CAVA — Restaurant in Plantation

“Delicious Chaos with a Side of Sass”

Let me start by saying the food slapped. I built my bowl like it was my final exam: steak, harissa, the works—flavor explosion. Add some pita chips on the side, and boom, culinary gold. So hats off to the kitchen crew for nailing that part.

But the experience? Imagine if Disney partnered with a DMV and then tossed in a caffeine-fueled crowd. The line? A whole journey. A hero’s quest. I saw people come in single and leave engaged, that’s how long it was.

Now let’s talk about the real MVP of the chaos: an employee who exuded “manager energy” but looked like they walked straight off the set of Willy Wonka—Oompa Loompa realness included. While customers were struggling through the Hunger Games of hydration (read: the messy, crowded drink station), this person decided it was the perfect time to loudly vent about how “people don’t treat this place like their own home.” Bold words from someone who served themselves a lemonade, added to the sticky mess, and disappeared into the back like it was a mic drop moment.

Oh—but she came back! Just in time to cut in front of paying customers like a caffeinated specter and refill her drink without a word. Girl. We’re all dehydrated and emotionally fragile out here.

Meanwhile, the bottleneck at the register had more tension than a reality show finale. You could feel the “first day energy” radiating off half the staff. My unsolicited advice? Maybe sprinkle in a few folks who know what “urgency” means without needing a motivational TikTok.

In conclusion: Come for the food, stay because you literally can’t leave faster. Bring patience, wear comfy shoes, and try not to trip over the vibes.

CAVA: Where Time Promises Go to Die (Online Edition)

Ordering online at CAVA used to feel like a life hack. Now? It’s more like joining a support group in the lobby.

The app told us our food would be ready at a specific time, but we—the hopeful, the hungry, the betrayed—stood shoulder to shoulder in silence, bonding over our shared disappointment. You can always tell the online order folks from the walk-ins—we’re the ones with dead eyes and melting patience, watching as the minutes tick by past our pick-up time.

And when your name finally gets called? Don’t celebrate too early. Odds are your bowl is missing something crucial, like protein… or a lid. Accuracy is now a gamble, and everyone’s losing.

The drink station? Don’t get your hopes up. No ice. No blueberry lavender. Just the faint scent of what could’ve been. It’s the hydration equivalent of a mirage in a desert.

Now, to be fair: the food still slaps. But the chaos of the pick-up process has officially crossed into ✨theatrical tragedy✨. CAVA, please—your bowls deserve better....

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Fool me once. I will definitely not be spending my money here again. Hands down the most disappointing fast-casual experience I’ve had in years.

Holy harissa, what a disaster. I used to frequent Cava when I lived in the D.C. area, and I was excited when the new Plantation location opened nearby. I figured I’d grab some dinner tonight. I don’t have enough words in my lexicon to fully capture just how horrible this experience was.

I walked in. There was a short line—only three people ahead of me. “Not too bad,” I thought. Don’t be misled like I was. Please. I could’ve had a full sit-down meal at an actual restaurant in the time it took to make it to the front of the line.

At one point, I genuinely started wondering if I was being pranked. Like, was I on Impractical Jokers? There’s just no way anyone moves that slow on purpose.

When I finally got to the counter, I ordered my base and main—so far, so good. Then we got to the toppings. I noticed the crumbled feta tray was nearly empty, just a few bits left. I asked for some anyway. Everything at Cava is better with feta, right?

Apparently not at this Cava.

The employee looks at the tray, then at me, completely blank. “We don’t have any,” she says. “You’re out of feta?” “Yeah.” Dry as sandpaper. “There’s no way you’re out. They just need to bring more from the back. I’ll wait—it’s fine.”

The two people behind me in line also asked for feta. So now we’re all standing at the cashier, just… waiting. You’d think they’d want to move the line along. Nope. We just stood there, waiting for the feta like it was being flown in from Greece. That’s the only logical explanation for the absurd delay.

Meanwhile, the line is now out the door. Earlier, I’d asked for the hot harissa pita chips and got yet another blank stare. No one told me what the wait would be. And—surprise! (but is it really?)—I left without feta and without the harissa chips.

Still, I was hopeful. I got to my car, ready to eat, despite the horrendous service. But the food wasn’t even warm. It was room temperature at best. And stale. Clearly, it had been sitting there a while.

Bottom line: Don’t be fooled by the long line at Cava Plantation. It’s not a sign of great food—it’s a sign of terrible operations. Whoever is running this location has no idea how to run a restaurant. If they don’t get it together, this place will be just another South Florida fast-casual flop.

TL;DR: Service is abysmal. They refuse to restock basic items like feta. The food was cold, stale, and not worth the wait. Lines are long only because they’re excruciatingly slow.

If you’re going to spend nearly $20 on a plate, the least you should expect is a hot, fresh meal.

Pollo Tropical is right...

This was my second time ordering from here and I did a pickup order for a falafel bowl.The time came for me to pickup my food, I told the girl doing takeout my name and I waited 20 minutes later to receive my food. I checked the bag before I left but didn’t open my bowl till I got home (20 minute drive back home). When I open my bowl, I am rummaging around to find a falafel, THERE IS NO FALAFEL…. in a FALAFEL BOWL???? I try to call, obviously they don’t pick up so I have to drive 20 minutes back there. I told the same takeout girl that I got a falafel bowl with no falafel, and she said they been ran out. Mind you, I told you my name for my order waited 20+ minutes after to receive my food inside the store. someone could have told me something, instead of just not giving me the main course of the bowl. I understand it was out of their control that they ran out of falafel but someone should have contacted me or told me in person there was no falafel or someone in management should have took it out of their online menu. She offers me another protein (which she should have did when I was there waiting previously), however, I am vegetarian so I cannot eat meat and I don’t like their vegetables because it tastes too burnt for my liking. I got extra pita chips to “compensate”, but you guys should call the customers if you don’t have something or say something if they are right there waiting or unavailable it on your online menu. I am not the first person in these reviews who have said something about not getting their full order. The food was good but, by the time I got home, another 20 minutes drive, my food was cold. Please tighten up management and crew. Learn to...