The food and drinks were great. Ribs were good but the southern fried chicken needed a bit of seasoning (mostly salt) service was really bad we were pretty much left at our table for an hour before our waitress came and said "I hope yall haven't been waiting long I forgot I had a table" we didn't get our drinks until we were almost done with our meal and it took about 30 mins after putting in the order to get everything. I would probably order out if anything but not actually sit in again. They also had live music and open mic. read more

Kelsey's - Southern fried chicken wings - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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Good service & hospitality. Portions could be a little bigger but food tased amazing. Me and my wife went early before the crowed showed up. Will be back. read more

When I tell you my fiancé and I had the BEST experience EVER.. Let's start with our wonder sever KEITH!! He was amazing very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable... He made us feel like he enjoyed being our server and he love his job.. Every time we visit we're definitely asking for KEITH!!! CR and London from DC read more

We wanted to try authentic soul food and kelseys is the place to go when you are in atlantic city. Love the vibe and ambience of this place. Super welcoming and the food was delicious. My friend ordered the fried pork chops smothered in onion and gravy with collard greens and mac-n-cheese. I ordered the fried chicken with coleslaw and mac-n-cheese. We also ordered a flight of their drinks - SO strong - they're not playing around. These little shots had so much alcohol. The pork chops was soooooo goood. Crispy and seasoned to perfection. It was my first time trying stewed collard greens and I understand the hype now. It was so goood. Slight bitterness that went with all the fried food. The Fried chicken wings that I ordered was so heavenly. Absolutely best mac and cheese I ever had and it was a SIDE DISH. I was so impressed. The service was amazing. We sat right at the bar. Great place to chill, eat and watch your sport games. Can't wait to come back for the food alone! The live music was pumping too. We enjoyed it very much. Was our favorite memorable thing to do in Atlantic city in the 4 days we were here. Happy eating fellow yelpers! read more

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The food was good, not great like it use to be. The ambience has gone down hill. We also went on a Wednesday at 6 so that may have something to do with it. Our waitress wasn't the friendliest and had a bit of an attitude and didn't even know what kind of wines they served. I had to ask the bartender on the way back from the bathroom. I'm sorry, it's your job to know the menu in and out. She didn't even offer us dessert. We were there celebrating my brother's birthday. She just brought the check over because we asked for boxes for our food. We still tipped her 20% because she did serve us and towards the end smiled a little. Tough times out here now but the owners need to train the staff a little better. There was an older man there who took better care of us than our server so I went over, thanked him and tipped him as well. read more

Out of town for a conference in Atlantic City . Kelsey's identifies as Black owned and it's a soul food restaurant . I think they take walk-ins though I had reservations . Seated early for my reservation , the staff are friendly and music is playing loudly . Good vibe . This is the Pacific Avenue location . The menu has house rules ... can't remember too many of them other than you're limited to a 90 minute seating . I'm sure there's a reason for "house rules" cause someone must have violated them . Check out their website to see if you are cool with them . I ordered Shrimp and Grits and it was so good ! It had turkey bacon and turkey andouille sausage and was slightly spicy giving it the definite Creole vibe I was looking for . The serving was HUGE. My dish didn't come with sides . My friend has the BBQ Beef short ribs which were fall off the bone good ! I believe the dish came with 2 sides . Traditional sides like collards , Mac and cheese , potatoes , candied yams , rice etc. All the soul food favorites. There was a time in soul food restaurants corn bread came with your meal and now it's an appetizer . Go figure . It was delicious and it was a whole darn basket! Way more than necessary for 2 people . They do brunch - tried to get a reservation while I was in town and no can do but decided I didn't want to just walk in and wait . There's no parking lot here - it's street metered parking and I believe there is a parking lot close by . You will get towed even at night . I'm from Brooklyn so I know sketchy and AC is sketchy at night . This isn't too far from the convention center or Bally's but not near the Casinos where you could walk to the restaurant . There's also a sister restaurant Kelsey and Kim's that does only take out at a different location . read more

What an outstanding, classy, and musical experience. The food and entertainment is fantastic. T. Robinson New York read more

Customer service. Sitting at the bar was horrible. The people are nasty and you feel rushed service sucks because they are tacking on a gratuity regardless of how you are treated 20% . read more

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We had a reservation for 5:30 but decided to walk in a little later to enjoy the live band. The wait was average for a Saturday night so we chose to sit at the bar and have our meal. The smothered turkey chops were fantastic. The establishment was spacious and the band on point. read more

Kelsey's - Bar area with band in background. - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

My husband and I have been consistently going to Kelsey's several times a year for the last 8 years. THEY NEVER DISAPPOINT! The food is always on point and the service and atmosphere is always top tier. I recommend making reservations as far in advance as possible. ENJOY!!! read more

Everything was great. Second time here. Service was good. Live music. Drinks were out of this world.

Great. Customer service. The food was delicious entertainment was spectacular Great for a date night read more

Good Food Good Atmosphere Clean Restaurant/Location Wonderful Staff I come from Philadelphia to Atlantic City to enjoy the food. read more

Food was fantastic, the service was superb, the ambiance was great, prices are affordable, music was fantastic, I wanted to get up and dance. read more

Kelsey's - My husband had the beef ribs - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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The service...Scott was phenomenal! The food chefs kiss...the performance oh my goodness Tia can SANG yes SANG! Great times.

Food was sooo good !! I had the fried catfish which was well seasoned and the sides were good. Drinks were nice and strong the music was just right and the service was good. As much as I go to AC I need to make my way to Kelsey's more often. read more

Kelsey's - Fried catfish - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

Have been visiting Atlantic City on and off for nearly 15 years but stopped by this spot for the first time just a couple weeks ago to check it out. Looks like I've been missing out - Kelsey's might be the best black-owned restaurant I've ever been to. Got there at 4:02 on a Saturday literally just a couple of minutes after they opened and there was already a line out the door. The customer in front of me who told me he was a regular said the line was actually "light" and is usually a bit longer... it had been raining a bit earlier so possible that affected the line. The line was all black folk (which was the first sign that this was going to be an excellent soul food spot), almost all of whom were dressed up nicely, though the dress code technically is casual (I went with a hoodie and jeans). Despite the line, I was able to get seated by 4:15 (less than 15 minute wait) because I wanted to sit at the bar (the waitlist for table seating was longer, though not sure by how much). Once seated at the bar (which was a full bar with a couple of big screen TVs), I ordered the chicken wings, which come with two sides (chose the mac and cheese and rice with gravy). Ordered a Corona to drink. The food came out in less than 15 minutes, which was great. Chicken wings actually aren't my thing (greatly prefer drums and thighs, though those weren't on the menu) but they give you an ample serving of the wings, along with a good serving size for the mac and cheese and rice. Everything (chicken wings and sides) was awesome and what you would expect from a restaurant as well-regarded as this one. Very, very tasty - not going to say it's the best I've ever had but would rate the food around a 4.5 out of 5. The regular I was talking to earlier said a lot of their food is on the saltier, buttered-down side, and my servings were certainly no exception (which I loved). There was an very pleasant, older bartender named Michelle who kind of guided me through my first time there and making my order. She was very on point and seemed to be running things both behind the bar and the younger servers taking orders from the tables. Very nice woman who provided excellent customer service - was probably the deciding factor between me rating this spot a 5 instead of a 4. But the whole experiencecustomer service, etc.) top to bottom (food, here was excellent. Don't know how I overlooked this spot in the past but will definitely go back again! Kelsey's has brunch hours on weekends and also I believe do live bands later at night. Next time I'm in AC I'll make it a point to try other options on the menu... read more

The food is great and consistent. Every time I visit AC, I make a point to eat at Kelsey's. They have very friendly service as well.

They put their foot in it! The food was absolutely amazing. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. Service was excellent as well. Thank you Dom! We enjoyed the Fried Whiting and Fried Catfish with Black Eye Peas, Mac & Cheese and Yam sides. A beer and Mango LI Iced Tea. Both fish options were seasoned and breaded differently to suit each fish. Most places would just bread everything in the same crumb, not this place they matched the seasoning to the fish. That was such a great delight. The restaurant is clean, the tables are spaced out nicely not crowded and they have tablecloths and cloth napkins. The music was a very pleasant back drop. Hello! Excellence at its best. This is a definite must when in Atlantic City. 10 out of 10 read more

8'21'2021 Amazing visits from start to finish. We were greeted by the hostess and seated immediately. I was so excited that we didn't have a wait considering how popular this place is. Shortly after sitting, Yisel came over to help us. She was pretty awesome our entire visit providing great recommendations and customer service. We ordered our food. We were so hungry and excited for our food to come as we heard great things about this establishment. We ordered. Catfish Nuggets - Perfectly cooked and delicious Cabbage - Seasoned just right and yum. Turkey Chops w Collards and Yams - Everything on this plate was ahmazing !! Hennessey Punch - Pretty, strong, well concocted, enough to share. We had so much food that we had leftovers. I wasn't upset about that. I definitely look forward to returning back again and supporting this black owned business for the greatness it's serving! read more

Food was delicious fresh out the grease seasoned well.!!! Gravy was bomb!! Baked Mac just needed more seasoning and more cheese! Potato salad delicious! read more

MUST VISIT IF YOU'RE IN THE AREA! Kelsey's was such an amazing experience. The food was OUTSTANDING. The drinks were ON POINT! The service was EXCELLENT. The vibes were MAGNETIC. The music was HITTIN'! We had an incredible time and will absolutely come back. Did I mention the food was beyond expectation! read more

Kelsey's - Margarita flight and Mimosa flight, plus an extra mimosa because why not??? - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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Kelsey never disappoints. We arrived early because it gets crowded. We didn't have a reservation but we were lucky to get seated right away. Our server was very attentive. We ordered cornbread and wings as appetizers, both were delicious. The cornbread is so addictive. Our entrees were fried whiting and a combination platter of fried catfish and fried shrimp. Unfortunately I started eating before I could snap a picture. Portions are huge. We didn't have any room for dessert. We will definitely be back. read more

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It was a great experience. Food was amazing. Great atmosphere. Will always come again. Service was amazing.

Server was amazing, very attentive, communicative and funny. Food was off the charts, delicious, tasty and I'll be back for more.

This was my first time actually experiencing Kelsey's and they definitely lived up to the hype! I made reservations so I was seated upon arrival. The hosts and hostesses were very attentive. The ambiance was great the live Band was very entertaining. The food was good, some dishes better than others but overall we enjoyed our time. read more

Kelsey's - Turkey Chops, Yams, Mac & Cheese. Grilled Salmon and Cabbage - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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If you're ever in Atlantic City and want some soil food, stop by Kelsey's. Awesome customer service, great entertainment, and delicious soul food. They've never disappointed. read more

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I had a great time here a few years ago. Food was spectacular! Mac and cheese was amazing so were the ribs. live music was fantastic. This is a Hit in AC for sure. A little pricey but it's worth it for the experience read more

Kelsey's - Nice drink - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

Best brunch and dinner had in the city. Service was amazing and our waiters were personable and friendly. Definitely one of the go to spots when in AC. read more

Finally made it to Kelsey's, made reservation for four 2 weeks prior; tried to update but website would not allow me to; the hostess was more than accommodating but her side kick (stocky black young lady) was trying to be difficult, but the hostess bypassed her & seated all 6 of us together without incident. The musical performances were a great addition to the meal which was a lovely surprise to my friends. We started with the cornbread basket & later ordered another to accompany our entrees. Our dinner order consisted of the fried chicken, catfish, & fish & shrimp combo, mac & cheese, candied yams, collard greens, cabbage, broccoli, black eyed peas & rice (more peas please) & rice & gravy which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. This may have been my 1st time here at Kelsey's, but it will not be my last. read more

Kelsey's - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

Arrived to a line outside but luckily we had made reservations. Asked a few of the outside patrons about the place and everyone had nothing but great things to say about the food or repeated what they had been told. We went in with high expectations that just weren't met. The live music turned out to be music played on the house speaker system, the stage was bare. As far as service, the waiter we had was attentive however the menus are digital only, now I understand that we live in a world where most people have a smart phone, people such as my grandparents would not be able to look at the menu u because the owner decided it was a expense that could be cut? Also, the pricing was little higher than I expected but the presentation was excellent. However the food itself wasn't anything to brag about. The ribs were a letdown but the chicken was probably the best item that night. I went with the recommendation of the waiter on the whiting as the steak I previously ordered at market price, was out. The whiting was okay, the macaroni and cheese was okay and the yams were good at best. For the price and wait, I would not recommend this place being from Virginia but maybe this is the standard for soul food in New Jersey. read more

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Everything from customer service to the food to the entertainment. They were very accommodating when needed to add to the reservation. The food was amazing . read more

I dined here on a Friday evening. They will not seat you until your entire party has arrived so make sure your dining companions are on time or do what I did and sit down without them. The food is just as delicious as I remembered from many years ago. The food came out fast, hot, and seasoned just right. I ordered the fried whiting and fried shrimp combo with cabbage and Mac and cheese as my sides. I got there late (after 11pm) so I missed the band. However, the service was good. No complaints. read more

Everything was very good. It is always a pleasure to visit this establishment. The whole experience is a plus. Only thing I would do is make sure all reservations are honored. read more

During our Easter break, my cousin and I took the kids to Atlantic City and decided to have brunch at Kelsey's. The prices were $47 for adults and $15 for children, which seemed reasonable. However, when we approached the cashier (Kee) with my 9-year-old daughter, he insisted that she would be charged the adult price because of her height. I tried to explain that she was only 9 years old. I asked him how much do he charge midgets/little people? he responded they are adults therefore they'll be charged as an adult. I informed him that she is a child, she is 9 years old. It was really disheartening to see how he dismissed her age and continued to focus on her height. It felt particularly upsetting, perhaps because my daughter (4'11") is around the same height as him. I wish there had been more understanding and a better approach to handling the situation, especially when it comes to kids. It's important for places to create a welcoming atmosphere for families, and this experience left much to be desired. read more

All I can say is WOW...If you like home cook southern food, this is your place. Catfish app, crab and mac, are to die for.... Fried chicken and shrimp and grits...amazing. And the wonderful Michelle at the bar, makes you feel at home. We will be back... read more

Food service and I love the music every thing a bout this place i love coming here I tell everyone about Kelsey thank u all for everything u do read more

Not good at all. It was late they should have 69 their seafood special for $45 ( a small dried piece of fish, 2 dried refried shrimp and a make believe crab cake was horrible they should not serve uneatable food. read more

I think at this point I'm officially over this place. My husband made us reservations here. We hadn't been for a while because between both locations our last few visits were disappointing. That being said he surprised me with this during phase one of our anniversary celebration. Upon entering there was water pouring from the ceiling. The place was pretty empty yet we were sat directly in front of the path to the kitchen. We ordered the corn bread as an appetizer it didn't come til after our meal. There were no drinks we wanted because there wasn't anything with no sugar added aside from coke. We both ordered the fried whiting and shrimp. Our sides were greens, cabbage, yams and macaroni and cheese. The macaroni and cheese was dry and over cooked like it was old and reheated. The fish was full of bones, want fried well and the other sides were just ok. My husband got the Oreo cake to go and that tasted like old diner cake. I told him don't take me here anymore. That is it, that is all! read more

Kelsey's - Fish and shrimp, yams, Mac n cheese, greens - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

I'm from NORTH JERSEY & when I tell u this FOOD HANDS DOWN! Flavored & the service was prompt and waitress was very attentive! 10 outta 10!!