Nice visual experience -- everywhere you look, particularly the restroom, is "stuff" -- interesting "stuff" to look at -- and the view out back is so worth being here.
I'm not really into Irish cuisine so can't address that aspect. Â I ordered the fish taco and fries. Â The taco is huge; I could only eat half. Â It was tasty, as were the fries. Â
The service for some reason was appalling. Â We were seated right away for lunch and it wasn't particularly crowded in our area. Â We ordered and received our food ok but then our server was nowhere to be found. Â Took forever to checkout and pay even after we got her attention. Â That's not acceptable.
What a great place. I found this on yelp and made a decision to stop in when we headed to the mountains. When you walk in you see some neat stuff and wonder where the restaurant is, just kept walking and there it was. I started with a nice Irish creme ale. Ordered May's meatloaf and my wife ordered the sampler which was a bowl of irish stew, chicken pot pie and shepards pie. Both meals came and were very hot and smelled delicious. They tasted wonderful. The host May and the waitresses were very helpful and friendly. I am going to make this a stop everytime we visit anywhere near North Conway. I would give it a try if you are looking for a great comfort meal.
Review Source:If you are in North Conway and just looking for some comfort food after a long day either skiing or hiking THIS is the place to go! May Kellys has a great cozy atmosphere and serves up authentic Irish comfort food that will leave you satisfied, but not sickly full.
The service was also spot on. I cannot wait to go back!
Why 5 Stars... Cuz it was exactly what we wanted just the way we wanted it right when we needed it! Incredible food! Super friendly staff, fun bar.. Reasonable prices. Perfect!
It's in a big old house. Lots and lots of cool decorations on the walls and signs hanging from the ceilings. Even the bathroom had a couch next to the toilet! I almost took a picture of that! The steak and cheese sub was perfect and the crab cake burger was not like any I have ever had. Soooooo good! Onion rings were awesome!
Friendly crowd and the service was quick, friendly and good looking!! ;)
Can't really top all the other 5 stars here. Wife and I were looking for a place to eat and passed by May's and the parking lot was full of local license plates. I thought that was a good sign. The decour is perfectly ramshackle and matches the home spun hospitality of the Irish proprietor  who sat us and the wonderful wait staff. Food choices were numerous and I wanted to try them all.  the half chicken special with herb potatoes was delicious. My wife had a portabella sandwich that was great. We split a humongous pear-spinach salad with goat cheese that has to be one of the best salads i've ever had. We had onion rings which were done well. Topped it off with coffee, cheesecake and a Guiness based bread pudding that my wife built a wall around so I wouldn't pick at it. We ate it all and will be back again for more when we come up again.
Review Source:This restaurant serves incredible traditional Irish food, pub favorites, and great classic American food. Â We came here because another restaurant next door was really busy and we did not want to wait. Â I'm so glad we walked over to May Kelly's! Â I had the Mushroom Panini, which was full of huge portabello mushrooms and served on perfect panini bread, crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside. Â My dad ordered the Fish & Chips, which was delicious. Â My mom had the Pulled Pork Quesadilla, which was also incredible. Â My dad also ordered a scotch (not sure what variety) that he shared some of with me. Â It was fun to relax, eat great food, and sip a tasty beverage after a long night and day of traveling (red-eye flight from LAX to Manchester with a stopover somewhere I don't remember, then driving up to North Conway). Â We particularly enjoyed the fun decorations on the walls, the lively yet relaxing atmosphere, and the warm, friendly service.
Review Source:My fiancée and I make this a stop every time we feel like running up to our weekend retreat in the White Mountains. Having spent a lot of my childhood in Northern Ireland, I can appreciate an American remake of a traditional Irish pub. Well done May Kelly's!
I always get the shepherds pie. One of the very few places I have EVER come across in my journeys that actually makes it the correct way. The shepherds pie made with lamb and rosemary always brings me back to my earlier years. So many cold nights and the shepherds pie piping hot! Not only is the shepherds pie wicked good, but the few times I have gotten anything else I have always been thoroughly pleased.
The ambiance inside is perfect, from all the decorations, to the seating arrangements and even the seisúns every Sunday afternoons. I especially enjoy the bar, but that just my nature. Great place to catch a match, or ball game! They also have great seating outdoors during the spring/summer.
If ever passing by or looking for an amazing experience paired with amazing food, May Kelly's is the place to go!
This was a cute little spot in North Conway. The restaurant is filled with a hodge podge of collections and antiques, but in a cozy sort of way. There is a lovely view of the mountains, and the owners are on site and available. The menu is interesting and offers a variety of good Irish foods. My husband and I were very pleased with our meals. He got the pulled pork and I had a fantastic corned beef rueben. Given the choices around May Kelly's, I would definitely recommend this cozy little joint if you're looking for a nice atmosphere and some good home-cooked tasting food.
Review Source:The best part about this place is probably the lack of a line (unlike Delaney's Hole in the Wall and Moat Mtn) so I went here twice. Â The staff is super friendly here. Â The food came out in a timely manner. Â
I had the grilled Portabello sandwich the first night and that was really good. Â The blueberry pie I had for dessert fell short. Â The second night I had a cup of the night's soup (turkey and chicken with veggies) which I liked, but the grilled veggie and chicken Quesadilla fell short on flavor. Â The cheap sour cream and Franks Hot sauce could not save it. Â Then again, I was the idiot who ordered Mexican food in an Irish bar. Â I probably should have gone with the Irish pizza or Shephard's pie.
The bartender Jess, was super nice and poured me a beautiful pint of Guinness. Â Also, I had an "Irish Kiss" which was great on a very cold night during the blizzard.
WOW this place is packed on the weekends!!
They had great authentic Irish food and HUGE portions! The Irish sampler included beef stew, chicken pot pie, and shepard's pie. That chicken pot pie was perfection! My grandmother LOVED pot pie and she would have gone crazy for this stuff!
The Seafood Reuben was excellent!! Fried haddock with Swiss cheese and cole slaw? Hell yeah!!
I was disappointed that they ran out of Corned Beef, but I'll have to try it next time!
I have been up to North Conway a few times now and one thing I always know is for sure, I'm eating at May Kelly's as much as I can. It all starts by walking through the doors and being met by a old Irish country store counter with lots of Irish items in the casing. When you walk down the hallway you will come across a all year round Christmas village theme inside one of the walls. Before you get to the hostess you will see a old Post Office counter with a little old lady inside. Is it May Kelly herself? I was met by a wonderful friendly woman (Marie) who walked us to our table, sat us down and made us feel very welcome. Our server came to our table within minutes of been seated with a friendly smile and kindly took our orders. We had the Steak Tips with mash & sautéed mushroom and onions (yummy) and also the Celtic burger with a sweet chutney (delicious). I have to say we where very pleased all the food and very full. We then went into the bar where they have a very cute little Irish cottage and the whole place is full of really cool antiques on the walls and hanging from the ceilings. The atmosphere was great with the local musicians playing traditional Irish songs and a few friendly locals at the bar. The whole experience from start to finish was excellent. Great place, great food, amazing staff and a must do when you go to North Conway.
See you next time Marie.
Barry E.
Absolutely as good as it gets. Â Fantastic food, amazing atmosphere, an owner on premise (a theme in my reviews), all adds up to five stars in my book. Â Great with kids. Â
We have had several good meals. Â The celtic burger, roast turkey dinner, sampler plate, all good choices. Â
There are a lot of mediocre choices in the area, but this stands out. Â Enjoy!
We dropped in for dinner based on the excellent reviews and we not disappointed. It's a fun place to hang out. There are hundreds of antique items on the walls and ceiling. Â The food was great for a pub-like atmosphere. Â Try the chicken curry and fries: it's authentic UK curry, the brown sort with peas in it. Crusty Irish bread was to die for. Fun for kids too.
Review Source:Lucky us! With an hour or so wait at Moat Mountain, we made a quick call over to May Kelly's and the very friendly Irish hostess let us know that we'd managed to luck into a table that had canceled at the last minute. Their loss!
Having had Irish cuisine before, I honestly didn't have high expectations walking into this joint. My general experience with food in Ireland is that it's super pricey and often mediocre - great food is the exception, not the norm. So it's fair to say that our entire experience, from the moment we were seated to when we waddled back out the door with distended waistlines, was superb. Plus, this isn't just your standard meat and potatoes fare!
Though I gave it a good effort, I wasn't able to fully enjoy my pint of Guinness. It really just isn't the same on this side of the ocean. I've certainly had worse elsewhere, but even at a proper Irish pub, I couldn't enjoy it enough to have a second. The boy, however, thoroughly appreciated his local Granite State craft beer sampler. That might be the way to go.
I'm glad we didn't end up ordering any starters, because my "ribs, wings, and rings" dinner was far more food than I should have eaten. Even with help, it was a challenge to get through. Perfectly battered onion rings came with a house sauce (which seemed to mostly consist of Thousand Island); ribs were fall-of-the-bone tender and the half-rack could have been a meal in itself; the wings could have done with some hot sauce in my book, but were fried to a delightful crisp, but steaming and moist once you tore into them.
We couldn't resist finishing off our meal with a slice of homemade apple pie, freshly baked that afternoon by our own server. Though we were already stuffed to the gills by that point, not a crumb went uneaten. Although I'm not a cinnamon fan, this pie was stacked with apples and had a hearty pie crust that I couldn't stop nibbling on.
And speaking of our server... I failed to get her name, but she really was the quintessence that elevated our dinner to unexpected heights. She was efficient, proficient, a great conversationalist, and genuinely friendly on top of it all.
If we come back up this way for some more wintry adventures, I'd be absolutely willing to drop by May Kelly's again. We were utterly charmed. We'll just have to be sure to make reservations well in advance next time!
I love coming to May Kelly's for many reasons.
First of all, the crowds are usually slightly less at this joint for some reason, although the food and drink is plentiful and delicious. Â I usually get the Granite State sampler to start which entails several local (NH) beer samples including from Portsmouth, Woodstock, and Tuckerman's. Â They also have an Irish Sampler and several other draft selections if you are so inclined. Â
The food is pretty fantastic as well. Â I love the steak and Gorgonzola salad, with cranberries, portobello mushrooms, steak, and cheese. I tend to make a few adjustments by changing the dressing and getting goat cheese instead of the Gorgonzola (yeah, I"m THAT girl). Â The steak is always juicy and perfectly cooked, and I love myself a good spinach salad. Â They also have a huge selection of burgers, sandwiches, traditional (and not so traditional) Irish dishes, and other tempting items. Â My husband loved his Irish burger, which was juicy and pretty large. Â
The staff are genuinely friendly and go above and beyond making sure you have a fantastic meal and drinking experience. Â
I would say that my only gripe would be the bathroom situation, as the only facilities I've found while there are the single serve (although I love the decor inside) rest rooms that can form a line when busy. Â Make sure to hit it up on your way in and not wait until you really need to go.
So if you are in the area and are looking for somewhere to eat that is fun, has great food and beverage, and has staff that makes you feel at home, May Kelly's is that place.
After many years in NC passing by this place, we finally stopped for dinner (based in part on reviews here -- thanks Yelp!!). The food was great. The beef stew was divine. The cottage pie was authentic and had a great consistency and flavor. The chicken pie was really tasty and had a huge flaky pastry on top. We also had wings which got two thumbs up.
The decor was definitely quirky and really added to the uniqueness of the place. In an area filled with average to poor pub food, this place really stands apart as it offers an excellent Irish pub experience.
On one of the many girls weekend's I've spent in North Conway, we decided to try something different and ended up at May Kelly's for snack and drinks. The place is like an antique shop inside every wall has something crazy to look at and even the bathrooms seem to have clutter. Putting my interior designer self aside the place is great. The waitress was attentive and helpful and all the food we got was yummie and simple. We got a bunch of appetizers and just had drinks and snack. We ordered the buffalo wings and as a lover of spice and hot wings I was shocked at how hot these damn wings were. Had to cool my lips with my cold water glass. Don't think I'll be trying the wings again but I'll be back.
Review Source:My wife and I were recently in Maine and decided to drive to Conway, NH for the afternoon. Â I'm glad we did because we stumbles onto a great restaurant and pub called May Kelly's Cottage. Â We got settled into a table in the pub and ordered. Â They have a great selection of beers on tap and the bar foods were what we were looking for...onion rings, cheese steak, and a house salad so we felt like we were eating healthy! Â The service was great, atmosphere was fun, and the people watching for good!
If you are ever up this way make sure to put this one on your list as a must visit place. Â You will be glad you stopped in for a cold beer and nice meal.
I ate in a private room at May Kelly's, as part of a family member's wedding weekend. Â We had a fixed small menu, however all the items on the menu sounded delicious, and i was forced to make a choice.
I chose the crab stuffed sole and I remember absolutely loving my meal. Â I had a salad beforehand, and bailey's cheesecake for dessert. Â The server was awesome. Â Friendly, fun, informative, and prompt. Â I cannot remember the side with my sole, which I will attribute to the 2 manhattans, and the great company of famiy I have not seen in a long while!
I would return to May Kelly's  often if I only lived closer!
Cheers!
One of our favorite places. Usually stop on Thursdays for the 2 for one specials. Always a good choice menu.
My favorite is the corned beef  (not usually on the special menu) while my wife prefers the haddock.
The staff is exceptionally courteous.
The decor is unusual and interesting.
Stranded in the oh-so-touristy North Conway and not sure where to eat? Well, you could make your decision based on where the lines are the longest (up to 1.5hrs at Moat), you could leave it to chance, or you could take my advice and hit up this close-to-authentic little gem right on the main strip. Unassuming from the street, it gives off this rundown, hole in the wall vibe, that perhaps wouldn't suit most tastes, and deter the large crowds. That's the part that allows you to get a seat right away at dinner service on a Saturday evening!
Step inside to a kitschy, Irish pub laden with memorabilia from the old country and sink you teeth into some of their delicious, hearty fare.
Some show stoppers:
- Traditional Stuffed Quahogs
- A Taste of Ireland
- French Onion Soup
- Clam Chowder
- really any of their sandwiches
- May's Meatloaf Dinner
- Irish Mixed Grille
- Gaelic Chicken
- Traditional Shepherds' Pie (AWESOME!)
- Corned Beef & Cabbage
Portion sizes are generous, meals are priced reasonably, beers are cold, and there's plenty of space to accommodate either the whole family or just your starving group that has spent days eating dry food in the woods!
This place was amazing. First of all, it's a LEGIT Irish place, right down to the hostess, who had the most adorable accent. The place was PACKED on Saturday night, and when my hubby and I showed up at 730ish without a reservation during Columbus Day weekend, we expected a wait. The bar was great, and the wait wasn't nearly what I expected. The food was authentic and delicious, though I should have waited a little longer to eat my shepherd's pie...my taste buds are still burned off. :) The atmosphere was fun, and the staff was helpful and friendly. Definitely recommend.
Review Source:After many years of vacationing in North Conway, I was so excited to find this bar. Â All in all, North Conway is not much of a bar town, preferring to dispense it's booze in liquor stores or chain restaurants. Â Though May Kelly's is a restaraunt as well as a bar, the bar has a distinct and separate "lounge area" complete with authentic antiques on the walls (rather than the random corporate approved junk you would find on the walls of Applebees).
The dining area has several rooms that look like dining rooms in a private residence. Â There is a back deck that overlooks the mountains so you can enjoy scenery while you dine and drink. Â
The drinks are average price but well made. Â The bar tenders are kind and down to earth (at least the ones I've met so far). Â The menu has some good selections - including and Irish Sampler that has chicken pot pie, shepard's pie and Irish stew for only $13!
I'm happy to finally have a friendly and unique place to lose my sobriety while I'm relaxing on vacation.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Mt. Washington Valley. The menu is varied, and everything is delicious and reasonably priced. And of course, the Guinness is branded with a shamrock!
The restaurant itself, I believe might've been a house/barn at one time and features a huge, quirky collection of artfully arranged antiques. So much to look at! In the summer, the outdoor patio overlooks the serene Moat Mountains.
May Kelly's features live entertainment on the weekends, including a seisun of local musicians on Sundays from 3-7, always a hit with the kiddos. Speaking of which, this place is great for bringing kids. The owner and waitstaff are very patient and kind with our children, and the food comes out pretty quickly.
Good food, great decor, and fun entertainment aside, the best part of May Kelly's is the owner, Marie, one of the kindest, warmest, loveliest human beings I've ever met.
By far one of my best dining experiences.
To say everyone we met was friendly from the get go would be a gross understatement. We felt like guests in someone's house. We called to see if we needed a reservation, they said they would take one just in case, and were surprised but OK with the fact that we said we would be there in 10 minutes. When we showed up, they apologized for making us wait for 3 minutes. Meanwhile--the wait in many of the other restaurants was 30 minutes or more.
The food is a great mix of New England, Irish, bar food, and even some Mexican food. Great kids choices too! Everything was tasty and very enjoyable. The service was prompt and pleasant. Our waitress was friendly, chatty, and amazing with the kids. As if they could anticipate tired kids at the end of a long day, they showed up with complimentary ice cream, winning the kids over and making friends for life. And like any good Irish pub, the Guinness was poured like it should be--cloverleaf and all.
The atmosphere was casual, and overall quiet--but not so quite you felt like your kids couldn't, well, be kids. The decor was fun, colorful, and much more authentic than you see at your local chain restaurant.
All this for an under $60 tab. Check it out for yourself, I guarantee you won't be disappointed.
To be completely honest, I wasn't expecting to go up to Conway, New Hampshire to feast on traditional Irish fare, but that is just the way things go down in the insane life of Adam V. (It's really not that amazing. The wait for the Muddy Moose restaurant was over an hour long, so we sort of had to retreat here.)
I'm going to keep it short, but definitely get my point across: this place is fantastic. I don't care what anyone says, this place is just too damn great. From the decor (tons of knick knacks and pictures scoured around the room making you feel right at home), to the friendly staff (the Irish owner, Kelly, called me "pet"!), it just knocks it out of the park.
"....", you may be thinking. "Why have you not collapsed upon the food, Senhor Adam? That is all you care about." Well, yes, that is all I truly care about, especially while camping up in the picturesque White Mountains. but I am trying to create some sort of suspense for this.
The food is, without a doubt, some of the best food I have ever tasted while dining out. The vast menu spanned everything from Mexican food (Lawl?) to actual traditional Irish fair (things that you would think would be served upon a gold coin). I settled for May Kelly's homemade meatloaf. All I shall say is....wow. It was delicious. It was by far the most satisfying and delicious meal I have ever had while on vacation.
Do yourself a favor and skip all of the commercial restaurant chains and tourist traps that line the White Mountains highway and give May Kelly's a visit. You will leave full, happy, and the object of an elderly Irish woman's affections. Seriously, it's cheap (considering the area you're dealing with) and absolutely delicious. Do it.
We decided to check this place out our first night in North Conway. Â We wanted to eat an early dinner, so our kiddos can play in the indoor waterpark.
We were the only ones eating dinner (it was 5PM), so we definitely had great service. Â Since it was an irish pub, we decided to get the typical foods one would get at a pub. Â My hubby got the meatloaf that was wrapped with bacon - YUM! Â I got the fish and chips. Â I received three huge pieces of haddock, which I couldn't finish. Â
The place itself is a house with many eclectic items. Â There were many things for my kids to look at. Â My daughter said she didn't want to come back there though because it "scared me." Â
The owner (not May Kelly) - her husband's grandmother is May Kelly, came by to chat with us. Â She is definitely irish with her accent. Â Very nice lady.
We will definitely go back when we visit North Conway again.
Great decor, ambiance, service and food. If you are in town, it's very family friendly and comfortable. Servings are large - we are taking home half our orders. Taste of Ireland app is a full meal! Corned beef and cabbage was awesome. Irish potato cakes (or whatever they were called) were the BEST. Very creative and fun decor, and great staff. Kids loved it.
Review Source:My husband and I were steered towards May Kelly's for dinner one night while we were staying at The Wyatt Country Inn by our inn keeper. Â We were happy to hear it was right next door to our inn! Â The owner is friendly and energetic. Â It was very busy that night but we had many eclectic antiques to look at while we were waiting. Â We had a three course meal for two for $26 which was a fab deal. Â We enjoyed the tasty Irish fare and are looking forwarding to checking out the bar the next time we go back to North Conway for a visit!
Review Source:I cannot think of anything negative or even nit-picky to say about May Kelly's. Everything was tremendous, and you could tell that the staff and the owner really cared about the customers and their experiences at the restaurant.
The menu is tremendous. So many dishes that I wanted to try, and the prices are very reasonable for the North Conway area. I ended up getting boiled dinner, and it was delicious. My boyfriend tried the Irish Stew and finished it in under 10 minutes- it was that good. I saw at least 6 or 7 items that I would like to try, and that never happens.
The location is great. Just outside the downtown area, so you're away from the crowds. Plentiful parking and seating. The decorations are awesome! Small villages with moving people and attractions can be found everywhere in the restaurant. We sat next to a winter village and were fascinated by it; especially, by the out of scale seagull that was looking down ominously on the town!
Our waitress was very nice, and the owner actually came over several times to check on us. She seemed legitimately concerned that I didn't like my meal because I was taking some of it home! That is rare service these days! I will definitely be going back to May Kelly's the next time we're in Conway. It's now my must-go-to restaurant, replacing the overpriced and bland Homestead. Definitely check it out!
This is not your typical Irish American pub. May Kelly's is very well decorated with lots of interesting and unique colorful flair (covered wall to wall in each room and hallways) including plenty of nostalgic trinkets, signs, framed pictures, and classic old posters of Americana, a trip down Memory Lane. This is actually a good place to take the family for dinner.
We stopped here for dinner after skiing and decided to sit in the bar area in the back. The place was fairly busy on a Sunday night and Irish background music was playing over the speakers. They also offer live entertainment too. Â Our friendly waitress promptly offered us drinks and we ordered two Diet Cokes and Guinness on draft. We were given a basket of warm oat bread and butter.
For appetizers, the May's Potato Cakes ($6.50-2) were crispy brown outside and soft chunky mashed potatoes inside accompanied by fresh baby spinach and horseradish sauce. The cakes were very good tasting, but could've been warmer inside. The Traditional Stuffed Quahogs ($7.00-2) were served very hot out of the oven, with vegetable and chorizo bread stuffing, a great appetizers.
For dinner, the Traditional Shepherd's Pie ($13.50) was served piping hot in a casserole dish and had ground lamb, carrots, corn, potatoes, gravy, and topped with mashed potatoes. My friend said this was one of the best shepherd's pies he's had in a while since they used ground lamb instead of the ground beef most other places use. The Irish Mixed Grille ($15.00) was an excellent sampling of meats (Irish bacon, Irish grilled sausages, black & white pudding, grilled steak tips) and served with crispy fries, baked beans, and a grilled tomato. The portion of food was pretty generous and very good. We skipped dessert and settled up on the check since it was getting late (8:15PM on a Sunday).
The service was very good and friendly on this visit. The food arrived in a very timely manner after ordering, about 10 minutes for the appetizers and about 20 minutes for the entrees. Drink refills and reorders were also offered when needed. I had two refills on the Diet Coke and one pint of Guinness was enough.
Overall, Â we had a nice dinner in a very relaxed and interesting atmosphere. The food and service is a solid 4+ stars and the unique and classic decor and pictures covering every wall in the place must be given 5 stars.
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