California Dreaming

For Labor Day, we decided to enjoy an early dinner with a view at California Dreaming located at 1 Ashley Point Dr, Charleston, SC 29407.

We set reservations for seven at 4:00pm and only two of us showed up on time. The host staff would not allow us to get to our table until half of our party arrived so we had to sit on the wooden benches at the entry where the host staff greets the customers. This was acceptable to us, so I went to the bar to get a drink while we waited.

After our party arrived, just a few minutes late we were sat and had a spectacular views of the Ashley River. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable of their menu.

Complimentary honey butter croissants were delivered to the table as we announced our drink orders. These croissants were fluffy and sweet, quite tasty.

After drink delivery, we placed our orders and after a short wait received our nosh.

I ordered the Shrimp + Grits. It was quite hearty and savory, however if you are not prepared for some heat - keep in mind they add Andouille sausage in their recipe. Overall I found the dish to be tasty and I would order it again, even though I believe it to be overpriced at $23.95 as of the time of this writing. Another downside, they do not use local shrimp! I was told by staff on the phone and again in person at the restaurant. This took me by surprise as we have a local community here we can help support and California Dreaming is such a well known spot.

My fiancée ordered the She Crab Soup, which was absolutely tasty and I thought to be a really good value at only $9.95. She enjoyed it thoroughly, but was not sure if the crab was local caught. We will update this review after we get clarification.

Along with her She Crab Soup, she got the California Dreaming. This was also another great value at only $15.95 and came with another honey butter croissant. The salad was piled high with mixed greens, ham and turkey, cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses, egg, tomatoes, almonds topped with warm ham and bacon, house dressing. It was the house dressing that made it so tasty. The portion was so large, she had to get a to-go box for over half of it.

Overall, we give California Dreaming 4 out of 5 rating on a scale of 0 - 5, where 0 = we will never drive in that direction again and 5 = we can't wait to give them our money again.

Check out their website here: https://californiadreaming.rest/location/Charleston-SC/