Buckley's Restaurant and Bar

I've been here for both brunch and lunch. It is definitely an upscale place but not too stuffy. Sitting on the sidewalk on warm days is a nice touch.

Food: The food has always been good, but hasn't blown my mind. I will be back though because of the wide variety and interesting menu options.

Service: Outstanding. It is rare that I actually remember the service I received days or weeks later. Our server was prompt with extra water (we were thirsty), helpful when it came to choosing food and drink, and most importantly made me laugh by inadvertently asking me a dirty question at the end of the meal: "Would you like to do the dude for dessert?" Why yes, I would like to do the dude for dessert. :)

Descriptive phrase: upscale but neighborly dining.

Buckley's is one of those great additions to a neighborhood, even if my experience was a bit poor. It's housed in a classic Milwaukee building on a corner downtown. The inside is a bit small with a tiny bar, but they also have outdoor seating on the sidewalk with small trees in planters to block the car noise.

I walk by every day and see great-looking food and happy people. Finally I was able to stop by for an early dinner with some friends.

We walked into the restaurant to ask to sit outside. There was no one to greet us, so I had to flag down a waiter and let them know. They said okay and yelled to another worker and pointed at us saying "outside." This next worker came over and just walked past us, not even saying "hello" or "this way please." Very rude introduction to the place.

We were seated right away. It took another 5 minutes for anyone to stop by with menus. Our waitress said she'd give us a minute to look over the drinks, but then disappeared for 15. When she finally came back she made the excuse "sorry, I got a bit lost inside." It's like a 20x20 room in there, are you kidding me? She took our drink order and left.

The table next to us was seated, ordered, and received their drinks from a different waitress before ours ever returned. When she finally did, maybe another 15 minutes later, she only brought half the drinks.

I ordered the Blood and Sand drink ($9), which was perfectly made and served in a neat, retro glass.

My meal was the Pork Chop special that day ($21?). It was served on a bed of roasted veggies, with a large amount of asparagus. The vegetables were delicious, but I wasn't thrilled about the pork. It was fatty, and the parts that weren't fat were a bit chewy. Still, the poor piece of meat was cooked well. Katie K.'s Lobster Roll sandwich ($14), however, was very good.

Overall I was a bit disappointed. My drink was good, and while my order of food was poor I found others' to be tasty, but the service was outright bad. I live nearby and would love to come back, but my first try at Buckley's gives me pause. I'd definitely try something else from the menu next time.

I have never had a bad experience here.  The service is friendly and informed, the atmosphere relaxed and the food OUT OF THIS WORLD! The grilled chicken wedge salad: YUM.  The Brit Burger: to DIE for.  Brunch on the sidewalk:  A memory to hold on to.

If you haven't experienced a welcoming hug from Mike or a snappy drink from Britt, then you've not fully experienced Milwaukee.  Check it out.

Call ahead for a reservation. Always busy.