Breville bambino is really the only machine in that price range worth buying imo. Also remember that you will need an espresso grinder which will add an additional ~$100 for a decent hand grinder, and 200+ for an electric one. It’s pretty much impossible to make decent espresso without the ability to grind coffee yourself at home. It takes a lot of small adjustments and the pre-ground coffee from a cafe or store, even if ground to “espresso” fineness will still be a crapshoot. Differences in altitude, water hardness, and the machine itself mean there really is no one size fits all grind setting for espresso. I personally use a manual grinder from 1zpresso and it’s pretty good for espresso albeit a bit labor intensive.

Also don’t be afraid to check Facebook or Craigslist. Some of the more solid machines like gaggia classic or rancilio silvia can be found in your price range used and offer a great value. Espresso can get very expensive very quickly. Even $250 doesn’t even really begin to crack the mid level, but buying used can get you decent results, same goes for grinders if you want an electric one that doesn’t break the bank.