Kava Lounge LA — Restaurant in Los Angeles

[*Note: Reply to "owner's response" appears below] Unfortunately, I never had the opportunity to try a kava drink at this establishment due to the merchant's unwillingness to honor a Groupon that I had purchased for this business. The man behind the "bar" was very argumentative and unpleasant as he went on and on complaining about Groupon and how they never had paid the business...and they never respond to his calls and emails...and he has been trying to cancel the Groupon but no one gets back to him and he can't reach anybody there...on and on, whining and complaining about Groupon, and somehow acting as if it's my fault. His female co-worker behind the bar was less aggressive and surly than he appeared, but she was parroting his woe-is-me diatribe at every turn. After a few minutes of getting nowhere with the merchant in terms of my attempt to convince him to honor the Groupon, the guy behind the bar exclaims, "We aren't making you anything! You need to leave." Incredibly rude, rigid and mean-spirited. Completely belies any of the comments on this site alluding to the "kindness" and "community feel" of this site. Terrible customer experience!!! Part 11 Response to "Owner's Response": I don't know how long that we are going to play this game, but I can go as long as you would like. Firstly, I want to respond to the libelous accusation that you so carelessly throw out, suggesting that I engaged in racist speech. That is a bald face lie! You mention that you are El Salvadoran. And what does that have to do what the price of tea in China. This is how you deal with negative feedback? We can continue this back-and-forth for as long as you would like. I never yelled at you. I just expressed my frustration that I came a long way and you refused to honor my Groupon. I perused a few of the other one-star reviews, and one in particular caught my attention. Another person that was unable to use her Groupon at your business. And I echo the sentiments that she makes clear--the idea of the Groupon is to introduce new people to your business, and what harm is there in doing the kind, customer-oriented gesture of honoring the voucher. If handing over one kava drink is going to make or break your business, your survival will not be long. The kind thing to do, as well as the thing that a customer-oriented business does to build a solid reputation and a loyal following, is to do what it can to form and to maintain positive customer satisfaction. And she also pointed out that you told her that you cancelled your Groupon membership a year ago--the same thing that you told me in the bar--and she clarifies that your business [as of her visit] was only open a couple of months. Clearly, you're a liar...or at best, an ultra embellisher. And what's the deal with calling me old!? Whereas you lie by referring to me as speaking in racist language--IT NEVER OCCURRED!!--this is a plain case of ageist speech, the empirical proof of which lies in the body of your "blistering" retort. You, clearly, are incredibly immature to have to stoop to these depths. What brings you to speak so mean-spiritedly? Why disparage me by referring to this weird idea of life not working out and not treating me the way I would like? What are you talking about? And, I never told you that I would be giving you a one-star review. I just said that I will be posting feedback online. I guess that it was obvious from my displeasure in your business that the feedback would be accompanied by one star...and if so, you turned out to be right. If you would like to reply to my reply, feel free. We can either let our mutual animosity die here, or we can take it over to Yelp. It's up to you. But, in conclusion, your lies about racist language can and will get you into trouble. Lies such as this, promulgated in this kind of forum for groups to see fall in the category of libelous behavior, and if these lies continue, I will see to it that your business gets shut down. Take this...

I like the service and drinks but just felt uncomfortable being told to maybe leave a relationship and try to find someone there. I was trying to let the owner know that I’m not interested and love my partner but she kept going with her comments which kinda bothered me. I think that’s also my fault for sharing. The drinks are good though and the environment there is great. I love their music there because it’s relaxing yet fun. They have free popcorn too and movie nights sometimes. I’m not sure if I’ll go back or not because I don’t want her to ask me if I’m single or not in front of the guys there and being advised to leave my guy. It’s my fault for not limiting my personal love life but if I go I think I’d rather just limit the talk and just go for the drinks.

Drink recommendations: La Toxica is my personal favorite. Since Kava has a bitter taste, the lemon and ingredients they add really balance it out. If you’re looking for a stronger drink, the Pink Bliss is great too. The Green Goblin is also pretty amazing.

They also have a few arcade games which I have yet to try.

Another thing they have are art stuff out in the patio area sometimes which I also have yet to go but have heard good things about it.

Kava is non-alcoholic and it does not get you high either. It only relaxes you and depending how much or little you drink, it can make you feel sleepy or energized. It all depends but they explain it there. You don’t have to worry about driving under the influence or anything like that. That’s the nice part of it.

Update Owner: You were not joking about me leaving my bf but thank you for your passive aggressive comment trying to gaslight what I just wrote because you can’t take accountability. You’re right, never coming here again. I wasn’t even try writing a bad review I was just saying that your advice was unsolicited and unnecessary. I never said the service there was bad either. The fact that you’re acting so betrayed and like a victim for saying I didn’t like your advice shows me you can’t take feedback from your clients and handle things in a professional way. This feedback I wrote was not with ill intention it was just to let you know that people may not always want your unsolicited advice. Telling anyone to leave their bf is not something I was seeking your...

Today I decided to go for a stroll as I waited for a car repair on Reseda Blvd. I was hungry, looking for somewhere to try something different. I didn’t actually find any food, but I ended up finding a place I hope to frequent moving forward, and bring everyone with me.

I was curious when I walked past, and decided to see if the door even opened. The front entrance is completely covered, so you can’t see inside from the outside. I wasn’t sure if they only opened at night.

It definitely opened, and the inside was such a clean, cool, relaxing and inviting environment. Wood floors. Bar and booth seating. Vintage arcade, and rear outdoor patio. And pet friendly.

I had never heard of a Kava bar, but now I’m officially a fan. A patron sitting next to me told me that travelers enjoy seeking out Kava bars to meet with like minded folks, and often cross paths with the same travelers at these bars all across the U.S. and the world.

Owners Erica and Francis were so warm and welcoming, as well as informative. They did a great job of breaking down the idea of a kava bar, the product and the menu.

I started with the most basic shot. Entry level. Straight kava shot, “down the hatch”—as was recommended for best results. The straight shot of kava wasn’t exactly tasty, but I appreciated tasting it bare, before I try any of the cocktails.

I didn’t try anything else, since I was hungry and was still hoping to get some food. They have smoothies, but suggested I find myself something more filling, and just bring it back to eat it there.

I didn’t return today, but i definitely hope to come back and impress some friends with this discovery. And I hope it last the test of time, because it’s definitely a sweet little business I’d always want in...