I decided to take an afternoon and go to the suburbs (Arlington!) for some shopping at Pentagon Fashion Centre (it's "Centre" and not "Center" - that means FANCY!). I was feeling a bit peckish so I stopped by the California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) to reenergize myself. I sat at the bar, as usual, and was greeted by the friendly bartender, Charlotte. She was attentive, friendly , and offered some excellent menu suggestions. It was surprisingly quite for a Saturday afternoon and me and my companion were the only ones at the bar. There were a few parties sitting at tables but the background music was pleasant and the noise level acceptable. The food was delicious! I had a California Burger Bowl (ingredients and photo attached) and my companion had a pepperoni pizza. Both were tasty and reasonably priced. One of the great things about restaurants in Arlington is that the ones I've visited don't try to charge those ridiculous service fees that are all the rage in DC. It's worth a trip across the Potomac. As you can see from the photo, two entrees and three cocktails were less than $90. A bargain here in the DMV. As always, I tipped our terrific bartender in cash. read more

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Stopped by after work for a late lunch at CPK. There wasn't much of a crowd but still a moderate wait to be seated and to receive food. Our server was doing a variety of tasks (seating, cleaning, taking orders etc.). She remained pleasant and did her best to give her attention to a few tables. There are happy hour and lunch specials. There is a bar available if you'd like to day drink. For apps, we had the avocado egg rolls. They come out really hot so be careful. Both sauces offered complimented the flavors well. I opted for the lunch duo of bolognese and the chicken Thai salad. I'd recommend a little extra salad dressing on the side. If you'd like to add an item to a dish, it may have a surcharge. I opted to add avocado to my salad and it was merely a slice. For $1.75, I could have purchased a 1.5 avocados. The food was presented well, at the appropriate temperature and tasted good. Not wowed, but I would dine here again as I'm familiar with their menu. When the weather is supportive, there is outdoor dining available. An overall 3.75 star dining experience . read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Avocado egg rolls - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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We found ourselves dining at CPK again after having enjoyed doing so at another location. Unfortunately, however, our experience here was quite subpar and underwhelming. I will say that this location has a welcoming and spacious layout, but that is about all I can offer as a positive. After some indecision amongst the service staff as to who was going to wait on our table, someone eventually decided to do so. We ordered the tried-and-true guac and chips appetizer. Regrettably, it was somewhat flavorless and did not appear particularly fresh--it had darkened in color. As for our pizza, we placed our order and then were brought a completely incorrect pizza, which we pointed out. We then had to wait a bit while ours was being prepared. It wasn't clear what had happened, and the communication and customer service could certainly have been better. The pizza itself was average but certainly has been better on other occasions. Had the experience been better we might have ordered dessert, we were after all considering the butter cake, but we did not pursue it. In fact, the server had already prepared our bill for us before asking if we wanted dessert. Overall, we would hesitate to return to this location and were disappointed with our experience in many respects. 7/19/2025: I'm editing my review from two stars to one star, as while I appreciated the business reaching out, I was never contacted in over a week after completing the requested feedback form(s), which effectively made the overall customer service even worse. read more

I'm always here because the food and drinks are consistently great, and I've truly never been disappointed!!! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - chicken GARLIC CREAM FETTUCCINE - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

My favorite pizza from California Pizza Kitchen is the Thai Chicken Pizza with cauliflower crust with drizzle of peanut sauce....5/5 stars! Always get great service by Ms. Gucci & very clean restaurant! Happy Yelping :) read more

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Truly the worst dining experience I've had in a while. We felt uncomfortable, I welcomed, and anxious the entire meal. As Veterans, coming to celebrate Veterans Day, we were told by the bartender, Charlotte, that we couldn't sit at the bar because "she was busy." I asked the hostess, and she told us it was ok to sit at the bar. We then watched the next Veteran come sit at the bar, who was told the same thing. They sat anyways, and she just proceeded to not clear the dirty plates in front of them. We watched her get angry at a number of staff, again, scolding them because she was too busy. I can't believe your staff has to be treated this way on a daily occurrence, and as clients, you're certainly ensuring your clientele avoids coming to this location like the plague. Food was mediocre, and as you can see from the photo, we spent $12 dollars for a drink that didn't even come to us full. I made the Thai crunch vegan by removing wontons and switching the chicken for avocado. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - California colada - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Love CPK! I come here all the time and each time I'm likeeee yeah that's good stuff. The pizza is really good from here obviously but the kung pao spaghetti is one of my favs. It's spicy and comes out so hot. I have came for lunch and dinner, the vibes are usually pretty chill and quiet. I like to sit at the bar for the fastest service. read more

CPK always blows my socks off. The pinnacle of their menu, the titular "original barbecue chicken chopped salad" is a feast for the eyes,mind, and stomach. It reminds me of my youth. In particular, I'd like to thank the very handsome and magnanimous Eric, who made the experience a comfortable one for duration of my meal. I will be returning this evening for another meal, hopefully I will see Eric. I've never felt more comfort in my life. Yum. read more

Just came in town just wanted a quick bite to eat and got a great surprise. The service was excellent, it started to get busy but I was well taken care of. The manager Bri made sure to ask how my meal was and wanted honest opinion of the food. read more

Lunch date with myself. I came for on thing, but the menu changed. Beware of the menu changing often at this location. The pizza and salad were the perfect lunch size. For $13 I not disappointed at all. During lunch it's never too busy unless people walk over from the Pentagon or other government agency's for group lunches. Parking is very limited. It is across from the mall and you can park there. read more

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Not the biggest chain restaurant fan, but CPK has gotta be near the top. Ambiance is exactly what you'd expect from one of these, though maybe slightly dated? Not a big deal though, everything felt clean and comfy. I was heartbroken to find out they no longer carry the Waldorf chicken salad, which would've cranked this review up to a 5. Instead settled for the ceasar salad and spaghetti bolognese. Both were good, though not remarkable. Service was also good, and they served and sat us quickly without feeling rushed. If you go here, you ought to try the butter cake. Go ahead and splurge on the calories for a scoop of ice cream on top, you won't regret it -- though the corresponding food coma will knock you out. read more

Went there 10 years ago and I loved it. I would recommend for anyone who wants to celebrate their birthdays or even eat a good slice of pizza. read more

We've been here multiple times now. One time the service was great but the rest of the times it has been super slow and the servers forget to bring you things you ask for. Also the bathrooms are not clean. The quality of food is very hit or miss. The $18 burger that my older son had was burnt. Also they advertise that kids eat free but we were charged for my younger son's kids meal. They didn't give us an itemized receipt which was probably intentional. Plenty of spots to eat in the area, definitely skip this CPK location. We gave them multiple shots but we won't be back again. read more

I've been coming to this CPK for the last 10 years. My mom and I have our special date where we always get the Garlic Chicken Pizza. It's a signature to us and such an incredible and delicious pizza. I don't come here all the time, and I assume management has changed/the staff in the years I've come. Consistency can ebb and flow. Like a year ago when we came everything felt mediocre. But today when we went it was SO delicious. We devoured the warm crunchy bread at the beginning. The olive oil on the side was just perfect. We also tried the Roasted Veggie Salad today and it was delicious!! I loved the mix of warm and refreshing along with the mix of crunchy and soft. It was very yummy salad. Antonio, our host and waiter was incredible. He seemed to be running the show and had a smile on the whole time. He was extremely friendly! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Top: Roasted Veggie Salad Bottom: Roasted Garlic Chicken Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I went twice in 3 days. They are the latest restaurant hours wise near the ritz. Day 1 i ordered online and popped in the bar to order some drinks while i waited-all was perfect. Great service and great taste. Day 2-placed my order online around the same tjme 10pm. I go to get it they tell me to go to the window and i wait 3 mins for the same lady to walk over to the window. She then goes back to where i originally was grabs it and comes back and like tosses it at me. Then i ask for cheese and pepper and she takes a handful of pepper and throws it in the bag. I walk back across the street and find a not as cooked pizzas as the first day (cheese was just barely melted). It was also like they had played football with my pizza while it was in the box! So glad that was my last night there, i love CPK but this one seems hit or miss read more

California Pizza Kitchen - I guess this is what happens when you order an hour before close - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The drink prices are good during happy hour--or what they insisted on saying was not a happy hour but "the happiest hour"--at 50% off drinks only. And not bad. But I'm taking off two stars, and they're lucky it's not more, for the obnoxious service at the welcome desk. This guy told us we had to wait to be seated even though the restaurant was only like 20% full. Then he insisted there was no happy hour. When we said we had called earlier to confirm, he went to ask at the bar and came back saying that no, there was no happy hour. So I finally just walked past him and seated myself at the bar, where ANOTHER woman told me there was no happy hour. So I asked about the "happiest hour I had been told about on the phone and learned yes, drinks are 50% off. So why were they HIDING that from customers? read more

California Pizza Kitchen - customers preparing food - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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The lunch duo is a good price for lunch. I had the Italian chop salad and a 7 inch pepperoni pizza. I really enjoyed both items; and will do the duo lunch at my next visit. read more

I would give five stars but the shrimp scampi I had was very skimpy. Order the pizza and you'll be fine. Otherwise good service and yummy pizza. read more

I have visited this location several times. The staff is always friendly and my food is always hot. This particular time I l ordered the Kung Pao Spaghetti, which consisted of garlic, scallions peanuts, red chili and spaghetti tossed in what tastes like a peanut sauce. You can also add shrimp or chicken. I added chicken to my dish and it was wonderful. The dish was flavorful with a kick of heat in the background. My other recommendations are the tomato basil bisque soup, the lettuce wraps w/ chicken, the butter cake, the wild mushroom + brie soup and the chicken California club sandwich. The club sandwich is what I order the most. It is grilled chicken breast with avocado, nueske's applewood bacon, romaine lettuce and tomatoes and the most soft on the inside crispy on the outside bread. This sandwich is loaded with flavors. I recommend this location and will definitely go back again and again and again. read more

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Service was great but the food was so salty and the appetizers came at the same time as the food so we had cold and salty pasta. Was really hoping to love it since I live and work close by but unfortunately I won't be coming back. read more

Just skip it. I wanted mango passion fruit iced tea, they didn't have that because they ran out . I wanted plant based bbq chicken pizza and they didn't have that because they ran out. Water took forever because they forgot. One of the servers coughed throughout the entire restaurant. read more

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We were looking for a place to have a simple lunch, and California Pizza Kitchen offered more than I expected! Not only did they have favorable lunch prices, they had a lot more variety than I would have guessed. By the title alone, I expected their menu to be dominated by pizza options. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see their pasta, sandwich, and salad options. And their regular menu pastas look AMAZING! After much anguish, I eventually decided on the Bolognese and salad, while my wife opted for a pizza and salad. The pizza was great, but it was fluffed with a healthy sprinkling of fresh herbs, which slightly overpowered the pizza flavor, itself. No biggie. My bolognese was rich and tasty, and I was pleased with it. They have so many pasta options that I wished to try, but didn't want a full dinner sized serving. I really wish they would make all of their pastas available as lunch servings. Our salads were very good, but a little dry. We had to ask for extra dressing. Our server was great, and we had a great, easy meal. I will return! #todaysdiscovery #traviswinmanauthor read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Sam Adam's Lager - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I had lunch & drinks at this location. I've never had a bad experience at California Pizza Kitchen & feel that it's a consistently positive experience. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Jambalaya - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Very nice the food came out very quickly and tasted amazing. The staff was also very kind . Overall a good option if your looking to eat out somewhere cheap read more

I stopped by after taking a trip to pentagon city mall, I was hungry and never tried California Pizza Kitchen before so I decided to give it a shot. I am glad I did! I didn't even get to my pizza yet and the takeout waiter was nice, I believe his name is Gerald. I ordered the wrong thing and the managers corrected the situation with quickness. I definitely will be coming back, great vibes, kitchen is extremely clean! I ordered the sicilian and Jamaica jerk on thin crust...... scrumptious! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The drinks and prices were good for the "Happiest Hour". It's important to use/ ask about this phrase. Because they give the impression that they don't want anyone to know about it. Had to call beforehand and tell the other server/ bartender we were here for that. read more

Um I'm not sure why this happened but the frozen store bought pizza of the BBQ chicken pizza was better than this one. How the hell does that happen. The frozen pizza is BIGGER and has more BBQ sauce. WHAT A F*CKING WASTE OF MONEY. I ended up not eating that much of it. Ordered from somewhere else after. read more

The Service at this location is great and so was the drinks. I was with my friend who doesn't drink and they had a very impressive list of mocktails. They have a good happy hour and my drink was yummy and didn't taste just like juice (which I was expecting). However i was underwhelmed by there salads. The other food looked tasty but the salad was below average. Next time I come here I would order something else. read more

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AMAZING! I haven't had CPK since college, and although the menu appears to have changed and may have slimmed down a bit, we were thoroughly impressed by the pizza today. I was craving a bbq chicken pizza and didn't want to risk it on a mom and pop shop that I hadn't yet tried, so we decide on CPK and am so glad we did! It was so amazing, perfect balance of chicken, onion, and bbq sauce. We added bacon and they added a very generous amount. The crust was perfect- we got the hand tossed (and we usually go with NY style or thin crust but the thin crust looked very thin) and I would 100% recommend it. Definitely going to try not to order this pizza multiple times this week because we are OBSESSED to say the least! There is an interesting addition of cilantro to it, which we could've gone without but it also wasn't bad. Did not take away from the taste much at all. GET THIS PIZZA!!!! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Small or medium Original BBQ Chicken Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The service here was outrageous me and my friends were having a great time at this restaurant when we realized a plate had been forgotten and one of my friends went up to ask out waiter Eric and he rolled his eyes and told us why would we need another plate which was fine at first everyone has bad days I suppose then we asked for CEASAR DRESSING and another pizza he told us we we're outrageous n stormed off then when he came back he was picking up our cups n I didn't quite understand him my dyslexia makes me have a hard time understanding I told him n apologized while he waked away he whispered that he could tell I was dyslexic n I was outstandingly offended waiter was ERIC black male rude! read more

I've always been wanting to try one of these restaurants and it was a great choice for a Sunday afternoon lunch in between shopping at the mall. We were quickly seated without an issue and told the lunch specials. I opted for the tomato bisque and the bbq chicken pizza which were super yummy and filling. I was very satisfied with my meal and happy with my choice. The portion size was super filling and the pizza was really well made. I was overall happy with my choices and I'm excited to try this place again! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

I don't know what it is, but this CPK has beat every chain that I've been to in CALIFORNIA. The servers are really friendly and easy to talk to, the food comes out spectacular every time, and I also have the greatest company and talks whenever I'm here. I love the pesto pasta, and the California Club pizza. The eggrolls are also amazing, and I can't get enough of the pink ranch sauce that it comes with. MMMM, so good. Also, I don't go out drinking at restaurants very often, but they have this strawberry/honey sangria that is just out of this world - it's dangerous though, because you can't taste the alcohol. It is absolutely delicious, and I'd recommend it every time (especially if you don't like the TASTE of alcohol). I am definitely coming back here. It's my favorite place to go after shopping around at Fashion Center. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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I always come to this restaurant and I've never had issues or problems with any server however on Sunday July 7th, I had a female waitress who was so sweet and polite and when I went to go give this young lady her tip I saw an altercation with what seemed to be her boss arguing with this waitress telling her she needs to find another job if she can't hold a tray right & i was so in shocked to hear and see this - no one deserves to be treated like this in a work place. This lady who was verbal abusing her employees needs to be held accountable, talking to your employees in front of customers like this is NOT OKAY! read more

It's conveniently across from the Metro, but this pizzeria didn't endear itself to me. Their menu wasn't impressive; it didn't seem like the sort of hippie-centric stuff I was expecting from "California" pizza, and instead was a lot of fried items, a lot of non-vegetarian stuff, and not a world of choices. It's wasn't even clear on their printed menu what toppings they might have if you wanted to build one, unless I missed something in the dark and noise. The five cheese pizza I picked in a hurry wasn't really impressive; one of the cheeses was sweeter and tangier than I like, and the thin crust didn't do much for me. Additionally, paying at the end was kind of a hassle. I thought I was doing them a favor by paying cash, but they literally had no small bills or change; pretty bizarre. This made it needlessly difficult to tip; I think and hope they made enough money off my party but I was disappointed by the inconvenience here. And given that a Wiseguy is being built on the same block, and a Matchbox lies directly across the street, I suspect that this place may soon be the third best chain pizzeria at this single intersection. And believe me, you're not far from plenty of good pizza. Hard to recommend this given the alternatives. read more

Date night with my daughter! I ordered the cauliflower crust margarita pizza. My daughter ordered pepperoni thin crust. Truly surprised how good the cauliflower crust was. First time having it. With one mock tail and one cocktail. For dessert the butter cake AMAZING! We had a really cool waiter. It was not too crowded in there but he was definitely taking care of everyone. Shout out to Anthony! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Ordered a Cobb Salad with an add on of Salmon for ~$6. Even pointed at the menu and said, add on the Salmon. Served asks me if I want the fillet or pieces. I was clearly confused but chose fillet. I did not know the fillet choice was basically ordering another meal item at $15. Bill comes and I protest the amount reminding him how I ordered and saying he should have told me the difference in price. He tells me, "it's on there, you got to read the menu", in a condescending tone, walking away like I'm stupid, cheap or both. As he walks away, he says "l'll send the Manager." She comes and I explain the issue and how he was rude and she neither apologizes nor offers any sound explanation, but says, "I'm not going to change it." I left furious and still can't believe they would do this. In retrospect, it seems to me they have this happen regularly and would prefer to up charge people and hope they don't notice or don't make a stink. Bad business practices! read more

I walked in tonight around 7pm to place a takeout order. I ordered the chicken piccata and a strawberry lemonade. The chicken piccata was completely bland and flavorless. I could make some pasta that tastes much better at home for a fraction of the cost. My total was a whooping $27 plus I tipped (which they didn't deserve.) For the steep price, I was expecting the food to be good. Also, the person who took my takeout order seemed like he didn't want to be there. He didn't greet me and barely said one word to me. I don't recommend CPK and I wouldn't return. Avoid this place!!! read more

Although a franchise enterprise pizza joint -- it is A decent place to get a gourmet pizza. I really enjoyed my lunch here this week in between my work hours. They have lunch "you pick pizza and Salad" options. The service was averagely attentive and very helpful. She kept our drinks mostly full when needed. And kept checking on us routinely. The food was delicious and seemed like fresh ingredients and seasonings were used such as fresh oregano on the pizza. It was tasty! My only thing I saw that was off was I noticed the manager or management folks were standing around chatting up a storm. Not very welcoming and didn't greet and they even blocked my way heading to the bathroom while I was walking to the bathroom. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

We stepped out for a lazy Sunday dinner and Cali pizza delivered. We had the chicken chipotle pizza and the Szechwan chicken dumplings. The pizza was good but the dumplings were lacking some spices and love, I think they were frozen. Service and price was good. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Szechwan Chicken Dumplings - Pizza Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Came here to pick up a quick takeout meal ordered online: a thin crust margherita pizza and a side of caesar salad with a few customizations (add tomatoes, swap dressing with oil and vinegar) and everything turned out fine. The margherita pizza was good, nothing particularly outstanding but not too greasy, too saucy, or too salty. The crust was not, as I feared, too crispy either. The salad turned out decently, with a nice cut of romaine, tomatoes tasted fresh, and the vinaigrette tasted as you'd expect. Having recently resolved to start counting calories, the website made it easy to tally up the score (and assess the damage on more caloric options). What could be better, I think, is the takeout situation: There isn't a clearly marked spot on the curb to pull your car up for takeout that I saw. Instead, you're parked among a mosh pit of Doordash drivers with their hazards on and Metro buses barreling through. Also if you order online, as with many places, the actual time was far shorter than estimated in our experience. Looks like the pizza was ready a solid 15 minutes before when we would have arrived, if going by the website. read more