Kelly’s Westport Inn

Great atmosphere, great staff. Kelly’s is one of the most genuine spots in KC. Not my favorite place late night on the weekends, but it’s a great place to catch an Iowa State game.

Loved stopping at Kelly’s for a drink. The bartender was incredibly sweet and great prices on drinks. One of my favorite stops in Westport!

Coming to KC for St. Patrick’s Day, it’s only fitting to have spent most of our time at Kelly’s. Lots of space inside, good drinks (including BIG beers) and the staff was great. They do have a full bar, so liquor is definitely an option. Definitely a no frills type place, lots of TVs and sports fans hanging out at all hours. There’s also an upstairs outdoor covered patio which was great — especially the part where we were encouraged to follow the instructions on the sign on the patio: call a number and they’ll deliver your drinks up to you. Loved it. It’s a staple, and I’m glad we got to spend a lot of our time there.

Kelly’s has been a local staple for just about ever. Everybody knows about it. Everybody’s been there. But not everybody goes there. I’m not sure if I would ever make myself a regular here, but it’s not a bad place.
Kelly’s is the definition of Westport. A great bar to stop into for a beer and slice of Joe’s Pizza which has a storefront inside the bar. The inside is a pretty typical bar where you would expect the crowd to be drinking copious amounts of Bud Light and Jäger Bombs. Kelly’s also has an awesome rooftop with a rooftop bar. It’s a pretty neat place to look out over main street Westport and people watch. Did I mention it’s also the oldest building in Kansas City? Before Kansas City annexed Westport it was its own city. How cool is that?
Perfect place to stop if your bar hopping for a drink and to check out the rooftop. Or if you want a beer and a slice of the famous Joe’s Pizza by the Slice.

An Irish style pub. Don’t expect the new trend of 50 taps here, they have about 15ish taps. And don’t expect anything fancy, this is KC Irish institution, super busy on the weekends, and dead on week nights. A great place to grab a cheap drink.
Not a place I typically would suggest to tourists but a place you have go at least once as a local.

As long as you’re not expecting a high-​end bar, you’ll live Kelly’s! The drinks are good and reasonably priced. Above all, the service window into the (amazing) pizza place next door makes it even better!

Great music, great staff! We found a couple of seats at the bar ordered some cheap beers and relaxed. After about 11pm the people watching gets good. Lots of young 20-something’s out for a night on the town. Expect a few bridal parties to swing through and prepare to watch a bachelorette or two teeter on the dance floor.
This is a great place to meet up for a night out if you are intent on having more than a few drinks. The beer is cold the atmosphere is lively, and the people watching is exquisite. It appears they have a love band on weekend nights which only enhances the character of the place.

We always stop here when we are in the area. The crowd is pretty diverse when it comes to ages so everyone feels comfortable. Large indoor area so you can usually locate a seat if you would like one. Staff were friendly. No cover charge.

Great place to grab a beer and relax. My kid was at a concert at the uptown theater so I had a few hours to kill. Bartender was great because he realized I was just sipping a beer and reading my kindle. I appreciate a bartender who knows when to engage and when to just let u do ur thing. It is a large and will be back in the future

Ah, Kelly’s.
How we love you, and in some cases love to hate you.
This is a dive, a total dive bar, but a nice dive bar. It’s been around a long time. How long? Daniel Boone invested in it once. There’s a plaque on the wall that will tell all the details if it’s not blocked by people drin… er, people enjoying themselves and if you are sobe… er, focused enough to read it.
It’s no longer open at 7am but the more reasonable 11 am works just as well for most folks. Still got the 3am licence for closing which will be later then most people need. Also it now has a super awesome deck. Still one of the most laissez-​faire bars in kansas city, and of course still the second worst place to get in an argument with the bartender-​who quite possibly is an owner or the relative of the owners. Consider yourself warned.
Still one of the best places in kansas city to catch a pint or three, especially if you are from out of town.
I’ll be back Kelly’s. I’ll be back soon.

Cheap drinks, nice balcony, friendly bartenders, what’s not to like about this place? It’s a family establishment that cares about its community. If you’re looking for a chill place to go before/​after the game, this is the perfect spot.

I was refused service because I asked the bartender to be a bartender. He didn’t know what was on the shelf behind him. He was too busy talking to his friends to help customers. A simple request to not put lemon and lime seeds into drinks turned into not being served. I hadn’t been here in a while. It’s still a kc staple, but it’s not the real Kelly’s that I knew growing up. If you want to be treated like just another customer, or worse, then you’ll be at home here. The pizza shop is good if you like new york style. I’ve been going here for years, unless you’re an alcoholic and visit it daily they won’t recognize you. Expect a college age crowd, which is unfortunate considering it’s history. If you are a group spending a lot of money I’m sure you’ll be taken care of, and probably over charged. If you want a beer at one of the oldest bars in kc, then get it here. Just don’t expect good service. It is really hit or miss.
P.S.
This is even after tipping the bartender a dollar for one beer, and another one for a shot.
From my most recent experiences, I would avoid this place like the plague if you’re over 25. There are many other great places around kc.

Kelly’s gets at least 3 stars for being the Kansas City institution that it is, and for surviving decades of St. Pat’s parade after-​parties. I don’t go there often, but they earned another star for the way the bartenders cheerfully handled doling out free beer at Boulevard’s Millionth Case party.
It’s a beautiful bar, old, worn and unpretentious, just the kind I like. Lots of good beers, at decent prices. And pizza in the back to soak up all that alcohol. What’s not to love?

Kelly’s Westport inn, a business that holds a grudge for losing the world series and insulting the World Series MVP. Very professional ^_^

Stopped in there on a Thursday night with a group of co-​workers. Nice enough inside with a very cool upstairs deck outside on the 2^nd floor for smokers – or those that just like to be outside. The beer selections on tap were pretty bad, nothing out of the ordinary from what I can remember. Service from the bartender was meh. Aside from the upstairs deck, the bar has a sort of dive feel to it. Nothing to skip dinner for.

Well my best description of Kellys Westport Inn, is that it is a Neighborhood Bar like in the Famous TV Show Cheers. Everyone knows each other and they welcome New Comers. Drinks are very reasonable, a lot cheaper for Top Shelf drinks than compared to other Bars in the Westport area. Joe’s Pizza is connected to the rear of the Bar, plus they have a Roof top deck with a Full Bar, and Great place for get togethers, parties, and a Great experience overall in my opinion. On Friday nights and Saturday nights they have live music/​concerts. Cover is only $ 4 on Friday nights and $ 5 on Saturday’s.

It’s not terrible for a dive bar, I suppose. They serve alcohol in plastic cups… not that I care, but it’s just an observation.
My overall view of Kelly’s is this… if you drink on the first floor, you feel like you’re in a nursing home. If you’re drinking on the second floor, you feel like you’re drinking in a room full of middle-​age, tired, once-​divorced, peoples. Not that the crowd really bothered me, but it’s just the vibe I got.
It’s supposedly the oldest building in Kansas City and it certainly accommodates some of the oldest people in Kansas City, but it’s a dive bar nonetheless.
In Kelly’s, the old saying, «you get what you pay for,» couldnt be more true.

Love Kelly’s. First stop every St Patricks day, and just an all-​around good bar. The bar staff has always been quick and friendly — for the size of the big beers — you really cant beat the price. Having pizza just a quick order from a window away definitely helps. Need to come here sometime when it isnt QUITE so packed.

Kelly’s is fine especially for groups. I have been there for a birthday party. It was crazy packed but a lot of fun.
The bartenders are usually friendly the times I have been in. I am not a fan of beer served in a plastic cup which seems to be the norm. Also, the prices aren’t cheap for a «dive bar» as Kelly’s is categorized on Unilocal.
No, Kelly’s isn’t on my regular rotation of bars. But the last few times I have stopped were on a Sunday morning-​ish. Kelly’s was open. I wanted a drink before most drinking establishments were open. Kelly’s served it’s purpose which makes it «a-​ok».

Classic KC bar.
A cool refuge on a hot day.
Spooky history to contemplate.
Friendly patrons.
Friendly bartender, although she really didn’t know how to mix drinks.
Still, a good bar.