This might have been only the second time that we have ever dined at California Pizza Kitchen in Northbrook Court. I have long forgotten about our first dining experience here, most likely because there was nothing to write home about. After reading some negative reviews, I was not expecting much, but I was quite pleasantly surprised by our experience this time around. CPK is a solid 4 out of 5 stars. We picked California Pizza Kitchen mainly because it is one of the very few restaurants remaining in Northbrook Court, and we were going to watch a movie at AMC 14 in the same mall at 7:00 pm. Convenience was the major reason for our choice. When we arrived around 5:30 pm that Friday, the restaurant was fairly busy, which was a good sign. We were promptly seated in a booth close to the bar. Although the décor was a little dated, the place was still quite comfortable. Our server, Steven, was friendly and attentive. He apologized for the wait for our food, which took a little over 20 minutes to arrive. We could see that they were also busy handling takeout orders. Steven offered us bread and olive oil, which was a nice touch, and he checked in on us a couple of times throughout our meal. Our daughter ordered a Sparkling Mojito ($13.50), while I had an Iced Tea ($3.99). Their pizzas are 10", so we ordered two pizzas to share among the 3 of us and still had leftovers to take home. Fortunately, we had our cooler in the car since we were seeing a movie after dinner. We had their signature Original BBQ Chicken Pizza ($19.69), which was simple but good. The chicken was not dry, which was a plus. We also had the Works Pizza ($20.69), which came with spicy Italian sausage, rustic pepperoni, Cremini mushrooms, mozzarella, red onions, green peppers, olives, and wild Greek oregano. Although this pizza was quite greasy, all the ingredients tasted fresh and delicious. I do wish the toppings had been distributed more evenly, though. We asked Steven if we could get to the theater through the mall since it had been a while since we last visited. He said yes, but unfortunately, the mall closes at 7:00 pm! So, we had to drive over to the theater instead. It wasn't a problem, though, since we were in and out of the restaurant in about 80 minutes. Overall, I would recommend California Pizza Kitchen if you're looking for a convenient meal before seeing a movie at AMC 14 Northbrook. The food was better than I expected, the service was friendly, and the location made it an easy choice for our evening. read more

See all

California Pizza Kitchen was... fine. Nothing particularly special, but not terrible either. We went with a group after visiting the botanical gardens, and while the menu definitely has something for everyone -- which is great when you've got a wide range of ages -- the experience itself was pretty average. Service was super slow, which made the meal feel longer than it needed to be. The food was okay, nothing standout, but it got the job done. It wouldn't be my first choice, but it works when you need a place that can accommodate a group with different tastes. read more

We walked in and had a delightful smell. Yes we had to wait a little bit for the bus Boy but we got an amazing worker. His name was Eric great personality, humorous jokes. Food was pretty great. I'd recommend more options. The pasta is a little bit raw but it's still delightfully good the pizza was phenomenal. Little bit. Soggy a little bit droopy not too bad. The drinks we got we got a couple shots a lime special. It was pretty good. It got me feeling good. I'm driving home right now. read more

See all

Took the kids here and my son's kid's pepperoni pizza came 15 min after our food. The reason -- the forgot to add the pepperoni and had to redo it. Would be ok with adults, but not a starving, active kid. Do better, CPK. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pepperoni pizza - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

The service was very good, but the food left a little bit to be desired. We ordered a barbecue chicken pizza with Neuske bacon on it. My dining partner and I found the barbecue sauce to be a bit too sweet, and my partner found the bacon to be a bit overpowering but I loved it. We also ordered Dynamite Shrimp. It was okay, nothing spectacular. Our server, and his trainee, visited our table often to check on things, and both were affable and of good humor. I feel badly that CPK will be moving out of Northbrook Court soon, as the mall is scheduled for complete closure and demolition. I would probably go back to try a different pizza, but only because the service was above average. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - The BBQ Chicken Pizza. Sauce was a bit too sweet for both of us, and my dining partner didn't enjoy the bacon as much as I did. - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

I took my daughter for dinner at CPK, where we were warmly greeted and quickly seated. We had a great server who was attentive and friendly, but also gave us our space. We ordered chips and guacamole for an appetizer, and appreciated that we could customize it (no peppers). Our server also asked if we would like some warm bread, which we immediately said yes! The chips and guac tasted great, which I was happy about because in the past, it was not always that way. The bread was perfect - crusty on the outside, and soft & warm on the inside. The seasoned olive oil that came with it was a nice touch, too. For my meal, I got a bowl of their Dakota smashed pea and barley soup. The temperature was just right, and the soup tasted flavorful, not overly salty like many soups. The only reason I gave this place 4/5 stars is because they used to have a vegan roasted veggie salad with plant-based chicken, and they no longer carry it. More vegan options here would be nice! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Dakota Smashed Pea & Barley Soup, and chips & guacamole (in the back) - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

If you're looking for unique flavor combinations, CPK is the place to go. With a wide variety of options that include everything from BBQ chicken to Thai to Mexican, you'll be able to enjoy something a little different alongside all your traditional favorite pizzas. Service is quick and friendly, and the ambiance feels casual and fun. If you're feeling healthy, you can get most of the pizza options in salad form as well. The pizzas here aren't enormous but it's still filling even if it's a bit pricey for what you're getting. The pizzas are also in general presented fairly nicely and easy to share in a group. Overall, a fun spot to hangout at for a change-of-pace pizza experience. read more

See all

This place was awesome. The Churro Twist was the greatest dessert ever. I definitely recommend it. Best value. Maria was also very helpful while we were ordering. Service was great we were checked on constantly, and the food came fast. read more

California Pizza Kitchen was so popular in the 90s. One of my friends and I make it a point to eat at CPK at the mall, because she as a vegetarian and I as a (mostly) keto diner, can always find appealing options. On this occasion I brought two elderly companions to CPK because they craved pizza. Fairly light eaters, they went for the lunch combo. This is a good deal, as they could pick a 7" personal style pizza with either a salad or soup, or some other iteration like half sandwich or pasta. They loved their margherita pizza and split pea soup and sausage, pizza mushroom pizza and tortilla soup. I enjoyed my cauliflower crust pizza and salad. Pizza came out hot and crispy with light and chewy crust. Soups were hot and hearty and ample servings. I enjoyed my chopped salad with thinly sliced salami and chickpeas. They even brought out a warm loaf with seasoned olive oil. This was a great lunch value and we enjoyed our meal. The restaurant was full (??!!!??) at this otherwise vacant and ghost-town-like mall. It's so sad and eerie at this empty mall but inside at CPK the servers were friendly and cheery and our food was delivered hot and tasted great. read more

See all

I just picked up a curbside order. The pizza was cold. The salad had the wrong dressing in the wrong ingredients in it and I'll never order from California pizza kitchen again. read more

My husband and I met a friend for dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. This California Pizza Kitchen is at Northbrook Court. Northbrook Court is under construction and is a bit difficult to get around. But we found CPK without any trouble. Our server was so nice and checked in on us throughout the night. We ordered the Thai Crunch salad, the BBQ Chicken pizza, and the Neopolitan Burrata pizza to split three ways. The salad was yummy and had a nice crunch to it. The BBQ chicken pizza was the standard classic at CPK. The Burrata pizza was superb, with its distinctive cheese. All in all, it was an excellent experience. I highly recommend California Pizza Kitchen! read more

See all

Great service from the start. Nice young lady worth pretty blue hair. Went on a lunch date with my mom and got served probably 5 minutes after sitting down. Ordered appetizer of white corn guacamole and chips and 8/10 wish there was a bigger scoop of it but the flavors are there. Really good! For entree we got the lunch specials of pizza and salad. First one was the Mediterranean Salad with California Veggie Pizza. 9/10 dough was cooked perfectly and the toppings were very good; mushrooms, broccolini, you name it. Second was a Cesar Salad with Spicy Milano Pizza. Woah 10/10 didn't eat it all because I got full quick but all the flavors were there and it was a tad bit spicy but it was tolerable for someone with low spice tolerance. Drinks we got water and Cucumber Reviver 8/10, refreshing taste, if your into the potent literal cucumber taste then it's for you. Also got the strawberry mango lemonade 8/10, like a bubbly sprite flavor with additional flavors of strawberry and mango. Highly recommend this location. read more

See all

Diner beware!!!! Mice running on the seats in the middle of the day. We had already ordered so we asked for the manager. He avoided us until the food arrived. The Thai salad had frozen chicken strips Ask for manager. He never came to the table. After the billl was paid he finally showed up. He admitted his Restairant had a mouse infestation problem and the chicken comes in cooked in a bag and sometimes freezes. He offered us coupons. I told him I would never be back! He said they could be used at CPK. Really!!!! Terrible food ! Terrible service! Unsanitary condition!!!! Awful experience!!! read more

We have found the service here good. Also they have a fantastic shrimp scampi zucchini dish we love! Part fettuccine, part thinly sliced zucchini noodles, and all delicious! Perhaps it could use a touch more lemon and garlic but I still love it for flavor and healthiness. Also they start you with warm, fresh bread and a tasty herb-infused olive oil. We are disappointed they stopped offering vegan chicken. Tossed into other dishes like pasta and red sauce, it was a nice option for our vegan family members but now it's gone. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Shrimp zucchini scampi - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

I'm a fan of CPKs. They've even got a great cauliflower crust pizza which isn't a given at most pizza places. So most CPKs are going to get 5 stars from me. But this place feels a little off. The staff seems kind of crabby. We walk in, no one at the host stand. Waiter walks by us and doesn't say a thing. Finally a host comes over and doesn't even make eye contact but just says "this way". The strangest interaction I think I've had in a while being seated at a restaurant. Our waiter was fine but also just seemed grumpy. Alas we had a great meal. Kids eat very affordably at CPKs so that's awesome. Also had Athletic Beer for those of us who aren't drinking alcohol. And pizza was delicious like we'd expect. I also feel like this CPK feels a little more cramped than others. There were 4 of us and it felt like there was not enough space to even have our pizza on the table at the same time as our dishes. Oh well. I'd still come back. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza oven - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

See all

Just bad food. Got two pizzas. For 19.99 really small. Ordered the California Club- did not travel well and neither did the BBQ children. Not enough toppings chewy crust- place was empty too. End of an era- ick. read more

I've been here a few times and the service was very helpful. Our waiter Mario even recommended pizza we ordered which was the called the California Club. Mario even explained what our order consisted of. The environment is family friendly. I saw a lot of families socializing with one another. I was very comfortable in my booth. I would recommend the Garlic Cream Fettuccine. Very delicious. read more

See all

We were in the area and decided to try out California Pizza Kitchen since we haven't been to one in ages. We came on a Saturday for lunch and we were immediately seated (the restaurant was ~1/3 full). I had the wild mushroom pizza (shaved Cremini mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, with Romano & Mozzarella, slivered scallions, and cracked black pepper. Also available with white truffle oil) and hubby had the BBQ chicken pizza (BBQ sauce, smoked Gouda, red onions and fresh cilantro). We ordered a Hawaiian pizza (pineapple, applewood smoked ham and slivered scallions) from the kid's menu for our toddler. It was supposed to come with a drink but she never received one. The pizzas were okay (my crust was burnt) but it is really overpriced for the size of the pizza (~$18-$20/pizza). read more

Food is good, i like the pizza and mac and cheese. The service is terrible. The food comes out at a regular time, but it takes them 30-45 minutes to get the check! It's difficult to pay when you order online also. They don't know what they are doing, even when you remind them. read more

Mac and Cheese: The Culinary Equivalent of Sweatpants" Mac and cheese is the food version of giving up--but in the best way possible. It doesn't judge you. It doesn't expect you to garnish it. It knows exactly what it is: a steaming pile of cheesy carbs that says, "Yeah, today was rough. Here's a hug. In noodle form." Let's be real: no one eats mac and cheese because they're trying to impress anyone. You eat it because you've had a long day, you don't want to cook, and your standards have plummeted to their rightful place--next to the shredded cheddar. The texture is a science experiment gone right. It walks that tightrope between creamy and "oh no, it's sticking to the spoon like cement," and honestly? That's the sweet spot. Flavor-wise, it's like cheese punched you in the mouth, but gently. Like a soft, cheesy slap of joy. Final score: 11/10. Would serve at a five-star dinner party if I could get away with it. read more

I love CPK! I can go to Cpk all the time and my favorite food is the spicy Buffalo Cauliflower- I get it w/o Gorgonzola cheese and extra crispy! I like a lot of their pizzas, I can go for the wild mushroom, tostada and chipotle chicken pizza (sub chicken for avocado if you're a vegetarian!!) Also, you get fresh bread and I always ask for a side of ranch and buffalo sauce to dip with my bread. Lastly, don't forget to get the butter cake with ice cream for desserts. You won't regret it!! The service is always amazing at this location! I'll be back soon! read more

See all

This is for the parking here. I needed to park my car in curbside and take out because I am getting take out. I see two cars who just park there and they aren't doing take out or curbside pick up. I have a big order that I need to get that spot. But I can't because people park there cars there and stay for hours at the mall. You shouldn't be allowed to do that. I won't be going back here because I can't find a parking space up in close when I need one. I almost fell and slipped because I couldn't park my car at the sign that says take out and curbside pick up. I think that the cars should be towed if they aren't doing take out. read more

Came here on a week day and sat outside. You can tell they are short staffed we ordered drinks and waited over 30 minutes for them and ended up saying never mind. However the server was very very sweet, and the food was good. I had the spicy shrimp appetizer (delicious) and not too spicy at all! We had the California club sandwiches and they were great too. Would def recommend just maybe need to staff more! read more

The food was not good. The watermelon cooler was too tart and irritated my tongue. Thai Crunch Salad had too many soy beans in it. The California Veggie Pizza was so thin in the middle that you couldn't pick it up to eat without it falling apart. The server personality was very dry and uninterested. I can't recommend this place. read more

See all

You get what you expect from a chain pizza restaurant. The food is all fine..not outstanding and not bad. The lunch combo is a great deal and comes with enough food to take home a little extra! I enjoyed the complementary bread and oil. Then ordered the tortilla soup and pepperoni pizza as part of the lunch combo. Both were fresh and hot. Service was prompt. And I enjoyed the outdoor seating and people watching! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Complementary bread and oil - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

See all

I've been to lots of CPKs over the years and this is one of the better ones. The restaurant is generally clean as are the bathrooms. We came for a late lunch on a Friday and found the restaurant to be relatively quiet and comfortable. From past experience at the same location, I can warn the reader to be careful of weekends and early evenings when the restaurant is often packed with families and birthday parties. Prices have gone up considerably over the past year and a simple regular bbq chicken pizza now costs approximately $18. Sodas are over $3. We took advantage of the lunch duo special to keep costs down, each getting a mini pizza for one and side soup (tortilla) for me and side salad (mediterranean) for her. The lunch bill came to about $30 after tax and tip. Dinner would be quite a bit more. The young female server that took care of us was excellent, attentive and efficient. I'd come back more often but sadly prices are getting out of control. read more

Dine on a Friday evening in May. I have not been to Northbrook Court in a long time and have noticed most of the stores closed. There are only a few that are open, with California pizza Kitchen on another end near a few stores left open such as the Apple Store, Gap, and Sephora. I went in around 6pm and there were some tables that were filled, mostly with teenagers that were hanging out. I loved the brightness of the restaurant with natural sunlight (from sunset) shining down and it made the ambiance so much better. Our server was very nice and she was accompanied by someone in training. We had our order taken fast, she checked on us frequently, and had our check in time. We were given complimentary bread with olive oil prior to placing our order. Here's what we ordered: -Margherita pizza $16.49 I haven't ordered pizza in awhile and had no idea pizza prices were up this high. There much dough on the end for crust, and minimal amount of basil. -Full California Cobb salad with ranch $18.29: I was disappointed when the salad came out. The salad looked so much better on the pictures on the menu. The ingredients were fresh, but I was disappointed with shredded iceberg salad. -Kids pasta: it's such a great value. My kids loved it. My daughter can eat a lot and 1 order was not enough for her (haha!) Would I go back? For the price I've paid, I'd rather go elsewhere. CPK... I wish you the best. read more

See all

So good I had to write a review! It was a takeout for the mushroom pie and rocked it. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Mushroom pizza from California Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

Always fun!! I was in the mall catching a movie and decided to stop by for dinner. I was seated immediately and was given a choice to sit at the bar or table. It was almost full and they still gave me a table. My server was super nice and friendly. I've ordered toastada pizza which comes with salsa and black beans as I am vegetarian. I was presented with some complimentary bread with oil and seasoning. My order arrived quickly and server checked on me couple times. Pizza tasted good which has toppings of fresh crisp lettuce, black beans, sour cream and crisps and it comes with a side of salsa. All tasted really fresh. This pizza is big in size so I couldn't finish it and they have provided take home box upon asking. All in all, It was a satisfying Saturday dinner. read more

See all

I wish lower than 1 was an option. The hostess sat us and no one ever came to our table, it was not busy but no staff to help or take our order. Flagged a waitress as she quickly walked past and she said she would find someone no effort made to assist us still. Very disappointed in such poor treatment. read more

Pretty good pizza lunch here! Got a personal pepperoni pizza and a caesar salad. Enjoyed the bread and olive oil as well. Server was nice and liked the outdoor seating area. The food was good. I liked the salad and pizza and bread. Would come back again! read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

I have never felt so disrespected by a server before. Today, me and my son went to the Northbrook California Pizza Kitchen for a late lunch and to order food for the rest of our family to-go. Our server, Tomas was at best, incompetent. After being seated we placed our order for drinks, appetizers, and asked for bread. The drinks were brought out promptly, but that is where the positives end. Tomas proceeded to ignore us for the next ~30 minutes. In the meantime, three additional tables had been seated, and our appetizers were sitting under a heating lamp for at least 15 minutes. After Tomas finished bringing the three other tables their drinks, bread, and chatting with his coworker, he finally started to bring out the appetizers, but not to us. No, looking to our right I can see our Avocado Club Egg Rolls and Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower (both of which are breaded and are by now soggy) continue to sit under the heat lamp while Tomas continues to gallivant around the dining room. We still haven't heard from Tomas since getting our drinks, and still haven't gotten our bread. At this point, I was upset. I no longer wanted the appetizers, and I just wanted to leave. Which is precisely what I told Tomas. However, as a former server, I would have never expected to be condescended to in the way that I was. Instead of apologizing (which is the bare minimum) or attempting to correct the situation, Tomas immediately had an attitude and was aggressive. Now, I happen to frequent this location quite often (so much so that I am an elite reward member). While there are often waits, I am content with them because I see the servers are understaffed and working as hard as they can. Tomas was not like these other servers, he was working at a leisurely pace and disrespectful when confronted about it. Finally, the cherry to top off this miserable experience. Tomas, despite being repeatedly asked, still did not end up adding my rewards account to the order. Not that it matters, since I likely will not be returning. read more

Stop by today for lunch and my party was seated immediately. However, we sat for a full on half an hour and no one served us, not even gave us water. I was excited to try this place today since a friend has been recommending it for a while, but I was very disappointed with the service. I'm not sure why nobody took notice of us given that the dining room was at best half full. Some of the servers are just hanging around talking or on their phones. Some do walked by our table but we were fully ignored. I'm never going back again given that's how they treat their patrons and I won't be recommending this place to anyone. I wouldn't be surprised if the place closed down in a few months. read more

If I gave my children the choice of where to dine out they are likely to say California Pizza Kitchen, which they think has the BEST pizza in the entire world. While I can't agree with that statement, I'm a pizza girl myself so happy enough to join them for some CPK. I"m also a fan of their split pea soup and lettuce wraps. The staff here has also gone out of their way to arrange make your own pizza nights for special occasions and we even started my daughter's bday mall scavenger hunt with making pizzas here with 25+ kids. While currently quarantined during the Covid-19 pandemic, my kids have been missing their beloved CPK. The good news is that they are offering curbside pickup and the menu is better than ever with their go to market. They have hard to find items in grocery stores like produce (which looks better than anything I've been receiving from instacart), flour and eggs. And even more exciting is that they are offering make your own meal kits. The make your own pizzas are $5, but I held off on those since we've had a lot of pizza nights lately. I did get their make your own lettuce wraps, which was a steal at $12 and (for the next evening) make your own chicken tacos, which was priced at $15. Both meals are for a family of 4, but was the perfect amount of food to feed my family of 5. I'm no chef, but it really just involved chopping some veggies, microwaving beans (in the case of the tacos) and throwing the chicken on the stovetop. My picky children were very happy with both meals. I could see us making this a weekly pickup during this time. And of court we look forward to more meals at CPK when this ends. read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Make your own lettuce wraps for 4. Part of their market during covid. $12. Curbside pickup - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

See all

We had to wait a little bit for someone to get us to be seated not long after they opened, but after that first little bit of awkward standing everything else was pretty good! They have a pretty decent menu with plenty of pizza offerings and more. I decided to get the lunch special with the lunch-size mushroom pepperoni sausage pizza and a cup of tortilla soup. I added the Mexican street corn because I can never pass that up and it was pretty flavorful. Overall the meal was a pretty good value. The food was good, service was also friendly. They offer a deal if you eat at CPK you can get a discount on movie tickets for the theater in the mall (ask the server about it-I think you pay at CPK). read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Mexican Street Corn - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois

See all

Absolutely Awful Service, We were seated at exactly 3:27 PM and given our drinks. We ordered our appetizers shortly after, and weren't served until 30 minutes later where the appetizers had been sitting on the counter for 15 minutes. Absolutely horrible service, and I will NEVER be eating at this location again. read more

The "hostess" was sitting down in her phone, we were greeted poorly, then we wanted to get a drink at the bar, and the bartender did not even acknowledge us, we were sitting down for literally 15 minutes and he kept just cleaning the bar. When we got our food the pizzas were not cooked fully just a horrible experience overall read more

Take out very disappointing. Whoever is making the salads is just throwing stuff in a container in all the wrong proportions! Clearly they don't care about getting it right. read more

Went for lunch with 5 family members and Carmelo gave phenomenal service in both English & Spanish. Would definitely come back haven't received great customer service in awhile and it was very nice for a change. He was very attentive and friendly. read more

The spicy buffalo cauliflower is one of yummiest starters I ever had .thats a fab option for vegetarians like me out there I also picked a spaghetti dish asked to take the meat out of it which was good too The pizza I tried was a thin crust one which was lil bland.(I should have mentioned the spice levels and toppings more particularly) so not fully finding fault But overall a nice dine out place read more

California Pizza Kitchen - Spicy Buffalo Cauliflower Kung Pao Spaghetti - Pizza Near Me - Northbrook, Illinois