If you enjoy watching a game, having a microbrew, and smoking a nice cigar all at the same time, you have two choices: Grab the rabbit-eared TV from the closet, buy some cheap Oregon beer at 
Albertsons, and light up a cigar in your gas fumed garage. OR, you can just make a quick trip to The Chicago Brewing Company on Fort Apache and West Sahara in Summerlin. The upstairs room opens at 5pm so you'll have to make it a night game, but you will have access to a little tobacco hideaway with leather chairs, big ashtrays, and a plethora of micro-brews to choose from. My personal favorite here is the sampler. It is about 10 small sized beers on a round rack that gives you a nice overview of everything they have to offer. A nice Maduro wrapped Punch Belicoso with a Chicago stout microbrew and you'll feel like you were watching the game from a luxury box!
Albertsons, and light up a cigar in your gas fumed garage. OR, you can just make a quick trip to The Chicago Brewing Company on Fort Apache and West Sahara in Summerlin. The upstairs room opens at 5pm so you'll have to make it a night game, but you will have access to a little tobacco hideaway with leather chairs, big ashtrays, and a plethora of micro-brews to choose from. My personal favorite here is the sampler. It is about 10 small sized beers on a round rack that gives you a nice overview of everything they have to offer. A nice Maduro wrapped Punch Belicoso with a Chicago stout microbrew and you'll feel like you were watching the game from a luxury box!
Another enjoyable haunt for locals is FAR FAR away from the strip (just like I like it!) and is, in fact, just a mile down the road from The Chicago Brewing Company on Rampart (Which is what Fort Apache becomes as you cross Charleston Blvd) and Alta. It is none other than Gustav Mauler's Cigar Bar in the JW Marriott Hotel & Casino. Again the atmosphere is perfect, dimly lit, leather chairs, great Port or Cognac, tasteful live blues players, and smooth Davidoff or Dunhill Corona cigar or if you're feeling adventurous, you can always pick up one of the delicious-yet-overpriced Gustav Mauler cigars which I have enjoyed on many occasions. This is located right next to Wooligan's Irish Pub which is a blast for Celtic food and song but don't even think about sparking up in there Sparky. Take it from me, Wooligan's is NOT cigar friendly, but its an excellent place to eat, drink, and enjoy yourself, then retire to Gustav's for a nice dessert of Brandy and cigars.
I've saved the best for last in my brief overview of cigar friendly places in Las Vegas, this is the 
Pullman Car in the Main Street Station Casino in Downtown Las Vegas (again - quite far from the Strip - yahoo!). This place is an absolute dream located right in the heart of an absolute slum, but hey, don't worry, there is covered parking with security so you'll be OK. I hope. The Pullman Car is located inside the Pullman Grille which is a little more upscale steakhouse style restaurant for downtown. If that is your thing, have a nice steak and retire through a couple mystery doors into an actual Pullman rail car that has been converted with interior decor consisting of cherry wood, hunter green paint, deep comfy leather sofas and easy chairs, and Victorian style lamps. If you are looking for a more budget-conscious meal, you can always start at the Microbrewery just down the walkway inside the casino, great snacks, appetizers and excellent microbrew, then, you know the routine, over to the Pullman Car to discuss your plans for world domination over a rich Merlot and a La Gloria Cubana Charlamagne smoke. De-licious, and whats best of all, no dirty looks, just people with the same interest and taste for a fine cigar. Make sure you buy your cigars before coming downtown, there really isn't a decent place to pick up cigars down there and you DO NOT want to be wandering around looking like you don't know where you're going. stay on the main thoroughfares like Fremont, Main (near the casinos) and you'll be fine. The Pullman Car is one of Las Vegas' best kept secrets.
Pullman Car in the Main Street Station Casino in Downtown Las Vegas (again - quite far from the Strip - yahoo!). This place is an absolute dream located right in the heart of an absolute slum, but hey, don't worry, there is covered parking with security so you'll be OK. I hope. The Pullman Car is located inside the Pullman Grille which is a little more upscale steakhouse style restaurant for downtown. If that is your thing, have a nice steak and retire through a couple mystery doors into an actual Pullman rail car that has been converted with interior decor consisting of cherry wood, hunter green paint, deep comfy leather sofas and easy chairs, and Victorian style lamps. If you are looking for a more budget-conscious meal, you can always start at the Microbrewery just down the walkway inside the casino, great snacks, appetizers and excellent microbrew, then, you know the routine, over to the Pullman Car to discuss your plans for world domination over a rich Merlot and a La Gloria Cubana Charlamagne smoke. De-licious, and whats best of all, no dirty looks, just people with the same interest and taste for a fine cigar. Make sure you buy your cigars before coming downtown, there really isn't a decent place to pick up cigars down there and you DO NOT want to be wandering around looking like you don't know where you're going. stay on the main thoroughfares like Fremont, Main (near the casinos) and you'll be fine. The Pullman Car is one of Las Vegas' best kept secrets.
Now, speaking of buying cigars in Las Vegas, I have two rules:
1. Don't do it unless you absolutely HAVE to.
2. Don't buy down on the strip EVEN IF you have to! You will get reamed my friend, reamed.
So here is what you do, if you're down on the strip, hop in a cab and say, "Driver, take me to Pheasant Tobacco!" "Where is that?" he might ask, you answer, "West Sahara directly across from the Palace Station Casino" and then lean back with a smug I've-been-in-town-45-minutes-and-I-know-it-ALL look. Be sure to tip him though. Pheasant is not far from the strip at all but its WAY on the North side where the old school hotels are: Circus Circus, Riviera, Sahara, etc. It is a very reasonably priced tobacco shop with a fantastic selection. There is a cigar there for everyone no matter what your income bracket. They have a nice smoking room and , in my humble opinion, the most knowledgeable staff in Vegas. The only catch is, operating hours. For some reason, these guys seem to think that they have set up shop in Minnesota or something. They close early and don't give a rat's behind that this is a 24 hour town (is my personal frustration showing through?).
If you insist on staying near the Strip, I would recommend the cigar room at the Paris or Monte Carlo. Neither of which require a pricey meal (like the cigar restaurant at the Venetian) and both offer a very pleasant "piano atmosphere" with fine wine, brandies, and cognac.
Another place, should you decide to venture out to either Chicago's or Gustav's, is out by Summerlin and is called Tobacco Leaf on West Lake Mead and Rock Springs. Again, a decent selection, but the prices are bit more jacked up. They are still probably 40-50% cheaper than what you would buy on the strip or in Gustav's. As of this writing, the store is fairly new, nice walk in humidor (pales in comparison to the Minnesotan's at Pheasant) and very helpful staff, but a little small and cramped. The great thing about these guys is their punch card. If you buy like 8 or 9 cigars, you get one at the same level for free, so its about a 10% discount for volume or repeat business.
Ultimately, its all about finding what works best for you, your budget, your tastes, and your temperament that will determine your cigar experience here. Hopefully the above list will give a couple good places to start, that are off the tourist's beaten path.
6 comments:
Thanks for the "inside" info. We are heading out there from Minnesota (didn't take offense to the comments since we helped start smoking bans) in April and staying at Paris. I will probably start there for convenience sake, but the Chicago Brewing Company sounds dreamy.
Hey no problem Andy. Hope you have fun out here. Its a little cold and rainy at the moment, so April should be perfect!
I do want to update you on the Chicago Brewery. The room is still there but they've moved a couple video games in there which hurt the ambiance a bit in my pretentious opinion. However, if you go to the Main Street Station downtown and go to the Pullman Grille and ask for the rail car for cigars...you will think that it is a temporary holding place for all those bound for heaven...its awesome AND they have a brewpub in the Main Street Station right across the hallway from the Pullman grille...have fun!
happy smoking my friend!
Andrew
Just a quick update: The Pullman Grille's Pullman Cigar Car is now closed. In fact, the whole restaurant closed. It makes no sense to me considering the restaurant is inside a casino and using up space being closed that the casino could use to make at least a little money...as opposed to NO money. Buut...that's why I am me and they are them.
Goodbye Pullman Car...you will be missed.
Yet another update to my list of places to buy and smoke a cigar in Las Vegas: Gustav Mauler's on the far west side of Las Vegas, in the JW Marriott Hotel on Rampart: has changed owners and is now called the "Round Bar" or "221" or something ridiculous like that.
Not only is Gustav Maulers a thing of the past, but the new lounge will not permit the smoking of cigars, just stinky cigarettes only please, as if that is somehow better?
Not only do they forbid cigars, they give you a very snooty look should you dare even ask if they permit the smokington of said cigars.
No, my reputation is on the line here so I must now say, avoid the new lounge that took over the old Gustav Maulers at all costs.
Happy puffing
I absolutely love Casa Fuente! I always swing by to purchase and smoke a cigar each day I am in Las Vegas. The mojitos are very tasty and they definitely accentuate the flavor of the cigars.
buy cigars
I will surely drop by this place when next time i will go to las vegas
I mostly love to smoke filtered cigars.
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