Pipes Plus

by Erika S.

As a hookah bar, this place is pretty cool, I especially enjoyed mixing flavors. Favorites include melon and  mixing various fruit flavors with mint. A couple of times I've been in where highschool kids come in and definitely change the mood not for the better. If you're under 18, it's not unlikely your id will be checked. Some of these kids are immature and at least in one occasion, got pissy with the employee, stormed off, and me and my friends got their abandoned bowl for free, which was awesome for sure. The employees I've been around are pretty cool. The hookah bar is great and all, but I think what makes pipes plus stand out is the upstairs where they sell many of your smoking needs. Their selection of glass pipes keeps me coming back time and again, much more frequently than for a hookah. Their prices for pipes are very reasonable and they will even chuck a good number of the pipes across the room at the floor to demonstrate their durability. I heard from a former employee that the owner would have to sell it by the beginning of 2007, but it's still open so I keep going back for more.

by Heidi S.

I don't go to Pipes to smoke their hookah, I go their for supplies for my own hookah (not to mention the head shop upstairs). They are the best place in town to pick up coals, shisha, and the hookah itself (okay, honestly no place is a good place to pick up a hookah they all mark up way way way too much). They carry several large brands of shisha and tons of flavors. It's not too expensive either.The place is very cramped, like you can overhear everyone's conversation, so I was a little surprised when I saw they have live music from time to time. While I realize Austin is cool like that and it's cool to fit in with that whole facade, I don't really want to listen to that kind of live music while I'm smoking. Add the fact that it is packed with emo-kids-all-grown-up in college and I just don't really feel comfortable at Pipes. I actually got POINTED AT by a family and their small children who were passing by...egh. Awkward turtles ahoy!The coupe de grace of it all is that the one hookah I did get there kinda sucked. Hardly any smoke at all. Maybe the hookah needs cleaning? Having mixed flavors and adding juice to the bowl won't do much if it takes the power of a Hoover to get any sort of effect from the device.I will continue patronizing them, but in a speedy get in and get out kind of way. The service has always been excellent, I will give them that.

by Cydney M.

I like going to Pipes Plus often because my roomate works there.  So I always smoke the most delicious flavors, and they have such a wide selection of choices so I try something new every time!The pipes and bongs they sell upstairs are some of the most unique and beautiful pieces I've seen sold in a head shop.  And the hookahs for sale are certainly nice too!  They also have a brand of coal for my hookah that I like alot.

by Dario S.

One night after a long day of work this was the place me and a bunch of us from work went to to try shisha. This was my first time going to a place like this and smoking out of a hookah. It wasn't like inhaling a cigarette at all it was much smoother and they have so many flavors to try. It's a cool place to chill and meet people and strike up a convo and share a bowl or  two. I sure felt it the next day though. It felt like I smoked a carton lol.

by Rachel M.

Pipes plus is a nice little shop. I used to like to go in there and chill once in a while when I want to smoke away from home. The staff are all really nice, and the patrons tend to be friendly and good-humored, too. They have a pretty vast selection of tobacco which you can buy and take home. The price for smoking while there is very reasonable (for two people with 1 or 2 drinks apiece it usually runs us 20 or 25 bucks).I only have a few gripes. First, since they sell tobacco products, they also allow cigarette smoking inside. I don't have an issue with this in and of itself, but it tends to make my eyes burn a lot when there are a lot of people in there. Which brings me to the second thing, that on weekends especially it gets REALLY crowded. It's kind of a small place, and it's like anyone who isn't old enough to get into a bar is loitering there. The last thing is the location. I feel I have to deal with UT enough without living or being anywhere near it in the general Austin area. But this place is literally right across the street from campus. And it's the drag, so you have all the lovely homeless anarchist kids bugging you for money or cigarettes, it's harder to find a parking space, and it's teeming with 19-22 year olds who are hell-bent on saving the world from capitalism--or drunk and about to crash their Ford F150 into me.  Those are usually the ones driving out of the Jack in the Box drive-through, any time past.. oh.. let's say 11:30pm.All those things considered, I still think this is a nice little shop and am in there usually once every month or two. I don't even really mind the drive from where I live, which isn't as short as I'd like it to be. But what charm it looses being surrounded by an unbalanced wealth of crusty kids on the walk-up and lack of  parking lot it gains back from the staff in their great attitudes, and the dingy, loungy living room feel of the place. Although if you're one of those germ-o-phobes, I wouldn't recommend sitting on the sofas there.

by Whitney W.

the good, the bad, and the ugly...hobos, live bands, waitresses too high to remember your order...you never know what kind of experience you will have, but i always enjoy it

by Christine S.

Great selection, good atmoshphere, excellent service!