Food was ok. It wasn't amazing, like I read. They serve chicken wings and tenders made from breast, NOT legs, thighs, and breast ,as Yelp says. Crazy rude service, lady scalded me for not looking in their website before coming. If not for Yelp I didn't know of the place. I ordered the flounder at the bar. There were no tables to be had. It's advertised as soul food, but this is just restaurant food that's served anywhere. Picture makes the fish look better than it was. Uncooked peppers just on it, doesn't do much, btw it comes 1 way! Yelp says wrongly, can order different ways of prepared. No draft beers, limited/rude service, the food wasn't as tasty as the price say it should be. Greens had too much going. Rice and gravy had very little gravy. read more

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

While in Atlantic City last weekend I visited Kelsey's on Easter Sunday in the evening. We arrived shortly before the evening rush and were seated immediately. I ordered the shrimp and grits entree. It was AMAZING! The shrimp were huge, the grits were seasoned very tastefully and there was gravy with bacon and Andouille sausage. All the flavors combined so deliciously well. I will definitely order this again. I also tasted the catfish nuggets which were lightly coated and {pan-fried?) perfectly. They were very good. The cornbread "appetizer" is a plate of cornbread slices and probably enough for 6 people. There was really good live music that was mellow and pleasant. For a delicious meal, make sure you visit Kelsey's when in Atlantic City. read more

The food was excellent. The service was great. We have been back three times already

Me and some friends visited this establishment, we made a 10:15 reservation. Upon entering we were greeted and seated immediately. We went for the all you can eat brunch. Our server name was Scott (amazing btw) he engaged and checked in on us the entire time! Besides the delicious food he was the next best thing from the experience. The lighting was pretty dim, but it did make the experience more interment. Loved this experience and will visit again ‼ read more

Kelsey's - Shrimp& grits , Mac& cheese Bbq beef - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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I've been there several times and everything about Kelsy's is good. Will be there tomorrow.

Let me start off by saying I really get excited when I know I'm going to Kelsey's , I think it's knowing ur gonna get good food and possibly live jazz If u go after 6pm!. From the delicious cornbread to the main entrees you have to visit this establishment at least once. Service seems to be on point, staff are usually very friendly . Ambiance is very pleasant and welcoming. The one thing I wasn't to happy about were my leftovers, I had the smothered turkey chops with onions, when reheated the gravy was extremely thick . Other than that the experience was pretty good. read more

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Literally the best soul food restaurant I've ever been to. Fantastic food and great customer service.

We were a party of 4. My niece Rhonda had always wanted to go to Kelsey's. It was on her bucket list. Surprised her for her 60th birthday. It was a warm and comfortable place. Our waiter was very friendly and professional. Excellent service. Our appetizers were bang bang shrimp, corn bread and fried chicken wings. Our entrees were fried whiting and shrimp combo, fried shrimp and crab cakes. They were out of stuff shrimp. Sides were collard greens, cabbage, candied yams, mac & cheese and potato salad. The food was well prepared and delicious. We were not disappointed and will definitely be going back soon. read more

This place is simply good, really good. Nice vibe, upscale soul food with a great vibe at the tables or at the bar. Bartender was awesome, super friendly and didn't skimp when pouring. The food was very good and perfectly seasoned. The food also came out quickly, which was a major plus as well. Tons of option on the menu and they haven't disappointed yet. read more

Kelsey's - Wings with collard greens and yams - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

I had both brunch and dinner here and have no complaints for either! The staff were friendly and very polite.

When in AC always a fav! Had the shrimp and grits and its an oversized portion of velvety cheddar cheese grits toped with jumbo shrimp that has epic cajun flavors! Service was nice but waited over an hour to be seated! An AC gem! read more

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

My wife and I came here looking for a nice brunch. Instead, we got an expensive lesson in how not to treat customers. The greeting? Barely there. The service? Cold and rushed. The moment we asked to be served, we were hit with a $46 per person upfront charge. The "menu" was repeated so quietly and quickly, it might as well have been a secret. When the server arrived, it turned out to be a buffet--which I never signed up for. The atmosphere? At 10 in the morning, the music was blasting vulgar lyrics so loud it drowned out conversation. If you're here for a peaceful meal, forget it. The guy who took our payment had zero patience, zero explanation, and when we decided to leave without touching the food, his answer to a refund request was "No refunds." They can keep the $92--it's nothing compared to the damage this kind of service does to a business. Here's how you fix this: * Welcome guests warmly--crowds are no excuse for bad manners. * Make sure people clearly understand the food process and pricing. * Adjust your music and vibe for the time of day. * Show basic hospitality when guests change their minds before eating. The only reason they're probably still full is because they're close to the hotels and serve soul food. But bad service will eventually empty any restaurant. read more

Just as I expected all went very well, food, service & ambiance. Plan on visiting again.

This place was on my radar for a while. I got a chance to pop in today. Excited and hungry. On Sunday is Brunch til 3. Brunch was 46.00, and it's all you can eat. Overall, the presentation was good. The selections were: Mac and cheese, fried chicken, biscuits, stuffed shells. Jambalaya, mashed potatoes, sausage, bacon eggs, fish- whiting. Also, an omelet station, etc. I tasted the shrimp and grits. It's very tasty. The stuffed shells lacked flavor but were edible. Everything else was over seasoned, and I felt my ankles swelling ate each bite. Mac and cheese were sitting too long. In addition I had whiting fish, fried chicken was OK. Jambalaya was too salty as well. Staff friendly and good music. read more

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

Straight trash!!! Got there for a 10pm reservation and they charged me $30 for a damn live performance that was finishing their final set and then started shutting down the place while we were literally in the middle of the meal. The management had the audacity to ask me how were things and I told them it was terrible and they tried to explain the shit off as opposed to talking any ownership for anything. And on top of that the food was trash. Mac and cheese way too salty, salmon was dry af and ribs were basically drenched with bbq sauce and no flavor. Do NOT go to this place. I was expecting a great experience from a black owned spot and it was trash! Oh and they charged $23 for a trash ass old fashioned. Zero stars but they are forcing me to do one. read more

We had a wonderful experience at Kelsey's. The food was out of this world. The ambiance was perfectly matched. The service was on point. The live band was a beautiful bonus to an exuberant night out in Atlantic City. read more

The manager was very rude I had a drink Henny punch that was very nasty I asked can I get another drink the manager told the waiter to tell me that there's no refund or I couldn't switch the drink out for another drink and I was willing to still pay the same price just wanted something different this happened on New Year's Day. My food was very good, but the service sucks oh, and I can't forget how my reservation was for 5 o'clock and then they try give our table to another couple who reservation was at 5:30. The hosts gonna say oh I'm sorry I didn't mean to do that. read more

Nice family night out. Cold Black Friday in Atlantic City. I got the shrimp platter with Mac and cheese & greens. The shrimp were okay, I do like that they're real shrimp. A lot of restaurants faks it with their shrimp and that's not fair. Kelsey's didn't do that. I wish they'd have come out hotter temperature wise. They would've probably fixed that for me, I wasn't tripping on that! Sides were great. The drink was good. Reminds me of Slade's in Boston. Love to see family owned black spots hold it down in their communities. I'd give this spot another go. My pops' fish looked good! read more

Kelsey's - Shrimp Basket & Blue Drank - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

Discriminate Hispanic ladies. RUDE,disrespectful, not professional, Skipping us on line wanted for 1hr. Taking my sister for her birthday. LADY WITH GREEN jacket was bad, service was bad . Whole kitchen attached Us like we had a gun. read more

Kelsey's - Very Nasty person did not wanted Hispanic ladies Coming in. Avoiding Us felt hurt and disrespected - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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Every time I come here for dinner, I'm never disappointed, my first time trying the bbq pork ribs, they tasted great, and they give you a lot of ribs, I was expecting maybe 3, but they give you like 6 or 7. read more

The atmosphere was very welcoming and the food and drinks were delicious! We ate all the appetizers because they were so good. I highly recommend the ribs, bang bang shrimp, and cornbread. read more

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Kelsey's food is always delicious. Great portion sizes. I'm always a fan of their cornbread and catfish nuggets. I will say, if the waiter offers you the cornbread straight out, just know it isn't complimentary. Still worth it! I was disappointed that they didn't have mashed potatoes and no desserts available. read more

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I am visiting from Virginia and made a reservation for 4 through Yelp. I went in and after waiting for 5 minutes for the hostess to fumble with her phone, she asked if I had a reservation. I told her that I did and showed her the confirmation and she couldn't find it. Then, when she found out that I made it through Yelp she said "we don't take same day reservations". I then asked how long was the wait to get a table and she said they don't have any availability for the night. Hmmm...perhaps she should tell that to the line of people waiting outside like it's the club who don't know that they're not going to get seated. I don't care how good the food might have been...when you treat customers like you they don't matter, they'll soon treat your business the same in return. read more

I was visiting AC from out of town and this place was said to have a really nice brunch. The food was ok however, I could not hear the person seated right beside me because the music was absolutely tooooo loud! I'd like to be able to converse with the person seated right beside me without having to basically yell. A part of any experience at a seated restaurant is to be able to have a conversation within your dining party. The management should give some consideration to folks wanting to be able to speak to one another without having to yell across the table. read more

Amazing food great drinks server was good fried and chicken was crispy. Highly recommend. read more

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I attempted multiple times to make a reservation by phone and never received a return call. The lack of communication and follow-through felt unprofessional and frustrating. If reservations are required, there should be a reliable and respectful system in place to respond to customers. Unfortunately, this experience left a poor impression before we even had the chance to dine. DON'T CALL THIS ESTABLISHMENT IF YOU ARE PLANNING A SPECIAL EVENT!!!!!!! JACKLYN CHARLES-MARCUS read more

Horrible, Horrible, Horrible waited over 1.50 minutes in line to have a rogue employee/dj goes outside to get friends and seat them before 8 other groups, then became disrespectful when questioned. Get in, for $92 no turkey sausage, chicken fried, fruit hard, waffles and fish came out late. That's why you can't support all Black Owned business, and I am a business owner. I know how important customer service is and being fair. Disgraceful. Im so bothered im posting as I wait for my fish and waffles that I ordered 22 minutes ago. read more

Food, service, ambiance everything was Amazing! Was celebrating my man's birthday we had a great experience!

I'm giving all the stars to the staff!!! They were amazing. The food looked good but wasn't the best. My cousin ordered the pork chops and it was cold and tough. The cornbread was great and the fish and shrimp was as well. My god sis had the shrimp étouffée and said it tasted good but she wouldn't order it again. The Mac and cheese didn't really have any flavor and seemed like it was pre-made and then chucked in the oven. Overall again staff was amazing just the food wasn't up to par. read more

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The for Brunch at Kelsey's is absolutely amazing. The shrimp and grits pure perfection. The best sweet potato waffle ever. The service is Elite. The chef is doing great things in that restaurant. Everytime I go its a good time. The music and atmosphere is top- teir. read more

Service was phenomenal. The host Tarsha greeted me soon as they opened. The line to get in was around the corner but she made sure I got in first because of my reservation. Chelsea my waitress was extremely friendly and kept checking to see if I needed anything. The manager Casandra came over to personally introduce herself and told me if I needed anything to ask for her. The food was some of the best soul food I've tasted. The whiting fish seasoned to perfection and fried crispy the way fish should be. Chicken with red velvet waffles were tasty. The catfish nuggets are a must have appetizer. Very classic restaurant with ample seating. Plenty of street parking, but if you prefer off street there's a big parking lot adjacent to the restaurant. read more

Kelsey's - Chicken with red velvet waffles. - Soul Food Near Me - Atlantic City, New Jersey

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I can't give a review on the food, because unfortunately, we were not afforded that opportunity. I was in Atlantic City for my birthday this weekend my partner who raved about Kelsey's and Kim on his last visit to AC said he wanted to take me there. We went to Kelsey's and Kim's and decided we'd rather go to Kelsey's the flagship Restaurant First went in there. I spoke with the young lady at the front and asked her did I need to make reservation. She said no you can just do a walk in. We drove around for a little bit came back inside with my partner to which I was asked do we have a reservations and it'll be about 45 minutes and I said you said that you could take a walk in, my partner was so annoyed we just left. He was severely disappointed and so was. I would recommend customer service training for your hostess. read more

I am so glad I was able to be seated as a walk-in on Easter Sunday. I arrived at 4pm and waited in line about 35 minutes before entering. The place was packed as expected. They played r&b while the DJ was setting up. The food took about 20 minutes to come out. Everything was hot and freshly made. I had the short ribs and my wife had the fish and shrimp combo. It's been a while since I had soul food where everything was really good. I would go back on Monday if they weren't closed on Mondays. This is a must visit each time I am in A.C. read more

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I went for my birthday on 12/4 & the food and the music was fabulous! 12/31 is my Husband's birthday and we want to repeat the experience! read more

The food was really good! The music was a little loud and the service could stand improvement, but the food will get me to return. Hopefully, it was just a bad day. read more

Clean restaurant and friendly service, but the food was just okay. I've gotten better chicken and waffles at a diner, and for less money. The margarita tasted like cheap sour mix, and the music was too loud. In short, it didn't live up to the hype. read more

Had a reservation at this soul food spot in Atlantic City and waited outside in 45 degree weather with winds at 15mph for 1hour. In that time the staff took 1 couple from the line ! No place or food is worth me waiting that long in weather. Staff was way too arrogant and I will never attempt to go there again !! I give this place 1 star read more

Service was good. Food was delicious! By far the best fried chicken that I have ever had (and I've had a lot). Will definitely come back when I am in AC. Drinks were good too. read more

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

The service was excellent. I grew up in Texas and lived in the South most of my life. Soup food is Southern food. The food was good but underwhelming. I had the shrimp and cheese grits. It had very good flavor, but the shrimp was overcooked and chewy and the grits had a consistency like they'd been sitting around for a while. Two other guests had the ribs (pork and beef). Coming from Texas, my smoked meat standards are high. Again, the flavor was very good, but I'm accustomed to ribs that are barely need a fork tender. Neither the pork nor the beef ribs were. The beef ribs were actually a little tough. The fourth member of our party ordered barbecue wings which were overwhelmingly sweet. The mac and cheese was quite tasty. And the cornbread was some of the best I've ever had. Overall, the service brings it up to a solid B+. If rated solely on food, it would have been a B-/C+. read more

We made e a reservation so we didn't have to wait as I heard this place gets crowded fast. Upon our arrival, there was a small number of people in line. We were seated quickly and knew prior, we would be having the brunch buffet. The food did not disappoint, everything was delicious and flavorful. The grits prepared here are the best grits I've ever had in my life. The pancakes melted in your mouth. All the food items were displayed neatly and the business was ran with order. The waiters were very attentive and kind. I will most definitely be back here. Everything was delicious! read more

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