Apex Restaurant Review - Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

June 9, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

The New Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex!

Doherty's Irish Pub, Apex- NC Triangle Dining — Doherty’s Irish Pub, Apex- NC Triangle Dining

What can you say when you’ve got a local chain that opens up a second location? That’s the story with Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex. The original Doherty’s is located deep in Cary but I was sort of excited about the new location since it was much closer to work. And since I was impressed with Doherty’s #1, I couldn’t resist a visit to the new Doherty’s in Apex and it met all my expectations which is pretty good news…

Inside of Doherty's Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining — Inside of Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

The new Doherty’s in Apex has a lot of similarities to the original which makes sense, why mess up a good formula? Located in a small strip plaza off of Apex Peakway, it’s got a very similar layout to the original. U-shaped bar in main room, casual booths and high-boys, side-room with more of a restaurant feel. Inside there is a pub-like feel if not as pronounced as say, the Hibernian.

Dining side-room at Doherty's Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining — Dining side-room at Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

Sitting down we’re immediately greeted and have drink orders taken. The menu looks to be the same, my table mate orders up their popular famous fish and chips, I go with a brisket sandwich. I love Doherty’s Irish egg rolls but pass on the appetizer since it’s a quick lunch! Doherty’s in Apex has only been open a couple of months but it’s already got some customers which is great to see.

Brisket sandwich at Doherty's Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining — Brisket sandwich at Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

It doesn’t take long for our food, maybe 10 minutes which is perfect for a quicker lunch service. My brisket sandwich is quite good: tender beef layered with onions, cheddar and horseradish sauce. Paired with some potato chips made in-house, yum! My friend fish and chips look wonderful, served in “newspaper” and with a side of beans, he pronounces it possibly the best fish and chips he’s ever had in his life, high praise. So it looks like the new Doherty’s in Apex hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to its food.

Fish and chips at Doherty's Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining — Fish and chips at Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

Over the course of the meal, our drinks are filled quickly and we get asked several times how our meal is. So I’m not sure if they might have sniffed out that I’m a blogger and Yelper but we got a lot of attention over lunch. Fact is, Doherty’s did a great job service-wise which I also experienced in Cary. So the magic formula for Doherty’s lives on in its Apex location. Above-average pub fare with excellent service in a slightly casual, Irish-pub like setting. For a lot of people that will work perfectly, just don’t expect the over the top Irish pub experience you might get in an old-school pub. And that’s plenty good for me if you’ve got your expectations in check. So congratulations Doherty’s on getting your new location up and running so well. Bon appetit and slainte…

Doherty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

5490 Apex Peakway

Apex, NC 27502

919.387.4100

Location on Google maps

August 19, 2013 by Ron Wen 8 Comments

First Take: Classic Italian Eats in Apex at Daniel’s Restaurant

Front of Daniel's in Apex, NC Triangle Dining — Front of Daniel’s in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

Italian is about as all-American as Mexican and Chinese food given the ethnic make-up of this country! Out on Route 55 in Apex down the road from Beaver Creek Commons is the hidden gem, Daniel’s Italian Restaurant. From the outside Daniel’s is a bit unassuming and sprawls. I’d have to guess that it used to be a smaller spot that just expanded over time due to popularity. Next to the front entrance is a small garden patio complete with bubbling fountain, I’m sure it would be great in nice weather with a glass of vino. Inside, Daniel’s is pretty old school with a dark muted interior, staff all dressed in black. The place was busy for a Tuesday lunch which is always a good sign, we grabbed a table near the end of the dining room.

Dining area at Daniel's in Apex, NC Triangle Dining — Dining area at Daniel’s in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

Focaccia and marinara sauce at Daniel's in Apex, NC Triangle Dining — Focaccia and marinara sauce at Daniel’s in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

The lunch menu at Daniel’s has about 10 pasta choices, some pizzas and salads. Nothing too amazingly different in terms of pasta, most have the option of adding chicken or shrimp. I order up some arancini ($8) as a starter and then go with the Penne alla Casa (house penne, $10) which is tomato cream sauce with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. A basket of lovely focaccia is placed on the table with a small bowl of marinara sauce for dipping, yum! I’m sensing carbo overload, ETA one hour. The focaccia is decent but what makes it is the sauce. The marinara is bright and full of crushed tomato flavor. Shortly thereafter our plate of arancini comes out. Three well-browned risotto balls stuffed with cheese and pancetta. A nice version with some density and flavor, the pancetta is a nice addition. They’re also served with the same tasty marinara sauce underneath.

Arancini at Daniel's in Apex, NC Triangle Dining — Arancini at Daniel’s in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

Next my pasta dish comes out and it’s a large portion of al dente pasta with flecks of parsley, pieces of pungent sun-dried tomatoes, sauteed chicken and spinach. I don’t think Daniel’s does home-made pasta but they use a good-quality commercial version that’s cooked just right. Paired with the creamy sauce and tasty chicken and veggies, it’s an excellent meal and I save some to take home. Otherwise it would be lights out at work for the afternoon! Our server for the meal is a young lady named Jillian and she does an excellent job pacing the meal and checking in on us. She even notices when she’s late picking up our check due to a large party behind us which is very self-aware. So I have to say that service at Daniel’s seems excellent if this young lady is that well-trained!

All in all while I don’t always crave Italian, Daniel’s is a great choice if you’re in the hood. Pasta is usually always a sure thing but the food here takes it to an even higher level especially if you like garlic. Tie in the excellent service, reasonable prices for lunch and good ambiance and you’ve got yourself a winner! Rock on Daniel’s, there’s obviously some very good reasons why you have been successful over the years and I hope to get back soon…

Daniel’s

1430 NC Highway 55 W

Apex, NC 27523

919.303.1006

Location on Google maps

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May 22, 2013 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

La Cocina in Cary: For Fast and Filling Mexican Fare

Front of La Cocina, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Ahh, the ubiquitous Mexican-American restaurant! Get some salsa and chips, choose a lunch combo and then stumble out in a carbo-filled haze. Sounds like my kind of a meal. But with so many Mexican options in the Triangle, it sometimes gets hard distinguishing the good ones from the meh. La Cocina is a small regional chain of Mexican restaurants that was quite the pleasant surprise for me. I stopped in for a quick lunch with co-workers and was really happy about the visit!

Dining area of La Cocina, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Inside, La Cocina has some space to spread out in with three separate dining rooms. As soon as we sit down a basket of warm chips are put down at the table along with salsa and the chips are great! Thin, crisp with just the right amount of salt, the feasting begins. I put in an order for lunch special #4: beef taco, chicken quesadilla along with beans. And it’s not a long wait but that’s ok since I’m happy with my tortilla chips! Maybe 5 – 10 minutes later I get my meal and it’s a LOT of food for $6. One crunchy taco with shredded beef covered with cotija cheese, one large plate with plump quesadilla and re-fried beans. The taco is decent, maybe a bit under-spiced but a decent quality. The large quesadilla is plump and full of chicken chunks, less cheese and well-browned, a nice choice. And the beans are fried, nothing specially good or bad here.

Chicken quesadilla at La Cocina, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Smothered carnitas burrito at La Cocina in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Smothered carnitas burrito at La Cocina in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Overall La Cocina delivers decent Mexican food for not much dinero. They look like they have some more authentic Mexican specialties which would be great if I lived in the area. And from what I’ve heard, the bar can get pretty lively after work. But for now, La Cocina is perfect for a quick lunch! Fast, tasty and filling Mexican eats right around the corner from me, keep up the great work La Cocina! I’m pretty sure I’ll be in your kitchen again, sometime soon…

La Cocina Mexican Restaurant

100 Macgregor Pines Drive

Apex, NC 27523

919.467.0780

Menu at La Cocina

Location on Google maps

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June 22, 2012 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

Skipper’s Fish Fry, Apex- Classic Fried Seafood and More

Skippers Fish Fry in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

Here fishy-fishy-fishy… So I’m in Apex during the work-day and that craving hits for some fried seafood. Nothing like taking something totally healthy and making it really unhealthy but delicious, hello deep fryer! Skipper’s Fish Fry is a very casual quick-food seafood spot. Pull it out of the ocean, dip it in some batter and then the deep-fryer, it’s probably on Skipper’s menu. From fried flounder to shrimp, scallops to clam strips and more. It’s a counter order type place with no table service. My plate of large fried shrimp with slaw and fries was about $10.50 or so, and I wanted to see how it would compare to my fried seafood takeout favorite up on Capital Boulevard (Saltwater Seafood and Fry Shack).

Counter at Skippers Fish Fry in Apex, NC Triangle Dining

Ten minutes later I’ve got a little cardboard tray full of well-browned fried shrimp and a nice heaping of fries along with some puppies. Out in the attached dining room there are mostly senior citizens enjoying their mid-day meal in a nautical motif space. Skipper’s does a nice job with their seafood, a medium thick, golden batter with some density.

The seafood is definitely fresh, portion sizes were about average which sorta surprises me. I’ve gotten used to big heaping platters of fried seafood and sides, that’s not the case here. The slaw was decent, very finely chopped and a bit sweet. What can I say but if you’re in the mood for some fried seafood, Skipper’s does a decent job. But I think you’ll get more food in most other places, which may be a good thing if you’re watching your health and waistline. Fried seafood is always pretty decent and that’s sort of what I think of Skipper’s: sorta decent.

Skipper’s Fish Fry

1001 East Williams Street

Apex, NC 27502

919.303.2400

Menu at Skipper’s Fish Fry

Location on Google Maps

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March 17, 2015 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

The Blistered Pig in Apex for Fancy Que and More

Front of the Blistered Pig Smokehouse in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

There’s nothing better than great barbeque and smoked meats for this guy. Ribs, brisket, smoked wings and more, que is one of those food items that just takes a lot of time and equipment so I seek it when dining out. So it was with some excitement that I headed over to the new Blistered Pig Smokehouse out in Apex. As part of the Peak City Grille family, I had higher expectations for the whole experience and online reviews had been solid. So my friend and I headed down to Salem Street to get our meat on!

Nice interior of the Blistered Pig Smokehouse in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

I don’t spend too much time in downtown Apex but the Blistered Pig sits in a smallish brick building (Tobacco & Mule Exchange) with an entrance in the back off of Salem Street. Small patio out front and inside it’s got a very nice interior! Large and open bricked dining room, exposed timber beams and lots of activity, the place is busy. Clientele here is a bit older, probably 40+. We grab a seat at tight high-boy against at half-wall and peer through the menu. It’s a pretty small menu for lunch (brisket, ribs, chicken, pork in plates and sandwiches) and I’ve already stalked it so I know what I’m getting! The Blistered Pig has a pretty long list of sides (10+ from grits to slaw, collards, brussel sprouts and more) which will probably be your main hurdle if you’re indecisive. I go with the brisket sandwich and some buffalo chicken thighs as a starter.

Smoked buffalo chicken thighs at the Blistered Pig Smokehouse in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

The Blistered Pig is pretty busy so it takes 15+ minutes for our food to come out but we get some nice hush-puppies to start with (cakey and sweet with jalapeno butter). The plate of buffalo smoked chicken thighs are plated nicely with some romaine, beets and pickled onions (?). Four substantial and boneless thighs glazed in spicy sauce with a hit of smoke taste makes for an interesting app, good start! My brisket sandwich is solid but a bit bland, layered with slaw and on some good white bread. With the side of sweet potato fries it’s a tasty meal and plenty to eat. And my friend’s pulled chicken sandwich looks decent but I’m not a fan of the sauce on top since I hate covering up good meat.

Brisket sandwich with sweet potato fries at the Blistered Pig Smokehouse in Apex- NC Triangle Dining

Service at the Blistered Pig is pretty good and attentive, the place is busy. Just be aware that they’ve got the same menu for lunch and dinner so for an afternoon meal, the Blistered Pig can get pricey. But overall I found the meal solid if not authentic. Having spent some time in Austin and Texas last year, I’m getting increasingly demanding when it comes to smoked meats and it’s ok here, but a bit fancied up. Overall I think you’ll have a good meal at the Blistered Pig and with the decent environs and service, it’s a worthwhile stop if you’re in downtown Apex…

The Blistered Pig Smokehouse

225 North Salem Street

Apex, NC 27502

919.446.3366

Location on Google maps

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The New Doherty’s Irish Pub in Apex!