The food was subpar. The Mac and cheese was so bad I had to send it back. The waitress never asked if I wanted something else. We will not be coming back. read more

my son brought me a burger from there once. I got very very ill after eating it. thought it tasted 'odd' when I ate it... oh man. never again. Went there once when it first opened and thought it bland and a very weird shopping experience (how you ordered, paid etc) Do not understand how it survives. read more

This was good for Hollister, I was actually surprised of the food. Everything was tasty, I ordered the jefe burger and my boyfriend ordered a pizza. It was a great meal I was super pleased, plus the staff was professional and very attentive to us. Love it, real cute restaurant that has a lot of potential I think. read more

The place was empty. Food was very blah, over cooked burger, fried to hell sirloin bites. Overall a poor experience and an upset tummy. Look elsewhere. Very bad! read more

First online order from Running Roosters today for pickup during these trying times. On time, excellent food quality. We shall return Thank you! Ordered meal under Maria read more

Descent food, good atmosphere- we like the burgers, pizza, tacos, steak bite app. Kids love the huge brownie sundae. read more

Running Rooster - Kids love to dive in to the YUGE brownie sundae! - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Another disappointment in Holister... they really need to work on improving food.. sorry for being food snob but how can you spoil wood oven pepperoni pizza ? Crust was undercooked, not enough sauce, too much cheese( wasn't even a good one) .. I swear dominos pizza is better than that one we ordered after skydiving in Holister local airport. At least Service and beer were good read more

We came to the restaurant right after their re-launch, and the food was really good. The service was dead slow, but we chalked it up to newness. It spawned my return visit, which I now wish I hadn't made. First off, in spite of the really cool electronic ordering system, the service wasn't any speedier than before. Our waitress was very nice, and I appreciated her friendly demeanor. In spite of the crawl the food took from the kitchen, the worst part came when she actually put it on the table. I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich of some sort. It had bacon, avocado, a nice looking sauce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, and possibly the largest piece of lettuce known to man. It looked absolutely delicious. It was also dead raw. I brought it to the attention of the waitress, who then explained to me that it wasn't undercooked, it was actually made a pink color on the inside by the special marinade they used on it. Now, I have marinated a lot of chicken, and subsequently grilled it in my time, and in spite of my better judgement, I told her I would take her word for it and dig in. Big mistake. I am now suffering the after effects of eating half a raw chicken sandwich, and the shame of not listening to my gut. Believe me, I hear it loud and clear now. I gave up on the other half of the floppy, dripping, raw, and fat covered mess, and just ate the bun. My wife's pizza looked a lot more appetizing, albeit stone cold. The cheese wasn't fully melted, the dough was saggy and sad looking, and she tried to pawn the rest of it off on me. Sadly I had already abused my digestive system enough. My one year old little boy got Mac & Cheese and some fries which, though from a box, were the tastiest thing we had. My wife had to leave in a hurry, leaving me to enjoy the agonizing wait for the check. My son threw up. It was awesome. When the bill finally came, my only wish was that I had a time machine to go back and make another decision about where to have "a quick bite to eat" as my wife had so promisingly said. It was relatively expensive for food that my body was now exacting vengeance for, and since I was in a hurry, I didn't take the time to complain about the bill that I now wish I had. As the waitress stood by watching me sign the receipt, I politely told her that as an FYI, that chicken wasn't just pink looking, it was quite raw. She kind of looked at me confused, and I told her I was pretty sure I was already getting sick, which lead to a very awkward apology, and an even more awkward observance of me signing the receipt. She eventually walked away like she wasn't sure what to do with the information, and didn't return, so I went ahead and left. If you're the skip to the end type, here's the synopsis. Had good food before. Had VERY bad food this time. It was also significantly overpriced. Sadly I won't be back again, and I hope that you don't make the same mistake I did. If it looks raw, it's raw my friend. Trust your gut, or feel its wrath. read more

Because Running Rooster doesn't put on their menu the cost, I will spell it out for you: 1 Quesadilla - $7.50 adding jalapeños - FIVE DOLLARS Don't bother asking the wait staff if that tab is correct. It is and she will just laugh at you for being an idiot for thinking the owner of RR has a sense of respect for his or her customers. No, they are here to wring you out dry. Also, quesadilla was scorched, the guacamole was brown, service slow and unfriendly. The food didn't agree with my stomach. My guess is their kitchen is as dirty as their price gouging tactics. Good alternatives in Hollister - Super Taqueria, Ajs, Miyakos, sandwiches at Nob Hill, skipping dinner. read more

We stopped by for a bite to eat on a Thursday night and it was pretty packed.We were seated right away and served with smile.The servers were all very upbeat with a postive vibe.We had the Queso Fundido for our appetizer with the fried flour tortillas.Super cheesy and good.My son had the Cowboy burger and I had the Fish tacos.The amount served is more than enough.Again my eyes were bigger than my stomach.But the food is so yummy that i couldnt stop eating and even ordered a Jefe Burger to take home.Thier garlic fries were crispy with tiny chunks of garlic ....very addicting.I always look forward to eating at Running Rooster.Good vibe,awesome staff and food is outstanding.Keep up the good work guys . read more

I have been to Running Rooster before the remodel but went again this past weekend with the new remodel. The place looks great and I love that they emphasize the barn look. I ordered a build your grilled chicken sandwich with pesto and roasted red peppers. It was good but the chicken lacked flavor and it was a small piece of chicken. When I took the first bite, the bun began to crumble and my burger fell apart. Next time I'll ask for the ciabatta bread instead of the regular bun. Also, what is up with the waitress using an iTouch. I am all for being up to date with technology when it is efficient. However, because the waitress had to search for the items it took a while for each of us to order; it was almost annoying. We would go back though. I want to try a hamburger and hubby's pizza looked delish. read more

This vegetarian was craving a roast beef dip sandwich. After church, I twisted my husband's arm to take me to Running Rooster (wink wink). I saw the giddy twitch his face made when I suggested it. The restaurant is beautiful after the recent renovation. Lots of tables and open space. On the way to the Ladies Room I was able to see the huge bar they added. Everything is gorgeous. The menu was missing a lot of the old favorites and I had a hard time finding exactly what I wanted. There was no French Dip, no more of their tri-tip sandwich or the delicious Pulled Pork. I could see that the menu had been given a face-lift, and a price-lift to match. The selection of entrees were more sophisticated than the original sandwiches and chicken. I am not sure why they didn't just give it a name change too. I chose the El Jefe Burger. My man chose the Red Pepper, Sausage and Onion Wood-fired Pizza and we intended to share both. Our food arrived and our pizza was toasty black on the edges. Being the man that he is, he bit in to it anyway. Yet, after the first bite, he realized the bottom was as burned as the crust and was bummed to have to send back his food. I halved my juicy burger and slid it on over to him. It was so good. The meat was cooked properly, not at all over cooked. There was pepper jack cheese, bacon and chopped jalepenos along with lettuce, tomato and onion. (One of my pet-peeves is to be served spicy food and not have my water glass refilled!) We both had finished our half burger by the time the pizza returned. It was much better. We do not believe that a cook should set that up to be served nor should a server bring that out to the table. We will consider trying this again for dinner another time. read more

Running Rooster - El jefe burger - American Near Me - Hollister, California

See all

Ordered online at 6:20 PM and was supposed to be ready at 7:40 PM. Long wait but we have been through this before with the restaurant. Arrived when our order was supposed to ready and received our food at 8:30 PM. Sorry to say but this is the last time we will be ordering takeout from here. So disappointed. read more

We live this restaurant in Hollister! It is family friendly and has a great area for the kids to get their wiggles out! Great service. The nachos are delicious! I also really like their salads and the ahi tuna tacos! read more

Food: delicious. I had the burger named El Jefe. Spicy, big portioned, well cooked (medium) and fresh. Messy was well, which can be a plus. The fries were seasoned, with a spicy dipping sauce, again well portioned. A bit expensive, I had a beer with my meal, and the total came out to $22+ The service: horrible. No eye contact, no friendly smiles or "can I get you anything else" type of service from my server. I had to ask for my water, which seemed to displease him. Others came by, a large party at the bar. Again, no eye contact, no friendly greeting. "Do you guys know what you want?" As they sat down. Not yet they replied. He walks around from behind the bar and says let me know when you do, they ask for the menu. "the menus are over there" he says as he walks around behind them. The group seemed to pick up on his mood as well, they pointed at him and kept eye contact with him as he wondered around, seemed to be ignoring them until he took their order from across the bar. Nice job Gage. I'll be sure to high tail it out of there on your shifts. read more

My family and I wanted to see the new revamped restaurant. We waited 15 minutes to be seated and 10 minutes to get drinks. Three out of four of us got our food after 25 more minutes. When I asked where the last dish was, the waitress didn't seem to know and blamed "the printer." She put in the order then but after 20 more minutes, it still wasn't ready. Of the food that did come, it was the same mediocre fare as before but seemed to taste poorer since we had to wait so long for it. We left before the last dish was ready. Seriously, who wants to wait over an hour for a simple hamburger? I do not recommend this restaurant. read more

First time eating in Hollister stumbled on this place and was pleasantly surprised. They had a great drink menu and beer selection. We had the nachos and pizza and were very satisfied with the whole experience. read more

Very displeased. I got a tri tip sandwich thinking it was going to be a tri tip sandwich. When it came out the meat was paper thin and it was on like a hot dog bun for like 16$. No thanks. The decor in the place is nice and it is clean. But the food is outrageously over priced for what it is. Iv never had anything there that wows me. If I am going to pay money I would much rather it be on quality. Yet the food lacked quality and quantity. read more

Do not waste your time... Well, we decided to try this place last night because it was down the street from Swank Farms and the reviews were good. Family type restaurant. I'm not sure completely why. 2 stars for the waitress was a good server, seems like she wasn't informed with several things that they have last night. But I'll get to that. and The Angry Apple Cider I was was pretty awesome. First things first, We went to order our meals, I ordered the garlic chicken, my bf ordered Bacon wrapped tenderloin and brother ordered a pizza. Waitress said they had no mashed potatoes but baked potatoes. Um ok. So we ordered. got our drinks and app no problem, but after that, the waitress comes to our table to inform me they ran out of Chicken, ugh. Um you could of told us when we ordered instead of having to wait longer for our food. Wasn't in the mood for a burger or steak, but had to settle for the tenderloin, And yes, they do not serve salads before your meals, I had to ask for our salad before the meal. 2nd- we get our meals, so NOT impressed. The potatoes had a chemical taste to them, and this was a baked potato! I didn't have a thing on mine and tried to drown it with butter and ranch and pepper. Still, bf's had a lot on his and it was the same. Ummmm, don't you think if you do not have mashed potatoes, why offer baked in return? Should of been our first clue..... Now I have no idea how the pizza was, bro ate almost all of it and told us it was terrible- I think he was just feeding of our issues with our tenderoin dinners. At what point did you not like it? lol doh. Also the tenderloins were just ok, nothing special at all and the price was ridiculous for them- $24 each includes salad. Small serving too. The only thing we got comped on was our nasty potatoes. Which was only $7. I'm thinking this place will be ok for beers and maybe burgers, but not to be wasted on dinners. We won't be back though. Over priced. Our bill was almost $100!!! 3 meals, 3 ciders and 2 sodas. read more

I've tried most of the dishes on the menu and everything is good. Love the steak bites. Only wish there was a little bigger. The burger is awesome too according to my grandkids. Great sports bar for Hollister. Family friendly. read more

Food is good, but they charge big city prices for a steak when they are just a burger joint. Way to pricey!!!

I came here on a Saturday afternoon because I wanted to see what it was like after the big remodel. I ordered the Over The Top Burger and it was really good. Nice and juicy, tasty, and the bun was soft. I had the outlaw fries with the burger and next time I would get just the regular fries or onion rings (which are to die for) instead. I found the spices on the outlaw fries to be a bit overpowering. The price of the burger (1/2 lb) was 13.50. I had a soda and that was 2.25. At bit expensive but you get what you pay for. My waiter was a gentleman by the name of Art (at least that is what it said on the receipt) and he was fantastic. Very nice and explained the remodel changes. They have a nice bar with a lot of beers on tap. Overall it was a nice place to get a great burger. I would go back again. read more

We love the Running Rooster! Always a great meal and the staff is super nice! Just had the beet salad and love their homemade salad dressings. Their new menu is great and they always update with in season veggies. Their new bar area and outdoor seating is great and they have plenty of heaters if it gets cold. read more

Best. Burger. Ever. That's what the sign says and it's the truth. Why else would I drive all the way to Hollister to pay $12 for a burger? You can get cheaper burgers, too. Quarter-pounders with the basics on top start at $7. It's pricey, but it's also delicious. My favorite burger is the "All American." This patriotic 1/2 pounder is slathered in caramelized onions, cheddar and topped with bacon. Meat on meat? Sign me up! You can even add andouille sausage to your burger. They have ten gourmet toppings that you can add to burgers such as portabella mushrooms, grilled pineapple or roasted poblano rajas. But this burger doesn't need a single thing addition. If you must--squirt on a little Demon Spit (AKA Cajin ketchup) on top. If you aren't sure which fries to get, try the 3-Fry Sampler. The Cole Slaw is crisp & yummy. Running Rooster also serves sandwiches, veggie burgers, fish 'n chips, steaks, chops and salads. If you're nearby, it's worth the detour. You'll know when you've arrived at Running Rooster: there's a guy out front grilling the burgers under a make-shift tent. Warning: the water tastes absolutely terrible here. Don't drink it. read more

Stopped in here after skydiving due to its Yelp reviews. We were seated immediately. We all ordered drinks (3 beers, a coke, and 4 waters), but we only got 3 beers. I asked for my coke the second time around. She brought the coke, but not the 4 waters. I ordered a burger, which came with onion rings. The burger was ok and the onion rings were ok, but it was seem like it was 90% batter and 10% onion. I never got a refill on my free refill coke, and the check was brought out to us without us being offered desert. So we just decided to pay and have desert elsewhere. And if you're wondering, we still didn't get our waters. read more

See all

For once I went to a restaurant based on a friends recommendation and not Yelp. My dad and I where on a ride through Hollister and I remembered Running Rooster as a place to try for lunch. The sign above the door proclaims this to be the home of Best Burger Ever, but the grill man pre cooking patties in the parking lot makes you wonder. The menu has a range of toppings and sauces, but we choose to stick to the signature burgers just to be easy. I got the Wallace, and Dad got the Over the Hill. The price for a burger and fries was a little steep, I was surprised my $12.50 didnt get me a soda. The burger was fresh made as where the fries with Outlaw seasoning. Overall it was a pretty damn good burger, not the best I have ever had ( that honor still goes to Rocky's Crown Point) but pretty damn good. I would recommend it to anyone who happened to be traveling through Hollister. read more

We decided to try the running rooster today with high expectations! Unfortunately our expectations came up short. Everything is À la cart which translates to EXPENSIVE. Tried the BBQ beef sandwich which took longer then 25 minutes from order to table. The sandwich was cold and the bread was hard, and the BBQ sauce was sour. In regards to service, we saw our waitress once when we placed order. And once again when the food was served and that was it. No follow up visits no beverage refills poor customer service. Well we can say we tried it and was not impressed. read more

Can you say, GOOD SERVICE plus GOOD FOOD for a local restaurant? Is that even possible? Well, it's true and you can. If you wanted some classic, traditional american, good quality burgers, and tired of that whole clown/king/jack/taco fast food jazz then go downtown Hollister for some Running Rooster. The atmosphere is really great and you can easily tell that the workers are hard working. The workers are nice and they actually talk to the customers like they're actually there. Other than some other places that I don't feel like mentioning. Now on to the next, on to the next, sorry got out of hand, on to the food... I got the Original Half Pound burger, yeah, that's right, I said HALF POUND. I took it togo so they had the burger with cheese and bun separating the veggies. With that said, it's like that kid store Build-A-Bear but with food. So I don't mind making friends with my food before eating them. The burger was not dry at all and cooked nicely. I also ordered a side dish which were cajun fries. It was really good, but I gotta say though the only downfall for me was that the fries were a bit soggy. I didn't mind so much since I devoured the whole meal in a matter of minutes. Yep, it's that good. Other than that, they have a wide selection of meals including many different selections other than fries. The place is located downtown so you can either dine in to dine out into the Historic Downtown of Hollister. Great place, great price, but most of all great food. read more

Good pizzas and other non-burger options. Wood fired half-chicken was great and only $15. Pizza starts at $8 and are very good. Reasonable beer list. read more

Running Rooster - Half a chicken, wood fired - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Regret not walking out It wasn't all bad, we liked the food. Unfortunately the atmosphere was akin to trying to eat in a high school gymnasium during a pep rally We were seated promptly, waitstaff seemed professional and competent. Hot items were hot, cold items cold, all were tasty. -but- a small group including a few teenage girls was also dining and, for some reason, they screamed for the next hour. Not screaming like someone who has a hearing impairment, but screaming like they are being murdered with an axe, or riding a rollor-coaster. Like who does that in a restaurant? Anyway, watched the smart people get up and walk out. Stupid me decided to wait. Complaints to the manager were ineffective. The manager eventually comped our deserts, but by then it was far too late to save our business. All I wanted to do at that point was escape read more

I am here on business and always look for good places to eat while out of town. I have to say, I was highly impressed eating here. 2 seperate servers quickly asked what I would like to drink. Once I ordered, my food came not too long after. I got their half chicken with the side of vegetable and mashed potatoes. Everything was perfect. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, the potatoes were simply awesome having the right texture and were very flavorful, and the brocolli was great--flavorful and cooked just right to there the lol ueves were soft but not mushy. Soon after I got my food, I was approached about a minute later asking if everything was okay then again later by another waitress. I love this business approach with resteraunts where any server can approach any table. I hate when something is needed like a refill but if the server walking by isnt yours they just ignore you--this is NOT the case here. Bottom line, my food was great and so was my service. I even had the chocolate chip cookie with walnut and I enjoyed that as well! One last thing, the bathrooms were immaculate and smelled good--taking the time to ensure a clean bathroom shows how you treat the rest of the establishment!!! read more

Running Rooster - American Near Me - Hollister, California

Great menu with something for everyone! The waitstaff was very friendly and the food was tasty. The salad I had with grilled chicken, asparagus and mango was delicious and the ingredients were fresh. The fish tacos were also very good. The atmosphere is casual and comfortable. We went for lunch and the service was very fast. Highly recommend this family friendly restaurant! read more

Stopped in here with my girlfriend and a buddy of mine on Tuesday, Feb 2nd, 2010. Did not have a good experience. Here's why: We enter the restaurant and literally wait 15 minutes to have our order taken. Not to mention, we were first in line! The mexican lady behind the counter who took our order was extremely rude and disrespectful. I have always, for many years, have ordered a CHEESEburger, not a hamburger. This woman had a hard time comprehending this, and as it turned out, my burger came out incorrect. I politely asked her if she could return it and throw ONE piece of cheese on the burger, but she promptly and rudely said "NO." Also, my girlfriend ordered a soda with her dinner, and when the food finally arrived, the same bitch behind the register insisted that we did not order a drink with her meal. Really? Who orders dinner with no drink? I finally spoke with the owner, and he immediately gave us a water cup. This woman behind the register is truly a piece of trash. On the other hand, however, is the owner/manager, who is ALWAYS the nicest of characters. I have a lot of respect for him for what he deals with in the quality of his employees. You just can't find decent help these days. Other than the food order issue, the overall quality is good. The prices are a bit steep, although, it is a "mom and pop" type of establishment, so that comes to be expected. I will be back, but won't be looking forward to dealing with that piece of garbage behind the counter. She leaves, I'll give a full 5 stars. read more

I've only been here twice because we live an hour away but will stop on our way to Monterey for lunch. The food is always delicious and they have the cutest little area for kids to play. Definitely worth the stop. read more

Yup. The burgers ARE the best ever. I grew up on Kirk's burgers in Santa Clara/Campbell and I do believe Running Rooster has surpassed Kirks. I get the Over The Top Burger with Outlaw Fries and take half home for another meal. (well, to be honest sometimes there's no leftovers..) Kudos to Running Rooster for being the pickup place for the local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) produce delivery, which is how I discovered them. I got into the habit of picking up my produce box and ordering a burger. Pretty sweet. One of the 'Life is Good' things about Hollister! Squeaky clean atmosphere, really nice staff. ONLY room for improvement would be the garlic fries which swing back and forth between pure heaven and soggy purgatory depending on the day. OH! AND they have recyclable to-go containers!! :0) read more

One of the best burgers I have ever had. Not a huge burger but super yummy flavors! Great place for kids they have a fun trian set and magnets at the tables to play with. Also a nice selection of draft beers. Service was also excellent. I cant wait to go back and try their pizzas; they are made in a brick oven..yum yum yum. read more

Running Rooster - Yummy burger with crumbled blue cheese and caramelized onions. - American Near Me - Hollister, California

See all

The food was sub par, appetizer had 6 small pieces of steak a bunch of cheese and 6 tortillas.... I ordered more steak but my dinner came out and the cheese was cold by the time the waiter brought the steak out. On to dinner I ordered the chicken dinner...... it was cold and looked like it was not fresh it actually was the driest chicken I have ever had. Waited for my bill and it never came I had to go stand at the register......... I did not see a manager so I could not complain but I do want my money back! read more

Running Rooster is a newer business in Hollister specializing in dinners to go. The tri tip, chicken and ribs are all average at best. I have had a few different to go dinners and the sides are small and unappetizing. The potato salad, corn on the cob and beans are all run of the mill. I had the pulled pork sandwich for lunch one day and it was actually pretty good but I have yet to find anything else on the menu worth eating more than once. The establishment is overpriced, the servings and "family meals" are meager in size, and bottom line is that the food is sub par. The idea of ready to go dinners for families on the go (A.K.A rich folks who don't want to cook) is a good piece of the market but this isn't the place that has pulled it off sucessfully. read more

Not super horrible, but I'm not rushing back. I really like the idea of this place, and they just need a couple tweaks to make it great. Service needs to be really fast for lunch. Both times I ate there it took a strangely long time to get our food, like 1/2 an hour after ordering a burger and fries. read more

We had a delicious lunch here today. My rotisserie chicken with a romaine side salad was delicious and the perfect lunch portion. Best rotisserie chicken I've had in years - crispy skin, yum! My companion had the bourbon burger with no bun and a side of outlaw fries. Big burger, no complaints. Service was good and our friendly server's recommendations were spot on. We got an unexpected phone call that sent us out the door in a hurry and she sent very kind 'hope things go well' wishes our way, I'll definitely hit this place up again when I'm in Hollister next. read more