We came in here pre-pandemic, back in February. We arrived on a Friday afternoon after an early dinner. My husband had never tried the hookah before, but I had in Istanbul, so I thought it might be something unique to do. We were greeted by a friendly lady, typical warm Turkish hospitality. Neither of us knew what to try, as we aren't smokers, but the owner helped us pick out something light and fun. There is a plethora of flavors! We went with apple, which was quite good. I like that this spot also offers some yummy Turkish beers, we each enjoyed an Efes. It was pretty quiet when we visited, only a few other people. The vibe is dark and chill, very cozy and comfortable. We had a nice visit here and glad we tried something different. read more

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Great chill vibes, great hookah, very nice music playlist, lots of seating, and they were playing the game on the big screen, they let me smell the different shisha flavors to pick what i liked read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - FML Mint x Queen of Sex Hookah - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Lil red head lady was amazing, so sweet. Best customer service ive had in Wilmington.. She lets you sniff the shesa flavors.. Magic dragon is the best read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - a hookah lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

So chill. We stopped here after dinner during our coastal road trip. This was my first time with hookah so I was unsure of how everything worked. The waiter/attendant (not sure of the correct term) was totally cool explaining how everything worked and finding out what we thought would work best for my husband and I. This place is well-ventilated! Just a really awesome, chill vibe. Would absolutely visit again. read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - Laterns - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Delicious Turkish coffee and baklava! Very random location for a Turkish place but very much appreciated.

I never smoke hookah but we went to hangout with some friends and I just love the atmosphere. Lots of open seating, beautifully decorated, and a staff that is knowledgeable on the services they provide and the products they sell. Like I said this isn't something I do regularly, but I definitely enjoyed the night and I'm sure we will be back. read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I had such a fun & relaxing experience here! The owners are so hospitable & I loved hearing some history behind the delicious Turkish coffee and tea my friend & I tried. The atmosphere is very warm & comfortable, with the best music I (personally) could have asked for. There were many hookah flavor options at three different price points. We opted for the cheapest so we could try the two drinks and a banana spilt. I also enjoyed the large bubble stick they gave us after a while so we could try making some smoke bubbles. Each of us ended up paying about $15 when we split everything. I can't wait to go back! read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This place is awesome!! If I could give 10 stars, I honestly would. This place has ONE solid theme; Istanbul, Turkey. The owner personally made us our hookah, explained the history behind his lounge, as well as the history behind the Khalil Mamoon Nargile. His service was prompt and polite, and he checked on us every chance he got. He takes such good care of the place. We came around 4, ordered a blue mist-mint hookah, and had a wonderful time enjoying the music. I am from Texas, But I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town. Thank you so much!! read more

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Very comfortable and welcoming environment. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Loved the music and the service. Will be back for sure. read more

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Excellent place to chill and enjoy. Great service and hookahs. Nice variety in the small menu- enjoyed the popcorn and Queen of Sex hookah blend. Wine - rose with a few grapes in glass - delightful! Music on point too. Staff was great. Love the decor too - especially the Turkish light fixtures. Will return on next visit to area. read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - Relaxing Turkish chic environment- perfect spot. Great music playing-Hermitude Radio. Excellent service too. - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I love coming here. The lady is really nice and helpful with suggestions. It's a good place check it out. The macaroons are great. read more

IstanBulls Hookah Lounge - A great time - Hookah Bars Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Being from California and wanting to enjoy a good hookah on vacation the owners here have given us such a great experience. Very nice maintained hookah lounge if you are looking for a relaxing place to go and enjoy a casual evening this is the place to go! Very welcoming and friendly environment. read more

This place has a very relaxed atmosphere. I payed $22 (this includes tax) for 1 basic hookah flavor. Anytime my coals were running out, the lady who worked there would change them without me having to ask. She did it continuously for the 4 hours I was there. She was very welcoming and helped me pick out a flavor since I never tried hookah before. They sell small snacks (macaroons, baklava) and beverages, including alcoholic drinks. They sometimes project something from the TV onto a very large screen at the entrance of the lounge. read more

TL;DR - EXCELLENT hookah/environmemt (coming from a bit of a hookah snob), great coffee and sinfully delicious chocolate cake. Go. Now. Don't bother reading my full review, just go! Full Version - While visiting Wilmington this weekend, I found myself with some unexpected time to kill and decided to check this place out. Now, I consider myself to be a bit of a (hopefully non-obnoxious) hookah snob- Tangiers, phunnel bowls, cocoa coals and the like. And, while I learned upon greeting the owner that this place does not carry Tangiers, I am very glad I did not "snob-out" and write them off; instead, swayed by the warm and inviting nature of the cafe itself and the husband-wife duo that run it, I decided to stay and try an orange/lemon-lime hookah by a brand I now forget the name of (not Starbuzz, Al-Fakher, Fantasia or Nahkla... - though they do carry all of those.) The owner, as a side note, is an incredibly welcoming and kind man by the name of Genghis Kahn (I apologize if I got the spelling wrong!). No, that is not a joke or an autocorrect mistake- that is his real name. He is Turkish (hence "IstanBulls"), and if you're not careful, he will invade and conquer your heart just as he did mine. Not long after I ordered and took a seat in a very comfortable couch, Genghis Kahn came out with a beautiful, brand new, ice tray-equipped Khalil Mamoon and two cocoa coals atop it- already lit, smoking and ready to go. And despite my predaliction to Tangiers and general hookah snobbery, it was absolutely superb. The shisha never got too harsh or died out during my session, he brought me fresh coals midway through and his wife even let me sample some of their incredibly decadent chocolate cake. I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Usually, when I go looking for new hookah bars, I find I am frequently disappointed by some combination of an environment uncondusive to hookah, instant light coals, and poor service that ultimately leads to an unsatisfying experience. Not this time. IstanBulls is top notch hookah and more- Do yourself a favor and pay Genghis Kahn a visit. read more

I come to this place every time I'm in Wilmington. The lady there is so helpful and sweet. It's a really good vibe, they have alcohol, desserts, hookahs and Turkish drinks for all great prices. I highly recommend. read more

Enjoy my first time here with some friends. I like that its low key & very clean ! I will be going back again soon . The staff did a great job and made me feel welcome . read more

I absolutely loved the theme of this place. It was very quiet and reserved. The service was very good. We got checked on frequently and the lady was super nice. I thoroughly enjoyed the music and atmosphere. I will definitely be here again. read more

Such a super friendly and chill place. I didn't try the food, but it's nice and very clean on the inside, unlike other hookah places I've been. Highly recommend. read more

Dream hookah lounge! The owners are awesome, the ambience is perfectly upscale, and to top it off they serve frozen grapes in wine. If you're looking for a place to enjoy a conversation with friends without yelling at each other, this is the place. read more

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This place is awesome. It is the best and nicest hookah bar I have been to. Great place to relax. The staff is very friendly and nice, and the furniture and place itself is very gorgeous. Definitely worth 5 stars. read more

Really enjoyed this hookah bar. It was very clean and had comfy seats. The owners are very friendly and welcoming. I would definitely go back here again next time I visit Wilmington. read more

This is a fantastic hookah bar. The owners are attentive, warm, and inviting. On top of that, everything from the coffee to the wine is superb. Obviously, the shisha is perfect as well. read more

This is a great hookah bar. It's owners are the staff so it's got amazing service. They play great music (my opinion) and pretty good prices. It's really relaxing and well kept. Very clean. They also have drinks and water. read more

Great service and environment. Truly a traditional family owned business. Nice ambience and overall very clean. Service was prompt and they made sure they checked in every now and then. Wish there was a poke stop! read more

Excellent new Turkish place to have Turkish Tea & Cake. The family owned Turkish bar is very clean and quite. A must for 1st timers to Wilmington or locals to try! This place is very nice folks...the cake is excellent, try it! :O) read more

Not a great experience. Our service was slow and the seemed like she was not interested in serving us our drinks (could've made a lot more money if she did). She checked on us maybe twice in the 2.5 hours that my group was there while our glasses sat empty. When our friend came to join us (who is 20 and had no intention of drinking) the waitress came over and gave us this long warning on how we not dare to share our drinks with her or we will all be kicked out.. and that she has cameras on all of us and she will be watching. Honestly WTF?! It was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable moments and after that it kind of killed the vibe. Seems like they should be treating the customer a little better considering the price is $25 for just one round of hookah. I'll go to juggling gypsy next time read more

One of the best hookah bars I've been to. Impeccably clean, amazing and genuine service, and phenomenal Turkish coffee. They carry fumari and offer upgrades to your experience as well, such as ice tips. Don't forget to try the baklava! read more

Best hookah lounge I've ever been to, especially since I'm from Chicago. Phenomenal service. The people who owned it were unbelievably nice and polite along with really got hookah and it was such a good environment. I would give it more than 5 stars if that was a thing, to be honest. read more

The best hookah lounge in Wilmington. I'm a frequent customer. Owners are awesome and go above and beyond. Service is great.

Visited InstanBulls while visiting Wilmington and loved it! The hospitality was great and the hookah was perfect! We will definitely be back! read more

I don't usually write reviews unless i had a really awful experience or a very amazing one and i for sure had an amazing experience!!Great quiet place to just sit and relax...service was amazing and best hookah around guaranteed!!! read more

Staff is super friendly and personable! Went for the first time tonight and had a great experience. Will be going back!

My wife and I moved to Wilmington in May from the Louisville area, which has a plentiful amount of hookah bars. When we moved here we were disappointed in the the fact that the only selection was either a dive bar or a nightclub to go to and smoke Hookah. When we saw Istanbulls was opening we were super excited and we were not disappointed in the least! This place is amazing. It is super relaxing, and the hookahs and authentic Turkish desserts were fantastic. It was the first time I'd ever tried Turkish coffee and I loved it. Not only is the atmosphere perfect for relaxation and just chilling out with your friends over coffee/tea and conversations, but the service is some of the best we've had since moving here. The owners are as friendly as any I've ever met, and I totally recommend this place to anyone looking for a great place to hang out after dinner. I absolutely cannot wait to go back! read more

Chill atmosphere, nicely decorated, friendly employees, a lot of flavor choices, and they gave us a bubble wand to blow smoke into! Really cool. Definitely recommend! read more