HQ Vape & Smoke

HQ Vape & Smoke has been a fixture in downtown Tempe since 1989, and locals will tell you that kind of staying power says something. More than three decades in, this is one of the most well-regarded smoke shops in the area, and the people who work here are a big part of why. Ask anyone who shops here about the staff and names come up fast: Carly, Rainy, Josh. Regulars talk about being greeted at the door, getting patient help, and chatting their way through a purchase.

One longtime local put it plainly, saying he's been walking through these doors since he was 18 and now he's 37, and HQ still looks out for the locals. The place is bigger on the inside than the outside lets on, and it's packed. We're talking a serious stock of vapes and disposables, e-liquid and vape juice, glass pipes and water pipes, tobacco pipes, hookah and shisha, rolling papers, and all the accessories to go with them. If they don't have exactly what you're after, the word around Tempe is they'll order it in.

One out-of-towner came looking for a specific device nobody else had and walked out happy, and that seems to be a common story here. People who shop here swear by the value too. Prices stay competitive, there's a military discount for veterans, and the selection keeps folks coming back year after year. In fairness, a few longtime vape juice buyers have noticed the e-liquid lineup shift over the past couple of years, so if you're chasing a very specific flavor it's worth a call ahead.

The store itself is neat and well-organized, parking is generally ample, though being right in downtown Tempe it can get busy during peak hours. All in all, a genuine local favorite that has earned its reputation the honest way.