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

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.5
4.5
2527 Reviews
$30 and under
American
A photo of California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating restaurant

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.5
$30 and under
American
Columbia

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 82 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Neighbourhood gem
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
  • Neighbourhood
    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 2,527 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Most Booked

  • Columbia

    Good for groups

  • Columbia

    Healthy

  • Columbia

    Hot spot

  • Columbia

    Neighbourhood gem

  • Columbia

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
California Dreaming in Columbia offers a "fabulous atmosphere" within a historic train depot setting. Guests rave about the "great service" and "delicious food," particularly the "stellar honey croissants" and California Dreaming salad. Despite occasional wait times, the restaurant remains a "Columbia staple," perfect for special occasions and family gatherings.

2,527 Reviews
  1. Orlando

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wait time was very small, waitress was very friendly and attentive, food was very good. Overall, great experience!

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  2. Dr. Windy

    Charleston

    33 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    33 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We tried to celebrate my birthday last night at our favorite California Dreaming but our dining experience fell flat. The restaurant was out of honey butter croissants, ribs, and she crab soup. 2/3 of these items is why we come to California Dreaming! The server apologized and I know it was not his fault. I ordered a glass or wine but it never came. Once we mentioned it, the waiter was kind enough to comp the wine. We never saw a manager come around to apologize for the specific food shortage and the bathrooms were in a total disarray. We will be back, hoping that this was just a bad evening on their part and we just happened to be "lucky" enough to have picked last night to dine there.

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  3. Theresa

    Orlando

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was good. The service was excellent. Our server was attentive and never let our glasses get empty!!

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  4. Corin

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place was so good! Our server was so amazing and friendly! We loved the atmosphere and the Christmas decor! Overall just amazing

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  5. SheQueta

    Charleston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was great!!! We really enjoyed the food and atmosphere!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Chloe

    Charleston

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    My experience was not good at all, I did reservations for 8:00pm we didn’t get seated until like 9 something, the  waitress was action like he had a attitude the whole time we was there , then when we got ready to leave he’s going to say alright yall have a good one. 

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  7. SmittyD

    Charleston

    22 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    22 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Had a short wait with priority seating, so I recommend using priority seating when planning to visit this location. The service was excellent, server was friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu. The food is always excellent. The lights are kept pretty low, so that may be an issue for those guests with vision impairments of any kind.

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  8. Bert

    Charleston

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Service was good, the food was great. Great for an office lunch/special occasion.

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  9. Toni

    Fort Lauderdale

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    Years ago I loved going to the Charleston location so I was looking forward to this first time in Columbia. It was dark, I had to use my phone flashlight to read the menu, loud music. The croissants were drenched in honey and it was more of a glazed donut, the Caesar salad was dripping with dreasing and the broccoli was also over saturated with a strange sauce. Medium steak was rare and cold. Drinks were great. Will not return.

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  10. Sydney

    Charlotte

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on December 9, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Nice place just wish my seafood nachos were warm other then that it was ok.

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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 4.5 stars by 2527 OpenTable diners.

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

A photo of California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating restaurant

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.5
$30 and under
American
Columbia

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.
Booked 82 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

401 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201-4147

Additional information

  • Neighbourhood
    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
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  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
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