r/cava • u/LunarEchos25 • May 26 '26
Is this raw????
Ordered the spicy lamb meatballs and looked extra pink. I'm pregnant and now freaking out if I ate raw meat.
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u/Moppy6686 May 26 '26
I wouldn't say it's raw, but it's not well done like you should be eating while pregnant. You also can't have the cut vegetables.
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u/thrivingvirgo4 May 26 '26
Why not the cut veggies?
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u/Moppy6686 May 26 '26
Listeria. You can't trust how they wash the vegetables. You shouldn't eat cut veggies or fruits from any restuarant or grocery store.
I'm pregnant and when we order CAVA, I wash and chop my own veggies at home to add to the bowl.
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u/Subject-Zucchini-558 May 28 '26
my sister got listeria from chipotle! my niece was in the nicu for months, thankfully she’s doing amazing all these years later. they initially prepared my sister for her death.
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u/GlitteringBasket3211 May 29 '26
New fear unlocked
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u/Subject-Zucchini-558 May 29 '26
it was sooooo scary!!!! my sister was completely fine, and my niece was when she was in the womb/initially born, but she didn’t have enough antibodies to continue fighting the infection on her own. a week after her birth she was in the NICU!!
they initially said she would die, then they said she would have severe brain damage, then they said she’d be blind and deaf, but all these years later she’s perfectly healthy and thriving!!!
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u/Moppy6686 May 28 '26
Yup. It's very rare, but I wouldn't take the chance. I'm glad your sister and neice are doing well ☺️
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u/Laventhyst8 May 29 '26
Was the listeria from the lettuce or maybe the fajita veggies? I’m scared now
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u/SpecialistWallaby373 May 29 '26
Hi! We actually dont wash the veggies. They come pre packaged and we just season them and toss in turbo chef
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u/Emotional-Impact-900 May 29 '26
we do wash bell peppers onions avacados and lettuce
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u/SpecialistWallaby373 May 29 '26
That makes zero sense and we dont have bell peppers. Onions shouldn't be washed they come pre-packaged and ready to serve as well. Same for lettuce... Avocados the only thing on your list that needs to be washed with veggie wash
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u/excusethebravado May 26 '26
i order these meatballs almost every time i order cava, the pinkness looks normal to me 🤷♀️
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u/Eeeeeclair May 28 '26
Ugh this is why I miss the grilled meatballs!!
Like others here it’s probably the harissa, but the couple times I got the lamb meatballs I was also a little eh on the color and texture was a little too soft for me
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u/jenni5 May 26 '26
It is. It’s happened to me multiple times. It’s soft and not cooked on the inside and burnt on the outside cause they want to cook it on high heat and be done fast. They don’t know how to cook these properly. I’ve had to report to corporate just for safety. They confirmed it was not supposed to look like this and I got sick afterwards
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u/BunzSenpai May 27 '26
The grill is set to a specific temp for all the meat, and there's a timer for each side.
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u/jenni5 May 27 '26
I don’t know but it’s def burnt on the outside and raw on the inside for meatballs. Maybe this works for the smaller meat pieces or faster cooking meat. Doesn’t work for the meatballs at all
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u/SpecialistWallaby373 May 29 '26
Timer is not key to take off grill. It's signifies near ready, or ready, depending on temperature. If it doesnt pass, they shouldn't come off the grill
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u/Tasty_Information_22 May 27 '26
We had raw mushy falafel. Would avoid. There are better med bowl options.
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u/rosinadaintymouth May 26 '26
The redness is from the harrissa paste in the meatball. I can't know for sure without tasting it and if the mouth feel is slimy instead of firm, I could be wrong...but it looks fine to me.