Essence Lounge Tacoma

We had a fantastic meal at this restaurant! The catfish and Mac n cheese were delicious. My girlfriend thoroughly enjoyed the smothered pork chops. The server was also excellent. We highly recommend this place and will definitely be returning in the future.

For our first meal, I ordered the pork chop which was overcooked, dry, and tough. I took two bites and couldn't eat any more. The mac and cheese was average, but the yams were not well-done. The second meal consisted of chicken wings, which were pretty good and saved the meal from being a complete disaster. However, the greens were very salty, and we did not like the taste of the beans and rice. For our third meal, I ordered the fish and grits. I requested an additional piece of catfish, but it did not arrive. Upon breaking open the fish that was provided, we found it to be hard, overcooked, and dry. It did not taste like real catfish at all. The creamy grits lacked flavor and did not taste creamy at all. The okra was cooked well, but lacked seasoning. I tried calling the restaurant to inform them about the missing piece of catfish, but no one answered the phone. After tasting the subpar food, we were left feeling dissatisfied, disappointed, and still hungry. The meal cost us $83.00, with an additional $22.00 tip, but it was not worth it.

The restaurant had a fantastic ambiance and the food was delicious. Pictured below is the fried tilapia and grits with fried plantains. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture of the oxtails because they were devoured quickly. The servers were friendly and attentive, especially considering the large size of our group.

The absolute best place to get your soul food fix on. I visited with my coworkers and I was amazed at how good the food is. I ordered a smothered pork chop and this is the only place I know of that does smothered pork chops. The pork chop was so soft it was like cutting through butter. The mac cheese was so delicious and tasty that I was scraping the bowl. On top of the amazing food, the prices are really good and affordable. I love that this is a family owned establishment and you feel just like at home when coming to eat. I've also come to Essence for their after-hours lounge and it's a really good time. The space is pretty big and plenty of room for dancing. Great spot for a night on the town with the girls. Definitely looking forward to coming back!

First off, the food is great. Everything I’ve had here is delicious. The catfish is amazing, hush puppies are amazing, I cannot say enough good things about the menu and flavorful dishes.However, the two times I’ve eaten in person the service has not been good. The staff were kind, but just took a long time to acknowledge us and seat us and then it took over an hour for the food to be ready when there was only one other couple in the restaurant. This is a small detail, but the plastic silverware is weird for an otherwise nice vibe. I hope they can hire more staff to provide better service in the future and invest in some silverware because the food is great.One other detail-my partner and I were sooo excited to bring visiting family here but it was closed for a special event at the website had not been updated-that is one logistical improvement that would help is keeping hours up to date. Now we always check the menu and call to make sure it’s open before visiting.