Thank you so much for restoring my faith in restaurants. Just cannot find healthy, high-quality food in Bethesda. However, traveling a bit south made all the difference. This Cava location is perfect. Beet Lemonade is genius. All the ingredients fresh. I had the grain bowl, with eggplant, tzatziki, and red pepper hummus. All the fixings of course. Made a little pita with part of the huge serving. Even though I ate until I was very full this high energy food woke me up because it is so natural and raw. Thanks again. I'll be back. read more

TL:DR: Only use the mobile app to order online, not the web page, and it works the way one would hope. Want to totally make this clear: this is a review of Cava Mezzes ONLINE ordering system, not the Tenleytown location in particular. My 1 star review of the online system is already moot. Updated to 4 since it's still really good food. read more

I eat here like 3-4 time a week cause the food is so good. My food order is usually complicated but the women on the front line here always accommodate me and have even remembered my order. I would like to send a personal thanks to the manager, I believe her name is Yolanda. She has an amazing staff. I always enjoy dining at this location. Thank you to all these hardworking ladies and gentlemen. read more

I've been here a few times now for lunch & dinner so it's time I give my POV, and I must say the food has always turned out good no matter what I decided to order. It has a Mediterranean/Greek style, which is one of my FAVORITE types of cuisines I love to eat. The food is created through an "assembly line" process (like subway or chipotle), so you custom make it to your liking. I recommend you look at the menu before hand so you can decide, it will help the ordering to go smoothly (since it can be overwhelming when you get there). They also offer order online, so you can just come in and pick it up, if you didn't want to deal with a long wait (because they can get busy). I definitely suggest to anyone to try it out! read more

What can I say - I'm hooked! So much flavor, so many combinations, and all for a reasonable price. I'm addicted to the harissa, beef meatballs, and the green schug sauce. Shout out to Valery, the store manager, who always says hello when she sees me. Thank you! read more

My daughter, who lives in Tenelytown, and I spent all morning trekking through some of the shopping areas in DC. By 1:30 we were starved, and she wanted me to try her favorite spot. I couldn't have been happier with her choice. This is a build your own style restaurant with Mediterranean/Greek foods. You can mix, match, double up, or half portion it. I try to eat pretty clean so started with the kale greens, a tiny bit of brown rice, then meat and some delicious vegetables, prepared in a Mediterranean style. Taziki, so creamy and delicious. Harrisa, pretty spice, and an eggplant red pepper dip. Such a good meal and you feel so virtuous eating it, because it is all so fresh. I am not a fan of chains, but please come to Charleston !!! read more

My "maiden voyage" to this restaurant was a treat! The staff was attentive and friendly. The food was tasty and filling and I didn't have to feel guilty for eating junk. I came back not long after with my daughter and the only regret was that the meal I had ordered before wasn't there because I think they rotate their menu. That just meant a new adventure with a new meal. We'll be back for sure! read more

This place was sooooo good. It is one of the best resteraunts I have ever been to. The customer service was great and my server was so nice. You should definitely go here. One of my favorite brunch meals there was the French toast. It was absolutely incredible. This place was the best. You will be blown away with how good it is. read more

I've been to this location several times, and each time the food and service have been great. I also had no issue parking nearby as they are located near a corner, which is a big plus in the D.C. area. I also like that this location has outdoor seating. If you're in the mood for a fast, healthy meal that won't break the bank, this CAVA location is an excellent choice. read more

Wonderful people at this store. Very friendly and accommodating. If you need a cava to go to in the DC area, go with this one. (Keep in mind that there is no cash used in store right now because of the pandemic) read more

walking into this establishment was the best decision I have ever made. the pita I ordered changed my life. I give a million thanks to takumi, my server. he crafted my food so perfectly it brought tears to my eyes. read more

The store manager at the Tenleytown CAVA went out of their way to help us with a big lunch order today. We received our order quickly and everything was delicious. We're very grateful! read more

We had high hopes for this place. Great place to go if you want to just stare at the lights, but horrible if you want a good meal. Everything was undercooked. The mashed potatoes are definetly made from powdered potatoes. $88 for a three course meal. It wasn't worth $20. When we left and passed Longhorn, we commented on how we should have eaten there. They always cook the food perfectly and their potatoes are fresh. read more

This place is unbelievable. Amazing Greek fusion style platters at a great price and fast! Highly recommend you waiting in line, cause it's most definitely worth the wait. Line goes by fast anyway so do yourself the favor and wait. I got the chicken bowl that they offer, and I literally told them to just fill it up with whatever is the most popular. They did not disappoint. So dericious. Yes, dericious. read more

CAVA - The chicken is in there somewhere I swear...love this place - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food here is quite good and I always enjoy it. I'm writing this poor review purely to convey how DIRTY AND FILTHY this place was on Saturday, June 1. The floors were so dirty and gross, there was a big wet spot on the floor that no one cleaned up, there were pieces of meat in the rice (that should not be there!!) and all of the tables were just disgusting. Ugh ugh ugh. Store manager -- please do better and get more staff to help or teach your staff how to clean up. This is unacceptable. read more

Cava sucks big time! It's not the first time they messed up my order. Only half of my order was delivered today. They delivered wrong order too. And they charged my card for the missing order. I called the store on 24th and park, the staff was super rude. I am never going to order from Cava again. And Yes, they never send utensils. Also going to tell all my co workers to not order from Cava anymore read more

4.5 stars. Dude, I am swooning. And I'm married, so that hasn't happened in years. (Haha, just kiddin', dear.) All joking aside: Cava Grill's food is first-kiss good -- albeit less sloppy and awkward. The fare is both high-quality *and* delicious, and I love that even fast casual joints like CG are embracing the locavore dining movement. As you wait in line to order, a chalkboard proudly lists the restaurant's food partners, with produce and meats supplied by local farms. Everything here is faboo and, while I do enjoy their soft, warm pita wraps, the rice bowls are the way to go and give you the most value for your money. The base of fragrant basmati provides a perfect palette on which to create your Cava art. Add a sauce (I like the creamy tzatziki, fiery harissa and Cava's famous "Crazy Feta"), a protein (the house-made falafel and Cava's signature spicy grilled lamb sliders are ridiculous), and finish it with the toppings of your choice (cabbage slaw, cucumbers, pickled onions, and tomato for me). And if that weren't enough, CG sees its way fit to give you a round of that pillowy pita with your bowl. It's truly a mouthwatering meal. The only factor here that keeps me from awarding CG five stars are the prices. They're not going to put you in the poor-house, but they're not exactly cheap eats either. Oh, and also: I'd like one to open in Alexandria. Old Town perhaps? Chef Dimitri, please get on that. read more

OMG! Love this place. Fresh food and great sauces. I especially love that you can customize your meal. And a free pita with your bowl. A great lunch spot. During our visit we came to CAVA twice. The whole family loved it. Our favorite protein was the chicken. I loved the spicy tahini sauce. The pita chips and side of hummus were really good. This location provided a larger serving than another CAVA we visited. read more

Cava is now in Tenleytown - gluten free, allergen-friendly and healthy and totally awesome. FIST PUMP! I have been gobbling up rice bowls since they opened in my 'hood, and I couldn't be happier for their arrival on Wisconsin. This area is in-need of some better lunch and quick-but-yum dinner options. Everything about Cava rocks. They offer a wide variety of meats, veggie and salad options - rice bowls, pita, salads. It's kinda like Chipotle for Mediterranean - except healthier and yummier. You pick the dish you want, add your proteins (braised lamb, chicken, grilled meatballs, etc), pick your dips/spreads (uhh hello tzatiki, harissa, hummus, babaganoush) and then pick all the fixins (and if you're me that kinda looks like this...I'll have everything...pickled onions, tomatoes, cabbage salad, cucumber and tomato salad, kalamata olives...) Almost everything on the menu is gluten free. There are so many options and absolutely 0 mystery about what you can and cannot eat, regardless of your limitations (also many offerings for dairy free, vegan and vegetarian). I can't wait to go back and stuff my face again! Braised lamb bowl 4 life!! read more

Tenleytown is not my favorite destination, but the recently opened Cava Mezze Grill certainly makes Tenley a much more appealing neighborhood. Cava Mezze is a variation on a theme that's now familiar in DC (as Venu N. notes): a tiny menu (Roti, Merzi, and so on) that can be customized. As many other reviewers noted, Cava can feel a lot like Roti -- it is the same basic concept and the offerings are similar -- but the food here is fresher and tastier (and the portions are smaller, and it's a bit more expensive). Follow the recommendations here and go with the rice bowl (I'm not as excited by the salad option - you'll inevitably end up with a big pile of dry arugula since the ratio of greens to toppings is way off) -- I loaded mine with hummus, eggplant and red pepper, the best falafels ever, tomato salad, and feta. Word on the street is that the crazy feta is absolutely heavenly. For $8.75, I had more than enough for dinner. Cava should also get points for managing to create such a lovely, distinctive space (and they've done it in some creative ways-- next time you're dining, look up!) - it's literally one of the few aesthetically pleasing locations in all of Tenleytown. One would actually want to sit and enjoy lunch or dinner in Cava. read more

The Cava Mezze Grill utilizes Chipotle's assembly-line concept and applies it to fresh, Greek food. It is stunningly delicious. Yes, I said stunningly delicious. Like at Chipotle, you start out with - a wrap? A salad? Rice bowl? I personally go for the salad bowl. You get to pick from a spring mix, arugula mix, or romaine mix. I opt for half arugula/half spring mix. It's divinely fresh. They also press a fresh piece of pita bread for you. Next, on to the dips. You get to choose three different small ice-cream size scoops of dips. My recs: the harissa (very spicy, so I get it on the side) and two scoops of the roasted red pepper hummus. This is flavor enough for the entire bowl, so I'll skip dressing. For the protein? I adore the braised beef. And for veggies, I'll add the pickled cabbage, tortilla strips, and whatever else I'm feeling that day. Everything is so fresh and so delicious. They have a large container of water with lemons cut into it on the side. This grill has easily become my favorite lunch spot in Tenleytown. I've also been tot the Cava Grill location in Bethesda, but I think this one in Tenleytown is better. The meat is generally warmer, they always have all 3 mixes of salads, and sometimes the veggies even seem a little fresher. I highly, highly recommend this place! read more

Ok I'm a little confused why this place is called Cava if they don't, infact, serve Cava. But moving on. This Mediterranean style shop *does* have that chipotle feel; it's fast food done right. With healthy ingredients made to order. The canteen style decor and seating makes this place a great option for a relatively quick meal option without hating yourself afterwards. Im not sure I'd go again only because I think I can make it better at home, but a good second choice if I was ever feeling lazy ;) read more

As others have said, this is essentially Greek style Chipotle. For those who have been to Roti, this is better in my opinion. Very slim menu. You go in and you choose one of four options: pita, bowl, salad, or minis. Bowl comes with basmati rice as the base, and the salad comes with greens. The pita you fill with your own selection. You choose your spread - for the bowl, you can definitely choose more than one - can't confirm that you can do this for the other options, but I imagine you could if you asked. Spreads include hummus, tzatziki, red pepper, crazy feta, and some others. You then move on to the next step which is choosing your protein: you have the choice of chicken, lamb, meatballs, beef, or falafel. Little tip: the guy behind me on line asked for half chicken/half falafel, so feel free to mix and match. Next, you add your toppings, and as far as I could tell, these are basically unlimited (unlike Roti). I only picked two, but the guy behind me picked 5, and my goodness was his pita way bigger than mine! As a result, if you're only going to go with a only a few toppings, you might want to ask them for bigger portions so you get enough food. The toppings include tomato/cucumber salad, black olives, feta, onions, diced mint, fresh cucumbers, and more. I ultimately went with the falafel pita, with hummus, cucumber/tomato, and feta. I also ordered some chips. It was pretty solid - the biggest difference I found here is that everything tasted incredibly fresh and packed with flavor, EXCEPT the chips. They were kinda stale. I can look past it though given the quality of the food. I'll be back! The bowls look amazing! read more

Can't get enough of this place. It has more variety and flavor than Chipotle. Delicious and fresh ingredients every time. I prefer the chicken and falafel. The fresh home made juices are always refreshing and the homemade soups are decent too. read more

CAVA - Chicken on super greens topped with everything. Pretty healthy, tasty, and filling! - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cava Mezze Grill is like a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. It's also the Chipotle version of Cava Mezze restaurant (which is more of a sit-down, I hear). I recently visited for lunch with a friend. It's conveniently located about 5 minutes away (walking distance) from the Tenleytown metro station. I ordered a salad with hummus and roasted red pepper dips, chicken, tomato and onion salad, lettuce, diced cucumbers, and lemon herb tahini. It was pretty delicious and reasonably priced. This place reminds me a lot of Roti. It's a very similar concept. I wish I'd know about this location earlier! read more

CAVA is my new favorite fastish food restaurant. It is kind of like Chipotle where you build your bowl, but it is Mediterranean food. It is easy to eat gluten and dairy free here. I get the grains and greens bowl which is half salad and half rice. They have the best hummus to choose from and plenty of healthy toppings. I can't wait until more of these start opening. read more

Oh where to begin? My friend and I went here yesterday for lunch. I have looked at their menu loads of times before online but never had the chance to go and try it out. Everyone has raved about this "Mediterranean Chiptole" and I figured it a good time to go as whenever. I am so glad I did! First off, this is no Chipotle. That can't even compare. We clearly had no idea what we were doing and the staff was incredibly helpful in answering our questions. We never felt rushed and they were all polite. Plus, unlike those massive 10-month-old-baby-sized burritos, the food here is manageable. We both got pita "wraps"- I got chicken on mine that had the perfect mix of spices and flavor. It didn't overpower the rest of the wrap and was tender and juicy. The crazy feta spread was also amazing and I definitely will be going back just to add that again. There is no massive dumping of rice or beans, in fact I had more chicken than I expected in mine which was a pleasant surprise. The place was clean, relatively quiet and easy to get to. In the end, I didn't walk away feeling sick to my stomach like I do at those burrito places. I felt full, happy, and wanting to go back for more. And trust me, I will. read more

One of my favorite go to places for a satisfying lunch. I usually get a salad brown with greens and a little bit of brown rice, chicken and spicy lamb, harrisa, taziki and spicy hummus and picketed onions. The food is pretty healthy and gets you feeling good for the day. However too much harissa might put you to sleep. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Salads and protein, that's what Cava Mezze does! Cava Mezze Grill is set up Chipotle style, you choose if you want a salad or rice bowl and are able to put a variety of different Mediterranean toppings on top. You also choose one protein for your bowl and you're off and running! This is a fantastic lunch/dinner/snack spot! read more

Being dangerously near our home, my husband and I have eaten here a few times now. The reviews comparing this place to Chipotle are accurate. It's a similar approach and price point. So, a bit pricier than typical fast food, but far superior in terms of quality, and all very customizable. My husband favors the rice bowl, topped with half chicken, half braised lamb. He loves the crazy feta, a spicy whipped cheese topping, and harissa, a zippy chile sauce. Typically, he's not so much for soup, but quite liked the gazpacho. For me, the bowl and pita options are too much food, but I am totally into their salads - especially the mix of greens that includes kale and shredded brussels sprouts (drool.) The falafel is perfectly seasoned, not at all greasy, and has a great texture - with nice chickpea pieces throughout. Also, the lemon herb tahini rocks and they don't over-dress here. In the cooler months, they offer a great lentil soup. It's hearty and delicious - highly recommended. One caveat - a lot of the toppings here are pretty salty. Some are obvious, like feta or olives. Others are sneaky sodium bombs, like the harissa or eggplant pepper spread. It's easier than you might expect to overload your dish, so I usually opt for one salty spread or topping at a time. If, like most people, you have a higher tolerance for salt - go to town! Finally, I love, love, love that they post nutritional info. I wish more places offered this. All of their dietary information is very clear and posted on their website, making it simple for folks with food allergies to plan their order. It also makes it easy for nutrition dweebs like me to see what I'm getting. read more

This place is hands down my favorite chain restaurant, and definitely one of the best fast casual restaurants in the DC area. I'd definitely recommend getting a bowl or salad - the portions are perfect for a filling but not too heavy meal. I normally go with the chicken or spicy lamb meatballs, as the falafel is normally a bit on the drier side for my liking. The seasonal vegetables are a must try as well. If you're a fan of spicy, the harissa is a MUST but if not, they've got a good mix of other spreads and dips. The fountain drinks are expensive but well worth it if you're into unique flavors and are willing to try each one of their many different season varieties. read more

CAVA - My go-to: rice & arugula w/ chicken, a whole slew of toppings and extra harissa. A surprisingly amazing Beet Lemonade to drink. - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I like cava's food however it took me a painful 15 minutes to order my food at this location simply because there was a huge language barrier. They had no idea what I was asking for and I ended up with something that I didn't want to begin with because at that point I was tired of repeating myself over and over again. I am afraid I will be back again to this location with caution. read more

The hubster and I are big fans of Cava's full dining restaurants, so late one evening after a loooonnng work day, we decided to give the mezze grill a try. We are so glad we made this choice! I had a salad, as did he - mine with falafel, his with lamb sliders. With the options for dips (love the crazy feta!), and other veggie side options heaped on top, even a salad is incredibly filling. We're definitely going back and recommending everyone try it out! read more

I have been obsessed with Cava for a few years now and recommend everyone I know to try it and have it for lunch and dinner. Recently you guys changed your pita to ingredients I am allergic to. I really really hope you bring back the original plain pita or atleast give the option of both for customers like me. Thank you very much. read more

Once again, the male workers putting my order together "pretended" to "get" my order, only to disregard very simple instructions. I ordered the mini pita option. I requested tzatziki sauce as one of the three sauces. He made a half-attempt to put a normal-sized helping of tzatsiki sauce on each pita bread. He actually only put barely a teaspoon on each pita! He then proceeded to help the customer after me and willingly gave her extra plastic cups of sauces. I continued to ask for more tzatziki sauce and he "nodded." But then be blatantly went to work on the customer behind me. Just because I was one SINGLE person who is relatively petite, it doesn't warrant such NEGLIGENT and MISLEADING treatment and lack of service. The smiling lady who finished putting the toppings on my order told me she could add the tzatziki sauce from the plastic containers...but it didn't contain cucumber. It's rude and unfair for the man to AGREE to provide the sauce and then quickly HURRY my order along just so others behind me could be served. Don't. Be. Greedy. I don't care how BUSY you are. This is not the ONLY time this CAVA has been outrageous in their service. I went in the winter to order the soup and pita option. The man thought I was stupid and gave a FULL serving of a pita wrap and a soup. He then proceeded to double charge me! The only saving grace was that I asked to speak with the CAVA manager and she came over to provide a refund. My communication skills are fine. Perhaps the male workers at this CAVA need to brush up on their listening comprehension skills. OR else this is ANOTHER example of how CAVA Tenleytown wants to get more money out of you. It's rude, sleazy and I will NOT go to CAVA again. The Chipotle nearby NEVER causes me to have these types of problems and yet they are also ...if not BUSIER than this pretentious CAVA. read more

Cava Mezze Grill is the sister to Cava Mezze, the sit-down Mediterranean restaurant located in Arlington and Eastern Market. It's a Chipotle-style assembly line of delicious ingredients. Please don't hold it against Cava that I compared it to Chipotle, because the similarities end at the preparation style. Cava lets you build a pita, salad bowl, rice bowl, or mini pitas. Walk yourself down the assembly line and dress your base with a protein (lamb sliders, chicken, braised beef, gyro meat, or my personal favorite, FALAFEL!) and add some toppings. Cover the whole thing in tasty sauces of your choice, and enjoy. The beauty of this place is that you can go every day for a month and never eat the same thing twice. Sometimes I'll go vegetarian and get a falafel salad, with red pepper hummus, cucumbers, olives, feta, and a squeeze of lemon. Another day I'll get the lamb sliders with creamy tzatziki sauce on a pita. And the next day, I'll have minis with chicken and spicy harissa sauce. The combinations are endless! The location itself is pleasant to dine-in. The tables are huge so you can easily squish in 6-8 diners. It's minimalistic, all stainless steel and wood, and the staff keeps it looking clean all the time. The staff themselves are pretty nice, although recently I've noticed a drop in the level of service provided. Sometimes if I ask for something like extra dressing on the side, I'll get a blank stare or no reply. However, I don't go there to get treated like a prize so I'm cool with it. I'd take a group of friends here for a casual lunch or dinner for many, or pick up on my way home from work for a wonderful dinner for 1. read more

Went here for a late lunch on Saturday with a group of 5. I like the concept of small shared plates, and the interior was a nicely appointed yet casual. Unfortunately, the food and service were nowhere near as good. We had the dip plate, falafel, brussel sprouts, cava grill, the whole fish thing, and baby octopus. They ranged from pretty decent (fish), to okay (brussel sprouts), to downright mediocre (falafel). Pros: shared small plates interior Cons: food, price service read more

Thanks to Louise D, this restaurant is my new obsession. It fits the mold of Chipotle, ShopHouse, and Merzi, but with a Mediterranean menu-- you pick your base (pita, salad, or rice), pick your protein (scrumptious options like falafel and spicy lamb sliders), add some dips (crazy feta, hummus), and add your toppings (olives, cabbage, tomatoes & cucumber, mint), then top it off with some sauce. I really took advantage of the "half and half" method my first visit. I ordered half salad-half rice and half falafel-half chicken.. I wanted to try as much of the menu as possible! You really can't go wrong with any combination at Cava. All of the flavors are distinct, but taste great all mixed together. You can make your dish spicy by adding harissa, or cool off your bowl with mint and yogurt dill sauce. Cava was open on New Years Day and with no line we ordered quickly. I could see it getting crowded, but with the assembly line ordering system, the line keeps moving. Cava Mezze Grill is very similar to Roti, however I found Cava to be more flavorful, less greasy, have a greater variety of proteins and toppings, and fill me up without giving me a food coma. An added bonus, you can compost your leftover food and used utensils and containers. Now here's to hoping more Cava locations open up in DC! read more

Good healthy lunch place. You pick a "base" that could be pita, bowl, etc... And add things like sauces, toppings and meats. I like that they have a variety of options for sauces and toppings. The quality of the food is superb and the lunch will be between "$10 to $14" dollars depending on what you add and a drink. The downfall is that the place does get crowded!!!! So prepare to make a line and have trouble finding a seat. I liked that the manager was walking around asking people if their food was good! Will come back. read more

CAVA - Mediterranean Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ordered curbside pickup in Kingstowne Virginia .... drove all the AJ home to find out they didn't add any dressing on the side as clicked on in my order and posted on the receipt ... by the time I drove back to get dressing that I ordered they were closed ... so now my food is dry and bland and soggy .... read more