Been wanting to try this place ever since I heard of it! I totally loved the idea of fast and customizable Mediterranean food. It's basically like the Chipotle of Mediterranean food. You can either build your own bowl or build your own pita.. there's also options for 5 already "made" bowls. I chose the pita and it was super delicious. The smears and vinaigrette's were super flavorful and they have a wide variety of toppings and different things to fill your pita/bowl with. The falafel balls were actually super tender, warm and had whole chickpeas in them. One thing I didn't enjoy was the vegetables. The roasted vegetables they offer are a mix of Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and carrots. I had actual raw baby carrots in my mix and they did not taste good at all. Other than that this place was a total hit, just a tad bit more on the expensive side for the portions you get. Super fresh ingredients and good vibes! read more

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Five stars all day from me. 1. I am forced to be gluten free/ wheat free and Cava is one of the very few restaurants that is mainly wheat free. 2. I also have other food allergies and the menu still allows me many options. 3. I LOVE Mediterranean style food. 4. Easy access. Athens has only two other Medi options and both have terrible parking. Cava has plenty of space. Fresh, clean, and delicious. Since my body went crazy with allergies, eating out is very difficult, so thank you Cava peeps for giving me a place to safely eat and to feel normal. FYI, the big allergens are clearly marked on the menu and food window. read more

It's a love-hate relationship. I absolutely LOVE the food. It is SO delicious; it is difficult to come by a place that gets your food quickly - and it ends up being healthy and affordable. However, I have been treated very rudely by several staff members and they are very disorganized. Another time, I had a great experience with a staff member who offered me a coupon for a free meal. The next time I went I presented the coupon, and the staff member told me that it was not a coupon and she would not give me the free meal. It was very confusing. I keep going back because I love the food so much, and it's on my way home from work! read more

OMG the service is slow. The staff are in no hurry and they clearly need a manager on the clock to move things along.

Sydney was amazing and the food was perfect. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for something quick and healthy with great service!

Kyrsten, Ashley, Lamaya provided excellent service! I am always happy to come into this location and be greeted with their great energies! Will definitely be coming back. read more

Krysten, Ashley, and Lamaya made our day and very sweet and generous to our family. This is the best service I've had at a cava!

My first visit to Cava and the Greek Salad was AWESOME! The freshness of the ingredients coupled with the Greek Vinaigrette created the perfect blend for me. The grilled chicken was properly seasoned and complimented everything within the bowl. Well worth the visit! read more

CAVA - Greek Salad (Black Lentils added) - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

This Cava has to have the worst system and employees of any food place in Athens. They are the slowest when it comes to ordering in person or online. And I have never received an online order where they didn't forget or mess something up. If you pay $17 for a bowl then the place should at least have the decency to make sure the order is correct. read more

When this place first opened, we loved it! Healthy and tasty food, and generous servings of dishes we couldn't get elsewhere in Athens. Sadly, it has degraded to the point we're never going back. The biggest showstopper is that when we do takeout, they simply cannot ever get the order right: Order 4 items, get home, you've got 3. Order 3 items, check the bag before leaving, you've got 3 items but one of them's not yours. Order 1 vegan bowl, check the slip on the bowl before driving off, the slip matches what I ordered, open it up at home and it's full of meat! Order two identical vegetarian bowls, one has 2 falafel and a skimpy scoop of tofu, the other has NO falafel, no tofu. And it's impossible to complain! You have to report problems to headquarters in California and wait weeks for a reply. Bad news, bye-bye Cava... read more

Their service is so painfully slow. I love CAVA in other locations, but the food here is not as good. It honestly doesn't compare to CAVA I've had at other locations. It's so sad because they move so slowly that it takes forever to get your food, and then it's not even as good as CAVA usually is. Really disappointing because it's the only CAVA nearby. read more

NEVER READY. NEVER QUICK. ALWAYS COLD. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE AT ALL. The other locations around the south have been GREAT and this one in Athens is one of the WORST ESTABLISHMENTS. Completely ignored in the drive thru, if you can't handle it then don't provide the option. Overall always disappointing and improvements need to be made. Also first time in a while they weren't out of Every. Single. Ingredient. read more

0 stars because I have never experienced worse service in my life. There was a line basically to the back door and the 4 workers had no urgency whatsoever. We waited on line for 45 minutes. Seriously so brutal I will never be coming back. One worker even began to start doing her closing duties when there was still a 15 person line. Extremely dissatisfied, they walked around like snails the whole time. read more

Love this place! Always fresh. Great staff:) I've come here many times and every time it has been great.

Excellent service especially from the manager at the time I think his name was Dom. Made us feel very well cared for and the food was exceptionally fresh and savory. Will definitely be coming back here and highly recommend for anyone that is looking for a cheap, healthy alternative to fast food. read more

I rarely write reviews, as I'm a silent observer on Yelp. We went to Cava this past Sunday for dine in. Upon entering, we began ordering a salad bowl. They were out of the Crazy Feta (disappointing, but it happens). I asked if we can get free pita, and was told that due to low supply, they weren't able to give us any. Red flag alert. Upon paying at the register, we were asked if we planned to dine in or take out. We planned to dine in, and we paid for our food. To my surprise, there were no napkins or utensils. I asked the staff for some, and was told they have been "out for awhile." I'm sorry, what? You're telling me, you are not only taking people's money, asking them if they would like to dine in, only to leave them without anything to eat their food with? Should I eat with my hands? Why isn't there a sign posted on the door? Why isn't the manager stepping up and literally taking money out of the register and running to Target or Walmart to get disposable utensils and napkins? Why is CAVA able to stay open and operate without the bare essentials? We had to take our now cold food home, and I messaged corporate for a full refund. They initially gave me a credit to the app for HALF of what I paid. I refused the credit, and after another email, I received a refund to my credit card. We def won't be returning, as the food is not only sub par, but the staff is truly incompetent. Maybe next time I'll keep some utensils in my car. read more

We did not eat here because they have a terrible health food score, and it has continuously gone down. I was really disappointed because I love CAVA. read more

Second time at Cava and had an amazing bowl again! So many great flavor options and fresh ingredients every single time. Service is great and the vibes are so chill. Definitely gonna make this a regular stop! #loveCava read more

Love love love this location. Dee Dee is an awesome leader for her team. Staff is always nice and food is always fresh. Keep up the great work. It is very much appreciated. read more

The food was extremely mediocre for what you receive. The portion sizes are small as well, which combined with the food that's just okay isn't worth the prices they're asking. My bowl was so mouth numbingly spicy that it wasn't even edible (coming from an extreme heat lover). Also they forgot our sauces so that was cool. I'll literally never order here again and wont be surprised when they inevitably go under. read more

This place is wildly inconsistent. One meal is delicious and the next includes obviously old ingredients. Service ranges from pleasant to completely indifferent. I have received a bowl that was completely different from what I ordered even though the label on the bowl clearly spells out my order. On another order I received avocados that were black. Generally take out is predictable, but I have also had to wait 20 minutes longer than when they said the order would be ready. I have probably eaten at Cava for the last time, and that's a shame. Because I've also had some really nice meals from them. read more

Line fast good food healthy I like meat ball rice corn avocado pita chips enjoy foods

I ate at Cava in Athens Georgia on Monday April 1. The food was good but the lady taking my order would not take my cash. she said they were told not take any cash except maybe exact amount. There is no excuse. I would have needed about 80 cent in change. My bill was 29.18 and I had 30.00. America makes a currency for a reason and we should be able to use it any where in America. read more

The food is fantastic. The staff? AWFUL. They have the competency of 2nd graders, and yet the audacity to give YOU a look when you ask for your food that you ordered 2 hours ago. I work in the service industry, I understand things get busy. But the attitude and complete incompetency is borderline impressive. I'm surprised the place hasn't burned down yet, much less operate day to day This place would make so much more money if they hired people who knew anything about basic human decency/customer service, and didn't look at you like they want to scream just because you have the gall to ask them to do their jobs. read more

Usually love this place but the chicken tasted weird and was nearly raw. Service was super fast and they are really nice there. Really sad about this meal :/ read more

CAVA - Harissa Chicken was completely raw. - Mediterranean Near Me - Athens, Georgia

I have been regular up there but yesterday episode was not good at all Bought 2 pita and a bowl but they charged us 56.13 Did not have anything extra When asked for the receipt they didn't give us receipt and told my wife it is down cannot pull up the receipt And usually they don't take cash but that day they told her if she has the exact change they would take it. Still could not understand the prices they charged for 3 things read more

The food is really good at CAVA. However, it really depends on the staff. Last few times I have ordered my food was inedible because it was raw. Staff is kind of rude. read more

Customer service is not great. Food is pretty good. I've been to this location twice. The first time, the ladies taking my order seemed annoyed that I wasn't sure what to order, so this time we ordered online. But you have to drive around to pick up online orders, and we were stuck behind about five cars for about a half hour at 6:30 on a Thursday night and quite hungry. The worst part is that we can't just change our minds and go elsewhere, as we already paid a ridiculous sum for our meal online. Can't say I'd recommend it. read more

I love Cava!! Not sure why Gusto (basically the same food concept) thought it would be a good idea to open right next to them, bc Cava is way better. They offer a lot of options for toppings/sauces, and really good specialty juices too :) def recommend! read more

Very yummy!! Sometimes the workers will be yelling at each other but just mind your business and get the food!

Tried this place for the first time yesterday. We ordered pickup via the website, and our order was ready really fast. Once we opened up our order we saw why. Everything was thrown together-sloppy, wraps falling apart, and everything was soaked in dressing/sauce, so much so that it drowned all the flavors and made it all kind of gross. read more

Loved everything I've gotten from here. Always fresh and fast. Service fantastic too

Today, I saw the manager yell at her employees and a fellow customer. The food was delicious, but I will not be returning based solely on the behavior of the manager. I felt incredibly bad for her employees because they looked like they were trying to help the customer. I've never witnessed such an unprofessional interaction between an employee and a customer before... nevertheless an interaction instigated by the manager on duty. read more

Great service! Great Bowl! Thank you DeeDee. Love the ambiance love the decor. All around good spot

I had to work late, so I ordered food for my daughter and myself at about 8:45 for pick-up at 9:00. I pulled into the digital order pick-up lane at 9:05 and waited 5 minutes. There was a car behind me so I parked and walked into the store. I watched the employees (who were obviously trying to prep to close) meander around not preparing food. I have never seen food service employees move so slowly. I left with a bag of food at 9:20. There was nothing particularly wrong with the food - other than it was ice cold. I take that back...My meatball pita contained two skimpy meatballs and was ice cold, My daugher's falafel was soppy with sauce and ice cold. I had to ask for the hummus I paid for and was given some other, random hummus. I didn't get the drink I ordered and was directed to pick something from the case. I worked in food service a million years ago and I remember being tired in that last hour before closing time. I remember pushing to get my side work done before the restaurant closed and I remember being annoyed when people walked through the door with attitude late in the day. What I don't remember is letting the customers see me do a half-assed job. I spent over $30 on a crappy dinner and it didn't need to be that way. I won't make that mistake again. read more

Great food. Falafel and chicken was delicious. Everything was fresh and restarting was clean. Definitely will be back

The food is always fresh and delicious. But the true gem is DeeDee - her customer service is off the charts.

Love the salads!!! My favorite is a salad made with the super greens & arugula salad base topped with spicy honey chicken, along with red pepper hummus, garlic hummus, tzatziki dill goodness?, cherry tomatoes, pickles, pickled onions, cucumbers, feta, yogurt dill dressing, & crazy feta dressing. OH MY GOODNESS!!! It's sooooo good!!! I don't have a pic but next time I go get one, I'll post one. read more

Cava in Athens, GA., was good and our first time visit. the parking lot was completely packed full. We saw a lot of people inside so thought we'd get in line in the drive thru. But got near the window and noticed there was no place to order, this line was for online or mobile pick up line only. Didn't look like they accept drive up orders. I luckily got a parking spot right in front of me. I went in and waited in line for a quick 10 minutes. Lots of people about 25 in line and sitting in dining room. Very few masks. I was wearing a mask and thinking maybe this is okay trendy upscale restaurant with educated people maybe they're all vaccinated and I'm just being over cautious by wearing my mask, since all entrees or options start at $9.97 so no Taco Bell anti-Vaccers crowd here? The food was healthy looking and the two customers I chatted with, both looked like well off Athens professional women, said everything was really good. I ordered the lemon chicken bowl and my wife wanted the Pita with grilled meatballs. Hers was better than mine I thought. Mine also had Mediterranean olives on it which made mine really salty tasting. I also ordered the pita chips and hummus. The chips were really hot coming out and the woman serving me didn't have any tongs looked like she could've burned her fingers. The chips were very salty, the hummus was a little plain tasting we thought. Nice drink selection but no orange Fanta my wife was disappointed. I had the Strawberry juice it was good I thought. Next time in Athens maybe we'll try it again and I'll get a traditional gyro sandwich/pita if available. There was no option to add a tip on the credit card checkout terminal and no tip bucket so I gave her $3.00 cash and thanked her for a pleasant experience and help with my order. read more

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Fresh and delicious! Will absolutely be back. Thank you DeeDee for my wonderful bowl of awesomeness!