Need a recommendation for a good SoCal Cigar Lounge.

[JFGoDan]

I'm going on a business trip to SoCal in a few weeks. I have to drive from LAX to La Jolla (and back a few days later). I'd like to break up the 2+ hour drive. Any one know of a nice, public cigar lounge about half down the coast? Any that serve food too would be great. I guess I'm spoiled by Famous and JRs in PA & NJ.

Thanks!
Jay

 

[knw247]

Maximar's is about 43 miles from LAX. It's hard to say how long it will take you to get there from LAX without knowing the time and day of travel. But if you were to do the drive at 2:30 on Friday (now) it would be about 1.5 hours. If you drove from Maximar to La Jolla right now, it would be about 2 hours 50 minutes. If you drove from LAX to La Jolla right now, you'd be looking at 3 hr and 40 minutes.

Why are you flying into LAX to go to La Jolla? San Diego or John Wayne in OC would make so much more sense.

 

[knw247]

Another option is http://www.clubaficionadocigar.com/ I have never been there, but the website looks great. Food, Sports Bar, Wine and Cigars. It is also along the way. I'd imagine both lounges would be about the same travel time along your route.

 

[Jesse]

If your looking for a bar type place to kill a few hours I would check out the Eighty Eight Lounge in Downtown Fullerton https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjRuNa72ZnOAhVGeCYKHZhMAM4QFgglMAE&url=http://888cigarbar.com/&usg=AFQjCNENVfj_kahE-SpevOU5FfO_cHejzQ. I will warn you, this place is like Vegas, you will loose track of time inside and come out many hours later, I've done it. haha It's a really cool lounge and they have a ton of great places to eat around the area, humidor is average on selections but you can bring your own and enjoy the bar and TV's. The back room has a juke box, pool table and dart boards.

 

[JFGoDan]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Going to LAX because it's a difference of $1400 for a coach ticket. Yes, $1400. United has the cojones to charge $1700+ for a round trip ticket from EWR to SAN. And the flight leaves at 7am as well. It's marginally cheaper to SNA at $1400. I can fly more comfortably and cheaper on Virgin to LAX. Yes I could connect through LA or SFO but I'd rather drive than risk missing a connection. I miss Continental.

I would arrive in LA about noon and hit the road about 1PM. I've made the same trip in the past to Dana Point. It usually takes me a little more than an hour. So I figured it would be about 2 hours or so going to La Jolla. Haven't been back since last year. Has the traffic gotten that bad going down towards Dana Point around lunch time?

 

[knw247]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Going to LAX because it's a difference of $1400 for a coach ticket. Yes, $1400. United has the cojones to charge $1700+ for a round trip ticket from EWR to SAN. And the flight leaves at 7am as well. It's marginally cheaper to SNA at $1400. I can fly more comfortably and cheaper on Virgin to LAX. Yes I could connect through LA or SFO but I'd rather drive than risk missing a connection. I miss Continental.

I would arrive in LA about noon and hit the road about 1PM. I've made the same trip in the past to Dana Point. It usually takes me a little more than an hour. So I figured it would be about 2 hours or so going to La Jolla. Haven't been back since last year. Has the traffic gotten that bad going down towards Dana Point around lunch time?

WHen I was pulling the maps, it was showing me travel time based on current traffic, so on a friday at that hour... yep.

 

[ChuckMejia]

If your looking for a bar type place to kill a few hours I would check out the Eighty Eight Lounge in Downtown Fullerton https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjRuNa72ZnOAhVGeCYKHZhMAM4QFgglMAE&url=http://888cigarbar.com/&usg=AFQjCNENVfj_kahE-SpevOU5FfO_cHejzQ. I will warn you, this place is like Vegas, you will loose track of time inside and come out many hours later, I've done it. haha It's a really cool lounge and they have a ton of great places to eat around the area, humidor is average on selections but you can bring your own and enjoy the bar and TV's. The back room has a juke box, pool table and dart boards.

Bruh, I didn't even know about this place. We should meet there one day

 

[Jesse]

Bruh, I didn't even know about this place. We should meet there one day

If you actually come down I'll meet you there.

 

[knw247]

Chuck. Let's herf

 

[KGD]

Since you'll be in La Jolla - I'll give you some suggestions since that's my hood.
1. There's a coffee shop called the livingroom in the heart of La Jolla, the top level which has a separate street entrance is cigar friendly and has a small humidor, mostly arturo fuente.
2. Not too far from there, but a bit inland on Miramar is a Lounge - Churchills - with a great set up, indoors and a legit humidor.
3. If you're like me and want to enjoy a cigar at a great hotel loungey area, I also recomment the Hyatt Aventine on the cusp of La Jolla on the 5, their hotel lobby bar has a cigar friendly outdoor area. The Back Patio at the Flemings Steak House next to the hotel is also Cigar Friendly. About 15-20 minutes away given traffic are my top 2 favorite places for a cigar and cocktail - the Grand Del Mar, which has an outdoor patio alongside the lobby bar ans a small humidor, or the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe has the hunstman whiskey bar with a small outdoor area for cigars.
4. In Del Mar and central San Diego there are a couple excalibur cigar lounges, as well as a second churchills in Old Town San Diego. All of them are pretty good, we've got a few touristy ones in Downtown San Diego, but you'll be disappointed by pricing and selection. If you're in San Diego on a Thursday night, you may want to hit up @sean and see if our group is smoking that night in East San Diego County.

 

[knw247]

Since you'll be in La Jolla - I'll give you some suggestions since that's my hood.
1. There's a coffee shop called the livingroom in the heart of La Jolla, the top level which has a separate street entrance is cigar friendly and has a small humidor, mostly arturo fuente.
2. Not too far from there, but a bit inland on Miramar is a Lounge - Churchills - with a great set up, indoors and a legit humidor.
3. If you're like me and want to enjoy a cigar at a great hotel loungey area, I also recomment the Hyatt Aventine on the cusp of La Jolla on the 5, their hotel lobby bar has a cigar friendly outdoor area. The Back Patio at the Flemings Steak House next to the hotel is also Cigar Friendly. About 15-20 minutes away given traffic are my top 2 favorite places for a cigar and cocktail - the Grand Del Mar, which has an outdoor patio alongside the lobby bar ans a small humidor, or the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe has the hunstman whiskey bar with a small outdoor area for cigars.
4. In Del Mar and central San Diego there are a couple excalibur cigar lounges, as well as a second churchills in Old Town San Diego. All of them are pretty good, we've got a few touristy ones in Downtown San Diego, but you'll be disappointed by pricing and selection. If you're in San Diego on a Thursday night, you may want to hit up @sean and see if our group is smoking that night in East San Diego County.

So jealous I do not have these type of locals mapped in my hood

 

[JFGoDan]

Since you'll be in La Jolla - I'll give you some suggestions since that's my hood.
1. There's a coffee shop called the livingroom in the heart of La Jolla, the top level which has a separate street entrance is cigar friendly and has a small humidor, mostly arturo fuente.
2. Not too far from there, but a bit inland on Miramar is a Lounge - Churchills - with a great set up, indoors and a legit humidor.
3. If you're like me and want to enjoy a cigar at a great hotel loungey area, I also recomment the Hyatt Aventine on the cusp of La Jolla on the 5, their hotel lobby bar has a cigar friendly outdoor area. The Back Patio at the Flemings Steak House next to the hotel is also Cigar Friendly. About 15-20 minutes away given traffic are my top 2 favorite places for a cigar and cocktail - the Grand Del Mar, which has an outdoor patio alongside the lobby bar ans a small humidor, or the Inn at Rancho Santa Fe has the hunstman whiskey bar with a small outdoor area for cigars.
4. In Del Mar and central San Diego there are a couple excalibur cigar lounges, as well as a second churchills in Old Town San Diego. All of them are pretty good, we've got a few touristy ones in Downtown San Diego, but you'll be disappointed by pricing and selection. If you're in San Diego on a Thursday night, you may want to hit up @sean and see if our group is smoking that night in East San Diego County.

Thanks for the suggestions. I may be staying at the Hyatt or Embassy Suites on La Jolla Village Dr. The Churchill Lounge looks very nice and easy to get to from the hotels. I don't know yet whether I'm going to be there through a Thursday night but if I am I'll be sure to ping sean.
Thanks!, J

 

[KGD]

Cool. On the hotel suggestions, you dont need to stay there to show up - order a drink and smoke a cigar, I do it nearly weekly at those places...