The burger and fries were outstanding. Clearly they have a crowd of great regulars. I was not expecting the enclosed bar to allow smoking. I don't smoke, but it was a nostalgic. I would go back. Great service! read more

Tara is a badass bartender and they are so lucky to have her!! She always takes care of us and I've seen her do so while balancing so much else. read more

Awesome vibe. Everyone was super friendly but the tvs were small. Make sure you know it's an indoor smoking friendly place. read more

Decided to come here today. We sat outside. They have happy hour and menu specials every day of the week from 4-7. I ordered boneless wings and fries. Our server was very nice, but forgetful. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Outside patio - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

so glad to know that there is a Kelly's Tavern near my location. I used to visit another store but it closed down. I was crushed about that but I'm glad to know that this location is open and it continues to traditions of good Tavern food pool tables, sports bar, and all the things that you would like to do after a long hard day at work. I love that Kelly's is considerate of people who do not want to be around smokers, so the bar area is closed off so that smoke won't linger into the dinning area. bar items are available on the dinner menu. There is an ATM machine available for those of you who would like to pay with cash. Service is good, and the price is right. I'll be back! read more

TBH great neighborhood bar gives the TV show Cheers vibes, everyone knows everyone food is great drinks are great and cheap. Two different sides to the restaurant and service is good regardless of which side you sit on. Philly cheesesteaks are FIRE. And wings have so many options of sauces would visit again like I have before read more

Always surprised that this place is not packed all the time. Dined here 4 times and each time the meal was great hot food quick service and reasonable prices. It's like my own secret delight! Bar larger that dining area but food is good and reasonable- hubby likes the beer options. I am a big fan of the hot fried fish sandwich never disappoints, and the chicken sandwich is done well. Easy parking quiet dining and good food= where is everyone? read more

Every time I go to Kelly's there's something about the food. Last time I went there the chili on my nachos really was horrible. Today I ordered a burger and fries and again, the french fries were soggy in grease. They cooked the fries at a lower temperature then what is recommended and also you could taste it was old Greece. I'm not impressed after being a chef for 32 years. The drinks and the service were cool and the hamburger was good but soggy fries, dripping with oil is unhealthy and nasty. read more

This place is great. My mom, myself and my 3 year old went for lunch today after church. We haven't been for quite awhile (mostly due to covid) but let me tell you our meals were fabulous. We walked in about 20 minutes after they opened and were seated right away. The hostess was also our server. She was very friendly and accommodating (sorry don't remember her name). We got our drinks right away. We did have to wait a bit for the food but we chalk that up to them just opening for lunch and let me tell you the wait was well worth it. I got the firecracker Buffalo chicken wrap with tater tots and my mom got the French dip sandwich with tots. My daughter got the grilled cheese with fries. Everything was absolutely fabulous even down to the ranch dressing. We had another young lady come over and talk to and entertain my 3 year old (as she was having a 3 year old moment) and she was very sweet and kind as well. The restaurant has been there awhile and is a bit older but very very clean. My question is the prices are very reasonable so where are all the customers as it was lunch time and I think only one or two other people came in? Please go patron this restaurant as we had a great experience. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Firecracker chicken with tater tots extra lettuce, a pickle and ketchup and ranch. Fabulous - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

Walked in about 11:30 for lunch (supposedly they opens at 11). Not a person to be found. Bar area was dark. Stood there waiting a minute for someone. Thought maybe they were closed. Left fast. Management problem. read more

Cigarette smoke filled restaurant. Bar and outside seating is for smoking. When door to either area is opened smoke comes billowing out filling non-smoking area with the stench of smoke. Had a hamburger and fries with a pickle spear. The pickle was the best part of the meal. Hamburger was ok; fries tasty like they were reheated. Other Kelly Taverns are good - this one is not. Won't be back anytime. read more

This was my first time eating at this restaurant. We got B.L.T, Buffalo wrap and burger. It wasn't crowded at the time we went but people seemed to go to the pool tables area. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE EVERY Kelly's Tavern! I simply come here for drinks; at great prices and fast service Kelly's Tavern is sooo my friend! The music is never really my speed and I'm not to sure how great the food is but again my reason on coming to this place is always satisfied! Please, feel free to stop by and check them out. Each location I've ever been to aren't too shy from looking like the next. read more

I just moved into the neighborhood and wanted to try the local eateries. While Kelly's Tavern was ok, it didn't live up to expectations.

Place has really great drinks at and affordable price, pretty decent food that is on the expensive side, but all in this a great place if you just want to get out and grab a drink and play a little pool, please be aware that you will leave out smelling like smoke. read more

Kelly's Tavern - a plate of chicken wings with a side of ranch dressing - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

After driving by this place for years, my best friend encouraged me to give it a try. I have got to say this tavern is truly a gem amongst all of the boring fast food joints that surround it. I had the Ponderosa burger with a side of homemade French onion soup which was incredible. It was suggested to have their infamous Sante Fe ranch on the side which was absolutely delicious. Their happy hour specials are also great and our server was very friendly and personable. I will definitely be going back again and highly recommend having dinner here. Keep up the good work! read more

Kelly's Tavern - Ponderosa cheeseburger with a side of French Onion soup - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

If you're a smoker, you'll probably love this place. If you're a foodie, keep driving. I had the 1/2 sandwich & a crock of their Tavern Chili. Meh. The corned beef wasn't very flavorful (thankfully they did have a commercial brand yellow mustard) and the chili would be better named "Southwest Flavored Hamburger Soup." I won't return. read more

A basic bar..... the bartender was nice tho. My wine was pretty cheap but I didn't expect much. Over all classic Smokey bar atmosphere. With loutish music(not too loud tho) it was a Friday night. The smoking /music section is separate from the dinning section so that's a plus. I would come back read more

Kelly's Tavern - a glass of wine on a napkin - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

Traditional tavern based out of Norfolk, Virginia. It's Virginia's answer to Cheers where everyone will know your name. The food is solid and they're notorious for their burgers. They have a smoking and non smoking with pool and darts. It's considerably cleaner than most bars. The bartender did a signature breakfast shot to perfection and it came with the bacon to smile Lunch Date: it's quiet, so why not Business casual: watch how much you can drink Romantic date: no, it's more of a hangout place read more

A smoker's best friend. Unfortunately, I am not a smoker. Kelly's has recently reconfigured their restaurant so that the bar area and pool area are enclosed for smoking. So now it looks like a majority of the place is geared towards smokers. So if you want to catch the game at the bar, be prepared to inhale lots of smoke. I had a burger with beer braised onions and cheese. It was okay- pretty unmemorable, along with the fries. I always get a side of BBQ sauce with my burgers and fries and the sauce really helped. Service was good. I feel sorry for the servers with all the smoking going on...'tis life in Virginia, I guess. Oh, and there were a lot of cute boys when I went on a Wednesday night. read more

I went here on St. Patrick's Day for the traditional corned beef and cabbage after calling to confirm they would be serving this for dinner. I arrived there at 6:00 and was immediately told they were already sold out. I was shocked that at the middle of the dinner hour they were already sold out. I guess I presumed they would prepare for the increase in customers for St. Patrick's day. Next year I'll buy my own. I only go to this restaurant once a year for this reason only. Not a true fan of this restaurant due to indoor smoking allowed and poor ventilation. A lot of people were leaving that walked in right after me. Sadly due to poor planning, the restaurant probably lost a lot of revenue that evening. read more

Kelly's in Newport News is an awesome hang out that sits on Jefferson near the entrance to Port Warwick. It's Irish-themed and is set up similar to a Pub. It's a regular hang-out for many locals in Newport News, and this adds to its draw. There are booths, tables, and a large bar that serves three different sides. In the back of the building are several pool tables and this is also a large draw for the place. The servers are nice, and the food is pretty good and fairly priced. The burgers are certainly worth trying out and there is quite a large selection of them to choose from. I suggest the Bacon & Cheddar as a good starting point. However, the Flamethrower is another god choice if you like Buffalo sauce and spicier food. It won't burn you too badly if you're used to hot food, but it's a great option if you like things spicy. The location and the crowd also make the atmosphere in Kelly's in Newport News. This is important to the overall experience when coming to this place. This stands in stark contrast to the Kelly's in Hampton, which is a dirtier location with a rowdier crowd. read more

We had dinner last night with Tiffany as our waitress. When we arrived with a large group, Tiffany warned us that she was the only waitress and only one cook. With the service and the food it felt like they were fully staffed. Thank you Tiffany. Going back for lunch tomorrow. read more

I wandered into this spot and wished I hadn't. I was looking for a small, local pub/tavern to have a beer and a bite. I guess it met that expectation, I should have been more clear I suppose. The food was "okay" at best. How do you screw up a crab cake this close to the coast? That takes an exceptional LACK of talent to mess that up. I sat at the bar and it was so dead in there, I knew right away that I should have left. Any place that can't draw a meager crowd for the dinner rush should be avoided. Lesson learned. I won't be going back here again. read more

The smell of smoke permeates the whole restaurant and it was so warm it made it that much worse

BEWARE OF THE BLONDE BITCH IN CHARGE!!! If i could give this restaurant a score in the negative, i would... Worst experience I have ever had at a restaurant. Most of the food was not good nor looked good. The first clue should have been that it was noon and the place was completely empty. You could have heard a cricket chirp. The General Manager was extremely rude (and that's an understatement). She told my mother she was copping an attitude after telling us we had complained about everything. Shortly after, she raised her voice telling us to get out and never come back while walking away and exiting the room. I will do exactly what she told us to do and never go back. Yuck! read more

I've never been one to really complain about a place's decor as I'm not super critical over that. After I go out to eat for the food not for the ambiance. Let me start by saying that the service was decent. Our server (a twenty-something lady) was polite, offered suggestions and was sweet to my daughter. However that is where the "good" stopped. I ordered the Shepherd's Pie (the waitress suggested it). The taste was okay but would have been better had it been even remotely warm. I mean seriously, they could have put it in the microwave. My boyfriend ordered the crab cakes. I thought maybe my food was cold bc they were preparing his crab cakes. However his food was also cold. For $18, I don't think it's too much to ask for warm crab cakes. The restaurant was not busy at all. I am so disappointed in the service. Our bill wound up being close to $70 and it was by far one of the most pathetic, unpleasant meals that we have ever had. I only give 2 stars bc my daughter thoroughly enjoyed her salad and the server was nice. There are apparently several of these restaurants in the area and I can say without a doubt that I would be 100% unwilling to eat at another "Kelly's" establishment. Ick. read more

This is a typical bar for me. I live right across the street. The only thing we eat here is wings and they do the job. This is the type of place we come to sit and drink along with play pool. I would never come here to eat a meal, I know people that have worked there and I've been warned about some of the food. It's a hangout, not a resteraunt to me. read more

A couple of friends and I stopped there for lunch, service was really slow and the place was practically empty. Do not order the French Onion soup, it is crazy salty, and is served Luke warm at best. My steak & cheese came out of the kitchen after a long wait & that was also only slightly warm, the plate was warmer than the food. Maybe this was just poor timing & their dinner service is better but I'm not going back to find out. read more

Kelly's in Newport News is nice restaurant with a cool bar and a pool room in the back. There is an outdoor patio area where smoking is permitted, and this makes for a nice escape from the bar, especially if it's crowded. There are booths and tables in the dining area or you have the option of sitting at the bar to eat. The food is excellent, especially their large variety of burgers, I really like the Flamethrower, it's awesome and is a must try for anyone who likes spicy food. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is cool. They have plenty of beer to choose from, draft and bottles. This is a great spot worth frequenting. Definitely much nicer than the Kelly's in Hampton. read more

Pretty great place to eat always a good burger and consistent on that. Im pretty sure theres happy hours on beers which is great too.

This restaurant is awful. They allow smoking in a separated closed off area which is something to know. We ordered spinach dip but asked the waitress if it was good. Her response was "yeah it's good. There isn't a lot of spinach in it so it's really good". And it ended up not being good at all. Any of it. read more

The broccoli chicken rice soup is amazing!!!! I keep going back just for that! Turkey burger is also very good. The place is cool...unfortunately the tv's and pool tables are in the smoking area. Since I'm not a smoker I only come here for lunch. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Crock of soup - Burgers Near Me - Newport News, Virginia

I went here with my husband for saint Patrick's day , the menu was good the food was great the waiter was nice, but... I didn't know when I looked it up that they have a smoking section I have asthma. The smoking section is sealed off it smelled fine at first could smell nothing but there was not anyone actively smoking at that time. We had to quickly leave when someone did come in and start smoking as it started to leek out of that section into where we were seated. The waiter was nice and quickly got us a box and our check and understood and was apologetic the smoking had bothered me he had also been very nice about checking for allergies in the food I ordered. I am allergic to peanuts and treenuts. Sadly I could never go back to this location of Kelly's due to the smoking. It's very mixing looking place but due to the smoking allowed and the fact that the seal is not holding can't go back. I have been to the other location of Kelly's no smoking there but it's not as nice looking. If you have asthma don't go to the Newport News Kelly's. read more

Started out to try another restaurant that ended up closed. Kelly's was around the corner and we haven't been in there in a while so we thought we would give it a try. Got our drinks fairly quickly, about 15 min later the waitress finally came by and asked if we were ready to order. Duh, could have been faster if not hanging in the bar and outside. Fish and chips and a patty melt, about 30 minutes to get the meal. Waited another 10 min or so for tarter sauce. The food was good just took too long to get it. As with other reviews if you don't like a smokey restaurant move on. Lots of smoke coming in as people come in and out from the outside. read more

We stopped by the Hampton Kelly's tonight with my husband and two of our boys tonight. It was right around dinner time and the only other people in the dining area seemed to be one other couple. We probably should have taken that as a sign of things to come. Our waitress also seemed to be playing both hostess and waitress for the dining area - and she was the only one waiting tables. That seemed unusual since it was dinner hour. We asked the waitress a few questions while we were ordering and she just didn't seem to know anything about the menu at all. Our orders: My husband ordered a Kelly's Original Hamburger, the white chili, and a side salad. I ordered the Tuna Rockefeller without the spinach Our 15 year old son ordered the Flamethrower Cheeseburger Our 11 year old son ordered the Fried Egg Burger with no tomato and no lettuce -- burgers all came with french fries, tuna came with steamed broccoli and garlic mashed potatoes When we were seating there were only two sets of silverware wrapped in napkins on the table. My son asked twice for silverware and a napkin and no one ever brought any. Fortunately you don't need silverware to eat a burger :-/ but napkins are definitely nice to have, especially with fried eggs. We waited nearly a full 30 minutes before my husband's salad came out even though there was no one else in the dining room. Another 10+ minutes for rest of the food to come. They sent out a bacon cheeseburger instead of the fried egg burger, but they took it back and corrected it right away with no problem. The burgers all looked pretty good and everyone seemed to enjoy them. The white chili was so-so, nothing really special there. Everyone agreed that the french fries were oily and mushy, not very yummy. The tuna was extremely overcooked. It died 10,000 deaths in that kitchen. The steamed broccoli was fine and the garlic mashed potatoes were okay (though I didn't really taste any garlic) but I returned the tuna - and didn't ask for another one. I probably should have insisted on having the tuna removed from check, but I didn't and they didn't offer. $14 for potatoes and steamed broccoli. The waitress didn't seem surprised it was overcooked. She said she would tell the cook, but also added that everyone seemed to be saying the food was overcooked. If I were basing my review on just my meal it would only be one star rating. But my kids really enjoyed their burgers (even though neither of them liked the fries) so that earns at least one star. The moral of the story is if you're going to eat at this restaurant, stick to the burger selections on the menu. *** Update the next morning after dining at Kelly's *** Last night after I wrote this review and we started to settle in for the evening and get ready to go to bed it started. Everyone got sick! (we're all still feeling pretty ill) I'm dropping my original rating from 2 stars to 1 star. *** read more

On the evening of Sunday, 3/31/19, I was at Kelly's Tavern in Newport News, VA and Kevin Mansfield was working (white male with glasses) and he hosed me with water from the drink nozzle behind the bar while he was on duty and I was a consumer at the bar. I have been regularly attending Kelly's for approx. 4 years and spend, on average, 300-500 PER WEEK (6/7 days), including tips, while visiting this establishment. I did not receive an apology and he thought it was funny. Not only was I appalled, publicly humiliated, and taken aback, I now had to sit with a wet T-shirt for no apparent reason. We typically engage in candor and facetiousness; however, his actions weren't justified, nor warranted. I should have called the cops for assault! I will no longer go to this establishment that I have considered a place of refuge over the past few years because there is NO WAY I will give my hard-earned monies to an establishment where respect is NOT ON THE MENU! SHAME! read more

I came here with a friend a few weeks back looking for a good burger. Unfortunately I did not look at the reviews prior to ordering or I would have taken the hint and left. I haven't been to a Kelly's in probably 10 years and I understand now. When our burgers came out we knew after the first bite that we wouldn't be staying. I got a turkey burger and the meat was dry with a funny aftertaste and the bread was stale. To be fair, the sweet potato fries were palatable and the service was exceptional. Truly, the young lady who waited on us should go elsewhere for employment. Her skills are wasted here. read more

Meh, I've been to two Kelly's Tavern, this one in NN and the one in Hampton. I didn't dine in the one in Hampton and only went there for the pool and drinks. However, I had a blast at the one in Hampton but the one in NN is definitely in need of some major changes. The one in NN is located at the entrance in Port Warwick, so you would think they'd get a nice flow of business seeing as CNU is nearby and other popular destinations. Nope. The times I've been and passed by it looks deserted. The outside parking lot vacant and the building looks sad. Once inside it's no different, we had to literally wait for a host during lunch time to come and attend us. It was a Friday, about 12:30 and there was only one table full. Hmm. Anyway, we were seated towards the left rear and found our tables to be very sticky so I moved to another less sticky table. The place does reak of smoke which I found to be very unappealing, the air in the restaurant was very heavy. The service was actually pretty quick and the waiter was nice too. She was helpful explaining some specials but they honestly didn't sound that appealing to me. I went with my mother who ordered the jerk chicken. She seemed to be picking at her meal and really only ate the french fries. My sister ordered a bacon burger of some sort and seemed to enjoy her meal. I ordered the roasted veggie wrap which I thought was pathetic looking. It said it had artichokes in it but only found one piece. There was definitely more tortilla than filling and the tortilla tasted old, it crumbled when I took a bite. I feel like I could have bought the same thing at Wally World's to go cooler. I was the only one who ordered a drink, it was a cotton candy cosmo, which was super sweet. It was okay but tasted like straight up sugar and vodka. It wasn't even pretty looking. Overall, the food is meh, and the drinks are just okay. The smoke and dirty tables aren't my style when I want to dine out comfortably so I'll probably pass. read more

I loved going to this place when I lived in Newport News. Everytime I went they were never super busy so parking was never an issue, neither was seating. The staff was always friendly. I never had a bad waiter experience but I did have some that did not check on their tables as much as they should have. The sweet potatoe fries are a must. I still crave those things today! I always got the chicken avocado wrap which was delish. I ate at one of the virginia beach kellys once and the portion size of the same wrap was not as big. The mixed drinks that I have gotten here were a bit watered down tasting....but baileys is right down the road if you need a stiff drink. read more