Good spot for drinks and GREAT crab cakes. Steamed shrimp are huge and steamed perfectly. Grouper nuggets were good.nothing fancy and everyone at the bar knew each other. Great service. Will def return. read more

Though I would like to keep this off the beaten path local gem a secret, the crabs are too good not to share. Old school; low key, wood paneling, classic bar, pitchers of beer, brown paper covered tables with a roll of paper towels, mallets, a shaker full of Old Bay, and a bucket for the emptied shells. It doesn't get much better when you're looking for great crabs. They only serve #1s and at market price. They come out on a tray, they're coated in Old Bay and steaming hot, and come with optional melted butter and/or a vinegary crab sauce though they don't need a drop of either they're so flavorful and sweet. Our server was very kind and seemed to know all the locals, and she told us the nearby location the crabs were from. Be aware that you can't put tip on a credit card and they no longer have an ATM. If you go, you shouldn't expect fluff, frills, or fuss, but you can count on the best crabs you can find based on our experiences. We ordered 1 1/2 dozen crabs, a basket of fries, 3 pitchers of beer, two water bottles, 2 single beers - one draft and one bottle, and our total bill was $190 ($100/dozen for crabs). Also be aware that they have crabs Thursday through Sunday, and you can call to reserve the the # of crabs you want. We learned the hard way last year that they can sell out quickly based on reservations. I almost forgot to mention they bring out ice cold frosty beer mugs! Cheers! read more

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Off the beaten path, unadulterated. No frills, just what you want. Kelly's is local gem, that has probably hasn't updated much since the mid 80s. Paper menu, stained glass hanging lights. $2 mugs, and plenty of seafood. Fried/Raw/Steamed. Really good crab chowder, $1 oysters and apparently the place to go for steamed crabs combined with everything you'd want from a downtown Tavern. Perfect. About 10 minutes south of new castle and away from the chaos of rt's 1, 13 and 95. I love that this is a getaway type of place, I almost avoided a review for fear of Kelly's getting more popular and ruining its vibe. Have to say- Really antiquated tip/debit process. Cash tips only and fees added to credit/debit payments. Think of how often your staff misses out on a tip because of this. Times have changed, offering card payment options is the new norm and seeing places like Kelly's choose to make it harder for their customers to pay is just unfortunate. Lost a star due to this read more

Kellys Tavern - Buck a shucks - Bars Near Me - Port Penn, Delaware

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Great local place with fresh seafood, cold beer, and nice patrons. It's old, but very clean. The chef makes homemade soups to die for, and they always have #1 or jumbo blue crabs in stock. A great place to kick back and relax. read more

Love this place. Been coming here for years. Makes a great ride too if you have a bike.

Excellent restaurant tavern in town. No minors. Their crab cake sandwich is excellent. That and a draft beer costs about 19 dollars. All locals usually inside. They also have 5 homemade soups everyday. They have been here for decades. read more

Small pub qith great seafood. We enjoyed a basket of huge large shrimp (market price). Two bowls (although small) of soup: Sausage and clams, and cream of lobster. Total spent $61.98 (before tip). A bit pricey for location. A one time visit is enough but enjoyed first visit. Seevice was pleasant and friendly. read more

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"It's a very...local place. Old school, no frills. You guys sure you're okay with that?" "I'm from the south, of course I'm okay with that. The best food generally comes from those type of dives, duh!" This was the conversation that elapsed between myself and my Aunt Cindy a few days ago. My husband and I were visiting his family up north (we're Tennesseans, they're from New York and Delaware), and we wanted to try some crab. She suggested Kelly's, then explained all about what a "waterman" is in local Delaware/Maryland fashion as we drove. Inside, the restaurant is all wood paneling on the walls, old linoleum floors, mismatched tables and chairs, and super friendly people - our waitress was so nice, and they all knew my aunt as a "regular." I love those kind of places - where everybody knows your naaaaaame. They put brown butcher paper down on the tables, you tell them how many crabs you want, and they get to cookin'. They also have a menu of fried crab cakes (amazing), flounder, oysters, clams, etc. and frosty cold mugs for the Yuengling on tap. The food was outstanding. I learned the proper way to dissect and consume a crab, which was a very englightening experience. Meat so sweet you didn't even need butter, y'all. The crab cake was also PACKED full of meat and very little filler, which is what you want! This place is super quaint and charming, and I can definitely see why the locals make this their "place." I'd come back in a heartbeat, next time we're in the area! read more

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Service and food are always amazing! Steamed shrimp are the size of your head! Always great dinner! read more

Kellys Tavern - Steamed shrimp - Bars Near Me - Port Penn, Delaware

If your looking for a fine dining experience where they let you smell the wine cork, you better keep moving on up the road. Now if your looking for Seafood (especially crabs) that's great, stop on in! They also have your typical bar food kept simple, but good on taste. Beer is ice cold and the atmosphere is down home! read more

Cheap Yuengling beer (none of this seven-buck a beer cr@p.) BIG FAT crab cakes, deep fried, filled with lump crab meat. Good solid french fries. Ambiance: urinal-cake fresh (sad to say) It's a biker bar. Worth it however for the crab cakes and beer. Worth risking a visit, except no kids, please (it is a BAR) and watch out if you know it's a bike weekend for any of the big clubs around here. Then use discretion. read more

Quility food and great beer. The vibe in this place is perfect. If you looking for a cold beer and solid frozen deep fried wings? Found right here in Port Penn! Seriously they great crabs, great crab cakes, French fries, wings, burgers, fries and anything else you can fry.... simple and friendly! They have a few types of soups available, I have never had a bad one. I think Kelley's is considered a Tavern?, must be 21 to enter.... if your in the area and not looking for roasted brussel sprouts and hummus, then get in here! read more

Kellys Tavern - a woman sitting at a bar - Bars Near Me - Port Penn, Delaware

Hunting season is underway in Delaware. I'm surprised people can still find room to fire their guns in a state that is under ferocious assault by shoddy developers. But a visit to Kelly's will confirm that the camo crowd still has a strong presence in Delaware. The party to our right discussed the merits of different Tom Selleck movies. The party to our left looked like permanent fixtures. Sunburned in November, Michelob Ultra and a pack of Dorals. Mugs of Yuengling for $1.75 and pretty passable soup. Not sure how the crabs are, and as long as Sambo's stays open, I'll never have cause to find out. read more

We visited this place about 2 weeks ago. There were no crabs available due to out of season. But the people there were very friendly and so was the bar tender. She explained everything regarding crabs in DE. However - they charged me $6.00 for each glass of wine that was less than 3 ounces. The wine glass was like a shot glass. I should have taken a picture. read more

Bring Cash so you can tip server or bartender THEY WILL NOT ADD TIPS on you card food is very good, the place has a old smell, read more

Kellys Tavern - Wall inside - Bars Near Me - Port Penn, Delaware

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The crab cake platter is among the most reasonably priced in the area at 13.25. The fries are excellent and the crab cake filling. The coleslaw is so so. Nancy is an efficient server. Go for the good food and good prices; not the atmosphere. read more

We have been coming here for years delicious crab cakes nothing fancy just good food excellent seafood . Have a beer and relax. Friendlly staff reasonable prices read more

This is a No Frills, Locals only, Crab joint. Extremely Overpriced crabs, great service if you're a local. Loud, obnoxious locals, have no problem packing the place on a Saturday afternoon. They sure love this local hotspot, and have no problem SHELLING out $75 / dozen crabs. We are talking about small blue crabs. I was extremely shocked that none of the food was home made. One woman serving over sixty people. The bar maid would talk to locals, but wouldn't help serve anyone. She watched as people begged for drinks, and checks. Somebody is making money here, but it won't be mine anymore! read more

Definitely won't be back, regardless of the food or my desire to always support local small businesses. Extremely unfriendly and unwelcoming. We entered to an empty restaurant with a few local gents at the bar having their lunch. We joined the rest at the bar, wanting to be open. We just moved in a few miles down the road and we are interested in getting to know people. Woman bartender barely said hello, glanced in our direction a few times before offering us a menu. We ordered beers and sandwiches. Food was home made and decent. But the atmosphere was simply unpleasant and not worth the effort to return. Too bad, as the folks who own the bait shop across the street highly recommended the food. read more

Excellent crab cakes, big fAt crabs on weekends. Cool place to have a brew or two!

Like the local feeling, and the crab cakes always rock. It's a nice ride for lunch. We'll be back again.

We went there last night with another couple that had been many times. They told us in advance that it is a dive bar. They also told that the crab cakes are delicious and BIG! Well they were right. It is a typical fishing town dive that had great seafood. The crab cakes were great as well as the fried and steamed shrimp. Cheap beers too. If you are not in the mood for fancy and just going with friends for good seafood and cheap beer, it is the place. We will be back! read more

I've been to Kelly's many times for crabs and they are always very good. The other food is decent. I will not be returning, however. The elderly lady that bartends is exceptionally rude and her service leaves a lot to be desired. Good bye Kelly's, too many other places with much nicer and better service! read more

Quality food at a reasonable price. Best steamed shrimp anywhere in the area. Also ice cold Yuengling on draft in ice cold mugs. Only downside: if not a local-redneck-hunter-type patrons none too friendly. read more

Great food, Love the crabcake sandwitches! Worth the trip. Half pitchers of beer are just right for a meal!