“What do you want to get for dinner tonight?” is a common phrase that is heard amongst most households or when you are out with friends debating at 7pm. Many people say “oh I don’t know” or “Can you choose?” yet I jump at the opportunity to share my favorite restaurant, Cava, with my friends and family.

In simple terms, Cava is a Mediterranean version of “Chipotle”. They have a similar set up to Chipotle, in the sense that they have different stations to add to your bowl or pita wrap.

 Cava has a variety of toppings to add to a bowl or pita wrap. First is the “greens”. For your greens, you can add arugula, super greens, spinach, romaine lettuce, or splendid greens. These can be added to any main entree and are always fresh and crisp. Next you can add a grain to your bowl, which could either be saffron rice, brown rice, or black lentils. My personal favorite is the brown rice with the romaine lettuce, because I enjoy the mix of the textures and flavors. 

After you add your greens or grains to your bowl or pita wrap, you can add a variety of dips. My personal favorite is the red pepper hummus, and the tzatziki. There is also traditional hummus, harissa hummus (if you like a little spice), roasted eggplant dip, and a “crazy feta” dip. These dips are part of what makes Cava so enjoyable. They all add a certain depth of flavor that is indescribable.  

Avery Yang (11) explains that

There are many choices of protein to add to your meal that are accommodating to many types of dietary restrictions. For vegetarians, they have their falafel or roasted vegetable mix. My personal favorite is the Harissa Honey Chicken, but they also have grilled chicken, grilled steak, braised lamb, and spicy lamb meatballs. 

Finally for the toppings there are so many items and options to choose from! I love to get the Persian cucumbers and pickled onions with the cabbage slaw, but they also have many other veggie options. The sauce might just be my favorite part of the entire bowl, especially the garlic dressing. The garlic dressing is the perfect amount of garlic, and it is what, in my opinion, makes Cava so good. 

So next time you and your family or friends are debating on what to eat for lunch or dinner, head on over to Cava!