CAVA — Restaurant in Irvine

I visited the store here on Irvine Boulevard (Woodbury town center) around 745 pm friday August 22. Probably the worst experience I've had in a while. They are not only stingy, They're very disrespectful. First of all the store entrance is confusing. There is no sign that leads you to the line. you walk naturally down the store And then you realize that they've blocked it. You have to come back and then go find the line. you get in the line you're not greeted. Employees look like they're not happy to be working there. Seems like they want to be doing something else and they're doing this just because they have to earn a living. I ask for a bowl which is going to cost me after taxes more than 14 or $15. I got a small amount of rice, small amount of hummus some arugula and one other thing I don't remember what the name was. then it came to meet section. I said I want half chicken half Red meat. They use a spatula which is already a small size. Employee filled less than half of that spatula with chicken and then shakes it off to remove some of it. and then takes a few pieces of the red meat from the bowl, maybe five or six pieces. so I tell the guy Can I have some more meat please? and then all of a sudden a guy that I don't know jumps in very aggressively and disrespectfully and says you're gonna have to pay more. I was surprised who is this guy and why did he jump in all of a sudden? I'm talking to somebody else! It looked like he came to kick me out. he was disrespectful and annoying. so I said that's fine. I don't need to eat here and I left. I will never go back there again and I don't recommend this...

Let me start by saying this: I love Cava. Over the past few months, it’s become a staple in my weekly rotation. Its convenient location near the grocery store, along with its healthy and satisfying options, made it an easy go-to.

Most of the time, my experience has been great. I order through the app, and my food is ready by the time I arrive. However, there have been a few hiccups along the way. On several occasions, I’ve had items like side sauces, pita, or even rice missing from my bowl. The portion sizes can also be inconsistent. While it’s not ideal, I’d usually contact support, and they’d add store credit to my account, which was nice.

This time, though, things went too far. Not only was my sauce missing, but I found a strand of hair in my bowl. I’ll spare you the photo (trust me, you don’t want to see it), but it completely ruined my appetite. That was the last straw for me.

I reached out to support, and to their credit, they refunded my entire order, which I appreciated. But even with their quick response, I’m not sure I can bring myself to eat at Cava regularly anymore. It’s disappointing because I genuinely love their rich flavors and the variety they offer in...

I love Cava and was excited they opened a location just minutes away from me. With that said, I was very disappointed with my experience at this location. They seemed very stingy with the food and made me feel like I was asking too much for wanting rice & lentils with chicken & roasted veggies. I get this place is new but the vibe from the staff made me feel like I was getting my ration from a prison camp. Once I got to the end and asked for avocado, the server grabs a really nasty rotted brown avocado and immediately tell them I’ll pass because of the quality. Not one peep about getting a better one. After I pay extra for everything , I end up with a skinny size bowl filled half way. Once I start eating my ration for the day, I realize the lentils that nearly broke my teeth haven’t been cooked or dried out from sitting out for the day. Truly a prison camp rationed experience that did not disappoint.

Like I mentioned, I love Cava so I will come back, but will give it a month or two for them to...