People will need to understand the difference between a lounge and a shop as they are not mutually exclusive though both serve as retail spaces, the function between the two are quite different.
So far, I've seen two places that are lounges that sell cigars. Ligero Tobacco House in Buford doubles as both a retail place as well as a lounge but without the club prices which makes this shop such a fantastic place to come and enjoy a cigar without dropping a monthly fee of belonging to a club. Scottish Tobacco out in the Lindbergh/Buckhead area is a retail shop that also has a cigar club where you drop about $500/month to be a part of it, cigar stick purchases are not included in the price of that. While the selection is decent, the fact that in order to smoke there, you need to be a part of a club so I find that a bit wanting.
That being said, Cigar House is strictly a cigar and tobacco product retail store. Just a humidor and nothing else. No lounge, no coffee, no anything. Just a quick stop to get your favorite sticks and you're out.
That being said, one cannot simply gauge this place on what it does not have and it does not have a lounge to sit and smoke your purchases as some places do. What this place prides itself on is service.
I was checking online to get a Joya De Nicaragua Cuatro Cinco cigar and their site said that this place had it. I was out and about and wanted to try one for myself. Unfortunately, they didn't have what I was looking for so I opted for some other ones and snagged some good finds.
The guy who helped me I think was the owner and a vet it seemed if not a supporter of the United States military. He was in a wheelchair so I didn't ask for help because, it's hard enough to get around so I decided to go to his humidor and find the stick I was looking for.
The humidor is big! It spans two sections as opposed to some of the other ones I've been in where the humidor is particularly cramped. Cigar House has about double the size from the premier ones I've seen with competitive prices on sticks with some big name brands like Oliva and Rocky Patel. I dropped an easy $30 on three sticks that I had heard of and in turn plan on enjoying here in the next few days.
Why then the 4 stars? The owner is one of the friendliest guys around in terms of winning customers. You go there, buy a stick, and he will give you 15% off every subsequent purchase after your first buy. Now I don't live near the Snellville area and he didn't have the Joya cigar I was looking for but the fact that he gives military discounts as well as having a great means of bringing into new while keeping the old customers with that 15% off purchase price to me is such a great friendly little attempt that I may just go back because, it's 15% off your purchase... a $15 cigar will cost you about $13 and he gives you a free drink of choice from a mini fridge located at the front of his store.
A great place to go and get your cigars of choice. Friendly guy is an added bonus! read more