I've driven past the Branding Iron Cookhouse for years on the way out to Headlands Beach and been very intrigued--what's not to love about barbeque? After purchasing a discount coupon on restaurant.com, Sheila F. and I headed out to the Branding Iron Cookhouse with empty stomachs and excited spirits.
We started off the meal by ordering a variety of appetizers. The Sampler Platter consisted of fried pierogies, boneless wings, and mini corn dogs. All of the above were great and came with a variety of dipping sauces. In addition, we ordered the Cream Cheese Pretzel, which was the most delicious item that we enjoyed all evening long. The pretzel was unexpectedly fluffy and sweet and would make a great dessert!
Just as we had finished enjoying those delights, our entrees came right to the table. I ordered the Loaded Grilled Cheese Burger, which was a double cheeseburger with a grilled cheese sandwich stuck in between the two hamburger patties. Yes, you read that correctly--there was another whole sandwich in the middle of my burger! This burger was the reverse of Michael Symon's Pulled Pork Grilled Cheese Sandwich at the now-closed Bar Symon, which consisted of two grilled cheese sandwiches that contained perfectly smoked pulled pork in between them. My wife ordered the Mac-N-Cheeseburger, which was a burger covered in macaroni and cheese and ham. While the flavor of the overall burger was good, the sheer weight of the toppings made it a bit hard to eat by hand and she had to use a knife and fork to eat.
Don't worry, we took home some leftovers. We also took home a relatively full wallet due to the fact that the prices at the Branding Iron Cookhouse are quite reasonable. $9.00 or so for a loaded gourmet burger that is too gigantic to eat in one sitting is a great deal! Plus, the mixed drinks are reasonably priced....$4.00 for a Three Olives and Coke is a steal compared to some other places in Cleveland!