Essex Diner — Restaurant in Maryland

My family decided to try this diner last night for the first time. When we were first shown to a table, the hostess forgot to give us menus. It took about 10 minutes to get them but we finally did when the waitress came to take our drink order. That was alright. They had a wide selection and decent prices. We decided to all get the MD crab soup, bacon and cheddar fries, and chicken fried steak and pancakes.

The food took about 20 or so minutes to get to us but she finally did bring out the soup. She forgot one so she had to return to the kitchen. When she came back out, she was joined by another waitress carrying our fries. The fries already looked cold. The bacon on top was just long, regular strips of bacon and the cheese was in a congealed clump on top. Not appetizing whatsoever. We got about two sips of soup in before our meals came. We had no room on the table to even eat because of all of the dishes!

The food itself was fairly disgusting. The soup was way too spicy for me, but generally edible. The fries were tasteless. I tried my husband's pancakes and they were very doughy, as if they were undercooked. As for my chicken fried steak, the meat was good but the gravy had a horrible aftertaste. I ordered the mac & cheese with my meal and parts of it were burned. My father-in-law ordered the stuffing with his and spit it back out after one bite (and this is a man that LOVES food and will eat anything).

As to the service... also horrible. When we requested drink refills, we were met with attitude. At one point, I asked for more water and she took my cup, then as my father-in-law was taking a sip of his soda, she stuck her hand out and reached for the cup, AS HE WAS DRINKING IT!! Then got an attitude because he dared to swallow his liquid before handing over his glass.

I will say one good point though. The owner (I think it was the owner anyway; I had overheard our waitress tell another patron that he was the owner) asked if we would like the tv turned on cartoons for our daughter. It was sweet, even if it was an hour into our meal. Please... if you live in the area, go to Jad's or even the Silver Moon. Don't waste your time or money...

2/21/17, I had the worst experience ever at Essex Diner! My sister & I have been going there for a few years & have enjoyed the food & wait staff & have had no problems. Today however, when our separate checks were given to us, we divided them up because we shared a piece of cake. My sister was going to pay my check $15.06 & I was going to pay her check $10.55 & add both of our tips to it equaling the same $15.06 & use my debit card. My sister went up to the register first & tried to pay the $15.06 check & the waitress told her it wasn't her check, so the waitress rang up $10.55 & she paid it. Then the waitress came over to the table & told me that my sister was paying the wrong check & I had to pay the $15.06 check. I explained to the waitress how my sister & I was dividing the checks & tips, & they were going to equal the same amount. The waitress seemed to understand, sort of, except kept interrupting me. Then once the waitress left the table the Owner came over to the table along with the waitress. Which by then, I was not only annoyed but now embarrassed since everyone in the diner could hear & see what was going on. The Owner argued the explanation I gave to the waitress as to why we were paying how we were paying. Then he grabbed my sisters change off the table saying he wasn't "going to lose money" & walked over to the register. The waitress came back over to give My sister whatever change they were giving her again. By this time everyone was so confused & he kept yelling about how wrong I was for giving my sister the higher check & again I tried to explain why we did it that way & he didn't want to hear it & he just went on yelling at me about how wrong I was. I have NEVER in my 64 years have had any restaurant worker or Owner question (loudly) of how the bill was going to be split up, or paid (in full). He was so irrate he just kept yelling & being loud, even other patrons were getting upset with me when I did...

Melissa H. was a great waitress for us!

SPACE 🏫 Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the food or space, but it's a diner with a fair amount of seating, perhaps maxing out around 40-50 people at 1 time. It may be helpful to call ahead if your group is larger than 2. They have a bar to sit at (I don't think they serve alcohol), and several booths and 4-seat tables.

SERVICE 🏅 🏅 🏅 🏅 🏅 I went there with a couple of guy friends and we were seated quickly and Melissa was very attentive to our requests. She regularly checked in to make sure we had all that we needed, including refilling the coffee ☕.

FOOD 👍 👍 👍 👍 👍 I forget what the others ordered, but I ordered the Farmer's Omelette with swiss cheese, home fries with onions, and sourdough toast, and a Jr. Essex Pancake 🥞 Special to go for my wife. And coffee ☕. I can't go to a diner and not enjoy the coffee (although sometimes I order orange juice, but not this time 😊). The food came out in a timely manner and it was hot. I couldn't eat all of mine and Melissa was gracious to get me a box to take it home. (It was tasty as leftovers the next day too).

My friends and I stayed and talked for about 2 hours from arrival to departure, and it was a relaxing experience with Melissa's hospitality. There were a couple of families with small children who came in while we were there and the staff was quick to serve them.

This experience was a win and I'll keep it in mind for when I'm in Essex...