CAVA — Restaurant in Smithfield

Update 07.13.2023 since my review a few weeks ago I'm coming to the conclusion that the management just doesn't care about customers like myself providing reviews that are less than lackluster the fact that their employees are rude and not intelligent - been there twice asked a question and I was looked at like I was speaking something other than English and the quality of the food is terrible The cleansiness of a brand new facility is poor and so forth... * Original Post My rating is based on a wrap and on a bowl both Vegan ordered on two different occasions. The falafel wrap is listed as crispy and it wasn't it was mushy and lackluster in flavor and then I got a bowl recently that I customized and it just didn't taste fresh. There was even a chlorine taste I believe from the purple cabbage shreds. Both times I ordered on the app and went into the establishment to pick it up. The pickup area is very organized, however both times upon entering the front doors had dirty windows and the rest of it had smudges on it like they hadn't been cleaned and this just recently opened in the past few weeks. When you walk in there wasn't really a wow factor. I noticed they keep cleaning products as you walk out at the trash receptacles which looks odd and out of place along with people's dirty trays and dishes. I had gone there for a friend of mine to experience it and upon entering there are No Indicators of where to order!? I find the staff to be not qualified to handle customers and when you ask questions they act like you're the problem. I guess I was putting too much anticipation based on their menu and other write-ups from their locations in Massachusetts as this is the first one in Rhode Island. Without mentioning the name a New restaurant (Los Angeles based) also recently opened up in Garden City that provides healthy menu items that I frequented many times which the glass windows and the doors are spotless. That just gives it an appearance that the restaurant is thriving and want to enter which is cleansiness 101. The inside is clean and organized. The staff is very friendly and they always have fresh ingredients which are also displayed behind the counter through the windows as you look into the kitchen. I've had different items that were always fresh, tasty and well displayed. This just wasn't the case with Cava on both my occasions. I won't...

I like supporting restaurants, since I know working in food service isn't easy, and a good quality, affordable restaurant meal has been hard to come by recently. However, I've been disappointed by CAVA the past several times I've been. The food selections, although on the pricier side, have been a welcome change to the Smithfield area, so I had hopes that it might've been a fluke the first time my rice was hard. It happened 2 more times, so it can't just be me this has happened to.

My boyfriend and I came in this weekend to split a steak and harissa bowl with brown rice, but when I got in the car, about half the rice in the first bite was crunchy and I worried about breaking a tooth. I'm not someone who sends food back, but in this economy I'm not in a place to pay for dental work.

We went back in and told the employee who built our bowl that the rice was crunchy, and he asked if we wanted it built again with white rice this time. I said yes that I would like to have it remade, but that I've been in several times where the rice was crunchy, both the brown and the white.

He got the attention of another employee who we relayed this info to, and he gave the rice at the station a few turns and looked at it, tasting it. He took a random bottle with oil in it and squirted some on the rice and mixed it around. He took a little sauce container and scooped some, and asked if I wanted to try it again. I said "I don't know how that's going to help, but okay." Feeling silly, I reluctantly took a shot of crunchy, now oily rice, as they stared blankly at me. It wasn't magically hydrated. "No, that's still crunchy." I said. They looked around like they weren't sure what to do and the second employee eventually said there was another batch of rice being cooked, and asked if I'd like to make the bowl with that. I said yes, and they made the bowl again. The rice was okay this time.

It's unfortunate because the concept of CAVA is a good one, and the overall quality of the food is great. I don't go to restaurants looking to be a pain and the food was tasty when CAVA first opened. But offering me more crunchy rice instead of just asking if I wanted to wait for a new batch (and also periodically checking their rice to make sure it doesn't dry out or is undercooked), is...

I want to begin by saying I love CAVA restaurants in general. I first was introduced to them in New York. When I found out they were here in Smithfield, RI I was excited. However, I feel that this location is missing the hospitality and service that all other locations have.

Coming from the hospitality industry I understand that there are many factors that play part in service and execution. This location struggled with upholding their service and quality every day in their last hour of operations. I go to the gym nearby and then come here 2-3 times a week to get dinner and it never fails that the last hour is the worst time to come.

I understand that in that last hour you want to start closing duties and prepare end the shift but this location closes at 10:00PM and by the time I come at 9:20PM the food bay is practically empty. Tonight at 9:22PM the grain station was emptied, the pots of rice on the counter- served cold in my bowl. The dips were emptied and barely got fulls scoops on my board. The next were proteins. 3 out of the 6 were completely emptied and when I asked for grilled chicken the personnel seemed to be annoyed that they had to get some from the third-pan on the back counter. The cucumbers were emptied on toppings station. The sauces were half gone… the location still has 40 more minutes of service to go?

I asked for no cover because I wanted t eat here and I was responded with “are you sure?” This is the only location that I have been to that doesn’t ask us in the beginning if it’s for here or to go. I am assuming they do not want to do dishes because I had never been asked here or served at this location in a real bowl that they have piled at the beginning of the line that are never touched.

The beverage station was being broken down by 9:25PM and when I asked to get some lemonade I was told it was closed as he continued to disassemble the whole station with again- 30 minutes to closing.

This location I believe is missing a manager that is an overseeing these areas and it is truly showing every night . I do not like to leave negative reviews but I believe that this could help as a learning opportunity and hopefully is read by the locations manager or district manager and can work to improve the service and quality during this...