A widely known chain restaurant, California Pizza Kitchen serves delicious food that is packed with flavor and zest.
With various locations in the Bay Area, California Pizza Kitchen combines a classy restaurant atmosphere with quality dishes. The restaurant is most famous for its pizza and pastas, but it also serves salads, soups, and hamburgers.
My party of three ordered the Classic Caesar salad ($10) to begin our meal, the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizza ($13.75) as our main course, and the Fish Tacos ($11.50) as our side dish.
The main issue with eating at such a popular restaurant is the waiting. Although we were almost immediately seated, the wait time for the food to come was extremely long.
Nearly 20 minutes passed from when we placed our orders to when server finally delivered our food. The dishes all arrived at the same time and in no particular order.
The Classic Caesar was the perfect way to start the meal. The lettuce leaves were sweet and crispy, complimented with crunchy garlic croutons and shaved Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Adding grilled chicken, shrimp, or even salmon costs a few extra dollars, but the memorable product is worth it.
The Hawaiian BBQ Chicken pizza was a unique menu item that stood out to my party because of its combination of Hawaiian style and classic barbecue pizza. It arrived at our table steaming hot and giving off a mouthwatering scent.
Putting a spin on the standard barbecue or Hawaiian pizza, the Hawaiian BBQ Chicken serves as a creative compromise between two very different pizzas. The pineapple was juicy and complimented the overwhelmingly strong taste of the barbecue sauce. The crust was perfectly baked and the slices of chicken were tasty and moist.
The Fish Tacos were full of spices and unique flavors that added a Mexican side to the meal. The dish consisted of two small fish tacos, along with chips and salsa on the side. Each fish taco was made up of a crunchy Panko-crusted fish with shredded lettuce and a sweet and savory sauce on top. The salsa was slightly spicy, adding a kick to the dish’s combination of flavors.
Overall, I was very pleased with my experience at California Pizza Kitchen. Although most likely too expensive for the average high school student looking for a casual night out with friends, this restaurant is a great spot for family dinners or special occasions. Although the wait time can vary from 5 minutes to 45 minutes, the menu items are sure to please any hungry customer.
Rating: 4/5
Price: $$$
Service: 3/5
Food: 5/5
Nearest Location: 100 Hillsdale Shopping Center, San Mateo
Telephone: (650) 286-9018
