JO Habanos

At JO Habanos in Fort Myers, the cigars are rolled right there in the shop, by hand, fresh every day. That is the whole draw. The word around Fort Myers is that this is a small operation run by expatriate Cubans who put out a full line of their own smokes, and people who shop here swear by them. One regular tried the JO Medium Bodied Presidential and called the tobacco smooth and tasty, saying he'd only smoke JO from then on.

The woman who runs the store, on Palm Beach Blvd, gets a lot of love from folks who come in. Locals will tell you she's helpful, knowledgeable, and rolls somewhere around 200 cigars a day herself. Ask anyone who shops here and you'll hear about the warm welcome. One fellow came in looking for a Valentine's gift for his partner and left grateful for the picks she helped him choose.

Another put it plainly: it's a diamond in the rough. The humidor is on the smaller side, and the house-rolled JO cigars are the main event, but you'll find some name brands too, including Don Pablo and a limited stock of others like Perdomo. As one regular joked, going in for another brand here is like ordering a TV dinner at a steak house. The J.O.

Cigars line is what keeps people coming back. Now, we'll be honest: opinion isn't entirely unanimous, and the odd person has come away unimpressed. The overwhelming word among Fort Myers cigar folks runs the other way, and this cigar shop carries a strong local reputation for quality hand-rolled smokes, fair prices, and friendly service. If you want cigars made fresh in front of you rather than pulled off a national shelf, this is a spot worth knowing.