Sometimes you just have to give credit when earned. I popped into CD for a quick lunch on Friday while running thru the heatwave on errands. And may I say what a pleasant experience. Marcus the bartender approached quickly provided a menu and beverage within minutes. I did not wait long at all for a nice fresh salad and tasty shecrab soup. Others at the bar enjoyed the service and food as well and gave props to the gentleman. it was definitely refreshing to have good service. read more

The quality of food was not great and food is overpriced for what it is. I got a pasta dish and the sauce was very watery and lacked flavor , when asked about it the staff said it's meant to be like that. read more

Had a great experience here. Waiter was super nice and attentive. I ordered the wings to start. They were a decent size and weren't overly breaded. They had a crispy texture and nice flavor. They weren't real spicy or messy. I chose the ranch instead of blue cheese dressing. They make the ranch in house and it was so good! Highly recommend it. I ordered the soup and salad for dinner. The potato soup was great. The only downfall was there wasn't enough of it. The salad with house dressing was delicious. The house dressing is amazing. read more

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but after they stopped the $1.99 mixed drink specials, our relationship hasn't been the same. I still enjoy California Dreaming from time to time. They have the best salad. The California Dreaming salad is awesome. I always ask for my ham and bacon to be taken off, but other than that, it's all good. I always have left over salad that I box up. I like that they have an outdoor seating area and if you sit at the bar, sometimes, they'll open the bar window and you can feel the breeze from outdoors. The inside are is always very dim. I'm not the biggest fan of that. The desserts are also good. I happen to enjoy the brownie. The parking lot has plenty of room and there is a lot directly behind the building with additional spaces. I've found that this is typically a great place for large parties. California Dreaming is located off Washington Road, so it's really easy to find. I'll likely frequent this place a bit more if those drink specials were to reappear, but a girl can dream. read more

Stopped into the Augusta California Dreaming location on my way home from Charleston because my coworker wanted a salad. Having been to California Dreaming in Charleston before I new they had some pretty good salads, so I recommended that we stop here. When we arrived the parking lot was packed out and I thought "oh no, we're never going to get a seat", but we were seated right away and our server came over smiling and talked to us about some specials they had going on and took our drink order. Once she came back we gave her our order and she was happy to help with questions (too many of them) that my coworker had about the menu items. I ordered the she crab soup and house salad combo; both were great. The crab in the she crab soup was plentiful and the hints of sherry were wonderful. The salad at California Dreaming is a lot better than other places; the house salad has a lot of stuff on it and isn't the typical boring house salad that other restaurants offer. And the honey mustard bacon fat (house) dressing is just out of this world. Not to mention the honey butter glazed croissant that came with the combo. read more

I thought the bartender had such a positive attitude which helped enjoy our dining experience. Our orders were prepared in good time and the atmosphere was wonderful, overall great experience and will be back. read more

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Took the oldest and youngest when the wife was away. I got the Baby Back Ribs (1 rack). Alex got the chicken strips, hoping to try the sauce. Really, the sauce for the chicken strips was the only thing good about this. The baby back ribs had very little meat on them and the sauce they were cooked in was not very good. They gave me a bowl of a much livelier sauce - but I think ribs should come out ready to eat, not waiting for the customer to do something. I guess I made the classic mistake - you know, don't order fish at a steak restaurant (except in my case, only get ribs from a place that specializes in barbecue). Lesson learned. For the chicken strips, Alex said they tasted freezer burned. All in all, not pleasant. I can't see coming back. read more

California Dreaming - Chicken strips. - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

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Been a few years since I've been here and noticed they took a few time s of the menu. The prime rib sandwich used to be my favorite. They also raised the prices on a few items. Ordered the California Dreaming Salad, it was good but the portion was smaller and also jacked the price up. Service was great, server was friendly and very attentive. Ambiance has not changed. read more

I got the fried salad unfortunately I couldn't finish it bc it was subpar. This was my first time.the croissant was good.

The food here is good but on the pricey side. They have a small menu so you won't feel overwhelmed. The customer service is great and the food is good. The winner for me is the California Dreaming salad with that HOUSE DRESSING! Who wouldn't want a warm honey mustard dressing with bacon. Another winner are those honey drizzled croissants. Yum! For my low carb life: I still take the same dressing but with ranch dressing with an order of Tijuana wings! read more

GOOD: Great HOT veggie salad, lettuce is cold but all else is hot, saute in garlic oil (if garlic is not your thing, tell them to leave out the chunks) and delicious. Hot house dressing has bacon, but is tasty. Lots of variations for Nachos. BAD: Not many choices for veggies like me. So I would go back with my meat eater hubby, but be sure I feel like a salad. No creative sides to fall back on. Atmosphere is great, stone walls do remind me of Cal. TIP: Join their club online, they send you a free certificate for any appetizer. read more

I had never been here before. Felt safe, generous portions and tasty. Would definitely come back

The first thing you will noticed when entering California Dreaming is that it is part of a chain of various other restaurants and the California Dreaming portion is located throughout the South. So it is pretty clear why it has the name California Dreaming. Shoulder shrug there. I went in the daytime and the place was not crowded at all and I was seated at a booth. Watch your steps because the booths sit kind of high and gives you a great view of the place and what others are eating. The menu was not very extensive and that can be a good thing as your mind is partially made up and very few places do everything well. I was seated very quickly and the service throughout the sitting was prompt and friendly. I started my meal off with the My Main Squeeze drink which is similar to a mojito but made with gin. It was tasty but as with some mojitos be prepared to have your straw clogged with mint or have it in your teeth. A hint for restaurants is to get simple syrup infused with mint to avoid this. Still the drink is good and I would definitely order one again. For n appetizer I started with some seafood nachos. It came with a large amount of cheese but it was not sticking together as it cooled off. Nothing worse than picking up one nacho and having the cheese turn it into one giant glob of cheese glued nachos. The salmon was a nice touch and the seafood portions were generous as every time I picked up a chip there was either salmon, shrimp, or crab on the chip. The capers were a nice touch adding a hint of bitterness and that tang to this dish. I went with the seafood sampler (fried) that came with shrimp, oysters and flounder, served with fries. It was nothing that will wow you as far as taste and made me say I have got to come back to get this. It was a typical assortment of fried seafood items. Overall I would actually give this place 3.5 stars. It is not something I would drive across town for but a definite stop if I am in the area. You will not be disappointed and the prices are reasonable as compared to many other chains with similar food selections. read more

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I picked up a large to-go order for my customers. The food was GREAT! The portions were large and the service friendly and helpful. It looked and smelled so good that I came back for dinner and had a wonderful steak! read more

I really appreciate the love you put into this salad. Every bite and every crunch is what my taste buds live for. read more

California Dreaming - Salad of the year!! - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

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Honey butter croissants are great! Celeb started here for my birthday. The waiter didn't know but he made my birthday great. Suggested many good drinks but also told me the specials. I ended up getting a cranberry and vodka. Amazing. The burger I got wasted medium well like I asked but still very juicy and delicious. I would eat here again. read more

It makes me sad when a restaurant has all the pieces to be great and fails so miserably. Great location - check. Pretty & clean exterior - check. Two hostesses - check. Then the issues start, hostesses unaware of reservation, manager had to be called. table that was reserved was not available at the appropriate time, even though everybody was on time, table was for 8 to be seated at 6 should not be a problem ever. Wait staff was friendly but seemed to be overwhelmed at times, did get the job done. Biggest faux pas .... bring out food for everybody but one person. Had to wait quite some time FOR A ENTREE SALAD. Should never ever happen on Tuesday early evening. Food was bland but certainly edible, can't believe somebody can serve such apparently fresh food, that has absolutely no flavor. Will not eat there again unless forced to do so. read more

Cali Dreaming never disappoints! I always go for my usual here and yesterday was no different. The Tijuana wings (double fried) and a side house salad with the hot bacon and honey mustard dressing. I ordered a sweet tea, and was served unsweet tea...but that's nothing a little Equal can't handle. A great Sunday lunch with old friends. Everything was delicious. read more

California Dreaming - Our Special House Salad - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

Good thing we made reservations this restaurant was packed when we went to celebrate our daughter's 20th birthday on 1/21/23 even though we checked in and waited for about 10 minutes it was definitely worth it. Our waitress Ebony made our night awesome she took her time with us and made us feel like we were the only ones in the restaurant. The food came out fast even though it was super packed. All of our food was so hor, fresh and very flavorful! we really enjoyed ourselves and the restaurant atmosphere was great. I would highly recommend. read more

Great- order the California dreaming salad with the bacon dressing!! The She crab soup was delicious! Loved the croissant with honey! Better than a Krispy Kreme doughnut. The waitress we had brought a hot towel to wipe our sticky hands. Very thoughtful! We were there during the week of the Masters tournament & this location was full of golf spectators. read more

all i can say is greatness, greatness, greatness!!! i will most definitely be back!!! read more

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Similar to cheddars but a little nicer. Food was good but nothing particularly exceptional. Liked the ambiance.

Had lunch today 12/19/2022. We were seated right away. The server came immediately and he got our drinks and order. The food came out quickly and everything including condiments was exactly what we ordered. The burgers were done perfectly and served hot as were the fries. We totally enjoyed the lunch, the atmosphere and the service. Highly recommend Jenny Cochran read more

Gave us a coupon at Christmas to come back at a later date. Didn't honor it at next visit even though we were within the printed rules.

Went here for an anniversary lunch. The service was excellent and Francesca did a great job. She really took care of us and had a nice personality. The food was okay, nothing special and I thought the prices were a bit pricey for the seafood dishes. The spicy chicken sandwich had as much kick as a 3-legged mule....none. I would go back again and stick to the burgers. I guess I set my standards a bit high for my first visit. read more

I was surprised at our experience when we stopped in for lunch this past weekend! We got in around 1 and they were not very busy at all, which is definitely a plus! We were seated at a spacious booth immediately and had our drink orders taken. We decided to start with the nachos (I was pretty hungry) and then piddled around checking out the menu. I went with the California Dreamin salad with all romaine lettuce (instead of half romaine, half iceberg) and no egg. Burns H. went with fried fish and my parents went with a cheese ravioli and another salad. Holy cow! These salads are HUGEEEEEE. I really appreciated that they were able to do away with the iceberg (hate it) and make the changes to the salad (no egg). There was no way I was eating it all, but I definitely tried! As far as the fish, Burns H. says being from Charleston, it's hard to get fish that blows you away anywhere else, but it was "good". The ravioli were stuffed with cheese and covered in sauce, so you can't really go wrong with that! Our waitress was very prompt with drink refills and didn't hover over us the entire time (which drives us all crazy). We had everything we needed and didn't feel rushed with boxes or the check. $70 for four lunches and an app isn't the best deal, but it definitely isn't bad considering the amount of food we had! read more

California Dreaming - California Dreaming Salad, Romaine Only - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

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Simply amazing customer service. The manager went above and beyond on Sunday to assist my Party of 20 to be seated in a timely manner after Texas Road House cancelled our reservation without notice. The waitressing staff was friendly and quick, the food was hot and the setting was perfect. We couldn't have asked for a better time. Once again thank you to the entire staff for making a stressful day fun and full of good food and laughs. read more

Great food. Friendly service. I had the She Crab soup chicken strips and apple walnut cobbler and it was great

This place has gone way downhill. The veggie pasta was literally butter noodles with unseasoned spaghetti. The knob chicken was over cooked non seasoned chicken. It was just overall bad. I wish I could give it zero stars. read more

California Dreaming - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

Honestly, I'm disappointed with this place. The service was excellent, but the food isn't what I remembered it to be years ago when I went to this place in Atlanta. The steak I had was really fatty and the salad seemed stale. I will say, though, the best part of the meal is always the rolls...damn I love the rolls, which seemed to be drizzled with honey or some nectar of the gods. For the price, I'm not sure that I'll ever be back to this chain. What once was a dream, seems to be more of a nightmare. read more

Great bacon vinaigrette and good honey mustard dressing. The salads are big. She crsb soup with sherry, was good. An insect was in my whisky. read more

Thanks for the diarrhea in a drink called an Old Fashioned. Bathrooms were disgusting. There was toilet paper on the floor and it smelt awful. Some of the people in there were wearing surgical masks which was disturbing. I had literally had to leave to go take a shower after the experience. read more

I waited 2 weeks to leave this review because I wanted to give California Dreaming a chance to slightly redeem themselves. I placed an online curbside order on 05/14/2023. The order was due at 7:37 however it wasn't ready until 7:57. All 3 of my drinks were missing. I placed the order but my husband went to pick it up. Unlike myself he doesn't check anything. Once he got home I noticed the drinks missing, I ordered a cheeseburger with all the toppings and fries, I received a burger patty with cheese they didn't even give me a bun. No fries. I had a chicken fingers w/fries. It was also missing. The only thing that was correct on this over $40.00 order was my baked potato and my wings. I ended up calling 4 times. First 2 times I was placed on hold then hung up on after 5-10 minutes. The third time I was transferred to Tommy (Tom) the manager. I was placed on hold while he went to look for my order number the call dropped while I was holding. Finally the 4th time Tom stated he would send me a $20 gift certificate "I'll put it in the mail first thing in the morning". I'm 10 minutes away from California Dreaming and haven't seen a gift certificate yet. read more

Good food terrible service had the same waiter last 2 times I went and when I go again I'm gonna ask not to be put in his section he was rude and had an attitude... he made a face when I ordered what I wanted and argued when I asked for a split check read more

Love the SheCrab soup!! I must get out every time I come. This day, I had the SheCrab soup and house salad with the hot bacon/honey mustard dressing. I also had the mojito, which was made wonderfully!! Excellent customer service!! We were the first diners to arrive at the restaurant after opening ave we could tell they may have had a busy night before. Our menus were still wet and the air smelled like someone used old mop water to clean with. It usually doesn't have this odor, hence why I stayed to eat. read more

California Dreaming - American Near Me - Augusta, Georgia

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I sat near the waitress waiting for food station and all you could hear was them talking. Also there was some guy talking to them as well for a lot of the night, couldn't work out if he worked there and was popping by or he was a boyfriend of one of the girls. My waitress was quite young, generally she was pretty good. One thing I would say is I asked what Riverwatch Brewery beers they had on that night and she said do you want one ! The food was good. Would I go again probably. read more

Absolutely one of the worst meals we have had. The bartender James was stellar. My husband sent his medium 16 oz prime rib back twice. The pic will show it after the 2nd time!!! Pics will also include the dried out veggies with Swordfish. I do give kudos for the fish. My husband ordered 50 in food , just to take to work. We drove 40 min to get to this restaurant. So disappointed!!! Won't go back. No comps....no anything...what an awful experience. Do not waste your $$ read more

Haven't heard of this place but the salad that they are known for was great!! Highly recommend if and it is big inc are you don't think you will get full. read more

Giant portions of mediocre food: just what every American wants! In all seriousness, this place gives you exactly what you expect. Service? It's fine. Food? It's filling. Decor? It's nice without being over the top. There just isn't much to say, but I'll say it anyway. The shrimp po boy was pretty solid: served on big crusty bread with fresh lettuce and tomato. The shrimp didn't have a whole lot of flavor, but what do you expect in Augusta? The fries were lackluster and not worth the calories, gigantic drinks were promptly refilled. While the prices are a good bit higher than other comparable spots around town, it's still not a bad spot to stop in and grab some grub. Especially given the portions: two meals, easy. God Bless America. read more

Food? 10/10 Staff? 10/10 Do i recommend this? 10/10 Their whole menu is amazing and all the times I have been there, everybody was so kind to my boyfriend and I. Wait Staff is very quick and the Hosts are very smiley :) read more