CAVA

Reviews

• MM

  Matty

  5 days ago
  2.0
  I have never had Cava before. So, once I saw it opened, I wanted to try. I walked in and there was only a small line and said "that's fine i'm sure it'll be quick." WRONG. I stood in line behind 4 people for 30 minutes. Staff was hanging around talking to eachother, not ignoring customers but also not taking orders. The line grew long instantly so staff started making orders. When my turn came around, my bowl was made faster than others until I got to the topping section. I waited another 10-15 minutes just for them to be talking to eachother once again and looking at me saying "do you want to do the bowl or should I?" finally, one of them goes "i'll just do it." and comes over to put the toppings on my bowl. As I was checking out, it took another 10 minutes just for someone to come check me out as they were talking once again. I will say I most likely won't be coming back. The food wasn't bad but it wasn't great. Hire employees who actually want to serve customers and do their job. DO BETTER CAVA!!
• LP

  Lawrance Prasanna

  Apr 21, 2026
  1.0
  If you’ve never tried CAVA before, it’s basically a more flavorful version of Chipotle—and the food definitely lives up to that comparison. I had been avoiding this location for a while because it always looked very busy, but one day the line seemed shorter, so I decided to give it a try. Even then, it still took about 45 minutes to get my food, which was disappointing. The main issue is the service. The line moves very slowly, mostly due to lack of coordination and guidance. The staff seemed inexperienced and there was no clear supervision to keep things running efficiently. While they were active, the pace was slow and unfocused, causing unnecessary delays. As a first-time customer, I asked a few basic questions about the menu, but the staff were not helpful at all. Instead of explaining options, they just asked me to “pick something,” which made the process even slower and more frustrating. The same thing happened at multiple stations—no clear answers about ingredients or spice levels. On top of that, the service felt inconsistent. Some customers seemed to get a more friendly and engaging experience, while others didn’t. That said, the food itself was great—fresh, flavorful, and worth trying. But the overall experience was not. Spending 45 minutes in line with poor service isn’t something I’m willing to repeat anytime soon. Final takeaway: Great food, but very poor service and long wait times.
• LL

  Lexi Livelsberger

  Apr 15, 2026
  3.0
  I have been to this location multiple times and typically everyone is extremely friendly. With that being said tonight 4/15/2026 the gentleman taking orders, definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Again, I’ve been to this location numerous times and get the same thing everytime and all is well. However this time, I had to repeat myself a few times to him which is no biggie they are busy. I did notice he began to make something that I didn’t order, which again no biggie (I do have food allergies) the line is huge I’ll correct them as it moves down. To which I did, and I’m not sure if I hurt his ego when I had explained to a coworker that I needed to make some changes in the topping. That coworker extremely helpful and understanding. It was during this that he repeated to me over and over “do not reach over the counter do not reach over the counter” for reference I’m pretty short even if I wanted to I couldn’t reach over the counter. Both myself and the coworker just kinda looked at each other like what is his deal. Again, i do have food allergies so i do need to be specific with what I am eating. When working in customer service definitely important to put yourself in the customers shoes and not get butt hurt if something needs changed. Everyone else was fantastic, however, he definitely needs to think before opening his mouth.
• EW

  Eric Clay Warner

  Apr 14, 2026
  3.0
  I’ve been a long time Cava fan and have been going to their Philadelphia location for years and have always had a great experience. This location has some major quality control kinks to work out. All the staff were nice. The bowl though was lacking quality. The lentils were so hard I could not chew them. The rice also was not cooked properly. This is the base of the entire bowl and if the lentils and rice are so hard they are inedible then there are some major issues going on with training staff properly. Cava is frankly opening too many locations too quickly which results in major quality control issues for the new locations and it’s very apparent at this store. I also waited to visit after they’ve been open a few weeks so they could work out their kinks. It was not busy. What they honestly need to do is close down for two days, get someone from corporate to retrain the staff and then have another soft opening. I don’t mind paying $20 for a quality bowl but people are going to stop going if it’s a little pricey and my rice is so hard it’s not edible. I would be considered a target customer, I work down the street, I have solid disposable income and I enjoy healthy meals and I would visit the Philadelphia location weekly for lunch or dinner. But if your target customers are saying something is wrong then I hope you address it. The location is also very small and they should add additional seating along the windows like they have in Rittenhouse. The outdoor seating is a nice touch though. I wish them well but if your biggest fans who have been loyal for years are complaining then something is wrong with the operations here.
• MW

  mr worldwide

  Apr 13, 2026
  3.0
  There are lots of reviews citing long wait times - that’s to be expected of any new restaurant in a densely populated area. Clearly the location and employees are all new - give them grace! There are worse things in the world than waiting in line for your bowls. The cause of long wait times, at least during my visit, was each guest ordering 4 - 6 bowls EACH. The line should have realistically taken 30 minutes to get through if everyone got one or two, but people were ordering mass amounts to take home. It clogged the line up so bad. There should be a rule enforcing no more than 4 bowls for the time being, until business gets to a steady state. I love CAVA but will not visit this location again for a few months until traffic dies down. The wait time was atrocious and people in line were hangry and rude.