Always elated to find free parking (without having to park in the Rite Aid lot), I wandered into Dougherty's Irish Pub to a similar fortune. Not a single table occupied, two older gentlemen sat at the bar, both in somewhat dated blazers, enjoying some time they had probably stolen away from work for a lunchtime pint or two or three.
I sat down and waited for my attorney to arrive. Now, before you start thinking this is gonna be some Hunter S.-type tale where I travel the country in a great white shark, legal counsel riding shotty, a trunk full of mescaline, and you're expecting the Dougherty's staff to morph into lizards or something, let me just say my attorney is also my girlfriend and she does not condone drug use. Suffice it to say, she didn't know I was trippin' balls when she finally did show.
Just kidding. Man, you'll believe anything.
Anyway, Dougherty's is pretty spacious, especially when you're only sharing the place with less than a half-dozen people. There's this sort of black and white checkered floor (old Hunter'd have thought he died and fell into that Escher painting "Crazy Stairs," a.k.a. "Relativity"), green tables and some standard Irish pub wall hangings: Murphy's, Bass, Killian's and the granddaddy of them all -- Guinness.
The lone server, a slight girl, hip and alternative with pigtails and a studded belt, (I didn't notice, but I'd bet you a stout she had on a pair of black Chucks) was actually starting to get a little busy as a few other parties seemed to have followed us in. Despite the day's specials (a burrito, a buffalo chicken sandwich and some others), we both ordered from Dougherty's regular menu.
In an interesting contrast to the Irish pub décor, original artwork by Baltimore artists hung along one wall. This particular artist paints vivid birds. I believe the painting above our table was of a bright, bluebird playing piano and a yellow seal on French horn, but I could be wrong. You really do think I'm totally toasted right now, don't you? I promise. Seal. French horn. There was some jazz playing, but I'm almost positive it wasn't the Animal Planet Duet. Fine, don't believe me if you don't want to. I don't care.
Dish: Girlfriend, Esquire got a cheeseburger. Cheddar, crisp lettuce, a fresh tomato slice, fried onions piled on top of a very thick, very juicy burger. I got the Cloak & Dagger. A mysterious name, you think. The mystery -- who the hell wants coleslaw on a sandwich? Me, for one. Dougherty's Cloak uses corned beef, but I swapped it out for turkey (piled very high, by the way) and it also comes with Swiss cheese, the aforementioned slaw and Thousand Island dressing all on grilled rye bread.
Damage: The burger was $5.50; the Cloak 6 bucks. We both swapped out chips for fries, $1 each.
Total: $13.50 before tax and tip.
Decision: Both sandwiches were great -- higher quality than the meager price tags might suggest. Dougherty's has a pleasant staff and a comfortable atmosphere. Plus, you can get a side of culture with your Crab Cake Platter, as you browse some local art.
I sat down and waited for my attorney to arrive. Now, before you start thinking this is gonna be some Hunter S.-type tale where I travel the country in a great white shark, legal counsel riding shotty, a trunk full of mescaline, and you're expecting the Dougherty's staff to morph into lizards or something, let me just say my attorney is also my girlfriend and she does not condone drug use. Suffice it to say, she didn't know I was trippin' balls when she finally did show.
Anyway, Dougherty's is pretty spacious, especially when you're only sharing the place with less than a half-dozen people. There's this sort of black and white checkered floor (old Hunter'd have thought he died and fell into that Escher painting "Crazy Stairs," a.k.a. "Relativity"), green tables and some standard Irish pub wall hangings: Murphy's, Bass, Killian's and the granddaddy of them all -- Guinness.
The lone server, a slight girl, hip and alternative with pigtails and a studded belt, (I didn't notice, but I'd bet you a stout she had on a pair of black Chucks) was actually starting to get a little busy as a few other parties seemed to have followed us in. Despite the day's specials (a burrito, a buffalo chicken sandwich and some others), we both ordered from Dougherty's regular menu.
In an interesting contrast to the Irish pub décor, original artwork by Baltimore artists hung along one wall. This particular artist paints vivid birds. I believe the painting above our table was of a bright, bluebird playing piano and a yellow seal on French horn, but I could be wrong. You really do think I'm totally toasted right now, don't you? I promise. Seal. French horn. There was some jazz playing, but I'm almost positive it wasn't the Animal Planet Duet. Fine, don't believe me if you don't want to. I don't care.
Dish: Girlfriend, Esquire got a cheeseburger. Cheddar, crisp lettuce, a fresh tomato slice, fried onions piled on top of a very thick, very juicy burger. I got the Cloak & Dagger. A mysterious name, you think. The mystery -- who the hell wants coleslaw on a sandwich? Me, for one. Dougherty's Cloak uses corned beef, but I swapped it out for turkey (piled very high, by the way) and it also comes with Swiss cheese, the aforementioned slaw and Thousand Island dressing all on grilled rye bread.
Damage: The burger was $5.50; the Cloak 6 bucks. We both swapped out chips for fries, $1 each.
Total: $13.50 before tax and tip.
Decision: Both sandwiches were great -- higher quality than the meager price tags might suggest. Dougherty's has a pleasant staff and a comfortable atmosphere. Plus, you can get a side of culture with your Crab Cake Platter, as you browse some local art.
