Robusto & Briar

Robusto & Briar has quietly become one of the most beloved cigar shops in Lakewood, Ohio, and one visit makes it easy to see why. The centerpiece is a massive walk-in humidor, really three or four rooms of it, where the sticks are kept perfectly humidified and the selection runs deep. Regulars will tell you they keep finding cigars here they've never seen anywhere else. The lineup covers a lot of ground, from Acid, Alec Bradley, Ashton, Asylum, AVO, and Caldwell to CAO, Camacho, Cohiba, Crowned Heads, CRUX, and C.L.E.

Eiroa. People travel through the area and go out of their way to stop in, and more than one has called it worth the trip. This is as much a lounge as a shop. Three distinct seating areas, leather chairs, a couple of card tables, big screen TVs, and what looks to be a private room give you plenty of room to settle in and enjoy a smoke.

The word around Lakewood is that the vibe hits that old-school, classy note without feeling stuffy, and the place is spotless. It smells wonderful the moment you walk in. Pipe smokers are well looked after too. Alongside the cigars you'll find tobacco pipes and pipe tobacco, with names like Peterson, Savinelli, Comoy, Chacom, Nording, Ser Jacopo, and Dunhill, plus blends from GL Pease, Esoterica, Rattray's, and Lane.

Ask anyone who shops here and the knowledge of the staff comes up fast. The owner is happy to steer you toward the right cigar for your palate, and folks have mentioned Hammond by name as someone who really knows his stuff and will even walk a newcomer through trying a pipe for the first time. We've heard the odd grumble that service can feel a little reserved on a slow night, but that's the exception, and most people leave feeling well taken care of. With reasonable pricing, expansive hours, and that comfortable lounge, Robusto & Briar is the kind of place cigar folks in Lakewood keep coming back to.