Kelly's Half Shell Pub — Restaurant in Crystal River

Pub....in the old days that stood for Public House. Weary travelers in the United Kingdom could stop at various houses along their route and enjoy some drinks and a meal. The good public houses became businesses and a lot of these pubs are still around, even after a few hundred years!

As romantic as it might sound to pull up on horseback or in a horse and buggy, I'm liking just parking the car and strolling in. You COULD fly in, as well, for the local airport runway is easily visible across the street!

This pub's grub is what I love! And being accompanied by my lovely lass Fab One makes a Kelly's craving even more fun. Everything we've tried has been absolutely delicious! They have some amazing and GENUINE Pub FOOD! For example: The Shepherd's Pie is a TRUE Shepherd's Pie! Kelly's Shepherd's Pie is made with Lamb. THIS is the real deal. What other's 'claim' as Shepherd's Pie, when they make it with beef instead of lamb, that's actually what's called Cottage Pie. Nothing wrong with a good Cottage Pie, but it ain't lamb and it ain't Shepherd's Pie! Try this dish and you WILL see! EVERY time I eat this authentic Shepherd's Pie I fall in love all over again.

Fab One usually orders some Oysters. She loves eating them and I just love watching her slurp 'em up! Kelly's has a huge variety of ways to serve Oysters. From raw Gulf Oysters to cooked like Rockefeller, Chargrilled or Buffalo to specialty such as caviar, mignonette or ponzu. Whatever ponzu is, LOL!

Don't forget to ask for your complimentary pickles....you'll get a little bowl of some sweet and garlicky good cucumber cousins! WE love these.

Now, let me mention one thing. And, I have noted a few other reviewers talking about this, too. The service could be a tad better. At times, we've felt a bit invisible. Waiting once seated, or for taking our orders or for additional help. I don't mind terribly, as I feel this is how a pub atmosphere could be on occasion. The staff is quite friendly and helpful when they are taking care of you. Maybe just a little tweaking needed?

Overall, Kelly's can proudly claim fame to being a fantastic pub with really great food in a nice location.

Tell them John & Beth sent ya, they'll give you some...

Update: Had my wedding reception here on 5/22/21

There are absolutely no words to say how wonderful my special day was for me and my new husband. Even if I had won the lottery and could go anywhere in the world for my wedding, I would still choose Kelly's on the Half Shell in Crystal River. Jenn was an absolute asset to any Bride and her wedding planning ventures and I am sooooo thankful she was there to coordinate my reception. My family and guests had so much fun, the space was perfect for 75 people, all the food was delicious, bartenders were having a good time with us, and it was such a beautiful day!! Very accommodating as far as decorations, menu options, drink/bar options and we moved the tables to what we wanted the space to look like. Even though this was the first wedding they had done, they made it seem like they were pros at it all along. One happy bride and groom for sure!! Don't go into debt trying to pay for your wedding reception where people don't have fun, come check out this adorable Irish bar with great food, awesome cocktails and wonderful staff!!

P.S. I hope Jenn reads this and sees how truly awesome she is to me for making my wedding day my actual dream wedding come true!! 🥰

----‐-‐-------------------------- I love this place so much that I'm having my wedding reception there in May. Food is always great, reasonably priced, cocktails are delicious and there is a great selection of beers. Andrew and his wife are the owners, and they are always so friendly and help with serving so customers rarely have to wait long. It's a great little hang out for drinks after work, or just to grab a quick bite and watch football. I tell everyone about going here, you won't be...

I have been to Kelly's twice. Love the new decor and the variety of oysters. The first time was excellent, 5 star. Had wine and shared a variety of oysters with my friend so we could try them all. It's nice that you can order different kinds on one plate. The atmosphere is great too. The 1st visit the oysters were cleaned perfect and the service was excellent. The second time, the oysters had lots of bits of shell in the oyster so we were picking shell out of our mouth a lot. The service was almost non existent and there was plenty of staff. I just think it was a bad day and a different oyster shucker. Since each visit was so different, I will return and hope that my 2nd visit was just a fluke. I want to make Kelly's one of my favorite "go to" places. I'll review again after my 3rd visit and hope I can make it positively glowing. Very good addition to Crystal River. Third visit last week at a table. Service not good due to just one server waiting on all the tables . It was 5:30 and getting busy. She couldn't keep up and we just kept waiting.. Not her fault. 2 other people at the bar walked out due to the service at the bar. The oysters were very good after our long wait. No shell pieces this time. My friend and I are planning to go visit the owners and have a chat. We really want this place to be a Crystal River stand-out. ...