I should have read the reviews first!!?? Went there for First Friday. This should be a time to show and be your best. Waited to get seated and nobody paid any attention to us. So we went to the bar area. The bartender seemed lost. Ordered 2 beers and 2 cocktails. The beer was not as cold as it should be. The cocktails were lackluster. Decided to order appetizers. Wings and the artichoke dip. It took 30min for them to come out (and after we asked the bartender to chase down our order). The wings were way over cooked and really seemed like yesterday's wings heated up and overcooked. The tortilla chips were stale and the dip was meh. The wine cooler/fridge had labels helping the bar staff to locate the wine. The Merlot was labeled "Merlow"? What? I looked at their website. "Celebrating 160 years of service". What a shame! To let such an "icon" of Delaware to become such a disgraceful dining venue. With a nice bar and outdoor space, this place should be thriving. It seems to come down to poor leadership and employees who just don't care to be there. Perhaps they have lost any energy or vigor working in such a sad place. One thing on Yelp that I see sets Buns apart from other restaurants is the sheer number of poor reviews and not a single review has a comment from management apologizing or making any effort to show they might actually try to do better. Hard pass on Buns. I hope others will read this review (and all the others) to save your money and go elsewhere. read more

Met family for the new brunch today. New management has really created something great. Very generous portions and reasonable prices. Fun waitstaff. I can see where it might get a bit loud when it gets busy. The outside area is going to be awesome when all of the garage doors go up. read more

The setting is nice, but the food was only so-so. I was with a group and the consensus was that the food was fine. The service was good. The waitress worked hard and did a very good job. It's not a restaurant I'd go out of my way to have again, but I wouldn't intentionally avoid it either. read more

With so many other great options for dining in Delaware why go here? Service is very slow from being seated to getting a drink. It appears the staff don't want To be there and just don't care. My dinner was ok but not per the menu which is what I really wanted. When asked about the discrepancy the waitress replied it had always been served that way. Also all food served to the table had way too much salt added. I suggest skipping this experience. read more

Waited at the door, the hostess never came back after seating the couple in front of us. Food is bar food. Drinks were ok. Wife's no lettuce salad came all salad. Slow service but friendly. read more

Our first visit under new ownership. Austin, our server was personable, friendly and attentive. Food was fantastic. Fried pickles appetizer, so good. We had the ham loaf and mashed potatoes, delicious! Restaurant is well lit and clean. The entire staff was friendly and accommodating. Don't walk, RUN to Buns for a super dining experience. read more

Food was really good! Burgers and soup were amazing! Fried pickles, chicken salad everybody all six of us agreed we would eat here again!

I must admit that I was a little disappointed... I normally have very up beat reviews so I am not being a hater. Buns is an iconic restaurant in Delaware and we had not been there in quite a few years. We got right in and were seated promptly which was very cool. Literally 10 minutes later the waitress coms and gets our drink order. We figure out what to eat fairly quickly and order. We get a loaf of bread which is delicious and the garlic and herb butter is outstanding. Then they bring out wifie's salad and my cole slaw which were both very good. I really liked the cole slaw... Then we ask for some more bread... Get the drinks refilled... Get drinks refilled again... They bring us more bread... I look at my watch and we have been there 50 minutes and no main course. Another drink refill and the food arrives. I ordered the prime rib medium rare with smashed potatoes. The prime rib was medium and the potatoes were hard (you how madhed potatoes get when they sit under a heat lamp) I ate it because we had already been there over an hour. The prime rib was good but the potatoes were not. Wifie had the stuffed flounder and that was really good. She loved it. By the time We finally got out of there; we had been there an hour an a half. The service and the waitress average. It will be a few years before I visit Buns again... Not impressed at all but the stuffed flounder was really good. read more

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Met friends for lunch and I ordered a Reuben sandwich. For $12 I got a small sandwich with 1-2 very thin slices of corned beef and a minimal amount of sauerkraut with dressing on the side. I told the server that the amount of corned beef wasn't adequate for the price, but she didn't offer to bring a better sandwich, or a offer discount but she did bring the manager over and I told him. But again, no offer to make it right - he just frowned and walked away. But the server did apologize and then brought out a little plate with a couple slices of cold corned beef straight out of the refrigerator. Not exactly what I was looking for and I told her so. My friends had burgers that were nearly burnt and didn't look very appetizing. We won't be back. read more

The patio are with all the windows was great! Our server was polite but not super friendly, though that could have been because they were busy. The bathroom floor was sticky. My friend and I both got the chicken kabob platter, and sadly all of the food was bland. read more

We stopped by for lunch on a Friday afternoon. Pros: The atmosphere is typical pub/restaurant. It's relaxed with a choice of tables, booths and outdoor seating. Our service was good. I had the BBQ meatloaf and smashed potatoes. It was very good. My wife had a BLT and she rated it very good.The price was good at under $20. We drank water so that kept cost down. We can't comment on the beer. Cons: Ironically the only food that wasn't good was the buns that appeared to have been burnt by microwaving. They were inedible. No adjustment to the bill was asked for or offered. So all in all it was a very good meal, but loses a star for the bad buns. read more

Called to place online order and the young Lady answered the phone "hello" like it was a personal phone. Waited on hold 8 minutes to place an order but drove there before anyone picked up so tried to place my order when I got there. Waited another 10 minutes For someone to take my order. Didn't write it down or take my name. Went to pick it up and the young lady that previously answered the phone played on her cell phone and after 10 minutes I had to ask if my order was ready. Finally got my order (ribs). Unfortunately they were absolutely horrible. The sauce used was basically watered down ketchup. That place has so much potential for the location and patio but we will not be back. read more

Tried Buns now that they have their new menu and remodeled inside. I've lived in delaware for years and can say this is a big change for the better! The menu is still being tinkered with, and I think the entree options are less exciting than the appetizers (no vegetarian/gluten free options--something to consider). That being said, our waiter Jacob was attentive and very nice. The food was really good! Highly recommend the ricotta cheese curds! Their onion rings also taste homemade and are veryy good--great texture, the breading doesn't fall off, and the portions are generous! If you've been hesitant to try the new Buns trust me when I say it's improved. read more

Well....highly disappointed with the new ownership. Kitchen doesn't know how to cook. Fries were ice cold and greasy with old oil. Chicken was OKay according to my toddler. Burger zero seasoning and Luke warm. Buns club....wow just awful. I would have rather ate fast food. Last owner had value and pride when it came to recipes. 2 stars bc our server was very accommodating and polite. Couldn't wait to run out the door the vibe is off the new decor is sad. Felt as though I was in a funeral home cafeteria. I give this place a year tops before they go out of business. No ruebans either :'( read more

New owners have dramatically changed experience. Atmosphere so much better than last visit (several months ago)! Don't judge by past reviews. Worth another try. read more

One Star because can't give a zero. Service absolutely sucked, we were completely ignored by several waitresses, even though the place was practically empty. We ended up leaving and got a snarky comment from one of the waitresses who ignored us. Find another place, there are many good restaurants just around the corner. read more

I'll start this by saying I am not a picky person, I'm very laid back and have worked as a server in many restaurants. It is absolutely unlike me to have to write a review of this nature, as I'm always very understanding when things may not be up to par. When we were first seated it was evident our waitress was not in her right mind when she spilled beer in our rolls. There was a puddle of beer in the bottom of the roll basket. She did not offer to bring us a new basket of rolls. However, she did apologize for covering our rolls in beer. We did not receive the drinks we ordered for at least 20 minutes after our waitress first came to the table. We also ordered an appetizer that came out another 30 minutes later. Finally we put our food order in. This is when the real problems started.... When the food was served to the table I politely asked the waitress for ketchup for my chicken fingers. However, I waited until my food was ice cold before we had to walk up to the bar to ask for ketchup. In addition to the other 2 drinks we ordered, as we had been sitting there with empty glasses for quite a long time. We expressed to our waitress that we desired to speak to a manager. We felt it was appropriate for a comp on our bill or at the very least an acknowledgment of the lackluster service we encountered. I barely touched anything on my plate. We had lost our appetite at this point, and my boyfriend's mother was getting overheated and wanted to sit in the car. She left her wheelchair at home so I was walking her out to the car as my boyfriend was going to the front desk to pay. The waitress made it evident to us that she would not be coming back to the table any time soon to collect our payment. The manager chased us outside accusing us of attempting to skip out on the bill. We had every intention of paying, regardless of the terrible service, and we did pay our bill. Although once confronted by the owner Joe, the manager and bartender, we felt as though we were being attacked and discriminated against. After almost 2 hours of an experience devoid of any semblance of service, I say with confidence.... This establishment does not care about their customers. Our waitress was very clearly inebriated, and her management team did not seem to care that she was a liability to their business. There was nothing more than we wanted than to pay our bill and leave to never return. read more

Atmosphere is good nice patio. New owners took over. Food is terrible. Fish is frozen fish sticks. Shrimp like rubber, rolls hard as rock - they did replace rolls but they were just ok. Would not recommend. read more

The only reason I didn't give a zero, is because of our server Jennifer. Problems were not her fault. She was attentive and kept checking on us and the food. After being seated for awhile we noticed customers were waiting a long time for their food. We have been coming here for years, but moved away and were looking forward to a good meal while visiting Delaware OH. We did not know it was under new owners and we didn't look at the reviews before we went. So very disappointing and terrible. We ordered three hamburgers. We waited an hour for our food. The burgers were burned. We tried to eat them but one was actually crispy and inedible. We tried to ask another server (wish we'd gotten her name too) if she could find our server and we couldn't remember her name at first. We tried to describe her (blonde wearing red T-shirt) She was the only one besides the bar tender wearing a red shirt. She told us that didn't help her and turned away. Very Rude!! They were the only two working on the patio so you'd think she'd know who the other one was. Our server spoke to manager who said we could have three new burgers. We said no, only replace the crispy one. We were told it would take a while because the kitchen was backed up. Shouldn't matter. It should be replaced quickly. Once it came it was missing the grilled onions and still burned around the edges. Our server kept going to Manager to see what to do. Manager should have come out to apologize since she was the one telling the server what to do. Instead we asked to speak to her and said owner would take half off the bill. Should have all been comped for long wait, rude and bad food. The whole meal took over 2 hours because of the mess. The restaurant wasn't full. The hamburger was not fresh. It was obviously prepackaged. French fries were undercooked. Rude staff (except server) manager said her hands were tied and the owner was there. He should have made it right. Apparently new owner is cutting costs and quality. Very sad that such a long standing restaurant has been ruined. Go some where else. read more

Nice outdoor seating area. Drinks are good but the food was made poorly. Chips were rubbery, flavor was bland all around. I would recommend finding a culinary chef to help you out and then you'd be 5 stars. read more

Food is average, more like just okay. I do love the out door patio on warm nights. The staff are working hard to please. It's not fancy by any means. read more

I recently saw an article from AAA that identified Buns Restaurant as one of "10 Iconic Restaurants in Ohio". It's been around for over 150 yeas, getting its start as a bakery (where the "Buns" name came from) in 1864. After suffering a devastating fire in 2002, the restaurant was closed for 2 years while it was remodeled and restored. It reopened in 2004. My wife and I were there around 1 pm on a weekday and the restaurant wasn't crowded. The service was exceptional and our waitress was not only extremely pleasant and friendly but also very efficient. She was there promptly to take our orders, to bring out some really good buns, and to bring our beverages. Our food also came out very promptly. I tried their "Bun Burger" (one of their sort of "specials") with lettuce, tomato, bacon, cheese and pickles. The burger was obviously fresh and handmade. It was very good. My wife ordered the Philly cheese-steak sandwich which was also excellent. The only downside to the food was the very uninspired crinkle cut fries. They were adequate but not very crispy and not exceptional. Prices were also very reasonable. I didn't take a chance to look at the dinner menu but the lunch menu is heavy on sandwiches and comfort food (meatloaf, etc.) with a nice selection of appetizers, soups and salads. Not a fancy place but also not an expensive place. Good, solid service and good comfort food. read more

We did the chocolate walk today and decided to eat at Buns since we've never been and it was one of the last stops on the list. We were sat right away in the main dining room, our server greeted us right away and we both got waters. I recently heard judge the restaurant by their restrooms so I'm going to add that tidbit in my reviews now. The restrooms like the restaurant area that I sat in were warm down and stuck in the 80's. The floor was very sticky all over. Our booth was very well broken in to the point another person would have been very uncomfortable on my side of the table. Now to the food... we were served complimentary bread which was soft, warm and very fresh. The bread was delicious, we didn't get an herbed butter but it came with garlic butter and regular. My husband ordered the stuffed flounder with rice and a side salad. The salad was a plate of lettuce that was literally falling off the plate, one tomato and a slice of cucumber. We both chuckled and hoped the dinner wasn't as bad looking. The flounder was a little crisp but he said it was good. Do you remember the Wednesday before Thanksgiving when you were in school and they served you their version of Thanksgiving dinner? Welp that is exactly what mine tasted and looked like, even was lukewarm with chunky gravy. Our server was very nice and everything came out fast. It's a Delaware staple and we can say we now tried it.. read more

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It was over 20 years ago that I went to Bun's. Today, I enjoyed Bun's Restaurant with the best Meatloaf I have ever had and it is Bun''s recipe. The meatloaf had house made barbecue sauce with a spicy kick and I had mashed potatoes that was house made too and very delicious and I tasted the potato chunks in my mashed potatoes. I love their rolls too since they are a bakery too. I was amazed that Bun's does a lunch menu on Saturdays, while other places only do it from Monday to Friday. I will have it when I come back to Bun's and try their desserts. Bun's Restaurant is a Delaware institution since 1864. The staff is very friendly and cares about their patrons who come to Bun's. When you are in Delaware, you have to go to Bun's Restaurant. read more

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Food was average at best. Had to be hot-house or frozen tomatoes and lettuce. The fries were clearly frozen. The burger was mediocre. Beer selection is terrible. The only time I saw my server was taking my order, and delivering my food. My patio guests included older guests and the roughly 20 birds that decided to fly in. Not my type of place, especially for the money. read more

Waited to be seated. Multiple staff walked by and no one acknowledged us. A manger looked over at us but continued talking to people eating at a table 10 feet from us. He never said anything. Of course we left and won't be back. read more

The drinks were good, that's about it though. I would not recommend the stuffed mushroom or the lasagna. I don't expect fantastic lasagna from a non Italian restaurant but something other than a plate of sauce would have been decent. We wound up not eating our entrees and I didn't feel like taking a box of pasta sauce home, so I pretty much paid for a meal I didn't/couldn't eat. read more

Was told no seats available for 2. We walked to the back to perhaps stand at the bar, where the patio is located. There were numerous seats on the patio and bar open. Awful service!!! Sat down anyway. Drinks were awful as well as the food. read more

We went to Buns tonight and it was absolutely awful. I got chicken Parmesan which was supposed to have herb linguine and grilled chicken. They bought out a fried to death piece of chicken which I returned. And that took about 45 mins to even get. Finally later they brought the grilled chicken that was not edible with cold plain linguine and crappy jar tasting tomato sauce. The owner even talked with my husband and was useless. He told us he was eating the first meal I returned and nothing was wrong with it.. it was literal fried so much it was BLACK. So we will never return! read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for many years. Most recently I had one of the specials, chili and grilled cheese. The chili came in a very small bowl, a little larger than a cup, and was way too spicy for my liking-but they did include two packages of saltines, wow. The grilled cheese was one slice of yellow cheese between two slices of white bread (white bread similar to Wonder Bread). This terrible meal was also priced at $12. Should this be the quality of meal and the price of the meal, I will probably not frequent this restaurant often. read more

Went 5/03/2024 and got a SLIVER of cheesecake for $7. Crazy. Friend got a burger with bourbon sauce and it was wayyyy too sweet. She had never been to Buns, I hadn't been in 20+ years, neither of us will ever go back!!! read more

How do I give negative stars? What's the opposite of a star? Spent an hour and a half here tonight watching the new owner get his special-made steak while drinking with his buddies while we waited for bread...which we never got. I had to tip my wife because she had to go get our drinks from the bar since our server didn't, like even once. I got fish and chips and it was chewy. I don't want to have to tear at my fish like it's jerky. My server set down the Cole slaw and literally said "don't eat that." Learned it's new ownership since October...place has been open for 125 years and I hope he fails in 6 months. Will not go back. One positive...plenty of seating because the place was empty. You can always get a table, just not food or drinks. read more

Cabernet red wine was very cold so not good. Ordered ham loaf & it appears to be spam heavily covered with mustard. Instant mash potatoes too thick to enjoy. read more

They were not busy and we were forgotten about so we walked out after not getting our food after 45 minutes. We only ordered a salad and the meatloaf. Obviously I can't comment on the food since we never received it. We noticed after we left that the outdoor area seemed to be getting better service. Also saw a lot of other people leave because no one was getting them seated or wasn't taking their orders. Never going back! Way better places in Delaware to eat at. read more

We absolutely love coming into Buns for some cocktails and snacks. The last few times we have come in we had the absolute worst server ever. No smiles, rolling her eyes, acting as if everything was such a chore. Today we went back and our favorite server was back at the helm. The entire setting was different. People were happy and chatting with each other. This place could be a gold mine if they weed out all the negative people who work there. So many good people there but those few bad ones really make it rough. read more

A touch slow on the service, however they were reasonably busy and did not have a lot of wait staff, the staff who were there, were awesome! Food was excellent, I had grilled chicken on a croissant with fries, the fries being especially delicious, and I loved the idea of the croissant with chicken and buffalo sauce on it. We sat in the open air area, which was great, as it was shaded but not hot. Really enjoyed it there, look forward to going again! read more

Food was awful. Brought out stale chips and knew they were stale bc the server asked us if they were. The new chips brought out were a mixture of stale and fresh heated up. The gyro meat my husband ordered was over cooked and hard. We will not go back. read more

Avoid at all costs*** Our experience was fine at best UNTIL Hank ruined it. Who is Hank? I don't really know but he seems to "belong" there. When I asked the manager if he was the manager he said "maybe" and when I said "the guy at the door" he responded with "Hank!?" That's how I knew Hank was a permanent fixture. He was there when we came in, left and returned a few times but the last time he came back something was different, Hank was definitely on something. He couldn't sit up, he couldn't hold his phone, he was moaning and groaning, he didn't have a shirt on and he SPIT ON THE FLOOR! He was asked to put his shirt on - that is all. read more

Had to be one of the worst dining experiences I have had in a while. Not one part of visit from getting seated, the service, the drinks and food, or paying the bill contained anything remotely positive to include here. read more

Good food at a reasonable price. Reasonably comfortable. Main dining room a bit dark. Wait staff was great. Good service. Have a second dining room which has lists of light and looks modern. read more

Buns Restaurant - Front - Bars Near Me - Delaware, Ohio