In Hancock, Something Different

BuddyLou’s seared sesame ahi tuna.

Hancock restaurant offers a destination for hungry travelers who need a little fun

By Crystal Schelle

Diane Smith and her family were living in Rockville, Maryland, when they purchased a fixer-upper in Big Pool. One day, Smith drove through Hancock on an errand and saw that the Lockhouse restaurant on East Main Street was for sale.  

The antique shop at BuddyLou’s contains a carefully curated collection of glass and bottles that is one of the most extensive in the Tri-State Area.

She was disappointed because she wanted to try a meal at the well-known site that was within steps of C&O Canal, the Western Maryland Rail Trail, and the Potomac River. Even closed, something about the place spoke to Smith. The building needed some upgrades, but she had a vision—turn it into a place where guests could have good conversations, delicious food, and maybe do a little shopping. 

In 2012, she and her husband, Thor, bought the restaurant and over the next couple of years turned it into Buddylou’s Eats Drinks & Antiques. The unusual name is a hybrid of Diane Smith’s favorite dogs, Buddy and Lucy. But, before BuddyLou’s could happen, the former Lockhouse needed a lot of attention and some reconfiguring to implement the idea of having retail space. 

“It took two long years of renovations,” Daine Smith says. “We had to completely renovate the building. It’s all new electrical. All new plumbing. All new everything.”

Today’s Buddylou’s Eats Drinks & Antiques lures diners in with its vibrant and slightly kitschy but fun decor. What makes guests stay is the elevated menu, the antiques shop and its scenic view of the Western Maryland Rail Trail from the expansive deck. 

Smith remembers they were lucky when they opened in August 2014. “It was a great beginning as the weather was still really nice, and we were outside on the deck a lot,” she says, before mentioning that the deck was not nearly as furnished as it is now. “We were well received.”

That was until the cold weather came. “That first winter we asked ourselves ‘What have we done?’” she says.

BuddyLou’s Crab Benedict with a side of potatoes.

During the season that first year the restaurant drew traffic from travelers seeing the BuddyLou’s billboards along Interstate 70 as well as those coming to town to use the Rail Trail and even travelers taking a slight detour on their way to Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. But when the tourist season slowed as winter approached, so did business. 

Smith wasn’t deterred. She says she had faith in the beautiful location and that she would be able to build a customer base with the locals as well as travelers.

“I knew it would just be a matter of time before people, traveling through Hancock, they’d see it and say ‘Hey, isn’t this cool?’”

And not only that, they’d stop, enjoy a meal, and tell their friends to stop, too. “And then it would grow into becoming a true destination,” she says. 

Smith gained her restaurant knowledge while watching her mother, who worked in restaurants her whole life. “I can remember wrapping silverware,” she says “I did it all. I’ve worked in the kitchen doing dishes. I’ve helped with prep. I used to make sandwiches for their catering trucks. I did a lot, and my father was a chef. And so, you know, it was kind of in my blood.”

But before buying the restaurant, she had built a company more than 30 years ago that at first started out as a medical courier service. She and her husband grew that into a trucking and distribution logistics company in Frederick called Runners, Inc. But her love of food service never waned. 

Smith admits when they started Buddylou’s, she heard nay-sayers who didn’t think she could make it work. “Everybody was telling me, ‘You’re gonna fail,’” she says. However, she started Runners with a baby on her hip and she wasn’t going to be dissuaded. She believed in her business and still continues to believe that Hancock is just a step or two away from a renaissance.

One thing Smith knew when she opened the doors was that the menu had to be different—too fru-fru or an outrageous ticket price would scare away potential customers, but she also wanted a menu that reflected her business. 

BuddyLou’s expanded outdoor space.

Smith hired a chef who helped to craft a menu that could be executed in their kitchen but would also be memorable, or what kids today would call “Instagramable.” The menu is a reflection of Maryland with its crab offerings but also makes sure to have more health-conscious dinners with Buddylou’s Beyond Burger or Lion’s Mane Mushroom Beyond Crabcake Dinner.

BuddyLou’s apple dumpling with caramel sauce.

Her personal favorite is the fried bologna sandwich with caramelized pineapple and onion chutney, spicy mustard, and shredded romaine on a Brioche bun with a side of fresh-cut fries. 

Although the restaurant’s hours change with the scenery, the brunch menu is a Sunday staple. Reservations are recommended for dinner and brunch because the inside dining is fairly limited. Although the restaurant’s hours change with the seasons, Sunday Bruch is a mainstay year-round. It’s almost like an elevated Cracker Barrel, some items are for sale, some are not, and even a few are made by Smith herself. One room features an old 1950s television that looks as if it’s jetting off the wall while an old black-and-white TV show is on. 

While there, diners can shop at the retail shop upstairs featuring a plethora of goodies. Additionally, she launched a company called LitterCritters that makes stuffed animals by reusing materials. The company employs local artisans to make the animals that are also sold in the retail space.

During COVID, Smith took a portion of the parking lot and expanded the outdoor seating. And downstairs, she made a section into Dog-on-Dining, which opened in June 2022. The separate dining space features human and canine menus. There’s also a fenced-in space for the pups. And pooches can get a special treat with Blu’s Puppy Cup from the ice cream shop.

One aspect that Smith offered was regularly scheduled live music, although COVID restrictions forced her to close the restaurant and with it the shows. She’s looking forward to restarting the music. She also hints at yet another “sweet” endeavor at the restaurant. 

What Smith cares about the most is that her customers have more than a meal but an experience. 

BuddyLou’s is returning to a live music. Ayla Brown, 2010 “American Idol” contestant, left, with BuddyLou’s owner Diane Smith. Brown has performed at BuddyLou’s.