Abilene Smoke Shop

Ask around about Abilene Smoke Shop and you'll hear the same things over and over: it's clean, the staff actually know their stuff, and the prices are fair. This is one of the more well-regarded smoke shops in Abilene, Texas, and once you've been in, it's easy to see why. Staff get named individually often enough that it says something.

Hunter on the night shift gets singled out as knowing his stuff cold, and Mike at the counter is known for pointing people toward the best price rather than just the easiest sale. People who shop here talk about a day shift and evening shift that are equally sharp, which isn't always a given at a smoke shop. The atmosphere gets described as quiet and a little quaint, not the loud, cluttered setup you find elsewhere.

It's not flawless. One person mentioned a batch of cigars that turned up dry, and another found the photo-ID-on-purchase process a bit much, though that's a store policy rather than a service issue. Neither seems to be the norm.

The overwhelming word around Abilene is that this is a tidy, well-run shop with a staff that treats you like a regular from the first visit.