Essence On Main

My wife and I discovered this place by accident while we were visiting some friends in Michigan. We were very hungry and wanted some food quick. I wanted to go the the Union Woodshop, but the wait was too long. We then discovered that Essence on Main had a deli, and had a few inside seats (which was great because it was late October). So I ordered the Reuben and my wife ordered the Chicken salad (I think, it was on a croissant). Wow! That was the best Reuben I have ever had! This is the measure with which I now judge all Reubens.
We had just started watching what we eat, and were trying to be calorie conscience, so I asked about how many calories were in the Reuben. I told the cashier that if they didn’t have it written down that it wasn’t a big deal and to not worry about it. She asked the sandwich master in the back (I think she was a manager, however I don’t remember), and she said that she didn’t have it written down, but she would figure it out for me. I didn’t want to inconvenience them, but she said that it would be good practice. When I returned to get my sandwich, she had the figure ready, and it was about 630. Now that is customer service!!!
They are not limited to just a deli (although that is my favorite part). They have quit a few knickknacks, kitchen section, gifts, tea section, Michigan souvenirs (some nice ones, not necessarily the cheap touristy ones), etc. It is a great all around store!
Whenever we are in the area, we definitely go back here for my Reuben, and my wife gets her Chicken salad sandwich!

Okay… This is my ABSOLUTE faaaaaavorite place in Clarkston. I just love it. They have the best things from items for the home, kitchen, decorating, dining and entertaining, tea, snacks and OMG the cookies! I could lose hours walking around this little shop and I just want to take everything home with me.

What an awesome store. Looked up «liquor store» on Unilocal to bring a gift to a party and it led me here.
While they didn’t have «liquor» they had a nice, small selection of craft beers and wines while being completely filled with art, crafts, and «stuff». I literally could have stayed there for an hour if I didn’t have to run out.
I asked the clerk for some help choosing a wine and she was great and prompt giving me some ideas.
Would totally go out of my way to visit them again.

Essence on Main is an adorable little shop that has a hodge podge of gourmet food items, unique gifts, home décor, Michigan themed products and beer. I’ve been in several time just to browse and always leave with something. Recently when we stopped in I inquired about this ghost pepper peanut brittle that I purchased here two years ago. My coworkers loved it and I wanted to get it for someone as a gift but didn’t see it in the store. When I asked the owner kindly looked in the back for me and came back and informed me that it was their last one and I could have it for free! Wow, super sweet of her. On the same trip my mom wanted to purchase a figure they had but the one they had left was slightly damaged, again the very generous owner offered my mom 20% off. She didn’t have to do that but offered it anyway which goes a long way in my book and ensures I’ll be back.
I’ve also stopped in when they’ve had a beer tasting and that was a lot of fun and great way to try new beer. I purchased a 6 pack of a grapefruit beer that was outstanding. I also recommend their homemade ginger molasses cookies or their salted chocolates caramels… yummy!

I stopped in and got lunch here with my mom. Their soup is fabulous and their Michigan salad was really good– I wish I could have gotten chicken on it but it was still good. It’s a really cute store, they carry tons of awesome products if you enjoy baking. They have a lot of bob’s red mill products that I can’t find anywhere else– they also carry a decent amount of made in Michigan products. Their staff is seriously so friendly and sweet I would come back just for them! The only minor complaint I have is they don’t have many seats to enjoy their treats in, but other than that I love it! I will most definitely be back!

Adorable shop in a very cute downtown area. Lot of yummy treats, gifts, kitchen stuff. A nice little section of «Michigan» themed gifts. They also have deli & bakery items.
I had a hard time not spending a ton of money. I picked up some hard cider (MI pear apple of some sort) to take home. Very interesting.

The sandwiches here are absolutely delicious and full of wonderment! All ingredients are about a fresh as you can get! We had the roast beef sandwich and the turkey… We were full after ½ the sandwich but ate the whole thing because it was sooooo good!

Best sandwiches, staff, cookies, wine, beer, goodies, etc. Recommend this place to everyone.

Very cute store, but like many stores in Clarkston, very limited selection and overpriced. Can’t seem to figure out whether they are a gift shop or food place.
Very friendly though!

This is a very cool boutique food and gift shop in downtown Clarkston. They carry a great variety of specialty food items as well as fun gifts. In addition they have a small prepared deli counter and sell CRUST bread! I recommend their cookies, too.

Hands down the best deli-​market in Clarkston!
The service at Essence on Main is unlike any other store I have ever frequented. The staff at Whole Foods is friendly, but as Essence, you’re family.
I highly recommend Emma’s Greek Orzo, the oriental salad, and the quinoa salad from the deli! The sandwiches are always made fresh and the coffee is amazing! The Essence hummus is a a delectable mild balance of tahini, fresh lemon, and garlic.
This is a great shop to get vegan, gluten-​free, or vegetarian items as well as specialty cheeses. Essence also features a wide assortment of delicious local Michigan food items!
Most importantly, Essence is the only place that sells GT’s Kombucha for miles!

Adorable shop with a great mix of food items and gifts. Very friendly, family owned business too! Their sandwiches are delish… they use garden fresh tomatoes and the Essence Spread is really good. They also have a nice selection of Crust bread and deli counter salads. I had my sister’s baby shower there too and they did a fabulous family style breakfast that was a big hit.

Stop in weekly for my fix of Ethel’s Edibles (Gluten Free Cupcakes and Pecan Dandies made here in MI). They have a larger selection of Udi’s Gluten Free than Whole Foods and it’s a lot closer; Udi’s pizza crusts, tortilla’s bagels, bread, etc. Super friendly folks working here, especially Emma.

A group of friends booked a cooking class recently and had a BLAST! Joan and her sous chef, Emma, were informative, patient, and FUN! We cooked «comfort foods», but they have other themes to choose from. We brought our own «adult beverages» and they provided a delicious salad and baguette whle we prepped for our meal. HIGHLY recommend this activity — and visiting this wonderful local gem of a store!
They feature many Michigan-​made products, gluten-​free products, and yummy prepared foods to buy (check out the different kinds of hummus!).

I stopped in here during the Taste of Clarkston this past Sunday. Cute shop and very nice customer service. The girl who rang me up was super nice and ran to the back to get me a bottle opener for my dericious agave watermelon crème soda of love. I also heard her singing the praises of Synergy’s Kombucha (which I also adore). They have a sweet selection of natural, fancy beverages… and lucky for me, because it was my thirst that brought me in. Any place that has Synergy Kombucha and San Pellegrino Limonata is good in my book. Whoa, I need to hold my horses… that agave watermelon crème soda was über good… very smooth and I highly recommend it. In fact, when I am done with this review I am googling that stuff.
Another product you should try here is the gluten-​free baked goods by a local company called Ethels… try the Pecan bar… I also wrote a review for Ethels.
I love stores, restaurants, bars that boast a bevy of Michigan products… and this is your place! From Vivos bloody mary mix, Andiamos pasta sauce, raw Michigan wildflower honey, you name it.
They also had these super cool center pieces for children’s parties. I was drwn to the pirate theme. They even had a cupcake kit to match… seriously cute, so cute I wanted them badly even though I am sans children.
They also carried my Aura Cacia essential oils. I am a big fan of esstentail oils.
I noticed they had some pre-​made food like hummus, salads and sammies.
I also saw a sweet Michigan glass ornament that would be a perfect gift for my mother.
They also offer cooking classes.