Nothing is finer, then being in this diner. Super old school, a mix of aqua and pink coloring makes you feel like your stepped onto the set of a 1960's movie. For the most part the people are friendly (I mean its a Boston local spot what do you expect), but the food is all great and the service is fast. The big portions are nice, omelettes are huge, pancakes go on for miles, and the corned beef hash is well known (or so they, and I, say) - its fantastic. Only issue is that its cash only so be prepared!! read more

The place is the whole diner package. Greasy, cheap food, coffee that could go either way and waitresses that won't take no crap! Sometimes they won't pay attention to you either, but I'll take it. The only thing this place is missing is biscuits & gravy, but we can't always get what we want. Today I went and had what I always get: a glass of OJ, 2 eggs, 3 sausage links, toast and homefries. Lots of food that fills me up but doesn't break my wallet. I threw down a $10 when I left, which included the $3 tip. Plus, it's a 2 minute walk from my house. The food god's were looking out for me on this one read more

It's alright, most of the reason one would come here is for the atmosphere and reputation. The food is fine, nothing to get excited about, but you can eat it. read more

Jumbo love for this place! Fab corned beef and perfectly over medium eggs with a kind wait staff. Will be back when I visit my Tufts student! read more

FIVE STARS FOR THEIR HASH BROWNS/HOME FRIES...whatever you call them. They are so delicous. Just little bits of potatoes, seasoned with a little salt, butter and I have no idea how the texture is so good, but they are soft and delicious. I swear if you mashed them, they'd make mashed potatoes. I honestly would go here just to eat these! I also got sausage links (excellent), pancakes and scrambled eggs -- nothing to write home about and I also got toast. I was hungry. I could not finish 1/2 of this, so next time I will order toast, sausage and those amazing hash browns. The place was hopping on a Sunday morning and we were not planning on going here but ended up here because the other two breakfast places down the street had long waits. I refuse to wait in line to eat. It makes me angry, and you wouldn't like me when I am angry. Service was spot on, I enjoyed my server. I could tell she had been a server in a diner for years. She had a nice dispostion and I give her credit as the place was really packed with a ton of students, some elderly patrons, and a young family with a baby. I thought she handled the crowd very efficiently. Ok, I really want those hash browns now. I have yet to find a place that compares to them. I can't wait to come back to get the hash browns. I'll be dreaming of them! read more

In the 21st-century a beautiful art has been lost: The classic diner. Nothing too fancy or dolled up, no special sauces drizzled or extra costs for avocado. Just a good old hefty plate of breakfast food. Kelly's diner will bring you back to simpler times. With classic and simple brunch options served around the clock, such as eggs any style bacon or sausage, pancakes, French toast and toast to your liking (including sourdough)! They make it how you want it, they substitute for free, they are there to please you and feed you. You will not leave with a hole in your wallet nor a hunger in your stomach. Couldn't recommend more for a delicious brunch and bang for your buck. Besides, we all know those classy, overpriced millennial brunch restaurants are thoroughly overrated. read more

I went here for years. It's a heart attack, but it's total heaven. They don't toast their bagels, here; they grill them, and the bagels soak up all the deliciousness of the fatty foods that lay on the grill before them. Guaranteed food coma of love. This is THE place to go when you have a hangover, or after that one night stand that you start regretting when you wake up (it can be noisy, so you don't have to talk too much). Everything is priced pretty fairly. The one thing I've noticed is that the servers seem to work pretty hard. Tip them well! read more

I have to give props to my favorite neighborhod breakfast joint. What puts this place above the other great breakfast spots (Sound Bites, Ball Sq Cafe, etc)? Consistency. I've never been surprised with taste or quality of the food. It's probably always been the same since forever. The pancakes here are THE BEST. So fluffy and delicious. The homemade corned beef hash is killer. Home fries and sausage are great. Bacon is usually nicely crispy. I've never had a bad breakfast here, and I can not say the same for anywhere else in the immediate vicinity. Also, its cheaper than everywhere else! The downside? Service can be slow and grumpy at times and its CASH ONLY. But there is an ATM on site. read more

Kelly's Diner is hands down the best breakfast in Boston at a price you can't beat! I go to Kelly's all the time. I can't stop going back. Every time I think about having breakfast somewhere else, I think about being overcharged, underserved, waiting in long lines, eating mediocre food, and leaving unsatisfied (sound familiar? You've been at Soundbites)... so I go to Kelly's. I have had nothing but great experiences from the day I walked in their doors. Make no mistake: There won't be any goat cheese in your omelette. Caviar isn't an option. Don't ask for anything "braised", because Dotty will laugh you out of the building. Just hunker down for a good, old-fashioned, red-blooded American breakfast done right. The ladies who serve there are just nice people from around the block who happen to be bringing you coffee. Their pancakes are excellent, eggs always done right, bacon is bacon, and the french toast is unbearably good (get it with fruit). They never make a stink about giving us (and charging us for) a half-portion because the whole one is ever so daunting. Best of all, two people can usually leave $20-$25 on the table (including a nice tip) and walk out the door with big smiles on their faces. So if you're going to Ball Square for breakfast, give Soundbites (ugh) the cold shoulder and walk five doors down to the best breakfast deal in the city. read more

We went here before and had a great experience. I don't remember the specifics of what we ordered, but the food was good, the price was great, and the service was fine. We went there this morning and I'd review it almost the same accept that this time, the service was awful. It was so bad it crossed over into just being laughable. Our older waitress was gruff and walked away while we were still ordering, although her demeanor kind of works in a diner joint and adds to the experience. We both asked for water when we ordered, but we had to ask again when our breakfast arrived. Again, the waitress didn't bring any. I went up to the register and asked a different waitress for some water because ours kept forgetting. She said sure, but also promptly forgot. Then I went up to the counter again to ask our same waitress for a third time if we could have some water. Half-way through our breakfast it arrived. We waved her down when ready for a check and she asked if I wanted a box to take my leftovers home. I said yes, but she never came back. Sooo. I wouldn't NOT recommend this place to friends as we've had previous good experiences and maybe our waitress was just having an amnesiac morning, but there are a lot of good spots in the area where I don't leave feeling like I'm invisible. We won't be back. This experience was a 2 star, but I'm giving it 3 based on past good experiences. read more

I visited Kelly's on a Sunday morning while visiting from out of town. We parked in one of the 3 or4 parking spaces they had in back so parking is limited.. I arrived with my college age son at about 10 am and we waited in line about 10 minutes before seats opened up at the counter. Our waitress was quick and friendly, so high marks for service and speed. The menu is typical diner fare and the atmosphere is an old 50's style diner. Though it looks a bit worn it is clean. The food was prepared per our orders but nothing special. My son had the corn beef hash which he liked. I had the eggs Benedict. I admit I'm pretty picky about eggs Benedict. I did like that the English muffin on the Benedict was well toasted, the eggs were cooked correctly, and the Canadian bacon was a good sized piece. However, the Hollandaise sauce for the eggs was thin and tasteless. Given the central nature of the sauce to the dish it was a disappointment. Overall Kelly's provided a good, quick, standard American breakfast but is not a place to expect an outstanding meal. read more

Kelly's is pretty cool. I'm not sure if I like the fake James Dean on the way in, but the place its self is the best. Kelly's was moved here from Deleware about 10 years ago and its been a great idea. If you dont look outside you kinda feel like you at the Agawam Diner in Rowley. The Agawam is Red and Silver and the Kelly's is blue and silver. They are both mid fiftes diners (1955 for both I think). Maybe I should have checked first, but they musta been built in the same factory and they are very possibly the same size. Does anyone know? So the food at Kelly's is awsome. Breakfast and lunch is so good. It's not a typical bagel place, but it has there unusual bagels, but I love them. I just do, although I dont think they are too popular there. Not a classic american 1950s food but I welcome these bagels. Although they might of had bagels in east Somerville early on. Anyhow.........Kelly's has orange tonic on the menu too. thats rare to have on tap at a resturant.....and my favorite. The waitresses are wicked nice too. So I'd totally go there..just do it. Judge the place yourself. I hope you love it too read more

Where do I start? Foods- I've only ever had the breakfast foods and my favorites are the omelets, hash browns, chicken sausage, HAM (on the bone,) and pancakes. The omelets are huge- really huge and tasty. The hash browns are good as well but I always ask for them well done so that they're nice and crispy. They have a large menu too- lots to choose from. The coffee's Green Mountain Coffee so it's not bad and it comes in classic, thick, white diner mugs. The waitresses have been here forever and they're nice to you if you're nice to them. General rule- don't piss off people who are serving you. It's busy in there- they're trying to move things along- don't be an asshat. They don't tend to handle substitutions and special requests well- I have had a lot of mix-ups but they are quick to change them. There's always a wait on the weekend so don't be surprised. There's a tiny lot in the back that can accommodate 3 cars- just find on-street parking. It shouldn't be too much of a problem- just circle around a few times. read more

Reasonable portions. Great service. Greasy, salty, and filling - just like any solid New England diner. Their corned beef hash is excellent. Cash only. read more

So I am probably biased considering I am originally from the West Coast where the diner is considered a tourist transplant from back east. However, I found this place 3 weeks before graduating and went there about 5 or 6 times during that period. Their breakfast food is to die for. WIthout a dobut it is better than soundbites, Johnny D's or any of the other "breakfast" joints in the area. While their food is not "healthy" or innovative in any way, it is classic American breakfast cuisine served in a speedy manner in a setting that can't be found anywhere else in Boston. While people have written about the line, it is always a fraction the length of Soundbites with food that is significantly better. Their pancakes are great, however what really stands out is their corn beef hash and linguica omelette's. Try either one of those and I guarantee you will be begging people to go with you to this place every weekend. If you don't believe all of the reviews I don't know what to tell you, but if you are a fan on the American diner breakfast you are doing yourself a disservice by not eating here. read more

Kelly's Diner rocks! Oh did I mention I love diners. Whenever I move, I'm always quick to find out where the local one is. Love that I can walk to Kelly's! Woke up early one day shortly after moving and since I hadn't made it to the grocery store yet I decided to try Kelly's. After looking over the menu and wishing I could order like four different things I narrowed it down to an omelet. Ordered a Denver omelet (they call them Western here) with wheat toast and potatoes. The plate and the omelet was huge, definitely could have fed two people I think. Service was fast, it was early on a weekday though so it wasn't busy. The waitress was not overly friendly, probably just not a morning person like me. But Kelly's may just convert me. As long as someone is cooking me breakfast, I might just start getting up early!! read more

Diners = love. And Kelly's is no exception. After passing this on a million runs and weekend strolls, I finally went in for breakfast today. I was looking for something more personal that Soundbites and Ball Square, with better hash browns (fried mashed potatoes are SO not the same thing). Kelly's definitely lived up to this vision. The waitress acted like she knew us before we even sat down ("you both like coffee, right? you know where the menus are" etc) even though we'd never been here before - adorable. The food options are not overly extensive but that just makes it easier to pick. My sister and I both got the "famous" homemade corned beef hash and poached eggs. Both were a lot less greasy/salty than usual diner grub - almost to a fault. I would rather add a little of my own salt (and skip the fat altogether) but it was still a little strange to have my tastebuds turned in this direction. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and you have me clearing my plate in record time. I love the scene here - the other patrons with their huge hair, the friendly staff, the non-working jukebox. I'll definitely be back - and by then, the waitress should definitely know my order. Note: cash only, but there's an ATM in the entrance. read more

It is a restaurant inside of a train car. The decor is retro 60s with Betty book in the corner and a wax figure of a tall man in front. A lot of personality. We ordered: 1. Corned beef hash with eggs over med + homefries: delish! Both the hash and the homefries had crispy bottoms. The egg was cooked perfectly to my liking. The flavors were harmonious. 5/5. 2. Lobster eggs Benedict: this was a special. Very good. Perfectly cooked eggs and lobster. The hollandaise sauce was actually a bit bland but still complimented the whole dish. My companion was a bit dismayed because he heard the waitress saying they had too much lobster and need to sell the ones overflowing in the cooler. This made him feel like he was getting questionable lobster. But we didn't get sick. He knows that restaurants only make specials out of surplus ingredients that are about to go bad but hearing a waitress say it out loud is poor form. The dish was a solid 4/5 . Overall, some complaints but the food was solid. read more

A greasy spoon through and through, Kelly's is the perfect way to start a Sunday morning. Yes, there will be crowds, and you'll most likely have to wait... Unless there's only two of you and you don't mind sitting at the counter. Personally, I feel like the waitstaff pays extra attention to you, since you're all up in their bidness. My coffee cup was full the entire meal. The food was great, and there was so much to choose from. I went with a traditional breakfast of eggs, hash browns, and toast, and left happy with my cholesterol soaring and my blood sugar soaring up to Mt Everest heights. Yum! read more

I can't believe I hadn't written this yet; I used to live around the corner from Kelly's. As a result, I've been there a bunch, and I love the place. The service is alright. Sometimes the waitresses have been a bit curt. But the food is fantastic, and the price is right; like Jamie N. said, the Kelly's Super is WIN. Two eggs, bacon/sausage, toast, hash browns, and pancakes. Really, if you like good brunch, live in Somerville/Medford, and haven't been to Kelly's, you owe it to yourself to swing by. You might end up waiting for a table, but that's life. I wouldn't come with a huge group, personally; Kelly's doesn't have the space of a place like, say, S&S. read more

It's like the Somerville version of Waffle House! Take that as you will. Personally I dig the cheap,greasy,huge brunches you can get there. If you have the chance, try to go on a weekday. On the weekends the line is out the door pretty much the entire day. Though, the wait is never too long - there's not really anywhere to wait comfortably without constantly moving out of the way of people. read more

Nice diner! Excellent breakfast!! But then what would you expect from an establishment with 86 Yelp reviews and an average rating of 4 stars. Kelly has all the atmosphere of a neighborhood diner - the authentic dining car, the memorabilia, the diner food, and the counter and booth service. The #3 breakfast was quick and good. Nothing embellished. Just 2 eggs cooked perfectly, toast and potatoes. No frilly arugula, slice of orange - just a nice traditional honest breakfast plate. But then again, it was also inexpensive (I believe around $5) - not $12 that you would pay at your hotel or fancy restaurant. I loved the cozy atmosphere at Kelly's. The combination of the size of the diner, eating at the counter, and bantering with the friendly servers (Joanne) made it feel like I was eating in a family kitchen and made me wish I had time to linger here with my Sunday paper. I would strongly recommend Kelly's if you are looking for a place for breakfast or if you are looking for the diner experience. It is too bad Kelly's is not close to where I live. If it were, I would be a regular here. read more

Kelly's diner, a diner which clearly is showing its age both on the inside and out, is actually a very nice place to go have breakfast. The cool thing about this place is that it's often open as early as 6:00 AM, which means if you really need a place to go for breakfast early, Kelly's is a good option. However, be wary about showing up past 10:00 ish on a weekend, because there is a pretty big line. These people also technically close at 2:00, but routinely stop taking customers by 1:20 ish, so you have to really work hard to find a right time to go. In addition, the service here is sub par. There are actually a lot of waitresses working here, but they're all middle aged so not very quick on the uptake (I guess), and often forget things. This includes, but is not limited to: forgetting to come take your order, forgetting to bring your order, not getting your bill quickly, giving you the wrong change, etc... So yes, the service here isn't very good. However, most waitresses will at the very least be friendly towards you. The food, on the other hand, is great, and should be your main focus when visiting an establishment like this. If you're going to get a meat, stick with the sausage, as the beef hash isn't really anything to write home about. They make pretty good eggs here as well, and do a decent job with all the other standard diner fare. CASH ONLY (which is very annoying) read more

Normally I have a great experience at Kelly's. Quick in and out....priced nicely and lots of hard working folks. Unfortunately my booth waitress was TERRIBLE. She would throw and slam things at the booth. After I waited patiently for 30+ minutes and still no food I started to get a bit antsy and the waitress pushed the bill towards me - as if she wanted me to pay. Ummmm I'll gladly pay for what I consume and not prepay. Now i'm waiting 40 minutes and after people that arrived ~20 minutes ago received their food..I asked "where's my food?" So now she's scrambling and was like how did I want my eggs and what type of bread....ummmm I told you that 40 minutes ago and check your notes. She apologized profusely but if she is a waitress shouldn't she check my order or what's going on with my order before I asked? After sitting there for 40 minutes and no food - wouldn't you think something is wrong? Eventually the food came out and she apologized. After eating the food, which I wondered why did I subject myself to this, I paid the bill and she watched me count my change and I felt like she stood over me ...to watching me leave a tip. Ummm shouldn't the bill be free or something comped? If I haven't been there many many times and received good service from the older ladies, I would never be back. After having a bad experience I question if I'll be back. * Someone else commented on slamming/throwing and standing over you - must have had the same waitress * read more

Craved corned beef hash after brunch at Towne last week. Did my Yelp thing and found this place nearby which has glowing reviews of their hash. Plus, they were featured on DDD. Perfect! Let me tell you, it was really disappointing. The texture of the homemade corned beef hash was pretty much like that of mashed potatoes. It was salty.. with undistinguishable flavors. My over-easies were well over (yolk wasn't runny). The home fries were like under-mashed mashed potatoes and slightly panfried but not crispy. I did enjoy my vanilla frappe and pancakes, but there's nothing about this place that makes it stand out. Service was mediocre. Some untensils had a milky-white liquid on them (soap residue.. or milk..? hmmm) Kelly's is about 5 minutes away, but I'll make the effort to go to Towne or some of the brunch places in Coolidge corner when I want hash. I've definitely had better brunch. read more

Charm, tasty, hearty, friendly. I had a nice breakfast with my parents as we breezed by Tufts University, my alma mater, as my parents prepared for their week-long trip around New England, in from Hawaii. I don't care about the accolades or exposure this place has had. I remember it being comforting as a breakfast spot available to me while I was at Tufts, and still gives students a comfort food spot to date. - The eggs and corned beef continues to be pretty solid. - French toast hit the spot. And is a HUGE portion. - They have delicious chicken apple sausages. ALWAYS order JUST an entree, you don't need anything else... the portions are unbelievably large for the price. Seriously, now that I live in NYC, I think Kelly's portion sizes would be deemed ILLEGAL by a heavy handed Mayor Bloomberg (already, large sized fountain sodas are illegal in NYC). Such friendly staff, a great way to say 'aloha' to my parents with such friendliness and charm! read more

Mediocre at best. I ordered hash and eggs. I've never had worse hash. They said it was homemade but I doubt it. Decent eggs and toast but not very difficult to mess that up I guess. read more

I love this place. I am so picky when it comes to sea food but this was pretty good. The price is very affordable people who work here are sweet and hmmm the food . My favorite is the crab roll read more

Kelly's Diner - A picture of the best crab roll ever. - Diners Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

Kelly's is not your bougie brunch place where you take your instragram picture. No non-sense and no frill, but it's WORTH IT. The food is delicious and the coffee is always refilled quickly. Roll with it. read more

Came on a Sunday mid morning for breakfast. EXTREMELY Busy ,opted to sit at the counter . Apparently Guy .F from food network has been here for one of his shows . Food was okay , wasn't something that we need to come back for . Waitstaff was extremely nice though . read more

The boyfriend saw Kelly's on Food Network's "Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives", so we thought we'd check it out. Yum. I had some banana pancakes that were pretty tasty. They could've used more bananas, but it was still good. Also had a delicious side of home fries. Crispy and flavorful. Coffee was kinda blah but it was drinkable. Our waitress was very attentive with the coffee pot which is always nice and they had pie! They also serve lunch, but since we went on 4th of July there was only a breakfast menu. Try it on a regular day. But if you go on a weekend, expect quite a wait. read more

A bunch of friends settled in Ball Square after college, so we usually ended up at Kelly's for breakfast bc the line at SoundBites is a tad bit insane and there were usually like 7 of us. I am giving this a solid 3 stars - good food, filling, so so hot chocolate, but for the life of me, I cannot remember what I ordered, what I liked, and what other people liked. It is one of those places where I didn't hate it, but I can't remember liking it, either. Come here if you are in the area and need some diner food, are waiting in the cold outside SoundBites and just can't take it anymore, need some comfort take out after a long day at work. Other than that - I got nothing. read more

I've been here four or five times and had a great experience all but one time. The omelettes are huge and delicious (I always get the western). The homefries are more like baked potato/potato pancakes than a hash, but also very tasty. The waitresses are very friendly and quick to fill your water or coffee. The one poor experience I had was for lunch one day where our waitress managed to mess up all four of our orders. That said, she was much younger than most of the other women that work there and seemed pretty ambivalent about her job. As long as you get one of the kind older ladies, you're all set. read more

I tend to visit a LOT of breakfast diners around the New England area which sometimes makes me a harder judge, since I have a lot to compare them to. Kelly's Diner really stood out to me as one of the best breakfast diners I've been to in a long time. When we arrived, the line out the door was long. I was expecting a 30+ minute wait but it turned out to be probably less than 15. The service here was outstanding. Our server was fast, efficient, and very friendly. Kelly's clearly prides themselves on having top notch service, I probably heard our server say "thank you" over 20 times while we were there. I ordered the first special which was a 4-egg omelet with prosciutto, asparagus, and mozzarella cheese. It also came with probably a pound of hash browns cooked perfectly as well as 2 slices of wheat toast. The omelet was outstanding to say the least. I can't remember a better omelet, and it was so big I was able to take half home and enjoy it a second time. All of that for only $10!! The only improvements I can think of; the specials were not announced to us, the only reason I knew about them was because they were listed on a chalk board on the way in. The chalk board did not list any prices so I had to take my chances when I ordered that it wouldn't cost an arm and a leg. I would recommend that the servers go through the specials with customers when they first get to the table. Looking forward to my next visit to Somerville because I'll definitely be returning to this diner then. read more

The corned beef hash was really good. I also enjoyed the grilled blueberry muffin. I loved the feel of this classic diner. read more

Kelly's Diner - I love diners - Diners Near Me - Somerville, Massachusetts

i think Kelly's is a really well kept secret. It is classic diner food, served in a classic diner, by classic waitresses. Prices are reasonable, and I've been here many times and have never been disappointed. Though they are totally different experiences, i actually often prefer my breakfast at Kelly's vs. Soundbites (which is just down the street.) It's just a real classic breakfast experience. read more

Delicious food, amazing service, friendly staff, good coffee, and nice atmosphere. If only the juke boxes worked, they took credit cards and had better hours. read more

I found Kelly's while waiting for my car to be inspected and although I was neither looking for a restaurant nor was I hungry, I decided to go in for a cup of coffee in an effort to kill time. That didn't last... I realized within a moment of walking through the old aluminum doors that I LOVE diners! I LOVE diner french toast! And I had seriously forgotten that they are the reason for Americas love affair with breakfast. Are all diners created equal? Maybe not, but all their coffee tastes the same out of the thick ceramic diner mugs. The french toast and eggs hit the spot although I found out after the fact that this place is known for Cornbeef Hash?? I love Cornbeef Hash... There is always next time. The service was good. The ladies mean business and I am sure they wouldn't hesitate to lay a smackdown if you don't have your act together... it adds to the Diner charm though. I like it. And as with any review, my critique: Guy Fieri is gross and having his picture plastered all over the walls does way more harm than good. Overall... I'll be back for sure! read more

This is a long time Medford Somerville restaurant. I've lived in Somerville most of my whole life and only recently moved to Florida, recently being 15 years ago. The food is always good the service is always impeccable. The atmosphere is Diner. I highly recommend it. They're open 24 7 I think. But they been here since I was in high school which is 30 years ago. I recommend it come on out. read more

My friend was visiting from overseas and the only thing she wanted was to have breakfast to one of the traditional, old, American Diners. Kelly's was the perfect place! From Elvis at the entrance to the teal boots and coffee mugs, everything was exactly the way she saw it in movies :D read more