Ya Hala Grill And Hookah

[Teganv]

Just wanted to post a quick little something on my local hookah lounge.

Ya Hala is really awesome, it's an authentic place. On Friday nights they have live music which usually consists of belly dancers, and things of the like. All other nights it's usually traditional arabic music.

The room itself is pretty small, and depending on what night you go, it can get pretty loud. My friends and I did get drowned out once because of a birthday that came in. We decided that yelling at each other across a table was no longer fun. (If you want a quiet place, don't go on Fridays and check to see if they are expecting a birthday group.) The seating itself is pretty good, they have normal chairs, and some booths on the outer wall.

The staff there are nice and the service time is great. They have great food, that usually arrives pretty quickly, unless they are having a busy night. There tends to be two coal tenders on rotation, one is a really great guy who knows his stuff, and tends to ask how the flavour is, if it just came out of a new box, to get an idea of what we are smoking. The other coal tender, is a bit slow (im guessing because he's new), so you definitely do a bit of coal tending yourself. I believe they have some outdoor seating, and the place is wheelchair accessible.

It's $12 for hookah and $7 for refills. Im not sure what brand of hookah they have there (never really bothered to check). I do know they only have single hose hookah, which some people don't like, but it definitely allows for a socializing atmosphere. They're open pretty late on weekends (past midnight), and I think they close at midnight on weekdays. Not sure of the hours though, since i've only gone on weekends.

If your a regular they ease up on prices, and let us have drinks for free sometimes, which is always nice. (More money to come back and spend on hookah)

I guess that's it. I would definitely suggest this place if you find yourself coming through Fresno.

[size=4]6561 N Blackstone Ave
Fresno, CA 93704[/size]

(Picture taken from Google Maps) Edited December 5, 2011 by Teganv

[Teganv]

Update.

So I just recently heard that Ya Hala is being taken over by a new owner and things are changing there. The staff that don't agree with the changes have made a list to inform the regulars of how things will now be run.

So here is what I have heard so far.

2 people per hookah
Apparently they are changing to a cheaper tobacco that smokes faster, so you will have to get refills more often.
The price per hookah has risen. (Not sure how much yet)
You now have to pay for water.
I believe the hours are changing also.

I'll update this post if I hear anything else about the upcoming changes.