Kelly's Westport Inn

Kelly's is perfect for any vibe you are looking for - from a Friday night with $2 wells, a game day with hyped up fans, or a casual happy hour. I'm biased as a cyclone that coming for an Iowa State game has been the most fun I've had here. All of the staff is great, they serve pizza and sandwiches and the rooftop is great when it is nice out. Big space and a great spot in Westport!

Okay so hear me out, Kelly's may be divey and old school, but it's a good time, and worth five stars.

So when I rolled in here about a month ago for a happy hour with the gals I hadn't been in probably a decade. My memories of Kelly's were clouded by early 20s nights out in Westport, and my impression of the place was that it was usually overly crowded, filled with bros, and a bit dirty. Essentially, the kind of place I feel like I would have found myself in during my college years.

All of this being said, I have a friend that is a die hard Kelly's fan and I was genuinely excited to stop in, this time as a person in their mid 30s, and at a respectable time, to see what it's like on an average Thursday. You know what? It's damn delightful.

First of all, the drinks are affordable, the bartenders are super nice and laid back, and while there were a good amount of folks in the bar, there was ample seating for our group. We never felt rushed, and it was nice to go to a bar that was unpretentious and just felt comfortable to hang out at. We stayed so long I ended up grabbing some pizza from Guys (that'll be the next review!) and honestly I just had a really nice, chill, evening catching up with friends.

Is it the nicest, hippest, bar in town? No, but it's a KC institution for a reason, and I'm happy to be reintroduced it as an adult, and to find that an old friend like Kelly's still has a ton to offer even if you are no longer part of the 1am crowd.

A huge shout to James who treated us like royalty here.

This place is pretty big and it's connected to another spot that serves food.

They have a small selection of beers but great ones. I tried their sour which tasted like a green apple.

James also made a yummy green tea shot for us.

This place definitely has that old Irish pub feel and it's so great, if you're into that.

We stopped in Kelly's for happy hour and WOW, their happy hour prices are insane. I had a well cocktail and my husband had a draft IPA, our tab was just $6!! We sat at the bar and James, then Red, were very friendly and gave is a bit of the place's history and some other fun stories. It was a weekday so it was pretty quiet but on the weekends it gets pretty wild we hear. Anyway, it was a cool place to grab a drink and you can't beat the happy hour prices! We will definitely go back!

Such a vibe on a Friday night! (ESPECIALLY if PK is dj'ing) It is really loud, so if you are looking for something intimate.. this is not it. But if you are looking to drink, party & vibe.. this is your spot!

Only tip is to stick close to your party(friends) because this place can definitely get PACKED OUT! Its easy to get lost in the crowd.

They have an upstairs with another bar that you can smoke ONLY tobacco products at. But its "outside" so you can feel a nice breeze.

Drinks are inexpensive & service is typically fast.

They also serve pizza which is super good & a nice size slice!!!! (The pizza place is connected to Kelly's) . You can access it from the inside & or the outside. Its Guy's Pizza.

Will be back as that was my 1st experience!

Most overrated bar in KC, drunken bar tender takes forever. Buddy acts like he doesn't want customers. And yea I've been here multiple times all with similar experiences no matter who is back there. Just cause you're the oldest bar around doesn't mean you can slack off

The building was fabulous if you're into history like me. The drinks were mediocre. The bartenders were friendly and fast. Parking was ridiculous.

I enjoyed the historic nature of this building, which was built in the mid 1800s, served as a grocer for wagon trains heading west as they passed by the front door of this business on the Santa Fe Trail, and is the oldest building in Kansas City (according to a plaque).

The wood-toned interior of this Irish bar was spacious, with a long bar, friendly and helpful service, a rooftop bar and patio, a secondary bar near the deli and a Guy's Deli counter.

They offer a happy hour 3-7 pm M-F and late-night drink specials.

This was my favorite bar on a Westport pub crawl.

Very nice!

We stopped in on a bar hop day and had so much fun we didn't want to leave. Great service, good fun

Kelly's is a fun bar with a good atmosphere. It's fairly easy to get drinks quickly and on Friday's they have $2 wells. The rooftop is what really sells this place. If you go here, make sure to checkout the roof!