I love the feel of this restaurant! If you wanted to you could have a nice romantic date and dress up. Or you can just come in jeans and a t-shirt with a bunch of friends and celebrate a birthday! This is the second time Ive eaten here with my friends the first time I got the coconut shrimp which were enormous and delicious I had to take leftovers home. This time I had the fried shrimp with cocktail sauce and it was absolutely delicious! I like how they put a sorbet in a little metal tin to cleanse your palate after your meal. Everyone enjoyed their meal very much so. The waitress knew my friend personally both times that we came here. Everyone is very friendly the restaurant atmosphere and decor is adorable! The restaurant prices are in the $20 to $50 range depending on what youre getting so I say its medium priced.. but well worth it for the portions the atmosphere and the amazing service. The bathrooms are very clean and organized I especially like the attitude and quirkiness of the lady who takes you to your table who has pink hair... I didnt catch her name but she is so adorable and so nice! I will definitely make this a restaurant but I like attending on a regular basis with my friends!

Biggest lobster tail Ive ever had I loved it.I loved the decor everything about it was grand

Cozy environment, quick and friendly staff, perfectly cooked food, good quality, strong drinks, cold beer and really really really good food. I would definitely go here again

Probably the best steakhouse in Merced though its showing its age. More of a restaurant for the older crowd.

My buddy and I were driving down 99 and we decided to Google steakhouse restaurants and we found this place and stoped by at this lovely restaurant everything was delicious service was absolutely fantastic!! Highly recommend this place!!

Service was excellent except for the lack of communication. Food, meh, 30$ for steak? Really! Overcooked and 8$ for a salad? Seriously? At 30$ my dressing soaked salad should come with my entree. If only Merced had another steak house. Wont be back

Staff was doing great even though they were short staffed. They communicated well with each other to give diners a great experience . Food was great.

I am new to the town from Merced and was looking for a fine dining restaurant. I ended up coming across this place and it was an okay experience. The food was decent, the prime rib was delicious. I absolutely loved it however, the service was bad. They were rushing me to leave because they were giving the table to another party which I did not like obviously. Also my father asked for his steak medium rare and it cooked and when returned, you can hear the chef complaint about it in the kitchen. Overall it was a good place to eat at but if your looking for a fine dining experience, I wouldn’t recommend it.

Ive been in this place 7 years ago, July 2014. The Big Gun Burger still remains the best hamburger Ive ever eaten in my life. If I ever happen to come across Merced, Ill definitely give this restaurant a second ride. Recommended!

All around a terrific restaurant, walked in 10 minutes before closing and welcomed us right in. All the food was the best i’ve ever had couldn’t have asked for any better!! I highly recommend the Raspberry Tea it was great and the steak was cooked to perfection! Hats off to this restaurant you have to eat here if your in town. P.S it’s a little pricey

They did not have spicy chicken wings or prime rib. The bathroom smelled, and a women was frantically spraying a scent product in the bathroom announcing that there was a septic problem which was not encouraging. I was not impressed at all.

Always enjoy a delicious meal here and the wait staff is very friendly. Not a long wait for food like other restaurants in town.

The food was good! The hostess on the dining side was friendly and helpful, but didn’t have seating available immediately. We ate on the lounge side. The seating was just what we needed and comfortable. Great atmosphere, nice and relaxing. The bartender was nice and attentive. The steaks were cooked perfectly per our request. Really enjoyed the brussel sprouts! We highly recommend the lounge side!

Delicious meal and incredible service. My best friend and I decided we would be going there regularly

Great meal and amazing staff. Experience was beyond my expectations. Can’t recommend this place more!

Had a nice evening and dinner. Limited menu available, and only open for dinner. Flat iron steak was cooked to order and the classic after dinner chocolate mint boot, was classic.

Table for 1. Shown to the bar area. No room in dining room. Given water I requested. Waited 20 minutes. No one took my order. Invisible. Got tired of watching drunks get repeated service. Walked out with my 45.00 still in my wallet. Went to Sizzler. Bye Bye

Service is on point!! We ordered the tri-tip dip and the artichoke appetizer. The sandwich and dip was amazing!!! I also got their famous gazpacho, which is also always delicious. The artichoke was inedible. Completely undercooked so the leaves could not be pulled off. As we were fighting to get something to come off of it, the Hostess could see we were struggling with it. She asked us if it wasnt cooked through, and we said it wasnt. She apologized and asked if she could get us something else. Our food arrived shortly after so she took it off our bill. I gave a 4 star rating because something must have been up with the kitchen staff as I could hear other patrons complaints about the quality of their food. Another bonus, the busser brought us a box for my sandwich and a fresh cup of sauce in a to go container. Thought that was very nice! We will definitely go back.

Service was good, food was good, food is priced pretty high. $8 for a pint of draft beer seems a little over the top. Three chef specials (8oz stakes), one draft, one glass wine total was $107. Prices like that, I rather go to Elegant Bull in Delhi.

Went to the Branding Iron for dinner last night in the first time in several years. The food was great - the steak I ordered was done the way I wanted, and the drink from the bar was great as well. This local restaurant is a gem in Merced.

Great menu, very tasty prime ribs& sandwiches, excellent service

You will always get a great meal at Branding Iron. The staff are wonderful as well.

The service was great and the food was as well. However, I did not get my artichoke and got charge for it. Just make sure you check your bill.

The prime rib was tender and juicy, it had a wonderful flavor and the medium rare was spot on. The vegetable for the night was asparagus! Yum, my favorite. I took the leftover meat for breakfast in the morning

My hubs and celebrated our 16th anniversary tonight and decided on the Branding Iron. Weve never been and we are very happy with our choice. Absolutely superb! The servers, the food, and the ambience were all outstanding! We made reservations for 5:15 pm and are glad we did because it gets pretty busy pretty quick. Thanks Branding Iron for a memorable night for my husband and I! Cheers!

Me and my fiancé felt very uncomfortable. We were being stared at and looked at weird. We felt racial tension in the room. We felt so uncomfortable that we left with our two kids and just payed for the drink. We didn’t even get the chance to eat.

The prime rib never disappoints, however the piece I received was closer to Medium well, when I asked for rare. I didnt send it back, it was good, just not AS good.

I just love old school supper clubs like this. Great food, service, and prices!

Havent experienced truly awsome service like this in a while. Food was great, and everyone was so friendly and attentive. Wish this place was in our home town.

Our dinner was great and the customer service was amazing

Great place. Great employees and loyal customers.

Found out about this restaurant due to searching Trip Advisor and they were right. Great locally owned steak restaurant. I had the coffee rubbed ribeye and my wife the filet mignon. I also chose to try the gaspacho which was a delight. Finished off the meal with the cream brulee cheesecake.

Classic steakhouse, never disappoints. Great beef. Big lounge, good pours.

What a great steak and atmosphere and the hottest is the bomb. Thank you branding iron

The steak was very tender and the service is wonderful. Great dinner 🍽

Meet the love of my life here

The coffee rubbed Rib eye with its delicious dipping sauce is the best steak Ive ever eaten.

Nice bar room but wouldnt go there again for a overly done & thin slice of steak

Ambiance was nice. Like a cowboys place. Great steak dishes. Some foods quite salty. Bit pricey.

Great food excellent service

Excellent service. AGreat food

Staff was pleasant, but the owner was kinda mean and grumpy...

Excellent service and definitely delicious food.

Amazing food, hostess was amazing!

Very nice....spaced out (which made it more like our own personal space)....GREAT FOOD and GREAT SERVICE. We will be back!!!

When were in Merced, we always try to get to the Branding Iron. Always a good meal, and we grab some extra gazpacho on the way out.

Awesome friends, awesome food, and awesome service. I am so full!!!!

My second time at this resteraunt and again.. i say... The Best Steak and Lobster Ive ever eaten..

Always an excellent meal and great service!!

Oh how I absolutely adore this restaurant, best service around!

Loved this place. Great service and good food

Known for delicious steaks and an entertaining happy hour. One of the nicest places in town!

Great staff, fun ambiance and delicious food.

🗺 Great vintage, cowboy, classic, Merced place. Been there for group events a well as dates with my sweetheart 💕🥂Friends frequent the bar 🍺 but we go for good ole steak and baked potato.🍽 As long as you get a ☄pleasant, quick witted, welcoming, server☄ your experience will be absolutely solid.☆Pix are for fun not of The Branding Iron but of downtown Merced or Holiday or Merced Fire☆

Free appetizer during happy hour. Nice elegant bar area, very good chicken wings and fries!

Great food good service polite people

Friendly service great food

A favorite for date night, life seems to slow down a bit when we go to the Branding Iron. The gazpacho is great on its own for lunch or as a starter. The roasted artichoke is another favorite appetizer. Steaks are delicious but dont discount the salmon. Its always cooked to perfection.for a treat, try the apple pie with cinnamon sauce

Always quality service. Excellent steak. Upscale Western atmosphere. We enjoy looking at all of the brands from local ranchers.The attached bar, to the left of the front door. is available while you wait, if needed, for your table.Please try slicing a piece of cheese, with cracker as you walk in.If you frequent the restaurant, they have a rewards program.

The Steaks are GREAT.....

Disappointed with our steaks, poor cuts of beef and not properly cooked. Sides were good, but to call yourself a Steakhouse and have all the local ranch brands hanging on the walls, I expected them to be fantastic.Very disappointing....

Great steaks and service

Coffee rubbed rib eye!!!! Dont let Kevin cook for you

Best steak in the area. Good down home meal. Even have a kids prime rib on kids menu. Boys loved that. Gazpacho was superb. Plenty of parking and easy access off freeway. A little dark and decor dated. But again, food and service made up for it.

I attended a wedding here. It was a wonderful affair. Went very smoothly by all accounts. The bride said the group was good to work with. I know I loved the food and drinks -- the venue was really lovely.

Good food

I sent my friends to this place with my highest recommendations. I visit this place often. This recommendation is always successful. The the cooking is appetizing and the stuff is generous and cooperative. always when we visit this place we have a pleasing time. I recommend this place with pleasure.

Best steak in the Central Valley.

I had the French Dip sandwich with french fries and it was really good. The meat was very tender and juicy. The fries were fine, just could tell they were frozen steak fries. The waitress kept my drink full.

I always have a great meal at the Branding Iron. I absolutely love their scampi. Love their steaks too! I recommend coffee rubbed or blue cheese that you can request to add to your steak. Delicious. I have never had a bad meal at the Branding Iron. Highly recommended. Great service too.

Night manager and staff was outstanding. Service, food and price were perfect. Prime rib is amazing. Staff was very courteous and professional. I was extremely satisfied and will be coming back for sure, couldnt be happier.

Some of the best prime rib Ive tasted with an herb crust on the outside of the bark. The sides were just average nothing that blows your socks off. Good wait service. Neat cattle brands line the ceiling

The service and atmosphere was great! I loved the dim lighting, vibe and table set ups. The cleanliness could use some work. As I visited the ladies room I was a little shocked at the dirtiness of the bathroom stalls. 2 Clogged toilets & quite a few toilet seat covers on the ground. In addition, I do not feel that the food quality was much different from other places that are not as upscale. I and a few others ordered a steak, we all felt the same in that our food was poorly seasoned. I will say that my steak was cooked beautifully, medium rare as requested. Although the service and atmosphere was great I would not make another visit here based off the flavor of the food & cleanliness. Its quite unfortunate as we had high expectations for this restaurant.

You can just order the 8oz beef

George our waiter was amazing. Ready to take care of us and lots of fun!! Food was fantastic. . We will definitely be back!-

Not as good as they used to be. Also having a limited menu is working against them right now.

Came here for vday and it was spectacular. None the less. Excellent service followed by excellent food. All 3 courses where perfect

Food was great. Hot, flavorful. Service good. I would give it 5 stars except it needs a good/deep cleaning! Time for new carpets, clean walls, blinds. Keep the old flare but after 66 years

The food and service were above our expectations. I really loved the environment of this place. Fantastic spot to take my family out for lunch.

Fun place for a trip back in time. The restaurant is a very old school steakhouse with a rather old fashioned vibe and some very tasty steak.Very nice meat and good portions, but certainly not cheap - expect $20+ for the entrees. Everything was well cooked and we all enjoyed our food while enjoying the rather odd surroundings.Only comment on the food is that the prime rib was a little bit fatty.

We just enjoyed our first dinner here. We were both pleasantly surprised. The food was tasty, served quickly. The servers were wonderful, attentive, and friendly. The ambience was warm and inviting. Were looking forward to bringing family and friends in the future.

Went here on my birthday because I wanted steak. while we were looking at the menu they brought us bread which turned out to be a toasted burger bun?!? and besides that there wasnt even anything to put on it. who eats a plain toasted burger bun? after that I got disappointed again because the cheapest steak was $24 for an 8 oz. steak!! decided to order something else because that is way too expensive for a small steak. the food was decent but nothing special. overall okay experience but the pricing makes me not want to come back

Great

Its a really nice steak house with a great selection of fine meats and seafood. Perfect for proposing a marriage. 🥩🍤

Nice place. Good food and friendly service.

I had to wait for my sandwich and my boyfriends sandwich sat there getting cold. J love tri tip French dip but theres was kinda bland

A little slow on getting the food out otherwise very good

The best steak and lobster ive ever eaten.

Just reopened due to covid and had a wonderful meal. Just what the dr ordered a date night with my husband.

Recently picked up some gazpacho to go for a back yard dinner. The cold soup was ideal for a warm summer evening.

The Branding Iron is AMAZING!!! The staff always takes great care of their customers, and you can always be sure to have a delicious meal! If you are in the mood for the best burger in town try the Big Gun! So Good! Also, the Prime Rib sandwich is also another go to! And dont forget the Gazpacho!!! We LOVE the Branding Iron!

Best steak house in all of Merced

COFFEE RUBBED RIBEYE ... Try it and those three words will forever make your mouth water and your stomach rumble for a trip to B.I.The specialty Prime Rib is also an excellent choice and it goes fast. Portions are huge and you will always take some home to enjoy later and guess what? It is still great then. Two things you must have with your entree, Gazpacho and a side salad. (What do they do to that salad that makes it so crisp and tasty?) Great place for a cozy dinner for two or a party for 20.

Super friendly staff with wonderful service. Full service bar with a great atmosphere and excellent bartenders. The food is delicious and plentiful. Love the gauzpacho and chicken enchiladas!

I have personally not have had a bad experience going to the Branding Iron.The service is excellent, servers are always friendly and helpful, and the food is excellent. I little pricey, but the quality is reflected.At lunch, they got a good menu with affordable pricing.The dinner is saved for my prime rib Jones I have every now and again.... Perfect at medium rare.Also, I always have a great time at the bar with the patrons and bartenders.

A Merced classic. It’s been around for years and the food is pretty solid. Hang out in the bar and enjoy some drinks or dine in the restaurant.

One of my favorite spots to grab something to eat. very good location, neat, and very good customer service. Highly recommended!

Prime rib was amazing! I stopped here during a road trip and I couldnt be happier. The staff was great and the food was perfect. The overall decor could probably use an update, but ignoring that it was amazing. Ill be back if I ever find myself in the area again.

Very good food and Cathy behind the bar was extremely helpful and very friendly. Definitely would go there again‼️

Nice place for a decent steak. We drove up and there were a lot of cars outside. Walked in and it was pretty busy. The atmosphere was old and very outdated. Theyre going for a western look with lots of cattle ranch brands. So I thought, regardless of the decor, its busy. It must be pretty good. Right? I had the 12oz Rib eye with sauteed mushrooms and melted blue cheese, baked potato and salad. My Fiance had the chicken piccata. It was good, but not the best Ive had. The service was good, but not great. The rib eye was $28, I think the chicken was about $15. Total it came out to about $80, including tip. Was it an $80 dinner. No, but it was good.