We LOVE CAVA! Their build your own bowl is amazing! We ALWAYS enjoy eating here. Tivan is a great server. He is always kind and accommodating. We also love the Harissa Pita chips...they are flavorful and delicious. Thank you being one of our most favorite places to eat. read more

The place was pretty empty when I came by during lunch on a weekend. Plenty of parking nearby. The staff was fine. The place was clean. This was my first time here, and the food was so good! I know that place has been trending and was not expecting too much, but I was pleasantly surprised. I got a steak bowl, they had such great sauces that complimented the food so well. You get a good amount of food. read more

This is probably the most poorly managed CAVA I've ever been to. I have literally never written a bad review, but I've given this location SO many chances and today was the final straw. The first time I came, the entire restaurant was a mess. There was food splattered everywhere and they were out of so many things despite it being hours before closing. I've come back several times because it's the closest location to us, and every single time they're out of a ridiculous amount of food. Today they were out of so many proteins lettuces veggies bread and so much more. At this point, it doesn't feel like they're "running out" it feels like they aren't prepping or ordering enough. Today, there was also a huge puddle in the lobby with no attempt to clean it up. Then the woman working the counter was unbelievably rude. We looked at each other because we were shocked by how she was speaking to both customers and the other employees. The two guys working in the back looked completely stressed, and she was also extremely condescending to the customers in front of us. She was wearing a sky blue bandana and appears to be a manager based on other reviews, which honestly makes it even more concerning. I'm a manager in food service myself, so I understand that restaurants have bad days and employees get overwhelmed. But this goes way beyond that. The cleanliness, constant lack of food, customer service, and overall environment are really concerning. I also noticed several things that I felt were serious health and safety issues. I really think someone from upper management needs to come check this location ASAP because something is clearly not working here. read more

Went here on a Saturday afternoon and there was plenty of parking. This shopping center is huge so there's always parking. The restaurant had a lot of people but the wait wasn't long at all. It was my friends first time and the staff was helpful explaining how it worked. There was plenty of seating, great lighting inside especially with all the windows they have. 5/5 The food was delicious, I got everything that I liked and it filled me up good! I love all the drink options they also have. 5/5 read more

CAVA - My order , build your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Hmmm.... This is a tough one to write. The food was excellent the physical was was not. The server was great and the overall service wa not. First the place was dirty. The rebels was sticky and I mean a lot sticky to lint of gross. Filthy gross. The place had a grey fill over it like it has not been deep cleaned in years. The lasies that served us were fine but one of them had acted like we were supposed to know how everything worked. We didn't. It was a bit uncomfortable. The make your own bowl I did was very tasty. The salmon strawberry bowl my friend had was tasty but there were no strawberries in it and the strawberry sauce really didn't taste like strawberries. But it was good. Food good. People okay. Place disgusting. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Flavorful food that is value priced and fresh. The staff are friendly and provide excellent service. The dining area is clean and offer patio seating of your heart desires. Order ahead to save time. Thank me later. read more

CAVA - Spicy - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

This specific location is always having issues with the way the meat is cooked , yesterday I went in and the chicken was all burnt to a crisp and not fresh. They put it in my bowl & I had to ask for it to be replaced. Paying $17 for a bowl with all burnt ends is not what we come for. Also the tortilla chips were stale. It's unfortunate for this location to be all over the place with what they are serving. read more

Someone stole my online order. The workers had to remake my order. The pita breads should be packaged more securely

CAVA is like the Chipotle of salad. So many choices to choose from. I ordered a Harissa Chicken Power Bowl with the following crazy combo: Half HarHon Chicken Half White Sweet Potato Half Super Greens Half Arugula Fire Roasted Corn Pickled onions Tomato + Cucumber Kalamata Olives Salted-Brined Pickles Sumac Slaw Side Hot Harissa Vinaigrette Side Skhug Pita They are surprisingly tasty, with flavors that explode (sweet, sour, bitter, salty, spicy, and savory). The portion was generous. I didn't think that I would finish this big bowl of salad but I went through it so fast and was yearning for more. Since this was a to-go order, I couldn't wait for an in-store order where I could choose even more yummy sides. read more

CAVA - Harissa Chicken Power Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Tried their new glazed salmon bowl. The salmon was sitting in a lukewarm water bath behind the counter. Not dried out, but overcooked. Very dull and sad-looking, and nothing like the glazed, glistening look they advertised. Disappointed. read more

I always order through the CAVA app and the food is always ready by the pick up time. My go to is the harissa chicken bowl and lately I'm now obsessed with the kid's pita wrap. The kid's pita wrap is actually the perfect portion and with tax it only came out to $8.03! This also includes a small drink. read more

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Under just $20, their make your bowl feeds me for the whole day. Such clean fresh ingredients and amazing flavors. Their steak is so good and I always do half rice half lentils. The staff here are super nice at this location, always generous with their portions and offer free pita with the bowl. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Honestly although it's a bit expensive, the portions are a decent size and the food is of good quality, there's a pretty decent size seating area and many options to choose from, I would recommend it to other people to at least try and if you do go, get the spicy avocado pita and I put extra hot vinaigrette on it, it's so good! read more

Ordered online , pita items were not available so I had to try a bowl , ordered 2 bowls and half the items were missing from both bowls , also ordered 2 special lemonade drinks which I was charged 3.75 each extra for , once I got to the restaurant none of the drinks were available either , terrible experience, won't be returning . read more

Stopped by for an after 1pm lunch. Most tables were full and maybe 1-2 people in line. First time here and we got three things -greek salad -steak pita - steak bowl - plus honey harissa chips They ran out of chicken and when I asked the girl how long she asked a cook and then told me it would be a long time. I think it would have been more appropriate and appreciated if I was given a time frame (15mins, etc). Got steak instead. Tables were dirty but no one was cleaning them so I asked for a towel to wipe it. A nice girl came out about 5 mins later to wipe and clean tables. I would come back here again but maybe just do take out or come earlier. Really loved the pita chips and my family enjoyed their meals read more

CAVA - Build your own steak bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Somewhat busy, I work in fast food and understand, but the manager is tripping and tweaking out, the manager lady with a blue sky bandana was wilding out and somewhat rude to me and my companion. Do better cava! read more

The Mediterranean salad with grilled and the honey chicken are fabulous!!! Crisp salad, the roasted corn, feta and tomato/ cukes. My be my new spot. I ordered in line and did a pick up. I'm not mad at the prices either! read more

Mmmm I LOVE CAVA!!! DELICIOUS FOOD. I took my mom here for mother's day because she wanted a salad. The line was long, but it went pretty fast. A lot of sitting room. They need to be better at cleaning the tables when people leave. I had a strawberry mint drink, BOMB!!! Highly recommend if you never been! read more

CAVA - Mom had a chefs choice. And she also loved hers! - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Do not order ahead because you will be given a small portion. Please see image below. I've always been to this CAVA and when I'm in the line they serve me regular size portion however I ordered ahead and 1/4 of my plate is missing. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

My first visit to this restaurant was enjoyable, which is why I decided to return. Unfortunately, my second experience was completely different and very disappointing. The restaurant appeared unclean, with sticky tables and an overall lack of attention to cleanliness. In addition, I found the manager to be unfriendly and unprofessional. What concerned me most was observing the manager repeatedly handling food containers and serving items without wearing gloves. I also saw her using her cell phone for an extended period while going in and out of the kitchen, then returning to handle food containers again without washing her hands. This raised serious concerns about food safety and hygiene. Because of this experience, I will not be returning and cannot recommend this restaurant to others. I do want to recognize one employee who consistently provided excellent customer service. She was very friendly, welcoming, and always smiling, making customers feel appreciated. Her positive attitude was one of the few highlights of my visit. Management plays a significant role in a restaurant's success, and I believe improvements in professionalism, cleanliness, and food-handling practices are necessary to prevent losing more customers. read more

At first was slightly put off by the rigid ordering process and the single quarter of pita that came with the food, but after finishing a falafel bowl I was more than full and the food was surprisingly delicious. not used to that much flavor in a takeout order. will definitely be returning. read more

I ordered delivery from this CAVA today for lunch. I frequent here as it is near my office and a healthier option. I ordered a salad bowl with power greens and super green. Unfortunately, i got grains and arugula instead. I purposely did not order grains as I have an allergy to most grains. How unfortunate that now I cannot trust my order to be done correctly. read more

CAVA - Salad Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Dirtiest Cava I have been to! Every station was super dirty with food all over the place! The tables were very dirty as well. The brown rice was very stiff and killed the whole bowl. The steak was super dry and honestly didn't taste like steak at all! I love cava but this specific location is the worst I've ever been to! read more

CAVA - Every station was super dirty with food all over the place! The rice, dips, protein and topping stations had food all over the place. - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Great service by Paradise. great customer service! Been coming here every now and then and she's the first to actually have a good vibe working read more

Amazing portions for the price! Good flavors and variety of toppings when building a bowl. I will say I think it is on the saltier side, but still very tasty. The cookie was great as well. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by on a Friday afternoon, it wasn't busy about 5 people dining in. No one was in line but it took almost 5 mins of me standing there to get acknowledgment and served. I ordered the harissa honey chicken pita, it's my favorite. The chicken is so good. The serving size was generous, the pita was big, I didn't know how I was going to bite into it. But I was starving so I finished it. There were lots of empty dirty tables. They didn't have any forks available and didn't bother asking because I was hungry and just wanted to eat. This would be the 3rd location I've visited, service and cleanliness may differ depending on the location but that doesn't stop me from going because the food is always great! read more

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Where do I begin... number 1 service took forever and you can see that there are tones of orders that they are behind on. But the number 1 thing of all is all of their attitudes especially the woman at the register. We were very kind and not rude to them at all. But they were very rude. This was on march 19, 2026 at around 8:40pm. So I asked for a lid they said they ran out so then I asked for foil and they said they don't have any foil. All of a sudden 8 minutes later we saw a customer with foil for their food. After they had the audacity to tell me they didn't have any at all. Then I asked the woman at the register, "excuse me I saw that you have foil and gave it to a customer can I have some foil?????" She said and I quote " we just got some" so I asked for two pieces of foil and she gave me one and "dropped" the other one and I Caught it thank goodness but that left a disgusted taste in my mouth and at the end it just showed me that there is no professionalism at this cava at the Carmel mountain location . Ambiance all the tables were dirty not clean at all . And there was no ice at all. If was just a horrible experience . read more

CAVA - Rude and through foil at me - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Great experience at Cava! Chris was super nice and gave us free pitas. The chicken wrap was delicious. Will be back!

Came here for lunch with a friend on a weekday. Lucky for us we beat the lunch rush. We sat down and suddenly there were over a dozen people in line but the line went fairly quickly. This is like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. The have their signature prepared bowls and pitas that you can customize or you can build your own bowl/pita/plate. I ordered the lamb meatball pita. I added the spicy harissa sauce to mine. The pita was pretty tasty. My only complaint would be that there was too sauce so the pita was getting soggy. And messy to eat! I might have them go light on the sauce next time or give me it on the side instead. There is a nice selection of juices too such as Blackberry Lavender, Cucumber Mint, Pineapple Mint, black tea, lemonade, etc. Love the cucumber mint juice. So yummy with a little bit of sweetness! I think I had three cups of it. Lots of seating inside with a nice outdoor patio in front. Two clean public restrooms. read more

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Cava in Carmel Mountain has quickly become one of my favorite spots! If you're looking for a fast, customizable, and flavorful meal, this place is so good. It's like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle where you stand in line and select what you want as you go. The harissa honey chicken is my go-to protein--it's perfectly tender with a slight kick of spice that's just right. I recommend going for a bowl, which seems to be the most popular choice here. I love loading mine up with all kinds of toppings. My favorite is the pita strips. They add the perfect crunch and flavor to the bowl, and honestly, I could eat an entire bowl of just those! Cava is a great option for a quick, satisfying meal that doesn't feel like fast food. The fresh ingredients, bold Mediterranean flavors, and customizable options make it a perfect option for a quick and healthy meal. read more

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Great tasty food. Good options. Sauces are good too. Portions can be more. Find it portions to be small.

Food 5/5: I loved my bowl, you create your own and so I choose everything I like Service 5/5: the guy making my bowl was super kind, he explained everything that I had questions about and was super chill Ambiance 5/5: Tons of seating and space, the prices are a little expensive but worth it in my opinion read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm updating my review from 2 years ago. The food is still excellent but the service went from friendly to not nice at all. The lady serving us said we couldn't have a 2nd small piece of pita bread only 1 unless we wanted to buy the whole pita. We've been getting 2 since the beginning and of course we offer to pay. She was very dismissive. When taking our order she was abrupt. We watched her with the customer in line behind us and she was even more rude to her. We will most likely not visit this location anymore read more

Service is so bad. Did a mobile order before and they forgot to add my protein. Decided to give them a second chance and the person who took my order was rude read more

I totally agree with some bad reviews here. This place is absolutely dirty and the staff is horrible. I asked the staff to clean the table to which he came and made a watery mess on the table that we ourselves had to clean. Bathroom was out of order too. Management should absolutely look into this location's staff. They pretty much have a dont care attitude. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Waste of time. I pre-ordered online in the hopes my order would be ready when I got there. I ended up waiting almost an hour for 1 bowl, had to flag down 2 employees to get it, and even then I only got half of what I ordered. The employee told me that they were "waiting for the vegetables to be ready" and I said I just needed whatever was ready now considering I had wasted my entire lunch break waiting on the bowl, and now I was going to be late going back to work and I won't even really have time to eat it. All the staff were working really hard, so it looks like it's a managerial/staffing issue. If you don't have enough staff to accommodate online orders, please turn off online ordering so customers don't waste their time. I was able to get a refund from customer service, but I can't get that hour of my life back. Avoid at all costs read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Do not order online- They did not add half of the ingredients literally... Very sad looking bowl compared to what you'd normally get loaded with :/ Lame how sad this was, no rice, no pita, no chicken, no falafel, that's literally my order and I got none... what is that... read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

This location is trash. Never have ingredients. Rice is always inconsistent. Need new management here.

Every time I have ordered from this location- closest to my house, I get texts and updates saying that my order is ready for pick up, and when I go in, I have to wait an extra 20-30 min because it is not ready. When I went to pick up my order last night, there was one group already sitting and eating with nobody else in line. Another gentleman and I sat and waited for our orders for close to 30 minutes before saying anything. Another group of two came in and ordered and left as we waited. I don't understand how they had so many staff members on last night with nothing being done. If this were a one-time thing, I would not have any issues, but clearly, this is a recurring issue at this location. read more

I love creating my own bowl there when they have all the ingredients it's perfection.