Well that was delicious! First time in. It's right behind my booth at the Bethesda Art Fair. I got a grains and greens bowl with black lentil, brown rice, organic arugula and falafel. I added harissa, eggplant sauce, and red pepper hummus and topped with cabbage, banana peppers, and tomato cucumber mix and green harissa sauce on top. So nice and spicy on a cold day! The staff greeted me warmly, gave suggestions, and offered tastes. I deeply appreciate the availability of recycling and compost. The bowl, napkins, and all utensils are compostable. They even had cool music, most of which was along the lines of downtempo instrumental. Great drink selection too. I highly recommend this place. read more

I give Cava a 3 simply because the last two times I went, I told the man behind the counter what I wanted, and he promptly plopped in the wrong items. Now don't get me wrong, I will literally eat anything and had no qualms with the taste (except for something I'll get to later), its just that it was the wrong order. I believe I asked for red pepper hummus and he put in harissa. I'm not complaining - heck, I love harissa! I also asked for the cabbage and he put in pickled onions. All that aside, I really love the concept and the flavors of it all. Falafel is high on the list of my favorite foods, and i was eager to try it here. Gotta say, it was a little burnt, dry and hard to chew. I got it to-go, and by the time I opened the bowl up and realized the falafels were pretty big, I didn't have a knife to cut it up. I've also had the lamb (similar to the falafel, its too big), and the meatballs (tasty but there were too many! It overpowered the veggies and sauces). I've been here now 6 times (gotta love working in Bethesda), and I've gotten rice bowls all but one time. That lone time that I got mini pitas was by far the tastiest. Too bad pita is carbs, I'd eat those little guys every chance I could. In conclusion: I like Cava Mezze! Maybe just slow down the service a tad. And make the protein balls a little smaller. read more

One of my favorite lunch spots in Bethesda. When I've attempted to explain this concept, I've called it a Greek-style Chipotle. Lines can get very long during lunch, but service has you moving through quickly. My suggestion is to go grab this meal at 11:45 or at 1:15! Between that time, you are standing in line! My go-to is a pita with Harissa and crazy feta, falafel, cucumbers and cabbage. It's perfect! Especially if you enjoy heat - both the Harissa and crazy feta are loaded with it. The seating in the store during lunch is catch as catch can. You may be rubbing elbows with strangers while sitting across from your lunch date. This doesn't bother me, though! Love this is a local family that has taken a chance expanding their CAVA brand to a lunch style place. CAVA is fantastic, too! read more

I love CAVA! The customer service at this location is really really good. The line moves pretty quickly during lunch time too. I only wish that they were not so stingy on that meat serving sizes. It kind of seems like a lot of three types of restaurants do not want to give a proper portion of meat it's so strange. Other than that, I love the concept and the many options that customers are able to choose from! read more

Good service, never had a problem at this location. Would recommend this CAVA location.

This is like the Chipotle of Mediterranean food. You pick a carb (pita, mini pitas, rice bowl, or salad), a dip (tzatziki, various hummus, etc), a protein (lamb, chicken, pork, meatballs), and veggie toppings. If you go with the mini pitas, you can try multiple things, since they let you choose up to three proteins and three dips. I did this so I tried a variety of combinations. My plate looked huge, since they give you a lot of protein. The ingredients were fresh and well seasoned, and I was very satisfied afterwards. I also tried my friend's lentil soup, which was hearty, although a little saltier than what I prefer. I can see this place being one of my regular lunch places in the future. And I definitely would like to try their greek yogurt bar sometime soon. They charged me $1 extra for lamb sliders, and I don't know what that was for since I didn't get lamb sliders and it wasn't explained anywhere on the boards, but nbd. read more

It's a Mediterranean Chipotle...what's not to like????? Pick your base, pick your meat, pick your toppings....delicious ingredients for a reasonable price. I had the bowl with half grains and half kale mix, with chicken. I wish they gave you a slightly bigger scoop of hummus and tzatziki, but it was still plenty of food. I found a hairdresser I love just around the corner, so I'll probably be back here at least every 6-8 weeks LOL. read more

The service wasn't very good. Its the first time and will be the last time because the food quality there is very bad and they haven't any kindness and friendliness while preparing the food read more

I went in here with reallllyyyy low expectations. Having been to the Cava in Gaithersburg and tasted all of its deliciousness, I figured a fast-food version would just be meh. Wrong. I had a falafel pita with the spicy sauce and hummus. It was scrumptious! The spicy sauce was not terribly spicy by any means, but rather, added some wonderful flavor to the pita. Hummus was yummus! And that falafel...rich and flavorful. You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be coming back here again!!! :) read more

Greek Polt. I'm really hooked on this place right now. They're pretty skimpy with the rice, but you can get a little extra for no charge if you don't get all four scoops available to you at the first station. Go-to combo: Rice bowl with a little extra rice, crazy feta, hummus, meat, cuccumber tomato salad, red onion and tomato salad, lettuce, cabbage, feta cheese. It is pricey. A regular bowl is $9 including tax, and braised lamb or beef will add about $2, but worth it. If you're not careful and ask for extra rice, toppings galore, and braised meat, you'll end up with a $13 Greek burrito bowl, so you gotta watch it down the line and ask questions. read more

I am OBSESSED with this place. I come hear after all the Bethesda Yelp events, just because I don't know how to be in Bethesda and not eat some Cava Mezze Grill. The only thing I don't like about this place is rice doesn't seem to be an included ingredient for pitas. I always want ALL the ingredients in my meal, so I usually have to ask them to please put rice in my pita, or sometimes I order a bowl just so I can have lots of rice, and then I'll order a side of pita bread, but then my meal comes out to be over $11, and that's kind of a lot for a casual lunch spot. At chipotle I usually rotated between orders of chicken and carnitas. At Cava Mezze Grill, I always order the Spicy Lamb. I've never tried anything else and don't intend to anytime soon. I can eat that Spicy Lamb all day long, and I do, which is why I came to Cava Mezze Grill after already eating at Yelp events. read more

AVOID AT ALL COSTS! They give such small portions. Not worth the $. I have been to other Cava Locations and it seems that the staff were not trained properly at the Bethesda location as the staff give such small portion sizes. read more

Initial thought: scrumptrulescent! This was my first time ever going to a Cava. It is set up exactly like a Chipotle, but with Greek ingredients instead of Mexican. I am not extremely familiar with Greek food, so I basically asked them to give me the most popular meat and make it taste delicious. They hooked me up with a sirloin pita with hummus, tzatziki, lettuce, tomato, and feta cheese. It was fantastic! I am definitely going to add this place to my normal lunch rotation in Bethesda. I must try all the different types of meat! Other notes: -"Green" restaurant (biodegradable cutlery, compost pile, etc.) -Unique and interesting interior design -Cheap for Bethesda/amount of food -Bonus points for the owner coincidentally being next to the trash can and making fun of my friend for throwing his basket away -Gets hard to eat near the end, do not pass on the forks read more

Reasonably priced with vegan options. Has better greens/salad base options than roti (e.g., arugula or super greens vs. lettuce). This and their choices of sauces and spreads make them better than roti. read more

Huge bowls packed to the top with refreshing drinks! Everything is good here! I always get super greens with arugula, chicken or falafel and mix and match the veggies, sauces and spreads! The only downside to this location is the lines are always long and the parking is horrible. If you can't find parking there's another Cava in Montgomery Mall! read more

I went here for the first time this weekend, and me and my family really liked it. The food tastes really good, that's the most important thing, right? In addition to being nutritious, which it can be if you choose the right food, as I did. Also, this place is pretty inexpensive for Bethesda, which is nice. Finally, we went on a Friday evening, and we got our food in about three minutes, which was pretty great. I got a bowl with all kinds of greens, and lentils, and falafel. Really delicious! Not the most awesome restaurant I have ever been to, but it is pretty darn good for a meal when you are out in Bethesda, so I strongly recommend. read more

This place is great for simple, healthy, super tasty food. I like the options of pita, rice and salad as well as the different meats and spreads. Courteous and friendly staff helped me to place my order. Environmentally friendly containers and utensils make this place smart and guilt free. read more

I'd probably go for 1.5 stars if that was an option. I really wanted to like the place but what I ate was underwhelming and sat terribly in my stomach. I opted for the lamb pita and the second I lay my eyes on the lamb, I wished that I had gone for chicken or falafel. It didn't look fresh and it didn't taste fresh either. The pita itself was mediocre and the other items in the sandwich were fair to good, but couldn't save the dry, fatty lamb and the bland pita. With the pita chips, I had the crazy feta dip and it was one of the spiciest and most acidic foods I've ever had. It immediately gave me heavy indigestion after eating half of it and then caused severe stomach aching. Despite this very underwhelming experience, the adventurous part of me would like to try something else on the menu. Rationally, I'm going to be "one and done" with Cava Mezze Grill. Good concept, very bad execution on the lamb and the feta dip. Both were pretty terrible and it wasn't cheap, either. read more

Giving them 5 stars -- first because of the eco-friendly element. More restaurants need to be doing this (it should be mainstream please!): Hormone-free food, as local as possible and free of additives and preservatives; recyclable food bowls/materials that get composted; reusable aluminum trays, found wood and upcycled glass furniture and fixtures. But they also get credit for the friendly, fast service, and most importantly the delicious food! It was my first time here -- I had a pita with falafel, tzatziki, and the red cabbage slaw, all of which I highly recommend. Only complaint is that the falafel was too salty. Hoping it was just a one-time mistake, and not the standard, as everything is made fresh there. Overall, I was grateful for "fast food" that was something my family could eat, a healthy alternative to typical crappy fast food...and it's my favorite... Mediterranean! PARENTS: They had wooden high chairs (on wheels so you don't hurt your back! smart!) that my 1 year old could comfortably eat in (otherwise i considered leaving..dealbreaker). I assume they had a changing table too, but I can't confirm. For my son, I got the kids meal, which comes with a variety of different stuff -- some basics, and some other fancy stuff which you get to choose, and a drink. He loved the eggplant & red pepper spread, and the rice. I think the falafel was too salty for him because normally he loves falafel. :/ Music was great too...a mix of Radiohead, I think some non-jarring hip-hop, and what sounded like some popular Middle Eastern music. Added a bottle of water, and I think the tab was under $15. Great experience, delicious, healthy food. We will definitely be going back. read more

Ate here for the first time last week for lunch and was impressed. At first skeptical by the Chipotle appearance, but this place did not let me down. Coming to terms with being lactose-intolerant, the staff were quick and knowledgeable about what contained lactose and what didn't which was super helpful in the fast-paced line. I ordered a rice bowl with vegetarian dips and spreads and falafel. The falafel was pretty dry, but overall a great lunch. read more

This place is kind of fun for reasonably priced take out. It feels like a Mediterranean Chipolte where you go along the counter and pick and choose your base, protein, toppings and sauces. Everything I chose for my bowl (including spicy lamb sliders and toppings like feta, kalamata olives and pickled onions) was very flavorful, but, when all mixed together, it kind of lost something for me. I guess I was so eager to try everything that I tried it all at once, but, when mixed all together you could not taste any one thing. I did really like their harissa and crazy feta sauces. If I return, I will have to remember to restrain myself so the flavors of each item can remain clean. Maybe trying the sauces on the side will help? read more

With the success of chipotle, there was sure to be a flood of assembly line style food locations. In this Mediterranean incarnation, we find Cava. Bold spreads from mild cool tzatziki to spicy Harissa. Spiced meats like lamb meatballs. Veggie friendly falafel. Vegetables. Feta cheese. Olives. Herbs. Pitas and basmati rice as the base. It's everything you love about Greeks and their food. And it's ready for your lunch. The hip music from a mysterious playlist. Oh you probably won't know what they're playing, but you'll like it. They've got fountain drinks, sure. But they also have a refreshing assortment of unique juices made from vegetables and fruits alike. Oh and all their plate-ware is compostable (Planet Earth thanks you) It may be a bit pricier than it's counterparts. But, with what you're getting in terms of food and in terms of environmental consciousness, I give it a gold star! read more

As everyone else says, it's just like Chipotle. The food is decent, but that may just be my personal tastes. My wife loves this place and was asking for more the very next day, it's too bad it's so far from home! She had the Pita, I had the bowl. Definitely less food than Chipotle and it was about $20 for the two of us. I was still hungry after but the wife was fine. Staff was awesome. I told them I had never been there before and they explained everything on the menu for me. Really awesome staff here. Definitely will go back if we're ever in the area. read more

So good! Wish they had fish as an option or some tofu to make up for all meat, but the bowl itself was huge and definitely lasted me 2 meals. Would go again to this Mediterranean version of Chipotle. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

On the night of April 25th 2011, I and my girlfriend went to Cava in Bethesda, MD. The staff is ok. We ordered a salad and a bowl with different meats. I got the salad with the lamb. Unfortunately the lamb was overcooked and fatty. I returned the salad and the manager accepted to exchange it for some other meat. One of the staff apologized and was nice about it. I tried the beef but it too was overcooked and I tried my chance with the chicken. The chicken was dry and overcooked. The salad was good... This is the second review I write about this incident. the first review was much shorter and was removed by Yelp due to "lacks a substantive firsthand experience". I hope I have provided enough details about my direct experience to grant me the privilege of posting this review. By the way, if anyone knows how to contact Yelp, please let me know. read more

I want to take my words back, after that one unpleasant occasion I've been back to this location for more than 1 time, I love the food and the service has definitely improved a lot. I'll surely be back again :) read more

While the food here is comparable to all the other Cavas I have been to (crazy feta and spicy harissa, I love you forever), I had to write a review just to praise the amazing staff here. I came on a random weekday afternoon well past lunch hour. It had been a while since I had Cava, so I decided to stop by but quickly realized that I had forgotten how to order. The woman who helped me was really patient and even went the extra mile to describe each ingredient for me. It was actually really helpful and fun to learn about each of the options, because I hadn't taken the time to do so before. Later, as I was enjoying my bowl, I noticed that the manager had come out to converse with his staff. He also took the time to introduce himself to some of the guests and helped another newcomer learn how to order. Great customer service and great food! read more

Eat healthily you say? Get all your crunchy veggies you say? Well I don't mind if I do. I love Cava because they make it easy and fun to get all your veggies. It's not a vegan or vegetarian restaurant but with their fun array of veggies you are sure to get something good for you even if you slather it with sauce and meat. The falafel is good I just wish they'd give you more. In general their protein portion size is lacking but I guess they are really playing into the be healthy movement. I haven't had their juice yet but one of my co-worker raves about how good they are. All in all I keep coming back, despite there always being a line. They have a great system and get us through quickly even during the lunch rush. read more

I just came in for their cold press juices this evening. They sooooooooo refreshing. Not too sweet and perfect. Today I had cucumber kale mint. I wish they had these bottled. I would love to get a few to go. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Greek version of Chipotle. the chiecked was extra blackened but otherwise really good. its a little small so u have to share seats with people, but ts quick and deliscious! read more

this was a bit disappointing the pita that comes to the table was pretty good. we got the sampler which comes with 5 or 6 different dips to try. i didnt really care for the feta cheese one; it was way too salty. my friends entree was the hangar steak which was good. my entree was the lamb bolognese. i found this extremely disappointing. the lamb was not really visible. it was mostly pasta and tomato which was just a waste. service was good ambience was ok, a bit dark. there are tables outside if you are into that kinda thing. read more

Go here. The food is fresh and delicious. You're welcome in advance.

Mediterranean knockoff of chipotle but it's freaking amazing! You need to go! Yes, YOU!!!!!

This place is absolutely delicious. Think Mediterranean fast casual. Their menu selection is awesome, the food is always fresh and delicious, and sometimes mild sometimes spicy. It is perfectly hearty and quick when you want something with a unique bite. Here's what I normally order: for my base, an eat in bowl, with saffron tinted basmati rice, hummus, roasted red pepper hummus, and spicy harissa as my dips and spreads. I alternate between the grilled meatballs or the spicy lamb sliders for my protein, and then select tomato and onion salad, cabbage salad, lettuce, diced cucumbers, a lemon wedge, lemon herb tahini, and plenty of greek vinaigrette. A cup for water and I am a happy camper. Be sure to check out their pita, mini pitas, and salads. The food is not too heavy, and you feel great eating it. They have never disappointed. Check out their other locations in the DC Metro area. read more

At the urging of my friends residing in Bethesda, I got Cava to take on my bus ride back to NYC. They basically described it as "Chipotle, but with Mediterranean food". Gave my good friend Angie my credit card, and told her to order me what she would get. She ordered me a bowl (although pita is also available) that included basmati rice, a choice of protein (meatballs, chicken, falafel, lamb, or sausage) -- I chose chicken, and up to four types of sauces: Tzatziki - yogurty thick creamy herby sauce Harissa - dense tomato-ey (?) spicy red sauce Hummus - chickpeas Crazy feta - thick creamy feta with chunks and herbs in it Lastly, the toppings! There's onions, tomato, cucumbers, lettuce, calamata olives. she got me a bit of everything. All of this was piled in a cardboard takeout box (love the eco-friendly packaging!) and included biodegradable utensils. LOVED everything. So filling, everything tasted incredibly fresh and each element was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Would love to go here again! Come to NYC Cava! read more

The place is like Chipotle but with Mediterranean fare. The ease of building your bowl is great. They have so many great things to pick and choose that you can spend the first visit to study them. Great solution is to visit their website to prepare to the offerings and the system. My bowl is always arugula and salad base with touch of brown rice and it can go wild from there. Their lamb meatballs are awesome, their dressings are fantastic, changing them each visit makes the food more exciting. read more

This is the nicest Cava in the area, and the staff are super friendly. We especially look forward to seeing Wamda and Silvana each Sunday. The food is healthy, fresh, and almost perfect. I just wish they kept some of the toppings all year long instead of rotating them because they are so good! Cava, please be careful not to expand too quickly. We hope you can avoid the fate of Chipotle which got too big for its own good and compromised on quality. We use to go to Chipotle about twice a week but have switched to Cava and won't go back. read more

Being a devotee to the original, I was supremely excited for Cava Mezze Grill to open. I tried it about two months ago and was so so so disappointed. A group of 4 visited during dinner on a weekday and it was relatively empty. Just like Chipotle, you order mini pitas, a large pita, a rice bowl, or salad. After selecting a format you pick your protein (chicken, sirloin, lamb, pork, falafel) then add condiments (hummus, crazy feta, harissa, tzaziki, eggplant/pepper) and then toppings (cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage salad, feta, etc). I went with a rice bowl for my first try, and was soooo disappointed in the food. The meat was both cold and super-duper dry, and the falafel ball was not as amazing as everyone else talked it up to be. My heart broke as I walked out. BUT! I tried again last week for lunch on a weekday during a definite busy time, and had a chicken pita. Somehow this time, everything was so vibrant and flavorful, the meat was hot and juicy, and the pita so warm and soft. I haven't been able to stop thinking about my meal since then. The seating is kind of weird here, so I wouldn't recommend this for very large groups. Another side comment- on both of the visits, the pita chips were not anything to write home about. I'd suggest just ordering another warm pita instead of the chips. read more

This place is ah-may-zing!!! It's so good, i forgot how to spell ... The portion is big (so you get your money's worth #brokecollegestudentAgenda) and it is very tasty. The atmosphere was nice and clean and the staff was really helpful. This was the first time I've ever eaten here. My husband and I are hooked now! We'll probably go here a couple times a month from now on :) read more

Maybe Im confused but I expected this restaurant to be the fast food version of Cava in DC & Rockville - and when I heard about it I was super excited to try it out. What a waste of time. Ugh! In short this is a Mediterranean style chipotle and frankly I don't need anymore chipotle options in my life. The food is not good and makes Cava look pretty bad. I'm giving this place 2 stars because I can see the "the vision", the food looks fresh and the decor is nice but I was thoroughly unimpressed. Don't come here expecting Cava quality food. read more