AJ's Smoke Shop

AJ's Smoke Shop is a small spot in Youngtown that has earned real affection from the people who shop there, and most of that comes down to the guy behind the counter. Ask anyone who stops in and the same thing keeps coming up: friendly, knowledgeable service that makes you feel like a friend rather than a customer. More than one regular has said the owner is the reason they made this their regular shop. One local put it plainly, calling it the gold standard of customer service, and that warmth is clearly what keeps folks coming back month after month.

The shelves cover a lot of ground for such a compact store. On the vape side you'll find disposables and pod systems from RAZ, Geek Bar, Lost Mary, Oxbar, VaporLax and Mi-Pod, along with e-liquid and vape juice from Coastal Clouds, Pod Juice, Cloud Nurdz, Juice Head and Candy King. Hardware runs through Geekvape, Yocan, Puffco, Lookah and Dr. Dabber.

Cigar smokers can grab Swisher Sweets and Backwoods, and there's hookah and shisha from Al Fakher and Starbuzz for the setup crowd. Rolling papers cover the classics with RAW, Juicy Jays, OCB and ZIG-ZAG, plus glass pipes and water pipes, grinders, and everyday accessories. They also stock Satya and Nag Champa incense and Smoke Odor Exterminator for after the fact. Locals mention fair prices and quick trips in and out, which counts for a lot when parking is tight and the shop itself is easy to miss without a map.

We hear the vape juice selection can run a little limited, so it's worth a quick call ahead if you're after something particular. A heads-up too that the posted hours have thrown a few people, so confirming before you drive over is smart. Overall, though, this is a well-liked little shop in Youngtown where the service does the heavy lifting.