AJ Smoke Shop

AJ Smoke Shop has been a fixture off Apache Trail and Signal Butte in Apache Junction for about five years now, and if you live anywhere near that corner, you have probably seen the sign advertising five-dollar cigarettes. That sign is what pulls a lot of first-timers through the door, and once they meet Ron, the co-owner, most of them come back. Locals will tell you Ron knows customer service, greets you like a neighbor, and takes time to explain things to folks who are new to the shop. He keeps a few different brands of cigarettes at that low price point, tax included, which is a big part of why regulars from right across the street keep stopping in.

For a small business, the selection covers a lot of ground. You will find cigarettes, vapes and disposables, glass pipes and water pipes, grinders, rolling papers and the smoking accessories to go with them. People who shop here appreciate that a locally owned spot this size manages to stock pretty much everything they come in looking for, and the store itself is clean and well kept. There is also Max, the Scarlet Macaw who hangs around and, we hear, is available for parties and gatherings, which tells you something about the personality of the place.

The word around Apache Junction is genuinely warm on this one, with a solid reputation among the folks who shop here regularly. We will be straight with you though: opinion on staff is a little split. The women who work the counter get consistent praise for being pleasant and easy to talk to, while a few people have mentioned the odd rough interaction with another staffer. Worth knowing too that the shop posts its no-returns policy clearly, so give the signs a read at checkout.

Overall, this is a friendly, well-stocked neighborhood tobacco shop, and supporting a local business is easy to do here.