Overview: long waits but worth it, Mediterranean chipotle, affordable ---- There can be long waits but it moves relatively fast. Chipotle style set-up where you customize the proteins, dips, toppings, and sauces to your own tastes. My go-to order is: SuperGreens, Saffron Basmati Rice, Harissa, Tzatziki, Crazy Feta, Grilled Chicken, Fire Roasted Corn, Pickled Onions, Tomato + Onion, Fiery Broccoli, Tomato + Cucumber, Salt-Brined Pickles, Crumbled Feta, Persian Cucumber, Kalamata Olives, Skhug, Balsamic Date Vinaigrette, Free Side Pita There's different options of a bowl or pita that are customizable or you can also choose pre-set creations that are chef-curated. ---- [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance isn't anything special, but there's a lot of seating available inside and plenty of parking that's shared with other places in the plaza.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It can get busy even late at night, we arrived at 9:30ish and there were around 10 people in line ahead of us.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Despite the wait, the quality and variety of food, as well as its affordability is worth it. ---- Overall: if you want a nice, affordable Mediterranean meal with many customizable components check this place out; a great bang for your buck especially with the restaurant prices in San Diego read more

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I've recently become obsessed with CAVA, easily the most popular Mediterranean healthy fast-casual spot in San Diego. It's famous for build-your-own bowls and wraps--everything is fresh, light, low in fat, perfect for fat loss, light meals or a quick bite. I'm usually pretty lazy, so sometimes I just go with their pre-set combinations, mostly salmon or beef options. Their house pairings are already incredibly flavorful. If you want to customize your own order: start with a base (rice / quinoa / salad), add your protein (salmon / beef / lamb / chicken), then pick dips, toppings and dressings. Over 30 ingredients for you to mix and match freely! It's a must-go if you're watching your figure--low fat, low sugar, barely any deep-fried food. All sauces are homemade too. Highly recommend hummus, tzatziki and harissa. Prices are very reasonable: $15-$22, cheaper than salad spots of the same quality, and with bigger portions. Here are some of their most popular combinations: * Harissa Avocado Bowl (Most Popular) Honey harissa spicy chicken + avocado + feta cheese + roasted corn + saffron rice + spicy vinaigrette. Savory, spicy and creamy with amazing layers of flavor. * Chicken + Rice Bowl (Classic Go-To) Grilled chicken + brown rice + hummus + tzatziki + pickled onions + Greek vinaigrette. Light, filling and never boring. * Spicy Greens Bowl (Top Vegetarian Pick) Falafel + spicy broccoli + roasted red pepper hummus + feta cheese. Full of flavor even for plant-based eaters. * Pita Wrap Pick meat or vegetarian filling, plus sauces and veggies. The pita is soft and chewy with generous fillings -- portable and absolutely delicious . read more

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Located in a strip mall so parking isn't an issue. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have indoor seating and limited outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This is basically Chipotle for Mediterranean food. You can create your own bowl or pick one that has standard ingredients. I ordered the chicken and rice bowl bowl and it was SO GOOD! I was really impressed by how fresh the ingredients were. Now we just need one to come to Portland. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I gave 4 stars because when I went on a Sunday afternoon all the tables were dirty.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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I loved this option for a healthy, fresh lunch. There is all these options to customize the ingredients, which was really nice. We don't have this chain up in Northern California so this was my first time. The line went very fast and all the staff were helpful. Restaurant was busy but plenty of seating, orderly, and clean. I had the bowl with beef and asked for half salad half rice to cut down on carbs. Did come with pita though. Hummus, eggplant, cucumber rounded it out. The drink options were super good. I had green tea with mint and cucumber and it was very, very refreshing. I wish we had this in NorCal where I live. read more

CAVA - Steak bowl, half salad half rice - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I love Cava! The food is absolutely delicious! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The only thing is it's always super busy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I will say the ambience is lively and happy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The refreshments are so tasty and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it's nice that there is outdoor seating near this location in case it is overcrowded inside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I don't get to Cava often but when in the area I make it a point to have lunch or get it to go. I was a fan of Luna Grill and there are several in my area but fell in love with Cava. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I am not a fan of Chipotle cafeteria style eateries but Cava is different.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food is very fresh, visually appealing and I can make my bowl to my exact specifications. I have taken several friends and we all lament that we need one in Chula Vista. There are three in northern San Diego!! Always a lime but it moves fast!! read more

If you love the "build-your-own" vibe of Chipotle but want something fresher, lighter, and full of flavor, CAVA is that girl. It's a Mediterranean take on Chipotle where you pick your base -- grains, super greens, or both -- and then load up on toppings like pickled onions, broccoli salad, crunchy pita crisps, feta, and all the sauces your heart can handle (tzatziki, harissa, garlic aioli...the works). I'm obsessed with their butter saffron rice, and when they offer the quinoa? Elite. Protein-wise, I usually go lamb or steak, but the chicken shawarma was great too. And the pita chips? Literal crack. Think deep-fried pita bread dusted in a generous amount of salt and pepper. Everything is super well-balanced, fresh, and actually feels like a healthy meal without sacrificing flavor. I've only seen locations in SoCal so far but... my hometown needs to be blessed. Highly recommend if you want a fast, customizable bowl that doesn't taste fast at all! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Delicious and nutritious Mediterranean style bowls! I got the greens and grains bowl with spinach and brown rice, grilled chicken, lettuce, corn, cucumber, tomato, hummus, tzatziki and pita crisps. Nicely seasoned, tasty, well balanced with lots of fresh ingredients. I ordered ahead and it was just ready when I arrived. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lots of indoor and covered outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It was my first time and I'm a fan! Definitely will keep coming back. read more

CAVA - Greens + Grains Bowl with chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I first tried Cava in Austin and I couldn't wait to eat at this location. We arrived around 1:15pm and there was still a long line for ordering food. It's worth the 20 minutes or download their app, which I now have, and skip the line. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is clean and they have indoor and outdoor seating.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I ordered the Build Your Own Bowl and I had arugula, white rice, grilled chicken, hummus and tzatziki, diced cucumbers, olives and feta cheese. Plus you get a quarter of a pita. The ingredients are fresh and Delicious! The pita is warm and tastes so good. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant has a positive upbeat vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There's a large parking lot in front of the restaurant. Sorry about the picture of my bowl. I was starving and I started eating it when I realized I wanted a picture of it. read more

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I really thought long and hard about writing this review, but I've been to this CAVA location twice in two weeks, and have felt negative both times. The first time, my food came out fast, but wanted to point out that there was a guy at the register, Jeff, who was handing out free drinks to select guests and telling them to give them high ratings. My second time coming, there was a very negative employee, Nicholas, whose disposition was extremely negative. He acted very much like he didn't want to be there and that he didn't care what the customer thought. I understand that everyone has their ups and downs in days, but this also affects the customer experience. We came around 11 before the lunch rush. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside was clean and had enough tables to find a seat at.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Normally, the food at Cava is excellent. However, the service at this particular location was abysmal and I might consider taking my lunches somewhere else. read more

CAVA - Inside - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Absolutely delicious!! I didn't understand what the hype was all about but now I definitely do! Let me tell you ... the hype is real. We don't have a Cava here in Vegas *Sigh, pouty whiny face* so when we saw that there was a Cava we immediately knew we had to stop and try as the opportunity presented itself. I'm so glad we stopped! To our surprise Cava is like a chipotle but with a Mediterranean twist, fresh ingredients and so much better!! The choices are awesome, the sauces are awesome, the toppings are awesome! Everything was fantastic and I'll be dreaming about the next time I get to get Cava again. Hopefully we get one soon here in LV! read more

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Horrible customer service. It was our first time ordering from CAVA, and from the start the employee preparing our order was extremely rude. We let him know that we had never been there before, but instead of patiently guiding us through the ordering process, he spoke to us in an impatient and sarcastic tone. We were a party of 3, and he skipped over our third person despite the customer behind us in line reminding him of it. When we asked him to make the missed bowl, he seemed visibly irritated and continued to speak to us with an obnoxious sarcastic tone. When we went back to order a drink, he made extremely inappropriate comments about my personal life, which was completely unprofessional and made me feel uncomfortable. What made it even worse was that he seemed to treat the other customers behind us completely normally, singling us out and making us feel unwelcome in the establishment. As a person of color, it's difficult to not feel like we were treated differently. Regardless of the reason, no customer should have to feel disrespected or uncomfortable simply for asking questions and needing guidance for their first time ordering. We will not be returning and do not recommend this location to anyone that hopes on having a good experience. Hopefully CAVA is able to address this so future customers don't have to feel disrespected or unwelcome. read more

CAVA is a very well-done Mediterranean take on Chipotle, divided into bowls and pitas as opposed to burritos. Plus, there is a good amount of food offered at the base price of either option. It's a very user-friendly process, with quick, efficient service. I ordered a bowl with falafel as the protein. Because of my experience with other fast-casual Mediterranean dining options, I expected their falafel to be bone dry. Instead, I was happy to find the contrary. The one gripe I have is that the pickles and pickled onions have an odd seasoning on them that is distinctly unlike any other place I have patronized that offers similar fare. This won't discourage me from returning to one of their locations, but I would omit that from my order in the future. read more

CAVA - Build-your-own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I've ordered from DoorDash plenty times, and finally got the chance to eat here fresh for the first time. They are laid out like Subway/Chipotle where you choose your meal and customize it as you go down the line. It wasn't too busy for a Friday afternoon and there were plenty of tables available. The air conditioning was so nice and the ambience was perfect. Anything you get here will be good. For this visit I had the Steak + Feta pita and added corn and other toppings. The harissa honey with crazy feta are also a great combo. read more

CAVA - Menu 6/20/25 - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

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food: I got a bowl with saffron rice, chicken, yogurt dill, garlic dressing, hummus, tzatziki, all the toppings except avocado, and pitas! I love the combination of flavors. service: The workers are relatively nice and helpful! ambiance: It's a small but clean place to have a casual meal at read more

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Delicious and filling bowls! My coworkers and I like to stop by for lunch sometimes and there can be a bit of a wait but it goes by fast. I usually get the greens and grain bowl with grilled chicken, saffron rice and romaine lettuce, tzatziki, hummus, corn, tomato and cucumber and pita crisps. I also like the complimentary pita bread with garlic dressing.. YUM. You can really taste the freshness of the ingredients. The bowls are super filling and can last me 2 meals. For the price and quality, I totally recommend it! read more

CAVA - Chicken Green + Grains Bowl ($13) - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

The portions to price is ridiculous. And the customer service is awful, maybe it's unique to this location.

Very poorly managed. Some of these servers have no initiative and move extremely slow. It's not them, it's clearly their manger. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

This place should be ashamed of the portion they give. Ordering pick up ended up being small portion and missing a bunch of stuff ordered. See picture for ref. It is hilarious when you compare their own ad picture vs what you actually get. Lmao where is my corn, pickle, tomato+cucumber, tomato+onion, etc??? read more

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unsanitary practices by their grill cook cutting chicken eating off of the cutting board using the same gloves to cut more chicken. This was on July 5 at 12:30 in the afternoon will not be coming back. would leave 0 stars if i could. read more

Got a rice bowl with lamb. It did lack meat just because I only got 4 pieces of lamb. But also the lamb was burnt. It was a great yummy bowl, but not the best. read more

CAVA - Burnt lamb - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I ordered ahead on the app and it said it would be ready by 1:15 but I decided to visit some shops in the center first before getting my food and didn't get to the restaurant until around 1:25. Even then, my food wasn't ready yet so I had to wait an additional 5 minutes. Regardless, food was good, food portions, and my side pita was slightly crispy on one which I liked very much. read more

We came here on this Friday night and it was PACKED! This kind of has the type of vibe of chipotle how you wait in line to order a bowl but it's boujee! Which I love, it's delicious. I got the super greens bowl with chicken, corn, tomato's, cucumber, and I wasn't sure what kind of onions they exactly were but they were delicious! Topped with Feta. Will DEFINITELY come back and try some rice bowls I noticed next time! read more

CAVA - Super Greens + Chicken and all the fixings! Yum!!! 100/10! - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

We went on a Sunday afternoon around 12-1pm, store was surprisingly not too busy but after we ordered a wave of people came with the line stretched almost to the back of the door! This is my second time being here and I've concluded CAVA will always be busy. Expect to wait at least 15-20 mins here but the line move quick. The food always comes out fresh and delicious. This is the location I feel comfortable going to because they hardly run out of items you want as like other CAVAs do. I would order online to make the traffic! This place is very fast past and a bunch of hustle n bustle. The ambiance is very lively here! It's more of a get in get ahead type of feel. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Cava in La Jolla is a solid go-to when I'm craving something fresh, fast, and fully customizable. I love that I can build my own bowl, it's fun to mix and match the variety of greens, grains, and toppings they offer. The salad selection is great, and I really enjoyed trying the different types of hummus (the roasted red pepper and harissa ones are my favorites). The space itself is clean and modern, with good indoor and outdoor seating options. Even during a busy lunch rush, the staff kept the line moving quickly and were friendly throughout. Only reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is that the portion felt a bit small for the price, especially if you're used to more generous bowl places. That said, everything tasted fresh and the flavors were spot-on, so I'd definitely come back when I'm in the area. read more

CAVA - Greens + Grains Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Lots of tasty options to create your own bowl with but the staff seems almost robotic-like as they try to move you down the line as quickly as possible as you tell them what to add next. The harissa chicken is a good protein option. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

I'm a regular here, mainly due to the value and convenience, followed by the quality, which is usually good. I've only had one bad experience in my 10+ visits, which was so bad I actually complained to corporate and got a gift credit, which prompted me to return. In that one case, the chicken was fatty, the rice undercooked and the portion undersized, but 1 bad experience out of 10 wasn't bad. I've had everything from bowls to pita, from lamb to steak to chicken and it's usually always good, filling and healthier compared to other fast food options. I recommend ordering online for pickup or delivery, especially during the busy hours. I've waited up to 20 minutes just to start placing my order at the counter. If you do order for pickup, and you really want it ready for say, 6, I would order for 5:45. They're usually 15 minute behind. The mint lemonade is delicious. read more

We ordered online and it works efficiently. I love how I can customize the bowl and add whatever I want that they have. Pick up is pretty simple and the place is convenient to come by and get the order. The food is super tasty and I love getting Cava to eat. read more

CAVA - Customized Grains bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Very Clean establishment. I ordered food ahead of time and picked it up at the resturant. They were fast and it was waiting for me when I arrived. The food itself was delicious. Very flavorful. The only bummer was there wasn't a ton of food inside my bowl, which was a tad annoying being that I paid more for extra toppings. Overall, I love cava and just always want more! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Steak+harissa bowl is yummy and a little spicy. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There is seating inside and a patio.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Plus the shopping center has lots of seating and unique areas to gather.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The only thing that wasn't great was that some of the rice was over cooked and hard. Great healthier beverage options too. read more

Definitely different. Is like a Chipotle with Mediterranean food. Is was very clean for being busy, service was fast and evwn had there own style of drinks. Overall it's great food. I can see how the cost can go up when you start adding upgrades. $$ read more

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Food is great and the bags are perfect for holding $50,000 bribes. I wish they'd let you just take the bags, but you have to order food to go with them. read more

Food: 8/10 Service: 3/10 Ambiance: 5/10 The food here is delicious but BEWARE; it's also very expensive if you ask for extra anything without asking the price as well. The undisclosed up charges are wild. Don't expect them to tell you how much things cost. I asked for more tomatoes--got charged an extra $1.75. I asked for more chicken (because the two scoops the server initially gave me were sad)--got charged an extra $5.75. I didn't even ask for extra avocado; they just threw it in there! Got charged an extra $2.85. I would not have asked for ANY extras if I had known they would cost me an additional $10.35. Thats darn near the price of a second bowl. I feel scammed tbh... read more

I love Mediterranean food and I've always heard good things about CAVA. This was my first time ever visiting, so I was not completely sure what their ordering process was like (e.g., whether I was allowed to order half falafel and half chicken without an extra charge, etc.). The staff were not very friendly or willing to explain how it worked. When I had questions, they were really short with me when they responded. Mind you, there was no one else in line besides my friend and I. What I thought of the food: The falafel was good- it wasn't too dry and they were well seasoned. They had a large variety of sauces to choose from (e.g., garlic, tzatziki, etc.) and several hummus options. Ambiance: this is a causal spot for a quick meal. read more

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I didn't get her name and I feel so bad but me and my boyfriend just went and this worker was just super sweet lol. I asked about how much it would be and she basically immediately knew, when I made a corny joke about balling on a budget she laughed. She was Asian, about 5'3/5'4 around my height and very nice ‍‍. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Absolutely terrible experience. The customer service was already bad, but what really made it unacceptable was how unsanitary everything felt. The employee at the front literally picked something up off the floor, crumpled it in his hand, and then went right back to making our bowls touching the spinach with the same gloves. No glove change, no hand washing, nothing. It was honestly shocking to watch and completely killed my appetite. Cleanliness should be the bare minimum, especially when you're handling people's food. I would not recommend this location to anyone unless you're okay with questionable hygiene and careless staff. When I told the manager she didn't even care and said rudely, "well do you need us to remake it then" obviously bothered I even let her know about how unsanitary her team member was. read more

amazing! built my own grains and greens bowl. i really like the lemon herb dressing and tzatziki sauce. my bowl is packed and loaded with chicken and steak and all the veggies of course. strawberry drink was so refreshing! fast and convenient location for healthy bowl read more

CAVA - build your own Greens + Grains Bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - La Jolla, California

Jade helped me with my order, she was super nice and friendly, I always get my same order, the harissa honey chicken.

I go to CAVA quite often (more so around Orange County area). I'm out here for work and decided to get CAVA tonight after my shift. As I went up to order, I was greeted by the manger of the store (older guy). Ive never been met with such judgement and rudeness. He genuinely acted miserable and was slamming the food lids down, scooping my rice like he was angry to be there. Or angry at me? And he just stared at me like he was upset that I wasn't ordering quick enough. I did not feel welcomed whatsoever. 100% NEEDS NEW MANAGEMENT! (Edit: I made sure to ask the lady at the register if that was her boss, which was confirmed) Good luck to anyone who works here at this location. Must be miserable to deal with someone like that... read more

I love cava! first time trying this location and all the staff went above and beyond to make sure it was a great experience. The staff moved quickly for the long line that was there and made sure to still be attentive while take orders, even during a crazy rush hour. The food is high quality and always tastes so fresh! read more