Tried CAVA recently and I get the hype. It's basically Mediterranean Chipotle--but better in a lot of ways. The build-your-own bowls are super customizable, and everything tastes fresh. The spicy lamb meatballs and harissa are standouts, and the dips (especially the hummus and crazy feta) are actually flavorful, not bland. Portion sizes are solid for the price, though it can get a little expensive if you load up on extras. Service is usually quick, but peak hours can be hectic. Overall: a great option if you want something healthier than typical fast food without sacrificing taste. Definitely worth trying if you haven't yet. read more

DO NOT ORDER THROUGH UBER EATS!!! Every time we order from this location not only are the portion sizes laughably small, but there are always a ton of missing ingredients and order items. For the price of the food, plus the taxes and surcharges Uber adds to every order there's absolutely ZERO value ordering from this place. Cava needs to train its staff better to achieve consistency between in store dining and online orders. read more

I had a really upsetting experience with Cava, which is frustrating because I actually like their food. I'm writing this hoping they take feedback seriously and improve. We placed an online pick-up order for 9 people, totaling $155 -- which honestly should have been closer to about $90 worth of food given what we received. The biggest issue was portion size. When you order in person, Cava bowls are usually filled to the brim because you're standing there watching them scoop everything in. But our online order bowls were underfilled by at least 2 inches. I attached a photo of my bowl, and unfortunately it represents almost all 9 bowls we received. Ironically, the only bowl that was filled all the way was the vegetarian bowl, but that's not saying much because it was mostly romaine lettuce, which is obviously very voluminous. To make matters worse, romaine wasn't even one of the requested ingredients, so they got that order wrong as well. I can't confirm whether the other bowls were accurate since I wasn't the one eating them, but my own bowl had clear issues. I ordered roasted broccoli, yet there were no actual broccoli florets -- just a few tiny green wisps. It barely looked like broccoli was added at all. To be fair, the quality of the food itself was good. The steak was tasty and well cooked. But while the quality was excellent, the quantity was dead last. I don't normally get angry about food, but this felt outright disrespectful, especially given the price we paid. Several colleagues who saw the bowls immediately said they've had the exact same experience ordering online -- bowls are skimpy -- while in-person orders are filled properly. That inconsistency is a huge problem. Cava, if you're reading this: Please train your staff to be consistent whether the order is online or in person. Just because customers aren't physically watching the food being scooped doesn't mean they should receive less. This is a big concerns--if this is happening in plain sight with the food, it makes people wonder what else might be happening behind the scenes. I genuinely want to come back, because the food is good. But after this experience, you'll need to earn my trust again. read more

I ordered two build your own bowls. The portion of the protein on both bowls was extremely MINIMAL. $34 on two bowls that hardly any protein is a robbery. The staff can also work on being more friendly and checking on customers and less always talking to each other in groups. *There's more protein on a mouse trap*. Go to the Cava off of Crown Valley in Mission Viejo where the portions are fair for your hard earned money. read more

This CAVA location is newer and better than most of them. It wasn't super busy when we came but the line started to get longer after we got our foods and sat down. There were only five people ahead of us but the line moved very slowly. I got the bowl with two green choices and half non-spicy and half spicy chicken. Their greens were clean and everything was super fresh and delicious. Be careful of the red spicy sauce though. That was really spicy. And they forgot to give me my piece of pita! I just realized that when I got home. Hubby had the pita bread with the regular non-spicy chicken and he thought it was very good too. Service was good. Staff were polite and respectful. read more

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I ordered the braised lamb bowl. It was fresh and delicious! Don't forget to try their different drinks! Delicious and refreshing! The food here is clean and healthy! Great service! read more

I feel like if a place bombed and I had to leave a bad review and I ended up going back and things improved, I update my review. Redemption is a good thing. This time around the food was good. Service was friendly and on point. Everything was in proper order. No complaints. Well done. Hope to be back soon. read more

I am so upset that you guys got rid of the sweet potato option!! That was literally the only reason I would come back every time! I'm unbelievably disappointed and appalled. Sorry, but you've lost 4 customers in this house! BRING BACK SWEET POTATO!! read more

I came in to pick up an order my friend placed for us, about $50 worth of food. Simple pickup, or so I thought. I check the order and it's clearly wrong and missing items. I politely point this out, and instead of fixing it, the employee opens the bowl in front of me, dumps the avocado out, and says, "I don't see what's wrong with this bowl." Oh. So we're doing performance art today. She hands it off to the manager, who watches this happen and then tells me I can just take the food as is. I explain, again calmly, that the order is incorrect and needs to be remade. I get my friend on the phone since she placed the order. The manager refuses to fix it, so I hand him the phone... and he literally takes my phone and walks to the back of the store with it. At that point I'm like, great, now I'm chasing my food and my phone. Meanwhile, one of the employees quietly says to me, "I'm so sorry this is happening." I said, "Girl... you're stuck here with him." That told me everything I needed to know. He then tells my friend to come inside. She shows up with her two kids, and suddenly his tone changes to "How can I help you ma'am?" as if none of this just happened. Once she explains she's the one he was just arguing with, he brings the food out, drops it on the table, and starts digging through it with his bare hands to "prove" everything is there. Then he holds the pita up close to her face like he's presenting evidence in court. At that point we're like... no. You've touched everything, already said you weren't remaking it, and now you're arguing over it like it's a personal mission. Somewhere along the way it turned into a full performance of a grown man trying to square up over a bowl of hummus... with a mom and her kids. Very bold choice. He keeps saying he "doesn't have time for this," while actively spending all the time in the world not fixing the problem. Eventually, after all of that, he remakes the order anyway. Which is exactly what could have been done in the first 60 seconds. Also worth noting, the original bowls were barely filled. Like... blink and you'll miss it portions. This wasn't just bad service, it was weirdly hostile, unnecessarily dramatic, and honestly kind of embarrassing to watch. read more

ordered a FULL portion grains bowl and what i recieved was ridiculous. i wouldnt even consider it halfway filled. I should NOT be paying 15$ for this. Im so dissapointed considering I come here regularly. IT JUST GETS BETTER in my other bowl i ordered half sweet potato and half falafel to my surprise theres no sweet potato OR pickled onions. not sure if the incompetent workers cant read or whats going on but considering every item i ordered is wrong i am furious. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

Sat waiting for my to go order to be placed on the to go shelf. Apparently they don't put them there anymore, so my food just sat there getting cold behind the counter. The guy that I spoke with was not friendly and didnt seem to care about this discrepancy. I asked for utensils and none were in the bag. read more

Visited: 4/15/26, 1 pm Ordered: Grains bowl w/chicken, white rice, pickled onions, corn, tomato/cucumber, yogurt dill sauce. After seeing the 1 star reviews due to small portion size when ordered online, I decided to go inside to place my order. Portion: The portion did seem small because the bowl was slightly more than half filled. However, I realized after finishing the entire bowl, that the portion size left me satisfied and full. I even ate the entire pita bread it came with. To compare, the Costa Mesa location gives much larger portions; and I would usually have leftovers and unable to eat the pita. Taste: Food isn't hot and barely warm, but still tasted good. read more

Went back 2 more times, same issue as first time with small portions. I have come to the conclusion that this location must have a training issue when half the staff give proper portions and the other half give small portions. read more

Julia was super helpful! Great food. The drinks at the soda machine taste so good in my opinion.

Great service!! Cassidy was super friendly, quick, and helpful. My order was made perfectly and everything tasted fresh. The experience was smooth and I'll definitely be coming back again. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

This is not CAVA that ive seen at other locations. The place smells sour like dirty diapers. The high school students serve the customers and are always on their phone meanwhile the place is a slop pen. I can't come back here - ever. This was a second chance and both I knew better. read more

Came into Cava on a Sunday and there was no line! The indoor space is modern and spacious. And they have a lovely outdoor patio. Made an amazing fresh tasting bowl. Love cava and the options! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

I love cava. Leah and sophie were amazing and took care of my bowl. they were so nice and were super helpful, props to them read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

Cava cravings are a real thing... and it happens at least once a week for me. Hit or miss with this location, sometimes they're staffed and stocked... and sometimes it's short staffed and out of stuff. Lol. It also really depends on who's scooping. Decent sized dining area. There is a nice patio as well. I like the BYOB... build your own bowl. I love that arugula is an option for the greens. Your choice of grains, 3 scoops of whatever dips (my fave is the crazy feta). I love their falafels & the grilled chicken. I go crazy with the toppings. The pickled red onions is a must. Don't forget to ask for their garlic sauce because it is soo soo good. My husband's go to is their chicken pita with the spicy harissa and eggplant & all the trimmings. It is huge enough to split into 2 meals. I love all the options, you can make it as healthy or unhealthy as you want. I love Cava! read more

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Got here about an hour before closing. Thanks to the friendly staff member that helped me out as she made my first experience trying this chain a positive one ! Appreciate the generosity of portions as well. Although there were some dressing options that ran out, thank you for providing recommendations of possible combinations that could work well together. Ambiance was chill with instrumental and hip hop music playing in the background. read more

CAVA - Build your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

I really like CAVA but this location disappoints. It really needs a thorough cleaning and some TLC. Most other locations have fresh lettuces and food generally appears fresh but not at this location. Lettuce was old and not appetizing. Servers don't seem to care about customer service. There seems to be a reason this location doesn't get much foot traffic. read more

This is the best cava way better than crown valley Crown Valley is so busy that they are rushing your order and they don't wanna make too big of portions. They get very small ones at this other location. They get a very fair portions and are much more patient when you're talking to them, whoever the staff was in today great job they killed it made me and my girlfriend's bowl and we're just very polite. Good to see in a fast paced environment. read more

This place is so good. Special shoutout to Julia who is always kind and on top of things! Thank you!

Soooo delicious!!!! My favorite fast casual cafeteria style restaurant ever. Way better than Chipotle cause there are so many options for toppings meats. The opportunities are endless Wooh! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

julia was awesome!! she answered all my questions and explained everything. she proactively offered things and was just super friendly. i was genuinely surprised at the level of service i got. thank you julia keep slaying down!!! read more

I absolutely love cava! The ingredients are always so fresh, staff is friendly, and I feel it's fairly priced for having a healthy lunch. One thing is... they almost always forget the pita bread. They usually ask if you want it and when they do they don't forget it. When they don't ask, I get caught up in ordering the bowls and paying while they bag it up that most of the time I get home and there's no pita bread which is a bummer. So one tip is to make sure you check or ask for it if you want it cause it does come with your bowl! read more

Over the summer I've gone to CAVA 3 times. There have been very warm days during these months when I don't feel like cooking. To me, CAVA represents one of the better alternatives to cooking. Their fast casual take on Mediterranean cuisine is good on many levels. The menu has both custom bowls, build your own bowls, Pitas, and a kid's meal. If going for the first time, and you know you cannot handle spice, I suggest you look at the menu ahead of time. Some of the menu items have sauces which are described as spicy. In terms of my favorite order as of late, the Greek salad bowl with chicken (600 calories as of 8/26/24*) is the one. The chicken was moist, well seasoned but not spicy, and the bowl had ingredients I welcomed: hummus, tzatziki, feta, cucumber, tomato, Kalamata olives, romaine lettuce, arugula, and vinaigrette dressing. Another choice, the Crispy Falafel pita (955 calories as of 8/26/24*), was the most disappointing to me; all I have to say is: My first taste of falafel was in New York and everything else I've tried has paled in comparison). So - my expectations for falafel may be unreasonable. On a more positive note, one of the drinks made in-house, the Blueberry Lavender, (190 calories as of 8/26/24*) are refreshing. I have only ordered it once because although I like it, the amount of sugar for it isn't listed on the website. With the way CAVA's pay system is set up, my opinion is the service is fine. Currently when paying by credit or debit card, there is no option to select a gratuity and I didn't spot a tip jar anywhere in the restaurant. They've been good, all things considered. Seating is available indoors and outdoors. * In terms of the calorie counts I've written; I sincerely hope no one is triggered. I have those details in my review because some of my friends have told me losing weight and maintaining weight loss is not easy. Had more places shown calorie counts of meals and drinks, perhaps things would have been easier. Since the online menu has the information (many places don't), I thought the inclusion could be helpful. read more

Never order on door dash if you want your meal to come in correctly these dumbasses forgot the potatoes the pickled onions and gave us half orders instead of full these lazy people need to be fired or need some sort of compensation for how our food came out ! We paid extra for the full why did we only get a half and most the ingredients we added in are missing aswell ?!?! Very dissapointing read more

Frozen lettuce, soggy veggies, stale rice, and 3 meatballs when im paying extra for them? Support a small locally owned mediterranean/middle eastern business if you want this kind of food because you'll get double or triple the portion for the same price read more

Tyren was very helpful today she had a great attitude and made my experience great! I'm definitely coming back!

I love finding healthy food spots, but recently I've noticed how understaffed they've been. I walk in: music is blaring, and the workers should work on their service. I was waiting to get my order taken but the guy was in the back and was unenthusiastic/unprepared to help me :( read more

Came here yesterday and Angel gave me a great recommendation on what to get and he recommended the Shawarma Bowl. The food was tasty and the service was great! Store was clean and quiet. Will differently come back again! read more

CAVA - Opening Day! - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

We walked into Cava late afternoon, bleary-eyed from the slog home from LA, hungry but not ambitious enough to cook. It's a trendy spot--one of those Mediterranean counter-serve joints that inspires cult devotion or quiet contempt. For me, it was the latter. This location? A textbook miss. The guy behind the counter--let's call him Oblivion--didn't bother with so much as a nod or a smile. No energy, no warmth. It felt less like stepping into a restaurant and more like interrupting a hostage situation. And the food? Grim. Everything behind the glass looked as if it had been forgotten since breakfast: lumpy, crusted over, and conspicuously sad. Ingredients missing, bowls they couldn't make, substitutions they didn't suggest. We should've walked out, but hunger and stubbornness kept us there. Big mistake. What followed was a half-hearted meal that left the same impression as the counter guy: indifferent and uninspired. Places like this don't just miss--they fail the soul of hospitality. Never again. read more

I can eat Cava everyday. It's that good. The portion of the servings is a great value for what you pay for and our server Cassidy was super nice read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California

Food is tasty and delicious when selecting the proper combination of sauces and spiciness. The server may forget to forewarn you which items will be charged extra. Customers be aware. Settings and environment are adequately done for fast food restaurants. read more

Leah was super amazing and super helpful !!! She was also so kind and positive! She works so hard! Love her!

Really cool location. Everything looks great, there is indoor seating and outdoor seating. Clean look to it. This is the first time I have been to a Cava location and the food was great. I got the chicken and rice bowl and it was so great. Lots of flavor and it was really good. The service was fast and easy, got my food in less than a couple minutes. They had a good selection of different drinks and made for a great experience. I will definitely be back. read more

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Staff was really friendly. Ordering was smooth and easy. Got a build your own bowl with chicken and it was really good

We had Julia help us out and she was amazing! Very patient and informative and gave us great recommendations as we were unsure of what to get every step lol. Loved our visit because of her. She was upfront about items with extra cost too. I hope to get her again when we come back! read more

I'm DEFINITELY coming back! The food was amazing, delicious and fresh! The young man that helped me was kind and the service was fast. Utensils and drinks were fully stocked and the whole place was clean. I ordered the steak + harissa with a regular size drink. read more

CAVA - Steak+Harissa - Mediterranean Near Me - Laguna Niguel, California