California Pizza Kitchen

Love the pizza!!! My wife and I get take out about once a month and are never disappointed! She gets the chicken penne and I get the meat treat pizza. Pick up normally only take about 20 minutes to prepare so its perfect for when we get off work and just want to eat. Thanks CPK. See ya soon.

I was pretty surprised by the food. It wasn’t that bad. I usually have a negative view of chain restaurants. I got a lunch pizza option ($ 11). The pizza is about 9″ or so and you get a choice of side. I opted for the quinoa salad. It’s really a spinach salad with quinoa sprinkled on top. The pizza was pretty good though. We also got a quac and nacho starter ($ 5). If you sign up for their rewards program you get a free stater. It was just average tasting. They bring out some bread and olive oil as a complimentary starter. It’s a nice touch but can be a carb overload if you eat that and a pizza.
The interior was nice, very modern and clean. It’s a large location so they can fit most parties. The hostess was very friendly and nice. Our waitress was nice but we hardly saw her again. The service could be improved upon. I don’t like waving down my server for things when they should be checking up at times.
Overall, it’s not a bad pizza option but I’m not sold.

Damn that was good! I had a Mojito and a pear and Gorgonzola pizza! So tasty! My wife was also very happy with her blueberry ginger smash and her pizza. The waiter was very friendly and the food came fast. I will definitely go back.
Update: March 2016
I went back and tried the jerk chicken pizza and had a few more mojitos. Everything was so delicious! Great service also. I love this place!!! My wife loves the butter cake (i think that’s what it is called).

Visited: 12/​26/​2015
I’ve been here several times and have already had pretty great service. Our server when we visited the last time was Elly and she was super sweet & nice! Great service on her part, thank you!
We ordered: Cheese pizza with pepperoni & mushroom — came out okay since it was an average pizza order. Waldorf Chicken Salad which is my always go to salad here. By the way, this salad never disappoints so I was happy to get my usual: D
In the past, I’ve even tried their pasta dish — Jambalaya Fettuccine, which I enjoyed as well. Essentially, CPK is like a Cheesecake Factory to me. They are chains and typically all the same. Now, if the food doesn’t taste the same, then you know something is wrong. However, since it’s always been great here, I can’t complain and am a fan. Going to a place like CPK is a nice because you can just grab a bite to eat, knowing what you are going to be served.

The restaurant was especially nice for a pizza place. The food was pretty good and reasonably priced for good quality pizza. Our waiter was very nice and helpful and made the experience more enjoyable. I would definitely come here again if I’m in the mood for pizza but want a nice sit-​down environment and better quality food.

Located in the Forum, this California Pizza Kitchen has long fed the suburbanites. This visit was not my first and will not be my last. I ordered the tostada pizza, while others at the table ordered a plethora of other pizza choices. We all traded slices amongst ourselves and I liked the Thai Chicken pizza as well. The best part about this trip to CPK was the waiter. He was very attentive and routinely dropped by to make sure we had everything we needed. This was a great meal and we all enjoyed ourselves, especially with the music selection the night we visited. I highly recommend this CPK location to everyone nearby!

So Friday night at California Pizza Kitchen it’s not packed, steady but not busy. The food was alright, but for a nice «name» place it was regular food. I had the jambalaya pasta and it was a bit over-​cooked. The meats were dry but the sauce took some of the dry meat out. The pasta was undercooked, being a bit hard to chew. My girlfriend ordered a pizza and it was mediocre. Need to say I’ll give it another chance, probably should order something else next time. But the drinks and my waitress were good.

We had a horrible experience around the corner at Ted’s Montana Grill and came here to find the polar opposite. Despite coming in 25 minutes before closing, the hostess was very accommodating and encouraged us to take our time and enjoy the evening. Our server, Lanier was his name, was a breath of fresh air and the food was the typical CPK wonderful. This restaurant is obviously managed well, it is apparent in the attitudes of the staff. Keep up the good work guys. You gave us a wonderful dining experience and terrific food to boot. Lanier, the server, was so humble and accommodating I felt compelled to give him a 30% tip… something I rarely do. We will be back!

I’ve had CPK in a few other locations, including some of the sketchy soggy pizza airport locations, but this one has been rather awesome. The food is chain restaurant quality plus one, meaning it’s better fare than a lot of other chain places, and super consistent. I’ve never had to send back anything, ever. The only issue is the bread is sometimes hard, but it’s also french bread and you can usually bring it up to them and they’ll do something to make it right.
The entire wait staff is a dream, they’re punctuational, and invested. The management is nice. The to-​go window is always staffed and online orders are punctuational and work well.
I’ve been happy with every visit and plan on returning often, it’s sort of my local go to place, with service and food that’s actually quite better than J Alex next door to it. I have had the following to much joy:
California Club Pizza (The salad on top can be sort of bland, but they’ll happily dress it anyway you want and the pizza underneath is the real star)
Summer Field Salad
Tri-​Color Salad Pizza
Quesdilla, Corn Guacamole, Chicken Egg Rolls
Tortilla Spring Rolls (The Mediterranean option is insanely good).
Mushroom, Sausage, Pepperoni Pizza
Nontraditional Cheese Pizza
Spaghetti Bolognese
Spaghettini with Asparagus
Sicilian Pizza
Veggie Pizza (w/​Goat Cheese)
One thing to note, sharing a single pizza with two people probably isn’t going to work out that well and for the longest time was one of the reasons I didn’t like CPK, after I figured a pizza is sort of almost a single portion (with some togo), it became infinitely more enjoyable. The pizzas are a big bigger than a single portion, you’ll probably want a bit more than half unless you start with a salad. I’d say consider .75 pizzas per person. The price isn’t unreasonable per pizza, the pizzas are priced at entrée levels.

I’ve been to CPK a few times. Yesterday I went to CPk with a friend. I had the Chipotle Pizza and it was delicious!!! I could eat this everyday! I also do have to say that my server, Blair, was fantastic; very friendly, attentive and has a great personality. She refilled our drinks and came to check to see if we needed anything. She was great! I have nothing bad to say about the place. I’ll definitely keep going back. :)

So i read so many bad surveys of this place i spent one year living 8 min from it and never had the odasity to try it out… today i did.
Service was ok… my server did not talk much but was attentive and that is what i really look for… did not forget about the refills, placed the order the right way and even offered drinks to go.
Food was very tasty! My husband and i had the california eggrolls, bbq chicken salad and a jamaica jerk pizza. It all arrived in a timely fashion and with great presentation.
I did find the prices to be a bit high for a pizza… however at the same time it was not your regular peperonni and cheese pizza. I would definetly go again but will not be ordering any aprtizers or dessert so my bill is not that high :)

I have been getting take-​out here regularly for 5 years and it is going downhill while the prices go up. I’m sorry, but if I am spending $ 14 on a small BBQ Chicken salad, it better be right. My last couple of orders have featured brown & black avocado slices (which cost extra) and ice cold chicken of questionable cut and rusty lettuce. I was actually disgusted by my most recent meal there. Get it together, Norcross!

Consistently good food and service. I have a tip for management, though. When the restaurant is not busy, stop stacking all of your customers into adjoining booths. It makes us feel like we’re at Steak ‘n Shake.

The food is not mind-​blowing here at CPK, but I will throw in that this place is consistent. I have eaten at this location a few times over the years and have never experienced bad food or service. Since I have branched out and discovered what amazing culinary gems call Atlanta and its metro area home, it is hard to want to go back to eating at chains.
However, I went quite recently because my youngest sister has just started working somewhat nearby and we decided that CPK would be safe for lunch. I met her on a weekday right around noon and was shocked that there were many booths and tables free. I guess maybe The Forum area is not absolutely flooded with office workers? Anyway, I got seated quickly by the nice hostess even though my sister was not yet in my company. I got a booth and our server brought waters as I waited for baby sis. She came in shortly thereafter and we considered the special that the server informed us of, which was signing up for something and getting a free (small) tapas plate. Ummm, we didn’t even know what it was but free was attractive and what with spam folders and unsubscribe options available, we gave them everything short of our social security numbers. (See why there needs to be a Cheapskate badge!!!)
We ended up with several small plates for sharing: Spicy Fennel Sausage + Poblano Flatbread, White Corn Guacamole + Chips, Crispy Mac ‘n Cheese, and the Spicy Chicken Tinga Quesadilla. Everything was quite good. Service was attentive without being pushy. My sister and I really enjoyed picking off the small plates and my favorites were the White Corn Guac and the Chicken Quesadilla, though that is not to say that I did not like the other items.
The food here does not blow me away, as even the more creative dishes are tame and aimed at appealing to a wide crowd. But appeal they do and this is probably my favorite chain restaurant. I have no qualms eating at a CPK when unadventurous people accompany for a meal, even if other great options surround the place, because I know that I will get consistently good food. I have eaten at various CPK locations over the years in different states and I am always pleased by my food.
My true rating for this place is 3.5 stars.

I don’t understand why people don’t like CPK. You are going to a chain place, you should not expect 5-​star pizza…
The place is cozy (but also noisy) and service is efficient.
Had the Original BBQ Chicken Pizza and it was good. The tortilla spring rolls were nice as well. And the beer was cold. Pretty good for any given saturday dinner.

Is punctuality in delivery important to you? If you don’t mind waiting an excess of two hours after deadline, be my guest. I for one will never use catering with cpk again. Not after the food delivery arrived almost at 8pm when it was due to arrive at 6pm. I cannot express the stress and embarrassment I had to go through, apologizing to my guests about the delay in food. When people are hungry, people get angry. I think me and my wife called the restaurants at least 3 or 4 times to check up on the status of our delivery, each time the manager told us it will leave in 15minutes.
Please have some courtesy and let us know or call us in advance before we have to call you first, at least I can make arrangements to pick up food elsewhere. You would think cpk would care about an order worth couple of hundred dollars but I guess they didn’t because the delivery girl told us that they totally forgot about our order until 30minutes after 6pm. I guess it’s a big lesson learned. I can always take my business else where. I just wanted to share with others so I can help you save yourselves from the torment I had to go through. It was just Embarrassing.

The pizzas are not as good as they think they are. They are very stingy with the toppings the results is a high priced pizza not that worthy.
The salads are small and if you want chicken on your pasta good luck finding it.
All and all over priced just OK food.

TL;DR: Atmosphere was very cozy with the gas-​fired oven, and most of the pizzas I tasted were dry and lacked flavor. The original BBQ chicken pizza was the exception, and was really tasty and surely recommend it.
When you first walk in, you notice the dimly lit room and the gas-​fire oven in the back. It’s a really cozy atmosphere, and seems perfect for a dinner date with your significant other. I was with a group, so they set up 3 tables just for us. The restaurant felt like a suspended sunset, and most of the décor and lampshades were warm colors and felt very intimate. The attire felt semi-​formal: it was kind of casual but then again it’s higher than fast food restaurants. You have to remember that CPK is a chain restaurant, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like one.
Customer service was good and didn’t find any complaints. We went on a Monday evening so it wasn’t very busy and the waitresses arrived about 3 minutes after I sat down. They help recommend a few items from the menu and were very courteous.
Most of the pizzas on the menu ranged from $ 10-​$ 15, while the appetizers were under $ 10. One pizza can easily serve two individuals, but I would recommend buying two different ones to share with. They also offer tacos, pastas and other side dishes, but I only ordered pizza. CPK offers complementary bread after you order, which I believe was sourdough bread which you can dip in olive oil and herbs.
I’ve tried the following:
Original BBQ Chicken Pizza (hand tossed) — chicken, red onion, cilantro, bbq sauce
Sicilian Pizza (thin crust) — salami, Italian sausage, parmesan, oregano, gouda
California Club Pizza (hand tossed) — arugala, basil, romaine, avocado, mozzarella, tomatoes, bacon
(Complementary bread)
The BBQ chicken pizza was by far the best that I tried. It was a mid-​sized pizza, divided into six slices, and it would’ve been enough for me. The chicken surprisingly was juicy, and the bbq sauce compliments the pizza really well. I was doubtful at first about the bbq sauce + pizza combo, but somehow it worked. The bbq sauce had a sweet, tangy note, and was a pleasure to eat. The red onions on the pizza paired nicely with the chicken. It also was a bit sweet, and gave you a bit of a kick when you bit into the pizza. The cilantro brought everything together, giving the pizza a fresh flavor and didn’t make me want to hit the gym afterwards. The crust however was pretty dry, but I didn’t expect much about that. Overall the pizza was really nice, and I recommend getting it if you do come here. I think this was the pizza that got them famous, and it still is a must-​have on the menu.
The other two pizzas, however, were disappointing. I was expecting a lot from the Sicilian pizza, but it was really dry. I liked the sliced salami and the ham, which were nice compliments to the pizza. The sausage tasted something from a fast-​food pizza joint like Dominos, and I have no clue why they added it on. The pizza though was really bland and couldn’t taste much.
The California Club pizza was worse. I don’t have anything against eating healthy, but if you’re going to a pizza restaurant, don’t expect to enjoy a healthy pizza, because you ain’t gonna’ son. The California Club in simplest terms was a salad atop a pizza. The greens even had salad dressing, and my friend ate it with a fork like with a salad. The elements were not cohesive, and it was a fail attempt of a pizza. I could see it working, but each ingredient had a mind of its own. The avocado were in slices and had its own creamy note, the bacon was salty and dry, while the salad… had no flavor. Even when you pick up the pizza, all the greens atop just fall off and you’re just left with a dry, salty bacon pizza. It was more like a Cali Clash than a Cali Club. Please don’t try to order «healthy» items off menus.
The bread I heard was hard and dry. I didn’t try it, but everyone around me did. I know that I’m using the word «dry» a lot, but they actually were. This restaurant got a lot of bad reviews, but it was okay. It’s a chain restaurant anyways, and I didn’t really expect much from it. There are better restaurants out there and I recommend going to a local restaurant than this for a date/​event. But if you do decide to come here and order pizza, get the BBQ chicken pizza.

Okay, I am probably going to sound like such a meanie. But I will never ever go back to CPK. ANY OF THEM. ever. especially the one at this location.
Now let me say I’ve given CPK more then three chances to impress me, three strikes and your out!
I met up with a friend for lunch and needless to say. I wish I picked another place.
the customer service was terrible. I tip pretty damn good. But if my water is not refilled and I’m trying to catch another servers attention to get some water, umm your doing a damn crappy job. I digress. I’m just so mad at CPK.
The pizza. I got a ORIGINAL cheese pizza. I should have sat my ass home and got me some pizza hut.
So No that’ not the worse part. I picked up a slice of pizza and tell me why I found hair? seriously ****HAIRRRRR**** seriously? WTF is this shit?
I thought okay maybe its my hair, no this hair was short. Like beard hair. Needless to say, the men that made the pizzas had some thick grizzly beards. And it was UNDER the slice of pizza. Hell no, that is not mines.
I’m done with CPK. In all aspects of SERVICE and FOOD.

Okay, after reading their nutritional info I’m not as frequent of a diner as I used to be, but from time to time, I love me some CPK.
Favorites:
–Flavored Sweet Teas (Mango is my fave)
–The Works Pizza
–Chicken Tequila Fettuccine
–Chopped BBQ Chicken Salad
It’s not the best food, and sometimes I’m ashamed to admit I’m a fan of this overpriced chain, but I think they have consistently fresh ingredients and pretty good food, especially at this Norcross location.