The Forest

Really great casual place in the heart of Brisbane’s West End that delivers in what it promises: casual vegan fare, with fairly diverse options. They do burgers, curries, salads and so forth. Prices are very low, especially for Australia. Service is simple but friendly. Food is very tasty. Definitely recommended.

A few years ago the forest’s management changed, as did the menu and the quality. I kept visiting them for their delicious $ 4.50 vege burger. Simple, cheap and delicious fast food, with a spicy pattie, no egg mayo, cheese, lettuce and tomato.
Today got corrected asking for a «Forest Classic Burger» by an obnoxious server who felt it was necessary to tell me what I was ordering was not correct. The heading appeared to be Forest Burgers, under which there was tempeh burgers, classic burgers etc. I pointed out if they have headings like «Mains» and «Forest Burgers» on their sign, they maybe shouldn’t be so quick to correct other people, as the sign is misleading. He stubbornly refused to acknowledge that he was being a pedantic dick, unnecessarily correcting people even though he knew what I meant, and not acknowledging that given the misleading nature of the sign, that correction is entirely arbitrary.
A stinking attitude is enough to turn you right off a business. Needless to say, I did not eat there today, and I won’t be back.

This was the first vegan eatery I went to when I first went vegan 3 years ago. The atmosphere was average with dying plants in the corners, but the Jamaican red bean stew (takeaway) was amazing. Went back last night with the family and was so disappointed. Was hopeful when I saw the new cushy bench seats, but there was no-​one else in there, no music, no plants (dead or alive) and a bored looking girl visible in the kitchen sitting on the bench, rocking her legs back and forth. Service was uninspired (I believe it was the same guy who served me 3yrs ago). My 4y/​o son had the veggie bake and a samosa — both were very spicy and the veggie bake was overloaded with oregano. He usually eats anything but left most on the plate. My husband ate the ‘soy fish’ and a salad and said both were rather bland. I had the veggie burger which was the sloppiest burger I’ve ever eaten. It was caked in sickly-​sweet relish and the burger tasted like it came from a supermarket. Uninspired. We all shared their vanilla cupcake for dessert and it was HORRIBLE! Worst cupcake I’ve ever eaten, vegan or otherwise! It was rock hard, had chunks of mixture in it that obviously hadn’t been mixed properly, and the icing was a lovely soft consistency but tasted FOUL. Like a sickly-​sweet fake icing from a tin. Will NOT be giving them a 3^rd chance. So unfortunate for a vegan restaurant — vegan food can be amazing and this place gives it a bad name! I don’t understand how it’s still in business.

Having predominantly vegetarian and vegan friends, it can be hard to find a place for a lunch date. The Forest is a crowd-​pleaser for all of us (even me, a meat eater), because it’s fresh, reasonably priced, and tasty.
That said, I’ve had a few misses here. Depending on what you order, you may be unpleasantly surprised by salads or rolls that aren’t very fresh. This may have been because I’ve often come later in the day, well past lunch hour, when the salads may have wilted since the morning. So I’d advise stopping by earlier than later if possible.
The menu is constantly changing here, and I’d recommend buying off the menu itself than any foods you see heated at the counter. The best meal I’ve had here was an eggplant curry with rice that blew my socks off. I’d also swing by here to have a squiz at the range of cakes and slices if you’re visiting a friend in the area and looking to bring something over for dessert.

I’m vego so you’d think The Forest would get five stars from me straight-​up just for being a vegetarian restaurant. However, I’m embarrassed to say that even as a vego I can be a little skeptical about vegetarian restaurants. Maybe it’s because I’ve never found one (apart from Govinda’s) that blew me away. The Forest lounge is a bit like that. It’s good, but only sometimes. It can be a little bit hit and miss. Sometimes I go in there and find myself looking into a cabinet of delicious, fresh looking meals and salads. Other times, their food looks a little bit stodgy and uninspiring.
I must say though, that the best experience I had at The Forest was when I ordered off the menu rather than out of the cabinet. It was in winter and they’d just invented a new soup special which I tried and thought was wonderful. I think The Forest is one of those places that can be great if you order wisely, but disappointing if you don’t.
The staff have always been lovely and I like the ambience in there, especially at lunch time (dinner can get pretty busy sometimes), and the prices are very reasonable. I think you’ll have a great meal here if you order wisely. I’d recommend going at lunch time when it’s a bit quieter and they still have lots of fresh salads left, because at dinnertime sometimes the fresh options are gone and you’re left with mainly heavier things. For a nice, vegetarian lunch I would gladly venture into The Forest.

This is a pretty extraordinary discovery — vegan food is actually delicious! It really should not be that much of a surprise but you would be surprised how many people I know shriek at the thought of a meatless meal so when you add no dairy or eggs to that equation, some people would want to run a mile.
The Forest offers some really tasty vegan curries, sandwiches and desserts. Another good thing is you will feel really healthy after eating here since most of the dishes are loaded with vegetables and beans and do not contain much oil. Another great thing about The Forest is the beer– organice beer that is, I particuarly like the one named «Fern».
On a busy night, they will sometimes have a band playing and yes, it is a very hippy place so if you are not into that you may not like the vibe too much. I am not much of a Hippy, but every now and then, I really like absorbing the dread-​locked and relaxed atmosphere.
So before you dismiss vegan food for its lack of meat, cheese and eggs, check this place out, you may end up being surprised. After all, it is not healthy to eat too much meat. If you are not going to try their meals, you should at least try one of their beers.

You know that day.
The day when you’ve had too much of that full cream ice-​cream
or when you’ve eaten Shapes Pizza crackers for the third day in a row for lunch.
That unhealthy furry feeling in your mouth,
while your fingers are still sticky from the junk food?
Well put down the detox kit because I have a solution to save that day.
It’s called the Forest and it MAY just save your life (or lunch).
The forest is one of my favourite whole food and vegan cafes.
I always feel super healthy eating here (even if it is one of the forest pies.)
The food is straight and too the point, not earth-​shattering but still tasty,
they offer a range of curries and salads but my favourite meal still has
to be the Forest Burger. With a chick-​pea patty, generous salad and a wholemeal bun
it’s pretty much a perfect meal to end the day with.
The selection of cakes is very drool-​worthy,
and they do kickass smoothies as well.
In my opinion they really didn’t need the «modern» facelift,
(I for one miss the sagging couches I used to sink into.)
But be sure to stop by on the weekend as there is often good live music.