Britt's Express Lane Coffee

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 it's definitely worth the cost & then some. Cute place, not tons of seating, serves only specialty coffee drinks & some fresh cookies & muffins.

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 I've been gone and out of the kindness of their heart they will bring my drink down to me and say I didn't want it not to be good when you drink it. There are not many business that would take their time to do that. I don't 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!

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 he's like, "Oh, is that sign still out there? We don't have bagels. I'll 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 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!

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. They're nice people. But it seems like they're literally trying to squeeze every dime from you when they can. I'm going to bring my coffee from home from now on.

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!

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 they're ticket-happy (happy to give you a ticket).