After what felt like years of waiting, Cava has finally arrived in Boston! Their first location, near Fenway Park, opened their doors late January and has been packed ever since. This establishment brings healthy, fresh Mediterranean food to the customer in a “Chipotle” or “Subway” style. Cava was created by three Greek men who wanted to bring traditional Greek and Mediterranean food to a modern, casual setting. Cava’s food is always fresh and has rotating toppings depending on the season.
I was first introduced to Cava while spending a semester in D.C. I made a friend that went to school in the LA area, and she was the first to tell me about Cava. At the time, Cava was only located in California and the Washington, D.C./Maryland/Virginia area. After hearing about it for months, I decided to try it one day because one was very close to my dorm. At first bite, I was hooked. It soon became a weekly thing, I would go every week (or almost every week) after SoulCycle. I dubbed those days “Meatless Mondays” because I only got falafel.
When leaving D.C., I was bitterly upset to leave Cava. Last summer, I tweeted Cava asking when they will be in Boston (because I believe they should, Cava would do amazing in cities), and I got a reply almost instantly stating, “See you in 2018.” I’ve been patiently waiting for this Cava to open ever since. Cava plans to open two more locations in Boston, and both are supposed to be opening sometime this year. Cava also plans to open another location in Hingham.
photo by Cava
At Cava, you can order a salad, grain bowl, pita, mini pitas, or a combination of a mini pita and soup. You then choose a protein. They have usual proteins, like chicken, braised beef, and roasted vegetables, and other options typical in Greek cuisine like falafel, meatballs (choice of lamb or beef), and braised lamb. From there, you can choose three different spreads, or three of the same spreads. You don’t need to get three scoops, but that’s the amount given with the price. The spreads include Cava’s homemade hummus (choice of plain and/or roasted red pepper), tzatziki, red pepper and eggplant spread, crazy feta (spicy feta spread), and harissa. After that, you move onto toppings. These toppings can change depending on the season, but the ones that do not go out of season are: shredded romaine, pickled onions, tomato and onion salad, tomato and cucumber salad, cucumbers, crumbled feta, mint, pita crisps, kalamata olives, lemon and cauliflower quinoa tabbouleh. Cava then offers six sauces/dressings to put on top. These sauces could be green harissa, tahini (they have two different kinds), yogurt dressings (two different kinds), and greek vinaigrette. Cava also offers amazing homemade juices and teas, which are switched seasonally.
My go-to order usually is: a grain bowl with brown rice, falafel, crazy feta and tzatziki spread topped with cucumber and tomato salad, cucumber, mint, romaine, olives, and feta. I usually top the bowl with greek vinaigrette, lemon herb tahini, or both! Sometimes I also go for a half greens, half grain bowl!
I loved Mediterranean food before Cava, but I also believe Cava is a great way to open someone up to this type of cuisine. For example, don’t know what harissa is? Get it on the side, try it, and if you don’t like it never order it again. I am so thankful Cava decided to come to Boston! It’s being welcomed to the Boston area with good reviews and friendly smiles. If you have not tried Cava yet, I definitely would recommend!