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California Dreaming | Columbia, SC - California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating, Columbia, SC

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.4
4.4
2592 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 144 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Charming
Located in downtown Columbia, SC, inside the historic 1902 Union Station, California Dreaming welcomes guests with its vibrant and inviting atmosphere. The restaurant's floor-to-ceiling windows offer a picturesque view of the rail tracks, stretching from the inactive platform to the main terminal. Paired with our hearty, made-from-scratch menu, it's no wonder California Dreaming has been a beloved local institution since 1984. Open for lunch and dinner daily, including online ordering with curbside pickup.

Celebrating 40 years, California Dreaming has been a valued part of the Columbia community. Union Station, its historic home, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.

**We provide Advance Priority Seating to reduce wait times and expedite the seating process when your entire party arrives. To ensure the best experience for all guests, we seat groups of up to 8. While larger groups are seated separately, this arrangement is flexible during quieter hours.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (803) 254-6767
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Columbia
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 2,592 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Most Booked

  • Columbia

    Good for groups

  • Columbia

    Neighborhood gem

  • Columbia

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
California Dreaming in Columbia offers a charming dining experience in a historic setting. Guests rave about the "excellent service" and "delicious food," with highlights including the croissants and California Dreaming salad. The ambiance is noted for its unique "old train station" vibe, although it can be a bit noisy. Reservations are recommended to minimize wait times.

2,592 Reviews
  1. Julia

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great dining experience. I was seated at 5:05 did not have a long wait at all. Great service.

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  2. Forrest

    Charleston

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very busy, we had reservations for 4:45pm and didn’t get seated until 25 mins later. Service was very good. I ordered the BBQ ribs with coleslaw for the side. Very disappointed to say the least. Ribs were overcooked, dry and very little meat on them. Appetizer we ordered the chicken wings, again cooked way too long, no flavor and very dry! I will give this restaurant another try but very disappointed on our first visit

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  3. Eric

    Gold Coast

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was AWESOME no complaints at all. I definitely will go back again and again

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  4. Lori

    Charleston

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    when you only order a salad there is nothing outstanding about that but the California Dreaming salad is always very good. Ordered it without tomatoes and they were on there but the waitress corrected it and brought me a new salad, so no problems

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  5. Scott

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    6:30 Reservation on Valentines Day, was seated and ordered by 6:38. Faith, our server was spot on and was very attended to our needs. Glasses filled and Salad plates etc. cleared promptly. My wife and I had the Special, 2 Filets with Crab Cakes and two sides. Didn't particularly care for the Crab cake it was dry, everything else was outstanding.

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  6. Rick

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and great service! Reservation @ 6:00 pm for party of 6. Seated at 6:05. Waitress (Adrianna) was top notch! Food was excellent.

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  7. Colin

    Charleston

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Croissants, house salad, brownie dessert were all spectacular. The blackened chicken pasta was okay, could definitely use more flavor. Speed of service was amazing.

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  8. Charlene

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Seating was quick. Our server was excellent. Food was great.

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  9. Debbie

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a wonderful experience. I had made reservations and were seated within five minutes. Our wait staff was excellent. .

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  10. Allen

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I told the hostess my reservations were through Opentable when we arrived at 12:05pm. We were seated within 10 minutes and served by a very polite & pleasant young man named Trevor. He was very attentive to my party Of 6.

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FAQs

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (803) 254-6767.

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating is rated 4.4 stars by 2592 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 144 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

401 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201-4147

Additional information

  • Neighborhood
    Columbia
  • Hours of operation
    Daily 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Public Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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