Bad Night at CPK (Greenbelt 5)

This was supposed to be a food post about an old favorite, California Pizza Kitchen (CPK). Food, however, will have to take a back seat as I express my disappointment with the unusually crappy service my group experienced.

Aside from the food, a reason why I continue to patronize CPK is because of the good service I receive whenever I dine at their Glorietta 3 branch. Servers are always accommodating and attentive which certainly adds to the overall dining experience.

It’s a different story in their Greenbelt 5 branch however as service, I experienced firsthand, is below standards. It was a Saturday night so the place was brimming with people. Upon inquiry, we learned that they only had separate tables available to accommodate our group of 7. We noticed though that the maitre d could have easily fixed the problem if she had the initiative to ask the diners of one table to move since they just arrived and were dividing the two free tables. The maitre d was probably no longer interested in welcoming more guests as we had to personally talk and request for them to transfer. They were kind enough to agree.

After what I felt was a long time to make the necessary table arrangements, we were finally seated. I immediately requested for a glass of water since I was parched. We had finished ordering but there was still no sign of my water. In fact, I had to follow up my request two more times before it arrived. The refill of water also didn’t come automatically as per usual experience. I had to call a server’s attention every time my glass became empty.

Our food, to their credit came at an acceptable time. For those interested, here’s the spread that night:

The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped (585php), Garlic Cream Fettuccine(365php), Marinara Linguini Chicken (545php), Cheeseburger Pizza (445php)

After finishing dinner, we requested for our bill but had to wait a good 10 minutes before it was given to us. It didn’t escape my notice that we were the last patrons of CPK at this point so there was no excuse for the long wait. Talk about servers no longer caring. I understand that they were probably tired from the long night, but making us wait for the bill was simply ridiculous.

It’s important to note however, that this unpleasant experience at the Greenbelt 5 branch won’t prevent me from returning to California Pizza Kitchen. I just now know better and would avoid dining at their Greenbelt 5 branch at all costs. Consider yourself warned.

California Pizza Kitchen is located at Level 2 Unit 77 & 78 Greenbelt 5, Makati City. For more information and other locations, pls. visit cpk.com.ph.