The Forge in the Forest

My new wife Shari and I came to Carmel from Texas for a destination wedding. We had booked a chapel and a restaurant for our wedding and less than 2 weeks before our wedding, the Chapel and the Restaurant called and said because of COVID-19 that we could not have all our guest attend, nor would we be allowed to have our cakes delivered for our guests during the reception lunch. We had no clue what we were going to do and then we heard about Forge in the Forest. They said come on in and we will take care of you for your special event. The service was absolutely awesome, the food was great and the courtyard that we had was perfect for our group. Caroline made the experience as good and memorable as possible and allowed Sweet Reba's to bring in our cake and cupcakes for our guests. If you want great friendly service, good food at a good price Forge in the Forest is the place to go. If it is just two of you or a small group they will make you feel like you have been a close family friend for life. Thanks Caroline for all you and the staff did for our special day!!! Kinds Regards from the Curtis Family

Wonderful restaurant with delicious food and amazing staff! We hosted our rehearsal dinner here and couldn’t have asked for a better venue. Carolyne was great to work with and made us feel so celebrated the whole day. All our guests raved about the food and overall loved the vibe. This is also a great spot for lunch or dinner any day of the week and dog friendly!

The ambiance here is second to none. Whether you sit on the front porch, the back with the fireplace, the side garden with your favorite 4-legged friend, or inside with the Forge, the environment is AWESOME! Lights everywhere, fires everywhere, plus the food is delicious! Try the French onion soup and the paella!!!!

This restaurant is located downtown Carmel. They have a beautiful outdoor dining area that is dog friendly. We ordered their calamari and grilled artichoke Appetizers during lunch time and they were both delicious. The grilled artichoke came with a balsamic glaze and a Dijon flavored aoili. The calamari was as you would expect from the bay, lightly fried and served with tartar and cocktail sauce. I ordered the breaded chicken sandwich for lunch and cleaned my plate! It was served with a Sriracha mayo which wasn't too spicy, tomato and lettuce, with your choice of regular fries, garlic or truffle fries. My Husband ordered the rueben sandwich, it was also delicious, but a bit on the small side. The ranch dressing was obviously home made and had lots of fresh dill. A friend ordered the Carbonara pasta which was very rich and flavorful. The only Iced tea they have is sweetened and the strawberry lemonade was fantastic! The server was prompt and split the bill for us even though it was very busy.

This place is so cute, romantic and has great character. Mike was so attentive and knowledgeable and made my day. It was my birthday and I came all the way from Chicago. He singed me a beautiful song for my birthday. I was blown away. The food was fantastic. If your ever in the area try this place out. So Great. Thank you

Lovely, brought our pups from the beach to here as it was the closest dog friendly restaurant and they had a DOG MENU, we got our dogs the chicken and they loved it, it was also quiet which was very nice as I don’t care for loud restaurants :) Update: I visited again on 10/4, once again 10/10 service, lovely atmosphere. Our server was Margo, my dog usually ignores people but he was happy to get some pets from Margo. She definitely passed the doggy-vibe check.

That onion soup! May have been the best one I’ve had yet! Wonderful outdoor seating and overall ambiance of the place. Other food was also delicious and the service was attentive and nice! Would definitely go back!

Loved absolutely everything about this spot!! Not only is the food amazing, the drinks are delicious and the patio is perfect. They are also the most dog friendly spot I have ever experienced. Water bowls and a dog menu are provided for your meal if you bring your dog(s) with you. I had to take advantage and I’m pretty sure the dogs would give it 5+ stars as well. Heidi took care of us, but the whole staff came by and said hello and made myself and the dogs feel so welcome. 100⭐️’s if I could. Thank you for being so welcoming!

Large Dog friendly outside seating. Friendly fast service. Delicious food, we had the onion soup, Clam Chowder soup, smoked Salmon Flatbread and the Avocado Toast with 2 fried eggs which salad. The Margarita I drank was very good but strong! 😁

This place has good food and a very cute atmosphere. It's dog friendly as well. We ordered the Hawaiian pizza based on other's recommendations. The crust was tasty and crispy, and the cheese and toppings tasted very fresh. My partner ordered the turkey sandwich with fries. I didn't try the sandwich, but the fries were very good as well. They also had a doggy menu and water for my pup.

Had a lovely meal at The Forge in the Forest! The avocado toast was fresh and flavorful, and the chicken teriyaki bowl was perfectly balanced with a great mix of flavors. The cozy atmosphere and friendly service made the experience even better. Definitely a spot worth visiting! And yes they are Dog Friendly.

We really enjoyed our lunch here. Egg rolls are fabulous and the chicken sandwich was good. Would not get the tuna poke again but it wasn’t bad. Service was good. Patio is beautiful and lots of parking on the road the restaurant is located. Lots of things on the menu I would have tried, we will return.

I came here for my birthday since we were staying at Carmel for it. The best steak I ever had. Food was very good, and the amount was also perfect, especially for the price paid. I had never had truffle butter before, and that stuff was so damn good. The atmosphere was lovely, as we got an outdoor area. The place looks very beautiful and calm at night, with the fireplace. The staff were very nice. I'll probably come back to Carmel just for the restaurant.

Can't describe it in words. You have to see it to feel the magic. Very pretty outdoor area with heaters on the patio. Food was delicious and everything tasted fresh. Wish we had more time to sit and sip wine by the fire pits French onion soup 9/10 Margherita pizza 8/10 Fettuccine Alfredo 7/10

We ordered Crab Cakes, Duck Empanadas as Appetizers…. The flavor was great and filling. Staff was friendly. My wife ordered the Pork Tacos and loved them. I ordered the Meat Lasagna and we ate to much and had no room for desert…. We would come back here every time we visit the area

One of the best American restaurants here. The ambiance is just amazing. Very friendly staff and they are always attentive. For parking nearby first check public parking at the beach side if not available then try another free parking near the Radio station. The food are amazing and the main menu quantity can be shared by two. The Caramel Art gallery and many others are around this place that's added advantage.

My experience was lovely! The staff are very sweet and very accommodating. I ordered the carbonara and it tastes as good as it looks! I'll definitely be coming back when I'm in the area again. If you're traveling to Carmel, I highly recommend adding this place to your itinerary 😋

Atmosphere: Outside is beautiful, comfortable, chill, relaxing and wonderful. Ser ice was excellent. Food was very good. Cocktails also outstanding. Love the place.

Hidden gem off the main strip in Carmel. Well hidden behind the enchanting garden are nestled with outdoor seating. Well prepared, quality ingredients, with extremely attentive and friendly wait staff. Very pet friendly (a few options for their meal). Highly recommend!

Good food and drink with great atmosphere. It was hard for us to decide if we should sit inside or outside since both looked good. The service was pretty good, too.

Doggie menu was awesome! Perfect brunch patio! Food was delicious. Humans…..Try the Asian meatloaf! Doggies….the beef dog is yummy! Staff were all friendly and helpful. It was a busy Sunday and EVERYONE looked happy to be there.

This place is wonderful, casual with an upscale feel to it. The outdoor seating is marvelous and the menu is diverse enough to please most palettes. Food is decent as well, but the ambiance was the highlight for me. The best of all was that they had an excellent dog menu filled with plenty of tasty options. My little pup got the steak!

Really like the outdoor patio which is super dog friendly and large enough to accommodate several folks with their Furry Friends. We had the French onion soup which was amazing. Other items were less than memorable. Service was pretty fast and friendly.

Cute restaurant with overgrown vines that works for the aesthetic. Dog Friendly at the Patio. Tables were close together with small amount of room. Definitely expensive but most places in the area are the same price. Forge Burger was good. The single stall restroom is unfortunately flooded on the floor due to small sink. Please very be careful of slipping.

We ordered the forge burger and truffle fries. I had the pineapple upside down cocktail which was so good I ordered a second that just never arrived so they took it off the bill. Service was a bit slow but the kid was trying. I loved that our pups were allowed to sit on the patio with us and that they brought them water bowl.

Great location, great food but the service was lacking. They have a small fireplace inside that doesn't heat much and a nice fireplace outside with a beautiful courtyard. We had to keep our coats on inside because it was so cold. We had the Asian meatloaf which was really just soy sauce and teriyaki sauce over grilled meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccolini. Don't get me wrong, it was great. My wife had a cheeseburger and added bacon and grilled onions at the advice of our waitress. Bacon was $2 extra and onions were $1 extra. That made it a $22 burger. We also shared a bread pudding for $13 which was good but was so small it wasn't worth the cost. Here it is all about the location, hence the pricing.

Nice ambiance in its outdoor space. Our party each ended up ordering the fried chicken entree and, although the mashed potatoes and coleslaw that came with it were delish, the chicken itself was a disappointment. The legs were overfried and dry. Will have to try some of the other options next time.

Me ,hubby and my son had been there on weekend and the place was lovely full of greenary, a nice and cozy place. The service was quick.We ordered Hawaii pizza and panini sandwich. The Sandwich and the complementary salad was really yummy however I didn't like the pizza. It was too dry and the sauce wasn't great.May be we didn't ordered the right food.I will try it again and order something else when I visit the next time as I loved the ambience of the place.

Think I had eaten at the Forge before as it had looked very familiar. Food was really good. Had The Forge Burger, cooked just right and delived with fresh toppings. Opted for a side salad instead of Fries. The salad was green as I like it.

A few days ago my family and I tried Forge in the Forest and it was lovely! We were looking for a place that allowed dogs and Forge was highly recommended. They do not take reservations so I would advise arriving early to ensure seating. We lined up at 11:45 a.m. with others for the 12 p.m. opening. The outside ambiance is beautiful and they have some speakers that play music. The service was slow, the waitresses were working hard but they could use a few more servers. The food was amazing!! I would highly recommend the lemonade, it was so refreshing on a hot afternoon. I ordered the blackened chicken pesto and it was delicious. There was a good amount of chicken and it complemented the light, flavorful pesto sauce. We ordered the steamers clams and mussels dish and the broth was buttery and had the right amount of garlic. It was served with tasty garlic bread, a perfect appetizer or entree!

caprese flatbread and french onion soup were amazing! would have preferred a more al dente carbonara and spaghetti, and all dishes needed a bit more salt, but otherwise flavors were great. great atmosphere, extremely dog friendly, service was good.

What a wonderful place! I have been here 3 times already and definitely will get back again. The food is yummy and service is very nice. The menu is very different than on the website. Probably it depends on a season, not sure. Or maybe they have a new menu now. If you are looking for vegetarian options, there are only few unfortunately. Also ask your server if a dish is spicy or not:) i could not finished my dish, cause it was too spicy and my server didn’t mention anything about it before taking an order.

Interesting decor - someone described it as robin-hoody, I'd say, definitely old rural English, with all the flames, metal and wood. We walked on a Sat night and were seated within 15 mins, for 5 people. I thought that was pretty good. They have only 3 veggie options, so in case that's what you're looking for, this is one of the places to check out in your list as most other places don't even have one. We ordered a personal Marguerite pizza with veggies, roasted peppers and olives as extras, the lobster pasta, the burger with coleslaw and the Indian chicken curry. The food was excellent but the service was poor. It took ages to bring out. I think we were there for a good 45 mins before the food came out. Parents loved the pizza and found it hard to finish amongst the two of them. Brother loved the lobster. I tried it too and it was really tasty. The burger was plain and didn't have much flavor at all. It was not very well-liked. The coleslaw was good. I was very surprised by the chicken curry. Loved it!! Had a base feel to it, and was DELICIOUS. Will recommend it to everyone. Esp since this is NOT an Indian restaurant. Pretty authentic. They took a while to even get the check. This could have easily been a 5, but the long wait for food and the check on a sat night when we were pretty much the only people left, was a downer. The final check was $$$ but I guess it's Carmel so can't help that.

The food was high quality but doesn't come with a lot of flavor (salt, pepper, butter, etc)... excellent when dining with someone who has sensitivities or dietary restrictions. Service was wonderful. Beautiful patio and classy service for puppy. ❤️

Food is decent, although nothing that will blow your mind. Service is pretty good. Nice outdoor seating environment and dog friendly.

Good food and service. Recommend their truffle fries (comes with the sandwich), blackened chicken Alfredo pasta. Also try the strawberry pinacolada if you’re up for it

I wanted to love this place. The ambiance and atmosphere are perfect. Romantic setting. Beautiful place! Food, was ok. I wouldn't recommend the lasagna. No cheese, overly meaty...... the filet was good, and little undercooked but tasty. They sat a family with 4 kids right next to our table and that ruined the we entire night. Of all the tables open....right next to us!!!! I would have left if we hadn't ordered already. Maybe it was just a bad night for them.

Nice atmosphere and the food was average. Not sure why this area refuses to split checks when it is a large group. The server disappeared for at least 30 minutes, and some of our group wanted wine to go with their meals. Too many people to sit together when 3 extras came in. The server asked the manager if we could move to a bigger table but he said no, so not even all together. I had the ruban and corned beef was good but could not taste the sauekraut or thousand island dressing. Coworker had the 1/2 pound burger, and it was dry and below average for a burger (even with the $4 add ons of bacon and avacado). Half of the large group said the meal they ordered they would not order again. One guest ordered a $9 12oz Modelo that was warm.

I wanted to call and ask about the wait on a Saturday. We were hung up on the first call that we made to Forge, and went to voicemail three times after. We decided to go anyways and it was a twenty minute wait, which isn’t bad for a patio spot. Our female server was very inattentive and frazzled. We sat with our dog for a while, with no waters, no menus, no silverware getting continuously passed by before she came by and said “So have you decided on what you want?” When I had to politely explain we haven’t been give a menu or anything else. We were offered water for our dog twice, but didn’t get it until another server passed by towards the end of our meal. We had ordered chicken as well off the dog menu once, and then again when our appetizers came, but didn’t get that either. The espresso martini had soft, stale coffee grounds floating on top that you chew on with every sip. The old fashioned was not your typical one and had a straw, crushed ice, and was overly sweet. We left without ordering entrees and even then it took a very long time to close out.

So this is my first review of Forge in the forest, but I have been here 3 times over the last 3 years. Up until tonight the food and service was a solid 4 stars. I made reservations earlier this afternoon the maitre d was very friendly and asked if we wanted to eat inside or out? we said in side please. 7pm rolls around and we were quickly seated. Our waitress seemed in a rush and had a scowl on her face. She asked me what I wanted, I said a Hawaiian pizza and add sausage and a fried egg in the center. (She began to say something about not being able to put a fried egg on top but I quickly informed her that I have ordered the same Pizza twice before. With a perturbed look on her face she wrote something down and walked away) My brother in law ordered hamburger with garlic fries and his wife order ravioli. 1/2 hour later the food arrives at our table all that is except for the hamburger which they accidentally gave to somebody else at another table. When the burger finally did arrive, it was raw in the middle, I'm talking uncooked raw. The ravioli all seven pieces (see pic) for $19, what!? My pizza had a weird aftertaste flavor, also after i started eating it I said to myself, self isn't this pizza supposed to have pineapple and scallions? so I looked on the menu and sure enough it's supposed to come with pineapple scallions and Canadian bacon yes they did put on fried egg and the sausage but how in world did they forget to put on the toppings that normally come on the pizza? After I was done eating the pizza, the waitress came up and asked me how it was I told her it was missing two ingredients. She said she was sorry and when she presented me with my bill she said she took off $2. Really!? You charge $2 extra per topping yet you leave off 2 toppings and don't give me the pizza I ordered and only take off $2. (Oh and by the way thank for not refilling our empty water glasses. Sorry to say Forge but I'm cutting ties with you. I will not be coming back again. You embarrassed me in front of my family after giving you such high praises.