Justin Dumlao
Loved it so much I came here twice on a trip! I needed to find a place that did Mac and Cheese well, and they delivered. Great pierogis, too! The drink selection is excellent. Each time I went there was always a space for me.
Brian Hill
Love this place.. absolutely legendary.. recommended to my by a friend who grew up around the corner.. (the legend Alex Frank) and I can’t say enough good things.. was just traveling through town and stopped by but the staff was great and the atmosphere electric, the drinks were normal drinks that you get at a good bar which is exactly what you should want.. no $15 cocktails.. just classic good stuff.. didn’t have the food because I had just eaten but it also looks good
JA Rein
Great place I loved it, it is small and dark, I like the red lights. Staff was great. I spent most of my time out on the back deck during happy hour. Great food there was this grilled cheese appetizer that came with olives, it was amazing, I have never ate that before. Happy hour had cheap drinks, libations all a around. Would definitely go back!!!
rosa evee
If you’re a minority in Pittsburgh — black, queer, or even just a woman — this is one of the few fun bars that hasn’t been ruined by rainbow capitalism. The vibe is unapologetically authentic. Food is great compared to most bars; drinks are some of the best bang for buck in the entire city. Seriously, good luck finding another place with as good drinks competitively priced. Give it a go.
Michelle Lane
I've been going to Kelly's for nearly 20 years. It's one of my favorite bars in Pittsburgh. It's one of the last great dives with great music playing all night. Good bar food. Good drinks. Cool staff.
Brandy Williams
Got the taco perogies, which were DELICIOUS. We also got their mac & cheese, spinach dip, sweet potatoes, and a BBQ sammich. Everything was really delicious. Kinda disappointed that you can't mix and match the perogies, but that just means I'll be back to try the others!
Airi Tilley
You cannot beat the prices and the consistently good food! Some of the best mac and cheese/appetizers in the city! This place has definitely been a lifesaver, especially since everywhere in Pittsburgh closes by 8 pm.. though the service can be slow, it is a small business with short staffing. Its something to consider if your in a rush lol
Jakob Lazzaro
Classic vibes, made-to-order baked Mac n cheese, delicious sandwiches and rotating $5 happy hour cocktails. It’s great, and they have booths aka the best restaurant seating.
Mike Reese
Great place! Didn't know this but they LOVE when people play with the sweet potatoes that they leave beside the bathroom, and give free drinks out if you can bring one out to the bartender!!!! They aren’t for eating because it would be way too gross!
Gaurav Hegde
Its not as shady as it seems from the outside. Used to pass this place all the time and finally decided to give it a try with a buddy of mine.
Really good service and collection of draft beers.
Got the delicious sweet potato fries and the lovely fried pickles .
The lighting seems a bit dim for a family to chill and have a nice dinner but this place is definitely a nice spot for a bunch of old buddies to hang out and catch up.
Michael Douglas
Kellys is a nice cocktail bar that feels half divey. The food is always phenomenal and the staff are nice. The only rough this is food takes a long time to come out, I've been 3 times and it's been an average of 40 min after we ordered to get food. But the taste is worth the wait
Justin Blumenfeld
Never thought to eat at Kelly’s but turns out to be exceptional bar food. Pierogis, Mac & cheese & The Rachel were all on point. So if you’re looking for dinner and drinks, Kelly’s got you covered.
Emily Peifer
Every single time I come here the food is excellent, service is chill and the atmosphere is one-of-a-kind. Feels like you're transported back in time given that this place has been around since the 40s and hasn't changed much since. It's intimate, comfortable and classic. I love it as much as I love the food. They knock it out of the park every time.
Simón Jean Francois
Hipster but totally cool bar. The service is amazing and the food is delicious. The Pittsburgh bites made out of tofu were incredible. Great prices too!
Sean Mittelstaedt
Great decor, great service, great music, good food. Only thing that's weird is that while the cocktails are super cheap, the beer is relatively expensive. But really, really great place.
Sean Enright
Awesome staff, huge-interesting beer selections... but that old school dive-bar decor is really what puts Kelly's over-the-top. Back patio offers smoking; the perfect place to chill on a summer weekday night. Caleb and Monika are two of my favorite bartenders in the city.
Tericka Lane
Delicious service. Met the Owner great guy. There's are no tv's and it gets quite dark in there. A little hard to read the menu. But very adaptable. No pictures just you and your company. Booths could use a loving touch and a tad more space to stretch a little bit as far as under the table room. Definitely great for dining alone. Drinks are good. Daily specials.
Ryan Myers
I love Kelly's! Great beers and drinks on tap. Great atmosphere between punk and not. Love the staffs tattoos and attitudes. Not enough seating. The summer is a better time with the patio opening.
Fries And Churros
If you're broke, yet you wanna have some good food to not shell out a lot of cash this is the place you gotta head to! Now don't expect a lot from the ambience it's basic not very fancy but the food is lovely!<br/>Tuna melt was fabulous with decent amount of cheddar cheese. I just love how fish goes with cheese. You can also opt from a green salad if you wanna go a little light on your tummy. Another dish and a steady favourite of all is the mac and cheese. Sufficient quantity and will surely fill your tummy! Keep this saved haha.
Suzy Bok
The bartender with the dreads threatened my friend with a baseball bat for not tipping. The bartender was rude, so that’s why he didn’t tip. The rest of us tipped extra to cover it. The bartender was so focused on obviously trying starting a fight he didn’t notice the extra money. <br/><br/>My friend asked how much a PBR was and he said “if you have to ask you probably can’t afford it.” He was rude to my friend and the rest of us the entire time we were at the bar, and clearly hates his job and human beings in general. Sure, in service there are tough nights but you slap on smile and you do your job. My friend decided not to tip. Not what I would do, but to each their own. He came on to the patio called our friend out, so then we all knew about him not tipping and decided when we were going to close out we would make up for it. My boyfriend gave a generous tip to cover our friends, but before even looking he told us our friend wasn’t welcome and when he saw him come out of the bathroom he told him to “get out” and “if you ever come in here and antagonize me or my fellow bartenders again, it’s going to be bad for you” at which point he reached under the bar and took out a baseball bat and slammed it on the counter frightening myself and other patrons. My friend never said a word to him, never argued when he said he wasn’t welcome, but he was physically threatened for not tipping someone who gave us bad service.
Nate Morley
Really cool place. Has the feel of an old school 50-60's bar, purposely. Great beer selection. Daily drink specials and good happy hour. I really like the boneless wings and the tofu wings. The buffalo sauce is excellent.
Kiel Phillips
Worst drink and customer service I have ever experienced from a bar. I politely asked for a cocktail menu and Caleb C. rolled his eyes at me and huffed as he turned. I ordered a Rusty Nail cocktail that had two ingredients Scotch and Drambuie of which it was poured very heavy on the Drambuie. I was polite the entire transaction saying please and thank you of which Caleb C. said nothing to either me or my friend. The people behind us even noticed his attitude towards us and even inquired upon it asking what we did to make Caleb C. frustrated with us. Caleb C. also associated the people behind us with them and proceeded to make the frequent customers Moscow Mule very sub-par as per asking them myself. I honestly feel shafted for $12.84 not only in money but in time and leaving such a bad taste in my mouth.
Linz
Inexpensive drinks (plus barleywine!), nice outdoor seating, great bar food. Stop by Kelly's, a cute little retro bar, for happy hour. The Pittsburgh bites and mac and cheese are delicious. There are consistently interesting drink specials, nice outdoor seating, and they usually have barleywine, which can be tricky to find elsewhere.<br/>Also, we love the staff. Lindsay has waited on us an embarrassing amount of times (since we're there just about every other week), and she's wonderful. Friendly, efficient, and can spot an empty martini glass across a crowded bar.
Steeler-nurse
This place is great for good, tasty cocktails at very reasonable prices with a very attentive staff. I went last night with friends after having not been there in a couple of years since nursing school. Not sure how it ever fell of my radar because for a Saturday night, it had a nice crowd, and was unpretentious. Plus, the Mac and cheese was piping hot and hit the spot. Can't wait to go back soon!!!!
Cangoroth
Some friends and I went to Kelly's for happy hour and experienced Absolutely inappropriate behavior from our server. There were five of us, and we were told that parties of 5 or more have auto gratuity, which is ridiculous but not that major of a deal. All five of us work in the service industry, so when it comes to leaving a tip we always over do it.<br/><br/>We got our check and at the bottom it said "gratuity $12". We split the bill and went outside to figure out where to go next. Our server came storming out saying we did not tip her, which is beyond inappropriate to do to customers. We said that was impossible because of the auto grat. To which she said that she wrote it on the bottom of the check but did not add it to the total. <br/><br/>So essentially what she was saying was she wrote a suggestion as to what we should leave her. I was so angry. If she would have just given us our check we would have tipped more than her suggested price, even though the service left something to be desired.<br/><br/>It's not ok to chase customers down, even if they did not tip you, it's uncomfortable and awkward.<br/><br/>Also every time I've<br/>Gone to Kelly's before the drinks have been lackluster. Service is usually awful as well. The only part of this that is upsetting is that I will no longer have their amazing Mac and cheese. Farewell my delicious friend.
Colincreevy
AVOID if you have an out-of-state or international ID!. What kind of bar makes you feel like you're underage when you aren't and have a 100% valid driver's license to prove it? <br/><br/>Our server refused to accept my Minnesota driver's license. I suggested they scan it, but the server said they didn't have one, which I later found out to be false. The server also refused to acknowledge that my other forms of ID (credit card, school ID, etc) matched my driver's license. It seemed as though the server was just set on not serving my party and I. <br/><br/>Minnesota licenses are made out of a rubber-like compound, which may arouse some suspicion, but seriously at least try to verify my ID in some objective manner. He also stated that because my party had licenses from different states (we are students), "clearly" that meant all of our IDs were fake. <br/><br/>My experience at Kelly's was quite upsetting. <br/><br/>AVOID if you have an out-of-state or international ID--they only trust Pennsylvania driver's licenses!
Kea136
First, I feel it is important to say this is the first time I have ever given a negative review. I understand mishaps can happen, places can have "off" nights, but the bartender's behavior impacted our experience and the experience of those around us so negatively it warranted a review. She was a complete train-wreck, stumbling, slurring her speech, and couldn't make correct drinks. I tried to tolerate the behavior while I waited almost thirty minutes for a drink; she was grinding and dancing and having a good time. However, after a patron interrupted her dance party to emphasize customers were growing impatient she was RUDE. She couldn't handle the cash drawer, made the wrong drinks, and was nasty. A couple beside us pointed out the only positive experience they had that evening was she was too much of a disaster to remember to charge them for over half of their drinks. Kelly's- keep the stumbling and slurred speech on the customers side of the bar. <br/><br/>If you go in for a drink, look out for terrible bartender with black rimmed glasses, poor sleeve work and chest tattoo.
Nxs198
Wasted Bartender WTF. So...I have always kinda thought Kelly's was generally overrated on the food. Its decent but nothing distinguishable or special. I suspect the location is more of the draw if you need a place to eat. Now the bar was always my preference...interesting cocktails and a strong draft beer list. Typically good service. However, last night (April 13th) I have to say I witnessed the most embarrassingly drunk bartender "try" to do her job. It was rather sad. She was obviously hammered...slurring her speech and disrespecting the patrons. It was very noticeable to everyone seated at the bar as comments were made about her ineptitude and embarrassing behavior. Watching her try to make change at the cash drawer was comically sad. Also, the bar was filthy as the empty glasses and spills piled up. The bartender seemed more concerned with playing with her iPod, grinding on the other staff, and maintaining a very long conversation with one guy at the bar...ignoring everyone else. This is probably enough information for everyone to get the drift. So, beware the hipster, blonde (possible pigtails), black framed glasses, tattoos all over. If that doesn't help you spot her she'll be the sweaty, rude, drunken trainwreck not serving you a drink while acts like she is the one at the party. An utter disgrace to anyone that has ever worked in the service industry.
Marake15
DO NOT EAT HERE. I was in town from out of state (across the country) and went here with family to get the delicious mac & cheese. There was one waitress for the entire restaurant. I felt bad for her at first, but her extreme rudeness and impatience made these feelings disappear quickly. She couldn't even spend enough time at our table for me to say I'd like cheese on my burger. She slammed down a second round of beers. The worst part was that she FORGOT the mac and cheese, which was the whole reason we went there in the first place and put up with her horrible and unacceptable service. I would never go back there again despite the fact that this was one of my favorite places when I used to live here. This was a horrible experience. I didn't pay the check but definitely would have left NO tip. The management should also be ashamed at having only one server for the whole place on a Friday night.
Larry
Get here early! It fills up fast!. The Food:<br/>We like to order a few of the smaller dishes here and split them, instead of just having a sandwich. The macaroni & cheese has sort of a peppery taste and they serve it in the dish it was baked in with the cheese slightly burned on the top. Burned in a good way, that is! It comes in two sizes, which is nice. The Pittsburgh bites are pieces of tofu or chicken (I've only had the tofu) seasoned and fried and come with ranch or bleu cheese for dipping. Very nice, and the hot ones are very spicy! My other favorite is the tofu tacos, which you can get with beef or fish as well.<br/><br/><br/>The Atmosphere:<br/>The interior of Kelly's looks sort of half bar/half diner with the bar on the left and booths on the right. It's very dim inside with the burgundy walls and dark ceiling. All of the tables have candles on them. It's a friendly atmosphere with a wide mix of people. <br/><br/><br/>Some suggestions:<br/>I would recommend to anyone who wants to go there to get there when they open at 5pm. It fills up fast! Parking in the area can be hard to find, so we usually park at the Target up the street and walk. If I had one suggestion for Kelly's it would be to have someone take your name when you come in so you can be called to be seated. It's currently a free-for-all trying to get a table. Everyone is standing around inside the door and no one knows the order of who got there.
Mona A. Kishore
Man 'n Cheese is second to none!. By far, the world's best mac 'n cheese. But be careful because it's always pipping hot with a ton of pepper flakes. So be forewarned if you don't like your mac with a kick. And, even as a non-vegetarian, I almost always have to get the tofu Pittsburgh bites. I don't know how they make them (seems like it's probably easy) but they are consistently divine which is sometimes hard to find in 'burgh.
Lyse
The food isn't good enough to put up with the rude staff. All are "hipsters" aka the boys have stolen their girlfriends skinny jeans & are sporting their precious plaid shirt from goodwill while the girls have black ratty hair & facial piercings. If you're different than the above, forget about any kind of service or courtesy. It won't happen here.
Kevin Brewer
Don't Change a Thing. An institution - never change. Kelly's is what it is. It is not classy dining but it doesn't pretend to be. When you walk into the place you expect to see Richie and Fonzie. Good old "wholesome" American trailor park food. There is nothing organic or low fat or decaf about it.
Mike
Mac and cheese. Get it. Nuff said!
Vsunnav
Lousy. Mac and cheese was awful.. The service here was terrible. There were six other tables, total, and it took 45 minutes to get the waitress to take our payment. I had the mac and cheese that everyone raved about and I thought it was horrific. It tasted like Velveeta with a cup of black pepper mixed throughout. My friend had a mediocre burger. The drink selection wasn't fabulous either. The only up-side is that the food was cheap. Skip it!
WonTonChin
The hipsters seem to love the place. If getting ignored for 15 minutes while trying to order $6 drinks made with Bankers Club rot gut booze is trendy, then let the hipsters have the place.
Dining Diva
A Favorite..... Let me start out by saying you can have a sophisticated palate and appreciate straightforward good comfort food! Kelly's offers comfort food at it's best! <br/>I have been going to Kelly's for years now. While everything on the menu is great, the Buffalo Chicken Bites and Mac n Cheese are outstanding! The Bites are hand cut and hand breaded (lightly), kicked up with a special hot sauce, then served with a side of homemade Maytag Blue Cheese sauce(big chunks of cheese, shallot, herbs) that is out of his world! The Mac n Cheese is served bubbling hot with just the perfect amount of burnt breadcrumb goodness on top! It is a classic combo of elbow mac and cheeses that leaves you feeling comforted and content.<br/>If you are looking for a fun bar with GREAT food and without any pretense- Kellys is your place!!!!
Jennyjennyteatime
My kind of place!. This is probably one of the best bars I have been to since moving to Pittsburgh. While I understand why it might not be for everyone, it is absolutely up my ally. First, the jukebox is amazing - tons upon tons of old punk, rock n roll, and lounge. If the juke isn't on, it doesn't really matter, because the staff always has great music on anyhow! I love the atmosphere - dark, vintage, and divey. I have tried the fish tacos, macaroni and cheese, and polish plate -- all on key and fairly priced -- no complaints! Additionally, they make some classy, outstanding cocktails. Try the mojito! If I was within walking distance to this place I could easily be here every night - so maybe it is best I don't live so close...
Owlie
Total crap.. I love a great dive bar, but there's nothing great about this place. this was the first time we went; AND the last. the BF's cajun meatloaf was overly seasoned, its side of mashed sweet potatoes bland as all get out. my fish tacos (of which everyone here raves) were horrible--fish was so over done i had a hard time putting a fork into it and tasted of plastic. thank goodness i ordered the small mac dish because it was the only saving grace of the entire experience. music was entirely too loud for such a small place, the service was painfully slow, and as we left after our meal the smokers were standing literally right outside the front door. nothing like being a non-smoker and topping off a meal with some delicious second hand cancer for dessert. mmmmm. if you respect your taste buds don't eat here.
Urban Jeff
Awesome Bar. The food is good, genuinely better than most pub fare, but the drinks are really what set this place apart from the rest. They're serious about mixing cocktails, and keep a great selection of beer on tap.<br/><br/>Sometimes people complain about the service, but I've never had a problem. Of course, I'm polite, reasonably patient and a pretty decent tipper. If you're a regular, sometimes your server will do a shot with you.<br/><br/>For food, I advise you to stick with the mini-mac, as the full size is just too much of one thing. The fries are pretty great if you're into the greasy, fresh-cut homemade style. Be careful of their hot Pittsburgh Bites... They're seriously hot.
Grant
Great beer, food and atmosphere. I've been going to Kelly's Bar every year for dinner right after the Sharp Edge European beer festival. They serve the best Mac N Cheese and IMHO also great fish tacos. The beer selection is varied and changes enough to make things interesting and bartenders are very accomodating (they have to be if they are willing to deal with me after the beer festival!). I love the dark somewhat edgy feel to the place and it has a retro feel with a modern day clientele that just seems to work.<br/>Kelly's is not for everyone ... probably not the place to take someone or a first date or romantic evening. But it's a great place to bring a group of friends and mingle with other patrons.
Laura
Meh. When I lived in Pgh, I loved Kelly's for the cheap happy hour, cracky mac and cheese and Franziskaner on tap.
A. Waltz
Awful service, but great food and drink.. This retro-style bar has notoriously bad service-the waitresses are rude, and it takes forever to get anything. But the regulars like it here so much, they've kind of come to accept it. And once you see the drink menu (it includes a long list of extinct cocktails), eat the amazing mac and cheese entree or listen to one of the many DJs that come to spin everything from funk to surf rock, you begin to understand why these patrons have so much patience. <br/>Try one of their mojitos or order one of the resurrected cocktails. A friend of mine ordered a Harvey Wallbanger during one visit, and it was gross. Not the bar's fault, you understand, but I can see why this drink is extinct. I ordered a Shrimp Po'Boy Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries. After an hour of waiting, I informed our server that it never came. She apologized, and when I finally got it, she compensated by giving us free drinks. Not a bad deal, and the Po' Boy was divine with crispy breaded prawns, garlic aioli and a chewy bun. Their menu is small, but the offerings are good, and if you're brave, you should try one of the extinct cocktails for a truly unique experience.
Kate Garcia
OMG- Mac & Cheese. I had enjoyed fish tacos and margaritas here before- both very good. Last week I branched out to try the mac & cheese. I had no idea!!!! It was so tasty- creamy and flavorful- definitely the mac & cheese I had been craving for a few weeks.
SororitySlutJill
Hispter haven. Hispster dive bar. If you wanna go hang out with all the Whole Foods employees when they get off work head over to kellys
Louis Kroeck
I really like Kelly's, the bar itself has some fantastic 1950's charm and I think it is just wonderful that they serve food. However, I would make a reservation to eat somewhere down the street like Spoon or Paris 66 and stop by Kelly's just to get loose. Speaking of Paris 66, has anyone been there? My brother raves about it and I've never been.
Mike Beattie
From my perspective, Kelly’s is pretty well known in the ‘Burgh, but it certainly doesn’t get much mention in the local food media (at least recently). The last time the Post Gazette made their way out there was 2004, and they’re really the only source in
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