We tried La Finca Branding Iron tonight and it was delicious. The food was great, the owner walked around greeting everyone and thanking them for coming. It was only their second day open so it was a bit hectic for the several but I imagine they'll get a routine down soon. We'll be going back for sure.

Great service (marilynn)! Food was 7/10. Thank you! Everyone was very attentive!

Great experience, Great Steak! Best around

Went to go check out the new menu & atmosphere of the BI, food was great, service was awesome, it was great seeing Mike Waller back behind that beautiful bar! The new family seems very nice & hands on, which is always awesome to see. Hoping that they can keep it going, Merced has missed the BI!

Excellent food, great price and very fresh. The salsa is super good and the owner really active in terms of the business. Came here for breakfast the omelette and loved it, will become a regular spot for me.

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

+4

Wasn’t sure what to expect with the new opening of the Branding Iron, but have to say that the food is AMAZING! Salmon piccata was delicious and there is a good mix of the “old” steakhouse favorites along with the new interesting menu items. Wishing the best of luck to Sam for the future of BI!!!

Love to see this place come back to life. Food was great service was awesome. We will be visiting again for sure.

We were passing by on our way to Oakhurst and found this gem. Great food, friendly service and the live music on a Wednesday afternoon was the cherry on top.

Been living here my whole life and never tried this spot until tonight. Wow the steaks were perfectly cooked and season! I got the spicy coffee rub and wow, the cook sure cooked it perfectly "medium". Came out so good, best steak in twn!! Better then texas road house! Only thing missing is the bread with sweet butter!

EXCELLENT! I’m a long-time Mercedian and patron of The Branding Iron. I’m also a retired airline purser who has served thousands of meals in first class and international business class to the most discriminating guests. As such, I’m keenly aware of food quality and service expectations. The accomplished chef, James, came out to introduce himself and inquire about our meals, which is an excellent touch, and he is very friendly and personable. The new BI owners recruited James from San Diego and he brings years of high-end urban restaurant experience to the BI. The new BI menu is different than the old one—some of my favorites have been retired—and it is more expensive, but that’s because the quality of the ingredients is better than before, such as the PRIME grade beef sourced from small family-run ranches. I had the Chilean sea bass special tonight and it was delicious. My date had the prime rib and he said it was the best he's ever had. Some of the servers are young and therefore less experienced, but overall the service was very good, and hopefully patrons will be gracious concerning the younger staff. I would love to see the first interaction with guests by wait staff polished up a bit with a genuine smile and a friendly but professional introduction, and a wine list in hand offered right away. I’m also fond of the idea of staff wearing identical, well-fitting uniforms, but that may be too much to ask. Next, rather than a single bread roll placed on each individual bread plate, I personally think a generous basket of warm breads and plenty of butter, including flavored butters, be placed at each table for guests to share. Finally, finished plates should not be picked up by wait staff until all guests at the table have finished eating, unless of course, a guest requests that their plate be removed. NOTE TO MANAGEMENT: Please update your website with the new menu and new photos/prices of foods, as well as Google Maps, Apple Maps, Yelp, etc.

Great service, buffet was very good

First time eating here since the change of ownership. Aesthetics are the same, except the lighting is too bright now. It used to be dimmer, which really added to the steakhouse vibe, but now it's just bright. Maybe the old folk had too much trouble reading their menus? Prices were jacked up a bit, making it even more expensive, and there aren't as many frills like automatic gazpacho and bread and a bit of ice cream at the end. That said, I had the bourbon bacon burger with sweet potato fries, and that was the best meal I've had in a long time. It was perfect for my taste.

I don't know what people are talking about the food here was actually great the service was wonderful and I will most definitely come back with my friends and promote it even more

Very good food. Had the posole and menudo. Great flavors. Hope this place sticks around. Great staff. Definitely will be returning

Wonderful service by the lovely ladies & the food is very well presented & very Delicious I Definitely recommend the Buffet they offer many varieties of choices. My experience in La Finca was very Awesome it has become our favorite spot for My Daughter & I ❤️

Even though busy we were seated after a couple of minutes. They have enough staff to clear tables as soon as it is vacated. Waited on us and checked on us after we were served.

The best chicken Mole enchiladas you will find in Merced… decor is better but still could use a major makeover but what can you do 😹

Our waitor was so fun and so attentive. A big shout out to George aka Jorge. Excellent food, drinks. Great atmosphere.

I have never been they until they were bought out. The steak is still available, but I haven't tried it. No reservations are needed. You can just go in. The food served is authentic Mexican food. Great prices, great portions. You leave full. I really like the decor. It's a Tex-Mex mixture. Definitely going back!

We've been back 5 times since ownership changed!! Thrilled the owners kept the American steaks and included good Mexican food. The steaks are flavorful. The Mexican dishes are nostalgic comfort food. Antonio took care of us this last visit. He was on it!! Very attentive, personable, and eager. Thank you so much for wonderful service and great food!!

WOW authentic food 😋 Birthday party forTyna 40th

We had wonderful appetizers and drinks in the bar while a local guitarist, Mikel Soria performed in the background. Appetizers were delicious, the drinks were very well made, and the service was exceptional. We will be back.

Wonderful experience, I’ve been coming here since they opened with the new establishment and can only say good things. Food is amazing, haven’t tasted the drinks yet but they way the bar looks today and the mocktails I’ve been served I’m sure they won’t disappoint.

We hired them for catering at our annual dinner that had 240 attendees and everyone loved the food. Thank you again to Rafael and his team!!

We used to go to Isabella's in Atwater but noticed a decline in the quality of the food so tonight we went to the old branding iron and I'm so stoked the food was delicious and the serving sizes is a lot

Went there for lunch 3/25/25. Before we reached the door a young lady had opened it and welcomed us in. Our waitress was full of smiles and wonderful attitude! Our lunch arrived quickly, was reasonably priced, and delicious. The whole on duty staff made us feel like we were being welcomed into their home. Definitely our new go to restaurant. Thank you for such a positive experience.

This place was 5 stars all around for amazing food and steaks. And really great service! Thank you for a great dinner and night out!

My hubs and celebrated our 16th anniversary tonight and decided on the Branding Iron. We've 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!

Definitely a must😋 buffet had good choices and great taste. Friendly staff clean and cool environment. Space was a little small around buffet area but the food is soo good.

First time at this place. Everybody in our party loved their food. Definitely we will be back.

The service @ La Finca Branding Iron is excellent. The staff is polite & attentive, going above & beyond to provide a wonderful eating experience. The food was absolutely amazing! Perfectly balanced flavors, beautifully presented & cooked to perfection! Excellent prices for your meal & alot of food. Will definitely make this a place to eat on a regular basis. Carol, Sherry & Kim

Margaritas are great. Food platters are huge portions. Great service. Highly recommend. Tried the pork chop platter with grilled onions. Excellent! Chicken piccata is better than Cheescake Factory. All their food is excellent!

Delicious food with huge portions, great price, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere. My new favorite spot! (The cheese enchiladas are to die for and the beans and rice are Soooo good!)

The food and the service were excellent! I can't recommend enough. This is a place I plan to visit many more times.

Went there on Sunday for breakfast and morning kaorokee. We had so much fun! Great atmosphere & great food. Going back on Sunday!!!

Wow, this place smells great as soon as i walked in to the waiting area. I cant wait to bring the whole family here for our next big get together. I didnt know this but they have banquet rooms for large parties and the atmosphere is so colorful and they recently painted new beautiful murals all through the hallways. There is so much to look at and admire in this place. All the staff made me feel very appreciated. Turn out the owner is here a lot of the time which is nice to know. I had a really good experience here. Definitly planning a return trip with the fam.

My husband and I were excited to see that the previous owner of Isabella’s, purchased the Branding Iron. We used to frequent Isabella’s quite often, and the food was always consistently delicious! The owner is very personable, and that’s the key ingredient to what makes a great restaurant. If you haven’t yet, I would definitely give this restaurant a try, you won’t be disappointed!

The owner used to own Isabella, one of our favorite Mexican restaurants to go to in Atwater. So glad he opened in Merced closer to where I live. The food is amazing and my favorite is the Molcajete. Really friendly place.

The food was soooo very good! Pretty HOT in the area we were seated but, George kept our birthday party of 14 in laughs good spirits. 👍 Better hang on to that server! Hostess was fantastic too. 💕 Thank you for making my sister's birthday a beautiful experience 💗

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 I've 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 you're getting so I say it's 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 didn't 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!

Great & authentic food. Awesome & friendly service. Staff is very attentive & make sure you have what you need.

We went here for a Valentine's Day meal ❤️ Great restaurant! The owner is very nice and courteous. Our waitress was polite and attentive. My husband ordered from the Steak Menu while I opted for an enchilada combo from the Mexican Menu. We were both very happy with our food and didn't leave hungry! Prices were lower than expected 😁 There is a bar but we didn't hear any noise from the folks on the bar while we were there. I can't comment about the bar, we didn't check it out.

Cindy Ross

Great service, as drinks never ran out, was checked on, received check timely. They were very busy but we got seated within three minutes. Martha was very sweet and prompt. Owner seated us and was very sincere and welcoming. Our food was served within 15 minutes and just as we were finishing our appetizer. We will definitely be back and with more people.

Ivan Ferrandon

Merced's number one restaurant. Period. Best armosphere, best tasring food, best service, beat selections, best prices... My wife, son and I all loved it. He got a quesadilla, 10 bucks, super sized, meat tasted fresh, couldnt finish it. Wife got the chile relleno plate, this was the best tasting chile relleno in merced. I got the pollo en crema (chicken in cream sauce). Gave me a flashback to my families cooking when i was a child. Both our plates were huge in portions, our rice tasted like real mexican rice. The refried beans wern't out of cans, someone back there actually took the time to clean em, boil em, and refry them, something most other restaurants dont do. Everything was great. Came in as strangers and left feeling like family. Definately making this our usual spot.

Edna Correa

We were out of town visiting Yosemite and stopped here for lunch on our way back home. As a Mexican, I can honestly say this place is really good! We ordered the Milanesa de Pollo, and it was simply delicious. The breaded chicken, rice, and potatoes were all cooked perfectly — it truly reminded me of home in Mexico. The micheladas and aguas frescas were also great, and the entire team was kind and friendly. Highly recommended!

Byron Elmore

This was a great restaurant with a nice casual vibe with amazing murals and a very welcoming staff and owner.

+3

Алексей Олейник

Best fajitas on my life Very impressive Great food Good service

+29

Harry Sugawara

Good food, good prices, great service, Mary did a great job looking after us So much food, we had leftovers for days.

Tony Brown

BEST CARNITAS EVER!!!! Very friendly staff , owner is very personable. All the food portions are HUGE. Prepare yourself for leftovers. Will definitely be back regularly. My new favorite restaurant in Merced

Lexi

We just moved to the area recently and stopped in here for dinner. When I say the customer service is incredible, I am not lying. Such a welcoming feeling the second you walk through the door. The added bonus is the food is incredible. We will definatley be back and this will be the place to bring family and friends when they visit. ☺️

Donna Barajas

Food was amazing. I'm not a big fan of Mexican food but this was delicious 😋. Service fantastic and atmosphere was very relaxing. Uncle George was definitely a character. Plays a mean piano. Will definitely come back 😁

Jessie Atchie

Great food for a great price. Huge plates served hot and full! Mole was amazing, as were the fajitas!

Samantha LaFond

We were searching for a place to eat after visiting Yosemite and we are so glad we picked The Branding Iron! The atmosphere was awesome, the staff was too notch, and the food… oh wow- couldn’t be beat!!! We appreciated drink and menu recommendations from our waitress very much! Highly recommend stopping here for a bite to eat and a beverage!

A “AG4LIFE” G

We came here today for lunch. I was surprised they are doing both steakhouse and Mexican. Boy, let me tell you. Food was delicious. We got Mojacetes and people siting next to us eating a delicious looking steak. Mexican 💯 delicious, homemade corn tortillas. Next time I'm gonna order thr steak.

Jesse Perez

Great place! A little pricey but definitely worth it. I had the French Dip with Baked potato and I was really impressed with all the flavor. The soup was just as amazing. It was so hearty an just as much flavor. Also had the mushrooms an all I can say is wow! The service was just as great. Definitely recommend trying this place. I will revisit if I’m in the area again!

Rocio Carvajal

I enjoyed the atmosphere, it was relaxing. Our waitress was so friendly and sweet, I felt loved, haha. I really enjoyed the food, very flavorful and great portions. I tried the crab cakes, broccoli and cheddar soup, and fettuccine alfredo. So yummy! Their garlic bread was fine. I would return for another dine-in!

Donato Nagtalon

It's our first time there and it didn't disappoint. Thank you for the great food and excellent service. Definitely go for the prime rib and let the waiter tell you about their specials for the night ( had sword fish). We'll be back!

+1

THE SERVICE WAS GOOD.. However what we ordered they were out of at 5.00. We were looking forward to the prime rib. There were adjustments on the bill. Wish you had a senior menu like smaller cuts of prime rib and steaks at lower prices as well.

I ate at this place over 10 years ago and had a steak 🥩 with asparagus and it was amazing being medium rare. Should of went medium.. good nonetheless ⭐✨

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

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.

Used to be our favorite nice place, didnt go for years after they updated the menu, raised the prices and made you pay for any and all sides. Came back because it is still the only nice place in town. I get a salad and a Drambuie, hub gets prime rib and bloody Mary. Last night the prime rib was too tough to eat. Sad. Later on: Let's see. Another favorite bites the dust. It's 7 pm, we had 6 pm reservations and all I have is my drink. David's salad came first. It's prickly lettuce. I can't do prickly lettuce. I ask if I can have romaine, and am told no romaine. I cancel salad. Beloved George comes out and says they have romaine. Okay. They said they didn't have Drambuie, oops, yes they do. Totally new, green crew who needed instruction that table cloths should fall all the way to the ground and then some, a disaster waiting to happen. I believe the previous owner sold, which would explain the new crew and their disorientation, as well as the new menu trying to look like a class act with cents (sense?) removed. You do have to ask for butter etc for your baked potato, unless you get George, and the waiter we had told me a few, say, untruths. Sad to say there would be little reason to return. They might want to make their sorbet a little more appetizing looking. P.S. The business is basically dead. No one goes.

We had salads and this place should not be reviewed on salads alone. The other food options looked delicious coming out of the kitchen. We had carne asada and carnitas on our salads and both were tasty. The service is great and they have a lot of staff, so service is quick. We actually came here because a place down the street had a 30 minute wait but a lot of empty tables. Anyway, I'd love to come back to taste some more 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☆

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

Great service but it was pretty empty. Good food with big portions.

Good food, the molcajete was delicious, the coconut shrimp was good with the dipping sauce

brad borden

Was out of town for work and decided to try this place and definitely a place ill return to. When I first walked in, I was greeted by an older gentleman who sat me right away and offered an American and Mexican menu. Service was quick and friendly, the atmosphere was a mix between cozy Mexican and Cattlemans. Food was great, ordered three crispy tacos (asada, carnitas, and al pastor). The asada was by far my favorite, followed by the al pastor, which wasn't sweet but had a hint of cinnamon flavor to it. The carnitas was good, although a little bland for my taste. The beans were phenomenal. Reminded me of socal refried beans.

Terika Smith

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 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 of their menu.

+1

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.

The food tasted good but the atmosphere expresses the Texas vibe so I assumed the portions would be comparative to the cost. 60$ New York steak plate I would assume to be full after but the One side they gave with it was so small that the potato was cut in half it seemed like. If you're going to charge like a high rise in Vegas then give that atmosphere. Otherwise give the portion I'm anticipating paying for. People are nice. The atmosphere is cool if the Texas vibe is what your looking for

Had the smashburger and fries. Fries were good. Salt would have benefitted the burger. Sat in the lounge, drinks and bartender were very subpar.

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....

Ken Masters

the food was ok. it needs more flavor to be had. i ordered a taco and it was 6 dollars for a tiny street taco. ridiculous price for that for a mid taco. also i ordered a burrito supreme and was charged for a burrito supreme but was served a regular burrito and it also was very bland. the service was good though and very attentive. overall probably wont come back but at least i tried it.

Sondria Giardina

Some might love it, I did not. It's another Mexican restaurant in Merced. Coconut prawns were good, fried fish, terrible. We celebrated our aunts 92nd birthday.

Prime rib had a lot of fat. I’m not paying for a rib with half fat. Can’t believe they gave it to me like that I will never go back. Update has new owner a Mexican style to it. Haven’t been there for the new ownership.

Weird mix of Mexican food hiding in a steakhouse, neither of which is well done. Food was made with just way too much salt. Service was ok, a bit on the slow side. The place was super loud, the music was blasting and it was difficult to hear anyone. Overall not a place I would be willing to go back to.

Service was really good but the food here is honestly just awful. I’m glad I decided not to opt for a $50 steak because I am confident it would not have been worth it. First thing I noticed is the water they give you tastes like it came straight from the sink no filter. We started off with wings that came out over cooked. They were dry and chewy. They did comp the wings so no issue. I got a prime rib sandwich and my girlfriend got the fettuccine Alfredo. The highlight of our meal was probably the complimentary garlic bread which should say a lot about about the quality of food here All in all would not recommend. This is a spot for retired/old people who like bland over priced food.

Steak used to be amazing with the old owners — full of flavor and always cooked right. I understand steak may not be the new owners’ specialty, but if it’s staying on the menu, I really think the seasoning should be reconsidered. The steak was dry, overcooked, and mostly tasted burnt. On a positive note, the lobster was good.

Atmosphere kind of dark but that’s to be expected for a steak house…which this isn’t except on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekdays it’s Mexican food. Ordered a chili rellano and it was, unfortunately, tasteless. Bummer! Their guacamole however, was awesome.

Nathyn Purganan

So this is no longer The Branding Iron. If you are craving for the classic steakhouse , it's time to find a new place. The new ownership has focused on being a Mexican restaurant, which is fine. But, the have maintained the "branding" expecting to keep the regulars coming. To the new ownership. Have your restaurant and menu, but don't try and portray yourself as The Branding Iron if you are not going to keep the tradition or the quality it used to serve. Keep the location iconic. Name the restaurant "La Finca at the Branding Iron" Pays homage to the iconic restaurant while introducing your new flavors. If you're going to try and hold on to the Branding Iron menu, you better hold to the Branding Iron quality. Final note... Change your table decor. Having a photo of the movie "Tombstone" doesn't fit the theme of Mexican or Branding Iron.

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.

A really disappointing birthday dinner for me and my family. I had family visiting from out of town for my birthday. I made reservations ahead of time for a party of seven. We were seated right away. First thing to note is that I have never seen this restaurant so empty on a weekend night, but now I might know why. After waiting more than an hour for our entrees after ordering, we finally got our meals and we were beyond ready to eat at this time. All of our entrees were cold. Everything was over cooked and dry. We brought this to our waitresses attention and the suggested resolution to this was to warm them up. They were going to cook our overly cooked dry meals even more, no thank you. I feel bad for the wait staff having to do deal with the kitchens mismanagement. Three of our meals were comped, but we all left hungry and unsatisfied. No bread is offered while waiting anymore and the entrees do not come with a side salad. I don't see this establishment lasting very long if this is how they run things. I will never go back again and I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone. STAY CLEAR! Go buy some steaks and make yourself a good meal at home.

We've been to this restaurant many years ago and decided to give it another try on Mothers day.The service was incredibly dismissive and did the bear minimum. The food was very average and one of the dishes came out raw. Instead of giving us a new serving of the dish they simply took the peices and threw them back in the pan. For the kind of restaurant this is I expected more. The server didn't seem to care that the food was raw either. Would NOT go there again.

I'd go somewhere else. 30 minutes after ordering we get told the red snapper is out, after switching to a different fish get told that was out. We are currently an hour at the table and still waiting for food except for one person who got his burger with the apps for some reason. Drinks were wrong and watered down to the point of being untastable. Calamari was alright though. Edit: After eating I can confidently say the steaks at Applebee's are better. How this place is still open will forever baffle me. We had to go get our own water, noones been to check on us in over an hour. I had to go ask the manager for our food because the kitchen was about to close... We were seated 2 hours before closing. And when they brought the bill it was wrong twice. You could get faster service raising the cow from scratch, saw a birthday party that may have started their dinner on their previous birthday. Negative stars would be applicable here

Waited 15-20 mins to order after being seated but never got served. The big party behind us got served immediately once being seated. I decided we shouldn’t wait this long for the price that we were about to pay so we walked out.

First time was last night after the Mercardo. Food sucked no flavor, I was smelling a strong odor of onions. It turned out it was the waiter smelling like BO. I literally enjoy my food at a local Taco truck any day. I will never be back.

The lobster smelled like cat pee so bad. My wife and I ordered iced tea, we were served tea with coffee, BTW coffee and black tea are not a good mix. My 2 year old spilled his water, I told the host and I'm sure she forgot about it because 10 minutes later the waitress came to check on us and had no idea what happened.

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 tier experience.