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

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

4.4 (2678)
$30 and under
American
401 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201-4147

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 149 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for groups
  • Lively
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.

Additional information

  • 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 2,678 people are saying

California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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

    Best Value

  • Columbia

    Great for brunch

  • Columbia

    Good for groups

  • Columbia

    Hot spot

  • Columbia

    Romantic

  • Columbia

    Lively

  • Columbia

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
California Dreaming - Columbia offers a "beautiful and well-done" setting, making it a "great place" to dine. Guests consistently praise the "amazing" food and "excellent" service. The croissants and house salad are "must-try" items. While the atmosphere can be "a little noisy," the overall experience is "fantastic."

2,678 Reviews
  1. Marie

    Charleston1 review

    5.0

    Dined today

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server was amazing; we absolutely will be back!

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  2. Dan

    Baltimore1 review

    2.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    Did not honor our reservation- waited about 30 minutes. Service was spotty at best, very slow, waters glasses were empty, didn’t provide enough menus for the group (4), had to ask for silverware. Many great places in Columbia and this one did not measure up.

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  3. Matthew

    Charleston1 review

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Rick was an absolutely amazing server we watched him basically sprint around the restaurant to take care of multiple tables he did a fantastic job and met every need we had

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  4. kennedy

    Tallahassee1 review

    2.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Hosting Staff was not very nice. Granted there was a ceremony down the street and they had multiple tables not cleaned but available, but I made a reservation and it took forever to get seated. The hosting staff were having a disagreement about where to seat us. Our waiter was amazing! I have been to this location and have not had an issue before.

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  5. Raquel VIP

    Chicago27 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Fun spot with great food. The rolls were fabulous

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  6. Wendy

    Charleston1 review

    2.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    2 tables were seated and served before we got our food. One of the salads had a bug crawling in it and the crab claw appetizer was pitiful- looked more like cat claws. Service was awful- our waitress only had 3 tables and 2 were 4 tops. We were a 5 top. We had reservations so getting seated wasn’t a problem. The rest of the food was delicious. Took over 2 hours and we didn’t have appetizers, pre meal drinks or dessert

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  7. breena

    Oklahoma City2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 2
    We had to wait so long to finally get seated even though we had a reservation.

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  8. Yvett

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Waitress nice. I hand She Crab Soup delicious and Chicken Ceasar Salad.

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  9. Wanda

    Charleston12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Seated promptly upon arriving. Waiter was very attentive to our questions. Food came out quickly & all orders were perfect.

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  10. Zach

    Charlotte3 reviews

    1.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    What’s the point in having a reservation if it still takes 30 minutes to be seated? Host was rude and dismissive as was the waitress. Glasses stayed empty. Out of our party, three steaks were overcooked and tough to chew. So loud I couldn’t hear the person I was sitting next to. Service and food is so inconsistent every time we go. I’ll have a difficult time going back.

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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 2678 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. South Carolina
  4. Columbia
  5. Columbia

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 149 times today
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
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