Sober bars › Philadelphia
Alcohol-free · Philadelphia, PA
Sober bars in Philadelphia
Yes, real bars. Just no alcohol on the menu.
Quit drinking, taking a break, or never started? Here are 2 kava bars in Philadelphia that don't list alcohol. Regulars, games and music, open from 10 AM until as late as 2 AM.
0 of 2 open right nowFirst shell at 10 AM. Last one at 2 AM.
What walking in looks like
From the door to your first shell. Photos from Philadelphia bars on this page.
- 1
Walk in whenever.
1 stays open past 11 PM. Most look like a coffee shop that kept going: couches, a long bar, games on the shelf.
- 2
Say it's your first time.
The person behind the bar is the kavatender. Tell them you're new and they'll walk you through the menu. Nobody needs a reason for not drinking here.
- 3
Order a shell.
Kava comes in a small bowl called a shell. It tastes like bitter earth, so drink it all at once, then grab a chaser: pineapple, mango, sour candy or water.
- 4
Shells up! Bula!
When someone calls “Shells up!”, raise your shell. Then it's “Bula!”, and everyone drinks. Numb lips mean it's working. Feel nothing? Normal for the first time or two.
- 5
Stay for something.
Board games, trivia, open mic, live music. Or just sit with your shell. That counts.
First time? See the first-timer deals in Philadelphia, in each bar's own words.
2 sober bars, one clock
Every bar's hours, 6 AM to 6 AM. Pick a day, or narrow it down.
Sorted by opening time ·
- 10 AM–midnight
- 10 AM–5 PM
We leave out any bar that lists alcohol on HappyKava. Menus change, so call ahead if it matters to you. Hours are what each bar lists.
A whole day, no drink needed
From the hours, menus and events each bar lists.
Noon
Afternoon
Food on the menu, and room to stay.
- Lightbox Vegan Cafe & Kava BarFood on the menu · opens from 10 AM
Midnight
After midnight
Still pouring when everything else is closed.
- Old City Kava CompanyUntil 2 AM Fri & Sat
Never been to a kava bar?
Kava is a root from the South Pacific (Fiji, Vanuatu, Tonga, Samoa). People there have drunk it together for thousands of years. It's ground, mixed with water and poured into a shell.
It relaxes your body and keeps your head clear. It tastes like bitter earth, so drink it all at once and follow it with a chaser: pineapple, mango, sour candy or water. Numb lips mean it's working. Plenty of people feel little the first time or two, and that's normal.
Go on an empty stomach, three or four hours after a meal, and drink a big glass of water with it. When someone calls “Shells up!”, raise your shell. Then it's “Bula!”, and everyone drinks.
Not into kava? Many bars also have tea, coffee or mocktails, plus board games, pool, trivia, open mic and live music. They open early and close late.
Don't want kava?
The menu
Kava bars in Philadelphia
- KavaAll 2Served in a shell. One gulp, then the chaser.
- Kratom tea1 barA leaf from Southeast Asia, hot or iced. A different plant from kava, and it can be habit-forming.
- Coffee1 barFor the morning crowd and the laptop crowd.
- Tea1 barHot or iced.
- Mocktails1 barFruit, fizz, sometimes kava.
- A chaser and a waterEvery barPineapple, mango, sour candy. Nobody blinks.
Counts are from the 1 bars that list their drinks. Ask at the bar.
Coffee, tea or mocktails at Lightbox Vegan Cafe & Kava Bar.
Sober, in recovery, or taking a break
Kava isn't alcohol. Whether it fits your recovery is your call, and your program's. Kratom is a different plant and can be habit-forming, so ask which drinks have it.
Never mix kava with alcohol. Skip it if you're pregnant, nursing, or have liver problems.
Need support? SAMHSA's National Helpline is free, confidential and open 24/7:1-800-662-4357
Kava only, no kratom
None of the Philadelphia bars that list their drinks are kava only, and Old City Kava Company hasn't listed its drinks yet. You can still order kava anywhere on this page; ask the kavatender which drinks have kratom.
Closest bars that list kava only:
New to all of this?
Short guides for people who've never been.
Questions
Are there sober bars in Philadelphia?
Yes. HappyKava lists 2 kava bars in Philadelphia, PA that don't list alcohol, including Lightbox Vegan Cafe & Kava Bar and Old City Kava Company.
Do kava bars serve alcohol?
Most don't. We leave out any bar that lists alcohol on HappyKava. Menus change, so call ahead if it matters to you.
What do you drink at a sober bar in Philadelphia?
Kava: a root drink from the South Pacific, served in a shell. 1 of these bars also pour kratom tea. 1 list coffee, tea or mocktails, so you don't have to drink kava at all.
Which Philadelphia bars serve kava only, no kratom?
None of the Philadelphia bars that list their drinks are kava only. Old City Kava Company hasn't listed its drinks yet. The closest kava-only bar is Free Spirit Social House in Doylestown.
Which sober bars in Philadelphia are open late?
1 stay open past 11 PM on at least one night, including Old City Kava Company.
What time do Philadelphia kava bars open?
The earliest open at 10 AM (2 of them). The latest close is 2 AM on Fri & Sat, at Old City Kava Company.
Is kava the same as kratom?
No. Kava is a root from the South Pacific. Kratom is a leaf from Southeast Asia, usually served as tea, hot or iced. They feel different, and kratom can be habit-forming.
Going out in Philadelphia without drinking?
The HappyKava app shows which bars are open now, what's on today, and deals you can claim.