This review is for my visit. I had good, flavorful food. I went here for lunch. The restaurant was moderately busy. I went with 'build your own bowl' concoction. I ordered a bowl with super greens and grains, half steak & half spicy lamb meatballs, and assorted toppings of my choice. What the menu does not clearly state is that certain proteins cost extra and how much for that matter even for half & half split. I also got a fountain beverage. They had q nice variety of fountain drinks to choose from. The service was quick and good. My build your own bowl concoction was perfect in taste. I managed to get the appropriate mix of toppings whose flavors mixed in well with the base and proteins. The portion size of the bowl was good as well. Their Tangerine Aleppo fountain drink was really good. Except of being a bit over priced, I liked everything about this place. I will go back for more though as I liked the food quite a bit. read more

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I'm a big fan of Mediterranean flavors, so CAVA is right up my alley. The portion sizes are on the smaller side for the price point, but the ingredients are usually very fresh, and the bowls are delicious. I usually customize my own bowl so I can add in all of the sides! I justify the price by saying that it would take me forever to make all of those sides at home... Also the drinks are actually pretty good- not your standard drinks at fast casual restaurants. The last time I went there was a pineapple mint drink that was really refreshing. I've gone on Sundays both times, and it was packed! They seem to be slammed in the back, and getting a table is a free for all. The line can be slow to get through, and they always seem to have a million take out orders to fill. Still, compared to other Mediterranean fast casual restaurants, CAVA is near the top of my list! read more

Love the food. Service is grumpy, mean, annoyed, rushing, unhelpful, forgetful. Maybe don't go there on a Friday night at dinner time....... read more

This place is AMAZING!! My first time here and it did not disappoint. Ordering was almost overwhelming with all the abundance of choices to build a bowl. Having so much repetition as part of the job, definitely explained why the worker assembling our bowls was so over people taking their time while ordering. Don't blame her!! But the meal itself??? Soooo satisfying and delicious. I had gotten steak as protein and tsaziki and garlic sauce, soooo good!! It felt so clean and modern too inside, cant wait to come back when I visit!! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

We have ordered take out twice and both times the orders were missing ingredients. Today all three bowls were incorrect. The $20 harissa chicken bowl didn't even have chicken. read more

Things that would be easier to dismiss from a more causal joint are conspicuous when the food is as expensive as Cava is. Higher price usually means with higher quality afterall. Portion sizes are close-fisted, staff are a little aloof, but the food isn't all that bad. It's like a mediterranean Chipotle. read more

CAVA - custom Greens + Grains Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Few things to take note: 1) their usually busy 2) you have to ask for the free pita if you get the bowl or they will assume you don't want one 3) line can move slow The food is great here but it is a tad pricy for something I would consider fast food. They do not have many seating areas so if you plan on dining in you might have to wait for a table. read more

CAVA - Build your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

My first time there was impressive. Cana was described to me as a "Mediterranean Chipotle" and it is a bit like that merged with a Pita Inn and a nigh end sandwich shop. Basically the main dishes rice bowls and pita wraps stuffed with protein and veg with sauces and cheeses. The value isn't quite as good as Chipotle but the freshness is there and the variety of ingredients is unmatched. Like Chipotle everything here is in the 600-1000 calorie range depending on the starch you add and if you go with chicken or steak and add if you add avocado - a whole one sliced and added in front of you which is oddly impressive! The menu is ridiculously small to read but that's about my only gripe. Like a sandwich ship you can order off a menu u of about 16 preconfigured bowls and wraps or make your own via a mix and match formula. It tastes good, the food is fresh, the service and atmosphere are very good and the value is quite good. Definitely recommend this and hope more locations come to Chicago soon. read more

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Had no idea this place existed!! It's stationed conveniently right next to a Wild Fork, very accessible. It's confusing when the location says inside hawthorn mall, it's not. It's a standalone and has its own parking lot. I downloaded the app first since it has reward points and ordering from the app was easy and straightforward. I love that they use paper bowl and paper bags. And I also love that they seemed to have a good diverse hire for the staff working there. Food wise, I enjoyed the vast options available, many of which are vegetarian or vegan. The app clearly labels whether something has dairy. I went with a falafel bowl. The falafel wasn't bad but not crunchy like everyone else. Flavor is not bad but doesn't stand out. Not sure how I ended up ordering with basmati rice, maybe I just had to read the ingredient selections better. Foods tasted good, the sauces were intense, especially the green one! It was a bit spicy but I liked it, the level is more like 1/5 spicy level. The pita looks like multigrain, yay. Overall I think from the nutrition content it's pretty worth it for $10-$15 a bowl. read more

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I went to a Cava in Virginia a few years ago. When I saw this place open, I wanted to try it again. I really like all the healthy options. The presentation in the bowl is nice. It's also a problem. There is no room in the bowl to mix everything up. You end up with each ingredient together. Doesn't taste as good that way. I tried to mix it manually but then inevitably some of it falls out onto the table. I probably should get the hummus on the side and not in the bowl if I'm going to use it with my pita. Overall, I like the taste and I like the options. The cost seems high but it's been normalized as all fast casual is about this price now. I may just have to order less so I have room to mix or shake it up. read more

CAVA - bowl with chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

We love Cava and this store staff, especially their supervisor, Samantha, and today she demonstrated her exceptional care and service excellence yet again. Thank you very much Samantha, and thank you Cava! read more

09/15/24 - J was up in Vernon Hills & decided to give them a try. They are similar to chipotle where you can build your own bowls wether it's salad or a pita bowl. They have different ingredients that you can add to your salad or pita concoction. Being the fist time I asked for a suggestion & the server suggested the Harissa Avocado Bowl w/chicken, quinoa, black olives, avocados, feta cheese, cucumbers, onions & a couple of small scoops of dressing. You mix it all together & you have a yummy salad. The restaurant is super sleek & clean, w/good service & good food. If I'm ever in the area I would consider going back again, but Chicago is a long way from Vernon Hills read more

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I went to Cava for the first time for lunch, it is located right next to Wild Fork. It is a fast casual spot, almost like chipotle but with Mediterranean food. Inside there is a small seating area mostly of two top tables. Service is very quick, you can either order off their menu or build your own bowl or wrap. I ended up ordering the lamb and avocado bowl off their menu. The food was all very fresh and the greens were crisp. The lamb meatballs were juicy and tender. I did really enjoy the mild flavor of lamb. The lentils were cooked well and went with the different sauces that came with the bowl. While the food all tasted really good, for the price point ($17.65) I would have expected them to fill my bowl up completely. I might try this place again, but I think next time I will build a bowl myself instead of ordering off the menu. read more

CAVA - Lamb and avocado bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Cava cava cava cava cava chameleon I like your bowls. I like your bowls. On my return visit to Cava, I tried the Steak and feta pita. They placed steak, red pepper hummus, crazy feta (R), pickled onions, romaine and two kinds of dressing in a warmed pita. It looked like a massive burrito. I enjoyed it -- though a bit too much going on. Next time I would omit the dressings or make my own combination. The steak could have been more tender. My companion had the harissa avocado bowl. Again, quite a lot going on in the bowl, a riot of colors and flavors but very tasty. A little less sauce would be better. They fried up some pita chips and those were hot crispy heaven. There are so many customizations available -- good for the customer and their palate, but it sloooooows down the line. Also, not being familiar with the offerings, the menu board is in very small type font and difficult to know all the options, which is why I have been ordering the chef- curated items. The staff here is helpful, friendly and patient. read more

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The food is very good, but the staffing isn't great! I came in for the first time because I heard so much about cava and how great it is. I preordered so I could just pick it up. I got there a few minutes after the time they said it would be ready and when I didn't see it on the shelf, I waited near. There was plenty of staff, all seem to be teenagers. They saw me standing there for over 15min and didn't acknowledge me, nor were they making any bowls. Once someone started making a bowl, they would stop midway to have personal conversation with someone else. The set up is nice, almost like a Mediterranean version of sweet green/chipotle but needs new staff! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I really wanted to like Cava in Vernon Hills, but the experience was underwhelming. Could their hummus scoop be any smaller? It's tiny. Also, it seems like the staff's favorite word is "no." Can I get half rice and half greens? No. Can I swap the regular pita chips for the spicy ones in the kids' meal? No. Kids meal, the spicy chicken is $1.75 more (surprise charge) Want dressing slopped onto your bowl at end of the process without any thought or turning it into a soupy mess? Sure, sign me up. It's not about wanting something free or extra, it's about the complete lack of flexibility or personal touch. The staff felt uninterested and poorly trained, and the food itself was just okay. Nothing memorable, and certainly not enough to make me switch from my usual go-to spots for Mediterranean food. Roti is actually across the street. Way bigger portions. Just sayin. read more

Fast, friendly service with Chipotle-style service. The menu is on a large sign behind and above staff busy making bowls and pitas. The ingredients are all there in front of you, and the staff made sure we didn't have any questions about the ingredients. The food is satisfying and fresh, but not crazy unique. You can get better tasting lamb or chicken elsewhere, but the novelty of adding things like you do at Chipotle or Subway, yes Subway, I think makes you feel a little more in control. I mean isn't a bowl or pita better for you if you add more veggies? There was a line Friday at 1:30pm, but we moved through in less than 15 minutes. If you're in a rush, order online and pick it up. Last week we ordered Cava via DoorDash and the order was perfect, each bowl marked with what was inside. No opening up the bowl and hoping you can smell the difference between proteins and sauces. A good addition to the sprawling suburban foodscape. read more

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Essentially a Mediterranean chipotle. I was blown away and so enjoyed this meal. I created my own bowl and the combination of flavors was phenomenal. Every bite was new, fresh, interesting, and delicious. The variety of fresh toppings you can put on top makes each bowl and bite unique. This location in particular was incredibly busy at 1:30 PM on a Monday. The line wound throughout the restaurant and took about 25 minutes from walking in the door to getting my food and back to my car. This felt extraordinarily long but boy was it worth it. Now that I know the deal, I'd much prefer to order ahead in the future. 4 stars only because of the time it took getting through the line. read more

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5 stars (food) - I love, love, love all of Cava's vegan options. Everything is so flavorful, and no matter how I customize my bowl here, it is always delicious! 4 stars (ambiance) - There is a decent amount of indoor seating... the music is at comfortable levels... and I enjoy their outdoor dining patio. However, when I ate at Cava last night around 6:30 pm, many of the tables had not been cleaned. 3 stars (service) - This is the area that Cava is lacking in the most. When I arrived, the entire soda machine was not serviced and most of the drink coolers were empty. I did hear one employee ask someone else if they would do something about the poor drink situation. Then, the staff member serving the greens, grains, and meat area walked away after dishing up the customers' bowls and left the final staff member to add all of the extras to the bowls and check everyone out at the register. This created wait time since the cashier had to put on and remove plastic gloves between each customer. This process was very wasteful and inefficient. Clearly, the person serving the food should have put together each bowl so the cashier could just ring up customers, especially since she also had to help those customers who had ordered ahead and were just picking up their bags. Or they need to have 2 people working the serving line and have 1 person as the cashier. I love the food at Cava, but management needs to develop an efficient system here or hire more employees. read more

CAVA - Greens & Grains bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

The bowl was very yummy and it had such refreshing ingredients. I would definitely go back and try some of the other sauces or dips but overall I did like it. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Mediterranean bowls and salads, lots of tasty toppings to customize to your liking, fresh and generous servings. Most everything is gluten free (except pita). Similar to Naf Naf Grill or Roti. Fast and friendly service. read more

CAVA - Make your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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It's great seeing CAVA in the Chicago area. Big fan of their bowls from my time on the east coast. Ordered a bowl today and it was good. Thing is, they're super big on their up charges. Get it that the bowls are reasonably priced but when I asked for a little bit more of the greens, I was told that would be an up charge. When I asked for rice, lentils and greens as a base, was told that was an up charge. I'm getting older so I don't remember something that I should, but I don't remember up charges like that on the east coast. For doubling the protein, sure. Maybe it's a franchise thing, I don't know.... read more

Food is great. Service not so much. We walked in and there were 3 people ahead of us, but it took 10 minutes to place an order. Seemed like they were under-staffed. Drink station was a mess. There was a lot of ice in the drain because they were out of several items and people were dumping their ice to select another option.I informed a worker but no one went to fix the problem. Again, seems like the staff is overworked and unable to service customers well. read more

I've given this Cava location 2 tries, both times I have ordered grilled steak with extra as my protein. Both times I have ordered, the steak has been disgustingly fatty and not pleasing to chew. Literally any person capable of grilling a steak is 100% capable of trimming the fat off a steak. Not worth the hype, go to Roti across the street. read more

CAVA - I guess this is supposed to be steak with extra fat? - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

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Very flavorful Great sauces Good quality ingredients Pita was light and fluffy Set up like a chipotle style that you order and then pay. Typical service Nice light dining room and outdoor seating Lots of carry out orders going out. read more

Awesome service I love it here! Food is so good! The ambiance really is amazing! I come here often!

Ordered online, waited 90 MINUTES during a non lunch time rush. Order was completely wrong and cold and inedible. My time ordering Cava- never agin... read more

Grest selection of healthy fresh bowls and pita. First time for us to eat here and will definitely come back. Staff are friendly and accommodating. read more

CAVA - Greek salad bowl with pita chips. Yummy! - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Messy. The restaurant is messy. The food prep area is messy. Slow. But the food is so good. read more

We visited the first Chicago suburban CAVA on the second day they were open. Lines were long, but they were well-staffed. The dining room seating area was about 1/4 of the size of what I'm used to at the Texas locations, but there was a nice sized outdoor patio area. The food was amazing as usual, and I can only hope they open more suburban locations! CAVA would do well in Naperville! Four stars only because the line was so long and a bit slow, the food area was a little messy and the dining area was small. read more

CAVA - Second day open! - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

I love the harissa chicken in both wraps and bowls. I come in about once or twice a week and my favorite part is the service. Everyone who works here is very friendly and seem to care about the customers. So I will keep coming back! read more

Amazing! We come here all the time and the portions are amazing. Everything is very tasty.

This place is honestly so good. If you've never been here, it's basically like a Mediterranean chipotle. You walk in and walk down the line and choose the ingredients along the way. The portion is HUGE. As you can see in the pictures, you can get 2-3 meals out of one bowl. I love how many options you can get on the bowl. For the base, you can choose grains or greens. Then you can get hummus, tzatziki, feta sauces. Then they have a whole bunch of meats too. And then a lot of other ingredients too like tomatos, cucumbers, pickled onion, tortilla chips, broccoli. The bowls start at 12$ and then certain things are extra - like steak, avocado - what'd you'd expect. I will say it can get a bit pricey. With the pita on the side, certain meats and avocado, you can be paying 16$ for a bowl. If I could give 4.5 stars that would be my rating for this reason. Ambience is nice, it is a little small on the inside, but nice fixtures and furniture. They also have an outdoor seating area. Overall amazing, the bowl has great flavors, I've been here 3 times in one week - so that's all there is to say! read more

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I really wanted to like this place. I ordered the steak pita and my husband got the lamb meatballs. The food was cold, and while it had good flavor the fact that it was served cold was a turn off. They are trying to have a Chipotle style setup but the food was freezing cold. We did not order anything else and we would not come back. Atmosphere was ok. read more

My girlfriend brought me here for the first time and I am now a CAVA superfan. I would choose this place over Chipotle 8 days of the week for the taste and portions. I think the only negative thing about this place is the overpriced avocado but just buy one at for cheaper at your local grocery store and add it in. Chef's kiss ‍ read more

CAVA - Custom bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

Everything about this place was just awesome! Food and ambiance, and the atmosphere was great .

Been here several times now and everything continues to be so good. The patience these people have is amazing, Yesterday I had a late lunch and saw this woman being a complete Karen berating a female manager about a card to the point of calling her an idiot and not knowing how to do her job, poor girl definitely needs a raise as she was nice through it all. read more

While a little on the pricey side, the food is delicious and the portions are definitely big! Service is fast and friendly and the food is delicious. Definitely recommend giving it a try! read more

I quite liked my grain and greens bowl. Large for the price and I liked being able to tailor my toppings.

Food is good. Service average but the restaurant is filthy, dirty, and disgusting. Horrible.