North Carolina: Research Triangle cigar lounge reviews (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill)

[JDoughty]

Notes on a few places I like to smoke in my neck of the woods.

 

The Cigar Box https://thecigarboxnc.com/

I usually smoke at the Cary location, but they have several in North Carolina. Full bar with some top shelf bourbon and whiskey as well as decent coffee. Attractive and well maintained lounge areas including a smaller exclusive one. Nice, friendly staff. Good selection in their decent sized humidor including the latest Liga Privada releases. I can always find something tasty here to smoke. They do have memberships available, or purchase $25.00 in merchandise to use the lounge at the Cary location. The Southern Pines location is a bit more flexible on purchase requirements to enjoy the nicely appointed lounge. With membership there, you get a cigar locker you can use to store your smokes - attached photo is of the contents of one of those lockers. 

 

Pipe and Pint https://thepipeandpint.net/

Locations in Durham, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Mebane and High Point. I smoke at the newly opened location in Durham. Nice second floor lounge with an elevator. Generous smoking room plus seating at the bar, which serves beer and some very good wine. They have their own signature coffee beans as well that they sell and serve. Friendly staff and a somewhat small but well curated selection including some of the latest releases and occasional rarities. Their events are always well attended and also well catered. Attached is a photo of their most recent catering spread from the My Father event. Delicious! No particular rules about how much you have to buy to enjoy their lounge, but you should definitely buy *something* if you're going to smoke there. 

 

The Smoking Bull https://smokingbullcigar.com/ 

A smaller lounge, mini bar and outdoor porch smoking spot. Top shelf booze on pour. The big outdoor porch is the best feature in this otherwise small space. The humidor is also quite small but the selection is well curated. Staff is friendly and hospitable. No membership required or minimum purchases, but you do have to purchase a cigar in order to buy alcohol on premises. 

 

Tobacconists of Cary https://www.instagram.com/tobacconistsofcary/

Solid selection of cigars. This is a store with a primarily retail focus, with a large and well stocked humidor. But there's some comfy chairs in the corner, and if you buy it there you're welcome to smoke it there. 

[JDoughty]

I should probably add Virgin Cigars on Glenwood, but I don't really smoke there since they are a membership only lounge outside of rare events. A yearly membership doesn't make sense for me personally due to my not smoking for most of a very long bow hunting deer season (September through January plus bonus urban archery in February). Their lounge is very nice and they have an excellent cigar selection, but without a membership or a special event, you can't smoke them there. But if you're local and you aren't a scent conscious bow hunter who couldn't use it for half the year, I'm sure you would enjoy your membership there. 

[JDoughty]

Just for completionist's sake, I'll add a few places I don't usually smoke myself, but that are available.

Capitol Smoke has a couple of chairs inside, but I rarely go there because parking is straight up horrible downtown and that particular store leans pretty heavy on the vape and bong stuff. https://capitolsmokeraleigh.com/#gref

Havana Deluxe is a nice place to smoke and has a superb collection of top shelf and rare liquor, but they are squarely in the middle of the party district on Glenwood which I much prefer to avoid. Parking is horrendous, the noise and crowds are awful, and I don't trust leaving my vehicle anywhere near there with all the drunken idiots careening around. If you can Uber in and you appreciate rare and top shelf aged bourbon, this is a great spot.   https://havanadeluxe.com/

Watts and Ward has an outdoor smoking area and occasional cigar events. https://www.wattsandward.com/

This social lounge in Raleigh, Xhale, can be rented for events including cigar events. https://xhalesocial.com/

The Angus Barn has a small outdoor smoking area and a small walk-in humidor on the inside. They no longer have an inside smoking lounge. https://www.angusbarn.com/

Did I miss anything in the Triangle area? Add your favorites if I did.