Restaurants near Essex

“Food is excellent...not at all like so many restaurants. We had the deviled eggs, grilled cheese and tomato soup, the soda bread yummyy...and the carrot cake was absolutly delicious. Wait staff attentive and iit was very busy when we were there yet they still provided excellent. Service. Very comfy atmosphere...will visit again.”

“Made a trip down to J.T. Farnhams today (first one of the season). Fried Clams and Shrimp were AWESOME!!! Can't wait for our next trip down.”

“I grew up going to the coasts of NH and ME but never spent any time on the North Shore of MA. I was aware of the debate surrounding the Clam Box vs Woodman’s and took this vacation opportunity to do my own comparison. The fried seafood was very good - not greasy, very fresh and flavorful. Where Woodman’s let me down was their clam chowder. I prefer a really thick chowder, the kind where your plastic spoon stands up on its own. That would have been so comforting on the rainy, windy, cold day I was there but sadly, it was just too watery and thin without much flavor. Seafood: thumbs up, Chowder: thumbs down”

“Love all of the chicken choices. Piccata, marsala, enchiladas, herbed. We keep our freezer stocked with "Mill meals!"”

“Excellent pizza!”

“I had the daily special which was peach ice cream, it was fantastic! Rich and creamy, worth the long wait. My husband had the mill river mix, also fabulous! Best ice cream in Massachusetts!”

“I have been a loyal customer for over 30 years to CAP but have to say just now to the new owners who bought from Jimmy and Kosta who have that whole time treated me as family..thankyou because you just right now while I was picking up, recognized me as a loyal patron and family as they did! More than well done! Food is the same the best and service is loving and as close to home as it gets! They knew me and had me as I walked in of my 3rd time. THAT is crazy respect and customer service 👏 5⭐”

“We recently hired Googans to cater for a celebration of life. We kept it simple with a cheese and veggie platter, sandwiches and sweets- finger food. Everything was absolutely delicious! People were raving about how good the sandwiches and desserts were. I absolutely recommend for catering and also to stop in their shop for breakfast and/or lunch. We were very happy with our whole experience with Googan’s.”

“Good food, great drinks !! Nice water view !! A little noisy though !! Thanks for a wonderful evening Sharon D.”

“The rosemary shortbread cookies have been my FAVORITE FOR YEARS!! I was so pleased to see them at the Boston airport and brought them to some friends in Chicago, they loved them”

“. When I visit my hometown, we often have dinner on Cape Ann. This weekend it was The Boat House Grille. The haddock Tesoro is the best seafood dish I have ever had in the Essex/Gloucester area. Kudos to the chef. Our good server was Molly.”

“excellent restaurant and bar!…. nice people my issue is the fact when I was leaving this evening I was absolutely eaten alive by mosquitoes… is it just me?� I never in my life been swarmed like that”

“really nice place, great people, good food. love it there.”

“Great atmosphere and views of the marsh! I’m not a beer drinker but hard seltzer and French Fries were awesome. Very friendly staff.”

“It is comforting to have a known place with great food, coffee and tea (not to mention the donuts!) available in this quaint little New England Village. So Convenient!!”

“Friendly welcoming staff Very reasonable prices Fun Atmosphere”

“Dear Turner Seafood Team, We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the exceptional service provided by your team. Our employees Christmas bonus of local fish was well received and greatly appreciated. The hand-delivered, well-packaged fish showcased the professionalism and customer support we were looking for. Jeff's assistance during this busy season was invaluable, and we look forward to the possibility of working together again in the future. We highly recommend Turner Seafood, especially for large orders. Thank you once again. Best regards, Team Insideout Health and Wellness”

“My girls and I attempted to eat at the Salem retreat on our first morning of our trip. We waited 20 minutes for a table after watching 7-10 people be seat AFTER we were given a buzzer to wait. We left and came to Dotty & Rays. We got a table as soon as we walked in, had water brought over immediately, drink and food orders promptly taken. The food was fantastic. We had one part of our order missing and once they realized the issue, it was remedied with speed and courtesy. Everyone was very friendly and renewed our experience in Salem. We enjoyed it some much we came back this morning. This is the place to come to a good meal and pleasant experience to start your day. Come to Dotty and Rays!”

“There were seven of us for brunch today at 11.30 am. The drinks were delicious - the food was incredible. I especially loved the Arepa. I hadn’t had an arepa since I was in Venezuela over a decade ago.”

“The cookies are delicious!”

“My husband and I sat outside and had a lovely snack in the sun, away from most of the hustle & bustle that October brings to Salem. We thoroughly enjoyed the butternut squash hummus, falafel, and cauliflower & quinoa tabouleh but the real highlight for us was the apple cider! Holy. It was the best we had on our trip around New England. Not too sweet, served nice & hot, lightly spiced and so, so good! The service was wonderful as well! Best of luck to this crew, we wish you much success & hope to see you next fall!🍂☺️”

“Best restaurant around! cocktails are amazing and the food is the freshest and most creative around! HIGHLY recommend!”

“An Ipswich staple, they have the best sandwiches and roast beef. Always good for grabbing a cheesesteak, roast beef, or chicken salad to name a few of my favorites!”

“The birria tacos where so good can’t wait to come back and they have really good service!!! 5 stars!!!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️”

“We first found mercy tavern last October! We planned a quick trip again this year and it was on our list of places to return to! We absolutely love the atmosphere, food and amazing drinks! Can’t wait to go back.”

“We were looking for ice cream places and this one popped up eventually! It should be everyone’s first choice! They have such unique and creative flavors. Never had better ice cream in my life. They deserve all of the hype and praise.”

“We just had our wedding at The Grove, and the experience was top notch. Staff, food, and atmosphere were spot on every step of the way. We need to give a special shout out to Julia, who coordinated every little detail while making everyone feel at ease and welcome. Her efforts leading up to the wedding and through the whole event were very impressive, down to the smallest details of our requests that she knew by heart, as well as her experience and input on the other small details we wouldn’t have even thought of. The organization is very lucky to have her. Thank you to all of the incredible staff for such a wonderful day. Down to the extra gift the morning after!”

“Notch is my favorite place place to hang out in Salem, and it feels like a European beer hall. Their beers are so good. Their Cerne Pivo makes winter so much better. The staff is kind, the music is great, and it’s such a chill place.”

“I am a huge fan of key lime pie and have sampled it at pretty much every opportunity. Each time, I find something that isn’t an A+. The crust is too grainy or crumbly, the bakery has added meringue (which I like on lemon but not lime), or—and this is the most common offender—there is entirely too much lime in the recipe. But the key lime pie I had at Caramel was exceptional in every possible way, especially in its balance of lime flavor. I didn’t try anything else there, so I can’t vouch for the macarons or other goodies, but if you love key lime pie, RUN to this bakery!”

“Stopped in this past Saturday, on a trip up from Florida. Watched the dog training class for a bit and their welcome inside, and sampled a couple of the "offerings". Great brews! As a former home brewer, brought back a couple memories (Porter and IPA). And the bartender was GREAT!! 🙂”