Anyone remember this place in Richmond. It was a great home cooking place frequented by us college kids. If I remember $3 would fill you up. When did they close it down. It was the early 80's when I was there.

Not sure about Ma Kelly's but we have found Opal's in Richmond, same great home cooking and cheap!

My group would go there prior to the home football games and "Ma" would come around and take a look at your plate stuffed with homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, etc.........and just throw out a price based on how much food you had on your plate. Place has great memories for me.

One of my favorite places to eat. You would actually go through the kitchen and scoop out your own food onto your plate from these big pots on the stove. I have a lot of good memories of that place. I was amazed at all the signatures and grafitti on the walls from several years prior. I was there in the mid/late 80s and will never forget Ma Kelly's.

I remember my younger brother taking me to Ma Kelly's for the first time in '77 when I visited him at EKU. Ma was character, the food was pretty good too. Place was always packed.

Remember it well! Very possibility may not have made it through college without gorging myself there several times a week in the early and mid 80's. Half my fraternity would show up there some days. I honestly have no idea how they could have made any money with the way our group ate. My son is down there now, so I will have to tell him to try to find this "Opal's" place.

Absolutely remember it. Before a fun Thursday night at Phone III or The Family Dog, you had to go get full at Ma's. Had to have a good base for the suds to soak into.

Absolutely remember it. Before a fun Thursday night at Phone III or The Family Dog, you had to go get full at Ma's. Had to have a good base for the suds to soak into.

 

Family Dog has been closed for almost 10 years now. Building looks the exact same (Paco's still underneath), like it's ready for business tonight. I can't believe that it just sits there and no one has ever moved in. First Street is gone. Well, at least "First Street" as I knew it.

 

I certainly have no objections that there isn't the same downtown scene in which I partook (very, very regularly) for my son to visit now. The less he knows about his dad and EKU in the 80's, the better. It helps make my stories about spending almost every night at Crabbe Library more believeable.

Here is Ma Kelly in her kitchen.

 

Ma Kelly's has a facebook page. It's interesting to read a lot of memories from people over the years. When my wife (whom I was dating at the time) and I would go eat at Mas, we got charged even less if she was paying. She was a great lady that had a huge heart for the college kids...........how about some banana pudding?

According to an obituary announcing her passing (age 96), Ma Kelly raised 14 children before opening her restaurant with $100 she borrowed from one of hre sons. She retired from the restaurant in 1979 and a daughter-in-law took over.

Ma Kelly's has a facebook page. It's interesting to read a lot of memories from people over the years.

That's where I got the picture above.

 

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=106133175589#!/group.php?gid=106133175589&v=wall

I remember this place! The food was out of this world! Great place to get well-fed and then skip out of class the rest of the day.

Yes, remember it well from trips to Richmond. There was one similar in Bowling Green in the 70's called Mary's. Big guy would get filled up for $2. Those were the days.

I remember Ma Kelly's very well. Home cooking at its best. Walk through her kitchen and fill your plate with fried chicken or meat loaf, mash taters, beans, cornbread or rolls, peas, corn, etc.. and pudding for dessert. Either she or one of her workers would come to your table and look at how much you had in your plate and charge you what was necessary. And a large milk was a jumbo cup. It was inexpensive and really helped my finances in my college years. I was at EKU from 1972-1976.