Forge Southern Comfort — Restaurant in Maryland

I had an incredible time at The Forge when I went with a group of friends for a birthday dinner. We were greeted warmly at the door and our server, Darnell, instantly struck up friendly and fun conversation. We arrived close to closing time, but no one put any open pressure on our dining experience and, in fact, were so accommodating and kind. We were told the specials and I got to try the Caprese Salad with tomatoes cut paper-thin, served with a large ball of fresh burrata cheese. For the table, we got an adorably small skillet of cornbread with sweet cream whipped butter and a carafe of water to refill our glasses. For my meal, I ordered the Crab Cakes. I'm a native of Virginia Beach, so seafood has always been a tough sell for me. I was also wary when they were served on potato wedges, fearing a starch overload. I'm happy to report, my trepidation was unfounded. Not only were the flavors distinguishable from each other, the combination was stellar. I think the ability to make a crab cake that holds up even after a forkful is pulled off is nothing short of a miracle, and The Forge performed it with divine skill. An extra bit to add; the serving staff were all so incredibly friendly and sweet, and I have a small personal story to tell that will cement it: A friend ordered the Fried Chicken special, which was served with collard greens. My mother passed away a few years ago, and I hadn't had our traditional meal of greens and black-eyed peas since her passing. On a whim, I tried a bite after getting permission, and promptly began to cry. I know, dramatic! But those greens tasted EXACTLY how my mother made them, and the memory brought up of those happy New Year's dinners overwhelmed me. The whole table was dabbing their eyes as I told them my experience, and Darnell was delighted that their cuisine was so evocative. In fact, he got me a free small tub of beans that he typically served with the greens to try and round out the experience. It was a touching gesture and I can confirm, more tears fell when I ate my incredible leftovers. Darnell was also very tuned in to each diner, even remembering himself before accidentally misgendering a friend because he remembered us using "They" pronouns. To some, that may seem insignificant or ridiculous, but for a group used to having to correct or stay silent, that was a show of such kindness and respect. He earned a hefty tip from us for being amazing. The portions are truly Southern, so diners used to smaller plates will absolutely have leftovers. Overall, I cannot recommend The Forge enough. The food is enough to warrant many visits, but it's the soul of the staff that made the dinner above and beyond expectation. And isn't soul food about putting your soul into it? The folks at The Forge...

Visited this location on 11/3/2022. Waited about 3 mins for someone to make an appearance and then we were seated quickly. We were the only 2 patrons dining in the restaurant; the gentleman says there was a delivery that he was taking care of and apologized. All of the staff that we encountered were friendly and the restaurant appeared to be very clean which is a plus.

THE FOOD. This restaurant has a lot of potential with its menu items, but I was a little underwhelmed when I received my food. We came with the intentions of trying some of the brunch options but found out when we got to the restaurant that brunch items were offered on the weekends. So, we ordered the Chicken w/ Waffles & Shrimp w/ Grits. The Chicken & Waffle ($26) which consisted of 2 fried chicken thighs and one round waffle with a jalapeno syrup concoction. Please note, I am big on the temperature of my food. The chicken seemed to be freshly prepared with a nice crunchy breading but it was EXTREMELY salty. I want my food to be seasoned but this was just too much for me. The waffle was flat out cold. My fiancé had the Shrimp & Grits ($24) and commented on the temperature of his grits which were luke warm and he also mentioned the shrimp in his dish were salty as well.

DRINKS... The menu had a pretty decent amount of specialty drinks crafted by the restaurant. We ordered a Mimosa & the Strawberry Lemonade. We were both satisfied with our drinks. No complaints.

Total bill for 2 entrees, 2 drinks, including 20% tip ($84).

My suggestion would be to possibly prepare the the items that do not retain heat well last, so that customers get food that is a suitable temperature; also go a little easier on the salt.

The reason for the 3 stars is strictly because of the food. The temperature and the saltiness just didn't do it for me.

WILL I try this restaurant again in the future? I will definitely give this restaurant another try as I live in the area and would like to have a restaurant that I can frequent that is closer to home. Maybe I will stick with something simple like appetizers and drinks on my next visit. I am willing to update this review after...

A diamond in the rough!! My wife and I went there last night and it was a truly special night. The place is so modest inside and out, but what’s inside is what made the night so great.

While the staff is small in numbers, everyone of them took the time to say hello and even when we were seated, we felt like we had a full staff at our service. Our waiter Darrell felt like our best friend by the end of the night, and Kimberly was always walking by with a smile on her face and a wink toward our table. Even Chef Tom came out to say hello and thank us for coming in, which makes you feel pretty special.

The food was delicious to say the very least. To say that my wife loves Brussel sprouts is an understatement, and when she had the Caesar made with shaved sprouts, she was in heaven. I even enjoyed it, and I do not like sprouts. The micro-greens on each dish were so fresh and delicious it made me want more and we found out that everything is locally sourced, which we loved to hear. Farm to table is not just a fad, when you live in a rural area, it’s critical to sustaining local businesses like FreshMarket Farms where the micro greens came from. Now I have to find that place and buy some for the house!!

I had the shrimp and grits for dinner and my wife had the stuffed rockfish. I’ve been down south to some amazing restaurants, and this shrimp and grits was the best I’ve ever experienced! We thought this was it, until we decided to get the peach shortcake for desert - happy noises all around. This was no little biscuit like you get in most places. This was shortcake heaven with fresh peach and fluffy cream.

Just a quick note that our few leftovers were devoured by our 23 year old son with even more happy noises then his mom had.

Before I finish my brief (haha) review (you have to experience this place first hand) I cannot forget about the cocktails. All I can say is treat yourself!! Their signature drinks are killer!!

There is no other place in a hundred mile radius that comes close to this great, fresh, hand-made southern comfort food! Can’t believe I didn’t find this place sooner. We will...