Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub
| Address: | 112 SW 2nd Ave, Portland, OR 97204, USA |
| Phone: | +1 503-227-4057 |
| Site: | kellsirish.com |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11:30AM–1AM 11:30AM–1AM 11:30AM–1AM 11:30AM–1AM 11:30AM–2AM 11AM–2AM 11AM–1AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
TI
timothy anderson
Let me preface this by saying I think when we had gone in there that they ran out of stew. Kells is one of those places that I would call a definite institution upon the spirit of the city. Had gone there a few weeks ago with someone the food was good and they had a wonderful selection of various spirits. The elixir of life cocktail had some zip to it. Food wise we had three plates between us. The scotch egg was good if a little bit less then expected could have used some black pepper and maybe more then one egg per plate. Minor nitpicks on that though. Fish and chips was what you expected it to be, good plate not the greatest I have had but not the worst. It was a touch greasy and really just could have used a touch more seasoning in the batter to really make it memorable. The lamb stew was a different story. What makes me think they had run out is with my experience working in kitchens stew is not a hard dish to plate. When the bowl came out the broth was watery and the potatoes were shall we say al dente much firmer then expected, but my no means unpalatable. My guest had been there multiple times over his career at the fire department and was surprised it went out that way. He ate it though as the lamb stew was still good, it was just a little surprising that out of everything we ate at an Irish style pub that we would have problems with the potatoes in the lamb stew. Wait time was a little long as well for dishes that seemed at least to my knowledge could be done fairly quickly. Staff was nice, food was good if not great, and the spirit of the place combined with the history in the city would leave one to give it another chance. Hopefully, next time the food we go the food will be more on point.
A
A Private User
This establishment is a bit hard to rate due to a few factors. 1. Its not simply a pub. They serve a wide variety of complex foods for a "pub". But its not really a restaurant either. It falls into some odd sub-category. 2. Your mileage may vary depending on the time of day/week you go. Go on a Friday night and youll probably regret it. Go on a Sunny Monday afternoon, and youll wonder why you dont spend more time on their enormous back patio drinking beer. 3. Its hard not to judge an establishment by its typical patrons. Most of the douche-tards that go here on weekends are popped collared frat boys looking to date rape something. Maybe even a well dressed bar stool if it caught their fancy. At least this has been my experience. So....tossing all these things to the side. This is a nice place for a drink if you go midday. A little spendy for drinks, but its downtown. Getting a cheaper drink will usually require you to head east across the river. The food is okay. And when I say okay Im being gracious. Their menu items are plentiful for a bar/pub. But they fail to deliver taste. The shepherds pie there is what I usually order, and Im never impressed. Its a beautiful building with so much potential. Yet its a stale "Irish" pub with no personality on the inside. Well...none thats impressive anyway. Yet there is stands to the test of time and a rotten economy. Making money, serving drinks and food that inspires the word "meh". So they must be doing something right. That something just isnt my bag. But dont let me be the one who changes your mind. Try it out for yourself. You might enjoy it.
MI
Mike Perkins
Voted one of the top ten Irish pubs in America, Kells brings a taste of Ireland to Portland with live Irish music 7 days a week, pub style food, and the best Guinness in town, hands down. Food is a bit pricey, but has happy hour (M-F 4-6:30pm, Sun-Thurs 10-close) with more affordable menu items such as Irish nachos (hand sliced, deep fried potatoes with typical nacho fixings,) Jameson whiskey BBQ chicken wings, cheddar burger, or a daily sandwich selection. For more traditional Irish fare, I recommend the Shepards Pie (ground beef slow simmered in Guinness with carrots, peas, and a baked cheddar mashed potato topping,) it is the best around. Huge bar selection with extensive Irish whiskey and single malt scotch selection, probably the largest you can find in town. Downstairs is host to a cigar room, with huge humidor stocked full of cigars like Cohiba and Monte Cristo is sure to please any enthusiast or cigar connoisseur. Outside seating with small patio, and dinning room area are also available. Kells also hosts the largest St. Patricks Day celebration in Portland, with live music, dancing, bagpipers, and of course drinking and cheers all around. Kells recently opened a second location, a small brewery and pub on NW 21st that offers food and brews a few craft beer such as Kells Irish Red Ale, and Kells Irish Lager.
ME
Megan Lien
As an Irish lady I really want to love Kells. This is why I keep going back but keep getting the same disappointing results. When I think of an Irish bar I would want some Lamb Stew, Guiness Beef Pie, or some yummy soda bread. Their menu has weird not-Irish meals on it like potato nachos and meatloaf (yuck). The actual Irish dishes Ive gotten there werent prepared the way Im used to, Id say theyve been Americanized. Also the overall atmosphere of this place it not Irish pub-like at all. I would hope for friendly folks sipping beer and whiskey.. not trashy ladies ordering AMFs and frat guys hitting on you at the bar. I wish Kells were the traditional Irish pub that they claim to be but instead theyve been overrun by the wrong crowd making it an unpleasant spot to visit. If you want Irish, find another spot. If you want a club like feel without the cover charge, sure Kells is great. Again, wish I liked it but cant recommend it.
KE
Kevin Clark
Sunday evening is pretty slow which was nice. However, I saw about 5-6 servers standing around the bar chatting while my Guinness sat on the bar. Now I know it takes time to pour a proper pint of Guinness as I have been to Saint James gate in Dublin, but the lack of attentiveness was frustrating. Food was great, beer was great, service was mediocre at best. And to charge $7.50 for a pint of Guinness is rediculous! Way to drink the profits. I havent been to Kells in a few years and I dont think I will ever return. Its not worth it. Kells has lost its charm in the downtown area. There are better "Irish" pubs in the area with better service and prices. The lack of motivation from the servers is a direct reflection of managements lack of interest in the business. You lost a customer. Fun if your a tourist/transplant, not fun if your a real local.
JU
Justin Williams
We ate here to get to try some of the local beer and try out another Irish pub on the west coast. Overall we enjoyed what we had including the beer but was not blown away by anything. We both had a beer but enjoyed the red ale the most. My wife got fish and chips and I got the Irish curry to eat. The fish and chips was probably the better of the two. The fish lightly breaded but still crispy. The fries were nothing really special but not bad either. The curry was slightly spicy and had a small mixture of chicken and cheese mixed in with the fries. Service was not bad but only so so. Not a lot of tables visits but we didnt ask for much. Overall I would go back again if in the area but I didnt care too much for the location.
