The best part of Ray Kelly’s is the bar’s namesake, Mr. Raymond J. Kelly himself.
Nothing is worse than a fake Irish bar. A lot of bars just try to excuse their terrible décor and filthy atmosphere by sticking some paper shamrocks on the walls and claim to be a pub. Ray does no such thing. Ray Kelly’s is as Irish as Kelly himself, which is excellent, because Ray Kelly is pretty freaking Irish.
While the area surrounding Ray Kelly’s might be somewhat sketchy at times, inside you’ll find a first class bar. The interior of the bar was completely rebuilt by Ray before he opened in January, and it shows. The bar itself is simply gorgeous, with an impressive lit display of assorted alcohol behind it. There are Irish sayings painted all over the walls, and the hardwood oak floor gives the place a lot of charm.
And, maybe the best part: the jukebox is phenomenal.
The only drawback to Ray Kelly’s is that, on weekends, there is occasionally a cover for a live band. The good news is that the Irish bands that play there are all first-class, and are well worth five bucks.
And be sure to check out the weekly Beirut tournament every Thursday for an excuse to beat some terrible Sacred Heart kids at Fairfield’s official pastime.
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