Ok so did I mention in my last post I love Cava!! ok so I'm back but a different location. This location in Mission Valley is always somewhat busy but today was not busy besides those eating on the patio. It may be less people because of the construction going on around the place. Ok so.... I'm not sure who this young lady in the middle of the service line providing protein and salad toppings but I was not happy about her pig flopping my food into my bowl and wasting a lot of it in other food items. I have come here enough to know when the service is less than parr and today was it. It was almost 40 dollars for two entrees and felt like I was in a prison line when they slop food onto a tray. Cava I want to continue to support this location but I think this young lady needs to be addressed how she serves. If you're wondering ..... No surprisingly as mention there were no people behind my husband and I so there was no rush so... I'm not sure what that was all about. My husband I walked out and asked each other if we thought some of our food was still on the topping bar in another tray.. We laughed but low key irritated by the experience. read more

Excellent food - love having a fresh meal to go! Service was fantastic and the food is fresh.

CAVA at Mission Valley! CAVA is the best! It's a healthier option than your average Chipotle, and the lines get so long but they are so quick with everything. I decided to get the kids bowl because i wasn't super hungry and it came with a base, protein, and two toppings, a drink, and pita chips! It was just under $10 and it was worth my money for sure! Parking was packed but it's free and easy, I'd recommend stopping by this location anytime. The environment is friendly and the people are always helpful! It can be dirty, they don't wipe down after people eat, but regardless the lemonade is amazing and the food is a healthier and less pricier option! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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This place is located on the property of the mall but on the outside.. good thing because there's always a line at lunchtime! I enjoy the service I get here, it's a quick, efficient line and you can ask questions... I would study the menu beforehand if you are a nervous ninny like me and don't like the pressure of people waiting behind you. I recommend this place to people who like to share meals, each bowl can easily be split into two light-eater sharings. It's a little bit pricey but you are paying for quality and choices available. Their lemonade is a must! read more

You are missing out if you haven't tried Cava. This Cava location was close to my hotel and was efficient in their process. They have a decent amount of meat selection but choose anything other than the chicken, be prepared to pay extra. Three dips I recommend are the crazy feta, eggplant and hummus. That combo go crazy. The quality of the food was on par with what i am used to. They were so kind with the extra sauces, can't thank them enough. They had a good amount of seating inside and outside. Parking, as you know it in DT SD, is atrocious lol. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Im 12 weeks pregnant and its 84 degrees hot out i stopped by to get food and one minute to the next i started to feel like i was going to faint the lady taking my order quickly noticed something was wrong asked me if i was okay had me sit down brought me water and a pen an paper to write my order when i was ready. She also gave me my food for free and brought it over. I didn't get her name but i am so grateful for her and i hope she sees this because you are an absolute angel thank you soo much!!! read more

I've been hearing such amazing things about Cava from all my friends, and I finally tried it for the first time. Was not disappointed at all. I got the chicken on pita bread with tzatziki sauce and it was perfectly seasoned, not try, and delicious. I would also recommend getting their pita chips - salty and crunchy which was a great addition to the meal! The service was great, since this was my first time I had a lot of questions about their dips and dressing but the worker was very helpful with recommendations and did a great job. The parking is easily accessible as this is apart of the Mission Valley mall complex so there's plenty of free parking! The inside is clean and has a good amount of seating for those eating in. Overall, I gave this place a 5/5 and it did not disappoint to live up to my standards! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Cava is heaven in a bowl. No other way to put it. I'm obsessed. I could eat here every freaking day. Delicious. The harissa chicken is divine and the toppings are fantastic. Staff is quick and friendly, prices are great. Military discount too :) read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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The bowls can get expensive depending on what you get, but if you stick to the base stuff, the price isn't too bad. Pretty healthy and tasty too. You can do half chicken and half falafel! I recommend the harissa because it adds a nice spice. read more

CAVA - Make your own bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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The night crew on Wednesday, 06/03, was THE best! So friendly and such great service! The food here is delish! Healthy & filling! Shout out to Des for being wonderful and such a kind soul! They deserve a tip jar!!!! read more

This Cava is gonna do it for me every time. It does get busy because it is in the Mission Valley shopping center but they get my order right every time. I love all the options and new flavors you can combine. Definitely better than chipotle or anything similar. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Honestly I've never been a super big cava fan but I think it's because I never perfected my order?? The first time I went, I put way too many different flavors in there. Flavor explosion and not in a good way. The second time, I was a lot more picky about what I wanted in it, and it was so good!! The line is usually long here but goes fast. Service is nice and quick. Lots of indoor/outdoor seating. I'll be coming back! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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We were coming back from an event in Downtown San Diego and my son wanted something different and a bit healthier than your typical fast food. We noticed CAVA was still opened so we swung by there to pick up food to bring home. We felt bad because it was close to closing and they had begun cleaning up (about 15-20 minutes before closing) but the staff was very nice and made our bowls quickly and we got out of there. The bowls were tasty and packed. My son has never been, he got a bowl with lamb (which is something from the kiddo who used to only eat Mac and cheese and chicken nuggets when he was little) and he really enjoyed it. Store was open and has plenty of seating inside and some outside which is great because I am certain they get fairly busy being in Mission and in the mall. Store was also bright and well lit. Overall great experience and will go back for lunch for sure read more

Yet another bad review. We ordered for pick up and they left out the rice. We didn't find out until we got home so drove all the way back and were treated like we were lying? They proceeded to check the food and gave us one side of rice, forcing us to ask for another as we had 2 bowls they messed up. The worker was Riley and she should really be taught better customer service. This cava seems to hire really immature employees that need training and manners. Not the first time read more

In general I really like CAVA. I appreciate the many topping options and that I can have rice, lettuce, or both in my bowl. Where I tend to get let down is the meat. I've had the steak which is full of gristle and barely edible. The standard chicken is probably the best and most edible. I've had the harissa chicken that was full of gristle. The portions of meat are also so inconsistent. Sometimes you receive a full scoop and other times the employees level off the top and then still shake more off the spoon. I wish there was more care to the consistency and quality. I recently tried the pita chips and so far and I love the harissa, the ranch and the regular. They are probably my favorite item. Overall I like the variety and that I can create my own bowl. I will keep coming back, I just wish there was more consistency with quality and portions. read more

I love Cava , I really do. The establishment is great and the food is always good. However my reason for the one star rating is while we were eating we single-handedly watched one of the workers touch the screen, go back to working on mobile orders (touching food), touch her hair, AND THEN get on the line touching food. I threw my food away after that because if she did all that and didn't switch out gloves I can only imagine what else was touched when she handled my food. Not going to put her name on blast but that was a violation of at least 2 food handler safety violations. read more

First time here wow so yummy with so much selection . You get to choose your grains the protein and the toppings . So many choices loves the spicy feta and the chicken shawarma with cucumber and tatziki . Pita chips too salty wouldn't recommend. Everything So fresh . Also got the cucumber mint juice very refreshing . Definitely recommend this place . read more

I love Cava, I always try to switch it up when I go to try the different sauces but their bowls are my favorite with their steak! A must monthly read more

The quality of their beef/steak has gone down. It's really chewy over cooked and some were so medium that it was like gum. I hate the price for one bowl and when you add and pay for double steak you are better off buy a pound of ground beef was 24$. If I could return this and get my money back I would or just stick with chicken. read more

CAVA - Below grade steak - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

I give this place five stars; EVERY VISIT. What I LOVE IS THE CONSISTENCY. The line may be long but that is because the food is delicious. (It moves fast). The management is amazing and should be commended. This is my favorite place to eat currently. So fresh, so tasty. read more

Your fast casual concept like Chipotle, Blaze Pizza and Panda Express but serving salad, grain, or pita wraps as your base. The ambiance at the mission valley location has indoor and outdoor patio seating good for a quick date, family or friends healthy option get together. Now onto the main attraction. I came alone as the wifey didn't want to eat so late but I really felt like a salad (I never eat salad as a main course) but drove intentionally to this Cava. I ordered the Harissa Avocado. It's a curated menu item as opposed to a build your own bowl or pita wrap. It's basically a harissa chicken, avocado salad and grain bowl that you can customize. I didn't have high hopes upon watching it being made but the staff were friendly and helpful from beginning to the register. When I carried it to the car it didn't feel as if I would get full eating it especially since I told my wife we could share. When I got home I added cucumber and tomatoes and tossed it all together. I split it into two bowls and I devoured my half and half of my wife's half. It was very tasty when all was said and done. I enjoyed the food and felt good after eating it too! Cheers to eating healthy-ish! read more

First time customer and extremely disappointed. Staff were rude and not accommodating at all. Poor customer service ruined the experience. Staff member seemed to be in a rush with no other customer in the establishment I felt me acknowledging this is my first time as a customer asking the staff about the different food options she was dismissal asking her coworker to help rather than continuing. I was not able to ask her Name but I did address the way I felt about the service received. read more

Quality lunch spot and I really like the Chipotle-esque serving style. I only started coming to Cava recently and it's really grown on me! This location gets SUPER busy around lunch time and line can be up to 30 minutes. Their online ordering platform could definitely also use some improvement- Orders are not always ready at expected pick up time. Regardless, really enjoy all the meat, sauce, and other topping options. Food is flavorful and fresh. Will return! read more

CAVA - Outside - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

A very clean and healthy choice that is full of different varieties for toppings, full of flavors with their sauces and very generous portions. I always have extra for dinner, especially when I get the bowl. The ambience is giving chipotle, but the vibes are giving cheb'aleh. Anyways I'll be back... read more

THE "CHIPOTLE" OF MEDITERRANEAN (4 stars) I needed to see what the hype is about because there always is a line. Order what you want and walk down the kitchen line selecting what you want to add in - like Chipotle. Seems to be putting Tender Greens out of business. - FOOD: good and fresh - PRICE: fair - SERVICE: good - AMBIANCE: nothing special :: ORDER :: BUILD YOUR BOWL - 1) BASE - went for both greens (romaine lettuce) and grain (rice) 2) DIP - you can choose three: traditional hummus, roasted eggplant (my fav of the tree), and Tzatziki 3) MAINS - Steak Mezze 4) TOPPINGS - fire roasted corn, Persian cucumbers, purple cabbage slaw, fiery broccoli 5) DRESSING - Lemon Herb Tahini. Okay, it tastes way better than it looks in the picture. An abundance of flavor and texture. It was really good that I didn't even need to add in the dressing - it would good without it. The steak was cooked nicely and cut into bite size pieces and that protein paired well with all the fresh greens and flavored veggies. I also had a slice of their pita and their pita was yums. Very fresh and soft. HIGHLY RECOMMEND STRAWBERRY CITRUS ($3.60) - self serve drinks. Do not pass up on their drink section! Their strawberry citrus was sweet with a little tart but refreshing! Very much a strawberry lemonade but their take on it. HIGHLY RECOMMEND :: SERVICE :: The service line moved fast and they aren't stingy filling the bowl. After that, everything else is self serve. Serve yourself a seat/table. Serve yourself your drink. And the tables... are indeed dirty and not wiped down so you can also expect yourself to serve your own cleaning. Until the next review... read more

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Love cava!! Cava has a special place in my heart. For the amount you get I think it's worth the price. Food is always so fresh, flavorful and good. The staff here were nice! I can tell there were a few new members that were getting acclimated but they did great! Im docking off a star because this location specifically was a little skimpy on the meat, and they said they didn't have any pita chips anymore but we saw multiple tables that had them :( but nonetheless still was a filling and satisfying meal! read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food is great however when you order for delivery they don't fill up the bowl. Portions are completely off compared to when you are eating at restaurant read more

Food is delicious!! I always order the spicy lamb + avocado bowl and it never disappoints. Recently I started adding chicken in my bowl for extra protein! It's very filling and the service has always been great. This location is in DT and gets very busy depending when you go. Never had any issues with the service though. read more

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My first time trying this place cause everyone was going crazy about it being good. Comes to find out it was all hype. This locations staff were very nice and helpful however the food quality was horrible and disgusting. I was very disappointed because I had high hopes for it and was very excited to try. The pita I got was the steak one and it was very soggy once I started eating about 5 mins after I got it. I've had pita breads sit with gyro and tzatziki sauce way longer that and it didn't go soggy. The person making this pita went crazy overboard with the sauce making it soggy and there was barely any meat. The meat was tough and had no flavor. It was filled with veggies that were also soggy. When I tried to pick up the pita the food just came down. Very very upset and disappointed. I paid $18 for a terrible pita sandwhich. I am reminded of why I cook at home instead. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food tastes great and the area is very clean and organized. Also, the service is outstanding and welcoming for a visitor.

I have never given a bad review before but my bowl was literally half empty I couldn't believe it . I don't know if this is just the new portion sizes that management makes employees give but I got literally 5 small pieces of chicken for a salad that's a little above $16. I've always loved cava but and I know it's not the cheapest but this is like a side salad portion read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Walked in when they were almost closed after a very long shift at my own restaurant job and Sammy greeted me warmly right as I walked in, and showed me the exact kindness I needed after my very long night. I walked out of there after him helping me with my order and my attitude totaled shifted for the better. Sammy was awesome and promotions should be in the talks . read more

Tried Cava today in Mission Valley. line was long so I ordered food to go pick up. Didn't take long at all. However, the chicken I got in my order was so dry and burnt there was only one piece that was huge and meaty the rest were like end of the pan type pieces. The salad itself tasted good. The first time I had Cava my partner ordered it for me from the location in UTC and it was fresher and he drove it to me. This was supposed to be fresh and it wasn't really. Their cucumber lime drink also needs more limes or they should have some on the side to add in. Will return, but they need to pay attention to more of what they're putting in the salads to go. read more

CAVA - My order receipt - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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There's nothing actually "fast" about CAVA. The line is 30 min MINIMUM, for precooked food where they keep reducing the portions and upping the price. Ever since being bought out by private equity CAVA as a company is just alllll about the shareholders and stock price, which is a shame. While they are making bank they are forcing their sick employees to work. I don't want a lady coughing and sneezing all over my food! I swear I got sick after eating here. Severely understaffed, for a reason. They also always skip your free pita. It's frustrating because it's one of the only healthy places to get a big meal, I hope they clean up their act soon, until then PEACE! read more

CAVA - The chicken used to be thigh pieces lightly chopped, now it's grainy bits of ground "chicken" - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Used to order from Cava often and they used to give good portions. Ordered delivery tonight and got two different bowls. One of them came out fine, but one of them clearly needed to have more food in the bowl. I'm really tired of restaurants raising their prices and then giving less and less food. Don't order from delivery. Make sure you go in person and make sure they fill your bowl for the increased price you're paying. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm writing this update as a plea to CAVA: PLEASE open another location in San Diego!! The Mission Valley location is great but the lines are so long, and even ordering ahead on the app requires waiting after your arrival time. Plus I feel like the rushes affect the quality of the food. I think everyone would love another location! (please! i'm such a Cava girly and prefer it over Chipotle!!) Despite it being super busy, the employees were super nice! A group of us were waiting for app orders and they asked out names to make sure it was being made. I'm appreciative of them doing that. I think most of my previous review still applies, except a greens + grains bowl now starts at $12.05 and of course certain meats are extra. On my last visit, I got extra chicken and my bowl was about $17. bowl+topping recommendations - greens: super greens - grains: saffron basmati rice - protein: chicken (I like harissa honey chicken too but it's extra) - dips/spreads: tzatziki, red pepper hummus, crazy feta - toppings: pita crisps, tomato and cucumber, pickled red onion - sauces: my ultimate faves skhug (an underestimated spicy green sauce), and garlic (super strong and flavorful)!!! I get it on the side read more

CAVA - build your own greens & grain bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

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Steak pita was disgusting. The steak was chewy, gray and tasted like dog food. Completely inedible. The pita bread was dry and cracked when held. This is absolutely NOT worth the money. Service was quick and the restaurant seemed clean. read more

CAVA - Steak + Feta - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

Cava. Never. Disappoints. Like out the door on a Saturday afternoon. Took about 15 minutes to get through and pay. Place was messy but the team was quick & helpful. Food looked beautiful and tasted delicious. read more

CAVA - Chicken bowl - Mediterranean Near Me - San Diego, California

I couldn't believe the lines when I first discovered Cava on my way to Mendocino Farms (which I love) last year. My first time I stood in line at #17 and timed how long it took to get an order. I was so impressed how fast they moved the line and then how GREAT the food was! Fast forward to the last couple months and I have noticed that the line is not as long as it has been. I would presume it's because the size of the bowl is much smaller? Plus some of the team should maybe find another line of work? I asked for more spinach & arugala since I don't eat rice. What I got was a skimpy portion of romaine and arugula. Didn't catch it til I got home to eat it. On top of that the first person who started the order was indifferent. I didn't feel the same energy or feel welcomed by this woman. Everyone else was decent. The kiss of death is giving customers a great value and experience and then taking away from that. First impressions are lasting impressions. I bought stock in the company and have now sold it as I have lost faith. read more

I love cava. The pita chips, their salad/rice bowls are just divine. If you crave for healthy food but don't want to sacrifice the taste, cava is a must. I love how you can add whatever sauces you like and choose your proteins and veggies to put in your bowl. Definitely a good lunch option, and don't forget the pita chips! read more