Octopus Garden Smoke Shop

Octopus Garden Smoke Shop has been part of the Asheville scene since 1993, and after three decades on Tunnel Road it's earned a genuinely loyal following. Ask anyone who shops here and Sky's name comes up fast. As the manager, he's the one folks trust to answer questions and track down whatever they're after. One regular named Billy went out of his way to say Sky is educated on everything in the store, polite, and always willing to go above and beyond.

Mika keeps things running smoothly too, and the word around town is that the whole crew greets you like a regular and makes the place feel like home. The selection is where this shop really shines. You'll find cool and unique glass pipes and water pipes, plus an extensive lineup of rolling papers and accessories. Cigar folks have a lot to dig through, with a case that runs from Arturo Fuente, Padron's neighbors like Rocky Patel and Perdomo, to Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, Drew Estate, Macanudo, My Father, Ashton, CAO, Gurkha, Alec Bradley and more.

On that last point, locals will tell you the prices here beat what a lot of other spots around Asheville charge. Speaking of prices, that's a recurring theme. People who shop here talk about fair, close-to-wholesale pricing, and the rewards program through FiveStar has fans who love watching their points stack up toward free product. The staff also have a soft spot for out-of-towners, happily pointing visitors toward cool places to check out around the area.

We'll be straight with you: a few people wish the hours ran later, and there's the occasional grumble about an off day at the counter. Management clearly cares and makes things right, and the overwhelming vibe here is a clean, welcoming, well-stocked head shop that Asheville has counted on for over twenty years.