Finding The Perfect Sandwich: Eppes Essen

Eppes Essen is an old-time deli with some new twists.  To be sure, there are classic Reuben sandwiches on the menu, along with knishes and blintzes, along with salads and wraps.

In 1956, the deli opened as a New York Deli before moving to Orange, New Jersey and eventually moving to Livingston.  Eppes Essen is a fixture in Livingston dining.

Upon entering the ZAGAT-rated eatery, customers are greeted by a large display case filled with tasty cookies and cakes. It is quite tempting to start with dessert until you reach the "specials" chalk board, which profiles Eppes Essen's daily menu specials.

Once customers are seated, they are treated to a complimentary bowl of coleslaw and a variety of pickles and hot peppers. Be careful though, or else you may find your stomach filling up long before your meal arrives.

The sandwich options are endless. On the lunch menu there is a section dedicated to specialty wraps. Among these items was the Lancer Wrap, which pays homage to Livingston High School. Another popular choice is the Sweet Jane Wrap, which is stuffed with freshly sliced turkey, coleslaw, Swiss cheese and is drizzled with Russian dressing.

In addition to wraps, there is the usual cast of characters including turkey, pastrami and roast beef sandwiches. Are the kids not in the mood for a sandwich? Not a problem, Eppes Essen offers an extensive children's menu with favorites such as chicken fingers, burgers, hot dogs and mozzarella sticks.

On one recent steamy summer afternoon, my grandfather Harold (who is a member of the Livingston Old Guard) and I decided to make a stop at Eppes Essen for a bite to eat. We were both very hungry and eager to see what the popular eatery had to offer.

What Did We Think?

Phil

I started off by ordering a cup of the restaurant's homemade Matzo Ball Noodle soup. The soup was very flavorful and the matzo ball was huge (and cost only $3.95). I definitely feel that I got my money's worth.

As a Livingston High School alumnus, I felt that it was only appropriate to order the Lancer Wrap as my main course.

This large wrap, which is priced at $12.95, is packed with grilled chicken cutlet, pieces of bacon and thin slices of provolone cheese and served with a side of potato salad. I decided to add some of the eatery's homemade Russian dressing to my wrap to give it an added kick.

There was one problem, though, I was stuffed and I had only eaten half of my sandwich. Even worse was the fact that I still had yet to sample a slice of the cake. No worries though, as the server boxed up the remaining half of my sandwich and slice of Chocolate Fudge cake to go.

The piece of cake was generously cut and is about double the size of an average bakery-sized slice of cake. The cake was moist and the fudge frosting was sweet and very rich.

I ended up spending a total of around $20.00 on myself, which is a little bit pricey for a lunch. However, to be fair, I ended up making two full meals and a dessert out of what I ordered. Considering all of the delicious food I got, the price was well within reason.

Harold

I began my meal with the Mushroom Barley soup. It was very good and there was good mixture of seasoned vegetables and mushrooms.

For the main portion, I ordered the Corned Beef sandwich on Rye bread. I've order this type of sandwich numerous times over the years, but this one was one of the better ones. The bread was fresh and was everything you would expect from a fresh deli sandwich.

The corned beef was very tender and, to my surprise, the meat was lean and wasn't very greasy either.

Overall

Epps Essen was one of my favorite eateries that we have sampled to date. The menu was extensive and I was impressed by everything that was sampled. The staff was cordial and checked in multiple times to ensure that we were enjoying our food.

I do recommend coming to the restaurant with an appetite because just about everything on the menu is served in large quantities, which is certainly welcome in my book. Not to worry though, if you are unable to eat everything, the staff is quick to provide to-go boxes so that you can enjoy the rest of your meal later on.

Next up on our list we will sample another one of Livingston's long-time sandwich shops, Nana's Deli.

Eppes Essen

Address: 105 East Mount Pleasant Avenue

Phone: (973) 994-1120

Website: http://www.eppesessen.com/

Date Reviewed: July 23, 2010