For those who have been looking to try something new this summer, whether it be a place to hang out with friends or to relax after a stressful day of class, a hookah bar is worth a try.
I have visited three campus-are, High Street hookah bars Р1001 Nights, Shi-Sha Lounge and Gypsy Caf̩ Рand rated them based on five categories: hookah, price, environment, food and parking.
There were some similarities among the three hookah bars. For instance, all of them are busiest during weekend nights, all offer food and beverages and wireless Internet and it would be best to walk or take the bus to all of them because parking space can be elusive. But the strongest differences could be found in the atmosphere of the hookah bars.
1001 NightsThis hookah bar is the most restaurant-like of the group. Just grab a seat at a booth and wait for a menu. It offers the largest food selection with a menu of smoothies, wraps, subs, salads and desserts. I had the most expensive dish, the Combo Plate, which came with a chicken gyro, hummus, pita and fries for $6.99. The hookah cost $6.99 and there is a selection of about 15 shisha flavors, including caramel, cantaloupe melon, and rose. The walls are orange with Egyptian-themed paintings, such as the Sphinx and pharaohs, above each booth. The semicircular booths are large enough to hold a group of about six, but chairs are placed at the sides of the booths as well. It felt a bit awkward not being in a group during my visit because the majority of customers were there in groups of five or more, but there were a few couples. It seemed like everyone knew everyone else because there was a lot of booth-hopping going on with several customers mingling with different groups. “It’s a really good atmosphere,” said Joe Smeltzer, who helps oversee the operations of 1001 Nights. “If you want to just come and hang out, buy a drink, buy some food, [you’re] more than welcome to stay as long as you want. Pretty much it’s a hang-out spot, if you just want to come and enjoy the night, smoke a hookah.” Loud Top 40 music was playing, which reflected the attitude of most of the customers. “We let customers play their own music,” Smeltzer said. “If [customers] want to bring a CD in, they’re more than welcome to play it.” My hookah was at least three feet tall and towered over me, sitting on the table. The first mouthpiece didn’t fit the hose properly but the waiter quickly grabbed a new one that worked fine. The caramel hookah wasn’t the best; I was convinced that it wasn’t really caramel but another flavor. Smeltzer also said that 1001 Nights sells hookahs, tobacco and coals. Overall I think 1001 Nights is definitely suited for social butterflies and large groups. I would recommend coming with a hungry group of friends because a hookah and a meal costs less than $15. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 hookahs.
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Shi-Sha LoungeThe front room’s orange walls are dominated by display cases and menus. Here one will find the biggest variety in seating with tables, booths, couches, chairs and low backless booths available. Shi-Sha offers the largest hookah and beverage selection of the three lounges, as well as Tuesday movie nights and happy hour. The regular fee for a hookah is $10 and $5 for a refill, but for happy hour, which is everyday before 8 p.m. or all day Wednesday, a hookah is $7 and refills are $4. Shi-Sha offers about 68 flavors from three different brands as well as house blends ($1 extra), such as apple nut pie and banana split, mixed exclusively at the Shi-Sha Lounge. Shi-Sha also offers the options of additional hoses for your hookah ($2 per hose) and adding a compartment head, which is three separate shisha flavors instead of one and is also $2. Along with the extensive shisha selection is the large beverage selection. Shi-Sha has coffee, espressos, lattes, teas and smoothies along with some snacks such as sandwiches and pastries. The side room, where most of the seating is, has red walls with a few decorations – pictures and paintings – but it looks bare. There are some beaded curtains and tapestry-style fabric on the booths, and the couches and chairs have soft, natural colors. All the hookahs were large and varied in color with beautifully colored glass water jars. The mango Hookah-Hookah brand shisha I had was tasty, but I’ve had better. Music started playing about 45 minutes into my visit. “Weekends, a lot of times we’ll have bands or performing artists,” said Greg Bates, a Shi-Sha employee. “Usually Fridays and Saturday nights, especially Fridays we’ll have local bands or DJs in.” Business in the lounge was slow but steady when I visited Wednesday night. Alexandra Buragas, a sophomore in nursing at Ohio State, came to Shi-Sha with her friend and her mother, Susan Buragas. “[I] generally come here maybe once a month,” Buragas said. “Honestly it’s just a cool environment, you know, it’s definitely a place to hang out … decent prices, and good stuff.” Susan Buragas, 57, was visiting a hookah bar for the first time. “[It’s] very interesting, very laid-back, very relaxed. [Shi-Sha] is very nice … very mellow,” she said. Overall I would recommend Shi-Sha Lounge for someone who is particular about the hookah experience. The wide variety of shisha and the options of additional hoses and compartment heads makes this a place for a hookah connoisseur. There is seating suitable for one person, a couple, or a group, so anyone would feel comfortable here. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 hookahs.
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Gypsy CaféUpon entering, one heads to the counter and picks a shisha (tobacco) flavor from a displayed list of about 34 flavors, which includes mint, cappuccino and cool blue. Normally a hookah is $10, but during happy hour (11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday) it’s $5. One can also grab a drink or a snack. Gypsy Café offers a small selection of coffees, teas, pastries, sandwiches and hummus, all at reasonable prices. The seating arrangements offered at Gypsy Café are small and intimate. Though there are a few small tables, the majority of the seating is backless booths for lounging. Partial walls create a degree of separation among the three main seating areas contributing to the intimate environment. The atmosphere is very relaxed, with a natural, earthy vibe. The walls are green and brown while the floor is wooden with a river of blue tile snaking through it, and several large paintings are on display. A mix of James Brown, Middle Eastern and reggae music played in the background loud enough to hear, but not so loud that having a conversation would be difficult. I was quickly served my strawberry banana shisha. It was the most flavorful and best-tasting shisha I had from the three lounges. Gypsy has medium and large-sized hookahs with different-colored, glass water jars and decorated plates. The server, manager Mohamed Cheik, was polite and checked up on me and the other customers several times during my two-hour visit. “Pretty much, what we try to do is have the best customer service and make sure the customers are taken care of,” Cheik said. “We check on customers, making sure they’re satisfied.” Two customers, Paul Brower of Reynoldsburg and Anne Patton of Bexley, cited the e “They’re more relaxed and they’re not uptight,” said Patton, a Columbus College of Art and Design student. Gypsy is a good place to “just chill,” said Brower, a Columbus State student. Overall, I think the Gypsy Café is the most relaxed of the three hookah lounges. I would recommend arriving earlier in the day to meet with a friend or date for coffee or to relax after a stressful day of classes. Although the environment at Gypsy is better suited for smaller groups, adequate seating for large groups is available. The long happy hour makes it a nice, inexpensive after-class stop. Rating: 4 out of 5 hookahs
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