For all you CIA or Marist folks coming into town to drop your kids off---or if you're passing though Poughkeepsie, this is the place to dine at. Head Chef and Owner, Brandon Walker, ( a former Student at the CIA---has put together a menu that will blow your mind. From the cornbread to the grits--etc. Awesome! 5 easy stars! read more

Essie's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

I'm not gonna lie--this whole dinner was part of a very specific mission. I was craving ribs, and when I saw this place not only had them but also served hibiscus lemonade, I made the executive decision to have my family drive to Poughkeepsie from our bed & breakfast just to check it out. Worth it? Mostly, yes! Food: 4/5 We tried a little bit of everything, the Seared chicken breast - Hands down my favorite dish of the night. Perfectly cooked, well-seasoned, and flavorful. Followed by the Bacon, egg, and homemade biscuit - A close second! The biscuit was dense and satisfying, and it had a really unique pesto-like sauce on top that made it memorable. Some other shout outs: 1) Orecchiette veggie pasta - Orecchiette is hard to find on menus, so I was delighted to see it here. It was a nice light option among our heavier dishes. 2) Jerk ribs - OK, so this is where my expectations and reality didn't fully align. They were well-cooked, but I'm a saucy girl, and these weren't as slathered or juicy as I'd hoped. That said, the rest of my table really enjoyed them. Also, that hibiscus lemonade? Chef's kiss. Refreshing and flavorful, and exactly the kind of detail that makes a place stand out to me. Service: 4/5 Now, here's where I was really surprised: one person was running the whole show. The head chef was managing the kitchen and the front of house--no servers, no extra help. Just him. For the amount of work that entails, he crushed it. Was it a bit slower than a staffed restaurant? Of course. But honestly, it gave the whole experience a humble, homegrown vibe that I appreciated. Also, it meant a lot to support a Black-owned restaurant and actually connect with the person behind the food. Final Thoughts: While we came for dinner, I could tell from the menu (and the vibe) that this place is really known for brunch. I'm genuinely curious to come back during brunch hours to see how the energy--and menu--might shift. Either way, it's definitely worth a visit if you're in the area and looking for a spot with heart, flavor, and soul. read more

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It's a cute spot with friendly staff. Watch my videos for my review of the food. All I will do is stick to house bread and not bother ordering the cornbread. Definitely indulge in the grits and add the jerk ribs on top. You'll thank me later. The owner needs to thank me, too. I invented the ribs and grits, and I know they will soon be his best seller. read more

Essie's Restaurant - Sparkling Rosé - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Food is outstanding. Service is good. Resturant is cute. Help a local resturant out! Highly recommended. read more

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We were so happy to get a late morning reservation for Essie's. We were even more excited when we were seated in a cozy window at the cutest table made for two. Ready for brunch I order their cucumber mint cocktail and searched the menu for the goods. Bae settled on the frittata and I went with the EWB ( eggs, waffle and bacon) Everything was so good and of course the vibes were right. Essie's is a small restaurant and by small I mean cozy like your families home. I loved dining in the window and recommend any small party (2) to dine there too. If you are in PK it's a must to try Essie's. read more

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I've only been a few times, but it's always been great. The food comes out looking amazing and it tastes even better. The servers are very attentive and I've never waited long to eat. The drinks are next level. I'm a bartender myself and I was impressed. My favorite was the basil margarita. I immediately went home and tried to recreate it. I'm very sad that they're temporarily closed. I'm really looking forward to going back when they reopen. In the meanwhile I'm going to a dinner that the chef is cooking for in October. Very excited about that. The place isn't very big, but it's a vibe. Hope they come back soon. read more

Nice vibe. Pleasant staff. Food was too heavy and value to price was not there for me. Seems like a great brunch or bar spot read more

We stayed about 20 minutes away and were looking for a good brunch spot and came upon Essie's! Food and drinks were AMAZING. My boyfriend and I finished everything on our plates! Staff was super nice and accommodating! Vibes were amazing too! Would go back anytime we were in the area! read more

Essie's Restaurant - Mimosa and Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

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Recently came here for lunch on a sunday right before we were going to head on the walkway over the hudson. It was a small restaurant with limited seatings. Glad we didn't have to wait and were seated right away by the window. We shared an order of jerk ribs to start. It was flavorful, not too spicy and falls off the bone. For entree we had the chicken and waffles and chicken with biscuit. Both entrees were surprisingly very well prepared and plated. Both were better than we expected. The service was on point and attentive. The bad, we ended up with food poisoning. A few hours after eating we found ourselves stuck in the bathroom vomiting and having diarrhea. Almost so bad that we had to go to urgent care or hospital. read more

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I flew on a private plane from NY just to have dinner at this restaurant. There were four of us, and although Easter dinner service closed at 6 pm, the staff kindly waited since our reservation was at exactly that time and we arrived about 15 minutes late. I was truly impressed by their outstanding level of service; most places would have been eager to close, but not here. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner and Executive Chef, Mr. Brandon Walker, who was incredibly friendly and gave us a warm welcome. The jambalaya appetizer was out of this world, and both the burger and steak exceeded our expectations. The drinks were delicious, and our waitress provided exceptional service, thoughtfully recommending menu items and beverages. It ended up being the best Easter dinner flying experience of our lives. We will definitely return! read more

Came here specifically for the Chicken and Waffles. Did not disappoint! Food was great and so was the Mimosa! They have window tables for 2, but they're spaced for little kids in my opinion, not grown up's. I have a knack for customer service and it was overall decent here. No rudeness and quick, efficient service. Only thing I would encourage is better interest/conversing with customers. read more

Essie's Restaurant - Chicken n Waffle and Mimosa - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Heard so many amazing things about this place so I was very excited to give it a try. The service was absolutely horrible. I'm really miffed bc this place is pricey. The waitress pretty much forgot about us and was very rude. She kept asking us if we wanted to put our order in when we already put our order in. I asked for ketchup more than once and it took almost the entire meal to get it. For the price I was very disappointed. read more

Nice vibe. I met the owner, who brought his Southern, South Carolina flair to his food. Everything was delicious. I had a delicious Pineapple Mojito, that was not too sweet. It was perfect. The server/bar tender was very attentive. The Grit Croquettes were delicious and very unique, as were the spicy chicken bites. The cornbread was a blend of blue corn. The butter was delicious, but a little too sweet. Paired with the cornbread, it tasted more like a cake. Over all, everything was delicious. Pretty small menu, but they are doing it right. Please give them a try. read more

I came to Essie's for brunch after hiking in the Hudson Valley. We were able to order right away (there was just one other couple seated at a table inside). It took 45 minutes after ordering to get our food. My youngest son really enjoyed his order (waffles). My oldest son got the waffles and chicken and said that his fried chicken was perfect. My wife ordered the chicken sandwich but was not really impressed with it. I ordered the steak and eggs and it was delicious. Sadly, I don't see myself coming back to this place after waiting for 45 minutes with no one in the restaurant. I can only imagine how long I would have to wait if the restaurant was busy. read more

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My wife picked this spot for my birthday and it was pretty amazing. I loved the decorations, wall art, and most of all, the music. I can do Jill Scott/Neo Soul in the background while I eat dinner anytime. I ordered a spicy Bloody Mary, and jerk pork ribs to start. The grit croquettes were complimentary, greatly appreciated. The jerk ribs have some heat on them but has a smooth taste. The grit croquette were very unique and tasted good without the sauce it comes with. Our steaks were cooked just right! And we enjoyed them as well. Definitely will be back to try the lunch menu, I'm eyeing the chicken and waffles. read more

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Awesome brunch spot!!! Delicious food and great atmosphere! Highly recommend! Will be back!

An eclectic downtown Poughkeepsie eatery that I have heard many positive local reviews about. The menu supports many vegan choices which my being "a meat and potatoes" kind of guy was disappointing. I chose a chicken composite which was acceptable but not like having a top shelf filet steak. The waiter was friendly but seemed to suggest the higher priced items as compared to popular reasonable choices. In summary, this would not be my first choice of a return visit. read more

This is the place! Chef Walker is serving some great food and drinks. Great decor, ambience and music. Flavors and drinks no joke. read more

Essie's Restaurant - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

We came for brunch with another couple on a rainy Sunday. We all started with coffee and placed and order for the corn bread and croquettes before we ordered our main entrees. Croquettes were better than the corn bread. The coffee took forever and then no milk. So we waited. The waitress came over and asked for entrees and I reminded her again about milk but again a long wait. Food was good, service was confusing and slow. When we asked for a coffee refill they said they charge for it. The bill for 5 cups of coffee was $20. Let that sink in. I have never been to a brunch where they charged to refill your coffee. And at the prices they charge at brunch it was a big misstep. No matter how high you may say your food costs are - coffee refills won't break the bank. So food was good, service not good. We won't go back because of the coffee charge. I mean it. Oh and another thing, spending money for a real menu instead of a QR code is also a splurge they may want to consider. Restaurants used QR codes during Covid but returned to utensils and real napkins and menus in the past year. It's the refills and the lack of a real menu that got to me. read more

Wish I could give less than 1 star. It all started when making a reservation. The gentleman who answered the phone was rude and acted like he was doing me a favor. We waited almost 2 hours for food and when asked for anything was met with MASSIVE attitude. Food was cold and tasteless. The chef was also the bartender and the waiter. Service was despicable. NEVER come here. read more

Quiet intimate restaurant with amazing food. The beet nachos and jambalaya croquettes were out of the world. Can't even wrap my head around the beet nachos. Like... how were they so good? It makes no sense. Also had the kale chicory salad and shrimp n grits. Both really good. Definitely recommend. read more

We came for dinner got fantastic beet nachos, short ribs, chicken & dumplings, waffles and chicken. Everything was insanely delicious. Great cocktails and happy hour specials listed on the wall are tem me to come back between 4-6 Wednesdays through Saturday. read more

Essie's Restaurant - Chicken Dumplings - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

Went back for mothers day and although food was excellent the service was a disaster. Granted, the two servers were also making drinks but there is no reason to walk by your table numerous times without greeting your customers or saying that you will be with them shortly. Was completely ignored until 10 mins after we sat down when our drink order was taken and then server forgot to bring us our drinks. Had to remind her and they ended up arriving after we were just about done with our apps. Never asked how are food was. read more

If my meal from Essie's that I ate at home can be that good, I can't wait to get the full experience dining in. I had put off going in only because I wasn't sure, from day to day, if there would be something on the menu that evening of interest to me. But that Buttermilk Fried Chicken Dinner Combo currently featured was all I needed to see. To get more of the experience, we started with the jerk ribs. I could have made a full meal of those, and now I'm going to have to follow up with their Jerk Pork Loin dinner. Those ribs were a triple play: great aroma and presentation, fall-off-the-bone tender, and an extra kick at the end. The chicken combo is enough for 3-4 people, and it contains 2 legs, 2 thighs, and a lot of wingettes. Everything was tasty and juicy. It's filling, because of the batter, which is crisp and crumbly. I would actually like to see even a bit more herbs and spice in the batter and perhaps a little less salt, but don't tweak it too much as it's already close to perfection. The mac & cheese was creamy and delicious. You can tell a mac & cheese is good when it can stand on its own without needing to add anything else to it. The green beans were very fresh, cooked just enough, with a great garlicky flavor. This was an excellent first meal, and I expect there will be more. read more

Essie's Restaurant - The buttermilk chicken combo, with green beans, mac and cheese, and a jerk ribs starter - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York

The chef is a 10. Food is a 10. Assistant is a 10. The place is always immaculate. He is all about service.....

5-star! cheese cake THE BEST! KIND VIBES at this place throughout! Oh man, THE BIG HAMBURGER, superlative ... maybe beat ever

I guess I have to get the jerk ribs next time I go to Essie's. Somehow, I missed all of the rave reviews about them on Yelp. How is that even possible? Just check out those reviews yourself! My daughter picked Essie's based on the reviews. We went to there for the first time on Easter Sunday. My daughter and I. We shared the salad special-- lettuce and cauliflower nicely seasoned and sprinkled with cheese-- along with a duck egg. We also shared an order of mussels & clams as well as the jambalaya croquettes appetizer. All of it was great. The shellfish were cooked with tomatoes and bacon chunks. Delish. Even the sauce was great. We drank it like soup. There was a wonderful live jazz duo performing when we arrived. The place was packed. We were lucky to get seated in one of the last available tables. We didn't make reservations. Our server was Kayla. She was great. Friendly and helpful. The food came out relatively quickly especially when you consider how busy it was. Essie's is a gem of a restaurant located in the Little Italy section of Poughkeepsie. Worth going back. read more

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The food and signature cocktails were excellent. The waitress was so nice and sweet. She was very attentive to our needs. We had the Grit Croquettes with a Garlic Aioli sauce that we shared. They were excellent. I never had grits before and totally enjoyed them. My friend and I each had the very yummy Chicken and Waffles. The chicken was nice and crispy and very juicy. The Waffles we're great too. The Maple Butter was delicious. The Bacon was very very crisp, a bit too much for my liking. The other person had a Bison Burger with Fries. (I had a bite and it was excellent!) It was pricy but delivered great food. I thought the reservation policy was a bit over the top very honestly. read more

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You need this food!!!! Wow. Impressively delicious meal. Duck wings were a special and so glad they were. Tender, delicious, crispy bits on the outside. Bright orange-y sauce on top. Although it was just 2 of us, we opted for the jerk rib communal meal. Deep, spicy flavor. One where it's fun to try guessing what's in the rub and sauce. Addicting! Along with the crispy Brussels sprouts and parm wedges which were both excellent. It was too much food for the both of us but happy to take home leftovers! I've not had much Caribbean food, but if it's all like this, I've been missing out! A great, unique spot for the area. I must also mention that the drinks were great!! I don't often opt for rum-based drinks, but the punch was so good. The chef does it all and is an incredibly nice guy - we chatted with him a bit after the meal. The server is very friendly and accommodating. I read reviews about slow service. Consider this: enjoy sitting and relaxing while waiting for a truly incredible meal!! Can't wait to return since I NEED to try that fried chicken!!! read more

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My husband and I recently enjoyed dinner at Essie's. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and did a great job describing and recommending the options. We had the jambalaya croquettes, shrimp and grits and chicken and dumpling. Everything was absolutely delicious. We ended the meal with Elaine's cheesecake, which was light and fluffy, with a crumble topping that made it just perfect. I would highly recommend checking out Essie's for a relaxing and delicious meal. read more

Is it possible to give Essie's 10 stars? Because this place deserves at least that. The food was absolutely delicious. The service is top notch -- so warm and friendly. Please do yourself a favor and check out Essie's. I feel blessed to have come across this restaurant on a visit to the Hudson Valley. I'm from the Bay Area where there's no shortage of good food, have lived in NYC where food is served incredible. Essie's is in a class of its own. Thank you Chef. read more

The food is not good - salty and definitely not jerk seasoning. Please stop recommending this place on my yelp. Ambiance is nice and cozy too bad it's wasted on this restaurant. Service was average. read more

What an awesome restaurant! The owner went to CIA and was on Chopped, so I had high expectations before going, and I was not disappointed. The chef's cooking is inspired by his family, and it's very obvious that so much of home and personality fills the restaurant, while maintaining the utmost professionalism. We went on a Wednesday evening, and the chef was riding solo (taking orders, seating, cooking, check, you name it). He was quick too! I loved the simple menu, however, everything sounded amazing so it was hard to choose. I went with the pork dish which was seasoned and cooked to perfection. I didn't need a knife at all since the meat was so tender. My mom got the chicken dish, and she loved it. The portion sizes are perfect. Essie's has indoor and outdoor seating and the music playing inside was awesome (mostly R&B and Afro Beats). Whether it's takeout or dining in again, this is a place where I want to make my way down the whole menu. read more

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Food is amazing! We had Jerk Ribs, shrimp and grits, and the Big Mac. Restaurant is a modern twist on southern cuisine. Ambiance is relaxing with soulful music and urban decor. read more

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I was really excited to come here. It's been on my radar for a while. The restaurant itself is cute, it reminds of a brunch spot I go to in Harlem. When we arrived we were greeted and seated immediately as there wasn't anyone else there. The grit croquettes and aioli were really good. However, the rest of our food was just ok. read more

Went here for a celebratory dinner in the COVID era and enjoyed a lovely meal outside. The paperless menu and the takeout containers for plating definitely took a little bit away from the overall vibe and experience but I totally understand them following regulations and keeping safe! We look forward to getting the full experience some time in the future! As for the food- we were absolutely obsessedddd with the grit croquettes and the crispy plantain appetizer was unique and super flavorful. The baby kale salad was just ok- tasted like it was missing something for us, but the ingredients were very fresh and the portion was quite large. We also each tried one of the "sours" on the cocktail menu. So many options! I really enjoyed the dragon fruit sour and my partner like the mango habanero sour, too. Our server was lovely and we left satisfied! We will definitely be back again for another unique and memorable meal read more

Outstanding dinner experience...the service was wonderful and the food was exceptional in flavor. menu items were thoughtfully crafted. We cleaned our plates and paid a very reasonable bill. I'd definitely come back here if I lived here....highly recommend! read more

I finally got to Essie's after moving to the area three years ago. Wow. We had two appetizers, jerk ribs and jambalaya croquettes. The croquettes was such a clever way to bring about the jambalaya flavor. It was savory and a little tangy (maybe vinegar?) which I liked. The ribs were tender, flavorful and had some heat. All of us had the steal with roasted veggies and each of our steaks were cooked perfectly. I usually hesitate to get steak after having been to Bueno Aires a few years ago and they just have the best beef ever. However, Essie's does it so well and we just enjoyed it so much. A few things to be aware of - it's a small place and as more people arrived, the noise inside made it nearly impossible to have a conversation, as we couldn't hear each other. The service can be a little slow, as it's just a couple of people including the owner (!) so don't be in a rush. Another is that it's a bit more expensive than what's typical in the area; however, the food and the experience being there is worth every penny. I hope to go again! read more

Absolutely delicious sums it up. We had to wait a hour for the food to come out, but I would have waited 2 hours. The chicken was outstanding and the collard greens awesome. The food is so fresh. I can't wait to come back. read more

Had business for Grand Lux up in Poughkeepsie, stopped to grab a bite in Essie's and was delighted. Great staff & atmosphere, burger was real solid. Will visit if up here again. Michael Levy - Principal Broker at Grand Lux Realty read more

Essie's Restaurant - My Burger - New American Near Me - Poughkeepsie, New York