Kelly's Bar Hamtramck
Bar · Hamtramck
2403 Holbrook, Hamtramck, MI 48212
Highlights
Smash burgers, pierogis, pinball, karaoke, and backyard patio
Smash burgers, pierogis, pinball, karaoke, and backyard patio
"Kelly’s has achieved cult-classic status in just a few years for mouth-watering smash burgers and dollar wing nights. It proudly bills itself as a dive bar and sticks to the classics when it comes to food and drink, though it was revamped under new ownership relatively recently. Expect cheap beers, solid food, and great company, especially when the sun is shining in the backyard." - Mickey Lyons
"Kelly’s Bar in Hamtramck began serving shots and beers to wary auto factory workers more than a century ago. Current owners Kiersten Schilinski and Garrett Ragsdale have modernized the space with a new exterior, leveled floors, and a new kitchen — though they’ve maintained some of the spot’s grungy/vintage charm, such as keeping the doors to the large back yard covered in layers of stickers and signatures and maintaining tin ceiling tiles. Expect cans of Hamm’s and Modelo, a rotation of food pop-ups, and a rotation of some of your favorite Hamtramck bartenders." - Serena Maria Daniels
"The dive bar will serve paczki and pierogi from Srodek’s for Fat Tuesday. To pair with the outrageous pastries, they’re shaking up the Krakow Cream cocktail, made with Detroit City Distillery’s Paczki Day vodka, paczki cream liqueur, coffee liqueur, and a floater of heavy cream." - Courtney Burk
"Kelly’s Bar on Holbrook has retained its original name since 1917 and will continue to do so under new owners Kiersten Schilinski and Garrett Ragsdale. Just a few blocks away, the building at 2764 Florian has undergone several name changes over the course of a century, and will now emerge as The Black Salt under Zoey Ashwood. Schilinski and Ragsdale have honored that legacy while modernizing the century-old bar, bringing it back up to health code and adding ADA-compliant ramps. They have spent the past 18 months renovating Kelly’s, refacing the exterior, leveling floors, gutting and rebuilding the kitchen, and sprucing up the place with a new back bar built by local woodworker Daniel Ross. Kelly’s will have its re-opening party at noon on Saturday, February 18 until at least midnight. Following that, the bar will celebrate Paczki Day in Hamtramck beginning at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, February 21. The bar will be open every Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. For now, Kelly’s will host food pop-ups, but Schilinski hopes to have a regular lunch and dinner menu down the road." - Mickey Lyons
"Kelly's Bar was purchased by Brad Ruff in the mid-2000s. He transformed it by attracting a diverse crowd featuring fish fries and periodic barbecues. The venue became known for hosting bands from all over the world. Ruff described his time there as 'all been good memories, even the bad times.'" - Monica Williams
