Kells Irish Restaurant & Pub

I ate here twice during my recent trip to Portland. The fish and chips were above average, and the full irish breakfast was perfect. The place has a bit of a glossed over tourist trap feel to it, but it was still a good place to grab some food and a few pints. more

The Willamette Weekly had a two for one lunch coupon, so my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try on our lunch hour downtown. The place was not crowded and comfortable. The food (shepards pie and lamb stew) was very homey and stick to your gut good. The price ($10.00) was exceptional. Beats a food cart any day! Pros: Amazing lunch cupon special, warm Irish food Cons: Deal might not last forever more

My husband had been to the pub here before and so we tried it for dinner with our 4 year old. It doesn't appear so at first, but Kells is very kid friendly, with booster seats and a kids menu. We were there last night, and it was a nice atmosphere with low lights and quiet enough for conversation, though the noise from the pub carried over a little. Our waitress recommended the special of the night which was meatloaf. IF THE MEATLOAF IS A SPECIAL WHEN YOU GO, DEFINIETLY GET IT! Your mother couldn't make a better meatloaf! My husband had the Irish Stew which was also good. Our son had a little bit of an "episode" and our waitress was there right away with towels to help clean up, very attentive and understanding. Great service, great food, great atmosphere! Pros: Service, food, atmosphere Cons: a little on the expensive side. more

We just celebrated our wedding last month with our reception party at Kell's. We have commented since then, and all of our friends have raved as well, that our reception at Kell's was the best wedding party any of us had ever been to. The banquet coordinator was extremely wonderful to work with. She went out of her way to accommodate our needs by providing us with many suggestions and the freedom to bring in our own live band as well as a troupe of Irish step dancers. As we had a schedule to follow, the service was impeccable and kept everything on time. The presentation of the food was superb, and as I have catered many a wedding myself, the food was outstanding (not to mention their incredible Bailey's Irish Cheesecake!). We truly enjoyed the elegant yet lively "Irish" atmosphere, the service of the bar, and the cigar room, which added such a memorable touch to the evening as many of our friends congregated for a lively cigar-smoke. As many wedding receptions tend to be stifling and redundant, Kell's provided us with all the elements that we had hoped for and much more, in order to make our wedding party truly one of the most memorable days of our lives. If we had it to do over again, there would be no changes, except that we would stay longer! We are now looking for another reason to host a party at Kell's ... our experience was superb! Pros: Excellent Service, Great Irish Food, Very Enjoyable Atmosphere more

We recently attended a rehearsal dinner for our son and daughter in laws wedding . The evening could not have been more perfect. We don't live in the Portland area so had not previously attended any large gathering such as this at Kell's . The banquet coordinator,and all staff were very attentive and accomodated our every need. The food was excellent and many people were commenting at the wedding the next day about how much they enjoyed their evening at Kell's. Two thumbs up from this couple. We have already reccommended Kell's to others in search of a restaurant for celebrating a special event. more

I got married this summer and held my rehearsal dinner at Kells. Being that it was the place my now husband and I met, we wanted it to be a very special evening and it was! The staff (and especially the banquet coordinator) were so wonderful and helpful leading up to the day; checking in on any needs, working with other vendors we had arranged (florist, etc.), finalizing menus and other details well in advance so I had no last minute stresses and even called the day of to ensure everything was set up and ready to go if I wanted to come by early and check it out! The night of our dinner, we were greeted by the most wonderful, friendly staff who spent the evening making sure all 65 of our guests had the perfect time. The food was so amazing and received so many compliments from us and our guests. We were thrilled with the overall experience and memories we have from the whole experience. I highly recommend Kells as a place to host any party you are having. Pros: Staff, atmosphere, food Cons: Street parking more

I went in on this past Tuesday, what appeared to be an average weekday night, not too packed. The live entertainment was incredible with various well done cover tunes. I had a dish that my waitress recommended, the sausage roll. Just as described it was unique and delicious with beautiful presentation. My waitress (blonde, short hair, short) was friendly, enthusiastic about the menu (she recommended the sausage roll) and engaging but not overbearing. Even the busboy was friendly. The Guinness was poured to perfection. I look forward to going on a weekend, when I hear it's quite the gathering. Pros: service, food, entertainment Cons: a bit pricey. more

Being that I'm young and wanted to find a location in Portland that was trendy I selected Kells because I thought that my guests would appreciate the atmosphere. However, the banquet coordinator is unpleasant, the staff treated me and my guests rudely, and even the vendors complained! I don't believe that Kells should advertise as being a location to have a wedding reception because they are to busy with managing a restaurant and pub. From the beginning my experience with Kells was horrible and I don't recommend it to anyone planning a memorable event. I was told that the banquet facility was free the day of the event and then when I called to pay the deposit I was informed that someone had reserved it months in advance but hadn't put a deposit down, because the person was good buddies with the owner they called him and warned him to hurry down before I got there. It was ridiculous and I should have changed my plans just because of that! Two bars were suppose to be open but instead only one was and it was one of the bartenders first night ever. The bartender insulted my guests even using inappropriate language. I had specifically asked if Kells accepted the card that I wanted to use and was assured that they did, to learn that after the event they didn't. They used two of my cards without authorization that caused a lot of confusion not to mention overdraft fees and my accounts being put on hold. The staff is disorganized, unhelpful, and rude. I have never been so dissapointed! It would be good for a sports event but not for anything you want fond memories of, I went home in tears. Pros: Atmosphere and bar selection Cons: Service is terrible! more

Went to Kells as recommended by our hotel concierge, Best Shepherd's Pie I ever had. Great atmosphere for a lunch, busy but not hurried, the gal who helped us was engaging AND tending bar at the same time. Moving to PDX soon, will come back for the Irish music, great service, and terrific food! more

Food was good, a bit expensive. The service, however, was very bad. Our waitress was a little on the cold side and only refilled our water once, at the very end of dessert. If she had come over to ask how things were I could have asked for more water (not that I should have to ask). Pros: dessert, atmosphere Cons: SERVICE, price more

The menu's were slow to come, we had to ask for utensils & water, the waitress was more interested in spending her time visiting and discussing music choices than actually doing her job. Pros: Food, Atmosphere Cons: Service, Service, Service more

This place was great! I went there on my birthday and my oh my did I have some GREAT DRINKS! I also had my first Irish Car Bomb there. Very good drink and of course Guinness. The bartenders were all very nice and quick. I would go back again in a heartbeat! Pros: beer, bar staff, atmosphere Cons: parking, a little crowded more

Been here a couple times, once for a show and once for dinner. The bar is impressive, the food is fantastic and the music is festive. Prices are quite reasonable, and the food service was good. There's paid parking around back, and it's only a couple blocks from the MAX (train). Pros: Good food, Festive music, Parking Cons: Crowded more

Went there on NYE and enjoyed the Celtic bands on both levels but it was just too crowded. After the place was full, they must have let in another 200 or 300 people. The recorded music playing very loudly over their bad stereo system during breaks was completely incompatible with Celtic music. (Hip hop, hard rock etc.) Pros: Celtic bands, no smoke Cons: , crowded more

My husband and I love Irish bars and have trouble finding any where we live now. When we visited Portland I knew we had to go here. We spent every night of our 3 day visit here except one night. If you get there before 9pm the crowd is small, the music is low, seating is available and there is no charge. The food is very good and the beer selection is great. We made the mistake of trying to go there on a Saturday night after 10pm. The place was extremley crowded and there was a cover charge so we skipped it and went to another Irish bar that was terrible. Highly recommed this bar for the overall atmosphere. Pros: Food, Drinks, Atmosphere more

I have been here a few times while visiting Portland my last trip in August was good as always. The place has good vibe, the music was very good and the food great. I was there on a Friday and it was very crowded and I'm sure a bit crazy for some people but I went the following Tuesday and found it was more under control. The place is very well run. more

they should call this place Atlantis or something because it's a frat party from hell on the weekends. whenever an old friend calls and says they want to go to Kells i know to never call them again or else i'll be greated by a cheesy bear hug and a rugby shirt. there are better places to get irish in portland, namely, home. next time i want a guiness i'll go someplace i don't have to feel like i'm at a kegger in the woods. Pros: fish and chips Cons: , boisterious dorks, sausage party more

We just returned to Portland after working in Ireland for 2 years and are looking for 'real' Irish pubs. Kells is close to the pubs in Ireland. We did not find 'cask ale' or 'Bitter' but the micro brews are similar. The music was more like Amerian Folk than Irish Traditonal but was enjoyable. Try the 'Kells Irish Wiskey Sampler' to get a flavor of the various Irish wiskeys. We will return to Kells. Pros: Pub Atmosphere, Music, Youth more

Whoever listed Kells as a singles scene, please stand up... so we can slap you upside the head. It is way to crowded (usually) to effectively meet anyone. Who wants to have a serious conversation with someone when you're pressed up against eachother. more

On June 13th, I visited Kell's for a taste of Irish food. The order took 5 minutes. After another 30 minutes I asked the server where was the order. Then he went to the kitchen, came back and said the cook had burned up the order. Would I like the burnt order or wait for another order to be cooked. Neither the cook nor the server were paying attention. There were few customers in the place at 3:15pm to 4:00pm, and they were drinking or had received their food orders. This service for one food order and both a cook and server to "forget" is inexcusable. The focus is on booze, not food. Cons: Service more