THE Buckaroo is more than merely a restaurant - it's become a Bermudian institution.

For more than 50 years, generations of Bermudians have enjoyed its no-nonsense food, served up in no-nonsense fashion.

Current owner David Cauchi has been a fixture at the Buckaroo for most of its history, firstly as a teenage waiter in the early 1950s.

At that time the restaurant was at the corner of Par-la-Ville Road and Church Street where it became a place for everyone ranging from schoolchildren to film stars to meet and eat.

Mr. Cauchi has owned the Buckaroo for 30 years. Four years ago he was forced to move out of the old building and he relocated to the restaurant's present site on Serpentine Road.

If you walk by at breakfast time or lunchtime, you will always hear the sound of lively debate and idle chit-chat emanating from the patio, where people enjoy sitting outside to eat.

Mr, Cauchi, the 66-year-old son of a Maltese Navy sailor takes enormous pride in providing good food as well as service to match his own character - straight-talking and friendly with plenty of laughs.

So much does he love his work that he says he would still want to be behind the counter at the Buckaroo six days a week even if he were to suddenly find himself a multi-millionaire.

Reporter JONATHAN KENT and photographer TAMELL SIMONS paid a visit to the Buckaroo to chat with Mr. Cauchi, a great Bermudian character.

Q: When did you first start your association with the Buckaroo?

A: When I was 16 years-old, I started work for Raymond White, who was then the owner. I was fired about nine times - not for anything serious - but he always took me on again, so I must have been a good man.

A lot of weird things went on in the old Buckaroo. Some of them are not for writing down. . . .

We got a few famous people coming in there. All the stars from The Young and The Restless came in when they were here. Charlton Heston used to come in every night when he was filming Macbeth here at the old Bermudiana Hotel and the forts in St. George's. The hotel used to close at 1 a.m. and then Heston would come over here because we were open until 2.30 a.m. He was so big, he had to bend down when he came in the door. He liked a drink.

We also used to get the police commissioner coming in. We gave him free food, so that if any of us got caught speeding they'd let us off.

Q: How did you come to take over the Buckaroo?

A: After working at the Buckaroo, I went to work at the fire station for a couple of years. I liked being a firemen, but I missed the restaurant life. After that I became co-owner with Mary Cauchi of the Windjammer, in Southampton, where Henry VIII is now. Then I took over the Buckaroo.

In those days, the Buckaroo was one of the best places in Bermuda. It was famous. We got hundreds of people coming in every day. All the schoolkids would come in as soon as school finished. When the British Army was here, we used to get all of them. They'd all be asking for `steak, eggs and chips, please mate'. We made a lot of money. We were open at 6 a.m. in the morning and closed at 2.30 a.m. We had two staffs, one for morning and one for night, but sometimes I worked right through.

Q: What do customers like about the Buckaroo?

A: I think it's because we've got the noisiest, craziest staff in Bermuda. They give great service and everyone has a laugh. Everyone loves Donna Ming. They call her `Big Mama'. She goes around with both hands full of plates, with cans and bottles in her pockets. She's the best in Bermuda. We've also got Gloria Tacklyn, Deborah Ball and Kim Tacklyn.

Our chef is Charlie (Goat's Balls) Cooper. He makes our home-made soup and it's the best on the island.

Q: How did he get the nickname Goat's Balls?

A: I don't know. He's had it since he was a kid. We get quite a few tourists in here and when I tell them my chef's called Goat's Balls, they get quite a kick out of it.

In fact, one time there were four tourists sitting right behind me and a black guy I knew came in. I said to him: `I'm sorry, we don't serve black people in here.' The tourists got up and started walking out in disgust. When we told them we were only having a joke, they came back and sat down again. I have lots of jokes like that with my customers.

Q: Do people enjoy the joking around?

A: They love it. Sometimes someone will shout: `Hurry up with my food, I'm hungry!' And then there'll be a shout back from the kitchen: `Shut up and wait!' And then everybody starts laughing. They love it.

Q: Are your customers loyal?

A: Yes. We get some of the faces we were getting here 30 years ago. They came here as kids and some of them are coming here with their kids. We get a lot of teachers, taxi drivers and folks from the exempt companies. They're the people who really keep us going.

We get to know our customers well. There's one guy who comes here every morning for breakfast and he always has a cheese omlette. When we see him walking down the street, someone shouts `one cheese omlette' and it's on the table ready for him as soon as he gets here.

We sell everyday food. We have a daily special and we sell about 200 hamburgers a day and also a lot of fish. And we sell about 500 coffees every morning.

People tip very well, especially black folks. I've seen people come in for a $1 coffee and leave a $2 tip.

Sales have dipped since September 11. I think people are just watching how they spend their money. I've had some really quiet days. Our takings have dropped more than ten percent.

Q: Were you worried for your business when McDonald's wanted to set up in Bermuda a few years ago?

A: No, I wasn't worried. I've been into McDonald's and I know their burgers are never as good as mine. Ours taste better. We make them fresh every day.

Q: Do you like your current premises as much as the former site of the Buckaroo?

A: Yes, it's better. It's a smaller building, cheaper to maintain. And the patio, that made the Buckaroo. I had a vision of people eating outside. It cost $14,000 to set it up, but within a month it had paid for itself. Without the patio, we could have been broke inside six months.

Q: What do you like so much about the restaurant business?

A: It's the people, as well as the job. And it's all I know. I left school when I was 13, I had to, our family was poor. Even if I had millions, I would not want to retire. I love this work. I come in at 3.30 every morning, I don't like staying in bed. I make the coffee and get everything prepared for opening at 6 a.m. and then I read my paper. We're open every day except Sunday, but I still come here every Sunday.

Q: Do you cook at all?

A: Not any more. I lost a leg to diabetes, so I can't do much. But it doesn't hold me back. I still drive around in a car.

Q: Do you ever get away from the Buckaroo?

A: Yes, I like to go away a few times a year, always to Atlantic City. Every Christmas I go there, but last year was the first Christmas in 16 or 17 years that I didn't go. That was because of September 11. I don't like flying and that really put me off. But I will get on a plane again one day.

I like to play the one-armed bandits. One day, about five or six years ago, I won $50,000 on one of them. I put my $20 in and pulled the lever and lights started flashing. I didn't know what I'd won until a woman started kissing me and shouting: `You've won $50,000!' I didn't get excited though. I actually won nearly $60,000 that day, because I had three other smaller wins.

I've been to Atlantic City 24 times and I've only lost about four times. I usually finish ahead. I'm a high roller which means they pick me up in a limousine and I get free food and drink and don't have to pay for anything.