CAVA — Restaurant in Tyler

CAVA – A Mediterranean Experience That Hits You Right in the Vena Cava

Let me start by saying: dining at CAVA isn’t just a meal—it’s a full-body experience that goes straight to your heart… literally. I’m pretty sure the flavors bypassed my digestive tract and mainlined themselves into my vena cava, because I felt that hummus in my circulatory system.

First of all, the vibe? Fast-casual meets “I summer in Santorini.” You walk in and are immediately greeted by the fresh scent of tzatziki and people pretending they know how to pronounce “harissa.” The menu reads like a Mediterranean mixtape—falafel, lamb meatballs, olives that probably have a Greek passport.

Building your bowl at CAVA is like customizing a high-performance gastrovascular machine. You choose your base (rice, greens, or a risky combo if you live dangerously), load up on proteins, toppings, and then slather on sauces like you’re painting a Jackson Pollock made of tahini.

I got the spicy lamb meatballs, and let me tell you, those little fireballs lit up my aorta like the Fourth of July. The garlic dressing? Smooth. The red pepper hummus? Seductive. The pickled onions? Tart enough to cure heartbreak and possibly minor circulatory blockages.

By the time I was halfway through my bowl, my heart rate was up, my blood pressure had risen in joy, and I swear my vena cava was whispering, “Thank you.”

If you leave CAVA hungry, that’s a you problem. If you leave without sauce all over your shirt, you may be a medical miracle. And if you leave without planning your next visit, then your taste buds clearly missed the...

My husband took me here as he loves Mediterranean food. We went late on a Saturday evening and it is as expected, similar to a chipotle. However, it was my first time to visit and see the options. The girl working behind the glass had absolutely no knowledge of any of the sauces, proteins, grains, etc. When I asked for super greens she reached her hand in every green bowl and them dropped the greens until she found the right ones. I’m assuming the man walking around with an iPad taking pictures was the manager. The young lady who made my bowl asked him how long he had been there he replied “I helped open Zoe’s and helped shut it down then helped open this.” She then proceeded to ask if he liked Zoe’s or Cava his response was “Oh Zoe’s is much better, everything here is just a lot of work.” Another costumer came in while I was eating she asked for help on how it all worked, the same employee said it was all confusing to her and couldn’t really give her much direction. I hate that this incredible restaurant could struggle because the employees aren’t knowledgeable or interested in what they are serving. Before you open, please make your employees are the experts. I want to come back but just the uncertainty of the staff worries me on the quality control...

We love the food but the service is consistently so BAD. They employees act like they are miserable and are just plain rude. Very sad! I am finally leaving a bad review because we have eaten here many times and every time the customer service is unacceptable. Today I politely asked for a tray since we had a lot of food and I was the only adult. The guy seemed annoyed I asked and said they were all dirty. Indeed, I looked and dirty trays are stacked up very high all around. The older lady who takes your order is always moody and today put her hand up telling me to be quiet when I asked how many toppings on the kids order. She clearly is miserable being there. Where is the manager?? Where is the person making sure surfaces are being cleaned and trays washed. The tables usually have old food from previous customers on them. We sat outside for over an hour and not once did an employee come to ensure things were tidy. Dirty bowls are stayed up very high on the trashcan. It clearly has not even been picked up today and it’s almost 3 PM. If the food was so good we would never return. CAVA, please do better! Employees desperately need kindness and...