“You can always walk in and there’s someone here. It’s a neighborhood place where people take care of each other,” DeWalt said.
Along with her husband, David DeWalt, and friend Cary Moon, the three bought the building in October 2011.
“It’s been a private home and also an insurance agency before we bought it,” DeWalt said.
Being a neighborhood place, Keller Tavern has a core group of customers that show up nearly every day.
“During the day and for happy hour, we have a crowd of regulars,” DeWalt said. “Our bartenders can see them walk up through the window and will have their drink waiting for them by the time they reach the bar.”
Other regulars include the staff members, according to the owner.
“Our staff stays really consistent. Most of our kitchen staff has been with us since the beginning and are mostly from the same family,” DeWalt said.
She said that her employees tend to stay for a long time for one big reason.
“Our staff members take care of our customers, and our customers take care of our staff members,” she said. “It’s like everyone’s a part of the family.”
The menu has only changed four times in the 12 years Keller Tavern been open. The Tavern Buffalo bites is a signature item that has been a staple on the menu since day one, according to DeWalt. So have the charro beans that Bertha, the head cook, churns out as a side item or as an item by themselves upon request. DeWalt and her crew also serve up other Mexican food favorites as part of their eclectic menu.
“Street tacos are new [to our menu] and are very popular. Bertha also makes homemade tamales every Tuesday that are a huge hit,” DeWalt said.
Keller Tavern has plenty of capacity, events and activities to keep everyone entertained, DeWalt said. It has an outdoor patio that can fit up to 100 people where they have live music. It has open mic on Sunday nights, music bingo on Monday nights and on Tuesday nights it hosts trivia.
Keller Tavern
128 S. Main St., Keller
Phone: 817-337-6711
www.facebook.com/kellertavern
Hours: Sun. 10 a.m.-midnight,
Mon.-Wed. 11 a.m.-midnight,
Thu.-Fri. 11 a.m.-2 a.m., Sat. 10 a.m.-2 a.m.
