A bowl of mushroom soup can set the tone nicely at Buckley’s Tavern: rich with mushroom flavor, touched with sherry, and substantial enough to avoid the thin, forgettable-soup category. Depending on the preparation, it has ranged from a little textured, with bits of mushroom still in the bowl, to velvety and fully puréed.
This is a tavern for settling in over comfort food rather than rushing through a bare-bones lunch. The historic building, colonial décor, and cozy hometown character give a meal some atmosphere before the plates arrive, while the menu reaches across brunch, lunch, dinner, and happy hour.
A Room for the Mood You’re In
Buckley’s has more than one way to take a table. Inside, the dining rooms carry the intimate, old-fashioned tavern mood, a good fit for a lingering dinner, a family meal, or an occasion when a sandwich deserves a proper sit-down setting.
On a warm day, the back patio provides a more relaxed outdoor alternative. It has the cool, unhurried character that can make a midday meal stretch pleasantly beyond its original plan.
The shaded front porch has its own quaint appeal. It is close to Route 52, though, so passing traffic can be part of the soundtrack. Diners wanting an outdoor table with a little more distance from the road may prefer the patio.
There is also a rooftop bar and dining area, with umbrellas overhead for shade. It adds a higher-up option for happy hour or dinner, although summer afternoons can still run hot.
Soup With Some Staying Power
The mushroom soup has earned its reputation through depth rather than gimmickry. Sherry gives it a little lift, and the mushrooms remain front and center instead of disappearing into a generic cream base.
New England clam chowder is another appealing opener, especially for diners who want actual clam presence in the bowl. It has been noted for its assertive clam flavor and generous pieces of clam.
For a lighter start to the table, the fruit plate with dipping sauce offers a colorful counterpoint to the tavern’s richer fare. It also works well as a shared first course before the more serious plates begin arriving.
Handhelds That Don’t Skimp
The French dip is built on delicate French bread with melted provolone and horseradish sauce. It is a straightforward tavern sandwich, but the combination of tender bread, cheese, and the sharp little kick of horseradish gives it more personality than an ordinary roast-beef order.
A lobster roll has also been a standout, described as fresh and generously filled. For a place with plenty of hearty inland-style comfort food, it makes a useful change of direction at lunch or dinner.
Other sandwich choices that have shown up on the menu include grouper sandwiches. With salads, handhelds, appetizers, and larger entrées in the mix, a mixed group can order in several different directions without making the table feel like a compromise.
The Big Comfort Plates
Shepherd’s pie arrives in the familiar, reassuring form: seasoned meat underneath a creamy layer of mashed potatoes. It is the sort of dish that suits the tavern’s warm interior and makes particular sense when the weather turns cool.
Meatloaf, chicken pot pie, fish and chips, and steak have all been among the substantial choices associated with Buckley’s. Caprese chicken, short ribs, and an occasional ribeye special broaden the possibilities beyond the classic pub-and-potatoes lane.
Salmon has been served with mashed potatoes and a vegetable medley of broccoli, carrots, squash, and asparagus. That sort of complete plate is useful when a diner wants dinner rather than a snack dressed up as dinner.
Salads and Sides With Their Own Appeal
The crab Cobb salad is not shy about its centerpiece, arriving with a substantial mound of crab in the middle. It is a good illustration of how the menu can turn a salad into a proper meal rather than an afterthought.
Panko-crusted onion rings bring a crisp, craggy side to the table. They pair naturally with a sandwich, but they are easy to pass around while deciding if everyone really needs another appetizer.
Fresh-made cheese sticks come with both pesto and marinara, giving a familiar starter two sauces instead of one. It is a small detail, but it makes the plate more fun for a group that likes to sample.
Leave a Little Room
Portions tend toward generous, so Buckley’s works for a full-on dinner as easily as it does for a couple of shared starters and a drink. A table can begin with soup, fruit, or cheese sticks and still have enough appetite for the main event if ordering is paced sensibly.
Dessert can take a bright or decadent turn. Lemon cheesecake offers the citrusy option, while a brownie sundae is there for diners who have no interest in pretending they came for something restrained.
Useful Notes Before a Meal
Buckley’s is close to Winterthur, making it a natural meal stop around time spent exploring that part of the area. The tavern can fit a quick lunch, a leisurely brunch, happy hour, or a celebratory dinner without changing its basic easygoing manner.
Free parking is available in a lot, and free street parking is also available, though spaces can be harder to come by during busy occasions. Indoor rooms may get livelier and louder at peak meal times, particularly when the restaurant is full.
Reservations are not an across-the-board requirement; some meals begin after a short walk-in wait. At busier periods, though, a reservation can make the timing less of a question mark.