I love a cozy hookah place that can make you feel like snuggling while you smoke away into day dreams. Too bad, this place isn't one of those cozy hookah places. Very disappointed because it's the closest spot to my house and if I have to take friends out for the night to a spot, we go out to hookah places miles away.
Service (Okay)
Our server was very friendly, some would say a little bit too friendly. She was nice till she got our order and then disappeared except to bring us back our drinks and hookahs. She was also nice while she gave us the check and sat there waiting for us to pay. I understand maybe she had a bad experience before of people running off without balancing the check, but we shouldn't be held accountable. Their positions of tables and chairs limit seating arrangement. To be seated evenly together you would have to come with less than 5 people, any more than that will throw off their balance of seating you, sadly enough.
Hookah (Decent)
Took them only three tries to hit something I could enjoy smoking, the flavors could have been better. Seemed like I was smoking more flavorless shisha than flavored.
Food (Pretty Good)
Got to love finger food. That's how you get to a man's heart.
Price (Expensive)
Seems this place likes to really charge for it's spot on coverage of your time there, limits here and there. The prices for the drinks seem a bit steep also, noting how weak they were.
Eh, its not bad.
Its a small and dark place, but I enjoyed the loud thumping music. I think it helped with the atmosphere.
The hookah selection is pretty awesome. My all time fave is PEACH!
Yes, you have to order something along with the hookah. It sucks. It sucks major lollipops, and you can probably get better deals elsewhere. But if you're smart, order a bottle of water. That's something isn't it?
If you want an awesome experience, you're better off going to Astoria or the city for the full effect. If you want something quick and easy, just stop on in here.
Oh and service is nonexistent. So if you don't mind practically getting what you ordered yourself like you're in your own home, then this is really your kind of place.
I'd love to give this place four or MAYBE five stars, but the service is so bad, that I can't even say they're worthy of so many.
Layla Hookah Lounge really takes advantage of the fact that they're the only hookah lounge nearby, unless you're planning on going to Astoria, Steinway, etc. I've been here many times and I've seen the servers texting. Last time I went, one of the waitresses was unbelievably rude. Another one was a real sweetheart, though, so I can't complain for too long.
The hookahs are good; I've had many flavors but Mint and Apple are my two favorites here. Yes, they enforce the "one item per customer" and that one item doesn't count as a hookah, but just order a $2-$3 drink and you're fine. The food is better than most hookah lounges I've been to. I've never had alcoholic beverages here, but apparently, the bar is not that great.
If you're willing to travel, go to Astoria or Steinway. It's inexpensive hookah but you can do better if you feel like traveling.
Pissed I had to even give em a star...Horrible!!! Â Everything is just horrible. Â Waitresses too busy on phones texting, music is too loud, place is too small and seating arrangements too crowded. Â What really made me go on here is to say that I was in this dungeon last night & got home so disappointed. Â
Food takes forever to arrive at the table and everything is over-priced. Â The most $$$ hungry business I've ever been at in my life. Â I went there with a group and we were smoking hookah for a bit, which by the was was crappy-I mean like I prepare way better hookahs at home. Â
So I'm sitting there for a bit and noticed the coal-refresher dude got a little too close to my coat with the coal bucket, when I went to go check on my coat it was in fact burnt. Â I asked the air-headed waitress to send management to my table to see how we could settle the incident and the dude has the audacity to first say I might have made the whole thing up, then also says that I shouldn't have left my jacket on the chair, so I tell him that in this case I felt they should have a coat-check or coat racks...he then makes matters worse by offering me $40 to take it to the tailor...Was he serious???!!! Â What the hell was a tailor going to do, patch it up??? Â
Can you imagine it had been my hair or my arm? Â What would he have done then?
Anyway, I didn't want to make a bigger scene about it, so I just basically swore the place off & asked the manager to shove his $40 plus whatever tip was left by the group up his ass. Â
Would not recommend anyone come to this place. Â Go to the city or Astoria better prices and better hookah.
This place is okay. Yeah they do enforce the fact that you have to order 1 item per customer which is lame and the hookahs don't count as an item. Service staff was pretty bad as well. They're just in the corner of the place on their phones and just BS'ing around until you have to go up to them to ask them for stuff.. This place isn't cheap either.. they're taking supreme advantage of supply and demand which is sorta okay considering they have a happy hour.. but again their drink selection is pretty small..
Hookahs were okay, took forever for them to replace the coals and the coals would burn fast so you could have your hookah for a good 5 minutes before you need to replace them which takes another 20 lol..
Terrible service.. taking extreme advantage of the location.. The DJ isn't great at all but I'll still come back here just cause it's local.
Bottom line:
If you don't want to travel to Steinway or Astoria. Be prepared for the worst possible prices and service ever.
Before you look at the star rating, please note that it should be 0 stars, or in the negatives, but yelp does not allow.
This is by far the worst hookah place I have ever been at. My girlfriend and her two friends were bored on a sunday night, so we decided to try this place out.
NOTE: We have been to MANY hookah bars in queens.
Cons:
This place is very small compared to other ones.
The bar here lacks variety... AKA I have more bottles in my room than this "bar".
There is a rule that says 1 item minimum per person. OKAY, no problem... We ordered 2 waters and 2 hookahs. Â Thats 4 items. Unfortunatly for our waitress, she can not add, therefore we had to include 2 more waters or she would have started to cry. PLEASE do not say Hookah does not count as an item if it is one of the most expensive items on the menu. It just pisses me off that they are trying to make so much money off the people that go there... Waters are 2.50 a bottle. REALLY? RITE AID DOWN THE BLOCK SELLS A 24 PACK FOR 2.99.
There was no "COLD" water, so she had to put some in the fridge? WHAT? If your charging 2.50 for water and you require your customers to buy something, why have no cold ones? Nice staff.... No cold water but they sit there texting.
Hooka tasted bad, after 2 minutes of smoking it, the coal dust already went down to the pipe and hurt our throats... It took about 20 minutes for someone to change it for us, despite that this place was dead...
12 a hooka is extremely overpriced. MUCH nicer places in astoria are about 4 dollars cheaper, which is still overpriced, but whatever. Growing up in Israel, I know exactly how much Coal and Tobacco cost, and not the cheap shit they use here. The good brands are about 8 dollars for 160 coals and 12 dollars for 36 packets of tobacco ( each packet is good for 2 uses.) The fact that this place is located on union turnpike, and they are charging so much for their redic service and items is embarrassing. I don't know why in the world they are still open.
Do you call that 14 year old a DJ? The kid was playing the same song for 8 minutes and just played with the tempo so the beat goes faster or slower. Leave the music videos on, stop embarrassing your establishment.
Add redbull to your Hooka glass for 10 dollars, meanwhile a redbull on the menu is 5 dollars.... Some things I will never understand about this place.
I got hungry so I ordered french fries, just to find out they were baked, not fried.
60 dollars for 2 hookas, 4 waters and french fries...
They also add 15 percent tip, which was like 7 dollars...7 dollars for horrible service? Why are they forcing their customers to pay tip? Just proves that this place is $ hungry and dosn't give a fuck about customers.
Discusting, CHEAP, annoying, DIRTY place. Avoid at all costs. GO to astoria or even to the city to enjoy your night. Do not come here, You WILL regret it.
My cousin was in town, and she loves to do hookah so i decided to take her here as it was a new and better yet, local spot. Â I also thought this would be a good spot to come to because it's a restauraunt as well and the one and only time i did hookah with my bf it was horrible. Â my cousin and friends looked they were having a good time so i decided to engage. I don't know what really what a good hookah experience is since it was only my second time doing hookah (i know what a bad one is), but i can say this:
1) the food was horrible; I got a spicy chicken wrap and fries =/
2) The ambiance was very cozy and dark, with light only omitting from the music videos on the TV screen..pretty nice.
3) I threw up as soon a I got outside. This could have been from the combination of hookah and food-- I don't know, but certainly was a kill joy.
I didn't drink here either. Overall Layla is a decent local hookah spot if you smoke the crap. I would go back withmy bf/fam/friends who smoke hookah because it's close to my house, but individual of that I wouldn't return there to spend any money. Get my jist?!
I've been here once and would never go back! Not only is it overpriced, the seating is like a restaurant and very uncomfortable for smoking hookah. The worst thing is that the music is blasting so loud that I was struggling to have a conversation with the person sitting across from me! I rather drive out to Astoria before I ever come back here again.
Review Source:Businesses of New York! Listen Up! I have the most important piece of business advice you will ever receive. Ready?
SERVE YOUR GODDAMN CUSTOMERS! Â Take their orders, refill their drinks or bring out new coals in this case, and at very least acknowledge their existence.
I mean come on, is this some sort of mystery? The place was half empty on a Thursday night, and we sat there for a good twenty five minutes before our order was taken. I had to convince my friends not to walk out, and really only because it was pouring out. Then when we finally get the hookahs there are no coals. We just sat there staring at the staff for someone to realize that we have been at a hookah bar for the better part of an hour without actually smoking. Whats the point then? When the coals they finally brought out went dead, you can just imagine how long it took to get new ones. My favorite part of the night was when the tables on either side of my group received new coals while we were waiting. Then the "coal guy" (I have no idea what to call him) disappeared into the backroom for five minutes with his bucket still full of hot coals. Not even a glance in our direction.
The only reason this place doesn't get one star is because our waitress was friendly, personable, and pretty cute the few times she actually showed up. She was also candid about what we should avoid on the menu. So I appreciate that.
Also, the no smoking signs on the walls made me laugh.
I've been to Layla's three times now, each time hanging out with a friend for about 3 hours. I've had a good time each time I've been. We had food, hot drinks or cocktails, and hookah. Our lattes have been good, more hot water for my tea water was provided without my asking, my friend liked her mixed drinks, the food was good, the staff were attentive, though a little (very little) less so after the place got crowded. Frequent coal tending, never wanting for attention. It's a great place to relax and chill out.
If I had to say anything negative, it'd be that the increase in crowd and volume of the place after 9 pm was off putting. On our most recent visit on a Sunday night, we had to sit at a two person table. Note, our "party" was two people, it was just that on our previous visits, we had a four person table to ourselves, giving us room to stash recent purchases and winter coats. The waitress apologized & said the place was about to get really busy. She was right, but they stayed attentive to us, even when it became clear that we weren't going to order anything more. Best night for just chilling out would be early in the week.
The negative reviews of Layla's give me hope that another neighborhood place I found on Yelp but haven't tried yet isn't as bad as it's reviews would lead me to believe.
Last night, my friends and I were lounging around outside in the middle of winter, not sure of what to do. There was a suggestion made to go to a hookah lounge. We all agreed and quickly looked up reviews on Yelp to find the closest one. This was it. Now, the rating posted isn't great but it wasn't terrible and our expectations weren't at it's highest at this point.
Let me begin the actual review with saying that the rating is absolutely incorrect. This place was incredibly disappointing. First, the rules of the establishment are strict beyond belief. There is a maximum of 2 people to a hookah and each person MUST order one item. For a business catered to the service of allowing it's patrons to lounge, this was a hard pill to swallow. Even if you resign the fact that this is acceptable in your mind, looking at the menu immediately eliminates all doubt. The prices of particular items, specifically the drinks are outrageous. Previous posts are correct in their listing of the water, soda, and Snapple which happened to be the least expensive items on the menu besides the coffee and tea (which aren't a bargain at $2.75 and $2.50, respectively).
Next is the quality of the hookah, which though competitively priced against hookah lounges in Astoria, are severely lacking in taste. We got mix berries and watermelon for a more precise evaluation. The service was also mediocre at best with only one waitress constantly distracted on her cell phone and having extended conversations with patrons while others went unattended. Coal exchange was also a chore as we had to call for it on multiple occasions and it took far too long to arrive.
I wish I could give Layla zero stars but since Yelp won't allow it, let me give some positive feedback (as weak as it is). The ambience and music were tolerable. Parking was readily available on Union Turnpike (which isn't too much of a feat seeing as how we arrived at 10PM on a Sunday night).
If you are looking for an enjoyable hookah experience, please make the trip out to Astoria where there are multiple locations that infinitely trump Layla on every facet available for evaluation.
2 people per hookah and must order an item per person. Hookah does not count as an item. We came as a group of 5, and told it was 2 hookahs and 4 drinks minimum. Expensive drinks (ex. Snapple is $4, can of soda is $3, bottle of water is $2.50). Did not take a look at the food menu. The atmosphere is definitely good. Try it once for yourself though. We just wanted to hookah to kill time. Disappointed.
Review Source:First off, this place is absurdly overpriced for what its worth. I felt like they charged me an arm and a leg for flavorless tobacco. There are many hookah places along Steinway, Queens that do not require a minimum. The minimum for Layla's Hookah is 2 hookah per person and 4 drinks if you have 4 or more people. Drinks are also ridiculously priced. A bottle of snapple is  $4. I feel I'm leaving too much of a positive review by giving them the one star that is minimal. If possible, I would give this place a rating of -5. Trust me and avoid this place at all cost, you will be disappointed. Don't say I didn't warn you! This place makes me so angry }:O that I want to open up a hookah lounge right next to it just to put them out of business... I was ripped off!!! They definitely lost my business.
Review Source:I really like this place, and it's a plus that it's right in the neighborhood. $12 is reasonably priced for hookah, especially when the norm in Astoria now is $15. The atmosphere is really nice, although the music could be turned down a notch, especially when you're in there trying to socialize with people. The food is pretty good, and plus they now have a full bar, unlike many places in Astoria that do not serve alcohol. I do recommend it, but it's definitely not for people who don't like loud music.
Review Source:$12 hookahs
$9 cocktails
My friends and I were looking for Cooking for Jazz on Union turnpike when the neon lights caught our eye. Hookah? In Fresh Meadows? It doesn't surprise me being that St. Johns U. is nearby and Queens is just packed with ethnic goodness.
The bouncer put the IDs through scanner. Wow! High tech for a little place! The wait staff was friendly enough, and they took our order fairly quickly. The waitress kind of steered us away from the cheesecake (she "didn't recommend it", so it must have been very bad) and to the tiramisu which was good, but not great. Still, I appreciated the honesty. Although getting our food was another story-- to put it simply, it took a while. Â My friend ordered a long island iced tea... and it tasted like what I imagine motor oil would.
I really appreciated the roominess of the interior, as some places really cram you into tight spaces. They played music videos on some flat screens and I think they had a DJ spinning... something forgettable. Seriously, it must not have been really remarkable at all because I don't even remember if they were playing trance or hip hop. I also guess that means it wasn't bad music, either. It just felt like something was missing? The story of the interior didn't flow-- it looked like they took things that looked cool separately and threw them in a room together and it became a room of mismatched cool stuff.
Anyway, if I had enjoyed hookah, I think I wouldn't mind giving the place another try. However, this experience made me realize that I severely dislike filling my lungs with any kind of smoke, so this will probably be my first and last experience there.
Pros: Loved this place from when it first opened. The food is decent (strawberry & nutella crepes!) and the hookah is awesome. (Mixed berries with ice is my favorite.) They come around and change the coal often. I also heard they just got their liquor license so alcohol is being served - you'll see me there more often now!) Music is good - they play a mix of techno, trance, hip hop & r&b music videos. Hookah prices are pretty good compared to city, Astoria & LI.
Cons: Drinks & SOME of the food was a bit expensive - and the "one item per person, 3 people max per hookah" rule is kind of stupid. Service can be iffy at times (usually when it's busy) and it can get a little too loud sometimes.
Overall, I enjoy it because it's close, has good music and it's clean.
Reasons why you should suck it up and make the trip to Astoria instead:
1. ZERO ALCOHOL IS SERVED HERE!!!
Nope, not even disgusting house armpit juice vodka.
2. SERVICE IS TERRIBLE.
None of our food/drinks came out at the same time. We ordered a milkshake, a smoothie, a bottled water, and an earl grey tea and they ALL came out at different times. Smoothie &milkshake took more than 15 minutes to make with nobody else in the lounge and our waitress was sitting at a table eating and texting.
3. "RULES."
Three people per hookah minimum. You can't get two hookahs of the same price. Every person has to order something.
4. CRAPPY FOOD/DRINKS ARE OVERPRICED.
City prices for no reason. Horrible drink selection! My "fresh fruit" smoothie was made with water and why I agreed to pay 6 bucks for it, I'm not sure. Appetizer platter was full of all kinds of mystery meat/sauces.
It'll just piss you off even more, especially if you're coming from a bar still sober.
Nothing special. Â Basically, if you're stuck in Fresh Meadows and in desperate need of a hookah bar, this is the place for you. Â If not, get yourself to Astoria or the City.
Pros:
- Alcohol and food are served.
- Hookahs are decently priced ($10 for most basic) and have good add-on options, e.g. ice, milk, fresh fruit, etc.
- The place looks very clean
- Good music - that is, if you're into hardcore eurotrance while enjoying some shisha, which I am.
- Coals are maintained and changed frequently.
Cons:
- Drinks are overpriced. Â I paid $3.50 for a Snapple. Â I know, shame on me for ordering a Snapple. Â That leads me to my next point,
- Not a great drink selection.
- Food (burgers, fries, crepes) looked mediocre at best. Â I say "looked" because I never got my food.
- Not much in the way of decor. Â The place feels very bare and sterile.
- Waitress service seemed somewhat inexperienced and could use improvement.
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