California Pizza Kitchen

I’m staying across the street at the W and wanted an inexpensive and tasty meal so I went to CPK. It was about 5:30PM on a Tuesday and the place was empty. I placed my take out order at the back counter. Afterward, a male and female server (one looked like a manager?) were having a heated argument in Spanish while I waited for my food. Finally got it and went to my hotel room only to find my wedge salad had flies trapped in the container having a feast. Also, my pizza was not as good as I was used to (plus I had lost my appetite watching the flies eat my salad). I’m too tired to get a refund and I can expense the meal but I will know for next time…

This is my 2^nd time at a CPK and maybe it’s just this place that is bad but they really need more servers. We came in and there was no one at the host stand or even a server for a couple of minutes. Our drinks came after this party that sat down after us, and my frozen mango lemonade took even longer to arrive. The food was meh. My co workers pizza was burnt under the salad (salad pizza). And one in our party legit took 2 bites from her salmon and the server didn’t even ask if there was a problem with her food. We will pass on this CPK.

Sicilian Pizza & BBQ chicken salad… that’s all you really need. I have never really had a meal I didn’t enjoy here. Not a huge fan of chains, but this one actually makes pretty good food!

I may overuse the word «good»…
If I come back, I will get pizza that time, and I will get it to go. I may overuse the word «good»…: I will talk about my complaints at the bottom, now, on with the review.
The bread and oil they give you is good. Usually the bread in restaurants is under-​cooked, I can tell because the insides can be squeezed, and will stay mushed like play-​dough. this stuff re-​rose. Oil and the herbs in it were good too.
Even though this is a pizza place, I had the fish tacos. The Tacos were «good» but not «very.» They were light, airy, but were kind of lacking in flavor, or rather spices a bit. The chips that came with them were good, nothing too special. Salsa was great though, did taste hose-​made, and fire-​roasted.
My experience was not particularly bad in terms in the food, but it was a little unpleasant in some other respects. When I went, it was not at all busy, and yet the service was extremely slow, I mean WICKED slow. Maybe it was because the waiter was a little new, but the service was inexcusably slow, especially for the money you are paying.
Also there was a problem with attention to detail. While the restaurant was not unclean, the salt and pepper shakers were full of salt and pepper, but were dirty. And, when I ordered a dessert that was supposed to have some sea salt on top, but didn’t. In any case, it was still good, just not worth the money for tasty pudding with caramel.

I am usually a fan of CPK but feel like the past several years they have been going downhill. The change in menu & how things are made, not as good as before. As a NYer I have certain standards for pizza & this used to be way better. At least they still have the honey wheat dough but it seems to be less tasty than before.
I think the service has been hit or miss & I’ve been coming to this location for probably a decade. I usually don’t run into any issues here but I basically did the last time I I was here. I don’t like when you have to repeat things to your server several times when trying to order, but even worse don’t make me wait to order either.

Stopped in for a quick little solo dinner here one night while in Boston for a conference. I’ve heard such great things about the food at CPK so I thought I’d give it a try.
I ordered two small apps. Corn chips with guac, fried mac and cheese and a drink. Both items were delicious but unfortunately, I didn’t get my drink until I was almost done for my food and even then I had to ask for it twice. Great food, but I give it four stars because of the mediocre service.
I’ll probably et at CPK again. There are lots of things on the menu I’d love to try so next time I’ll pop in with some friends so we can share!

The place felt bright and sterile like a cafeteria.
The sangria was flat and had no evidence of club soda.
My cola tasted bad.
The waitress forgot to put the salad order through.
The chicken club pizza barely had any chicken on it and you could hardly tell it was a pizza because there was a mayonnaise salad on top of it.
The Gorgonzola pizza was sweet but not salty or savory. Crust was bubbly, crispy, and hollow. It fell apart and tasted more like a cracker.
If you want a good alternative style pizza, go to Otto instead. You will not be disappointed.
Avoid this place like the plague!

We stopped here for a bite and a drink before a 7:30 show on Tremont and left happy and full. While this certainly wasn’t a dinner with a lot of ambiance, it got the job done and I would likely go back.
The first thing our server asked was if we were on our way to a show. I appreciated that very much, and he did mind the time pretty well. We were a little late because we opted for another beer, but it wasn’t a curtain call situation, so it was no big deal.
I got the wild mushroom pizza – hand tossed and BF got the works. We were both pleased with our choices and one pizza was just the right size for each of us (I had had a small lunch). It was a little hard to get a sense of how big the pizzas would be since no one sitting near us was actually eating one (which was odd, but maybe they all just got there?), but the server said it was 10.5 inches diameter for the hand-​tossed, and that was just the right size for one, kind of greedy person.
So, the food was good, the service was good, the restaurant itself was a lot like eating in a cafeteria. Maybe that’s the «California» aspect of this place because the décor was kind spare like something you would find near a beach. The booths we sat in had no divider wall between ours and the one on the other side, so I kept finding myself staring at other diners. Also, it got pretty loud later on.
Overall, I left full and happy. This would not be my first place to eat – indeed it wasn’t even the first choice the night we went, but it got the job done.

We stopped in one night to grab some appetizers before heading over to a show. Hubs is the parking whisperer so when he scored a prime-​time spot on the street in front of the restaurant, I knew we would end up here one way or another. We walked into the restaurant around 6:00 on a Saturday night and we should have been tipped off that the restaurant was virtually empty. On a Saturday night, that should have clued us in. Regardless, we’ve dined at the Braintree location more than I’d like to admit, so maybe our standards were high? When we explained we were just going to sit at the bar, we were given a look of discontent. We only wanted appetizers and rather than holding up a table for a measly $ 30 check, this was going to be it.
We sat at the bar. And sat. And sat. And about 5 minutes later, we were greeted by a server and we ordered both our drinks and appetizers — chips and guac followed by an order of taquitos. When the server came back and asked what we wanted for dinner, we politely explained that this was it and once again, were were given a subtle eye roll.
Overall, the food was just okay. The food wasn’t hot (temperature wise), but it wasn’t cold and it was to about the same standards of the corporate-​chain-​restaurant-​level, but nothing spectacular. The service was sour at best.
So if you’re looking to grab a quick bite before a show, cross this off your list. Mediocre food and subpar service just isn’t worth the time.

Chain restaurant, know what you are going to get. Pizza was ok, service ok, no wow, nothing to make me want to go back.

Hey Unilocalers… haven’t reviewed anywhere in a long time. Although I’ve been out, just haven’t had the chance to come on here. Tonight’s experience was Unilocal-​worthy. So its my friends 29^th bday. A whole bunch of ppl were supposed to come out to celebrate, but it was just her sister, my best friend and I. Anywho, we decided to go here. It was my 1^st time ever eating here but I knew of the one in the Prudential but some reason never went in. So, my first impression was that it was a glorified café, like a step up from au bon pain, but only because they served alcohol and they had waiters/​waitresses. I hadn’t Unilocaled this place beforehand which would have been better if i did, but again, my mind wasnt there. Anyway, all of us looked nice, especially the bday girl. I ordered the appetizer and it was the spinach dip with tortilla chips. Which was priced at $ 9.75, it was very delicious, not too cheesy, not too spinachy, just right. I only wished they werent so cheap and actually filled the bowl with some dip. I’m sorry but i can make my own and it would be loads less or i could buy the unhealthy brand of tostitos spinach and cheese dip from the store and a bag of tortilla chips and still spent less. I hadnt eaten all day so i was ravenous… that may have been a contributing factor. So I couldnt decide what i wanted but i know i did not want pizza… sorry i know thats your signature and trust me, they had a very extensive pizza list that took up 75% of the menu, lol. But I ended up going with the Jambalaya pasta sans crawfish (yuck!) or whatever it was called. It was listed as spicy, and yea for someone who doesnt like spicy foods that may have been a lil spicy but it wasnt for me. I think it had sausage bits, shrimp and chicken. Hated the shrimp so i gave the majority of them to my bestie and then the meal was complete. The meat was seasoned well but the pasta lacked flavor, however the spice made up for the taste and although salt was bad, they couldve added some natural flavor like cilantro or tomato i think that would’ve been really pungent. Bestie didnt like her food and birthday girl and her sister shared a salad with peaches, which they loved. Our waiters name was Alonzo and he was a sweetheart. Very accomodating. Overall a great experience… CPK did not WOW me but I will say id give them another couple of chances when I was less ravenous and order the same pasta as well as come back another time to try their pizza and maybe a different appetizer. I indulged in 2 glasses of pepsi which believe it or not is totally not like me, I’ve been a 95% water girl since last October and I’m loving it. Trust me, it was a weak moment and won’t happen again.
Hope you enjoyed this review…

Talk about cramped!
Let me start over, I enjoyed my salad here at CPK, I had the caramelized peach salad and it was yummy. I didn’t like how cramped and tight the seats and table were. It made enjoying my meal with a party of 4 a little uncomfortable.
I will not be coming back with a party bigger than 2.

Get the Jamaican Jerk pizza! Your tastebuds will do a happy dance.

The service was slow as hell. The restaurant was empty so I don’t understand why. The fettuccini Alfredo was only ok. Half way through eating it I started to suddenly not like the taste. Something was off…
My niece ordered cheese pizza that was good.
Maybe I’m just used to food tasting fresher and more flavorful in California.

A chain is a chain is a chain so you pretty much know what you’ll be getting. CPK has some pretty awesome salads and I appreciate the option to order a half sized order that is substantial. I really enjoy the Thai Crunch salad. They are currently running a lunch special of some if their popular dishes with a beverage for $ 9. Good deal! The staff at this location can be great or just plain bad. Luckily, I’ve had more great than bad, but the bad is bad and has made me question going back, but then I do and get great service so they are redeemed! Just remember to ask for bread if you want it.

While chains are not my ideal place, this location has become respectable to me. Over the past year I’ve had lunch here probably once a month or so, whenever I visit my mother for lunch. We like the fast lunch service, the server who we usually get and is pleasant, and the low/​fair prices. It’s nothing to write home about it terms of great food, but a solid place for something dependable that isn’t gross.
They seem to be pushing their new mini-​apps (they have some quirky name, I think «small cravings») and I tried a corn-​guac dip that was fine. Only problem — if I get a pizza, hold the cheese, add avocado, how are you going to still charge me full price plus the add on for the avocado? Lame.

We split a pizza. Half white pizza and half BLT. It was ok.
We were in the hood and it worked but its not my first place to go.

It’s not italian food, it’s a chain pizza joint. I get that. I wasn’t sure what to expect after seeing a whole bunch of frozen pizza stuffs at the grocery store with the same brand name on it.
A group of about 7 of us found ourselves meeting up in the theater district for a comedy show, and this was the easiest place to meet for a few beers and share a pizza before the show (and heavy drinking) occurred.
I’m not sure what aspect of this cuisine is derived from Cali, I’ve never even been that far West, personally. It is so-​so food. Nothing about the experience would make me come back here though. Nothing stands out about the food, which I think is why I’m not crazy about chain restaurants in general — all the foods seem to taste very similar to me…
It was smaller than the mall stores I’ve seen elsewhere in the area, which was nice. The service was pretty good, and our waitress in particular was very nice.

There are definitely better CPK places out there. We came here at noon (group of 8) and had to wait 1 full 10 minutes before someone came out to seat us in this 85% empty restaurant. We asked for bread after we ordered and it took another 15 minutes before it came out. Our lunches took even LONGER. Sad, considering we all ordered salads and sandwiches.
The salad I had was fine — mediocre at best, but for $ 13, it was NOT WORTH IT at all. The chicken salad had few toppings, including the butternut squash. One person ordered a salad that she described as «GROSS» as the greens were soggy and drenched in dressing (probably to cover it up.)
It’s fine. Not anything amazing and definitely not a place I’d go back to again. Compared to its other branches, food may be a little below average and service is awful.

My go-​to dish at this chain is the bbq chicken chopped salad (YUM!), but I haven’t had that in a while. Dishes here are sized to satiate one average diner, but I can normally split 2 between three people. So we shared the cobb salad, an asparagus spinach pasta with the add-​on of salmon, and three pizzas: Chicken Garlic, Hawaiian, and The Works.
The pizza crusts were thin and soft and crispy. The salad refreshing. Everything was okay, but nothing to get excited about.
+ the pineapple on the Hawaiian didn’t look like the canned sort… maybe fresh?
— $ 4+ for the salmon add on was a bit much, given the portion
+/​-​pleasant waitress, but we were often looking for her
*** ⁵⁄₂₀₁₁ visit ***
It seems to be the trend here that service is friendly enough, but lacking… today the requested bread never arrived, and the box for leftovers were long in coming… never mind that my water refill could not be requested at the time of need because the server was busy for much of our meal time.
Food was good though. With 5 pizzas and a salad plenty for the 7 of us, with leftovers enough for an 8^th.