A plate of tostone nachos is a good way into Fire by Forge Restaurant: crisp fried plantains standing in for tortilla chips, piled with pulled pork, queso fresco and, on some versions of the dish, a mole barbecue sauce. It is familiar bar-food territory approached from a different angle, and that mix of comfort and curiosity runs through this Hartford restaurant’s menu.
Fire by Forge works as a quick lunch stop, a cocktail-and-small-plates evening or a longer dinner that wanders from appetizers to dessert. The menu is relatively compact and changes over time, but its range is broad: Latin American-influenced arepas, tacos, tostones and burritos share space with burgers, wings, salads, soups and more substantial entrées.
The setting gives the meal some scale. High ceilings, exposed red brick and large windows create a warehouse-like room that is lively without generally becoming a shout-across-the-table place. Contemporary-rustic furnishings, leather couches and an assortment of seating arrangements keep it from feeling like a standard open dining room.
A Room With More Than One Corner
The restaurant unfolds in sections rather than one big rectangular expanse. There is a bar and entry area, a main dining room, a narrower table-lined passage and seating farther in, giving groups and couples a few different ways to settle in.
Booths, open tables and lounge-like touches add to the slightly Bohemian look. Even the front dining area near the entrance has been described as comfortable, despite being close to the door.
Outdoor patio seating adds another option when it is in use. Inside, the energy tends toward sociable and animated, though the room is generally considered manageable for a meal and conversation.
Food Made for Passing Around
The varied menu invites a table to order across categories rather than stay in one lane. A plate of arepas comes with house chips and has been likened, in its own playful way, to a more elaborate McGriddle. It is a memorable comparison, but the dish’s appeal is simpler: a handheld, savory format with enough substance to hold its own beside larger plates.
Duck mole wings take the familiar wing basket in a more unexpected direction, with tequila mole barbecue sauce, sesame seeds and pickled onions. Pickled carrots may also arrive as a palate-clearing nibble instead of the usual bread basket or crisps, a small touch that keeps the opening of a meal from becoming routine.
Other dishes that have appeared on the menu include hot honey chicken sandwiches, pork chops, salmon, curry chicken salad, mushroom arancini, ahi tostadas and a green bean salad with burrata. Vegetarians have clearly labeled choices to look for, though the specific selection can change with the menu.
For a classic burger order, the smash burger goes all in: two Angus beef patties, American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and special sauce on a crystal- or brioche-style bun. Bacon or an egg can be added, because a straightforward burger is still allowed a little flourish.
The Soup That Connects to the Classroom
One of the most direct expressions of Fire by Forge’s purpose is Knife Skills Soup. It is made with vegetables chopped by culinary trainees during class, tying a bowl of soup to the restaurant’s workforce-development work in a very tangible way.
The restaurant is repeatedly described as community-focused, supporting local workers facing disadvantage. Its model includes an equity charge, usually listed at about 18 to 19 percent of the bill, intended to help provide hourly employees with livable wages, health benefits and financial assistance.
That charge is worth noticing before the check arrives, especially because additional tipping has been described as optional. The restaurant has also been described as a nonprofit connected to the ownership of its buildings and two nearby businesses, underscoring that the food and service are connected to a larger local undertaking.
Cocktails With a Little Theater
The bar gives dinner another route in. The Up In Smoke Old Fashioned uses Up & Down bourbon and arrives with a subtle smoky note, while the Ghost Rider combines bourbon, spiced espresso, Licor 43 and an orange twist. A Sazerac is also on the cocktail roster.
Daytime drinks take a brighter turn with passionfruit mimosas and lavender lemonade. That makes brunch a distinct visit rather than merely a lunch menu served earlier in the day.
The food has enough range for a round of cocktails and shareable dishes, but the bar can also anchor a fuller evening of starters, entrées and dessert. Reservations are recommended for at least some dinner visits, particularly when plans involve a leisurely table.
Leave Room for Fig Jam and Chocolate
Biscuits served with fig jam offer a sweet-savory pause amid the bigger, bolder plates. They also make a useful reminder that Fire by Forge is not trying to put every dish in the same flavor register.
Dessert has included chocolate blood orange cake, chocolate crumble cake and chocolate chip cookies. The crumble cake, especially, has a full dessert-menu personality: an espresso note, brownie-like cake and à la mode service.
A meal here can comfortably end with a cookie and coffee-sized reset, or with something more committed to chocolate. Either way, dessert is not treated as an afterthought.
For Theater Nights and Larger Gatherings
Fire by Forge’s Hartford location makes it a useful stop before or after a performance at The Bushnell or another nearby theater. Happy-hour details can shift around performances, special events and holidays, so those offerings are best confirmed directly when timing a theater-night meal.
Parking includes an on-site lot near the entrance, though descriptions of its capacity vary, and street parking is also available. It is a practical setup, but not one to assume is unlimited on a busy evening.
Beyond the dining room, Fire by Forge caters weddings and larger receptions. Past catering menus have included pork tenderloin, salmon, vegetable ravioli, vegan selections, gluten-free choices, chocolate chip cookies and gluten-free brownies.
The event side has handled the unglamorous but important details, too: setup, cleanup, tight spaces, last-minute table adjustments and serviceware. Tables can be set with fresh bread, butter crocks, water carafes and glass salt-and-pepper shakers, while square disposable wooden plates offer an eco-conscious option for less formal service.