ESSEN Fast Slow Food Reviews

Part supermarket, part short-order deli this is a great place for quality food in a short period of time. Great sandwich options and a well-stocked buffet bar for both breakfast and lunch. I would definitely stop through here again.

Not your typiclal New York deli. Fresh foods with lots of options. Great salads, Asian food, breakfast items and smoothies. Very busy around lunch time but well managed most do takeout not a lot of seating. I eat there 3 days a week for lunch and breakfast to go. Good ice coffee and water selections.

We called in for breakfast a few days during our stay. From fresh fruit to porridge. pancakes, wraps and bagels. The choice is overwhelming. But good value for money. If you are staying nearby, go here as any of the breakfasts will set you up for a long day ahead.

When prowling the city, sometimes you just need something quick and easy so you can get back to it. But you don't want a burger. This place has an amazing selection of pre-made and ready to order healthy selections- sandwiches, wraps, salads, soups, et cetera. Grab it to go or trot up to the second level seating area. High quality, efficient service, great selection. Check it out.

The fruit is really sparkling here, and the oatmeal is great too. I get my tea elsewhere, a lame selection. But the food is delicious and turn-over is high so it's being replenished frequently.

Essen is my go-to spot for a quick lunch grab. Wide variety of options from hot breakfast and buffet lunches to salads, grill bar, deli counter etc. Prices are fairly standard for New York, which is to say too high but thats what you expect here.

Great find for quality, quick food at a reasonable price. We ate here three times during our 4-night visit. Huge variety of pre-made and customizable options like an upscale cafeteria. The bagel sandwich with egg, meat and cheese for $5 can't be beat. Large beverage case or coffee bar with juices and smoothies. Going to miss having this around the corner from us.

We desperately needed to find a spot for breakfast on an early Sunday morning/ There are probably plenty of places in the area where we stay, but few open early enough and reasonably priced. We found the food to be good quality. We ordered egg sandwiches which were prepared while we waited. There were also many other choices that were ready made or to be chosen from a breakfast buffet. We were a little disappointed that we couldn't get something to carry away for lunch that wasn't already sitting in a cooler.

My husband and I were looking for a quick play to get a fresh salad in NYC. It was a Saturday, just before Xmas. I had looked Essen up on the web and thought it sounded like the right place. But the salad bar was empty except for two wilted heaps. Very unappetizing. When I asked the man behind one of the counters where the fresh ingredients were, he told me not on the weekends-only during the week. If that is the case, then they should advertise that fact. I was very disappointed.

This is a sort of New York corner deli store on steroids. It used to be that every corner store did hot food on trays, traditional New York Italian dishes, interspersed with the preferences of the neighbourhood, Jewish, Chinese etc. Coffee on the go all the time, paper cups with a Greek frieze and so on. This is that store combined with gourmet deli treats, a wider range of 'healthy' choices, artisan chocolate and so on. This one has an upstairs seating area which is light and bright and means the workers don't have to eat back at their desks. Prices are what you might expect, service is fast and efficient, though it's too big and too busy to be personal. Great for food on the go.

My wife and I visited this place on our recent trip to New York (it was only up the road from our hotel). We were impressed by both the selection and apparently quality of the food offered and as such came back to visit multiple times during our trip.

They work fast, yes, but the place is quite messy, especially upstairs. Gorgeous fruits bar. Sitting space & restrooms upstairs.

We had not planned where to eat in the city and just stopped in for lunch. It was about 11:30 am or so, I guess that's a little early for lunch in the city. But, we were all hungry. We went for the sandwiches and were very happy with that decision. We had a Cuban, a chicken pesto sandwich, plain old turkey and cheese, and a chipotle. Everyone grabbed a bag of chips and a drink and it came out to about $55 total. The sandwiches were huge and we were sorry we couldn't really take anything to go, so there was some waste. We browsed the hot bar which looked pretty good and they had a very large selection of more natural food options in their section that looked a little like a convenience store. Overall, a great choice since we were completely unfamiliar with the city and just found it by luck.

Fast slow food . Excellent quality . Best deli in the area .. Fantastic selection of salads and hot foods . Meat loaf to die for ! Highly recommended !

Dropped in impromptu. Thier oatmeal bar is the best I have seen. Oatmeal and fresh vegie juice. A good start to the day

This place was around the corner from our hotel. We went in not knowing anything about this place but were pleasantly surprised. There is so much fresh food here that it was hard to decide what to get. There is salad, sandwiches, soup, fresh fruit, bagels, a lot of hot food. We ended up eating here five times why we were here. We ate breakfast here everyday and sometimes had lunch here too. I was very impressed and will return here when I am in New York.

We found this on8th avenue on 38th street we used it every day for breakfast there is a amazing selection you pick what you want and pay by weight we got a coffee and juice and a selection of porridge yougharts and fruit , pastries and fried items for about$20

Great selection and yummy food. Easy to get healthy choices too. Price is per lb on the buffet so don't get carried away!

My family really enjoyed Essen for lunch. There were lots of choices. The omelet plate for $9 was a great value, but the fruit for $21 was expensive. We may eat there again while we're here. Lots of healthy options and good variety.

The food is a wonderful pick and mix. It's separate dishes you can load a container with. You pay by weight. I had salmon, selected roasted butternut squash to go with it, added mushrooms and finally a spoon full of carrots. Only downside was the veg was warm not really hot. Clean and friendly and restrooms are spick and span

I ate here on the weekend with my family for lunch. Lots of options and the place was very clean. We all wanted different options and all got what we wanted. Good choice for group lunch.

I am not sure this place could be beaten for selection and quality of food, a proper NY deli lunch experience. It is absolutely mobbed at lunchtime but whilst crowded they deal with it very well. If you are in New York, you should give it a try.

Lot of options to choose for lunch. Good place to mix and match. It issue is some dishes aren't tagged properly so difficult to make out which meat it is

Be prepared to fight your way among a crowd if you come right at lunchtime. It was good to have a variety of food items available, and many warm selections you can self-serve and then weigh at the cashier. Good place; convenient; pretty friendly all things considered.

This place has almost too many choices. I tried two of the sushi rolls. They were just average. I will try a sandwich or Ramen on my next visit. I won't rule out another stop, because of the average sushi.

A bit overwhelming the first time you enter but he staff helped me to negotiate my way around the store and where great guides to 'new experiences' in food.

We ate here for lunch and dinner on our recent trip. On both occasions we found the food to be delicious and plentiful. At lunch I had a wrap that was absolutely rammed full off flavour. It was so big we could have shared it. On the occasion we ate there at night, we had just got back from world trade and were totally shattered. The thought of going through the motions of a restaurant didn't appeal, so we decided on the deli again. I had szechuan chicken Chinese with nuts sugar snaps and beansprouts. This too was really tasty. If you're after this kind of food I highly recommend eating here.

For the kind of food they make, it is a bit expensive. A sandwich 8,50$. But it is tasteful and clean.

Can't beat the price so close to Grand central station for fresh Omlettes and breakfast wraps cooked to order in front of your eyes, and a handy seated balcony upstairs.

8 of us needed a quick breakfast. We were not disappointed. Even though the dishes and cutlery are plastic, the taste of the food is not compromised. My French toast was delicious!

From morning to evening this Deli does extra fresh food ,a wide range of breakfast foods,too many too mention, Salads ,cakes ,rolls fresh range of coffee and smoothies Blended to your recipe. The best part of this deli is you pay buy weight for food

Ate lunch which was so tasty that we went back for breakfast the next day.. Only complaint was that some things were not as warm as they should have been but everything was tasty!

The cafe we wanted to visit was closed, so we went searching for breakfast and passed this place. It looked pretty sterile, so our expectations were quite low. Too our surprise, the food was quite good and there was plenty of everything.

Impressive buffet cafeteria and shop near the JP Morgan Library and Museum. One could eat there daily and be content. The food is tasty, healthy, and full of variety. There seemed to be enough seating upstairs, and the staff did well to manage the busy environment. Many customers take the food "to go," though the upstairs seating is good. Great for take-away or eating at the upstairs tables. The New Yorkers want the food fast and fairly priced, with no compromise to quality. It's no easy task, but they achieve it in New York at Essen, 290 Madison Avenue.

Is a nice deli. A long variety on food. You can found all that you want. I was many times for breakfast. Price is by weight . They are open 24 hours

Lots of options from sandwiches and soups, to sizable cold and hot buffets and the place was packed. Up close, it's a cafeteria meal disguised as slow food. Though reasonably priced for Manhattan at $8.99/lbs. and spoiled for choice, the salads are already dressed and the hot food has already spent the better part of the day on the steam table. One wonders what the long lines are for given the variety of other options in this area of town. Not recommended.

If you cannot find something to eat here, then you are not trying. Huge portions, fast service, great get and go food plus prep on the spot. Fabulous value for food portions. Dine in area.

My wife and I dropped in at the recommendation of a doorman at Trump Soho. Great choice. Food was good and there was a large selection.

A really good food selection. You can munch on a wide variety of foods. A little pricey but the quality is good.

Essen food is a great way to start your day for breakfast. They do just about every conceivable item of food you could wish for. Good quality and easily accessible. You can either take-away or eat in.

I loved this place - loads of hot and cold dishes to choose from, fresh produce and some interesting combinations in the salads. You pick a container, fill it with whatever you fancy (in specific zones) and it's charged by weight. fun!

Went here searching for something for breakfast and ended up getting a breakfast platter that included 2 eggs, home fries/your choice of meat and whole wheat toast (which was a peasant deviation from your standard white bread) for only $3.95. They have a wide variety and everything is cooked to order...now that's awesome. Also, the upstairs area is for eating and is well lit and comfy. If you are in the area you should check them out!

On the corner of Madison and 27th, this busy establishment is open all hours. Enjoy omelettes for UNDER FIVE BUCKS in the morning hours, hot soups, great salad bar, sandwich bar AND a Killer Juice Bar where you can order what YOU want when YOU want it. Thinking ahead, they have a little display behind the counter where you can buy traveler size drugstore items.

If your looking for a great breakfast place where everyone from little Bo to Grandma Frida will find something they'll like this is the place to go. Of cause it can add up price wise but it's worth it!

Reckless and inconsistent food quality. To save a min of cooking, dude threw my chicken stir fry in mesh in same boiling water as the rest of other meat (I dont eat pork). Food was tasteless and chicken was half cooked. I guess he didn't want to spend time cooking food. There are plenty of choices in midtown, I will go some place else.

Really really good. They have absolutely everything you can thing of. Everything. Just pick what you want, take it, pay for it and go, or stay. Lunch time can get quite busy in here so I would come just after it to have peace and quiet on the second floor, where there are restrooms and wifi.

I stopped in late on a Friday (just after 11 p.m.). I had read the reviews and was sorely disappointed. The food that was left over was sparse (almost none) and looked inedible. I tried some Asian noodles--that was a mistake. If I had it do over, I would have bought a protein bar and called it a day. I assume that nights are not their focus. But don't be fooled by the fact that they are "open" late. The food is not.

Use to get my coffee and cut up fruit here Monday thru Friday. Then they went from an A rating down to a C. Yuckkkk!

I can't get over the freshness and variety of their food. And the fast check out. Definitely a fabulous selection of food and speed for the ever moving NewYorker or visitor

So this place is fabulous! It's no Per Se but for its category it is top notch food quality and prices. I like their juices, smoothies, gluten free udon, egg salad, chopped salads, and so much more. This is a great go to spot for office food needs or coworkers breakfasts. OMG their breakfasts! They have over easy eggs how they have these in a buffet tray if magic to me. If you get their while they're setting up and before the eggs are out the grill guy will make them for you on the fly. They also have tater tots, a ton of egg choices. My coworker lives their blueberry muffins. Oatmeal - where else in the city can you get oatmeal made with 6 different bases? They have coconut milk, water, skim milk, whole milk, and others. Lastly, I find their fruit on point. Always fresh and never underripe. (Massive pet peeve of mine is fruit served before it is ripe or putting rind in with melons - Essen is never guilty of this) PS - they're delivery is the fastest in midtown east by far.

Dined here multiple times for lunch and dinner. I've only had the hot buffet and salad bar. Both are phenomenal and priced well. Fresh ingredients and just delicious. I looked forward to coming here everyday.

Stumbled on 'Essen purely by chance and enjoyed it so much we returned daily for breakfast every day for the rest of our trip. Counters and counters full of an extensive range of hot (and yes, properly hot) breakfast treats...sausages, all kinds of eggs, French toast, corned-beef hash, omelettes, muffins, porridge...and chilled breakfast items too including delicious prepared fresh fruit, pancakes, yoghurts, cereals...so much choice I'm sure I've missed out plenty. Great choice of coffees and teas, fruit juices and the like. Most food items sold simply by weight, so choose how much you want according to how peckish you are then simply take it to the checkouts to be weighed and priced. Plenty of seating in the clean, well-lit mezzanine and nice clean loos too.

Very happy to find Essen great healthy food very quick service and the price is great the place is very clean and friendly staff

this location of this iconic eatery is in baltimore.iy has the full gamut of a NYC deli menu and even some surprises.i learned growing up the most important criterion for a "real" deli was whether they had halvah on the top of the showcase.there it was!!!!! 'nuff said