Last night my wife and I met a friend at a local cigar bar that I'd been wanting to check out. I walked into the humidor and was instantly hit with sticker shock, compared to my local B&M.

Is a higher price typical of cigar bars? I still got a cigar, but it hurt me to drop almost $3 more on something I could've gotten at my B&M.

My big question is: What's the etiquette of bringing your own cigar to a cigar bar? This place has a great atmosphere and the drinks are reasonably priced, so I'd like to spend some time there. But I don't want to break the bank on smokes, nor do I want to offend anybody.

Thanks in advance for the input.

~Brian the Bearded

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"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

I'd imagine it would be frowned upon. It would be like bringing your own donuts to a donut shop and having their $1 a cup coffee with it.

Bringing your own cigar to a cigar bar is generally allowed. I have never been somewhere that didn't let you do that. The logic behind is, they'd rather have u there smoking and buying drinks, than not show up at all because you have buy a cigar. When I usually go to my cigar bar, I usually buy a cigar just to support my local B&M, but bring a few from the house too, that way I don't go broke purchasing the over priced sticks. I also get a couple of drinks while I'm there. I think it would be considered tacky to show up w/ your own cigar, smoke it, and not get a drink or buy a B&M cigar. See my point?

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"Long ashes my friends"

Krieg:

Bringing your own cigar to a cigar bar is generally allowed. I have never been somewhere that didn't let you do that. The logic behind is, they'd rather have u there smoking and buying drinks, than not show up at all because you have buy a cigar. When I usually go to my cigar bar, I usually buy a cigar just to support my local B&M, but bring a few from the house too, that way I don't go broke purchasing the over priced sticks. I also get a couple of drinks while I'm there. I think it would be considered tacky to show up w/ your own cigar, smoke it, and not get a drink or buy a B&M cigar. See my point?

i do the same with my B&M. i get most of my cigars online but when i go to the B&M i pick something up to support them.

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Kuzi's cigar catalog blending 101 developing your palate

I have a few cigar bars around me. One in Boston was so over priced, I'll never go back (Ashton Cabinet - churchill - $28!!!). The other one is very reasonably priced in both drinks and cigars and has a much bigger selection with a walk-in humi. We go there at least every month or two in the winter and it's usually a group of 4 or more.

Most places don't care if you bring your own cigars but may charge a "cutting" or "lighting" fee. Around here, it's about $5, so I just buy something while I'm there and bring a cigar of my own in case I want two. Usually, if you buy something, they don't care if you smoke theirs or your own.

Ok. I just walked in and saw that Nubs were in the upwards of $7+, when I'm used to paying around $4-6...

I may come and go a few more times to get the feel for it, see what everyone else does. I saw a few pipe smokers in there last night as well, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Is it a faux pas to just be straight up and ask the bartender?

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"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

In Arizona there is a statewide smoking ban.However there are a couple cigar bars in the state that were somehow grandfathered in.They had a license in place prior to the ban and sell beer and wine only.The owner of one told us that he has to sell a percentage of tobacco based on his alcohol sales.So to bring your own smokes would put his license in jeopardy if enough people were doing it.I figure paying a buck or two more per smoke is a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to enjoy a cold beer with my cigar in an air conditioned establishment.

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In my local cigar bar, it's really frowned upon (as in, the owner will ask you to leave if he catches you) - but then again, my local place (Havana Room or Central Cigars) roll their own house brands (that they charge $8-$12 for each stick, half of which is short-filler tobacco), and ask for full MSRP on brand-name cigars, even when buying a box. So what do I do? Just walk in with my own cigar in my pocket, take off the cigar band, and pretend like it's one of their unbanded house cigars - no one ever bothers me and I can enjoy the plush chairs and ESPN on the flatscreen plasma's.

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Question, challenge, and always keep a fresh battery in your bullshit detector

Luckily the B&M around here is BYOB and they usually don't care if you bring your own after you establish yourself as a customer, they recognize me and wouldn't be mad if I brought my own every once and awhile. More importantly it's also a good idea to bring some to share with the guys working, it's be a good way to get some brands you don't normally see into a B&M, and you start building a good rapport.

The cigar bar I go to: Can bring in your own sticks, no problems. The Humidor sticks there, over priced. I purchase them however. Saving money does not trump having a great place to smoke. There is a state wide smoking ban now in WI. There are a handfull of cigar bars, and they are grandfathered in. If they close, thats it, no more. AND... in order to remain a smoking cigar bar... a % of the place's income MUST come from the sale of tobacco. So... if he wants 8 bucks for a nub, and 7 bucks for an Oliva cameroon, ill gladly fork it over if i have a fantastic place to go and smoke indoors. Gotta support the places that support you.

I sort of stopped supporting my local shop since they started making you pay to use their "bar" or pay a 50 some dollar month fee with a 5% or so discount off stuff. I figured they had a good thing going and screwed it up. But usually there is a cutting or lighting fee or if you just pick one up while at the shop you should be fine. I never did spend much time at the shop, usually only smoked one and left. Then again it's a ways out of my way so I rarely trek there.

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phobicsquirrel:

I sort of stopped supporting my local shop since they started making you pay to use their "bar" or pay a 50 some dollar month fee with a 5% or so discount off stuff. I figured they had a good thing going and screwed it up. But usually there is a cutting or lighting fee or if you just pick one up while at the shop you should be fine. I never did spend much time at the shop, usually only smoked one and left. Then again it's a ways out of my way so I rarely trek there.

I think if my cigar bar charged $50 a month or some kind of "cutting" fee, I would never go back...that's just how I feel...either let me bring my own sticks in or don't...don't try to drum up some BS fees on me. If you let me bring in my sticks, great, I'll buy some of yours too, it's just the nice thing to do.

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"Long ashes my friends"

Krieg:

If you let me bring in my sticks, great, I'll buy some of yours too, it's just the nice thing to do.

That's kind of how I feel about this place. He has some things I can't find at the other couple B&M's around here, but what I have tried and enjoy is much more than I'd like to pay. Plus, this place has wi-fi and a great atmosphere, so I could definitely see myself spending a few hours there writing and whatnot. And, I know if I'm there seeing others come and go, I'll be wanting to smoke more...but I just don't have the spare cash for his prices.

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"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
- J.R.R. Tolkien

I pay $30 a month for a membership to my local club, which gives you access to the clubhouse and 10-20% off sticks. They don't serve booze, but you can bring your own. Their prices may be a little higher, but I still stock my locker with all their smokes. I'll gladly pay 30/month and a buck or two more on a stick to have a great place to smoke and socialize.

Here is what I did. I took the owner a cigar of mine, A nice one, and I told him no offense but I am picky about my cigars and I only smoke ones that I have aged. Now the owner is a great friend of mine and we hang and smoke all the time. I always bring in my own cigar but I buy a good amount of drinks when I go in to make up for it.

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If You Got em' Smoke em'