California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

Service is good, atmosphere is wonderful and food is delicious. Soups are always good and house salad is the best in Columbia. Restaurant is clean throughout. Food comes out quickly. Plenty of seating in the restaurant. Ribs are always a good choice.

Visiting from out of town. Came here on Father's Day and eleven though they were busy they were very attentive and kept checking up on me. The food was very delicious and those croissants were amazing.

I wish I could give Kate ten stars. Professional and never let a drink get down to half. On point repeatedly with everything. Food was so good and better choices than Augusta Ga. Definitely will make a stop every time we run up to SC. Thank you !!!

I recently had an absolutely delightful experience at this establishment. From the warm and attentive service to the exquisite food, everything was wonderful. The croissants, in particular, were a standout – perfectly flaky and flavorful. The atmosphere added another layer to the overall charm; it was simply wonderful. I can't recommend this place enough for a delightful culinary and atmospheric journey.

I had a wonderful experience at this restaurant! It was recommended by a friend, and I was impressed right from the start. The restaurant, formerly an old train station, has ample parking space, and the service was exceptional. The ambiance was delightful, with each table adorned with a small candle. Our order included Fried Crab Claws, Chicken Strips Platter, Chicken Pasta, Baby Back Ribs (one rack), and Fried Seafood Platter. Every dish had the perfect amount of cheese, the fish fillet was wonderfully crispy, and the pasta had the right texture. The only downside was the slow food delivery and slightly delayed plate clearing by the servers.

Recently I went to California Dreaming with the ladies. This time I tried their ribs, Caesar salad, honey butter croissant and baked potato. The ribs were incredibly tender and flavorful, with a smoky glaze that perfectly balanced sweetness and tanginess. The Caesar salad was fresh, with crisp romaine lettuce, a rich and creamy dressing, and just the right amount of Parmesan. The croutons were crunchy & seasoned just right. As for the baked potato, it was well-cooked—fluffy on the inside with a perfectly crisp skin. Overall, a satisfying experience, and I’d definitely return for the ribs!

We stopped in for lunch today this our first time eating at this restaurant and let me tell you I had the crispy shrimp tacos and fries the shrimp tacos were the Best I've ever had and I've had plenty of them at different places my sister and my mom had club sandwiches and both said they were very good if we come back to Columbia we will definitely stop in to eat again.

Food was great, one of the best value for the money. Would definitely visit every time I am in town. Love the location, an old train station converted into a restaurant. You can't go wrong with this place.

Food was delicious! Our waitress Lexi did a fantastic job . She went above and beyond and never forgot a thing despite how busy it was. Place is low lit . Great for a date night. Would recommend going before or after peak times. It was hard to park and had to wait about 30 minutes after reservation time . But the food and service was fantastic!

Always love it here. This time we were eating light. Was a Friday night 8pm busy restaurant but short wait. Ate in the bar area which was fine. It's the old train station so love the look of the bar & coffered ceilings. Had a great waitress Kaileigh. Order She crab soup( the best around Columbia) loaded potato soup some of their croissants & a rack of ribs. Everything was delicious & service was great!!!

We did not have to wait long for our reservation on a Friday night (concert in town). Even though crowded ou food did not take too long to be brought to our table and our waiter was attentive. The house salads is always a great option and it comes with a delicious croissant. My daughter and her friends all in enjoyed their marinated steak with 2 sides. Decent prices since it was just under $108 plus tip for the 4 of us. Would go back again. Wish they would bring back their onion loaf/brick they took off the menu years ago.

My husband brought me here for our 24th Anniversary today. As usual, everything is amazing. Our server is courteous, knowledgeable and friendly. Our order was taken within 5 minutes of us setting at our table. Our food came out punctual, hot and so delicious. Recommend this place to any and everyone. It is the best. I promise ❤️🙏🫶

California Dreamin’ went above and beyond for our family tonight. After our mother’s funeral, we unexpectedly arrived with a party of 30, and they accommodated us with such grace, compassion, and professionalism. Amanda, the manager, was absolutely incredible—calm, kind, and so organized during an emotional evening for us. She made sure everything ran smoothly and that our family felt taken care of. Our servers, Ny and Jory, were just as amazing. They were attentive, patient, and genuinely compassionate. Despite the size of our group and the short notice, they never made us feel like a burden. The service was seamless, and the food and drinks were wonderful as always. We are so grateful to the entire team for turning a very difficult day into a comforting experience surrounded by family. Thank you, California Dreamin’, for your exceptional hospitality. We will never forget it.

Nice building with interesting style inside and out. There is an odd use of stairs. The stairs at the entrance are odd enough that they have watch your step posted for patrons entering and exiting. There is another set of stairs between the main dining room/bar and the restrooms. The food wasn't bad, it just wasn't great. Menu is on the small side, as far as selection. The fried crab claws, to me, were more work than they were worth and one of the best bites was the rogue shrimp that had apparently made it's way into the fry basket. Steak Calibowl was ok, the rice was overcooked or too much liquid was used. The croissant bread pudding was good (sharing portion). I did enjoy the pineapple jalapeno margarita, nice and spicy. Not the servers' fault but my original server was cut so I was turned over to another between appetizer and entree. Then watched my original server running around still doing side work when I left.

This was our first trip to the Columbia location. We have dined at the now closed Myrtle Beach location a number of times. The seafood nachos were delicious. Loaded with shrimp and salmon. However our entrees were not. The chicken was not edible. I didn’t know it was possible to have leg quarters that dry. I am not a fan of the charred broccoli either. Service and atmosphere were okay.

I brought my mother here for dinner, celebrating her 83rd birthday. My sister RAVES about the baby back ribs, my order was tasty, but dry end chewy. I will return to Columbia for the holidays and will revisit, and then update my review accordingly.

Great atmosphere, great ambiance and really good music. The only reason why I have 4 stars is because to start off with my wife got a cup of tea and the inside and outside of the cup was dirty. Other then that, EVERYTHING else was great. Wonderful experience on Thanksgiving Day for our son who just graduated basic training the day before at Fort Jackson.

We made a reservation online for 7:30, and we arrived at 7:15 and checked in. At 7:30 I asked when we were going to be seated, at which point the host told us they are not really reservations- just priority seating, and there were other people ahead of us that arrived before we did. So be advised - reservations are not true reservations. However, they did get us seated by 7:40 so not a huge problem. Our server was awesome, and did a wonderful job. We got some of the chicken fingers, and we each got a salad. The salads are the reason I am giving 4 stars instead of 5. It shouldn't be hard to make a decent salad, but my husband's salad had an entire core of lettuce in it (as pictured). If not for this, I would've given 5 stars.

Love the atmosphere, Our server was great. Food was a little cold but l enjoyed it. Just wish the food was brought out hot. They were kind of busy had to wait a while to be seated. Would visit again.

Came in around 1p on Saturday to a crowd of people waiting for a table. We were greeted with a smile and told the wait for two would be about 20 minutes. We decided to grab a drink at the bar while we waited, but then just decided to stay there. Plenty of open seats! Jordan came by right away to greet us. We ordered a couple of cocktails and lunch. The drinks were quite good and quick to arrive. We ordered the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and a Flounder Po’ Boy. Though the food was good, and perfectly acceptable, I wouldn’t have said it was great (thus the 4 stars - I’d give 4.5 if I could). The menu had plenty of other options that I’m interested in trying, and based on the service and atmosphere, I DEFINITELY plan on returning. I can’t say enough about the service we received from Jordan! Top notch!!! I would recommend California Dreaming without hesitation.

We were visiting this area and decided to stop in for a try. It was amazing. We were sat quickly and the waitress (Destiny) was amazing. The food was Delicious. We will be back and I would definitely recommend a visit if you're in the area. 😁👍🏼

Came here for New Years Eve dinner with my wife. No problem with parking. Made a reservation for early evening and was seated promptly. Loved the atmosphere. Server was friendly and attentive at first, but saw less and less of her over the evening as the restaurant got busier. Croissants were amazing, like everyone says. She crab soup was wonderful, but the potato soup had stifling vinegar flavor. House salad w/ house dressing was good. My Shrimp San Francisco was great, just be aware it has a lot of garlic. My wife loves her shrimp, but her coleslaw was not so good. Overall, it was a pretty good experience. I’d go back again at a time when they’re not so busy.

We placed our name on the priority seating list for 5:30pm and were seated at 6pm which aligns with what most previous reviewers have stated. Plan to wait approximately 20-30 minutes from the time you check in with the hostess. It was really busy when we got there. Our server was definitely doing a great job keeping up and as attentive as she could be. She was helpful switching out my husband’s salad since we weren’t aware that it came with eggs. The food came out at a reasonable pace, but the steaks were terribly overcooked. I asked for medium rare and it was definitely beyond medium and almost well done. My husband had the same problem with his ribeye. I would not order a steak there again. You can see by my photo that there isn’t even a little pink in the center.

I was traveling because we had our grand opening for YourWay Self Storage and I was look for some places to eat. I didn’t know this was a chain restaurant and I usually don’t do chain but this one was in a beautiful building and I enjoyed the history behind it. I ordered the She Crab Soup and it was delicious. I wish it was a deeper bowl because you don’t get much and if you are hungry this will not cut it. I also ordered the roasted salmon salad and it was amazing. The salmon was juicy and so good. Enjoyed the buttery croissants it was so good and ate it as a dessert.

This was my first time visiting this restaurant and it did not disappoint. The honey butter croissants were so delicious we had to get an additional order to go. My brothers wife had the pork chops and I was truly shocked how thick they were. I had the creamy shrimp and mushroom pasta and it was incredible. I also had the she crab soup as an appetizer and it was also delicious. My family and I will definitely be back whenever we are in the city of Columbia.

Seems to be in a slump, a lot of menu favorites were removed. But it’s not a bad place to eat. I just don’t go as often as I use to. Food is still good but pretty normal nothing really stands out from all the other restaurants besides the honey croissants. Service is always good though.

Jaylin was my server and she did a good job. Croissants were pretty good. Blackened chicken pasta was solid but not outstanding. Very dark if you go at night but that's because they kept the interior which is really cool.

My wife and I went to our grandsons recital Saturday January 10th and missed lunch so we were quite hungry when the recital ended at 2 pm. Instead of driving home to Lexington for lunch we decided to try a nice restaurant in Columbia if we could find one close by. We goggled just that and discovered California Dreaming just blocks away. We arrived about 2:30 and were pleasantly greeted by the hostess. We were told it would be about 15-20 minutes for a table. We decided to sit at the bar and order our drinks for dinner while we waited for the text notification to be seated. We received the text 20 minutes later as promised and were seated in the back dining room by one of the very pleasant hostesses. Chase our server, arrived shortly after and since we had parodied the menu while sitting at the bar, we ordered right then and there. My wife ordered an American burger and I ordered the spicy chicken burger which both game with delicious fresh cut fries. Chase brought our food within 20 minutes and both were cooked to our specifications which is not always happening at other restaurants. My spicy chicken burger was topped with cheese and Cole slaw which added a unique flavor to the burger. The spice was flavorful but not so hot and overpowering so as to hide the other flavors. My wife’s American burger was lacking flavor but she powered through it disappointingly. The menu has an extensive offering of appetizers, entre’s, salads and a few deserts that looked delicious. It was mid afternoon so we opted for no appetizers or a more filling entre’. We were full enough to skip dinner that evening and brought home left over delicious fries. Not a good idea though, fries don’t do well as next day leftovers lol. Chase was an excellent server and well worth the nice tip we left him. The music was a bit loud but that’s normal for us older folks it just makes it harder to have conversation at the table. The music wasn’t quite as loud in the back dining room so conversation was much easier. Parking was ample and designated for California Dreaming customers only. The general atmosphere in the front dining room is very upscale compared to the back room which looks like an addition.

Great place to visit and see. An old historic building transformed in a excellent decorated atmosphere. Be aware that if you don't order a salad or soup everything else is just about fried. Their famous croissants are not really croissants. They are are just like Pillsbury croissants you can buy at any grocery store. Very doughy. Take it from a person who spends a lot of time in France. These are not croissants. Our table ordered the fried crab claws to share. Very disappointing. Deep fried and extremely tiny. The claws measured a inch and a half. Mostly breading with a hint of crab. Don't waste your money. Noise is a big factor. The noise level is quite high making it difficult to hear anyone at your table. The staff is very helpful. Our waiter Pax was terrific, he gets a 10+. The drinks were good as any bar or restaurant, but expensive. Our meal was more than $125.00 for two people. That included 6 drinks and two dinners. Too pricey. Sorry to say I would not return.

The atmosphere was great – the restaurant is set in a beautifully restored old train depot, which gives it a unique and charming vibe. Our meal was pleasant overall. The food was decent, nothing mind-blowing but enjoyable, and there were no issues with our order. The pasta was extremely oily, and my husband's side of broccoli was more remarkable than the salmon. Service was fine – not particularly warm or attentive, but we didn’t have any complaints either. The only major downside was the single-use unisex bathrooms, which felt a bit gross and out of place for such a nice setting. That said, we still had a nice experience and would consider coming back.

I was excited to visit California Dreaming for the 1st time as the restaurant had several great reviews and was also recommended by my mom. So for the hubs 40th and our anniversary, we made the trip to the Columbia location. I made a reservation 2 weeks before and am glad I did as they were packed. Wasn’t impressed by the layout and the parking for this location is horrible. Anyway the hubs order tacos and a shrimp Po boy which both were delicious. Their Caesar salad is the best that I’ve had and the honey glazed croissants were simply amazing. I ordered the chicken Alfredo and wish I hadn’t. It was the most unflavored, bland, disgusting Alfredo I’ve ever eaten. It tasted like chicken and noodles floating in flavorless cream 🤮. I tried adding salt and pepper but it didn’t help at all! I was highly disappointed. On top of that we saw our waiter twice; when he took our order and when we had to stop him and ask for napkins 🙄! While I wasn’t impressed with this location, I will try the Charleston location as it’s supposed to be better and the restaurant sits on the water.

Had a really nice waitress and the hosts were nice as well. The food was average...(The croissants were delicious as always). The steak wasn't cheap and I asked for medium rare but it was totally "well done" and chewy as hell. I make better steak at home using $5 chuck eye round cuts from a grocery store. Also had the shrimp Alfredo fettuccine and I'm pretty sure they forgot the salt...very bland. Bathrooms reminded me of a gas station. The first time I ate at Cal. Dreaming was in Myrtle Beach...I guess I was spoiled by that because that place was amazing. The Columbia one is kind of a dump.

Very disappointed with food quality. Seems like it has gone down. All four of us felt the same. The chicken tenders were dry and not crispy. The croissant used to be melt in your mouth - now taste like picked up from grocery store. Burger cooked too hard. Seafood platter was skimpy. I could go on.

We made reservations for the Thanksgiving dinner. The reservation was for 4pm and we weren’t seated until 4:45. The turkey was served in bits and pieces. The green beans and carrots were way overcooked. The mashed potatoes were made with way too much garlic and I honestly wasn’t expecting garlic in my mashed potatoes at all. My wife was served a muffin that appeared someone had already taken a bite out of. In general, the food quality was lower than expected.The place was overcrowded apparently from overbooking. On the plus side, the sweet potato casserole was great and the atmosphere would have been great if it wasn’t so overcrowded. Our server was great as well.

I was really disappointed this evening with the management. Flew into town with a group of co-workers and specifically picked this place because we came here last time in town and love the train station ambience. Showed up with 8 people, we clearly wanted to sit together as a group. They put in a booth for 6 with a chair on both ends, sitting us in the main walk ways and not to mention no place for meal to sit either. When the hostess was asked to just slide three tables together she said we are not allowed to slide regular tables together because of “Corporate”. So then I spoke to the manager, nice lady. When I said, wouldn’t the simplest solution for the customer that makes sense, just move the tables… the manager says “corporate wont let me”. I simply said I would hope that in a customer service industry, we would empower managers to make decisions that make sense to take care of the customer. It’s unfortunate as, I will not be returning and will not be recommending this either. Just a poor experience all related to this. Hopefully this reaches “Corporate”

We had a party of four last night for dinner at California Dreaming. We were excited to go to a place we had known to be an awesome experience as we had all been there before. We made reservations so we were seated within 15 mins. of arrival. We were seated between the bar and the restrooms. It was so dimly lit in this area, that we each used the flashlight on our cell phones so that we could read the menu. Our waitress was spot on with drinks and taking our order. However, this is when it started going downhill. It took the kitchen 30 mins for our dinner to arrive. We were so disappointed when our food arrived. My daughter had chicken alfredo that was lukewarm at best. The oil/butter had separated from the cream and so it was just a greasy mess! My mom and I ordered Sante Fe shrimp with a white sauce. It too was room temperature with just a little bit of sauce. The shrimp tasted like they had been taken out of a freezer in Publix. They were not seasoned at all! My husband ordered the chicken with ham and cheese on top. It was also lukewarm and the butter never melted in his baked potato. The chicken was dry but edible. The ladies restroom was disgusting! There were paper towels and pieces oftoilet paper all over the floor…even out into the area outside of the bathroom! The toilets were dirty as well. Our waitress was wonderful. We never had to ask her for anything and our drinks stayed full. Needless to say, she is the reason I gave our experience two stars. We are not planning to return and certainly not before reading other reviews.

This place has really gone downhill. It has a Texas Roadhouse vibe now. I remember when it used to feel classy... like a special occasion restaurant. It definitely does not anymore. If you're looking for a nice restaurant, this is not your choice. It was loud (the music and the people), and the atmosphere just felt very very casual and informal. This was a Saturday evening so I would expect it to not have been that way. The food was just okay. My rack of ribs was tiny and the sauce was not very good. The bathrooms were dirty and very small. The only good thing about our experience was the waitress. She was attentive, polite and professional.

I used to love California Dreaming, but after tonight, we won’t be returning. Unfortunately, the quality has really gone downhill. The food was very disappointing overall. I ordered the Miso Salmon, which was just okay, and I was surprised that it no longer comes with croissants. My husband had the spicy chicken sandwich and said it was mediocre and not something he would never order again. My daughters ordered the kids’ tenders and fries, but the chicken tasted like old grease and seafood. We also ordered the BBQ chicken nachos as an appetizer, and they were extremely salty and unpleasant. The BBQ sauce tasted more like ketchup. Our server kindly removed them from the table. To make matters worse, there were three servers loudly arguing right behind us about another coworker being overwhelmed with only two tables. That’s not something guests should have to hear while dining. On a positive note, our server was very kind and attentive, and we truly appreciated her service. So disappointed!!!

The lunch was bad but the experience after the fact has been worse. My wife and I went for our anniversary. My wife ordered the seafood nachos and asked that the queso cheese be lightly drizzled on the nachos and the lobster sauce be on the side. When the waitress brought the nachos out she had the nachos, queso cheese, and the rest of the items that come on the nachos on 3 separate plates. My wife explained again what she wanted and the food was taken back to the kitchen. When our waiter returned the queso cheese was drizzled on the nachos but he told my wife that the lobster sauce could not be placed on the side because it was already mixed in with the other ingredients. This would have been nice to know before ordering. The nachos were cold and my wife ate maybe 2 of them because of the lobster sauce not being able to be placed on the side. Either the kitchen or the waiter dropped the ball in not telling my wife beforehand that the lobster sauce could not be placed on the side. I had the pork chops which came with two sides. I asked for mashed potatoes and a cup of baked potato soup. I told the waiter if the soup was an upcharge that is ok. When I got the bill I was charged full price for the soup. If I was going to be charged full price for the soup I should have been offered another side item. This was a waste of $90. After this experience I was going to write a bad Google review but I noticed when someone wrote a bad review two of the owners would comment and leave their email and one would leave his phone number asking the person to reach out so the could handle the situation. I decided to email Mr. Hurt. I waited a few days and never heard back so I emailed Mr. Brown. I wanted a few days and sent Mr. Hurt a text. All of these correspondence were just to tell them about my experience and get a response from one of them. No response! After three tries that is why I am leaving this review! There is no excuse for what happened at the restaurant and there is no excuse to not heard back after three tries.

Went to lunch with my family on Sat Nov 23rd 2025 at around 245pm. We usually enjoy California Dreaming but this time it was just mid at best. We all had the Ribeye steak and they were not very good. The steaks were not cooked over a flame, they tasted like they were cooked in a frying pan and they tasted like liver. 🤢🤮, The mashed potatoes were horrible and tasted old and left over, When a steak tastes like liver it's usually frozen and very low quality, They were around $38.00 each and I do not have a problem paying it but at least give us something good. The plates and utensils all had a disgusting smell to them that was so pungent that they stunk up the entire table.. 🤢.... Like they were washed in dirty water. The only good part was the service, the servers and hosts did a great job. Needless to say we will not be returning anytime soon. $172.00 for 3 people ( No alcohol or appetizers except for a $7 plate of croissants)and it was a waste of money..