Oh Em Gee CAVA over at chipotle any day of the week I swear to God hand on the Bible. Once you eat at this place you feel like the healthiest bitch on earth and you walk out of there with a happy stomach. I always get the greens in greens bowl with super greens and brown rice. Then I mix the protein with shredded beef and chicken. Then I get every single topping because you know I'm a big girl. And they have like 15 different toppings so my bowl is literally overflowing. I add cilantro sauce and get a pita and pita chips on the side. It's about $11 for all of this food! This place is so good the staff is very professional it's clean and it's always busy whenever I go in there for the perfect reason of good quality food! There's not that processed cheese that you see at chipotle and the meet actually looks like it hasn't been sitting out for 15 hours! If you ever try let me know how you think of it :-) read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Just like all of the other Cavas in the world, this does for Mediterranean food what Chipotle did for TexMex. Super fast, huge portions, affordable, and delicious. Definitely my new go to when I need something fast and at least somewhat healthy. Great vegetarian/vegan options too. read more

Cava is my go to place when I want something healthy and fast. Everything always tastes incredibly fresh and their drink selections are extensive and delicious. You order like you would at a Chipotle, where you go down the line adding grains, greens, dips, protein, toppings, and sauces. I have tried a few proteins and like the braised beef best, even though I don't normally eat much meat. They have fresh made juice and tea combinations like strawberry citrus, peach green tea, basil lemonade, etc...They also offer Maine Root sodas, which are fantastic! The space is pretty industrial and they have plenty of seating both up and downstairs. The parking is shared with Panera and can be really dicey as all of it is made for compact cars and it's tight even backing out. The service is friendly and there seems to be the same crew most of the time, so that's usually a good sign that their staff is treated well. read more

Nice place to go if you're looking for something fresh to eat. You can choose between a grain bowl, salad bowl or a mix of the two. Their toppings are pretty vegetarian/vegan friendly but I wish they had a few more veggie options to choose from to top off your bowl. If you like spicy, definitely give their harissa a try, so good! Service is always quick and friendly. And they have a great upstairs patio to enjoy your meal on. read more

CAVA - Cava salad bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Stumbled upon CAVA while searching for a lunch spot to take a friend to near VCU. The pictures looked scrumptious and the reviews looked promising. I was a convert after my first visit. My first visit was a little after lunch rush. There was still a line, but it moved fairly fast and we were able to find seats on the second floor without much problem. My second visit was during lunch rush, so we ended up having to sit downstairs at the awkward big table thats tuck between the line and the counter. My friends and I enjoyed our meals very much. It's nice to have healthy yet delicious alternative when you're eating out. Both time I got the salad bowl with chicken. I was able to stretch my bowls and have it for lunch and saved the rest for dinner. Ordering style is Chipotle-esque, so you can get creative and tailor your bowl to your liking. You pick your protein, dips, toppings, then dressings. I've only tried the chicken and it was well seasoned and not dry. I really liked the crazy feta topping. One of my friends didn't get dressing the first time he ordered it and he said that was a bad idea because the bowl ended up quite dry. CAVA might just be my go-to place for lunch now! read more

Talk about amazing. It's like Mediterranean Chipotle! Unlimited toppings and quick service!

Love this place. Great flavors! Healthy options! Plenty of variety in the food quality seems excellent. Have been to multiple locations and have gotten equally good food. read more

Adding onto vast landscape of fast-casual, build-your-own meal concepts in Richmond is CAVA, a place that serves up quick and tasty Mediterranean cuisine. The restaurant sits close to the VCU campus, [in the old Pie Five space] so unless you're a student within walking distance, parking can be a nuisance during peak hours. But it's another great healthy, wholesome option in the area if you're not in the mood for Chipotle or Panera! Speaking of Chipotle, the setup in CAVA is very familiar. You can order a bowl or a pita wrap, stuffed with a base of greens or grains [or both!] and load it up with various dips, sauces, and veggies. I ordered a bowl with white rice and chicken. The rice, let me tell you! It was so delicious. Fluffy, earthy, with hints of saffron all throughout, it was among the better rice I've had in a restaurant. I had a hard time picking a protein since they all looked tasty [especially the lamb meatballs], so I decided on the chicken. You can choose to top your bowl with different dips, which was a little weird to me because I don't like mixing too many different flavors, but the dips had a thicker texture, so you can keep them off to the side without worrying about them mixing into your bowl. I recommend the tzatziki, it had great flavor and all the elements that make a great tzatziki! You then get to top your bowl with fresh veggies; I chose pickled onion, cabbage, cucumbers, beets, and romaine. A lot of interesting options on that end, but I enjoyed them since they were fresh and added a nice crunchy element to the bowl. They also give you the option to top your bowl with another dressing [they sure love sauces] so I just got the lemon herb tahini on the side, which was great. All the employees throughout the ordering process were incredibly nice, accommodating, and always happy to answer any questions. The bowls are a little on the pricier side of the fast-casual spectrum [especially since some of the meats have an upcharge] but it's still pretty affordable since the portions are very generous. My bowl and a small drink totaled around $13, so it doesn't break the bank too much. Speaking of drinks, there were a ton of juice and tea options. My friends and I got the pineapple apple mint juice, it was amazing! The mint was super subtle and not overpowering, which made it so refreshing. And this is coming from a gal who hates mint in drinks. Overall, it's nice to see another quick healthy option in the area, especially a Mediterranean one. The lines move fairly quick, all of the food is seasoned well and served fresh, and the customer service is great. I look forward to trying more bowl combinations! read more

CAVA - Build-your-own bowl with a pineapple apple mint juice. So delicious! - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I'm addicted to this place. The greens and grains bowl is amazing and their turmeric lemonade is divine. I kept wishing I had a splash or two of vodka to add in it. I know make the lemonade at home :-) The serving is deceiving. It doesn't look like a lot of food but it is and it is filling. It is pricey but delicious. Eating there makes me feel like I am doing something good for me. read more

Delicious and filling, Cava brings a much needed breath of freshness to the fast food scene near the VCU main campus. The concept is very similar to Chipotle, where you go along building your bowl or pita with the variety of bases, spreads, and toppings that they have. Their bowls are about $10 with an up-charge on certain proteins, but all of the other toppings are free. For myself, I usually go with the bowl with the greens and grain base. I really like that they have a variety of green mixes and grains for you to choose from. Their spreads, particularly the spicy harissa, were very flavorful and you get to choose up to three of them. As for the proteins, I usually go with their chicken which is surprisingly well seasoned (better than Chipotle's IMO). Their braised lamb was also tender and flavorful. The only thing I haven't liked were their meatballs which I found to be really dry. Even though there's a lot that's going on in the bowl, everything meshes well together. The bowl comes with a small warm pita bread that they make in house. I thought it was a little too dense, but it was nice having it to sop up the extra dressing and spreads. They also have a good selection of fresh juices which I liked because none of them were too sweet. Cava's food always tastes super fresh and the high turnover with all the students coming here definitely helps as well. It can get pretty crowded here and the dining space is a little cumbersome inside of the restaurant since the tables are in the center and it can get a little awkward as hungry students gawk at your food while you're trying to eat. However, they do have a great patio space up on their roof! Tip: You can even order ahead online to skip the line! read more

Why would anyone put anything from a fast food chain in their soup-cooler in the VCU area while this place exists? Whether one desires to enjoy all the pleasures of Mediterranean everything, or like myself, one desires to "de-fat" oneself a bit, this chain is for you. Yet another entry destroying my "no chains" paradigm. I barely discovered them in February when googling "Best Salad in Richmond VA," and they were one of the choices. I've since introduced 3 friends to it and have dined there 5 times. Each time it's a bit different in a good way, because you choose what you put in whatever you choose. You can literally have as many different meals as the times you choose to go. I love that they have a list of farms where they source their products. I opt for a salad bowl with 1/2 Arugula and 1/2 Supergreens. I avoid the pita offered which I hear is great, and I have them sprinkle a bit of lentils on there. You then choose 3 amazing dips which you get an ice cream scoop of. Harissa, (mildly spicy), Hummus, and Tzaziki are my favorites. Then you choose a protein, (I've had all and all are good). My go to fave is 1/2 spicy lamb and 1/2 falafel. Then as many vegetable toppoings you want and amazing sauces/dressing. Their tea/juice selections are too incredible to decide. Even the property is awesome. I love that you can eat outside upstairs in the patio. This place has everything for everyone from vegan to carnivore, from spicy addict to the wimpy rest. You will not be disappointed. I will be now trying the location in Fairfax. read more

I came across CAVA looking for a new spot for lunch. While the food was very good and filling, the price seemed high for a daily lunch spot. Be warned, you should familiarize yourself with the menu prior to visiting CAVA. Much like a Chipotle, you build your dish with various "layers" with lots of options. It can be quite daunting your first go around. However, you will be rewarded for you efforts. The ingredients tasted fresh and tasty. And depending on the sauces you choose (up to three), you can a different flavor in each corner of the bowl, or stir everything together to create one homogeneous flavor. I definitely recommend the lemonades and other fruit juices, however, these are not your typical drinks. Many are laced with various herbs to create a very unique flavor; some good and others I wasn't a fan of. But overall, I would recommend this restaurant to anyone adventurous and who won't panic under all of the choices. read more

Great addition to RVA. I've had it up in nova but am glad it has made its way down to RVA. Super fresh ingredients, great assortment of fresh drinks and nice dining area. Located right off grace st in the freshmen heart of vcu, I've been here a few times already and probably will continue for a long time! The staff is super friendly and chill. Unlike other setups that are similar (cough cough chipotle) they are not at all stingy with their portions and one bowl could easily be 2 meals in one. Great price, typical outing here will cost me about $8-12 dollars depending on if I get a drink or not. I like that they have outdoor seating upstairs...pretty chill vibe. The only downside to this place is the parking. The lot is very small and is shared between a Panera and chipotle which are also some popular places so if you live nearby it's amazing and not a problem but if you have to drive here, street parking may be the best idea for you nearby off grace/broad st. Only thing that kept it from 5 stars, otherwise read more

The food was amazing! My first time trying CAVA was on Monday and I came back for more today. Fresh tasting food that is worth the quick buck. Reminds me of quick service similar to that of Chipotle. read more

CAVA gives a Mediterranean twist on the Chipotle that we all know and love. The set-up is the same. You start off deciding what kind of bowl/wrap you want (grain, salad, etc.), choose your protein, add in your toppings, and then end with a drizzle of a sauce of your choice. Your order also comes with a fresh pita bread on the side. The possibilities are endless here. There are so many different dips, sauces, and toppings that there's always something new to try. Although it is pricier than Chipotle, they also serve huge portion sizes - easily enough for 2 meals. read more

Tara and Jared were working tonight and they do an excellent job completing my order. They were very quick and had great customer service. I really enjoyed my experience in Richmond it was very easy and efficient read more

Tried this for the first time tonight and boy was it awesome! I took advantage of spring break on VCU's campus to try it out as there has always been a long line when i have driven by since its recent opening. It really is like Chipotle but with Mediterranean cuisine and there are a few steps to ordering so i recommend reading the menu first. Thankfully the paper menu's also have a bit of calorie info too. You basically order a big pita wrap, a salad, a rice bowl, or mini tacos and then start filling it with everything. You get three choices of dips and i got red pepper humus, eggplant humus. Then you pick your protein and i spent $1.75 more to get spicy lamb meatballs. They were delicious and not really spicy. Then i got all the veggies and toppings and topped it off with the sriracha greek yogurt. Also not super spicy but very flavorful. And i got pita chips to go with it! Yummmy! This was a great meal. Everything is paired so well that you litteraly cannot make a mistake in what you put together. Just be careful as you order stuff added in as it can increase your cost if you aren't careful. I will be going back! read more

Cava was a restaurant that is fast Mediterranean food. Ironically, it was right next door to a fast food Mexican restaurant. This was my first venture to Cava and I wasn't disappointed. The reason I gave it 4 Stars is because I felt like the menu was small and I felt overwhelmed with looking up at the menu to figure out what I want. I ended up ordering a bowl. I had the choice to add greens but I opted for the rice. For the meat, they had many choices such as lamb, chicken and falafel and other options I'm unsure of. I chose chicken. It was seasoned well and I'm glad that I chose that option. Next part was adding a sauce. I love tzhiki sauce so I asked for double. Next add on was quinoa, pickled onions, tomatoes. Lastly, you chose another sauce and I picked a spicy sauce on the side and a yogurt dressing. Needless to say, I would love to come back and explore the menu even more and take my time choosing my next entree. read more

This is definitely a restaurant VCU's campus needed! If you don't know what CAVA is, it's a chain restaurant that sells Mediterranean foods served in a "make your own" bowl/wrap (yes, similar to chipotle). You start out with a grain or salad base, then 3 dips, a protein, vegetables, and sauces of your choice. Everything is fresh and I love how their mission is to team up with local farmers for their fresh ingredients! They also have an assortment of teas/pressed juice drinks that they change out frequently. I've been to this location about 3 times since they opened, and service has been consistently attentive and nice! They are always willing to explain all ingredients to you and give you suggestions to build your bowl. Pricing is very similar (a bit more expensive though) to Chipotle. Seating is plentiful, there's two floors plus an outdoor rooftop patio! If you want to try something new around the VCU campus, definitely try out CAVA. My bowl is usually: Extra white rice Dips: Harissa, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, Tzatsiki Protein: Falafel - their pulled lamb is amazing too, although there's an upcharge Vegetable bar, cucumber & tomato, beet salad, extra cucumbers, feta, quinoa & cauliflower salad Sauces: lemon herb tahini, green harissa read more

I could eat food like this all day. There were so many choices and everything was fresh. The service was friendly and quick. There was a long line but it moved along swiftly. I love that you can customize your order with many fresh choices. The juice was delicious, also. And free refills! Can't wait to go back and try some other things. read more

CAVA - Greens and grains bowl with an array of toppings. - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

What took me so long to try Cava out. It's my new favorite place to meet friends for lunch. The food is fresh, flavorful and a good value. That's not to say it's a cheap eat. Expect to pay $12-$15 per person. But it's a generous meal and nutrient dense. But the best part is the patio upstairs. BluDot seats under oversized umbrellas above the din of VCU campus. I recommend the super greens with falafel, sweet potato hummus, baba ganoush, pickled slaw, feta, mint with green harissa dressing. Don't forget a cucumber soda. Literally, before I leave, I think of a person I want to meet there for lunch the NEXT day. Cava is easy to ignore if you're not a student or teacher at VCU, it being in the thick of campus and all, but make the effort.I have no doubt it will be your new favorite place too. read more

Absolutely a wonderful experience. From the beginning until my last bite. Upon entering the staff greater up in a very friendly way, since it was our first time there they went over everything with us. It was absolutely delicious! Clean eating a nice balanced meal. My favorite was all of the freshly squeezed juices. As you can see I took a picture of the juice bar. This is a must try! I can't wait until they open up in the West End next month! Thank you guys for phenomenal customer service. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

A great place to get interesting eats, especially if you're a vegetarian or just want something light yet filling. Mediterranean with a modern twist, honestly, oh and a range of teas and sodas that'll surely introduce you to some new flavors. The servicing size is moderate, all the dressings and spreads are scoop up with a little baby ice cream scoop, which makes them neat and tiny. Overall, it's alright. Q&D; A slightly pricer Mediterranean Chipotle with interesting drinks read more

Cava really improves since the first time I went. The variety of options make it a lot easier to load up your bowl. I often don't eat on campus if I'm not already on campus but I find myself craving this place. I would recommend getting the greens & grain bowl. I get arugula and brown rice. I get chicken as a protein because the meatballs tend to be dry to me and they don't give you much. They also have mini pitas for not extra charge and that's great to dip into the bowl. The pita chips are also good but tend to be a little salty in my opinion. The juices are also great. The best thing is when it's nice out and you can eat on the upstairs balcony. read more

When you are looking for quick, healthy, and Mediterranean, this franchise in VA hit all the points. I was introduced to this restaurant by friends from MD, who met me in VA. This is a build-your-own type of eatery so do read the menu options before getting on the ordering line. Another plus is that you can sample the ingredients if you're really undecided. read more

I decided to try CAVA by default. The line for Chipotle was out the door, so we went a few doors down to CAVA. This CAVA is located directly on VCU campus. Similar to Chipotle, customer goes down a line and picks different items for their bowl, salad, or pitas. CAVA has a variety of vegetables, spreads, and meats. Customers can sample different spreads before adding them to your meal. I got a grain bowl with half chicken and braised beef (pitas come on side). I enjoyed every scoop of my meal. I'm glad I decided to try the food here. There is seating on the rooftop at this location. Service is usually fast and attentive. The ambience is usually laid back. Parking can be a hassle at times (small lot in front). CAVA is an excellent choice for fast Mediterranean food.I give CAVA a 4.5 rating. read more

Best salad I ever had was the SuperGreens, brown rice, roasted veggies, and the red pepper orange paste. Made a couple meals out of it. Amazing value as well! read more

I checked this place out after selling some stuff to Rumors around the corner. Mediterranean food is probably my favorite, and I knew I had to give this place a shot since Greek on Cary has gone WAY downhill (sorry, ya'll, let's be real. It's not as good now that they got bougie). Anyway, the set up appears as a Greek style Chipotle. Though I'll say, my bowl definitely wasn't a Chipotle-esque portion. It DID taste amazing though. Not heavy on the salt, but still packed full of flavor! The ingredients were so fresh. I want to go back but haven't been back around there in awhile. Worth checking out if you want Mediterranean but don't have the time to sit down somewhere. read more

I had a business lunch here and loved the made to order grains and greens bowl options. Try the mini pita and soup combo with the blueberry lemonade! The dining area is two floors with a nice patio to socialize on during warm days. read more

I would sum this up as a Mediterranean food /chipotle. As a first timer I really wasn't sure what would blend well in my rice bowl. I found it to be sorta bland . I probably would give it another try and choose different toppings and dressing. read more

Mediterranean with endless combination choices. Decide if you want a pita wrap or bowl - I recommend the grain and greens bowl and chose your protein, toppings, sides, dress it and boom ready. It's a sizable portion for me, lucky I was hungry - finished every bit. If you haven't been here before, look at the menu in advance and make some decisions! I went with Romaine/Basmati Grain and green bowl; with the chopped chicken; sides of red pepper hummus, tzatziki and feta; topping of Kalamata olives, tomato, cucumber, and tabbouleh; and a lemon herb tahini drizzle - just outstanding, including the small pita on the side that was perfect for dipping in those sides. Seating is a bit plain - nice outdoor arrangements outside but inside upstairs it's all 2-tops and bolted down tables so you really can't adjust for a different size group. Three 4-person benches with tables downstairs, but be ready to have the serving line right beside you. Parking - good luck it's a gamble there is a shared parking lot but the spaces are all meant for compact size cars the smaller the better. read more

This place is like a chipotle style Mediterranean food. All the food here are healthy and worth the money, considering the quality and quantity of the food. Wish I could eat this place everyday. After one meal you always want to come back and eat some more, but it's already filling after one meal and sometime have left overs. Pita bread is a must have with every meal. Gotta love the different flavor drinks, not the sodas. The service is very good, everyone was helpful and knowledgeable of their products. Resturant itself is very clean and lots of room for big groups, best part is the balcony. I highly recommend coming here read more

Why has this not taken off as much as Chipotle has? Can there be more of these everywhere? So I will admit I was a little bummed when I first found this on yelp and went inside I was underwhelmed, to say the least. I was expecting a little sit down cafe spot to relax at, but instead was greeted by a buffet of items poured into a bowl by a helpful counterperson. However, as we went along the line, I just kept getting more options and delicious flavor combinations, not to mention the portions were huge! While a little bit pricier than your usual burrito bowl from Chipotle, it is well worth it. Mixed grains and greens, falafel, tons of veggies, dill and yogurt sauce, and that's just the beginning. I will certainly be dreaming about CAVA until my next time back. My only complaint was that the upstairs (I would assume since there's a door to the outdoor patio seating) had a ton of flies, which I had to keep annoyingly swat away, though it did not deter me from enjoying my meal! read more

Everything is great here. I wish they gave more protein for the price but i like the multitude of toppings and flavors to choose from. I like the braised lamb and crazy feta the most. read more

I dropped by VCU CAVA almost a month ago. The food was so good compared to other locations. Don't get me wrong, I've been to 27 CAVA locations, and I love them all, but VCU's food was outstanding!! Thanks Dacia and the rest of the team! read more

Perfect. Legit got everything in my salad + grain bowl. Super cute aesthetic and the upstairs outdoor seating is a must. Staff was very helpful and knowledgeable about ingredients as well. read more

What a great lunch. I finally got a chance to eat here and loved it. I didn't know what expect so I was pleasantly surprised that the setup is similar to Chpotle where you choose the ingredients for your bowl. It was extremely light and refreshing with several options. It was also very quick. I will be back soon. read more

I decided to try out CAVA on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I should've known better after I walked past Chipotle. There were warning signs from the start, and I'm not a huge fan of Chipotle. So, Chipotle and CAVA are near each other, walking distance not even a full minute away. Chipotle had people packed inside of the restaurant and a long line. We walked into CAVA with no problem. They had three customers. I've never tried their food so I continued with my original plan and ordered from CAVA. I had the greens and grains bowl with chicken. Service was friendly and quick when I ordered. One of the workers even let me try a few sauces before I picked one. After paying for the food I headed upstairs to their outdoor rooftop patio. There's plenty of space to dine downstairs, upstairs, and on the rooftop patio. Fresh food, fast service, and a rooftop patio, I could not figure out how this restaurant couldn't be overflowing with people on a beautiful afternoon. It's located downtown so there's people everywhere. I picked a table and proceeded to my first bite. It all began to make sense. The food was bland. No flavor or seasoning at all. It was fresh, but tasteless. The best tasting thing was my chocolate chip cookie by Whisk. The outdoor patio has nice umbrellas for shade and would be a great place to have lunch outdoors on a nice day, but CAVA doesn't provide great tasting food to go on the patio and eat. Towards the end of my bowl I realized I was still going to be hungry once I was done eating. It's never a good sign if I eat somewhere and my meal does not satisfy my hunger because it doesn't take much to fill me up to begin with. So I quit and began throwing my pita to the birds on the patio. Oh well! I tried it and learned why all of the hungry people were at Chipotle.I did not enjoy the food but the concept was a good idea. There's plenty of better Mediterranean options in the area that serve great tasting healthy food options at nice portion sizes. I was really disappointed with all of the great Yelp reviews and nice rooftop patio. read more

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RIGHT next to Chipotle and Noodles and Company CAVA is a force to be reckoned with! I love the fresh, abundance of options for a great flavored rice bowl, or salad or both! The falafel is my favorite- and they give you a lot! Choose from pickled banana peppers, dived cucumber, feta and spicy harissa- it's allllll good. Even get a little side of pita bread to enjoy too! Their unique juices are also JUST to die for- the beat is my absolute fave. Not feeling as adventurous? They have regular soda there too. This is a must stop for anyone in the area read more

So I have already written a review for cava at one of their nova locations, so hit up that review. But as far as this review goes if you dislike vcu kids like I do, wait to check this place out when they are all gone for summer. read more