"The heart of Chevy Chase saw an old friend, The Saratoga, pass into the night back in the late 1990s, only to become a new and larger restaurant, Roy's. When Roy Meyers closed his restaurant, Debbie Long of Dudley's Restaurant on West Maxwell created Buddy's, naming it for a stray dog she took in.
It has taken some time for Buddy's to gain acceptance, but that seems to be a thing of the past. The retro look and feel of the place, including the bar known as "Lucille's Lounge," wraps its arms around you from the moment you enter. This hasn't always been the case, but it works really well now. And don't shy away from the place because you fear it would not be suitable for a business luncheon. It will work just fine. Business meetings can be held in a large, private dining room seating up to 40, or off in a corner with a few tables brought together. Of course, if it is for two to four, try one of the booths. There is a rental fee for the private dining room if the group numbers less than 20.
I have always felt that the menu items at Buddy's tended to cost about 10 percent too much, but with the quiet setting over the lunch hour, I now see it as good value.
Recent changes in the menu this spring created a more diverse, ambitious and appealing offering. As is often the case, the execution of some of the dishes lacks the bold seasoning promised by the menu language, but those issues were few and far between in the meals my guests and I enjoyed. The three visits afforded me an opportunity to get a real sense of these choices.
The first visit was to enjoy the cross-town sliders ($8), consisting of four mini-burgers with dill pickles and a special sauce. An option is to get two mini-burgers and a side of fries or potato ribbons. The mini-burgers were very tasty and so were the potato ribbons, which I prefer to the fries. My guest had the mini meatloaf ($9) served with mushroom gravy and country beans. Although the gravy seemed from a package, the beans were very well received, as was the meatloaf.
On my next visit, my guest ordered the Cajun tilapia sandwich ($9), served on a toasted baguette with lettuce, cucumber, tomato and red chili aioli. Here is an example of the actual seasoning being less than suggested by the menu language. I had The French connection, which consists of a chicken breast topped with grilled apples, ham and warm brie on a grilled baguette. I asked for the Dijon to be served on the side. I found the sandwich to be very inventive and just right for lunch. I chose the potato ribbons as my side, although you can select from a dozen other sides as well.
On my last stop at Buddy's, I was alone and considered a grilled chicken Caesar salad ($8). Had I chosen to substitute the chicken with either the shrimp or salmon, the additional charge would have been $5, which I believe to be excessive. So, I went with the chicken Caesar, and I truly enjoyed it.
The other key feature of this restaurant is its central location, bringing folks from the city center, medical center and UK within minutes of this meeting location. There is true value in that for busy folks looking to hold a luncheon meeting.
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