California Pizza Kitchen

Pizza restaurant · South of Market

California Pizza Kitchen

Pizza restaurant · South of Market

1

53 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103

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California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by Ryan Sutton/Eater NY
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null
California Pizza Kitchen by null

Highlights

Chain eatery serving up inventive pizzas, plus pastas & salads in a modern setting.  

Google Rating
4.1
(1567)
Featured in Eater
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53 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Get directions

order.cpk.com

$$ · Menu

Information

Static Map

53 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Get directions

+1 415 278 0443
order.cpk.com
CPK53thirdstreet

$$ · Menu

Features

dine in
wifi
payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations
outdoor seating

Last updated

Mar 4, 2025

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"California Pizza Kitchen’s “BBQ” chicken pie (14.7 ounces, $6.19): The late Ed LaDou is one of the most overlooked U.S. pizza chefs. As the founding pizzaiolo at Wolfgang Puck’s Spago in the early ’ 80s, he helped popularize an innovative California approach to pizza, topping his creations with smoked salmon and duck with hoisin sauce." - Robert Sietsema

Best Frozen Pizzas at Grocery Stores, According to Restaurant Critics - Eater NY
View Postcard for California Pizza Kitchen

Ashley H.

Yelp
This is one of my go-to spots if I'm in the area. The server Raquel is SO nice, we love her! They have happy hour and often have promos/specials, especially for holidays! It's plenty big enough inside that it never feels overcrowded and has outdoor seating. I love their bread & olive oil, sometimes we're lucky and get the bread warm right out of the oven!

Sakkara C.

Yelp
OK, so my boyfriend took me to California pizza kitchen in the south of market I had never been there before but I have had their frozen pizzas in the grocery stores. Let me tell you something. Their pizzas are amazing. We had the margarita and I ordered the mushroom sausage and, I forgot what else was on that pizza besides the fresh basil but they were both so delicious and I have to say after having California pizza kitchen, I'm feeling like a spoiled diva, the only thing I will complain about is shortage of wait staff, our poor waiter was running all over the place. I forgot to mention the tiny grape tomatoes on the Pizza Margherita have so much flavor! Little foodgasms! Yes I said foodgasms!

Cady A.

Yelp
Honestly, I know CPK is a classic corporate food chain restaurant, but it holds a nostalgic and special place in my heart. The food always satisfies my cheese and bread cravings. I absolutely love their spinach artichoke dip and it's been one of favorites since I was growing up. This location specifically has treated me very kindly when I come in alone for a little me date. I enjoy coming in for a pick me up treat meal.

Cindy K.

Yelp
CPK is always a winner for our family and me. We love the variety of food and everything is so delicious! Depending on the time of day you go the service can be a bit slow, but the people working there have always been so fast and friendly. I will definitely be back. Don't forget about the yummy pizza !

William B.

Yelp
So far I have been to 2 California Pizza Kitchen location the California Pizza Kitchen That I ate at was the San Mateo Hillsdale Shopping Mall Area!!!!! My most favorite thing that I like eating at California Pizza Kitchen Was The Pineapple Pizza & Also liked The Tomato Soup!!!!!

Hiroshi K.

Yelp
The pizzas and salads are excellent. I especially like the thin crust Sicilian Pizza and the Thai Crunch Salad. I also liked their Key Lime Pie. My dining partner like their Strawberry Shortcake (a seasonal desert item). The customer service was friendly. The food was served quickly. The have a large variety of items on their menu.

Paula Q.

Yelp
Hemos tenido la oportunidad de probar diferentes lugares de California pizza Kitchen. Y sin duda este establecimiento específicamente nos desilusionó. La limpieza del lugar era asquerosa! Sus pisos, parecían como si hubiera regado agua que vota la basura, los vidrios de las baños y los baños en general la verdad poco agradables. El sabor de la comida muy diferente a los demás. La piña de nuestra pizza estaba bastante fermentada. Lo único bueno de nuestra experiencia fue la atención del mesero, ya que fue muy amable tomó nuestra orden pronto y trajo nuestra comida rápidamente. Pero la verdad en cuanto a la limpieza y aseo del lugar muy mal.

Ava S.

Yelp
Tiny portions for the price. Flavor was mediocre at best. I bought an appetizer soup and full-sized pasta entree for $30 (!) and I'm still hungry -and I'm a small person. Pastas are only a 10oz serving for $25, and $8 soup for a measly 8 ounces. At least offer bread or publish your portion sizes if they're going to be kid-sized. I knew CPK was mainstream, but not stingy and low quality. Worse than a Chili's, Olive Garden, or Sizzler. I ended up buying a second meal next door because girl's gotta eat. TBH please issue a refund for this $hit meal.

Wan G.

Yelp
Last minute decision to eat here. Grateful they allow us in at 9.30 I order the street corn and cauliflower. My food was great. My friend order the Santa fe bowl. Garbage..ended up sending it back. The margaritas were delicious

Jin L.

Yelp
Ambience was good, but service took way too long. There seems to be many cleaners, but servers were very hard to get hold of. Refill drink is meaningless since we couldnt get servers. Food was okay, but not as unique as it used to be decades ago. Portion size is small for the price.

Vivien Lou C.

Yelp
I come to this location on a regular basis because I know the food will be good and the prices are right. Just be aware the parking nearby can add a bit to your final tab. Still I really like coming to this location. It's never too crowded and the service is always good.

Nic J.

Yelp
Raquel, the server is the best server in the universe and the manager I didn't get their name but they had on a dope chef CPK shirt and they're also super kind. Everyone there is incredibly nice and accommodating and the food no matter what we get is great and great ambience. They don't play music loud which is really nice for people like me with migraines and there's a lot of bangers that they play like the strokes. Thank you!

Leslie K.

Yelp
I can always rely on their pea barley soup. Thankfully that's a mainstay on their menu.

Ahtziry A.

Yelp
The food was great but the service was terrible. When we got there our server took forever to serve us and ended up with another server. We weren't even offered water and when we ask for more coffee our original server gave us attitude saying that she had just cleaned the pot and can't make more coffee which is ridiculous because they close at 10 and it was 9 on a cold windy night. All in all that lady needs to be fired because we were told that she's had multiple complaints from multiple people.

Erik H.

Yelp
Food is still good quality. Cane here for a birthday with cheap kids pasta for the little ones. Food is still good quality for a chain. Always good spinach dip appetizers and such but while front of house service is still quality, the back of house speed of the kitchen was very slow. Kids melted down and we needed to leave before the birthday dessert. Still reasonably busy even without tourism and conference goers, but still amazed that have survived Covid.

John S.

Yelp
Filthy. As if the filth and homeless person camped out inside wasn't bad enough, probably the worst service I've had in recent memory. I thought I was being pranked.

John Z.

Yelp
I was passing this place multiple times. Today I decided to give it a try. To my surprise, they even offer lunch special on Saturday. For $11.99, you get a 7" personal pizza and choice of salad or soup. This is very good deal for a lunch. Highly recommend it. Service is also excellent and deserves at least 20% tips. When you are waiting for pizza, they give you some bread to start. As of January 15, 2022, you need to show your vaccine card to get in.

Mirian P.

Yelp
Fabulous! We looked for gluten free and boy was it good!! Shared two salads and the mango strawberry drink was delicious! Server was great! Clean, well lighted place...

Ryan S.

Yelp
My friend Lucia and I went Friday after work. She had the Korean BBQ steak pizza and loved it. I had the veggie lettuce wraps and a Caesar salad. The wraps they recently brought back and they are so good! My Caesar was wonderful as usual. We split the chocolate souffle cake. Everything was great and Matthew is a great server. He's very nice, quick, funny, and has good things to suggest from the menu. I love now their Buffalo cauliflower as he had recommended that the previous time. We'll be back soon!

Emily T.

Yelp
john i believe was my server today and was great! I had not been to a CPK in a long time and randomly got the craving for it so i decided to come and have some . it was the best decision! my server was so kind and helpful and was very attentive to what my weird request for the meal was! i will definitely be coming back more often!

Linda M.

Yelp
Fantastic, I love their Margarita Pizza with the mushrooms, cheese & basil. The Salad was tasty Service. Was good & on time. Ambiance was good we ordered it for home. Good Vibes There.

Jennifer L.

Yelp
Came for lunch on a Saturday. It was not particularly busy judging by overall capacity of the front of the house. The waitstaff was very friendly but forgot to bring water and bread as promised. The food and drinks were very slow to arrive. The soups and salads were tasty. Overall, I don't think I would seek to visit another CPK, but would go if others insisted.

Miles C.

Yelp
I like the BBQ chicken and Mushroom pizza here. Recommend try them, if you want to visit first time. Service is nice but it seems no enough clerks. Customers are too much.

Tammy J.

Yelp
This was really a great place to eat. We had one a home and it closed. Rachel was our waitress and she was phenomenal. She had such a pleasant attitude. Great job on keeping the customers happy!!!

Dhriti C.

Yelp
Perfect for a late Friday with friends in the pandemic. This was my first in person dining experience at CPK after the pandemic hit. They are open until 10/11 pm and have ample seating. We went closer to around 9:30 pm and so there were only a couple tables filled inside while outdoor seating was empty. I sat with my friends outdoor feeling very safe. The server was sweet and friendly. She answered our questions on the menu to her best knowledge and made an effort to find out the rest of the doubts. The food came in time, the vibe was cozy. Their outdoor seating is covered yet not covered. It is made very covid friendly and at the same time you don't feel like you're sitting on the sidewalk. It's amazing. The food was very good as usual. We got food and drinks. Three of us got the strawberry lime margarita, one got the citrus passion martini, and one got red wine. The martini and wine came in and glasses but also a small jug for refilling. Almost worth 3 refills. Like wow! The margaritas came with no refill. The martini wasn't too strong compared to the margaritas which could be the reason why, I guess. Not sure. We wanted a pitcher but they didn't have a dine-in pitcher apparently. They only did that for to-go orders and costs around $55 if I remember well. For food, we got the Szechwan Chicken Dumplings and Mexican Street corn. The corn came with a little piece of buttered baguette, I guess- yummy. The flavor was also very nice. The dumbing were flavorful, fresh and yum. For main course, we got five cheese fresh tomato pizza, Thai chicken pizza, Kung Pao spaghetti, and chicken Tequila fettuccine. The cheese pizza was yum. The crush was so good and tomato did great justice to the entire cheesiness amalgamation. The spaghetti was very nutty, of course of what we ordered. It was flavorful but I didn't enjoy it that much. My friend loves this one, it's her all time favorite. Not for me. I'm not a big fan of peanuts in general. The Thai pizza was barbequey. Nice choice of ingredients. Great of Thai cuisine fans. The chicken pasta though outdid our expectations. It was full of surprises. Very creamy, great blend of spices and cooked perfectly together. Thoroughly enjoyed. Highly recommend! Overall, the experience was very nice and we would go there again for sure.

shannon m.

Yelp
I humbly submit this review because I've always been a person who has felt that CPK was not the best chain restaurant to go to. In fact, I've always said their pizza is not good. However today after visiting a museum in the city my sister and I stopped by a CPK because we were hungry asf lol. Walking in I didn't have high expectations because again my view of this place is always not been good. However I had the best eating experience there. I didn't get much, but what I got was fantastic. I got the crispy artichoke salad and it was the bomb! The smeared goat cheese at the bottom of the bowl top with the arugula, roasted artichoke, Parmesan cheese and the light drizzle of champagne Vinaigrette ... Wow simply delicious. My sister got a focaccia pizza called The Honey Bee - it had Gorgonzola cheese, Capicola ham, red pepper flakes and drizzled with honey. It was delicious. Add to top it off, I got the sangria flight it was absolutely delicious too. Each drink was equally tasty. And lastly, our waiter was the best. He was personable, attentive and nice. From this experience, I'll definitely be heading back to a CPK soon.

JJ J.

Yelp
Went here for dinner one night during the week -- I was basically the only one there. The service was great and reliable. I really appreciated the server who waited on me. I had the traditional cheese pizza and strawberry lemonade. The prices were high, but going to California Pizza Kitchen is such a treat. The pizzas they sell frozen in the grocery store are nothing compared to what you get at the actual restaurant.

Timmy L.

Yelp
Waited 15 min when the restaurant was near empty on a Thursday night. Then waited 20 minutes to even order our food. And then we waited almost an hour for everything to come out! Pasta was undercooked and the chicken was soooo chewy and overcooked. Salmon entrée was awful. All of the pizza was really good. I recommend sticking with the classics and leaving the rest of the menu alone. Vibe was weird in there idk

Jack P.

Yelp
Excellent food and service for a first timer. The sangria was excellent, and the fresh salad with fruit was amazing. We tried the BBQ pizza, the wild mushroom pizza, and the Margherita pizza. My son had a burger which was cooked to perfection.

Damon K.

Yelp
Great service, good atmosphere, and surprisingly legit food. We have had the avocado club egg rolls, lettuce wraps, and the margarita pizza. All excellent. They also have little sumpin IPA on draft. Our new favorite spot before a movie down the street, at one of the few theaters in this city that doesn't show that damn Nicole Kidman commercial.

T J.

Yelp
The service was a bit slow, but it did seem like the employees were trying very hard - likely an issue with understaffing. Most of the heating patios in the outdoor area were not working, just a heads up if you're planning to sit outside. The food itself was decent, but on the pricey side for what you get. Nothing special, but still a solid meal.

Sue F.

Yelp
Our recent visit to California Pizza Kitchen was punctuated with the good and the meh. First, the restaurant was clean. - REALLY clean - we watched a busser literally scrub a table. There were hand sanitizer stations strategically placed in several high traffic areas. The staff was fully masked. I felt comfortable eating here amid the current Covid surge. Our service was good - attentive, not overbearing. These are both important but we were really visiting for the food and that's where the meh comes in. We shared a wild mushroom pizza. While topped with a good portion of mushrooms, the overall flavor was bland, mainly from the thin layer of so-so sauce and the dry crust (not crispy dry, just dry - some sauce for dipping may have helped). Our dining partners shared an underdressed quinoa salad and equally bland mini-pizzas. The food was totally underwhelming. Looking for good pizza? Try a mom and pop pizzeria, don't settle for the mediocre.

Arman Eli P.

Yelp
Cozy Ambiance, friendly server/staff, good food with reasonable price, clean environment,

Betty P.

Yelp
If your a fan of avocado eggrolls these are better than BJ's. I got full off the eggrolls and bread and olive oil and didn't even eat the pizza. I didn't even get a picture! I do know the pizza was good at 3am when we came back to the hotel room. Nice place and very convenient across the street from the Park hotel

Lily S.

Yelp
I remember CPK being good though it's very disappointing Got the The Work 1/5, spinach dip 1/5, pasta with meat sauce 2/5, Waldorf chicken 5/5.

Daniel S.

Yelp
I've been hesitating to write this as friends really like this place. I'll start with the positives. The food is pretty good. Our server was very nice. The place is clean. Ok, now I'll get to my real thoughts. With so many unique and amazing places in San Francisco, why go to a chain that's merely a step above Olive Garden. We were a fairly large group, yet only one server attended us. Unfortunately she had to rush back and forth and wear herself out. They needed more staff. Besides our group there were few other diners there, yet food was served sporadically and with little organization. It took a very long time to get our checks. This place is not someplace I would go back to willingly, but if you prefer suburban chain restaurants, this may be fine for you.

Jenny N.

Yelp
We spontaneously decided to come here for dinner and we're glad we did. Raquel was our server and she was assertive and sweet. I was looking at the menu and got to the last page where the lunch special was. She was behind the register finishing up another table's order when she saw me looking at the lunch special. Then she came over to our table and quickly told us to place an order ASAP if we wanted the special because we only had 3 mins left until 4pm. For $12/person to try 2 small entrees, it's a fantastic deal! It's nice that we didn't have a lot of options so my fiancé and I were able to pick our meals based on first glance. After a few minutes, she came back with some bread and olive oil. The mushroom sausage pizza was a good portion as well as the bowl of mushroom soup. The spaghetti was okay, noodles were a bit hard and sauce was too salty. The spinach quinoa salad was super good - lots of pecan and green apples on top. We were pretty satisfied with the meal! We made sure to tip well because Raquel was a wonderful server... we love that she came by to check on us while refilling our water multiple times.

Katrina B.

Yelp
Well....it's California Pizza kitchen. Typically I'm reluctant to review restaurant chains but felt moved to rate this location. We sat at the bar and received great service from the bartender while having great interaction with the chefs. We had dinner reservations so we simply snacked otherwise I will say the chicken Tequila Pasta (not pictured) is my go to. The Sangria flight was pleasantly good

Kelly S.

Yelp
Oh yeahhhhhh!!! Throw back to last summer as we traveled Anaheim! Anyways, we ordered quite a few plates for our party of 8. Our waiter, an older male men (maybe in his 50s?) with glasses, was so friendly and helped us out right away! I ordered : - Waldorf Chicken Salad : Half sized, no cheese. The apples, grapes, and candied pecans really help hit the spot as the chicken was savory. Although it took a little longer for each dish to come out, as we die of hunger, it made it to us and we were definitely satisfied!

Olive R.

Yelp
If this place is called California Pizza Kitchen, I was expecting great pizza. or even something with good ingredients, The mushrooms they used were paper thin. I though it was a joke (they looked fake) The pizzas are very small (made for 1) and they are extremely expensive for the size. The avocado rolls were sub par and it seemed to be the highlight of the meal. The pizzas were extremely oily. Disappointed. There are plenty of local pizza places that have better quality for the proportions and price.

Alissa H.

Yelp
I always love CPK for yummy quick meals!! It's always delicious but I think some things on their menu should only be eaten when dining in lol for takeout we got... - Avocado club spring rolls: these are ALWAYS my favorite to eat in the restarting because they're so crispy and the chicken and avocado with cheese just pairs perfectly omg. But takeout is different lol if you don't get them right away they kind of turn soggy and oily. I still love it tho lol but if you airfry them or put them in the toaster for a bit it's back to almost normal haha - king pao spaghetti: I don't know why but I always cravvvvee this when I think about CPK! I got shrimp with it this time and it's delicious! Also not spicy at all - the original bbq chicken pizza: I mean you really can't go wrong with this! It's great! But does anyone else feel like their pizzas got smaller? Ahhahah - California Cobb: omg my favorite salad!!! I love the chicken bacon and bleu cheese that comes with it! Soooo good. Probably not too healthy but... still delicious. I also love the Thai chicken pizza!!! If you haven't tried it before I recommend it! At least once!!

Denise B.

Yelp
Great food, decent service. All of our food was amazing and we had some good drinks, as well. We ordered the Chicken Picatta, Bbq Chicken Pizza, Hawaiian Pizza, and Pasta with Marinara sauce and Chicken. We also ordered the White Bean Guacamole, which was delicious, very oniony. For drinks, we ordered a mojito, as Sangria flight, and a "mocktail" Strawberry Mango Cooler. Everything we ate and drank was amazing! The service was pretty slow. There were two tables seated and eating when we arrived and one came in after us, so not busy. Our waiter was fine, but not super friendly. He did the basic job and got all the orders correct. If the service was quicker and friendlier, I would've given 5 stars. That being said, we will likely go back when we're in the area.

Kurt G.

Yelp
So many wonderful other Pizza kitchens that serve a lovely slice of pizza with tasteful toppings. So sorry that you have just become the Bland of the fast food chains.

Rick T.

Yelp
The good reviews are most likely been written by family members and their friends... This place is a hole in the wall, food was cold and not tasty, not what I expected...will never go there again.. the service was very poor... a one star might even be to much. .

Angela L.

Yelp
Conveniently located near Westfield and union square. Would be a great lunch spot for a shopping weekend. We came here on a Saturday after getting tired of the Westfield food court. Price 3/5 The food was pretty good but just a little bit overpriced compared to other pizza and pasta places. The menu also indicates the calories of each dish lol. I understand the health consciousness trend in California but I don't think it's wise to do that for pizzas and pastas lol. Shrimp scampi pizza 4/5 Mark got the shrimp scampi pizza and he said it was okay. Shrimp scampi zucchini pasta 4/5 The healthy version of a pasta because it was made of zucchini noodles. It tastes pretty good but the portion is pretty small and I wasn't full after finishing it.

Stephanie C.

Yelp
My partner and I came because we had some coupons that were expiring. We ordered white corn guac + chips, two personal size original bbq chicken pizza, and one Belgian chocolate soufflé cake. The food was as I remembered it and nostalgic. However, I was disappointed with lack of cleanliness of our table and slow (but friendly) service. Hope to see this store at least improve the cleaning procedures before visiting again.

Zak F.

Yelp
Shoutout to John our waiter, he was so nice to us and the food was super good I recommend this place it's super fancy but super affordable.

Linda G.

Yelp
The lunch duo price was great, but the baker needs to be replaced or re-trained and the waiter needs to be more attentive. Three of us ordered three 7" pizza duos and we swapped with each other, so we had three kinds of pizza each. The BBQ Chicken pizza crust was so firm that it was hard to break it with your teeth (over baked crust). The wild mushroom pizza had also a firm curst that the crust tasted like a tough cardboard. Only the margarita pizza had an enjoyable fluffy and chewy crust. There was no other customers during lunch time. So the baker should have all the time to tend to those three orders. We didn't get the complimentary bread dish as the other reviewer mentioned. We did receive not just one but two complimentary bread trays from the Emeryville CPK. With many CPK around the Bay Area, I won't be back for this SF location.

Donna M.

Yelp
No wonder this has 3.5 stars. Save yourself some time and skip this place. We ordered over the phone for the food to be ready when we get there and when we got there we still waited for 20minutes. They also messed up our orders. We did not ask for bigger size soup and they charged us for it but they gave the small ones. ALSO, the sandwich and pizza doesn't have the right amount of ingredients One slice of meat with the sandwich and it is dry..

Jessica P.

Yelp
Nice clean restaurant. The Ban Mi bowl was quite big for one person and very filling. Everything in it was fresh and chicken was well grilled. The Chocolate souffle was okay and overtly sweet but a good location to stop by. All cooks weren't wearing gloves in the kitchen so not sure what there policy around this is? Overall, friendly and hard working staff.