Cava Is Adding a New Protein to Its Menu
The chain is diving deeper into its Greek roots.
Image Courtesy of Cava
I like to describe Cava as the Chipotle of Mediterranean food. The fast-casual chain stands out among other “slop bowls” with the fresh, flavorful ingredients the region is known for. But while you’ve been able to load your Cava bowl with everything from grilled meats and falafel to Kalamata olives and feta, one Mediterranean staple has been missing: fish.
Now, Cava is adding its first seafood option, introducing Glazed Salmon to its menu. The fillet of roasted, flaky salmon features a house-made pomegranate molasses, a Levantine twist that grounds the fish in Mediterranean flavors.
Why is Cava adding salmon to its menu?
Conversations about adding salmon to the menu began nearly two years ago, Ted Xenohristos, Co-founder and Chief Concept Officer at Cava, shared at a media preview. The chain is deeply rooted in Greek cuisine: Three of Cava’s founders are sons of Greek immigrants, and according to Xenohristos, he takes yearly trips to Greece as part of his role. It didn’t make sense that Cava didn’t offer fish when it’s a quintessential part of the Greek diet.
“At the Mediterranean table, seafood is enjoyed everyday, it’s not only reserved for special occasions,” Xenohristos said in a press release. “Bringing salmon to our menu isn’t about just adding another protein, it’s about expanding how people experience Mediterranean food at scale.”
How can you order Cava’s new Glazed Salmon?
You can add the salmon to one of Cava’s build-your-own bowls or try it in two new seasonal curated orders:
- The Salmon + Strawberry Sesame Bowl: A base of brown rice and spinach paired with the Glazed Salmon and Cava’s new tart strawberry sesame dressing. Toppings: roasted red pepper hummus, Persian cucumbers, feta, tomato + onion, and sumac slaw.
- Salmon + Yogurt Dill Bowl: A base of arugula and saffron basmati rice paired with the Glazed Salmon and Cava’s yogurt dill dressing. Toppings: traditional hummus, Crazy Feta, fire-roasted corn, tomato + onion, Persian cucumber.
My Honest Review of Cava’s New Glazed Salmon:
I got an early taste of the Glazed Salmon at a media preview. The first piece of salmon I had was slightly overdone, though the second was nice and flaky, indicating that there may be variation in quality from order to order. Fish, after all, is known to be finicky. The salmon tasted fresh but not fishy, pairing well with Cava’s yogurt dill dressing. However, adding this dressing (or any dressing) was a necessity since I couldn’t detect the pomegranate glaze at all. While the salmon did have some browning on top, it had no pomegranate molasses flavor, sauciness or really any other evidence of the marinade. Order this if you want a plain piece of salmon to add to your bowl, not a flavor bomb.
When will Cava’s Glazed Salmon be available?
Cava’s new Glazed Salmon will be available nationwide starting Monday, April 20, for orders in-store, online or through the Cava app. It will be priced from $3.95 to $4.95, depending on the location. The pre-set Salmon Bowls will be priced between $14.80 and $18.50.
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