"We had eaten there before and had an excellent meal so we decided to try if for Mother's Day. Big mistake. They were out of everything and the wait for drinks and food was long. The normally delicious pizza was under cooked and the toppings were runny. I love this restaurant and will give it another try just not on the biggest restaurant day of the year."
Dined on 5/12/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem
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"A nice warm evening (rare occasion in Oakland) made for a wonderful outdoor dining adventure. A great view of the waterfront, and excellent people watching. The food and drinks were really good. The waitress was fun and very personal. The Pizza's were nice thin crusts, with excellent topping. The best thing was the Calamari Salad with Fava Beans. It was a special that night, but should be a regular. The only item we would not order again is the "Crispy Cheese Curd" appetizer. Not that it tasted bad, but my body doesn't need deep fried cheese."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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"Pizza is great; good service; great location in Jack London Square. Good selection of beers. High noise level made it difficult to carry on a conversation."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, hot spot
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"I've been to the Forge three times. The setting is great. This time we had the potato pizza which was excellent - very interesting flavors. I've had the roasted vegetables each time I've gone because they're interesting and tasty (small turnips, radishes, carrots with their greens) but I wish they didn't have so much oil/butter on them. My son enjoyed his salad with buttermilk dressing and fresh dill. Our waitress was very nice and the setting is hard to beat."
Dined on 5/03/2013
Special Features: good for groups, vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, scenic view, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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"The bartender needs to learn to make a mojito. The first one had at least 10 sprigs of mint, too much soda and not enough sugar. I asked for another which then took 20 mins to make and was worse than the first one. I guess they only know beer. My waiter was very nice and didn't charge me for the bad drink. Pizza was ok. Expensive with no sauce, cheese or meat on it. Cheese curds were very good and the atmosphere is nice. Its a young 20 something crowd. Next time I go it will be for a glass of wine and appetizer only out by the fire pits. That is really the only good thing about this place."
Dined on 5/02/2013
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"I really wanted to love The Forge but it missed the mark on its pizzas. We tried the Margherita and the Pepperoni. The crust had a strange sour flavor to it and tasted a little off. It was also a little too burned for my taste. The toppings were fine, though not quite as "fresh" as I was expecting. Service was warm but a little absent. On the plus side, the outdoor atmosphere is superb! I would definitely come back for a drink, but I doubt I would give the pizza another go."
Dined on 4/30/2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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"The beauty of this spot is in the ability of the diner to choose the indoor or outdoor seating thereby creating their own experience. I have sat inside at the bar on a Friday night (very busy, very loud, and very entertaining even if you succeed in ignoring the televisions - I hate televisions, I don't go to restaurants to watch television), and on the patio on a Tuesday evening which was delightful in that it was less noisy and allowed for conversation and people-watching in Jack London Square with sailboats right across the way. The Amtrak trains go by every thirty minutes or so about 200 feet away so expect some loud noise periodically even outside. Food has been consistent in its quality here and the house cocktails are off the hook!"
Dined on 4/30/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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"Fabulous addition to Oakland's dining scene. Housed in the old El Torito location in Jack London Square, The Forge adds another notch in the revitalization belt of JLS and Oakland in general. Serving mostly pizzas of the thin crust variety, they also offer a handful of appetizers, a few salads, a daily soup, a daily catch and fried chicken. Of the menu items we sampled - 3 apps, 2 pizzas - everything was tasty and fresh. Service was great too, as our server was professional yet warmly welcoming, and informative. We will definitely return to try the other items on the menu!"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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"Our group of 5 ordered 2 apps, 2 salads, & 3 pizzas. Salads arrived prior to the apps and I was halfway thru my salad when told they were out of asparagus for my appetizer. Because 4 of the 20 menu items contained asparagus, this seemed completely short-sighted and the fact that they told me after I was halfway thru my salad was annoying. Because the asparagus app had an egg, and I needed protein, it was difficult to find another item that wasnt huge in proportion that contained protein. Had I known before ordering or before the salad I could have rechosen, but instead left eating only an arugula salad. Our server, who seemed unprepared offered no solution. He also was unclear on alcohol selections, & rarely revisited our table for refills"
Dined on 04/27/2013
2008
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view
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"The cheese curds were good. The asparagus green salad was good but missing more acidity. I did not finish the pizza and did not bring it home. It was soggy and taste burnt. It also needed more seasoning. Did not live up to the hype."
Dined on 04/24/2013
2007
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, good for groups, kid-friendly, scenic view
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"The Forge, a recent arrival at Jack London Square, does justice to its excellent location fronting the Marina along the sea walk. This fun place has outside seating on a raised patio with several fire pits. The house specialty is hand-crafted thin crust pizzas that are top notch. We had the Pepperoni pizza and the Potato pizza with guanciale (pig cheeks bacon). Both were delicious. Our starters included the fried cheese curds (don’t miss these) and smoked chicken wings with buttermilk blue cheese. There is a small list of specialty cocktails and a good assortment of local beers. The wine list is small, but with good selections reasonably priced. Service was excellent. Jeff was very knowledge about the food and gave us great recommendations."
Dined on 04/23/2013
2002
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic, great for lunch, hot spot
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"We enjoyed a birthday celebration Saturday evening. The beet salad was great (the panzanella not so great- too much fennel for my taste). The pizza was yum- especially the wild nettle pizza. The sausage pizza was very good too and the fried chicken received rave reviews. I think one of the main reasons we will be back, though, was the server. I wish I remembered her name. She was very accomodating to one of our guests with food requirements (didn't even feel like she was having to accomodate!)and she brought a complimentary birthday dessert, even though it hadn't been set up ahead of time. Thank you- great job, Forge."
Dined on 04/20/2013
2005
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch, hot spot
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"The fried cheese appetizer stole the show and was big enough to share at a table of five. Pizza was tasty, although of the two we ordered, both were charred black in some places forcing us excise the burnt bits. The sausage and the olives were super flavorful on the pizza: they obviously use high quality toppings."
Dined on 04/12/2013
2013
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, scenic view
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"Third time at this place. Service is warm, friendly, and efficient--at the door, our waiter, food runners, bussers, all well-trained; even got a visit from an "owner type" which means they care (they're still new to the location) Lots to love about this place. Definitely one of the better places in oakland for casual dining: good food, reasonable prices, great service."
Dined on 04/14/2013
2010
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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"Really just not that great. Pizza very so-so. Salad had way too much creamy dressing. Server friendly & efficient. Fresh Jack London estuary-side location - just needs a big improvement on the tastiness of the food!"
Dined on 04/06/2013
2003
Special Features: great for outdoor dining
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"This was our first time trying Forge. It was for a birthday celebration. When we went to order our food, she apparently missed someone on our table. She took his order when our food arrived. All of the pizzas were soggy and greasy. The one positve was we had brought a cake and they were kind enough to store it in their refrigator and then she cut the cake for us. That was really nice.. just disappointed in the quality of food for what we were spending."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2007
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"Loved it! Our waitress Ashley was outstanding and we loved every dish. The salted butterscotch pudding with toffee crunch was the perfect finish to a great meal. And yes, the fried cheese curds are spectacular!"
Dined on 04/05/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view
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"Very poor service from the bartender; she didn't know anything about their draft beers. But the dinner server was great. Their Zinfandel by the glass was yummy and so were their pizzas. Very loud."
Dined on 04/03/2013
2008
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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"The pizza was horrible -- the crust was soggy and the ingredients (we had the potato with sausage) were not good. While I loved the ambiance and location, I would not go back to dine.
Also, the wine list was very limited...I had the Chardonnay which was $12 a glass...too high for a pizza place."
Dined on 04/01/2013
2007
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"The service was excellent - the cheese curds (after eating them in WI for over 6 years) it was so nice to see someone fix them they way they should be. I had the margarita pizza and it good but a because the crust was so thin (which I love) the middle was a little too soggy. Wanted it to be firmer. Otherwise nice restaurant."
Dined on 03/30/2013
2009
Special Features: great for lunch
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"Nice setting, outside, view of SF, but the food was awful, there were four of us, we had pizza, chicken and fish and chips, all of these dishes were terrible, pizza was soggy, chicken had strange taste, go for drinks, skip the food."
Dined on 03/26/2013
2006
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"We had a great time at The Forge. Perfect service, delicious food, and great ambiance. Don't pass on the cheese curds - they're a dream, and totally addictive. We also had grilled baby octopus with heirloom carrots. I don't like octopus but even I gave it a try and it was pretty good. We also shared the three cheese pizza, and added sausage. Really delicious - loved the crust. I would definitely give The Forge a try!"
Dined on 03/29/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, scenic view
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"Only been there twice. But service and food is so good, I'll be back often."
Dined on 03/22/2013
2006
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, romantic, scenic view, great for lunch
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"expected more Great location, nice staff however Pizza was soggy and only one of 4 ordered tasted good Fried cheese was great wing and fried chicken excellent With improvements could be awesome considering location and outside amenities but to be known for good pizza won't happen unless improvements come soon, before first impressions kill potential blockbuster patronage"
Dined on 03/20/2013
2002
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly
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"I've eaten here twice. I had pizza on my first visit, topped with prosciutto, cheese and greens. The pizza had exceptionally fresh ingredients and a good crust, but not quite enough flavor in the combination of toppings. I had a burger on my second visit, which was well prepared and juicy. The potato-cheddar puffs on the side were a nice try at something different, but were too heavy and a liitle greasy. Crispy fries would have been a more solid complement. Service and atmosphere are great. Nice place for lunch and overall a good addition to Jack London Square."
Dined on 03/20/2013
2005
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, great for lunch, hot spot
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Review 33 for The Forge
Overall rating
(Very Good)4/5
OpenTable Diner
Food
(Very Good)4/5
Service
(Very Good)4/5
Ambiance
(Very Good)4/5
Noise Level
Moderate
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly
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"Very much enjoyed the food and ambiance! They gave us nice options on choice of seating. Service was great when we sat outside by the fire pit, but at our table it took a little while to flag somebody down to get the check. All in all, though, a very good experience!"
Dined on 03/12/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view
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"3rd time there, really love this place. The fried cheese curds are sinfully good. Our server was attentive and friendly, and they accommodates our request for a booth. We'll be back!"
Dined on 03/14/2013
2004
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, special occasion, scenic view, hot spot
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"The octopus special was fantastic...unique. Definitely something that we wouldn't have made at home, but are now intrigued. The mussels & arugula salad were the usual strong performers.
The potato might be our favorite pizza@the forge. Try it with an egg! The pepperoni and marinara were great for the kids.
Can't wait to go back!"
Dined on 03/16/2013
2010
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"We were NOT impressed. The list of pizzas was not interesting. Only the Chicory and Rapini were good. I imagine the Margarita might have been good but we wanted to try something new. Food was ok Wine list was ok...Nothing great. Waiters were ridiculous. I guess they are going for a different crowd...but the young people in our group thought they looked pretty grungy. They brought us a check that was not what we ordered... then brought another check with again a different bottle of wine than we ordered...we only ordered four items...all this done without even someone saying "I'm sorry" or "excuse me". Again very inexperienced waiters. The hostess was friendly and helpful."
Dined on 03/14/2013
2004
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"smoke chicken wings and chicory salad as appetizers, couple of pizzas, some wine, when the wine came at the same time as our pizzas I thought it was a mistake since we hadn't received our salad or wings yet...they said everything comes out whenever...I said I would prefer to have our first course first...they took the pies away...the chicory salad was more of a radish salad but was ok...the pizzas were a bit over blackened especially on the bottom and a little doughy in the crust...probably underproofed and oven was a little over heated..but the dough itself had nice flavor...when we got our bill they charged us for 4 pizzas instead of the 2...acted like they were doing us a huge favor in correcting our bill...unfortunate dining experience"
Dined on 03/10/2013
2005
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"The pizzas were excellent, terrific thin crust reminiscent of Dopo, which makes sense! Salads had very good dressings and unusual combination of ingredients - big enough for two to share. Nice outdoor patio and view of the passing crowds at the Farmer's Market. A very pleasant Sunday afternoon!"
Dined on 03/10/2013
2007
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, scenic view, great for lunch
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"Potato skin appetizer was fantastic, pork belly could have been better - needed to be cooked more, didn't melt in your mouth. Not the best crust I have ever had, but a good pizza. Fried chicken was also good. Service was great, and prices are good. Noise level is seriously deafening -- my ears were ringing when we got home, and still ringing in the morning. You will be shouting across the table for your dinner mates to be able to hear you."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, hot spot
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"We were introduced to Forge at the Oakland's 'Eat Real Food' fest back in Sept. We have been waiting for their opening and had the chance to finally try the fantastic pizza we had at the fair. The margarita is outstanding. That is the base for all great pizza. The crust is thin and the sauce is very tasty. The three cheese is also a winer especially for all you cheese lovers. And we loved the Rotini... that's the one with spicy chirozo (though the chorizo is really not that spicy). We had the buttermilk fried chicken for appetizers. Very very crusty and not oily at all. YUM. We could have used a second order. I liked that they used the big mussels... we asked for extra bread to soak up that delicious juice."
Dined on 02/23/2013
2004
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion, scenic view, hot spot
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"My wife and I discovered a restaurant that serves a delicious thin crust pizza with very unique toppings. We also enjoyed a very fresh arugula salad. The wine was reasonably priced. I like that you can opt to sit inside or outside - depending on the weather. That's a nice choice to have in the Bay Area. The staff could be better educated when it comes to the drink list, but that was a minor issue. Overall, the staff was very friendly and efficient. You can't ask for more than that....highly recommended. Another gem in Oakland."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2009
Special Features: good for groups, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, scenic view, great for lunch
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"I rate The Forge as outstanding because the location and scenery are fantastic. And the food is good too! I think The Forge is off to a great start as a new restaurant at JLSq."
Dined on 02/15/2013
2003
Special Features: vibrant bar scene, fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, late-night find, neighborhood gem, scenic view, hot spot
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"Delicious food. Try not to sit by the windows as there are gaps that let the cold air in late at night. Very lively crowd. Friendly and considerate staff. Atmosphere is excellent except for the big screen TVs. Those were kind of an ambiance gag."
Dined on 01/30/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, late-night find, hot spot
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"One the things you always remember about visiting a place for the first time is the way you are received. My husband and I received a warm & inviting welcome which set the tone for what was to be a wondering dining experience. The staff is high-energy without being overly friendly with smiles I felt were genuine & sincere. The meal options for lunch were just enough to have decent choices without being overwhelmed (ie., Cheesecake Factory). The only problem was which item would be the better choice, and our waitress was helpful in giving us the information we needed to make that choice. The staff is very attentive and you could tell they all loved being there. The food, presentation and service reflected this. Do it! You won't regret it."
Dined on 02/09/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, kid-friendly, neighborhood gem, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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