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    Shelly's Back Room

    3.6 (509 reviews)
    Open • 11:30 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Shelly's Back Room Photos

    SHELLY'S BACK ROOM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Shelly's Back Room

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cigar to dry and coat to much Find another spot when in DC No walk in humidor that have a menu of cigars This one tasted dry and old Cost me 40 for a 20 dollar cigar

    Dining area
    Terry F.

    A friendly bar with a good selection of cigars. One of the few places that you can actually smoke cigars inside. I didn't try the food, but the menu looked like good bar food.

    chicken sandwich and salad
    Charley B.

    Was visiting DC and needed a spot to eat. The place was open, and easy to get seated at - sat outdoors but is also big inside space. I did not realize it was a cigar lounge, so smelled very strongly (not super enjoyable if you do not like the smell of cigars). The food was decent, very causal and big menu. The servers did their job but were not super attentive. Overall fine experience.

    Matches from Shelly's
    Phil T.

    This is my 2nd ever 1-star review. I previously had Shelly's at 4-stars. This is what the woman wrote inside my matchbook. "More money next time". I've included the photos in my review - maybe a friendly member of the Shelly's staff might recognize the handwriting. I am an excellent tipper. I've dined at Shelly's several times and tipped my standard 20%. This was from a time I stepped into Shelly's and bought 2 cigars to take away. I never even went into the restaurant. Etiquette for tipping on takeaway would be 5% if someone prepared and packed food. This was putting 2 cigars in a plastic bag. Needless to say, I will never give my business to Shelly's again. I would recommend that you find another place as well.

    Flights of adult beverages
    Pilot S.

    Could not decide on drink, so I got a flight. Attentive service by all staff. New favorite cigar bar in North America - I will be back soon. By the way they have 200 +/- cigars and drinks to choose from.

    Whiskey menu
    Becca H.

    Went here last night with friends after work. We were seated in the bar area though we asked to not be. They told us they were going to be busy but they weren't when we were there. It was exceptionally Smokey in there last night. Everything is over priced but I get cigars and alcohol are "luxuries". They have a good selection of alcohol to choose from. I ordered food as I hadn't had dinner yet. Worst Cuban I've had in my life. They also hardly put any meat in it. The pork tasted old. No flavor at all. And the fries were mushy and lacked salt. I'm not expecting 5 star food here but at least have some decent bar food. Absolutely Do not recommend eating here- not even the fries.

    Oliva Serie V Melanio & Maker's Mark Old Fashion

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    1 year ago

    Not the best. For what we paid I would have rather gone some where better. The staff was not the best. Super rude since we were not smoking.

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    3 years ago

    Shelly's is always a good time.Good drinks service and the wings are some of the best in town. Of course, cigars are always a win

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    3 years ago

    Been to Shelly's a number of time nice spot with outdoor seating. Bar and food are pretty decent. Nice selection of cigars.

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    Everything was good. Very enjoyable experience. Drinks, smokes, food and service were good.

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    Page 2 of 13

    Ask the Community - Shelly's Back Room

    Can you bring outside cigars?

    Nope - not yet

    Smoking is allowed inside this restaurant?

    Yes

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Review Highlights - Shelly's Back Room

    “The cigar selection is wide, tasteful and deserves copious amounts of visits to go through them all.”

    Mentioned in 37 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Casa de Montecristo

    Casa de Montecristo

    4.2(108 reviews)
    0.8 mi•Downtown
    •$$

    Nice spot. One of the few remaining cigar bars left in DC…read more This spot is purely smoke, drink and go. They have decent restrooms if you need those, but it leans utilitarian. Functional even...and nope, unlike Shelly's or Ozio's or even 1865 - there's no food served here. Not even wings/fries. Hung with my brother and his pal. Had a long island and after about 1.5 hours, we bounced. Sorry for just the one pic, but I'd return. Service was polite/efficient and I parked next door in the garage. I could have parked on the street today because it's a holiday! Welp.:/

    I'm not a regular cigar smoker but occasionally, I enjoy a simple stick with my boyfriend. This…read moreplace was the perfect selection for our pre-game date night. My cigar of choice, Davidoff SIGNATURE AMBASSADRICE. This slim stick was pretty simple and easy for me to indulge in. Drink of choice, Black Cherry Manhattan. The dark sweet drink added a sexy twist to the experience and it was smooth. Guess what??? They have ladies night on Wednesday! Definitely going to try it out. No food sold here, just great cocktails. There are however, lots of restaurants nearby so that should not stop you from visiting. Staff were really friendly and made the experience great. The place is nicely organized and comfortable inside and there is an outside patio. No membership needed to experience the magic but they do offer great membership packages for anyone interested in joining. Overall, I will be back!

    Photos
    Casa de Montecristo - At a table enjoying espresso and a nice Padrón.

    At a table enjoying espresso and a nice Padrón.

    Casa de Montecristo - Chill Mode

    Chill Mode

    Casa de Montecristo

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    St. Anselm - 16 oz Prime Ribeye

    St. Anselm

    4.4(1.2k reviews)
    1.9 mi
    •$$$

    Wow x3 If you love steak, gourmet cocktail, comfort food…read morewith a fine dining twist - this is the place. This place definitely lives up to its name! Place: it has more of a casual feeling with some ambience. Feels comfortable with wooden furnitures. Service: I believe we had Micah who was just exceptional- very personable and gave us the perfect recommendations. Fast and prompt service. Food: every dish we ordered was amazing. Cobb salad was really great- but the bacon on top was theee best bacon I've ever had. I've been content with just that order. Amazing oysters- fresh and condiments went very well. Now steak was Cooked to perfection and seasoned well. Now-- I am not a "bread lover" but Micah said the place was known for its biscuit (they charge for it and I would too if it's this good). Told him about my lukewarm love for the bread and he said "I would order it for educational purposes". I like education , especially this kind of education so I did- and yes, it is true. It was theee highlight of the night. Oh it's special. Crispy- and buttery almost like half croissant and half biscuit. The jam and pimemto cheese just out of this world. We actually came home and researched the recipe of "wanna be- st. Anselm biscuit" Definitely one of the best educational experience I've had. Price: I thought it was reasonable. Great portion of food that's why. St. Anselm - thank you and we shall make some excuse to come back to DC to come here again.

    I have only visited for brunch so far, and was quite pleased! We ordered a nice array for the…read moretable, and the standouts (in my opinion) were the chocolate chip pancakes and the breakfast potatoes. The pancakes were perfectly fluffy and a nice treat for the table. The breakfast potatoes were so crispy it was genuinely a marvel. The brunch fare other than that was quite standard, and solid. The atmosphere is nice and cozy. That said, there were a few things I would love to see. The coffee/tea menu wasn't quite too extensive for a brunch spot (would have loved more non-coffee drinks). There are also some upcharges to be aware of not on the menu (like cheese in eggs), which is not all too uncommon for brunch but still something to note!

    Photos
    St. Anselm - Bar area

    Bar area

    St. Anselm - Grilled Oysters

    Grilled Oysters

    St. Anselm - Carrot Cake

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    Carrot Cake

    Shelly's Back Room - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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