Meat Eater Chic

Branded Chophouse in Boonsboro looks to corral music, brews, pizza, and serious steaks into one locale

By April Bartel, Photography by Turner Photography Studio

Food is a basic need, but good food is a true pleasure. Pair that with good drink, good tunes, and good friends and you’ve got Branded Chophouse in Boonsboro. Fans of Vanish Farmwoods Brewery near Lucketts, Virgnia, may catch a familiar vibe. Both places are led by entrepreneur Jonathan Staples and charged with ebullient hospitality.

Open since November 2023 on Old National Pike, this oasis of steak is just the beginning. The imposing black structure welcomes guests into a sleek, airy dining room blended with enough natural textures and rustic décor to also feel warm and inviting. There’s plenty of richly grained wood counters with natural edging, leather seating, and implements from a farmhouse kitchen to set the scene, including a showstopper banquet table cut from an entire tree. 

Guests at Branded Chophouse enjoy the farmhouse banquet table cut from an entire tree.

Staples talks around a smile, “that was made by a guy in Cumberland, and it is just so cool.” It’s the perfect vantage point to watch the action in Branded Chophouse’s open kitchen. 

During our visit, the chef hauled out a hefty haunch of cow and started breaking it down into individual steak portions. “We do a lot of that in house,” Staples explains. “The chef is a very talented guy. He was at Firestone’s in Frederick for a long time.” 

Cheesy French onion soup is a steakhouse staple.

Being open a relatively short time, Staples says the menu is still evolving. “We are learning what people like. We want to make it a place where it’s not just for special occasions.” He says keeping the offering fresh and lively is important. “Our goal is, if you come back two weeks later, it’s not exactly the same.” 

One thing that is solid is their concept. Branded Chophouse, doing business as Beyond the Farm, LLC, is part of a grand vision. Just last month, Staples opened Vanish Hall onsite. The event venue debuted April 30 with performance by Baltimore artists Cris Jacobs with The Larry Keel Experience. This is phase one. 

“There’s going to be an il Forno Express here,” an outgrowth of another Staples’ partnership. He opened the Vanish tasting room on the “Golden Mile” with one of Frederick’s consistently high-rated eateries. Now the classic beer and pizza combo is coming to Boonsboro, too. 

“We will add a Vanish beer hall and a Vanish brewery in a whole new wing… We’ll have at least three restaurant concepts inside.” And maybe a bourbon bar. “You could go if you want a nice cocktail and your friend can have a beer… Everything will be all-in-one. You’ll be able to open a tab and just go from place to place and carry your drinks because it’s all one space, under one license.” The vision, he says, is to create a neighborhood gathering place where you can celebrate when you’re happy or be cheered up when you’re down. 

“Our goal was to open that other side in June, depending on construction, zoning, and permits. Additions are planned over the next few years.” Estimates put the grand space at about 21,000 square feet. 

The beef tenderloin filet with mashed potatoes and broccoli at Branded Chophouse.

And the food? 

The farm across the street and the building’s history inspired the chophouse concept. “The building was originally a cattle auction. Back where the stage is, in the music venue, that was where they would bring the cattle. It made sense to lean into the history of the place.” 

From in-house, hand trimmed steaks to soups, salads, starters, desserts, and even a few veggie options, there is plenty to savor and explore. We can vouch for the chimichurri and steak starter. The dish arrived with a good portion of lean, meltingly-tender, two-bite chunks of steak tips with seared grill lines and barely pink middles, served alongside crispy potato matchsticks. It comes with a ramekin of mild, herbaceous sauce made from fresh parsley and oregano, red wine vinegar, and a hint of garlic. We paired that with a portion of mushroom risotto for a cozy, satisfying meal. 

The rice was creamy and rib-sticking, with a trove of seared baby bella mushrooms that brought meaty notes to the dish. We hope the blistered shishito peppers with roasted red pepper aioli and fried sesame Brussel sprouts are on the menu next time too. 

Customers also call out Branded Chophouse for crab dip, French onion soup, and their wedge salad too. 

The prime rib is Staples’ favorite. That also comes as a handheld option with chopped prime rib, caramelized onion, and horseradish cream on brioche bun. The steak list hits the highlights with filet mignon, NY strip, ribeyes, and hangar steak, along with a pork chop option. There’s also a brunch with goodies like eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, or the classic combo of steak and eggs. 

And they are exploring local sourcing for ingredients. “We want to use things from within a 50-mile radius, to the extent we can,” Staples said. Luckily, he has a few connections that will translate to the new place from Vanish, which is sure to please fans. 

The restaurant also gets good marks for its pricing. “You don’t have to be rich,” says Staples as a point of pride. “We want to be part of the town…Boonsboro is a beautiful place. It seemed a shame that when people come for the trails or other things, they end up going to Middletown or Shepherdstown for food.” With Branded Chophouse and Vanish Hall now open, he hopes adding such a destination will entice people to see all the town has to offer. 

“I think people are going to like it.” 

The farmhouse banquet table cut from a single tree is near the open kitchen at Branded Chophouse in Boonsboro.