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

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.5
4.5
2538 Reviews
$30 and under
American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
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

What 2,538 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
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • 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.

2,538 Reviews
  1. SANDY

    Charleston

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Another fabulous experience with family celebrating Christmas!! The food, the service … everything was fabulous! Thank you!

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  2. Wendy

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Well let’s say that if you plan to go on Christmas Eve for a nice dinner. Don’t!! We had 6:00 priority seating reservations. We were sat right in time which was great. However the waitress came to our table and immediately said “it’s Christmas Eve.. so we will take your order , but we are closing early”. Went down hill from there.. food was undercooked had to send it back.. and they started cleaning while we were eating. We were rushed and barely stayed an hour with cocktails and full dinner. Never again! Shame on them for allowing a reservation if they were going to rush us out. I understand everyone wants to be home Xmas Eve, BUT you chose the to be open. And the expectation of an easy tip was expected.

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  3. MT

    VIP

    Tampa

    14 reviews

    5.0

    14 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Minimal wait time, private table and outstanding customer care experience provided by our server. We appreciate his sensitivity to our needs as well as the exceptional observation and anticipation of individual experiences throughout our meal. His positive attitude and enthusiasm made our meal even more enjoyable. Everything was quite pleasant and we look forward to joining you next year on Christmas Eve for the same experience together!

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  4. Ann

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Steak and shrimp was awesome!! We sat at table 2,8 and our server was absolutely awesome! Thank you for an awesome experience!

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  5. Isabelle

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    we had a wonderful experience, the food was incredible and the atmosphere was very pleasant

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  6. Lynn

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Dining room was rather noisy. Waitress was absent for long periods of time.

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  7. Darrell

    VIP

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    2.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    I made reservations for 10pm. Arrived at 9:54p. Was seated at 10:12 only to be have the waiter hover on my quest and I staying told that the kitchen is about to close and that I should place my order. Sir. This is our first time here and we haven’t had a chance to even look at the menu. When I asked for the manager she made it no better. She attitude gave me the impression that I was bothering her with my concerns. Any way we rushed to put in our order. And the food was delicious by the way. Either way don’t allow for 10pm reservations if your kitchen closes at 10ish.

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  8. Landon

    Greensboro

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic experience! Great food, and excellent service!

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  9. Amanda

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food, service and environment. Never a bad experience at CD!!!

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  10. Ken

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 18 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service and food!!! Thank you for a great restaurant.

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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 2538 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
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

  • Area
    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
    Gluten-free Options
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
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