Doherty’s Irish Pub & Restaurant

Excellent food and atmosphere! Went on a Saturday evening and caught live music. Great experience. We will be back!

Best brunch in Apex. Proper Irish food and Guinness on Nitro. Bloody Mary Bar is impressive as well.

We’ve been here twice since moving to Apex a little over a month ago, & love this place. The servicer was great, friendly & very knowledgable about the menu. We went with my brother & his wife the 1^st time, & just the 2 of us this time around. Out of all the dishes, none disappointed. We used to live in Baltimore, a very Irish city, & this was on par with any we had there. We’re looking forward to many more delightful visits.

Great place for lunch, the food is terrific, the staff is friendly, and the place is clean. I have to say it is the best place I’ve eaten in North Carolina.

Had the fish and chips (it was great!) and would have it again but there’s so many things on the menu I believe it will be awhile before I get back to it. A lot of interesting things to try first.

A group of us came to this cute pub after we were told by a nearby restaurant they needed our seats. I’m glad we came! We were very welcomed, and both servers were amazing. There was also live music and the musician was fantastic. He came to our table to chat with us. Since we had already eaten, we just ordered drinks but looking at other customers’ plates, we will definitely be back for dining. The pub was your typical noise level, and there was actually a section off to the side for quieter dining. The restaurant was very clean and we didn’t feel rushed at all, in fact, we were told to just take our time and enjoy. I like the fact that they had a gluten-​free beer available in draft or bottle. My husband ordered wings and said they were really tasty. The celery was fresh and crisp. Will definitely be back for a casual evening and good music, food and service.

New to the area and went since we heard they had live music some nights… the food, service and ambiance was awesome! Meatloaf was perfect and huge, wife had a burger that was good as well. Beer selection was great and the servers were very friendly. Music was great and not too loud so we could still have conversation. Will absolutely go back

Enjoyed our late night meal at Doherty’s! Nice atmosphere, and friendly bartenders. Will be back!

Tried this place for the first time tonight and loved it. The chocolate cherry martini started it well. My entrée was the fish and chips. So light. So much flavor. I liked the tartar sauce even and I never eat tartar sauce. My companion had the shepherd’s pie. He said it was good but didnt compare to my fish. I often just disregard fries but these actually had good flavor. Heck i even ate the beans! We will be back.

The boxty (sp?) knocked my socks off. I highly recommend the brisket boxty. Also, on a previous visit I had the fish and chips. First of all, the portions of fish were huge. The fries and fish were served scalding hot… the batter was perfectly crunchy and crisp while the fish itself fell apart just by looking at it. Since starting this review, I’ve come back several times and every thing I’ve tried has been excellent. If you’re looking for something I stick to your ribs, the bangers and mash are the way to go!

I’ve always enjoyed Doherty’s in Cary and happy to have them in Apex now too! The best part is the food. It’s great to have a casual place to eat that isn’t just a bar but also a good restaurant. I love the outdoor patio and it’s non-​smoking you can bring your pups and enjoy the great outdoors. I even saw a manager bring some bacon to a pup it was a sweet gesture.
The staff is always friendly and they carry some great local beers and good cocktails. I was so impressed with my Dirty Vodka Martini, they served it with Titos and hand stuffed blue cheese olives just two of my favorite things in the world.
I ordered the fish tacos on my last trip and they were so good. You get three huge tacos stuffed full with blackened fish and served with fresh guac, salsa, and sour cream on the side. I couldn’t finish them all it was so much food. My friend ordered a salad that looked delicious and she really like it.
Great place to grab some drinks and food. This isn’t just good bar food it’s a great restaurant. Check them out on a night where they have some live music going on. This is a great locally owned neighborhood spot, I really enjoy it.

We were soooo glad when Doherty’s replaced Sparks. It’s is awesome to have an Irish Pub so close to home again.
We have been here at least three times in the past two months. The food is good, I wish I could drink the beer, but I am not allowed to due to medical reasons :-(
The atmosphere is perfect pub ambience — so much better than the horror that was Sparks…
We will be coming here often. On music nights, the music can be a bit loud, almost painfully so, but that’s only been the case one time we’ve visited.
The food is your standard Irish fare and is yummy.
Thanks again for bringing an Irish Pub to Apex!!!

After our previous visit we figured we’d give it a go again (to see if things had in fact changed as per what the owner said in his reply to me). Having worked food service before I can say I tend to notice a lot when we go out to eat. I printed off my email from the owner stating that he would comp our meals, and purposely held on to it until the bill came. Let me say… WELL DONE guys!
We were cheerily greeted upon entering the restaurant, seated and drinks ordered promptly. The waiter was friendly and attentive. The meals were outstanding, and when I turned in the printed email, the manager came to speak with us to find out how things went this time. SO much better!
Thank you for listening to the issues we had earlier and really getting to the issue with the staff, a very noticeable difference.
We’ll be back!

This place is the best! We frequented the previous bar ‘Sparks’ and it was alright. BUT now that the owners of the Cary Doherty’s have come in they made this place the best restaurant/​pub in Apex. The interior is now updated, fresh, and super clean. The staff has been given some new life and I love that Dillan is still there. He has such an amazing energy and really makes everyone feel welcome when they are in the restaurant.
The food, the bomb. It is fresh and oh so delicious. I love the Reubens and the steak medallions are perfectly tender and always just right. The chocolate mousse is the perfect way to end your meal. If you go on Sundays for brunch be sure to indulge in the Bloody Mary Bar… seriously the best way to start Sunday Funday.
All in all. Dohertys is the perfect hidden gem in Apex. If you haven’t gone… you must go. Say hi to Dillan and Duke. They will surely treat you right!

Doherty’s is doing things right when it comes to Irish pubs in my book! While it may not entirely look the part, the new Doherty’s in Apex follows the same successful formula of the original in Cary: Above-​average pub eats with great service in a suburban pub setting. Inside you’ll see more hints of an Irish pub rather than the full-​blown experience you would get at say, the Hibernian.
While I’m sure Doherty’s is a great spot to tip back a beer, it’s the food that takes center-​stage here. Same great fish n chips, I tried the reuben and french onion soup for my last visit and it was great! And a good deal for the price, too.
Service at Doherty’s is usually quite good, professional and attentive. So now you’ve got two options for a great Irish pub with excellent food and service in the area: Doherty’s in Apex and Doherty’s in Cary. Don’t overlook this gem…

This Doherty’s location was a real disappointment. On a Friday evening, 2 members of our party ordered fish and chips. One order was under-​cooked. The other was forgotten by the staff, so 3 of us dined while the 4^th person sat and waited! The traditional corned beef and cabbage entrée was not good. The cabbage was old and tasted terrible. There were a couple of carrot slices and a couple of tiny potato chunks. The corned beef was okay, but not really great. The 4^th member of our party ordered shrimp and grits. She didn’t find it very appealing: the shrimp were little and the grits were runny.
I’m willing to try the other Doherty’s restaurant in Cary I hope it will be better.

My wife had been wanting to try the new Doherty’s since it opened so we went for lunch today. The décor is about average for an Irish pub in America. It’s made to feel like the real thing but not as effective as some. And by some, I’m referring to the ones where after a while you forget you’re in the US. The atmosphere is greatly improved by the open layout of the front pub. The extensive bar and surrounding area create a great active and open space that makes you truly feel a part of the crowd. The back restaurant is a little more ordinary and isolated.
The menu has all of the usuals including fish & chips, Sheppard’s pie, corned beef, boxty and more. And the same goes for the beers with the typical Irish /​English offerings (Guinness, Bass, Smitwick’s, etc.), the Bud types and a few from Sam Adams. But they do offer several from Triangle area breweries which is nice. Unfortunately I had more work to do so I abstained.
We went with the Irish Eggrolls, Fish & Chips and Mullingar Boxty. The eggrolls were OK but a little dry and not worth the $ 8 price tag. The fish & chips were good with a nice piece of fish and a good fish to batter ratio. But the coating held a fair amount of grease as if the oil wasn’t hot enough. The chips were pretty good too but again held a little too much oil. It also came with string beans which was nice. The boxty had a quality meat filling but overall didn’t seem that authentic to me.
The service was pleasant. Our waiter was attentive and helpful and a couple of other people stopped by the table to help or check on us.
Overall, it was about what I expected, a typical American Irish pub that does everything you’d expect in a welcoming environment. I think it’s well worth a try but not something you have to go out of your way to do.

Great Irish food!
Nice atmosphere !
Seems well managed
Staff friendly and prompt
Check this next time in apex

In a word, Fantastic. I live in Durham now but my folks are still in Apex so I come home fairly often. It’s great to have a place like Doherty’s in the area. My family and I are real meat and potatoes people so Irish, English, German, etc food is right up our alley. Unfortunately, I hadn’t been able to find a consistently good Irish place in the Triangle until I visited Doherty’s.
First off, they pour a great Guinness. Reason enough for a visit if you are a fan of the black stuff! We first visited a day or two after Christmas, and we all decided to try different things. We started off with the fried pimento cheese fritters and irish egg rolls. The fritters were pretty «meh» to be honest. Not great, not bad, just meh. Wouldn’t order again. The Irish egg rolls were awesome though. lots of corned beef and cabbage with a nice dipping sauce (don’t recall what it was, maybe russian or thousand island?). We really liked these. Honestly, between two people the egg rolls and a couple of beers will fill you up.
By the time our entrees arrived, we weren’t even hungry anymore. We had the «famous fish n’ chips», bangers and mash, and the peppercorn steak. Good fish n chips are easily my favorite pub food and unfortunately, there aren’t many places around here that even come close to «good». Skippers fish fry in apex is pretty damn good southern style but I was yet to find a good English style fish n chips. The fish n chips at doherty’s are a MUST HAVE for anyone who likes fried fish. Light crispy batter and flaky fresh white fish. Not the least bit greasy, huge portions, and simply perfect! Right up there with what i’ve had overseas and just as good as A Salt And Battery in Greenwich NYC.
The bangers and mash were also very good, although if I’m being overly critical, a bit salty. The steak was okay and we probably wouldn’t order again. For a peppercorn steak, it wasn’t very peppery!
As a testament to our experience, my parents have been back to Doherty’s twice since Christmas alone for beers and appetizers. Really a great addition to the area and the only place I’ll be visiting for pub food in Apex from here on out. Highly recommended!
I’ll let the picture I took do the talking from here on out!

Great beer selection and excellent. interpretations of Celtic standards. Fantastic corned beef and cabbage is incorporated into a plate of Irish egg rolls. The corned beef is made in house as are all of the dishes offered on the expansive menu. Explore, try something unfamiliar. You will not be disappointed in anything on this menu.