CAVA — Restaurant in Dedham

Not sure what's going on with the staff but they are unnecessarily grumpy almost to the point of being rude.

I'm very patient and usually understanding of service staff, especially at places like Cava that are run like a semi conveyor belt but I'm painted to write this as I've had these experiences now for the last 3 times - doesn't matter where I go in the afternoon, order through the app or go at night. The staff cannot be unhappier.

Last time I ordered on the phone through the app and the food was supposed to be ready at 8:30 as per the app. I get there at 8:35 and the staff is least bothered. I had 3 of the same pita order and 1 bowl. A lady prepared one pita and the bowl and just started cleaning up someplace else. 15 minutes later nobody is picking up my order. The guy at the counter kept whispering with a scowl on his face to this lady - couldn't understand if he was unhappy with me or her but they're both staring at me. No other customers, just another lady preparing online orders and this one unwilling to stop cleaning. I got frustrated and stood in the ordering queue to just make them prepare my stuff, the lady comes over hurriedly, the counter guy comes and whispers something and she looks at me scornfully. I just straight asked if the two orders stuck there were mine and she says 2 Greek pitas? Yes. So finally 25 minutes later I'm walking out with my food.

Tonight - stand in queue, nobody comes for a good 4 minutes. Fine. Finally someone comes - no arugula, sorry. Fine. Protein? Half falafel, she drops 4 falafel balls - half veggie, that'll be extra. Huh? I can order half and half in the app. So she says ok and takes out 2 falafels out of my bowl and tries to put them back in the container - with the yogurt dill and eggplant stuck to it! Lol. I was like, wait, don't .. just give me falafel without veggies. Fine ... Rest of the process goes smoothly but at this point I want to have fun too... I comment so am I getting my side of pita or is that extra too? Counter guy (same one from a couple nights ago) does not appreciate my humor. No, it's free ... Drags his feet all the way back to the pita area and produces one for me grumpily.

Trouble is I like the food and the variety and the next closest one is over half hour away, otherwise I wouldn't come to this joint! Do something about the staff here. Give them some bonuses, time off, get them to do some team building activities, whatever but put a smile on their faces cause I've started feeling the joy taken out of the food...

I can't recommend this store. One poor experience too many.

I had a nice three star review typed out, since I had time to kill after my 8:30 order was again not ready by 8:40. Or even started. As always, the store was busy, because duh Legacy Place. And by the way this store is PAINFULLY understaffed, every time I come here. I felt and feel bad about that. And I hadn't had a poor customer service experience here previously. It's just a super busy fast casual restaurant struggling with the volume of orders. I've been in that position. I get it.

On that note, the other reviews are accurate that the store is kind of a mess. But that's typical of any place of this type during a rush. You can't stop and clean tables if the line never ends, and the tables are continuously occupied with eating customers. The place isn't gross by any means, just a hectic mess.

Clearly no one was moving onto the online orders anytime soon. I eventually decided to get in line, because that was the reason no one was making the online orders. When I got waited on, I asked to have my online order made. The gentleman asked me to order verbally, because he wasn't willing to get the printed receipt of it ten feet away. So I dug up the app (I hadn't ordered just for me) while he moved onto other customers.

While I waited, I found out they were out of multiple things included in my order. Eventually I was next in line again, but this same staff member had moved on to a DIFFERENT online order other than mine (he retrieved the slip and everything!). So then I got to see HOW he was making that poor person's bowl, and I decided I was done. I'm not sticking around any longer to get less than 100% of what I paid for, from a person who clearly had no interest in making my order or anyone's else's. He was literally throwing it together.

To his credit, he was working alone most of the time. There was a sulking gentleman and a polite gentleman up front at first, and they were clearly not happy with each other. Eventually they both ended up in the back and never came back out, which I suppose is preferable to them having their fight right in front of the customers (and they were close).

I didn't want to write this review, but I have to. I'm done giving this place another chance. Save your money and go somewhere else if you're in Legacy Place and hungry. If you're south or east of Dedham, there's a Cava in Hingham. My best experience in Dedham is still worse than my worst experience in...

Horrible Experience at Cava in Dedham, MA – First and LAST Time!

On the evening of 10/11/24, I had one of the worst dining experiences ever at Cava in Dedham, MA. This was our first time at this location, and it will definitely be our last. I’m honestly shocked by the poor service and lack of respect we received. I spent over $84 just to leave feeling humiliated and upset. When we first arrived, I had high hopes since I had heard good things about Cava, but those expectations were shattered quickly. The staff was unbelievably rude and dismissive right from the start. It felt like we were inconveniencing them just by being there, even though it wasn’t even that busy. They practically chose our food for us and didn’t allow us a chance to correct their errors. As we were placing our order, the staff seemed annoyed by our questions. Since it was our first time, we wanted to make sure we understood the menu. Instead of helping us, they were short and snappy with their responses, making us feel uncomfortable and rushed. I didn't want to make a scene, but the way we were being treated made me feel small and humiliated. It's like they couldn't be bothered with us. What really got to me was the attitude they gave us when we politely pointed out a mistake with our order. We didn’t want to be confrontational, but we also wanted to make sure we were getting what we paid for. Instead of fixing it right away, the staff member rolled their eyes and gave us an attitude, as if we were the problem. To make matters worse, they were bad-mouthing us in Spanish and called us terrible names. This was incredibly rude and unprofessional! By the end of the night, we just wanted to get out of there. I’m someone who avoids conflict, but this experience left me feeling so uncomfortable and embarrassed. Spending over $84 for this kind of service is unacceptable, and I can confidently say that we will NEVER be returning to this location again. It’s truly disappointing that what should have been a fun, casual dining experience turned into such a frustrating ordeal. If you’re thinking about dining at the Dedham Cava, think again. There are plenty of other restaurants that actually value...