The slow but steady decline of Shelly's reached it's critical mass last night when the horrible service became a total embarrassment for me and my guests. I have been bringing folks to this establishment for years but never again. I tried to order 3 different whiskies all of which were on the menu but not in stock. The staff offered no apologies and knew nothing of their product. I finally gave up and drank water for my remaining time there, yet when the bill came I was charged close to $100.00 for the whiskies I never received.... luckily I was of my wits and noticed the error. If you are going to boast about your selection of fine spirits you need to back it up with knowledgable staff and actually having the product in stock... worthless..... so many better places in DC to spend my money and be treated properly. read more

Listen people I don't smoke cigars, but I don't mind the smell. The FOOD! The food was sooooo good! I men I ordered the Shelly's Blackened Chicken Pasta and my sister ordered the Turkey Bacon Melt..the food was just that amazing! Do yourself a favor and get your ass here and eat even if you don't smoke cigars! read more

My second time visiting with a friend. The first time I sat inside and I must admit it got pretty smokey, however the second time I sat outside and I had a Petite Corner Cigar (loved it). For a first time cigar smoker, it was the perfect size for me. Very reasonably priced cigars and if the smoke is too much for you, try sitting outside and soaking or should I say "smoking" up the atmosphere :) read more

First time here... I was seated right away but took 10min to get acknowledged ...by the same person who sat me. I ordered 2 drinks (Hennessy VSOP & McCallan 18). The 2nd round of drinks my boyfriend ordered & the waitress felt the need to ask him if the $42 price for the McCallan 18 was ok. Of course he was a little perturbed by that question but I asked him to let it go. He didn't let it go. He asked for the manager and out came a young man. Who must have just became a manager bc he had no sense of customer service. If a patron of your establishment is upset, your job is to address why he is upset, and how you can resolve the situation. Instead of apologizing for how the waitress approached him, he just said "well sir that's just the waitress being courteous". No sorry or I will address her. Now let me explain that when I ordered the drinks the waitress NEVER asked me or informed me of how much it was. BUT when my bf ordered she felt the need to see if the $42 price was ok per shot. (Just throwing it out there, we're an interracial couple). Anyways, we let that go. And we got a new waitress. Her service wasn't any better either. Now when it came time to pay the bill... Our total was $160.07. We gave our waitress $200 As I waited for my bf to pull the car up, the waitress clears the table & brings the check back...with our change. Now after the drink situation, we still OVER TIPPED her. Instead of the 20% ($32) we gave her $40. But I opened the check book & counted the change to make sure her tip was correct. Our waitress felt that $10 singles was our change....and for a minute I was confused bc maybe I didn't give her 10 $20 bills. So I had a look of confusion and asked her if I gave her $200....She said "yes you did...how much change would you like back?" WTF? So your 1st waitress felt the need to ask my bf if $42 was ok for his drink and the 2nd waitress felt that keeping $30 of my change and giving me back $10 was ok?!?!?!? I already planned on giving her $40 for the poor service we were given. But of course, I still handed her the $10 back making her total tip $40. I will never come back here & I will make sure my bf & his guests take their business to CIVIL or Hamilton. read more

Food here is terrible, so plan to drink or smoke here and eat elsewhere as there's tons of options around. Cigar choices quite good, staff helpful and ever-ready to help, ambience great. read more

Great break from the tourist traps!!! Good drinks, smokes, and atmosphere! Don't waste your money and time with chains!

i have frequently enjoyed this establishment in years past, however i was recently invited back to shelly's to celebrate a friend's special accomplishment. i feel disturbed that i have to post a negative comment. this place was very uncomfortable from the start, as i felt i we were treated with hesitations and discrimination to be given service, being african americans. the bartender (male) name not available, was very rude, and instructed our waiter not to serve my table until he felt it was time! the bar tender also verbly questioned us about the tip amount after he spent his time treating us with less than friendly service. the bartender physically and intentionally bumped into a friend with hostility twice, without excusing his self, lastly i think the staff has been instructed to target african americans with negative service; another server followed another group of aa's outdoors questing if their was paid!!!!! and yes their bill was very much paid... the bartender needs better customer service etiquette!!! bad business for dc! read more

We have visited shellys twice while visiting DC. First time was a good experience purely because of the phenomenal waiter. Second visit the food was mediocre at best. Chicken sandwich was delivered with no lettuce , tomato, etc. that was promised in the menu, patty melt was undercooked and basically minimal options for vegetarians. Glorified Applebee's. We spent over $300 and the waitresses seemed to force themselves to be "nice" and attentive. There was no friendly warmth to the service at all.... Chilly at best. Was a real disappointing visit and likely won't be back. The cigars in the smoking room were great ... Which redeemed the day. Lastly... Ordered a Bloody Mary and it came with one olive and lime. Recommendation to the bar... Garnish a Bloody Mary with celery olives lemons limes....rim the glass ... Presentation is everything! Again a mediocre standard. read more

Had my first Pappy Van Winkle here. Fantastic DC bar. Go for the drinks stay for the smokes!

My mom and I originally stopped here for lunch today. The extremely large crowd that gathered for the Cherry Blossom festival made it very difficult to find a restaurant for lunch with less than a 1 hour wait. So while we were waiting in the relatively short line for this establishment, one of the patrons was leaving. She stopped to make an announcement to everyone waiting on a table that this was the WORST dining experience she had ever had and that she strongly recommended that everyone eat elsewhere. It was like a walking Yelp review -- an effective one too. About half of the line dispersed including us. My mom was not going to have any of that. Not sure how to rate them, so I will give them 3 stars out of neutrality. read more

While visiting DC we stopped by this place for lunch and a cigar. We fell in love with the place and wish they had more places like this in LA. The vibe was good and cigars even better!!! Will def be coming back. read more

Best place to relax in all of DC. And DC needs a place to relax! Shelly's Backroom is a relaxed, cigar bar, take a load off, read a paper, don't get in a hurry bar. You want fast service? I'm sure the McDonald's down the road will suit you fine. If what you want to kick off your shoes or heels for the ladies, take it easy then set your sights on Shelly's and enjoy a quiet and relaxed time. We had a guys night out here than was very relaxing. read more

The atmosphere here is great. I felt underdressed, as we had been sight-seeing all day. Normally I would have changed for the occasion, but I didn't have time. Look, this is a cigar bar. You get cigars, smoke them, and drink alcohol with them. If this is not your thing, then quit giving this place bad reviews and go to Applebee's already. Their selection of whiskey's and single-malt scotch was impressive and they had good prices. Honestly, I was prepared for much higher. Their cocktail selection was also excellent, and the cocktails were hand crafted and strong. The service was very good. We had actually purchased cigars earlier in the day, so I didn't order any from Shelly's, but they had a decent selection. The ventilation is VERY GOOD here. I was thoroughly impressed with that! This is a perfect place to unwind, enjoy friends in a nice masculine atmosphere without being stuffy, and have some great drinks while doing a little hobnobbing. I will definitely return. Maybe even someday I'll be rich enough to have one of those wonderful locked personal humidors along the wall. read more

Max and I were strolling the streets of DC when we smelled cigar smoke coming out into the streets. I know Max loves a smoke so I acquiesced to his bad habits and we sauntered in for refreshments. Max had his usual, an Autero Fuente Churchill, an eighteen year old Glenfiddich, and a saucer of milk. I settled on a glass of Chardonnay and the crab dip as I had a hankering for some sea food. Okay, it's a cigar bar. If you don't smoke or like the smell of smoke - don't come. But if you long for the days of yore when couples met and had drinks and smokes you'll love the place. Max and I do - and we hope you do too. read more

I have been here twice and it has a great atmosphere to smoke a cigar in. I came with a friend and both times we brought our cigars. I wish they would have given us a butane lighter for our cigars butt tge matches worked fine. You will meet the minimum if you order two drinks. It has a wide selection of drinks but I found out the hard way they run low on some of the higher end bourbon. Overall good place to burn away an hour. read more

Fantastic after hours hangout for cigar and whiskey lovers. Great bourbon selection, and prompt friendly service.

I have mix feelings about Shelly's. Sometimes I have good service and than I have terrible service. I really can't figure it out. I went with a friend that had a locker there and had great service. Than I went on a dateand had terrible service. Nobody came to wait on us for about 20 minutes. It's a place if you want to have dinner and smoke a cigar but good luck with the service. read more

Don place to have a smoke. It's a little louder inside than I would like normally but not bad. Very popular place

Very pleasant place to smoke away the evening. The prices for drinks and cocktails were more than reasonable. The service was ok...my ice cubes never got too dry. They must have some good air filters as it's smoky, but not overwhelmingly so. Loved their selection of single-malt Scotch! read more

have to know what your doing, or not. This place is great for the beginner to the Aficionado. For beginners or just the curious! This place is great to come in put your feet up and enjoy a nice drink and smoke. The cigar selection is not great but true smokers usually bring their own. Coming with a group, even better. TVs to watch, games, news etc. Additional room for events. read more

This place is all the rage in D.C., so while in Alexandria, VA I had to pay it a visit... because I went during restaurant week, I prepared for the worst traffic and crowd imaginable. To my absolute surprise however, no traffic, ideal parking, and what you'd expect to see from a bar on a Wednesday night. Coming from Boston, I was pretty surprised walking into Shelly's. All of our smoking establishments look like lounges, even those that call themselves 'bars.' Shelly's on the other hand looked more like a sports bar & grill--something like a Hooters (minus the attractive women in barely there shorts). Not bad, just not what I had in mind. With all of the couches being occupied, the only seating available was for dining. Not ideal... obviously not for Shelly's either. The host had us sit (party of three) in the chairs that rest against the wall until a smaller (dining) table opened. The wait wasn't too long, about 15 minutes. Afterwards we were seated, and to be honest; I wasn't impressed by the arrangements. Perhaps, if I had eaten there, I wouldn't mind sitting at an eating table, but I didn't, so I wanted to 'lounge.' That's how I enjoy my cigars. Moving on, I'm a sucker for house blends. Not to mention, the humidor is just as much of an experience as the actual bar or lounge. I know that a lot of people steer away from them due to the inflation, but I'm a supporter of business, more specifically, small businesses, and especially cigar smoking establishments. Unless a place is just out of control with inflation, I usually buy at least two or three cigars to show my appreciation. Welp (hybrid of well and yup), no such luck. No house blends, smallest humidor ever (extensive menu but small humidor so I'm guessing their stocked in the back), and inflation worse than anything I've ever seen. Think I'm exaggerating for effect? How about this... they have $60 dollar cigars on their menu (I don't mean one or two either) and you know damn well none of them are Cuban. Hell, you can smoke Cubans for less than $60 bucks (a lot less!). A good number of their cigars are 30+. You can check out their pricing here. As for the service, pretty standard. The waiters/waitresses don't seem to make their money off of personality here, so don't expect a personable experience. Its bad enough that they weren't the typical 'cigar girls' so to not have personality is sort of like, "o.k., you're not hot, scantily clad, and your dry ass hell; great. Can I just serve myself?" To conclude (in my English professor voice), would I visit Shelly's again? Sure, if I were meeting up with a friend in D.C. Would it be on my list of places to visit? Absolutely not. Hopefully I can check out Drapers the next time I'm in the area, if not, I'm more inclined to revisit Basin Street Lounge in Alexandria, VA. read more

Shelly's. Can I just say I love this place. We went on an early Sunday afternoon. We sat in the bar area and the bartender served us. He was very nice, quick, and knowledgable. We brought our own cigars which I advise you do. I opted for a neat black label while my companion had rum. All was perfect. I can't wait to return. read more

Had my first experience at this fine establishment last night. I enjoyed everything about this place. The food, drinks, cigar selection, and the atmosphere was great. The ventilation was pretty good as well. I will definitely be back soon. This was the perfect way to end the night after watching the Wizards play. read more

I nice place to kick back and enjoy a smoke with your favorite drink. The food is great also. Even though its a cigar lounge the it is not smokey, it has a great ventilation system. read more

Great scotch and whiskey choices, flight and individual. Decent pub food - I'm not convinced it was a half pound but the Diablo had great flavor ! The place smells like cigars but it's quite friendly and not too smoky. I'd definitely take my husband there ! read more

This place has a great atmosphere. Their cigar selection is vast and the alcohol selection is spot on. But the wine selection isn't that good but it's worth a trip to check this place out read more

Great place to sit for a cigar and drinks after a long day of sight seeing. 4 stars because service can be slow.

This place thrives on the notion of exclusivity. Not too many people would put up with cigarette smoke in public anymore, but cigars might be a different story. For some reason cigars seem much more civilized or give the illusion of sophistication. Shelly's Back Room fills a niche this niche. They definitely have a good selection of scotch/whiskey and other liquors. I would come back with someone who knows the high-end stuff better than me. When I visited the smoke wasn't too bad, although it did linger on my clothes for the rest of the night. As a non-smoker, I probably wouldn't stay very long. read more

Can't go wrong with a bring your own cigar bar in DC. Great ambiance, drink selection, and a friendly staff. While they are benefited by having virtually no competition, they still do an excellent job in my experience. The 219 in Old Town Alexandria is also pretty good if you can't get into DC so easily. read more

Whenever I am in DC I try to swing by this place for a stogie and some lunch. Great cigar selection and decent lunch options.

Ah the wonderful, delightful and seductive smell of cigars! Love this place! The cigar selection is wide, tasteful and deserves copious amounts of visits to go through them all. The drink selection is old school; straight up or on the rocks - or my fav - flights!! Cocktails are available if you ask. Food is always good no matter if it's an appetizer or entree. Seats are comfy and ample. But sit at the bar in the back to be dazzled by the greatest bartender that will never steer you wrong - Magnificent Mike! What a way to pass the time! read more

I hang out here about once every three months with some guys who like to smoke cigars so I have a cigarette too as I really can't do cigars. They serve good martinis and the steak salad is a very good price and superb! The location is great and I can stumble out in a cloud of smoke anytime and get a cab home after a few hours of yakking and smoking. Our bill usually tops $300 so we think we're big spenders. read more

If you like smoking, drinks, and food then come here. They need to ventilated the room better though. Also, food was good but over priced. Waitress needed to be flagged down. Other than that it seemed like a fine place to smoke. read more

Wow, what a great cigar lounge. Big leather chairs and sofas. Ashtrays and cutter on each table. Big screen tvs everywhere. A great, relaxing environment. When I sat down, a hostess brought me a menu of some overpriced cigars. I picked one that didnt gouge me too much. I felt pampered as the hostess brought me the cigar and cut it for me. Had a rum and coke (Can't mess that up). Overall had a good smoking experience except for the prices. Will go back next time I'm in town, I just hope they let me bring my own cigars if I order a drink. read more

Coming from California, I don't find this place to be overpriced. It is a great escape while in DC. Afternoons are not busy, so I can sit in the lounge, tether my laptop, and get work done while sipping and puffing. Can't do that at the JW. read more

Always a good time here - even if by yourself and flying solo. Been here 3x by myself enjoying my cigars with a drink while people-watching and plenty of times with friends...only complaint is that they close the kitchen too early for how late they stay open - other than that Fantastic place to Smoke! read more

Comfortable. Friendly. Great cigars and affordable drinks! There is seating on the inside and outside. The hostesses are friendly and so is the bartender. Not far from the Whitehouse and The Hamilton so it's definitely a great place to frequent. read more

Came here after class for a bite to eat. I was little hesitant to eat here given that it's a Cigar Bar(?) and I don't like the smell of cigars. But the place didn't smell bad. Someone said their wings were the best in DC. So I got the wings. They were advertised as "over a pound..." The wings were small. They were crispy, the favor was fine. Not bad, not great. I think the place is over priced. $3.25 for a soda, $8 for a basket of fries. Lastly, they were quick to give me the bill but slow to refill my beverage. It wasn't like they were busy. read more

Extremely rude service. The server Chai (who actually spelled his name out for us) was offensive and didn't even make eye contact with me and then proceeded to only speak to my friend, who was male. This place has 3.5 stars for a reason. Spend your money elsewhere unless you enjoy rude service. read more

Such a Washington place! Their lobster bisque is the best in DC. The staff are so friendly and the environment is wonderful - very relaxing. Be sure to get a cigar box to go! read more