Grant's Tobacconist, San Francisco

[Cheech]

Has anyone gone there? I was thinking of trying my hand at cigars, and was looking for a established shop when I found this online.

Just wondering if anyone has been there or heard anything.

Thanks!

 

[clubman]

Has anyone gone there? I was thinking of trying my hand at cigars, and was looking for a established shop when I found this online.

Just wondering if anyone has been there or heard anything.

Thanks!

I worked around the corner from there for 10 years or so and spent countless hours hanging out, smoking cigars, etc. Great place. Prices are on the high side, but that can be expected given the Financial District location and the crazy CA sin taxes. Assuming it's still the same store it was back then, it would be a fine place to dip your toe in the tobacco pool.

 

[Hair Vise]

It's definitely the same place. I've only been there once, and I thought that the service was OK, but the prices were a touch on the high side. As I newbie, I really wanted to stay under $10 for a cigar, and that was a bit difficult.

Still, it's worth checking it out, and you can smoke whatever you buy there. I'd like to go again and sit down for a smoke one time. There just aren't a lot of choices in SF--I think that this is the best (better than The Humidor), but I'd love to hear from others.

For a great experience, go to the Occidental Cigar Bar--you can either buy one there (pricey) or bring your own. They've got a great whiskey selection, and it seems to be about the only place in town left where you can smoke inside.

HV

 

[alfbacca]

Grant's is my go to place in the city. Been going there for years and the staff is knowledgeable. Some of their selection is overpriced but CA taxes will do that to you. They do however have a nice selection of limited editions/hard to find stuff in their humidor on a separate table. Because the shop is on the street level of an office building, they don't allow smoking in their lounge anymore, until after 5pm. It's a small shop compared to other cigar shops, but it's packed with lots of good cigars for you to try.

Oh, and they also have a selection of DE razors and brushes. Don't know exactly what they have as far as wetshaving goes, but they have a case near the door with their selection.

I've never been to the Occidental cigar bar, but I've been to the Cigar bar and grill near North Beach, which is the only other restaurant you can smoke at. The food is good and they too have a great selection of liquor. Sometimes they have live music (cuban jazz, salsa, etc.) which really adds to the atmosphere.

 

[Hair Vise]

I've never been to the Occidental cigar bar, but I've been to the Cigar bar and grill near North Beach, which is the only other restaurant you can smoke at. The food is good and they too have a great selection of liquor. Sometimes they have live music (cuban jazz, salsa, etc.) which really adds to the atmosphere.

Due to the recent changes in the law, the Cigar bar has got another 6 months before smoking is disallowed, unless they can somehow get some exemption--it doesn't look good.

Occidental though will be able to continue permitting smoking, as they offer no food, and the bartenders are all owners (plus there's no residential housing upstairs).

HV

 

[cim_can]

Obviously not in SF proper, but La Bodeguita del Medio in Palo Alto has a cigar bar/patio. I just glanced into the cigar area after dinner (really good food), and it was a nice area.

 

[Endwahl]

I mostly lurk here, and hope y'all pardon the necropost, but there have been some changes at Grant's that customers should be aware of.

Last month the owners of Grant's decided to start a policy that reduced seating in their smoking area down to two seats, and required a $25 purchase in order to have 2 hours' worth of "sitting and smoking privileges." Those of you who have visited the store know that they don't don't have a separate appointed smoking lounge, but simply seats in the store.

Apparently the owners decided to institute this policy over a personal disagreement with some of the regular customers - including some who helped the store obtain a variance to continue to allow smoking in the store after the latest city smoking control ordinance was passed.

As of now, unless you are willing to buy $25 in cigars on the spot and be scrutinized by an increasingly rude staff, there is no place to sit inside and smoke a cigar or pipe in Downtown San Francisco - apparently due to ego conflicts more than anything else.