Forage Public House — Restaurant in Lakewood

Don't come here unless you like to be ignored and get sick. I will say the First time was a good experience (summer 2018), we came in for lunch during the week with family but how things have changed since then.

Been there twice since the summer after hearing about their $6 dollar burger special on Monday. (Usually they are $10 plus) Seems like a great bargain for how much they pat themselves on the back for being a fancy establishment and how expensive the menu is. Both times I've had the $6 dollar burger however I had to call in sick from work the next day and lost a day's pay.

Worse still, last time we were here we waited 20 minutes or so to be acknowledged by anyone after being seated. It was a Monday and boy was it dead in there yet no service. I eventually hunted down a manager to ask her if we could please receive service as we were quite ready to place our entire order at that point. After I sat back down in our booth, I could hear the waitress protest. She was going on about having too many tables before she reluctantly came over to us at the demand of the manager. (That part I don't really understand because aside from the bar it was dead in there, maybe she was referring to earlier in the night?)

My girlfriend who was celebrating her birthday ordered breakfast for dinner but felt like it was left overs from Sunday brunch the day before. Her meat was dry and chewy and the burger I was giving a second chance made me sick. The manager did comp our appetizer for being sat and forgotten which was nice but hardly makes up for the overall bad experience. The appetizer was the only satisfying part of the meal to be honest. Despite poor service I tipped the waitress $20 on a $65 bill (including comp) because I was once in the food industry and I can sympathize with a rough night.

In hindsight it was a complete waste of money and time. Wish I would've taken my girlfriend anywhere else for her birthday. My girlfriend's birthday dinner was terrible and when I ordered desert making it very clear it was her birthday the dessert arrived with no candle. To be clear I didn't expect the staff to come over and sing happy birthday but a candle without me asking would've been a nice touch. Not sure what has to give but hiring a new Chef may be a good start so people don't receive stale meat...

We are no strangers to forage. Been going since they opened years ago and used to goa few times a month. That was until Covid, when, understandably, the food quality and service went way down. It’s never been the serving staff, it’s always been the kitchen. We keep trying to go back, but it keeps disappointing more and more. Last night was my some point. As a server/manager/bartender, I expect decent experiences. I actually even was hired at forage at one point and turned it down for the other opportunity was offered, because I have had several friends work there with less than ideal reports. With that aside, I still want to love eating there. IT USED TO BE SO GOOD. But every time, they forget someone’s meal when they are delivering the food. Last night, my parents were in from out of town, we wanted to give them a delicious experience. Their new menu came out THREE WEEKS ago. Plenty of time to work out kinks, if you know the business. My stepmom and my food was fried perch, which was more the texture of way over cooked calamari. My husband had meatloaf that was “almost inedible” according to him. My dad had the burger, which was good, but $24 for a dang burger????? I thought the place I work is expensive but dang! My daughters food was good. I’d order off the kids menu, but nothing else. Plus, the fries used to be so good and now they’re frozen shoe string type of things. Ick. Honestly, after it took a ton of time of us waiting to see what was going on, the manager finally came out. We almost walked out because it seriously took at least a half hour for them to come talk to us and we had been done and ready to go for so long. It was just unacceptable. I told them we were done trying, and we are. They were going to comp our whole meal, but I pay for what is good. I’m not trying to get anything for free. We paid for the burger and kids meal and drinks. But forage, your prices are absolutely insane now, and your food should back those prices up. Instead, winking lizard has much MUCH better fish and chips and burgers for half the price, and I don’t even think there’s is even good. It’s just much better. We won’t be back. Our poor server though. We tipped her on the total because she was so sweet. And girl, I’d give you a job in a heartbeat. You...

Avoid this trap!! Go anywhere else. We went for brunch it was awful, poor service, flavorless food, and staggering prices! There were 4 of us, my two children under 9, my wife and myself, we ordered 3 meals, 1 brunch meal and two kids meals. They nickel and dime you for everything, kids meals, a plain cheeseburger with nothing on it and fries was 10$ NOT including the drinks which were 4-5$ each. My wife and I split a a brunch item and they charged us to split it, which we did not ask for, we were just going to share, for 3 meals and 4 drinks it was over 80$ before tip! For brunch! lol If the food and service had been amazing, I wouldn't care about the price, this was anything but that. It was not that busy at all yet the food took forever to come out, kids burgers came first and they were just gross! Zero flavor, it tasted like unseasoned beef, my kids picked at it and left most of it. Soon after, our food came out, chicken, one egg and biscuits with gravy, again, zero flavor and nothing good to say about it. The chicken was so tough I had to saw it open with a steak knife and chew on it like a leather shoe! Somehow none of it tasted like anything, all while being incredibly underwhelming and overpriced. Our waitress was basically non-existent, when we were done we waited about 15 minutes before I had to go in and cash out with the hostess. Honestly what an expensive embarrassment, if i was the owner I'd be embarrassed anyway, what a joke. We went to Bar Italia, got some of the best service and food we've had in while, for the same price as this place, and we got four dinner portion meals! Avoid Forage, there's literally no reason to go there, lakewood has tons of good spots...