Sovereign Kava Bar — Restaurant in Asheville

Iv'e been a regular at many kava bars and moved to asheville about 3 years ago. Hoping to find a kava bar that was as amazing as the one in florida I started coming to this kava bar Sovereign Kava and made it a regular routine to come each day and would buy 3-5 drinks a day which is around $400-500 a month. I had been a regular here for 3 years.

This story in the beginning was great, I loved coming to the kava bar because I got to meet new people and talk about spirituality with them.

I had begun placing my business flyer up that I teach yoga, meditation and sell tinctures to the public bulletin board at this kava bar and I was able to meet about 4 people that saw my flyer and I was able to become friends with them and help them with some insights into meditation and mindfulness practices.

Then about alittle over 6 months ago someone began tearing my flyer down from the board. The first time I let it go because I thought maybe it was a new month and the employees took it down. THe second time the flyer was taken down it was found in the public mens bathroom and placed in a urinal for people to pee on and from this I could tell someone either didnt like me or didnt believe in the practices I wanted to teach others and have been for over 10 years in florida.

I spoke with several people at this kava bar because they have a camera directly looking at the bulletin board and I asked them if they could see who had been doing it. They did and apparently " banned" this person for a week. Great problem solved right? Nope, I placed more flyers up and they would keep getting torn off, found in the trash, and overall messed with and throughout this time i had spoken with one of the owners "Tom". That this was ongoing and he essentially told me he didnt want to hear about it anymore even though it was bothering me.

I began questioning some of my friends and had some of them be a little bird that would over hear conversations. One story was of one of the staff members expressing I was a low life and that I was homophobic. I am not sure where or how this person came and created this story but it was one of the reasons he expressed my flyer was taken down many times. About 3 months into this ordeal I was able to find out that 3-4 people had been in on this "prank". Because Yeah bullying someone based on their religious beliefs is a prank and not discrimination right? Hahah, Not funny.

There are only about 3-4 staff members who are not incompotent , the rest are all pretentious people who think the world revolves around them and if you dont believe what they believe politically or otherwise you are a bigot.

Pretty interesting that the same people who claim to be virtous and understanding are the ones with the least amount of empathy and like to talk crap about their customers. You know who I'm talking about if you come here.

Fast forward to this week, One of their customers I was able to determine had been one of the people in the group continually tearing my flyer down and would even harass me verbally at the bar while others around him didnt do anything about it. I called this guy a man child because he had been messing with me for so long. This man is in his 30's and acts like he is in high school and belittles people ton of people around him.

I then complained again one last time to Sin and Peter. I told them this type of thing cant happen at a bar, if someone persistently complains they are getting harrassed and bullied and you do nothing the establishment can have a lawsuit over it because it is no longer deemed a safe enviroment. This was then relayed to one of the managers "Tom". He then told Peter to ban me because I had been complaining so much and I mentioned they could have a lawsuit over unsafe enviroment.

I was bullied all throughout my highschool life and I am 38 years old. I go to a kava bar to let go of stress . Take this as a warning if you decide to come here. They don't care if you get...

A nice space. We would have had a great experience had I not been accidentally charged $70. Due to a communication error, I was charged 30-something dollars for a Kava growler, and 30-something dollars for a bag of dry Kava (around $70 total), when I really just wanted the growler. During the return process, the bartender told me that he reversed the 70 dollar charge and recharged my card for just the growler. The reversal did not go through, and that 70 dollar charge stayed on my account, in addition to the new charge for the growler. For a bar that sells a solid amount of merchandise and plant material, I would expect there to be a functioning return process. I was just visiting Asheville for the weekend, I am from out of state, so I can't come in with the receipt and ask for another refund.

In addition, the bartender seemed to be inebriated, which contributed to the issue. When he came back with my return receipt, he neglected to bring my card back, and I had to spend a couple of minutes trying to flag him down so that I could get my credit card back. He ended up just leaving it on the table by the register. Everyone there is drinking Kava while they work, which certainly contributes to the vibe, but it impacted the quality of service.

Hopefully my credit card dispute goes through and I can change this review to the more positive aspects, but as of right now the relatively large charge I received due to bartender error overshadows the positive aspects...

Sovereign Kava Bar is a gem of a hangout spot — one of those rare places that genuinely encourages adults to connect, unwind, and play. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the energy of community and creativity. Whether you're there for a casual game of ping pong (they even host tournaments!), a thoughtful chess match, or just to sip on something tasty while chatting with new friends, Sovereign offers a refreshingly social atmosphere.

What sets it apart is the emphasis on adult play and connection. So many spaces cater to work or isolation — Sovereign flips that script. Between the open mic nights, live music, open jams, and visiting artists, there's always something interesting going on, and it's easy to strike up a conversation with someone new. It feels like a hub for authentic interaction.

The drink selection is also top-notch. They’ve got a wide variety of herbal drinks and legal THC-A options, and everything I’ve tried has been delicious. I especially love Odyssey — it’s uplifting without being overwhelming, and perfect for a chill evening of music or games.

In short, Sovereign Kava Bar is more than just a place to grab a drink — it’s a community space, a creative venue, and a social haven for adults who want to stay present, playful, and connected....