Amy L.
Yelp
Each pot shop in the city has its own personality. Ike's specializes in a large and diverse selection with a range of price points. and a tongue-in-cheek aesthetic. Also, a parking lot.
If you are looking for guidance from a budtender, you may be better off at one of the smaller shops. If you're looking to explore different strains, come here. If you're on a budget, definitely come here. If you're a tourist, it's worth stopping in just to see recreational at its best. They sell Ike's t-shirts, too. Bring some home for your cool aunties or, as my late-blooming boyfriend did, buy one to wear home and piss off your parents!
Pro-tips for shopping at Ike's!:
1. It is nigh impossible for any budtender to keep up with the massive rotating stock of strains Ike's sells. Do your own research before coming here. I recommend Leafly.
2. Even better, make use of Ike's online pre-order - you can do your research and then drop your desired strains into your cart. Then you just roll in and pick up. You also get a discount!
3. Don't let looks or price fool you. Some of the best marijuana I've gotten here in terms of effects have been cheapie bags of Ike's Littles or ounces of trim. The gamble has paid off more often than not.
Interestingly the expensive stuff (e.g. that $30 Sherbet from Gabriel) has been a disappointment for me.
4. This is not the place to get medical marijuana recommendations because that's not what they specialize in. Try Ponder right nearby.
5. If you like something, there's a good chance that it will be gone within a week or two, especially if it's good or if the budtenders recommend it. You may not see it again for months, if at all, so STOCK UP when you can! I can't emphasize this enough. It's a crapshoot as to whether you can find the same thing in another shop. Sad days ahead when you run out of that choice uplifting Ike's Littles Space Cake bc all the other Space Cakes in town are just not the same.
6. Yes, you should try out that funky sounding strain that only costs $5 if you can afford it. Trying different strains is the best way to figure out what works and doesn't work for you...
7. ... Unless it's Phat Panda. Avoid buying Phat Panda flower/joints, regardless of what the budtender tells you or how cool the package looks. It's just unremarkable, generic, crappy weed - the kind you'd get before legalization when your only option was "dealer's choice" - and Ike's has much better options for a better price. For some reason, my Ike's budtenders recommend PP a lot so my housemates and I have run through a number of different PP strains. Disappointment in a jar every time. The candy ("Hot Sugar") is fine but also not my first choice, again, because it's unremarkable. Honey, you deserve better.
This location also has a glass shop and taco truck in the same parking lot. And a car wash next door. Convenient!