Forge In the Forest

Great atmosphere, good artichokes. Dog friendly patio. Come here for the vibe not the food!

Worst service ever. Servers are old and should be working in another industry.
Food is nothing great either (chicken was supper dry). Sorry but I will never go back to this restaurant again.

Love this place! Good food, DOG FRIENDLY and nice outdoor seating :)

Sadly this once great place to eat, or to come and relax on their patio with a glass of wine, has fallen short, just a little bit more with each of the last half dozen times we have come. Once we would come every few weeks, and today may be the last for a long while, it has become a tourist trap, all that is missing is the busses discouraging hordes of Chinese tourist.
They have done away with the happy hour on the patio, now you have to go inside if you want the discount. As the place was nearly empty it seemed overly cheep and tacky move on their part, as a local this is a bad idea to keep friends and support, and I’m not even complaining about them no longer giving the locals discounts…
The one great thing you could count on was the Calamari, their deep fryer broke last fall and they have not bothered to replace it, now multiple staff has told us it may not return to the menu at least not anytime soon.
The Duck Empanadas are the next best bet, but without the happy hour discount you don’t get a lot for your money. Sliders and Ruben Egg Rolls are also good, the Lobster Linguini and Burger are also worth ordering, the rest of the food is okay nothing special nothing bad either, with the exception of the Beef Short Ribs we had last month that was overcooked and basically inedible.
If you want a glass of their house wine and sit outside by the fireplace, it is still a lovely setting, split an appetizer, but for lunch or dinner, try some of the other options Carmel has many to choose from.

A great place to grab a bite to each or a cocktail! Outside seating is amazing and the restaurant is pet friendly (even has a doggie menu)!

I give this place 2 stars because the food was mediocre and the service was horrible! On top of bad service we got charged an automatic gratuity charge and I don’t appreciate this since the server obviously knew she didn’t have to work very hard to get a tip. I will not be back and warn everyone who goes here to check you bill for automatic gratuity.

We came here with our dog and had an amazing time. Everything was perfect from the atmosphere and food to the service that we received.
I have a fairly large dog who can be a little intimidating at times, but the staff at the restaurant would come over to say hi to her and welcomed her in. We sat by the fire on the patio, which was a nice atmosphere and very cozy and romantic.
The doggy menu is just so cute! Nymeria (our pup) had the quarter hounder, and her food came out with ours. She definitely had no complaints about the food and would send her compliments to the chef.
I took the reviews of some others and tried the French Onion Soup. It is absolutely amazing and delicious. My boyfriend also loved the Angus Beef Sliders. I almost feel like I should swing by and get an order to go just of that because he wouldn’t stop talking about them. For dinner, I had the Indian Curry Chicken and he had the Pork Ribs. Both also delicious and the portions are pretty huge here. I feel that the prices are reasonable too!
All around, I have to say that the staff and food made our night a great one. Thank you!
P. S. The bartender is also amazing and I would give their drinks five stars on their own.

My boyfriend and I went here for lunch and the food was great. I ordered a burger with garlic fries and it is a huge burger and delicious fries. My boyfriend ordered chicken fettuccini which was also great. Our server Michelle gave us great service, considering many servers don’t since we are young. She was great. Recommend going here if you’re in Carmel.

This place is fantastic! My pups were greeted at the hostess stand with a large bowl of water and we able to not only join us for lunch but also DINE with us!!! That’s right there is a DOGGIE menu! So awesome! As for the human food, absolutely amazing!

The Forge is great! It’s really 4 star food, but atmosphere and dog friendliness gets that extra star.
First, the patio is very nice. We sat outside on a winter night and were comfortable the whole time. We freeze our asses off every time we go to Mission Ranch, so that alone makes it worth coming back. The ambiance of the patio is very pleasant as well, with a great color scheme, low noise level, attentive service, plus lighted umbrellas and a couple outdoor fireplaces.
We came with our puppy, straight from the beach with tennis shoes, sweat shirts, and hair looking a mess. No problems with dress code here, even though the theme is upscale. Once seated, they bring your dog a bowl of water along with the menus — including a doggy menu for your canine friend.
My husband really liked his drink, the Tequila Collins. I had an Arnold Palmer as I’m pregnant — but both were good and served promptly. My husband wanted an appetizer, so he got the onion rings (they were out of calamari) which were thick cut, sweet and fried to perfection. For dinner, I had the short ribs with pasta Alfredo and he had the forge burger with garlic fries. My dinner was OK, my husband loved his burger. We had the giant ridiculous cookie for dessert, and our total bill was $ 85.
I was very happy with the experience — in my opinion, being able to have a nice dinner after taking your dog to the beach is quintessential Carmel! It’s what makes this place so unique. I can see this not being as enjoyable when they are busy. This is off season, so be prepared if you come during tourist time.

Growing up in Carmel Valley, this has been one of my favorite little spots to eat at over the years, and now that I live in SoCal, the want to eat here has increased dramatically.
I really enjoy the atmosphere, dog-​friendly vibe, and the food, but service tends to be sparse and slow.
Overall food was a solid 5-​star with dessert (we had the trio) being a 3/​5, but overall, Forge gets a solid 4 stars from me.

A fun place to go at night with a couple of fireplaces on the patio. The food was just average except for the excellent onion soup.
Service was attentive and timely. My only complaint is the Lava Cake, very small and just not tasty. The plate was more fruit than cake. A 12 buck desert should be rememberable for a reason other than «I was ripped off».
We will certainly go back as its romantic and very Carmel!

I love this place. Maybe it’s the nostalgia I feel when sitting on in the garden patio, thinking of coming here as a kid with my folks. It feels like old carmel, and what you’d expect to find hidden within the village. The food has always been good– I can count on it and get what I expect every time. It hasn’t changed, and I love that reliability. The servers and staff are friendly, accommodating and you really feel taken care of. My dog even has his own menu!
Don’t ever change Forge, and please stay a while longer! A true Carmel classic, at least in my opinion.

Amazing! The chef tempted our taste buds with tasty dishes, wonderful atmosphere & fabulous dinner guests!

Oddest place ever. We stopped in here luckily only for after-​dinner drinks. The drinks were pitiful — the «old fashioned» drinks looked like garbage in a glass. Clearly they don’t know how to do drinks here.
Will definitely not be back — if they make drinks that bad, I’m guessing their food follows suit.

I had the vegan tray, which was wonderful. My partner had the chicken curry and he liked it very much.
We dined on the large patio where there are heaters for every table, a centralized fireplace, and just inside is a nice bar, plus indoor dining.
The food was very good and it’s always pleasing when there are excellent vegan options, making it a very nice experience for the vegetarian when dining with meat eaters.

The restaurant has wonderful outdoor dining patio and ambiance. I would not recommend eating inside. I love the fact you can bring your dog and they even offer a specific dog menu. We were there on a warm night and not in need of the heater or fireplaces, but it’s great they’re available for foggier evenings.
I ate there twice while in Carmel, once for dinner, and once for brunch. Dinner was great! All the fish is grilled and I had a lovely piece of Mahi Mahi. The standout dish was the trout which was served on a bed of vegetables. The garlic fries were pretty killer too. They have a decent wine list and prices seemed reasonable.
I made a bad decision for brunch and had the Huevos rancheros. The dish wasn’t hot, the potatoes were cold and had no flavor and I came down with food poisoning later and attribute it to that dish as I didn’t eat anything else. The burgers looked good and the pizza was huge for one person.
I’d definitely go back for the atmosphere but will pick and choose more carefully what I eat.

This restaurant is great and it has a gorgeous ambiance. I really loved the outdoor space, with heat and fireplaces. If you are with your four legs friend you will need to come here, there is a dog menu and they care about your dog. It’s a terrifically experience, I am sure I am going to go back here again.
Ceviche: perfect.
Vegan Tray: delicious.
Crème brûlée: fantastic.

Hello again Forge,
I’m very happy to add another 5 star review with many more compliments to you. Adding to my previous review from a few days ago, I was able to visit you this evening. My husband and I came with our little Cavalier King Charles. We came around 7:30pm. We sat on the upper patio. The hostess with blonde curly hair was super friendly and made us feel very welcome. She gave our dog 2 treats and very promptly provided a water bowl right after we sat down. It was very thoughtful and helped make our dog comfortable. She isn’t used to this kind of service other than at home :). I ordered the Gnocchi and my husband had the pork tenderloin. It tasted delicious as always. Once again, the atmosphere was perfect. The heat lamps kept the chill out of the air too which made it so comfortable. The service was wonderful. Thank you again for such an amazing experience!

4.5
The setting here is dripping in cuteness and quaintness. Tucked away in downtown Carmel, the Forge in the Forest caters to all audiences. It’s casual yet classy and the culinary offerings are aplenty with everything from potato skins and duck empanadas to wild salmon and paella. Guests are sure to enjoy the heated brick outdoor space which includes several fireplaces, rich wood tables, wine barrel planters and ambient patio lights.
The price points are great for Carmel. You get quality thoughtfully-​prepared dishes without a sizeable bill. I selected one of the daily specials: the Adult Grilled Cheese on brioche with a beautiful summer salad. I loved every bite of this elevated grilled cheese with buttery soft brioche and a blend of fine percorino cheeses. I loved the salad with fresh mixed greens layered with strawberries, pineapple, golden raisins, toasted almonds and tossed with a creamy vinegarette.
The Potato Gnocchi was excellent with cheese-​filled dumplings and potatoes tossed in creamy bacon sauce with Parmesan cheeses. This tasty dish is served in a cast iron skillet and comes with fresh-​baked ciabatta bread. My friend ordered this dish and I’m thinking I will probably order this next time I visit – or the lobster prawn wrap or the butternut squash raviolis or the duck empanadas.
There is a Canine Menu where dogs can feast on the Quarter Hounder (¼ lb hamburger patty), Hen House Chicken Strips (grilled boneless chicken breast slices) or the «Good Dog» (8 oz. of grilled and sliced New York steak for $ 12.95). I believe this is the only restaurant in Carmel that has a menu for the hungry hounds.
Come in for Happy Hour between 3 – 5 pm and after 9pm everyday. Happy Hour specials include $ 5 calamari, duck empanadas, nachos, thai lollipops, beef angus sliders, house wine, house beer and more.
Great choice to meet for lunch, dinner, drinks or any type of gathering. Sad that I’ve only been here a handful of times and I live 5 mins away, but I’m fixin’ to change that :-)