7 Hacks And Tips For Ordering At Cava Everyone Needs To Know

If you're a fan of a lunch bowl, chances are that you know about Cava. A rapidly growing fast-casual chain, Cava is known for providing a fast, healthy, and customizable lunch option with good, high-quality ingredients.

Cava follows a similar model to its fast-casual cousin Chipotle, allowing you to mix a variety of bases, proteins, and sauces to build your own lunch. When you enter the restaurant, you can either build a bowl or a wrap and then customize it from there. Differentiating it from Chipotle, though, is its Mediterranean-style menu. Mediterranean foods are known to be slightly healthier, and all of Cava's offerings reflect that. Bases include anything from rice to salad mixes, proteins can be meats or vegetarian options, and you can load up on a variety of Mediterranean-style toppings and sauces. The endless customization at Cava and the healthy ingredients offered mean that the meals can fit whatever diet or lifestyle you need.

Because of the variety Cava offers, though, it can be overwhelming to build the perfect meal and take advantage of all the customization it offers. We found tips and hacks to help you level up your Cava experience, no matter what your goals are. If you're looking for a new, quick, healthy, and customizable lunch option, Cava might become your new go-to.

Normal Cava bowls and wraps go for around $12 (depending on location), and if you're looking to try it for the first time or just save money, consider ordering a kid's meal. Priced at around $8, the Cava kids' meal is a much more affordable option, and according to Cava loyalists, it actually provides a good bang for your buck. The kids' meal comes with a half portion of grains, one dip, a half portion of a main, two toppings, two dressings, and a side. To sweeten the deal even further, the meal also comes with a free drink, so you can round out your lunch.

Customers who regularly order the kids' meal mention that they offer the same variety as the typical, adult Cava bowl, but actually have better portion sizes. When talking about the normal-sized Cava bowl, some customers will mention that they can stretch it into two meals, so if you're not looking to store leftovers, grabbing a kids' meal instead can also be a better option. Whether you're looking to save money or following a lower-calorie diet, the kids' Cava bowl provides a different way to experience the lunch menu.

It can be argued that sauce or dressing is the part of the bowl that ties everything together, and if you've ever had a dry bowl or salad, you know the struggle of wishing you had something extra to drizzle on top. Cava doesn't allow you to add more than two dressings, but if you're fiending for more, or just want more control over your dressing portions, consider asking for your dressing on the side.

The default for dressing your bowl at Cava is to have it drizzled on top, but this isn't the ideal way to get it for a variety of reasons. In addition to not letting you maximize the amount of dressing you're getting, having your dressing drizzled directly on top will make your bowl soggy if you have leftovers. If you're ordering multiple dressings, getting them on the side will also let you better balance the flavors of these dressings to your taste. All in all, it gives you more control of your sauce experience.

Cava is known for its high-quality, fresh ingredients and for providing a relatively healthy lunch option. For those looking to hit certain health goals, Cava is also great because of its endless customization. If you're looking to maximize protein in your diet, one way to take advantage of this customization is by swapping out one of your grain bases for lentils. Lentils are overall a very nutritious food, and also tend to be a budget-friendly protein. Cava will charge you extra to add an extra animal protein, but swapping your rice for lentils comes at no extra cost and adds an extra 18 grams of protein to your bowl.

While adding high-protein vegetables to your bowl will also help you to diversify your protein sources and add extra nutrients, adding the lentils to your bowl will give a more dramatic boost, decrease the carbohydrates in your bowl, and also provide a good source of fiber. It is a simple hack that dramatically influences your lunch macros for no extra cost.

Many Cava customers talk about how ordering a grain bowl or salad will last them multiple meals. One way to take advantage of Cava's larger portion sizes and great value, while also not getting tired of eating the exact same meal over again, is by taking advantage of Cava's pita bread. All Cava meals come with a free pita bread on the side that isn't big enough to create a wrap holding your entire bowl, but can generally support your leftovers.

Take advantage of this hack by enjoying your bowl for your first meal and ordering your dressing on the side. When you want to enjoy the rest of it, pop your pita bread in the toaster for a few seconds to warm it up, spread your pita bread with your dressing, and make a wrap using the rest of your Cava leftovers. You'll be left with an elevated version of your leftovers so you can take full advantage of your Cava meal.

Cava has a seemingly endless amount of options, and it can be hard to choose just one of anything. Luckily, Cava recognized this struggle and lets you mix and match your mains and grain bases if you can't choose just one. When building a wrap or grain bowl, you can choose between a full portion or a half portion of two. This is a known Chipotle hack, but adding two half portions can also be a great way to get a little extra added to your bowl, and it works for Cava bowls, too.

You can do the same with your mains as well. Mains at Cava include both animal proteins and vegetables like roasted sweet potatoes, roasted vegetables, and falafel. Getting half portions of these can provide variety to your bowl and also let you experiment with several combinations without having to try something completely new each time.

Cava offers all of its menu options in both bowl and wrap form. While both are good options, most Cava loyalists recommend you opt for the bowl. Even though both the bowl and wrap should theoretically be getting you the same portions, if you've ordered both, you may have noticed that the pitas seem to be less loaded than the bowls. This makes sense because it is more difficult to squeeze everything into a small pita.

Another struggle of ordering a pita is that even when all of your toppings get squeezed in, it can be a messier eating experience. While bowls are easy to eat and store really well as leftovers, wraps can fall apart more easily and don't store as well if you can't finish them. No matter which experience you choose, both will be delicious, but ordering a bowl will give you better value.

Everyone loves a birthday freebie. If you're making your way down the list of fast food chains that offer free birthday treats, consider adding Cava to your list. Even if you only visit Cava occasionally, it's worth signing up for rewards to take advantage of its birthday treat.

Cava has three levels to its reward program: Sea, Sand, and Sun, and it allows you to climb to the next tier as you spend and earn more. All three tiers give you access to a birthday reward, so it's worth it to sign up regardless of how often you order. If you're on the Sea or Sand tier, you have access to either a free drink, pita chip, or dessert on your birthday. If you are on the Sun tier, you get half off your pita or bowl. Whether you're a Cava loyalist or considering trying it, taking advantage of this tip will get you a fun birthday treat.