Losing Out in Lowertown - Goodbye to Kelly's Depot Bar

In operation since 1989, Kelly's has been an institution in downtown St. Paul, serving up simple pub fare and a limited number of local taps to an unpretentious crowd who are, in all likelihood, more family than strangers.

But on April 30th, Kelly's will close their doors for good.

The first time I had a chance to visit Kelly's Depot Bar was in 2016 when I first moved to St. Paul. My then significant other worked out of a location based in the area and they would frequently gather at this pub after a long shift to decompress. I can easily see why this was the place to be - after a day of being berated and pushed around by the general public, one could easily relax among this crowd of ordinary working folks.

On the corner of Wacouta and Kellogg, Kelly's Depot Bar sits right across the street from Union Depot - which used to be a hub for transportation by train back in the day and now mostly just shuffles people by bus around the city and maybe out to Chicago or the nearest casino.

Kelly's has their fair share of travelers that pop in for a pint, but most of the clientele are definitely a regular bunch.

When I got wind of their imminent closure, I figured I had to stop in at least a few more times. After work last week, my roommate and I stopped in to guzzle a Surly Furious and sample one of their nearly famous burgers - always cooked to perfection per your specification. Honestly, this Bacon Cheeseburger (cooked medium well from fresh beef - never frozen) did not disappoint.

The Fish and Chips set is cooked up to order, with three pieces of perfectly battered cod and crinkle cut fries. We also sampled a side of gooey cheese curds, an Upper Midwest staple.

Owner Rick Kelly, who whipped up a couple of G&T's for us last night, acknowledges that it's time to let the place go. Nothing's up to code, he tells us, and with city ordinances the way they are it would just be too expensive to make all the changes necessary to keep the place in business.

Part-time fry cook and metal band guitarist, Jamie, tells us he'll probably go work over at the Buttered Tin, another Lowertown St Paul establishment touted for good food and slightly pricey drinks.

Last night, he served us a giant plate of nachos and if I wasn't sad to learn of Kelly's closing, I surely am now. It was only a plate of standard American-style nachos - chopped lettuce, tomatoes, and jalapenos atop a bed of beefy, cheesy tortilla chips - but it was probably the best plate of nachos I've had in years.

Yes, I definitely had leftovers. And yes, I will be eating them tonight.

Kelly's Depot Bar has a whole month of service for me to continue sampling and I will absolutely be back to visit them before they ship out of Lowertown forever.

Has a favorite establishment of yours ever gone out of business or moved? 

Tell me all about it in the comments below!