CAVA

My wife and I are not celiac but we do not eat gluten or dairy. I really enjoy the food at Cava and I think the menu is very transparent about what is and is not compliant. However, I can imagine there is quite a bit of cross contamination based on the setup. Have not had a bad experience here yet!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not at all

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I used to go here all the time, but my experiences haven’t been that great lately. My go-to bowl contained spinach, rice, lentils, and beef meatballs. The past few times the food was salty, and I had a few bowls where the lentils were undercooked. The best thing is the crazy feta.

Celiac friendly?

Yes

this chain does list all ingredients and will change gloves for you. big BUT: they have no processes to ensure no cross contamination and apparently no staff knowledge of cross contamination of allergens. with a little patience you will catch them spreading dips on a wheat pita then putting the same utensil back in the dip. or handling wheat pitas, then using the same gloves in bonds of greens to serve a salad bowl.

Celiac friendly?

No

They do an excellent job listing all allergens. They are accommodating with changing gloves. Food is good. But both times I have gone I have ended up ill. This time much worse. From what I have read the cross contamination may occur on the grills, maybe utensils? Not sure and there is always new people working so it's hard to investigate what is the issue. But if you are celiac/ sensitive be mindful and cautious. Delicious yes, but I'm struggling now.

Celiac friendly?

No

Upon ordering I asked if he could use fresh gloves as I have celiac and not only did he do so, he also washed his hands and seemed unbothered about it. My Chicken & Rightrice bowl was delicious and I had no symptoms of cross contact.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

I originally liked this place a lot after eating here a few times with no reaction but the staff started getting really irritated with my requests and simply just not listening to me (i.e. telling them to change their gloves and then turning around to touch the pita… then having to ask them again to change their gloves). They usually give me a hard time there now and I’ve noticed when I go with friends there is a lot of cross contamination happening before the food ever hits the line. I’m super bummed because this place tastes so great, so I learned to make it for myself at home instead :)

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Not very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Not Much

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Good

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free

Build your bowl as you move through the line. Everything was gluten free except the pita bread. Notified our server and she immediately washed her hands, changed her gloves, wiped everything down and then personally made our bowls start to finish. Really great experience.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

Safety Feature Ratings

• Staff is knowledgeable and can answer questions
• Staff will clean kitchen space or change gloves if asked

Is there a gluten-free menu?

— Gluten-free items are marked on the main menu

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Eat here all the time, never get sick. Everything clearly marked inside their app.

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent

Other Characteristics

• Good for dairy-free

I’ve eaten here a few times and the staff does a great job changing gloves, using clean utensils, and making the whole process seamless for never me when ordering. I usually get the black lentils, plain hummus, chicken, and avocado. Delicious and healthy!

How confident are you that this establishment takes safety precautions against cross-contact?

— Very

How much of the menu is available gluten-free?

— Most/All

How would you rate the taste and quality of the gluten-free food you tried?

— Excellent