Smoke & Beer

Smoke & Beer has earned itself a loyal following in Olympia, Washington, and the word around town is that people will drive in from Tumwater, Shelton, Yelm, and Lacey just to shop here. One longtime regular called it a "monthly pilgrimage," and that says it all. It's a husband-and-wife run shop with the kind of Ma-and-Pop feel that keeps folks coming back year after year, some for the better part of a decade. The selection is a big part of the draw.

Locals point to the glass department in particular, where the lady of the shop is known for being genuinely helpful and steering people toward the right piece. Beyond the glass pipes and water pipes, you'll find tobacco pipes, cigars and cigarillos, a wide cigarette selection (people mention finding brands here that are tough to track down elsewhere), hand roll machines, tubes, rolling papers, disposable vapes, e-liquid, and plenty of smaller accessories. Ask anyone who shops here and they'll tell you the couple is always bringing in new shipments and "fun stuff you never knew you needed." Prices are a recurring theme, and not a small one. People who shop here swear it's the cheapest around, and more than a few have said they simply don't buy their tobacco anywhere else.

The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, the kind of place where the owners will take the time to walk you through the glass case or point out something you might have missed. One regular remembered stopping in with his son just to browse and being shown around for the better part of an hour. We have heard the occasional grumble about how a punch-card promotion was handled, so it doesn't hurt to double-check the terms on a sale. That's the exception.

For most everyone who walks through the door, this is their smoke shop in Olympia, plain and simple.