CAVA — Restaurant in Bel Air

TLDR; don't visit this location. Food quality and quantity is inconsistent. Location is messy. Employees aren't friendly.

When we first learned that Cava was opening in Bel Air, we were super excited. We love Cava in White Marsh and have always had great food there.

Our first experience was mostly okay. The restaurant felt a little messy, the employees frazzled, and the overall vibe was chaotic. We chalked it up to growing pains in a new location.

Subsequent visits have shown decreasing quality. For example, the lettuce is typically either out or is brown. The portion sizes are inconsistent. The countertop behind the glass (where the employees work) is messy and looks gross. The floors are sticky. The tables not wiped down. And even during busy times the employees are chatting with each other and not paying attention.

One visit I asked for my free side pita. The employee said they were out. I pointed out the stack right behind him on the counter. He just looked at me and didn't move. I had to insist he turn around and grab a pita, which he finally did.

We took one more chance this week and placed a pick-up order. When we got home with the food, we discovered that the salad we ordered was all brown lettuce and completely inedible. The other bowls had tiny amounts of rice, buried under heaps of dressing.

We've decided that we are permanently done with this location. When we really want Cava, we'll drive to...

This was by far the worst dining experience I’ve ever had. When I asked a question about the saffron rice because it looked exactly like plain white rice, the woman helping me responded with a lot of attitude. I remained calm and understanding, and then asked if I could get some greens instead, since she had only given me a very small scoop of rice. She said that would cost extra, so I declined.

While I was asking these questions, a man repeatedly came over and spoke over her, which made the interaction even more uncomfortable. I ended up telling her it was okay because I didn’t understand why he felt the need to speak over her like that.

To make matters worse, they didn’t have pickled onions or the pita crisps ready. I asked for pita chips, and a second woman said "okay," then just walked away and never came back. When it came time to pay, the first woman who had already been giving me a hard time SNATCHED the cash from my hand, and instead of handing me my change respectfully, she tossed it at me. I ended up dropping the coins on the counter.

Overall, the service was incredibly rude and unprofessional, and the food wasn’t even complete. I would not recommend this...

We made a visit to Cava Tollgate Marketplace, Bel Air, Maryland on August 2 at 7:00pm. This was my second visit and my husband’s first. My first visit on July 31st the service was outstanding. Met a friend for lunch and it was packed, however, employees were pleasant, patient, and professional. The August 2nd visit we walked into a completely bare restaurant noticing that all tables and booths were dirty with food and other debris. When we ordered our food the employee behind the counter was not only unmotivated to assist us, but mumbling. I had to ask him a couple of times to repeat himself. Husband didn’t have any better of an experience with the young man taking his order. Apparently Saturday evenings are not the best time to visit Cava. At checkout we did have a very pleasant and professional young woman which we appreciated. My husband was kind enough to wipe down a table and seats for us even though we counted at least six employees and a manager present. So I give this particular Cava’s location a 3 out of 5 based on the lack of professionalism and cleanliness. I am including a couple of photos so that it is very clear that I am being honest...