The California Pizza Kitchen we visited was at the Gateway Plaza. CPK serves pizza with a variety of toppings you would not find at Pizza Hut. These include BBQ Chicken, Duck, eggplant and so forth. As far as I can tell, the gourmet toppings are the only reason to go to CPK to eat.

Both times we have tried it the service have been horrible. The water was never refilled, Gift certificates have not been honored, and the hostess has been very rude. We were told after our meal was complete that a $25.00 gift certificate was only worth $20.00 because a service was charged to the gift certificate. In other words, they charged us $5.00 for the honor of using a gift certificate. The next time when presenting a coupon for a free appetizer we were told it could only be used for the cheapest appetizer on the menu (despite saying Good for Any Appetizer on the coupon). After pointing these mistakes out the hostess both times, we were treated very poorly. During the first problem, she told us she would look into it only to leave us alone for 40 minutes while we waited for a resolution. She then tried to give herself a 25% tip because we had a party of eight! I do not think I have had worse service at a restaurant before.

The food is interesting, although most of what we have tried was bland. The pizzas we tried had some tang, most have a variety of vegetables and cheeses that are very tasty. They are all interesting, but after a few bites, the interest passes and they aren't a whole lot different from a regular pepperoni pizza.

The appetizers are off and on. The Spinach Artichoke dip is great. It tastes very buttery and goes great with the chips it is served with. The tortilla soup is very bland, totally lacking any diversity in the textures and flavors that I have tasted in other tortilla soups.

They offer a variety of drinks including juices, milk, bottled water and special coffees.

The accept most forms of payment including Amex, MasterCard and Visa. Each time we went dinner for two came to about $40.00.


Recommended: No

Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations I would Recommend the Peking Duck Pizza or the B-B-Q Chicken Pizza.
Best Suited For: Friends