Ding A Ling Cafe

I went once after they moved from the airport. I used to get salads from them years ago when I worked across the highway. They were delicious. The décor sucked then and it sucks now. The one time I went after they moved was reassurance to never go again. The food wasn’t good. The service was poor — and they were not busy. The décor (tables and chairs) are embarrassing. This is definitely the breakfast/​lunch place that falls in last with the other similar restaurants in town. I’m shocked they are still open…

This was my first visit to this restaurant in it’s new location. I have been a couple of times in the previous location at the airport and recall my experience to be decent, however unremarkable.
The current location has a drab, dreary, and unwelcoming interior. The table was sticky. My coffee was served in a mug with a smudge of dirt on the rim. After looking at the menu and prices, my friend and I opted to not order. Breakfast prices were some of the highest I’ve seen in town and the atmosphere was just blah. There was only one other customer in the place. The waitress was nice, I felt bad leaving, but just got the feeling the experience wasn’t going to get much better.

Great breakfasts and good strong coffee. Quick friendly service too.

I went to Ding a ling a couple of months but for some strange reason the business was not showing up until today. But it was so bad that I am still a little annoyed by our breakfast and how bad it was. Yes the décor can be fixed up a little but that’s ok. I’ve eaten at some places where it looks meh but the food was amazing and vise versa. However, the food was really bad. My hubby and I ordered a basic egg, bacon, and hash brown breakfast. My hubby always orders his hash browns «well done» (which I guess it means extra crispy) and the hash browns were sooo under cook. Almost raw.
We also ordered a Belgian waffle with strawberries on top. We thought it was going to be fresh strawberries. But no, it was the frozen strawberry slush kind that was still frozen on top of our waffle. The waffle tasted that it was microwaved because it was soggy. It was bad, really bad. So at the end we got a soggy waffle with frozen strawberry slush on top.
The total bill was about $ 32. They charged us extra for the frozen strawberry slush. We were both disappointed that we just paid it and vowed to never return. There are way better places to have breakfast in Hollister that offer fresh strawberries when you ask for it. They may have changed it since then but we never returned so we are never going to find out.

By far, the best traditional breakfast in Hollister.
Do not be fooled by the underwhelming exterior of the place. Or the basic interior for that matter. This place is not known for its décor.
If you want good homestyle/​comfort food, though, this is your spot.
I ordered Huevos Rancheros with flour tortillas on the side. It came with refried beans and hash browns, which were super crispy… just how I like them! The main feature was a corn tortilla as the bottom layer with 2 eggs on top smothered in delicious red sauce and melted cheese. The sauce was so flavorful and full of spice. And it was served hot! Not lukewarm. Very delicious.
My fiancé ordered the Country Breakfast, and holy cow, it blew me away. The biscuits are by far the best I have ever had. Soft, fluffy, buttery, and not a bit dry. Not even a little. They were smothered with gravy and topped with eggs and sausage patties. Soooo much better than sausage links if you ask me. Also served with crispy hash browns.
This is my new obsession. Thank you Ding a Ling!