Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kelly's Tavern

    3.2 (89 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican, Bars
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

    Order Kelly's Tavern Takeout or Delivery

    Kelly's Tavern Photos

    Business Info

    KELLY'S TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like Kelly's Tavern

    Recommended Reviews - Kelly's Tavern

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tomato basil soup and garden salad.
    Ray K.

    Dinner then a movie. We shears enjoy ourselves wheN we come in. Our regular waitress was talking to another table so she didn't get us. However the other young lady was awesome as well. Our other server even had small chat with us. Chris and I had the drink special. He had the French onion soup and chickens salad sandwich. I had the tomato basIl soup with the garden salad. Watched the debate and the game. Good energy as usual. :) be back soon !!

    Tavern chili. It tastes pretty good.

    The service was good. The food was delicious and hot. The fries could have been not so over cooked but other than that the place is a good spot to eat in.

    a beer and a television

    Good food but I had a fly in my beer bro, like wtf . My homie also spotted a roach crawling in the cut so tbh kinda turned off. But I'm keeping it G and enjoying myself so shouts out to my bartender for being cool.

    Wedge salad - with old lettuce
    Meredith S.

    What has happened to this original location?! We used to come here all the time years ago when I worked in the area. You were always guaranteed a great burger and friendly service. Not anymore it seems. I was longing for a big juicy burger for lunch, and since we were in the area, I figured we'd stop in. First, don't sit in the booths. Just don't. They used to be cozy, now they're just downright uncomfortable. It's like sitting in a church pew and the "cushions" are so worn out, you feel like you are leaning forward into the table. Hubby and I agreed that our server never smiled....not one time. All of this I could have tolerated if the food was still as good as I remembered. Sadly, it's not. I started with a wedge salad, because I love them. It's pretty difficult to mess up a wedge right? It's usually just iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, crumbled blue cheese and dressing. Here's the thing, you need to start with fresh lettuce. This looked like it had been sitting in the walk-in for a while. And it was....just bland. Not sure how that can be with the blue cheese, but it was. Hubby's comment was "Meh." Kelly's used to always be good for cooking your burger to order. I requested mid-rare for my bacon burger. It was not. Had I not ordered it that way, I'm fairly certain it would have come out as a hockey puck. It was way over. Hubby had the Philly. Weirdest thing ever - it seems they use the roast beef from the French dip? It was seasoned weirdly. At least it wasn't steak-ums. The fries were just ok. Hubby did enjoy the potato salad side because it reminds him of his favorite - that he buys prepackaged in the grocery store, so enough said there. So sad that this is not the Kelly's I used to love. There are far better restaurants in the area. I doubt we'll give this one another try.

    Bourbon burger! It's a 5 napkins stack of awesomeness
    Joan A.

    Great local tavern w/ HUGE burgers!!! Don't pass up the sweet potato fries! They even have a good kids menu.

    Beer menu
    Samantha C.

    Came here as a third stop on a day of bar hopping down Colley with some girlfriends. I have never been to a Kelly's before but I was pleasantly surprised by this one! It is quite small, but there was a table outside large enough to fit all 9 of us. They had an awesome happy hour with $1.75 well drinks! There is an upcharge of $1 if you want any juice mixed in, so I decided to just stick with a simple rum and coke. The glasses are smaller than average drink glasses but it is definitely worth the $1.75; the drinks were a little on the strong side, but we didn't mind haha. Food wise, my friend ordered the crab dip with pita chips and I thought it was very tasty. Came out very warm and with the perfect amount of pita chips! It always bothers me when a restaurant serves way too many crackers or chips just to cover up the little amount of dip they give out! But Kelly's definitely didn't do that so I was a happy camper. Per the same friend though, the fries are a bit bland and aren't worth getting. Lastly (but most definitely not the least), our waitress was absolutely wonderful! She went above and beyond to make sure that all of our drinks came out at the same time and even remembered what each of us ordered so that we wouldn't have to keep repeating ourselves if we wanted a refill. Definitely recommend checking out this Kelly's location to grab a few cheap drinks with awesome service!

    Kelly's Tavern Patio

    See all

    1 month ago

    Awsome place great food great prices. Always have good staff available. Ask for the frequent launcher card.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ray K.
    244
    133
    1124

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Fefi M.
    209
    47
    44

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Logen J.
    54
    23
    45

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bill M.
    11
    330
    49

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joan A.
    0
    93
    70

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Dana D.
    11
    18
    80

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leah S.
    186
    65
    69

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kev K.
    0
    29
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jacqui R.
    68
    445
    476

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Second time here at the Colley Ave Kelly's Tavern! Great burger and soups! I especially enjoyed the fried pickles. Two thumbs up

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 16
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Marc L.
    9
    43
    53

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ed C.
    220
    130
    103

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alex S.
    203
    2
    1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kim A.
    284
    3
    0

    7 years ago

    I eat at Kelly's once a week. Great food and service. The fries are my favorite, fresh cut and cooked to order.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Kelly's Tavern

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for American 2,794 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas

    Still Worldly Eclectic Tapas

    4.2
    (489 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Chef Ty is amazing. He's blending flavors across cultures that are so flavor packed. He's bringing…read morethe umami!!! If you are ever nearby, you should come out and support!

    We stopped in to see this place after the First Friday Sip & Stroll in downtown Portsmouth. We…read moreheard this was a cool little hidden gem, in a building that's been around for a couple hundred years and is partially underground and very "speakeasy like". Super glad we stopped in, the vibe is incredibly comfortable and cool and envelops your soul. Ambience: super cool, comfortable, a little dark, exposed brick walls with plaster patches, hardwood floors, heavy wood and leather furniture, incredible bar that is more like two bars in an L-shape with an unbelievable selection of anything you could ever want. This place is very solid feeling, you just feel safe and tucked in. Service: was fantastic, we met the executive chef named Ty who greeted us before we even sat down, just saw us sitting in the foyer bar and came over to say hello, very cool. We were greeted and seated by an absolute sweetheart upfront named Jackson and our server couldn't have been nicer, her name was Casey. Food: the food is all served tapas style, smaller plates, but well curated with interesting and innovative ingredients with beautiful presentation. Unfortunately, they were out-of four things that my wife wanted, she didn't want all of them simultaneously, she wanted one and they were out, and that happened three more times. Apparently, they often order in smaller batches and buy locally so sometimes they don't have as much as someplace buying in bulk, that's as much a positive as a negative, not a bad thing, just a bit of a bummer that she didn't get her first few choices. She ended up with the duck tacos which were good. We started with the brussels sprouts, which were also good and had nice presentation. We also started with bacon wrapped tots, the dish came with four of them and chili ketchup, beautifully presented, and rich, creamy, crunchy and yummy. I ordered the braised beef and fry bread and it was my favorite thing, very beefy flavored, warm and rich on soft pillowy fry bread with some cool crunch and crispy, thin plantain slices, very good. We started with a Chocolate Cherry Old Fashioned that was delicious. Overall the food was very good and the value was decent at around $12-$16 per plate. Overall: this was a really good experience and I'd go back to try some of the things they were out of and enjoy the incredible bar and stellar, considerate, thoughtful service. Definitely recommend!

    Photos
    Amazing bar
    Amazing bar
    Bread pudding
    Bread pudding
    Mussels fra diavola... good but not spicy

    See all

    Mussels fra diavola... good but not spicy
    Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint - Norfolk

    Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint - Norfolk

    4.3
    (757 reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$

    My friends and I were in Norfolk for a conference, and Jack Brown's Beer & Burger Joint was just…read moresteps from our hotel. It was so good that our group ended up eating there twice! The burgers are absolutely amazing. My favorite was the Greg Brady: a smashed burger topped with house-made mac & cheese, American cheese, and BBQ potato chips. It sounds over the top, but somehow it all works perfectly. A friend enjoyed the Chiflet, topped with applewood-smoked bacon, a sunny-side-up egg, and American cheese. A couple others tried the special burgers of the day, and they were all a hit as well. We all upgraded to double patties, and it was hands-down the best decision. The sweet potato fries were also delicious and the perfect side. Customer service was also amazing! Everyone was super helpful and attentive both of the times we were there. If you're in Norfolk and craving a great burger, don't miss this place. We'll definitely be back!

    My party came here on Sunday afternoon after visiting Nauticus with our kids. The burgers were good…read moreand fresh, but smaller than expected for a place known for burgers. Price point was about $16 for a burger and fries without a drink. We ordered the regular cheeseburger, the Cowboy (bacon, BBQ sauce, and American cheese), the Cobra Kai (cream cheese, pickled jalapeños, and jalapeño jelly), and the Classic Jack (caramelized onions, JB sauce, and dill pickles). Everything tasted solid and came out hot. The restaurant itself is very small and does not seem ideal for larger groups. Despite this, I loved the ambiance, it has a dive bar vibe with lots of notes on dollar bills on the walls that were fun to read. I will be coming back again when in the area! A special shoutout to the waitress with the bridge piercing. She was friendly, accommodating, and quick with service, which really stood out.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    2x fried Oreos (interior view) (instagram: @issa.cheatday)
    2x fried Oreos (interior view) (instagram: @issa.cheatday)
    View from within the restaurant

    See all

    View from within the restaurant
    High Street Pizza & Pour House

    High Street Pizza & Pour House

    4.6
    (274 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Trust the over 250 solid reviews on here praising this place and ignore the 10 disgruntled folks…read morewho clearly suffer from Karen/kevin syndrome. This is THE spot for locals in the Portsmouth area. It's no surprise you see reviews from patrons who drive from all over the Hampton Roads area to visit this gem! Service is so friendly and you can tell it is a TEAM! I sat at the bar so got to watch the open kitchen in action. Their system is down pat and you can tell everyone enjoys working with each other. Each dish I watched from prep to service was handled with meticulous care. PRIDE IN WORK AT ITS FINEST! Everyone works to serve you as a team as well, no worry about "bothering" another member of the staff for something, everyone wants you to enjoy your meal. I can tell there are a lot of local regulars as the staff was engaged on a level you only see when your clientele is consistent and have a vested interest in the success of the business. I've been to 16 countries and travelled all over the states, this is truly one of the most friendly establishments I've had the pleasure of being hosted at. On to the food! I see a few people complain about the small menu, that is the SMARTEST thing a business can do. Focus on what you're good at and demolish the competition. High Street Pizza and Pour delivers on this. My eyes were bigger than my stomach so I ordered the meatballs, the special for their pizza pie of the night (a pork belly, red onion, jalapeño, bbq drizzle dream boat of a pie), a tiramisu and two cocktails. The food in pictures looked smaller than in person... omg I ordered for about 4-5 people! But everyone was soooo good. Meatballs were tender with a fantastic red sauce. Pizza had a crispy buttery crust and the pork belly was rendered perfectly. Tiramisu was fantastic (not sure if that's an in house make or pre done, but it was on point), and the cocktails were perfectly poured with just the right amount of liquor. I left with probably two meals worth of takeout the portions were so large and I can't wait until I'm hungry again. I'm new to the neighborhood and as everyone knows, you need to find your fav local spot to frequent. I'm proud to report, High Street Pizza and Pour House has just taken that spot!

    It's my own fault. Being a vegan in a world where eateries are not always vegan friendly, I have to…read moredo a lot of research before I even go to a restaurant. And I didn't do enough research about High Street Pizza, I guess. I always check the menu before I even leave the house when going out to eat. I look for vegan friendly items, and sometimes I call to confirm. The exception is PIZZA. Whenever my not-vegan husband and I decide on pizza, I already know I can customize any pizza with veggies instead of meat and cheese. It was date night Thursday, and High Street Pizza had awesome reviews. I did the "vegan thing" and checked the menu first. I found a lot of vegetable toppings, so I knew I could craft a pizza to my liking. We drove from Va Beach to Portsmouth for dinner. I learned that I cannot craft a pizza with no meat and cheese because High Street Pizza will not make a pizza without cheese. I had no idea you can't just take cheese off of pizza. I do it all the time at other pizza places, but the pizza here must be constructed with cheese. I was told I could get vegan cheese, but I didn't want that. Option 2-order a salad. I opted for the Greek Salad, hold the feta. And since the menu said it came with a red wine vinaigrette dressing, I could eat that instead. After placing our orders, the waitress returned and informed me the red wine vinaigrette was made with mayonnaise at High Street Pizza. The very name of the dressing is a list of the ingredients: Red wine Vinegar How does MAYONNAISE get in there? I even Googled it to make sure I wasn't getting it confused: extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, mustard, oregano, and salt Of course, the dressing can be altered to be "creamy". And yes, there is a CREAMY red wine vinaigrette. But that's not what the menu said. High Street Pizza listed the dressing as just "red wine vinaigrette." I didn't eat anything that evening, but my husband loved every morsel of his sausage and mushroom pie, however. He even said it was one of the best pizzas he ever had! In their defense, High Street Pizza doesn't tout themselves as a vegan friendly restaurant. I am not disappointed about the pizza because my choice not to eat vegan cheese is my preference. They tried to offer an alternative, I chose not to opt for the cheese alternative. Consider listing your salad dressing as "creamy red wine vinaigrette" though. It makes a huge difference leaving the word out.

    Photos
    Bar
    Bar
    Magical deliciousness
    Magical deliciousness
    Magical deliciousness

    See all

    Magical deliciousness
    Circuit Social

    Circuit Social

    3.7
    (144 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Heard about this place and wanted to try it out. We figured it would be fairly slow given it is a…read morelong holiday weekend and a lot of people would be out of town on vacation, but we were wrong. Good size crowd but still plenty of room and game to easily get to and play. Started off with great service at the front desk, I believe the guys name is Cleary. He was very welcoming. We explained this was our first time in and asked for recomendations. He was very friendly and cordial and explained how everything worked. At the end of the visit we realized he gave great advice that allowed us to fully enjoy our visit. The vibe and ambiance was really good and had the true arcade feel. People were laughing and having lots of fun just like us. There were people enjoying food and drinks and relaxing in groups in the dining area, playing duck pin bowling, video games including guitar hero, playing pinball, skeetball, basketball shoot and football throwing games. I mean there was real fun being had by all including us. Didn't have food but had beer and played pinball and video games. I really like the beer taps because there were a lot of choices and I tried several different ones because you pour as little or as much as you want. I did about six oz pours and tried several ones. We will definitely be visiting Circuit Social again to get out and have fun and take our mind off things. Thank you for a good time. we needed it!!

    Fun idea, but execution needs work!!…read more I visited Circuit Social expecting a lively experience, but it didn't quite meet expectations. The concept is interesting, but some games were not working properly, and the overall setup felt a bit disorganized. The space looks nice, but it got crowded quickly, making it hard to enjoy the activities. Drinks were average for the price, and service was slow during peak times. Overall, Circuit Social has potential, but better maintenance and smoother operations are needed before it becomes a place I'd recommend.

    Photos
    Guitar Hero
    Guitar Hero
    Arcade games
    Arcade games
    Fries

    See all

    Fries
    508 Locals

    508 Locals

    4.3
    (35 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    So we have been here twice now. I'm going to give each one separately:…read moreFirst time: Came in after a VA Stage show so kinda late. Sat at the bar. Service was absolutely awesome. Bartender was incredibly attentive for having a full bar. We each had 2 different cocktails and both were distinctive and excellently crafted. We had shared a couple of the small plates and enjoyed them both. We enjoyed the place so much that we decided to come back with a group of 14 for All Lovers Eve. Second time: Made the reservation with ease. If you've ever made a group reservation you know how complicated some places make it. This was a large group and they were short handed. This lead to a slower service which actually worked out well for our group. We didn't mind the gaps. They put us in their back room (hint - GREAT for groups) there was a little confusion with the order to include an extra dish we didn't order. We still ate it and paid for it though. The staff was great with our large and rather disruptive group. The food was all excellent (local oysters on the half shell and the apple desert were my highlights). Multiple cocktails that were all wonderful. My only real negative was that there was a $50 "loyalty club " charge that was never mentioned and I didn't even notice on the $1200.00 bill. This is, I believe, some sort of credit card fee. Both times were good. Both times staff were wonderful. Both times we were comfortable. Give the place a try. I don't think you will regret it.

    My reservations fell through at a different location, and I came about this restaurant online. Most…read moreplaces were booked on a Saturday night. However, I called 508 locals to see if they had any availability. The hostess told us to come on through. When I pulled up it wasn't too busy. They were welcoming and sat us right away. We had an awesome waiter. Judging from his accent, he was from Ireland. He was great. Very enthusiastic and attentive. I was pretty hungry. I ordered the crab cakes (great sauce and aioli), Brussels (hot honey with goat cheese and cranberries), junglebird drink (delicious, it wasn't overly sweet), and ribeye. All delicious. I was not disappointed. It was such a chill place. It wasn't overly loud. It was clean. I recommend.

    Photos
    508 Locals
    Salted caramel pecan cheesecake
    Salted caramel pecan cheesecake
    Espresso martini, not too creamy or sweet, very coffee forward and delicious!

    See all

    Espresso martini, not too creamy or sweet, very coffee forward and delicious!

    Kelly's Tavern - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...