held at Café Alma

    Café Alma - The hummus is always AMAZING here!

    The hummus is always AMAZING here!

    Café Alma - Rosewater Pistachio Waffle

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    Rosewater Pistachio Waffle

    ESSEN Kitchen - vegan - Updated May 2026

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