The Streeterville location of Cava is in Northwestern hospital downtown on the 1st floor. This was a great spot to grab lunch. I like these types of places where you can see everything and fully customize your meal. We had 2 things: Pita wrap with hummus, falafel, roasted vegetables, broccoli, corn, tomato & onion, tomato & cucumber Bowl with spinach, rice, sweet potatoes, red pepper hummus, , broccoli, corn, tomato & onion, tomato & cucumber. With skhug and yogurt dill sauces on the side Everything was great, but we preferred the sweet potatoes to falafel or roasted veggies. Next time we'll get just sweet potatoes for both the pita wrap and bowl. I also preferred the red pepper hummus to the traditional hummus. In general we loved it. We'll defintly get this again. read more

They canceled a huge order for our office out of the blue, with no notice, no warning, and no communication. They didn't even pick up the phone to let me know. Just boom, cancelled literally five minutes before the food should have come. We tried calling to see what happened and just got sent in circles by their automated answering system. Could not speak to a human. Was our first time ordering from CAVA...and we get huge $$$ team lunches regularly. Literally never again. Can't risk it. read more

My first time trying Cava! It was super popular for a while and it took me almost a month to finally skip the long lines. Food: Not amazing, but decent. The setup is similar to Chipotle, just with way more different sauces and dressings, so there's something for everyone. Service: The staff was really nice and gave us great recommendations for our first visit. They also offered free chips for a first-time 5-star Google review. Ambiance: Always busy, but the space is bright and clean. Price: About $15 per person. read more

CAVA - Grilled chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Tried Cava for the first time for a quick bowl-style work lunch and it really hit the mark. Not the craziest meal I've ever had, but for a fast-casual Mediterranean spot, it's top tier. Fresh ingredients, solid portions, and the hummus especially stood out. I got the Greek salad and everything in it was great. Not sure I'm rushing back immediately, but definitely one of the better options in the Mediterranean chain category. read more

CAVA - Greek salad Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got in at 5 pm and there was no line, we even let like 4 people pass us so we could choose something to try since it was our first time! The worker that helped us was sooooo nice and patient, she explained everything to us and I felt bad because we kind of created a line behind us... But anyways we both got chicken and rice bowls and they were packed with flavor. So fresh and delicious and we will definitely be back! There is also upstairs seating! read more

CAVA - Chicken and rice bowl with eggplant and tomato stuff added - A+++ - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I do like this location and there's seating both downstairs (for single diners) and upstairs (booths and larger tables). The overall concept is cool: a restaurant serving casual Mediterranean fare that takes a page out of Chipotle's business model. This site definitely still has some operational kinks to work out, which is not surprising since it's rather new. This was my first time trying CAVA and I ordered online thinking I would avoid the long lunchtime lines but the online ordering time for pickup ended up being one hour after placed my order. Even at 3pm on a weekday, there was still a long line and many guests were crowded around the pickup area. Basically, no matter what you plan, you'll probably end up waiting a bit for your food to be ready. I love all the customization options and portions are generous. They were out of some items when I ordered after the primary lunch rush. I went with a make your own bowl and chose the chicken as my protein. The chicken was very underwhelming, sadly. It was very dry and I had multiple pieces that were too tough to eat/tendinous/fatty. The harissa was a bit too spicy for my liking so I'd skip it next time. I honestly didn't find the overall ingredients to be that impressive and maybe I was just not great at creating my own bowl, but CAVA food quality and taste reminds me very much of Chipotle, except I've had much better chicken experiences at the latter. Hopefully it was just a batch of dry chicken that I got this time. Overall a promising new casual eatery in the neighborhood and I'd come back to try their lamb next time and probably go with a premade bowl or pita. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm going to keep leaving reviews until they figure out how to run an assembly line correctly. Having only two people working the line is such a drag. The wait is so long! I literally see customers walk out every time I'm here because of the slow line read more

I think this place is over hyped for me. Look Chicago has a ton of great lunch options if you want to build a bowl. And many of these are Mediterranean. So cava needs to bring something different to the table. Let's start with the good, I did really enjoy the braised lamb entree. Okay moving on, the toppings were just not very exciting. I was bored by the options and my bowl looked light. It also felt overly spicy. I can't remember what I grabbed or put in my bowl but it didn't all flow together. I think cava would serve to look at what item goes with many bowl styles and tastes. I will be saving my money and going to Roti or Naf Naf read more

First time at Cava and the bowl was pretty flavorful. We came during the Air and Water show so it was packed, otherwise it seems like there'd be enough seats. I tried the Harissa Avocado bowl, Hot Harissa Pita Chips, and their juices (excellent). I'd come back, it was pretty good for the price and something different than your usual fast-casual places. read more

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Finally another CAVA in chicago! For opening day it wasn't near as crowded as the wicker park one was when it opened. At 8:30pm there was maybe a 10 person line. They were out of several of the toppings but still had plenty and everything was very fresh! Definitely the best fast casual Mediterranean around, and I'm so happy that they are growing here!! read more

CAVA - Outside - opening day! - Mediterranean Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I absolutely love Cava and when I found out this location opened, I was ecstatic cause it was closer to my apartment than the Wicker Park location. I've been here a total of 2 times so far and both times were generally good for the most part. My only complaint was that when I got romaine as my base, there was only a small amount left in the container and the worker gave me a small portion. I thought she was going to get more romaine to refill it but she didn't. When I asked for more, she just scraped the container. I was a little annoyed since I didn't get any grains in my bowl but she was generous with all of the other topping portions so it made up for it. I also really like how spacious this Cava is compared to Wicker Park. There's plenty of seating and it's not that busy during dinner time. Will definitely be back! read more

Hands down the worst fast food Mediterranean cuisine ever. They recently set up this location where I work. I was purposely avoiding it because I thought I would love it and want to eat there everyday! Quite the contrary. Got a bowl with beef, shredded lamb and basmati rice. It was cold. It was tasteless. It was a bowl of mush basically. The meat in my dog's food bowl looked more appealing that this Cava creation. Never effen again! If only less than one star was possible....hmmm read more

I am extremely disappointed. I don't know how this location normally does it, but I have never seen a Cava bowl filled only halfway. I paid extra for the chicken shawarma and extra falafel. I got a minimal amount of chicken shawarma and truthfully minimal of everything else too. Hardly any rice either! They also left out one of my 2 dressing cups. They couldn't even fully fill the one they gave me. My bowl was over $20 and not even close to expectations. read more

Extremely Disappointed with Service and Experience To say I'm annoyed is an understatement. I placed an online order at 10:30 a.m. for a 12:00 p.m. pickup at the Cava in Willis Tower. When I arrived, my food wasn't ready, and I ended up waiting 25 minutes before asking to speak with a manager. The manager gave no apology just said that the food delivery truck arrived late and then walked away. A few minutes later, another staff member asked if I wanted to substitute my original order for a chicken shawarma since my meal still wasn't ready. At that point, I agreed half of my one-hour lunch break was already wasted. When I finally got my food, it was missing most of the ingredients I requested. It was basically rice, chicken, sauce, and some pita chips none of the veggies I ordered. When I pointed this out, they just took the bag, added a few veggies, and left it on the counter again, no apology or care. Several other customers were also waiting for orders that were supposed to be ready much earlier. Overall, this was an extremely disappointing experience--poor communication, lack of professionalism, and zero accountability. read more

Ahh! This used to be LYFE. Remember that. This is the second one in the city. The first location for the city is in Wicker Park (see our review). I had the pita chips. The staff and service are cavariffic. read more

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The food is excellent, but their service & wait is horrendous. I will never use the Cava app to place a To Go order at this location ever again. I work at Northwestern Hospital & decided to use the Cava app to place an order online to expedite the process, and that was HUGE mistake!!! It took 25 mins to get mine & a co-worker's orders. My lunch was done by the time I got my order. It looked like there were only 2 women preparing the Uber Eats/DoorDash orders in addition to the Cava app orders. If you are planning to eat here I suggest you stand in the actual line and order at the register, don't use the Cava app during the M-F 11am-2pm lunch rush. Our other co-worker who arrived with us, stood in line/ordered at the register, placed her order & left 10 mins before we received our Cava app order. Also, you will be ignored if you have questions. This location really needs better systems in place for busy times of the day - what they are doing is not working for them. read more

It was delicious. The line was long but moved pretty quickly' it was very convenient that they had seating as well. The service was nice. Glad it made its way to Northwestern! read more

I first tried this fast-casual restaurant in Arizona and absolutely loved it, so I was thrilled when this new location finally opened. I wanted to try something new -- turning the Steak and Feta Pita into a bowl -- but by the time I ordered, it had been 10-15 minutes since I'd seen the menu board. I asked the employee to just make it as described, but they said I had to select each ingredient myself. It would be really helpful if the staff had a guide or menu showing the suggested ingredients for each item, especially for people who want to try something new and don't want to alter the original recipe. Instead, I held up the line, as I had to get my phone out and look up their menu. They also ran out of steak - how???? Not sure I'll be back, even though I love Medi Bowls. The long lines, untrained staff, and lack of key ingredients make it hard to want to return. read more

The eggplant dip is the best! I take 3 servings of it with pita chips!! They are the best guilty pleasure.

Location needs to hire more staff. There are constantly long lines even during off peak hours. This location needs to figure out its logistics. Customers can be standing in line for 10+ minutes before moving. Location also does not compost or recycle read more

CAVA is easily one of my favorite fast-casual spots. I usually go for the falafel bowl or the wrap, and both are consistently fresh, flavorful, and filling. The toppings and sauces are so customizable, and everything always feels vibrant and well-prepared. I also loved their hot harissa chips -- perfectly spicy and addictive -- though sadly that was a seasonal item. Hoping they bring it back soon! Overall, CAVA is a go-to for when I want something quick but still healthy and satisfying! read more

Went at 9pm most items were out of you can cook additional protein to be served there's no reason tops or bases can't be replenished as well. The service was great and employees apologized for that but I think it's something that isn't a hard ask. read more

Was excited to try a new restaurant in my neighborhood. Ordered the spicy lamb and avocado. Just okay bowl of food. Lamb was cold and the avocado was turning brown. Order crunch falafel pita. The falafel was soggy and doughy. There were 17 people in line and there was only one person behind the counter working the line. Meantime you could see two people in back on their phones that never looked up. $37 later I would have gone across the street to Chipotle or down the street to La Azteca taco truck. Both would have been faster, hotter, and fresher. I hope they get their act together but I won't be going back any time soon. I manager in sight. Their cola is fantastic. But not reason enough to go. read more

I really want Cava to work. The Willis Tower location needs some TLC, Tweaking, more present management, and better posting of choices. walking up to the long, slow line, I figured it would go fast, even after watching potential customers leave before being served, in frustration of the wait. I second, I noticed bad placement on what the choices i.e., what veggies and sauces to put on my bowl are taped to the glass on very small signs where you order, I would have pondered in the 20 minutes I had to wait, out what I wanted while I was waiting in the long , slow line. 3rd... The Staff... Why does everyone look like they worked a whole weekend shift at an ER? Most of them look tired, overworked and some confused what goes in the bowl/pita so they opt to look at laminated cheat cards. Cava has been open for over 2 months now, you don't know what goes into the most ordered bowl? Now, on to the food - I 1/2 only have one complaints, I know it was chicken, because I ordered Chicken, and I saw the guy bring the chicken from the grill to the service line, so it should have been fresh, but I had to pull out more than 5 fatty or really gross, cartilages or crunchy un-edible pieces out of my mouth. I actually think one piece was the very tip of a chicken wing! The veggies and rest of the food was ok, however, it was drowned in way too much sauce, and I like sauce. In the end, not worth $19.39. Cava has potential. Make that almost $20 lunch, a positive experience, check on your employees to see if they are ok, and check on that chicken, would ya? read more

food is great for fast casual! yummy flavors and sauces and everything tasted really fresh

I love going to this Cava all the time Luis, there worker, Is the best; Hes so kinda and sweet. Everyone is always so nice and helpful, Definitely will be coming more often. I always feel loved here. read more

I loved CAVA when I visited DC area so when I found out Chicago had one I was super excited until it didn't taste the same. The rice was hard as if it was in the fridge the night before. It was plain, most likely because the bottle was a bit empty and the girl who made my bowl just sprayed whatever was left. I couldn't eat it all which usually I'm able to. Ironically the next day when I microwaved it, it tasted a lot better since the rice softened up. read more

Love the food and the service. The people are always quick and really kind in taking your order.

The online ordering has gotten much better. The meals are ready when they are scheduled for pick up now. Solid lunch option in the area.

My new favourite fast and healthy dining spot! I like all the toppings which are different than most other salad places I've tried, and the protein is fresh and tasty! read more

Sooo sllooooww They need to have their ingredients listed in the above signage to speed up the line Poorly run had to wait 20 mins for spicy meatballs to be ready read more

Five stars for the excellent service I've received from Susan the last few times I've been in to order. She's the sweetest! But unfortunately, seed oils are used to prepare most of the food on the menu so I'll definitely be more cautious about what I'm ordering in the future. read more

Service was impeccable and very friendly. Food was fresh and healthy. Really terrific. .

delicious and fresh and fast! highly recommend! I got the spicy lamb plate and it was very good!

I love this location!!! Yummy food and nice staff. They were very kind in helping me pick what I wanted and what to order.

Wonderful service and staff! Favorite location in Chicago! Fast and extremely friendly!

The food and customer service was amazing. Susan was very nice! The line went by quick.

Awesomeness! Thank you. Chicken was awesome Thank you. Everything was great thank you so much.

I had my first CAVA in Jersey City and absolutely loved it. Recently, I tried their limited Hot Harissa Pita Chips in their new location in Chicago and they are to die for -- definitely a must-try. I had the Falafel Crunch, which was delicious. You can also make your own, but if it's your first visit, a pre-curated bowl is a great way to start. read more