Cigar Shops in Chicago
Author: Daniel B. Honigman
CHICAGO CIGAR SHOPS
Smoking goes underground, except in the last vestiges of public smoking opportunities left in the city of Chicago.
Chicago is the type of town in which you do business over a steak and a cigar. But, with the recently passed smoking ban making it illegal to smoke in restaurants and bars, you won’t be able to enjoy a stogie where you chow down.
No sweat. The Windy City has some great spots for you to light up. With Supercuts chain stores replacing barbershops, and with men’s clubs all but extinct, cigar shops are some of the best places to enjoy a drink, a smoke and some good conversation. You know, the necessities.
In the summer, you can certainly pick up a cigar at any liquor store; then walk around while you enjoy it. In the winter, however, you may want to stay indoors. And Chicago has some of the nation’s best shops.
Open since 1857, Iwan Ries & Co. is a place where you can find old-world comforts, service—and prices—all at once. With a great selection of cigars, pipes and pipe tobacco, you can kick up your feet in their new, 1200-sq.-ft. smoking lounge for a few hours and talk cigars or politics—a nice option for having a cigar in the city of Chicago without weathering the elements. Also, find great smoking accessories here, from humidors to lighters, and more.
Jack Schwartz Importer is one of the finer cigar shops in the Windy City. And since it’s right by the Chicago Board of Trade, you can stop by during lunch to see high-strung traders cooling off with 20-buck stogies. It’s a place to both see—the views, of course—and to be seen.
There’s no contest: Up Down Cigar owner Diana Silvius is Chicago’s tobacco “grande dame.” Former president of the RTDA, the tobacco retailer’s trade association, Silvius features a great cigar selection, and her personal line of cigars is worth checking out as well. Up Down is nestled in Chicago’s historic Old Town neighborhood.
What Hubbard and State Cigar Shop doesn’t have in square footage, it makes up in selection, service and conversation. Hubbard and State is easily one of the best shops in town, and the service is impeccable. If you don’t know what to get, just ask for Raki (pronounced “Rocky”), the owner, and he’ll pick something nice out for you.
At Binny’s Beverage Depot, you may not get the ambiance of an old-school tobacco shop. In fact, you’ll get the opposite; it’s is a chain of discount liquor stores. But each Binny’s has a well-stocked humidor with low priced-cigars.
The oddball of the bunch, Blue Havana is located in The Alley, a strip of hipster-type stores in the city’s Lakeview neighborhood. While it may be a trek from the Loop, it is home of one of the city’s largest humidors. For a real Chicago experience, pick up a stogie and take a walk up to Wrigley Field.
SOME SHOPS:
Iwan Ries & Co.
19 S. Wabash Ave., 2nd floor
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 372-1306
http://IwanRies.com
Jack Schwartz Importer
141 W. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
(312) 782-7898
http://JackSchwartz.com
Up Down Cigar
1550 N. Wells St.
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 337-8025
http://UpDownCigar.com
Blue Havana
856 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 477-4277
http://myspace.com/bluehavanachicago
Hubbard and State Cigar Shop
6 W. Hubbard St.
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 670-0687
http://HubbardStateCigar.com
Binny’s Beverage Depot
213 W Grand Ave
Chicago, IL 60610
http://Binnys.com
Donofrio’s Double Corona
2058 W. Chicago Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 342-7820
Jorgio Cigar Inc.
320 S. Halsted St.
Chicago, IL 60661
(312) 906-9500
Check out places of interest near Cigar Shops in Chicago:
Horseshoe Hammond Casino
777 Casino Dr,
Hammond, IN 46320
Already the premier gambling facility in the Midwest, the Horseshoe Hammond Casino has stepped it up a notch with a serious expansion happening summer of 2008. Choose from a wide range of tables and slots, plus entertainment and dining options here.
Salud Tequila Lounge
1471 N. Milwaukee Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60622
This Bucktown nightspot is all about Mexican fare and all kinds of premium tequilas. Go early and relax; go late and be crowded in with a 30-ish crowd of Bucktown residents and party scene adherents.
Salud Tequila Lounge
1471 N. Milwaukee Ave.,
Chicago, IL 60622
This Bucktown nightspot is all about Mexican fare and all kinds of premium tequilas. Go early and relax; go late and be crowded in with a 30-ish crowd of Bucktown residents and party scene adherents.
The Redhead Piano Bar
16 W. Ontario St.,
Chicago, IL 60610
Top-notch piano players make The Redhead Piano Bar a sought-after venue when it comes to sophisticated live music in Chicago. Gather around the piano, or head toward the back of the room for more intimate conversation.
Horseshoe Hammond Casino
777 Casino Dr,
Hammond, IN 46320
Already the premier gambling facility in the Midwest, the Horseshoe Hammond Casino has stepped it up a notch with a serious expansion happening summer of 2008. Choose from a wide range of tables and slots, plus entertainment and dining options here.
The Second City
1616 N. Wells St.,
Chicago, IL 60614
The best in comedy and the launching ground of generations of comedic talent, The Second City guarantees a fun night out.
