CAVA — Restaurant in Chattanooga

Edit: After 6 weeks, we decided to give it another try. None of the previously rude employees were there, service was good and food was much much improved. It has a small dining area so we had to take the food home because it was packed—but a much improved experience.

On December 5th, I placed a carry-out order and received terrible service and disappointing food. I’ve been to the Hixson location and loved it and my family has been to this location before and had a great experience. I wasn’t going to leave a review, but obviously I am still bothered by the experience and wanted to share so hopefully whoever those employees were that evening will do better or find another job. I went in to pick up an order of 3 bowls and saw them on the shelf and picked them up. I looked at 2 employees and said do I need to show you anything that these are mine? Some places won’t put orders out due to food theft so it seemed like a reasonable question. I was met with condescending attitude-uh, I mean if it is your name on it? I was like it is, I just wanted to be sure. They were like, I mean don’t take food with someone else’s name. …I was like ok, just checking. I wish you could hear their words dripping with disdain.

I left and went down the road and realized none of the bowls had received the pita side. I didn’t want to go back but was like well, since we didn’t receive any of them then I will go back. I walk in and they look at me and ask what I need (not politely but hey, they asked). I told them that I didn’t get the pitas, so they ask the To-go staff and they say “we don’t have any cut”. I was like what? They said we don’t have any, that’s why you didn’t get any. We only have the chips. I said well can you substitute something else then? The girl at the counter says “are you talking about the free pita?” We can’t give you something else cause you’d have to pay for it, cause those are free. I wanted to explain that “included with my meal” that I spent $45 is hardly the same as “free” but I was so over the attitude and the staff staring at me so I just rolled my eyes and left. Then get home to bowls all missing additional items and rice that was crusty and had to be spit out. (No crazy feta, no tzatziki, no crumbled feta, no tomato and cucumber, no salt brined pickles, no pita crisps, the rice wasn’t saffron rice and the dressings were missing entirely or half full). It makes me not want to come back when I was so excited to have Cava in town, but bad attitude, missing “free food” and missing paid for food that wasn’t even mentioned? Terrible experience. Maybe it is hit or miss but it was a very...

This review does NOT reflect the crew nor the food, but the shocking dishonesty and theft I’ve witnessed of management at the Gunbarrel location. As you know there is a tip jar to tip the crew members for their hard work. I’ve seen they do work hard and always pleasant with wonderful PR. I asked a crew member if the tips were for them, as I wanted to leave a large tip in the tip jar but wanted to ensure it was for them. They hesitated and were reluctant to answer. After some light pushing on my part they admitted it is supposed to be tips for the crew, but none of them actually get any tips from the tip jar. I asked why. They said the manager takes it all. I was shocked, as this is completely unethical, and actually illegal, and just purely selfish and horrible management! I returned another evening, close to closing, and did witness the male manager empty out the tip jar, minus the change, and pocket it. This angered me greatly, as I myself have been a waitress and tips were supplemental to my income. After the manager walked into the back I asked another crew member there if they receive any of the tips that is left to them and again the answer was no, that the manager took it all to buy energy drinks for management and pocket it. I am furious at this. Tips are meant to be divided up equally among the workers, NOT be pocket and STOLEN by Managment for their own use!!! So fellow customers beware of leaving tips, as the crew themselves do not get any of it, even though it is rightfully theirs. Instead it’s stolen by their manager. I hope the HR of this company learns of this! It’s unethical, abusing the system, stealing from the crew members, and simply the behavior of a dishonest and horrible manager. I refuse to place my money in a company that allows this type of treatment of its workers, and I will be sharing what I’ve learned with everyone I know. Cava, I hope you step in and stop this theft on...

It was our first time at this store. I ordered the avocado lamb meatballs bowl. They put some arugula and crunchy, dry black lentils in my bowl. Then they added a couple baby tomatoes, a few pickled red onions and four bite size meatballs. Then he put a scoop of humus, a scoop of crazy feta and drenched all in a salad dressing. When it came to avocados, they told me they ran out. But they said they would give me a $3 discount. So I did the math. $16-$3=$13. Alright, that makes it a little better. I asked for a lemonade, they were out. A blueberry something drink? Out too. They had water left, that’s ok. I paid for my food and my daughters’ chicken and rice bowl, left the required tip and got my food. We started eating it and noticed first of all, our portion was smaller than any picture they had on their menu. We said, you know, we can stand to loose some weight, let’s eat it and not worry about it. But three bites into it we all couldn’t eat much more of it. The tzatziki sauce, the crazy feta sauce and hummus scoops were too much for the amount of food they gave us. The meatballs were too dry and they didn’t taste right. The food was over seasoned. I also noticed that they didn’t give me the $3 discount. Instead they charged me as if I bought a rice and veggie bowl, and added almost $3 for the 4 meatballs. Had I known I would have actually added some roasted veggies they advertised, some corn, fresh cucumbers and other raw vegetables… Instead, I paid $15 for half a bowl lentils, arugula and 4 unseasoned well meatballs. I will not be going back to this store. The food was not anything special. The portions really small. They did not keep their word. And the kitchen was super dirty. The same gloves they used to touch chicken they used them to serve veggies...