Recently, I was intrigued by the renaissance of Fuquay-Varina’s
After Hours Pub, now situated in a different location after years of dormancy. After
visiting the new establishment, though, I came away underwhelmed.
Ostensibly the proprietor(s) of After Hours hope to provide
a place where patrons can enjoy drinking beer, throwing darts and eating a
burger. While theoretically that’s all well and good, the execution leaves
something to be desired.
On the day I visited, I stood inside the front entrance for
several minutes before even being acknowledged by a staff member. Once seated,
it took several more minutes for anyone to come and take my drink order. Not a
great start to the dining experience.
My server was friendly enough, but she seemed overwhelmed by
the three other tables for which she was responsible. Consequently, my glass of
Diet Coke stayed empty more than it remained full, and it also took longer than
it should have for utensils to arrive once the food showed up.
The After Hours menu features the predictable, requisite
sports bar fare: burgers, sandwiches and chicken tenders. It would have been
nice to see something more appealing—like fresh guacamole or Cajun-spiced
cheese fries.
To be fair, my burger and fries were tasty and arrived
piping hot. The serving of hand-cut fries was actually larger than I expected,
and I ended up leaving quite a few on the plate.
When I asked the server what beers were on tap, she informed
me that no draft choices were available. This struck me as odd for a pub, even
though I’m not one who imbibes adult beverages.
As for décor, simple, Formica-laden tables and vinyl booth
seats give After Hours a run-of-the-mill vibe. Maybe a few select pieces of
sports memorabilia on the walls would bolster an otherwise ho-hum environment.
After Hours needs to step up its game if it wants to become a legitimate go-to place in Fuquay.
