The Cave

by Omar Y.

This place is amazing! Every time i walk into this place i feel high, like the Gods of Herb have shined their light upon me. Vaporizers, blunt wraps, Hookahs and an Arab without a Bazooka. The owner of store, i think his name is Chuck, is the coolest dude in San Mateo! He always treats me like someone important, like my pathetic little world actually means something every time i walk through that door. The store is very well set up, it's packed from front to back, and the facade of the building has a beautiful graffiti painting on it.  This guy is legit! I used to go to Magic Theater on El Camino for all my  tobacco pipes and so on, but not anymore. Just like magic i've disappeared from that theater and reappeared  in a little place named THE CAVE. Check out their website too. I think you'll be able to order online soon? If only i could order some munchies with those pipes I'd be in heaven!

by John H.

Now being a " head changer" for the last 20 or so years, I know a good head shop when I see one. This one IS very fucking impressive. There is soooooo much glass here you get lost in all the sparkling and twinkling from all the cases. There is glass floor to ceiling, and all the stuff to go with.  There staff is awesome and know there shit. I spend time just looking at there stock.  There prices start at 15 and go from there. You need a kick ass piece? Don't want to spend too much? Hit it up here, so far no shop can touch them!

by WR X.

The Go to Head Shop when I'm on the peninsula. Chuck is a great guy and their selection can't be beat.

by Karen O.

Great smoke shop for any budget!

by hilary p.

One afternoon last week, I was mildly intoxicated (see my review for the Yuppie Bar on South B) and cruising around San Mateo with my friend when I spotted a doorway amidst a mural of dark bricks, marqueed with "THE CAVE". When I realized that it was a smoke shop, I got ridiculously excited, but alas, we were in a hurry (to pick up herb, if I remember correctly) and the adventure was postponed.A couple of days later I made it over to the Cave with a different friend, and when we entered we were dazzled by its sparkling prizes. Glass, beautiful glass. In the first room there were hundreds of gorgeous pipes for very reasonably prices, as well as a selection of vaporizers and hookah stuff and whatnot. In the back room, however, there is some truly incredible glassware, including, but not limited to, a Simpsons bong and a translucent alien pipe where you put the "tobacco" into the alien's hand and then smoke through his head!!! AMAZING! There was also a fish tank containing tropical fish swimming amongst bubblers and broken necks of bongs. Love it.Joe, the operational manager (I believe?) was super helpful and engaging. And a good salesman. I just went with the intention of having a look around, and I left with an iridescent skull pipe and a Cave t-shirt. The Cave rules. And it's called "The Cave". I love that.

by Maralyn S.

located next door to the "dollar warehouse" this small smoke shop offers a range of products for all customers ...for those who are on a strict budget to those who have an unlimited budget!   but even if u dont have a cap for what u spend, the cave still offers better prices than their pennisula competitors.  i strolled in on valentines lookin for a new pipe for J.  and drooled over the beautiful pieces they had in stock. the one that caught my eye was the glass on glass, frosted percolator type filter PURP pipe...it was simply beautiful and i knew j would love me more for making his smoking sessions so much more smoother and enjoyable.  so the clerk is really sweet, and hooks me up with the purchase of pipe and carry bag...he also proceeds to give an additional discount so what could of been almost 300 comes down to 225.... as borat would say "verdy naheece"  the clerk even took me to their storage room where i could pick which items i wanted.  anyways, they also offer hookah, a shitload of different rolling paper, vaporizers, grinders, whip cannisters, masks....etc, etc.  all for good prices.the staff very knowlegeable, friendly, and cute...(hehe)i am definitly coming back here for any of my smoke shop needs.... i recommend you do so too!and by the way, j loved his gift....totally flipped out and smoked from it immediatly.....he was like a lil kid on xmas morning so giddy and excited....enjoy shopping at the cave!!!

by John H.Chrissy P.Hogan W.nicole c.

Now being a " head changer" for the last 20 or so years, I know a good head shop when I see one. This one IS very fucking impressive. There is soooooo much glass here you get lost in all the sparkling and twinkling from all the cases. There is glass floor to ceiling, and all the stuff to go with.  There staff is awesome and know there shit. I spend time just looking at there stock.  There prices start at 15 and go from there. You need a kick ass piece? Don't want to spend too much? Hit it up here, so far no shop can touch them!The Cave used to be a little hole-in-the-wall spot next to the Dollar Warehouse. Nevertheless, their selection was varied, to say the least, and customer service was top notch.Then they moved.Now, there is more glass than ever, more hookahs, more bongs, more cases, more stash boxes, more everything! Chuck is funny, he is helpful, he is friendly. I went with my boyfriend to look at bongs, and Chuck answered all of our questions without making us feel stupid or pressured to buy anything! He even asked us questions to better gauge which pieces would be best suited for our smoking needs.Every experience I've had here has been a good one, I got my last piece here, and I LOVE it. It's blown by a local guy, it looks awesome, and hits better than most pipes I've smoked. Best part: HUGE range of prices! It ranges from the bucket of pipes that are $10 or something, up to PURPs and ROORs for $100+. Hands down, The Cave is the head shop I would recommend to anyone, no matter what kind of piece they are looking for, how long they've been smoking, or their price range.I stumbled upon this place as I was looking for other paraphernalia. Their website doesn't do it justice unless you actually walk-in to the store. Once inside, the place truly looks like a cave full of colorful crystals and shiny metal pieces. All shapes and sizes of glass, hookahs, and interesting accessories. Service is friendly. I was observing the salesperson behind the counter and he was definitely wheeling and dealing good pricing. My only gripe is the lack of parking spaces and the busy corner the store is located. If I was in the market for these goods, I would definitely come back.Awesome people, awesome selection!Totally priced right!Ran into the owner @ Benihanas and he got me drunk!! Hot sake!Just a really nice, genuine guy.This store deserves your busniess.

by Rachel N.

My quest for a new piece (or two) brought me here and let me tell you, The Cave has it all! Hookahs, vaporizers, water pipes *cough cough*, accessories and more! Fantastic selection of glass as well.  Best of all, the service is excellent and welcoming! Chuck knows his stuff, answered all of our questions and had great recommendations. We were in here for a while just looking around and weighing our options and not once did he seem pushy or annoyed.I Highly (pun intended) recommend this place to anyone looking to add some unique glass to their collection. This joint can't be beat!

by Max R.

I must agree with the other reviews that The Cave easily has the best selection of glass in San Mateo.  No doubt on that.  The service is pretty good too, though they seem  little sketchy at times.  I would recommend going here for anyone in the area, overall it is probably your best bet.  I have noticed that the prices have gone up a little recently and I am NOT a fan of that.

by Matt N.

the cave is badass.  I'm a medical toker and I know my glass, and this place is great.  Good prices on some items, san mateo style overpricing on others, but you can't hate the cave it is pretty much the best head shop deals on the peninsula.  I got a purple the cave tshirt that pretty much fuckin rules.