HotWax Coffee Shop, Kava Bar & Tap House

Love this place! Elise is amazing and very skilled in her mixology, she made me a lavender mojito kratom tea today that was next level, yum! Super cozy place to study and/or socialize. Oh and happy hour from 2-4 everyday with BOGO or half off drinks is the way to go, cheers!

I absolutely love this place. Friendly, lively individuals with great personality and always positive attitudes who make fantastic drinks. There are multiple fun, interactive theme nights - like karaoke Sundays and trivia night on Wednesdays (?) - and it's always a good time. Family friendly (even staying till 11p with my four year old playing checkers and drinking herbal tea and cookies), weird friendly, perfect place to relax with a variety of beverages while you "work from home", catch up on reading, or just want to make a pit stop while exploring Ybor City. There's also a smoke/vape shop next door with live glass blowing demonstrations. Hot Wax has been one of my favorite places to stop by for almost 20 years and this coffee/kava/kratom shop is a wonderful addition! 🤗💚🤗

Stopped in Ybor to check out this place. As an avid Kratom and Coffee drinker it was a must to check out. The tea is amazing quality, the nitro cold brew is absolutely amazing. If you're in Ybor and need a drink, a vape, a tea, a coffee anything. It's definitely worth stopping in. The staff is fantastic and friendly. Which is always a nice change from the typical Ybor vibes.
I highly recommend. The Yellow tea, great body / pain relief, with a solid euphoria.
The Krsbucha Spritz was heavenly. I am. Not much of a Spritz fan, but this definitely changed my opinion on them.

So next time you're in Ybor come stop by, and have an amazing night -- also they serve wine and beers if that's your jam that might.

I shopped here on my walk in downtown Ybor on a sunny Friday afternoon. The store had a big floor but the place was completely empty. I had my child with me, so beside the two caffeinated drinks, I asked for some soft drink for my child, and the barista told me, laughing at me, they only have coffee and alcohol, no soft drinks!!! A few minutes later she offered me some water for my child, saying that she feels bad about not having anything for my daughter. I politely thanked her and said I'll find something for her in a nearby place. My friend and I waited at the bar for a few minutes, got our drinks and left. Mine was an iced dirty matcha and as soon as we left the store, I took a sip of my drink. It tasted very bitter and watery, so I asked my friend, a professional chef, to try it. He totally agreed with me that the taste is off indeed. We went back to the store and I told the girl that my drink is very bitter and I need a pump of syrup in it. She was sitting on one of tables on the floor, so walking to the counter and feeling annoyed, she murmured "it's a tea, what do you expect?". I asked her if there is sugar or sweetener somewhere in the store that I missed, and she got from behind the counter a small box of sweeteners, put it in front of me and went back to her table, without a word. I really didn't expect that much of rudeness, so I just got the sugar and left. Overall, I did not enjoy a single sip of my drink, neither did I enjoy my experience in the store.

So happy that we happened to pop into this beautiful space! The interior has a really cool field, fun eclectic menu and incredible service and hospitality from Kiki! She took such great care of us from explanations to background information and obviously crafting delicious drinks. Definitely come check them out!

I had a disappointing experience at Hot Wax Coffee Shop today. The place itself is great with a nice ambiance and decor, but unfortunately, the rude and unprofessional behavior of a red/pink haired waitress ruined our visit. My friend and I came to work on our MacBooks and ordered coffee around 7PM, we weren’t ready to order yet but the waitress came to our table and told us we needed to order something or leave. We felt uncomfortable and rushed, but we ordered our cafe con leche and even tipped her despite her attitude. At 8:30 PM, she kicked us out by claiming that we had only ordered two coffees and she had "had us here all day". We were shocked and disappointed that we couldn't enjoy a peaceful environment to get our work done. If it weren't for the waitress, I would have given Hot Wax Coffee Shop a 5-star rating. I hope the management takes this feedback seriously and addresses the behavior of their staff.

HotWax is quickly becoming a weekend tradition for us, with its delightful coffee, kratom, kava, cbd, tea, beer, seltzer, and pastry options. We love the variety, kind staff, chill atmosphere, pet friendliness, comfortable seating, and very clean restrooms. Great place for drinkers and non-drinkers alike!

Amazing service! Great music, and amazing kava brew.... Best kava brew I've had from all the kava bars I've been to. Recomend the traditional kava, with blue lotus extract for a nice calm euphoric blend ;)

2022Cool place to hang out with friends or do work. It can get quite busy like a regular bar but when it's quiet, the service is the best

2020The drinks are good. Lots of choice from kratom and kava to lemonade and milkshakes. Bar tenders are mostly helpful. Also sometimes they have vegan Twinkies, kava infused cream pies and some other stuff.

This is a cool hip coffee shop that offers a variety of drinks that will surely cleanse the soul 😉. love this place if you’re in Tampa and checking out Ybor city you definitely have to stop by this place