Who knew the city of Hollister would have a place like this?? and of this kind of quality?? I love that restaurants nowadays are really stepping up their game and creating an ambiance that is inviting and fun. This was seriously a nice surprise for me. I never expected to come to a restaurant like this in Hollister. We came during Oktoberfest, so the staff were festive, and the restaurant was busy! This is a place that you can go get a few good craft beers with your friends or bring your family to get a nice meal. The restaurant had a special Oktoberfest menu, but the bf and I were craving burgers. We did order a giant pretzel, which came with a mustard dipping sauce. That was alright... just a standard pretzel.. We also ordered a spicy jalapeno burger and the bourbon western burger. This place does NOT kid around when it comes to jalapenos... the burger was FILLED with chopped up jalapenos - filled with seeds too... so as you can imagine, our mouths were on fire!! Luckily, there was a nice selection of craft beers available. We ordered 2 beers, and in the spirit of Oktoberfest - in a big stein that we also got to keep! I loved their fries and the sauces that it came with. It was tough to finish everything since the burgers were so big, but we managed to clean up pretty well and finish our beers. Overall, service was good, food was great. I'd definitely come back to try other things if I was ever in the area! read more

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Visited the Running Rooster following a visit to Calera winery up the road. I had a half pound Bacon and Blue cheese burger that was prepared satisfactorily, as ordered, medium rare. The burger was cooked outside on a charcoal grill set up in the parking lot. The meat was lightly seasoned and juicy. The patty was shaped in a manner that suggested it was prepared on site, but I'm not certain. The burger came with the regular accoutrements one gets with a burger, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickle. Everything was fresh and tasty. The bun was fresh and large and firm enough to handle the half pound of meat and stuff. Definitely a burger worth trying I didn't order any sides but did have the chance to sample some items others had ordered: The potato salad was excellent. The salad was chunky with potatoes in a delicious, creamy dressing that tasted lightly of smoked bacon. The coleslaw was strong with vinegar, perhaps stronger than would please many peoples taste. I thought it was an acceptable variation from too sweet or too creamy. What I particularly enjoyed about the slaw was that it was jazzed up with a hint of fennel. The french fries appear to be made in-house. They were light and delicate, sprinkled with a bit of hard cheese (Parmesan?) I'm happy to report that the Running Rooster now serves beer! I know this because I happen to have dined on the day they started beer service and I happen to have been the first customer of the day to have ordered a beer! (Sierra Nevada, for those who care) read more

Our burgers were awesome so shoutout to the cooks. Two stars is literally just for the service, after this last time I was genuinely embarrassed to bring my friends here. The waitresses ignored us for a few minutes so I figured at first that they were busy, but after we got seated the vibe was like any question or refill was an inconvenience for them, as they were more interested in talking to each other then anything else. Anytime we wanted a refill or needed a fork we had to flag them down. Will definitely update if I go back, just if staff could skip the sighing and eye rolls next time please? read more

July 14 Update - Changed from 5 to 4 stars because a service sometimes slow and the music SO loud during the lunch rush. We've had several "indifferent" waitresses (to put it graciously). I love identifying the times of slow traffic and going then. My atmosphere experience matches the gourmet food only at slow times. It's ok, just know it's not a place to go to have a decent conversation or lunch meeting when it's busy because at that time it's more like a loud bar atmosphere. ========== Original Review: Finally Hollister has a good, all-around restaurant with above-average food. I'd be proud to bring any out-of-town guests or clients here. Rustic yet refined decor, great service, great food. It is more costly than most places in Hollister, but it's just wonderful to know they're here when you want it. My husband had the salmon salad and it was perfect and completely gourmet, albeit at a gourmet price. They have been packed since they remodeled and reopened, and it's definitely a grand slam home run. They seated us quickly, but service was a bit slow, just based on the fact that it was the middle of the dinner rush. And the server was attentive to the fact that food was a bit slow and checked on us regularly. I suggest they stay open later - to at least 10 pm - especially on Friday and Saturday nights. With more establishments like this one, fewer people would go out of town for date night. read more

Running Rooster - Salmon salad. Wonderful!! - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Locally owned and operated. Love this place. Great customer service and good quality food has this place growing. The bar is a great hangout for sports, etc. read more

They are open now. Nice parklet outside dining area. The food is mostly the same as before they closed. And a large selection of beers on tap. read more

Running rooster is the best restaurant in town! I love it here! Great people and great food! All the employees are professionals and helpful! I recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to have a great meal and a great experience! read more

Great service and awesome margarita pizza with the great spring side salad w/pomegranate dressing. Yummy!!

My drink was refilled three times. The waitress was on top of her service, 5 stars. Food, spot on. Fresh, hot and delicious!!! Recommend the wings, great sauce. Good ole' cheeseburger and garlic fries. Garlic cooked till it was sweet, fantastic flavor. :) read more

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Meh. Servers are always very good (all of them are, but I get Ashley a lot and she's awesome) and the rotisserie chicken is also. Aside from that it's floppy pizza, overcooked burgers with soggy buns and a so-so beer selection. Plus parking is a nightmare on busy nights. read more

I absolutely love this place ! Me & my family had moved to Hollister recently this year. And we love this place so much & the food is so good. We specially love our wonderful waiter Jelissa S. We loved that the service was quick. And ,the communication with her & my family. We are absolutely satisfied with our meal. read more

Our first time visiting running Rooster. My husband food was cold. The waitress didn't seem to care when I told her. My nachos were delicious. Cool atmosphere. read more

This place never disappoints. Good food all around. The salads are fire too. The half chicken meal is straight fire.

Well, first of all, their service is wonderful. I ordered a whole chicken by phone and was surprised that one of their staff called me to tell me it was ready. It wasn't so much that cute Kaylee called me, but the fact that she first mentioned her name before she told me my order was ready. Now that's excellent customer service! When I arrived there I felt even more comfortable. Good customer service enhances your experience as well as your meal. The chicken is indeed everything positive that is written about it in reviews. You have to taste it to truly appreciate it. It seems like it has a buttery texture, and the herbs like the rosemary that they use directly on the chicken, enhance the flavor. I went their a 2nd time to eat their hamburgers and fries. A truly remarkable meal. Don't know if their beef is free range but it:s som'm else. And as always, the staff is always nice. read more

Running Rooster - American Near Me - Hollister, California

We hadn't been to the Running Rooster for a number of years and we were quite pleased with quality of the food and the friendly service. Others are taking notice as well as we arrived shortly after 4:00 PM and the place was quite busy. Keep up the good work. Highly recommend it! read more

I am a regular customer and this time I came I. With my 5 year old nephew we brought hin pizza from another resteraunt and I asked if it was okay to bring it in for him they told me yes so we were seated. After a couple of mins. and my nephew was eating we were approached by the bar manager Jacob Silva he was rude and very unprofessional when telling us that we could not bring in food and drinks from outside of the restaurant. There was no compromise not even with eating outside where there is additional seating. Maybe some training in how to handle these kind of situations. read more

Everything we have ordered here is tasty! We don't eat take out very often, we know we will be pleased with what ever we order here. Great food and service! read more

Had the pork chops tonight. Excellent and professionally prepared would highly recommend.

I love the food here it's delicious. The service is generally good but over several visits we have had a few that weren't the best. It's still a great restaurant though they have done a lot to upgrade the inside and they put a nice area outside after Covid restrictions. There is one thing I wish they would change back and that is I wish they would go back to cooking the chicken breast fresh because now they started precooking it so when you get it, it's very tough so I don't order that anymore but the rest of the food is outstanding and 8 /10 you will have a good attentive waiter:) I would say try this restaurant out and see what you think! read more

LOVE running rooster, my favorite place to eat in Hollister. The garlic knots, wings, and Baja fish tacos are SO good. Wednesdays they have trivia and on sundays brunch. Excellent spot. read more

Had an awesome lunch with my group of 6 (not easy on a Sunday morning) great food, ambiance & service. We were seated well spaced between tables & cleaned thoroughly between parties. We will be back read more

Such a cool bar, attentive staff, fun environment.... A place to take family out and still keep it light

I had the best burger in awhile here. The patty was cooked all the way through but still juicy. I don't know how that's possible. Or was seasoned perfectly with fresh guac and Pico de gaillo to top it off. We came in on a weekend for lunch and there was no wait. Service was quick and friendly. My husband was really happy they did flights of beers. They only do flights of 4 though. I wish they had an option for half since we were going wine tasting right after. In any event I got the guac burger and he got the Chipotle chicken sandwich with a side salad. I really like that they do burgers a la carte instead of including fries because you can opt for extra indulgence if you want. Plenty of seating here for big groups and yes they have a kid's menu. For beers I highly recommend getting the belching Beaver nitro stout-it really tasted like a Reece's cup. Add on the tangerine IPA and you can make a chocolate orange beer. We'll be back for lunch whenever we're in Hollister. read more

This place is being run to the ground... management needs to be replaced... There cutting corners trying to reduce costs But it's hurting them more then it's helping I used to come here weekly with my family Now there lucky if I come in every 6 months The owner needs to come back it was great under his rule !!! read more

Decent food but can be a little pricey. Recommend figuring out why your pizza crust tastes like cleaning chemicals - likely the platter they're cooked on is absorbing the chemicals while soaking and then the heat off gases it into the dough. Can we get Fuzzy Joules from Brewery 25 on tap while it's around? read more

Definitely a popular local joint. Great beer, appetizers, and dinner options! Wood fired oven for pizza and other baked goods. Definitely recommend the cedar plank salmon as a dinner entree. I believe they cater as well. Come for lunch or dinner then take a walk around downtown Hollister! read more

Running Rooster - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Had dinner last night at Red Rooster. Actually received a $10 off coupon on an appetizer compliments of the Marriott Fairfield Hotel (thank you Jordan). Food was excellent. The Seared Mahi tacos were super. Best was the bacon and caramelized onion flatbread appetizer. Would highly recommend this restaurant next time you're in Hollister. read more

The boneless spicy wings were amazing and to top it off I had the sausage mushroom carmelized onion pizza and added pepperoni and that was so yummy as well . Definitely a place I will be coming back to . Our waitress was super nice and even with her mask on still smiling , great service read more

Traveling through Hollister... We saw this place in Yelp and decided to try it. What A great find. The food was delicious. When traveling through Hollister again will definitely make this one of our stops. Try the garlic fries, outstanding. The tritip sandwich and the Philly cheesesteak outstanding and the avocado chicken sandwich as we'll. They make a rotisserie chicken that is very tasty. I said, this was a great find. Thanks for the good eats. read more

Food was delicious and the drink were on point. The service was good and servers were very friendly.

Very disappointed The staff was very nice. However the food was pretty dodgy. All the tables were dirty with nobody sitting at them. Pizza comes on a pre-made crust. Sausage was jimmy dean at best with canned mushrooms. Sold out of signature dish. Chicken salad tasted like fish. Had to ask for silver wear. Would give it one star, but like I said, staff was nice so that counts for something. read more

Worst costumer service experience ever, just moved into Hollister to dine into THIS. Never coming back here. Arrived at 8pm, still waiting on our food til 9:17pm...food never came, The wait time is ridiculous, and the waitress (hispanic with long blonde hair) didn't even apologize for the wait time, we canceled the order and her response was "okay you can go" . Highly disappointed on how unprofessional this was handled, wish I could've spoken to a manager. read more

Great place for family time or a date. Atmosphere is fun, hip and cool, and the chef is constantly striving to improve an already awesome menu. The fish tacos are great, as is the rotisserie chicken. Cheese dip is also awesome! Hamburgers and pizza are really hit or miss, as is the service. Will definitely keep coming! read more

Love love love! Their chicken Apple walnut salad. With some raspberry dressing. Never disappoints read more

Running Rooster - American Near Me - Hollister, California

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Have driven by this place a few times on our way to the Coast (when we take the "back roads") and it gets pretty decent reviews, so we decided to try on our way home this year. Walked in with family and saw a great beer selection and vast menu, but left with more disappointment than satisfaction. Calamari appetizer dish was excellent, but my son's brick oven pizza had a funky taste (I think from the olive oil?) and my $13 order of mac and cheese was tasty, but way too small in size for that price. Wife ordered the best dish at the table...her fish tacos were excellent. Outside of the waitress forgetting my wife's beer order, the service was above average. It seemed someone was always checking on us to see if anything was needed and as soon as we finished a plate, it was removed. Perhaps we ordered the wrong dishes (the waitress said they were known for their chicken and burgers)? A place I'd try again if in the area, but not somewhere I'd make a special trip for. read more

Running Rooster - Merlin Nitro Stout! - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Great place to eat, close to were we live, so we get to walk. The chicken, pizza and burgers are great, don't order the steak, they haven't figured that out yet....19 hole.... sorry!! read more

Running Rooster - American Near Me - Hollister, California

We had dinner here while visiting from out of town. Really impressed with this spot. Good food, friendly staff, and nice set up!

O the Running Rooster, I'm happy I finally caught you! It wasn't the first time I saw you, I'd passed by several times until one day I was referred directly to you by a trusted friend. The private lot, welcoming staff and well thought out decor were all great things. The TOY/build/kids corner allowed me some valuable free time. I love the floor to ceiling barn doors, the old style phone booth and the family feel of your place. Thank you running rooster for being so clean!!! Your bathrooms have the one thing in my opinion that should be in every bathroom in the world a number you can text to report what is needed in the outhouse what an awesome way of using modern technology you get major points for that my feathered friend!! The food was delicious I ordered the chicken avocado bacon sandwich with aioli sauce. And the kids meals were all very affordable my 2 kids were able to order 3 meals and share all three. Well mr rooster I'm sure I'll find more things to love about you on our next visit, till we meet again! read more

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We were very pleased with the service and our delicious meal for our first visit here for an early dinner. A tasty moist burger and garlic fries made my husband happy and satisfied. My Asparagus and chicken salad with mangoes was light and filling, though not enough asparagus to my liking. A Pietra Santa Pinot Gris was the perfect complement to my meal. A delightful atmosphere and great service made for a wonderful dining experience. read more

Without a doubt, this is the worst place to eat in Hollister... My wife and I have tried to eat hear twice and with bad luck both times. This last time we waited over 25 minutes to order drinks and to talk to someone other than the girl who sat us. We also waited another 20 minutes after we ordered our beers to get a chance to wet our whistles. So after waiting a total of 45 minutes, we got to order our food. When it arrived it was cold and disgusting. When we finally got her attention, she said they were very busy and it might take a little longer to get it warmed up.. I asked her if she just said to warm it up and she said that's what she could do for us. Wait, what??? We asked to talk to a manager and she sent another server to our table to see what the problem was. We asked her to please get us a manager and then she said that she was the acting manager. We were told by her that she could not nor wouldn't do anything for us. The staff is very rude and the prices are way to high for what you get. read more