Empire Smoke Shop

Empire Smoke Shop is a small spot in Cincinnati with a bigger personality than its footprint suggests. Locals will tell you it's part smoke shop, part something-else entirely, with one regular comparing it to a trading post for the wide mix of items you'll find inside. You'll come across vapes, hookah and shisha, glass pipes and water pipes, rolling papers, and a good spread of smoking accessories, plus glass and silicone bongs that folks around town rate highly. The owner is the reason a lot of people keep coming back.

Ask anyone who shops here and they'll mention how helpful and laid-back the staff are, always ready to track down what you need and known to throw a few good deals your way. There's a second employee some regulars remember as Christina, described as friendly and quick to share what she knows. The word around Cincinnati is that the prices are fair, and the location is easy to reach, sitting almost right across from the Aldi on Colerain. Heads up on the way out: the parking lot opening in front doesn't run all the way across, even though it looks like it does.

Now, the honest part. This is a compact space, and the shop's dogs are a whole thing. Some people adore the German shepherd and call the dogs super sweet, while others have found them a little much in such a tight room. If you're not a dog person, that's worth knowing before you go.

A few visitors have also run into odd timing at the door, so it doesn't hurt to check they're open before making the trip. For a small neighborhood shop with a friendly owner and a solid selection of glass and vapes, plenty of people in Cincinnati are glad it's around.