This was my worst cava experience ever! If you want to get good cava go to the location in Carmel Mountain. They skimped out on everything, giving me the smaller portions of a life time. Do better cava... read more

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. read more

CAVA - Cava: 8849 Villa La Jolla Dr, La Jolla, CA 92037, 20230528 - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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. read more

NEVER ORDER ONLINE!!!! Ordered online got extra meat and totaled up to not even a spoonful of protein.

The bowl here is 10/10 great portions, food is fresh and ivan was great! The service was also very quick which was great. read more

CAVA - Chicken Greens + Grains Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I love cava! first time trying this location and all the staff went above and beyond to make sure it was a great experience. The staff moved quickly for the long line that was there and made sure to still be attentive while take orders, even during a crazy rush hour. The food is high quality and always tastes so fresh! read more

We shared a nice light meal here after shopping. Small place, clean inside, and enough seating. The chicken and rice bowl, pita, and hummus were pretty good. Bf and I thought it was a good place for a quick bite to eat in the middle of our day and we like mediterranean food. read more

Cava management needs to step up. There were 22 people in line, six employees at the front, but only two actually serving customers -- absolutely insane. Terrible customer service experience. read more

CAVA - Insane line.. - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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. read more

CAVA - Overfried pita chip - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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 read more

I love cava and come here really often, however today my bowl was a little crazy. Jamie was super nice so I don't want to blame her because maybe it's a new portion policy, but I feel like that amount of rice is ridiculous. After taking this photo, I realized that I really needed more rice to be able to actually eat it because that was not enough so I asked for a little more. I didn't expect it to be free however my bowl originally rang up for $13.20 and with the rice I added, it ended up being $18.80. $5.60 for an extra scoop of rice is genuinely insane. Food was delicious as always but this makes me not want to come back read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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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!! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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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 read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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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. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Kudos to Brandon that took care of us! The dishes are made with fresh ingredients and done fast since they have every ingredients prepared and ready to be served. Think of this place like a Chipotle ordering style. My mouth was having a party with the chicken of the Harissa Avocado! It's so flavorful! Homemade and freshly squeezed lemonades are done everyday! Wow! The ambience felt relaxed. We will come back! read more

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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. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I'm from Norcal. I'm middle eastern. I remember one of my cousins describing it as the "mediterranean chipotle" once. I was like WHERE CAN I GET THIS. Needless to say, I moved (unrelated to her comment) and it's a new go-to. At $13 it's affordable, the ingredients are ALL made to flavor, and it's a filling meal for the price point. You choose your carb/lettuce, protein, toppings and sauces, lime chipotle. Overall good vibes and will be coming back. Staff are ok but it's fast food (but fresh) read more

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It was very busy and Chris delivered excellent customer service while managing, cooking , running the line and helping with take out. A true team leader. The atmosphere was busy but good. As a restaurant manager myself , it was good to see a full house. Food was fresh and delicious as well. I'll be back! Thanks Chris. read more

I was not impressed. I told the employee it was my first time and I didn't know how to order. He just stared at me, said nothing. It was the most awkward experience. Once I was able to eat, I was not impressed. It wasn't anything special, and everything tasted the same, rather than separate ingredients. The falafel was just ok and the chicken was the same. I honestly wouldn't come back mainly due to the customer service. read more

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. read more

I got a half veggie half falafel bowl without cheese because I'm vegan. Bowl was satisfying and filling. I wish they had a protein like seasoned tofu. read more

First time at cava and I decided to go to the one in La Jolla. Lots of my friends say really good things about this place so I was really excited to check it out. This has been a place I've wanted to visit for nearly a year or two (just kept putting it off). There's a pretty decent sized menu and it's not overly complicated but I was a little hesitant because I wasn't sure how to completely go about ordering exactly what I wanted but I had the spicy lamb avocado bowl and added rice. After I asked for rice that I was going to pay for, one of the workers (older dude pushing 50 with glasses) was being sassy for no reason- rolling his eyes, groaning after my request saying "Well if you're gonna want more rice I'm going to have to charge you extra". I'm pretty sure if anyone's asking for extra anything they're expecting to pay for it but I just didn't realize I was asking for an arm and a leg. On top of that, he gave me half a scoop of rice. I usually don't nitpick this way but I was pretty hungry and that just ruined the initial experience for me. The other dude at register had that thousand yard stare and was just pushing the line through. It just felt like a problem being there. Everything else about this place was good- lots of good options and tasty sauces + proteins. I must have came in on the wrong day since the workers were in a mood. I just wanted to ask more questions just to understand how to order for the future but I didn't think a line of 4 people and asking for some extra rice would cause such frustration. This location was nice and clean too but I probably won't come back to this location after the service I got. read more

Went to cava today on 4/7 and had some really poor service. Mar was super rude and not friendly in the slightest. Will not be going back.

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! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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. read more

Great job everyone food was great and service will be back soon. Thank Team

I'm surprised it took me this long to try Cava and now I'm finally hooked, I went two days in a row for lunch. I was ready to give 5 stars, but after coming in twice, I would say it's an inconsistent experience. The food is phenomenal, there is nothing that I don't like so far. I've opted for the "Build your own" greens and grains bowl and only tried the meatball protein so far, with spinach, lentils, corn, spicy hummus, feta cheese, Tahini Caesar dressing or lemon herb tahini. The meatballs are deliciously juicy and they give you a good amount, like 4-5 meatballs. Everything altogether is divine and filling. I love how ordering online shows you all the calories. I would say it was inconsistent because my food was ready at the time promised and service was quick and friendly the first time. The following day I was about 10 minutes late for my pick up time and the employees tried looking for it, only for them to tell me someone else probably took my order. They don't leave the pick up orders on the shelves, you have to ask to get your order - so that means one of the employees gave MY order...not a customer picking up the wrong one. I got the vibe that they were only a tad bit apologetic, if even, and no one wanted to take the blame for it. She made my bowl in the next 5 minutes and it did look kinda sloppy - I asked for sauce on the side in the take out order but she didn't do that when she remade it read more

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The food is always great however the attitude of the staff is not. I completely understand that some people have bad days but this is the third time we've come to this location where the employees look like they hate their job. When it comes to the toppings the employee tells me they are out yet proceeds to refill the topping for the next customer. I was patient and wouldn't waiting but he did not seem to care. Very disappointed. read more

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. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

My 1st time there & it was better than I expected. Well I was not sure what to expect. They are quite busy. I'll definitely be back. read more

Rice was dried, chicken was good but could only get a small scoop or I had to pay another 5 dollars. The service was good very kind girls working there. The lemonades were very good. The ambiance is on the loud side but similar to chipotle. read more

Every time I came in, the food and customer service was very well. However this time around 2pm, I guess there was an issue when I requested to add an additional sauce to my bowl? The first male worker was very respectful, but the next female worker who was adding toppings/sauces + female cashier were not. After asking for two sauces the workers immediately gave my bowl to the cashier to check out, but I had asked to add one more and they looked at each other with disgust and whispered something. As someone who worked in food industry, this is extremely unprofessional and disrespectful. Especially doing it in-front of a customer, I hope this can be addressed and fixed. read more

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 read more

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! read more

Oh cava, I like you so much, but why was my rice crunchy? I placed an online order for a half greens half grains bowl with grilled chicken, packed full of dips and toppings. This is one of my favorite quick meal options. For around $12, you get SO MUCH fresh and delicious food. All of the veggies and meat were fresh and flavorful. The pickled onions are always a highlight, and the chicken was flavorful and juicy. I tried their new eggplant dip and it was so smoky and yummy. Of course, their garlic sauce has me in an absolute chokehold, it's so addictive! I tried the green zouhg sauce as well, and that was packed with herb flavor. Unfortunately the major shortcoming of my experience was the rice. I got the white rice option, and it was noticeably crunchy and undercooked throughout. I'm not going to stop coming to Cava because it's overall quick and super delicious, but I really hope they keep a closer eye on their rice in the future! read more

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. read more

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We love this Cava location! The food is great and the staff/service is consistently friendly and helpful. Thank you, Ivan, for your hospitality!!! read more

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. read more

CAVA - Harissa bowl missing pretty much everything. The rice was dry as hell and tasted old. Like it had been sitting out for a long time. - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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 read more