My fiancé who's a huge cigar aficionado LOVES Shelly's. He goes there with friends, to study, to eat, and just to relax. I've gone with him on several occasions, mostly to eat. I love their fries and they have an interestingly diverse menu. Although I've recently gotten into cigars, I'm not a huge fan of indoor smoking--there's poor ventilation and the odor sticks to everything. read more

A casual, relaxed cigar bar in downtown DC? What's not to like. You can order one of their cigars or bring your own. If you bring you own and don't bring your cutter just let them know and they will loan you one. The food is alright but you're not going there for the food. They do have a decent beer selection and a better liquor selection (especially bourbon and scotch as you'd expect). The Manhattan I had was stronger than at most places and smooth with a cigar. The Irish coffee was likewise strong enough rather than coffee with a drop of Bailey's like at some bars. This place is more casual than you would expect for DC. Some people come from work in three piece suits while others are in jeans. Neither group feels out of place. If you don't like cigar smoking you'll probably be okay here since they have a strong ventilation system. If you like cigars this place is a must stop downtown. read more

Nice place to grab a drink and have a cigar! It's nice atmosphere, the air is circulating, so your not over powered by smoke. The staff is very knowledgable, and can recommend cigars. They have a wide variety of cigars,& drinks. If your hungry they have a food menu. They also have outdoor seating for those nice evenings in the city! They also stay open late which makes it great after dinner spot. They gave cozy seats, couches, chairs, tables,& booth seating. An you can pick up a cool cigar box on the way out for a few dollars. I have seen them between 2.00 a dollar or two more for the nicer boxes! read more

Shelly's Back Room - Stella,& Ashton! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love it here! The lockers on the wall are dope. They are for regulars I suppose. Lots of men for those who are looking for them lol read more

Shelly's Back Room - This place is sexy! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food, drinks, and cigars!...what more could I ask for???? This place is amazing and the food is fantastic! They have a smoking section and a non-smoking section. There's outside seating for cigar smokers, too. read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great place to hang out with a friend or two,or make new ones. Love the more sophisticated laid back atmosphere. The food was great. Just a great place all around. I have been wanting to try this place for a while, and it didn't let me down. I will be returning as a regular. read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

An amazing place, my husband is a cigar smoker and this place was the best experience, also good drinks, food and excellent service . He was super excited and happy , highly recommended for cigar smokers read more

This place has the worst service by its owner. I witness him disrespect new patrons at his establishment because they were trying to purchase food at a table for four with two people. But he never said anything to the other patrons that were sitting at tables for four with one person. I will never go back he was so disrespectful. read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great place to stay warm and have a cigar with friends. Great cigar and adult beverage selection.

Nice, chill spot to hangout. Lots of cigar options. Service is good and food is pretty good too, especially the sliders. No need to purchase a cigar here, you can go for the ambiance and the company. There is a bar and also tons of seating. Drinks are great. Overall, 4/5 for a good experience. Go here with some buddies or a date, obviously not a good place for kids. Relax, get some food and drinks and a cigar if you want! Prices are decent. read more

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My first cigar lounge, I wish it was a much more better experience than the one I had as I love the concept. The cigar selection is good, overly priced but for the setting it is suitable. I ordered nachos and they apparently bake the nachos with shredded cheese so it was very hard and barely any cheese on the nachos. The servers didn't understand English much at all and was constantly reminded to refill drinks and we had to call the server over every time we needed them because they weren't coming on their own. Bathrooms are unisex and singles which was very nasty and dirty. Overall the concept is really nice but the service and sanitary habits of this place is very questionable. I think this place has great potential but has a bunch of improvements needed. read more

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We always have a great time at Shelly's. Except for today. We sat outside. A very nice waitress took our drink and wings initial order. The rings never came. Another waiter finally came to our table with a big ass chip on his shoulder and a terrible attitude. We paid and left. He needs serious training or simply fired. It will be a long time before we even consider returning. read more

Great food, great service. Burgers were absolutely outstanding. It is also a cigar bar, and the whole place smelled like cigars. We didn't know that until we went in. Food is great, but know that you will have to deal with the smell of cigars read more

Without the cigars, this place would be an expensive bar with a very good selection (particularly in the scotch area). The ability to smoke cigars gives it that something extra that makes this place special and fun to visit. As a cigar novice, I was not too impressed with the staff's abilities to explain cigars to me and to help me find one I would like. Having said that, they were very friendly and made you feel a little coddled, which is nice from time to time. I will definitely return to laze away an afternoon at some point. read more

I was in town for only the day but this place had great food and wonderful relaxing atmosphere! It was a quiet cigar bar where I was able to set up shop in the back at the bar and do some work. read more

My boyfriend and I checked out this place after stepping into a higher yelp rated cigar lounge (TG's) but we were not a fan of the atmosphere at the former location. Between the two, we definitely felt Shelly's was more welcoming. TG's felt like it was catered to one kind of crowd mainly due to the kind of music that was playing and how loud it was, which neither of us was a fan of (very club-like). Shelly's was loud but more with chatter and less so with music. TG's was definitely more intimate, smaller, and darkly lit. Shelly's was much bigger (also offered a full course menu) and brighter. It would have been a much better experience if the place was a little less bright. They have a wide selection of cigars and wine/cocktails/beer. Seems like this is a regular place for individuals, groups, and even organizations to visit (they have lockers people can rent out!). Overall, decent place to check out. Personally, think it's better than TG's but not sure about other lounges. Not many lounges like such in DC in general so best to not have high expectations. read more

I really liked this place! Especially on a snowy, winter night in DC. Very comfortable, inviting from the outside and "homey." Of course, the fact that you can sit and enjoy a cigar at your table while waiting for dinner is a huge bonus. They even have a cigar menu you can order from! I had a Churchill and lobster bisque. My wife had the sliders. She really, really enjoyed the sliders! We would have ordered more, but we just weren't hungry. I absolutely would dine here again the next time I'm in DC. read more

Had a decent time. I ordered a southwest salad and was very pleased. The service was great!

Loveeee It!!!' It's a cosy rustic place. Lots of locals ! When I'm travelling to dc its the best place to come and chat with the locals and get a feel of what dc is all about! Love the drinks love the warmth of this place and the character it brings! You can smoke in this place they've got cigars on the menu and its just a great place to socialize. It's very busy in morning and in the evening after 5 ish food is great and so is the service just awesome ! Definitely recommend read more

OK, I've been here a few times. For me, the service is always great it's a very cool atmosphere, and the drink prices are reasonable. The food at Shellys, is standard bar food, which is very good. Our favorite people at Shellys are Derek, who works at the bar, and Katie, one of the very high energy servers. As far as cigar lounges go, if you visit DC, you got a visit Shellys. read more

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Excellent cigar lounge. Staff are always polite, knowledgeable of cigar quality and pairing. This is my go to spot when in DC. read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I had 5 more hours till my flight and decided to uber here and grab a smoke. Glad that I had my own because the price are pretty high. I still brought one. The staff is very attentive and commandeering. Not too knowledgeable of the type of cigars they have. read more

Shelly's Back Room - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A great and historic place to smoke a cigar and have some nice eats! The food is surprisingly good and the bar service is stocked very well!

i LOVE this place, it is definitely going to be a late night favorite hangout spot. it came recommended by a friend who is an avid cigar smoker. and i really wanted a place to smoke a cigar, get some good food and drink , outside of my roof of course ;) food fried shrimp basket: delicious, well battered spicy burger: awesome! , it came with fries which were delicious, crispy drink i got a whisky sour with makers mark, it was great, not watered down at all. cigars they have a good selection. but i brought my own cubans: romeo y julieta's. they have a great ventilation system so i could literally smoke in your face and the smoke would be sucked up and away , way, way!! i did my best to make some smoke rings which is really hard to master! ambiance great! so nice to sit and relax, they have a tv so you can watch the nba playoff while you smoke. they also have lockers to keep your smokes humidified. awesome! parking only on the street or garage. come after 10pm or on sunday to not have to deal with paying for it or take a taxi/lyft/uber to avoid the hassles service some of the comments here pointed out racist service workers. personally, we didn't have that experience. the only workers here were polite, foreign born(thai or phillipino) and i didnt get that vibe. but hey i cant vouch for everyones experience, only mine overall i think this cigar lounge is awesome! its in a great part of DC, i really can't think of things which would be a downside. will return, hopefully soon read more

A little pricey but the ambiance for the description of the guys who recommended it...which were the secret service! My daughter and I enjoyed the pricey craft cocktails and the seemingly back deal vibe here. I'll return here every time I visit. I definitely recommend. read more

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If I could give it no stars I would, everything about it was all wrong. We came to relax and have a nice cigar. Me and my husband received some bad news after being there for about 30 mins. We never got any food just a drink a piece and a cigar a piece. No one was waiting on us hand and foot. We had to go so I got the check paid the bill. The waitress looks at the tip on the check and walked away started talking about it to another waitress. As she was headed back towards the back she walked over and said did I do something wrong. I said no we have to go we got some bad news you know she had the audacity to say oh because of the tip I was wondering if I did something wrong. At that point I could have lost it how dare you request something you didn't do a DAMN thing to earn, and coming to ask for more makes it worse on her part. Me and my husband were both in disbelief, I have never had a waitress in any establishment do that before. We will never return to this hole in the wall ever. The atmosphere and ambiance needs a lot of updating on the inside for sure.....hole in the wall. Don't waist your time or money. read more

Thank you guys for such a good time! Mike the bartender provided awesome recommendations. Food was great, drinks were a gentleman's pour. Cigars were superb. read more

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Great cigar and liquor selection. The atmosphere is so cool. It's like stepping back in time. Every time I'm in DC this is a must stop for me! read more

Amazing atmosphere. Perfect to just sit back and relax with some great food and a smoke. Cigar selection is nice but I recommend bringing your own. Love going to Shelly's for a cigar and whiskey to watch the game. read more

Hostess and wait staff are attentive, polite, and move with urgency. The facility is fairly clean with a mature crowd. Ambient noise is quite a bit more than I was expecting. Had the crab cake sandwich. It was ok. Brought my own cigar, as I travel with my own cigars. Filtration system is reasonable. First drink I ordered was an old fashioned. Had to swap it for a Manhattan because it was made with muddled fruit and well ice. It was a major let down. The Manhattan was ok. I would not recommend this place for cocktails. I've visited cocktail bars, whiskey and cigar bars in many countries. Shelly's is not a place that I would recommend to my friends. It's not bad but it's not good. I would only visit again if I were passing through DC on business with no other options. If you want whiskey and a smoke, then visit. If you want more, you will be disappointed. read more

Nice laid back place to enjoy a drink. Campfire wings are awards good paired with a good glass of burbon

We met another couple here on a very rainy night recently for cigars and cocktails prior to dinner one evening recently. It was a lovely cigar bar with a broad menu for both smokes and cocktails. The staff was welcoming and helpful, the atmosphere homey and relaxed. We weren't rushed and enjoyed some highly recommended cigars at our leisure. A lot of locals come here, you could tell that they meet up here regularly, so you get a sense of a smaller community within the DC area. Vaults are available for those who frequent and want to keep their favorites on standby. Very enjoyable ... read more

I work around the corner and went here for happy hour I'm with my colleagues. Everyone ordered a drink served neat, yet no one could taste any liquor. In all my years of going to bars I never thought this would actually happen to me. They 110% water down their bottles of booze. If you want to eat and drink beer with a cigar go for it. But if you enjoy nice whiskey or tequila avoid at all costs. Shocker a bar located in the epicenter of tourist attractions pulls this stuff. Please avoid at all costs, especially everyone visiting from out of town. read more

Shelly's Back Room is a decent cigar lounge with a kitchen. I had their ribeye which came out correctly cooked the first time. The wait staff was friendly as did a good job on both the food and cigar sides. The place has a good cigar selection. My party ended up going thru two cigars as we sat and enjoyed a relaxing atmosphere. I look forward to going back. I recommend Shelly's Back Room. read more

This place is a total rip off!! We had two Bloody Mary's made with Tito' vodka ( which isn't top shelf), and they were $21.00 EACH!! $46.00 for two with tax. Stay away!!! read more

Service was not good!! My complaint went upon death ears. Wonder if my race played a factor based on my observation of others!!! Not good!!!

Came by for some drinks & cigars tonight and had a great time. Chai was so fun and a great server! Reasonably priced place for a cigar and cocktail, close to all the big tourist places. read more

You don't want to eat here!! It's fine if you're after a good Cigar and a Drink. But the food here tastes like Styrofoam!! Stale, Dry and Flavorless. Don't waste your money on it. Eat elsewhere!! read more

I would never go here. Went once and apparently they don't like interracial couples. They wouldn't even serve us water. Told us to move several times and then put reserved sign in the table and said we had to sit somewhere else. Tried to sit with friends and they still would not take any orders. Went to the bar and even then they said to move. Wouldn't let us sit with friends so we left. Disgraceful read more

The mighty have fallen. This place was my go to for years but it's gone bad. Poor circulation rude staff at times and just an overall negative experience. Still gets three stars for nostalgic reasons and the good bartenders avoid table service they are rude and move you quick. read more