Been there one time, can't wait to go back. Great selection, plenty of tables and TVs, great service. Loved it. read more

Cigar King - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

I didn't like how the employee possible owner was only watching me and my friend while in the humidor looking for cigars. Wasn't watching the other customers. I'm assuming because we're Hispanic. Nonetheless it made me uncomfortable. Use cameras instead don't make it obvious that you're racist smh read more

I've been coming here on and off for many years. I the last time I went this guy named Hong comes up to me and tells me it's a $25 minimum to be there. The same thing happened yesterday. I was going to spend that money anyways but I prefer not to be told about it like I'm some dude that goes into places to window shop. It looks like the guy telling people to spend their cash they were going to spend anyways is a,guy named Hong.its not clear if he is the owner or not because the website that shows detailed information of illinois businesses that have licences indicates who the business owner is lists it still as cigar king with someone else as the owner so could Hong still be the owner? Who knows? I think the customers should be treated better. The 2 cigars I bought came out to $24.75 in total read more

Cigar King - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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George couldn't have been more helpful -- truly 10/10 customer service! The atmosphere was fantastic and the room was just as great. Highly recommend! read more

CIGAR KING IS BACK!!!! THANK THE CIGAR GODS IN HEAVAN!!! I was a regular back in the day when it was the shop first opened in the early 90s...moved outta the neighborhood came back when the next owners took over...that's when a dark cloud overtook this beautiful and welcoming environment. I was in the neighborhood and reluctantly decided to check it out. Lemme tell ya...the minute I walked in it felt different...like something very familiar. Come to find out NEW OWNERS TOOK OVER!! Unknowingly I met the new owner Tony who told me the great news!! Cigar King regulars past and present can finally CELEBRATE!!! I now live in the Midway area and I can tell u I WILL BE BACK!!! THANK U...THANK U...THANK U TONY AND THE NEW OWNERS FOR BRINGING BACK A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT TO ALL OF US CIGAR LOVERS!!! HAIL TO THE CIGAR KING CREW!!!! read more

Cigar King is the best cigar lounge ever. Great cigars with amazing prices, needless to mention the service, vibe, live piano music, and TVs. It's heaven on earth read more

Cigar King - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Sadly the location has a "no outside cigars" policy. I've been to cigar lounges all over the country and they always either do a cutting fee or require purchases of their own cigars. Offered to buy 5x cigars from their shop to smoke 1 from my own collection and the guy asked me to leave. Zero class. Sad! read more

Large space. Plenty of lot and street parking. Selection is wonderful. Prices comparable with other lounges. TVs. Pool table. Leather chairs. Room for dozens of cigar lovers. read more

Walked in with three friends. Two of us bought expensive padron cigars ($30ish) and our other new to cigars friend bought a $15 Liga Privada. Guy hassled us that everyone had to spend $25 a piece. I bought two additional lighters for my buddy, we smoked our cigars, complaining about how crazy that rule was, and we left early. Definitely would have stayed and bought another dessert cigar, but we just wanted out at that point. There was a lot of people in there and its an awesome space. However, no matter how good your space is, your business' days are numbered treating customers like that. I hope the next owners of that space keep it a cigar lounge and have a more customer-centric approach. It is a really cool spot and there are so few good places like that left anymore. read more

Great selection,!! Of upper end cigars and very nice atmosphere... everyone was very servible and great discount on volume purchase.

NEW OWNERS! Great people as well as their staff. Very friendly and hospitable. It's going to be called Cigar King again. No more $25 minimum! They are increasing their inventory with some terrific new cigars. Exciting times. read more

Prices were a bit high, there's a $25 minimum, no alcohol, and the staff is not very friendly. They seemed put off when I inquired about a box purchase. The building is pretty cool, although cold in the winter. When all your customers are wearing coats, maybe it's time to turn the heat up? To many other good options to call this one home. read more

Great service, great ventilation, great pool table, multiple screens, great times! BYOB BYOF Highly recommended!

Visited while on a business trip. Excellent selection of cigars, great lounge with plenty of seating, friendly staff. Non-members just need to buy a few cigars to enjoy the lounge. Great for a relaxing cigar when you need a lounge away from home. read more

Cigar King - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

The service is great! I went with my brother and we were treated nicely! I will be back! A mature crowd. Nice prices.

Great place to go , good people very friendly. Cigar selection is good. Have been going there since new mangers etc. byob

Had about 10minutes to kill. Walked in, the store clerk reluctantly got up from the table where he was hanging out with his buddies. Picked out a couple of cigars from the humidor, in a very unfriendly and condescending tone, he informed us that there was a $25.00 minimum purchase to sit down. Since I did not like the way that he was speaking to us, I elected to return the cigar. While I was putting it back, the clerk made my friend wait outside in the cold since his purchase was only $23.60 (approximately) Cigar King, you are missed. read more

Its a bit disappointing to see something like this posted during a pandemic. Everyone is suffering, everyone feels caged up, and this is one of the few places that is open to just get away and now the business wants to take advantage of the situation? This is not a club, a high end lounge, or a place that supplies liquor or provides live entertainment to be charging a minimum purchase of tobacco products. You come to a cigar lounge to enjoy your favorite stick or try a new one and have a beverage to relax. Not to be required to pay a min in tobacco products. Only reason I gave this a 2 star because the lounge has been redone, looks nice and humidor has a good selection, just wish it could be faced better and in stock at times. I'm sorry it's just sad to see a local business do this to their locals, again we all are struggling doesn't mean you take advantage of the situation. Local business are closing everywhere. For the time being Big Mike's has lost.my business. read more

Cigar King - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Excellent selection! Very clean! Outstanding ventilation! Great group of guys. I've been smoking stogies for over 40 years and hanging out in cigar lounges for over 25 years across the USA; I was a cigar rep and MC at a few. This one is top shelf! Great place to de-stress and meet great people. I am there almost daily. *Dougie "Fresh" the new Fresh Prince of Skokie read more

I can't believe they are charging $25 to smoke when you buy a cigar from them. I was there a couple time this month and they didn't charge, but now they are. It was a place I use to really enjoy going to. read more

Just discovered this place driving through Skokie. Great space. Seems to have a nice group of regulars. I've only popped in to knock out some work and have a cigar so I haven't had a chance to socialize but its an excellent spot to be sure. Having the January 6 "hearings" on tv instead of astros - yankees was a major downer but ill let it slide. But to be fair, the one thing that could be better monitored are the tv's. To have talking heads on tv with no sound instead of baseball (or something else that can be enjoyed without sound) is baffling. The TV's should either be off, have something people want to watch with sound, or have something people want to watch whether or not the sound is on. Thats it. Thats my review. read more

Great place! Very clean and great selection of cigars at reasonable prices. Cozy leathwr seats and big screen TV's. I believe they also sell beverages.( read more

Hung is my guy. When I lived there I went everyday. They have always treated me nice. I'm going to Chicago this weekend. I know they will show me nothing but love. I recommend this place to all my friends coming to the area. Tony (Dallas) read more

Previous owner (when it was called Cigar King) was super friendly, had an awesome dog that would wander the shop (Stella!!!) and the joint had a superb low-key chill. The staff, most of which has changed, was extraordinarily friendly. New owner isn't around much, but there is a bit of an unfriendly vibe from what seems like the current manager. Uptight. Not a people person, let's say. The selection remains the same --- very good, even if a bit overpriced (I'm happy to pay a premium for the pleasure of camping out in a nice lounge smoking!) Lounge area is improved with nice furniture, art, TVs, etc. The ambient temperature in the joint is never right - I hope they figure it out soon. Doors wide open with the heat on? That's just silly. Each season they don't seem to know how to control temp. Ugh. read more

this place use to be great but now they charge a $25 cover to sit in the lounge. good selection and good staff but won't be going back due to the cover charge. pre cover charge i'd give them 5 stars but their too greedy. read more

I know nothing about cigars. I stopped by to get some for a Friend's birthday. I gave the sales associate a list of 4 brands, & he was very helpful. He was patient with my questions. read more

Great place to relax with friends. Large cigar selection. Great ambiance. Worth visiting.

I agree, Cigar King was pretty good. And now Big Mike's is great! Thank you for the generous amount of seating and TV screens Big Mike!! read more

I stop here on the way home and it's a perfect place to relax and let traffic die down, selection is great and has plenty of seats the smoke eaters where on point and never once felt that I was breathing second hand smoke. Five star in my book. read more

Absolutely the best cigar lounge in the Chicagoland area. Always clean and the place has a great vibe too it.

Great selection and decent prices. The lounge is a good size you're almost guaranteed to get a spot to sit and enjoy your stog. Lots of comfy chairs. Great spot read more

**** update**** not sure if my suggestion was read but my previous review I suggested that if the name were to change, the suggestion would have a nice ring to it and if it was , then as you can see in the picture...... its now officially known as... Big Mikes Cigar lounge... awesome!!! ----------------------------------------- and heres my previous review which I guess is now officially the 1st review for the and under the new name: Cigar lovers take heed......... Cigar King is under new ownership and look!! Always has been a cool place to go and chill and no other place like it in the Chicago area, which is why this place rocked in downtown Skokie. Has recently changed ownership and the New Owner came in like a hurricane! This place was totally overhauled, remodeled with a whole different new modern look that it gives it a much needed upgrading to the T. Huge new and improved walk in Humidor with a wide selection of only the best freshest & highest quality cigars money can buy. Whatever your budget this place has it. New floors,new furniture, new wall to wall large screens and sound system throughout the place. Not sure if the name will change but if they do maybe " Big Mikes Cigar lounge" would fit it appropriately. Big Mike is the new owner. He has a big heart and his passion is reflected in the decor / look throughout this establishment. Great new hours ( opens til late during the week- 11pm,and later on the weekends) and a great place to catch any of a number of sporting events on one of the many 65 inch plus screens. Even has a baby grand piano for entertainment- Was there last week Friday evening and someone was playing it beautifully late at night.- it's a nice touch. Was there for Superbowl game tonight( Go Patriots!!- what a hell of a game and comeback from 25 points down.....The best Superbowl comeback in Superbowl History) They had a great spread for the game courtesy of Cermak foods which Big Mike hosted himself and ... Heck I'm gonna have to go there and do a review of that place because the food was phenomenal.... just take a look at the pictures. This has quickly become the best Cigar lounge in the Chicagoland area,. read more

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Great place to smoke cigars and watch the games. Lots of big screens everywhere and a phenomenal selection of cigars. Can't wait to go back.

Top Notch! The place is well run with a very comfortable atmosphere.

Great place! 64 comfortable chairs. 8 Flatscreens. 16 tables. One pool table. A very large humidor. BYOB. A great place to hang out. You could even do a poor man's bachelor party here [it just really sucks living in a state where you can't smoke a cigar in a strip club...what kind of world do we live in?] Great hours. There is extra parking in the back. Events with snacks sponsored by Cigar companies on a regular basis. read more

This place is ideal. Huge selection of top notch cigars(in different sizes), good ventilation, espresso machine, large screen tv's, friendly staff, and cigar loving patrons. Wanna watch a game and have a smoke, this is the place. It does get crowded at times, as there is probably seating for 60 or more comfortably. Free pool table. No alcohol is served but a cooler of soft drinks is available. The cigars are not over priced for a tobacco retailer. Clean and friendly. Ladies are welcome but seldom seen. read more

Great place to relax with a great cigar. The recent remodel has created a very comfortable lounge with a great atmosphere, an incredible improvement in appearance. I have certainly been visiting a lot more often since the change in ownership and the amazing remodel that followed. You will be hard pressed to find a better cigar selection anywhere in Chicago, plenty of variety in all price ranges. Any cigar lover would not want to miss a chance to stop in! read more

Big Mike's Cigars, formerly Cigar King, in downtown Skokie retains 2 good features from when it was Cigar King, you can sit inside and smoke a cigar in peace and they have a wide selection of cigars. Unfortunately, when the new owners remodeled they put in very uncomfortable chairs and replaced the 2 big screen TVs with many small TV s mounted high on the wall. My biggest complaint is the uncomfortable chairs. The new chairs, which replaced high backed lounge chairs with ottomans, are very low and when I sit on them I feel like I'm sitting on the floor with my knees up in the air, and the low chair backs offers no support if you want to lean back, relax and enjoy your cigar. They also removed the ottomans so there is no way to elevate your feet to be comfortable. Also, the big screen TVs the new owners replaced were much more immersive for watching sporting events than all the little TVs mounted high on the wall that require you to crane your neck to view. The cigar prices plus separately charged taxes are 50-100% more expensive than buying cigars by the box on the web but I was always willing to purchase an expensive cigar from Cigar King to pay rent for a comfortable place to sit and smoke it. With Big Mike's new and uncomfortable chairs I no longer have a reason to go there. They still have their free pool table, cadre of regulars and friendly owners but I miss having a pleasant, comfortable and relaxing place to sit and smoke a cigar. read more

This is a great place to enjoy a cigar on the north shore. They have tons of TVs, comfortable chairs, and a great selection of cigars in the walk-in humidor. Beer and wine are available, and you can bring your own liquor. Nice people seem to be there. I go here whenever I am in the area. read more

Big Mike has moved in! You can crown him the new Cigar King of Skokie. In the same retail space as Cigar King, Big Mike has make a masterful retail experience. Missing some of the "comforts" that cigar king was legendary for, Big mike improved the space, cleaned it up, and most importantly created a back stock second to none in the Chicagoland area. You will always find exactly what you are looking for (provided of course the scarcity isn't prohibitive of having much stock. It is supply and demand after all!). there is ample room to move around, plenty of big screen TVs to watch whatever entices you, and new chairs. You are asking, why the 4 stars? Well, I've been shopping there for a few months, and when I used to walk into the store when M/J owned it, they would greet me, ask me how I was and always try to find my cigar for me (since they knew what I liked, and many of my alternatives). I've smoked countless freebies to see if it fit my taste profile and those guys trusted my opinion. Good or bad. Overnight I became just another customer. The sterility has taken away the comfort of what used to be a place I (and so many others) would feel welcome to hang out, watch a game, and enjoy some laughs. Not so much anymore. I will give big mike some of my business because he does have a great selection of cigars, but the experts are gone and so is my comfort level. read more