This place is a hidden gem. The food is so good. My favorite is the salmon , mashed potatoes and steamed cabbage.

When looking at apartments in the area, I stopped in for a quick drink and bite. Bartender was helpful and the honey essence wings were the best I have ever had. Now six months later, I live down the road and Essence is my go-to spot. Delivery always comes hot and well packaged and Sundays after 9pm a live band turns up and the place is a real party w/excellent music. The ambiance is local neighborhood vibes which is refreshing w/all the changes coming to the area. Only issue is the staff seems to change a bit, but I'm sure it's hard to retain good staff since customer base is a tough crowd (see the other reviews for a taste of their energy). All in all, I've been in the industry for 14 years and places like this don't exist anymore (especially post Covid lockdown) so let's try and keep it around! read more

I ordered oxtails and Rasta pasta. I had two oxtails and the rest bones on my plat. NEVER AGAIN! read more

Essence Bar - a plate of pasta and meat on a stove - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Essence Epic Fail As my reviews have demonstrated in the past, I try to be fair and give praise when it is do. I also call out restaurants when they fail to live up to what I expect of them. On Monday, I attempted to visit Essence with my brother for a happy hour experience. We arrived at 3, and Essence was supposed to have been open since noon. The sign that was placed in the window suggested that the bar would not open until 6. I am not sure what the issue was, but needless to say we were disappointed and feel that management should at all times make sure that the bar is able to meet the business schedule it advertises. read more

Ordered Grubhub from here, the food was late and also my order was wrong! Called and the receptionist/young lady who answered the was very rude handling this situation. I've ordered good food from them before and I'm just disappointed by the customer service this time... read more

Wish I would have read the take out reviews before ordering from here but whatever here we are! I ordered Chicken Alfredo.. but they called me shortly after and informed me they didn't have it anymore, so I asked for Rasta pasta instead. The food arrived quickly, and the delivery worker was super nice. As soon as I opened the Rasta pasta and saw these three measly slices of grilled chicken, which might as well been flavorless. I didn't even eat the chicken, i had to make my own, which totally defeated the purpose of ordering food in the first place. I moved the pasta around in hopes to get all the sauce mixed well.. but to my surprise there was no sauce. The pasta was dry and they sent two tiny hard pieces of bread, which I could have completely done without. The whole meal was just poorly executed. I was disappointed by this because I know what really good Rasta pasta should taste it. I totally used my AmazonPrime Coupon code for this and it was a waste of the $10.00 off! Not ordering from here again. read more

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We ordered some catfish and rice and beans. It was just ok. The delivery was fast but i won't be ordering from here again. read more

Essence Bar - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came here a few times over the years for comedy Wednesdays at 8pm and always left with a smile. The comedians are just starting out so expect a jab or two but they're also very professional and know when to take it easy. Generally a very neighborhood themed joint that's always packed with locals. Also excellent selection of liquor food and drinks at decent prices. Highly recommend. read more

Nice space. Good food and drink selection. Great bartenders and service. It's not the gentrified hipster bars you're starting to see in crown heights. Still maintains original vibes read more

Food is great, have on multiple occasions. Fried shrimp, mussels, Mac n cheese, smothered chicken & their wings all hit the spot especially. Tried the Rasta pasta with shrimp, chicken & oxtail and each time it was just okay, sauce is bland. Service is ok in person but predominantly self serve/ bar tables then traditional service. Still experienced good service as a whole. read more

I enjoyed their Happy Hour! They have a really good happy hour with different drinks selections.. Also the food was pretty good as well! I had the spicy sweet shrimp with french fries which was really Good! Def an after work spot to grab a drink and a bite to eat! read more

It's been one of my favorite bars in Brooklyn for years. I have no complaints other than them not having the football package, but drinks are strong, foods decent, everything is priced appropriately in my opinion, vibe is dope, and it captures the "essence" of old school Brooklyn (before gentrification) with the music and vibes. Black establishment too, what more could you ask for ... Wakanda Forever! Favorite nights are the Karaoke Nights (Pro tip - come early so you can get a seat) read more

Food is good but ordering take out is a waste of damn time. No matter if you call to or notate on the order they're going to forget or just ignore it. Every single time. And my dumb ass keeps ordering so I'm writing this for nothing but I'm thoroughly annoyed. So hopefully they at least try to change but i doubt it. Avoid delivery. Just go pick it up. Even taking an Uber there is worth being disappointed by the attention to detail. Smh read more

The food is good and delivery was fast and hot. The Rasta pasta with shrimp is delish but beware - it is spicy! I like spice so I devoured mine but just be careful. I wish they used bigger shrimps too. I also ordered The stuffed shrimp with mashed potatoes and broccoli which was delish but the mash a bit bland. Overall I'd give it 5 stars, this bar/restaurant has def made a good first impression! read more

Essence Bar - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Their food is delicious. I had sampled the catfish and Honey wings from my friends and I had the delicious collards and steamed mixed vegetables. The drinks were really good too. Thanks Amanda and Joanna. Bless read more

Essence Bar - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Sing with me..."where everybody knows your naaaaame, and they're always glad ya cammmmmme" You can walk in here for the first and feel like a regular. The people are very friendly and the music is always pumpin'! They have live bands perform, karaoke, Dj's, you name it you can find it there. You can celebrate your birthday here, drop on by to watch a game or just to relax and unwind for some well prepared and well priced drinks! They also have some really great bar food from wings to clams to nachos. everything is always tasty. Give them a try you will not regret it! read more

What is there not to love about Essence? Their happy hour is great. The bartenders are very personable. I really like the jukebox because I can play what I want to hear. Anyone that I take to Essence really enjoys their time and patrons are very welcoming and full of character. read more

I wasn't 100% satisfied with the food the place is nice they rebuild the inside but the food experience could be better the drinks were nice the bartender's had their own personalities ultimately I got a great drink read more

The cook or cooks did a fabulous job. I will definitely be ordering from here again. My coworker always gives great reviews on Facebook about the food, drinks, music and comedy. I had to force myself to stop I'm stuffed! read more

Essence Bar - OMGOODNESS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS Shrimp rasta pasta - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Mann listen let me tell you we ended up finding this place by accident . We're from jersey so we intended to go somewhere else an event we got tickets for but it flopped and riding down Atlantic Ave we found Essence bar and grill let me tell u i am sooo glad we did . I NEVER HAD SUCH AN AMAZING TIME in brooklyn b4 . the chef must have been on one that night cause the food was smashin!!! the whole vibe was dope the ppl the old heads a cpl young ones it was karaoke night well idk how often karaoke is must be a regular thing but it was litt!!! thank u for making our time their beyond enjoyable. read more

It's a little small, but the food is pretty good. The rasta pasta w/chicken is a favorite of mine. Ordered it out one day and it never showed up (got refunded though). Another time, the delivery was late. So I guess it depends on the time you order it. read more

MOJITO WITHOUT MINT LEAVES!! REALLY? Had a groupon for this place, ugh the memories...The drinks were water down, my mojito did not have mint leaves or mint flavor at all...it tasted like sugar water, not even sure if it had alcohol. The chicken tender appetizer wasn't too bad, but the rest of the food wasn't good. corn bread that comes with the food smelled spoilled...The only bartender in the place was very rude. One of the reviews mentions hot bartenders...maybe I went there on the wrong day!! read more

The good, the bad the hungry...lol just kidding. However today was the last day that I could use my groupon so I didn't want to miss out on some Soul food. I was nervous because of the reviews regarding the service(the bad) I decided to try take out which ended up being like I dined in because I was there almost an hour. I called ahead because I knew it was going to take me 20 or so minutes to get there and I knew it was comedy night. I love to laugh(the good) but just wanted to go home. I did enjoy the comedy for the most part. The place was not overcrowded. The people seemed friendly and like they all knew each other.. Lucky for me I'm not shy and I just jumped right in.. The wait was horrrrrrrrribbbbbbbbblllllle.(the bad) I thought they killed, plucked and fried the chicken while I was there while running down to a stream to catch the Salmon. The guy next to me ordered after me and got his food before me and finished his food before mine came out. After waiting 25 mins the waitress/bartender told me they didnt have white meat..uggh, so I agreed to dark a few moments later she came back and said they had a breast..Overjoyed. I got there around 9:20 and didn't leave until 10:45.. my groupon came with 1 app, 2 ent and either beer or wine. I ordered smothered chicken with broccoli and yams. YUMMMM, damn tasty. Lemon buttered salmon with mac & cheese and collards. The fish tasted fresh but not like lemon butter...at all.The mac was okay. They both needed some more seasoning. I got calamari for the appetizer and it was the frozen kind you fry . Won't get that again. It was tough and the breading was heavy.. The waitress/bartender was nice however she didn't apologize for the wait which would of made me feel like a valued customer. read more

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Broccoli Rasta Pasta. It was good. As you can see I started before I snapped the photo. I did feel like something was missing. I'm use to peppers in my pasta and there was literally only one piece of green pepper. So I thought that was odd. It does have a little spice to it the broccoli was my favorite thing in the dish. Overall very well seasoned. I Probably won't order again but you may like it! read more

Essence Bar - Broccoli Rasta Pasta - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Essence Bar and grill is that type of underground place you go to - to just simply relax - drink, and chill with out bumping into any familiar faces....... I ordered the bake chicken with Collards and cabbage - it was not all that! My god daughter ordered wings - and it was meh! I honestly think that we ordered the wrong things - because the regulars ordered catfish and that looked and smelled good. I did not order any drinks - but I loved the old school feel of the bar with a HUGE BAR that can sit probably 25 - 30 people. The music was good as well. Nice spot for drink - get to know some one and chill. read more

Ordered here twice and both times the portion sizes did not match the price. Not only that, the first time when I ordered the Rasta pasta, the chicken was hard. Definitely wouldn't recommend read more

Went there last night for a friend's birthday.i like the older crowd.there is no dress code..they need new bartenders,they aren't HAPPY. But overall,I enjoyed myself read more

Now I know I might be alittle bias, but if you are looking for a place for fun relax, hear great music( and I do mean great cause I'm one of the musicians) then essence is definitely the place to chill and have fun....the music is live old school mixed with the latest hits with a gifted DJ to play music during the break and when show ends(1200) their's open mic and great host singers......and that is not to mention the great food that is being cooked there.....a great atmosphere..... a must stop by plac read more

Food is trash. The Rasta Pasta was unbearably spicy, the salmon was dry, the Mac & Cheese was a pile of grainy mush, and the mixed vegetable were canned or frozen. Highly disappointed, and aggravated at the fact that I paid over $25 for this hogwash. How dare they serve canned vegetables? I give my dog canned vegetables. Scoundrels. read more

Essence Bar - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Rasta pasta was very dry! And it didnt even taste like rasta pasta. Trash i spent $23 & wont even be able to finish my food. Disappointing, i never leave reviews but NAHHHH! Just here to warn anybody else, cause what is thisssss!?!?? Never again i coulda made this better. read more

So my friend gassed this place. Talking about how good the food is. The bartenders were nice and the food was splendid but they will nickel and dime you. I wanted smothered chicken with mashed potatoes and mac & cheese. I was told I could not order two starches. I had to order one veggie. Do I look like I came here to eat your vegetables?? I'm ordering smothered chicken, what makes you think I want broccoli? Let me cheat meal in peace. Then I was told I can pay extra if I want to forgo the veggie. I just ordered my drink and decided to look over the menu again. That definitely was the owner being cheap as the veggies probably cost less and take less time to make so they pass the costs onto the customers. I ended up with the smothered chicken and mac with broccoli. I told them to bag the broccoli to go. Tore my food up, it was so bomb. Got home and put my leftovers in the fridge. Damn broccoli stunk up my whole refrigerator. Trashed it in less than 2 hours. Heard the food can be hit or miss but my food was good that day. read more

I got the groupon for this place. I was severely disappointing. Where I expected a fine dining experience; I got a rude/distant server (who seemed to also be the bartender and possibly cook--as she kept going to the kitchen) It took us about an hour to receive our drinks and the food was disgusting. The menu claims preparation to be home-made, but I'm pretty sure I was served kraft macaroni as well as boxed mashed potatoes. This my 10th wedding anniversary...I am so disappointed because it looked so classy online. I cried all night after my meal. :( I WILL NEVER RETURN....NEVER!! PS. This place is a lot racist. read more

So let me tell you about this establishment and its owner. My mother has been a Essence Bar supporter for multiple years, supporting its Karaoke Night on Wednesdays and many other special events. My mom and her coworkers spend at least 100$ a trip there and today, my mother was treated TERRIBLY by the owner Arthur. This isn't the first occasion as well. One year for my mothers birthday, Arthur was supposed to have sections reserved for my mother, and not only did he not have the sections, made us wait for people to move from OUR reserved seats. But today, my mother went there for lunch and was served some TINY plate of a fish order. When she went to ask about it, Arthur had the NERVE to tell my mom she was being rude for interrupting him while training a new employee. Last time I checked, the customer is always right. Bad enough you serving this bs fish. But to do that to someone who has always supported his business, and even in the pandemic? I will NEVER be coming here again. Goes to show you that one, he does not take care of his main customers, and he doesn't care about customer service. My mom felt bad but she shouldn't. The food wasn't up to par, and had every right to voice that. read more

ABSOLUTELY the best and last old school bar/restaurant left in old Brooklyn. Let's keep Essence alive! I worked here for a few days and it was the best experience I've ever had at a Brooklyn Bar. read more

I had rasta pasta catfish with collard greens and macaroni and cheese it was delicious I will try something else next time

Had the pleasure of going here for lunch with a friend and we were blown away by the amazing food and great service. Definitely will be going back. Tip: we had the stuffed shrimp and the shrimp with peppers, cabbage and mac and cheese. read more

Essence Bar - Stuffed shrimp with cabbage and mashed potatoes - Soul Food Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Celebrating Debbie Wright promotion... Had fried shrimp and French fries which was tasty, along with Pina Colada.... Excellent atmosphere to unwind from a long week.... read more

The bartenders are personable. Angie and Amanda were great...very attentive and friendly. The drinks are GOOD! To be a bar...I was shocked. The food was dope. I had an awesome time. Forgot I lived in Maryland for a minute lol. I had a blast though. It's a great place to go. read more

Stumbled upon this gem after my girlfriend suggested last year and we have been back almost once a month ever since. The 90s music vibes are always on point and the food never disappoints. If you need a spot to go to on any night of the week in Brooklyn- this is it! read more

So I decided to come in on a Saturday with a good friend of mine and she told the place was very cool and laid back. So I came to have some drinks and something to eat. Long story short the bartender some woman With curly hair had bad customer service. She was not attentive and consistent to her customers at the bar. It was too much for her to be at the bar. I also notice she was attentive to certain individuals at the bar and certain men. This is very unfortunate to know that this takes place at a business. I feel that she needed help at the bar. She also caught an attitude when my friend addressed her about her lack of service and did not want to accommodate or make up for her bad service. read more