Irish Pub Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

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

Front of Doherty's Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining — Front of Doherty’s Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Fresh off a lunch visit for Himalayan Nepali cuisine, I decide to head over to the opposite end of the food spectrum: Irish pub! I had seen some good online reviews for Doherty’s Irish Pub in Cary on High House and figured it was finally time to check em out! Not knowing what to expect, Doherty’s is located on the side of a large strip plaza and I admit that I wasn’t too thrilled by what I saw on the outside. Bland signage, a faux Irish pub store-front, I had just been at the Hibernian the previous night and it just didn’t compare. And growing up in the Boston area, old-school Irish pubs are pretty common. But looks can be deceiving. I realized that once I stepped into Doherty’s and had a very solid, dining experience.

Bar at Doherty's Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining — Bar at Doherty’s Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Inside, Doherty’s picks up the pace with some polished wood booths and an old-school u-shaped bars. The place was busy for lunch time which was a good sign. Looking through the menu there are all the pub classics along with some interesting house items. I order up the Irish egg rolls (cool) along with their fish and chips. (Yes, please!) Doherty’s has a restaurant side (booths) with the bar and pub area which is mostly high-boy seating. Looking at the signage, looks like they occasionally have music here along with the usual daily specials.

Irish egg rolls at Doherty's Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining — Irish egg rolls at Doherty’s Irish Pub, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

We get our Irish egg rolls which are stuffed with pastrami and sauerkraut, interesting. We get eight pieces of well-fried roll which show off their deep red interior. It’s a tasty and non-greasy treat which pairs well with the sweetish 1000 Island dressing, yum! Next comes my fish and chips which is a nice plate of fish, fries and haricot vert (green beans). I had read about Doherty’s fish and chips and couldn’t resist the reviewers were absolutely correct. Doherty’s does a great fried fish in a super light, airy, crispy batter fried just right. Dipped into the delicious tartar sauce it made for a great bite. The fries and not traditional pub chips but lightly coated and delicious. The lightly sauteed green beans were even well-done and made for a nice alternative to all the fried going on my plate.

Service at Doherty’s was excellent, they noticed the untouched soup with my lunch-mate and took the item off his bill. Even though the place was really busy, they were doing their best in cheerful fashion to keep their customers happy which I certainly noticed. So while from the outside, Doherty’s doesn’t look that impressive, if I lived in this area I’d definitely swing by regularly. In fact, if you put the food from Doherty’s into the Hibernian, I think you’d have a fantastic Irish pub! But I’m pretty sure that’s wishful thinking. So thanks Doherty’s for a great lunch. It’s a little bit off the beaten path for me but you were worth the effort…

Doherty’s Irish Pub

Cornerstone Shopping Center

1979 High House Road

Cary, NC 27519

919.388.9930

Doherty’s Irish Pub menu

Location on Google maps

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