Cava Greens

I work in republic plaza and this is a convenient place to get a fresh salad, but what is this guy’s deal? The head chef always critiques what you order. I’ve been a couple of times and every time the guy tries to talk me out of whatever I ordered. He always asks what I’m looking for in my salad. I never have the right answer (I just want a freaking salad!). Not everyone wants a quinoa, kale, pumpkin seed, cranberry salad. I just want to get some chicken mixed with some green stuff without getting hassled. Also pretty pricey.

meh.
Fresh ingredients but WAY too expensive for what you get. Also the owner is kinda negative; I mentioned this build your own salad place I really enjoyed in San Francisco and instead of mentioning that he knew it and moving on, he just talked crap about it and told me why his business was so much better. Id rather frequent a place with good food AND positive energy as THAT combo is what will keep me coming back

Waaaaaaaaay overpriced. Just paid $ 8 for a salad with no meat. They charge by weight, and the charge is $ 13.28 per pound of vegetables.

Decent salad for the price.
Received horrible customer service though and will not be back.

Ok seriously if it wasn’t for the snotty-​comment-​slinging-​man aka Chef at the counter, this place would be a 5 star for sure. The salad item choices are awesome and fresh, the topping pieces are even more awesome and I don’t know what they do to prepare their chicken, salmon, and apple smoked bacon, but man is it good! To top it all off, the price is pretty decent! As a small business, he’d prefer if you bring cash so the bank doesn’t ding his business so bad. I get it, but really, can’t you convey it in a nicer way or better yet, complain to the Bank, not the customer.

I just started working at Republic Plaza, so expect so reviews of the food court options down there. Cava is pretty similar to Mad Greens. The guy who served me was super passionate about what he was doing, which was awesome. I also really liked the toppings (gherkins! fire roasted corn!) and my salad came out very tasty, but I have two complaints. One is really a matter of opinion– the dressing (mustard something) was REALLY oily. They use EVOO which is great, but it was so oily that there was not much flavor or acidity to it, which is a waste of calories in my book. My second complaint is a more important one. I ordered bib lettuce, which looked to be running low. What they had out was brown around the edges and some of the pieces were that nasty, floppy, slimy goo of too-​old lettuce. After the guy put my salad together, he went back and got some fresh, lively looking greens. So while I guess it’s a good thing that all of their lettuce isnt old and nasty, it kinda blows that I got stuck with lettuce that was very obviously past its prime. If it gets to that point and you want to rag on how fresh your stuff is, throw it out!

I appreciate their dedication to salads and very good vinaigrette dressings. But there is A LOT of information to read about «how it works» and Miss Emo Eyeliner wasn’t much help in walking me through it. I asked if they had sunflower seeds and instead of an answer, I simply got a scoop of pumpkin seeds in my bowl. OK then.
I wanted a small salad with their smokey chipotle tomato soup that the chef (?) had graciously let me sample before I decided to lunch here. The girl didn’t really care about what I was getting or how large or small I wanted my salad any more than she cared about the difference between pumpkin and sunflower seeds. And when I asked for red onions, something pickled ended up on my salad. They looked like pickled red onions, but didn’t taste like much. Overall I enjoyed it, especially the mustard vinaigrette, but got a few things that were not what I expected.
I might go back to Cava Greens but I’ll go knowing I need to speak up a bit and stand at attention to get exactly what I want.

This place gives you healthful, nutritious options, while still being gourmet and much different and more exciting than your typical salad joint.
I love that I can get a sprig of roasted asparagus, some marinated mushrooms, and roasted red peppers on my salads. You won’t find many typical salad fixins here, and NO ranch dressing (hallelujah!!). I also love that they have Sport Tea — this will be so refreshing in the summer months!
It IS very pricey, but worth it. You’re getting very high quality food here, not crap!

Yum! I work downtown and love hitting this place up for lunch. The options are endless! I personally like starting with the recovery salad and making slight modifications.
The owner (as other reviews have discussed) is quite opinionated about how you should design your salad. However, he is quite knowledgeable, has some good suggestions, and after frequenting this place, knows that I like extra greens, no tomatoes, and light on the dressing.
Speaking of dressings, all of them are house made and delicious! My favorite is the shallot mustard; but, I haven’t had one yet that I didn’t enjoy. My only recommendation is: where’s the goat cheese? For as health conscious as this place is, I’d expect them to offer it.
I’ve only tried one of the house made soups and it was delicious! If you are downtown and want a healthy lunch in a sea of mediocre fast food, give this place a shot. The one big downside, expect to pay for it. If you get a protein (smoked chicken, rosemary chicken, salmon, seared tofu, steak), your salad will probably cash in at $ 10 minimum. Nobody ever said that eating healthy was cheap.

Located in the Republic Plaza Food Court, this is the satellite location of the original Cava Greens on Colorado Boulevard between 8^th and 9^th Avenues. The predominate redeeming feature of this salad and so-​much-​more restaurant is the quality of the offering — organic produce. Cava Greens would rather go without than serve something subpar. Ciabatta bread and sport tea may be added to round out your meal. There are various proteins as add-on’s like chicken, beef, tofu, or shrimp.
I like being able to make my own creation. The vinaigrettes are plentiful, the base greens are rich in nutrients and the extras pull their own weight for health, value and taste.
The only down side to this location is the food court’s policy on hard table ware — my understanding is that due to appropriate and hygienic washing conditions, the restaurants there are required to serve in disposable containers only. I like the reusable bowls at the original location better, but, if this is all I have to suffer to get the product, then so be it.
Don’t be fooled by rival salad shops — if the quality of the ingredients is important, chose Cava Greens.
It’s worth the trip to the basement, and don’t be tempted to eat at Chinja if you are on a salad quest.

Thank goodness I bought a groupon because if I had to pay the full price on my lunch I would have been upset. First of all the lettuce looks sad and depressing, kind of like the location of the one downtown. Most of the lettuce I didn’t want to eat because it just looked awful, there weren’t a lot of veggies added and the chicken breast was a ridiculous price.
It’s all just blah and I much rather go to one of the other salad places on 16^th than this place…

When a Groupon popped up for Cava Greens, I jumped on it because I have an informal self-​imposed rule that an average workday lunch should run $ 5, $ 6 max. There aren’t many places downtown that fit the bill and those that do aren’t generally healthy. This is why I make my own lunches most of the time. But the Groupon was $ 5 for $ 11 of food — perfect since I heard you can easily build a $ 10 salad here. I’ve visited twice. The first time, I had my mind set on a broken caesar with salmon (I had browsed their menu online wanting to be prepared and not slow down the line with my indecision). The guy helping me suggested I try the Recovery salad instead. His reasoning was people eat salads to be healthy and the Recovery is nutrient-​dense compared to a caesar. I knew that of course but decided to go with his suggestion, adding salmon and avocado to the base salad of mixed greens, sweet potatoes, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries with basil parmesan dressing. It was well-​tossed, perfectly lightly dressed and delicious in spite of my preference for savory salads. I ordered the same thing on my 2^nd visit and will on my 3^rd I bet. The people working are nice, into the food and why it’s healthy for you. These are spendy salads though, probably $ 8+ if you add a protein like ahi tuna, salmon, chicken, steak or tofu — so when I run out of Groupons I don’t know how often I’ll be back…

Eh. Maybe because I’m coming from NYC where make your own salad places are on every corner, but this seemed like a rip off.
We got there around 1:30 and it looked like they were closing shop.
Out of arugula so I added spinach. The smoked chicken was delicious but a small portion and expensive at an extra $ 5.
The atmosphere is depressing and sitting outside on Colorado Blvd. is no better.
I can see myself getting a vegetarian salad to go and being happier.

a great place to eat if you’re Kate Moss. I went to the one on Colorado blvd and while I appreciate the whole reasonable portions and quality food concept, my stomach didn’t.The salads were very good but I think I’m going to have to go buy a pizza now.
ps– It could be that I’m unfairly grouping this one with the store on the mall. Maybe they have different quantities of food, if so let me know and i’ll retract my comments.

I hate to be debbie downer here with all the great reviews but…
I went here because I was looking for a nice salad for after the burger and hot dog fueled 4^th of July. I guess I did not realize it was in a food court next to the Chick-​Fil-​A and Steak Escape. No biggie for lunch, but there is no AC, and hot, so I certainly did not want to eat there.
I like the concept… eat as much as you need. But there are few things that I wish were different. 1) no list of ingredients. Sure the guy behind the counter is up about a foot or two and looks down on the fixings. I am short, and I cannot see what they have. Maybe if they had a flier with ingredient lists. 2) No real help with the combos. I am not a creative chef (unfortunately), and sometimes like to pick a pre thought out combo. Sure there is one or two there, but a little help would be nice. 3) list the price of the proteins, or allow you to have just half. $ 2.50 for marinated tofu made my under $ 5 salad jump to $ 8 and some change. I just asked for a little, but the kid at the counter said all or nothing.
The salad was pretty good. But $ 11.99 a pound with $ 2.50 add on proteins, it is a pretty steep salad price. So it is all around «ok»

There are a lot of different places to get a salad in town, but this has become my favorite. It’s a good size for a good price (if you’re not going with a protein add-​in like chicken, salmon or tofu) and they seem to carry a few quality options overlooked by some of the salad spots. The first thing that comes to mind for me is the cheese options, but also that I can have cranberries AND blueberries with my nuts and spinach. While I’m not much of a dressing guy (go ahead and toss mine with some olive oil), most of my friends seem to think that that is the strongest aspect of Cava’s fixings. The end result is something far more filling that a previous salad hater would imagine.
The owner’s impressed me a few times with his knowledge of why what is good for you. Sure, it’s partly salesmanship, but it’s always led to something tastier. Plus a little added friendliness goes a long way, especially during the downtown lunch hours. The other location is a really nice building/​spot to eat and it’s a shame it’s not in a more convenient area as this one, which is in the cavernous food court on the far end of the mall.

I thought this would be your standard, run of the mill, get a salad to go place. I was mistaken.
This place makes you feel good about he food you are eating. Through quality ingredients and portion control, they put together a great salad. I also liked the discount you get if you bring your own container (Good to be green).
Parking can be tough depending on when you go. They also offer desserts, which I assume are also healthy. The berry cobbler was great.
I’ll definitely go back.

This place is perfect for two things:
1) a salad that’s a full, high-​quality meal
2) an after-​workout meal
Just as others have said, they use excellent, quality ingredients and they know their stuff — this isn’t a chain, so don’t expect fast junk food prices or mindless service.
The two people who work there know food and they make your salad like a chef would make your salad. They know the perfect proportion of ingredients and how certain ingredients will combine for the best flavors. The dressings they’ve created are delicious in the same way.
They understand that many of us eat salads because it’s the healthiest option, so they’ve come up with combinations that meet that goal. But they also let you add any of their many interesting ingredients to your salad. And they’ll make suggestions and help you come up with something really tasty.
It’s interesting that this place is listed under Unilocal as vegetarian, because they actually do have fish and chicken to put on your salad and some interesting suggestions for salads that include these.
I wish they had opened when all the buildings were full over there — they would have made a killing at lunch. I’m hoping they can hang in there until the area revives and for when people start finding them and making a point to have dinner there. And like I said, it’s a great place to go after you work out when you’re hungry but you don’t want to undo everything you just did by having a giant plate of spaghetti and meatballs!

first of all, i HATE salads. i hate vegetables, i hate anything green and/​or good for me. EXCEPT inside the walls of cava greens.
it’s like how excited i used to get over subway when i was 5 years old. they just have all this STUFF. and even if i’m too picky to eat most of it, it’s there!
everything’s fresh, colorful, sanitary looking, and delicious. they have dried cherries which are a MUST for me, and INCREDIBLY fresh spinach. not to mention the good looking fish, chicken, etc that’s add-​on-​able. they also got me into cucumbers, dates, sweet potatoes (in a salad? WHAT?) and quinoa, which even though it looks like fish eggs, i can still eat because something about this place makes me crazy.
warning: they do salads based on weight. don’t get too excited or you might end up with an expensive salad that’s WAY too much to eat.

WARNING: You run a very high risk of leaving this place paying more for a salad than you ever have before in your whole life.
But it’s only because you get to pick from all these beauteous, fresh, delicious ingredients and you just can’t stop yourself from picking them all! I am generally pretty freaked out by assembly line style food joints… I don’t like all those hands on my stuff. But Cava does it right… never do you feel like anything about the place is dirty or questionable. The dressings are light and delicious, the avocado that perfect summer green, and you can get a salad that really works as a full meal. Also, they get major points for their yummy tofu.