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Gettin' your Irish on
a listing of Irish pubs/restaurants in the Raleigh/Durham area.
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 2 am
- Delivery:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
43 reviews for Trali Irish Pub & Restaurant
Review Highlights
"My favorite aspect of Trali's menu is the beer selection."
(in 7 reviews)
"...beer battered fries, roasted stuffed cornish game hen, and..."
(in 2 reviews)
"A damn fine slice of pie, and we're pie snobs."
(in 10 reviews)
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43 reviews in English
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Review from L S.
Sanford, NC
1/23/2012
I have a very bad Groupon addiction/habit of buying lunch or dinner at different places that look delicious (and have a good rating on Yelp). Tra Li is one of those coupons that expires soon, so my friends were kind enough to let me suggest it for lunch this past weekend. Then the manager was kind enough to honor it, even though it was 4pm by the time we got there and lunch ended around 3pm. I love it when management is kind.
TraLi is an Irish pub in a really cool little shopping center off Brier Creek Parkway that I'd never seen before. In any good Irish place, the craic should be up there with good quality liquor and excellent stick-to-your-ribs food in order to truly succeed. In TraLi, and especially amongst my group, the craic was flying high. Our waiter was great, the drinks were quality and strong, and the food was phenomenal. I will be back. We started with an Irish coffee (Jameson and coffee) for my friend, a Nutty Irishman (Frangelico and Bailey's with coffee) for me, and a shot of $25 Middleton Very Rare whisky for my friend's husband. Since he knows I'm a whisky nut as well, he was kind enough to let me have a sip. While it's not my absolute favorite (Knappogue from Ireland earns that honor), it's definitely on my top 5, although I'd probably just bite the bullet and get a bottle before I paid $25 for a single shot!
Then we started our meal with some smoked salmon, served with homemade soda bread (YUM). The salmon was fresh and flavorful, the soda bread was deliciously heavy and crumbly, the mustard was strong and brown. Overall a great start to the meal.
After we cleaned that plate our meals were served - a chicken boxty for my friend, shepherd's pie for her husband, and a chicken pot pie for me. My bowl was absolutely massive! I'd been warned that it would be PLENTY for one person, and our waiter was correct. I found the pot pie to be delectable. Usually, when I order a pot pie, the filling comes out so hot you can't eat it for the first fifteen minutes while it cools. This came out at the perfect temperature - I could start devouring immediately upon breaking into the crust. Everyone remarked on how wonderful their meals were.
My friend and I saved room for dessert and ordered the Bread and Butter Chocolate Pudding. It's essentially two slices of decadent bread pudding (think the best French toast you've ever eaten, then make it more creamy and custardy) served with chocolate sauce and whiskey cream. Oh my word... I fell off the diet with this meal, but it was worth every inch of the fall. -
Review from Pat F.
Chapel Hill, NC
Meh, indeed. Aggressively average food, slow service, and LOUD atmosphere.
Nine of us came here for lunch on a Tuesday. We were seated in the "library" right away, so points for that. Also points for the French fries--they were crispy, hot, and good. But otherwise, it was nothing to write home about.
The room was extremely noisy, and I had difficulty hearing my next-door neighbor at the table. The server seemed to have a hard time remembering our drink orders, and had to go back not once, but twice to bring one iced tea out. She also didn't keep the water glasses filled and needed to be reminded that one of us wanted onion rings. It took about 20 minutes for our food to arrive, and this was at about noon.
I had the fish and chips, which comes with a small paper container of slaw, cocktail sauce, and tartar sauce. The fish was decent, if bland, and as I said, the French fries were good. The cole slaw was not good--it tasted like it had been made with Miracle Whip. And I like Miracle Whip.
The restaurant became very busy over the course of our meal, and the service got slower and slower. It more than an hour for all of us to be served, get our checks, and pay for the meal. We also suffered from a common seating failure--half of the table was always looking into the glare from the parking lot outside. Really hurts the eyes after awhile. Parking was also a challenge in the shopping center, so come early. -
Review from Bruce G.
10/17/2011
I tend to like Irish pubs in general, and Trali Irish Pub & Restaurant is no exception. I have been there on St. Pat's day, and that is what you would expect it to be (COMPLETE CHAOS), but other times I have been there it hasn't been too crowded and the service is friendly and efficient. I have found Trali to have good beer selections, and surprisingly pretty good food. With most Irish pubs, I think the beer is the star and the food is secondary but at Trali they do a good job with grub. At least with what I have tried (Which is basically just the fish and chips).
On occasion, such as St. Patty's Day they will open up a tent beside the restaurant with live music, beer service outside, and plenty of room to socialize outside with a pint in hand. I recently went there on a Friday night they had an 80's cover band playing outside in the tent which was a lot of fun since this weather was awesome (as was the band).
Parking can be a b#tch sometimes at the center where Trali is located (Brierdale I believe). Other than that little annoyance, I really like coming to Trali for pints, food, live music and socializing. -
Review from Paula A.
Apex, NC
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went to Trali with the hubs and our 10 month old at about 1:00 on a Friday afternoon. We were greeted immediately and sat at their "only available table" according to the hostess, which was huge for just the 3 of us, but we appreciated being sat right away as opposed to her saving it for a larger party. Our waitress was really friendly and efficient (without any resentment that we were taking up her 8 top for a party of 2 1/2). Since this was going to be our lunch and dinner for the day, we started with the croquettes as an appetizer. My husband used to love the croquettes at Hibernian until they took them off the menu (at the Cary location anyway). He enjoyed the ones at Trali, but not as much as the ones from Hibernian. Apparently, Hibernian had a variety of croquettes which come with three dipping sauces. Also, at Trali, the bacon was in the sour cream mixture on the side instead of in the actual potato like at Hibernian (which he prefers). Of course, we have no idea the "correct" way to make/serve croquettes, but he preferred the ones at Hibernian (although he said he'd order them from here again). At lunch, they offer the "carvery" and I got steak tips with mashed potatoes for $9.95 (as much steak as you can eat, although I was full after the first plate). The steak had a great flavor, certainly not the best cut of steak but definitely delicious for the money. The mashed potatoes could've been better (they were a little dry and flavorless), so next time I'll try the mac and cheese as my side. Honestly, I was so full from the croquettes and steak, I didn't really care about the mashed potatoes, anyway. My husband ordered the Reuben and said it was one of the best Reuben's he's ever had. We will definitely be back!
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Review from Grace B.
Durham, NC
8/12/2011
I met friends at 6:30pm for drinks and dinner, and let me say, the parking was horrendous. I realize it was after work and it's a busy area, but they did a terrible job planning the parking!!
The restaurant/bar area was packed, but we lucked out with a table outside without having to wait.
They had several beer specials, one of them being Oktoberfest pints for $3. There was a nice beer selection, with it being an Irish Pub - it's to be expected!
Dinner was pretty good, though nothing to write home about. I tried the Chicken Salad sandwich, they were stingy on the chicken salad but it was flavored well.
The beers were good, it was loud sitting outside - due to the street being so close and cars fighting for parking spots. The food was alright, I'd go again if others wanted to, but wouldn't make it my first choice. -
Review from Jen N.
Trail has a great interior atmosphere with dark paneling and small segmented private sections for seating. A true Irish Pub!
The beer selection is excellent and they have some very ineresting and delicious wines. The food is pretty good: the Sheperds Pie & Fish Sandwich were delicious, Greek salad was a hit, Smoked Salmon appetizer was great, but I have to admit I've had better Reubens. The menu was very surprising, actually... lots of appealing items.
We were there on a Saturday afternoon the it was quiet and relaxed, although I was there for a networking event earlier this year and it was packed! -
Review from Christine G.
Raleigh, NC
8/7/2011
I admit it: I'm not much of a drinker. However, my boyfriend is usually quite satisfied with the beer selection. We also go for the food and not the alcohol, so sometimes it can get a bit loud. But hey, it's a bar--it's to be expected! It can get crowded, so we've made an art of going to restaurants at off times. We've never had to wait for a table as a result. :)
We've gotten both traditional Irish fare and regular pub food there, and the food is decent. I've found I quite enjoy the boxty. My boyfriend likes the corned beef and cabbage.
Decor is a bit hit-or-miss, but I don't go to pubs for the decor either. :) -
Review from Katie P.
Durham, NC
6/10/2011
I had yet to find an Irish pub that just wowed me, but after reading other Yelp reviews, I decided to give Trali a try.
Did we all eat at the same place?
Granted, I did something some may consider foolish: I ordered a salad. This is my defense: first, if there is a salad on a menu anywhere that has beets in it, it's hard for me to resist. They are not common and beets are banging. Second, after watching many seasons of Kitchen Nightmares, I have adopted the Gordon Ramsey philosophy that if you put it on your menu, it should be fantastic.
Well, Trali fell way short. The Fresh Beetroot and Goats Cheese Salad came on a bed of wimpy arugula. There were less than 8 chunks of beets throughout the $9 plate. The sliced almonds had caught my eye when looking at their menu online but no almonds did appear on my salad. I requested the honey basil dressing, which looked like pesto but tasted okay. Nothing to wow.
My friend Sandra did go traditional and ordered the chicken boxty. She described it as bland. Eek. Never a good word to use unless you are eating at Luby's.
The beer selection was okay. Pints at $5.50 (well, except Coors Light for $3.50 (shudder)). The specials of the night were $4 cosmopolitans, which when brought out to another group, a patron exclaimed loudly: "Who comes to an Irish pub and orders a cosmo?" My question to her is: "Why are Irish pubs running specials on cosmos?"
Glad I had a BOGO coupon. This Irish lass will need some convincing to try this place again. -
Review from Katie H.
Morrisville, NC
9/7/2011
When I'm at my boyfriend's and we can't decide where to eat dinner, this place is usually our go-to. We went on our first date here, so I may be biased, but I've never had a bad meal, or a bad beer.
I'd say this place is dark and rustic which is quite refreshing since everything around it isn't. Although the place isn't too big, there are enough tables and waiting isn't usually too much of a problem, plus there is outside seating. The bar space isn't too big and the layout is kinda weird- there's 2 small bars in 2 separate rooms. However, a lot of the time you can kinda just walk around with your beer and plop a spot if you want
My entree of choice would have to be the shepard's pie. Obviously this is traditional Irish fare, but not everyone can do it well. It's a huge portion and could even be split between 2. Other than that I usually get a special, which hasn't disappointed me yet. Even the salads are pretty good.
One of the things I like best is the beer selection- and the prices. Sure there are $5 beers on the menu, but there are also plenty of $3.75 beers that aren't just Bud light and Coors- I can get my fave Magic Hat #9 for under $4. They have a good variety and I think there's something there for everyone.
Forewarning parking can totally suck in this lot, but this place is a great addition to all of the chains in Brier Creek, and it's worth a stop by :) -
Review from Gregory H.
Creedmoor, NC
6/27/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Interesting little place. It was family movie night and we need a place to get some chow before the movie. I had fish and chips on the brain and found this little establishment on http://zspot.com.
The Sam Adams seasonal they were serving tasted and looked like coors light, so I doubt I'd buy that again, here. The fish and chips, however was pretty good, albeit a little overdone. The fries were seasoned well, and the cod was fairly tasty. Service was a bit slow but not horribly so. Our server took his time getting to us, although the dining area wasn't all that busy. He didn't really check up on us after our meals were served either, I found it strange that he checked up on us with "How is everything" just after my soup arrived instead of after our meals arrived.
We got to eat in the "library" so the ambiance was a bit nicer than the bar section, woody, not too dark and we could actually hear ourselves talk.
Parking around here is challenging on a Friday night after 5pm. The lot is a bit small for the number of businesses and restaurants in the immediate vicinity. I had to drive around and wait for someone to pull out of there spot and then "claim it" before someone else could. -
Review from David E.
Honolulu, HI
7/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
So my friend Bernie met me out at Trali since I was in town for the night and she's a doctor at nearby Duke, she knew it well and it was a good central local.
It was a Thursday night and the place was packed, so we waited for an hour for a table!
Sat at the bar for a bit. Happy hour had $2 yuengling, so that's a plus.
The food here is decent pub fare, but it gets really crowded at night, even during the week.
The service wasn't that good, very slow, but the waitress was friendly. I felt bad for her because it was so busy.
I'm not sure about the kiddos, but the menu was decent. I'd stick to the beers, but it seems like a good place to go on a first date. Very informal. -
Review from Anna B.
Raleigh, NC
5/8/2011
So, Trali. The atmosphere is the run of the mill Irish Pub style Americano. I must say that the menu is great. A little bit of everything, from the traditional Irish breakfast, to Shepards Pie, to a hamburger, to fish and chips. I really was impressed with the overall depth.
We started with the Irish Soda bread. And although it didn't take me back to Ireland, it was pretty good. I got the equivalent of a club sandwich. It was exactly what I wanted and what I expected. It was $9. Not to bad considering I took home leftovers. For your side you have the choice of french fries, mixed green salad, or potato salad. I went out on a limb with the potato salad and the limb did not break. And actually I might even go to say that it is one of best potato salads that I have had in a really long time. WIN!
This Irish pub is now on my radar and I can't wait to go back and check it out again. -
Review from justin g.
Chapel Hill, NC
9/19/2011
A friend and I went here for some drinks and patio conversation. We sat on the patio for over 20 minutes before I had to ask to be served. The beer (Guiness) was okay, not the freshest I've had. When I looked at the bill I was amazed to see some ridiculously nickel and diming. $4.36, $4.72???? I have never seen this before in all my life. Supremely disappointed.
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Review from Gina B.
1/20/2011
My friend and I hit up Trali before a yelp movie screening (go yelp)!! I thought it was a cleverly laid out pub, very cozy and they had pretty good business for right after work.
For a Wednesday night, they had dinner specials and drink specials. The drink specials being more important to me. $4 house wines and beers. I thought the food was a little pricey for bar food. $9 for salads and sandwiches?? The portions were good size though. I had the chicken salad sandwich and had them forego the bread and just serve it as a salad. They use proper meslun lettuce and a tasty balsamic dressing.
I'd definitely return! -
Review from Nick D.
2/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Trali was actually a meeting place for the upcoming chapter of YNPN for the Triangle, on a Thursday night, which we brought 20+ people. For accommodating a large group, Trali gets high marks. For its food selection and prices it gets moderate marks.
Overall, the ruben was delicious, the service was good, and the place was great for our group! -
Review from Andrew D.
9/14/2010
The food isn't bad, the carvery seems like a gimmick but Caldwell liked it.
Don't go here on St. Patrick's Day - that's more of a "note to self".
And yes, a good place to watch the footie games. -
Review from Duke C.
7/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Not very Irish but that doesn't mean it's bad.
It's what I imagine a Disney version of an Irish pub today - all the right decorations, music, etc but lacking in authentic character. It's hard to pull off in a strip mall I know. To be fair, I should really go back on a weekend during primetime to get a real sense of the atmosphere (I went to Tra'li last night for a work happy hour).
What it lacked in character, it made up with in a good selection of pub-style ales and a decent menu (although again Jamaican Chicken doesn't exactly scream Irish to me). Everyone at our table commented that they enjoyed their food.
I found prices to be about a dollar more per item than what I would expect to pay in Durham. -
Review from Christina G.
Durham, NC
7/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Had a pretty pleasant brunch here today. We called for reservations for 10 -- just a few hours before we planned to arrive -- and they were able to accommodate us. I arrived 20 minutes early (and hubby headed back home to retrieve forgotten coupon: d'oh!), and they'd already set up our table for us. Perfect amount of space and within view of two TV's, as we'd mentioned we were planning to watch the World Cup final. Cozy pub-like atmosphere.
The waitress was clearly frazzled, and for good reason! The place got packed around 2pm and she had to weasel in and out of the standing throngs just to get to her many tables. Considering all that, she did a pretty good job keeping our pints and bloody mary's filled and sorting our orders. I left early, but heard she was even pretty accommodating in lumping everyone's order together so we could apply some http://Restaurant.com coupon to the whole order.
As to the food, I couldn't pass up trying the M&M waffle, so I ordered it as an "app" (haha) without the sides -- they knocked off a few dollars for me. It was actually friggin' marvelous -- topped with a very light whipped cream and fresh blueberries, watermelon and strawberries. Just a few M&M's melted in, enough to give it a touch of sweet that negated the need of syrup. I loved 'em. My main course was the Irish Breakfast -- it comes with a ton of meat, people. I love sausage (:snicker:), but was not prepared to eat all four types that arrived on my plate. The soda bread was out-of-this world, just the right density and tasted like butter was baked right in; with a nice sweet finish. Yum. Hashbrowns, cherry tomatoes, a cup of fresh fruit, and eggs. Those Irish certainly do know how to start their day off! Quite a hearty plate of food. Loved nearly every bite.Listed in: Best for Brunch, Best for Beer
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Review from Phil G.
7/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Trali has been known as a hangout for soccer fans during the World Cup so I decided to organize a Yelp UYE ("Unofficial Yelp Event") to this place to eat some food and watch the game. We made a reservation for 8 at the last minute, luckily, because space was limited. We had a group of round tables and two TVs were in viewing distance. Being true Yelpers, I must admit that I think we were more interested in the food but the game was a nice distraction.
I ordered the obligatory Guinness (which they have on tap), the Reuben, Buffalo Chicken Wings, and some M&M waffles (that my wife insisted on having). The Reuben was great (I've been on a Reuben kick lately). I also really liked the chicken wings and the server was nice enough to provide Blue Cheese and Ranch dressing. Food was definitely suitable and appropriate for an Irish pub.
The ability to watch sports was great but a real sports bar would probably be better for this (more TVs). However, I don't think this place is trying to be a sport's bar -- it's foremost an Irish pub. Overall, I really liked this place and would also like to see it when there isn't a big event going on. Apparently, they also have live music on Saturdays and a lively event page on their website. -
Review from Jane W.
Cary, NC
8/11/2010 1 Check-in Here
Trali did a great job of handling a large table of yelpers for the World Cup finals, and is a pretty cool place. The decor is that of any typical Irish Pub in America and the food menu is full of expected pub grub. The Irish breakfast is definitely the way to go if you are in for a Sunday Brunch. This "platter o' meat" (my description.... no Irish pun intended....) gives you a sample of many different sausages, puddings, smashers, etc. If you like fish and chips they looked pretty delicious. I went with the Guinness steamed mussels and overall they were okay. The flavors were just underwhelming, they were served with white bread, and the broth was a little gritty; however I did appreciate that the broth was very light and not a bowl of oil.
I have been here before just for drinks and know that they can make a great Irish coffee (with Jameson of course) and they know the perfect coffee to Bailey's ratio too. Nothing too bad about this place, it's just being in Cary I will rarely drive past Hibernian to return to Trali. -
Review from Kevin L.
Washington, DC
12/4/2010 1 photo
Suffice to say, I enjoyed Trali a great deal. I had finished an overnight running event in support of the Umstead 100 ultramarathon and was looking for a quality recovery/celebratory meal. Wise friends in the area suggested Trali, so away we went!
High points:
+ our waitress was a delight. I asked what she recommended for a dark beer and a quality fish or poultry dish. She offered an enthusiastic and informed response, describing the dishes in detail and noting her favorites. When all was said and done, I had the irish smoked salmon, beer battered fries, roasted stuffed cornish game hen, and a 1554 beer. Everything was superb. See photo for the presentation.
+ atmosphere was lit low, warm (temp-wise), and appropriately volumed music. Also enjoyed the high table and stools, which made for a unique opportunity of having the waitress look up to you instead of the norm where they sometimes glare down at you with impatience. Here, the customer is in charge.
Low points: none
Will make a return trip next year! -
Review from Sheri T.
Wake Forest, NC
5/6/2010
My three star review could be skewed because of my expectations, so don't be thrown by it...I'd definitely still go back. I was headed out with a group of girls on 5/5 for some Mexican food and margaritas. Naturally there was a should-have-been-anticipated-wait of an hour and a half at the Mexican place so we walked across the street to Trali for some good old Cinco de Mayo Irish food.
We were seated fairly quickly (since everyone under the sun was at any Mexican restaurant they could find) and our waitress was very friendly, though maybe somewhat confused about the day since she was wearing Mardi Gras beads in an Irish Pub on Cinco de Mayo =) We were a little concerned when she wasn't familiar with the menu items when we asked questions (like what kind of seafood was in the special and what kind of cheese was on a sandwich), but our orders turned out fairly correct.
The food took what seemed like forever to get to us, but probably because our order included a Shepherd's Pie and a Chicken Pot Pie. It was well worth the wait though...the food was delicious and my Ruben was one of the best I'd had! If you're going to go to Trali for lunch or dinner (or any other restaurant/establishment in the Brierdale Shopping Center) make sure to get there early...the parking set up is terrible making it difficult to find a spot. -
Review from Chuan T.
Cary, NC
10/15/2010
-Nice atmosphere in a food area
-Food seemed fresh and was enjoyable
-Chicken pot pie was great as was the fish sandwich with onion rings, although extremely greasy.
-Dined during 3pm weekday so it was extremely slow. Service was decent. -
Review from Amy C.
Brooklyn, NY
5/19/2010
Nothing like a little Cinco de Mayo celebration at....an Irish Pub. (next time, reservations) I quickly got over my sadness of not stuffing myself silly with fajitas and got a veggie wrap. It came with an odd sauce that I am glad was on the side. The wrap would have big good if there were not ginormous, Sumo Wrestler portions of mushrooms. The side salad was just okay. My water was tasty.
I liked the atmosphere - nice wooden booths and decorations - but the seating area was just filled to the brim with furniture. The dude behind me could eat off my plate. It would have been a little more comfortable had they spaced out the area better. Our waitress was did not seem very on the ball while ordering, but she got our food correct, so no harm done. -
Review from Dea L.
Independence, MO
7/3/2010
Just because I'm of Italian descent doesn't mean my repertoire consists mainly of gnocchi and cannoli. I'm married to a Chinese American foodie. We eat all over the 'globe'; we aren't food snobs by ANY stretch of the imagination.
Today we scored an Irish breakfast. Oh. My. Yum.
We'd been to Trali a couple of times before and discovered they served an authentic Irish breakfast on the weekends. Since we were in the area this morning, we thought we'd give it a try. It was $12, but totally worth it. Hubby was in heaven when our waiter set down his plate - full of rasher (bacon), sausage, black and white pudding, potatoes, baked beans, eggs, a grilled tomato & mushrooms, and soda bread. He barely spoke, other than to make the "yummy" noise and tell me how absolutely delicious it was. When he finished, he said he didn't feel nearly as stuffed/miserable as he thought he would be - mainly because the dish contained small portions of a lot of items, not a ton of everything.
I usually get the rasher stacker because I'm a sucker for a 3-4" club sandwich, made with the most flavorful rasher, turkey and ham, and a side of their fresh potato salad. Today I ordered the fish & chips. I decided on the full order ($16) in case I wanted to take home some leftovers. I received a plate full of crispy fries and two 3" square (1" thick) beer-battered pieces of fish that were to DIE for! The beer flavor of the batter was subtle and the fish was flaky - a perfect combination.
The portions are huge and the beer is cold. The music is Irish and the decorations are very 'of the Shire'. If you can catch a World Cup game, then that's even better. Order the carver for lunch and have a seat on an oversized cushioned bench in the library. You won't be disappointed. -
Review from Dan R.
Durham, NC
3/21/2010
There are several Irish pubs in the area and while Trali is among the youngest of the bunch, it does more than hold it's own! I've been to Trali off and on over the past couple of year that it's been open and have never been disappointed. This could be due to several reasons such as the food is fantastic and the Guinness is always flowing....
But one of my favorite things about Trali is available only during lunch! If you haven't been during lunch or have stopped by and only ordered off the menu then you may be missing out on one of the best kept secrets in North Raleigh, so next time do yourself a favor and check out the "carvery" before you place your order... What is the carvery? Well the cook prepares a variety of options for you to choose from (from roast beef to pork to salmon and a variety of sides). You choose a meat and two sides and the chef piles it high on your plate! All you do next is enjoy and it's unlikely that you'll go home hungry!
You may even be impressed enough with the meal that you'll be compelled to take a picture of it (before you dig in) to send to your mom! And while it's not her home cooking, she'd still be proud you are eating so well! -
Review from J 'aime S.
Andover, MA
6/27/2011
Beer was great, they had a cider on draught which I loved, live music on Fri and Sat which was surprisingly good! My only caution is do NOT get the cheese plate (but seriously, who gets the cheese plate in an irish pub?! I don't know what I was thinking...)
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Review from stacy W.
5/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is a pretty fresh looking pub. You can tell by the bathroom, it's a pretty unique bathroom for a pub. I was a fan, lord knows what the rest of the table thought I was doing while I was scouring the decor of the bathroom.
I've only met a few people here for beers just before cinco de mayo. I was a little disappointed that they weren't playing hockey on the TV. That was important to me so we ended up leaving. However, the service was pretty good. The server was diligent, kept our mugs filled and continuously checked to see if we needed anything even as the happy hour rush got busier.
It's a pretty chill place for happy hour. I'd hit this place up again, not for the food, but the decent price of the beers and decent service. -
Review from David M.
Durham, NC
2/24/2010
The decor is great and has a fairly authentic feel (although I've never been to Ireland). Had lunch here several months ago with some business associates - I had the Shepherd's Pie which was quite tasty and very large.
My second experience was a Tuesday night over a pint of beer. Had a half dozen teriyaki wings which were better than I had expected. This would be a great place to hang out after work and discuss life over a pint of good beer. -
Review from Barry L.
Raleigh, NC
3/5/2010
Let me get a few things out of the way...
1. Trali is good...very good.
2. The fish chowder is the best thing of its kind that I've ever eaten. The many bowls of clam chowder I've had in my life all pale when compared to Trali's bowl o' fish. Not too rich, and it tastes like fish without being fishy. A fine line, to be sure.
3. The wings, IMHO, are the best in the area. Better than Wild Wing (and not just because they're fully cooked...something WW can't always claim) and better than Ale House.
4. They know their corned beef.
So with that out of the way, I will now rave about...
Dessert.
Holy homemade pie, people! My first time, I had the Strawberry Pie, which was very good. Yes, it was made from frozen berries, but that's fine. I'll always take a frozen berry that tastes good in the off season, if the alternative is no berries at all. But more importantly the crust was not frozen, and for me, crust makes or breaks a pie much more than filling. My wife had the chocolate chip bread pudding...a huge portion, and also very good.
Today, we shared the key lime pie. KLP for us is a standard go to, since even mediocre KLP tends to be pretty edible. What we got today, however, was something very special. Obviously homemade, with a crust made of pure butter and graham crackers (the way it should be), and a filling that was more like cheesecake (not a bad thing) with bits of lime zest. Not too sweet, but not lip pucker tart either. A damn fine slice of pie, and we're pie snobs.
So there you have it. Trali makes very good food, and righteous dessert. I could make a meal of fish chowder and pie. I might just do that. :-) -
Review from Jeremy P.
Morrisville, NC
1/26/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I hesitate rating a place based on getting something as generic as I did which was not indicative of their core menu of Irish fare so take this with a grain of salt. I did eat there so figured I'd review it.
First of all I like the decor.....it has a real pub feel with lots of booths and heavy dark wood everywhere. It seems to be cool place to go throw back copious amounts of Guinness with your mates for sure.
Even though it's considered an Irish Pub they still have many of the typical generic American bar fare on the menu such as quesadillias and chicken wings. For those with an Applebees palate this may be a good failsafe for friends or family who don't like Irish food but if you're looking for authenticity be forewarned.
I was there for a team lunch with about 10 co-workers and got good speedy service so we could get back to the office. I ordered the turkey wrap with the fresh greens instead of fries. The turkey wrap was good enough....maybe a little on the bland side but the ingredients did taste fresh and I like the addition of pepper and other veggies. Then again, it is a turkey wrap...they aren't renowned for their complex flavor. The side of greens with a balsamic vinaigrette was just fine but the vinegar was REALLY strong....and I mean take your breath away strong. I didn't mind it myself as I have a pretty wide tolerance for that particular condiment but I can see this turning off some people. On a positive note it seemed to me to hint at the fact that they make the dressing themselves....nothing that strong would come from a bottle lest it dissolve the container.
Some of my co-workers opted for what I believe they called the "carver special" or something where you get a single trip to a gentleman who hand carves a plate full of meat for you from selections of pork, meatloaf, chicken, etc. The portions at lunch looked plenty adequate and comments were positive...the pile of pork across from me had me drooling. -
Review from Shannon D.
Raleigh, NC
11/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I really enjoyed the chicken pot pie and my husband loved his shephard's pie. It's great comfort food made from scratch. I think they could improve their beer selection since it's billed as a pub but they did poor proper nitrogen pulled Boddington's and Guinness for the table next to us, which is necessary for an Irish pub. We'll be back.
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Review from Charles B.
Rocky Mt, NC
9/13/2011
It's a pretty loud place with friendly servers and a helpful hostess. The rasher stacker was a big meal to finish, and tasty enough. I have no complaints other than the iPad did not want to sync to the local free wifi. I would go back and try it again, given the chance.
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Review from Melissa P.
Raleigh, NC
9/8/2011
Just not a big fan-- the food is mediocre, it's so dark in there and is never really "special." It's definitely not worth the prices and it's just kind of random--not very Irish, either.
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Review from Michael E.
Raleigh, NC
7/12/2010 13 Check-ins Here
Brit and I and a few friends went to Tra'li to watch the World Cup championship game. I didn't quite have the same experience with the Irish Breakfast that Christina G. had. It must've been my informal attire-trunks. linen shirt and a straw fedora. (Who would've thought that in such a small place I'd have missed all the Yelp-ers in the other room). This place got packed and packed quickly.
I ordered a cup of coffee - I never knew coffee could taste THAT BAD! Being ex-Navy I'm used to putting a spoon in it and watching it stand on it's own-AKA a coffee gut bomb. For some reason the coffee had a lingering smell of beef bouillon. I don't know if the mug was scented, the water used was tainted or if the coffee was just that utterly atrocious. Peet's/Community Coffee this was not. Brit leaned over and said, "ooh Folgers". Needless to say I had to give them one more chance to truly ascertain the atrocities administered to this hot cup of Joe. Joe must be rolling over in his grave right now for the mockery this made of his name.
We started off with the steak and bleu cheese bruschetta. This was an unbelievable starting point for our meal. A great counterpoint to the above listed coffee. The steak was well seasoned, cooked well with no gristle. The bleu cheese was melted like a pillowy blanket over the steak. While housing this bruschetta I noticed what was enhancing the flavors even further. A thick pesto was smeared over the bread which was then topped with the steak and cheese. After re-reading the rest of this review, I should've just ordered four more of these and saved myself the trouble.
Anyway, enough about that. Brit had a house salad and added a piece of grilled salmon. She enjoyed her salmon but the salad, while being mixed greens had two cherry tomatoes, 1 slice of cucumber a few strands of red onion, and zero bell peppers. Much to her chagrin she ate her salmon and left the salad to wilt. I had the Irish Breakfast-a glutenous feast of pure protein. Sadly to say I was unimpressed with the flavors. The bangers were bland (The black and white pudding were just as non-descript as the irish sausage and if they had not been noted on the menu I would have assumed they were all three the same), the rashers while being plentiful were grilled and tasted of overly salted pork (not my cup of tea or their cup of Joe for that matter). The grilled tomato I received was the stem end, and had a "bad spot" on the base which left a rancid taste in my mouth that could only be washed away by an extra hot bloody mary (the way I asked for it).
The upside of the breakfast-Soda bread...wow. Eggs, fresh and cooked to my liking, beans great flavor salty with some zing and lastly the potatoes. The reason I'm putting the potatoes here, is that Brit enjoyed them so much that when I went hunting for them they were pretty much MIA.
Service was attentive and personable. Carlie/a (I believe her name is), checked on us continuously and made every effort to ensure we were all comfortable. The drinks came quickly and the water was always full. I don't think we ever got to the bottom of our drinks prior to her inquiring if we wanted another.
I'll be back as it's right around the corner from the house, but I'll be much more willing to drive to a few other establishments in the down town region if given the preference. -
Review from donna m.
Raleigh, NC
3/31/2008
Trali is an Irish pub that opened up in March in the Brier Creek area. It has a warm, inviting atmosphere, but can get pretty loud when it's busy. That doesn't bother me much, but several people we've been with remarked on it.
The service is good and the staff is friendly. They've been quick and helpful with handling menu questions or suggestions for food or beer.
The menu has a nice variety, but it could be a little better organized. "Starters" and "Pub Food" are two different categories, so it might be easy to miss out on some of the appetizer options. The fries are in the "Pub Food" section. With cheese and garlic sauce they're easily my favorite thing on the menu.
The portions are large. I'm not exactly a light eater, but I couldn't even finish the salad. If you're not especially hungry, consider splitting something with a friend. It would be nice to see them add half-portions options for some dishes.
I love their Shepard's Pie, and the burger I had was cooked perfectly. I'm not wild about their ceasar dressing (a bit too much anchovy flavor?), and the fact that the chicken you can add on is jerk chicken was an unpleasant surprise. I just don't care for jerk chicken.
My favorite aspect of Trali's menu is the beer selection. The typical Bud and Miller options don't take up tap space here (though they do have bottles of them). There's a really nice variety of import and domestic options, there should be something for everyone. My only complaint about their selection is that I'd love to see a locally-produced option or two.
No beer specials as of yet, though hopefully that will change after Trali gets up and running. Another thing that I hope will change is the beer pricing. On our first several visits, we always ordered import beers. So when we tried several of the domestics, I wasn't happy to see them show up on our bill costing the same as the imported beer. On the plus side, there's no reason not to just order a Boddington's. But Trali was fast on it's way to becoming our standard meeting place, and the lack of a budget-friendly beer option will squash that idea pretty quickly.
It's a new place, so I'll update this review if we experience anything different on future visits. -
Review from Rj C.
Raleigh, NC
1/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent menu with superb quality food. Definitely a good place to get some brews if you live in the area.
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Review from Steven K.
Vancouver, WA
8/24/2010 4 photos
Delicious food, nice atmosphere, good prices, friendly service. Two thumbs up.
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Review from Michael H.
Raleigh, NC
7/19/2010 4 Check-ins Here
Bit of a hidden local hotspot, you must try the wings and/or garlic cheese fries. Leave your diet at home and come say hi to Shaun, Charlie, Tom and the gang for a pint.
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Review from Andrew C.
Round Rock, TX
8/18/2010 1 Check-in Here
We decided to hit up Trali while in town on business for a low-key good dinner. I ordered the Guinness (which as any self-respecting Irish pub they had on tap) and a co-worker ordered a round of garlic fries. Wow, those were simply amazing. The garlic sauce wasn't over the top, but just right to get my heart pumping. I had a hard time choosing for dinner, but finally settles on one of the specials- Buffalo chicken pita bread pizza. I was expecting something like your standard chicken pizzas, but this was over the top good. The buffalo sauce really set this apart. The pita bread it was served on was also delicious. I also ordered the Caesar salad which was good, with a fresh dressing and generous portion of grated cheese. We decided to delve into dessert with half the table ordering the bread pudding and some of us going with the M&M ice cream cake. The bread pudding was special, homemade and awesome. The M&M cake was good, but seemed to be something out of a box. Overall, great place. Laid back, good food, and good prices.
