Very nice family run business.. Señor Gilberto Leon started a good thing and his family continues on with the hand rolled cigar shop. Very good prices and a fun place to visit.. It's kind of like walking into 1964. If you like a nice cigar and are near Koreatown, check them out! Bring some quarters for street parking. read more

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I really liked this shop despite the fact that it's so tiny, parking can be hard to come by, and the lady behind the counter (Mr. Leon's daughter?) was kind of mean. I think it had been a pretty busy day and she looked tired, so I won't hold that against her. The quality of these cigars considering the price was amazing. About a week after buying a few sticks here my friend and I smoked a couple Padron cigars at Ceniza in Pasadena and then smoked a couple of Leon's cigars and we both agreed that Leon's cigars were much better and half the price. I really need to come back to this place because these cigars are much better than most the cigars I've smoked that were twice as the price. I only wish they would expand and get a bigger place, I think they could do a lot more business if they weren't in Koreatown, but in case that never happens I'll still come back for more. read more

Love this place. Like on the previous reviews, freshly rolled cigars are great! The store front is tiny(maybe 10ft wide) so you might miss it the first time. Parking is a bit tough sometimes, but worth the effort. The staff is friendly too. I think it's the late Mr. Leon's daughter that works there some times, and she's all smiles! Smile is a great asset... especially when the smiley hands you a cigar. read more

Watching a man hand roll a cigar is almost worth 5 bucks by itself. Getting to then purchase that cigar seals the deal. I'd say that I appreciate the cigar more, having seen firsthand the care and craftsmanship that went into it, but I'm still at the "enjoying a good cigar" part, which is about as much as I can focus on at one time. It's good to know I have something to fall back on if that first part ever lets me down, though I doubt it will... Whether you're a cigar fan, expectant father or a just a guy looking to add the final touch to his Groucho-costume, Leon's should do fine by you... read more

UPDATE: they recently started selling lighters and humidors. grabbed a couple of robustos for 5 each, decent smoke at a good price. 4TH VISIT, staff still not the friendliest but better. Maybe it takes time for them to feel comfortable being friendly to you? still, 5 stars for the feel of the place, quality of the cigars, and closeness to work. read more

Just came from Leon Cigars! I'm a bit inexperienced with cigars and have been driving past this place for the last few months. I'm having a party and wanted to have a small cigar lounge and offer a quality product. I went to El Leon cigars and was greeted by Lorenzo who gave me a lesson on mild,medium,full cigars and their different lengths and ranges. We picked 30 cigars for the party. I felt extremely comfortable knowing I had an expert who was guiding me. I will be paying them a visit soon. Ohh and did I mention the prices were reasonably. Quality product for many different price ranges. read more

Really cool place if you're looking for some good cigars. I prefer flavored cigars and they have about five to six flavors at all times for me that's great i've been a customer here for a few months now and every time I walk in the guy knows exactly what I want The mango flavor is a must have read more

El Leon Cigars - The entrance - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I bought dozens of cigars here for my husband's surprise birthday party for our guests and they were a hit! Everyone loved the smoothness, subtle flavors and the fact that they were hand rolled. The woman that helped me was very nice and gave great suggestions. I will definitely come back here again. You can beat their prices especially with the quality of their cigars. Their hours are a little tough to work around and their parking is limited to the street which can prove to be very challenging in Koreatown. Please note: This is not a cigar bar type of place. It's VERY small and a little underwhelming when you walk in but it really doesn't matter since you're not hanging out their anyway. read more

I've been coming here for many years. I use to love the smell of tobacco being rolled in the shop and seeing Leon and couple of his guys rolling them while smoking a stogie of their own. Although the cigars them selves weren't 5 stars, this scene made for a feeling of purchasing coronas of gem, in middle of LA. Leon is no longer with us and the shop still remains. I no longer see the people behind the counter rolling the cigars. The cigars get 3 stars from me, as well as service. Memories that Leon created for his shop gets 100 stars. RIP. read more

Whether you're new to cigars or an aficionado, I don't understand why you'd go anyplace in Los Angeles other than El Leon... The owners/operators are knowledgeable and friendly. There are fresh-rolled, accessibly-priced cigars in the humidor for every smoking preference. The clientele is eclectic and the conversation broad and engaging. Comfy seating, wifi, complimentary water and espresso for those who want it. Plenty of fans and an air purifier to circulate. Small flat screen so you can watch sports if something's on, but it doesn't distract from the ambiance for those who are more interested in the conversation. read more

What a great place. I am no expert when it comes to cigars, but my friend told me to try it out. I was a bit hesitant when he said go to Koreatown for cigars, but once he sent me an article about Leon and the history behind the place. I had to give the place a shot. I walked in and the lady behind the counter was very nice and helped me pick out some cigars. I got home, poured a glass of Johnnie Blue and lit one up. I must say it had a smooth taste and highly enjoyable Give this place a try. read more

I can't rave enough about this place. my first experience here was over 15 years ago when Leon would be rolling cigars in the widow. Leon is no longer here but the cigars are just as fresh as if he was still rolling in rhe window. It's a bit small but it is now a lounge. They have great quality cigars and nothing over 15 bucks. Can't beat that. Drop in and hang out for a few and meet Lorenzo and the rest of the fellas. read more

El Leon Cigars - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Los Angeles, California

This is a great little cigar shop and the owner is super friendly and welcoming. Cigars are around $6-8 and I'm no cigar aficionado but i had no complaints about it. read more

This review is going to be a work in progress review as I smoke the stash of 7 maduros I've picked up from Leons last week. Last night, I lit up the #4 ($3.50!! hahah! You got ripped Leon!) and instantly I knew it was going to be all okay. The start of the cigar was a bit dry, that's not unusual for cigars. I would say only the first 3/4inch. Then the cigar took off like a space shuttle from the middle until the very end, it was worth every penny, all 350 of them really. I don't think I've EVER had a $3.50 cigar that tasted THIS FUCKIN good. Medium body, rolled very nice, perfect, perfect draw to it. It's a VERY SMOOTH cigar actually (I'm kinda remembering this 12 hrs ago right now). I'm picking up a dozen next time, along with another humidor! Got 6 more to go... Last night, I smoked the Fuma. $3.50/ea Thinner gauge than the #4, a bit spicier with a bit more of a kick to the smoke. This one lasted well over 2 hours, I usually don't drag the shit out of my smokes..ease up! Cancer! haha It's not as smooth as the #4, but for $3.50 as well, the price to value ratio was quite nice. I can't wait to get to the more expensive cigars. Especially the torpedo. 5 more to go, before I re-up. This paragraph is now for their Famous Leon #1 coming in at the unbelievable price of $5.50 each. Nice gauged cigar, this one's gotta be cut, actually I've been cutting all of my cigars lately thanks to my Best Man's Cigar Cutter I was gifted with last Nov. In any case, you know why it's called a #1? Because it's probably their best smoke, no? Most likely, and I'll have to agree with that assumption unless the Gigante version pulls a 9 or 10 on the Richter scale. VERY smooth and delicious smoke, nice draw. Remember these guys roll their own shiz. Torpedo - Maduro $5.50 - This one I had the other night, I actually kinda forgot about it since it really didn't smack me in the head with something jazzy. It was an okay smoke nonetheless, I think I just didn't like the way it was rolled. Too fat to start and skinny at the end, wasn't really torpedo'ish. I would rate this below the #4. And I'm all re-stocked today with #4's, fumas, #1, and 2 more gigantes that I haven't even tried out yet. ** NOTE - When am I ever going to bump into Marie? ** = ) read more

Leons has been around forever. It's a great everyman's shop. Fresh hand rolled cigars, rolled right before your eyes, at affordable prices. It dose not get any better than that. The key is, hand rolled fresh. It will help if speak a little spanish:-). And do keep an eye on the parking metter as they love to hand out tickets. You can also park across the street. It is easy to find, just think Wilsihre and Western avenues. Leons truly is a gem of a smoke shop. It will be on your list of hip little places. My brother and i have been going to Leons since 1997. This month I will travel to London to celebrate his 54 bithrday. He'll be getting smoke's from Leons. read more

I have been coming here for the past couple of years, before and after the new management. I have to say, these are the best cigars in Los Angeles. The new management is awesome and they have great tasting cigars read more

El Leon Cigars - Oh yeah!! Enjoying my cigar at home - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Not only Lorenzo's handmade cigars are awesome, his knowledge on cigars is endless. Don't be fooled by the decor, you will rarely have a better smoke in the US. read more

Just came by to cut a cigar and the people were so chill and friendly. Ended up spending hours with strangers. Had a beer, smoked my cigar, stayed much longer than i had anticipated. Definitely stop by if you're a cigar person or just looking to chill with some cool people. read more

Fantastic cigar shop! A very unassuming shop in Koreatown, you could miss it if you blinked. I had the pleasure of purchasing a bunch of their hand rolled house cigars a couple of weeks ago and just recently had a chance to try one of them. I'm not a cigar aficionado by any means, so I'm not that familiar with much of the lingual, but their house churchill sized, which I forget what they called it, was so smooth. The draw was nice and consistent and the cigar burned very evenly. It reminded me of a Arturo Fuente Grand Reserva, which are one of my favorites. Their prices are extremely reasonable, compared to name brands and even to Martinez Cigars, in NYC, which also hand rolls their cigars in the store. It's rare to find a shop that makes their own cigars in the store. It makes the whole cigar smoking experience better, in my opinion, knowing that you're not just smoking a mass produced cigar. I'm so glad that I came across Leon's while Yelping cigars in LA. When I go back to visit, I'll be sure to stop by to pick up more. read more

Man, this place slice of heaven. Great cigars Great atmosphere and super courteous help who could ask for anything more? read more

El Leon Cigars - Good atmosphere good smokes! #LeonsCigars - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I paid my first visit to Leon's Cigars yesterday to find some anniversary cigars for my boyfriend. I was greeted by Lorenzo who was nothing but patient, knowledgable, and very informative. With my lack of cigar knowledge, he helped me feel comfortable to find just the right kind of cigars for my boyfriend. A plus is that Leon's has great prices on their cigars and you're even welcome to enjoy a cigar in their shop. I will definitely bring my boyfriend back so he can check out their cigars. I had a really great experience here. And my boyfriend lovedddd the cigars! Ps. They hand roll each cigar themselves! read more

Lorenzo is the man. Very affordable sticks. I like how it's catered only for cigar smokers. This is the only cigar lounge I hang out at . Lorenzo keeps his spot open late sometimes just to cater to us as well as open on Sundays for football and then we have occasional barbecues where everybody contributes. If you want the Hometown feel of a small business wear the shop owner knows your name as well as the customers this is the place to be my friends. Big C said it!! read more

Man this place is great. Good Cigars and at great prices. Apparently this place was a "grab and go" cigar shop before but now they have lounge chairs and they serve espresso and cold waters if you decide to hang out and have a cigar. Cool thing is they'll have a flat screen up pretty soon and some other cool things going on. This is place is awesome. read more

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el Leon Cigars is a true gem. This place has the best fresh, locally hand rolled cigars around. They offer a quality product at unbelievably low prices. Cigar aficionados is an understatement, Lorenzo has incredible knowledge of the products he sells and has come up with some incredible blends that are comparable to authentic Cuban cigars. This is a great place to have a smoke too. read more

El Leon Cigars - Enjoying another great smoke. THANKS Vince. - Tobacco Shops Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Being relatively new to the cigar world I've been looking for places where I can learn and experience quality cigars. Well I think I've found my place. I was immediately greeted by Lorenzo when I walked in and he asked what kind of cigar I was looking for. He guided me through his selection of El Leon hand rolled cigars based on my taste and I ended up with a couple of delicious prospects. A rosado maduro robusto and a maduro robusto. Both were smooth and flavorful with a good burn. The cigars were well packed and beautifully rolled. Lorenzo does sell some branded cigars but why bother when you have hand crafted excellence produced by a local business? I believe in supporting local businesses. Especially when the quality is on par or better than branded items from other places. I look forward to many return visits to learn and try different styles/types of cigars. If you enjoy cigars, you owe it to yourself to give El Leon a visit. Excellent cigars at a great price. read more

Stopped by the other day. Picked up some great cigars. I use to go there about 15 years ago. Now that I'm back in the area I will be visiting frequently. You can't get a better cigar anywhere. Oh and by the way. I've been smoking cigars for 32 years, before it was a fad. I've smoked every brand made and the some from the Dominican Republic. Honduras. Mexico and Cuba. Leon's Cigars beat them all. read more

I was really put off by the lack of customer service. Rick was a nice enough guy, If he was a shoe salesmen. As we know banter and friendly chatter goes a long way to selling a cigar. As well as proper knowledge of your personal brand. Unfortunately he could not even answer the most basic questions. This was the one time I have ever left a cigar store empty handed. I was really surprised. My thinking is if they are going with poor quality counter help, are they also offering POOR QUALITY Cigars? They both go hand in hand I have noticed when it comes to this specialized industry. I will return to Leon Cigars. They deserve a 2nd chance. Here's to a long ash & good smokes. read more

All LA cigar smokers should check this place out at least once. I normally only smoke Cubans, but was interested after reading in going here after reading an LA times article a year or two ago. It's just a small storefront by 6th/Western, and it does feel like you're going back in time as another reviewer mentioned. I tried a bunch of the cigars, and found one that I really like - the Tronquito Maduro (50 x 5 3/4"). At $4.50 for a great cigar, it's pretty tough to beat. Since going my first time a month or two ago, I've already been back twice. read more

I don't know about these 4.5 stars....5 in my book....6 if possible....this is a "Cigar Shop"....Korea-town is not Beverly Hills but the first class treatment you get here is the same. I don't need stained wooden floors and all the sexy stuff to smoke a cigar with a bunch of good people. read more

I am so happy someone wrote a review of this place! I used to live in LA where a friend turned me on the Leon Cigars, but it's been years since I was there. I found myself describing the shop to a buddy here in the bay area recently, but could not remember the name of this place. I browsed the net for a while and low and behold - I found a review on Yelp! Nice job Kalbiguy B! So here's the deal: don't go expecting some smarty pants-aristocratic wanna-be patrons lounging in leather chairs and ottomans showing off their tommy bahama loafers. This place is (well it was a few years ago) truly a hole in the wall, smelling of pure tobacco. There are a few guys working at desks with leaves of dried tobacco on shelves in front of them. The place feels like a throw back to the 1940's. As far as I recall, they had one kind of tobacco. I never went in there asking what kind they had, I simply asked for the size I wanted. I swear the guys rolling must have had tobacoo oozing out of their pores. But it's just so damn sweet when you pick up a still wet, freshly rolled cigar from Leon. Don't waster your time posing at some other place. Whether you smoke often, or just once in a while, do yourself a favor and get to Leon Cigars. I wish I had one right now. read more

Came in here to get some cigars for my brother-in-law last night I got turned out best cigars ever and they were really smooth.....can't wait to have another reason to smoke a fatty.... read more

OK so they don't hand roll them there anymore so what also wow I just got some like a week and a half ago and they are pretty good very neat........ I have had real Cuban's and liked some and did not like some but these are the best ever I think ...... The guy that helped me told me they roll them in the Dominican and I thought I would not like them right off the bat boy was I wrong ....... these burn the cleanest white ash I have ever seen ....... and lots of flavor not dull ......... thank you Leon for your family keeping up the good work ...... I just have to say if anyone that reads this likes cigars come and try these ............ yes for all the cheap ass import calif people they are not expensive ............... read more

Super cool lounge, the other customers are friendly and inviting, El Leon's has a Cheers of cigar lounges vibe to it, great cigars and great conversations. Theres a small Tv thats great for background. The owner-operator is really easy going and takes the time to explain the cigars and the ins and outs of proper cigar smokimg and culture. You can pay for cigars with credit card but you can not tip on the debit or credit card, cash only for tips,so make sure to grab some cash to hook up the people that take care of you. read more

Parking is tricky, but this is the best cigar shop in Southern California, bar none. They only have their own line, sold at a tiny front desk, but they are smooth, made on the spot, fresh, and a pleasure to smoke. These folks hand-roll cigars from fresh tobacco leaves in the store. You cannot get any better. I have stopped using all tobacco products due to the present recession, but I hope this shop survives the downward turn of the economy. It is more than a cigar shop; I see it as a cultural asset. read more

Came here first originally 5 years ago and man, this place couldn't be any better than today! Lorenzo explained to me all of the TLC that went into this place and it shows. So much bigger now with locally made, higher quality sticks but still at very reasonable prices. read more

Love this place! Small family business. I have never seen a shop like this before where they roll the cigars in front of you. These are probably not the best cigars you will have in your life, but an AMAZING VALUE. Equivalent commercial smokes would go for triple the price! read more

In the last several months I've become a cigar lover. I happened to drive by this shop today so I decided to pick up 5 or 6 to try. These are the shop's own brand ( no band ). I was looking forward to trying one when I got home - I was not disappointed. It was full of flavor and I enjoyed it down to the point where I burned my fingers. I could buy a comparable cigar for 50 cents or a buck less online but I'm happier supporting a local business, especially one that's been around for such a long time... AND I love that they only sell cigars and cigar accessories. read more

Been going to this place for years. Amazing smokes. Best cigars in Los Angeles in my opinion especially when you consider the price. I like the Torpedo's personally a real Tony Soprano-type cigar. Great prices, great cigars, great people. read more

I been living out of the country for the past 7 years, but I lived in LA for 18 years and one of the things I miss most is being able to drop by Leon's and pick up cigars. I was not living there when he passed away or I surely would have gone to the service. Leon was a great person and I considered him a friend. I'd stop in his shop, chat, have cigar and buy 5 or 6 to take with me about once or twice a week of 5 years. Sometimes I would help him carry his new shipment of leaves into the shop he'd offer me a cup of coffee and roll me a free cigar. In my opinion to get a cigar as good you have to pay at least 4 times what you will pay at Leon's. I am sure that they are rolled just as well because when he did have people helping him they were always very good a well. read more

Was out of La Gloria and Aston Maduro Robusto and waiting for shipment, so I ran down and wanted to try these. Smokable, but that is about it, three stars at the most. If you are used to a high-end stick, these will not compare, fresh, but that is about it. I will let the other three age. I heard about this place for years and wanted to give it a try. The folks were nice, but the cigars ok, have a bit of a dirty taste, improve a bit a little in. No noticeable tones, other than earth. To each is own, but if these were high-end cigars, the word would be out and they could get double. For the folks that like them, but they are 75 or so. Okay, if you have nothing else. I will let the other three get some age, and seem if that changes them and report again. read more