Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kelly's Tavern

    3.1 (90 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
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

    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

    2 months 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
    Photo of Armand L.
    96
    101
    34

    7 days 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

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ray K.
    245
    135
    1138

    7 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
    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

    4 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

    7 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

    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

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    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

    13 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    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

    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 Alex S.
    203
    2
    1

    7 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

    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Kelly's Tavern

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for American 2,586 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    No Frill Bar and Grill

    No Frill Bar and Grill

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Friendly staff and customers, blending neighbors, locals and visitors in-the-know in a comfortable,…read morecasual environment. Lovely people watching, yet it's not so loud that table conversation of challenging. You'll notice that this is quick-ish dining. It's not fast-casual, but you're not waiting 30 minutes for your food. Expect at least 10 minutes for appetizers to arrive. Our entrees were ready in about 20, and the place was near capacity. The great thing about the wait? It was well worth it. Piping hot food, served with that homemade flavor arrives on dishes that almost match. I chuckled at the mismatched bowls that hit our table. I felt like family before my first bite. Meatloaf! I can't make one, but I'll eat one that is well made. Dense, flavorful and portioned to take some with you. My bonus was that I got my wife's leftovers, too. It was delicious! It was even better when I warmed it for lunch the next day. Traditional sides, worthy of their own review, but I'll keep it brief. Get the mashed potatoes! Send a thanks when you're full.

    My husband and I enjoy No Frill when you're in the mood for just that -- no frill, laid back, good…read morecomfort food. the portions are huge and it's always consistent. The service is always great and the hosts/servers are always friendly. Our go to is the meatloaf. when you're looking for a good ol' comfort food - that's the best. They also have amazing desserts that are worth a try. We found this restaurant good for families (including our toddler)! Food was toddler approved!

    Photos
    Inside No Frill - Norfolk
    Inside No Frill - Norfolk
    No Frill Bar and Grill
    Club sandwich

    See all

    Club sandwich
    The Public House

    The Public House

    3.4
    (533 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Buffalo chicken melt was amazing! The perfect amount of spice for a fantastic meal. Will 100% be…read moreback for it again soon!

    Well we finally made it back here for dinner on a Wednesday night. We started with the pretzel…read moreflight. SO disappointing. The sauces were good, especially the beer cheese (at least they haven't changed that). What was pretty terrible were the pretzels themselves. They take the longer soft pretzel logs and cut them into bite size pieces. And then they are FRIED. Who fries soft pretzels? They were hard and greasy. This is the first time in our history of ordering a soft pretzel appetizer that we just couldn't finish it. They were that bad. For entrees Hubby ordered the crispy chicken Caesar and I got the burger with fries. Hubby's salad was huge, but there was way too much Parmesan cheese. He never did get a good taste of the dressing because of that. The chicken on the other hand was well fried and still juicy inside. I ordered my burger medium, and it came out mid-rare, which is how I eat them anyway. The burger itself was salty - guessing the flattop maybe hasn't been cleaned after lunch? The top bun spent a little too much time on the flat top as well. The pickles they use are sour (some people like that, I don't mind), but if you are not a fan of sour pickles, you'll want to skip them. Service was fantastic and it's a very clean place (restrooms are particularly clean). I am sure it is a great place to go for drinks - the bar is pretty extensive. But since we don't bar hop anymore, I don't think we will be going back. One last word on the pretzel appetizer because I am still shaking my head over that. If you want to serve pretzel bites so there are more ways to try all the dipping sauces, just purchase pretzel bites and bake them.

    Photos
    The Public House
    The Public House
    Menu

    See all

    Menu
    Freemason Abbey Restaurant

    Freemason Abbey Restaurant

    4.1
    (1k reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Came to Freemason abbey for the first time for lunch and absolutely enjoyed…read more Inside, it looks like an older building, full of history, but still nice. We had a reservation, so we were seated immediately upon arrival. It was fairly empty in there as it was lunch time. Once seated, the waiter took our drink orders and bought out complimentary bread and butter which was so good! I wasn't super hungry so i got the soup and salad combo. I was told they are known for their she crab soup, and now, i see why! It was so good. There was plenty of crab meat in the soup as well. I wasn't a fan of the bread/cracker in the soup, but the soup itself was a 10/10.

    I have been wanting to try this place for awhile and my experience was average to say the least…read more The ambience is very intresting because of its previous usage as a church. There a lot of historical artifacts and decorations that show me what it was like before this place was a restaurant. My service was alright but not bad. My server was all over the place despite the restaurant not being really busy. It took awhile for me to get my food and place in my orders. But my server was very nice and friendly. I do wish when it came to deserts that they had a menu for the items. The food was very decent for me to say. The calamari was pretty good when I put in the marinara sauce. The French dip was pretty bland however despite using the sauce. I found the moose chocolate cake very intresting and it goes well with the whipped cream. Postivies ( plus other thoughts) 1. Some of the food was good 2. Intresting atmosphere. 3. Parking was not a issue. 4. Server was very nice. 5. Decent price for a full meal Negatives 1. Service was slow despite there being less people. 2. French dip was bland. 3. Lack of anything desert menu.

    Photos
    Interior.
    Interior.
    Herb Butter Steak Pasta
    Herb Butter Steak Pasta
    The Curse

    See all

    The Curse
    Little Dog Diner

    Little Dog Diner

    4.3
    (327 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Went on a Sunday morning around 10:30 a.m. This is a seat-yourself restaurant with bar seating,…read moretables, a front outdoor seating area, and a partially enclosed back patio. Just something to keep in mind if you're visiting in the summer. The back patio does not have air conditioning. If you sit by the large front windows, be prepared for the sun. The building faces east, so by late morning the sun is shining directly through those windows. I was sitting with my back to it and was so hot. I probably could have asked them to lower the shade, but it's something to consider when choosing your table. Shana was our server, and she was great. Friendly, attentive, and checked on us regularly. Now for the best part. The sorbet mimosas. We ordered two, one with mango sorbet and one with lemon and raspberry sorbet, and they were incredible. If you come here, these are an absolute must order. We started with the fried green tomatoes. They were good, but they were clearly made from frozen slices rather than fresh-cut tomatoes. I ordered the salmon cakes with eggs and a pancake. Everything was delicious. No complaints at all. The food easily earns 5 stars. The decor has a classic old-school diner vibe with black and white checkered floors and chrome accents, which I really liked. My only real complaint was the bar seating. If you're on the shorter side, the stools are not very comfortable. The seats are not very deep, there is no foot rail to rest your feet on, and since the stools are bolted to the floor, you cannot scoot in to get comfortable. The backs of my legs started going numb, so we moved to a table as soon as one opened up. Ironically, it was the table directly in front of that hot window. Overall, I'd definitely come back. Great food, excellent service, and those sorbet mimosas alone are worth the visit. Just be strategic about where you sit if you're visiting on a warm, sunny day.

    Decided to try Little Dog Diner today for breakfast, and it is truly a hidden gem. As many times as…read moreI have been on Colley and was even recently right across the street at the bike shop, I've never noticed this place. It's a very small establishment. There is some table seating as well as seating at the counter, and then there is outside seating out front and a covered patio out back. You can sit wherever you'd like that is open. First we sat at the counter because that was all that was available inside. The bar stools are mounted to the ground and were too high for short folks making them uncomfortable. There isn't a place to rest your feet and you can't move the seats back so that you can move your body forward. We ended up moving to a table when another couple left, and that was MUCH better! Shana was our waitress, and she was great. Super nice and very attentive. Also did a good job of keeping our table free of clutter. We had the fried green tomatoes, and those were really fresh and good. I like the sauce that came with them, and I am glad they put it on the side vs serving it on top of the dish. For my meal, I had their homemade corn-beef hash with 2 eggs with cheese and substituted the biscuit or toast for a single pancake. We also had coffee and the sorbet mimosa in mango/lemon and another in raspberry/lemon. I personally did not care for the hash. While it was absolutely real, fresh corn beef, I didn't like the flavor. It was on the sweeter side, and I like mine more savory and with a more charred cook. I didn't eat it. The eggs and pancake were good. I will say their syrup is watery. It is not the thick consistency you would expect from normal syrup. It's better for dipping vs pouring on. I also tasted my sisters salmon cakes and THAT is what I should've gotten - AMAZING! All I needed was a little bit of mustard. The sorbet mimosa was SO good and super refreshing for such a hot morning. Speaking of hot, we are currently going through a heat wave, and it's been 100+ outside for the past few days. With that said, the restaurant was very warm. Between it being so small and the heavy traffic in and out, there's just no way for the AC to keep up. Keep that in mind if visiting on a super hot day. I will absolutely come back. There are other dishes I'd like to try. The service was great and everybody was super friendly! Definitely worth trying for yourself.

    Photos
    Little Dog Diner
    Little Dog Diner
    Sorbet mimosa

    See all

    Sorbet mimosa
    Codex

    Codex

    4.6
    (183 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$$

    Codex, its menu and its employees are wonderful…read more The Granby Street eatery is a cozy, welcoming space that combines modern and vintage decor. Because of the lack of street parking, my son chose to take a Lyft on our recent visit. It was a good choice. We were greeted and taken to a comfortable table. Service was prompt and helpful. Our last visit to Codex had been late January during Downtown Norfolk Restaurant Week. But when I ordered my cocktail, telling my server my need for a cocktail straw, I was surprised at the answer. She told me that the bartender Addie remembered me, my cocktail preference and my need for a straw. I looked up and she waved at me. It felt wonderful that I has been remembered. The Vodka Martini was presented in the vintage glass so familiar to me. It was the pattern I inherited from my Mother & Aunt, so popular with the WWII generation. Addie remembered how excited I was when I first saw the glass. The menu was awesome as usual. We started with Oysters, Raw with a Citrus Mignonette. Also from the starter section we chose the yummy House Made Pimento Cheese and Everything Crackers. My entree was the Gnudi with Ramps, Chestnut, Black Pearl Mushrooms, & Asparagus in White Wine Lemon Sauce. My son chose the Tuna. Both were amazing with perfect presentation. We shared the Roasted Cauliflower, which was a culinary masterpiece. When time for the dessert menu came, my son first declined. But I remembered there was a choice that I can never pass up, When the menu arrived I was excited to see that one of my favorite desserts was still on the menu. Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Curd on the side, you are wonderful. My son first declined to share but decided to take a bite. And....that was all it took. He shared the entire cake with me. It looked so good that I took a bite before taking a picture. It was a delightful evening when I needed one the most. Both my server Laurel-Manette and Addie were welcoming and friendly. I promised to return with one of each of the many types of glasses in the vintage stemware pattern. The small one used for my cocktail was the only size they had seen. Laurel-Manette made my night when she told us that dessert was on the house. If you've never been to Codex it's a must go! There's nothing about it that I would change.

    Went here during restaurant week to save some money, and it was not too bad…read more Codex is in Norfolk by Granby Street and it serves modern American cuisine. We got to try three courses for $45 during Norfolk restaurant week. I tried the tocino skewers and they were pretty delicious. for the main entrée, I got the pork shoulder. Although they gave us a lot of food, the shoulder wasn't really flavorful and required some more seasoning when I got back home. The fettuccine was pretty good, really tasted cheesy and mushroom. Finally for dessert the olive oil cake with lemon was awesome! The toffee pudding was not sweet, even though it's caramel. Not sure if worth going again, but it was a unique experience.

    Photos
    Inside Codex
    Inside Codex
    Breakfast spaghetti.
    Breakfast spaghetti.
    Olive oil cake

    See all

    Olive oil cake
    The Restaurant at Four Eleven York

    The Restaurant at Four Eleven York

    4.5
    (133 reviews)
    1.0 mi

    Located near Ghent and downtown Norfolk, this restaurant was a really pleasant find. The parking…read morelot is small, but we had no trouble finding street parking nearby. It was a little chilly tonight, but I imagine the outdoor seating would be perfect on a warmer evening. We didn't have a reservation, but luckily we were seated within seconds. The space itself is on the smaller side, but it's thoughtfully designed and perfect for a cozy date night. Every employee who passed by greeted us, which made the atmosphere feel especially welcoming. We started with the octopus, served with potato foam, pickled pear, and chorizo. For entrées, he ordered the duck and I had the pork bolognese. Both dishes were full of flavor and cooked perfectly. We also ordered drinks. I do wish they had come out a bit earlier so we could enjoy them sooner, but the selection was impressive. We chose the bartender's choice, which was a really fun experience. The waitress asks a few questions, and based on your answers the bartender creates a drink they think you'll love. We were too full for dessert, though they did offer four different options. Overall, we were really happy we tried this restaurant and will definitely be back.

    Had dinner at Four Eleven York and sat on the patio, which was such a nice vibe--relaxed but still…read morefelt a little special. Started with the oysters, super fresh. The octopus was probably my favorite--really tender and full of flavor. I had the salmon for my main and it was cooked perfectly and everything on the plate worked well together. Service was great without being over the top. Overall just a really solid dinner spot in Norfolk, would definitely go back

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Brussels and octopus app
    Brussels and octopus app
    French 0 mocktail-delicious!

    See all

    French 0 mocktail-delicious!

    Kelly's Tavern - tradamerican - Updated August 2026

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