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

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.4
4.4
2510 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 46 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Neighborhood 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
  • 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 2,510 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
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • South Carolina

    Most Booked

  • Columbia

    Good for groups

  • Columbia

    Healthy

  • Columbia

    Hot spot

  • Columbia

    Neighborhood 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.

2,511 Reviews
  1. Frans

    Phoenix

    92 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    92 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Very busy place! Had to wait 30 min. For our reservation. Good menu and good food. Service was prompt and efficient.

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  2. Melissa

    Charleston

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    We arrived 15 minutes earlier than our reservations but were not seated until almost 40 minutes after our reservation. Once we were seated and ordered, it took an additional 40 minutes for our food to be served. We had to immediately box our food up and take it with us because we had an engagement to attend. It was so disappointing especially since we had made our reservations early.

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  3. Janet

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 1
    We had reservations for 4:30 PM. We arrived at 4:25 PM and we’re told that we would have just a few minute wait. We were not seated until 5:13 PM. We continually checked when we would be seated, then telling us repeatedly just a few minutes. This was unsatisfactory. Others were seated prior to us when we were told that we were the fifth in line to be seated. We have made reservations here before and we have never had to wait like this. they were six tables around the bar that had absolutely no one seated there. There should not have been a wait like this

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  4. Annette

    Toronto

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    We like California Dreaming, but even with priority seating, we still have to wait 30-45 minutes to be seated the last three trips. Recommend to plan accordingly.

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  5. Falon

    Charleston

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Food was horrible. Burned and dried. I talk to manger and she said yes it was

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  6. Dennis

    Jacksonville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We enjoyed our experience with Jasmine. We will be coming back. We were celebrating a birthday and a 16th-year anniversary. We are new to the area. Thank you, Jasmine, for everything!

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  7. Joanie

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a wonderful experience for the second year in a row.( Thanksgiving) This year we didn’t wait long to be seated. Our server Tyler was amazing. My only complaint would be that the portions were a lot smaller than last year. Otherwise, a wonderful experience!

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  8. Sharon

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We thoroughly enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at California Dreaming! We will definitely do that again!

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  9. Stephen

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Good experience even though it was on a very busy holiday for a restaurant. Seated fairly quickly. Great waiter with an awesome personality. Meal brought to our table quickly. We’ll consider visiting California Dreaming again soon!

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  10. Steven

    Charleston

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    It was busy for Thanksgiving. My seafood platter is ice cold. The server was great.

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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 2510 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 46 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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