For me it depends on if you are asking about the store or the smoking atmosphere. I find the staff at JR, the manager specifically, to not be so customer friendly. BUT you can sit down there anytime and smoke any cigar you want. Bring your own or buy one there. They have never mentioned it or monitored it.
Smokers World, on the other hand has a rule you need to smoke something you purchased there. It is just fair really. I mean they are just guys who bought out Richie and are starting up. I do find them friendly but I knew some of them from the table at JR before they bought the store. Especially Reuben.
SW has better ventilation, music, ambience. They have a nice Latin jazz satelite radio station playing at all times. Unless there is an important golf game happening. The coffee there is good. And you can always buy a coke or water, or (my favorite) bring in a chocolate shake with banana from Jackson hole, the best diner in Englewood. If you come in a few times you may find them more friendly, or not.
The fans and steam machines at JR are just so loud you have to shout to be heard over them. Sometimes there are boxes piled on the table. If there are too many guys there you get the evil eye. But some good guys hang out there. Al, Steve, Oliver, Wozol...
And that is the bottom line for me---the mix of BOTL's you get. It's a crapshoot. Usually pretty good.
PM me and let's meet up at one or both. Haven't tried Stogies much and the Rt 10 JR's is too far for me during work hours.
There is also the Ridgewood shop which has a humidor that doesn't need to add much humidity because of all the drooling that happens when you shop there. I really like they way they have that set up. You can smoke one upstairs but it is not really set up for social smoking.
