Very knowledgeable guys just hangin out. Had a great time. Bought some good tobacco. Cool old memorabilia to see too

George and the boys are very knowledgeable and courteous. I come from NY to visit my parents and always stop by to see George who is kind soft spoken gentleman. I have bought many pipes and always load up on tobacco. I have always felt welcome at pipes by George. read more

Newbie to pipe smoking went to George's to buy my first pipe. Bill was great at walking me through their vast selection but also giving me space and time to pick out what I wanted. He gave a great Pipes 101. Zero upsell pressure. I am really happy with my selections. read more

Love this place for quality tobacco. The owners are super knowledgeable and very nice to visit with.

What a lovely place! The staff is really knowledgeable and helped me find the right pipe tobacco after I couldn't find what I usually smoke. The store has this lovely old school atmosphere to it that just makes you want to stay there for just a little longer. Highly recommended! read more

Excellent variety of pipe tobaccos and pipes. Very knowledgeable and helpful. Great place to hang around for a bit and test out your purchases. read more

A wonderful little tobacco shop. Highly recommended for pipe and cigar enthusiasts. George is quite knowledgeable and super friendly.

A hidden gem. Good pipe tobacco selection with many blended on premise by George. Large array of pipes to choose from. Nice walk in cigar humidor. He even offers pipe repair in the back. Not only is there a dart board on the wall that is well used, he sells darts and accessories. You can tell from the decor that this place has been around for many years, but that's part of its charm. George offers his bits of humor and wit; very knowledgeable about pipes, too. A nice guy. Guests can sit around a dining room table enjoying their pipe or cigar and relax in the ambience of a good ol' pipe shop. And there's no vaping crap for sale! read more

George is a very gentle and kind person, and he's more than happy to help you find what you're looking for. There is a wide selection of beautiful pipes, cigars, tobacco, and more. My experience was very pleasant and would certainly like to return to shop again! read more

It's been a long time since my husband and I have visited, but we love Pipes By George. Super helpful. Seems like gentlemen gather here to chat and smoke. And it was just a fun place to be. We look forward to visiting again next time we are in Raleigh. read more

I'm confused by all these other reviews b/c my friend's experience was the complete opposite of every single thing they are saying. Is there more than one location in this town or something? He's too cowardly to tell it so I'm going to tell you everything he told me. All the cigars are under glass and have no information, you can't feel them, smell them, nothing. You just look at it, point at it and they get them for you. You are not allowed to go into the humidor which I think is annoying, but I have run into this myself once or twice before. My friend picked out 3 cigars, but the guy did not get the correct ones my friend selected. Also, the guy stood behind him leering over his shoulder while he made his selection. He was so close my friend said he could feel him breathing and he never said a word or responded to any comments/questions my friend had about certain cigars he was thinking of buying. The whole experience was strange and off putting. This is why I was asking if they had more than one location in town because his experience was WILDLY different from the ones I read on here. LoL read more

This place is amazing. If you are a pipe smoker in the Raleigh area, do yourself a favor and check it out!

This store needs to be discussed in three parts. I visit tobacconists in every city I travel to and have seen the best and the worst. I worked in one all through college and into my late 20's, so I'm pretty picky. 1. Pipe selection. George's actually has a fairly good selection, but the displays are old and a bit rough around the edges. It's not a huge selection, but there are several good options in most price ranges. I actually bought a pipe while I was here. 2. Cigar Selection was also very good. Again, not huge, but he had all the main brands and then some. The best thing here is his prices. He was very fairly priced, and that even included the Opus X he had. Most stores (if they can get them) triple the regular retail price. They were MSRP here. That's rare. 3. The best part of the store. George. He was great. Very knowledgeable, and extremely friendly. I visited the store on Christmas Eve, and several regulars stopped in while I was there. A couple of them brought him gifts. That's a good sign. I also "talked shop" with him while I was there, and he certainly knows his stuff. The store like I said was a little rough, and selection wasn't the largest I've seen, (leading to the 3 stars) but it is by far the best in Raleigh, and George is great. read more

Pipes By George is a Raleigh establishment that works exceptionally hard to stay within (editorial moment!) overly restrictive legislation while still supplying as full a range of legitimate smoking devices as possible along with a variety of tobacco products. But even if you don't need such items it's worth dropping in to catch a moment with George, whose friendly smile and wry sense of humor has helped maintain the loyalty of old-timers even as such old school smoke shops are losing favor with the general public on multiple fronts. Best of all are the moments when a true old-timer slips in and starts trading barbs with George though the edge is generally soft enough for the friendly repartee to shine through. If this is not your kind of thing, it might still be worth a look for interesting gifts for the folks you know who think tobacco is still king! read more

Whenever anyone ask where I get my Cigars from in Raleigh, I flat out tell them "I get them from George" A friend of mine told me about George when I was complaining about not being able to get good price Cigars in the area and I am glad they did. When i first went into George's I had a very limited knowledge base, but he helped me out. I told him what exactly I have had before, and what I liked. George took this information and was able to recommend many different brands that I should try. George is always willing to talk with you about almost anything, and he is always there to lend a hand. I went in the other knowing exactly what I wanted and while talking to George for a few minutes he suggested that I try another brand, and I am certainly glad that he did as it might be my new favorite. His prices are also impossible to beat in this area, and I have even seen higher prices then his in Tampa, which is supposed to be the Cigar Capital of the US. read more

George is one of my special place in Raleigh. I am a cigar aficionado and I found in George's store a excellente selections of cigars from DR, Honduras, Nicaragua and USA. The store speak by itself a nice colection of pipes and a good pipe tabacco selection plus the cigar humidor give to you a nice welcome. The best part is the friendly atmosphere in the store. Geaorg is very real and open when talk to people, he will help you with your selections and he is ready to share stories and knowledge about his products. They have a round table where custumers can enjoy a good cigar or smoke a pipe with a friendly conversation. Don't forget that George, also, has a great colection of quality darts and coffee's beans from Larry's Beans Fair Trade. read more

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This place is fantastic. The guys in here are always willing to help and don't make anyone feel bad. Always great conversation and really good prices. George is amazing!! read more

This is a great place for pipe smokers. There is a good selection and range of pipes. There is also a humidor with a good selection and price of cigars. The real beauty is the service. Chris helped me find several pipe tobaccos that I was pleased with. He even let me sample a bowl before I purchased, which was very kind of him. The selection of pipe tobacco is above average in my experiences. I enjoyed hanging out for a bit and will return. read more

So glad to see they are weathering the COVID storm. I love this place. Staff is kind and helpful. Great selection of aromatics! Only thing I regret is that I haven't had the pleasure of sampling pipe tobacco in house. read more

George is my favorite Tobacconist (and the only one I know)! As mentioned by Clyde, he has a friendly smile to welcome you when you come in and it is a reflection of his always kind demeanor. George only takes cash, so I told him to keep the change when I was in there once, and he refused. Another time, he didn't have the proper change and I told him not to worry about it. The next time I came in, he credited me the small bit of change he didn't have the last time I was there. If only every vendor could be so attentive and responsible to his or her customers...George is a class-act! Walking through the setback door to Pipes by George is like walking through a time machine. The store is almost an oasis amidst the tattoo and piercing parlors along this strip of Hillsborough St where you get a lot of alt-types and other oddballs scoping you as you pass. As you enter, a bell rings on the back of the door and you are greeted with the sweet, musky smell of a tobacco shop with weathered hardwood floors and a timeless sense where the bustle of Hillsborough Street is left behind at the door. George sells various sundries in addition to his tobacco selection, all of it at the very least intriguing. A friend of mine got some quality darts here of which he has a good selection and knowledge. You can even get Larry's Beans Fair Trade Coffee to complement your tobacco purchase! He has a nice selection of good tobacco pipes, pipe tobacco, cigars, rolling tobacco, and the many tools and materials you use for these. If he doesn't have it, he'll order it. On a recent visit, I spent 15 minutes chatting with George about the availability of imported tobaccos, the distinctions the IRS makes between different cuts of tobacco, and how cigarette companies have picked apart the industry to stem competition through lobbying for selective higher tobacco taxes. George's unassuming character is only outweighed by his knowledge of his work. I'll be back, again and again. read more

Pipes by George is a must if you smoke a pipe in the Raleigh area. He is the only tobacconist in the area that I have found that really carries the essentials for pipe smokers, has a great selection of pipes and more than enough variety of pipe tobacco. I unfortunately did not have a pipe with me when I found Pipes by George, I will be back. read more

Stopped by to visit George, bought a nice 'nose warmer.' Very friendly pleasant place!!

This is the best pipe shop I've been to in a long time. Everyone is very friendly and knowledgeable. They have a great selection of pipe tobaccos and their house blends are very good. You can even sample them. Their is a huge selection of pipes to choose from. If you are veteran pipe smoker or just interested this is the place to go. read more

Love this place. Tobacco selection is fantastic and also a great place to buy darts. George is a great guy and knowledgeable. Everyone I've encountered who works there is friendly. read more

George is very knowledgable, the service is attentive regardless of the size of your perspective purchase. The people that frequent George's are welcoming and make for great conversation. The selection is large and the atmosphere is unique. His pipes meet all price ranges and all palates of tobacco tastes. A must visit. No other tobacconist like this exists in Raleigh! read more

Called in here on a road trip through The Carolinas. As a vacationer from the UK I have to say that George and his colleague were just about the most welcoming and interesting characters I've met in a tobacconist's store. Like another poster here I do like to stop by at least one tobacconist on our vacations, so I've now visited a few across the US, 'George' was probably the most enjoyable and most surprising. Don't be deceived by first impressions - store looks a little tired from outside and initially I thought might be closed. Once in I was encouraged to sample a blend I've not smoked before, liked it and bought an tin. Both guys in the store were very friendly, very knowledgable (to be fair I don't know much myself so can't assess entirely) and really made time for me in exchange for what was probably a fairly small purchase. They gave me a free sample of a unique blend as a gift which was very kind. Glad I visited and hope the store will continue to thrive - it really deserves to. If you like a smoke and are in Raleigh call by and enjoy. read more