Shisha Lounge

by Shahriar S.

I stumbled upon this place on a late night drive in columbus. The hookah is decent..and the place is filled with OSU kids.. The atmosphere is pretty laid back. The prices are comparable to that of NY or maybe a little more expensive surprisingly but its worth it. The area is the only area that has some things going on late night in Columbus that I know of. Definitely recommended. Oh and they also have movies on certain nights.

by Kelli C.

Go to shisha if you want to be seen smoking hookah.  Don't go if you want a traditional hookah experience.  This place is overflowing with immature teens and guys in chick pants who are ridiculously obnoxious. The service was sub par and it should be considered a fire hazard.  People are everywhere, it's dark, loud and the floor was slippery from who knows what!  If you thought you were going to bring a book, sip a chai and smoke hookah, think again.

by Natalie S.

Speaking of hookah bars, I'd say San Francisco's a little lacking in that department.  i have to doubt that the medicinal sort of smoking spots here are hoarding all of the clientele.  Anyhow, ShiSha was pretty much the greatest thing that ever happened to me as an underage person stuck in Columbus, and even though I can booze now, I still like a nice hang-out with some rose-flavored smoking session.  Good little selection of mediterranean food - now that I can drink, I think it's kind of a bummer that they can't/don't sell booze.

by Stephanie B.

If you're a smoker in a city where smoking isn't allowed in public places, then this is the place for you. A place where you can actually smoke indoors! But even if you're not a smoker, this isn't a bad place to hang out. Shisha Lounge appeals to both crowds.It's located on High St. north of campus, near Hendoc's and The Blue Danube. It's easy to walk to if you live around the north campus area, but if not, parking isn't always so easy. Especially now with all that construction going on along High St. in this whole area. But there are usually some spots you can score along the side streets, like Maynard or Patterson.Shisha isn't really my thing, but I've been here twice to hang out. If you're not a smoker, it's still not that bad. When you walk in, you'll see that the interior looks a bit middle eastern, a bit like a college dorm room. Straight ahead is a front desk with an employee behind it. Upon going up to the desk, you'll see a list of your flavors of tobacco to choose from. They have somewhere around 25 flavors, most of them fruity, or unique, like rose. And if you're not a smoker, you should know that smoking here isn't quite like smoking a cigarette. It's very light and it tastes like the flavor that you choose. If you're used to smoking cigarettes, you will find this to be different than you're used to. It will feel much less powerful.Anyway, when you choose your flavor, which I think each flavor pouch is around $8, you will get mouthpieces for everyone in your party. However many people is with you. I should mention that this is a nice place to come alone to relax, or with a group to sit and chat. And I skipped a part! When you come in, you have to show your ID before you buy any tobacco. Just to prove that you are at least 18. Anyway, you take your tobacco and find a  hookah - there are usually some sitting out on the tables in the sitting area. The sitting area is to the right of the front desk, and when you go in there you'll see several old and dingy couches sitting there - they look ancient and dirty but they are strangely comfortable and when you sit in them you sort of sink down in. They look like couches that were left by the side of the road for trash but ended up here. Tables are here and there amongst the couches for your smoking convenience. There are also a few wooden tables and chairs. Everything's also pretty colorful, but in a muted down way that makes everything appear a bit sun faded. Maybe it's just the haze in the air. Since everyone is smoking, it is a bit hazy and gray, but it's not overwhelming and doesn't smell real bad since it's a lot of fruity flavors going around.So you just attach your mouthpiece and put your tobacco in the bowl and smoke away! I've done it before, and it's actually not so bad. We tried strawberry and it just tasted like strawberry flavor in your mouth. It was so light, that no one, including myself was coughing or anything. It's pretty harmless. Although, I don't really see the point of it. For non smokers, if you want some flavor, I would just chew some gum. But some people find this environment relaxing.They have live music here sometimes. My friend's small jazz duo played here one night and we came to watch them. The music matched the mood and it was pretty mellow. I've never been here when another band was playing, so I'm not really sure of the other types of music that's played here, but I don't think that it's anything real heavy. From what I've heard it's all good stuff to relax to. I really liked the atmosphere. But it can get sort of crowded sometimes. It's not so fun if you can't find a comfy place to sit down and relax. A lot of people come here all the time and so it might be a hit or miss - it's definitely more enjoyable if you happen to come in at a slower time.And you can stay as long as you like. You might see some students here studying and enjoying the fact that they can smoke indoors. Mostly it's small groups talking. But they also serve food here. I've never had it, but I think it's mostly sandwiches and the like. But one thing I wish about this place is that they served alcohol. I realize that there are bars right outside, but it would be nice to maintain the mellow while enjoying a beer. Maybe that would disrupt the whole flow, but I think it might be fun. But I guess it's nice so the younger crowd can come in here and enjoy themselves, too. But since I'm not big on smoking, I don't really have a good reason to frequent this place, hence me only being here twice.One time I came here with some friends, and one of my friends that was with us is a heavy smoker. He tried some of the hookah, and while he didn't hate it, he also said that he didn't see the point and said it felt like nothing since it was so light. He then proceeded to light up a cigarette and enjoy that instead. I personally think it tastes lightly like flavored gum or candy. But it's not bad and it's worth a try, smokers and non-smokers alike.

by Erin K.

Meh. It's decent. Hookah is good, and cheap. But everything in Columbus is cheap compared to Chicago, so maybe I'm not the best person to judge.The atmosphere is a little... not awesome. The front room is apparently much hotter than the back room, and I suffered the consequences of that for a few hours. The floor area does not seem the most comfortable. And some of the seats are awkwardly high, so your feet dangle.But overall, it's open late. It's not a bad fall-back place for late-night hanging out. Bring cards or play chess.

by Rebecca R.

I love this place. When I'm stressing over a test, wanna chill with friends and have good conversation, or just enjoy hookah I come here. It's close to OSU's campus, has friendly people, reasonable prices, and good food. You do have to present your ID at the cash register (just an FYI). The only reason I left one star out was because it can get very crowded which detracts from the relaxing atmosphere. That's about it. My fav flavor is the apple and cherry mixed. :)

by Peter C.

With it's laid-back vibe, insomniac-friendly hours, and wall-to-wall couches, it's little wonder why Shisha Lounge has been a huge hit since it moved in to its North Campus location about four years ago. Whether you're a minor looking for a place to smoke off a beer buzz or a village drunk that still doesn't want to head home after a long night at the bar, this place will feel inviting and relaxed no matter what your story is. I had never even contemplated the existence of a place such as Shisha before it opened in the first place, so it seemed like a world of wonder when I took a girlfriend there at her request two summers ago. We ordered two different hookah flavors for us and the crew of mostly 19 and 20-year-olds that had accompanied us, selected a few coffee drinks from the menu (I ordered the chai, actually, which was delicious) and grabbed one of the couches in the side room. After a few minutes of casual loafing, one of the baristas brought our hookahs to us and left us to ourselves. Being a nonsmoker, I had no idea what to expect from the experience. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The hookahs here taste almost nothing like smoke- it's more like a fruity mist that's distinct and pleasing to the taste buds. The atmosphere of the place is really what scores Shisha it's points in my book, though. The couches all feel like they've been passed down through countless generations of college slacking, sans the beer and puke smell that dooms most of them to the dumpster on move-out day. The walls are painted a vivid red color, and the combination of these two things makes it hard to resist the urge to glue yourself to the couch and pass out for an hour or two. The music is also top-notch- whether it's coming from Sirius or one of the baristas iPods is rarely clear, but you're always in for a solid mix of indie rock and underground hip hop that perfectly fits the mood. Like I mentioned before, the chai here is the best I've tasted anywhere around campus, and the mocha lattes are nothing to scoff at either. Prices, generally in the 2-4 dollar range depending on how extreme your drink is, are average and more than reasonable. The food here is nothing to rave about- I've heard that they've discontinued lunch items like wraps and sandwiches, which is probably for the better. if you're in the mood for good, quick Mediterranean food, Apollo's is a no-brainer of Shisha. Otherwise, everything else about Shisha is perfect for anything from a relaxing night with friends to an all-night pre-exam homework bender.

by Maria H.

In general I didn't think that the shisha lounge was that great. It was the first hookah bar that  had ever been to. But other than supplying the hookah, they service simply isn't that good. And if you don't know how to handle a hookah or coals, you can be a little lost. I do like the atmosphere, but it still isn't my lounge of choice.

by Steve B.

One of the better hookah bars in Columbus, but that being said it is still not that nice of a place.  The hookahs are really good, but the setup is not the best, and some of the furniture is busted or gross.  The tables and the bench are set too high of the ground, and a lot of the seating is a thin cushion over wood a few inches of the ground.The ground has a lot of burn marks from coals that fell off hookahs, and the cushions suffer from that too but also have burns from cigarettes.If it were not for the decor issues this place would easily gain 4 stars, but people who have never been here should know what to expect.  (to me and most my friends this is not much if any issue).

by Michelle M.

I was taken here on a first date. Pretty good idea on his part actually. This atmosphere is casual and unique. The service was a bit moody but I guess that is expected. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed smoking hookah since I'm not a smoker. In fact I smoked a little too much and got a tummy ache. I highly recommend checking it out, even if you don't smoke.