Kelly's has fallen from grace. What was once the premier burger joint is dead. It's gone down hill. The service is not good, keep your expectations low...be prepared to wait if in person. They prioritize the delivery orders. The ambiance is old, dated and dirty. It's sad to see. The food was mediocre at best and I led with their strongest the crab soup, Burger and fries. It was average. read more

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

This restaurant seems so unassuming but the food was so good! We started with the cheese curds then I ordered the chicken Caesar wrap with garlic Parmesan fries while my husband ordered the Reuben with onion rings. Literally everything we had was delicious and we will be returning to try more menu items. The service was also fast and very friendly. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Chicken Caesar Wrap - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

A friend and I visited the one in Norfolk on Thursday, April 4, 2024.I had a fish and chips and he ordered French Onion Soup.I've eaten at this location on several occasions and he experience was very good.Today was not the same.My friend, Larry ordered the soup and told me and the server it was very watery and had no taste.She took the item off the ticket.My fih was cold, rubbery, and had no rel taste.Also the cocktail sause was frozen.I told the server about my disaffection with the quaity.She had a snary attitude about it all. I was seeing a free meal but expected the same quality I was accustomed to.Guess things aren't the same there and I wanted others to know. A former customer. Steve McLain Correction I was not seeking a free meal.Just the quality I was accustomed to.Definitely won't return! read more

NON-SMOKING! You can not smoke here. I came here for a drink and smoke. So too bad. However, the bartender Amy was very pleasant. The place is cute. I recommend it. Yelp should remove it from bars you can smoke at. read more

I love this place! I live down the block and it's great to go anytime of day. They have big portions and good drinks. Staff is always super friendly and seems like they've been there a while. They're also dog friendly and have outdoor seating and a dog menu :) read more

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 !! read more

Kelly's Tavern - Tomato basil soup and garden salad. - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

See all

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. read more

Kelly's Tavern - Tavern chili. It tastes pretty good. - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Food was terrible in fact took one bite and had to stop due to long piece of hair entangled in the burger! My friend had tiny hairs in her fries so 2/3 meals had hairs in it. The server try to blame us and stated "her cook didn't have long hair". She did end taking the two entree off that we barely touched, but put up an argument. I'll spare you guys the pictures it was not appetizing. The facility were unkept. 10/10 would not recommend. read more

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. read more

See all

Stopped in here after a movie and wow it was really good. We ordered Cajun blue cheese burger which was cooked perfectly. Another Entree we tried was a Cheesesteak sandwich. Will return here next movie we go to. read more

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

Kelly's Tavern - Bourbon burger! It's a 5 napkins stack of awesomeness - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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. read more

Kelly's Tavern - a beer and a television - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Got the chicken bites - buffalo so good! Just a little bit of breading, good kick but not super spicy. Win win for the table. Server was great even though it was very full seating. read more

Huge portions!! Their burgers are reliably good and the fries are DELICIOUS. This location on Colley Ave has outdoor seating which is divine this time of year. It doesn't get better than a burger and a beer outside at Kelly's! read more

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! read more

See all

The artichoke turkey sandwiches are great, best she crab soup in the area, and my grand kids favorite place for burgers. The nicest people work here read more

The first time I went to Kelly's in Ghent was a couple of years ago, I haven't been back since last night. I'm not sure why I never go here, I frequent everywhere else on Colley so last night my roommate and I decided to try Kelly's for something different. It was about 9pm on a Thursday and the place was completely empty. We had the whole patio area to ourselves. I've seen this place packed on nice afternoons/evening so I'm not sure why no one was there. Our server was very nice and answered all my questions I had about the menu. There was tons of options to pick from - different wraps, tons of burgers, appetizers, soups/salads, 'pitzas' and specialty sandwiches. I decided to try the Firecracker Wrap which was really good, just a little heavy on the onions. My friend go the Chicken Caesar Wrap which he seemed to really enjoy. They had gin and tonic specials, which I don't drink - ever at all (ew) - and a Yuengling Light special. The prices for everything was pretty good, the food was good, the service was good. I will definitely start returning here more often now. read more

See all

Lowest of quality frozen chicken tenders made with processed chopped chicken reformed into a "chicken tender." This with a caesar salad was $17. Honestly, I can not believe they sold this to us passing it off as quality food. We couldn't even eat it and will never come back here. I have been here once before and got a burger which was subpar and certainly overpriced but at least it was edible. read more

I visit Kelly's weekly because I enjoy the casual atmosphere. I am always warmly greeted and the service is great. I find that the food is always good, and the portions are huge. read more

Came here twice in a week and both times got sick. First time had a Reuben and crab dip and second time crab dip and wings. Both times was ill after coming there. Wont come back for sure. read more

I had a hankering gor a great cheeseburger so I went there today around 2:30 and unfortunately it it was an overall disappointment. The inside smelled like mildew and/or sewage. The service was very slow even though there weren't many customers. My burger wasn't evenly cooked and was smothered in A-1 and the fries were greasy and raw. Management needs to get in there and bring things back up to snuff. Kelly's used to be awesome read more

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

I would like to state for the faint-of-heart that this review is going to be a touch on the graphic side, but the truth isn't always kind. And in this case, the truth is stuffed with undercooked crab meat and broiled in a sceneful aftermath that rivaled that of John Hurt's in "Alien." Thing is, I've been to Kelly's plenty of times before. They have perfectly good burgers, all of which are the size of human infants. The staff is typically pleasant, though a little brusk if you try them. I've seen grown men put in their place by a 50-something waitress who looked as though she just strolled out of a Hells Angels Women's Auxiliary meeting, but since I try to be overly kind of people who handle my food ("No, no, let me bus the table, I insist!"), I had very little anxiety over the place. In fact, it was I that suggested Kelly's when my date said he'd like a burger. "You'll just love it!" I gushed. I can still hear those words echoing through my ears, a perverted hymn. I say I'm going to get a crab cake. Date is skeptical. "I know it's a burger joint," I shrug. "But I've had it before." And this was true. I'd had the Kelly's crab cake sandwich nearing a dozen times over the years, and it was consistently good. I felt proud, almost, to relay this information to my date. How lucky he was to be out with such a knowledgeable Ghent woman like myself. But pride cometh before the fall, and when the crab cake was finally delivered to the table, I was immediately disappointed. Something was - off. Instead of the perfect circle of breaded crabular goodness, the meat seemed to have been compressed into an odd, flat glop that had a texture reminiscent of wet cat food. When I picked the sandwich up to eat it, a blob of it fell onto my fries. Splat! went the crab cake piece. But, difficulties be damned, I ate it. The flavoring was off - like somehow not all the spices had made it in - but I spooned the pseudo-crab cake with pieces of its former roll and tried to pretend like it was good when the waitress came over. It occurred to me that if I were ever to send food back, this would be an appropriate time, but when I searched inside myself, I really wasn't even sure what to say was wrong. "It tastes like it's already been digested," seemed like the best description, but that seemed a little brash, especially when one suffers from the condition that I do, known in most medical textbooks as "being a giant weenie." I don't know if it was my sadness or the fact that everything was just a little off that night, but even the fries tasted mushy and limp. Usually when you pick up a Kelly's fry it stands proudly at attention, saying, "I HAVE BEEN DEEP-FRIED IN VEGETABLE OIL AND PROBABLY THE FAT OF SOME NAMELESS MAMMAL AND YOU SHOULD EAT ME RIGHT NOW IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU, MADAME!" but that night, they fell over as I picked them up, as if too exhausted to be delicious. So we go home, back to my place. The movie we're going to see doesn't start for another hour, so we snuggle up on top of the bed and talk about music we like and how weird that earthquake was the other day and - That's when it hits me. That unmistakable, terrifying feeling that you, an adult woman, are about to poop your pants. I jump up, and announce, because what else can you do, "I have to poop. If I don't poop, I will die. Please play music." I say this because my bathroom and room are attached, and. Well. If a man truly cares for you, he will let you poop and not judge you for it. And that, as they say, will be that. "Okay," he laughs. Or at least I think he laughs. I don't really know. I can hear nothing, do nothing. The world is vast, strange, even my old friends are faceless to me. All that exists right now are me, an angry crab cake, and the cold, hard porcelain of my apartment toilet. The cramps. Those were the worst part. It was a terrible, aching sort of pain that starts at your belly and radiates out into the rest of your body parts. I moaned, audibly moaned, at the tightness of my guts. When I thought I could bear no more, that's when it came. I wish I could tell you it was over quickly. I wish I could tell you it didn't feel like it was coming out in the form of a gasoline fire. I wish I could tell you that. When it's all over, I join my date back in my room. He's very sweet about it. "I'm okay," I assure him, then I realize, I HAVE TO POOP RIGHT NOW AGAIN. I run back to the bathroom. "I hope you don't have food poisoning!" my date calls behind me worriedly. I'll spare you the rest of the details but this: I took a shower afterward, not because I wanted to, but because it was NECESSARY. Was it food poisoning? I don't know. I only know I thought I was going to experience death-by-poop. So, yes, Kelly's, you done done me wrong. I'm giving you two stars, though, because I still believe in our past, I have hope for our future together. Wherein I will always order burgers. read more

My friends and I went here because a majority of restaurants on Colley Ave. were packed on a Friday night and this place was pretty much empty. It doesn't seem to attract quite the young & beautiful crowd of Ghent (my friends remarked it was an older crowd) and that's awesome when you got places to go. Like other Kelly's Taverns I've been to, this place has a smoking bar and a pretty limited seating area for non-smoking. But we got a table for 7 within a minute or two of walking through the doors and a server who took pretty good care of us. I like their large sandwich menu and got some turkey artichoke on sourdough that was tasty. Great fries too, not too crispy or salty. They also two TVs (I think) in the non-smoking for sports. read more

We were in town on vacation and needed a place for lunch. We had completed a tour of the Norfolk Shipyard on the Victory Rover, so we fired up YELP and selected a burger place for lunch. Kelly's was near the top of the list, so off we went. The place looks like a cool Irish bar in a trendy neighborhood. We were promptly greeted and seated. The burger menu was extensive with many different ways to build a burger. We ordered the chicken bits appetizer...it was good, but when the burgers arrived, we were sorry to have ordered it. The burgers here are HUGE! They are all a half pound of home-packed goodness. We were blown away by the juiciness and taste. These are definitely to your pre-made patties! The fries...oh my the fries! These were huge as well and very tasty. I can't recommend this place enough, the food was very good and the price seemed very fair. One little quirk...the men's room seemed custom made for hobbits. It was a very entertaining way to end the visit. By all means stop in to Kelly's Tavern when you are in the neighborhood. You won't regret it. read more

This place totally took me by surprise. The outside and interior decor were unimpressive, and the service was a little slow, so I wasn't expecting much. But the crabcake sandwich and cheesecake were delicious! The other two people I was with ordered salads and seemed to thoroughly enjoy them. It was a great place to sit and chat. Also, the bar is completely separated from the restaurant area, which means that little to no noise/smoke come over to disrupt your meal. I would definitely eat here again! read more

Look, I am long-winded, but this is going to be a pretty short review of Kelly's. Its menu is pedestrian at best, and the best on the menu was a soup. As for the actual atmosphere, which is why I rate it so poorly, Kelly's is dark, non-descript and just entirely mundane. In fact, it's kind of depressing. When I drink, I want to have fun. When I drink at Kelly's, I just want to cry. It's no fault of the servers, it's just the way Kelly's is designed. It's the place I imagine I'd be going to for Sunday evening dinner when I am 65. Yup. That's it. And, as always, since this is no fault of the servers, if you go to Kelly's, remember to tip! read more

Awesome burger, cold beer at Happy Hour prices, crispy fries, and cold dill pickle spear. Hot food was hot with cold beer and great service. The restaurant is clean with indoor and outdoor seating. Home Sweet Neighborhood Bar and Grill on Colley Avenue . read more

This place was recommended to us and we used it as an alternate burger place from our original first choice. Freakin awesome burgers, beer and staff!!! read more

I stopped by Kelly's tavern to pop my Kelly's cherry and a special lady's Kelly's cherry as well (food wise). We ordered the soup of the day as an appetizer. The soup was a potato bacon soup. We expected it to be a cream based soup, but to our amazement it was literally a potato bacon soup in broth. It was tasty, and interesting. No complaints. We ordered the Firecracker wrap with potato salad and added a Caeser salad to the mix. I enjoyed the wrap, it was probably the tastiest thing we ordered that night, besides the salad. I was not feeling the potato salad at all, and it tasted far from freshly made/homemade. The person whom I was with ordered an Artichoke Turkey Sandwich, which came out to be a little disappointing. There was barely any of the artichoke dip on it, or at least not enough to actually taste the whole premises of the sandwich, that's what saves it from being titled a "turkey sandwich." However, the sweet potato fries were pretty good, and the sauce that came with it was phenomenal. We both were loving the sauce. I have stopped by Kelly's tavern on multiple occasions, but never tried the food. The food, I have to say, isn't really anything out of the ordinary. I wouldn't exactly go out of my way for the food. No complaints about the service, she did great. Also, the atmosphere of the place is very quaint and chilled. Like I have said, I have stopped by previously for drinks with friends and have never had complaints with the service and atmosphere. read more

The late night specials are the best deal on Colley Ave. hands down. $5 burgers (any burger) with the purchase of a drink (non-alcoholic included). Cheap beer of the month, cheap mixed drink of the month. Hell yeah. All of the burgers are big and cooked to specifications. They will even serve it rare if you ask (but you have to ask nice). A little known fact is that if you don't want one of their ginormous sized burgers, they will make a smaller sized patty for $2 less. Remember that next time you have to walk away from there with a soggy half eaten leftovers. Sadly, I am not a fan of their fries. They are certainly fresh, but very greasy and never crunchy enough on the outside. I usually opt for the potato salad and salt the hell out of it when I get it. Stay away from the chili cheese fries unless you want an instant heart blockage. Or share them with at least 4 other friends. One of the best places to go on Colley. read more

Came here after a long day of flying and overcrowded planes, and this place was perfect! Small, but quiet, and the service was good. After perusing the menu several times, nothing was really popping out, so I asked the waitress, "What do you recommend, what's really popular here?" A shrug of the shoulders and she says, "I don't really know?" Hmmm, your ease with serving tells me that you've been workingg here for a while, and you probably do know... I know you can't tell me what I will like, but use your powers of observation here. Look at your customers and if they seem exhausted (like they're just too tired to make a decision about what they want to eat, give them something to work with!! OK, rant over! We ended up ordering the nachos with red chilli that I shared with my Sis, and garden salads to start things off. Another friend ordered the crab cake sandwich that he was not happy with at all (he ended up sharing the nachos with us). Nachos were huge, and good, but probably could have used a touch more of cheese. I would probably check this place out again if I were in the area. read more

Heard about this place from a few locals. Not sure what all the hype is about. Inside is okay. I wouldn't call it dive bar-ish, just an older bar. Smoking is allowed inside, something I thought went away a while ago, but this place must be grandfathered in. I was born post 1980 and am not a hipster, so this is unappealing to me. Food was also okay, not great. I had the "Chicago" burger, which advertised braised onions and cheddar. Got friend onions and cheddar instead. Oh well. Bun was toasted, burger was well done (wasn't offered a rare/medium/well option on order), and overall okay. Onion rings and fries were both boring. They claim fresh cut fries, which I'll believe since they look like so many places that fresh cut but can't cook them properly after that, i.e. oil soaked or burnt. Beer was reasonably priced, $8 for a 22oz Fat Tire bottle. read more

The food at this restaurant is edible, and that is about all our recent experience can say for it. Our family used to go here for the crab cakes -- I love Old Bay seasoning, and it made all the difference for me. Kellly's is a short distance from our place, so it was nice to have a place to gather that was good for everyone. My husband and I went there a few days ago, on our first night visiting relatives in Norfolk. I ordered the crab cakes -- and to say that there was no taste is overstating it. No seasoning, no crab cake flavor, nothing. My husband ordered his favorite fish and chips (he's English -- what else?). He couldn't eat the "chips" (fries to the rest of us) at all. He told the waitress that the cook had somehow achieved the distinction of both burning the outside of the chips, and still serving limp, mushy fries. The fish was also overcooked. When I mentioned to my niece that we had found the restaurant a disappointment, she told us about an incident that she and her husband had there that has to be the worst example of staff rudeness I've ever heard. Although our waitress was just fine, after hearing what could happen there, I know I won't be back. Ever. read more

My lady and I visited Kelly's about ten days ago to get some fish tacos to go. From the moment we walked in, loved the style and feel of the place. Sat down and was greeted quickly by a lady named Polly Pocket, I believe, and from there the experience only got better. Long story short, ended up staying awhile, had good conversation over some (well selected) craft brews and churros! New to the area and looking forward to becoming tavern regulars. - @love.life.uncultured read more

Had another solid visit this past weekend. I highly recommend the honey habanero burger, it was cooked to order exactly how I requested it (as rare as legally possible) and had a tasty sweet & spicy sauce that had just the right amount of heat. The fries were pretty good, too, slightly soggy, but piping hot & exactly what I was in the mood for at the time. My fiance ordered the BLT and really enjoyed it, but if he wants to go into detail about it he can get his own yelp account. This was actually my first visit here without getting any sort of alcoholic beverage, and I'm happy to report that I still had a good time. Whether you're here for a drink at the bar, a low-key meal with a significant other, or to get completely stupid with a group of friends, you won't feel out of place. Word of caution: the booths on the left side of the restaurant, in the back by the women's bathroom, are clearly built for tiny people. I'm actually not quite sure how I got in there to begin with. Magic? Sheer luck? Who knows. Grab a table, or a booth closer to the front door if you have generous amounts of junk in your trunk and want to enter & exit freely without making a scene. read more

Kelly's Tavern on Colley Avenue in Norfolk, VA... hhhmmm... This is a "family restaurant" with lots of fried stuff and burgers... some salads but that's not where Kelly's is coming from... instead, you'll want the Bacon Cheddar Burgers with fries but the Cole Slaw is better. Also, their Sweet Tea is great and it just keeps coming. OH... also... there's this Waitress who can remember everything without ever writing anything down... right to the minutia. She's cute and sweet but will slam your plate on the table and walk away without acknowledging your "thank you". It doesn't change my opinion of the food which is great. Also, the other burgers are great too... try the Habanero Burger... yeah, baby! read more

We went once with a neighbor, and I wasn't really thrilled. Jeff really enjoyed one sandwich (I thought it was a hot mess) so on that ever so rare occasion that I let him pick our grub spot he wanted to try this place again. Yeah, he was in trouble for a while after that choice. All the food was burnt and then served to us luke warm. Our service was slow and disinterested, which hurt more because we were one of two couples in the restaurant. They really just didn't care. One okay and one terrible experience averages out to 2 stars. read more

Kelly's Tavern - St patty burger - American Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

See all

This is the original Kelly's Location In Tidewater. They have pretty much the same menu as the other Kelly's locations. This location is SMALL. Keep that in mind and do not bring a party of more than 6 or you will not fit. There is a small outdoor dining area, but it is just mostly used by those stepping out for a smoke. Food is excellent. Kelly's is known for its burgers. Keep in mind this place is fairly busy during happy hour and during any kind of festival or event in Ghent. Parking on or around Colley is a nightmare. read more