After a long day hiking through Pinnacles National Park, walking into Paine's Restaurant felt like accidentally stepping through a portal into another era, one where people dressed for dinner and nobody was eating fries out of a paper bag in their car. White tablecloths, cozy booths, elegant decor, smooth music floating in the background... the whole place has classic old-school steakhouse energy in the best possible way. The bar area was already lively when we arrived around 4:50 p.m., and little by little the dining room filled up too. For a small town, this place was humming. Always a reassuring sign when hungry hikers are making important dinner decisions. Carmen, our server, was absolutely superb. Warm, professional, genuinely friendly, and her recommendations were spot on. The kind of service that quietly elevates the whole evening without making a performance out of it. We shared a ribeye with peppercorn sauce, a pear and prosciutto salad, and a deeply decadent chocolate dessert because apparently our bodies decided we had "earned it" after the trails. Honestly? Fair. The steak was beautifully prepared, flavorful and satisfying. The salad balanced everything nicely, and dessert fully committed to richness without apology. The only small miss for me was the mashed potatoes, which could have used a touch more creaminess. They seemed emotionally reserved. I also had a Manhattan that was expertly crafted, smooth, balanced, and exactly the kind of cocktail you want while sinking into a booth after miles of hiking. We genuinely enjoyed ourselves here. It felt less like dinner and more like a reward ceremony for surviving the trails, the sun, and our knees negotiating every downhill section. read more

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I'm kind of surprised at the "lower" rating because start to finish, we were totally pleased with the experience. The restaurant looks like "nothing" from the outside. We made same day reservations, showed up and was greeted by a friendly host who brought us to our tablecloth-covered, fresh-flowered table. I enjoyed the casual atmosphere that wanted to feel fancy. Our server Sophia G. was a pure delight. We started with drinks, enjoyed the complimentary bread/warm butter, and paced ourselves for a relaxed dinner. Me: Apricot Orchard. Good flavor, definitely not a strong a drink, drank it almost like it was a juice box. Hubbs: Hazy IPA from a local brewery. For dinner, I ordered the Jerusalem Chicken and seriously, it was perfection! Comforting, hearty boneless chicken breast topped with artichokes, sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a wine cream sauce. Every bite was delicious. The accompanying vegetables were flavorful and had a great texture. Oh man, it was so good! Hubby ordered fettucine alfredo with chicken and he was pleased. Chicken had a nice grill to it, pasta not overcooked, plenty of sauce. Just for fun, he ordered a single meatball to try as well and enjoyed it too! Service was great. Atmosphere was relaxed. Food was tasty. Definitely glad we visited Paines! We ordered read more

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Paines catered our wedding a month ago and it was perfect. We got married in Hollister so we were looking for a local restaurant that can cater and that obviously was good. So a few months before the wedding, we decided to go and try them for dinner. Everything was really good and the service was really nice. We inquired about their catering and they gave us a pamphlet that showed different packages and catering prices. It took a little bit to get in contact with them but when I finally managed to get somebody, it went smooth. From there they gave us a more accurate quote breakdown of what we wanted. We picked the Tri-tip and Chicken option. It came with pasta, salad, garlic mashed potatoes, dinner rolls and butter. We also chose 2 appetizers for the cocktail hour. They were the meatballs and crackers with assorted cheese. We also chose 2 servers to help with the buffet and bussing tables.. The day came and they got there on time. They laid out everything nicely in the chafing pans. The servers were very attentive. They served, cleared plates, threw everything away. The food was delicious! All our guests were raving about it for days to come. Especially the pasta. We had a lot of leftovers so we ate wedding food for like 2-3 days. I highly recommend Paines for your catering needs. They did an amazing job, the food was so good and their customer service was great. We will definitely be back for date night. Thank you Paines! read more

Paines Restaurant - Appetizers- House-made meatballs and crackers with assorted cheese. (What was left of it) - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

This is a good old fashioned restaurant. It's elegant enough. The cocktail lounge is to the right and dining on the left. Service is good, not too noisey and food is tasty. They serve a nice portion too. I have been there several times. Highly recommend Paines for quality food and pasta. read more

I hate to be this person but Im going to be this person. My husband and I ordered take out tonight and Im honestly really disappointed. I order Pasta Carbonara...and this just isn't it. The pancetta is just large pieces of pork fat that are totally uneatable and honestly don't look cooked all the way. Just a minor irritation, there was also no utensils or napkins. My husband got the Chicken Marsala which seems to always be a home run but for a $70 meal... maybe this was just a one off mistake but just really disappointing read more

Paines Restaurant - Pasta Carbonara...Pancetta? - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner at Paines. Nice cozy booth, great service from everyone. The calamari appetizer was a stand-out! Very reasonable price for high quality food. We will definitely be back. read more

Always good food. It's dependably good. Not great, nothing fancy but dependably good food and that's saying something. Our family favorites are - chicken piccata - chicken Jerusalem - saganyaki (flaming cheese dip) - paines steak The chocolate mousse dessert is also excellent. read more

Stopped in tonight for dinner with the Girlfriend. Sat in the restaurant this time. Service decent, everything we needed we got. Nothing fantastic, but acceptable Dinner, I had the ribeye, she had the New York, she had mashed potato, I tried for the second time, the potato gratin. Steaks perfect again, sauce on the ribeye was amazing. potato's again inedible, please consider new recipes for both the mashed and gratin potato's! They're awful. Next time. Steak and veggies only. read more

Had a lovely dinner at Paine's Restaurant with some old friends. Wonderful opportunity to catch up with them. Classy dining with linen tablecloths. The wait staff was impeccable: attentive without being intrusive. Took very complicated order without error, or annoyance. The food was excellent, just a touch creativity, leaning more to traditional flavors and styles. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the experience and would recommend it to my friends. read more

Great find in Hollister! Good food for 4 hungry people. Wait staff was friendly and attentive. Room for larger groups and families. Did not have drinks but the bar looked good. read more

Ate here about a week ago. Steak Diane was cooked perfectly, cut with a fork tender, and was amazingly flavorful. Had the half wedge salad with still very a large serving with ample bacon and blue cheese; so good. The two times I've been here the service was excellent, attentive but no over bearing. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Of course. You sit across from me, pretending this is just dinner. Just food. But it's never just anything with you, is it? That chicken breast beneath the melted provolone. Innocent on the outside, hiding avocado and bacon underneath. Layers, contradictions. You think you're subtle, but I see you. I'll always see you. The scalloped potatoes catch the light: thin, delicate, decadent. You slice into them carefully, as though you can control the indulgence, but you can't. No one can. That parsley garnish? A disguise. Like you, pretending balance when all you really want is to give in. And those vegetables, zucchini, squash, and carrots are your excuse. Your story. "See, I'm being good." But I know the truth. You want to be virtuous, but the cream sauce, the white wine draped over everything betrays you. It's clinging to the plate, to your fork, to you. And I can't help but wonder if you let a sauce consume you this way. What else would you let in? You think I'm just watching. But no. I'm learning. With every bite, I know you better. And the more I know, the more I realize you're already mine. read more

Paines Restaurant - Keto Chicken - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

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While visiting my sister in Hollister, I asked her where a good place to have lunch is. She recommended this place. When we first walked in, I noticed cloth table coverings cloth napkins, and fresh flowers at every table so my first thought was... Expensive! However, I wanted to give it a try and once we saw the menu, the prices were very good for what they offer. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich, and it was phenomenal! Grilled buttery sourdough bread with crispy chicken with a Wonderful combination of pesto, sun-dried, tomato, and provolone cheese. My brother had the chicken club and seasoned fries and loved it. I tried his fries, and they were very very good! My nephew had the flank steak with tortilla soup and he said it was very tasty. My sister's favorite is their tomato basil soup and she liked their salad. My nephew and I had dessert. He ordered a vanilla bean ice cream and really liked it. I have a chocolate mousse and it was pretty good. Mike was our server and he was very good. Very professional and prompt and he answered all the questions we had and was very pleasant. This is a very lovely restaurant with a nice atmosphere and nice soft background music. It was a little bit of a drive for me coming from San Jose and I have to say it was worth it. I was there anyway, but I would go out of my way to go to this restaurant. A true gem read more

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The food has definitely gone downhill. Went for lunch and ordered a sandwich. My bread was toasted and was tough. Bacon felt like it was sitting out. It was hard to chew and enjoy. Water is not filtered and is tap. Definitely tasted the flouride. Service was ok. Clientele is seniors. It is definitely outdated and very old. Unsure if I'll be coming back. read more

Service was extremely friendly and prompt. We were a large party and everyone was very happy with their meals. It was nice to have bread service, which is so rare these days. read more

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Best Calamari around! Fish dishes are great, oh, and so are their hamburgers! Our go to dinner house read more

Always makes me sad to downgrade my rating for a restaurant. This time around I got a NY steak ($38) instead of a paines steak ($25). Disappointment. Enjoyed the paines steak way more, it was more tender, less dry, less tough. And I don't think it was cuz of the gravy. Even if the NY was $25, I'd pick the paines (sirloin) over the NY. Not worth the price. The veggies weren't overcooked this time, which is nice, but it was still mostly steamed carrots (with a couple pieces of zucchini on top). At the $20-25 price point that's acceptable, but at the $38 price point I expect a little better than steamed carrots. Service was also slower and less attentive than last visit, but that's forgivable given the infamous post-pandemic staffing issues. Prices have gone up by 15-25% from 3 months ago. The NY steak was a total let down, do not recommend. read more

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Cocktails were strong, if that's your thing. I ordered the Pasta Olgio, hard to mess up. It's spaghetti, tomatoes, and basil; my pasta had no tomato and no basil. Incredibly disappointed. It was $19, and $25 with chicken. I paid $19 for a pound of plain pasta. They offered me a refund, which earned it an extra star here, as well as their good calamari appetizer; but I was really looking forward to my entree and was really disappointed :( read more

Paines Restaurant - Pasta Olgio - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

Amazing charcuterie board!!! Wonderful selection of tasty meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and a wonderful mango jam!!!!Service is impeccable! Great hometown friends!!! read more

Paines Restaurant - The charcuterie board was amazing! Awesome selections of meats, cheeses, fruits and nuts! Tasty mango spread! - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

Birthday lunch for 19 of our family went perfectly! Service and all food items were enjoyed by everyone: not an easy task for such a large group. Thanks to all the crew at Paine's, we will be back!! read more

There's a reason why the only real restaurant in this tiny town gets only 3.8 stars. When I got there, I was seated quickly, but nothing happend afterward. I sat there for around 10 minutes, but no one even looked at me. All the while, a staff member was laughing and joking around with two people who appeared to be his friends (non-employees). Finally, I got up and talked to that staff member about getting someone to help me. He looked at me like I was crazy or something and reluctantly responded, "Yeah okay". It was another 5 minutes before a server came and took my order. He was very pleasant and the food and drink came out pretty quickly. The food itself (rib eye and salad) was very good and the steak was cooked to the correct temperature. The waiter also refilled my drink promptly. Fortunately, the evening ended okay, but it certainly did not start out that way. If they only took their service a little more seriously, this would've been a 5 star review. Btw, that first staff member and his two friends continued to yap very loudly and mess around all night right in the dining area. Recommended, but with a caveat. read more

Service is great but the food is not. Have been there a few times now and each time the food has gotten worse.... But really great servers.

We had a party for 25 people. The service and food was fantastic. Paines with it's new owner is once again the best place to go.

We arrived at 2:15, they close at 2:30. They still seated and served us lunch. Our server did not skimp on service either. The tomato basil soup is just so delicious. Perfectly made. Nice thickness, a buttery yet tomato yummy. Not acidic, and nicely seasoned with the basil. Highly recommend. I didn't take a picture- because I ate it. The price is on par with our are. Full sandwich with soup (or salad, fries, Mac salad or potato salad) for $16.00. With all those avocados? Yes- Paines Clubis delicious. read more

Paines Restaurant - Paines club - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

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Best casual dining in Hollister hands-down. They have a formal seating area, which is nice and comfortable. If you wish to be more relaxed, they also have a bar seating area. read more

On 2 different occasions got bad food. One was raw meatballs in a to go order paying over $100 for the food we got. Most recently 3/15/25 a large group had dinner there and my mom order chicken Jerusalem and got food poisoning. Spent over $200 in this visit. Obviously the kitchen needs more attention to detail in their practices. Not acceptable to be serving the community and preparing bad food. Could be hot held or refrigeration issues but something is missing in making sure people don't get sick at their establishment. Hard to think we'd go back after this. Bummer because the service is always amazing. I did notify the restaurant and health department so they can check in to make sure proper food handling is practiced. Disappointed and sad for my elderly mother who spent 24 hours puking her guts up. read more

So we are auditioning for My mom-in-law's birthday lunch,, We were so favorabl impressed: Formal dining:white tablecloths & a nice, fresh flower on table. Club Sam was great, crispy chicken San was good (coulda had more sundried tomatoes). Minor details: all other parties were enjoying lunch. Will definitely return!!! read more

This restaurant serves the best food in town, The new owner has made several improvements like new bathrooms, kitchen remodeling, etc. We celebrated my birthday last night in the separate private dinning area, that easely accomodated 22 guests. The food was first class and as well as the outstanding service. They also have a banquet salon with up to 100 guests. Highly recommended. read more

First time today for lunch. Food and service was excellent. We both had the chicken picatta. Delicious and portions were very large, especially for lunch. read more

Amazing amazing restaurant!! Food came out fast and it was delicious.! People were an absolute treat and the overall vibe was amazing, my new spot!! read more

The food was good but the wait wasn't the best. I think it depends when you go. I will go again, just might be more strategic on the timing.

oh em gee steak is delicious so so good garlic mashing potatoes i love the paine steak recommend medium rare and i dont like vegetables but litty read more

Good food, calm atmosphere and friendly staff. Neat place and I like that they have a setting for big dinner parties. read more

Paines Restaurant - Ribeye steak with scallops potatoes. Didn't care for the sauce on the steak and potatoes were lacking flavor. Still good. - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

Went to dinner there the other night and we ordered steaks. The steaks were perfect. The vegetables were fresh not overly cooked and the drinks were perfect. We even had a slice of their lemon cake, fantastic. read more

Not great, but pretty good. I think it's supposed to serve as our "fancier" restaurant here in town? Salads, pastas good. Friendly, good service. read more

I've lived in hollister for 15 years and have never came here for dinner. I have definitely been missing out because the food was DELICIOUS and the service was amazing. Upon arrival, the hostess greeted us and sat us down pretty quickly. Our waitress was super attentive from beginning to end making sure we were doing ok. We ordered the bruschetta as an appetizer and it was so flavorful. The food came out pretty quick given that there was a lot of people there for dinner. I ordered the chicken Jerusalem because it was Good Friday and it did not disappoint. I will forsure be coming back but ordering a steak next time read more

Paines Restaurant - Chicken Jerusalem - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

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We threw our baby shower here and everything was dealt with over the phone such as pricing and information. We booked the room and were informed of deposit fee and assured that included the room for the event and was also for all the work they do setting up and cleaning up event after. Then we were informed of fee for food which is paid for by the amount of plates. We were also quoted room would fit 175 people max and informed them of our final number which was below this. We were quoted fee for the deposit and informed all we had left to cover was our plates which was 22 per person. No SERVICE FEE or TAX was discussed to us. We had spoken with the restaurant at least 6 times over the course of our planning and again no SERVICE FEE or TAX was included in the final total. Mind you I have never utilized a restaurant to have an event it was our first time splurging and throwing a huge party. The day before our event we realized we were missing a table because they ran out of tables. Thank god we didn't maximize the capacity we would never have fit anyone. We opted for cash bar instead of covering the tab for drinks as those are not included. They even had a tip jar at the bar and my family was very generous and that bowl was full of cash. The day of the event they overcharged one of my cousins by 200 dollars for her drink and didn't even realize she had to bring it to their attention. There was one person in the room while our event was happening and one person at the bar. We had water jugs at our table and my family members would have to walk up to the bar to have it refilled. They served our food when it was time to eat buffet style but only because they offered if not we had to serve ourselves which we were willing to designate a family member but they had said " we can help you with that if you'd like" and I thought that was so nice of them. Once it came to settle the bill they had overcharged for our plates and charged tax and service fee of 600 our bill was 1000 more than it should have been. When my family brought it to their attention and we informed them we were never informed of these other charges the response was " you should have known about service fee everyone knows we charge gratuity" and " we throw events here all the time and never had this problem". This was so unprofessional and wrong obviously mistakes can happen and we got blamed for not knowing and they lied and said they informed us about it but they did not. They referred to it as their tip and for their work during the event which doesn't make sense as they had a tip jar at the bar which was tipped well and my family members were self servicing their water and coffee and our cake and desserts. If I'm paying a service fee why are you asking for more tips from my family it's basically double dipping. This was a horrible experience as we didn't have the extra money to cover and my family had to cover the rest for us which was embarrassing to be in that predicament and no accountability or apology was given. If you are going to be hosting events and charging a large fee it needs to be disclosed in writing on the website or a contract needs to be provided. I learned my lesson I'm never again trusting verbal agreements and always asking for everything in writing and I will not recommend this place to anyone for events. read more

I had a fantastic dining experience at Paine's! The food was exceptional, ambiance was lovely, and service was incredible! I highly recommend this place for top notch service! read more

I feel bad, having to leave a 3 star, rather than 4 or 5 star review. Let's start with the excellent part. The food quality was superior, presentation was nice, and it's probably the best we've had in Hollister. Now the not excellent. For a restaurant of this quality and pricing, you expect service and care to be top notch. We went for dinner last night. It was our 55th wedding anniversary. I wrote a special note on the reservation letting them know about the anniversary and asking if they could think of something special for us to celebrate. Not only did they not have anything special planned, NO ONE even wished us a Happy Anniversary. Which means no one looked at the note. Second, our waiter was rushing around so much and talking so fast that it disturbed any romantic, or nice ambience. And lastly, they seem to have a problem on a Saturday night with menu items being in stock. We sat at 6pm, and at that time, they had run out of lamb shanks, charcuterie platters (who doesn't stock enough cheese, fruit and meats?) So, 4 star food and 2 star service read more

Paines Restaurant - Enjoying the rack of lamb, which was cooked perfectly medium rare. - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California

Very cute place with delicious food and friendly staff! My family stopped in here to grab lunch when we were visiting friends in Hollister and we are so glad that we did. Everyone loved their food - the group got a black and blue burger, Louie crab and shrimp salad, chicken club sandwich, and sautéed sole. They were accommodating to allergies, prices were reasonable, and the ambiance was very welcoming. Would definitely recommend! Also a shout out to our lovely waitress Kimber, she was a doll. read more

Paines Restaurant - Yummy Bloody Mary from the bar! - Steakhouses Near Me - Hollister, California