Buckley’s Restaurant East

Very fun atmosphere, our server was super friendly and very informative. The phillycheesesteak and the phillychicken were so good! The jalapeños and fried pickles were amazing. They have a great dark beer which I enjoyed, the flavor was robust and smooth!

The bacon cheddar steak burger is tasty.
The service is usually excellent.
The restaurant is a little too loud for my taste, though.

Buckley’s has been a staple for years. Consistently good food with consistently good service and a nice atmosphere. And for a reasonable price. Two can eat with a bottle of wine for under $ 100. But tonight I tried their new menu and wanted to share my thoughts.
— If you want bread, you have to ask for it now. Trust me, ask for it.
— The steak selections have been narrowed down but it seems like they know their strengths and are playing to those, which is totally reasonable. I don’t do steaks (which is ironic since I love Buckley’s), but everyone at the table seemed to love theirs.
— Not being a beef eater, I usually go for the creole salmon (which is phenomenal), but tonight I tried the new Firecracker salmon and Oh. My. Gosh. Found my new staple. Spicy but not too heavy and the perfect amount of grits.
— Not sure what the «vegetable medley» is that comes with most plates now, by do yourself a favor and sub a side. The green beans are to die for. The Buckley buds are amazing, and my favorite is the creamed spinach.
I’ve had better meals, yes. But nowhere compares to the consistency of a great meal with great service in Memphis. Try it out.

The ribeye state might be the best you’ll ever find in Memphis then add the cream spinach and a martini and you have the best dinner.

Great spot if you are staying in the area. Meals come with salad and two sides. The combination of the food quality and the price gets five stars. I had the filet. Does a high end steak house do one better? Yes, for 2x the price. I would eat here again in a heart beat. Staff was awesome as well.

We had the pleasure of spending about an hour waiting for a table this New Year’s Eve. Buckley’s is a very casual dining experience. While waiting, we had conversations with strangers who became friends. We weren’t waiting for stable, we were at a cocktail party. Our meal was almost the dining part of our little party.
And what a meal! I got the rib-​eye and my wife got the mahi mahi with the macadamia encrusted glaze. The artichoke dip with crostini was a hot and gooey bowl of wonder, the salads came up at the perfect time and could not have been as fresh if we made them ourselves. Then came the entrees. I wasn’t even consider eating anything but steak, but my wife’s Mahi Mahi was the best tasting fish I’d ever eaten in a restaurant.
Then there was my rib eye. My god, what a perfectly cooked, fork tender, steak. I don’t think the term steak applies to something this good. Any way, no table has steak sauce within reach. Frankly, l believe if it takes sauce to be edible, it ain’t that good. Salt and pepper are perfectly applied by the cook. Check them out, if you get cocktails it can get a bit pricey, but worth every cent. Bön
Appetite!!!

4 guys looking for GOOD steaks and we found them at Buckley’s. My first time there. The wait staff was excellent and knew when jump in and when to leave us alone. Super manager who ushered us in like he knew us. Great happy atmosphere for conversation. The steaks and sides were fresh and so tasty. We had ribeye’s and filet’s and each was a perfect cut and perfectly cooked. Buckley’s is now my go to restaurant for steak though the quality was so good that I’ll soon try everything else. Pricing was right and I highly recommend Buckley’s.

Solid, amazing steaks and stellar service are what you can count on at Buckley’s. The locals obviously know what’s good because many of them have been dining here for countless years. The 1 hour wait did not stop us from dining here on a busy Saturday night, as we were happily sipping on cocktails and chatting with the regular patrons.
The stuffed mushroom appetizer was recommended by our friendly server and he was right– they were delightfully savory. We enjoyed the stuffed caps filled with cheesy-​crab-​buttery goodness. The Caesar salad was average and comparable to others I have had– nothing to brag about. Just wait till you feast on the glorious ribeye– cooked to heavenly medium-​rare perfection with the perfect cut and marble. The ribeye was juicy and seasoned to my liking. You’ll have to experience it for yourself to truly understand the euphoric state from eating the ribeye. The potato and veggie sides were average, but the creamed spinach was a personal favorite and also recommended by one of the locals we talked to while waiting.
I will be sure to come here for steaks again on my next visit to Memphis. We enjoyed the southern hospitality, great service, and amazing food! I always try to support local businesses and you should too! Eat local and consider Buckley’s to satisfy your steak cravings!

I came here from Chicago so I had high expectations and I have to say they delivered!
what a lovely hospitality and great service.
I really recommend the steak filet

Best steak I’ve had in a long time! Spinach artichoke dip /​cheese fries for appetizers was really good. I got the filet medium rare and it was amazing. The wine was delicious and just overall vibe of this place. Loved the music and theme, and it was just very cozy. They don’t take reservations so it took us twice to actually get into dinner w out an hour wait lol but worth it!

Apparently Buckley’s can’t hack prepping a takeout order anymore. Just tried to get an order of ravioli to pickup and was informed «this restaurant is a dine in only restaurant» now.
Two thumbs down and a stupid decision.
Been a customer for years and love their food but they’re making some STUPID management decisions.

I joined some friends here for dinner and drinks. We had heard about the half price margaritas and I think everyone else did too. The restaurant was very busy for a Tuesday and our service maybe suffered due to that.
I ordered a wedge salad which was nice. They were accommodating to our requests, but it took awhile to get our checks and payment taken care of.

I’m a week late, but the ribeye I had was fabulous. Nice marble and great size. I think I may have been able to eat half of it. It taste wonderful left over as well. This is one place that is always consistent and wether you are here or the lunchbox the food doesn’t disappoint.

I have been here many times over the years and frankly I am shocked that I have not reviewed this wonderful little gem.
The atmosphere is a little on the dark side but tasteful in décor. Service for me has always been warm, friendly and efficient. They make an outstanding vodka martini that goes oh so well with the fantastic steaks. This is my go to place for steaks when I’m in town and it never fails me.
Give it a try and I think you will find the same charms I have.

My wife and I have enjoyed going to Buckley’s for great steaks for years. We had wanted to try the Steak Burger, but always got our Ribeye or Salmon.
Well, tonight we decided to try out the Steak Burger. No, not just the regular Steak Burger, but the Memphis Jam. Wow! Sure, the Steak Burger itself was great, but merging the creamy cheese with the strawberry jam then blending it with the onion straws and bacon — oh, man! It was our server Ann that recommended adding the bacon — it did make for a better burger. One fabulous mouthful after another until we were too stuffed for dessert.
Everyone knows they have great steaks — I gotta have my «Wild Will Ribeye» when I want steak — but I now can heartily recommend their Steak Burgers as well. Only you can break the tie — which will it be? Burger or Steak or Salmon?
Try them for yourself and you will NOT go away hungry, but you WILL leave satisfied.

I do love stopping in this place from time to time. This is about the nicest staff in Memphis from the bartenders to wait staff they are all great. My favorite thing to eat here is the River City Chicken Pasta with blackened chicken and vodka cream sauce… it is the best. For the side you have to get the spinach and grits… wish I could make this food at home! I have had the steaks several times and they really are just ok in my book… nothing bad I just have had better. But if you are looking for a nice place for dinner try them out! Be warned sometimes this place gets packed but they get people in and out fast… they have a lot of regulars here… including me now!

Buckleys sorta reminds us of Pete and Sams of steak places. Many of the dishes are old school but we always enjoy the food and service. You really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu. The appetizers are not their strength but pretty much every thing else hits the mark. All the sides are good, the salads come with a variety of homemade dressings (peppercorn is great) bread is good. Rarely have room for the deserts but the few times we did it was good. Service is always great! Not going to be cutting edge food but it’s always good comfort food.

Buckleys makes nice steaks approachable. Like a high end steak place the restaurant is dark and a variety of cuts are offered; However, you will find the acceptable attire more casual and the price point lower.
On the weekends you can be sure to find a wait but there’s plenty of seating and the opportunity to get a drink. The service has always been friendly and performed well, I think buckleys prides themselves on making people feel comfortable.
The salads are pretty standard, overpriced IMO so it’s really a better value to get a steak that comes with one vs something else. For your side, you need the Buckley buds, yum! Personally I like my steak medium rare and I have never been disappointed, plus the cuts are big — a 12oz is totally shareable and the 2^nd person can just order their own side. I don’t like to overload on meat because the cowchip (skillet cookie) is super yummy.

I’ve been a Buckley’s fan for at least 18 years. I remember coming here when there were only like 8 total menu items. The renovated Dairy Queen was a little strange in the beginning but the store has shaped up over the years. It has the smallest bar I have ever seen. Only like 3 chairs at the whole thing!
The softly lit interior is riddled with paintings from Ken’s wife Lisa. They are (in my description) like East Memphis housewife art. Full of happy little shopping people spending money and raising crappy kids. We won’t get into that today…
My wife and I have been subscribing to the newsletter (which seems to have stopped now) for as long as he has written it. We really used to enjoy reading it. It kept us reminded of the great food at the place. We are silver reward members and get quite a bit of mail from these guys. One thing they are really good at it marketing to former guests. Sometimes I wonder how they stay in business because I don’t remember eating here without a discount.
On to the food. With so many visits no one can always be perfect. My last visit was on my Dads birthday. His steak was way overcooked the first time and raw and bleeding the next. It originally was asked to be medium. Outside of that last incident I can say I have almost ALWAYS had a great experience here.
Top dishes are; shrimp and grits, filet, encrusted Mahi, bourbon chicken! The Buckley buds are great!
Go here! It’s good!

After a year and a half of living in Memphis, I finally got around to trying this place, and I kind of resent the fact that it took me so long! When we first arrived, we were promptly greeted by the manager in a friendly manner and he was quick to seat us; then the waiter came promptly thereafter with water in hand to take our drink orders. Throughout the meal, service was excellent; the waiter and manager would ask us how we enjoyed the different courses and our experience; this definitely sets it on a level playing field with the other top steak places in town. The ambiance is also very nice and relaxing, with dim lighting and a candle at each table.
For our food, we decided to split a 16 oz NY Strip and loaded mashed potatoes, split cheese bread, and each gott a salad. We also got a baked cookie a la mode at the end. A small order of the cheese bread came out and we were honestly underwhelmed by this. It was four small pieces of bread with melted cheese for six bucks; a little steep for something so basic and minimal. Then the salads and bread came out. The salad was good and the bread was awesome (again, making the cheese bread a bit of a waste in our book, but you live and learn). The one drawback to the extra small dinner salad we ordered on its own; it cost $ 6! That’s pretty steep in my book for something this simple, but I digress.
Then the steak and potatoes came out. The potatoes were good but that steak… oh my lord that steak was great! It was a very thick and generous portion of juicy, delicious, steak. It honestly has been the best steak I’ve had in Memphis (realize I haven’t had a steak from your Flemming’s or Ruth Chris’ in town, but again I digress). Splitting turned out to be a great idea, as I barely finished mine and she had a bite left of her portion. The only drawback was that we ordered it medium and it was more of a medium rare, but it seems customary at nicer steak places to leave more red in the meat. It was still phenomenal either way.
For dessert, we had the baked cookie a la mode (I know that’s not the name, but you get the idea, and I’m posting a picture). That cookie wound up being a lot more thick than we anticipated, and dessert was excellent.
We got our bill which came out to just shy of $ 60 pre-​tip; there’s cheaper and more expensive items on the menu so I feel this restaurant caters to those of different incomes. While I felt the salad and appetizer were steep in price, the steak was well worth it and the service just amplified the experience. We will definitely be back in the near future!