This place is CLOSED. The water tower is renovating and many business have left: essence, honey baked ham, pier 1, Szechuan chef, etc. Not sure why Maps won’t mark this as closed.

The place is small but very cute. I got their Maple Spice Latte & it was the most delicious latte I ever tasted. I overheard the conversation from their regulars, it seems like the guy makes the best cappuccino in town.Also my friend got one of their cookies. He said its definitely worth the cost & then some. Cute place, not tons of seating, serves only specialty coffee drinks & some fresh cookies & muffins.

For months a sign has been out front advertising a Monday-Saturday happy hour from 11 AM - 2 PM for a coffee and a bagel deal. At noon, I decided to finally visit Essence for this specific reason. There was absolutely no one else there except the man behind the counter who seemed totally discombobulated at the concept of having to make an iced coffee. I looked around for any indication of the coffee+bagel promotion but saw none, so I asked about it, and hes like, Oh, is that sign still out there? We dont have bagels. Ill have to tell the owner. And that was it -- no offer of having me select something else or having some kind of discount despite that the whole point of why I was there in the first place was based on a lie. I had to pay full price -- forty-five cents extra just for ice to be put in it, meaning less coffee I actually bought. Totally unsatisfying.EDIT: If Starbucks posted a promotion out front that promised free bagels with the purchase of a coffee, why is it the customers’ responsibility to assume that isn’t actually true? What if the Starbucks employee said, “That promotion doesn’t exist, it needs to be taken down”—but then the promotion continues to stay up for several more months? What if the customer complained about the drink he or she received and Starbucks in turn blamed the customer?Surely the lack of customer service that was demonstrated in the reply to this review impacted the business more than my initial review ever could.

I love going to eSSence to get my favorite drink which is a iced Vietnamese style coffee! Not only do they have great coffee they have fresh pastries. Mine favorite is the blueberry coffee cake:)I work in the building and there have been times I only have a minute or two to place my order, I will tell the owner that I will be right back to pick it up but I end up getting busy with work to realize how long Ive been gone and out of the kindness of their heart they will bring my drink down to me and say I didnt want it not to be good when you drink it. There are not many business that would take their time to do that.I dont know what I would do if I ever changed my job!!!!I am sad to see this coffee place go. I wish them the best on what ever new adventure they have planned. You guys will be truly missed!

I have been going to eSSence since their inception years ago and hands down the best coffee in the city comes out of this place. The two owners are coffee connoisseurs and truly understand what it takes to make the perfect coffee drink. The shop is cozy and the music is always pleasant and the available seating is nice too. I work in Johns Landing and have tried all of the other coffee places in the area and there is no comparison! If you want hot(or iced), delicious coffee,,,,,,, Go To Essence!

I love going to Essence because of the nook-in-the-wall, quiet atmosphere, great for reading a book. The coffee is good (the owner is from Sumatra and knows coffee), and music was quiet jazz last couple times.No internet access though, and careful, the parking is paid now and theyre ticket-happy (happy to give you a ticket).

Great friendly place to get a coffee! It only took a couple of orders before they were able to make my regular drink without even having to ask. Good coffee and assortment of snacks.

This is a wonderful place, their coffee and staff have cheered me up many times and will continue to do so. My staple is the latte with 3x shots, and every once in a while one of the great cookies. But their is no shortage of great things to try

Hands down, the best coffee in Johns landing. Their ice coffee is INTENSE but well worth it when you need the extra kick. I usually get a shot in the dark. They are friendly, quirky, and appreciative of your business. I regret ever going to starbucks or elephants deli. No cookie-cutter mornings here...this is the real deal!

Great place for coffee.....black or specialty blend. Enjoy something to eat with that like I did and you will enjoy your coffee even more. Very friendly place with interesting atmosphere.

Janky sign on register saying back in 5 minutes. Waited nearly ten before leaving. Lots of negative signage about not making drinks if you dont pay, no Wi-Fi. Odd $.65 upgrade charges.

Meh. Not that impressed. This place has five star ratings because the owner entices customers to write a 5-star review in order to get a free coffee. I asked for some ice the other day and I got it for free. I asked for it again the next day and they charged me a dollar for it. Starbucks gives out **free** iced water to their customers. I also was told that vanilla flavoring in my coffee will now cost an additional $.50 (per pump mind you) on July 15th. Theyre nice people. But it seems like theyre literally trying to squeeze every dime from you when they can. Im going to bring my coffee from home from now on.

If I worked in this building (The Water Tower), I would definitely give this place 5 stars; my latte is excellent and cost $3.10.

Someone referred me to try their Maple Spice latte. I am glad I did. It was nicely done!

Guy is weirdly hostile, I cant figure out what the deal is with this place. There is a 76 station across the street, you are better off going there, suprisingly decent coffee for a gas station.

High quality coffee, outstanding baked goods, made well NOT fast. Friendly owners and a great addition to the building.

Well run friendly owner/staff ... large lobby area to sit ...quiet for private conversations

I did not ask for room in my 12oz Americano. You can imagine my dismay when I removed the lid to see there was barely 8oz of liquid making it a very spendy drink! 😩

Wonderful variety of tea and coffee brewed hot for you on request or to purchase for brewing at home.

Read reviews and decided to try it for my self,I went in the guy is in dirty shirt with a hat on didn’t knowledge me,till I say Hello,I asked what’s the most popular coffee here since I never been there before he started giving me attitude I turn around and left,NEVER WILL RECOMMEND this place to anyone!!!!!

My favorite place in town for a hot mocha! Short lines and friendly staff are a plus.

Good staff and attention to detail with complex drinks

Love the coffee, the people and that roll with the nuts.