Best Hookah Lounges In Chicago
You won't find ashtrays arranged around Chicago taverns anymore. Cigar bars are a thing of the past in Illinois too. But hookah lounges are exempt from the 2008 statewide smoking ban, provided that at least 80 percent of their revenues come from tobacco products. So if you're a fan of the hookah, check out these spots to enjoy what one lounge calls "the cigar of the new millennium."
Ambrosia Café
1963 N. Sheffield Ave.
(773) 404-4450
www.ambrosiahookah.com/
This lounge in Lincoln Park just south of the DePaul campus is the source of the "cigar of the new millennium" quote. You can find hookah flavors from strawberry margarita to banana split, along with comfortable seating, three flat-panel TVs, and free wireless Internet. And while they can't legally serve alcohol, Ambrosia is BYOB.
House of Hookah
607 W. Belmont Ave.
(773) 348-1550
www.chicagohookah.com/
Located in East Lakeview just a stone's throw from the Boystown bar strip, this lounge has 80 flavors of tobacco, and is also BYOB. They also stock coffee, tea, and specialty cigarettes, and they have hookahs for sale. Blue raspberry ice and mint rose jasmine are among their most popular hookah flavors.
Noon Hookah Lounge
1617 E. 55th St.
(773) 643-1670
www.noonhookahlounge.com/
Have you ever wanted to gather around a sweet red melon or pumpkin spice-flavored hookah and discuss the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer, or Michel Foucault's criticism of social institutions, or black holes and the Chandrasekhar limit for the mass of stars? If so, Noon Hookah Lounge is the place for you. Located in Hyde Park just east of the University of Chicago campus, this lounge features dozens of hookah tobacco flavors and an assortment of teas. Like the others on the list, Noon Hookah Lounge is BYOB.
Sinbad Hookah
1129 W. Taylor St.
(312) 265-0617
www.sinbadhookah.com/
Located just west of the University of Illinois at Chicago, you'll find more than 30 flavors of hookah tobacco and an environment that one Yelp critic say provides a "real mind relaxation." They also offer free wi-fi, plasma TV screens, an XBOX and a Nintendo Wii. The Yelp critic suggests stopping by after a big meal at Al's Beef down the street. And like the others on the list, Sinbad Hookah is BYOB.
Alibaba Hookah Bar
4046 W. Lawrence Ave.
(773) 202-1992
Head to the Northwest Side's Mayfair neighborhood for this authentic hookah lounge, with pastels of ancient Arabia on the walls and an assortment of tobacco flavors for your smoking pleasure. Free wireless Internet is also available, as are a variety of beverages. Centerstage.com highlights the Turkish coffee and Frappuccinos drizzles with cardamom.
