Bellevue WA Recommendation: Where can you smoke a cigar?

[theebug]

I will be out on the left coast the first week of June. I am looking for some local advice about where someone might be able to enjoy a cigar indoors rather than out.

A real home run would be a place you could eat and smoke, but I would settle for a bar.

Any suggestions?

 

[wpeloqui]

I think that smoking, of any type, is pretty much outlawed in Washington State. I used to go to a great steakhouse in Tacoma that had a dedicated cigar lounge. They were forced to shut it down.

I hope someone says I am wrong...

I did a bit of searching and there is a place in Fife, close to Tacoma, Smokey Joe's Cigar Lounge. It looks like it is in an Indian casino.

You could give that a try.

Willie

 

[BlindedByScience]

As a WA resident, let me sum it up for you in two words:

You're screwed.

You can't smoke in any public buildings, nor within 25' of an entrance or an air intake. Period. Not even in a cigar shop.

Smokey Joe's, being on sovereign Indian land and not subject to the laws that affect the rest of us, is immune from this draconian measures.

My home is also a "you may smoke here" zone, but Vancouver is a bit of a haul from the Seattle area for a smoke.

Sorry, my friend - B.B.S.

 

[chainer]

Reading answers like that are real bummers! Thankfully, in good ol' NH, you can still smoke on main street, downtown. A little cigar shop setup on the mainstreet strip just had an outdoor herf of sorts, with tables and stuff setup on the sidewalk. I'm not sure if that is A-ok, but it went on either way. Good luck on your search, hope you find a nice alternative.

 

[theebug]

Thanks for the information.

I am depressed that it is so bad, but at least in know the lay of the land.

It sounds worse than the Tri-state area (NY/NJ/CT) and my area is horrible.

 

[Tapewormboy]

I was in Bellevue/Seattle, WA two summers ago with my girlfriend at the time. The cigar shops I stopped at were just awful. No one knew what they were selling, selection sucked, and the prices were obscene. Luckily I had brought my own stash and just smoked on her deck enjoying the great weather they have around this time of year.

 

[tandblov]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.

Check out "Cigar Land" in Shoreline. It is on Westminster way, next to Central Market. The owner is changing the name soon, but the location is the same. He has an EXCELLENT selection of Illusione, Tatuaje, Don Pepin, Olivia, LFD, Padilla, etc... John, the owner, is very knowledgeable about cigars and is a fellow smoker who got into the business due to his love of cigars. It is my favorite store in the city.

Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Smokey Joes cigar lounge, in Fife, is a great place to smoke. They are above a crummy reservation bingo hall, but they are a completely different atmosphere. I don't drink, but their scotch selection is excellent and the staff is very friendly. Overstuffed leather chairs and couches, 16 plasma tv's, they serve decent food and sell some cigars to boot. Worth the 30 minute drive from Seattle down I-5.

There is also a petition going around to lift the smoking ban restriction outlawing cigar bars, private clubs and smoking in a tobacco establishment. There is also a potential in our supreme court to throw out our stupid and draconian smoking ban.

We also currently have one of the lower cigar taxes of anywhere in the country.

 

[shrtcrt]

I will be there June 9 and 10 for a conference. I was hoping to find a place to smoke as well. Maybe it won't rain and I can head outside somewhere and smoke. The hotel I am staying at has an outdoor pool, hopefully I can enjoy one there.

 

[Flea7]

Smoking in the Emerald City sucks!
It's only allowed on the Indian Reservations...casinos.
A new casino is being built just east of Bellevue with a very nice lounge. Smokey Joe's is pretty good.
Not much up here.

 

[Flea7]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.


Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Rain City Cigars.......these guys are idiots! there humi is full of molded cigars. All the tubo I check had mass old ....white fuzzy growing out of control mold. I brought this up to the front person and the owner.
You want to guess what there response was......"that there is plume"...."its a good thing and it is what you want" ...LOL

I tried to explain to them that it was definately mold and that plume is not fuzzy. They proceeded to give me a copy of literature on plume and totally ignore what I said. Their Humidor reading was @ 77%RH.

They are idiots! Their selection suck as well! the 5 times I have been there ...no Padron 26 or 64..no Opus..no VSG...no Anejos...no WOAM....etc.

Seattle has crappy B&Ms

 

[tandblov]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.


Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Rain City Cigars.......these guys are idiots! there humi is full of molded cigars. All the tubo I check had mass old ....white fuzzy growing out of control mold. I brought this up to the front person and the owner.
You want to guess what there response was......"that there is plume"...."its a good thing and it is what you want" ...LOL

I tried to explain to them that it was definately mold and that plume is not fuzzy. They proceeded to give me a copy of literature on plume and totally ignore what I said. Their Humidor reading was @ 77%RH.

They are idiots! Their selection suck as well! the 5 times I have been there ...no Padron 26 or 64..no Opus..no VSG...no Anejos...no WOAM....etc.

Seattle has crappy B&Ms

Never had a moldy cigar from them, and their "humi" is not "full" of moldy cigars...

If you didn't find any 26, 64, VSG, Opus, then you didn't look hard enough, or bother to ask. They always have some selection. Anejos and hemi Maduros tend to be available all through Christmas...they limit the amount you can purchase in order to stretch them out over a longer period of time.

 

[Flea7]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.


Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Rain City Cigars.......these guys are idiots! there humi is full of molded cigars. All the tubo I check had mass old ....white fuzzy growing out of control mold. I brought this up to the front person and the owner.
You want to guess what there response was......"that there is plume"...."its a good thing and it is what you want" ...LOL

I tried to explain to them that it was definately mold and that plume is not fuzzy. They proceeded to give me a copy of literature on plume and totally ignore what I said. Their Humidor reading was @ 77%RH.

They are idiots! Their selection suck as well! the 5 times I have been there ...no Padron 26 or 64..no Opus..no VSG...no Anejos...no WOAM....etc.

Seattle has crappy B&Ms

Never had a moldy cigar from them, and their "humi" is not "full" of moldy cigars...

If you didn't find any 26, 64, VSG, Opus, then you didn't look hard enough, or bother to ask. They always have some selection. Anejos and hemi Maduros tend to be available all through Christmas...they limit the amount you can purchase in order to stretch them out over a longer period of time.

I did ask....and even if they did have them I surely wouldn't buy from them knowing they don't even know what mold looks like. Next time you go in there look at their RH in the humi.....77%. Just the response I got from them tells me how they run their business.

I will not be going back and will warn others.

It's your money, spend it as you wish.

 

[ulster]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.


Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Rain City Cigars.......these guys are idiots! there humi is full of molded cigars. All the tubo I check had mass old ....white fuzzy growing out of control mold. I brought this up to the front person and the owner.
You want to guess what there response was......"that there is plume"...."its a good thing and it is what you want" ...LOL

I tried to explain to them that it was definately mold and that plume is not fuzzy. They proceeded to give me a copy of literature on plume and totally ignore what I said. Their Humidor reading was @ 77%RH.

They are idiots! Their selection suck as well! the 5 times I have been there ...no Padron 26 or 64..no Opus..no VSG...no Anejos...no WOAM....etc.

Seattle has crappy B&Ms

Never had a moldy cigar from them, and their "humi" is not "full" of moldy cigars...

If you didn't find any 26, 64, VSG, Opus, then you didn't look hard enough, or bother to ask. They always have some selection. Anejos and hemi Maduros tend to be available all through Christmas...they limit the amount you can purchase in order to stretch them out over a longer period of time.

I did ask....and even if they did have them I surely wouldn't buy from them knowing they don't even know what mold looks like. Next time you go in there look at their RH in the humi.....77%. Just the response I got from them tells me how they run their business.

I will not be going back and will warn others.

It's your money, spend it as you wish.

Wow, Rain City is where the majority of my B&M money goes to - great friendly staff and I have never seen their humi readout over 70%. Good selection, and prices at MSRP.

Someone have a grudge over them?

 

[Flea7]

There are some great cigar shops in Seattle. I can't speak for "Smellvue" as I try to avoid going there.


Also check out Rain City cigar. They have been around awhile and have a Fuente account and regularly have Opus and high end Padrons. Christmas comes and they get Anejos, WOAMS, etc. It is a tiny store, but a decent selection still the same.

Rain City Cigars.......these guys are idiots! there humi is full of molded cigars. All the tubo I check had mass old ....white fuzzy growing out of control mold. I brought this up to the front person and the owner.
You want to guess what there response was......"that there is plume"...."its a good thing and it is what you want" ...LOL

I tried to explain to them that it was definately mold and that plume is not fuzzy. They proceeded to give me a copy of literature on plume and totally ignore what I said. Their Humidor reading was @ 77%RH.

They are idiots! Their selection suck as well! the 5 times I have been there ...no Padron 26 or 64..no Opus..no VSG...no Anejos...no WOAM....etc.

Seattle has crappy B&Ms

Never had a moldy cigar from them, and their "humi" is not "full" of moldy cigars...

If you didn't find any 26, 64, VSG, Opus, then you didn't look hard enough, or bother to ask. They always have some selection. Anejos and hemi Maduros tend to be available all through Christmas...they limit the amount you can purchase in order to stretch them out over a longer period of time.

I did ask....and even if they did have them I surely wouldn't buy from them knowing they don't even know what mold looks like. Next time you go in there look at their RH in the humi.....77%. Just the response I got from them tells me how they run their business.

I will not be going back and will warn others.

It's your money, spend it as you wish.

Wow, Rain City is where the majority of my B&M money goes to - great friendly staff and I have never seen their humi readout over 70%. Good selection, and prices at MSRP.

Someone have a grudge over them?

No Ulster,
I really don't have a grudge with them. It just bothers me when they are telling their customer that mold is plume. Instead of investigating it further to see if they have a problem they just blew it off. I didn't push it any further and I'm not trying to make a stink of it but I think people should know.

I think if your going to run a cigar shop.....you should know basic knowledge in storage conditions on the product your selling.


Here is a pic of the condition last time I was there .....about 3 months ago. Again, I have seen it as high as 77%.

It's your money...spend it as you like.

 

[tandblov]

Don't worry Ulster, we are just chumps who buy moldy cigars and don't even know it...

 

[Flea7]

Tandblov,
I not trying to offend you and if I did ...my apologies.

If you have good experiences with the vendor .....great, stay with them.

 

[grateful1]

I can't help you with a store...but I thought this was pretty funny:

Bellevue WA Recommendation: Where can you smoke a cigar? Cigar Lounge theebug 15 132 Today, 04:21 PM Last post by: Flea7

 

[Flea7]

That's right Gary, I jump and bite!..LOL

 

[ulster]

Don't worry Ulster, we are just chumps who buy moldy cigars and don't even know it...

I guess you are right - hell I have been there the past two days and just picked some really moldy cigars.

The picture is funny, I have never seen that color of wood in the shop, nor do any of their display cases look like the one in the picture. This is what their display looks like.

 

[Flea7]

Don't worry Ulster, we are just chumps who buy moldy cigars and don't even know it...

I guess you are right - hell I have been there the past two days and just picked some really moldy cigars.

The picture is funny, I have never seen that color of wood in the shop, nor do any of their display cases look like the one in the picture. This is what their display looks like.

Ulster,
If you like the shop...by all mean spend away.
The pic is from their store. When I saw the digital reader I took a pic on my phone camera.
If you look closely the sticks to the right of the picture looks like a CAO brazilia and it is in the same clear plastic that they use there.

look,.....if I touched a nerve with you guys because you shop there...I'm sorry but there is no question that keeping a humidor @ 77% RH will promote mold growth. If you can handle that and the truth ...then I'm sorry. I know what I saw...next time your there check the tubos....when you find mold ..ask what the white stuff on the sticks are and see what kind of response you get. "plume"!!

Just because you bought some stick without mold on them doesn't mean there in good condition. I know if I knew that they have mold in their humi, I sure wouln't put the purchased sticks in my humi where it can possibly ruin other cigars.