I've been to the California Pizza Kitchen in the Summit a few times, but I've never been to this location. My husband and I went on a Saturday evening around 7:30pm. Surprisingly we didn't have to wait for a table. The place was busy, but not packed. We were seated and our server came over and was very nice and attentive. We ordered and while we were waiting he kept up with refilling my husband's drink (which I have to give him credit for because my husband drinks a lot). The food was good. We both ordered pizzas (I ordered the Habanero Carnitas and my husband ordered the Meat Cravers). They were flavorful and cooked well. Only issue I had with mine is that there wasn't much of the pulled pork on it at all. However, my husband's had a lot of meat, so maybe I just got unlucky. No complaints about the service or the food. It was pretty consistent with my experience at the other location. They are definitely good to try if you're craving a somewhat different pizza!
(4)
Philip D.
We live close by and have dined here numerous times. On a recent visit, the food was good but the restaurant needs to be updated and cleaned. There is a certain odor when you walk in. I'm not sure if it's the carpet or what but it's a sour smell that is not pleasant. Also, don't look up. The ceiling is filthy. There is dust and dirt all around the air vents that is not noticeable because the ceiling is black. But you can see it during the day time. It's on the higher walls as well. I hope they take notice of this and make changes. It's hard to eat in a dirty/smelly place.
(2)
Christopher B.
Ok ok it is chain but it is IMO a consistently decent option for salads and pizzas. I have dined at this CPK a total of four times and the pizzas have always been really good whether dining I or taking out. I never had bad service here, always appropriately attentive without being ignored or bothered. The salads however are on occasion a little off, as it seems like the lettuce has been too chilled almost frozen (not good) as it gets either icy or mushy, it would not surprise me if the salads were made up ahead of time and kept in the frig, not freshly made, that would explain the near frozen experience. The Wifi is free and as slow as carrier pigeon get used to seeing"request failed" ugh!
(3)
Courtney O.
This is the most awesome pizza place in Birmingham, AL hands down. I absolutely love this place! What makes it even better is that they have a great staff.
(5)
Britney M.
Holy terrible service. we had the most awful waiter no personality. No service whatsoever. We were brought hot tea (with anticipation of it being cold) he laughed about it. We asked for ice we never got. He was so rude when he was to take our order. No more CPKfor us #serveraustinsucks #sticktoSLICE
(1)
Ee Vonn Y.
Great service, environment, yet very mediocre pizza. The thin crust wasn't good. It was burnt and I had trouble biting into it. It was burnt beyond chewing. Get the original since it's small and sufficient enough for an adult while the crust being soft and fluffy for you to eat.
(2)
Mia B.
It was ok, I love saucy pizza and I specifically asked for extra sauce and the pizza came out dry as a door knob. I had to ask for more sauce on the side and ending up dipping my slices into the sauce which made the pizza better. I would eat here again, but I'm still searching for my pizza place!
(3)
Mandy C.
We ordered takeout on a lazy, I don't feel like cooking Tuesday night. I love places that let me order online. And the CPK site is super easy to use and add on things. You can request your pick up time... We ordered the Baja and Mediterranean Spring Rolls. I could eat several orders of these... They are that good! We got 4 pizzas.... Since we usually order two medium pizzas we thought four of these smaller portion ones would be enough. It ended up being too much! The thin crusts are larger than the whole wheat crusts, so we had two real big pizzas! Chicken club- ok. Exactly what I expected,so no complaints just not overly impressed. Cheeseburger- hubbys favorite and my second choice. Will order it again 4 cheese with grilled chicken- a good cheesy choice but our least fav of the four Artichoke &spinach with grilled chicken- this was my fav. Full of flavor but light and it had tons of chicken Good choice for a lazy dinner night! Definitely a much better pizza choice than the standard chains... But as with all good food, comes the price. Don't plan on a cheap pizza combo deal.
(4)
Delores W.
Been here twice while we are in Birmingham. Great food. Megan, the manager and Ashley, our server were fantastic. Will be back again.
(5)
Sarah D.
My family and I went there recently. Our waitress paid little attention to us. She took a long time to even greet us, serve our drinks-which were never refilled, and serve our pizza. I complained later and got some nice coupons, so my mom, husband, and I went back and got an old classmate of mine to serve us. She was great! I honestly believe that she was good to us because she cares about her job, but it was nice that I also knew her! The food is good. I like their pasta a lot, but there needs to be more of it. But, overall, it's good food. I would just lower the prices some. So, thanks for caring, CPK. Your response and good bartender that served us the second time is what saved you.
(3)
Scott H.
Been here twice. Good food but service is well below average. Now I understand why. Tonight I observed someone in a management function walking around the back counter, pouring his owns drinks, and eating dinner at the bar. All while dressed inappropriately for a manager. Fish stink at the head.
(1)
Justin S.
The pizza was ok, and the dessert was superb. However, our server; though I tipped him over charged me twice on the service. They do have a nice idea but, the execution is off a bit by the servers. I would be willing to check them out again but, I will definitely make sure that the end service is on par as well. Also make sure you get dessert they are epically huge so that is a plus.
(3)
Tim K.
I have been looking for a good pizza place since I moved to Birmingham. By luck I found California Pizza Kitchen, I have heard of them before but never tried their pies. They were doing free meals for Veterans and thought I would partake. Very good pizza, the combination of the crust sauce cheese and toppings worked really good together. And I have to give a shout out to the company. They gave free meals to Veterans all day Sunday and Monday for Veterans Day, Not only that they gave each Veteran who came in a coupon for a free meal at any later date, this company gets the very rarely seen, a bobo two thumbs up for service and taste. Meals are generally between 10 to 15 dollars, worth every cent.
(5)
Jim M.
Horrible... ordered pizzas to go and waited at bar for 45 mins. We received drinks when ordering, but after that, no one came by and we were at the bar!! Watching the staff, they were very confused and seemed to be running around without a leader. The pizzas finally came, but had obviously been sitting around as they were quite cold. They made new ones in about 7 mins. Hence the reason for 2 stars instead of 1. Quality of the pizzas was mediocre at best. I would not recommend.
(2)
Melissa T.
In general I am a fan of California Pizza Kitchen, or CPK as it's affectionately known. Their food is tasty, and the service is usually fine. Not noteworthy for good or bad reasons. I do wish they'd stop being pansy ass and provide their nutritional information online, but on the other hand I love that they sell their frozen pizzas in the grocery store. I also like that all of their soups are vegetarian and labeled as such. You'd be surprised how many places have vegetable soup made with chicken broth. This location is not a stellar example of the chain, though. I've been here twice, and the second experience was super awkward. One item we ordered never came, we had to ask for things several times, and then there was the beer situation. We asked about the "Regional Selections" the menu said would be available and were told they were Blue Moon and Sweetwater 420. Now, Blue Moon is a product of Coors, and Coors is headquartered in Denver, so...yeah. Not a regional selection by any stretch. Sweetwater 420, on the other hand, is a product of Atlanta, fair enough, but when asked the server stammered that it was a wheat beer. So, one was ordered and turns out it's actually a pale ale. Now, being Coloradoans, I know our taste in beer is probably a little snootier than those in Alabama, where high gravity beer was just recently made legal at all. That's fine, I don't expect servers at CPK in Alabama to know the difference between a pale ale and a wheat beer. But I don't expect them to just make stuff up! Beyond that, turns out the beer was actually *expired*, a month past its best by date. We pointed this out, which prompted an extremely awkward visit from the store manager who awkwardly lingered awkwardly too long. The food was fine, the nice thing about big chains like that is that they're consistent, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go again.
(2)
Luke M.
My kids love this place. Pizza is good. I especially like the California Club pizza. Have also gotten pasta which was good, not great. For some reason place can get a little loud, not sure if it is layout or normal clientele.
(4)
Temeka W.
I've been to this CPK a few times now and I've had excellent service each time. The staff is friendly and professional and the dishes are delicious. There's a wide variety of pizzas, pastas, and salads to choose from so you won't get bored with the menu easily. Their drinks are FANTASTIC! I've had a Mango Lemonade and a Kiwi Lemonade before and there both great. It's almost worth just going there for the drinks lol. I also highly suggest leaving some room for dessert. Their Tiramisu is sooooooo good. They also have carry out service so you can take the awsomeness home! I have not used this service before, but I do plan to try it out soon. So In conclusion, I highly recommend California Pizza Kitchen for anyone that wants more upscale pizza restaurant experience at an affordable price.
(5)
Sheri P.
CPK is good. I like the one at The Summit because I love to sit outside when the weather is right. I love their salads and pizza. I also really like to go with friends because the atmosphere is perfect for it! We usually each get something different so we can all share! Yum-O! I also think I have always had fairly decent service there. I have been going to the one at the Summit since it opened. The one at the Galleria is great too but if I'm on 280 the outside seating at The Summit calls my name. I recommend it on a nice day. They have heaters and umbrella's so it is usually pretty comfortable.
(4)
Kim M.
Innovative, delicious food, caring staff that is invested in your experience
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
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Melody H.
I've been to the California Pizza Kitchen in the Summit a few times, but I've never been to this location. My husband and I went on a Saturday evening around 7:30pm. Surprisingly we didn't have to wait for a table. The place was busy, but not packed. We were seated and our server came over and was very nice and attentive. We ordered and while we were waiting he kept up with refilling my husband's drink (which I have to give him credit for because my husband drinks a lot). The food was good. We both ordered pizzas (I ordered the Habanero Carnitas and my husband ordered the Meat Cravers). They were flavorful and cooked well. Only issue I had with mine is that there wasn't much of the pulled pork on it at all. However, my husband's had a lot of meat, so maybe I just got unlucky. No complaints about the service or the food. It was pretty consistent with my experience at the other location. They are definitely good to try if you're craving a somewhat different pizza!
(4)Philip D.
We live close by and have dined here numerous times. On a recent visit, the food was good but the restaurant needs to be updated and cleaned. There is a certain odor when you walk in. I'm not sure if it's the carpet or what but it's a sour smell that is not pleasant. Also, don't look up. The ceiling is filthy. There is dust and dirt all around the air vents that is not noticeable because the ceiling is black. But you can see it during the day time. It's on the higher walls as well. I hope they take notice of this and make changes. It's hard to eat in a dirty/smelly place.
(2)Christopher B.
Ok ok it is chain but it is IMO a consistently decent option for salads and pizzas. I have dined at this CPK a total of four times and the pizzas have always been really good whether dining I or taking out. I never had bad service here, always appropriately attentive without being ignored or bothered. The salads however are on occasion a little off, as it seems like the lettuce has been too chilled almost frozen (not good) as it gets either icy or mushy, it would not surprise me if the salads were made up ahead of time and kept in the frig, not freshly made, that would explain the near frozen experience. The Wifi is free and as slow as carrier pigeon get used to seeing"request failed" ugh!
(3)Courtney O.
This is the most awesome pizza place in Birmingham, AL hands down. I absolutely love this place! What makes it even better is that they have a great staff.
(5)Britney M.
Holy terrible service. we had the most awful waiter no personality. No service whatsoever. We were brought hot tea (with anticipation of it being cold) he laughed about it. We asked for ice we never got. He was so rude when he was to take our order. No more CPKfor us #serveraustinsucks #sticktoSLICE
(1)Ee Vonn Y.
Great service, environment, yet very mediocre pizza. The thin crust wasn't good. It was burnt and I had trouble biting into it. It was burnt beyond chewing. Get the original since it's small and sufficient enough for an adult while the crust being soft and fluffy for you to eat.
(2)Mia B.
It was ok, I love saucy pizza and I specifically asked for extra sauce and the pizza came out dry as a door knob. I had to ask for more sauce on the side and ending up dipping my slices into the sauce which made the pizza better. I would eat here again, but I'm still searching for my pizza place!
(3)Mandy C.
We ordered takeout on a lazy, I don't feel like cooking Tuesday night. I love places that let me order online. And the CPK site is super easy to use and add on things. You can request your pick up time... We ordered the Baja and Mediterranean Spring Rolls. I could eat several orders of these... They are that good! We got 4 pizzas.... Since we usually order two medium pizzas we thought four of these smaller portion ones would be enough. It ended up being too much! The thin crusts are larger than the whole wheat crusts, so we had two real big pizzas! Chicken club- ok. Exactly what I expected,so no complaints just not overly impressed. Cheeseburger- hubbys favorite and my second choice. Will order it again 4 cheese with grilled chicken- a good cheesy choice but our least fav of the four Artichoke &spinach with grilled chicken- this was my fav. Full of flavor but light and it had tons of chicken Good choice for a lazy dinner night! Definitely a much better pizza choice than the standard chains... But as with all good food, comes the price. Don't plan on a cheap pizza combo deal.
(4)Delores W.
Been here twice while we are in Birmingham. Great food. Megan, the manager and Ashley, our server were fantastic. Will be back again.
(5)Sarah D.
My family and I went there recently. Our waitress paid little attention to us. She took a long time to even greet us, serve our drinks-which were never refilled, and serve our pizza. I complained later and got some nice coupons, so my mom, husband, and I went back and got an old classmate of mine to serve us. She was great! I honestly believe that she was good to us because she cares about her job, but it was nice that I also knew her! The food is good. I like their pasta a lot, but there needs to be more of it. But, overall, it's good food. I would just lower the prices some. So, thanks for caring, CPK. Your response and good bartender that served us the second time is what saved you.
(3)Scott H.
Been here twice. Good food but service is well below average. Now I understand why. Tonight I observed someone in a management function walking around the back counter, pouring his owns drinks, and eating dinner at the bar. All while dressed inappropriately for a manager. Fish stink at the head.
(1)Justin S.
The pizza was ok, and the dessert was superb. However, our server; though I tipped him over charged me twice on the service. They do have a nice idea but, the execution is off a bit by the servers. I would be willing to check them out again but, I will definitely make sure that the end service is on par as well. Also make sure you get dessert they are epically huge so that is a plus.
(3)Tim K.
I have been looking for a good pizza place since I moved to Birmingham. By luck I found California Pizza Kitchen, I have heard of them before but never tried their pies. They were doing free meals for Veterans and thought I would partake. Very good pizza, the combination of the crust sauce cheese and toppings worked really good together. And I have to give a shout out to the company. They gave free meals to Veterans all day Sunday and Monday for Veterans Day, Not only that they gave each Veteran who came in a coupon for a free meal at any later date, this company gets the very rarely seen, a bobo two thumbs up for service and taste. Meals are generally between 10 to 15 dollars, worth every cent.
(5)Jim M.
Horrible... ordered pizzas to go and waited at bar for 45 mins. We received drinks when ordering, but after that, no one came by and we were at the bar!! Watching the staff, they were very confused and seemed to be running around without a leader. The pizzas finally came, but had obviously been sitting around as they were quite cold. They made new ones in about 7 mins. Hence the reason for 2 stars instead of 1. Quality of the pizzas was mediocre at best. I would not recommend.
(2)Melissa T.
In general I am a fan of California Pizza Kitchen, or CPK as it's affectionately known. Their food is tasty, and the service is usually fine. Not noteworthy for good or bad reasons. I do wish they'd stop being pansy ass and provide their nutritional information online, but on the other hand I love that they sell their frozen pizzas in the grocery store. I also like that all of their soups are vegetarian and labeled as such. You'd be surprised how many places have vegetable soup made with chicken broth. This location is not a stellar example of the chain, though. I've been here twice, and the second experience was super awkward. One item we ordered never came, we had to ask for things several times, and then there was the beer situation. We asked about the "Regional Selections" the menu said would be available and were told they were Blue Moon and Sweetwater 420. Now, Blue Moon is a product of Coors, and Coors is headquartered in Denver, so...yeah. Not a regional selection by any stretch. Sweetwater 420, on the other hand, is a product of Atlanta, fair enough, but when asked the server stammered that it was a wheat beer. So, one was ordered and turns out it's actually a pale ale. Now, being Coloradoans, I know our taste in beer is probably a little snootier than those in Alabama, where high gravity beer was just recently made legal at all. That's fine, I don't expect servers at CPK in Alabama to know the difference between a pale ale and a wheat beer. But I don't expect them to just make stuff up! Beyond that, turns out the beer was actually *expired*, a month past its best by date. We pointed this out, which prompted an extremely awkward visit from the store manager who awkwardly lingered awkwardly too long. The food was fine, the nice thing about big chains like that is that they're consistent, but I wouldn't go out of my way to go again.
(2)Luke M.
My kids love this place. Pizza is good. I especially like the California Club pizza. Have also gotten pasta which was good, not great. For some reason place can get a little loud, not sure if it is layout or normal clientele.
(4)Temeka W.
I've been to this CPK a few times now and I've had excellent service each time. The staff is friendly and professional and the dishes are delicious. There's a wide variety of pizzas, pastas, and salads to choose from so you won't get bored with the menu easily. Their drinks are FANTASTIC! I've had a Mango Lemonade and a Kiwi Lemonade before and there both great. It's almost worth just going there for the drinks lol. I also highly suggest leaving some room for dessert. Their Tiramisu is sooooooo good. They also have carry out service so you can take the awsomeness home! I have not used this service before, but I do plan to try it out soon. So In conclusion, I highly recommend California Pizza Kitchen for anyone that wants more upscale pizza restaurant experience at an affordable price.
(5)Sheri P.
CPK is good. I like the one at The Summit because I love to sit outside when the weather is right. I love their salads and pizza. I also really like to go with friends because the atmosphere is perfect for it! We usually each get something different so we can all share! Yum-O! I also think I have always had fairly decent service there. I have been going to the one at the Summit since it opened. The one at the Galleria is great too but if I'm on 280 the outside seating at The Summit calls my name. I recommend it on a nice day. They have heaters and umbrella's so it is usually pretty comfortable.
(4)Kim M.
Innovative, delicious food, caring staff that is invested in your experience
(5)