Buckley’s Restaurant & Bar

Um well–
Review…
I’d be able to give a better one if I had actually been able to eat anything OR drink anything there BUT the extremely arrogant staff who clearly are not in the «business» of «customer service» made that not happen.
Showed up there on a weds night at approx. 6:00pm. There were at least four open tables inside. It was raining outside. Walked in and asked for a table for four. «Do you have a reservation?» Me «um no?, how long will the wait be?» condescending young thing «Oh at least an hour and a half» My brother «what about all these open tables?» arrogant guy «They are reserved» Me «Can we wait a bit to see if they show, since it is raining and all?» condescending young thing «They are for guests of the chef, they will show» Me «ok– buh-​bye»
And…will NOT be going back.
Rude arrogant and obnoxious. I highly doubt the food was that good or maybe the chefs buddies would have shown up on time. Could not have cared less. We had some good money to spend on food and drinks. I am very happy we spent it elsewhere.
Would never support a place that treats patrons like this.

I had the fish, he had the regular hamburger. The fish was good, but the fries were old and came to the table cold. They tasted like they had been sitting around a while. The hamburger was cooked through (not medium-​well as requested) and when eaten, blood dripped from it creating a small pool on the plate. The hamburger was «okay» but «nothing special at all». It also came with cold, old fries. I told the server about the fries since they were uneatable, and after some explaining from me that they arrived at the table cold etc. etc., she said she could bring out fresh ones in a ‘boat’. She said «I don’t mind doing that». I guess it would have been better if I didn’t feel I had to overly explain the situation, and maybe to hear something like «I’m so sorry, let me replace those for you right away». Instead, we both felt really uneasy about the whole thing. When we finally got the ‘boat’ (we were both done eating by this point) it was about ¾ of one person’s portion… so we basically didn’t get what we paid for. The whole experience was over 30.00 and will not be repeated.

I’m on a specific diet and they were accommodating and the food was so tasty. I ‘d the Brit Hamburger med good with the finest darn Cauliflower ever! I used ton’t need the meal to be over. The staff was extremely friendly and the atmosphere was relaxing.

I recently went here for brunch and had a wonderful experience. It was a busy morning so we just sat at the bar. They had a great variety of beer on tap, cocktails, and mimosas. Since we were At the bar the bartender took care of us, and he was outstanding. Very friendly and personable and made sure we were taken care of.
We started out with a homemade pop tart which was delicious. It was more like a streusel than what you think of a typical pop tart. A must try! We felt their menu and specials offered a great and reasonably priced brunch selection. We had the strata with a delicious arugula salad on the side and the eggs Benedict.
The restaurant itself is very charming and has a neighborhood European vibe. Great experience overall, we are excited to try their dinner and lunch menu next. Would highly recommend for a unique Milwaukee meal.

Pathetic cheese tray. 16 $ and 3 tiny little pieces of cheese with some bread and nuts. The place is empty and they looked as if we were taking a table. Maybe better for lunch or dinner but not recommended for apps.

I wandered into Buckley’s for a light afternoon snack, with already a good impression in my mind from what others have told me about the place.
I started off with the Turbulence to drink. A very light and satisfying cocktail, not overpowered by the alcohol and nicely chilled for this warm spring day.
I had a small cup of the cauliflower soup. Very delicious! Smooth and creamy, and you could actually taste the cauliflower. (Oh and the bread on the side was a perfect addition– a few slices of a crispy French baguette).
I had the truffle fried artichokes as my main plate this afternoon. I had been on an artichoke kick so I wanted to try them cooked a different style than what I’m used to. I hesitated ordering them because I feared they would be too salty, but I sure was glad I tried them! They were surely right out of the frier, soaking up the flavors, with great texture and perfectly lemon-​y for this style dish. This would be a perfect plate to share.
Not to mention the service was fantastic as well. Stephanie, my server, was very attentive and polite.
I was impressed by the speed of the service, which I guess shouldn’t be surprising for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
Overall I was very impressed with my experience at Buckley’s and will return soon to try the dinner menu.

Went here for lunch because it came up when I searched for «best outdoor seating restaurant.» Not sure why it would fit that category. It just had like 5 small tables outside the door.
Cute, classy spot. Lunch for two of us ran about $ 50. Truffle fried artichokes were very unique and yummy. Fish fry was excellent! Don’t believe the hype about the lobster roll. Something didn’t taste quite right about it… maybe too many scallions.
Would I go back? Probably not, unless I wanted a bloody Mary. I didn’t have one, but they sounded delicious on the menu because they have special infused vodkas.

I was in MKE on business and stopped here on a whim after visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum — it was the highest ranked and closest spot and I had a hankering for a lobster roll. Lucky for me, there was one last seat at the bar at 8:30 on a Friday night.
I started with the brussels sprouts appetizer and a beer, and moved onto the lobster roll and a cocktail. I’m a former Bostonian and the lobster roll was up to my standards, yay! The other food was delicious, too, and Wolfgang’s service at the bar was excellent. I couldn’t decide on a cocktail so he asked about my preferences and made a Martinez. It was excellent and something I would have never picked myself. The place was a little loud but that’s my only complaint. Thanks for the hospitality, y’all!

Holy cow… the only thing better than the delicious food at Buckley’s is the stellar service. My sister and I went here for brunch this afternoon before heading back home to Chicago. Its small, with some hipster appeal without the hipster attitude. While waiting for our table, we had bacon infused vodka Bloody Mary’s prepared by a very friendly, personable bartender… actually the whole restaurant is run by very friendly, personable, and handsome gentlemen. Once seated, our waiter Max made spectacular suggestions, including their version of Pop Tarts… which our table shared… divine. The ‘lobster roll Benedict’ is out of this world, and ‘braised short ribs hash’ almost made me cry. I wish this place was in Chicago. I will definitely make this place a regular stop when we come through Milwaukee. Great vibe, food, and service. Good job!!!

I love everything about this place. This review is for their brunch. Though I intend to return for their dinner.
Food:
You can tell they use quality ingredients and someone in their kitchen is crazy talented. Everything we had was delicious.
Pecan Pop Tarts — Delicious! My husband and I split and the scratch whipped cream they serve it with made a heavenly combo.
Lamb shoulder hash — I’m salivating just thinking about it. One the most memorable dishes I’ve had brunching in Milwaukee.
Lobster eggs Benedict — this was a special menu item, but man… This was quality. I’m not a huge lobster person, but this was exquisite.
All in all — awesome experience. I will definitely be returning for their brunch!

Yesterday, I went in for brunch for the first time since the chef transition to Chef Schroeder, and the brunch kicks ass, too!
My friends and I feasted and left in food coma mode. I was not looking forward to doing laundry.
Anyway, we ordered drinks, Brunch Punch and Half and Half Bloody Mary’s. The Half and Half Bloody Mary is named so because it is made with two house-​infused vodkas. The punch wasn’t anywhere near as sweet as I thought it would be, and the Half and Half Bloody Mary, recommended by our awesome server Max, is one of the best I’ve ever had in Milwaukee. It had a spicy flavor, but not overly spicy. It was just damn good and garnished with olive, banana pepper, and thick cut bacon!
For eats, we shared the house made pop tarts ($ 7) with apple, pistachio, and raisins. There were served as a pair, very warm and with a garnish of whipped cream and sliced apple. They were crisp and tasty!
There were so many great looking items on the menu, we struggled. To complicate matters, Max told us the specials for the day. So, the three of us decided to split the Lamb Shoulder Hash ($ 14) and each order the other entrée that we wanted. The curry braised chunks of lamb were tender and delicious. The baby red potatoes were cut thick and also perfectly cooked. The dish is served with beluga lentils, cilantro, harissa yogurt and topped with poached eggs.
I ordered the Ultimate Poutine ($ 19). OH EM GEE! Are you serious right now?!? Fries are topped with duck gravy (thank you!) and cheese curds (uh huh) and pork belly (what?!?) and seared foie frickin’ gras (just stop it!) AND poached eggs! I thought I could eat this by myself. I was terribly wrong. I failed. This should have been the dish that the three of us split. Of course I shared with my brunch buddies, but they didn’t eat enough of it because of the generous portions on their own plates.
One ordered the Lobster Benedict special ($ 19) with a pea and lobster salad replacing the Canadian bacon of a standard benedict… solid upgrade! I tasted the lobster salad — yes, please.
The other brunch buddy ordered the Strata of the week ($ 12), made with Carr Valley sheep’s milk feta, tomato, and spinach. I tasted. I liked.
There are still a few other items on the brunch menu that I want to try and revisit, like the Chicken Pot Pie, Steak and Eggs, Duck Hash and Short Rib Hash. When someone asks you where to go for brunch, I think Buckley’s needs to be in that discussion, which seems to be getting lengthy as more restaurants in town are upping their brunch game.

I’ve been so adamant that Mad Rooster has the best brunch in Milwaukee, but then found this place and I think it might have taken the top spot. Their gourmet pop tarts and brunch entrees are absolutely amazing. My only criticism would be about their Bloody Mary (which I get virgin). It is a bit watery and needs more ooomph. Not as spicy and not enough kick like the one I get at Mad Rooster. Other than that, you can’t go wrong with anything on the menu.

Stopped in for brunch last Sunday and without a reservation. We were able to be seated at the bar, with a wonderfully sarcastic and witty bartender/​server. My pals and shared our dishes tapas style, so I got a nice taste of the following and in the best order:
1. Foie gras and pork belly poutine — first time trying and was every bit of wonderful. I tried to tell myself I knew nothing of animal torture while eating the foie gras. It worked. I see why it is so well loved. I wasn’t begging for more, but I liked the taste. The pork belly was extremely succulent and the cheese curds, unfried were the perfect sharp taste on the side.
2. Frittata — This didn’t appeal to me because I didn’t think an egg bake could ever have the «wow» factor as a poutine dish. I was wrong. I can’t quite determine what it was, but it was ever-​so-​sweet and baked to fluffy perfection. I’ll never make it that good at home so I guess I’ll keep coming back.
3. Duck con fit — love the sweetness of a duck egg over some homestyle taters! This entrée is a classic and was done just as we’d hoped.
4. Eggs Benedict — a ‘go-​to’ meal for me since I’m a sucker for hollandaise. However, the eggs were a bit over poached and not very runny, which is a key part in saturating the English muffin. This was a bit of a disappointment, but everything else was out of bounds so I can’t hold it against them.
Small, more upscale place for an occasional now and then. The menu selections were a bit small for brunch but I can appreciate when it’s kept simple and executed well. We’re a fan!

In town for a few days for work and Unilocaled a number of establishments. The reviews and website and location drew us here on our first night. Great atmosphere, helpful, personable staff and above all very good food, beautifully presented. My only regret: I wish I had come back here the second night rather than — well, let’s just say I don’t know how the other place could get 4 stars for the glop we were served. .. !
I would be a regular at Buckley’s if it were in my hometown.

Nice spacious bar! Walked in here on a Sunday afternoon. Ordered a burger with some fries. Burger was very good, I really liked the french bread as the bun, a little different. The prices were very reasonable for a downtown restaurant.
Parking can be tricky, especially when there is an event downtown.

This is probably one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in MKE, and I might normally give it a 5, but for some reason, 4 stars feels more fitting, though I’m not quite sure why.
We’d made brunch reservations and arrived at the adorable spot right on time. The two of us sat at a spacious four-​top in the back, and admired the quaint, cute atmosphere of the place.
Their bloody mary menu is very neat, and I loved that the waitress let me taste the «habanero, serrano, jalapeño peppers, and garlic house-​infused vodka.» My husband thought it would just taste ‘hot’ — and it certainly did, but I really could pick out the flavors of the different peppers and thought it was quite neat (though I wouldn’t be able to drink more than a sip of it!)
The wines by the glass I tried were both good.
We were intrigued by this spot as Unilocal said it had «Lobster Roll, Banh Mi, and Corned Beef» — what an eclectic and interesting trifecta!
However, apparently brunch is a different animal altogether, as none of those were on offer.
We were not disappointed or deterred however… The second my husband saw the foie gras and pork belly poutine with pork belly gravy, cheese curds, and black truffle, he knew it had to be ordered.
«It has to be done… you agree right… I mean… Right?»
I got one of the specials of the day — the crab meat eggs benny with a lemony tart sauce on top. When eaten altogether — the tart sauce, salmon eggs, semi-​sweet crab, creamy egg, and hearty English muffin — all came together well to create a decidedly solid, enjoyable dish. A very filling dish too, I might add, and I powered my way through only one of the two!
I also loved the breakfast potatoes that came along with this, as they had an almost rosemary flavor about them.
My husband verily enjoyed his poutine, as he loves foie gras lobes, and was a fan of the pork belly as well, though not quite as much. I found the pork fat gravy to be good, and loved the fries dipped in it. We saved a little pork fat for our dog, as I told my husband he was *not* allowed to eat it all (he was already going into a food coma half-​way through brunch).
He had the bacon bloody mary, and I must point out that it was his favorite bloody mary he’s had since we’ve moved to Wisconsin, bar none. That’s saying something!
We started with the door county cherry and chocolate poptarts, which he really loved, but of which I was not a fan. I guess I’m a poptart ‘purist’. ;)
I would definitely go back here… though when? I have no idea!
Maybe if I can find a gig in MKE, this can be one of my haunts :)

The meal started out pretty great with a delicious hoppy ending cocktail and an artichoke appetizer. the appetizer was pretty good. Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary… but solid. I ordered an oyster Cesar. The grilling of the lettuce made it taste spoiled and there was not nearly enough dressing to cover the inside of the romaine. The worst part were the actual oysters which were tiny and had no flavor. I didn’t even know I was eating an oyster… could have been anything fried under there. For my meal I had the banh Minh sandwich which was actually the worst part of the entire meal. Banh Minh is meant to be Vietnamese with most of the flavor from the vegetables in the sandwich. This tasted like Korean BBQ in a Vietnamese sandwich and it did not go at all.
I’m giving it three stars for the service and the cocktail which were both excellent and the artichoke appetizer which was just good. I’d never go back here.

Love this spot for both the food and sentimental reasons. This time I enjoyed a steak salad served with arugula, blue cheese, and tomatoes. So good! While he enjoyed his special chicken wrap, he lusted after my choice. How nice to sit outside and enjoy the local scenery as well as the beautiful floral displays.

The small room is intimate and comfortable, set up for fine dining but casual at the same time, and very easy on the eyes. There is a great cocktail menu with interesting drinks made from high quality ingredients. After telling the bartender how much I hated Fernet-​Branca, I ordered Le Flaneur which contains a good dose of that bitter liqueur. Smoothed out with a variety of other ingredients, the alcohol forward libation was terrific, but still bitter. For dinner, I had a very decent Spanish fish stew that lacked a bit of tartness. Others had a Moroccan lamb dish and a Vietnamese sandwich and were happy with their choices. We had lemon pie for dessert.
Service was good but I thought there were some lapses. One is in a gray area. Since I arrived early for a 5 PM reservation, I was the only customer at the bar. I’m obviously a lush and an alcoholic or I wouldn’t be there drinking at 4 PM. The bartender kept pouring rounds of shots for his colleagues but never offered me one. Is that right? I honestly don’t know. The other thing is the waitress kept coming to the table to ask, «Can I get you anything?» instead of noticing what we needed. The answer was always yes, because we always needed something – like more butter or refilled water glasses. Shouldn’t she see things like that and not have to ask? Were the shots clouding her vision? Still, I’d be back here for dinner anytime – it’s a great, quirky place, which Milwaukee seems to excel at (e.g. The Noble).

I feel compelled to give Buckley’s a 5 star review. Our experience was not a five star one, however the food was delicious and the staff took full responsibility of the problems and did everything they could to make it better. So for the effort and the end outcome 5 stars feels right.
My boyfriend and I decided to stop in to Buckley’s on a Friday night without a reservation. There weren’t any tables available until 9 so we said no problem and decided to wait the 15min to sit at the bar. The couple that come in behind us decided the same thing and hovered around the bar until people got up and they took the first available seats. 2 more spots opened up in the corner next to them and we took our seats pretty squashed together. They complained they wanted a table and were given one when there was a no-​show reservation. I was pretty irritated about this since we had been there first and they had taken our bar seats, and then got the first available table too. I mentioned it to the bar tender but it wasn’t a big deal so we moved down the bar to have more room and continued with our meal.
We started with the truffle fries artichokes. Absolutely amazing. 5 stars alone for this appetizer. The flavor was awesome, they tasted super fresh and we were excited for what was next. My boyfriend got the fries oyster Caesar salad which was delicious. The oysters were perfectly cooked and the charred romaine gave the salad a nice smokiness. I ordered the pappardelle with smoked mushrooms. Although the flavor was good the pasta was aldente to the point that it was hard to bite through. I sent it back to get cooked further. In the meantime the bartender offered me a soup, I declined but it was a nice offer. The second time my pasta was perfect and I gobbled it up.
The bartender told us dessert was on him tonight and we ordered the Turtle Mouse Cake and the Peanut Butter Cheesecake. Both were outstanding. We licked the plates clean.
The bartender returned when we were done and informed us our entire meal was on the house tonight and thanked us for our patience! We were in shock. I’ve never had my entire meal covered before and it definitely was not necessary. We would have returned based on how delicious the food was alone but that service was over the top and greatly appreciated.

They had one of THE best burgers we’ve ever had! Top 5 fosho. The meat was SO juicy and tender. Seriously, who thought of adding a fried truffle artichoke in there? And then the fries were how I like them, crispy on the outside and hot and steamy on the inside.
I was in the mood for some pasta, so I ordered the pappardelle. The pasta was cooked perfected with a little bit of a chewy baked taste on the outsides, and it went well with the woodsy, earthy musthrooms. I didn’t even miss not having meat on the plate since it was so filling already. You should also keep in mind, though, that I was getting bites of the burger in between my pasta bites… so it could also have been because of that.
I was afraid of what kind of service we might receive after reading some of the earlier reviews, but I thought the service was stellar. They seated us right away even though we didn’t have a reservation and we even got to sit right next to the window, which, in my opinion, is the best seat in the house! Well, I guess the outside patio is nice too, but as far as the seats inside go, this was definitely the best seat. It also really helped with the lighting when taking photos of my food… since I’m addicted to food porn. Also, wouldn’t you guys like to see what the food looks like? Sometimes you can tell if you’ll like the dish or not based on the photo anyway… at least that’s how it is for me… hehe.