La Finca Branding Iron — Restaurant in Merced

We were anxious to visit the BI under its new ownership to see how things were going. Here's the scoop from our perspective...

The general vibe is like they are trying to be a bit more upscale and modern about things, while trying to keep the basic tradition the same. The dining room looks the same (thank goodness they were smart enough to realize that they shouldn't change that). I saw that they still have the treasure chest in the entry for the kiddos.

Some items on the menu are the same and others are different. Everything is more expensive. The entrees come only with a potato/rice and a vegetable; everything else is an additional charge. Whereas before you could make your dinner "deluxe" (add a cup of gazpacho AND a dinner salad) for around $8 (I believe), now you will pay an extra $6 for each item, making that "deluxe" upgrade $12. The chicken and pasta dishes have gone up about $2-4 dollars each, as have other entrees. Several of the options are now listed as "market price."

They still serve gazpacho and it tasted the same to me, except now served in new dishes and they are trying to get a little fancy by putting some micro-greens on top. The bread seems like it is trying to be the same, but it really wasn't the same. Ours was sort of anemic looking, dry (stale?), and the flavor was a bit different, though I can't put my finger on it exactly. Maybe ours was just a bad batch? I'd be interested to know what others think on that. The salad was most definitely NOT the same! They have gone with a fancy "spring mix" type of salad instead of the trusty old iceberg. I love all salad, but honestly I missed my tasty, simple BI salad. According to the menu, they still serve sherbert with each entrée, though we didn't get any.

I can't recall what the bar prices were before, but these seemed typical for a restaurant bar. The wine was served in a large glass, but seemed like an appropriate pour.

The staff was friendly and tried to be attentive, and they were excellent about keeping water glasses full (love that!). But there were some odd things that need to be figured out. If you are used to the way the BI has always served the go-with's for the baked potatoes, something is off with this routine now (which someone else had mentioned to me prior, and I experienced the same thing). They just drop off the food, with a plain, dry, baked potato and ask if you need anything else. So if you want anything on your potato you have to ask for it. I did, and she came back around with the familiar bacon/chives/cheese, but no butter. I had to then ask her to go get the butter first, explaining that I wanted the butter on the potato first, then the other things on top (very typical in my experience). It seems so weird that this has to be requested/explained now. Finally we got it all straight, but the server was super awkward about getting the toppings on the potato, reaching over another person's plate to do so. The other thing that was weird was that when we were finished they quickly cleared one set of dishes away when one of my companions finished, but then never came back for the other two people's dishes, despite the fact that we were clearly not eating any more. We sat, starting to fidget, while they walked by multiple times. Finally we stopped someone to inform them that we were done. As I mentioned, we never received our sherbert, though the server did then try to sell us something from the dessert menu (we declined).

We ordered two drinks, two entrees, four total side salads/soups and the total bill was $122.

I'm glad someone stepped up to keep the Branding Iron open. Was our dining experience perfect? Nope. But I'm glad it is still there and I'm sure I'll be back at some point. I'll look forward to hearing about others' experiences with the "new" BI. I hope that honest and constructive feedback will help the new owners do well and keep the...

My wife and I went last week and it blows me away how things have changed… First, the chef is totally different, and it totally shows. I had the rib eye and it was finally brought to me after almost an hour wait. When it finally made it out to the table it was so cold and was obviously sitting for an extremity long time… Plus, I asked for a medium RARE cook on the steak and it was cooked medium WELL. That steak was so tough, I didn’t even finish it. My wife had the New York strip and same thing, hers was cold and cooked incorrectly. Her food was so cold that when they put the ball of butter on the mashed potato, and her steak, it didn’t even melt… She sent hers back and when the replacement steak finally came out, it was way over salted. To top it off, I was told that the new owner switched the quality of the meat from an upper level choice beef to a select grade, and based on the toughness of my steak, I believe it. Apparently, ownership feels that Merced won’t pay the price for a quality steak, he couldn’t be more wrong. I regularly drive to Modesto, Turlock and Fresno, because the “steak house” in Merced just can’t get right… This was a huge disappointment. Mainly because I want nothing more than to see a local restaurant succeed, but when you make decisions like the ones I just described, failure is inevitable… Chef James Montejano, if you are out there, just know that your dedication to quality food and your attention to detail are GREATLY missed. Even after they took my wife’s steak off of the ticket, this was still the hardest $120 I’ve spent in a while. I can overcook a prime quality steak at home for $25… To the owner, I’d pay good money for a great steak, but not for what you are trying to put out. It is sad to see how this place has changed due to a person’s short minded interpretation of how a Merced restaurant should be run. You can do better. Merced deserves better…

The below review was given 9 months ago when Chef James Montejano was the Executive Chef.

This is a Miso Glazed Chilean Sea Bass… Since changing owners, this has become the new hot spot in the valley. Chef James Montejano is the best thing to happen to Merced’s food scene since EVER!!! He brought an explosion of flavor and unequaled taste experiences to the area. After speaking with him and seeing his passion for food, I am more excited than I have ever been for the future of the food scene in Merced. Oh, and the sea bass was off the charts beyond amazing…!!! I can’t wait to go back. The changes he has made have even inspired and ignited the staff working with him to bring his creativity, attention to detail and passion to all of us. This was definitely a top...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 Stars – First Time at The Branding Iron, Merced

Tonight was our first visit to The Branding Iron in Merced, and it definitely left an impression. We found it after Googling “restaurants near me” and seeing a photo of a gorgeous lobster tail that had my name written all over it.

When we arrived, the place had a nostalgic charm — a style that feels steeped in history, yet still warm and inviting. The atmosphere instantly drew us in. We were greeted by a kind gentleman (who I’m guessing might have been the owner) and seated within a couple of minutes. Our waitress, Bernice, greeted us with a bright smile, setting the tone for the evening.

We started with a peach margarita and a guava margarita, and wow — both were absolutely delicious. One small hiccup: the blended margarita came out half-blended and half on the rocks. It was a little quirky, but still tasted so good it was hard to be mad about it.

When it came time to order, I was a bit disappointed to learn they didn’t offer the lobster tail by itself. Since I’m not big on red meat, I asked if there was any way to pair it with something else. Bernice checked and came back with the option to swap the steak for grilled butterfly shrimp — a perfect solution. Jeremiah ordered the tropical shrimp, curious to see how it compared to our favorite version from Isabella’s.

When our plates arrived, they were beautifully presented, smelled incredible, and looked like something straight out of a magazine. Jeremiah was pleasantly surprised, saying the tropical shrimp was definitely comparable to Isabella’s — high praise from us. My lobster tail and shrimp were flavorful and delicious, though the lobster was slightly overcooked and had a faintly fishy taste, suggesting it could have been a touch fresher. Still, the seasoning was spot-on and the flavor exceptional enough to keep me happily eating.

While we were enjoying our meal, the owner — knowing I’d received a custom plate — came over personally to ask how everything was. I thought that was such a pleasant gesture. You can tell he really cares about his restaurant and went out of his way to make us feel welcome and ensure we loved our food.

The portions were also generous — we each ate about half our plates and brought the rest home to enjoy later.

Overall, The Branding Iron delivered a memorable first visit — warm hospitality, a charming setting, great drinks, and food that hits the spot (even with a couple of small imperfections). We’ll definitely be back to explore more...