TL:DR - decent execution of poorly designed recipes.
Wow- I really don't get it. I mean, I was underwhelmed 13 years ago, but I figured if Buckley's stayed in business this long, they must be doing something right. Right? And who knows, maybe they are. Maybe January 3, 2026 was just the B team in the kitchen, or an off night, or I just have bad luck; whatever the case, I don't know if anyone could convince me to give it a third try.
Unironically, our server seemed completely unenthused about the whole menu; I guess I now understand why, because I would probably have to be honest about it too if I was a server.
Some of the issues were the cooking that was done tonight, but I would say 90% of the failures were from the original recipes themselves, including cocktails. The execution was actually pretty decent, but you can't polish a turd, as the kids say. As a result, it's not like we could really send anything back, right? Like what am I going to say, this dish sucks, please have the kitchen reinvent it for me? I found myself wondering if the menu was drafted by a skilled writer instead of a chef.
Just to legitimize this review, since everybody seems enthralled by this place, I feel inclined to list off everything I tried between my orders and those of my dining companions, with notes. So here goes:
Focaccia - house made, tall, good airy crumb, served cold with nothing else, which left what should've been a crusty top kinda just chewy - very boring, bland, basic, and I suggest you go get some focaccia at Birch if you want something memorable.
Carpaccio - best food of the night for sure, but still just a 7-8 out of 10 for me. Again, for the price point just go get something way better elsewhere, like Morel.
Carrots- flavorless carrots swimming in some kind of fat. Butter, I guess, since it congealed on my plate when it got cold. I can't really judge if they hit the target of what they were aiming for with this one, because I couldn't tell what they were even trying to do.
Empanadas- what the fuck. Just don't, honestly please don't order these. Go to literally anywhere else that sells empanadas if you want empanadas. The nicest thing I can say about them was that I could tell they were definitely food. Go try empanadas from chef Ana at Cavas, or go to Cocina Del Sur, or even La Masa, hell, go get some from the deli case at El Rey, or try making them yourself without a recipe and I swear they'll be better than these.
Salmon with wasabi caviar- the salmon was cooked beautifully. There was little flavor in the fish itself, even the wasabi caviar was bland, I don't even know how. The whole thing was served on plain, unseasoned white rice. Honestly I think this was the most uninspired dish imaginable. I truly can't comprehend how this one made the menu.
Bucatini carbonara- I guess it technically had all the elements found in carbonara. There are enough Italian places in Milwaukee, you could throw a rock in any direction and break a window of a place serving a better carbonara; this one, like most of our food, lacked flavor and needed salt.
Chicken Marsala- ok this one actually had some flavor. I only had a bite, but after trying all the above, I was definitely jealous of my friend who ordered something that didn't need salt (or a complete throw-it-in-the-trash overhaul)
Cocktails were also just not very good. The gin curry thing had so much potential, but really fell flat and just tasted like a curry-ass cup of gin. I had a mezcal drink that was just ok.
Dessert was a resounding "Nope" from everyone at the table. We wouldn't have said no to a complimentary dessert, as our server knew we were celebrating a birthday, but there was nothing noteworthy done by anyone at the restaurant other than a quick "happy birthday" verbalized at the start. We certainly weren't going to pay money for more food after what we had experienced to that point. read more