Forage Public House

Mr. H actually selected a restaurant from my 2015 To Dine challenge list for a casual birthday dinner out with his family. I wasn't complaining! It was a brand-spanking-new restaurant, and one that I was very interested to try.

We headed to Forage Public House in Lakewood, on a Wednesday.

The restaurant and bar weren't too busy that night, but it is a good-sized place thanks to the large wrap-around bar, bar area seating, and a dining room.

The six of us were seated at a high-top table in the bar area.

The menu is split into two sections, a Build Your Own Burger list of ingredients, and then a section broken down into categories like "Fields" or "Butchers" or "Sea."

Personally, I'd like to see them reorganize the menu. Having both appetizers and entrees listed in these categories made it confusing at times. From the price points, it wasn't always easy to tell what the size of the dish would be. If they are set on keeping these categories, at least break it down by starters and entrees within the categories.

We decided to share the Gold Beets ($10)...

...and the Daily Pickled ($5).

Both were a nice, light start to the meal, and easy for us all to share.

Mr. H ordered the Suckling Pig ($22).

I had our server choose between a couple of entrees for me, and he selected the Shortrib ($25) with whipped white hominey and ancho chile jam.

The varying textures in Mr. H's dish were great, and it was certainly a decent dish, but the flavor of my dish "won" that evening. It was rich and tender, and I loved the whipped white hominey. I couldn't finish it, but it reheated well for lunch the next day. Others at the table enjoyed burgers, and the Rabbit.

Now, Mr. H has actually been back, already! A guys' night out led them there the following week, and he indulged in a burger. The buns are a tad too thick, but otherwise everyone is claiming that Forage is doing a really good burger. With topping options like Foie Gras, Pork Belly, Proscuitto, Pate, Suckling Pig, and Wild Huckleberries, they are certainly offering some of the most unique Build Your Own Burger options that I've seen.

The drink menu is solid, with plenty of craft beer choices, wine (half off bottles on Wednesdays), and several tempting cocktails.

The atmosphere and food (while a bit elevated) don't feel very different than its sister restaurant, Oak Barrel in Valley View. With other similar, and popular, restaurants close by in Lakewood, they'll need to maintain quality, switch up the menu seasonally, and make a few more improvements and decor additions inside. But, that said, I think that it could do well, based on our two experiences there recently.

Forage Public House
14600 Detroit Avenue
Lakewood, OH 44107
216-226-2000