California Pizza Kitchen at Carmel Mtn — Restaurant in San Diego

We recently visited California Pizza Kitchen at the Carmel Mountain location, and my experience was, well, mixed. There were some definite positives, but also some negatives that ultimately left us feeling underwhelmed.

Food: The food was average at best. The salmon I ordered was a major disappointment – it was chewy and lacked freshness. Thankfully, the cauliflower bites were a saving grace – they were well-prepared and flavorful. However, a minor hiccup with my toppings request (avocado and pineapple) left me feeling like the kitchen wasn't paying close enough attention to detail. The toppings were haphazardly thrown on, not finely chopped as they are supposed to be on a pizza. after all, Pizza is in their name!

Service & Cleanliness: The service was definitely lacking. The staff seemed unenthusiastic and there were noticeable delays in cleaning tables, even though several were visibly unoccupied. This led to an unnecessary wait time to be seated, which was frustrating. My interaction with the hostess was also disappointing. Despite specifically requesting a booth, she seated us in a less desirable location near the back of the restaurant, right next to the kitchen.

Ambiance & Comfort: The ambiance was pretty much ruined by the noise level and proximity to the kitchen. The employees were loud, with one of them shouting names to bid goodnight, which completely disrupted the dining atmosphere. It felt more like a bustling fish market than a relaxing restaurant. To top it all off, the area we were seated in had a strong unpleasant odor, presumably from the dishwashing area. This was particularly bothersome considering it was early in the evening and we had specifically requested to be seated elsewhere.

Overall Impression: Our visit to California Pizza Kitchen was a bit of a let-down. The food was average, the service was subpar, and the ambiance was noisy and unpleasant. Unfortunately, these factors have led me to decide that we won't be returning to this...

I am absolutely sadden & verry mad... I have never been so frustrated about a eatery until now! My daughter, husband, & myself went to the Carmel Mountain California Pizza Kitchen to eat dinner. I put my name down and they said it will be 10 to 15minuets, we said no problem. At this very time we started noticeing people who came in after us started being taken to a table, these people said they didn't have a reservations as I asked each of the families that went before us even though we where waiting and we where or should of been taking back... a family that came on several minutes after us noticed too! I asked the hostess and they said oh well, you only have 3 people & the other customers had 4 people in their party & up! The hostess said we are waiting for a smaller table since we only have 3 in our party!!! WTH?!!??? REALLY?!? And to add salt into the wound said, oh well you only have 3 so that's that & feel free to eat somewhere else... I was so shocked, so speechless.. never have I ever been treated like this before especially in front of my daughter & family! This is not okay California Pizza Kitchen! You don't have 4 families with more then 4 people in each group or party going ahead of us after we have been waiting & waiting all the while, 4 other parties walk right in & literally only wait for 5 minutes then they are sitting at the table. While my daughter, hubby, and I still waited!

If you have just mom, dad, & 1 child beware of the wait times for parties of 3 or less! Don't feel the frustrations my family & I have gone...

Going here was at best an okay experience. I showed up early to put my name down for a table for 6 and let the young girl know that my son was parking the car with his family but when I let the girl know upon my entering she said okay let me get a table ready and walked away. No problem, except she never took my name and when she returned she sat three other parties. Okay, again, no problem, my son and family were not standing beside me. Moments later, the family entered, and we were seated. Our waiter was quick to approach our table to take our drink order. Upon his return, he started to set drinks down and spilled mine on the table, bread plate, and splashed part of me and my clothes. The meal came and it was good. A fresh crisp salad and pepperoni pizza which was nice and hot but VERY greasey and had to be blotted. I only ate 3 bites. Then the bill came. My son paid with his credit card. Upon the return to sign, there were two bills inside. One for $50+ and one for $80+ after letting our waiter know he was apologetic and went to correct the error. It's a good thing my son checked the paperwork. I will say that the waiter was pleasant, kind, and took responsibility for his errors. This is really the only reason I would score a 3 for this review. I would not make this a first option in this area. There are other choices I would check out before giving them...