Eat and Drink: Forager Brewery Rochester, Minnesota
Forager Brewery Rochester, Minnesota
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Forager Brewery - Rochester Minnesota |
Wide selection of beers
Great atmosphere
As for the atmosphere, it’s a brewery, but not overly brewery. You can have your drinks out on the garden patio as the weather starts to brighten up. It is thoughtfully landscaped with plants and a rustic design for a cozy, relaxed outdoor vibe. It’s also pet-friendly so you can bring your pooch along. There's outdoor seating runs along the front, side, and back of the restaurant.
Amazing service
Whether you’re overwhelmed by the food and beer selection or just want a recommendation, the servers are attentive and cheery, ready to answer any questions. You can always sit at the bar if you decide you’d rather not dine at a table. The bartenders will take equally good care of you. Forager loves the local community and new visitors alike.
Fresh food
Forager features a farm-to-fork concept and their menu revolves around the freshest seasonally available local ingredients, so you’re never quite sure what the menu might have in store. One thing's for sure, the freshness comes through in all the dishes, which are made to order. The portion sizes are filling, but not overwhelming, so you’ll leave feeling satisfied. Overall, the food is an eclectic mix of dishes, as well as burgers and pizzas, with plenty of gluten-free and vegan options.
The menu
Off their Starters menu, the nachos are a big hit, if you’re going at it solo, this could easily make a satisfying meal, perhaps with some to spare. If, on the other hand, you’re going the traditional appetizer route and plan to share, try the shredded pork, one order could easily serve four people, it has a wonderful smokey taste that could stand on its own. Another delicious Starter classic is the Lager Board, you can’t go wrong with a good old charcuterie. Forager’s version includes an assortment of cheeses, jam, pickled veggies, and house-cured meat. After that, Forager offers the standard soup and salad options in either individual or family-size portions. Forager’s entrée section is an eclectic mix of bowls to benedicts. It may not sound very appealing initially, but if you’re feeling bold and decide to give the Cast Iron Mac and Cheese a try, you’ll be greatly rewarded with a unique take on a homestyle classic. It’s made of a house blend of cheeses, panko, and kimchi. The dish is finished off in the oven and comes out slightly charred on top. After that nice initial crunch, you get into the soft and tender noodles. The kimchi unexpectedly adds an explosion of flavors, including ginger and garlic.
Other options from the Entrees selections include bowls, a pad Thai, tofu curry, beef stroganoff, Mexican sopes, a corned beef hash, and eggs benedict. As you might expect, these dishes aren’t the traditional versions, but they do a good job of incorporating international flavors into unique dishes.
All of their sandwiches are served with fries, but you can substitute soup, salad, or mac n’ cheese. The Fuego burger is as hot as it sounds. The patty is cooked to your specified perfection and the pickled jalapeno cream cheese, habanero jelly, and ranch somehow form this spicy, sweet, creamy fusion that is a definite hit. In addition to the vegan burger, there are some other vegan sandwich options made with jackfruit as well.
Finally, they offer 10” wood-fired pizzas with a thin and crispy crust or 8” deep dishes. You can go for one of their curated options like the chef’s selection piggy pie, which includes sausage, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, reduced balsamic, and cream cheese. The cream cheese is a fun play on the more familiar ricotta, and the roasted red peppers and balsamic reduction complement each other well. They also have some more common pizzas like margherita, cheese, and the ever-controversial Hawaiian. Or you could always build your own. If deep dish is more your thing, you can pick from a traditional mozzarella, sausage, red onion, and fresh basil or a reuben take on it.
More info
Indoor dining is currently operating at 50%, but there are tons of tables in the Taproom, the Forager’s main dining room. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and are currently taking walk-ins only. The vibe inside is just as cozy and relaxed as the patio. It’s welcoming, not too loud, and comfortable for families, as well as younger and older couples alike. This fun, unique place even has a cute little gift shop.
Forager Brewery offers trivia each Monday night at 7:00 pm in their room called “The Pantry.” Winners get free crowlers and bragging rights. There’s also ticketed and non-ticketed live music available most nights. They also have event spaces and catering that can accommodate anywhere from 12 to 200 people. Forager Brewery is Rochester’s beloved brewery for a reason.
