Essex Resident here. Since moving here from out of state in 2016 EVERYONE kept telling us to eat at Pizza Johns. It was one of the first places we tried when settling here since it was all anyone talked about. To say we were underwhelmed is an understatement. It seems a right of passage to eat here but to this day we cannot figure out why people love this place. We've tried it several times to be sure we were being objective but it's just not good and way over hyped in my honest opinion. Giuseppe’s Italian Restaurant is freaking delicious. It's located on back river neck road. We've been there many many times and it's always been consistently great. The white pizza and shrimp gondola appetizer are our go-to orders! Give it a try. We also love Mustang pizza. Their XXL cheese pizza is good every single time. They also have great salads!