California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority Seating

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

Review summary

1. Z

   Zach

   Charlotte3 reviews

   1.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   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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2. V

   Vivian

   Charleston1 review

   5.0

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great food & Service! Enjoyed ribs and seafood. Both were excellent
   

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3. A

   April

   Tallahassee2 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   After reading several glowing reviews, we decided to reserve priority seating for our trip to Columbia. We have never dined at California Dreaming before and were excited to try a new place with some great reviews. Sadly, our experience just left us underwhelmed. We expected the food to be so much better than it was based on other reviews. Frankly, we were shocked and disappointed when it wasn't. I will say that none of the disappointment of the experience can be attributed to Lexi--she was outstanding--very friendly and her service exceeded our expectations. Based on Lexi's recommendation, and countless reviews, we tried the croissants (of course) and they were delish! And my daughter enjoyed the chicken tenders too. Everything else was just lackluster at best. The spicy chicken sandwich had zero flavor to it other than heat--two people in our party tried this one. One with the jicama slaw (also zero taste) and one without. Neither of them enjoyed it at all. I tried the blackened salmon salad (also recommended by Lexi) and it was just blah! I mean, I don't know how blackened salmon can have zero flavor but it did. I felt like I was just chewing to chew. I would not order that again or recommend it to anyone. However, I did see some incredible looking baked potatoes being delivered to other tables--so maybe try that with whatever you get. We did not have dessert so I cannot comment on that. To sum our experience up, it was a huge disappointment and I would probably not go back on a return trip to Columbia.
   

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4. P

   Patricia

   Charleston2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was great, from the reception to our attentive server.
   

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5. D

   Desiree VIP

   Charleston18 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service and food was top notch. We enjoyed the salad and steak tacos for lunch.
   

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6. J

   John VIP

   Raleigh100 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 24, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Per our previous first visit and review, we'd be back. Here we are! This is our follow-up visit and subsequent review. This "train station stop" is so beautiful and well done. The food, staff and service are tops. I've traveled much in my day for both pleasure and work, and this establishment earns high marks. I also managed a restaurant back in the 80's (for successful finicky owners) and have an eye for detail and California Dreaming runs a tight ship. They are both clean and organized. My wife and I plan to dine here on future trips south. You folks rock!
   

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7. J

   John VIP

   Raleigh100 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our first visit and most definitely not our last. Very unique restaurant.
   

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8. M

   Matthew

   Charleston1 review

   4.0

   Dined on April 20, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Went on Easter Sunday. Service was great. Food was good. It was a normal time at this restaurant. Nothing special on a holiday. Disappointed in lack of marketing in management- NO Easter Specials at all - in drinks or food ! It’s a holiday-could have had some special dishes. Even drinks- fun names- for peeps sake, bunny hop, spring fling I don’t know …. Happy Easter y’all !
   

   California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority SeatingResponded on April 21, 2025

   Thank you for leaving us a 4-star review Matthew, and for joining us on Easter Sunday! We're glad you enjoyed the food and service, but we hear you loud and clear on the lack of holiday specials. We appreciate the feedback and your great ideas—we’ll definitely keep them in mind for next time. Hope to see you again soon! Best regards, Taylor Rutledge TRutledge@californiadreaing.rest
   

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9. P

   Pamela

   Raleigh5 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on April 20, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   You have to get the croissants! They are the best I have ever eaten. They melt in your mouth! We ordered the seafood nachos which were loaded with cheese and had a lot of salmon and shrimp! The She Crab soup was disappointing. It was bland. The pork chop was HUGE and had lots of flavor. The salmon was delicious and juicy. The vegan burger was MASSIVE and did not disappoint. The caesar shrimp salad was very good. We were so full we could not get dessert. The staff was very good especially the host who was very busy on Easter Sunday. He was very kind and friendly to everyone who approached him. Our server was attentive and brought our food out at the appropriate time.
   

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   California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority SeatingResponded on April 21, 2025

   Thank you so much Pamela, for your detailed review! We're thrilled to hear you loved the croissants, seafood nachos, and the variety of dishes you tried. We're sorry to hear the She Crab soup didn't meet your expectations—we’ll definitely take that feedback into account. We’re also glad you had great service, especially from our host! We'll make sure to pass along your compliments to the team. We hope to welcome you back soon for another fantastic meal and maybe even some dessert next time! Taylor Rutledge TRutledge@californiadreaming.rest
   

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10. F

    Faith

    Charleston5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Always a pleasure. Great food and great service A positive experience.
    

    California Dreaming - Columbia - Priority SeatingResponded on April 21, 2025

    Thank you Faith for leaving us a 5-Star review! We're so glad to hear you had a positive experience with us. It’s always a pleasure having you, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon! Best regards, Taylor Rutledge TRutledge@californiadreaming.rest
    

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