I didn't take any pictures other than my salmon but the martini and service were great! I am still tasting the salmon and wanting more! We sat at the bar, our first visit and thankfully there were seats. Tyler and Jeremiah were great! read more

California Dreaming - Miso Salmon - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

Have always loved California Dreaming from back in the day in Columbia,SC near the Univ of SC campus to related Joey D's in Atlanta (Dunwoody) from business diners and lunches. I feel like it's a good, solid restaurant. Something for everyone. I almost always have to get the house salad with house dressing- so much meat and cheese its filling and get the she crab or baked potato soup if you think you need more. The salad comes with their amazing croissant drizzled in honey butter but you can order a basket of like 5 or 6 for $6. Worth it. Plenty of easy, free parking. The building looks like a castle from the outside if you have seen it off 85. Its off the Pelham Road exit. They also own Chophouse 47 that is almost next door. You can get reservations ahead of time on their website. read more

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Came here on New Year's Eve and it was pretty packed. We had a few issues, mainly with service--it was slow, and I didn't get a water refill the entire night. Our friend ordered a Diet Coke and, as an enthusiast, could immediately tell they were accidentally given Coke Zero. Overall, the food was alright. I ordered the chicken tenders and fries. Both were decent, though the fries weren't very crispy (just my personal preference). The tenders themselves were good, but they're battered more like fish, so they're heavily fried and can make you feel a bit sick if you eat too many. Others in our party ordered the ribeye, which looked really good, and I liked the butter sauce that came with it. The restaurant was lit with candles throughout, which really added to the ambiance and was a nice touch. Nice atmosphere and decent food, but slow service and small issues kept it from being great. read more

California Dreaming - Ribeye* - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

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Yelp Fam, I told y'all I had a lot of reviews in the chamber--I just hadn't had time to get to them because this year has been busy, to say the least. This review finds us in Greenville, where we stopped by California Dreaming. One thing to know about me: I love California Dreaming. And yes, not every location is exactly the same--some menu items vary--and that's okay because the food is always tasty and consistently good. My family and I were visiting my aunt in Seneca, and we decided to take her out to lunch at one of our favorite spots, California Dreaming. For a Saturday, this location wasn't packed at all. We arrived around 3:00 p.m., and it was surprisingly quiet--which I didn't mind one bit because the service was fast... and wow, was it fast. I'm sure they get much busier around dinner time, so I'm glad we got there early. We all ordered different items. Of course, everyone had salads and their delicious, signature rolls. I opted for the shrimp platter (which I didn't take a photo of... lol). My sister ordered the shrimp tacos, and my aunt did as well--and they both really enjoyed their meals. My mom ordered some kind of pasta with cheese (I can't remember exactly what it was), but she enjoyed it, and my uncle went with a burger. Everyone enjoyed their food, and while we didn't have room for dessert, we definitely left with leftovers because the portions were very filling. Below are photos of everyone's meals--except mine... lol. Enjoy! read more

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We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon after the lunch rush. The place was busy and the servers were hustling. The menu has a "American" food fare vibe. It took me a moment to decide and I went with the chicken finger platter. I wasn't drawn to anything else and felt it was a comfort food good choice. Well, I wasn't drawn less than impressed. My fries were both over cooked and cold and the chicken while coated with a light crisp batter (which I love) was not seasoned and missed the mark. It's turrets and castle like appearance drew us in by its whimsical nature but it's a one and done for me. read more

California Dreaming - Chicken Tenders Platter- not a winner - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

The place had indoor and outdoor seating very nice looking place. Service was good once we got seated. Went before dinner (3) and it was pretty empty, it took a while as wait staff kept walking in front of us with no recognition. Food was excellent. Had a poke bowl for the first time and it was delicious and Fresh. It was colorful and it came with ahi tuna. The chicken Alfredo was creamy and the chicken was cooked well. We had the cheesecake and it was 6 inches high and shareable! It was so creamy and the crust tasted like a biscoff cookie . My stars are a reflection of the food not the service!! Bon appetito. read more

California Dreaming - Chicken Alfredo - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

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Worst food I've had in a long time. Undercooked and over priced I guess. Food was old and burnt and the service was just ok. I wouldn't recommend anyone eating here. read more

Haven't been to the CA Dreaming for years but decided to try it and glad we did. Sat at the bar and bartender was quick serving us and making sure were were taken care of. Started with She -Crab soup, which was thick with a lot of crab. I had the Salmon salad which was very good size and the exactly what I was looking for. My wife's Cali bowl was just as good. We'll be back read more

Bad service food not hot and an atmosphere left something to be desired. Would not go back due to high prices for yuk food

I've been to a few California Dreaming restaurants and feel pretty familiar with their model. Our server was friendly and made sure our drinks were constantly filled. She gave us the space we needed to talk. She checked on us without interrupting. I ordered a salad and it was perfect. A colleague also got a salad. She has to eat gluten free and asked for no croissant. She still got a croissant. The restaurant was clean and tidy. Overall, a good experience. read more

My wife and her mother and aunt all went to California Dreaming for dinner. Waited for a booth. The server was great. The manager was great also with getting us seated. The food was excellent. Everything was great. I had Carolina Trout. Excellent. The ambience was good. It was overall a great place to dine. We will go back very soon. Great experience. read more

California Dreaming - Carolina Trout - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

Food was good. Our server was very friendly and attentive. We sat outside and enjoyed the open feel. We are new to the area and will return.

I've been eating at California Dreaming for over 15 years now and they don't disappoint. On a whim we decided to have lunch here after church. I made reservations and met up with our son and his GF. We ordered BBQ Nachos while we waited for them which were good but we had to request a little more queso to put on them. I ordered soup and salad, hubby ordered a steak and baked potato, son ordered miso salmon with loaded mashed potatoes and Bri ordered the chicken pasta without the chicken, add scallions and tomatoes (she's a vegetarian) Everything was tasty and our server Michael did an excellent job! Since Cali Dreamin is one of my usual spots...I will definitely be back!! read more

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Just had kayla the bartender wait on me. She was very accommodating to my every request and went to the kitchen to personally make sure everything was accurate. Ken, the operating partner/GM, personally came to check on me to make sure everything was accurate and tasty. Bravo to he and his well train team for making sure I was happy... It worked! What a leader Ken has shown me he is! By the way did I mention how clean the restaurant was? I can tell you from experience that it was!!! read more

California Dreaming - Excellent performance - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

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I generally sit at the bar when I go because I'm often stag, by choice. The bartenders are friendly and good at remembering the customers and their preferences. The filet is delicious. It's barrel cut and as good as the neighboring Chophouse47, but more reasonably priced. They have a great drink menu and wine list. Who doesn't love their honeyed croissants?! lol read more

Location Just off 85-Greenville, SC Parking Large private lot Atmosphere Upscale Seating Bar, tables-good for groups/date night Service Thus the low score-had to yell "STOP" to alert server to pay attention-after taking our order-not much Menu Wide selection-great beverages/ food choices! Summary Post covid-service should be better-otherwise AMAZING food!! read more

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My wife and I decided not to cook on Thanksgiving 2025 since the kids were all out of town. We were met at the door by the hostess and seated. The waitress was there in a moment to take our drink order and of course we ordered the Thanksgiving meal. When our platters came, it was huge. Heaps of turkey and ham with sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and dressing. It was fantastic!! The turkey was very moist and everything was done just right. We had to take the pumpkin and pecan pie to go because we were stuffed. Our waitress was there to make sure we had everything and she got a big tip. Thanks CD we will return soon. read more

Steak was overcooked. Second one had 25% gristle. Unfortunately, it will be a long time until I come back. Fantastic service. Wish the steaks was as good as the service. read more

Enjoy our visit. Pretty busy with the church let out. But we were seated in about 3-4 minutes of arriving. Haley was our server. She was very good and friendly. Food was excellent! No complaints Just an overall good experience with nothing negative to say. read more

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Their food and service are consistent year after year. I've been going there since they opened. Food is perfect every time!

food was fine, if a little extensive for what it is. service was great, however. but we a Californian, I'm very confused as to the name of this place read more

We got the crab cakes, sirloin, and cheese cake. Everything was excellent and service was good. We'll be back.

My new employer took me and my team here on my first day of work. The outside is really neat. It looks like a castle. The staff was incredibly nice. I ordered the California Dreaming salad with no tomatoes. My dressing was supposed to be on the side since I wasn't sure if I would like the house dressing it came with. When the salad came, it was tossed in the dressing. Sadly, I didn't like it so they brought me a new one. The salad was delicious and their honey croissant was bomb diggity! Wow! I can understand why they have an appetizer of five of those available. Overall, good experience. I'm glad I was brought there, because it's literally hidden in plain sight! read more

California Dreaming - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

We had a reservation and still ended up waiting a while to be seated. Service was ok, and so was food. Nothing to write home about, but a solid choice for a casual date night. read more

Our server was very knowledgeable and absolutely wonderful about being attentive without hovering. Food, as always, was absolutely spectacular! Went with a date who had never been there before and he said he definitely would visit again! read more

I originally posted a one-star review because of my bad Thanksgiving experience. However, after posting, i was contacted by Ken Peoples of the management team. He offered sincere apologies and sent a gift certificate to compensate for our bad experience. I am am very impressed by the gesture. I have eaten at California Dreaming before, and the experience has always been good. read more

Amber, you are a true professional server for you are very friendly and checked in to see how we liked our meals. Thank you for your wonderful customer service!!! The ribs, baked potato and Caesar salad, fried seafood were all excellent!! We will be back and will continue to recommend this restaurant to everyone! It was nice and busy for lunch today on a Sunday. My compliments to your entire friendly team! We were very impressed!!!! read more

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Ken, the operating partner, is wonderful. We will continue to be loyal customers as we have for decades.

Have a 6pm reservation for thanksgiving dinner, they sent a confirmation email and text day-of. We arrived 10 minutes early and learned there was a 1.5hr wait as they were "behind" for all reservations. We had my elderly mother with us and a 4yr old, we could NOT wait that long for a standing reservation we made over a month ago!!! Nothing else was open, of course. And what was open was reservation only, of course. A simple email or text ahead of time letting us know they were that far behind would have made a world of a difference. Also, the front desk girls were the rudest, sharpest, unkind employees I have ever encountered. When I walked up, two of them stared at me and instead of saying hello/asking "whats the reserevation name"/anything at all, they both raised their eyebrows with a "what? what do you need?!" face and did not say a single word. I gave her our name and without looking up she said "ok well we're an hour and half behind on reservations right now so..." then proceeded to turn around and talk to her friend. We will not be back. Shame on them. Communication and kindness could have gone a long way. read more

I do not understand why the reviews for this place are only in the mid threes. This is one of my favorite spots in Greenville since relocating. The croissants are delicious they are homemade and topped with honey. My favorite thing on the menu hands-down is the California dreaming salad but the best way to get it is to substitute the turkey and the ham for blackened chicken and ask for the house dressing on the side. The house dressing is what makes the salad amazing you wouldn't think the dressing would work but the dressing is what makes this one of the best salads I've ever tasted. I Dream of this salad that's how good it is. I also am in love with the wings I they have a sweet and spicy dry rub and when I order them extra crispy they are some of the best wings I have ever had they are a different kind of wing then a buffalo wing and that's what I love about them oh and the I don't know how they make their blue cheese, but it is amazing. The service is always great, my favorite server is Ryan he is so nice and always goes above and beyond. It's got a nice atmosphere, and the prices are great. I love this place. read more

California Dreaming - Nashville Hot Wings - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

Always great!!! Food and service never fail!! We've had such great meals there but it's the service and attention to detail that matters!

Service was great. Food was decently priced and came out quick. I mainly go here for nostalgia and the salad. It's still a winner. Overall it was a good experience. read more

The pros: plenty of parking, reservation taken on time, croissants, and service. The bad: the rest of the food. I got the filet mignon which was awful, not even sure if it was actual filet. My daughter got the sirloin and it was equally as bad. Weird, greyish tinged meat....must have come from frozen to cooked. read more

California Dreaming - Croissants (5) - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

My mentor was so eager to have me try this place as it is one of her favorites. I was pleased to find that the service, ambiance and meal were much better than I expected. Our server José was well versed with the menu and made great recommendations. The price, potions and quality were reasonable. I plan to return when in the area again! P.S. The hot honey buttered croissants were divine! read more

California Dreaming - Miso Salmon Mashed Potatoes - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

It is extremely dark we had to use our cell phone light to read the menu! I've asked the manager on several occasions to turn up the lights but the response is ... corporate requires us to keep it at this dimness!!' It's very hard to see while eating here when does the customers request be heard??? read more

I travel to the area often and wanted to try something a bit different. This location looks like it was an Excalibur at some point. Front desk staff was very friendly. Our server was very nice. She was newer and didn't have much menu knowledge, admittedly had never tried any of the food and lacked training. We asked for a bottle of wine from the glass pot list. It took some encouragement from us that they did indeed sell bottles of the glass pours. She poured the wine as you would a beer making certain not to get too much foam. I ordered the Caesar salad with shrimp. She asked what dressing I wanted which was confusing. She also asked if I wanted my shrimp broiled or fried. I chose broiled. The salad was quite small, over dressed and had what I believe was boiled shrimp. No seasoning could be found. I was imagining at least a char of sorts. I also ordered a baked potato that she forgot to order. After some serious discussion as to whether I had ordered the potato, she got one delivered to the table. My guest had to ask a few times for condiments which also set the server back. The decor is mid century knights of the round table however the restaurant is in good repair and clean. I've dined at other restaurants operated by this chain and experienced exemplary service. I was shocked at the lack of general knowledge. The potato and wine were good. Not sure about a return to this location. read more

California Dreaming - a glass of white wine on a table - American Near Me - Greenville, South Carolina

Whenever you go to California dreaming, you know you're going to get good food and good service. Ambience can be a little upbeat during the later hours, however, it still keeps it aura that it is trying to portray as if it was a medievalish sort of building. It literally looks like a castle. For food recommendations we always get the house salad and dinner style with the bacon grease and honey mustard house dressing that will fill up faster and absolutely delicious. read more

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I grew up loving the chicken tenders at California Dreaming, and going to the castle restaurant was such a treat as a kid. Visiting Greenville recently, I loved having the chance to dine there again. As so many things change, I'm so glad to see California Dreaming going strong. Happily I can say the chicken tenders are as good as my childhood recollections. the side salad is a generous portion with loads of toppings and a honey butter croissant. We went for dinner, and it was a little dark and moody in the castle restaurant, and I really liked the privacy. Service was efficient and friendly. read more

Great food and service. Lovely ambience, with dim lighting and a nice and ample bar area with lots of seating. Great date night spot. read more

The Seafood Nachos are AMAZING- Filled with salmon and shrimp-You will not be disappointed