Forage Kitchen: Whitefish Bay's farm-fresh fast-casual favorite

Forage Kitchen represents a new model of healthy fast-casual dining in the North Shore, offering scratch-made salads, grain bowls, and soups using Wisconsin-sourced ingredients in a bright, welcoming space.

Opening on January 15, 2024 as the Madison-born chain's first Milwaukee-area location, this quick-service eatery has quickly earned a 4.9-star Google rating from 115+ reviews and become a go-to for health-conscious diners seeking quality without the wait.

Unlike traditional sit-down restaurants, Forage operates on an assembly-line model similar to Chipotle or Sweetgreen—walk in, order at the counter, customize your bowl, and enjoy fresh food in minutes.

Essential details for planning your visit

Address: 103 E. Silver Spring Drive, Whitefish Bay, WI 53217 (corner of North Bay Ridge Avenue)

Phone: (414) 212-8360

Website: eatforage.com

Hours: Monday through Sunday, 10:30 AM – 9:00 PM (consistent daily hours year-round)

Reservations: Not required. Forage operates as a counter-service restaurant where you simply walk in, order, and seat yourself. For large group catering, advance arrangements can be made through their website.

Parking situation: Street parking along Silver Spring Drive offers the most convenient option, with spaces generally available during business hours. The restaurant maintains dedicated pickup parking spots directly in front for curbside orders. After 10 AM on weekdays, most time-restricted spaces become available to visitors. Additional options include the Consaul Commons lot, Beaumont Place parking garage behind the Fox Bay Building, and the Aurora lot at 325 E. Silver Spring Drive. Sundays offer the most relaxed parking restrictions.

From college dreams to favorite salad spot

The Forage story begins with two University of Wisconsin-Madison economics majors who met freshman year in 2006. Henry Aschauer and Doug Hamaker spent four years dreaming about opening a restaurant together, then went their separate ways after graduating in 2010—Aschauer to New York, Hamaker to Chicago. But Madison kept calling them back.

In 2012, the duo returned to State Street and opened Roast Public House, a sit-down sandwich shop and craft beer bar near campus. While successful, Roast became a "relic" as dining trends shifted toward fast-casual formats. By 2015, they saw the future more clearly: health-conscious, customizable, quick-service food for busy modern lifestyles.

Forage Kitchen opened in October 2015 at 665 State Street—in the former College Barber Shop space that had served Madison for eight decades. The concept was simple but resonant: specialty salads and grain bowls using "fresh and local produce whenever possible" with inspiration from global cuisines. The name "Forage" reflects the commitment to gathering wholesome ingredients, much like foraging from nature.

The brand grew steadily: Hilldale Shopping Center (2019), Monona (2019), then the leap into Milwaukee's North Shore. Doug Hamaker stepped away in 2021 to focus on family, leaving Henry Aschauer as the sole founder and owner. Today, Aschauer leads a company approaching 10 locations across Wisconsin and Illinois, with the Whitefish Bay spot occupying a transformed former hair salon featuring a custom mural by Milwaukee artist Bigshot Robot.

Complete food menu with current pricing

Forage serves a single all-day menu from 10:30 AM to close—no separate breakfast, lunch, or dinner menus. Everything is made from scratch with ingredients sourced from Wisconsin partners including Flynn Creek Farms, Alsum Produce, Carr Valley Creamery, Breadsmith, and Rocket Baby bakery.

Grain bowls ($10.00–$15.25)

Item Price Key ingredients Fiesta Bowl $10.25 Organic black rice, southwest salsa, poblano cabbage slaw, cheddar, black bean dip, tortilla strips (V, GF) Power Bowl $10.00 Organic black rice, rosemary lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, guacamole, avocado green goddess (VG, V, GF) Thai Bowl $10.00 Organic black rice, sweet potatoes, roasted broccoli, carrots, sweet potato curry, Thai basil pesto (VG, V, GF) Tuna Poke Bowl $15.25 Line-caught sashimi tuna in sesame-tamari vinaigrette, cucumber salad, pickled onions, avocado, pickled ginger mayo (GF)

Forage plates—signature dishes ($15.00–$16.50)

Item Price Description Japanese BBQ ⭐ $16.50 Japanese BBQ beef meatballs over organic black rice with roasted broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and crispy togarashi onions—frequently cited as a must-try Golden Greek $15.00 Hot honey chicken with quinoa, roasted green beans, feta, Mediterranean salad, chickpeas, golden raisins, tzatziki (GF)

Kitchen salads ($11.00–$15.00)

Item Price Highlights Local Roots ⭐ $11.00 Kale, mixed greens, beets, roasted brussels sprouts, citrus fennel, candied walnuts, goat cheese (V, GF) Cultured Cobb $15.00 Romaine, corn, tomatoes, avocado, bacon, egg, blue cheese, roasted chicken (GF) Southwest Ranch ⭐ $14.00 Hot honey chicken, romaine, southwest salsa, pickled red onion, cheddar, spicy ranch (GF)—reviewers love the surprising spice Chicken Caesar $13.25 Romaine, sourdough croutons, parmesan, egg, roasted chicken

Greens and grains combination bowls ($10.50–$13.50)

Item Price Description Avocado Crunch ⭐ $13.50 Organic black rice, romaine, guacamole, smoked salmon, tortilla strips, avocado green goddess (GF)—rated 100% positive Cashew Bowl $12.00 Organic black rice, mixed greens, roasted broccoli, 5-spice cauliflower, toasted cashews, Thai cashew vinaigrette (V, GF) Club Med Bowl $10.50 Arugula, quinoa, Mediterranean salad, feta, hummus, pita chips, tzatziki (V)

Wraps ($11.50–$12.00)

• Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap ($11.50): Romaine, chicken, egg, bacon, everything-bagel crumble, caesar in flour tortilla

• Southwest Ranch Wrap ($12.00): Hot honey chicken, romaine, southwest salsa, cheddar, spicy ranch in flour tortilla

Soup (seasonal, $5.00–$7.50)

Soups rotate seasonally. Current offerings include Butternut Squash Soup (cup $5.00, bowl $7.50)—butternut squash with carrots, apples, ginger, topped with roasted pepitas. Previous seasonal offerings have included Carrot Ginger Soup and Forage Chili.

Build your own and kids options

• Make Your Own Bowl ($7.25): Choose two bases, three ingredients, and dressing

• Kids Power Bowl ($5.25): Kid-sized version of the Power Bowl

• Kids Make Your Own ($5.25): Four ingredients of choice

• Small Power/Thai Bowl ($7.00): No substitutions, smaller portion

Sides and add-ons

• Side of Beef Meatballs (2): $5.50

• Additional base (rice, quinoa, greens): $1.50 each

• Protein add-ons (chicken, tempeh, tofu, lentil meatballs): approximately $2–3

• Desserts: Breadsmith Chocolate Chip Cookie ($3.50), MSCO Oatmeal Cookie ($3.50)

Beverages: house-made wellness drinks

Forage Kitchen does not serve alcohol—no cocktails, wine, or beer. Instead, the beverage program centers on house-made fermented drinks and refreshers that align with the health-focused concept.

Forage Kombucha on tap ($4 each)

The restaurant's own branded product line, brewed with Rishi Tea from Milwaukee:

• Organic Lemon Ginger Kombucha

• Organic Peach Kombucha

• Organic Raspberry Kombucha

• Organic Tropical Kombucha

Tepache ($4.00 each)

Traditional Mexican fermented pineapple beverages—described as kombucha's "decaf cousin":

• Traditional Tepache

• Watermelon Lime Tepache

Refreshers ($3.25 each)

• Raspberry Arnold Palmer

• Sparkling Ginger Lemonade

Other beverages

• Bottled Water: $3.50

• Sparkling Water: $3.50

• Fresh-Pressed Juices ($8.00): Available at Milwaukee Public Market location only—Lean Green, Turn Up The Beet, Sunny Sipper

Bright, modern space designed for easy dining

The Whitefish Bay location occupies a transformed former hair salon that now radiates bright, airy energy with clean modern lines. Natural wood accents, abundant greenery, and ample natural light create an inviting atmosphere that feels both casual and intentional. The standout design feature is a bespoke mural by Milwaukee artist Bigshot Robot that adds local artistic flair.

Seating: The space offers "plenty of seating" according to reviews, with indoor tables accommodating families, solo diners, and groups. No traditional bar seating or booths—just casual table seating that matches the fast-casual format.

Outdoor patio: A sidewalk patio was added in spring 2024, offering additional seating during warmer months. Multiple reviewers have mentioned enjoying "girls night on the patio on a warm summer night."

Noise level: As a quick-service restaurant with daytime focus, expect moderate ambient noise typical of fast-casual environments—conversation-friendly but not quiet.

Private events: No dedicated private dining room, but catering services are available for business lunches, family gatherings, and special events through their website or ezCater.

Practical visitor information

Payment: Credit cards accepted. Some Forage locations have moved to cashless payment—confirm with staff if paying cash.

Accessibility: Fully wheelchair accessible with accessible parking and restrooms.

Dress code: Completely casual. This is a neighborhood fast-casual spot welcoming everything from yoga pants to business casual.

Best times to visit: Per Forage's own guidance, weekday afternoons between 2 PM and 4 PM are the quietest periods. Expect lunch rush crowds from 11:30 AM to 1 PM.

Family-friendly: Absolutely. The relaxed atmosphere, customizable menu (kids love building their own bowls), and accessible pricing make it excellent for families. Kids menu items start at $5.25.

Pets: Dogs allowed on the outdoor patio.

WiFi: Available for guests.

Ordering options: Dine-in, curbside pickup (dedicated parking spots), takeout, or delivery via UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, EatStreet, and Postmates.

Rewards program: Forage Rewards earns $10 off every $100 spent.

Reviews paint picture of consistent quality

The Whitefish Bay location has earned exceptionally strong ratings in its first year:

Platform Rating Google Reviews 4.9/5 (115 ratings) ezCater 5.0/5 (6 reviews) Health Department 97/100 Yelp 27 reviews

What local media says:

OnMilwaukee's dining editor Lori Fredrich described the space as "bright, airy and welcoming with clean modern lines and a bit of artistic flare," praising the "fresh, satisfying scratch-made fare in a quick, convenient format."

FOX6 Milwaukee featured the restaurant with the message: "Eating fresh, healthy food does not mean you need to skip out on flavor...guests are loving it."

WISN 12 highlighted Forage as "the first health-conscious restaurant in downtown Madison...bringing wholesome, flavor-rich food to communities throughout the Midwest."

Common customer praise:

• "Fresh, quality, healthy options are hard to come by when dining out, but this spot has ya covered"

• "These are by the best salads in town. Delicious every time. Try them all!"

• "Amazing flavor, gluten free choices, healthy, and SO yummy!"

• "The Japanese BBQ with beef meatballs was amazing!"

What to know: One reviewer with severe celiac disease noted cross-contamination concerns. While Forage offers many gluten-free options, there is no dedicated gluten-free preparation area—those with serious allergies should inquire about protocols.

Awards: The Madison flagship locations have earned TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award (top 10% of properties). No James Beard recognition to date, but the brand's consistent quality and 10-year growth trajectory speak to its staying power.

What makes Forage worth the visit

Forage Kitchen fills a specific niche in Whitefish Bay's dining scene: genuinely healthy, locally-sourced food that doesn't sacrifice flavor, delivered quickly at accessible prices. It's not competing with the North Shore's upscale restaurants—it's offering something different entirely.

The $10–16 price range puts it squarely in fast-casual territory, but the quality of ingredients and scratch preparation elevate it above typical quick-service options. The Japanese BBQ plate and Avocado Crunch bowl consistently earn the highest praise. Vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free diners will find extensive options clearly labeled.

For families, the combination of kid-friendly customization, casual atmosphere, and quick service makes weeknight dinners manageable. For health-conscious professionals, the 2–4 PM weekday window offers a peaceful lunch alternative. And for anyone tired of choosing between fast and good, Forage offers both.

The bottom line: Forage Kitchen is exactly what it promises—a place to gather fresh, wholesome food without the wait. In a dining landscape increasingly divided between elaborate experiences and forgettable convenience, this Whitefish Bay newcomer has carved out valuable middle ground worth exploring.