california dreaming

thisplaceis in a great spot but it is not reminicent of california in any way. very dated 70's menu.

the view is amazing but the food leaves something to be desired. a previous review said that with all the great places to eat in charleston, you should pick a differentplaceand i would have to agree.

so first expectations where not high, but theplaceand view is impressive. it's basically nothing more than a chain, so the food is what you would get at any other chain, not bad, but just the same as any other place. service was polite and theplacewas clean.

oh one more thing. thisplaceemploys probably 75-100 people with a turnover rate of 1 per day lol. so most of the good reviews are most likely employees. just saying.


-----14 feb, 2015-----

the only positive is the view. outside of a gorgeous view, thisplaceis a joke. visitors beware! with countless amazing places to eat in charleston, don't waste your time!!!

visit for pre-dinner cheap house liquors ($1.95 last i checked) and to take in the view before leaving for your reservations anywhere else.

get your chain restaurant bs out of here.

worst service i've ever had. i've had better service at a fast food joint. i really did used to love thisplacebut the past few times i've visited it's been horrible service. this time put me over the edge so i'm now here.

could be amazing, but only the view is. california dreaming was recomended to my wife and i. under first impression it seemed like a nice slightly upper class restaurant. the tables have plastic linens on them and the inside isn't kept up very well at all, it shows its age and use. the waiters were dressed very sloppy, including one of them in crocs (are we in walmart or about to pay $20 for a plate of food). it was busy when we went so the staff didn't seem to care about anything other getting people in and out. everything was mediocre, not bad, but certainly not good, the food, the service and atmosphere. this restaurant could be so cool and has such a great location. i'd rather try some newplacethen go back, a new experience is better than the same mediocre experience.

another great dining experience. thanks!


-----10 aug, 2010-----

always a greatplaceto dine, when we visit the charleston area. always good food and good service. they have their routine down and do a good job. they could use a little menu update, but such is restaurant chain fare. but it's also about the atmosphere and wonderful waterfront view when you dine here - just amazing! no otherplacelike it!


-----11 apr, 2010-----

another fine meal! the only downer is they serve way too much food. next visit we will share meals to cut the waste. we noted the drinks are a lot less potent now the mimi bottles are gone. the beers are the same ;-)


-----06 aug, 2009-----

ate there aug 1st. great as always. our server was not as friendly as previous visits, but all was well. we had a great window table and watched the boats as we ate. such a nice place.

by far the best restaurant in charleston sc, i go every week and service is always so fabulous! i would definitely reccomend thisplacefor any occasion!! must go!!

greatplaceto bring out of towners. yes the tourists love to come here, so expect a wait. their she crab soup is delicious and so are the salads and the croisants, yum! my big complaint is how long it takes for the waiters to come back, it seems they forget about you. but over all the food is good and the view is great.

my co- workers bragged heavily about thisplaceso of course i had to try it. i wish i would've read the reviews firsts. the location is gorgeous. the food however is mediocre at best. not worth the 30 minutes it took to get there.

nothing special- just like applebee's. i am fairly new to town & always read reviews before i try places- i read them for thisplace& knew i was not going to like it. the party i was with picked it so i went along to see for myself. i looked at the menu from home & did not find anything that stood out. it was blazing hot in there. while we were waiting for our table, a woman was being transported out on a stretcher into an ambulance because of heat stroke. i ordered the blackened chix wrap with chipotle mayo on the side. i tried it without the mayo 1st & omg it was so disgustingly salty. i could not taste any chix. it could have been tofu or beef. two others at my table ordered it & said the same. the salads are generic. it says mixed greens but it's pretty much all iceberg lettuce. the cold cuts are all cheap hormel brand. someone else had one of the specials- tilapia. it was nasty. they drowned it in chipotle mayo, you couldn't taste any fish. the garlic mashed potatoes were bad too. way too much garlic. our server was nice. the croissants & sangria were the only thing i enjoyed besides my company. cheap looking/tasting generic food is what i experienced. i am amazed that earlier posts claim it's the best restaurant to eat at- holy sh*t! really?! clearly these people don't get out from under their rocks! wow.

not very good at all. my moms prime rib looked like gray mush, and my sirloin was not well prepared. my husband's shrimp were soggy and rubbery. my dad liked the ribs and it was his birthday, so that was the most important thing. had to wait for silverware, refills, and my dad's soup took forever. not aplacei would return to.

could go several times a week. california dreaming is the most comfortableplaceto take friends or family. i take the kids, do girls night out, and we've even had book club there! it is gorgeous, clean, spacious; the service is immediate, friendly, not officious. in fact, i think the service here is the best in charleston.

the food is wonderful every time, and they somehow maintain a variety of options without anything suffering. you can't go wrong.

the servings are huge, and we usually have them left for lunch the next day.

and there always seem to be drink specials. one more thing: where else in charleston can you all meet up without taking 15 minutes to park? i just love california dreaming.

meat. omg.. the "aged meat" is terrible... i asked someone "what's the bestplacein charleston".. the answer was c.d... wow.. i've had better beef at wendy's.

nice view?. i ate here for my b'day with my mom and husband. all 3 of us enjoyed our meals, but i couldn't figure out why is it such a popular restaurant. the food wasn't out of this world great or anything. i am still puzzeled over that, but if you want to wait a really long time to eat some pretty average food then this is your place. the only thing thisplacehas going for it is the great waterfront view.