CAVA

Mediterranean restaurant · Ballenger Creek

CAVA

Mediterranean restaurant · Ballenger Creek

1

5615 Spectrum Dr, Frederick, MD 21703

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Highlights

Cava offers a fresh take on Mediterranean fare with customizable bowls, pitas, and salads, all served in a vibrant, friendly atmosphere.  

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5615 Spectrum Dr, Frederick, MD 21703 Get directions

cava.com
@cava

$10–20 · Menu

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5615 Spectrum Dr, Frederick, MD 21703 Get directions

+1 240 312 3830
cava.com
@cava
𝕏
@cava

$10–20 · Menu

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outdoor seating

Last updated

Jul 10, 2025

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@eater

"Cava is modernizing the drive-thru. The homegrown fast-casual chain is rolling out a pick-up window at its new Frederick, Maryland, location that takes orders from an app that lets diners schedule a time to pull up for Mediterranean bowls." - Tierney Plumb

Cava Is Testing a Drive-Thru With an Order-Ahead App at Its New Store in Frederick - Eater DC
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Joseph Ghee

Google
This was my first time here, and a friend recommended I give it a try. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by Kelsy, who was incredibly nice, friendly, and pleasant. She helped me choose my order and made the experience even better. I went with the Spicy Chicken + Avocado Bowl and paired it with a Blueberry Lavender drink. Both were absolutely amazing! The food was bursting with flavor, and I could taste the freshness in every bite. The drink was so refreshing and perfectly complemented the meal. Highly recommend this place for the great food, wonderful service, and welcoming atmosphere!

Bishop Kē

Google
The only reason it's not 5 Stars is simply because I didn't see any authentic Greeks making the dishes. That is all. Awesome food and people as well. You can smell the spices as soon as you step into the building.

Dana Idahosa

Google
I posted a review yesterday, but didn’t include a picture. This one is a bowl with the braised lamb. It’s awesome! Also, I have to mention Isaiah, who is another one of my favorite people there! So lovely to have a quick chat with and always greeting me with a smile! Great job Cava! My family and I love you!

AnaM J

Google
This restaurant is the best in town! The food is absolutely amazing, and the service is top-notch. Antonio provides the best customer service we’ve ever had—he’s incredible! I highly recommend this place. Every time I come in, I’m thankful for the outstanding service and delicious food. Especially Toño—staff.. thank you so much!!🙏👌

Ed Vigezzi

Google
This is the first CAVA I have gone to that is not their full service restaurant (i.e., Olney and Rockville). Very good food and service. We stopped by here to grab a take out order. I had the Sweet & Spicy Chicken Pita, and we also had the Build Your Own Greens and Grains Bowl. The food was delicious and tasty. The Pita Wrap was huge and I finally ended up eating with a fork and knife! Lots of chicken, and other toppings. My wife enjoyed her salad, and said it had lots of flavors. Overall, excellent food. We were taking this to go and everything was wrapped tightly and no spillage or leakage. Service was outstanding. Similar to many of these type of quick service restaurants, you tell the server what you want on your order and they create it in front of you. Friendly and quick service. Plenty of signage to help you out and explain the various options to you. The restaurant has seating on two levels and outdoor seating when it is warmer and not raining. Plenty of parking. Overall I am happy that we tried it, and we will be going back again soon.

Lindsey Roddy

Google
Getting in from a flight I was craving something healthy, and a local recommended Cava. Wow! Best healthy bowl I have had. Mediterranean with healthy veggies and so much flexibility and many choices for how to make your bowl or pita. I highly recommend, and wish we had one of these back home.

Derrick Willams

Google
it took me like 2 minutes in and out fr. overall had a great time it was very pleased with the portion size they gave me Derrick was the guy that made my food and he informed me on the correct terms of the hummus and the dressing I usually go with, but I never remember the name. special shout out to Antonio the manager the work environment there seems genuinely happy and productive 11 out of 10 I will definitely go back again

Laura Jones

Google
This was my first time visiting this Cava location. At first the restaurant seemed too busy and crowded but once I was in line, everything moved smoothly. I ordered the Chef curated Greek salad as a greens and grains bowl and the apricot honey cookie. I really enjoyed this bowl! I am not a huge feta fan so when I return again, I will get the bowl without feta. It was filling and all the flavors really complimented each other. I had it with a pita on the side which was soft and tasted great as well. The apricot honey cookie was also delicious! I ate inside the location on the 2nd floor and the area was very clean and it made my dining experience great. My only issue is that it can get a bit loud based on the amount of people there but that's no surprise! With food this good, of course there would be a crowd!

Sylvia B.

Yelp
I've been here like 5 times I loved this salads! So delicious their chicken wraps are amazing! Definitely recommend this place.

Mils S.

Yelp
The staff is a little off, they have very limited seating. The food was good though, I loved the unique drinks they had. Seemed kind of pricey, but it's nice to have something different as far as fast food.

Robin C.

Yelp
I'm going to start with the flavor are good and I love the salad. However, The portion are always inconsistent with the amount of money we pay for a salad. Top that with not always having the items you ordered extra in the bowel or bag. :(

Laura J.

Yelp
This was my first time visiting this Cava location. At first the restaurant seemed too busy and crowded but once I was in line, everything moved smoothly. I ordered the Chef curated Greek salad as a greens and grains bowl and the apricot honey cookie. I really enjoyed this bowl! I am not a huge feta fan so when I return again, I will get the bowl without feta. It was filling and all the flavors really complimented each other. I had it with a pita on the side which was soft and tasted great as well. The apricot honey cookie was also delicious! I ate inside the location on the 2nd floor and the area was very clean and it made my dining experience great. My only issue is that it can get a bit loud based on the amount of people there but that's no surprise! With food this good, of course there would be a crowd!

John B.

Yelp
I was teetering between a 2 and a 3. The falafel was not much of a falafel. Doughy and no crisp. The desserts are small. The cookie tasted fine but I wouldn't look forward to it in the future. Lots of places have great chocolate chip cookies. The place should have been cleaner. Not disgusting but definitely messy upstairs. Other than the falafel, the bowl was very tasty. When I go back to the area, I'll likely eat at other places.

Kim D.

Yelp
The food was so fresh and good the workers always friendly and kind overall one of my favorite restaurants.

Erin S.

Yelp
My 4 and 8 year old love the food. They say it is tasty and amazing and they like the feta and the flavors. I appreciate that almost everything, aside from the pita, is gluten free. Service is quick as well.

Nicole N.

Yelp
My husband was picking up dinner the other night after a long day at work. The people in front of him were a little difficult and holding up the line. We want to highlight that Ethan had such a great attitude when it was my husband's turn. Ethan didnt let the previous unpleasant customers have an effect on the next customer. We appreciate the great customer service !

Tara D.

Yelp
Not enough seating to eat indoors as this is quite a popular place to eat. Sitting outside was not enjoyable.

Vladimir T.

Yelp
The food was great, the appariance of the food in the line was great, the crew member that assembled my order was friendly and make me feel value as customer, the store looks clean which made my experience even better. When I was enjoying my food A young Manager came to my table to asked me about the food, I highly recommend this location.

Benward F.

Yelp
Great, healthy food not bad prices either. Tea was empty but that is good because I hate tea. Also the workers were nice.

Woody O.

Yelp
A bit noisy and very pricy but the food is dyn o mite, healthy, fresh, just outstanding

Bambi S.

Yelp
I love Cava because it has so many healthy and fulfilling food and drink options. The restaurant is clean, the service is quick, and the staff is friendly. Additionally, there is an option for delivery. Will definitely be back.

Brooke S.

Yelp
Cava is a great fast-casual option in Frederick. The food is always fresh and delicious. The drink options are not traditional Coke/Pepsi. They feature quite a few different flavors of lemonade. The service is pretty quick even when there is a long line. They also feature a way to order on the app and pickup in the drive through. Sometimes the drive through line can get quite long. The design of the building itself is not very handicap accessible. The seating is upstairs, and there is a wheelchair lift, but this doesn't do much for people on crutches.

R F.

Yelp
Food was tasty. I will return. Every upstairs table was nasty dirty. They need to spend a bit more focus on customer eating area cleanliness.

Natalie F.

Yelp
My wife and I came here for our 4 month anniversary. The food was good, and the price was reasonable, I suppose. Pita chips were very yummy. The ambiance was great - good layout, clean environment. On the contrary, the service...not so good. Little boy serving me had a hickey the approximate size of a dodgeball on his neck. Not only is he a freak, but he also was very distracted by his lady coworkers. I have my suspicions about where that hickey came from. All in all, I would recommend if you have better patience than a menopausal woman. God bless.

Kamaria N.

Yelp
I've had Cava 3x this week & I just love it. I make my own bowl & I just feel better after I eat there. Not heavy like chipotle makes me feel. And they're pita chips are warm & crunchy ! Love them. Once all the cava's get with the oat milk milkshakes then it'll really be over for my pockets

Nalla R.

Yelp
This place is different. If you are into Mediterranean food than this is the place for you. It's the same concept as Chipotle but for Americanized Mediterranean food. They have really good juices especially the blueberry one. The food wasn't bad but I'm not a fan of Mediterranean food therefore I'm subjective but it really is a good place for lunch, so I would definitely recommend. The services was good and the staff was super nice.

Kristen L.

Yelp
Want to give 5 because it is delicious HOWEVER... they have joined the ranks of sneaky now. Kept prices the same but cut portion by 30 -40%. It is obvious. $14 & $15 per meal was doable when there was always leftovers now its not. Not only will I miss Cava as a regular but this will sour my experience going forward. Ever since they went public... the game has changed.

Ryan H.

Yelp
Today was a miss for me. I frequent Cava often but today, lunch was below sub par. I ordered online and felt I should have went inside. Maybe the food would have been fresh. My meal gave me the vibe it was sitting out well before I picked it up when I actually ordered it in the parking lot. The greens felt wilted and just weren't giving me that fresh crunch. The rice was very skimp. I could have used another spoonful. I love falafel but this falafel was so dry, I needed a knife to cut it. It was the consistency of playdough. Like what the hell. I was excited for lunch today and now I'm just blown at disappointment. I won't return to this location.

Elizabeth D.

Yelp
Only writing this review because my head hurts now... my head hurts because the rice they had put in my to go order was hard as a rock! I thought it was only a few grains of rice but it was almost half of the bowl that was dry and kept getting caught in the bites I was taking. Not like a good crunchy taste it was more like a stale rock hard almost like it was uncooked. Painful experience to my teeth and now my head :( they need to change out the rice more often because it shouldn't be that dry

G Y.

Yelp
Cava is the best option in Frederick for a healthy lunch. Service is usually quick and there are lots of choices that are made with fresh and healthy ingredients. The food is Americanized Mediterranean so if you're looking for an authentic Mediterranean/middle eastern restaurant this is not the place for it, but if you're looking for a lite bite that won't leave you feeling heavy this place is it. Prices are a bit high but you are paying for quality

Hursuong V.

Yelp
I love the Chipotle concept and I love it even more when it's combined with yummy, healthy Mediterranean food! There was great variety in the ingredients which all were super tasty and fresh. Appreciated that you can add as many toppings as you want and that one piece of pita comes with it for no additional cost. Good pricing too -- for about $10 you can get a filling, delicious bowl. Additional bonus points for a super nice and clean facility with lots of sunlight -- very large too with both indoor and outdoor seating for adequate distancing. Ample parking.

Brittany P.

Yelp
Cava is like Chipotle's cool aunt. If I've got a choice, I'm always going to her house. It's the same style set up, assembly line fashion where you can pick everything you want (and don't want) in your meal. Their Mediterranean inspired food is amazing, I have yet to try something I didn't like. To make it even better, the Frederick location has a pick up drive thru window! Satisfying food that's not fried in some way and I don't even have to exit my car? Sign me up. Arguably the best part of Cava is that is it always exactly the same. I'm a picky eater and this makes them one of my favorite places to eat. I've never had a better/worse order, they are consistent and that is so hard to find in any restaurant. 10/10 Cava, loyal customer for life!

Jeff F.

Yelp
I did not realize paying more money for the lamb meatballs meant that the food would be less eatable. Horrible, try a quality check.

Larry S.

Yelp
Waited a bit to allow the crowds to die down and the restaurant to get its legs under themselves before I went in. This restaurant is a local fave in D.C. and surrounding areas in the DMV. Well we (4) tried it and based on this visit most likely will not return. The fact is the location, facility and overall appearance is worthy of a 3-4. However where they fell short was on the service end. The line team assembling the food was, well not very customer centric. It was busy yes, but still no reason to be short with the customer in front of you. Each station associate visited got worse until the end and that was "Your total is $$" no hello, thank you, welcome, can I get you anything else? Nothing, Nada, zip, zilch. The line was rushing us (4) and to decide from the choices and ask questions (some of us had never been here before) and get looks of "Oh no you didn't just ask me a question!" Was very rude and discouraging. Sorry don't think the 4 of us will return.

Jen Y.

Yelp
Had been waiting a lifetime for this super amazing spot to come to Frederick, finally it's finished. I went on opening day two Saturday!!! ( previously been to the sterling, & kentland locations). Building structure is super cute on the outside seating area, inside, balcony top seating and get this omg apparently a drive thru!!!!! Plenty of parking Yummy healthy eats , grain bowls, salads, falafel, veggies, hummus a few different kinds, and speciality drinks mmmm mmmm go check it out!!! Quality of food perfection Staff new but learning and friendly Price fair Mmmmo

Brian C.

Yelp
Updating my review. The food here is always 5 stars for freshness, flavor and selection. At 3:30 many of the the food containers were low. The initial employee that started the process did not smile, was very robotic, did not say much. The remaining process was much better: smiles, communication, appreciation. Some of the tables as well as the self serve area needed attention. Most of the tea and juice were low.

Tim S.

Yelp
The food was well made and super fresh. The staff was thoughtful and attentive, and the management was knowledgeable and helpful to my dietary concerns. I can't wait until my next meal there!

Irvin G.

Yelp
Went here for the first time in a while and forgot how great the food is. I got a bowl with the harissa chicken and vinaigrette dressing and it was SO amazing I forgot to take a picture!! The service was amazing as well, I think the GM helped me out but I can't be sure. He was very friendly and helpful! Will return very soon!

Tj F.

Yelp
2 for effort but pretty sure this cava doesn't belong in Frederick. Bfirst had cava in va.... best meal on e planet. Been trying to recreate it here in Frederick and they just give me nothing but disrespect. See for yourself.

Corey D.

Yelp
The first time my husband and I got food from this Cava (we have been to the one in Gaithersburg many times without issue) we waited at the drive through window for 45 minutes, even though we arrived right at our pick up time. It was so bad that the line of cars waiting behind us wrapped around the building and out into the road. Then they forgot our pita chips. I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because it was the beginning of lockdowns and we figured they were just figuring things out. Then we tried again tonight. The food was ready when I arrived this time. But again, they forgot the pita chips. Thankfully I caught that before leaving. Unfortunately, I didn't catch that they left the falafel off my salad and my husband's wrap. They also left off the tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, hummus, and pita. It's frustrating to pay so much for something and have it messed up. The food is pretty good for a chain restaurant. And the convenience of ordering online and driving up is great (when they don't take 45mins.) But we won't be going back.

Janet H.

Yelp
The Rockville and Shady Grove location are way better. This one is disappointing. My husband picked up the order and when we got home we realized it was missing 3 of the pita chips. The woman that answered the phone insinuated that I was lying. The Manager said are you sure like I'm stupid. I said check your surveillance if you don't believe me. The manager told me to email Cava@hello.com as he cant do so on his end. This has happened several times before without me reaching out, but its not fair for us to pay for items we don't get. Not only are they stealing my money and calling me a liar, the food has gone down hill in quality and volume. They also changed the free pita to something worse. The pita chips were burnt twice. I'm breaking up with Cava for a while. It's disappointing all around.

Claire S.

Yelp
Slow service, Ignore you when you walk in and make you stand there for a good 5mins until they start your order, very short with their answers. I will definitely not be coming back.

Tina S.

Yelp
I've only been here twice. First time was fine but yesterday i found a bug stuck to the lettuce. I obviously brought the food back because my order was like 16.00 dollars and i wanted my money back. The employee seemed concerned when i explained to her what was in the food bowl but the manager she brought back to me could care less. He wouldn't even look at the bowl and when i asked about how they cleaned there lettuce he said that they come in bags and they don't wash it. He trashed the food, gave me the refund and offered me another bowl. Why would i want another bowl? He didn't apologize for the situation, never got off his cell phone and when i left he went back outside to continue his conversation. I was a manager once at a restaurant and i know crap happens but you should atleast act like you care so the consumer knows you take the situation seriously. Won't be back.

Tina K.

Yelp
I'm done! They stopped serving beef meatballs and only have lamb. That's fine. But it's an acquired taste. It's very expensive and you're still hungry afterward. You have to ask for a pita triangle. What is is the deal with having to beg for one? I'm so sad because i love their food. Please go back to weighing each person's bowl.... some may need more food and will pay for it. I'll miss it.

M M.

Yelp
Super friendly staff along with an amazing meal to enjoy with our local communities! Pick and choice your bowl meal, wrap, or kids plate!

Andre G.

Yelp
This place is great. The location is great and the actual restaurant looks dope from the outside and in. Its clean and the staff are very nice. It's a little small but they have an upstairs that you could sit down at and enjoy your food with a decent view. The food is so good it's like so many different flavors hitting your mouth at once. It's under $10 (before tax) as long as you don't get some stuff that you have to pay extra for. I just got a chicken bowl and it's great and healthy. Also, they use forks and bowls made from compostable material so that it's not bad for the environment. I will definitely be back here.

April B.

Yelp
Cava never disappoints. This location however is not configured for long lines, will definitely be using the app to order ahead of time! *very confused on the reviews saying the portions are too small. I've been able to make two meals out of every order I've gotten from CAVA?

Rebekah S.

Yelp
Like a bunch of people, I long awaited the opening of this CAVA location! And I am very much still excited for it even though there have been several areas for improvement during my 4 visits the last week and a half: 1. They always seem to be out of quinoa no matter the time of day. 2. Falafel is often out of stock, and if in stock it is burnt-- almost like it was refried in order to be reheated. 3. Sometimes there seems to be ingredients missing in the hummus and the dressings. I've had very different textures (maybe it's a handling issue?) with my toppings here compared to any other location. 4. The employees do not seem happy and always seem to be arguing. This makes wanting to sit in or order anything else less preferable. I look forward to trying this location several more times to see how things play out! :)

Mehmed M.

Yelp
Phenomenal. This chain is amazing. This location has some growing pains to work through, but the first weekend proved to be a success in my opinion. Ate there on three occasions, including twice through drive through. Inside, the line was long and the wait was much longer than would be at any other cava. To be fair, the employees were new and the customers too. I'm guessing the customers were asking a ton of questions, slowing up the service. The staff made up for the slowness in their kindness and attitude. The two drive thru pick up orders were both timely and accurate. Not much to say that that. Frederick has needed this for a long time. So happy they opened!!

Rachel H.

Yelp
I used to adore cava. Fell in love with it when it came up and I was working in DC. We had good times. But now it's post-covid, so I tried for a delivery. It's nasty. Did I ever even like this before? And I got so excited for the blondie... and it's 1/4 of the size or less than what I pictured when I paid for it not worth the money.

Sondra K.

Yelp
Clean! Vegan options! Friendly, fast great quality of food and quick all you need! The big veggie bowl is just about ten bucks and it's a perfect meal. Check this place out if you haven't been!

Tara B.

Yelp
This place has gone downhill. My husband and I love Cava but they are always messing our orders up. I don't even think they have cucumbers because they always leave it off of our bowl. My husband and I ordered online and found ourselves waiting in a drive thru for over 40 min. Once we got to the window our order still wasn't ready. I've had no issues with other locations, just this one!

Tina C.

Yelp
I'm so happy your here! The food and service was amazing. I did notice there is little to no seating or parking. Carrying my tray to eat upstairs was scary as heck. It got me thinking that if you have little ones this will be a challenge. I took a star off due to the stairs and lack of seating. I'll be back, but itll be in the drive thru only.

Joe G.

Yelp
Ordered online with a 5:45 confirmation for my order to be ready. Arrived at drive thru at 5:45. There were 8 cars in line in front of me. I didn't get to the pickup window until 6:45. One hour to serve 8 cars that pre-ordered? When I got to the window, I waited 8 minutes for someone to acknowledge I was there. They lost my order. Had to wait even longer. To me, it doesn't matter how good the food might be, with such poor customer service, I have no plans on returning.

Chelly C.

Yelp
The food is generally still good quality however the flavor has gotten much more salty and the customer service has become poor. Not one time in the last 4 months can the woman first in service line (asking you which greens or grains) get it right. She asked me which rice 3 times, I told her brown rice each time when she asked and she still put white rice and had to start over. Yet she was rude and told me in broken English "Hey! Stop. I listen! ... I Listen." And still asked me which rice....again. I have been a customer since they opened. I have watched management change. Needless to say when the switch happened the quality, diversity, and customer service went with it. It even seems the management got rid of every single black employee and young person to hire Chipotle rejects that don't care for the aforementioned pillars of service. I am appalled and disheartened.

Dave A.

Yelp
This place is terrible. I only had cash and they don't accept it. They made my food and just threw it away in front of me because I didn't have a card. I will never return to cava again.

Nathaniel W.

Yelp
Staff was extremely rude and short with us during our visit, portions were small, and we waited about five minutes before somebody asked us what we would like to order while four other workers stood around and talked.