My husband smokes cigars. That's why we go here. I can't imagine any other reason on god's green earth to go here. I certainly wouldn't consider eating here. It stinks like cigars. That is because it is a cigar bar. Right? We only order basic cocktails, I don't think I'd trust them to bust out a French 75 or Sidecar. The service is distracted and inexperienced. They'll hand you a cutter, but not an ashtray. And the decor is a riot. Everything looks like it came from the Goodwill. Giant sofas from Sear's circa 1978 and tables and chairs from Midwest diners. We like to make up stories about where the mismatched furniture comes from, especially the crap hanging on the walls. Whatever happened to leather club chairs? He likes to bring his own cigars because they never have what he wants. That's fine. If the weather wasn't so nice this summer, we would probably rent a humidor there, but it's so meh at Shelly's that we spend most of his smoking time on the balcony at home. Maybe this winter? I understand there is another cigar bar in DC, but it sounds a little ick. We'll check it out eventually. read more

I have gone there twice in two weeks and got really bad service initially! Luckily for them the African American gentleman working there spotted the deficiencies both times and saved the experience. ..Really Shelley's... it's 2013...women smoke cigars too.... read more

This is a cigar bar first and second with food as the 3rd reason to go here! The selection of cigars and bourbons is strong and worth a visit if you are into cigars. They do not have as many smoke eaters as I would prefer for when they are crowded so there can be a fair amount of smoke in the air but once again this is a cigar bar! You can easily sit down next to a stranger, light a cigar and have an engaging conversation in minutes with friendly people. read more

Good atmosphere, friendly staff, and I was OK with the fact that I'll have to take my entire outfit to get professionally cleaned. (Seriously, my friend could smell me from 10 feet away when I came home.) All-in-all this was a cozy place to hang out. I don't really smoke cigars, but we ordered one "just to see" and I took a couple of puffs. There were some die hard regulars there, including one fellow who was sitting on one of the over-sized chairs reading a book. Overall, the place is clean and welcoming, but not one I would visit often, as I am not a smoker. read more

So sad. They wouldn't let me call in to send a bottle of champagne for a friend's bachelor party. Fail. And no champagne for my friend. Most hotels and restaurants will. read more

I went there and was refused service. I don't think this place is friendly to Nats fans. I kept getting excuses why we couldn't be seated at an open table. read more

I decided to pop into this place for lunch since I work accross the street, when I opened the door I immediately noticed the terrible cigar smell. Obviously I'm biased since I don't smoke cigars, but I left immediately, the smell was so strong. Avoid unless you smoke stogies. read more

Horrible customer service. We came in with 8 people and they wouldn't let us sit together. After we finally sat at different tables they took 20 minutes to take our order (after we complained about 3 times). We left without giving an order and they couldn't care less. I was appauled at the lack of concern they had when we weren't served within an appropriate time. Truly one of the worst establishments in DC when it comes to customer service. read more

(06/15/2013) Had an OK meal, wandered just off the Mall after a visit to the Smithsonian Museums looking for a sit down restaurant devoid of clumps of meandering tourists and unwashed adolescent school groups. Stumbled into Shelly's by accident and entered (despite the un-PC cigar store Indian). First whiff is strongly of cigar smoke and we almost left, but chose the non-smoking side of the dining room. Service was fine (strangely, all young Thai women), food was mediocre. Had the Deluxe Chicken Burger of the day; was hot, moist enough, topped with 2 thick slices of bacon, some lettuce and tomato. Diablo Burger was a letdown; dry, only seasoned by a pile of pickled jalapenos. BBQ Chicken Wrap was downright awful; dry chunks of commercially prepped chicken breast in a sweet, bottle sauce. Cobb Salad was overdressed. Hummus was promised with roasted red peppers, but was flavored with pickled pimiento. Fries looked to be cut from a fresh potato and were actually the best thing on the plate, plenty of sea salt sprinkled over. Place was empty when we walked in around 1-ish on a Saturday afternoon, but picked up by the time we left. Prices OK for this part of town, actually a welcome respite from the summer crowds. read more

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This is a straight up man's place. I went here with a group of guys to imbibe in some nice libations and grown up talk. We were not disappointed in the least. The drinks had the right amount of potency to them and the ambiance is spectacular. If you can put up with a little bit of cigar smoke you will not be disappointed. We did not try any of the food so I can not give Shelly's the full 5 star treatment, but it is a nice restaurant for the mature crowd. read more

Giving her 5 stars despite her one and only flaw- the lack of a proper barista/latte or cappuccino machine. This is easily overlooked when properly immersed in the dark comfort of wood grain & chesterfield sofas, the smoke of fine aged cigars, and the conversation of the learned & diverse DC metro clientele coupled with fresh American staples, comfort food and fine scotch. read more

You have to be desperate for a cigar to go here. The selection is nice, although pricey. But, the real issue is the staff and the seating policies. I went in at about 7:30 PM on a Wednesday night. The bar (proper) had one seat open, but all but one of the bar tables were empty. I was planning to eat dinner and have a cigar, so I sat down at a two seat bar table. Almost instantly this Tony Soprano looking hood, smoking a cigar, comes up and "invites" me to take the last seat at the crowded bar. I wasn't excited about sitting butt cheek to butt cheek with a bunch of other cigar smoking guys, so I left. Apparently all the tables are "reserved" only for the number of folks that can sit at the table. So, while four 2-top tables were sitting empty,and guys were cheek to cheek at the bar, a guy who wanted to eat dinner was not allowed to take up space at one of the empty tables. I went up to "Tony" and told him that, had I stayed, I would have bough dinner AND a cigar.. His reaction was basically, so what, I don't give a F&%K... It's no surprise the place was 20% full while other restaurants were crowded... I won't be back, and neither should you... read more

Shelly's Back Room is located in Metro Center and just a few doors down from District Tacos. I've heard that they are the only cigar lounge in D.C. that can serve food because the have been opened for a long time and thus, still get that benefit whereas newer cigar lounges do not. The decor feel like you're in a rustic cabin, but the times have changed to now there is a variety of suits and casual folks like myself. They have three separate menus for cigars, drinks, and food. Be careful reading the menu since the items range tremendously in prices. Also, they place is really chilly and even though the ventilation is good- you will still reek of cigars when you leave. Ladies, this also includes your purse. I sampled their Riesling wine and strawberry cheesecake which was decent. Our friends got the cobb salad and mile high chocolate cake which looked awesome. The service is strangely petite Asian women but they are very polite and attentive. Lastly, beware of the meters in Chinatown/Metro Center. Most of them read 2 hour limits until 6:30 PM, but unlimited from 6:30- 10:00 P.M. A lot of people read the sign of "unlimited from 6-10" to mean free parking which is not true. You must pay until 10:00 P.M. And when in doubt, try to pay anyway- the credit card meters will not charge you if you input your card at a time that is free. read more

Cigar Bar/Lounge at its finest. Stopped in on a Thursday evening with some friends and had thee BEST time ever! The décor, ambiance, wait staff and clientele were everything! Great selection of food (not typical bar food), Wine list, cocktail list and of course CIGARS! All that and I'm not even a regular smoker (occasional and it has to be mild). I will certainly visit again. FYI there is a $15 minimum which I'm sure will not be a problem :) read more

I've been a Shelly's Back Room patron for years. That may have changed tonight. How sad to have a fat old bartender dude bossing multiple customers around ordering them to move their barstools around like musical bar stools. Hand me my drink, hand me my cigar, a cutter, a lighter, leave me alone, and next time you'll actually get a real tip on my $40+ tab...I don't come there for the stress you dish out folks. read more

The room itself is very old skool and inviting. A nice large space with great seating and a nice bar area. Good ventilation too. But I was disappointed by the lack of knowledge the afternoon bartender had about the cigars on their menu. I had to use my smart phone to get the information I needed to choose from their cigar menu. And I was puzzled by the fact that the cigar side of this business was operated entirely by Thai women who seemed to know even less about cigars and did not speak English well enough to be much help in the selection of a cigar. In the end, I enjoyed my beer and cigar, but I prefer a cigar bar with extremely knowledgeable staff that can show me something new about cigars. In the end, it felt it was just a nice place to drink and smoke, but it would have been easier just to bring my own cigar. read more

The food was mediocre for the cost. Staff were friendly and the cigar selection was pretty vast. Overall, I am glad I tried it, but not sure I would go back. read more

Horrible staff. They are not as professional as they should be. Very surprising seeing that it's said this is a great place. I was completely ignored. Customer service is horrible. I will be purchasing my cigars and smoking at home. read more

I've been wanting to go here for a while and finally made it down for an event. I do not smoke cigars myself, so the big draw for me is the ambiance and the whiskey/ bourbon selection, which is about 2 menu pages long here and divided into categories. I could easily spend a year's worth of visits checking out all the different shots. Shelly's does have wine, cocktails and beer on the menu, but there are about 100 other places in DC that specialize in wine and/or cocktails and/or beer so you should be coming here for the whiskey and bourbon, the same way you go to a steak house for a good steak, not for the vegetarian special. And of course, don't come here unless you like cigar smoke - you can smell this place literally two doors away on the street so you have fair warning it's going to be smoky. This doesn't bother me and I am also from the era when bars were all smoky places, but some of the other reviews seem to act annoyed that they encounter cigar smoke in a cigar lounge. In an event setting, without all the normal venue "rules" in effect, this place was great, but on a normal visit I'd be a bit put off by the seating arrangements, which include signs saying that there is a minimum spend for sitting in a chair, etc. I don't mind spending the minimum spend, it's the idea of its being on a sign that bugs me - seems unwelcoming and like maybe there's a better way to handle it. I did like the old skool decor, which is pitched somewhere between Teddy Roosevelt and Cold War, and the nice big couches and armchairs. If you're allowed to sit on those, they're much more comfortable than the current trend for high barstool seats at teeny tables. The staff are mostly Asian and several seemed to be very bossy. I strayed into the next room over when looking for the restroom and I got yelled at. Not the ambiance I expect for a relaxed bar. As for bartenders, there was one tall African-American guy who seemed to be on his game but the others, including some older slightly hefty bald man, didn't seem to have a clue. Don't bother asking him for any recommendation from the lengthy whiskey list. I tried and he shrugged and acted like he didn't understand me. Just point at a name of a whiskey and hope he gives you the right one. Given that the vast majority of other DC bars I've been in have bartenders ranging from friendly and knowledgeable to snobby and knowledgeable, but always knowledgeable, I cannot figure out how this man stays employed. I would hope if I come back on another day when it's not jammed with event attendees, there would be a bartender who could maybe discuss the whiskeys with me for a minute and a half - that's all I need, not looking for someone to talk to me for 15 minutes, just a quick recommendation of something I might enjoy. read more

Fantastic find in this place. Great selection of cigars and great beer selection. The waitstaff was super helpful and friendly and made the experience a relaxing one. Well done. I'll be back with friends for sure. read more

Color me impressed. Shelly's is a very casual cigar bar. The waitresses were seriously on the ball, even though the place was PACKED. A much more expansive cigar menu than what I've found at other cigar bars. The staff was attentive but not overbearing. I highly recommend a visit. read more

This was a random walk in after a long day of sight seeing. I kinda wish I would have walked a bit further... I like myself a good cigar, but still...nowadays smoking indoors does not appeal to me, but I quickly looked past that. The service was terrible. Our waiter never wrote anything down and basically asked us several times what we ordered. We had to track him down for refills and it was just generally slow. My lobster bisque was one of the worst I've ever had. It was bland and had no lobster. The only redeeming part was the wings. They had this great char on them and really nice flavor. I preferred them with blue cheese other than the honey mustard. The beers were average at best and flat out too expensive. Unless you just want to come here to have a cigar and sip on a scotch, try elsewhere. read more

If you really really want a cigar in adverse weather conditions, I could see coming here. If smoking your cigar outdoors is an option, forget it. Essentially, if smoking weren't outlawed in DC, this place would be pretty worthless, but these days, smoking indoors is novel enough to justify the average rating. Notes: - This place is not nearly high class enough to justify not putting any drink prices on the menu. They have dozens and dozens of whiskeys, which is cool, but if you're poor, like me, not having any prices on the menu makes ordering kind of stressful. One of the few prices they do publish is a special that's a glass of Eagle Rare and a pint of Newcastle for 12 bucks or so. That's an alright deal, but don't let it mislead you. Predictably, all the unpublished drink prices are at least 2-3 dollars more than they ought to be. - When I say the place isn't classy, I mean all the furniture is old and dingy. Not frathouse dingy or anything, but for the prices, I expected better. - There's no cutting fee, but there is a ten dollar minimum just to sit down, whether you're smoking or not. Of course, the employee that picked up the phone did not let me know about the minimum, but was sure to point out "we prefer you to buy your cigars here." No shit they prefer that, the Romeo y Julieta I picked up for six bucks in Virginia cost 15 at Shelly's. - Food is standard bar fare, but exceptionally slow to arrive. read more

Whenever I travel to Washington DC I always make it a point to stop at Shelly's for a Bourbon and Cigar. Great service, love the atmosphere and the cigars are high quality and reasonably priced. Look forward to visiting every time I am in town. read more

I went here for a friend's birthday party and to watch an Oklahoma-West Virginia football game. I'm not a cigar smoker, so that aspect of it didn't appeal to me. They do have a decent pub style menu and a good selection of scotches. Thee wings were decent, not breaded, which is good for me. The beer selection is lackluster though. The decor reminds me of the lobby of a mountain lodge in Montana. They did do a good job of ventilating the place so the smoke doesn't get overwhelming, but you will still leave stinking of cigar smoke. Other people noticed the smell later. It's not my cup of tea, but it wasn't bad. I probably wouldn't come again unless someone I knew and liked was having another birthday or similar social event here. read more

This is one of my favorite cigar lounges, nothing fancy, just comfortable and good atmosphere. They have the best chicken wings and everything else I have tried off the menu has been good. They have a selection of cigars but if you order food they are ok if you bring your own cigar. read more

This is a great place to go enjoy a good smoke. Bring your own or buy what they offer - they have a great selection. Its the type of place that middle aged men hang out after leaving the law office. I'm a law student who was on vacation and stopped by and struck up a conversation with a couple of attorney's from Arnold & Porter, LLP for a good two hours. Its not the type of place with loud young people, just a great bar. read more

Visited this place to meet up with an old Navy buddy while my girlfriend and I were touring D.C. loved the cigar menu they give you (just like a drink menu at a restaurant). Room did not get smokey even with all the smokers in the room. So props to their air purification system. I wont give it 5 stars because we wanted to chsnge to a larger table in order to accomodate food, drinks, and cigars and the server explained they would have to check us out in order to move us, because even though there is not a wall dividing the side closest to the entrance from the side closest to the bar, they do work under different entities of some sort. Different service he explained. That was absolutely ludacris to me. Otherwise, a great establishment with ample cigar and beer selections! Definitely visit if you're in town and are looking for a nice loungey place in which to enjoy drinks and a fine cigar! Pizza was really good! read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good cigars at reasonable prices and a nice beer selection to go with it. Never tried the food, though.

We didn't order food, just drinks and my husband had a cigar. I was not impressed. Our bartender was uncouth and unpolished. His demeanor was so foul, if we had come in looking to eat my appetite would have been diminished. We wanted to finish the night off with drinks after dinner on my birthday. Well since my husband was craving a cigar, and I work two blocks away I suggested this place. I immediately regret it when we were treated so poorly, on my birthday might I add by that surly bar keeper. read more

Not really anything special. Just a well ventilated bar. Does have quite a selection of top shelf drinks so i'd say have some fun.

This is a great place to go for a relaxing drink and cigar after work. It has a nice atmosphere and their sophisticated air filtration system allows non-smokers to enjoy themselves with little difficulty as well. The cigar and drink prices are somewhat high but you are also paying for the experience of relaxing in style. The food is surprisingly good. read more

Met my boys here for cigars and drinks on a Friday night....the décor could use a revamp but they make a good drink and their prices are fantastic....all of my friends had their own cigars so I can not rate the cigar prices...staff was very friendly but of course my boys are on a 1st name basis with everyone....look the bathroom was clean so that alone gets 4 stars! They need to invest in a stronger ventilation system like one for each table so you are reaking of smoke...I will be back next time I am in town! read more

Well... Nice try. Comfy decor, mostly ok ambience, good liquor selection, generous pours. But several problems: 1) Snotty, arrogant bartender. Yes, I know the difference between 'straight' and 'neat'. Didn't need either the lecture, the argument, or the attitude. 2) $12 minimum charge... But service was busy and slow, so I hiked up to the bar and ordered our drinks - only to be told by the waitress that if you order for the bar directly and not through her, your order DOESN'T COUNT towards your $12 minimum. That particular little scam almost took me out the door, and would have if I hadn't been determined to have a pleasant, stress-free night at all costs. 3) Screeching, screaming drunks. The people at the next table were completely out of control - just screeching bloody murder. Should have been asked to leave, or at least cut off for their own safety. 4) Very, very disappointing humidor. Some good cigars, no doubt - Padrons, Ashton Classics, Rockys... But the total entire humidor consisted of selections from about 20 boxes, and about a quarter of them were flavored. For a quasi-famous "cigar lounge", I expected waaaay better choice of vitolas and labels. The whole humidor was half the size of my refrigerator. 5) Spotty service. Flagging down a server almost took smoke signals and a flare gun... But then she noticed my lighter was dry, and had it refilled. Nice touch. Expected better, seen better. If I were to go back, it would be strictly out of convenience if I needed a place for a stogie and a drink. If you're an afficinado, BYOC and let the $12 provide your libation. Buy a hat, they're really cool. But don't think of it as a relaxing place for a serious BOTL. read more

One of the best cigar bars I've ever been to. Good drinks. Descent cigar selection but could be better. It was crowded but if you get a couch seat your in good shape. read more

Shelly's is a great spot to stop in after a hard day of playing tourist, order an adult beverage, and light up a stogie. It's one of the few, if any other, places in downtown DC where you can smoke indoors. If you like cigars, this is the go to place in downtown DC. read more

Quintessential smoky cigar bar. It has a very small bar for drinks and plenty of chairs for lounging and smoking. Service is just OK, waitresses seem rushed and speak English with a thick accent. I couldn't always understand what they said. Still, it's a good cigar bar if you're into that kind of thing. read more

Been popping in and out of here for a few years. Casual and comfortable. Smoky so if you have sensitivity to that perhaps avoid. We found the service to be good. Some late night food to nibble was tasty and appropriately priced. Overall I will always go back when I am in DC. read more

This place is awesome!! My main hangout when I'm in DC!! Great cigars and great food! If you are a real cigar aficionado this is a must!!

Oh Boy! I cannot believe how long it took me to find this place! Non-smokers need not even walk in the door. On Thursday night the place was packed full with more than 250 cigars being smoked, so you can imagine the environment...but for an afficianado like me, it was just what I was looking for. Top notch cigar selection, good beer, even better liquor selection. Couches and tables are plenty. Service was quick even though there wasn't an empty seat in the house. Bartenders were friendly, servers were nice. The food was excellent. We stayed until 1 a.m. and dropped $275. Worth every penny. read more