Kelly O’Brien’s Irish pub to open next week

Geeky Swedes Ballard

Ballard is getting a new Irish pub and the owners know a thing or two about the business.

The Tellefson family owns Sully’s Lounge (1625 Queen Anne Ave N) on Queen Anne and are expanding to Ballard with Kelly O’Brien’s (5410 17th Ave NW.) The name is family-inspired, too. Kelly is Marcus Tellefson’s wife’s name and O’Brien is his mother’s maiden name.

We spoke with Marcus Tellefson who says that the family-owned pub will serve traditional pub grub. “We’ve got cheap happy hour food that we do all day, everyday,” he tells us, with happy hour drink specials from 4 to 6 p.m. On the menu will be mac & cheese, lamb sliders, wings, shepherd’s pie and “we’ve got a killer hot corned beef sandwich,” Marcus says. “It’s my mom’s recipe.”

Once they’re open, which will be either Wednesday or Thursday of next week, they’ll be open Monday through Friday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 2 a.m. (Thanks Stan for the email tip & Gordy for posting in the forum!)

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

32 thoughts to “Kelly O’Brien’s Irish pub to open next week”

  1. Great.  Because, you know, if there’s one thing Ballard has a dire shortage of, it’s bars.

    Maybe they could build a few condos on top too, just to make sure we’ve got that angle covered, too?

  6. I went to Sullys regularly when I lived on QA and it was much better than the usual stuck up places on the hill I for one am looking forward to it and if they build condos on top even better it’ll bring more women to the area !

  8. Since they are handing out liquor licenses faster than parking tickets I applied for one for my van. I will be parked and serving at the GG dog park lot between 4-7 most weekdays and floating on the weekends. Couldn’t get a food permit as that is a bit tougher. So booze only. Bring snacks.

  10. “stuck up” places on the hill?

    Would that be Queen Anne Cafe, that gross pizza place, 5 spot,  Safeway, Starbucks, or whatever inhabits (and inevitably fails) the corner opposite the now-closed Peets?

    QA’s rep as posh and snobby is waaaaaayy over exaggerated. It’s actually nice over there. It’s like Ballard, but without the Bums, bars, drunk hipster wannabees,  faux environmentalists, and  gazillions of condos…

  13. Wow – I did not know that condos were/are chick magnets. You know what women like? Men who are literate and can spell.
    Maybe this will be a high-class pub and instead of trivia night they’ll have a spelling bee.

  15. So basically, this place is like the Old Pequliar, except less beer, less Irish inspired food AND it’s in the gullet of a giant condo building, which means douchebags galore.  I think I’ll stick this with the Shelter on list of bars to avoid.

  20. What, no steak and mushroom pie? No haggis? No ox tails? No kidney’s and toast.  There not even offering  a proper Irish stew. Irish fare my ass! But yet again you can get fobbed off for $14.50 for a piss ant cheesteak wit wiz. Which cost  less than $3.00 including  labor to make.
    DA, ah, ah. ah  NO!!!!  This place is about as Irish as my Great uncle Izzy behind who BTW was a  Rabbi.
    What a joke

  24. It is built under Apartments!

    I can’t wait for it to open.  I would got to Pequliar more, but get tired of being accosted by bums all the time.

  25. It is built under Apartments!

    I can’t wait for it to open.  I would got to Pequliar more, but get tired of being accosted by bums all the time.

  26. “‘I think I’ll stick this with the Shelter on list of bars to avoid.”please do!  I can just imagine how much business these places will loose because you’re not there.

  27. “‘I think I’ll stick this with the Shelter on list of bars to avoid.”please do!  I can just imagine how much business these places will loose because you’re not there.

  28. I for one hope they do well. With as many bars as we have here in Ballard, if they do not do well, it’s OK, because just like 5 corners they will be gone in 5 months.

  29. I for one hope they do well. With as many bars as we have here in Ballard, if they do not do well, it’s OK, because just like 5 corners they will be gone in 5 months.

  31. What is WRONG with people??!! MORE bars coming?? With places failing left and right I honestly can’t imagine wanting to own ANYTHING these days… they must be banking on the support of the people in the LEVA building. Could be enough cushion, but still… risky. Luckily, at least they’ve owned a bar before, and a successful one at that. Good luck.

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