Buddylou's Eats Drinks & Antiques — Restaurant in Hancock

We were excited to stop here after taking a look at the menu online, and we were also looking forward to the antiques. Unfortunately, we were disappointed on both fronts. When we arrived, one of the waitress's asked us if we wanted to eat upstairs or downstairs. The wait time downstairs was lower, and we were on a long drive from DC back to Ohio, so we picked downstairs. What the girl failed to tell us is that they serve two different menus based on where you sit, so all the food we were excited about? Couldn't order any of it. We were told it was a ten minute wait, no one took our name or anything, we were told to look around the tiny antique/ice cream store hybrid while we waited. I found a pair of salt shakers that were cute, but after purchasing, we discovered that they were extremely dirty inside, as if they had never been cleaned. Not a good look.

When we popped back out to check on the wait, we were told to just go sit down at a table that didn't have enough chairs-- my dad had to stand until the waitress interrupted another table to ask to borrow a chair for us to use. Apparently we should've just waited outside and snatched a table as soon as it opened, cafeteria-style.

We ordered our drinks, the soda came in glass bottles and the other drinks were in to-go cups with no lids. We ordered the pretzel bites as an appetizer, my mother got the margherita pizza, my brother got the prime rib sandwich, I got the dog-gone burger, and my father got the "steam roller" hot dog with duck fries. The pretzels were burnt, and the cheese sauce that they came with was tasteless and watery (see picture). It took about forty minutes for us to get them, so I guess they needed that extra time to burn them. We waited OVER AN HOUR for the rest of the food, at what was supposed to be a quick stop. The pizza was awful, with toppings sliding off, thin, orange sauce, and terrible crust (see picture). The duck fries, which were more expensive than the normal fries, tasted exactly the same as the normal fries that came with our sandwiches. The only difference was some massive flakes of parmesan that apparently make them worth $10. The hot dog was fine, and the burger was decent but a little concerningly pink on the inside for being "medium". The prime rib sandwich was chewy, but fine.

The "kitchen" is essentially a trailer with what seemed to be only one cook inside. Despite having only one or two other tables the entire time we were there, we barely saw our waitress-- at one point she disappeared and a different girl brought us our food and the check. $80 check for horrendous service and below average food. We left $100 and got the hell out, screw the change-- we didn't want to be stuck there any longer! Left so fast that I forgot to grab my dirty salt shakers.

TL;DR, don't go here unless you want to waste your time and overpay for the slowest food truck...

After a long day of traveling, our group eagerly anticipated a good meal. We decided to venture out to Hancock to try Buddy Lou’s, having heard excellent things about the place.

The atmosphere was engaging, with plenty of interesting décor and nostalgic Motown music filling the air. Despite our high expectations, the experience fell significantly short.

Firstly, it's important to note that Buddy Lou’s is dog-friendly. While this wasn't an issue for us, be aware that you might find yourself dining on a $30 plate of food surrounded by dogs. We were the only table without a canine companion.

Our troubles began when we attempted to order the lobster roll, only to be informed that the online menu was not available because they offer a different menu on Sundays. We settled for the crab fries. While the house-cut fries were tasty, they weren't what we had hoped for. In casual conversation with our waitress, we mentioned our long drive from Kentucky. Her response was that we should have kept driving to Maine if we wanted lobster.

The menu was already limited, and they were out of the first two items our friends tried to order. One friend who ordered seafood was told there was no tartar sauce available. In a rather sad and comical turn, he had to request individual ingredients to make his own tartar sauce.

Being Father's Day, there was a "special" menu which included a ribeye. I decided to give it a try, but was unpleasantly surprised. When the food arrived, I noticed the waitstaff circling our table. It turned out my ribeye was actually a New York strip. Upon inquiring, the waitress explained they were out of ribeyes and had substituted it with a New York strip without informing me, offering a mere $3 discount as if that were a favor. The steak was tough, overcooked, and utterly flavorless. I sent it back, having lost my appetite, and watched as my friends ate their overpriced and underwhelming meals. The ribeye was $29, the NY Strip $27, and the crab cake sandwich, at $20, featured a crab cake no larger than a hockey puck.

As avid foodies, we love exploring new restaurants and typically provide fair, detailed reviews, always giving establishments the benefit of the doubt. However, this was one of the absolute worst dining experiences we've ever had. Our waitress even said she was so embarrassed that she just...

TLDR: Fun dining atmosphere that has solid food and service. Perfect stop while hiking/biking the nearby trails.

Vibe: 5/5. Situated in the small town of Hancock, Buddy Lou's is conveniently located right out the interstate as well as right off a popular hike/bike trail. Both the outside and inside of the restaurant ooze with eclectic decor. Plenty of seating both indoors and out for small and large groups. Upstairs the restaurant has an antique shop, Cracker Barrel vibes anyone? There is definitely a lot to take in at Buddy Lou's, but in the best way possible!

Service: 5/5. The staff at BuddyLous was great from start to finish. My large group of 8 arrived 30 minutes early for our Sunday brunch reservation, but fortunately the restaurant already had our table ready, so we were seated immediately. Our waitress handled our table solo and was on point for the entire meal. My group was returning from a 2 day camping trip, so we were extra needy in terms of food and drinks. We ordered several rounds of drinks, appa leading up to our mains and everything was handled with stride. We even had a few to go orders placed during the meal and they came out perfectly at the end. Overall, very impressed with the service received during a peak hour!

Food: 5/5. BuddyLous offers an interesting menu that takes your American bistro dishes, but adds their own unique twist. During our brunch service, my group Raided the menu and ordered several cream of crabs, the crab fries, fried green tomatoes, pork belly BLTs, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, the BuddyLous burger, lions mane sandwich and the quiche. Everything came out perfectly timed and hot/fresh. Best in show goes to the cream of crab soup, which had huge chunks of backfin in each cup and a well balanced creamy taste. Most interesting of the dishes was the lions mane sandwich. Lightly battered and fried, the mushroom was the size of a softball and had unique taste that paired well with the aioli. The fries were also a hit, as they are hand cut and reminiscent of OC boardwalk/Thrashers style fries. Portions were overall generous and at a more than reasonable price point. If you find yourself in the Hancock area, I highly recommend stopping by Buddylous for a bite! PS. they are also very dog friendly, with their own k-9...