Essex Ale House is Closed (Again)
Essex Ale House has had a rough-and-tumble life at the corner of East Houston and Essex Street. Not long after the demise of 12″ Bar in 2006, 179 Essex was reborn as the Essex Ale House, offering a unique selection of craft and Belgian beers at reasonable prices. But all that changed little more than two years later (July 2008), when the folks behind Nice Guy Eddie’s and the Library assumed control, moving their Vasmay Lounge franchise from Suffolk Street into the space.
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Problems persisted. In March 2009, the Department of Health shuttered the watering hole for allegedly “operating without a permit.” The closure was short-lived, however, and the establishment reopened a month later. And now, a year on, history has repeated itself. Essex Ale House is once more out of commission, yet this time the closure seems permanent. A “for rent” sign hangs from the marquee.
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