The salad bar is very well stocked with fresh lettuce, salads, fruit, pudding, soup, and crackers. It is a great meal and delicious. The service is efficient and the branding iron decor is vintage but tidy. They just celebrated a huge milestone for being open and serving. We can see why! read more

Branding Iron - Happy HaPpY! - American Near Me - Thompson, Iowa

See all

For many years whenever I visited family in Mason City or Forest City this was the place for Prime Rib. Great service and the prime rib is unbeatable. Large portion perfectly cooked and add a lobster tail to make it a surf and turf. Place hasn't changed in all these years and I love this fact. Keep up the good work! read more

Branding Iron - Yes Please! - American Near Me - Thompson, Iowa

Good food and service at a reasonable price, including soup and salad bar offering severalsalads and tossed salad components.

Incredible Prime Rib!!! That's what I remember about the Branding Iron! Everything is good here but I'm NUTZ about this quality Prime Rib! Thank you, BI, for maintaining top quality standards when so many places have seemingly lost interest in keeping their previous standards! Oh! Almost forgot! If you want slick and shiny places, Branding Iron is NOT for you! If you want a "comfortable as an old shoe" warm and welcoming spot to enjoy good food well prepared and presented, THIS is your place! I recommend going early! If you wait too long, there's a good chance you may have to wait for a bit! read more

Branding Iron - Prime Rib Monday night special and a Ribeye on the left. - American Near Me - Thompson, Iowa

See all

We were there for an Anniversary party. Had a buffet meal and it was delicious! Nice servers and plenty of seating.

Out of town for work and saw Monday was prime rib special. Food was excellent and service was top notch. A fine place to dine.

Branding iron never disappoints- the food is always good , I will say the last two times I have been there whoever they have bartending needs more practice as mixed drinks were terrible but again the food was great read more

Had a delicious meal and the Branding Iron! Wonderful supper club with delicious steaks and more!

best food ive ever had service was fantastic and everything was just perfect definitely recommend if passing through.

I ate here on a Thursday night. It was delicious. I had the fillet. Yes, it was expensive, until you consider I had 3 meals off it. It steak was tender and delicious. One of the best that I've had anywhere. The salad bar and baked potato was also very good. The wait staff efficient and friendly. If I lived in the area, I would eat there often. read more

Went at 5. The restaurant filled quickly. The service was good and food was better. Along with the salad bar the portions were generous. I had ribeye of course read more

Been here many times. Never had any problems with anything. The staff is super friendly the drinks are perfect, the salad bar is to die for, and the prime rib is the absolute best! Actually every single thing I have ate there is excellent. It's not some big club where you can't hear anything but the tv blaring, it just a perfect atmosphere. read more

We made a reservation for 8 people and the table was waiting at 6pm. Service--The waitress arrived and even allowing for the fact that it was Friday and she had 3 tables, she was ABSOLUTELY RUDE. Rushing us, interrupting, answering questions curtly. Terrible service and it lasted the entire evening. Food--I do not understand all the great reviews. Maybe food/service is better on weekdays. The salad bar was a mess, food spilled in other food, food including beet juice was spilled on the counter where it got on my brand new blouse. My husband and I had the walleye and baked potato. Our baked potatoes were not hot and neither were the other 6 guests at our table. My husband had his fish fried and it was not bad. I had my fish baked and it was GROSS. It was over cooked, tasteless and very unappealing on the plate. The bills--Since we were a table of 8, the tip was automatically added. I can deal with that, but a 20 percent tip for the worst service ever? That was a rip! Frankly, our waitress was barely worth a 10 percent tip. We mentioned this when we paid our bill and the cashier shrugged her shoulders. We are in the area once a year to have our Winnebago motorhome repaired, however, we will never be returning to this restaurant. read more

I used to work there and saw him grind perfectly good prime rib into hamb. because the prime rib didn't look quite right to serve. It's the best steak you've ever had. Dennys an awesome cook and only serve the best read more

This place is amazing I have been here several times and never had a bad meal!! From the Alaskan Wale to the amazing juicy prime rib there's something for everybody on this menu. It is been around a long time so the Decour is a little outdated but it doesn't matter because the food and the service make up for everything. If your looking for a hidden gem stop in Thompson Iowa at the Branding Iron! read more

Branding Iron - Medium Prime Rib - American Near Me - Thompson, Iowa

Branding Iron is our favorite place to dine. We live over an hour away so we don't get there as often as we would like. We have never been disappointed.it is really busy so may be a little slow as far as service but the food is so good, well worth the wait. Staff is fabulous. Gretchen read more

Prices were terrible!! The food wasn't good. We waited quite a while to even be waited on and they weren't even busy. We definitely will not go back. We heard so many good things about it and sadly not one of them was true. All 4 of us were very disappointed.. I wouldn't recommend going there. read more

Fantastic meat, some of the best in the USA. Worth a side-trip if you are in southern Minnesota or northern Iowa (I-90, for instance). Gets busy during the Winnebago RV rally in July. Monday is prime rib special, the best we've had, ever. read more

See all

Great food with HUGE portions. The prime rib pictured is the "small" size! Lobster was large, sweet and delicious. Salad bar thou limited, was adequate and fresh. There is also vegetable soup on the bar. read more

Branding Iron - Small size prime rib! - American Near Me - Thompson, Iowa

See all

If you're looking for upscale ambience, The Branding Iron may not be the place for you. If you're looking for some amazing good old Midwestern food, then this is where you'll find it. The Branding Iron is the proverbial hidden gem in the middle of nowhere. Even if you have to drive a ways out of your way, it's definitely worth checking out. Great food (especially their steaks), huge portions, solid salad bar. You're almost guaranteed to take home some great leftovers. read more

If you are ever in the Forest City, Iowa, you have the make the 20 minute ride to the Branding Iron Restaurant. We were told they have the best Prime Rib!! Well, they weren't wrong. We had the small cut (yah sure!!). It was hugh and unbelievably tender. Everything we were served was fantastic. Beautiful salad bar. If you don't take advantage of the restaurant, you are really missing out read more

Salad bar has just enough variety. Ribeye was ok. Not as tender as I would have liked. Have to eat there at least once each summer when we are in the area. read more

As said previously ambiance is small town Iowa restaurant, nothing to write home about. Pictures of the menu board on yelp and prices at the restaurant are not the same. Most entrees are at least $5.00 more on each item. Sorry, I didn't take pictures. Ice burg lettuce on salad bar was at least fresh, a couple of macaroni salads, cottage cheese, pickled beets, watermelon and looked like a chocolate mousse or pudding and soup. Husband and I split the prime rib. I'm not a connoisseur of prime rib by any means but for as expensive as it is, I expected something with a bit more flavor. The food was ok and even good. The coffee awful! But what do I expect from small town Iowa!! Waitress was very attentive and friendly. Hostess acted like she wished she was somewhere else. It's a good place to eat just not excellent! We will come back! read more

The Branding Iron is a northern Iowa icon and I can't believe that it's never been reviewed before! We first came here with a group from the Winnebago Grand National Rally two years ago but have been back at least four times since then. The food is always excellent and the salad bar is always fresh. The wine selection is not the best but you can't go wrong with the bottled beer! The beef is great and always well-prepared and the fresh fish is consistently good. We love to stop here whenever we're in this part of the world! read more

This place is a must stop for us. The beef is always amazing. The salad bar is a good size and always clean and tidy. We're here now for the Winnebago rally, but we have driven down to eat here from Mpls in the past. read more

Excellent steak house in North Iowa! My favorite is the prime rib. Get a bottle of beer, order up some breaded cauliflower and enjoy your steak! read more

I grew up in southern Minnesota and still visit every time we're anywhere nearby. Some of the best filet's I've ever had anywhere. This is not the fanciest place in the world, and definitely has a certain "small town restaurant" feel to it but all I can say is that it sets the bar on what a good steak should taste like. Only problem is that I can't find as good a steak anywhere else! :) read more

I will never go back. worst experience ever. Food was excellent but service was worst ever, especially since there were 30 people in my party. waitress was most horrible ever. I did not get meal I ordered, nor did my wife. Then when I got my bill, shocker, a 20% gratuity was added to it! really?? I don't have a choice?? read more

A lady at the Forest City Library recommended the BI as a great steakhouse. She said it was the best steakhouse "this side of I-35". We drove over early and strolled around downtown Thompson waiting until 5:00 pm. About ten minutes before opening the customers started lining up. Good indication we were at the right place. By the time we were seated and the waitress took our order the dining room was full. We had the Saturday night special; BBQ ribs with a baked potato. It also included the salad bar which was good, the soup was great. The backed potato was cooked perfectly. The ribs were fall off the bone good. The service was good. Would we go back - "you betcha"! read more

Wow ! Moved to northern Iowa a year ago.. I moved here from las vegas, an nothing compares to this food . The BRANDING IRON is the best steak house ive been in. I enjoy it twice a month. Try the steak & lobster ... p.s. so glad I live 9 miles from Thompson. ... lol read more

Best steaks in the area! Friendly staff and great food. Try the Prime Rib! Also the ground round is outstanding. Salad bar is excellent.

The best steak I have had in years. Staff was great and congrats to the master chef

Giant, juicy, delicious steaks. That is why you come to the Branding Iron. Meals come with an old fashioned salad bar. You will not leave hungry. Prices are very reasonable. Try it out and thank me later. read more

My wife and I try to make the 1.5 hour drive to Thompson at least once a year for the best prime rib I've ever had. They start serving for the evening at about 5 so if you are traveling a ways be sure to get there early or call ahead if you want prime rib because they do run out on busy nights or if going with a big group. This no frills cafe style restaurant is pretty plain on the inside using rough cut lumber on the inside to create a sort of western theme. It can become quite noisy inside. Dont let that deter you away from going there because what they lack in atmosphere the more than make up in food quality. I would put them up to any ritzy steak place in minneapolis. Also there hand battered jumbo butterfly shrimp are a perfect al a carte to add to any steak. Along with choice of potato and the help yourself salad bar you won't go home hungry! Also if you do have to wait to be seated there is a Bar to sit at to occupy your time. read more