CAVA

Was in and out in 10 mins even with a lunch rush line, super efficient and Johnny was especially kind and chatted with me about my day. He went out of his way to be kind to me and was clearly super efficient at his job. 10/10 experience, would dine again

Very good food! Think Mediterranean Chipotle. Good ingredients and quick staff. Lots of topping and dressing options. Very busy and cramped, but well worth it. Thankfully there was seating outside. Very good food. Will definitely return!

This was my first visit to CAVA, and it was great! 2 out of the 3 employees who helped me were very friendly, and more importantly, the food was delicious. I ordered a bowl with steak and chicken, and both meats were cooked perfectly. (I find chicken to almost always be overcooked in restaurants like this, so I was pleasantly surprised.) They also had a nice selection of drinks, aside from your typical fountain options. I’d happily return.

CAVA La Jolla is amazing! The food is always fresh and flavorful, the atmosphere is super inviting, and the service is top-notch! A special shoutout to Brandon! he was so friendly and made the whole experience even better. If you’re in La Jolla and craving a delicious, healthy meal, this is the place to go!

First time at CAVA, and let me just say—this place doesn’t just serve food, it builds flavor bombs and drops them right in your bowl. I went with the steak with harissa—perfectly spiced, with that slow heat that builds, never bites. Tossed in a scoop of the honey chicken for good measure—sticky, sweet, with just enough char to remind you this isn’t your average assembly line meal. The bowl was filled to the brim (respect to the portion gods), and every bite felt thoughtfully layered—crunch, spice, and that cool creamy tang from the sauces cutting through it all. Shoutout to Quon, who guided me like a culinary Sherpa through the build-your-bowl process. Super helpful, especially for a first-timer. If fast casual had a fine dining cousin who knew how to throw down with flavor—CAVA would be it.

Updating this review from 9mo ago… I have returned since the bad experience with inaccurate online pickup orders. I do trust eating here but ordering at the counter only when the food is prepared in front of me. I would not suggest ordering online through the app because order can be inaccurate. Giving 4 starts for food because they are often out of certain ingredients in my experience even though it is delicious when order is accurate! Old review from summer 2024…Been here 5 or 6 times were all good experiences until this last one ruined it for me and I do not plan on coming back. Many items missing from my mobile pickup order. No Harissa Honey chicken which I paid an upcharge for. Many other ingredients from the order missing and replaced with romaine lettuce. One third of my 15$ + tax bowl was romaine lettuce. I understand mistakes happen but when I called the store to give them the opportunity to fix it, THEY DO NOT ANSWER THE PHONE. They clearly have no regard for the their customers nor their satisfaction. Their website has a customer support form to fill out but is very glitchy and I do not believe my submission went through. Would only return and/or recommend if someone reaches out to me to fix this issue. Actions speak louder than words.

Delicious food. Very flavorful and seems like lots of healthy options. This was my first time here. The manage, Chris, was very helpful and explained all the options. It was a busy Friday night, he was training someone new on the line as well as the register, but he still politely helped me and kept everything moving efficiently. I’ll definitely be back.

Great stop by for delicious and quick food. I shared the Chicken Bowl with my son & it was plenty. Max was super friendly and knowledgeable. I recommended mixing their lemonade and strawberry citrus together for a refreshing drink. Bathrooms are clean 🤗

Chris Jamie and kyli were amazing during the dinner rush today! Very polite and the food was amazing, as always definitely becoming a regular visit !

We went on a Sunday afternoon around 12-1pm, store was surprisingly not too busy but after we ordered a wave of people came with the line stretched almost to the back of the door! This is my second time being here and I've concluded CAVA will always be busy. Expect to wait at least 15-20 mins here but the line move quick. The food always comes out fresh and delicious. This is the location I feel comfortable going to because they hardly run out of items you want as like other CAVAs do. I would order online to make the traffic! This place is very fast past and a bunch of hustle n bustle. The ambiance is very lively here! It's more of a get in get ahead type of feel.

Food: 8/10 Service: 3/10 Ambiance: 5/10 The food here is delicious but BEWARE; it's also very expensive if you ask for extra anything without asking the price as well. The undisclosed up charges are wild. Don't expect them to tell you how much things cost. I asked for more tomatoes--got charged an extra $1.75. I asked for more chicken (because the two scoops the server initially gave me were sad)--got charged an extra $5.75. I didn't even ask for extra avocado; they just threw it in there! Got charged an extra $2.85. I would not have asked for ANY extras if I had known they would cost me an additional $10.35. Thats darn near the price of a second bowl. I feel scammed tbh...

ast Friday at 8 PM, my visit to CAVA in La Jolla was a letdown. My order took 20 minutes longer than promised, they were out of essentials like lettuce for Greek salad, and the restaurant was dirty, with a bathroom resembling a gas station's. The meal itself was underwhelming--the chicken was definitely funky. The one bright spot was a kind staff member who genuinely tried to help amidst the chaos, but sadly, it wasn't enough to salvage the experience. I don't think we'll be eating there again.

Great service and food was at a great price, team was great and very helpful thanks again keep up the good work

Overall I enjoy Cava as a healthy alternative for a quick lunch but I find the wait times at this location to be painful. There will only be a few customers in front of me and somehow I always end up with a minimum 20 minute wait. I am also sad they removed the roasted sweet potatoes as a vegetarian protein option. The food quality is pretty consistent and I love the crazy feta sauce

I love Mediterranean food and I've always heard good things about CAVA. This was my first time ever visiting, so I was not completely sure what their ordering process was like (e.g., whether I was allowed to order half falafel and half chicken without an extra charge, etc.). The staff were not very friendly or willing to explain how it worked. When I had questions, they were really short with me when they responded. Mind you, there was no one else in line besides my friend and I. What I thought of the food: The falafel was good- it wasn't too dry and they were well seasoned. They had a large variety of sauces to choose from (e.g., garlic, tzatziki, etc.) and several hummus options. Ambiance: this is a causal spot for a quick meal.

came here again n i got jipped bruh. steak was hella tough as a mf and it was like $5 extra brodie. also they barely gave me any rice too man. two tablespoons of rice or some shi like wtf

It was pretty good. I liked the amount of options and customization. The workers were very chill, I liked the worker who was dancing while making my bowl. Bathroom Review: N/A

One of my favorite grab and go food places! You can customize a bowl or pita option with different meats, grains and greens, veggies and some really good dip and dressing options. Their Harissa Honey Chicken is so yummy and worth the extra charge. I always choose Cava if I'm feeling lazy but still want to grab a healthy and delicious meal. The only con is that wait times at their locations during peak hours are pretty long. This time coming here, it took around 15-20 minutes to get to the front of the line. It usually is hectic during lunch and dinner hours but a great tip is to download their app for easy online ordering and you can stack up rewards points!

I ordered pickup considering it might've been busy on a Saturday afternoon. It was my 1st time trying this place in general and though I did place a pickup order, it was not ready at that pickup time I chose. When I arrived, it seemed as if the regular line got served faster than the pickup people. I asked to check my order maybe 3-4 times since my "supposed" pickup time. Waiting for about 30 more minutes than I needed to. But, I will say that I will be coming back to Cava. Maybe not this location, but it is delicious. My 2nd picture shows what I ordered - and I'm impressed with the price, quality, and quantity. I would almost compare it to a better & healthier Chipotle. As someone with diabetic issues, it didn't spike my blood sugar as much because again, everything is pretty healthy. I'm obsessed with the garlic and yogurt dill dressing! As well as the harissa honey chicken! Yum!

Love Cava so much This was my third time at this La Jolla location and all three times, the staff packed my bowl so much that I could only eat half and had to finish the rest during another meal. Everything was fresh, healthy, and delicious. I did not get them this time, but their lemonades are also very good and refreshing! I highly recommend trying the Skhug sauce! It is herby, full of spices, and has a very light kick to it. I got it on accident one time and found it to be surprisingly delicious, so I have been getting it ever since.

Both times I've ordered here I've gotten the chicken and rice bowl with garlic and the the yogurt dill. I love this place 10x more than the similar chain that is also very popular. This particular place does not fill the bowl up very much, but the quality of the food is still very tasty even during rush hour. The lines both times I've been here was almost out the door. Overall, love this chain, very seldom would I say that about chain restaurants.

My friends and I love coming here! The servers are super patient with letting you make decisions and don't make you feel rushed. The food is set up similar to chipotle in the sense that there's a base (grains and/or greens) various proteins and multiple toppings to choose from - you can get it all on a pita or in a bowl. I usually get the kid's pita because that's more than enough for what I eat. The rice is always perfectly cooked, never dried out or too hard. I really like the braised lamb - super juicy, delicious and the meat falls apart easily. I also recommend getting pita chips - they're well seasoned and pair well with almost any sauce/dressing. The store itself is generally clean, well lit and is a pleasant place to hang out. I can't wait for the next visit! (:

The best fast food by far! It provides great fast and healthy options. Today I got a mixed bowl with super greens and saffron rice, either falafel and grilled chicken. So many toppings and great sauces I really recommend ordering through their app while you are on your way, you avoid making the line

This was my first time here and I really like the customization and affordability! It is a huge amount of tasty food for the price and a big bonus is that it's also healthy! The workers are friendly and patient when it comes to ordering. They make it really easy and not overwhelming. The restaurant itself is casual and seems like it could be a go-to hangout spot. I'd come here again!

I'm SO glad San Diego has CAVA! I work in Orange County but live in San Diego Carmel Mtn Ranch and was so happy when I saw Cava was set to open. I eat here often in Orange County and now it's down the street from by house. The food is so fresh and prices are not too bad. Great quality and value for the price. They have curated bowls and pita wraps or you can build your own! My personal favorite is the Greek Salad bowl. Yesterday... got the Harissa Avocado Bowl pictured in this post. The flavors are just so good! Highly recommend!

It seems like there's alot of people working but I feel like the employees always tend to seem overworked. Seems like they need to bring a few more people on to help out. Especially when it gets busy - there needs to be an extra hand tidying up the scooping area and prepping since several things were out. As far as the food - it's Cava. We like Cava. Can't go wrong.

Stopped into Cava for lunch, somewhat close to opening so the place was fairly empty. There are a TON of options for what you can add to a bowl, which can be a bit overwhelming, and I feel like man of the options could have been selected individually vs having several different greens mixes with 1 or 2 slight variations. I ended up doing a build your own half grain half greens bowl. For about $14 after tax this was a fair amount of food that easily became dinner that same day.

Overall, the steak harissa bowl was good, but the steak was dry. The price is high, but it's a good option if you're looking for a healthier food option. Service was okay. Would likely visit again.

Visited here having heard of CAVA but never tried it before and we are addicted it is SO good and worth the price!! We think it's wonderful that it's conveniently located near UCSD.

Chipotle but Mediterranean and genuinely 100x better. This is easily my favorite 'fast' food chain. The day they expand to NorCal, the happier I will be. Incredibly bar of fresh ingredients that you can combine into a Pita Wrap or a Bowl. Think fresh rice, black lentils, all kinds of greens, think DIPS (hummus galore, tzatziki, harissa, roasted eggplant, etc), think a variety of protein (w/ vegan/vegetarian options), and topping & sauce galore (the pickled red onions and lemon herb tahini are my absolute weakness). As easy yes for sit down or take out.

Well let's see. Upon arrival the place was very dirty and they had chairs blocking the way to the bathroom (I think the teens running the place didn't want to bother cleaning it) The girl serving was extremely rude and acted like we were a bother. I've included the pic of my BURNT lamb that she put on my plate and acted like nothing was wrong. I didn't say anything. I'm not that B. I just write a review and contact corporate. For La Jolla they better get it together.

The service was horrible. We waited in line for 10 minutes with no one attending to the food line. One person was cutting chicken with little intention of helping fulfill orders, another staff member was taking out the trash, and the only other person kept running to the back of the house multiple times. All of them had very unhappy expressions and the worst attitudes. I love the food, but I had to leave because there was no effort to help us place an order.

Never had an experience at this location where it was not a complete s*** show. First time I went there, the line was at a stand still because all 4 employees were just standing at the register talking. There was a line of 15 people and no one was being helped, just employees standing around laughing. It was so bizarre. I ordered on postmates and two separate drivers went there to pick up and said the food was not ready. When I called to check what was going on 50 minutes later, they said they just gave it to a random person. What? That makes no sense. Here it is one hour and 15 minutes later and no delivery. Never seen an operation run by 15 year olds that seem to have no standards or accountability. The he food is actually really good but the headache just is not worth it.

It depresses me that we don't have Cava in San Francisco. We need one!! Think of cava like chipotle for Mediterranean food. So much cheaper to go in person and order instead of through a delivery service like uber eats. The harissa avocado bowl is so yum. Perfect amount of spice and my go to everytime. I always ask for a side of warm pita to eat it with. Whatever bowl you get, you must get the crazy feta- never had anything like it. The refreshers are great. Cucumber mint is my favorite, but they have iced tea and lemonade too. Don't let the line deter you as they are pretty quick with getting your food ready. It is the same kind of line like Chipotle does. Perfect for a lunch on a weekday, they have a few tables outside and mostly indoor seating. I'd recommend to grab and go

Cava is located near UCSD and we found the staff, particularly those manning the serving line, to be courteous and nice. The menu offers various options for veggies. We decided to go with a base of chopped sweet potatoes and brown rice for our bowls. There were numerous veggie options available to enhance our meal. We opted for corn, cucumbers, purple cabbage, spinach and tomatoes, all topped off with their house sauce to spice up the flavor. The portions of food provided were generous and quite healthy, although a touch more seasoning could have elevated the taste. While enjoying our meal, we did observe that the napkins were not refilled and a few customers had to ask for it. The upkeep of the tables, seats and floors seemed a bit neglected. Despite these minor items, we found the overall experience to be excellent, with the food being a highlight.

Fresh food, mediterranean version of chipotle! Love their selection of toppings. They have extremely fresh greens (like arugula). Their sauces are amazing, you truly can find something you like here! Very unique. I love getting the falafel with rice arugula feta, etc. Line can be long sometimes but if you're not in a rush it's worth it!

Cava is something I've been waiting for a while when I was younger. There weren't many around but glad they expanded more into the areas I lived in. The amount of options and freshness of ingredients can really be tasted. Pros: plenty of options for dressings sauces hummus meats and vegetarian food Cons: lamb could have been better Taste: 4.25/5 Value: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 Service: 5/5

Great spot in the La Jolla Village for some quick build-your-own Mediterranean bowls. The service is quick and they have a ton of options. It's delicious, sure to fill you up and I especially appreciate the calorie counts listed for each ingredient!

Omgggg! I tried Cava for the first time this week, and it was amazing! Almost walked out due to the long, slow line, but I'm glad I stuck around. I loved choosing my base - went with lettuce and arugula with harissa chicken. There's so many sauces and toppings to pick from! But I kept it chill for the first time with spicy hummus, feta, pickled veggies, and tahini Caesar. My bowl was flavorful, tangy, spicy, savory, and fresh, with textures from the veggies and crunch! I literally stop thinking about Cava and planning the next sauce and topping combos I'm gonna try.

Love CAVA! Affordable, healthy, and tasty food, basically the Mediterranean version of Chipotle. My order is a Salad Bowl ($12.98 includes tax): - Base: romaine and SuperGreens mix - Spreads: Hummus, Red Pepper Hummus, and Harissa (not that spicy, highly recommend) - Mains: grilled chicken and falafel - Toppings: broccoli, corn, tomato+onion, tomato+cucumber, cabbage, cucumber, shredded romaine, feta, and pita chips (basically everything but the olives, pickles, and the pickled onions) - Dressings: Yogurt Dill on the side Want to try the Garlic Dressing next time and will be coming back again soon!

One of my favorite places to eat in the area! Cava is awesome for having so many options to choose from. I always go for a greens and grains bowl with grilled chicken, saffron rice, and splendid greens. Every ingredient is well-stocked, fresh, and tastes great! I usually go for every topping and ask for extra pickled onions. The service on my visit was excellent, and everyone there is super friendly. There's a large dining room to eat inside and also quite a bit of space outside by the restaurant or in the plaza itself.

I love Cava but this location is just consistently disappointing. I ordered online for pickup today and there were no pickled onions or corn in my bowl like I ordered. They either ran out or forgot, both of which are typical for this location. I also ordered the pita chips and they were way too overfried to the point where they were rocks and so dark. They're supposed to be crispy but still soft on the inside but this was just completely hard. Every time I go to the One Paseo location in Del Mar Heights, I never have these issues. If you're able to go to that location, go there instead. Super super disappointed with this location.

The food is yums!! So I understand why it gets so busy during the day :,(( but the wait is honestly worth it personally. I feel like my combination of sauces also works really well! I feel like the price is a little on the pricy side so can't eat too often. Definitely a good place to treat yourself to something yummy but also decently healthy(?)

Food mediocre and place way overrated. Ordered online and my order was entirely wrong. Lots of items missing. Not to mention all my coworkers that ordered online had their orders missing items as well. I called to let them know but no one answers the phone so I went in person and the manager Dusty could care less. He didn't even apologize and practically had to beg for him to make me a new bowl. Customer service is simply outrageous. Even when I placed a complaint online and only got a few dollars back from my $21 dollar meal. Not worth it and never coming here again.

Weird, is one word i would use to sum up my experience on 1/21/2025. Though my experiences usually go well, this one in particular was irritating to say the least. Everything was fine until reaching a certain employee in the line making my bowl. I am very loyal to cava & i ALWAYS get skhug, lemon herb tahini, and yogurt dill for sauces. The short employee with the glasses informed me that they only allow for 2 sauces, so i said i will pay for the extra sauce. The employee then informed me that i couldn't pay for extra sauce, so i asked for sauce on the side and apparently he can't do that either. While eating my bowl in the restaurant, my friend was shocked at how upset I was by my experience with this employee so we figured to ask a different employee who would have better knowledge and WOW! Surprise.. surprise! My friend was able to ask for a yogurt dill on the side with no questions asked & immediately was catered to just as I should have been by the other employee who refused to give anything besides attitude & a look of displeasure. Will not be going to this location for awhile, if not ever again. Instead I'll opt for the better counterpart in Del Mar.

Went in for dinner after a long day at work and ordered the spicy lamb meatball wrap. I won't be coming back. For $16, the wrap was barely filled with any meat, and mainly was a hodgepodge of pickled veggies that weren't distributed well around the wrap. The wrap is supposed to come with 2 sauces - I only got 1, and the server put so much sauce that by the time I got home the entire pita was soggy with sauce and there was no other flavor but this overwhelming, messy sauce. Lastly, the counter is quite unhygienic - there's food everywhere, I saw a server prepping a to-go order who stuck the receipt to his forearm (using the sweat on his forearm), which then fell into one of the ingredients, after which he picked it up and stuck it back to his sweaty forearm. Nasty. I'll take my money to Kebab Shop down the street if I want Mediterranean food, this place is a joke.

The food at CAVA is delicious, but at this location -- they are understaffed (causing long lines), staff is unfriendly, out of so many options and I think the food is not kept at a proper temperature. I will say the food at CAVA is so so good but I found the staff at this specific location to work without urgency and just overall not friendly/responsive. I honestly don't speak to service often because I understand when a place is understaffed as I previously worked in a restaurant as well, but one of the guys serving me started PLAYING with the chicken while I was reading the options. He was scooping it out and throwing it back in the bucket repetitively. No one there was honestly friendly (not a single smile), but the chicken slammer -- he was genuinely the most unhappy to be there. This was one of the many things my fiancé and I noticed when this individual interacted with the customers. Lastly, we had massive stomachaches post dinner. From what I could tell, some items like meats did not appear to be kept warm at all. Perhaps this is normal? But coincidentally we both had the worst stomachaches throughout the night after eating CAVA.

Daisy, Malina, Shach helped me this morning. The service was so efficient and friendly and the food was just as good!

Maybe we came here on a bad day but the customer service was unacceptable . It's as if when a food spot hires college students you should expect the service to be bad. I've work in the food industry and always put guests first, so I'm unsure what's changed. Also, why is the food spread out all over the place??? Mission Valley CAVA would NEVER. Maybe the manager Victoria over there needs to come manage this location. Maybe San Diego's health inspectors need to come do a double check over here as well. I'll always be a loyal CAVA customer but not at this location. Side note: Is CAVA telling their employees to be skimp on the meat or what? They just throw the meat away at the end of the night anyways... instead CAVA should think about less food waste and more stomachs being fed especially for the prices of their bowls etc.

I love Cava but HATE their mobile ordering. I've never picked anything up at the time that I request my order to be ready and they're always at LEAST 30 min late. If I'm picking up an order for 11am, it should be ready at 11am. It shouldn't be started at 11:10and me leaving with the order at 11:30 :/ The food is fresh here and tastes amazing which is why I keep going but it's just so frustrating that they never have the orders done on time and they don't even apologize like wtf

I typically enjoy Cava whenever I do go out and get it, but I found plastic mixed into my salad yesterday and that definitely wasn't enjoyable.

My issue with Cava is that much of the chef-curated flavors get lost in the more prominent ones. This is an issue of balance. Yet, the Harissa Avocado bowl was a flavor bomb. An interesting experiment would be to remove one ingredient at a time until the flavor profile changes; this would identify which ingredients are unnecessary and thereby save money. Who wants to put on a white lab coat and conduct this experiment?

Healthy and tasty fast food no doubt, but too much on the pig slop side. CAVA serves salads and pita wraps. You either pick what you want in your wrap or salad or order off of a small menu. My drenched-in-dressing Crispy Falafel could have been at least good were it not for it being served wet, almost like a wet rag. The workers there were new--I could tell this since they were making our orders with reference to a recipe (one scoop of this, a scoop of that, and so on), so the novice nature of them could have contributed to the wet rag; indeed, in retrospect, I was at the time of the soaking of the rag with salad dressing thinking "well they're just hosing it on, aren't they?" but I believed it was normal, it being a vegetarian wrap after all, so it needed some taste. Yes, tasty, but falling apart due to the dressing dissolving the wrap, one dressing of which wasn't in the recipe so they had to substitute a different one--and no, the wrap wasn't soggy because of travel time from CAVA to our dining destination, which was only a few minutes away (we ordered takeout as the pics suggest). On the way out, I was annoyed by the trash can area. It looked like it hadn't been wiped down in hours, like someone took a small scoop of pig slop and spread it all around. Real fast food has better presentation and cleanliness. Two stars for good taste, but lacking one of the true ingredients, hard to eat because of disintegration, and the trash area.

CAVA can be hit or miss if you order online. I've had the most issues ordering online from them (missing ingredients or sauce). However, ordering in person has always been quick and easy. You pick all the items you want and they'll put it right together for you. This has been our new favorite place to enjoy a nice healthy meal. We're used to go to chipotle but this is a nice alternative with del ious and unique flavors. This place also has really great vegetarian and vegan options. Inside is typical fast food seating but they also have a nice selection of teas and lemonades you can order. CAVA is located in the same shopping plaza as whole foods so it can get quite tricky for parking, very busy area. I highly recommend the lamb meatballs and the white sweet potato. shkug sauce (the green one) is the best!!

Chris And shachi did an awesome job serving us today. I would highly recommend the food here! It's so flavorful and the service is fast!

Delicious Mediterranean bowls! 10/10 would come again! Delicious! I try something different when I come!

The quality of the salad is amazing, as always! I always love how fresh the salad is. Thank you so much, Chanel and Marisa, for your amazing service!!