George Scott
The Catman
Well, I’m not sure if a population of 185,000 qualifies as a small city, but my hometown of Elk Grove now has its very own cigar lounge. A good friend recently told me about it—I had no idea it even existed. It’s located inside the new Indian casino, Sky River, and it’s called The Humidor.
I’ve never been to a cigar lounge before. There aren’t many around here. I think there are a couple in Sacramento, tucked inside boutique B&M cigar shops, but they’re mostly cigar shops and don’t stay open late. The lounges are more of an afterthought.
Knowing I’m a serious cigar smoker, my friend—who’s just testing the waters—invited me to check it out one evening. I told him I’d show him the ropes.
I suggested we grab dinner first at one of the casino’s restaurants. I wasn’t sure how busy the lounge would be, so I made a reservation for 6 PM—there were only two time slots available. That surprised me. I figured it must get pretty crowded if reservations are that limited. We showed up around 5 and scoped out a place to eat.
After dinner, we headed to The Humidor right at 6. To my surprise, the place was mostly empty. Strange, considering how few reservation slots were open. A friendly hostess greeted us and introduced us to our server, a lovely woman who let us choose our seats and handed us a sleek tablet menu. It featured drinks, cigars, and small bites. She returned shortly to take our drink orders, then escorted us to the walk-in humidor.
The cigar selection was fairly broad, though a few of the sticks I was hoping to try weren’t in stock. I asked her to help my friend pick something beginner-friendly—she seemed knowledgeable, so I trusted her judgment. I browsed for myself and, since they were out of Tatuaje, I settled on a My Father.
Then things got a little...odd. She asked if we wanted our cigars cut or punched, then took them away. We returned to our seats and a few minutes later, she returned—with our cigars already lit on an ashtray. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say, so I just thanked her. Is this considered full service? I feel cutting and lighting your own cigar is part of the ritual. It felt a bit intrusive, honestly.
We enjoyed a good hour of conversation until a group of rowdy sports fans showed up at the bar and started yelling at the game on TV. That kind of killed the vibe for the rest of the night.
That said, the lounge itself is cozy and well-appointed. The service was excellent, and it seems like a great spot to relax with a small group of 2–4 friends. The air handling is top-notch, no lingering smoke, very comfortable.
I forgot to snap any photos that night, but my friend liked it so much we went back again last night. He’s already talking about making it a regular thing.
Last night’s visit was even better, quieter, fewer people, and this time we asked to light our own cigars. We had the same server and she remembered us. I brought a cigar just in case they didn’t have what I wanted. The cutting fee was $25. From what I saw, most cigars averaged around $20. Mixed drinks were about $14, but some of the high-end whiskeys were priced way up there of course. So after one drink each, cigar, cutting fee and very generous tip it was a $100 evening.
Some pics, and no my friend is not asleep!
I’ve never been to a cigar lounge before. There aren’t many around here. I think there are a couple in Sacramento, tucked inside boutique B&M cigar shops, but they’re mostly cigar shops and don’t stay open late. The lounges are more of an afterthought.
Knowing I’m a serious cigar smoker, my friend—who’s just testing the waters—invited me to check it out one evening. I told him I’d show him the ropes.
I suggested we grab dinner first at one of the casino’s restaurants. I wasn’t sure how busy the lounge would be, so I made a reservation for 6 PM—there were only two time slots available. That surprised me. I figured it must get pretty crowded if reservations are that limited. We showed up around 5 and scoped out a place to eat.
After dinner, we headed to The Humidor right at 6. To my surprise, the place was mostly empty. Strange, considering how few reservation slots were open. A friendly hostess greeted us and introduced us to our server, a lovely woman who let us choose our seats and handed us a sleek tablet menu. It featured drinks, cigars, and small bites. She returned shortly to take our drink orders, then escorted us to the walk-in humidor.
The cigar selection was fairly broad, though a few of the sticks I was hoping to try weren’t in stock. I asked her to help my friend pick something beginner-friendly—she seemed knowledgeable, so I trusted her judgment. I browsed for myself and, since they were out of Tatuaje, I settled on a My Father.
Then things got a little...odd. She asked if we wanted our cigars cut or punched, then took them away. We returned to our seats and a few minutes later, she returned—with our cigars already lit on an ashtray. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say, so I just thanked her. Is this considered full service? I feel cutting and lighting your own cigar is part of the ritual. It felt a bit intrusive, honestly.
We enjoyed a good hour of conversation until a group of rowdy sports fans showed up at the bar and started yelling at the game on TV. That kind of killed the vibe for the rest of the night.
That said, the lounge itself is cozy and well-appointed. The service was excellent, and it seems like a great spot to relax with a small group of 2–4 friends. The air handling is top-notch, no lingering smoke, very comfortable.
I forgot to snap any photos that night, but my friend liked it so much we went back again last night. He’s already talking about making it a regular thing.
Last night’s visit was even better, quieter, fewer people, and this time we asked to light our own cigars. We had the same server and she remembered us. I brought a cigar just in case they didn’t have what I wanted. The cutting fee was $25. From what I saw, most cigars averaged around $20. Mixed drinks were about $14, but some of the high-end whiskeys were priced way up there of course. So after one drink each, cigar, cutting fee and very generous tip it was a $100 evening.
Some pics, and no my friend is not asleep!
