3.5 stars. Had a completely solid lunch from here today. Ordered the salad with hummus, chicken, tzaziki and different tomatoes. The chicken was pretty good and there was a lot of it. The spinach in the salad was a nice change. I've been pleasantly surprised by non-iceberg lettuce options. I've been here before a fair number of times and it's generally good. They get things wrong occasionally, but nothing egregious. It's definitely a fast, casual place to eat. Don't expect to take a long time and sit down. The restaurant's line can get very long, so order online or be prepared for a wait. read more

Best Cava. They give you bigger portions than the other two Cava Grills I've been to. I also like that they have a lot of window seats. read more

CAVA - I think this location is the best cava grill. - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Still awesome the second time around. Whichever previous reviewer suggested the bowl of rice was right -- you get WAY more food. Load up on the spreads, too! They're all great, but take it easy on the harissa if you don't want to hurt yourself. This time I tried the falafel and added a side pita, and it was so good and filling -- I had plenty for lunch the next day! Bottom line: load up on spreads, get all the toppings except cabbage (but that's because I hate cabbage), get the rice bowl, and grab a side pita. Yum. read more

Quickie Med food? I'm in! I like the salad (I feel like you get more stuff than the rice base or the pita). Whichever way you decide to go, add on the hummus (extra tasty), the baba, the feta/pepper spread, the red pepper spread (something odd yet adds a spicy goodness), and some of the cucumber/tomato salad. Don't forget the feta. Ask for extra and ye shall receive (free o' charge). Pros: yummy, cheap, easy, quick, clean, and friendly staff. Just do it. read more

I came here in a Wednesday night and there was no line at all. It was kind of loud so it was difficult to here the employee taking my order. This place is basically like chipotle but for Mediterranean food. I got a greens and grains bowl with brown rice, arugula and spinach, falafel, tzatziki, traditional hummus and red pepper hummus. It was delicious and I could definitely make two meals out of my bowl. I also got a strawberry mint lime juice which was just the right amount of sweetness. I am looking forward to trying out more options at Cava! read more

CAVA - Greens and grains bowl with falafel - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Dependably the best lunch option in Bethesda. Good portion of tasty food at a fair price. Plus, one would have to try pretty hard to turn their visit into an unhealthy one. First timer? Get the Harissa. read more

I love this place :) Fresh, tasty ingredients, huge servings for reasonable prices! Great on-the-go choice! read more

Like many other yelpers have stated here, this is a Chipotle-type concept with the "Greek" components. I was disappointed since initially before this restaurant opened that it would be in the same vein as the wonderful Cava in Rockville. I think we have been here twice, but this would be my go-to spot if we weren't dining at another sit-down server restaurant at Bethesda row. The condiments along with the rice/pita/protein are freshly made, but the protein may be subjected to some dry out since they may be sitting in the bins for an extended period of time. The harissa is similar to that of Cava in Rockville but not exactly the same in texture. Service is quick and efficient. The pita bread is excellent, toasty, and warm. The rice is a bit on the flat side and it's not as good as a well-made batch of Chipotle cilantro/lime rice. You could say that is a bit on the mushy/soft side; maybe use a different technique in preparing the rice? There is an extra charge for additional rice, or if you want a pita to go along with a bowl. Also, I think it is a bit shady that the receipt you receive doesn't include the items that you ordered with the price. Also it is a bit more expensive than Chipotle, but it wouldn't deter me from getting any offerings on the menu. All in all, a good place to go to and serves as a good alternative to other offerings in the area. read more

I went here the other day for lunch and was satisfied with the experience. Cava is a nice alternative to Chipotle (yes, it is the exact same concept, different cuisine). For $6.95, I was able to get a decent size salad with falafel. For my "dip" options, I chose hummus, tzatziki, and the eggplant/red pepper spread. I topped it with the cucumber/tomato salad and feta. The salad consisted of fresh mixed greens and not just iceberg lettuce. I enjoyed the whole chickpeas mixed into the falafel (which was definitely crisp, not soggy). I wasn't that thrilled with the eggplant/red pepper spread. I would skip that next time and go with the "crazy feta." I have not tried the rice or the pita, but based on what I saw of other people's food, I think the salad would be my first choice. I did not like the seating options, which consisted of several long picnic tables down the middle of the restaurant, some swivel chairs around a counter that ran around the perimeter of the restaurant, and the outdoor seating that crams you between the sidewalk and the road. I realize there are space limitations in Bethesda, and that many people do not mind dining next to strangers...but I would probably opt for carry-out next time. read more

This past Friday I went to pick up dinner at Cava, but I couldn't remember all the elements of my favorite dish. Happily I had the cheerful and patient Wamda to assist me! In her gracious way, I received the courteous attention that you would expect at a fine restaurant. The salad was delicious, but the customer service Wamda provided was memorable. These things matter! read more

YUM This is what has been missing from my 6 years of working in Betehsda. Perfect size for lunch. I am so happy to be able to make my ideal falaffel sandwich. Nothing I had was really outstanding-best-I've-ever-had. But the concept is great and the food is good. My only minor quips is that I would have liked fresh pita and the harissa to be more salsa like-less spread like. read more

This is my go-to place for a quick and healthy meal. I always get a salad bowl and then you can pick any number of dips you want (crazy feta is awesome and the harissa is super spicy but excellent), protein and toppings. The falafel are my favorite but the lamb sliders are also good-although they charge $1 more for that. Still a good deal though as the portion is huge and I am always stuffed afterwards. I am a big fan of Cava in Rockville but when I can't make it out there Cava Grill is a replacement read more

Cava is hands-down my go-to and most favorite place for delicious and nutritional food on the go. I literally never get sick of eating here.

I love this location. The staff memorized my order and are extremely friendly. This location gets you through quick for a quick lunch break. Thanks, Yolanda, Andres, Daniel,Omar read more

Yeah! Gets the job done! I've always had a positive experience here-- tasty food and always a place to sit. Clean, friendly, and they never run out of any kind of food. It can get very busy during the rush hour, but the line moves briskly. read more

I am upgrading my rating of this place for more than one reason. On my previous review I noted that the rice did not meet my expectations. After my review, the owner contacted me and invited me to give it another try, recognizing that they had some issues with the rice at beginning but were working to improve it. Right there and there they won big points with me. They get it! This is how you win costumers. So, on my second visit I decided to order the same thing I did the first time: the rice bowl, with lamb and eggplant dip. I did notice a great improvement in consistency of the rice. This time it had the right amount of moist, while still being loose. I never had a problem with the lamb or the egg plant dip, as I found them to be tasty from day one. The service was good and they were very friendly and happy to answer my questions. After I was done with my meal, someone came quickly to pick up my stuff (which I was happy to throw to the trash myself). Overall, a good experience and I am looking forward to continue visiting them. read more

Went there today for lunch with a coworker and ordered Salad with lamb for almost $8. Food was good, staff were sweet, and price was reasonable. Only comments would be the outdoor tables. They are pretty much broken and they can use few new ones. It's a self service with no waiter service. read more

Cava grill serves adequate food. They designed it like Chipotle where you just tell the people behind the counter what you want. The falafel was very good; crunchy outside and whole chick peas, but the lamb was a bit dry. For the same price, I would get a lot more at Chipotle, but if I am craving a decent falafel sandwich, I would come here. read more

SO good! My friends and I were wandering around Bethesda looking for a late night dinner (alas, the Red line delays had locked us out of delicious Peruvian chicken) and we decided to swing by Cava Mezze. I'd heard of it when I lived on Capitol Hill, but had never made it over so I was looking forward to some tasty Greek food - and I definitely got it! The Chipotle style layout was great since we were starving by that point and needed food quickly. The Crazy Feta dip was really, really good and I thoroughly enjoyed the little mini pita sampler trio. All the meat was tasty and even my foodie friends were impressed. read more

Happened to come across this place while walking around downtown Bethesda. This is the Chipotle of Mediterranean food, as someone else also mentioned. I chose the bowl. The veggies were fresh, the braised lamb was juicy, and the dips were perfect. I was actually surprised at how good this place was. I'd take Cava Mezze Grill over Chipotle any day! Portion sizes were pretty huge though, but I'm not complaining. I didn't feel bad after eating so much either, just because everything seemed relatively healthy for a fast food place. Prices were also very reasonable. The place was packed when I was there, so seating might be tough during lunch hour, although my colleague and I found a small table to sit at. I'll definitely come back here for lunch again! read more

Obsessed with this place! The proteins are flavorful; the dips are delicious within themselves (I even buy them in batches at the grocery store); and I love that the toppings are unlimited! They recently started using the loyalty app like Starbucks' and it's just even greater motivation for me to go. read more

Great food, the staff is friendly and helpful. Spicy lamb and quinoa are amazingly good. Fast, great food, reasonably priced - huge thumbs up read more

Love the freshness of all ingredients and the tastiness of dips and spreads. The Basmati rice is light and fluffy. I have fun doing mix and match of all these meat and dips and toppings! Love it! read more

CAVA - Arugula, grilled chicken, cucumber, tomatoes, pickled red onion, Quinoa, Cabbage Slaw, Red Pepper Hummus - What a beauty! - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Awesome Mediterranean style cuisine in a bowl. Fresh veggies and great meat or vegan options. My favorite place for a casual meal in Bethesda. Friendly staff with excellent customer service. Check it out! read more

I love this place so much! The food is amazing, with lots of vegetarian options. The people working are really nice, and service is fast.

Soooo goood! Lots of tasty options to choose from! The bowls are large and very filling. I had the falafel bowl with half lentil half super greens. I could eat it every day! The service was the only thing I found to be short of top notch. Lacked friendliness and warmth, instead made the experience of ordering feel anxious and rushed. Wish I had one back home in my town! read more

Food is always great and fresh. Staff couldn't have been nicer, my friend called the order into the wrong location and the staff made the orders right on the spot and were incredibly accommodating. Will of course continue coming to Cava and encourage my friends and family to do so as well! read more

I love the salads here! I usually order a salad with falafel and ask them to pile on almost all the toppings. They even give you a mini pita with it if you want. I'm usually scared that if I eat a salad for lunch, I will get hungry an hour or so later, but these salads are really filling. The line is usually long around lunch time, but the food and reasonable price makes it worth it. read more

HOOKED!! This place is fire!! Can't believe I haven't gone sooner. Make your own bowl/pita/salad Mediterranean style restaurant. Literally every food option they have is perfect and on point. And their juice bar is amazing too. My fav is the Kale Apple Cucumber Ginger Lemon juice!! My go to bowl: Baby spinach, harissa, red pepper hummus, tzatziki, falafel (SO good!!), grilled chicken, pickled onion, cucumber, crumbled feta and lemon herb tahini dressing. Also there pumpkin seed molasses cookie and chocolate chip cookie are soft, moist and delicious!! Clean establishment, friendly staff & cool interior! read more

CAVA - Baby spinach, harissa, red pepper hummus, tzatziki, falafel, chicken, pickled onion, cucumber, feta & lemon herb tahini dressing - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Tasty, interesting lunch in a crowd. I took my lady to try out Cava Mezze last month on our way back through the Bethesda area. We didn't want to spend a lot of money or time, but wanted to try a new experience if we could. I've been curious about Cava and Cava Mezze for awhile, and was eager to see what's up. We were fortunate to find a street space right in front. Lunchtime in the thick of Bethesda is not for the timid, and if parking hadn't presented itself, we might have been drawn to one of the million other restaurants within 3 blocks. First impression is that of a Chipotle -- a long line not moving very fast, leading up to steam trays behind protective glass, but we needed the time to figure out how to order, and it worked itself out. There's a lot here that looks interesting, We each ordered a bowl of stuff, hers based around falafel patties, mine around grilled chicken. Choose from among the interesting greens, veggies, and sauces, and you're done. It was plenty of food for a reasonable price. Mine was quite good, though I underestimated how spicy-hot the harissa sauce would be! Her falafel was a little dry and bland, I'm afraid, but overall we liked the ingredients and options. The beverage station was particularly welcome; I got a citrusy iced tea that I would drink every day if I had it. Seating is very limited for how crowded it is. We were fortunate at that hour to find 2 stools in a corner. All the bowls, utensils, and cups are environmentally sensitive. We liked it, and we'll come back, but will try to time it when traffic is a little lighter. read more

Always fresh and delicious. It can be busy during lunch so use the app to order ahead! Oh, and make sure to get the crazy feta dip

I love everything Cava!! The falafel is crispy and tasty. I really love the spicy harissa, its the perfect amount of spicy without over doing it. Crazy feta-delicious. Skip Five Guys and Chipotle, choose Cava and enjoy a nice quick meal! read more

Cava is the Mediterranean/Greek version of Chipotle. You go in, start with a pita, salad, or mini pitas (akin to taco's), pick your meat or falafel, then add sauces and vegetables, I like getting half Hummus and half eggplant pepper on a pita with chicken. The ingredients are top notch and the place is eco friendly, they actually play serviceable music too. The only place I've been to lately not playing rock holiday crap music (Asian restaurants please get a clue!) Cost is basically the same as chipotle or less, since there is nothing similar to the guacamole add on which I usually get at chipotle. A pita is 6.95 I think. My one complaint is that I wish the total mass of the pita sandwich was about 20% more, others I've been there with say the same. I'm a skinny bitch too fyi. Charge me a dollar more and make the pita a little bigger, I am not totally satiated with one and can't eat two read more

LOVE THEIR FOOD SO MUCH. I eat here all the time :) half super greens, half lentils, two things of hummus, falafel, cucumber and tomato, lemon tahini, and cauliflower quinoa -- so good ! The only downside is that my food is never ready at the specified time whenever I order it online -- but everyone there is always so nice and immediately starts making it when I let them know. They also often offer a free fountain drink for the lateness, which I appreciate! read more

My salad included undercooked (hard, crunchy) lentils, undercooked meatballs (the manager said they've been getting other such complaints, so why haven't they fixed the problem?) and a hard piece of plastic about 1/2 inch long. All this, in one meal! read more

I was definitely a little disappointed when I first walked into Cava. I expected it to be just like the restaurant in Rockville. Instead, it is basically a "Chipotle-style" Cava with made to order bowls, pitas, and salads. I ordered the falafel on pita and my disappointment went away! The pita was so warm and soft, and the falafel was probably the best I've ever had! It was light (not greasy) and very tasty. They offer choices of different spreads on the pita which are all really good too! I will definitely be back for lunch! read more

Good food and great taste for fast food that is good for you. Kids can get rice and chicken, and you are only charged for two sides -- not the full priced bowl. Love the carrot ginger lemonade. Our kids do too. Limeade is also great. Try them! My bowl: rice, chicken, hummus, romaine, tsatsiki, tomato/cucumber, sirachi hot sauce dressing, feta, olives, red cabbage. Better than Chipotle in quality and freshness. Good cookies too! read more

Friends brought in Cava Grill for lunch, delicious! I mean it was vicious. I got the Lamb on rice, with hummus and harrissa. I ate it all. OK I ate some of my co-workers as well. Oh I forgot to tell you about the pita chips, OMG, two bags down the hatch. I ate here before and as write this I'm looking at review on the right side of screen which is about cava grill too. Is this normal? How does Yelp know??? PS #Nick .S below me, Your post is hilarious, I thought these post were limited in characters how did you get so much data in there. But hey I agree with you I love to eat and this place is delicious. Now enjoy eating at Chipolte. #Amani A., 2 down I love the falafel at Cava Grill, I eat them like a box of munchkins like DD, one of my favorite place, they tend not to get caught in my throat as easily, and NO I am not going to the Middle East for a falafel Amani, they blow up people up there that are my size and I don't understand the public transportation which my petitie figure don't fit in :P-) read more

I am looking forward to going back after my first bite. Everything was full of flavor and fresh. When I let the staff know it was my first trip they were very helpful explaining all of the options. I tried several of the fresh juice option but I really enjoyed the Pineapple Apple Mint. There website does a good job explaining options but the iPhone app is worthless. Another garbage app developed by Level-up. I hope the invest in a real app soon. read more

CAVA - My meal and it rocked - Mediterranean Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I love CAVA for the food but NOW EVEN MORE FOR THE SERVICE FROM PEOPLE LIKE MARVELI NAVARRO. A couple weeks ago she attended me, She was super attentive and wonderful, she was worried that I (not knowing) chose a type of hummus that contained yogurt. I don't eat anything with dairy (which I mentioned it after). She took the initiative to fix that immediately without me asking her and with a beautiful and joyful attitude. She obviously cares about her customers and has a high standard for her job. So when I went back I asked her for her name and I gave her a big hug. She made my day and she totally deserves the 5 stars! Thank you for hiring people like her!!! read more