California Pizza Kitchen

Cheap great food. And their staff is well trained. There is actually no combination that beats that! more

I come to CPK with my friends when we hit Del Monte Center for an afternoon of shopping or before catching a movie at the new movie theater. The interior is large and generally very clean; you can also eat out on the patio if you like, which is fine for most lunches because of the heaters they've installed out there, but I'd ask to sit inside in the evenings. The staff is friendly and courteous. The food is really delicious. I've heard some griping from others about the price, but I've never had a meal be all that expensive here. Go with a friend, order a salad or a bowl of soup (I highly recommend the tortilla soup...yum!), and then split a gourmet pizza. Don't bother with dessert, as you won't have room. Trust me, if a bunch of college students can make it out for under $20, so can you! more

I've been to a CPK before in San Francisco, but I don't recall it being as nice as the one in Monterey. Here, there is a large and friendly waitstaff (so large, in fact, where they ask how things are going a little too often), clean and professional decor, and overall a lovely location. But -- given the name of the restaurant, you'd expect a place a little more casual and inexpensive. Alas, a lunch for two (with two appitzers and two pizzas) came out to $42. The food was good, so it was worth it, but know that the price is in that range, not the $25 for two range, which is what I anticipated. more