California Pizza Kitchen

Approval Rate: 60%

60%Approval ratio

Reviews 48

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  • by

    muddy8954

    Fri Feb 11 2011

    California Pizza Kitchen at Lenox Square in Atlanta was the worst experience in all of my 56 years of eating out. If you go there why don't you just go and throw $50 out the window and you will get the same thing. Food was not good, overpriced, the service was inexcusable. No refill on water for an hour... asked four times please bring some, i'm choking.. One person asked for a take out box thinking her husband might like it.. she didn't... and they NEVER brought her food back. We asked for a waiter.. "I think we threw it away." Bunch of idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEVER again! Go by a frozen pizza (NOT A CALIFORNIA PIZZA BRAND) unless your asking for punishment.. bought one of those too and NOTHING on it. I rank it with the all time worst experience of my life eating out. That is hard to do but that got that prize hands down!!!!!!

  • by

    norma_hall

    Sat Sep 11 2010

    4 stars There are no California Pizza Kitchen resturants in my city. I buy the frozen pizzas and like them very much. I like a thin crispy crust and not too many ingredients. I take them home and cut up lots of fresh vegetables to put on the pizza, such as onions, peppers and tomatoes. This gives me a good basic pizza, with plenty of fresh veggies. I have not yet tried the italian style pizza, but will later. I think they are packaged well and I have no trouble with the plastic wrapping. They are pretty fairly priced and I will continue to purchase this pizza if the quality continues..

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    ireneyobo

    Sat Sep 04 2010

    We waited 30 minutes to be seated and it took another 20 minutes for the waitress to take our order and little over an hour (YES 1 HOUR) to be served our food. The young waitress was so SLOW, RUDE AND VERY UNPROFESSIONAL (employees like this should be kept in the back, washing dishes). Don't recommend a sit-down meal at CPK, you're better off ordering pizza from Pizza Hut and eating at a nearby park bench (less STRESS)! Lack of Aloha at the Ala Moana location!

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    amitmodi93

    Wed Aug 11 2010

    California Pizza Kitchen Lake Grove, New York has worst service I ever had. They not clean table, they serve you appetizer with out spoon, plates and napkin. and than you ask for they not showed up. When submit comment they just say sorry, and its not happen again. NEVER EVER VISIT CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN, LAKE GROVE, NY

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    blastingoff

    Fri Jul 30 2010

    What a HUGE disappointment. Due to food allergies, I went online to see if they offered a gluten free menu (for salads, I wasn't expecting the pizza to be gluten free) and was surprised to see that they did have one. Upon my arrival I asked for the menu and was told they do offer it at their location. So instead of making an easy selection from the gluten free menu we had to go through a song and dance about which dressings had gluten, which did not, etc. I decided on the salmon salad with their balsamic dressing on the side, no croutons. What I received was one full stock of romaine lettuce and 1.5 ounces (if that) of salmon. When I commented to the waiter regarding my disappointment in the amount of salmon he ask if I would like to 'order a side' of salmon for my salad. I told him abolutely not, I was not going to pay anymore for this meal. What was the outcome - I ate a stalk of romaine lettuce with 1.5 (or less) ounces of salmon for $15.25. I could have purchased these ing... Read more

  • by

    kaysherr

    Wed Jul 07 2010

    California Pizza Kitchen was the worst place Ive ever been to. The pizza was so small and so expensive. I was waited by 5 different people. The waitress never even mentioned her name. Then again I don`t know who exactly it was supposed to be. I will never go there again. It was so fancy for no reason. I think staying at home and odering dominoes or getting pizza hut is way much better.

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    remixedcat

    Tue Jul 06 2010

    Pizza is allright, but the price is very high: on average the pizzas here range between 15 bucks for a basic pizza to 19-22 for a specialty pizza. The pizzas here are very small and only feed two people for a couple hours at most. The atmosphere is average for a pizza joint, so I don't know what brings fancy people to it and why it is located only in nicer areas. Pizza Hut in my area looks a little fancier but its cheaper. The taste of the pizzas are decent, but make sure you get extra toppings, becuase the sauces are very weak. all thier sauces were very weak and I had to add extras to them to make the taste fuller. The dough is average but a tad mushy, be sure to order extra crispy becuase it will be a mess when you pick it up. or eat it wirh a fork. last visit date->apr 2006

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    waldenpond

    Sat Jul 03 2010

    I had never been to a CPK and was thrilled to be going since I'd heard so much about it. I have to be honest. The food was lousy. No taste. I had Tiramisu for dessert. I remember Tiramisu from when I had it years ago. I remember the light chocolaty taste. This thing was DRENCHED in rum. I had a wild mushroom pizza that I thought would be good. It was just texture without flavor. I ordered a strawberry iced tea that was too tart (I don't blame CPK. I'm sure that all strawberry iced teas taste like that. It was the first time I ever had one and was curious about it), so I later got a raspberry iced tea, which tasted exactly like the strawberry one. The only good thing about CPK was the wait staff. They were wonderful, accommodating, and friendly - so much so that I couldn't complain about the food to them! I'm adding this about a month after I wrote my comment. I was thinking about "texture without flavor". It occurred to me that CPK probably doesn't want to add salt to their food. I t... Read more

  • by

    michaelm101

    Mon Feb 08 2010

    I was gifted a dozen $10 cards from California Pizza Kitchen and haven't been there since the late 80s. Excitedly, I ordered a chicken pesto pizza online and picked it up at the local mall about 20 minutes later. The total was around $15. Thankfully I used the gift cards because this thing was terrible! It was dry, void of flavor, and extremely lightweight. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing or this was an isolated experience, but regardless, I want to trade in my California Pizza Kitchen cards for Shakey's, Roundtable or even Dominos, for that matter...

  • by

    corona79

    Tue Jan 05 2010

    I have had trouble at the CPK ASAP in Culver City, California before. Worker training must be poor. California law states that if a gift card has a balance under $10, the issuing business must pay that amount to the consumer upon request. I wasn't surprised that the person at the cash register was clueless about cashing out a gift card. However, I at least expected that the manager would be aware of this law. "Israel" was apparently ignorant of it, but even upon being enlightened, he refused to comply with it. A business with "California" in its name that flaunts California law deserves a negative rating.

  • by

    chalky

    Tue Dec 29 2009

    CPK serves pretty good pizza. A lot of varieties as well, so there should be something there for anyone who likes pizza.

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    glen123

    Fri Dec 04 2009

    love this place good food and close to some great shopping .

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    cerisetrala

    Thu Dec 03 2009

    We regularly have lunch at CPK - either in Oakbrook, Schaumburg, or Geneva, IL. Rarely have I had something at CPK that I didn't love. I find their food offerings uniformly delicious and the service great. My personal favorites are the new fish tacos, the Thai crunch salad, and the miso seafood salad. This is one of my favorite restaurants!

  • by

    pelligon

    Sun Aug 09 2009

    I would say CPK is by far the WORST dining experience ever. I went with business clients to CPK and they overcharged us for things we didn't order. It took us 20 mins. just to get the situation rectified and the restaurant manager was blaming us. Unbelievable. All the while, it was the fault of the idiot waitresses who don't know how to properly take an order. Finally, after sifting through it all, the manager realized it WAS the fault of the waitress, but even then she didn't offer an apology or even compensate us for trying to steal our money. My friend, believe it or not, also had the same experience. He had a birthday party at CPK and paid for over $100 worth of food. The waitress offered them a complimentary ice cream dessert dish. But when the bill came, they actually charged him for it. When he brought it up, they tried to imply that he was wrong when it was really the waitress who offered it on the house. CPK has the worst business sense. They really don't care about their cust... Read more

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    jessica1234567_89

    Mon Aug 03 2009

    I went to CPK last night and the service was horrible. 1.) Our pizza was burned, 2.) we ordered a margarita pizza and they didnt even put the basil on it, neither did they give us a break in the bill since they were missing ingredients, 3.) my glass of water spilled all over the table and they didnt even bother to wipe it off, all they did was throw some lousely napkins on the table and expected me to clean it off myself. 4.) our waiter was full of himself 5.) after he decided to finally, fill my glass with water since it was obviously such a daunting task, he decided to put water in my dirty glass which i wasn't having. The pasta i ordered had to much olive oil and was drenched with no flavoring. Lets just say this place wont get my dough anymore

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    dejon1206

    Thu Mar 19 2009

    I work for CPK. I have to say that after 10 years in the restaurant bisineess, this place is clean. They have very high quality standards and people are way too critical. I enjoy my job, and give great service. San Bernardino, CA

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    woodbreeze

    Sat Jan 17 2009

    Last night I went to the Brea California Pizza Kitchen at the Brea mall to watch the second half of the Laker game. I sat down at the bar where I usually sit (I have been a regular for the past two months or so) and ordered my usual Johnny Walker Black label double shot and proceeded to sip it slowly as I watched the game and talked with Becky, the waitress of whom I have had great conversations with in the past. About 45 minutes later, I was done with my drink and asked Becky to check me out. She asks, "Are you sure you don't want another drink?" I really didn't but the way she asked made me say yes. Upon taking a couple of sip off of the second drink, I realized I didn't want the rest and again told Becky I need to leave, may I have the check? The manager that night whom I have seen there in the past says she will call a cab for me. I asked why since I only had one drink and a couple of sips of the second. She stated I appeared to be too intoxicated to drive and insisted that... Read more

  • by

    missamanda

    Tue Nov 11 2008

    I've been boycotting CPK ever since the night I was served fresh, crusty (but cold) bread and asked the waiter if he could warm it up.  "Sorry, it is not our policy to serve warm bread" was his reply.  I couldn't believe what I was hearing!

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    rhiraa0a

    Fri Oct 31 2008

    I went to a CPK in Orlando, Florida in waterford lakes and I loved it. I've gone numerous times and I had great service and my order has never been wrong. It's expensive compared to traditional pizza places but CPK offers unique dishes that you probably wont find any where else. As far as the pizza goes I love the tostada pizza, obvously if you like mexican food you'll like this one. They also have unque drinks; my favorite is their mango lemonade, sounds wierd but it's good. Their deserts are large, which is good considering how much they are, but the only desert that was truly amazing out of the three I've tried is the Pumpkin Cheesecake and I normally dont like pumpkin flavored foods. The Pumpkin Cheesecake is seasonal though so you may not find it after fall.

  • by

    bart786

    Wed Oct 01 2008

    i work there. You'll love it. but only if you're rude and foreign.

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    riotstarter7

    Tue Sep 30 2008

    yeah, uh, cpk sucks. i bought one of their pizzas at the supermarket, and it came without crust. just cheese and diced tomatoes. that isnt quality. that's wrong.

  • by

    themaillady

    Fri Sep 05 2008

    I went there tonight with my family. We had a terrible experience. The pizza crust was thin and burnt. The chicken marsala was like eating boiled rubber chicken with no seasoning and some cheap wine sauce thrown on top of it. Even the mushrooms looked like they came out of a can. Then the fetuccini alfredo tasted like a t.v. dinner, when I asked for chicken on it, I got some boiled tasteless crumbs that they called chicken and not even enough to fill a mouse up. They used no seasonings on the chicken nor did they even grill it. I would never recommend this overly priced so called pizza restaraunt to any one. EVER!!

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    kittyargus

    Mon Aug 25 2008

    I love the pizza in the stores it's tasty, but not as good as going to a restaurant. You have to try the pear and Gorgonzola pizza.

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    patty78

    Wed Jun 04 2008

    I bought the California Pizza Kitchen at the grocery store and wasted my money. They make look so good on the box and I had a coupon and I was left with nasty pizza and hunger. It is more expensive than Digornio (which i love) and directions to bake are not adequate. The plastic to open the pizza is very difficult had to use scissors and the directions for crispier crust, read preheat and bake at 425 degrees F, center of oven on rack for 18-20 min. My pizza came out burned and it melted in my oven and now i have to clean a mess and clear out the smoke. Hate this pizza, logging onto their website to recommend they take it off the market!

  • by

    day628b7

    Wed May 07 2008

    Haven't taste any food yet--but, the horrible service made me walked out of the restaurant and don't wanna go back again. The restaurant is in Arizona Tempe Market place. It was during the evening and already past the busy hour, me and my boy friend went in there and sat for 20 minutes. No one come serve, not ever water. Once again, horrible service.

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    lindsayshawn

    Sat Mar 15 2008

    I was craving pizza on a Saturday night so I ordered from CPK's curbside to go. All I wanted was a pepperoni pizza. After waiting in the parking space for nearly ten minutes the worker handed me a small box in exchange for almost tweleve dollars! When I got home (only 5 minutes away) I opened the box to find the smallest and coldest pizza ever! I turned on my oven and re-heated the pizza. When I finally ate it, it tased stale. It also smelled and tasted like barbeque sauce! This pizza was terribly thin too. I will never eat there again. i do not recommend California Pizza Kitchen.

  • by

    martinp

    Sun Feb 17 2008

    Took the family to the CPK at Gaithersburg, Maryland. We had a good impression of them back a few years ago from another location. This time we were there for a cold and soggy spinach dip followed by a Chinese chicken salad that gave me and my wife nausea after leaving the facility. If you love your family run, do not walk away from CPK!!! PS: has CPK been bought by a chain?

  • by

    essexxx

    Thu Nov 01 2007

    The pizzas here are anything but traditional, which may be off-putting to some. The crust is soft on the inside, cripsy on the outside, with a somewhat sweet flavor. Your choice of toppings will range from the everyday to the unconventional. The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere with unique pizza-themed artwork adorning the walls. I've never been dissatisfied with the service.

  • by

    lucy2f31

    Sun Sep 09 2007

    Good soup, good pizza, good salad, good service

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    lovingtherealw_orld92

    Mon Jul 09 2007

    California Pizza Kitchen has some of the best pizza's in California. What I have tried there has been good. BBQ chicken and the white pizza are the best. The salad and pasta's are also fine as well. Everything I have had at CPK is a good choice of food.

  • by

    schadenfreudia_nslip

    Fri Jun 08 2007

    Once again California has taken a great idea and made it worse by making it ludicrous.

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    tcic041e

    Sat Dec 02 2006

    There's a lot of "fusion" food but the chefs seem to have no understanding of how to make the different ingredients harmonize with one another. For example, the Thai Linguini is no tastier than drinking a bottle of sesame oil. If I were blindfolded I'd have had no idea that there was chicken, green onions, etc in the mix.

  • by

    x_factor_z

    Fri May 26 2006

    Gross, overpriced California nonsense.

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    silver_eagle_252

    Sun Mar 26 2006

    Only gave it one star because there is no zero star option. This is an overpriced, poor service gourmet wanna be rip off chain. I have tried this place three times in order to give it the benefit of the doubt and was disappointed all three times (actually this was not my choice, but at the insistance of friends and relatives who I have come to realize are closet sadists!). Pizza Hut and Papa John's make a better pizza even if they don't have all the gourmet options. Don't even try to order anything other than pizza, the rest of the menu items border on a bland imitation of food. It's difficult to mess up a caesar salad, but CPK has managed to bungle this. Never going back.

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    gourmand

    Sat Feb 11 2006

    Horribly overpriced suacer-shaped bread with few if any ingredients. Tasteless eat-in pizza. Extremely overrated. If you want frozen pizza with atmosphere, buy a Totinos and eat at home by candlelight. Don't do this to your date.

  • by

    dayexec

    Fri Aug 05 2005

    We've liked CPK for a long time. However, we do takeout and IT IS ALWAYS WRONG!! Today is our 38th anniversary and we decided to get take out and relax at home. BLT pizza salad part was missing and the whip cream for our pie wasn't included. Next time we will disect everything at the car!!

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    gy_rater

    Tue Dec 07 2004

    Our waiter quit during lunch. The pizza, while topped with some interesting combinations, is not any better than anyone else's. This is the most overrated airhead restaurant chain of them all, bar none. Would I wait in line? Why? I can get their overpriced pizza for similarly exotic prices in any supermarket...dumb!

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    veenat

    Thu Nov 18 2004

    They have the most interesting, delicious pizzas. The crust is crispy and thin, and the toppings are excellent. A little overpriced, but definitely worth it for occasional dining.

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    oscarboy

    Wed Nov 17 2004

    A bit expensive but their food is awesome!

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    bob_oconnor

    Sat Oct 02 2004

    The one and only time I went to one I had the excellent BLT pizza.

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    doctor_of_madness

    Thu Jul 29 2004

    The problem with CPK is that everyone has a preconceived notion of what pizza is. This isn't Dominos or Pizza Hut. I'm from Boston where every place you go for pizza is at least good, but every where you go, pizza is different. The idea of CPK is to take pizza and give it unique and different toppings. They also make the best salads around.If I want a real Italian pizza, I go to Santarpios in East Boston or The Pizza Center in Winthrop, MA. CPK offers something different but wonderful.

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    summergirl

    Tue Jul 06 2004

    I work at a CPK and have tried basically everything. Trust me on this one: the food is entirely overrated. This restaurant is like a pretty vase- there's a nice and comfortable atmosphere but food wise, it's empty.

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    aero43

    Thu Apr 01 2004

    This pizza place is excellent. They make healthy but flavorful pizzas that are loved by many californians, Iknow this for a fact because My family was invited to eat here by dear friends of ours who live near Anaheim.

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    cocopaloma

    Wed Feb 25 2004

    One of the better chain establishments.

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    beanocook

    Sun Feb 15 2004

    The pizza business is very competitive. Other than the niche CPK filled this place is a joke. If your town has crappy pizza then this place may work. Or if you gave up pizza because you felt guilty then perhaps you will like CPK. Pizza here intentionally sucks. The great state of California should sue this business for damages of libel.

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    yankee_doodle

    Fri Dec 26 2003

    Where else can you get fresh greens, pairs, walnuts and feta on a pizza.

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    ridermage

    Fri Jan 17 2003

    I find the menu to be varied and the pizzas to be excellent. You could go five nights a week and always get something different.

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    callmetootie

    Thu Dec 05 2002

    It isn't too bad at all. In fact, the sauce is delicious. The only problem that I have is that they sometimes burn the crust.