Kelly's Diner — Restaurant in Somerville

Disclaimer I have been living in the area and have gone here for over 20 years. First review here by me and only 4 or 5 reviews ever written by me*

Got an opportunity to have an early lunch takeout. Turkey club with potato salad and cheeseburger club with fries. The turkey club was overflowing with freshly carved turkey and both clubs had fresh lettuce and tomatoes, perfectly toasted white bread. The fries were crisp and flavorful, just like fries should be. The potato salad, which is the home fries uncooked and mayonnaise added, were standing around waiting for me to sprinkle them with salt and pepper to perfection. The clubs are curbed on the side with a pickles that snap as I bite them. Why anyone would ever move away from the area of Kelly's Diner, is a mystery that I may be safe to say, will never be solved.

The review of lunch is now putting breakfast on my mind. Their home fries are best ordered crispy, 2 eggs sunny side up and real hash crispy. That meal is best ordered and eaten at the counter. The coffee is also served hot and fresh as you perch yourself like a bird on a wire; waiting to swoop down and attack your breakfast. This is the breakfast that has steam rising from it, with the smell of a breakfast that is a breakfast. I love all kinds of new plant based food and such, but you better remember that breakfast and lunch from Kelly's. That kind of food is what brought us to love the area, the people and dogs that are Ball Square. Just no debit card or credit card accepted at Kelly's. Nothing like cash only to remind us, that you can't have your login or password stolen at Kelly's. They don't want your identity, they are perfectly happy with their own and cash is part of it. They love who they are and even better yet, they love...

I’ve been a regular patron at Kelly Diner , visiting several times due to their typically generous portions. Admittedly, the cost is a bit high, with a standard omelette, coffee, and tip totaling around $30, but it's usually worth it for the quality and quantity.

However, my most recent visit was deeply disappointing and unacceptable. I ordered an egg white omelette, but what I received was clearly a regular omelette. When I questioned the server, they bizarrely insisted it was an "orange egg white omelette." Feeling skeptical but hungry, I took a bite of the toast and a bit of the home fries, hoping the issue with the omelette could be corrected without a fuss.

After sending the plate back, it was returned with the ‘corrected’ omelette, but the home fries were unbearably salty. One forkful tasted like licking pure salt off a hand. It was revolting and seemed almost maliciously prepared to deter further complaints.

This experience has shattered any trust I had in Kelly Diner. I can't condone dining at an establishment where the staff might intentionally sabotage a meal. It's not just about the incorrect order or even the high prices; it’s about the underlying sense of respect and trust, which was clearly absent during this visit.

It’s a shame because I’ve had several good meals here, but I can’t justify returning after this incident. Food safety and customer respect should always come first, and this is a clear indicator that such values are not upheld here. If you value your dining experience and well-being, I’d advise...

This is a perfect place for people from around town but not something I would recommend to a visitor so that they could experience true Bostonian flavor. My experience was not up to what I was expecting... first, my girlfriend and I ordered ice coffees and orange juice, the waitress confirmed twice and yet we were brought hot coffees, spilled all over the mugs and orange juice which we just brushed it off like “whatever, it’s fine”. Then, after asking for just a minute to make a decision on food, our waitress thought our order was already placed and said “I put your order in!” When we never ordered yet, we told her we hadn’t ordered yet and she finally took our order. Then, we saw a large party get their food and in one instance, somebody was getting a plate with 3 sausages, one which fell off the plate to a recently barely wiped down counter, the waitress grabbed it with her bare hands and put it back on the plate and passed it to the guests getting their food, yikes! We got our food which was ok but not mind blowing, and as I went to the bathroom, our waitress proceeded to almost give away my seat while my girlfriend told her that the seat was taken, after my girlfriend told her so, she looked confused and disgusted. Personally not the best of experiences ever, only thing that I saw impressive of this restaurant was the behavior and professionalism of the busser, she was very fast, kind and...