Most diners spend ten minutes customizing the perfect Mediterranean bowl, only to completely overlook their drink choice at the fountain station. This guide breaks down the full CAVA drink menu for 2026: price ranges, calories by cup size, sugar content, and secret half-and-half fountain combos.
Choosing the wrong beverage can add well over 300 unexpected calories, or clash with the bold, savory spices already in your CAVA Bowl or CAVA Pita. Unlike fast-casual chains that lean on bag-in-box syrups and artificial dyes, CAVA runs a scratch-made beverage program built on cold-pressed juices, steeped teas, and Fair Trade cane sugar.
That scratch-made approach is what separates CAVA's drink station from a typical soda fountain: the juices are batched fresh, the teas are brewed rather than powdered, and the sweeteners are traceable. Whether you're grabbing a quick lunch near the University of Maryland or taking a dinner break around Dupont Circle in Washington D.C., the right beverage can neutralize fiery harissa and cut through rich garlic dressings — or quietly wreck an otherwise balanced meal if you're not paying attention.
A standard fountain drink at the self-serve station runs $3.60–$3.85 depending on your market. Bottled options — Spindrift sparkling water and Open Water — run $3.00–$3.25. Kids drinks, including organic milk, chocolate milk, and apple juice, are a flat $3.00 at most locations.
Pricing shifts slightly by region: expect the higher end (~$3.85) in dense urban markets like Manhattan, and the lower end (~$3.60) in cities like Austin. Check our CAVA Online Ordering Guide for pickup and delivery pricing.
Dining in gets you free refills on every fountain drink — juices, teas, and sodas — for the length of your visit, and you're free to mix flavors as many times as you like.
CAVA batches its juices fresh in-house, mixing filtered water, real fruit purée, and cane sugar by hand each morning rather than shipping in concentrate. Because there's no stabilizer keeping things uniform, it's normal to see fruit pulp or herb flecks settle at the bottom of the dispenser over the course of a shift.
The figures below are approximate estimates for a standard 16 oz pour, no ice — filling a full 22 oz cup will run meaningfully higher, and a 12 oz kids' cup will run lower. For an exact figure on the day you order, check our CAVA Nutrition Calculator.
For diners who want something juice-like without the calorie hit of the lemonade, this is the lighter alternative — tropical pineapple sweetness balanced by crisp apple cider and a mint finish. It pairs cleanly with simpler bowls, like chicken and rice, without competing with the flavors.
Floral and earthy rather than straightforwardly sweet, this one splits opinion on its own. Most regulars don't drink it straight — they cut it at the fountain with classic lemonade, which tames the lavender and adds a tart edge that balances the whole cup.
If the goal is putting out a fire from the Spicy Lamb Meatballs or a heavy hand with skhug (explore our CAVA Sauces Guide), this is the drink for it. Pressed cucumber, fresh mint, and a tart lime finish make it one of the more effective palate resets on the menu.
Worth flagging directly: this is the highest-sugar drink on the entire menu, running around 50g of sugar in a standard serving. Real lemon juice and cane sugar give it a genuinely sharp tartness, but if sugar intake is a concern, cut it with unsweetened iced tea.
Handcrafted juice made with real ripe strawberries, spicy ginger root, and fresh lime juice. Offers a subtle kick of ginger that cuts cleanly through heavier pita wraps.
Note: CAVA occasionally rotates in limited-time or seasonal juice flavors. Check the menu board or app at your location for anything beyond this core lineup before assuming it's a permanent item.
For anyone avoiding sugar entirely, CAVA brews iced tea fresh daily — no powdered mix. Given that a fully loaded bowl can already run 500–900+ calories, pairing it with a zero-calorie drink is the simplest lever for keeping a meal from tipping too high.
Zero-calorie and zero-sugar, this is the best base for the half-and-half combinations covered further down — the natural black tea bitterness cuts the sugar load of any juice it's mixed with.
The sweetened counterpart, brewed the same way but finished with added cane sugar. A straightforward classic if you want tea without the citrus or floral notes of the juices.
Not everyone wants juice or tea — CAVA's carbonated lineup covers that without falling back on standard big-brand soda syrup at most locations.
At many locations, CAVA's fountain sodas come from Maine Root, a Fair Trade brand that sweetens with real cane sugar rather than high-fructose corn syrup. Availability and exact flavor lineup can vary by store. Priced $3.60–$3.85 (~190 Cal).
At $3.00–$3.25 a can, Spindrift is the closest thing on the menu to a genuinely "clean" carbonated option: it's flavored with real squeezed fruit juice rather than concentrate, and runs just 3 to 5 calories with zero added sugar. Lemon and Half-Tea with Lemon are commonly stocked flavors.
Priced at $2.95–$3.25, Open Water is ultra-purified still or sparkling water served in eco-friendly 100% recyclable aluminum bottles (0 Cal).
The Kids Meal lineup keeps things simple: Organic Apple Juice pouch (35 cal), Organic Lowfat Milk pouch (110 cal), and Organic Lowfat Chocolate Milk pouch (150 cal). All are a flat $3.00. Read more in our CAVA Kids Menu Guide.
Because the fountain station is fully self-serve, regulars have quietly built their own combinations over time. Blending two house juices — or a juice with tea — is the easiest way to control both sweetness and flavor without asking anyone behind the counter.
Half classic lemonade, topped off with pineapple apple mint. The lemon's tartness keeps the pineapple from tipping into overly sweet, and the combination holds up well against garlic-heavy chicken bowls.
A lower-sugar spin on an Arnold Palmer: unsweetened iced tea cuts straight through the floral sweetness of the blueberry lavender juice. Moderate caffeine, without the sugar crash a straight juice would bring.
Diluting the lemonade with cucumber mint lime keeps the herbal, sweet-tart profile while cutting the sugar load roughly in half. Some regulars take it further by adding a splash of Spindrift for a DIY sparkling version.
Liquid calories are easy to lose track of — they don't register the same way solid food does, which makes them an easy place for a "healthy" meal to quietly go over budget.
For strict keto or diabetes management, the juices and lemonade are off the table — even the lighter ones carry 20g+ of sugar per serving. The safe options are Unsweetened Iced Tea and Spindrift Sparkling Water, both of which come in at zero or near-zero sugar. Check our Vegan CAVA Guide for plant-based pairings.
The house-made juices and classic lemonade are naturally caffeine-free. Iced tea (sweetened or unsweetened) contains caffeine, as does cola-style soda where available; other soda flavors like lemon-lime and root beer are typically caffeine-free.
Every drink except the kids' organic milk and chocolate milk is vegan and dairy-free. The house-made juices, lemonade, iced tea, sodas, and Spindrift sparkling water all use plant-based or water-based ingredients with no dairy, honey, or animal-derived sweeteners.
If you're dining in, take full advantage of the self-serve fountain to mix your own half-and-half combos like The Floral Palmer (Unsweetened Tea + Blueberry Lavender) or The Tropical Cutter. If you're managing calories, stick to Unsweetened Iced Tea or Spindrift. For a refreshing palate reset against spicy skhug or lamb, go with Cucumber Mint Lime!
