The Top 5 Cigar Bars in the U.S.
Finding a good cigar bar can be tough these days, but they’re out there. Thanks to the prevalence of smoking bans, there’s a huge demand for cigar lounges where patrons can relax with a drink and a cigar. When you’re traveling around the country, here’s a list of the top 5 cigar bars in the U.S. to keep on your radar. Most are bigger than your average mom-and-pop shop, and many operate in multiple locations. Make plans to visit the top cigar lounges the next time you’re in their vicinity.
1. Ashton Cigar Bar
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ashton Cigar Bar opened in 2013 directly above Holt’s Cigar Company in the heart of downtown Philadelphia’s Center City neighborhood. That’s where Ashton brand founder Robert Levin first decided to come out with his own line of cigars. As the second-generation owner of Holt’s Cigars, Levin was a seasoned and well-respected tobacconist when he partnered with the Fuente family to create the Ashton brand more than 35 years ago. Opening the first and only Ashton Cigar Bar above Holt’s was a fitting move.
What separates Ashton Cigar Bar from other cigar bars is its intimate and opulent ambience. More than 450 whiskeys occupy a menu of over 600 top-shelf spirits from shelves that tower behind a curvaceous Carrara marble bar top. A stunning floor-to-ceiling walk-in humidor houses 200 premium cigars, including several ultra-rare Fuente Fuente Opus X sizes, Ashton VSGs that have been aged for over two decades, and a handful of proprietary blends from La Aroma de Cuba, My Father, Oliva, and more.
The seductive and dimly lit space includes a blend of low-riding leather sofas and classy high-top marble tables. The bar’s high-performance, Casino-grade air filtration system makes the space equally welcoming for dates and spouses who come for the cocktails but might forego smoking cigars. Ashton Cigar Bar is a mandatory destination for cigar lovers visiting the City of Brotherly Love.
2. Burn by Rocky Patel
Locations: Naples, Florida / Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania / Atlanta, Georgia / Indianapolis, Indiana / Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Rocky Patel broke into the cigar business in the 1990s with the Indian Tabac brand before launching the popular Rocky Patel brands found in nearly every premium cigar shop today. In 2010, the charismatic cigar-maker unveiled Burn by Rocky Patel in Naples, Florida, his first branded cigar bar. Burn quickly became a hot spot, prompting Rocky to expand in a number of other small to mid-market cities. While each Burn location is distinct, they share Rocky’s flair for nightlife with dramatic color, spirits, and cigars. The menus boast over 400 premium cigars, many of which are Rocky’s personal creations, as well as pre-Embargo Cubans. Burn is worth your time when you’re craving a cigar, a drink, and a place to cut loose in one of several cities around the country where Rocky has opened up.
3. Cigars International
Locations: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania / Hamburg, Pennsylvania / Fort Worth, Texas / The Colony, Texas / Tampa, Florida / Lutz, Florida
Cigars International is the official largest online cigar retailer in the world. The company is also home to several sprawling retail locations with accompanying cigar bars where you can smoke and drink when you’re done loading your shopping bag. Cigars International (CI) is a division of General Cigar, the parent company of famous Cuban-legacy brands like Cohiba, Partagas, and Hoyo de Monterrey, as well as Macanudo, La Gloria Cubana, and CAO. Think of each Cigars International super store like a man cave on serious steroids. The company sells around 1,400 brands of premium handmade cigars. It’s impossible not to find what you want when you’re shopping in CI’s cavernous aisles, and you can kick back and order a beer or a bourbon from the store’s impressive cigar bars. The atmosphere is laid back and designed to enhance your shopping experience.
The original Cigars International locations are nestled in eastern Pennsylvania’s pastoral Leigh Valley, a couple of hours from Philadelphia and New York City. The company’s big box blueprint for everything a cigar lover could dream of has been transplanted to multiple new locations in Florida and Texas.
4. Casa de Montecristo
Locations: Washington, DC / Tampa, Florida / Paramus, New Jersey / Whippany, New Jersey / Las Vegas, Nevada / Mooresville, North Carolina / Nashville, Tennessee / Dallas, Texas / Houston, Texas
Casa de Montecristo is the signature cigar bar (and brick and mortar retailer) of online giant JR Cigars, the second largest source for premium cigars behind Cigars International. JR Cigars is owned by Altadis USA, the distributor and parent company of the Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta brands, among others. The company’s original locations in Whippany and Paramus, New Jersey, are touted as the world’s largest cigar stores with over 5,000 square feet of humidified space and more than 4,000 cigars in each location. Many, but not all, Casa de Montecristo locations feature a full-service bar where you can drink and smoke. In addition to the massive physical footprints of its stores, Casa de Montecristo operates in a dozen states. Flat screen TVs, comfy seating, and plenty of leg room to kick back with your pals keep aficionados coming back to Casa de Montecristo. Several locations offer private space where you can host a cigar-friendly event or meeting.
5. Corona Cigar Company
Locations: (127 South Orange Ave) Orlando, Florida / (7792 W Sand Lake Rd) Orlando, Florida / Lake Mary, Florida / Tampa, Florida
Corona Cigar Company has been a premiere destination for cigar lovers in Orlando, Florida for years. The company operates three locations, plus a Davidoff-branded store in Tampa, Florida. Owner Jeff Borysiewicz carries all the marquee brands from Arturo Fuente, Ashton, Padron, My Father, Macanudo, Rocky Patel, and more. An extensive menu of bourbon, scotch, cognac, and craft cocktails is available. Corona Cigars hosts charity poker nights, whiskey tastings, and several branded cigar events when you’re looking for the best place to smoke cigars in central Florida.
