Oasis Botanical Lounge — Local services in Carrboro

I was looking for a quiet place to work and grab coffee. I was surprised to see that first, it was in a mall and the name above the door was "apothecary" and not Oasis, and second, that they had multiple signs saying that they do not offer hot drinks. Behind the counter I saw cups and a fridge full of cold bottled drinks like orange juice and cartons of things like almond oat milk. The physical environment was mostly really nice - lots of comfy pillows and chairs (I always love a good lounge floor cushion setup), lighting was great, music was fine, and there was lots of books and decor around (what I was looking for), but very much a white hippie bob marley esque vibe.

However, when I went to order a drink, and asked for a recommendation as I was going to get a coffee, looking to be focused and motivated on my work, Robert talked about some drink that sounded like some sort of tea. He said that for a few folks, it could cause an upset stomach and that I probably would feel the effects in 20 minutes or so, which I thought was strange, but I figured he was just talking about a caffeinated drink. He put the green and white powder in the soy milk and used a foamer to mix. I had a very pleasant time working there for the next hour or so, but when I stopped I realized I was feeling strange and went back to the counter to ask again what it was I got. Robert clarified that it was kratom and gave me a pamphlet proclaiming its benefits, but this was the first time I was learning about kratom. I got home fine, but then the effects really kicked in - I was feeling nauseous, disoriented, chilly, and dizzy. It got bad enough I couldn't do anything for a few hours! When I looked up kratom, it's clear there isn't a lot of research on this substance, and that there are concerns about it being an addictive substance that operates on some opiate receptors on our brain. I am NOT happy that this information was not more clearly discussed when I ordered the drink, complete with a balanced discussion of what we do and don't know about the substance. It was also misleading because it's from a plant from southeast asia, but has been banned in several countries in Asia, and is illegal in some states in the US, and the shop looked like a normal tea/coffee shop. I learned all of the information about kratom AFTER getting the drink when I really should have been offered more information before. I'm not against recreational use of substances, however, I really would have appreciated being more clearly communicated to about what it was I was being offered, what we do and don't know about the substance, and risks of side effects beyond an upset stomach - this was VERY much a high like marijuana, and not what I was signing up for. I also realized I had no idea how much he put in that drink, and we didn't have any kind of discussion about dosage - which again, is REALLY not good for any kind of substance like this. Please do your homework on this...

It's not an oasis anymore. There were many times after the Oasis opened that I would have given it 5 stars. Amazing atmosphere with beautifully painted walls, high ceilings, a fireplace with floor cushions ( couches and chairs too), and the best coffee in town. It was always fun to overhear conversations about metaphysics, or listen to reggae or folk music), or go to an evening presentation on shamanism. But my most recent visit, a few months ago, was terrible. The walls had been painted white. The owner, Robert, with whom my partner and I had chatted on dozens of occasions, did not recognize us. We got CBD coffee that was bitter and oily (we have the same kind at home, and it's really good.) I can't remember what was on the big screen, but there were 2 audio streams - one was some space age music. That was innocuous. But though we were at the farthest point from the counter where Robert sits, we heard every word of his computer playing ALEX JONES. "Oasis" , it's called. There are signs saying you've entered a calm sanctuary when you come in. Robert (supposedly) is all about One Love and his hippie days. All I got that day was a bitter old man playing the words of another bitter old man. And bad coffee. I know he got divorced at some point (because he talks about his personal business frequently and loudly to some forlorn groupies), and moved to Montana at one point, so maybe he's working through some trauma. Don't do it in front of your customers, dude! My partner jokingly said, when we left, "Hey Robert, we didn't have you down as an Alex Jones fan." Robert: "I use lots of sources. Nobody tells the truth..." and a few other...

2 stars for the atmosphere. I wish I read other reviews before coming here, just saw the overall good reviews and pictures so we gave it a shot! The space is nice, I enjoyed the floor cushions. But the rest was very odd. Immediately when we walked in, we were told there are no hot drinks. That's fine, I see with the other reviews that they haven't been doing those due to the owner's health. But he told us in such a matter-of-fact sort of way, and acted like we were sort of foolish outsiders at first for not knowing it was "only botanicals"... Well my partner and I had work to do anyways, so I order something like a "refreshing peach green tea". It's just a bottle of Honest Tea for $5, little did I know. Same with my partners $5 can of coffee. Ok, we sit down to work. My partner asks for the wifi, they tell her to use the unsecure free wifi which was too slow for the computer, even though there is a different network with the cafe name. Ok... What made me leave, though, was a young woman coming in to order some drinks, and the owner, I kid you not, says "Can you sit down? I don't want to finish my conversation right now." She says she is in a rush and needs a couple of drinks, he says "give me 3 minutes." This was after hearing his conversation with his friend about things like "climate change is munchausens by proxy" and talking a lot about race.... I immediately packed up and left. Nice space but not worth the $10 prebottled drinks and weird behaviors...