What a wonderful concept.......real food with much (okay - most) of the prep work done for you. A bit more expensive than purchasing everything on your own, but the convenience and quality are so well worth it. And.....everything we've ordered tastes great. We're busy with volunteering and enjoying grandchildren, so not having to plan and prep dinner every night of every week when we're busy with other obligations, while still allowing for tasteful, healthy meals is a plus! Thank you dream dinners. Special shout out to the Carlsbad, CA team! read more

I really like using this service. Especially when I run out of time. Or ideas. I recently had the limoncello shrimp. So tasty. I always like the steaks and the pork tenderloin dishes. Thanks for making my life easier. PS all of Hope's Gourmet cookies are a huge success. read more

Love their food and the ladies who work there have an infectious energy that makes you want to return! The menu changes frequently and there is something for everyone. What a great service! read more

Our family eat at home majority of the time .We dine out occasionally and order door dash and pick up several times a week, mainly lunch . My friend invited us to a girls night out at Dreams Dinners . We prepped 3 meals at a steak deal of 35 for 3 family meals = $12 per meal serving 3 adults. That's $4 a serving !! This concept makes sense. I love to cook, it's very joyful to me . But coming up with new ideas is the challenging part. Dream dinners: 1. Offers you a menu to choose from 2. Does all the pre prep 3. A designs a recipe that takes a few minutes in the kitchen for the chef. 4. And does all the clean up. These steps all the the most tedious parts in cooking . Hallelujah. By the way, we cooked one of the meals I prepped tonight and it was a thumbs up! read more

Dream Dinners - My Gal Pal is all smiles on our girls night out - Specialty Food Near Me - Encinitas, California

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this was pretty fun! my friend won a raffle at Dream Dinners (which she attends monthly as it is) each of us got to make 1 x 3 serving entree. We selected from the list of entree's...i went with a grilled chicken with sesame honey butter & roasted Broccoli. we were given a quick rundown of how this works... all measuring cups/spoons etc... are color coded to match the recipes posted... we "assemble" all meals in ziploc baggies... for instance... i got a bag of chicken breasts and added the appropriate ingredients (to make the marinade) into the baggie of chicken bag #2...added specified ingredients and sealed...this was the sauce bag #3...broccoli (already pre assembled) then all 3 bags went into a big gallon ziploc along with a recipe card with cooking instructions. once home....if refrigerated...use within 7 days...or freeze for up to 5 months... woo hoo! after our assembly...they had samples of some of the other August recipes...oh wow! i tried a lemon shrimp with rice and a pub style chicken over mashed potatoes...both were amazing! oh ya and some cookies..yum =) so they were running an offer for us...i purchased a package and i'm coming back in August for a kids day. i'm going to have my (older) kids assemble the meals to take home and cook our meals... all meals are either 3 portion or 6 portion sizes...i purchased 6 x 3 portions ...so 6 smaller portions...which is perfect for our family read more

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Thank you so much for making a hectic week so easy. Janell, was amazing.. she helped plan the dinners I needed and even suggested a few changes to help with dietary needs for my visiting family. This place really is awesome. Thank you read more

My wife and I have been members for about a year now. We go about every other month, otherwise our freezer fills up! Here's how it works. Each month, you choose a dozen (or so) different entrees, from a menu of about twice that. There are prep stations for each entree with all the ingredients, including decent meat, sauces, oils, spices, cheese, etc. You get wear an apron and assemble each item - follow the instructions to add ingredients to ziplock bags - they go through a ton of ziplock bags! Measurements are marked for dummies - one green spoonful (a tablespoon) of this, an orange scoop (one cup) of that, easy peasy. Drop in cooking instructions, throw it in your freezer. While you're prepping there's usually a sample or two of one of the dinners to try. The staff are really helpful. The "dinners" are entree only, usually without side veggies or bread, though some have rice or potato. Each entree serves three; my wife and I are hearty eaters and we do get three whole meals out of each one; my wife tends to take the third to work and reheat it for lunch. $15 to $20 is a pretty good deal; I'm sure you could do better at the supermarket, but then you'd have to have the recipe and all the other ingredients handy. Dinners are almost all meat-based, with fairly basic chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish as the base, and usually a fairly simple sauce. Most are either grilled, baked, or sautéed. Each month there's a different selection, but you tend to get used to their style, so you know what you like; we've had a few repeat items, and a lot more that were very similar to what we've had before. When it comes time to cook, there's usually a couple of steps - sauté the onions and peppers, steam the rice, grill the meat, whatever. Takes a kitchen idiot like me about half an hour to make dinner - seriously, the most difficult part is remembering to defrost, and washing the dishes. My main complaint, is that I don't tend to eat enough good fresh veggies, and DD doesn't include the veggies, so you're still on your own for that. They do have side items, desserts, etc in a freezer that you can get along with your meal. They seem to always have some sort of a "deal" going - discount trials, refer-a-friend, buy 3 get 1 free, etc. Heck, if you tell them "Fred and Becke" sent you, they'll probably give me some sort of credit, so do that! And it's upstairs form BBB ( http://www.yelp.com/biz/bed-bath-and-beyond-carlsbad ), in case you need cooking gear. read more

I was really impressed with the service and generosity of Dream Dinners Carlsbad. The owner Valery donated a Dream Event to the school that I teach at. The winner took herself and six of her friends (including me). Sammy was working last night with Valery. She was very attentive, sweet, and made an effort to keep checking in with us as all of us were new to the concept of assembling meals in this fashion. Dream Dinners had two entrees for us to taste. Thai Shrimp and Chicken Marinara, both were very delicious. We all walked away with a 3 serving meal of our choice as well as a reservation to return at the end of November. I think we are hooked! read more

I had read about these meal preparation centers years ago when the fad first hit. Basically, you show up, they have a bunch of salad bar style stations to make that month's recipes, you assemble everything in bags, and then freeze them. For this, you pay a little less than $5 a serving. It's made for busy families who don't have time to make things from scratch but want something better than Mickey D's or preservative laden frozen foods. I don't have a busy family. It's just me and my wife and we are just lazy. So it's tailor made for lazy people as well that just don't feel like really putting in the effort to cook that night. We assembled all of our meals in a little under 2 hours. We thought it was fun, and the staff is incredibly helpful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the process. They generally have samples to nibble on which is nice. So far, the food has been delicious with incredibly easy prep. The food isn't all cooked and then frozen, you have to combine the bags to form sauces, boil pasta, saute chicken, etc., but that stuff is easy and quick and you get the illusion of having a made from scratch meal in about 15 minutes. The food only comes in 3 or 6 serving sizes, so for a couple, we have an extra serving to bring to lunch the next day. The servings all have full nutritional information so you know exactly how many calories each serving is, which is a big step beyond what you can generally do with made from scratch as far as nutritional tracking. So far, the sherry chicken has been the big winner for us. If you're pressed for time, I can't see a better solution than Dream Dinners for tasty, healthy food in not that much time. read more

This was a fun event and out of the three meals we selected, we enjoyed two. The 3rd one tasted good, but we had a slight unpleasant reaction to it, which I can't 100% associate with the food. The quality was pretty good, not organic, but fresh. The meals were simple and just loved how it's a make and cook later deal. read more

This place is an absolute MUST for anyone with a busy lifestyle. I, myself have a husband & twin boys and love the convenience and ease as well as the healthy options. But, I have single girlfriends who work more than full time that love it as well. It's super fun to assemble your meals and prep on the nights that you cook your meals is so easy. Highly recommend! read more

I have no idea why I thought it would be a bunch of low quality junk, but it is NOT. Very much the opposite. The food is great, hearty, lots of whole ingredients and the menus can be altered to taste. It's a little hard to find tucked in the back of the Forum, but the staff and the owner were great. The only complaint I have is I felt a little bit pressured to sign up for more dinners and their rewards program... Which I did. But now that I've had my first round of dinners from them I'm stoked and really glad I took advantage of the sign up in the store discount. read more

I don't mean to sound dramatic, but Dream Dinners has changed my life! :) I'm a terrible meal planner and when I cook, I end up buy boatloads of spices and ingredients that I use and then end up wasting the rest. I absolutely love cooking, but our house is really busy and for a while we were eating out WAY too much. I tired Dream Dinners on a friend's referral back in January, and I've been doing it every month since. I love the variety of menu options - meals I would never think of myself! Everything is delicious and I'm saving a lot of money since I'm not wasting food or eating out so much. Highly recommend! The staff at the Encinitas location is super helpful and nice. read more

What a great place to prep your meals! Prepare your own frozen dinners - you can do it with a friend, that's how I did it - and bring it home for the days when you just don't want to cook from scratch. But your family still gets a wholesome meal cooked by you! Loved it. read more

This was my first time visiting dream dinners. It is truly a one-stop dinner shops where you can put together about a 1/2 dozen or more FRESH, family-size dinners in an hour. EVERONE who work's here were extremely friendly, knowledgeable. The place is super clean, something that HAS to be at the top of my list. There were great choices and it is REAL food - NOT processed crap. You don't need to bring anything with you except maybe a LARGE bag to keep your dinners safe for the drive home. I love that they had all FRESH ingredients and seasonings ready for me to put together. I was a simple process, nothing complicated at all. I have already chosen my meal for the month of September and I can't wait to return. We will surly enjoy trying our new dinners, instead of having the same old thing. It will also be nice to have something in the freezer all ready to go at any time. AND I won't hear those famous words from the family (THIS AGAIN). Thank you Dream dinner's you have given me a chance to change up my menu and not order out or resort to frozen, processed meals. See you next month. Linda C read more

Dream Dinners is amazing!!!! Such a great idea, and the team is absolutely wonderful! We have been doing Dream Dinners for 4 months, it makes life so much easier and really does help to bring the family back to the dinner table. Thank you so much ladies, and a special thank you to Kacie! read more

The BEST thing for those of us that are challenged in the kitchen. The meals are amazing...and I don't have to buy all of the ingredients that will likely sit in my pantry or fridge and go bad. Seriously, who regularly cooks with Hungarian smoked paprika? Why buy an entire bushel of parsley when you only need 1/4 tsp freshly chopped? EVERYTHING is there for you. The meals are easy to assemble, easy to prepare and delicious to enjoy with my family and friends. Don't get me started on their scones, cookies and other sides. Crazy good. I buy those as extras because they are ridiculously delicious. I recently had a private Dream Dinners party with my girlfriends and everyone had a great time assembling the food and catching up. Teresa was AMAZING and the entire staff is incredibly helpful. If you are struggling to get a healthy, delicious meal on the table, come check out dream dinners in Encinitas. Teresa and her staff will walk you through the process.... no contracts, no minimum sign up time. You come as often as you want, usually you buy for the month. If you only want three of the meals offered that month..no problem, just get three. It is a no stress, no pressure environment. It has brought joy to my home and my family as we are all eating so many great meals and I'm not stressed out... I'm actually enjoying making dinner! Thank you Teresa and Thank you dream dinners!!! read more

This is a great place for everyone. I especially enjoy seeing young people helping with the family planning and preparation. It's also a great place to meet new people. They are very supportive of community fundraisers, which shows how much they care. read more

Love Dream Dinners! I first came here with a friend of mine. Its a fun, easy, convenient way to make some healthy and delicious meals. Assembly on some fancy meals is easy. I'm not much of a cook, but these meals make it easy for even someone like me. read more

My kiddos (ages 10 and 11) and I spent an hour or so arranging a few meals here today and it was a lot of fun!!! The stations were clean and employees were incredibly helpful and attentive. We had plenty of room since they were not busy but I could see it being crowded if every station was full and each customer brought more than just one person. I can see why they would like to know if you are bringing children to help. My kids had a fantastic time and they felt like they were helping me with meals. We were served a couple of samples and ended up choosing both to make when we return in two weeks. Dream Dinners will become a part of our grocery budget as I know we will be utilizing this service quite a bit. My husband is deploying in three weeks so it will be just the kiddos and I and a three serving meal will be perfect. We have used almost every pre-measured and prepare at home meal delivery company (such as Plated, Hello Fresh, Blue Apron, Sun Basket and such) and this is by far a better deal. You spend a very short amount of time (and it's fun!!) arranging meals and it is leaps and bounds less expensive than deliveries of other similar companies. Thank you Dream Dinners!! read more

I bought a Living Social deal to try it out, and now I'm hooked. It took me about an hour to prep 18 servings of food, and we have loved a the meals so far. They make my day so much easier when I come home. I get off work around 6pm, and some days it's just hard to get dinner on the table, and a good healthy one at that. I'm signed up for next month and I can't wait:) The only reason I gave it a four star was the lack of communication when scheduling. I had walked in, called and emailed and I was still getting different answers about my appointment. But besides that, everything was great. read more