Went here for lunch the other day. The service was fantastic and pizza was delightful. I definitely want to go back and try different kinds. I was pleasantly surprised. Â It was around 12 bucks but the pizza I ordered was huge and I had leftovers. It was a great place for a quick lunch and thanks again for the excellent service.
Review Source:I really love CPK, but this restaurant wasn't my favorite. The server my friend and I had basically ignored us the whole time, seeing as I was actually hungry and wanted to eat a 3 course meal but I can only eat my soup for so long.... He just wasn't paying attention to our table, so we stayed for much longer than we wanted. The other thing was that we went closer to the time they were supposed to close and there was hardly anyone there. I've been to a restaurant that's been 3 times more crowded and I still got better service.
Other than that I want to say that the Butter Cake and the Thai pizza was very good and I'd go back for the food.
Never been a big fan based on other stores I've eaten at, but I was stuck here because there's not too many casual places in this area. Â So I sat at the bar, ordered. The people next to me ordered the same thing, 2 minutes earlier. Â They got their food, ate it and were getting the check before I got my food. Â Actually, I didn't. Â I got tired of waiting and left.
Review Source:So I came here unexpectedly one day while I was downtown with my girlfriend. She's a picky eater so we decided on pepperoni and bacon pizza. Overall the pizza tasted pretty good, just enough for the two of us. The only thing missing was some hot sauce or pepper flakes. The waiter also took a while with our drinks. I was trying to quench my thirst with my saliva while I flagged the waiter down. The foods 4 stars but the service is 3
Review Source:this used to be one of my favorite place because it's so close to my office, they deliver, and the food always taste the same but the economy had affected them in the last several years that the service and the quality of food just crashed --- i hope they bounce back up because i miss my thai pizza
everyone deserves chances so i will occasionally re-visit establishments that did not get favorable reviews from me in hope that they have addressed the issues and will revise my views accordingly
This was my first time eating there coming from Oklahoma. I loved having the choice of having honey wheat crust. That is unheard of in most places. I could find reasonably healthy pizza. They had great mixed drinks also. It was a great place at a good price! I highly recommend this place!
Review Source:I like me some CPK. I always get the spinach artichoke dip. So good with those light chips, but I usually just ask them for the white chips. Not too fond of the purple ones for some reason.
For pizza we usually go for BBQ Chicken or the Thai Pizza.
It's been years since I've been back. Might just have to check them out one day.
I have never been to a Califonia pizza kitchen before and was surprised by the selection of food. I selected fish tacos and asparagus and arugula salad t go. The order only took abut 10 minutes since they weren't very busy wile I waited on their comfy seats near the front. I like the salad selecton and will be back to try more. I feel like I got what I paid for and the food was very delicious. I am always looking for quick, healthy take out and this place delivers that. Their staff was also really friendly.
So they are a lot more than just pizza... who knew... I didn't. So if you are out shopping on Michigan ave and want to stop somewhere for a great salad, sandwich, fish taco, pizza, crispy mac n cheese bites, or any number of pasta dishes... come to cali pizza kitchen
I like CPK. I always get the Spinach Artichoke Dip and the Wardorf Salad. As for the pizza, back in the hay days, when they had the Carne Asada pizza, I always got that. Â But now, I always change my mind and get whatever meets my fancy for the evening. Sucks that they got rid of the Carne Asada.
I remember CPK providing bread and butter - but they stopped doing that? Sarah (our waitress) didn't bring us any. To be fair, we didn't ask for any either. But still, in hindsight, I'm a bit disappointed that they didn't give me free bread....I like free stuff. =)
For the first time last night, I tried the Jambalaya pasta. Very salty. I like the ingredients in it (chicken, crawfish, shrimp, veggies, etc.). But I hate the fact that they confuse salty with spicy. Folks, just because something is salty doesn't mean it's spicy!
CPK is a decent joint. But I just can't get myself to give it more than three-stars. The service is "meh" and the food is decent. In Chicago, there are tons of other GREAT places you can visit.
First time at the restaurant..we had a good experience. Service was good, food was good. We tried their pizza and it was delicious for a this crust, also had appetizers and salad. The place wasnt loud, so its good for meeting friends or another couple. Casual and relaxed atmosphere, would probably go here for a light snack or light dinner. Didnt try any of their desserts, if we go back will make sure to give that a try.
Review Source:Saturday night in Chicago + no reservations anywhere = at least a 60-90 at a decent downtown restaurant. Â And so my friends, we went back. waaaay back to junior high that is, and went to CPK. Â
Unfortunately though, a lot has changed since junior high (except my height), and my palate is no exception. Â We ordered some items off of their "small cravings" menu (backed mac and cheese, breadsticks, white corn guacamole) and some entress. Â They're not kidding with this "small" business, but my suegra assured me that the mac and cheese was quite filling. Â I ordered the Thai crunch salad and substituted avocado for the chicken. Â It was just as I remembered - pretty basic, but really good nonetheless. Â Mr. T had the grilled veggie sandwich, which was OK. The white corn guac w/ blue corn tortilla chips was probably my favorite. Â
Overall, we were content. Â We came in hungry, and left full. Â Waiter was friendly - even tried to crack a couple of jokes (unsuccessfully). Â Most importantly, we were seated right away. Â One major disappointment though: no milkshakes!
I used to go here a lot in high school...seriously, almost every weekend. It's kind of sad. So, I had to take a hiatus...an 8 year hiatus. Well, I came back and boy was I not surprised. The food was good as usual. However, this time my adventurous side took over and I got the Jambalaya.
Insane, I know: trying Jamabalaya from a pizza place??? Blasphemy.
Well, I got it and I was blown away. It's served over penne pasta [I'm used to it being served over rice] and I think that adds more flavor to it. Everything was cooked to perfection and I could taste all of the spices. It tasted better than some other "Creole" places right around the corner. I won't point any fingers *cough*HeavenOnSeven*cough*.
But, I loved it and think everyone should give it a try!
This review is only directed at the "Small Cravings" menu section.
Four of us decided to grab a small bite at CPK after going to a comedy show nearby. All of us wanted to try the two new menu additions so we ordered two orders of each: the spicy chicken tinga quesadilla and Korean bbq steak tacos.
The portions were absurdly small. The chicken quesadilla was so flat that it was comparable to a piece of potato chip. And where was the chicken? Peel the pita bread apart, whip out your bifocals or magnifying glass, and you might find a few shreds.
(I did not get a chance to try the Korean steak tacos so I'm not going to comment.)
Note: These "Small Cravings" ranged from $7-10.
Personally, I don't know why this place is still in business. Â I mean, yeah they do have decent pizzas, egg rolls and desserts. Â But for me, I don't think their pizza beats any Chicago pizza I've been devouring since I moved here last year.
Â
  This is the conversation that went down that led us to this restaurant
A "Hey AD1, I'm hungry. Â Let's go get some CPK"
ME " what the hell is CPK?"
A "You don't know CPK? Â California Pizza Kitchen! Â Aren't you from california?"
ME"Why in the world would you want to eat their pizza? Â This is Chicago afterall"
A"Don't care, it's my favorite restaurant in the whole-wide-world"
  Tiramisu/egg rolls/buffalo chicken pizza.  Just average for me.  Maybe because it was a curb-side pickup?
Restaurant review
Thin crust pizza with quality toppings! This summarizes your experience at CPK. I have been there many times and I have never tried anything but the pizza. The pizza is light with a great crust. I would highly recommend the buffalo chicken pizza or Sicilian with the best thin crust around. You can't go wrong based on your topping preference. Service is quick and friendly.
Pro: fresh wood grilled pizza with fresh toppings, quick service, relatively inexpensive
Cons: occasionally there can be a long wait if you come late for dinner
Hidden gem:
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I'm not usually one for chains, but I am so thankful to CPK right now.
1. Â Consistently good food.
2. Â Consistently friendly staff.
3. Â They ran a promotion last week where 20% of your check would be donated to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (if you gave them a flyer). Â As a daughter of a man living with PD, this made me so happy.
Thanks, CPK. Â More businesses should do this sort of thing.
Finally went to CPK on lazy sunny afternoon. I would want to discuss the service first rather than the food.
They did gave a table of our choice to us. But after that the server forgot we were ready for our order and nobody came to our table for 15 minutes not even to ask if we need water or something else. Finally I had to go up the service desk and tell them to send somebody to take our order.
We ordered BBQ Chicken,Buffalo Chicken and Thai Chicken pizza. The food was OK not that great, being in the city of Chicago we have a couple of good options for pizza than CPK. We asked for some extra ketchup, which they gave us when we were about to finish our pizzas.That's damm slow. While refilling my Sierra Mist the server accidently gave me a glass of plain soda.
So I would give them a thumbs down in terms of service.
It's hard to compare CPK to any other type of restaurant or cuisine. Â I wouldn't even call it pizza, but they do have some great stuff.
For starters, you wouldn't think it, but the hummus has got to be the best. Â It's really strange, because it's not even a Mediterranean-themed place. Â The bread they bring out in the beginning is also good.
For the main course, my all-time favorite here is the Tostada pizza. Â Wow... what a concept! Â It's a perfect blend of a sort of Mexican flavored salad on top of the pizza base. Â Delicious!
Hmmm... I haven't been there for a while now. Â Gotta get back there now.
Just to clarify... the food gets 3 stars. The extra star is for the service, which was awesome. I wish I'd remembered our servers name.
We went on a Saturday evening and waited about 20 mins for a table. I had the wild mushroom pizza and my husband had a pizza with chicken on it (not too sure which one exactly). Both our pizzas were ... SWEET. Not sweet as in "wow yay awesome" but sweet as in "rolling in sugar".
I liked the atmosphere and the service was phenomenal. I'll only go back if we get a gift card. But our first visit gets 4 stars
Always and will be a fan of CPK, and considering the number of times I find myself in Chicago for work...I've only discovered this location recently.
It's in close proximity to Michigan Ave/Magnificent Mile and I can always appreciate their prices.
The quality of food doesn't change by much, so I usually order a few of my favorites - Original Chopped Salad, BBQ Chopped Salad, Chicken Picatta, Spinach Artichoke Dip, Garlic Cream Pasta w/ Chicken & Mushrooms, Avocado Club Rolls....yeah, it's a hefty list of favorites, but I did mention I am a fan right?
This location can get particularly crowded (though I think it was because I was there during the Chicago Lights Festival), but I think it is because of it's great food and prices. Â There is a Grand Luxe down the street somewhere and a Pizzeria Uno across the street, but I will always make a bee-line to CPK cause I just would.
This place is a guilty pleasure. Their dough is pretty fantastic. I've had the White Pizza and the Pear and Feta Cheese pizza, both were delicious. But the appetizers are almost the same prices as the pizzas themselves! Isn't that kind of wrong? We got the spinach artichoke dip ($9.49) and the white pizza ($11.something) which was more than enough food for 2 people, but the dip wasn't worth TEN DOLLARS!
Also, the pizzas aren't very big. But they are great to share amongst 2 people. Any more than that, you might want to get more pizzas.
The service here is average. Not too bad, but not excellent. I had to ask for utensils and I never got a water refill...
This place would be higher rated if it were cheaper and if the appetizers weren't $10 an order.
This is a good place to go when you want a quick bite downtown, something at a cheap chain restaurant-
Decent appetizers, best split with someone of as a meal for your own-
Pizza...I've only gotten the BBQ chicken, sans onion and cilantro, Â I like it best when the pizza gets a litle too done on the bottom, a nice crunch is always good-Perfect amt for 2 people to split, well I guess if you are a hearty eater you could down this yourselt-
I've also had the mushroom ravioli before and it was good-
I've  never had to wait here, but this is a heavy tourist place that bring their crying, messy kids, but usually weeknights at this location is safe, weekends be warned-
Disclaimer: Chicago rules.
So...I had the cheeseburger "pizza" from here. Â I can't really call it a pizza...it was a delicious salad (including dressing and creamy avocado) on top of a pizza crust. Â I appreciated that it was small enough to fit in my bag (perfect for sneaking into movie theaters).
It was kind of pricey for the size of the pizza we got. Â And honestly, Uno and Due are literally around the corner...why would you come here (unless you need something to go like we did)?
The nice thing about this CPK that not all CPKs have is a full service bar area that caters to single eaters as opposed to being a drinking bar. It was nice to be able to walk in, have a seat, have full wait service and not take up an entire table. You also have a front row seat to watch them make the salads and pizzas. Keeps them honest at least.
As per CPK, the portions are large. I had half of an Original Chopped and a 5 cheese pizza. I knew I really wanted the salad and only a piece of the pizza and that I would also need lunch for the next day so it all worked out.
Very many foo-foo drinks going through this place on a weeknight. Probably because its 2 blocks off of Michigan Ave. and all of the tourists were strolling through.
Surprisingly, it was a very pleasant experience.
I never reviewed this place because I was such a regular here anyway! But now, they've given me one more reason to review - they have vegetarian-friendly dishes marked on their menu and some of their soups are now vegetarian too!
Woohoo as good as it gets not for the best meal in town while you're visiting, but for the consistent quality you get out of this place for after-work dont-want-to-cook-tonight dinners!
The service can be a little bit of a hit or miss, but definitely more hits than misses!
The food is almost always warm, fresh and awesome~
My regular order is tuscan hummus, herb-onion focaccia and tostada on honey wheat dough with no chicken.
last time, i got excited by the new vegetarian-friendly marked items and went for the house southwest bbq salad, in which they easily replaced chicken for avocado for no extra cost! I really liked the salad and would recommend it to others too!
The manager, Jimmy, is usually visible and keeps a keen eye out to ensure lots of satisfied faces!
Yes I went here. Yes I am ashamed. I have one measly short year in Chicago and I go here. Suddenly it was 9pm on a Saturday and some dufus (begins with H ends with elen) hadn't made any dinner reservations. Despite all pleading with Volare's master-of-the-seating-chart.... here's where we ended up.
It wasn't BAD, but it wasn't good either. The pasta was good but OILY. The pizza was okay and OILY. If it was a good quality olive oil - okay. I think it was restaurant grade frying oil - not okay. I tried to be healthy by ordering vegetarian pizza (with goats cheese, which was good, to be fair) but to no avail. To grill vegetables they do not need to be soaked in oil! The crust is kinda gungy - and I don't understand by what logic thin crust costs $1.50 more. I dread to think what the cheeseburger pizza tastes like. Seriously. Sounds rancid.
It was just what I expected really, so it would be 3 stars - until the waitress asked me whether I wanted dessert when I had a mouth full of pizza and two slices left on my plate. Sloppy pizza, sloppy service.
Without a doubt, this place gets 1-star (I don't give these out unless there are good reasons.... just see my other reviews). Â I do not write many scathing reviews.... but when a restaurant fails, and makes patrons sick, it is a duty to inform others.
CPK on Ohio St completely left me both hungry and, ultimately, sick.
With low volume on a Wednesday night, it was not super filled. Service was very attentive. However, the first surprise was a disturbing hair floating in my water. Â And no, Â not the hair from on top of your head.... Â
Yea.... Â not very cool. Â Needless to say, I ordered another water and just avoided drinking much thereafter.
Then our waitress brought out the pizza - but did not give us the dough we ordered, or even the extra toppings. Â So we kindly ask her to help us out. Â She would keep coming to our table saying that it would only take 3-5 minutes. However, we literally waited for 1.5 hours/90min/5400seconds!!!!! There's a big difference between 3 min and 90 min. Â :-) Â (CPK claimed that there were lots of orders and that our "newly made pizza" kept being taken by other servers). Â By that time, my table lost most of its appetite and was late for a movie.
Most shockingly of all, CPK did not even try to give a discount on the initial check. Â No sorry, Â no apology, Â just the full price staring at us. Â With unsanitary waters, incorrect pizzas, long waits, making my table late for a movie, Â NO DISCOUNT??!! Â Â
I talked to the manager and he apologized for the server and helped with 20% which was very kind of him. Â Once we all made it to Loews for the movie, we felt queezy in our stomachs and we later felt horribly sick (one girl had to throw up). Â CPK needs to improve their hygiene and work on customer service. I'll never be back to this establishment @ Ohio.
I've been to California Pizza Kitchens in Florida, Nebraska, Hawaii, California, and Washington. Â They are all the same. Â They have the same layout. Â They have the same menu. Â
This is why I love California Pizza Kitchen. Â I want my BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, no chicken, extra dressing in Nebraska to taste the same as it would in Hawaii. Â
This one has to be one of my fav CPKs. Â Good location. Â Nice staff.
It is extremely hard to believe that this quiet place is across the street from the insanely chaotic ESPN Zone on Ohio Street. Â It's even harder to believe that this place is across from the insanely chaotic Pizzaria Uno. Â What's not hard to believe is that I walked into it on a Sunday and was sat at the bar, got served, and was out the door in less than 30 minutes (as the two tourist magnets seem to draw people away from the suburban chain restaurant in the city). Â Which was good because I was, as I usually am, running late for a movie as part of the Chicago International Film Festival.
Now I'm as jaded as the next guy when it comes to my pizza (though I do love Pizza Hut), but California Pizza Kitchen warms my heart like the pizza oven where the pies are made in front of the customer's eyes. Â There's something about its quasi-rustic interior that makes it feel different than the other chain pizza places.
It had been a while since I had been to a California Pizza Kitchen so I had forgotten what it was like. Â These are not so much pizzas but whatever dish you order served on a pizza crust. Â I got the Greek Pizza and was greeted with a greek salad on a pie. Â They had loaded on the feta and olives to the amount of a side at a Greek restaurant of the two. Â And while I never pictured avocado as good on a greek salad, the vegetarian option of the pizza didn't detract from it either. Â They serve it with a side of tzatziki sauce but the pizza itself covered with vinagrette dressing was already tangy enough.
The prices are worthwhile for the size of the pizza (it was actually the perfect size to finish in one sitting but I'm a big eater) but I think were I not tourist averse, I would probably use the same amount of money to go to one of the nearby theme restaurants. California Pizza Kitchen is quaint and all and I can see how people who work in the area would go to a quick lunch there, but it just feels out of place where it is in terms of being a destination restaurant.
This is another one of my guilty pleasures. It's not the best food and it's overpriced, but there are some things that they do well. The waldorf chicken salad, the neapolitan four cheese pizza, the white pizza with chicken (though they got rid of the potato pizza which was good, and the lettuce wraps with chicken.
I hate to admit it but sometimes you just want CPK b/c it's just its own thing.
Before we begin, please know that I am a huge Chicago pizza fan ... so what's the deal with a 5 star review for California Pizza Kitchen!?
I'm giving CPK 5 stars because they do what they do better than anybody else: creating California cuisine pizza. In a town where the battle between thin and thick and Uno's and Giordano's rages on hard and fast, California Pizza Kitchen has carved its own niche and creates perfectly delicious and consistent pizzas, appetizers, salads and more.
I prefer this location over others in and around Chicago. The first time I ever had CPK pizza was in Santa Barbara CA, the home of California Pizza Kitchen, before they expanded to become a nationwide restaurant. There is just something about this Ohio Street venue that speaks to that first experience, and that probably starts with the service.
The staff at Ohio Street is friendly, personable, professional and efficient. From the moment you walk in you are immediately welcomed and, all things being equal, you are seated. The booths are roomy and comfortable and the tables have always been spotless. Waitstaff is knowledgeable and they are quick to take your order, or wait as you wish. The kitchen is quick and you really never have to wait very long for your pizza.
The real advantage that this chain has over other comfort food chains is the consistency of California cuisine pizza. It's pizza ... from a chain ... but they've created truly unique flavor combinations on a truly tasty and chewy crust. And it doesn't really matter where you go, you can pretty much rely on the fact that your favorite CPK pizza is going to taste the same no matter where you go. Fresh ingredients, delicious sauces, real cheese, you can't go wrong.
If it's your first outing, try to find something on the menu to order, don't lament the lack of the sausage and peppers pizza. There are new flavors to find here. Try the barbecue chicken or the carne asada [a personal favorite]. Don't skip on appetizers; the beautiful shrimp rolls are translucent, generous and delicious. My favorite salad is the BBQ Chopped Chicken. A nice alternative when you don't want to load up on pizza crust carbs.
The bottom line is that even a diehard Chicago pizza fan can find a place in his heart ... and his stomach ... for some California Pizza Kitchen.
I've always had a great experience here. The pizzas are really inventive and the servers are always really informative about their favorites. I appreciate a good beer with pizza and i've always left with a smile.
This place can be hit or miss in terms of a crowd. I've waited for around one hour and i've walked right in and sat down, so it depends on when you're stopping by. I'm a huge fan of the mushroom pizza for sure.
My cousin and I went here for lunch a few weeks ago on her suggestion. Holy hell, if all her suggestions are this good, I will listen to every single thing she ever has to say for the rest of time. There are tons of options, all made with really fresh ingredients, some a little less common than others (guacamole on pizza? okay!).
If you go with a friend (or an enormous appetite) you're good to go. Also, the mojitos are kind of excellent.
Fairwell, my Pear and Gorgonzola pizza. Â How I loved you....
Not so sure I'll be eating here too often now that the menu has changed, but I'm still open to the idea.
This location gets crazy during summer weekends. Â The wait can push thirty minutes or more.
But, in defense of CPK, the staff handles the rush well. Â On my most recent visit our waitress actually managed to push our order to the front of the line when she heard we had a movie to get to. Â She got us a dessert too with virtually no wait. Â She totally rocked.
Maybe I'm just biased towards Chicago-style pizza but uh, I don't get it. The pizza I tried had cheese and some tomatos on crust and that was it? No sauce?
I don't like giving poor reviews but this place just doesn't do it for me. The interior is generic, the music was bad, and the menu was extensive but nothing sounded that great. And I was absolutely starving when we went, so that says a lot.
We didn't have to wait long for a table but that isn't a great sign considering it was Saturday night and every other restaurant in the area had an hour+ wait.
But the lemonade was good and the wait staff is okay. I'm just not into it, though.
Pizzas are OK - service is usually lacking. Their frozen pizza's aren't as good - but close enough (though the crusts always turn out soggy at home) and costs a lot less.
I guess when we eat out, we want a lot more bang for the buck and this place/concept just doesn't cut it for us anymore.
California Pizza Kitchen is where I heard of the whole e.coli-spinach debacle. I really wanted to try the White Pizza, because in the freezer aisle, it doesn't look all that appetizing, but sitting in the restaurant it sounded really, really good.
Then our waiter HAD to go and tell me about that damn e.coli!
Ever since then the ONLY thing I want is spinach in/on everything. But of course, no. DAMMIT! I WANT SOME SPINACH!!!!
I would've given it four stars, because the Five Cheese pizza we did get was really good, if a little pricey, BUT the host acted like we were going to run out or something. I'm 24. My BF is 26. How do we look like teenage vagrants who won't tip? Our waiter was cool, but when I changed my mind and decided I did want dessert, he was nowhere to be seen.
I'm usually not a fan of chain restaurant pizzas and prefer to visit local places, but CPK is an exception. Â The style of pizza they have is different than anyone else's. Â Rather than the regular pepporonis and cheeses (with one or two specialty pizzas), CPK has a menu full of specialty pizzas. Â
My favorite is most definitely the Sweet and Spicy Sausage. Â
The wait staff was friendly and always kept my drink full (very important to a camel like myself). Â The atmosphere is kinda generic, but I wasn't noticing that when I was eating that sweet pizza.
First word that comes to mind: Unique. Their pizzas are truly one-of-a-kind. One 10-inch pizza is enough for one person--and you can even get two different flavors and split them. I like the Wild Mushroom, the Club, and the BBQ Chicken.
Also, their salads are great: try the Chinese Chicken Salad!
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