The popular NOVA meddeterian "chipotle" has officially opened in the heart of VCU where the old pie five pizzeria used to be. The set up is simple and staright to the point. 1.type of base (grains,greens, or pita) 2. Scoop of dipping sauce ( various flavores hummus ect.) 3 . protein 4. Vegetable toppings 5. Sauce I found the set up and flavor profile to be very similar to Mezeh which is in the short pump area. The difference is in the small details and I feel like Cava definitely has a shorter list of options but you still get a very flavorable meal. One thing that did catch my eye was that the greens and grain selection . They had some things listed that you typically dont see in most fast paced dining sceans like lentisl or argula. I loved the spicy turmeric dressing & the saffron rice but the pita is very small and really nothing special . On the upside try the pita chips which had a nice crunch and goes well with the hummus. Dont skip the house made juices; the mint, pinapple, and apples juice is my fav! The tables on the main floor are very awkwardly placed seeing that it's in the middle of where people would stand in line and order as well as grab drinks. I would hate to have people leering over my food while I am trying to eat . Get take out or try the beatiful patio and upstairs seating instead. read more

CAVA - Pita chip with traditional hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I love CAVA. They are basically a Mediterranean-style Chipotle. The set-up is the same: you go through the line, picking the things that you want, and they build your bowl/pita/whatever you choose in front of you. You can also order in advance using their mobile app which is very convenient, but the line typically goes quickly. The falafel here is super good, and it's my go-to choice of protein. It's not too dry and is seasoned very well. Depending on the spreads/dressings that you choose, you can create a great combination that is full of flavor. They also give you a free pita with your bowl! There's a seating area upstairs that also leads outside to a balcony where you can sit and eat and hang out with friends which is nice. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Love Cava. Been to the location in short pump and willow lawn. Staff friendliness varies. Food is consistently good at both locations. read more

customer service is spot on. love the food. friendly and welcoming environment. I eat here once a week. #favorite

When this cava first came to Richmond they were really good, they had excellent service the workers would crack jokes and make you smile, the food portions would be more than filling always being able to bring some food home for a snack later on. Although it's a bit pricey, it was always worth the trip to go there! I just went back today for the first time in awhile and the whole vibe of the restaurant was off, I don't know what it was but it seemed like the workers didn't want to be there," I payed near 14$ with no extra add ons for a bowl they only filled half way which I finished under 3 minutes. They also gave me a pita sized bread the size of my iPhone that costed me an extra dollar. Although I do love their food, after this experience I'm gonna have to put it on the back burner again until they are able to turn things around. read more

When you are looking for quick, healthy, and Mediterranean, this franchise in VA hit all the points. I was introduced to this restaurant by friends from MD, who met me in VA. This is a build-your-own type of eatery so do read the menu options before getting on the ordering line. Another plus is that you can sample the ingredients if you're really undecided. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is always a favorite of mine. I love how you can build your own bowl and the pitas are delicious. The service is always amazing and the restaurant itself always looks pretty. They always keep it pretty clean and it's a great place to dine in. However, if you are on a budget, I would advise maybe not coming because sometimes the meals can add up. read more

Good food and quirky soda machine. Ceiling was leaking and bathroom code was not very secure. Also one too few 9/11 references.

I had to wait an thirty (30) minutes for two (2) salads (Total time from order placed online to it being ready was forty-five (45) minutes). That's unacceptable. If you can't make the the orders--don't take the orders. I would have gotten lunch elsewhere. For people who have schedules they have to keep this is disrespectful. read more

Cava is one of my favorite fast food restaurants EVER! At first I was skeptical of the type of food they offered, since I'm not too familiar with Mediterranean cuisine. After I finally decided to visit, I saw that most ingredients were pretty familiar. The pick-and-choose options are also helpful for anyone who's hesitant to trying new food! Thankfully, I am fairly adventurous, so the pick-and-choose option is also great for anyone who enjoys plenty of sauces and toppings on their meals! I could sum up Cava as Chipotle style Mediterranean food. I appreciate how the fresh flavors (similar to Chipotle) always work so well together, no matter the combination. From tangy to spicy, Cava offers me a fairly healthy meal with a wide range of ways to satisfy any cravings. They offer falafel for any vegetarian friends, rice bowls when I'm craving carbs, and salad bowls for when I'm feeling healthier. (But let's be real - most times, I do both!) This location is definitely a quick service location as their bowls are disposable and can easily pop on a lid to make it to-go. Other locations in the area use plastic bowls and presentation is a little better. Service has always been efficient and super friendly. This location also has upstairs seating and a patio if you want to eat outside! Cava is one of my favorite places in DMV area. Idk what I'd do if they came down south! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is a good cava. Always fresh ingredients. Bathrooms always clean. If i could make one complaint: bring back sweet potatoes!!!!

This place gets better ever time I eat here. I love the falafel and the lamb meatballs in particular. The service is always fast and friendly and I am on my way in short order. The only thing that makes this place would be the skinny parking spaces in the always crowded parking lot. read more

Cava is by far better then chipotle. Their staff is friendly and I had the privilege to meet their amazing GM Blaine, he took care of me from start to finish. He did not rush me and allowed me to sample some of the items. They have seasonal juices and proteins. Clean store which is always a plus! Definitely coming back! read more

Delicous restaurant!! The employees are very nice and helped me figure out just what I wanted to order! They even personally described their sauces and told me which are their favorite! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Mediterranean Chipotle. I got my brown rice bowl with braised lamb. Lots of options for toppings and sauces--feta, tzatziki, hummus, cucumber, banana pepper... This can be good or bad. I did a pretty good job creating a flavor I liked, but it's easy to overdo it. And the guy making my bowl talked me into spicy sauce... said it wasn't too hot, but it was right at the verge of too hot to enjoy for me. And I like spicy. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I bookmarked this place when I knew I'd have a few lunch hours in Richmond, AND BONUS: it's right behind Rumors, a fun and ft shop your teenager will love! I looked at the menu ahead of time, (recommended! There are a lot of options!), and knew I wanted the power greens and lentils bowl with summer vegetables. (That was my protein choice since many helpers said the falafel was dry... and it looked dry). The summer vegetables were a complete surprise!!! All kinds of veg in there and all of it cooked perfectly. (No mush!) My sauces were harissa, (spicy!) and eggplant/red pepper... mix in the eggplant and use spicy sparingly, but it's a perfect balance.. and ask for pita too! (Soft and thick and warm) Love the quinoa and crunchy toppings too! And my fave: The watermelon mint tea/juice!!! The drinks are the bomb! read more

This place is pretty good and the staff are very nice, but it's been compared to Chipotle and I personally like Chipotle better. However, this place takes a Greek spin on foods and gives you tons of options. So basically you build your own bowl and I chose half spinach & half arugula, cabbage slaw, pickled banana peppers, half grilled beef meatballs & half vegetables, and topped with romaine lettuce and Sriracha Greek yogurt. I got tzatziki, harissa, and hummus on the side to try as well. The grilled meatballs were my favorite part! read more

CAVA - Spinach, arugula, cabbage slaw, banana peppers, grilled beef meatballs, veggies, lettuce & Sriracha Greek yogurt. Tzatziki, harissa, hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Visited 3/20/17 for dinner Ordered: - Green & Grains with a side of pita (power greens and lentils) Dip--- - Eggplant + Red pepper dip- I couldn't really taste eggplant or red pepper. Usually eggplant is also texturally different but this dip wasn't any different from any of the other dips. - Hummus- unimpressive but it helps the items in the bowl blend together - Feta dip- the feta dip was good and actually had a good feta flavor. Protein - Falafel- extremely dry and didn't have much flavor besides being salty - Spicy lamb meatballs- same as the meatballs, the lamb meatballs were SO DRY and so dense. They were super salty. Favorite toppings - Mint- I loved the freshness of the mint when added to the bowl and to complement the otherwise dry and bland lamb meatballs - Pita crisps- There wasn't anything else other than the power greens that offered a crisp texture. These were really yummy! - Tabouleh- this was my favorite thing. It was extremely well flavored and had a good contrast of textures. My Cava bowl was actually quite good and all of the flavors together were cohesive and enjoyable, but there was nothing impressive about each individual component. I think there were certain components that saved the bowl and were enough to overshadow the lesser components. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Nice and fresh fast food option. I had Cava for the first time yesterday and found it to be a very refreshing place to get a quick bite to eat. They had a mix if Mediterranean foods you could to make a mix that would be served in a bowl or on a pita. The restaurant had a simple, clean interior. On nice days there is an upstairs patio that is very nice to sit on, be careful stepping away however, the birds seem used to picking away at leftovers. read more

CAVA - Greens and grains bowl. - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

FINALLY I made it to CAVA after weeks of looking at Yelp pictures and stalking their menu. Thankfully it did not disappoint and I'm counting down the days until I can go back! I ordered a bowl with mesclun greens and chicken, with the tzatziki and hummus dips. For toppings I added the radishes, pickled onions, and cucumbers. Everything was so fresh, delicious, and not to mention beautiful to look at. I mean really Chipotle, you're going to have to step up your game with Cava in town; something I never thought I'd hear myself say. On top of the delicious food, the dining area is comfortable and aesthetically pleasing. They even have a really cool rooftop deck which makes a perfect spot to dine on a nice day. Such a wonderful touch for a quick-service joint. CAVA is a true gem and a welcome addition to the RVA dining scene! If you haven't been yet, lunch or dinner, get yourself over their for a healthy, quick, yummy meal! read more

CAVA - Salad with Chicken. Yum! - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Being a vegetarian and allergic to nuts can be a hassle sometimes. CAVA coming to campus and RVA is a god sent if you are in a situation like me. With many different choices for vegetarians and to know that they have not nuts on the line, I felt beyond safe ordering from them. Once I found out this information, I immediately went crazy and wanted to try everything. The woman behind the counter was very patient as I asked many questions, and asked to try different things. I ended up with a salad bowl, packed with toppings and fillings. The price is a little hefty for your normal salad, but this salad was filled with so much goodness, and was a generous size, I see it as well worth your money. I visited during one of those unusually super warm February days and sat up on the patio deck. It was a lovely way to spend my lunch hour; sun in the sky, healthy food on the table and not a care about my allergies. I was planning to save half of the salad for dinner, but somehow the whole thing was gone by the time I left :) read more

CAVA - Vegetarian and Nut Free Salad filled with as much goodness as I could possibly fit! - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Think Chipotle, but Mediterranean food. Which is ironic because there is a Chipotle practically next door. So this is the same concept, its a food line and you pick your toppings and whatnot. They have many healthy options for whatever you prefer. I have enjoyed every meal that I have had from this place. The food is fresh and not too heavy like their neighbor's food can sometimes be. While it is pretty pricey, I think that it's worth the splurge every once in a while. PRO TIP: always always always get the pita on the side. PRO TIP #2: take said pita, break it up into small pieces and put it in your bowl and mix it up. Thank me later :) read more

I used to enjoy coming to this location because it seem like one of the best locations closer to my home , I order pita chips with my meal and was told that it was going to be a few minutes I decided to wait only to find out the chips were never made while the cook walked around with his phone in his hands.... Cava has really good food however the service is lacking ... read more

Although the prices seem a bit high -- you do get what you pay for here. I've always had excellent service every time I've gone (and I'm a regular goer). The food tastes so fresh and it's SO filling. I'm not a vegetarian but the falafel is a lot better than the chicken. Sauces are delicious and the whole meal is so full of flavor! My only downside with this place is that I ordered online once and got my order and it was super skimped. Like my bowl was half empty even though it's my 'usual' that still costs me the same. read more

I pick up lunch here several times per week and always have a good experience. Jarrell and the rest of the staff are friendly, attentive, and speedy. read more

CAVA is a great addition to the VCU campus--it serves up fresh fast-casual style mediterranean food, and a lot of it. It can get pricey if you go for all of the add-ons, but a regular lunch will go for around $10, which seems pretty fair to me considering all of the vegetables and high quality ingredients you get. I like CAVA a bit more than Mezeh, its Short Pump counterpart, because it seems like you get more options and a greater ability to add more sauces, etc. It is "Chipotle style" where you're in a cattle drive through a line and they assemble your bowl. It was crazy busy when I went so it was a bit overwhelming if it's your first time. That said it was way worth it. It was such a delicious lunch, I loved how complex and vibrant the flavors were. They are not afraid of hot (spicy) flavors and are all the better for it. CAVA also has a wide selection of juices available--I didn't try them but they looked really good so I think I'll have to pick some up next time. This spot has serious potential to be my new regular lunch spot. read more

CAVA - Supergreens salad with chicken and all the veggie goodness - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I don't know if I'm a fan yet... My coworker tells me all about CAVA and I went to try it out. It's like chipotle except it's Mediterranean. Seems healthy so I was intrigued. I made the staff aware that I was a newbie - and they were quite accommodating, taking the time to explain to me what each thing was, how many toppings I can add, etc... I preloaded the app and wanted to claim my $3 off incentive but I couldn't because the app requires a card to be in the app and I didn't want to hold up the line by adding the card in that moment. I chose the spicy lamb meatballs. Overall, the food was "ehh okay". Meaning not terrible, but nothing I can describe as good. My coworker always gets the braised lamb so the next week I went back to try one more time thinking this will make the difference right? Wrong! And this time there was just one staff person , I went around 11 and she wasn't customer friendly. But whatever. Either way, I certainly wasn't impressed with that experience although the first experience was a little better. 3rd time's a charm?? Maybe! I'll check them out one last time to re-review. read more

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Just stopped by to pick up a bowl and unfortunately my card declined (found out I was hacked and my bank froze my account), still tried to offer cash but they're not accepting it right now which is totally understandable! The incredible worker that rung me up gave me my food for free! Small acts of kindness like this is exactly what we need in times like today. I'll be coming back much much more just because of the wonderful service! :) read more

I really enjoyed my food here. First time going about 2 weeks ago. I got the grilled meat balls and also got chicken with spring mix , tzaziki. My sister got braised lamb , rice, romaine and chips on top. Very very good amount of food. Staff is super friendly. Establishment is clean. The teas are not that great though lol but the food was good, I'll definitely go again ! A lot of healthy options which is why I was excited to go. read more

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I paid $11 for a bowl and came to pick it up. Normally I'm very happy with CAVA as they give good portions. This was the skimpiest bowl I've ever received from cava . Was supposed to be a double grain bowl and is instead 90% romaine lettuce, the bowl itself is only MAYBE an inch deep? This is ridiculous and I'm truly upset considering how great other CAVA's have been. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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So yummy and feels so healthy! Great COVID precautions being taken. Love this place!!!

manager made my bowl, he's stingy with the portion sizes, other cavas have not been like this. he was also very unfriendly, won't be coming back to this location read more

Food and drinks are delicious! Really fresh vegetables and well seasoned meats. We will be returning for more!! read more

CAVA - Ginger Turmeric Drink w/ build your own bowl Strawberry Mint mixed with Hibiscus Drink w/build your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

How have I never written a review for CAVA? This place is awesome. Firstly, its A LOT of food and its seemingly healthy. The ingredients are always fresh, the staff is always friendly and the service is always quick. I recently took a Vegan friend here and she was blown away by how good it was, so if you have dietary restrictions, you can most likely find something here that you will enjoy. On this trip, I had a greens and grain bowl with splendidgreens and brown rice, the dips/hummus are great and there's plenty of vegetables to choose from. The chicken is so delicious and perfectly grilled. Check it out! It won't disappoint! read more

Went here for the first time after seeing my sister eat the food many many times. It's Chipotle meets Mediterranean food. You go down the line and choose your type of bowl, three dips, protein, toppings, and sauce. We tried the spicy lamb and falafel rice bowls. The food was amazing! There is an interesting drink selection as well (beet lemonade, thyme lemonade, jasmine tea, spiced chai green tea...). We noticed a lot of people getting food to go. Highly recommend it. You get your food quickly and everything was fresh. read more

Amazing! No other word for it. The food is absolutely delicious- it seems every new combination is better than the last. Their ingredients seem to be top notch, and the friendly servers always provide helpful suggestions based on what combos taste best. If you're in the area, definitely try it out and you won't be disappointed. read more

Today was my first time trying CAVA and I will definitely be an advocate for the business and location moving forward. Between the food and the customer service, CAVA (location) is off the charts! Thank you to Anika and team! read more

CAVA - Some of everything -- Supergreens, grains, and rice base (lol)... the Spicy Lamb and Falafel are superb!! - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Food was good, however, I ordered chicken and they put maybe half a bite of chicken and only one falafel. Worst cava I have ever been in. If I could give negative five stars I would. read more

If I have to choose between CAVA and Mezeh, I think I am going to choose Cava for the simple reason that it has healthier options! However, it is a little bit more expensive and they do not let you add as many toppings! I love the hummus selection and the power-salad mix! Just wish they have same deals as Mezeh (like the app) and "unlimited toppings" However, super fresh and loved the idea where you can buy the spreads :) read more

Overall: - Words cannot explain how completely ecstatic I was when I found out Cava was FINALLY coming to town. I have been excitedly waiting since last year when the news broke. I usually go to Cava in Northern Virginia and the Bethesda/DC area. For those who are wondering, I'm happy to say they are pretty much the same! So in Northern Virginia there's Cava grill which is what we have here (again, love it and I'm so happy it's close to me) but there is also Cava the sit down restaurant. For brunch, this cava has an all you can eat brunch menu and penny mimosas. I know I'm pushing my luck, but PLEASEEEEE bring the Cava brunch and penny mimosas to Richmond! I'll probably personally fund the whole thing because I'll probably go every weekend. --------------------------------- Attire: - Casual --------------------------------- Cost Estimate: - Bowl ~9.87 - Drink ~2 (WORTH IT) --------------------------------- Occasions to visit: - When you want a light but filling meal - When you are feeling healthy but too lazy to cook - When you want a place near the VCU/MCV campus that has a nice rooftop to eat outside - When you read a review and decide, YUP I'm convinced I have to try this place now. --------------------------------- Service: - Overall friendly --------------------------------- What to order: - Bowl. I personally go for both the grain and the green. There's no charge for extra grain so if you want brown rice, white rice, lentils, or any combo of that with your greens, load it up! I'm not a lamb person so I can't tell you about those meatballs but the beef meatballs and falafel are super tasty. I do fine that sometime's my meatballs are a bit dry but with the 3 spreads and 1 dressing you are allotted, it never bothered me. Just like Chipotle, toppings are based on preference. My only tip is don't skimp on the wonton crisps thing at the end. It adds such a nice crunch throughout the bowl. - A drink cup. Usually when I eat dinner I just opt for water. Mostly because 1. it won't mess with the taste of my meals and 2. I don't want the extra calories. But the drinks at cava are worth those calories! I tend to go for the craft juices but I have tried the sodas and those are tasty as well. bottom line: go to cava now! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Richmond, Virginia