Holder's Country Inn - Cupertino

Great from the jump! The pictures are worth a bazillion senses and enjoyment. Cocktails are a plus..))))

Food was better than the service, the waiter had an attitude. The food was good and the place looked nice. The bathroom had a bad smell and was dirty.

This review was for Mother's Day Saturday. The restaurant was busy, but bar is open seating. We got seated immediately despite there being a long wait for a table!

My grandma and I both ordered omelette. They came out ~20minutes, which wasn't too bad considering the day. My FAVORITE thing at holders is their pancake, even my Asian grandma was pleasantly surprised! They're big and fluffy and not bland or flat. Perfect!

My omelette was also big and super filling. Took half of it home for another meal since it was so fully packed. My only complaint was that the omelette was super bland. Thankfully, they had ketchup, salt/pepper, and chalula readily available!

2.5 STARS

"What do you want for lunch?"

"IDK..."

"Dim sum?"

"American breakfast?"

Dim sum was a no go because of the crowd outside Koi Palace Contempo but we still got the dim sum vibes at Holder's when neighboring tables were fighting for the bill. Lol!

First timer at Holder's Country Inn. They've been a South Bay institution (opened in the 1950s) before moving to their current Cupertino location in late 2022 after an unfortunate fire. They also have a newish location in Los Altos that opened last year.

We arrived a little before 11 am on a Saturday and there was no wait. Patio was less than 1/3rd filled.

M E N U
All day American diner fare. Full bar!

Prime rib special on Friday + Saturday (10 oz - $33). HH Specials (Monday - Sunday, 3 pm to closing): 50% off margaritas + mojitos, $3 off craft beer, wine, and cocktails, and $9 beer flight.

F O O D
* Carnitas Egg Benedict w/ avocado, tomato, paprika, poached eggs, english muffin, hashbrowns ($17) // 2 stars: https://tinyurl.com/5bras58n
--Requested "easy" poached eggs (per reviews, they tend to overcook their eggs)
--Requested "extra crispy" hashbrowns

Holder's featured this dish on the yelp app but upon arrival, it looked nothing like the business pic.

Starting with the positive, they nailed the easy poached eggs...it was liquid gold but I couldn't enjoy it because of the hollandaise. It was heavy, flavorless, and crying out for some acid. There was so much of it that it marred the dish, rendering most of it inedible (English muffin was a soggy sponge).

Picked out the carnitas - rich and tender with charred edges but there was very little of it...2.5 oz tops. Maybe all that hollandaise was to disguise the lack of protein?

After reading reviews of undercooked hashbrowns, requesting extra crispy was the right move. The hashbrowns were dry and unseasoned but that's what ketchup is for.

* Corned Beef Hash w/ scrambled eggs, hashbrowns, toast ($17) // 3 stars: https://tinyurl.com/bdf2z4sx

Dining companion had similar issues with their dish. Both the scrambled eggs + hashbrowns were bland. The saltiness from the canned corned beef did help balance the dish but it was potato heavy.

* Side Sausage (4 pc - $7) // 4 stars
Nice snap, juicy, and well-spiced (not salty which is preference). Commercial but solid.

S E R V I C E
After dining here, I read super elite's Jon T's reviews that staff is great to some customers but horrible to others.

It's a diner so I don't mind brusque service as long as they're fast and efficient but they're neither.

Our food took 30+ minutes to arrive. And, after receiving our order, our server went MIA. Our water glasses sat empty (never got a refill) and I had to go inside to ask for the bill that took 10 minutes to arrive.

Busboys were hustling so I hope they get a good tip out.

A M B I A N C E
Huge and spacious with plentiful seating inside and outside. Even in near 80 degree heat, the shaded patio was comfortable.

They didn't change a thing from their predecessor, Steins - same hipsterish rustic-industrial dining room with trendy sports bar and faux plant wall. Wish they personalized it a bit to match the old-skool country diner concept.

P A R K I N G
Easy lot and garage parking in back.

Overall, I know Holder's may hold nostalgia for those who grew up in the South Bay but the food and service were subpar. At least on the day we visited. For diner food in the South Bay, I prefer Bill's Cafe. 2.5 stars rounded up for the spacious, shaded dog-friendly patio.

This establishment deserves 10 stars.
We were looking for somewhere to eat...
We had just got into town.... April 4th.
Daughter was in the hospital... it was late, came across Holder's...
Thank goodness for them, everything in the neighborhood was closed and it was dark all over.
Was apprehensive because it was so quiet and not well lite in and around the neighborhood.
We took our chances and were very pleased with the sincerity of everyone who had been working that night.

So many others came in after us and they too were greeted with the same kindness and hospitality.

We were able to take our time eating and the servers that were there still working gave everyone their all.

These kind souls took care of us and made us feel very welcomed. Can't say enough about them.

I had high hopes for this place, but I was underwhelmed. The place is super cute, the ratings were good, so we gave it a try and the wait was really long once we got seated at our table and with a little one, that is hard. He didn't like his chocolate milk, I think they mix it themselves maybe. He did like his waffle so that was good and my eggs benedict was overcooked. I love this meal for breakfast, I get it every time, and for it to be overdone is such a bummer. I think they were just soo busy and didn't have enough staff to keep up.

This eating spot in main part of Cupertino is a smart choice to grab breakfast, brunch....or even lunch, dinner, or happy hour (although I haven't tried the menu for the latter three). The inside is very spacious with high ceilings....I was surprised how roomy it was inside because from the outside it does not look nearly as big. Lots of tables inside and also outside. Service was very attentive and friendly. Since I was craving something from the griddle, the blueberry pancakes is what I had. Very delicious pancakes with lots of JUICY blueberries!!! On the side I ordered the chicken apple sausage for protein. It was okay, but think next time I will try something else for my protein side.

Open hours are early morning and close late also...10 pm on weekdays and 12 midnight on weekends. Lots of available parking in the attached structure. Other shops and restaurants are in the same structure, so not sure how parking is during peak weekend hours. Ambiance is clean, modern, spacious, and comfortable.

This is a decent diner. The food is really affordable, the portion sizes are large, the coffee is good, and the food quality is decent for the price. I liked the pancakes. They're dry without the butter but with it, they're good. The waffles were OK too. The California omelet was fine - the large chunks of tomato were a bit odd to me. The corned beef hash was fine too. The chicken apple sausage was a bit sweet but otherwise I liked it. The hash browns are a bit bland and undercooked. In the future I'd get the pancakes, waffles and sausage again, and would probably just get scrambled or over medium eggs instead of the omelet.

Came here on a Sunday morning at 9am. Plenty of tables. We know Country Inn from the "old days" when it was on De Anza Blvd.

Accessibility- there are no direct handicap parking in the front but they have a ramp for the entrance.

Ambiance- love the modern decor and high ceiling. And even sound absorbing panels, so you can actually hear the people sitting at your own table

Service- great like usual

Food-
Chicken Fried Steak- very hardy. A bit salty on the steak. The pancakes were the highlight! It was so fluffy

Salmon Benefit- off the Brunch Specials. Asked for the hollandaise on the side. It was okay nothing special but the portion of the salmon was a good size. Good enough to share.

Return Factor- yes especially for breakfast/ brunch

Site of the former Stein's Beer restaurant (the one in Mountain View is still open for business). The country inn feeling is not there because of the former tenant's decor.

However, this is a good place to have breakfast at any time. The Chicken Fried Steak and Eggs was hearty and good tasting. A lot of places give you a tough and dried out patty. The Fish & Chips dinner/platter was just as filling with a starter soup or salad, and veggies. Veggies with Fish & Chips? I guess since it was a dinner plate. I substituted garlic fries for their plain fries which was a good "call" on my part.

I feel like this restaurant isn't really talked about that much, but it has it's busy days in the mornings. I've only been here for breakfast with my coworkers and the food is outstanding. The portions are huge and our servers have always been patient and friendly to us! It's very spacious inside and there's also outdoor patio seating. They also have a huge bar and a big wall dedicated to real plants. If you sit near the wall of plants, the water might mist on you during its' spray cycle.

What I love about Holder's is their bottomless mimosas. There's 3 flavors you can choose from for their bottomless mimosas, (orange, pineapple, or cranberry juice). I can't choose what's the best flavor, but if I had to choose, I'd get pineapple.

I've ordered their trip tip steak before and I liked it. The downside was that there was too much fatty meat in it, so it was a lot to chew.

Whenever I come here, I can't get enough of their California Omelette (avocado, tomato, mushrooms) or Florentine Omelette (spinach, sour cream, bacon, onion) Soufflé's. I usually like to upgrade my bread to Swedish Pancakes. Trust me, it's soooo worth it. If it ain't on the table, ask for their Tapatio sauce, it makes the food taste so much better!