Kristen B.
Yelp
Let me start by saying that the only thing I smoke is hookah, and even then, I don't smoke on a daily, or even weekly basis. I finally gave in to my urge to purchase my own hookah once the West Seattle Smoke Company opened up shop in the Junction late last year. I had delayed purchasing one because I wanted to make sure I got one from a trustworthy person who ran a trustworthy shop... and that's what you'll find here. Class, expertise, good selection, and some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet in a smoke shop make this place a treasure.
Not to be prejudiced against smokers, but before WSSC opened up, I didn't know that tiny smoke shops like this could be so cozy and warm! That warmth is largely due to the store's owner, Omar. He is delightful and very knowledgeable. My husband enjoys smoking a pipe and cigars, and Omar always has interesting and informative things to tell him and good recommendations. He always greets us so kindly whenever we come in, and he took the time to learn our names from the first day we visited (which was during an extremely busy time, the West Seattle Street Fair in the summertime). I never knew I'd have a friend at a smoke shop, but now I do, and I love that! Ed, another employee at the store, is just as friendly and really knows his cigars. I think he and my husband could talk about cigars all day, if they both had the time!
We purchased a lovely little hookah for a very fair price, and it's a quality hookah- not some cheap piece of equipment. As to be expected, there is a lot of paraphernalia for smoking... a certain type of, er, smokeable. I'm really not into that, and the sheer amount of supplies and pipes for that particular purpose is a bit disconcerting to me, but I just don't venture over to that area of the shop. My husband can attest, though, that this is a place that stocks quality merchandise as far as cigars, hookah, and tobacco products are concerned. He loves their cigar selection and purchases a new one to try almost every time we're in. Even better is the selection of locally produced- and locally named- tobacco that you'll find only at WSSC (as far as I know). I love to pop open the jars and smell the wonderful aromas inside of each one. Try the Luna Park Cherry!
We love to stop in and get new flavors to try for our hookah, hubby will get a new type of cigar from time to time, and no matter who's working when we're in, we always get to have good conversation. West Seattle Smoke Company is a perfect fit for the Junction area of West Seattle. I may only be a part-time hookah smoker, but I'm happy to have it in my neighborhood!