Triangle Restaurant Week: Doherty's Irish Pub is affordable and enjoyable

At the corner of High House Road and Davis Drive, in a shopping center that is best known for having the only H Mart in the Triangle area, one of the best restaurants in the Triangle is nestled between a coffee shop and an optometrist. And no, I’m not talking about Goodberry's. I’m talking about Doherty’s Irish Pub. Founded in 2012 by Sami Taweel and Donavan Favre and named in honor of local retired restaurateur Michael Dohert, this establishment has two restaurants — one in Apex and one in Cary — and operates its own food truck called the Paddy Wagon. And while this restaurant may not have the long history of other local establishments, its food and environment more than makes up for that.

As the name suggests, Doherty’s is an Irish-style pub. The front of the store is covered in black wood paneling with red and yellow borders, and the interior is full of richly brown wood. Visitors have the choice of sitting outside in small tables, at the bar, in wooden booths or at various tables scattered throughout the restaurant, and there are plenty of TVs throughout for those who want to watch a game. While the design of the restaurant is a classic pub, in contrast to the American perception of pubs as places meant exclusively for adults to meet up and drink alcohol, Doherty’s is open to customers of all ages.

While Doherty’s does offer traditional Irish fare (and is among the few places in the Triangle that do so), it doesn’t hesitate to include other options – many of them fusions of American-Irish fusion meals. For appetizers, options include Irish egg rolls (an egg roll stuffed with corned beef, sauerkraut and swiss cheese), boxties (Irish pancakes served with your choice of beef, fish, or mushroom), brisket nachos, and brisket poutine. They also have several soup and salad options for those seeking more healthy fare. For sandwiches, diners can choose between standard pub fare like burgers and beef or turkey sandwiches and more adventurous options like a fish and chipwich and a whiskey chicken salad sandwich. Then for entrees, there are many options such as fish and chips, bangers (sausages) and mash and shepherd’s pie (with beef instead of lamb). They also offer many, many side options including mashed potatoes and fries. 

Visiting as part of the annual Triangle Restaurant Week, I had the pleasure of eating a three-course meal consisting of Beef and Guinness Stew, Fish and Chips, and the Traditional Bread Pudding (all regular menu items). My first course was of course the Beef and Guinness Stew, a dark and rich broth studded with plentiful chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes, which I found to be exceedingly flavorful and nicely filling. I particularly enjoyed the broth, which I felt was the perfect balance between being rich and not overpowering the rest of the soup.

 Next came the fish and chips, served with a side of haricots verts (French green beans cooked with lemon and butter among other ingredients) and plenty of tartar sauce in the traditional newspaper covered plate. I found the fish to be perfectly crisp, going incredibly well with the tartar sauce and still great without it (for those who aren’t fans of tartar sauce), while the fries were well-salted and delicious and the haricots verts served as a delicious and healthy side. 

Finally, for dessert I had the bread pudding, studded with raisins and covered in a non-alcoholic whiskey sauce. It was the perfect combination of dense and sweet, with the raisins providing nice bursts of flavor and the whiskey sauce adding a nice element. All in all, I found my meal to be delicious, affordable, and highly enjoyable.