Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Forge

    4.1 (151 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    The Forge Photos

    THE FORGE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - The Forge

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    All tables had the fresh flowers that were so fragrant
    B B.

    Out for a Sunday drive and found this place. Cool, vintage and eclectic diner in an old blacksmith shop. Indoor and outdoor seating. Full bar you can sit and eat at. A little bit of everything on menu. One thing I loved was fresh flowers in every table. Not small ones either. Food was good. Not a fan of the chips but not a deal breaker. Large outdoor area with 2 stages for live music. Outside bar for your drink needs. Will definitely go back.

    BettyLou H.

    The Forge, a hidden gem of a restaurant situated in Ben Wheeler Texas serves the best damn burger ever! Sourced from local beef, it's wonderfully seasoned and perfectly cooked, with a hand-shaped patty that looks and tastes like the Real Deal! There are quite a number of other delicious dishes on the menu; try 'em all, but make SURE you sample their burgers ASAP :-)

    Forge lunch $ dinner
    Derrick M.

    The chicken fried steak is delicious!!! The bartenders know how to make the perfect martini!!!

    Bar
    James M.

    Local joint with a cool country vibe. Sampled the 1/2 lb burger, eggs Benedict and pancake. All were great tasting. Portions were more than adequate. Well worth the drive and would come back for sure.

    Fish and chips.

    See all

    Photo of Mike d.
    113
    24
    3

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 month ago

    The food was amazing and the staff was very helpful. It wasn't overly crowd either plenty of space between tables.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of B B.
    4
    62
    212

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tad L.
    51
    70
    13

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Never gonna get a bad pizza here!!! Drinks are always cold and Izzy is always hot!!! Service is great.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of BettyLou H.
    153
    188
    13

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of James M.
    2
    177
    195

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Ann M.
    0
    27
    26

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Great place, great food, great service, great entertainment...highly recommend! And their pizza is Amazing!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of N M.
    0
    42
    59

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Delicious food as well as drinks, and great service to tie it all together! Would certainly recommend.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John B.
    0
    33
    11

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Good food but pricey. They have unique dishes and offer daily specials. I would definitely go back again

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    It's been a few years since we've been to this main stay eatery. Amazing food! Casey did a great job with service at the bar.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Susan G.
    24
    122
    3

    2 years ago

    Great find, very unique. Highly recommend stopping by. Very relaxing and d good service.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Derek M.
    10
    20
    18

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Forge

    Review Highlights - The Forge

    This is a great place to eat but there ain't much else in downtown Ben Wheeler.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    The Texan - View of the mezzanine

    The Texan

    5.0(4 reviews)
    18.7 mi

    This is one of my favorite venues that we play at. The owners Camille and Kelly are so awesome…read more Their barbecue is some of the best I've had. This place would be so perfect for a family reunion or a high school reunion or a wedding really fancy pants event. The sound is great if you're a musician looking for a great stage to play on, you've found it.

    Wow! This newly-renovated & reopened event venue is just amazing! When I first moved to Athens, I…read moreknow I saw the closed-down version of the place at a distance. It always intrigued me. But I was thrilled to know that they reopened it for multi-purpose events. I first came during the soft opening during the Fiddlers' Reunion weekend & saw a live concert happening. I also came for the "Art On The Bricks" event. It's neat that they can move the stage, since for the soft opening the stage was on the right brick wall (with the audience portable fold-out chairs situated so that the left & right were further apart than the front & back), & for "Art On The Bricks" the stage was on the back wall (with the windows & view of the town square parking lot behind it). For the art show, there was more space to look at tables of displayed artwork, munch on finger foods (catered by Railway Cafe, next door), sip on drinks (wine, water, or tea), & you could mingle around or sit down (upstairs in the balcony or at some standing-friendly downstairs tables). The restrooms are also nice, & very well-maintained, with plenty of multiple stalls. The upstairs balcony is really neat. It's a great place to sit & eat at small tables (or move them together for bigger groups), or you can sit at a bar-like table overlooking the balcony if you have a smaller group. Overlooking the balcony was an incredible view! I'm staying posted on future events held here, because I definitely want to keep coming back!

    Photos
    The Texan - From the balcony, looking at the "Art On The Bricks" event

    From the balcony, looking at the "Art On The Bricks" event

    The Texan - View of The Texan from the back parking lot Photo credit to: Craig Blackmon

    View of The Texan from the back parking lot Photo credit to: Craig Blackmon

    The Texan - View of the stage from inside The Texan Photo credit to: Craig Blackmon

    See all

    View of the stage from inside The Texan Photo credit to: Craig Blackmon

    Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue - Welcome! Stanley's neon sign is designated a historic landmark and we have also been named a "Texas Treasure" by TX Historical Commission.

    Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue

    4.5(1.4k reviews)
    24.9 mi
    $$

    Tried Stanley's BBQ and it did not disappoint. I had the chopped beef sandwich and a loaded baked…read morepotato, both were absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. The customer service was great, friendly, and fast. I also really liked the restaurant layout, with both indoor and outdoor seating that makes it a comfortable spot to hang out. The music added a fun vibe, and the sweet tea was on point. Definitely a place I will be coming back to.

    I was excited to try this place since I love BBQ and the restaurant is "famous" so my expectations…read morewere high. We went for lunch on a Saturday. As the restaurant jokingly notes, they have the worse parking situation in Tyler. In reality, it was not the worst, but it is not good. There are just a handful of spots around the restaurant so you have to drive around and find a place. There was a line, but it moved pretty quickly. There was plenty of seating outside and there is an air-conditioned seating area that I did not see until we were already seated. The kid had the chopped brisket sandwich and although she did not like it very much, I tried it and I liked it better than my sliced brisket. The wife had a Texas taco (with brisket) and liked it. I had 1/2 pound of brisket, lean. The price was much lower than in Dallas. I added a side of Mac n' cheese. The brisket had great bark and was super tender. I got the lean that I wanted, but honestly it was a bit dry. Plus, I mistakenly applied the hot and spicy sauce to my brisket and it was so incredibly peppery that it was virtually inedible. I had to scrape it off and apply the regular sauce. I cannot who can tolerate that peppery sauce, it was just way too hot. For reasons we never understand but that always seems to happen, big groups that came after us were served their food before us. I don't get how that always happens. Overall, it was a good experience and if we return II would try some different things on the menu.

    Photos
    Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue - #meatsweats

    #meatsweats

    Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue - Pitmaster Spencer Carl

    Pitmaster Spencer Carl

    Stanley's Famous Pit Barbecue

    See all

    Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse - Sample tray with 1/8 lbs of everything available brisket, 3 sausages ,turkey, pork baby back ribs and sides

    Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse

    4.4(191 reviews)
    16.2 mi
    $$

    My new favorite BBQ place. We usually just buy by the pound and get a side each. Everyone at home…read moreloves BBQ too so we bring home the left overs. They have two different kinds of sauce, ("If it's good bbq, you don't need sauce") I don't care for either of them so it's a good thing their bbq is good. We mostly stick to the brisket and ribs but we've had the pulled pork as well and it's good. Haven't found a bad side yet and we've tried a lot of them. They always have peach and/or blackberry cobbler and it looks amazing but I do not like either of those. However on Sunday they have apple cobbler and it is just as amazing as it looked. They have the old fashioned long hallway walk to the ordering section that I haven't really seen since I was a kid. It brings back a lot of memories for me. They have a decent sized dining area, and a huge dance area in the back that has a full service bar and picnic tables set up for eating. We normally go into the music hall to eat and don't eat in the dining area. There's a big stage and they have live music and free dance lessons once a week.

    Wife loved the chopped brisket sandwich but I've definitely had better. I didn't care for their…read moreGerman Potato Salad but their onion rings weren't bad. The ambience of the place is really nice and with live music on Saturdays I'm sure the place is hopping. However, I honestly feel that the food is overrated. There are other highly rated BBQ places in Lindale that I preferred to eat at but they are only opened on Saturdays or days we weren't in town for. I imagine they are preferred more by locals simply because of the quality of food cooked on fewer days opened.

    Photos
    Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse
    Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse - Tomorrow's Brisket!!

    Tomorrow's Brisket!!

    Brisket Love Barbecue & Icehouse - Burger with American cheese and grilled onions.

    See all

    Burger with American cheese and grilled onions.

    The Forge - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...