Looking for California Pizza Kitchen vegetarian options? You’ve got more to work with here than at almost any other casual chain. Start with the California Veggie pizza, the Roasted Veggie salad, the white corn guacamole, or a build-your-own pizza loaded with vegetables. CPK built its name on creative pizzas, and a lot of them skip the meat. This guide walks through what’s safe to order, what to skip, and where to ask a question before you do. We’re the folks who keep asking, what about the vegetarians, so here’s the honest rundown.
A Quick Look at California Pizza Kitchen
Two lawyers started California Pizza Kitchen. Larry Flax and Rick Rosenfield opened the first location in Beverly Hills in 1985, betting that gourmet, California-style pizza could go mainstream. The BBQ Chicken Pizza became their calling card, but the menu grew into salads, pastas, soups, and small plates built around fresh produce. That produce-forward style is why vegetarians do well here.
The brand has changed hands several times. PepsiCo bought a majority stake in 1992, the founders and an investment firm bought it back in 1997, and Golden Gate Capital took it private in 2011. CPK filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July 2020 during the pandemic and emerged that November. In November 2025 a group led by Consortium Brand Partners and Eldridge Industries acquired the chain. Through all of it, the restaurants kept running. CPK had about 184 US locations across 32 states as of 2023, with roughly $450 million in system-wide sales that year (Technomic, reported by Restaurant Business), plus franchised locations abroad.
California Pizza Kitchen Vegetarian Options: What to Order
Here’s the short version. The California Veggie pizza is the standout, the build-your-own pizza lets you go fully vegan, and the salads and small plates give you real meals beyond pizza. The table below sorts the popular items into vegetarian and vegan. We’ve stayed conservative: anything that depends on a substitution or an unconfirmed ingredient gets a check mark so you ask. Menus also vary by location, so confirm with your server.
| Menu Item | Vegetarian | Vegan |
|---|---|---|
| California Veggie Pizza (broccolini, eggplant, mushrooms, sun-dried tomato, corn, red onion) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Order without cheese |
| Traditional Cheese Pizza | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella + Basil (Margherita-style) Pizza | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Wild Mushroom Pizza | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Build Your Own Pizza (vegetables, no cheese or meat) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes (Original or Crispy Thin crust) |
| Cauliflower / Gluten-Free Crust | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (egg and cheese in the crust) |
| Roasted Veggie Salad | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Without cheese and a dairy-free dressing |
| The Mediterranean Salad | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Without feta |
| Italian Chopped Salad (no meat) | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (cheese) |
| Thai Crunch Salad (no chicken) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check (fried wontons, dressing) |
| White Corn Guacamole + Chips | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Spinach Artichoke Dip | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Lettuce Wraps (Chinese vegetables only) | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Check |
| Tomato Basil Spaghetti | ✅ Yes | ⚠️ Without cheese |
| Garlic Cream Fettuccine | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (cream) |
| Mac ‘N’ Cheese | ✅ Yes | ❌ No (dairy) |
| Dakota Smashed Pea + Barley Soup | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Caesar Salad | ❌ No (anchovy in dressing) | ❌ No |
Vegetarian Pizzas at California Pizza Kitchen
Pizza is the reason to come, and the meatless lineup is strong. The California Veggie is the one to beat. It piles broccolini, eggplant, cremini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted corn, and red onion on the crust, so it eats like a vegetable garden with a crispy base. Want it vegan? Order it without cheese and it holds up fine.
The Wild Mushroom pizza leans earthy, with cremini, shiitake, and scallions over olive oil and garlic. The Fresh Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil pizza is the Margherita play, simple and clean. And the Traditional Cheese is the kid-pleaser. If none of those fit, build your own. Pick the Original Hand-Tossed or Crispy Thin crust, choose Pizza Marinara, Spicy Marinara, or the Vegetarian Black Bean sauce, and pile on the vegetables. Skip the cheese and meat and you’ve got a vegan pizza. One catch: the cauliflower and gluten-free crusts contain egg and cheese, so they’re vegetarian but not vegan.
Salads, Soups, and Small Plates
You don’t have to eat pizza to eat well here. The Roasted Veggie salad is a full meal of artichoke hearts, asparagus, eggplant, peppers, corn, and sun-dried tomatoes. The Mediterranean salad works once you ask to hold any meat, and it goes vegan without the feta. The Italian Chopped and the Thai Crunch both started as meat salads, so order them without the chicken or salami and you’re set. The Thai Crunch keeps its peanut-dressing punch.
For starters, the White Corn Guacamole with chips is vegan and shareable. The Spinach Artichoke Dip is vegetarian but loaded with dairy. The Lettuce Wraps go meatless if you ask for Chinese vegetables only. On the soup side, the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley is vegan and filling. Skip the Caesar salad, though. Like most Caesar dressings, CPK’s contains anchovy, so it isn’t vegetarian.
Pasta and Power Bowls
The pasta section gives vegetarians three solid plates. The Tomato Basil Spaghetti is the lightest, and you can take it vegan by skipping the cheese. The Garlic Cream Fettuccine is the rich one, built on cream, so it stays vegetarian only. The Mac ‘N’ Cheese is comfort food and an easy win for kids. Power Bowls round it out: the Banh Mi and Santa Fe both go vegetarian once you drop the chicken, and the Banh Mi can go vegan without the vinaigrette.
What’s Vegan at California Pizza Kitchen?
Vegans have a real shot here, mostly through the build-your-own pizza. The Original Hand-Tossed and Crispy Thin crusts are made without milk, though CPK notes cross-contact with milk on the line. Load a crust with the marinara or black bean sauce and vegetables, hold the cheese, and you’ve got a vegan pizza. Beyond that, the White Corn Guacamole, the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley soup, and the Roasted Veggie salad with a dairy-free vinaigrette all work. Some locations carry plant-based proteins, so ask whether yours has a vegan chicken or pepperoni. One honest note: CPK doesn’t have a vegan dessert, so save room elsewhere.
Special Dietary Requirements and Allergies
A few things to confirm before you order. The pizza crusts are made without milk, but CPK flags cross-contact with milk, so a strict dairy allergy is worth a conversation. The cauliflower and gluten-free crusts contain egg and cheese, which surprises people expecting them to be the “free-from” option. Salad dressings split too: most vinaigrettes are dairy-free, but the Mustard Herb Vinaigrette contains dairy, and the Caesar contains anchovy.
Cheese is the other gray area. CPK hasn’t published the rennet source for every cheese, so strict vegetarians who avoid animal rennet should ask or stick to the no-cheese builds. Menus and ingredients vary by location, and CPK says item availability changes from state to state. When in doubt, ask your server to check the allergen guide, which the kitchen keeps on hand.
Tips for Vegetarians at California Pizza Kitchen
- Lead with the California Veggie pizza. It’s the most complete vegetarian order on the menu, and it goes vegan without cheese.
- Build your own pizza when you want control. Original or Crispy Thin crust, marinara or black bean sauce, all the vegetables, no cheese for vegan.
- Order salads “without the chicken” or “without the salami.” The Italian Chopped, Thai Crunch, and Mediterranean all started as meat salads.
- Skip the Caesar. The dressing has anchovy, so it isn’t vegetarian.
- Ask about the cheese rennet if you’re strict, or choose a no-cheese build to stay safe.
- Check your location’s menu. CPK rotates items and availability shifts by state.
Conclusion
California Pizza Kitchen vegetarian options are some of the best in casual dining. The California Veggie pizza, a build-your-own pie, the Roasted Veggie salad, and the White Corn Guacamole give you a full meal without much negotiation. Watch the cheese rennet, skip the anchovy Caesar, and remember the cauliflower crust isn’t vegan. For more on eating out without the meat, see our guide to eating vegetarian and vegan at restaurants and browse every restaurant guide we’ve published. If you like CPK, you’ll also want our picks for Blaze Pizza, MOD Pizza, and The Cheesecake Factory.
