Is Cava Halal? The Lamb, the Shared Grill and What to Order

Cava isn’t a halal restaurant, but one of its meats is halal sourced. Cava’s location pages say: “Our Spicy Lamb Meatballs are made with ground lamb that comes from halal-certified suppliers. Please note we do not observe halal practices in our kitchen and cross-contamination may occur as we use the same grill and utensils for non-halal meats.”

So the chicken and steak at Cava aren’t halal, and even the lamb is cooked on the same grill with the same utensils as non halal meat. Cava has also served braised lamb from certified halal meat, but it’s no longer on the menu at every location. This guide explains what that means and what Muslims can order.

Quick answer

Is Cava lamb halal?

The spicy lamb meatballs are made from lamb that comes from halal certified suppliers, according to Cava. In 2018, Cava also said on X that “the meat in our braised lamb is certified halal”. Diners report that braised lamb has been removed from some locations, so check the menu at yours.

Two points matter:

• “From halal certified suppliers” isn’t the same as zabiha. Cava doesn’t say how the lamb is slaughtered or whether it’s stunned. Halal Monitoring Services (HMS), which requires unstunned hand slaughter, says: “HMS has not inspected or certified Cava, so its Halal status is unverified.”
• The kitchen isn’t halal. Cava says it uses the same grill and utensils for halal and non halal meats, so cross contamination can happen.

Is Cava chicken halal?

No. Cava doesn’t describe its chicken or steak as halal. Only the lamb is described as halal sourced.

Does Cava serve pork?

Cava’s current menu doesn’t list pork proteins. Its proteins are chicken, steak, lamb meatballs, falafel and seafood. The main concern for Muslims is non halal chicken and steak on the shared grill, not pork.

What can Muslims order at Cava?

Cava’s full ingredient and allergen guide is on its support site. Alcohol isn’t an allergen, so ask if you want to check a dressing.

Is Cava halal certified?

No. Cava doesn’t hold halal certification for any restaurant, and says it doesn’t observe halal practices in its kitchens.

Is Cava halal in Texas, New York or other cities?

Cava’s answer is the same at every location: the lamb meatballs use halal sourced lamb, and the kitchen isn’t halal. Cava’s location pages across the US carry the same wording.

A short history of Cava

Cava began as a sit down restaurant, Cava Mezze, in Rockville, Maryland, in 2006, and opened its first fast casual Cava in 2011. Cava Group now runs hundreds of Mediterranean fast casual restaurants across the US.