California Pizza Kitchen Review (Solana Beach Restaurants)

Pricing:

Not too bad, actually.  Your pizza/pasta dishes are $8-12.  However, when you order an entree it's only pizza or only pasta.  So if you want some variety, you'll have to order something like a salad separate.  The salads and appetizers are $6-10.  Most of the salads are large enough to share.

Distance:

This restaurant is a chain so there are several locations around San Diego.  The closest one to Encinitas folks is in Solana Beach on the Highway 101.  About a 10 minute drive.

Thoughts:

I kind of wish I could enjoy California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) more than I really do.  Because there are just so many good things about this restaurant!  However, every time I go I just end up thinking "meh."

Let's start with the pros.  The food isn't bad.  The menu is a nice mix between standard pepperoni pizza choices and slightly more adventurous Gorgonzola/pine nut/pear pizza options.  I like adventurous pizza so this aspect to the restaurant appeals to me. 

CPK is also a chain located in several areas around San Diego including Solana Beach, La Jolla and downtown San Diego area (off Friars Road).  These locations make it a reliable, convenient choice.  I've never had to wait longer than 20 minutes at any location.  So if you're starving, it's the kind of place you know you could get into on a Friday/Saturday night in areas of San Diego that normally tend to be more crowded.

The cons?  While the food isn't bad, it's not great either.  Nothing I've had at CPK has been especially memorable.  I don't mind eating the food but there's really nothing "signature" about a CPK pizza.  I would just as soon get a pizza from any other place.

However, I will admit that CPK is a great place to take kids.  It's definitely a step up from Pizza Hut but still has the kind of things that kids like to eat.  So as a family outing it's a good option.  As a going out on the town with your date option?  Meh.