Hookah Lounge Dissapointment

[Kae]

BF and I headed down to Monterey this past Saturday to hit up a hookah bar called Indian Summer. While the atmosphere was incredible (outdoor garden setting with large brick firepits dotted throughout), the smoking part of it SUCKED. This was our first time going out to smoke, and it was almost our last. The servers didn't know what brand shisha they used (found out it was King Moassel), they couldn't control the heat AT ALL, and the hookahs were rigged together with foil in several places (like, there was no bowl grommet, just a large wad of foil). Finally, we were completely baffled by what was in the vase. It was a very brown liquid, tho the servers claimed it was just water O_o

The shisha was a good strawberry flavor, but very much like candy rather than real fruit; still, for the 5 or 6 pulls that weren't scorching the backs of our throats, it was a nice flavor. They put two large finger coals in the center of the bowl, which hungover each edge of the bowl by a good half-inch (at least). We ended up knocking one of the coals off into the tray with a lighter, and moving the remaining one off to the side a bit, and managed to get a few hits that weren't quite so harsh.

Needless to say, we were incredibly disappointed in the whole thing. Even the drinks were awful; which is saying a lot, because BF and I are the kinda people that will drink anything with liquor in it These drinks...yeah, I'm seriously convinced that they sold us a glass of Redbull, and pocketed the cash for the vodka we asked for ~.^ Oh, did I mention it took half an hour to get our two drinks?

After all this, I just cannot understand why the place was SOOOO popular! There were TONS of people there, and most of them were very obviously regulars.

Please tell me that this is NOT what I should expect >_<

*edited for spelling/typos Edited June 13, 2007 by Kae

[clickhea]

haha, u need to read my thread, i had a horrible expierence with a place by me as well, these places should hire us to make sure their things are running straight

[leadpipecinch21]

i feel your pain. There's this lounge i used to go to all the time which was amazing to smoke at, but after being gone for almost two years and coming back, i realized how shitty the place had become. there were 3 coals stacked on top of each other sitting in the center of the bowl, really badly set up hookahs, and just an over all bad time, plus they started cranking music there, which kind of ruins the atmosphere and the whole social aspect of it, but whatever.

At least i have another hookah bar down where i live now that's pretty awesome. The hookahs are all myas, all set up well, they use layalina, which is friggin sweet, and the staff actually knows what they're doing.

i guess you just gotta find the right one.

[Hannibal]

The problem with most of these places is that, although the owners may know how to set up a hookah properly, the servers usually just think that as long as a coal or two is sitting on the shisha and there is water in the vase everything is hunky-dory. To be honest I've only had one good experience with hookah lounges in the States. I never go because I end up re-setting up the hookah myself......kind of defeats the purpose as I might as well do that in my apartment and make my own drink.
The only places I've been to that actually know what to do is in the middle east....a couple times I actually got set up with a nice apple bowl.
Basically most lounges over price shisha and drinks anyway. I'd rather do it myself, at least I know its being done right.

[Scoop]

lol, every hookah bar out here is like that. my gf always drags me, and i know its going to be hell for me. im kind of perfectionist when it comes to hookah and i feel like i should be getting paid when i go. the bowls are always over or underpacked, heat distribution? rofl...right, just bad practice in general, and people go to these places daily.

one time, i went with one of my friends to this hookah place, called the Spot, in the valley by LA. this place is so insanely popular (the food is dope however) yet i dont get how people order the hookah. the bowl was so underpacked we pushed the foil to under half way just to see, i opened the bowl and we were puzzled. it was like 5-10g in one of those huge clay bowls. needless to say, we complained and got another one . sad part was this was probably normal cuz as soon as we said anything the dude in charge yelled at someone to pack us anothre bowl.

ive brought my own tongs to hookah bars and people around me ask me to fix their coals =/

ive been to hookah bars where the bowl is so overpacked its like a foil mountain coming from the top. then the coal boy can't figure out why the coals keep rolling off...palmface...

essentially, i pay money to work.

[Calcartman]

EDIT: Just re-read and saw it was indian summer
There are a lot better lounges, though i have never been to that one.
There are a few up here in the east bay that are decent, but you'll have better luck setting up your own.
The only place ive found that actually was enjoyable for me is Pride Of The Medditeranean restaurant in Blackhawk Plaza. Its expensive as hell, but they really do know what they're doing. Edited June 13, 2007 by Calcartman

[anathema]

how much do they charge at your local bars? around the $10-15 US range?

At my local bars, Dream Cafe and A Fusion Cafe, they serve mainly Starbuzz in a massive bowl and a massive pipe, 10 bucks for a regular, 14 bucks for two bowls, like add two extra for a mix.

The coal boys know what they're doing, they place coals around the edges, but sometimes i have to take my keys out as mini-tongs and rotate them.

[Scoop]

starbuzz here is like ultra premium. i know of only one place that uses starbuzz, at $18 a bowl. everything else is al waha or al amir at $12 (cheapest ive seen at any place), with al fakher at $15

usually, its 15 for regular crap, 20 for "premium"

[Calcartman]

The main hookah loungers/bars here are Hookah Nights in San Jose and Hookah Hut in Albany, and i believe hookah hut is 15$ for all you can smoke (they have very overpriced food/drink). I've never been to hookah nights, but its something similar. Tables, pillows, bean bags, etc, crappy music, the usual.

The restaurant near me charges 13$ for apple or strawberry, and they limit it to 2 people (so if more than 2 people smoke, you need to buy another one), 19$ for a couple more flavors and 3 people, and 25$ for the full range of flavors and 4 people (all are 1 hose though).
They do make their own shisha however, and its an amazingly beautiful outdoor area. You're required to get a drink though (no big deal as usually one is needed anyways) and on friday/sat nights they usually have belly dancers.

[yashman19]

Ya I'm not really sure how these business owers don't properly teach their severs how to properly maintain a hookah.. I mean, I'm pretty dang sure that if you open up a hookah lounge, you GOTTA know something about hookah... so why not impart some of your knowledge to the people who will be representing your product to the outside world....

Or it could just be that a lot of these servers are just being lazy and could give a shit if your toabco is burning. Maybe they figure that people who come to lounges don't know any better. And that if someone DID infact know how to smoke, why would they be paying 10+ to smoke at a lounge when they could be smoking at home...

Dunno...

Anywoo, ya I've just gotten in the habit of bringing my own tongs to the hookah bar with me, since for the most part they ALWAYS just plop a few coals right in the middle of your bowl, and basically wish you the best of luck... Tobacco burns so much hotter/faster when you put your heat right in the middle. You get a cooler, longer lasting session when you keep your heat evenly spaced around the perimeter. But hey, maybe they know this and are trying to get your bowl to burn faster, so they can get you out of there quicker and get a new customer in

At anyrate, you'll never see me at a lounge again, unless they open one up around here that has a environment better than my home, and that will be pretty hard to do...

[ezie]

That indian summer lounge should be close. Poor hookah setup. Hate it when that happen feels like i'm being rip-off enough said.

[Kae]

I've heard good things about the one in San Jose. My best friend lives up there, and says that it's a big college hangout, which is pretty much the opposite of my crowd, but, whatever, lol. We meant to check it out last week when we were up there, but ended up smoking at her house, instead. I'm sure I'll prolly check it out at some point.

As for why I would be going out to smoke, I have my kids for the summer, and I'm not too keen on smoking indoors with them here. When we got a chance to go out alone, we jumped at relaxing with a hookah and a drink. The night wasn't a total loss, tho. After having a crap smoking session, and even worse drinks, we headed down to an Irish pub, and got thouroughly blitzed on Irish Carbombs

There's a lounge opening up here in Santa Cruz this month, called Nomad something-or-other....It's a combo hookah bar/cafe/laundromat O_o Idk, I had high hopes for it, until I saw how crappy hookah bars can be. I'll prolly still be there opening night, tho, heh.

Actually, I might link some of these threads to the guys that are opening the one here in town. Might be good for proprieters to see that the people that visit their bars might actually have a clue, lol

[symptom CY]

I'm often disappointed with lounges... I'd just rather use my own hookah and my own tobacco. I wish there were more places that allowed customers to set up their own machine. I asked my local lounge if I could, and the owner very reluctantly told me I couldn't because of insurance reasons or something. Oh well, it's understandable, I guess...

Anyway, a lot of lounges take advantage of the fact that hookah smoking is an exotic attraction that draws people who have no drive to pursue it as a hobby as we do here. What might seem sub-par to us is often a treat for others...

[chinamon]

i havent been to any of the hookah bars/lounges in the toronto area but ive heard that they all serve nakhla. id rather smoke my own stuff at home/friends house if thats the case.

[Blue Midnight]

That is not the experience that you should expect from a lounge at all. First, you should have been provided tongs so (if you wished) you could manage the heat as you see fit. And foil in place of grommets is just absurd LOL. As for the brown liquid, I don't even know where to start, but it really doesn't sound very sanitary. Hope you got mouthpieces...

At my lounge we serve only Starbuzz ($9-11, depends on flavor type) and we will manage the heat for you. Or let you do it if you are experienced enough or want to . Next time your in East Lansing, Michigan (ha!) your first hookah is on me.

[Scoop]

there are places that let you setup your own hookah.

coffee bean or starbucks...been doing it for years

[PerznPerversion]

there are places that let you setup your own hookah.

coffee bean or starbucks...been doing it for years

I nvr knew starbucks lets you. hmm maybe i should try :-D i like their outdoor patio

[Scoop]

they cant not let you...its just tobacco. if they allow cigs they have to allow hookah

[ghostofdavid]

they cant not let you...its just tobacco. if they allow cigs they have to allow hookah

No, they don't. They can ban anything if they want.

[Scoop]

pfft...we've had coffee bean employees tell us we cant do it, but then we explain its tobacco, we sit outside on public property and that the police have never said a word to us (which is true, the police around here dont give a crap, the just walk into coffee bean right by us) and life goes on...

public property, sitting outside, people smoking cigarettes and cigars, explain how they can ban hookah when its tobacco...blow my mind here

[Calcartman]

pfft...we've had coffee bean employees tell us we cant do it, but then we explain its tobacco, we sit outside on public property and that the police have never said a word to us (which is true, the police around here dont give a crap, the just walk into coffee bean right by us) and life goes on...

public property, sitting outside, people smoking cigarettes and cigars, explain how they can ban hookah when its tobacco...blow my mind here

Um, well the restaurant is private property. They can ban anything they want.
Smoking outside is not smoking in the coffee shop, and thus they can't stop you as long as you are no longer on private property.

[Blue Midnight]

pfft...we've had coffee bean employees tell us we cant do it, but then we explain its tobacco, we sit outside on public property and that the police have never said a word to us (which is true, the police around here dont give a crap, the just walk into coffee bean right by us) and life goes on...

public property, sitting outside, people smoking cigarettes and cigars, explain how they can ban hookah when its tobacco...blow my mind here

Um, well the restaurant is private property. They can ban anything they want.
Smoking outside is not smoking in the coffee shop, and thus they can't stop you as long as you are no longer on private property.

+1

Doesn't have to make sense, business can run their business any way they like. Except, of course, in states where they can't allow smoking. Public health issues are different, so where this is defined as such then the state can regulate it how they wish.

[Scoop]

right...

i was talking about sitting outside coffee bean...i have no idea where the restaurant came from?

[PerznPerversion]

pfft...we've had coffee bean employees tell us we cant do it, but then we explain its tobacco, we sit outside on public property and that the police have never said a word to us (which is true, the police around here dont give a crap, the just walk into coffee bean right by us) and life goes on...

public property, sitting outside, people smoking cigarettes and cigars, explain how they can ban hookah when its tobacco...blow my mind here

Um, well the restaurant is private property. They can ban anything they want.
Smoking outside is not smoking in the coffee shop, and thus they can't stop you as long as you are no longer on private property.

depending where it is like if its in a plaza and they lease the plaza they can tell u go 2 hell. even if you are outside. theyre leasing the building and most likely the land around it

[jaker29902]

heres what yall do, after your finished, find someone who looks semi-in charge and ask to speak to the manager. Then politely say "hey I really did not enjoy my experience here, I felt that I could have much more easily smoked at my house. Please teach your servers how to better manage a hookah, thanks." Usually will get you free stuff, or a thanks for your comments and a wave as you walk out the door, either way couldnt hurt