The view! An absolutely ama,ing view of the river so picturesque it belongs in a painting. The building has beautiful architecture making it a fabulous place for a date. The food if good with the shrimp being a highlight. It is cooked in a more sautéed manner and not overfried. My salad was light on dressing so ensure you let your server know you would like a heavier hand with the dressing. We both had splendid drinks and mine was a bit stiff...which was A-OK with me. Our server was polte and attentive. We also appreciate the hostess recognizing our anniversary. Nice touch! read more

We visited here 3 days ago. I waited to post this review to reflect on my experience to see if it would change. The view here is beautiful, but unfortunately the food doesn't live up to it. While the scenery is definitely the highlight, the meals felt mediocre for the price. I ordered the ribeye, which is one of the most expensive items on the menu. It arrived overcooked to medium/well (I ordered it medium) and was surprisingly thin for a ribeye, maybe about a half inch at most. I was prepared to just keep it, but our waitress encouraged me to send it back. Saying you are paying for a good meal and we want you to be happy. Our waitress was training a new employee and doing a wonderful job so I thought this might be helpful for training. So I agreed. When the replacement steak came out, it unfortunately had the same issues. It was again overcooked, the edges were heavily charred to the point they weren't edible, and it was over-salted. The cut of meat itself was horrible as if they purposely picked the worst steak to resend. At that point I decided not to complain again, but I wasn't able to eat it. Our waitress (not the trainee) asked if we needed a refill of our water which I did. When she filled my glass she said "anything for you princess, since we messed up your order" regardless if it was meant derogatory or not that is not something you say to a customer under your breath. Overall, no one at our table was impressed with their meals and could not finish or didn't like them which was disappointing given the prices and the otherwise great setting. Don't get me wrong, I pay for good food. The view is worth mentioning, but the food didn't match the experience we were hoping for. read more

California Dreaming never disappoints! The waterfront views alone are worth it -- especially around sunset with the bridge in the background. We started with warm croissants and she-crab soup -- rich, creamy, and full of flavor. The salad was fresh and loaded, and the seafood pasta was perfectly seasoned with shrimp and mussels . Drinks were on point too -- the strawberry martini was a vibe . Great food, beautiful atmosphere, and perfect for a relaxing lunch or date night. Definitely coming back! read more

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We absolutely love this place. The She Crab soup is creamy and delicious. All the things bad for you in one perfect bowl. My only complaint with it was there were quite a few crab shells in mine. The shrimp was a bit spicy. The grits were perfection. The fries were good and kids chicken was good as well. Will be back. read more

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The California Dreaming patio is one of the best places in Charleston to go on a nice day after 4 pm. This is my favorite spot on a Friday afternoon. Beautiful view, lots of seating and reasonable prices. You will want to come early, because it fills up quickly! We enjoyed drinks and apps on Friday afternoon. All 3 apps were good, but the seafood nachos were overly creamy. I wish they would bring the bbq nachos back! read more

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Great view - we didn't get anything because it was crowded and waiting for a long time- couldn't get their attention! I think the place at least on Google maps is called Ashley patio bar so that is what this is. No comment on food or drink. read more

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Food usually solid here at California Dreaming!! Great Spring Day today so great views of Downtown and the Ashley River!! Today Host Stand little frazzled with seating us in the Bar area. Took about 15 minutes and there were only 3 booths taken out of the many. Plus they were seating in the main dining room before us. We finally got seated and our waitress was very nice. Looks like they were struggling to bus the main dining area several dirty tables left unattended. Ordered the croissants for appetizer and we ordered the California Dreaming Salads with Honey Mustard Dressings! Yummy! Only 4 Stars today just look like lack of communication slowing them down! read more

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This restaurant caught my eye from the balcony of my hotel room. It's a huge structure that really stands out and the 50' American flag was also an eye catcher. This restaurant had a lot of mixed reviews but I really wanted to checkout this restaurant. The interior of this restaurant was really impressive, and the enormous windows offer great views of the bridge and Ashely river. The food on the other hand was just ok. I guess the food was not really the draw. Everything we order did not impress us at all. read more

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I stopped by for the first time this past Friday. I came by boat and appreciated the ample boat parking space. The dock is well maintained. We decided to sit outside since it was a beautiful day. Staff and service were decently quick albeit they refused to serve some seats right next to the last table. I thought this was a little strange since staff walks by the area. Outdoor tables and seats were clean. Bathrooms were also well stocked and clean. We didn't eat much but I did taste the soup, fries, and croissants. All items were good. I'll definitely look to return. I hear the steak is wonderful. read more

California Dreaming - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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We got to Charleston a little late Friday night and I wanted a restaurant knew there would be surplus parking. Despite it being around 9pm the lit up marina and city is still a nice view. We did advance reservation so had no wait upon entry. We went with starters of loaded baked potato soup and 5 count croissants. The soup was hit or miss, can't go wrong with croissants. I really like scallops but it wasn't on menu so went with shrimp taco w side of seasoned veggies $16.95. My wife choose shrimp & grits, it was a hefty portion but way too much gravy on top. My tacos were edible but if I'm being honest the fish tacos I get from our local Mexican were better. These two entrees were probably not the best selections here but were on their menu so I will say it was just so so. This review may have been lower but we had a peach of a server Madison. She elevated our meal with her conservation about Charleston about recommended attractions. We would definitely have to pick different entrees if dined here again, overall mixed feelings some good some bad. read more

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Just had a large family dinner here this evening and it was a wonderful experience from start to finish! The interior is beautifully designed, with big open windows that give you a great view of boats passing by - it really sets a relaxing, coastal vibe. The service was absolutely fantastic. Our waitress was attentive without ever being overbearing, constantly checking in to make sure we had everything we needed. On top of that, the restaurant was spotless and just had an all-around pleasant, welcoming atmosphere. We kicked things off with their famous croissants, which came out warm and fluffy, topped with a honey butter sauce that's truly to die for. They disappeared in seconds - so good that we ordered an extra box to take home. For my entree, I went with the crab cakes served alongside mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies, which were green beans and onions. Honestly, some of the best crab cakes I've ever had - perfectly cooked and paired with a sauce that made each bite even better. The mashed potatoes were creamy and flavorful, and the green beans had just the right amount of snap. I cleaned my plate. My girlfriend ordered the fried shrimp with green beans and loved it. She also had a cocktail that she couldn't stop talking about. All in all, we had an amazing time. Highly recommend it for anyone looking for great food, excellent service, and a lovely atmosphere. read more

California Dreaming - Our Famous Croissants (5) - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Time to resubmit my review. What I have spoke. About in the past has done a full 360. She crab soup is spot on, the fried Oyster Caesar has become my go to once again. The servers are all friendly attentive and like family. The view as always is one of the best in town. California Dreaming ranks up there with some of the best traditional fried seafood fair. I have to add the filet may be one of my top 10's (yes... give it a try, it will not disappoint) read more

We visited on a holiday Mother's Day 5/10/26, so we certainly expected larger crowds, but not to the extent we experienced. Unfortunately, it seemed the front-of-house staff was completely unprepared for the magnitude and volume of guests. We had a 2:00 p.m. reservation and were not seated until 3:15 p.m., which was extremely disappointing. The wait for food afterward was equally excessive and made the overall experience feel very disorganized. California Dreaming has been a staple in the Charleston community for nearly 39 years, which made it even more disappointing to witness what felt like an implosion in service and operations during our visit. The one bright spot in this entire four-hour ordeal was our waitress, Jessica. She remained patient, professional, and completely in control of her section despite the chaos around her. She handled customers with grace, apologized appropriately, and continued to make the experience enjoyable with her smile and conversation. Jessica truly deserves recognition for her outstanding service under very difficult circumstances. read more

Finally had the opportunity to visit this restaurant and it was a wonderful surprise. The inside appears as if it were a renovated old building, but apparently it was built that way. High ceilings, huge windows out to the river, relatively quiet atmosphere. Our server was Ireland and she was a delight throughout. I ordered a bottle of wine and it was of decent quality and reasonably priced. We received a sample of the wine before the bottle was opened, which is a nice touch. You may have heard about their honey croissants. To quote line from "Blazing Saddles:" "It's twue." To die for. The house salad with warm dressing is generous and quite tasty. I ordered the surf and turf. You possibly argue that there should be more shrimp but the ones that were there were great. The steak, otoh, was cooked perfectly and, bar none, the best steak I've had in the area. The baked potato, which was just short of football size, was excellent. Cooked well and with a fluffy, moist texture. That is somewhat unusual in my restaurant experience. All in all a really great meal at a fair price in a great location. And excellent service to boot. Highly recommended. read more

AWESOMENES!!!! Great for the Yacht clubs. Delicious appetizers and awesome for home social options. - -Thacis Johnson read more

I have nothing bad to say about this restaurant as the location is what took me there as it's right in the water. The only set back would be the food- to me it's basic and not the best. I think it could use some more variety and a flavor takeover but the salads are good enough! read more

California Dreaming - View from your table! - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

Yelp Review - California Dreaming (Charleston, SC) Great waterfront atmosphere and well-made drinks. The She Crab Soup is a must-try--rich and flavorful. Steaks were cooked to order but could use a bit more seasoning. Some dishes felt slightly overpriced, but overall, the food was enjoyable. Friendly service and a solid dining experience, though there's room for improvement. Still worth a visit for the views and drinks! read more

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After a day at the beach of course we had to grab food before heading back home. Luckily for us we had family with us who recommended this place and called ahead to make a reservation- which thank god because we came here 7ish on a Saturday night and this place was packed! Which is a good sign. We waited still almost an hour before being sat but we were able to pass the time going outside and looking for fish in the water and watching the boats sail by and park at the dock. Once we were seated our waitress came immediately - the lighting is very dim at night but there still is enough lighting and the views of the water are breathtaking. We started with some appetizers and soup- we went with the she crab soup which our waitress told us was a must, the baked potato soup ( it was just ok), the famous croissants topped with honey butter which were 10/10 and some seafood nachos ( I was hesitant on these but don't let looks fool you these were also easily 10/10). Now for the main course my cousin and husband went with the Charleston seafood pasta (which was perfection), our other cousin went with the Ashley which our waitress said was her favorite thing on the menu and I went with the blackened chicken pasta with a side of fries for my daughter and I to share both ( I preferred my husbands sauce from his pasta because his had the cream and also a lemony kick) but still was good. I didn't catch our waitresses name but she had dreads and told us she's originally from new York but amazing service- very attentive and brought everything out pretty quickly. Would definitely stop by again when in the Charleston area. read more

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Haven't eaten here in a while so it seamed like a good choice and although the service was great and very well organized the food was good but not great. At one point their chicken strips were so good & a staple when I came here but have fallen short to the routine of preparation and just weren't memorable. My husband enjoyed his seafood platter so next time I visit, I'll have to find something else on the menu which shouldn't be hard because they have a great variety of menu options. read more

California Dreaming - Chicken Strips - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

I thought this spot was great! Staff was very friendly, great views of the water. My shrimp tacos were exactly what I wanted them to be. Nice flavor, good sauce. You can choose your own side, so I went with mashed potatoes which were very tasty. It's also close to many local hotels. I'll definitely book this one for next time! read more

California Dreaming - Shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

The place is a beautiful location on the Ashley river part of the harbor; great views in the restaurant. We specifically choose this place investigating space for about 30 people from our 45th college reunion. Unfortunately the only take reservations for no more than 6. The hostess was friendly, energetic and very helpful getting seated in about ten minutes without a reservation on a weekday. Our waiter, Matthew was friendly, helpful with menu questions and prompt and easily available. The menu has a good balance of choices, to include the Sword fish as the special, We decided to have the California Dreaming salad ( we had it before). We were disappointed. The turkey and ham were a little absent. The rest was ok. The diced tomato we thought was a little strange. If you like a variety of beer, this is not the place. Typical miller Budweiser etc. but only one local beer and a couple of other Tap beers, but their system was down. After examining the seating areas, there were several alcove-like areas that would be perfect for our reunion; out of the way and a little private intimacy. Very disappointing. Plenty of available parking and not part of the craziness of downtown. This is a chain therefore the closest you come to low country food is shrimp and grits. This is more tourist ready than a local choice. read more

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More variety, the option of substituting the side. For example salads for another side. Some people don't like salads and I am one. Don't try to force salad onto people that do not like them. Most people would not mind paying a little more for substitutions. This situation caused me not to buy the ribeye i came to get. I have eating at California Dreaming many times. Starting in Columbia, Greenville,Augusta, Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, and Charleston. I was very disappointed and may not never go to another California Dreaming read more

Always visit when in town. There Saturday total disappointment steak under cooked when it came it was cold to touch. Ribs overcooked and not much meat. Service was slow. One of four meals was up to CD standard I am use to. Manager when she came over already had the steak comped so she knew what was coming and was weak at best. read more

I came around the time they opened for the day, so it's plenty of seating. We sat by a window overlooking the water. The waitress came over properly, but my whole party wasn't complete at the moment ended up ordering a sweet tea which they do really well. It was really good. As an appetizer, we had a round of the honey croissants. They were hot and fluffy. Also got the crab claws. They were a bit small but really tasty. For my entrée I ordered a Caesar salad with fried oysters. The oysters were fried to perfection. I just wish the salad was as big as the ones that kept passing by my table. I'm glad we stopped by and probably would stop by again after I tried everything else on my list. read more

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This has always been a great location to visit and dine. The seafood is local and they use a thin breading and not too oily at all. Ambiance is amazing here, especially near sunset. read more

California Dreaming - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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Today, my family and I went out to eat at California Dreaming. We've been there like multiple times and the food normally be good. We definitely love the salads and the croissants. Today was a different story. The croissants had a little bit of drizzle of honey. Then I had ordered shrimp and grits. The grits was nice and creamy. The shrimp didn't have no taste. The gravy didn't have no taste and I did not like the sausage. then I ordered a Caesar salad some of the lettuce had brown meds. My mother had ordered fried flounder. she said the flounder was scaly. We love the atmosphere and our waitress was very nice and friendly as for the food. We did not enjoy it today. We was very disappointed. I don't know if we will come back anytime soon, but if we decide to come back, we hope that the food will be better next time. read more

Omg! I loooooove this restaurant! The ambiance is bar none the best I have ever had in a restaurant, with floor to ceiling windows I mean cmon! The service was incredible from the moment we arrived! And the food, the food is so fresh and delicious we ate everything and left no crumbs! The fresh croissant rolls are to die for and a must try! The seafood is fresh and tastes lovingly prepared! I wish we had one in Florida! I love this place so much! read more

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Love the food and the view our visit was great! We got delicious ribs that salad so good read more

California Dreaming - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We called last minute for a party of 7 on a Saturday night, she was able to say 8:45 would work. Hostess was not very friendly, did not acknowledge guests when they walked in. Said we would be seated as soon as possible, at 9pm the showed us to a table for 6 people which was too small. We asked to be moved and they accommodated us to a much better suited table. Server was fantastic! She did such a great job it made up for the rocky start. Restaurant decor and location is amazing, great building and water views. Food was decent, we had surf and turf, crispy chicken sandwiches, crab cakes and mahi sandwich. Would go again for the views and maybe only drinks. read more

Positives: beautiful venue. Good drinks, good ( not fabulous) food. We had a good server... our issue was with their handling of our bill. Our total was $130. We paid with a card and then tipped the waitress $40 in cash....THEN, the following day, the restaurant charged our card for an additional 15% gratuity!! It was NOT worth a 35% plus tip!! Ridiculous practice by this restaurant!!! Doubt we will ever go back!!! read more

Let me start by saying, it's best to make a reservation instead of just going to walk in. This place is very busy so you might have to wait. But the ambience is very nice and you definitely can't beat the water front views. Everyone is so nice and welcoming . Our waitress was very attentive and very nice as well. We made our orders and our food came out fresh and hot. This will not be last time coming here, I loved every bit of it. read more

California Dreaming - Seafood Nachos - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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The food was very good, but more importantly the service was exceptional. Our waiter Mark went above and beyond to make our meal great!

How does a restaurant with a bar not have a blender for frozen drinks? Does no one order those here? Summer is coming might want to buy one. read more

California dreamin'....not really. Came here on a Saturday night with 4 people. Outside seating is first come first serve. Which is fine! We sat on the benches and got a great view of the sunset and the water. The view was perfect. This is striclty about the food and service. The waiter came and asked about our drinks and order. He seemed scattered. We put our order in around 730pm. Another table sat next to us and somehow got all their food way before we did. My fiance's father did get his soup. However we didn't get any other food until about 9pm. The server said he'd go check on the food. Went to check and never came back with an update. So we kept waiting, waiting....waiting. Finally a manager came by and asked how the food was. We said we never got any. She said sorry outside is first come first serve. However , still doesn't make sense why we came first and didn't get our food til last. By the time we did get our food it was pretty bad. My salmon potatoes and sprouts were cold. The fried fish platter was burnt. Pull boys were underwhelming. Yea they were backed up but we should've gotten the food first not 40min after someone who sat after us. Needless to say we would never go back for the food. Would def come back for the view and a drink though. read more

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Had reservations for Mother's Day at 1:15 p.m. Stood in the crowded entryway until we were seated shortly after 2 p.m.!! I thought I was going to pass out from hunger and standing in close quarters for so long. Actually, after we were seated, the food, wine, and service was very nice. They just really need to review their reservation system! read more

Dinner at California dreaming was fun. We had 8 people in our group and they sat us outside which I do not recommend since the bug was bad on April. But we saw a good sunset. Our waitress turn on 2 citronella candles for us and it helped a little. The steak was good, shrimp mussels scampi pasta was good, their cheese artichoke dip was good too. The salad was a big portion and it came with croissant, the breaded chicken with fries was good and not greasy. Pretty good food dinner for party of 8. read more

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Went for my birthday lunch and was disappointed. The only positive thing was the table by the window with an amazing view. We ordered an appetizer of croissants which was one of the reasons I had picked this place. Well... never got them. Sat there and watched several other tables receive theirs. Couldn't find the waiter to inquire. Finally, 20-25 minutes after ordering our meals, our waiter came out carrying our entrees and seemed surprised when I asked him about the croissants. Had intending on ordering a birthday dessert but didn't bother. What food we did receive was okay but it took a while to get it. Service was lacking. read more

I swear the best club sandwich is made here. Excellent views and a decent sized dock to visit via boat. Last time here I had their shrimp n grits and they were outstanding! Service is quick and friendly so definitely come on a weekend afternoon or evening. read more

California Dreaming - Shrimp Grits - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

We had a great dinner here last night, which was the last night of our trip to Charleston. Our server was attentive and friendly and our meal arrived quickly. The views of the river are fantastic. We spent half the meal watching boats go by and seeing dolphins! The menu is varied. Our group had a little of everything from salads to surf and turf! Definitely a must do if you're visiting Charleston. read more

This place is better than the reviews state. Get a great view and some decent food. It's not goi g to get any Michelin stars or high class reviews but it's decent and a chill place. The croissants and salad were the most delicious part of dinner. The shrimp was great and the steaks were fine. Nothing amazing but far from horrible. We would come back. read more

California Dreaming - Marinated steak - Seafood Near Me - Charleston, South Carolina

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