Love the food the owners are awesome and had us try some of the things on the menu! The place was clean and cute lil vibe.

My sister & I came for lunch at Kel's Tavern. The couple people we saw working were literally taking care of everyone. Bless their hearts. The menu was typical bar fried food. We ordered bruschetta and shared a Kel's Burger & fries. I've never had soggy bruschetta until that day. The burger was ok. It does have a cool vibe but doesn't really match a "tavern" atmosphere. Definitely not The Mill. Must say I'm disappointed but the service was great for as short staffed as they were. I've had worse food so there ya go. read more

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Location is right downtown with plenty of free parking. Space is huge so I doubt there is hardly ever a wait for table. Food was hit & miss... The pimento cheese fries were an interesting choice. The fries themself were good. But the pimento cheese was chunky and thick. It tasted like nacho cheese from a jar. The fish & chips were great, but the hush puppies were burnt black. The $10 Philly on special was pretty good but I def for the bottom of the bowl when it came to the homemade chips. It was mostly crumbs. read more

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Situated in a historical building in the heart of Ashland Ky has great street appeal. When you walk in it's a very relaxed vibe with tasteful decor. Our server was prompt and knowledgeable of the menu. I ordered buffalo bone in wings dry rubbed w/mild buffalo sauce as an appetizer, very good. I also had a Philly Cheesesteak, everything I like in a cheesesteak tender beef and a good mix in veggies and shrooms. My wife had the Kel's Burger cooked to medium well w/house made chips and aioli sauce. She was very satisfied. A great addition to Ashland's downtown read more

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Had an amazing meal at Kel's. Was our first time trying and we really enjoyed it. The staff were so friendly and helpful. I wanted to try something I'd never pick... so I picked the pork chop. 5 stars! Was amazing and will get again! read more

Kel’s Tavern - Bone in center cut pork chop - American Near Me - Ashland, Kentucky

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I want to start by saying this isn't coming from a place of bias. I went into Kel's Tavern on Winchester Avenue really wanting to give it a fair shot. I've heard a lot of talk about the place, and I genuinely hoped it would be a solid new option downtown. But after eating there, I left disappointed--and not just a little. We started with the fried mozzarella. It was fine. Just a flat cheese stick, really--nothing memorable, but not bad either. Pretty plain, and honestly, it ended up being the best part of the meal. For dinner, we shared one ribeye steak dinner and an order of fish and chips, just to get a feel for more than one thing on the menu. The ribeye was cooked okay, but it had zero seasoning or flavor. If it was marinated at all, you couldn't tell. The fat wasn't rendered, and it came out on a plate that looked like it was thrown together without a second thought--smudges, splatter, no care for presentation. And considering it's a $32 steak, that really didn't sit right. We also paid extra for premium sides--mac & cheese and broccoli casserole. Unfortunately, neither one lived up to the "premium" label. The mac & cheese was watery and bland, with barely any flavor. The broccoli casserole had a decent taste, but the broccoli itself was undercooked in spots--some pieces were borderline raw. Definitely not worth the upcharge. Then came the fish and chips. The fries were okay--looked and tasted like frozen fries you'd get anywhere. But the fish was just... bad. Dense, stiff, and clearly frozen. I could hold one end of the filet straight out and it wouldn't bend at all--not flaky, not tender, not fresh. The hush puppies were also overcooked, dry, and heavy. No flavor. It just felt like a frozen meal all the way around. Look at my photo of me holding the fish. I should not be able to pick it up from one end, with one hand, and it not fall apart. The total came out to just under $100 after tip, and it just didn't feel like money well spent. As for drinks, I understand they just got their alcohol license, so I'll give some grace there. But the beer list was about as basic as it gets--mostly domestics, and a couple options from Country Boy. Nothing that stood out, nothing craft-forward. If you're someone who enjoys exploring different beer styles--stouts, hazy IPAs, porters--there's really not much here for you yet. Now, let's talk about the space. That location was originally designed by Ackenpucky, a well-known design firm that's done some absolutely beautiful restaurant spaces in this region. And if you've lived in Ashland, you probably know what it used to look like. From what I can tell, not much has changed. The tables are the same. The layout is the same. The overall vibe is still very familiar, but it feels like a watered-down version of what it once was. A few wall hangings and some paint don't really qualify as a full transformation. What rubbed me the wrong way was seeing the owner post that she "poured her heart and soul" into designing the space. And look, I respect the hustle of opening a business--but if you're not from here and don't know the history of that spot, it might be easy to assume this was all original. Those of us who are local know better. It just didn't feel genuine. So, here's the bottom line: the food was bland, the atmosphere felt recycled, the drinks were uninspired, and the price didn't match the experience. I want local businesses to succeed. I really do. But if you're going to charge high-end prices, you've got to deliver something more than average. Right now, KEL's just isn't there. read more

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Everything I've had here has been delicious. My friends and I have never been disappointed.

Slow service. Took over 40 m for 2 drinks and 2 appetizers. Once delivered we couldn't eat them. Bruschetta so heavy with garlic and sweet potato fries covered with sugar and cinnamon. Really bad!! Nothing in the menu stated the fries would have sugar. Staff was pleasant but short on the number needed as it was a very busy evening due to First Friday. read more

5 person group- all the food was excessively salty and overcooked. Services was slow and waters didn't get refilled, but at least there is a water fountain. All in all it's decent ambiance for getting some drinks and maybe some bar food but not great for a family dinner read more

Great tasting food and friendly staff ready to offer any questions! Meatloaf like Mama's and wonderful fish n chips!! Give them a visit you won't be disappointed! read more

Home cooking taste - if you have a really nice memory of home cooked food. Go to this place. They serve up nice dishes.

Arrived at the pub at 8:45. Both the web site and the hours posted on the door listed a 10:00 closing. There was one table with patrons seated at it. One waitress and one bartender. They both looked at us as standing by the door waiting to be seated, numerous times. Finally the young women behind the bar turned off the bar lights and approached us. I asked her if they were closing. She said in 15 minutes. I was confused. "Your website sits says you are open until 10. She said they had been asking Google to change that for months. I said ok. I stopped at the door and tapped on the operating hours sign and said, "you might want to change your sign posted on the door too". Now I understand closing early if you have no customers, that's all she would have had to say. read more

The meatloaf is to die for. We have eaten there a few times and the service is great also.

The food was so good! We ordered the Philly steak and it was so tender! It was well seasoned and the salad i ordered was very fresh! All the staff were friendly and polite. Couldn't ask for better. Very clean and love the open feeling of the place. read more

The food was very good. Service was all you could ask for. Friendly, attentive and efficient. We liked the atmosphere in that it was relaxed and comfortable. It was a very nice dining experience. read more

Went with a small group for a fabulous lunch a few months back ~ good food, good service, good time !!!

We had the meatloaf, salmon, broccoli casserole and loved them all. We also had double chocolate cake an brownie a la mode for dessert. It was all delicious. read more

We've been coming here since they opened in July. The previous manager was great and the wait staff has been, too. We've been here probably a dozen times and unfortunately since Christmas, it's not the same. The manager that was there isn't, so no one really greets. The waiter we had often is also gone now. Not sure why the waiters were making our drinks when they had an awesome bartender in Travis. The drinks were pretty tasteless, even the mocktail we ordered was pretty bland. Not sure what happened but we would have rated the place very high until the last couple times we've been here. We didn't get ones of our sides and a steak wasn't seasoned. When I asked for A1 I was told they only have a couple and were at other tables. Our waiter Jason was great as always. read more

I had the fish and chips and a s'mores old fashioned. Both were made fresh and were delicious. The server was also the bartender. He was courteous and quick. I was unaware that patrons were to pay their bill to the server, but he informed me after he saw me waiting at the register and made sure I knew that he was my waiter. I found that last bit a little odd. I'd like to go back when they have live music. read more

We went to Kel's after church 11-23 and received wonderful --- friendly service. The chicken, mashed potatoes and corn were delicious. The salads were fabulous!!! Our waitress, Brianna L. was so kind and informative about the food and responded to our needs in a very timely manner. Andy stopped and asked us if everthing was okay and then when we left he helped my friend (on a walker) to the car! We recommend Kel's HIGHLY!! Wonderful food and service!!!! read more

we are from Ocala Fl waiting to have work done on our car. We were hungry & came across Kel's tavern. Loved the interior & Eric welcomed us & sat us down. He gave us time to look over the menu. I got a cold beer with the meatloaf platter. my wife got a water & chef salad. everything was wonderful . Meatloaf had a great flavor. we were checked by Eric, then a young lady came who informed us today was their opening day. then we had the chef come by to make sure our food was too our liking. please give this folks a chance & visit them. we need to keep our mom & pop places open. Great food & cold drinks. read more

The food is awful and the staff is rude I would not recommend it at all. there was hair in my food and theambiance is awful no music