OUR HISTORY
The Buckley Family has a long tradition in the restaurant business in Brooklyn…
Martin and Kathleen Buckley (Christine and Jimmy’s grandparents) opened their first tavern at 4011 Church Avenue in 1936. Martin and Kathleen who were immigrants from Kilkenny and Leix, Eire (Ireland), respectively, and their nine children lived above the bar. In 1970 they retired to Florida where they promptly got back into the business for another 12 years. Some of you who visited friends in Florida may remember The Hearthstone Restaurant in Beverly Hills.
In 1972, Jimmy and his wife Kathleen set out on their own and opened Buckley’s Tavern. It was a very humble start: Jimmy cooked and Kathleen waited tables. The entire dining area consisted of four tables just to the left of today’s side entrance off Nostrand Avenue. From the start they operated their business with the same standards and values that their parents had instilled in them.
Jimmy set out to realize his dream, providing the neighborhood with a gathering place for family celebrations or to just meet with friends. Through many expansions, Buckley’s remains as the neighborhood bar, restaurant and catering hall where you, our loyal customers, can enjoy good food, good cheer and good times served by a friendly staff in a relaxed and elegant atmosphere.