Morehead City Cigar & Tobacco

If you're a cigar person anywhere near the coast, Morehead City Cigar & Tobacco is the kind of place you end up making a habit of. Open since 2011, this is a proper tobacconist run by William, whose name comes up again and again from folks who shop here. Ask anyone who's spent an afternoon in the humidor and they'll tell you William knows his sticks inside and out, and he's just as happy walking a first-timer through their very first cigar as he is talking shop with a longtime aficionado. Rob is another familiar face behind the counter who knows the cigars well and has a knack for steering people toward the right pick, whether it's a single stick or a box for a celebration.

The selection is what brings people back and pulls in travelers passing through. Locals rave about the depth of the humidor, with names like Opus X and Padron in the mix alongside Montecristo and Romeo y Julieta. One fella from up north put it plainly: if you're from NJ or NYC, this place has all the sticks you prefer. There's pipe tobacco too, and William is as versed in pipes as he is in cigars.

People who shop here also mention the pricing is fair and reasonable, which is no small thing when you're stocking up. Then there's the lounge, and honestly that might be the heart of the place. We hear it's welcoming and comfortable, an inviting spot to sit back, light up, and fall into good conversation with a mix of locals from all walks of life. More than one vacationer down at the beach for the week has stopped in for a rainy-day smoke and ended up wanting to come back.

Friday evenings, we've heard, are when the crowd really fills in. One of the highest-rated smoke shops in the area, and it earns it. If you're looking for a cigar shop in Morehead City with real knowledge behind the counter and a lounge worth lingering in, this is it.