Visited NYC midtown for work, colleague recommended this place... What a find! This place has everything you could want, all hot fresh and ready to go. The place was packed and it ran like a well oiled machine... so efficient! Took no time to get food, have a place to eat upstairs.

I have been in the city on and off since 2009. I found this place in 2013 and it has been my “go-to” breakfast venue anytime I am in the city!!! So glad they now have extended opening hours. The best place to eat affordable in NYC.

Buffet style eating where you pay by weight. There extensive salads, hot plates. You pick out your food and place it in your to go box. Then it is weighed. The selection is extensive and very appealing before the lunch crowd decimates it.

Totally radical dude! So good food, it makes me want to eat more, and spend all my money on good food and yeah so totally rad. Good food bro! Did I mention good food? Did I? GREAT BUFFET TOO BROSKI. Anyways, radical dude.

The food is great, and its very popular. Depending on what you order, its reasonably priced, too. It gets extremely crowded during the lunch rush. I love it but try to avoid the lunch hour!

This place has an excellent buffet. I've gone for breakfast and for lunch and they have a wider range of very good food at both times. The prices aren't bad either. The bathrooms were the cleanest I've seen in any NYC establishment.

They have soo many choices. There is something for everyone. Great prices too.

Delicious as always. So many options. Highly efficient operationally, especially at the checkout line. It's the ideal lunch spot. It can get quite busy, so if you are waiting in line for a salad at lunch rush hour, be prepared to wait. However, the salads are amazing! Unlimited toppings for a stable price. It's the only place that you can get a salad for $10-11 that you won't be able to finish in one meal. The middle bar has a great selection - seems to be similar pricing as the whole foods bar.

Essen is a great place! I go their for lunch every other day because I work just down the street. Its always really busy in there. They have a great hot food bar but its a bit pricey. They also do salad bar, so you can make your own. My favorite part is the juice bar with fresh juices, and if your in a hurry they have some prepackaged ones as well!

Hidden gem. 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.

Great healthy and fresh food selection, especially for lunch. Friendly staff. Very reasonable prices. Clean dining area and nice, bright space upstairs with free wifi and lots of outlets. Bathrooms are always clean too, which is a huge must-have for me! My favorite lunch spot near my office.

Go to for lunch, great selection of hot and cold food bar. Food is always fresh and tasty.

Essen has a large cadre of loyal regulars because you can choose from hundreds of breakfast or lunch choices perfectly prepared and be out in 5 minutes or less! Not cheap, but great selection and quality. Most convenient place that I know to get breakfast... at least 6 kinds of oatmeal, with more than 10 kinds of toppings... that's just the oatmeal section!

It's close to the library, so during my English break I'll stay here. Everything is clean and the food is fresh

The staff at Essen are fantastic. Will and Lola at the front (and everyone else I've encountered in the front and back) are the most efficient team I've seen in the food industry, and are friendly and professional. I would hire them if I could. In addition, whoever is preparing my salads is quick and the salads allow for a great variety of ingredients. With all of that said, I do order by Seamless and pick it up, because during lunch hours the lines are incredibly long, despite an efficient and large number of registers. So plan on a long wait if you are purchasing in the store. I highly recommend ordering and picking up or delivery (the lines during lunch time are too long).

Essen Deli on 290 Madison Avenue offers a delightful array of food options, perfect for takeout. Their buffet is a standout, featuring a wide variety of dishes that cater to diverse tastes. The salad bar is fresh and plentiful, providing numerous healthy choices. For those craving something warm and comforting, the ramen and hot food selections are excellent, with rich flavors and satisfying portions. Overall, Essen Deli is a go-to spot for anyone looking to enjoy a delicious and varied meal on the go. Whether you're in the mood for something light or hearty, they have something to satisfy every craving.-- Julie P

Best salad bar . It has a lot of variety . I prefer if they put less oil in the salad but overall I loved that it had all the options (salmon shrimps ..) . The price is fair and will definitely recommend it

Clean throughout the shop but fantastically clean loo!! Great sandwich choices plus yoghurt snacks. Clean lines, easy to see choices. Stairs to mezzanine seating area.

Essen is the best. They are the only deli in Manhattan that has free range ducks roaming around and they have magicians performing tricks in store from 7am to 845am every weekday. I also ran into my long lost twin brother here while I was ordering a bacon egg and peanut butter sandwich. On a side note essen was created by the actor that portrayed jar jar binks in star wars

Nice place! I absolutely recomend it.

+2

Very good place for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Huge selection of food of all cuisines. Recommend it! No alcohol served here.

To eat cheap close than Grand Central Station , quickly and healthy ? It’s the spot to be ! You can take to go, or to eat upstair for less than $20, if you like to have a full menu. It’s also possible to have salad and some food under 10$ !

This place is awesome. It is a GREAT stop for breakfast Lunch and Dinner just everything you could want small mart / luncheon breakfast dinner grill and drinks station with seating and all ! Clean and fresh food !

My go-to place for a quick lunch. Great selection and quality food. Perfect to get in and out in 5 min with yummy food for you to eat on your desk.

Vanessa Castillo

After becoming a local, I was pleased to discover this spot. All employees seem invested in customer satisfaction. Their attention to detail appears in both cuisine and service. Their portions satisfy hunger and every item was well-prepared. The value proposition here is excellent.

rodrigo jimenez

It’s not a restaurant, we went and you can choose food by the pound. It’s delicious and well priced. Do not plan to stay there to eat, it’s come, fill up a container and leave.

The Skinny Billionairess

Needed a break from walking and a snack while visiting NYC. Large selection on the buffet, tea, coffee,etc. Exceptional cleanliness in bathroom and seating area. Ask for code for bathroom upstairs at register. They were incredibly pleasant.

Judy French

We came here when visiting NYC 5 years ago so made a special trip back there. Huge range of items to choose from and you pay by weight, great healthy options, very busy and seems to be popular with local workers. My photo is my mix of guacamole, fish, sesame chicken, cauliflower, broccoli

Visited for breakfast. Good assortment of hot and cold foods and coffee . Be aware that breakfast doesn't last long a few often find that lunch items start to replace breakfast items around 8am.

Food is incredible. A really good source of Asian American food. I love this place. Food so tasteful. The only thing difficult to find parking and always full and busy. I know is NY

Great midtown lunch spot. It's is very busy between 11:45 and 1 but still manageable. The salads are really fresh and fairly inexpensive for what you get. They also have a sashimi salad which is excellent. Lastly, their brick oven melts are incredible. Very similar to Cosi in the sense that they make their own bread.

I usually come here in the evening, 4-6pm. It's always quiet, plenty of seats at that time. You can sit as long as you want. The food is good but depends on what you get. There is a variety of choices. I often get a juice. It's really good.

Simple but well cooked food that was enjoyable to eat, also reasonable prices. Went back again

So much choice it's astonishing. The speed at which the chefs work is impressive. Had breakfast here with a BLT wrap yummy! Had an early dinner pre flight with a quesadilla which was very tasty but quite greasy. Would go again for my quick bite and free wifi.

Food is delicious, price is above average. Great selection. Don't spend too much time figuring out which sandwich to get. I feel like they all taste the same.

Loved that my breakfast wrap was made fresh and hot! My son had the most amazing fruit cup. ($7.50 was a bit steep though).

I don't normally do buffets due to the open area of the food. I purchased the black bean salad, it was good. The upstairs dining area is clean and plentiful seats to choose from. If you need something quick, plenty of choices.

I like Essen for the quality of food. I've been to other buffet style places and this one is probably the best. The food is tasty for something that has been prepared to-go. I tried some of their rice and garbanzo beans, roasted Brussels sprouts, and their veggie dumplings. It's a great place to go when you're not quite sure what to go and you want to eat a bit healthy. They have veggie sandwiches and salads. They also have meat and fish options. They have a sushi area and a custom salad area where you can ask someone to prepare your salad for you. Great place to bring anyone considering they have so many options. They even carry vegan cookies. It's clean and the staff is nice. I was happy with the selection of food they have. I'll definitely come back again and try the other locations as well.

One of the best lunch bars in midtown. Everything taste pretty good and well seasoned. Unlike many of the food bars in the city. Highly recommend making your own lunch at this place. Downside: expensive to eat there everyday.

My preferred place to go for a quick lunch when working from the office. Good variety of food - although it's pretty much the same everyday - and with a fair price. People normally grab the food and go out, but there also some seats available.

I really like the different options of food...nice and fresh! The only downfall is the price per pound per plate. Very clean and organized. Please note not much to chose from at the food bar after 2pm. Everyone loves this place during lunch time!

I order in from this place almost every day. They consistently get the order correct and deliver on time. There is an establishment with a similar set up across the street from me but I rather pay the nominal deliver fee and tip since the quality of the food here is so, so, so much better. Perfect spot for breakfast or lunch if you work in the area.

When all of the other fast casual restaurants nearby are packed, this place was shockingly more accessible. The food was quick and good for what it was, and there was ample seating upstairs which was greatly appreciated. Was like finding a gem in the rough given lack of seating and long lines most places nearby.

I ordered pumpernickel bagel toasted with butter lettuce and tomato. The cook gasped.😳

I stop in here frequently for lunch. They have a huge variety of choices both hot and cold.

Anna V Gregory

'Love to come here for lunch when I'm on my own in the city ,wide selection of tasty food and a generous amount of comfortable seating upstairs...a pretty much clean and peaceful spot.

Karla Alejandra España Pérez

I usually work remotely at Essen — a peaceful place where I can spend the whole day working. The musical atmosphere is inspiring, the tables are comfortable, and there’s a great variety of food options. I’d only wish for a stronger Wi-Fi connection to call it perfect for me.

gal osiroff

very good selection and freshness The price is just a bit too high The pre-made wraps are not good I recommend

Adam Hakimian

Solid lunch spot & packaged foods market, located 1 block away from the beautiful Bryant Park. The food quality is decent, and the decor is decent. Seating for approx 35 people upstairs. Every type of food imaginable is available here. Prices can be steep so be careful how much food you load onto that buffet tray.

Jamie L

The food is slightly overpriced, but it's solid quality, so no real complaints. The hot buffet options are great, and the location right outside the office building is very convenient. Overall, it offers a good selection of food, and the space is clean and well-maintained.

Brandon Davis

Our food was delicious made very nicely right in front of us

+3

Troy Gordon

Their breakfast buffet is top-notch, and the wait is quick! This place runs like a well-oiled machine, thanks to the super-efficient staff. You can be in and out in under five minutes—perfect for busy mornings! Lunch can get a bit hectic with the crowds, but the staff’s impressive speed keeps your wait time to pay under five minutes. It’s a lively atmosphere, and you’ll be ready to tackle your day in no time! One suggestion: it would be even better if they offered sriracha sauce to spice things up! However, a minor criticism is the pricing; for instance, a small box of sushi costs $7.50 but has jumped to $9. A little adjustment there would make the experience even better!

+2

Ghada

Lovely place for breakfast in Madison Avenue! Their coffee is super delicious and always freshly brewed! I love the hazelnut coffee ☕️ as it always has amazing after taste. The place is great for families with children as there’re many options for different breakfast preferences! There is a station for freshly made sandwiches where you can get egg sandwiches A station for prepared hot food, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal and a juicing bar. If you are there don’t miss trying their peanut butter wraps!

+14

Tram Santana

This place is like a canteen. Nice, spacious, clean and neat and of course you need the vaccine card to stay in. They have many different kinds of food that you can choose Western and Asian as well. And I love the Smoothies Corner my favorites are Cucumber Protein (Juice) and Funky Monkey (Smothie). Their dumplings and shiumai are must try!

+3

Local Guide

Food is weighed by the pound. Soup and salad are best light food choices on the weekend. However during weekdays peek hours the buffet setup is fully stocked. There's upstairs seating and its brightly lit with WiFi and one table section for a large group of family. This spot is good for tourists exploring the city.

Pretty fast pace place get in and out .. Here was my issue ....i work around the area and my lunch time was not the typical 10-12 instead 2pm ..as i went to the buffet it seems as if there where scraps of food that hasn't been refilled , fine so than be it but if your not going to put out more fresh food why charge the same already overpriced price for scraps of food there should be some type of compromise i mean people are still eating in the afternoon

Good options for breakfast; you get to order your omlette directly from the fellow that is cooking it. Actual eggs being broken open right before your eyes. Nice coffe, too. Upstairs seating are is very handy, clean.

Rude staff. The food was amazing, huge omelettes . I gave it 3 stars because of the cashiers rudeness, we asked for tissues she rolled rolling eyes as if she is giving it from her pocket, best food yet worst service.

There is a good amount of variety in the food options but I have found it to be very hit or miss, especially with the buffet area. One thing I did find troubling is that the packaged nuts may contain moth larva. I found two in a pack the other day so I will refrain from buying those. Bulgogi, chicken, fried rice as well as sandwiches are usually great there though.

Service is so-so. Selection is lacking and they close the buffet early. The açaí was the worst I’ve had. Just ice and syrup.

Service is SLOW they need more people in here because it shouldn’t take so long on the morning it’s the busiest. Hire more people by the juice maker or get more juice makers.

The buffet choices are limited still. Their salads are priced decently for that large amount and customized to your liking. The pastas are simple and decently priced, a bit bland though. The grill line is busy most of the time, expect a wait, burgers, fries , onion rings are fairly priced, their cold cut sandwiches/wraps are ok too, nothing to rave about. Their soups change daily, several typical coffee bar choices. Smoothie bar on the side, it's not always open. Cashiers are quick and friendly when it's not busy, cleanliness and upkeep of the place is always happening by the staff.

Breakfast & Lunch this place is amazing with so many choices of fresh cooked food or buffet style. The sandwiches are amazing and fairly priced for a meal. By far some of the best soup i have had from a deli standpoint in the city. The only downfall is when you go any later than 6pm service slacks off and the cooks become somewhat lazy and just let you order only what they feel like cooking at the time. Usually just a burger and fries or a cheese-steak. On a more positive note the create your won salad station is amazing and very affordable

Lots of different food options, they hit all the major types of cuisine and do a pretty good job. It's a little over priced, but not outrageous considering it's in the middle of a heavily traveled area of NYC. Main reason for 3 stars and not 4 is that they rarely use the air conditioning in the upstairs seating area and it gets hot as balls up there some days. I imagine it will start being a comfortable come fall/winter. Bathrooms are quite nice and outside of the lunch rush, service is super fast.

As far as lunch spots in midtown go, this place is pretty good. Its clean and the food seems fresh. Its a little crazy at lunch time though, so be prepared to wait. I ordered a custom salad from the salad chefs. It was good, yet nothing to write home about. You could go to a Cafe Metro and get a similar salad. Would I go back? Sure. But I am not going to rush over there everyday.

Nice place and location but very pricey. The pancakes were also kind of cold and the strawberry were solid.

While the food is indeed fresh, the prices are atrocious. Especially if you do order on app delivery services. A plain turkey sandwhich, literally not even mayo or cheese. Close to $8. I understand rent needs to be made. But an extra couple ingredients goes a long way.

lianyi bai

I bought a cake, but when I got home, I realized it was already moldy. The weather’s been really hot lately, so please be more careful with freshness. The receptionist helped me return it, but overall it was still a pretty disappointing experience.

Breakfast is good, but staff has attitude. Whoever answers the phone needs some training. If you forgot an item that is already paid for, why give an attitude to the customer if they called to ask for the item they paid for to be delivered...5 of us order here weekly. That’s 5 less customers weekly.....

$11 something for a Turkey sandwich. It was $10 plus tax, ridiculous.

+1

I generally like this place, but beware of the danishes! I like danishes from all over the city! This one…Smells like dogs! Tastes awful! Please please beware!!! I highly doubt this is baked in house like other places, but they musssssst change it or not sell them at all!!!

Safet Pjetrovic (Sarajlija)

Places an Order for cheeseburger deluxe with union rings and coleslaw $24 Received a grilled cheese $6 🤮😁. Call back the next day to see if they would make things right. The lady that answered the phone made me jump through hoops for over 20 minutes with no resolution. I wouldn't recommend. Unless you like an overpriced grilled cheese 🤯.

Katie K

Half the food is good, but the other is okay. They over price and overcharge like crazy. My concern is with the checkout. As the last time I was here I placed my lunch on the scale to weigh, and the price/weight was different than what she charged me. By $5. And I know that my lunch did not weigh a whole pound. When I tried to ask her bought it, she acted like she couldn’t understand me. I explained again and she then hit a button and it completely changed. I am fairly certain that their prices and overcharging is intentional. The people at the checkout counter are also rude. They could be nicer. Based off the other reviews, seems like I’m not the only one who notices the prices and potential overcharges.

Yani Ed

This is one of those food hall kinds of places with lots of variety inside, built to deliver fast food for the people working in the area. They have pre-made, prepackaged, and also assembly food. The prepackaged food has some options that are more perishable than others. For example, the mochi I got was already moldy when I opened it. Pre-made hot food has a good selection, same as cold food. You can find steak, chicken, noodles, and lots of mixes. However, if you come at an off time, the food will have been sitting there and getting overcooked on the hot plate. Assembly food includes stations at the back of the store has options like udon noodle soup, fried rice, and the like. You pick proteins and vegetables to go with a generic base. It's inoffensive, ultimately just fills you up, but is nothing super amazing. Overall, this is a lunch staple spot for some people, but I would prefer to spend my lunch hour somewhere else.

Dreadful service - 35 minutes late, food that was supposed to be served hot was delivered cold and a drink was missing from the order. When I called Essen to mention the poor service I was put on hold twice and then told the food was cold since it is winter. I asked for a refund and was told to call Grubhub. I would not recommend them and I would not use them again. If it were possible I would rate with no stars rather than one.

Purchased a cranberry turkey on wheat, can of seltzer, small bag of chips, tic tacs, and a cheesecake cupcake for about $34. The turkey sandwich was ok if you're famished. The cashier was rude. I tried to wash my hands before eating and there was no soap in the restroom. I had to leave my food unattended and go to the first floor restroom which was out of service. I was encouraged to use hand sanitizer which does not kill all germs. Finally, after 15 minutes an employee refills the soap. Never again.

They charge illegal credit card surcharges. When I complained to the manager, he told me to go ahead and report it, which I did. I will NEVER do business with a company that steals from me.

This could be good if the cooks weren’t so lazy. They don’t cook the food long enough and couple of them have attitudes. Especially the little short one. I thought your suppose to make the food how the customer wants it?? Not here according the the cooks. They make it the way they want you to have it

Watch out for your receipts . They are overcharging you for using your debit or credit card. I reach out to NyS consumer protection more than once and the owner does not care to fix it. Watch out for this restaurant!!!!!! Scam customers

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS HORRIBLE!!! food is okay but over priced like everywhere else in city, so thats expected. But when you place your lunch order before 11am and have to call to check at 12:03 to see where your food is (because the wait for delivery is NEVER under a hour on a regular day & thats promised) I was SO unhappy to hear that the women who took my order said i cancelled my order! Clearly something fell off when she took my order because i never cancelled my order. And instead of admitting she forgot of what ever the case my be she INSISTED THAT IT WAS MY FAULT! over and over again! I cant believe how rude and unprofessional the whole conversation was. After that i had the urge to call and confirm that yes she did put my order in. And ON THE 3RD CALL she still did not put my order in!!!!!! i cant make this up! I had to tell her for the 3rd time, unbelievable!DO NO GO HERE TO WASTE YOUR MONEY!

this place makes absolutely garbage sandwiches. the chicken is unseasoned, tasteless, dry and chopped into little pieces that fall out the sandwich soon as you unwrap it. no thought or care goes in the food or service.

Bought oatmeal for breakfast and I must admit, it was very good. However, I then purchased mixed nuts to take to the office, and when I was ready to open the package, I noticed two winged bugs walking around amidst the nuts. Disgusting. In a sealed package, too.!

Worst worst worst place ever, i got overcharged for one ridiculous sandwich!!! They gave me cold cheese not melted chicken sandwich that i couldn’t eat but i paid 22 dolar! Never again

I've frequented this location for the last 2 years. I was at the grill yesterday morning waiting for my breakfast order. While standing there waiting I spot a roach (at eye level) crawling back and forth on the glass above the grill. Unless I need to grab a bottled water or soda, I'm done.

ALWAYS CHECK YOUR RECEIPT and ask for the cashier to show you the monitor! This morning the cashier gave herself her own tip!And then canceled the option for me to see the receipt. She NEVER turned the monitor towards me either. I was in a rush and didn’t realize until I left but I think so rude and deceitful. If she did it to me she probably does it all the time.

There’s no option for 0 stars—this place doesn’t even deserve one. Extremely disappointing and not worth your time or money.

Hard to rate since it did not open at 5am as listed. With wide open doors a few minutes to 5, an employee told us it was closed. So we waited in plain sight. Walked in the still wide open doors at 5 and were told then it would not open for at least 30 minutes. The employee could have told us when he saw us waiting, but did not.

They are scammers!!! I ordered a bibimbap for $16.99 (which is already quite expensive, even compared to other places like this in Manhattan). I was about to pay with my credit card, they said it was $19.15. I was like, how did that happen? They said the rest is tax. I did the quick math in my head but it still didn't make sense. They said, if I pay by cash, it would be $18.50, which is correct if you apply a 9% NYC sales tax. There was no sign anywhere that there will be extra charge for credit card payments. They just prey on busy New Yorkers who blindly pay for anything and get on with their days. Btw, the food is awful too. Just run! As far as you can from this place.

Hermez Elixir

I’m writing to express my frustration and disappointment with the service I’ve repeatedly received at this location. This has been by far the worst experience I’ve had anywhere, and it’s become a pattern every time I visit. The staff at the sandwich station especially the man in the black shirt consistently treat me with disrespect. He never greets or acknowledges me, and often seems to deliberately ignore me while helping others. The attitude from the entire team is unwelcoming I’ve had employees roll their eyes, delay my order, overcharge me, and prepare my food messily and without care. It’s clear I’m not being treated fairly, and at this point, it feels personal. I shouldn’t feel uncomfortable or disrespected just trying to order food. It’s unacceptable that this kind of behavior continues, and I honestly don’t understand how it’s being allowed. I hope this issue is addressed seriously. No customer should have to feel targeted or mistreated when spending their money.

Evelyn Larios

My son was having lunch at essence and called me and asked me if I wanted something he said there was chicken teriyaki I said sure just bring me a little bit, I could not believe how salty how much salt this has I was in imagining that it was just chunks with light sauce and broccoli this is dretched in a heavy heavy salty sauce pretty grossed out especially when he told me that for that portion was more than $12 I did call up because I was so disgusted that they would sell something like this that the chef would not he, must be addictive to salt someone there. it's disgusting that they sell this and that no one tasted it before putting it out to the customer who are paying a lot of money . Please do not buy the chicken teriyaki it's horrible unless they change the recipe I did call myself and complained I spoke to a woman she apologized but it doesn't do nothing I'm not getting my $12 back or my son. But unless you like salt don't order the don't get the chicken teriyaki at the buffet.