Finals week? Grand Opening of a new Westwood restaurant means free dinner? Expected long lines? Check, check, check. I'll elected to study while waiting. My buddy told me that there was this Mediterranean place opening and it was based in DC. I wondered why they came to LA, but sure, why not?
So the line was horrendous and we waited for 1.5 hours and some dumb group of humans tried to cut in line, but I have to say that it was a well worth it. The staff had a certain sort of energy. (OK, not the strict physics dot product of force and distance, but sure, they had plenty of movement, so you sciency people out there don't harp on me). They were all excited to work and the manager was cheering them on...probably a first day vibe. I like that.
Cava Grill is a choose your own ingredients deal. Here's what I got:
BASE: I decided to get the SuperGreens--kale, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, and chicory. I added half saffron basmati rice and brown basmati rice. They provided a mini pita on the side.
DIPS and SPREADS: I got the roasted red pepper hummus, crazy feta, and harissa.
PROTEIN: I choose spicy lamb meatballs and falafel. They gave 2 small pieces of each.
TOPPINGS: I asked for all toppings, to the dismay of the person behind the counter. But I highly suggest you do the same. They give you shredded romaine, tomato and onion salsa, pickled onions, Kalamata olives, cabbage slaw, cauliflower quinoa tabbouleh, cucumber, pita crisps, lemon wedges, mint, feta, and banana peppers.
DRESSING: Sriracha greek yogurt.
DRINK: If you like exotic drinks, they have juices and teas available. I tried a carrot lemonade and it wasn't too sweet but still extremely tasty and familiar.
I didn't pay for any of it since it was the grand opening, but everything minus the mini pita and drink would cost you $8.85. The mini pita is $1.45. The seasonal juices/tea drink is $2.75.
Now after you sit down on one of their designer wooden booths or chair (kinda makes me think you're sitting on a breadboard), mix the darn behemoth you're given and start chewing away like a rabbit.
I'm not exactly the type that likes eating salads. Seriously, how can leaves fill you up?! But boy did this hunk of photosynthesizing material FILL ME UP. I'm a sucker for Greek food. The combination of all of the ingredients definitely made these leaves super fun to eat. I was a little skeptical about eating raw broccoli or kale, but the hummus, sauces, and bells and whistles deftly complemented the leaves. I was a bit disappointed by the falafel and lamb meatballs. Both were extremely small and you only got 2 pieces. Granted this was a free meal and I hope they give more when you a actually buy it. The falafel was extremely small, the chickpeas weren't ground up well, it wasn't fried--seemed more like microwaved to me--and those two parameters are a huge deal for me. The lamb was nothing special and needed a kick in seasoning.
Bottom Line: the owners should probably RENAME this as CAVA SALAD or CAVA FRESH instead of Cava Grill. It's really just a nicer-ish salad bar. $9 for a salad is a bit pricey but you do get a crapload of ingredients. You probably can't buy all of that for $9 at your local supermarket. It fills you up immensely and I'm coming again! read more