Branding Iron

In 1920, when the Prohibition law first became effective and liquor could no longer be served across long mahogany bars, those bars survived because of the free lunches they served. While the lunches didn't remain free, with no liquor to lead the loss, they soon became the long mahogany bar's stock in trade. Many became famous; St. Louis boasted Garavelli on DeBaliviere. But the city of Clayton, which was farmland in Prohibition days, had to wait until the middle of the century.

New 'Hot Bar' Restaurant for Clayton Corner

Ground was broken last Wednesday at the northwest corner of Meramec and Carondelet avenues for construction of a new restaurant property with a 50-foot service bar and steam table, a 60-foot dining room, curb and drive-in "car hop" service, stainless steel kitchens; lounge rooms with indoor planting areas; rathskeller, with offices, air-conditioning equipment for the whole building, and other facilities.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan 22, 1950

A contemporary styled brick and Bedford stone building replaced a clutter of old frame structures. It was designed by Bernard McMahon, a world-renowned architect who designed commercial buildings and homes throughout Clayton, his hometown.
 

Perspective sketch by Bernard McMahon for new restaurant at Meramec and Carondelet
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan 22, 1950

The Branding Iron restaurant opened on October 10, 1950, across the street from the St. Louis County Courthouse. It was initially operated by the J. & R. Mercantile Company and its president, Raymond E. Muckerman. However, by 1954, Harold Plengemeier, an operating partner in the firm, was the sole owner of the restaurant.

Harold B. Plengemeier grew up in St. Louis' Dogtown neighborhood. He was drafted into the Army in World War II and served as a cook on a base in Little Rock, Arkansas. He became a cook at the Miss Hulling's Cafeteria downtown and was eventually promoted to manager and food buyer.
 

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oct 3, 1950 Harold B. Plengemeier

The squatty Branding Iron building had a large Budweiser sign on its roof. When it was built, it was architecturally well suited for 1950s Clayton; the bank building at the other end of the block was squatty too. The county courthouse was about all there was of the government center and there were a few stubby office buildings around the business district.
 

Branding Iron Restaurant, 61 S. Meramec Avenue, October 1961
(click image to enlarge)

But then Clayton changed.

Glass and concrete and steel structures shot up all over. The bank mushroomed into a multistory facility. The government center spread into a two block behemoth. The Seven-Up company took over most of the block to the south.

And the Branding Iron still squatted on the corner of Meramec and Carondelet.

The Branding Iron was actually two eating establishments – a street-level cafeteria and the Corral Room, a sit-down restaurant and bar in the basement. Entering the cafeteria, with its western decor, was like entering a time warp. Wagon-wheel light fixtures hovered over well-worn wooden tables and chairs. A couple of pairs of steer horns, along with an assortment of branding irons, adorned the walls.
 

Crowded dining room of Branding Iron Restaurant, October 1961
(click image to enlarge)

Lawyers, jurors, judges and even a few criminals from the nearby county court lined up at the Branding Iron for lunch, and as Clayton grew, more corporate types joined them. Evenings brought multigenerational families for dinner.
 

Dining room of Branding Iron Restaurant, October 1961
(click image to enlarge)

The finest carved roast beef, with bread drenched in real gravy, was a favorite, as were the fillet of sole sandwiches with real tartar sauce and the chicken fried steak with cream gravy. Customers raved about the creamed spinach and the mashed potatoes and gravy. In a mural behind the steam tables, cowboys wrestled a Hereford calf to the ground.
 

Chefs carving roast beef at the Branding Iron Restaurant, October 1961
(click image to enlarge)

Regular customers knew the cafeteria's specials by heart – fried chicken on Wednesday, sauerbraten with potato pancakes on Thursday, and cod and jack salmon on Friday. Many topped off the calorie-rich meals with homemade fruit or cream pies.

When restaurants selling alfalfa-sprout sandwiches and quiche invaded the business district to cater to the trendy set, the cafeteria's menu remained unchanged. Eating at the Branding Iron was like going home for lunch; you knew what was in the refrigerator before you opened the front door. And there was a certain comfort in that.
 

Restaurant staff at the serving line at the Branding Iron Restaurant, October 1961
(click image to enlarge)

In the early 1980s, Harold B. Plengemeier's sons, Harold W. and David, took over the restaurant's operation from their father. In 1984, they gave the establishment a minor facelift, but they were careful not to do too much. They didn't want to change their image; they had to make the right decisions since they planned to be there for the rest of their lives.

But without fanfare or farewell, the Branding Iron closed for good after serving lunch on Tuesday, July 28, 1992, leaving a loyal clientele searching for alternatives to its mom-and-pop fare. Harold W. Plengemeier died of cancer on April 5, 1994 at the age of 50, perhaps explaining the abrupt closing. The property was sold to Commerce Bank.

Harold B. Plengemeier died in 2006 at the age of 88. "He was very congenial – he had a lot of friends through the business," said his son David. "Everybody in Clayton knew who he was."

Everyone in Clayton, and many beyond, also knew the Branding Iron.


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