Doherty's Irish Pub & Restaurant

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#3 of 121 Restaurants in Apex$$ - $$$, American, Irish, Vegetarian friendly

+1 919-387-4100+ Add website

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Hours

Sun

9:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Mon

11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Tue

11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Wed

11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Thu

11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Fri

11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

Sat

11:00 AM - 12:00 AM

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What is Travelers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

190 reviews

#3 of 121 Restaurants in Apex

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

American, Irish, Bar, Pub, Vegetarian friendly

“We ordered a pub burger and a whiskey burger, since the waiter asked which bu...”

“This time I ordered Statler chicken dish for dinner and husband had a burger.”

Large groups, Bar scene

“My husband was most excited about Irish pub fare of our week’s chosen establi...”

Location and contact

5490 Apex Peakway, Apex, NC 27502-3924

+1 919-387-4100

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Is this a pub?

Yes

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About

Doherty's is your place to join friends and family for sensational Irish American food & fantastic service at great value. Enjoy a meal with your family, have a quick business lunch, catch the game or listen to live music at your favorite neighborhood pub!

CUISINES

American, Irish, Bar, Pub

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Brunch, Late Night, Drinks

FEATURES

Delivery, Takeout, Outdoor Seating, Seating, Parking Available, Street Parking, Free off-street parking, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Wine and Beer, American Express, Mastercard, Visa, Digital Payments, Free Wifi, Discover, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants, Gift Cards Available

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4.5

190 reviews

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Jmits1

Raleigh417 contributions

Nice Change from Regular Bar Food: Irish Dishes and Beyond

Dec 2020 • none

Friends told us about Doherty's so we decided to try it out. During Covid we decided to have an early dinner on a Saturday to avoid too many people. The restaurant was clean and the staff was very attentive and friendly. The menu was online or you could view it on paper. They also had specials and a good selection of appetizers, sandwiches and main entrees. My husband opted for the fish and chips which came with two huge pieces of delicious fish. It also had a large portion of coleslaw and fries. I had the turkey avocado sandwich on toasted bread. It was also large, was good but it needed more cranberry aioli.

Written December 12, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

travelingtips

North Carolina213 contributions

Great get together location in Apex

Dec 2021 • none

A friend and I were looking for a festive place to meet up during the holidays (we live an hour apart) and my husband reminded me of this pub. It was an easy location for both of us to get to. They were not crowded inside as a lot of people chose outdoor seating, everything was clean and it was a nice holiday atmosphere. Our waiter Ben was very nice (good personality and checked in when he passed by). He gave us the extra time to review the menu and after our meal was over to sip our drinks and catch up as I told him we hadn’t seen each other in person since the start of the pandemic. I got one of the specials which was very good but I will say that the hot chocolate was unexpectedly out of this world (creamy and a delicious whipped topping). My only complaint is that we had to look at the menus on our cell phones and my cell has been having trouble keeping a charge these days.

Written December 28, 2021

Daniel L

Apex816 contributions

Definitely one of the best in Apex

Jun 2021 • none

First restaurant I've sat down at in my hometown in almost a year, and Doherty's never disappoints. Staff are very friendly and courteous, and seem to very much have an interest in making sure you enjoy every aspect of your meal - which isn't difficult since the meal itself is superb. Had myself some of the poutine which I order every time - amazing as always. Patty on the Doherty Melt was also cooked nearly perfectly, and it also came with a very healthy serving of the pub chips. Definitely deserves a title as one of the best restaurants in the Apex-Cary area!

Written June 7, 2021

lessnow59

Apex178 contributions

We Want to Like it....

Jul 2021 • none

We met our friends for trivia night. We have not been out in this type of crowd in well over a year due to Covid. DJ Jay was great and was probably the best part of the night. As many others have stated, our service was good in the beginning. The drinks menu doesn't include wine or spirits so we had no idea what we were being charged for our drinks. My husband's Captain and Coke at $6.50 each was the bargain of the night. My sauvignon blanc was $12 a glass! This was a glass smaller than anything I have at home. The waitress didn't mention this was a premium brand. Lesson learned. We waited for 30 minutes for our table to get one more round of drinks. No one ever came back. No water refills all night and we were there over 2 hours. At the end of the night, we had a bill of $87 for 2 people. So ridiculous. Please order wisely when going. We ordered the Brisket Nachos for the table. The meat was not brisket. It was pot roast. The only cheese on it happened to be small bits on the side of the bowl. Not even enough to melt the chips together. This was $14 and not worth it. Even though I knew the brisket wasn't brisket, I ordered the braised brisket melt. The pot roast meat did taste good and was tender. However, there was no mushrooms or caramelized onion as advertised. And you must have cheese to call it a melt. Another $14 down the tubes.

Written July 14, 2021

Dohertys1979

Thank you for stopping by for Trivia Night, and we appreciate you taking the time to let us know more about how your evening went! Service is a top priority of ours and it seems we did not deliver on that, I sincerely apologize. That is not our standard and we have taken the opportunity to speak with our team using your comments as a coaching tool to improve. Regarding our food and drink menus, our full bar list with pricing is available using either the seasonal paper menus provided at the pub, by using the QR code on them if you prefer a contactless method that brings you straight to our web menu from your personal device and on our website. Unfortunately, we are unable to control the continuing increase in prices and unpredictable supply. You also mentioned our Brisket Nachos - an Irish twist on a classic and certainly a switch from the more common nachos as ours are made with house-cooked potato chips and indeed topped with our signature brisket, braised with a Guinness reduction, mushrooms, and caramelized onions. After braising for 12 hours, the mushrooms and onions do break down to add great flavor, however as you mentioned they are not very noticeable aside from taste. While our brisket is prepared much differently than the more common smoked brisket you would normally see, it's far different than our Pot Roast. I surely understand that it's not everyone's taste, and appreciate your input!

Written July 20, 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Marcus F

Maitland170 contributions

Fantastic pub food

Feb 2020 • none

We had an early dinner there while in town on vacation. Our waiter was super friendly and attentive. There were a large selection of beers including many locals on draught. The boxty's, sort of a potato pancake filled with either beef, chicken or mushrooms, were a fantastic appetizer. The brisket nachos were tasty. The shepherd's pie was stellar, some of the best I've ever had. Excellent ratio of meat and mashed potatoes. Delicious. We would absolutely come again, perhaps a bit later in the evening to check out the entertainment.

Written February 11, 2020

Brian P

Cary87 contributions

Fantastic Dining Experience

Jun 2022 • family

We had dinner for the second time at Doherty’s this evening and it was an excellent meal just like our previous visit. Nice public house/pub decor with lots of brick and wood. Our server was a delightful woman, Arianna, who took care of our party with skill and grace. The food was outstanding! We shared the brisket nachos as a starter and they were delicious the brisket was awesome quite tasty. Our entrees were fish and chips, meatloaf and salmon which were delightful each entree was well prepared and generously portioned. Desserts were wonderful brownie a la mode and Baileys chocolate mousse were thoroughly enjoyed. Classic public house feel, delightful service and delicious food really make this place one of our new favorites.

Written June 18, 2022

CaryPlanner

Cary225 contributions

Triangle Restaurant Week: Food Underwhelming

Jan 2024 • couples

We visited Doherty’s in Apex (Cary had no available reservations) for Triangle Restaurant Week. My husband was most excited about Irish pub fare of our week’s chosen establishments. For appetizer, he had the brisket boxty (outer shell seemed more like a crepe than a grated potato pancake, like we’ve had in Europe). Meat was flavorful and tender. I had the Guinness Irish stew which had a thick base with strong flavor. My not picky husband didn’t like it and I concurred. The expeditor noticed it wasn’t much consumed and offered to bring another choice, which I declined. For entree, we had corned beef and cabbage (my husband’s fav), which he enjoyed, and fish and chips which comes with green beans as well. Generous portion, but fish didn’t have much flavor…nice and crunchy but a bit greasy. Fries were tasteless, and haricot verts were slightly greasy, overcooked, and without flavor I ate about a quarter of it. For dessert, the only options were bread pudding (fair) and Bailey’s chocolate mousse (better than hoped but not amazing). I asked if another option were available and was told no. The food was okay, but not outstanding. The server was polite but seemed a little harried. The expeditor was much more warm. We wouldn’t return, even at the discounted Restaurant Week pricing.

Written January 27, 2024

Apex Doherty's

We are sorry to hear about your experience at our Apex location. While we always strive to provide the best service and food we have to offer it looks as though we have fallen short during your visit. We appreciate your feedback so that we can properly explain to our staff what we need to focus on. We would love to encourage you to come and try us out again. If you would be willing to do so email us at apex@dohertysirishpubnc.com so we can discuss this further.

Written February 1, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Mary

Cary48 contributions

Fabulous food for a very reasonable price.

Mar 2022 • friends

I’ve been coming to Doherty’s regularly for the last few weeks and feel I just have to say how consistently excellent the food and service is. Today we had Amanda who was so personable and pleasant. I had the French onion soup and half a chicken sandwich both of which were delicious. I love the music, the atmosphere and the extensive menu. I definitely recommend people to go for lunch or dinner!

Written February 28, 2022

jasont956

Salemburg21 contributions

Will not be back for a while

Feb 2024 • friends

We have always loved coming here, so not sure what exactly happened or was going on. We came in to grab some food and drink while watching the Hurricanes playing. We asked multiple (waitress and bartender) to please change one of the TVs to the game and it just never happened. I ordered one of the specials only to be told that it was out. Ok, so I go back to the menu. 15-20 mins later, our waitress realizes she has forgotten about me and sends over someone else to get my order. We get our food which was good, pay and then leave due to still no Hurricane's game. Go over to JD's and watch the game (spent a lot of money on drinks there, so you lost money we would have spent while watching if had been put on). As we are leaving, the table behind us pay and leave because they had to wait so long for their drinks. Definitely not the kind of service and stuff we are accustomed to.

Written March 7, 2024

lessnow59

Apex178 contributions

Make it make sense, please.

Aug 2024 • couples

We enjoy Doherty's Irish Pub & Restaurant and usually eat lunch or dinner here during the week. We happened to go at 1:15 pm today, Sunday, for lunch. They serve brunch until 2pm but also have a lunch menu. We ordered a pub burger and a whiskey burger, since the waiter asked which burgers we wanted. A few minutes later, he came back and apologized that the whisky burger is not available until after 2 when brunch is finished. I don't know why you could order a pub or brunch burger but not a whisky burger. Make it make sense. Also, please don't put the lettuce under the burger. It wilts the lettuce and makes it extremely unappetizing. Other than those small things, it was all good. My husband got a pastrami reuben which was served with cole slaw on it. Fries were good as well.

Written August 4, 2024

Doherty's Irish Pub

Hi lessnow59 - there is no reason you can't get a Whiskey Burger at brunch. We don't have it on the menu, but it is certainly available. We have communicated your feedback to the staff and everyone is now aware that Whiskey Burgers may be ordered at lunch. Thank you very much for telling us about your experience.

Written August 7, 2024

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Lorraine Cross

Raleigh125 contributions

Fun Pub atmosphere!

Oct 2024 • friends

Had been wanting to try this restaurant for some time, so was excited to finally arrive. Went with a friend who ordered the brisket sandwich coupled with brisket stew and he said it was delicious. I opted for 1/2 sandwich and cup of soup which was very tasty. It is set up as an Irish pub with lots of beverage options. Could be a lot of fun to have friends join you there. Would definitely go again!

Written November 21, 2024

Boldfish

Apex354 contributions

Great food every time.

May 2022 • family

The food was very good for all three of us. We were waited on promptly. There’s obviously a staffing shortage as every place has the same thing. Two of our drinks came very quickly but they forgot the third persons drink until,reminded. Two people had the fish and chips. It was excellent. The third person had the Dublin chicken burger and it was also very good. The onion rings were excellent and my son enjoyed the french fries.

Written May 15, 2022

nancypM3048KD

21 contributions

Hidden gem in Apex

Nov 2019 • none

We were pleasantly surprised by the food quality at this restaurant. My husband loves Reubens and theirs does not disappoint. Plenty of meat piled high on tasty bread. We went on trivia night and sat in the back room- but it was too difficult to hear to play the game. Next time- we will sit closer.

Written January 22, 2020

Gweech

Apex38 contributions

Consistent and Reliable Local Pub

Jul 2021 • couples

Great bar, food, and ambiance. Staff is attentive and cares, even in post pandemic. Good live music, a great rotation of weekly entertainment and food specials. Great place for date night and families with middle school and older kids. Also, their St Patrick’s day event is an Apex tradition. Definitely, an adults only party on that day.

Written July 18, 2021

24lorraineS

Cary709 contributions

A good go restaurant!

Feb 2023 • couples

After a day of roaming and errand tackling it was good to settle here. We like to sit at the bar to eat. It’s a good sized bar and service there is pleasant. This time I ordered Statler chicken dish for dinner and husband had a burger. Both were very tasty and generous portions. There is a pretty extensive menu so you should find something you like.

Written February 28, 2023

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