I visited red sea a couple of years ago, and I really liked the atmosphere and the service. I'm sorry to report that things have changed and I will not be visiting red sea again. I visit different hookah bars often and I must say this is one of the worst experiences I have had. The bowl got over heated and instead of fixing the problem, he took the coals off and told us to wait... Really? The Shisha is burned to the top of the screen, waiting is not going to help. I could have just smoked my hookah at home.
Review Source:Not my favorite place, but well no other place in the area is open until 3 during weekdays (not that I know of). The service aint great, the ambiance and setting is poor, the price is expensive for Tempe and the sheeshas that I had weren't anything to go crazy about. and they have this stupid cover charge for more people comin' in ($3). whatever the logic behind that maybe, I would still go to my favorite hookah spots (if they are still open ofc :)). Now that I have drafted this review, it will remind me not to waste money next time at this place at 2:05 AM!
Review Source:Great place, but I'm knocking off a star, because they made my friend and I move off the couch when more people came in. Â I don't like to be moved around when I am trying to relax after a long day. Â I don't even care if they sat next to me, but if I am lucky enough to grab a couch when I go to one of these places, I don't want to have to get off of it.
Review Source:I went here last night for my friend's birthday, the staff made us all feel uncomfortable, they acted like they were better than us and almost seemed annoyed that we were there. We were the only people in the lounge and the music was uncomfortably loud. When I asked them to turn it down to a more comfortable level, the two people working there again seemed annoyed and almost appalled that I would ask such a thing.
In short, I felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed that I was the one who suggested we should go to red sea.
This is a 3.5
+ The biggest plus is the staff, who are very nice.
- I came with a group after a night out around 2am and they were playing the *worst* music. Â Call me a purist but I don't want to hear anything but middle eastern music or at least mixed up with top 40-like music. Â That was a huuuge downer.
- Between four people it hit ok, but I was disappointed they used those quick lighter coals instead of a higher quality coal that doesn't have as many chemicals in it.
+- the ambiance was okay, but that damn music...
****update per owner's comment****
= I came here back in August (I'm horrible with getting reviews out as I go to new places)
= The instant light coals don't always last as long as coconut or other kinds of coals, hence why I'm not a fan of them
= Why anything but Arabic or Middle Eastern music (at least mixed in with other kinds of music) is played at *any* hookah bar/lounge is beyond me...that's like going to a Hard Rock restaurant and having them play house music
= We got there right at 2am, if not a few minutes earlier and they served us
I am completely puzzled by the 4-5 star experiences at this place. The staff is super friendly but somewhat oblivious to their competition of other hookah bars in Tempe or perhaps they simply dont care. My experience left a bitter metallic taste and it was not just from the quick starter coals they use.
Unlike other hookah bars in/around Tempe, Red Sea charges a cover for anyone entering the lounge. It is $3 for anyone to sit even if they purchase a hookah, so this is an added fee much like a bar. I had a meeting of 10 people and we took the back corner. As people trickled in they were asked to show ID and pay $3. The reason is that "if it gets too busy we need to charge people to sit" which would have done well on a Friday/Saturday but this was a Tuesday and the place had 4 other patrons. Be prepared to pay a cover whether you are sitting or smoking.
We did have 2 hookahs with 2 hoses ($28) plus the covers ($30)..It was a very greedy experience.
Red Sea does have an open area with couches, lounges and pillows to sit on. Unfortunately their ventilation is absolutely abhorrent which means I get to smell what the other guys are smoking in the other sections. It was mildly humorous when Purple Haze started playing and there really was one inside.
They charge per hose so a 1 hose is $12, 2 hose is $14, 3 for $16 and 4 for $18...plus the cover..BUT they do not increase the size of their bowls NOR do they give you extra bowls. So, as most hookah smokers know, the more people that smoke the faster the bowl goes. If they offered a deeper bowl for the 3/4 hoses that would make sense.
I can get over the cover, the high cost for hookah and the crappy ventilation. What I cannot abide by is the quick starter coals. Seriously get a hot plate, get some coals, make people wait a few minutes, do it properly! The stuff tastes metallic and it is just gross. Anyone that uses coconut coals will detest this taste as the entire hookah loses that sweet taste just a few minutes in.
What does this place have that no other hookah bars have..LOCATION. It is within walking distance from most ASU campus housing units and fraternities. Therefore they can offer the crappy stuff and know they will still make money from it.
I am not being an ass, just dont go here if you are a hookah aficionado.
My all-time favourite hang out spot! The staff are all friendly and personable, the atmosphere is a delight and the place is lovely! Not mention the quality product and the great big couches! Hands down the best hookah lounge in the valley. You won't find that holier-than-thou attitude I've gotten from staff at most of the other places around.
They also offer live music several times a month and host group events. Make sure to come in early to avoid cover charges or a full lounge!
If you are looknig for a hookah guru then you'd be better off going with my Yelp friend Taric below. I am a complete amateur and barely have any knowledge of when to do what when it does it's thing.
With that said, I have hookah'd enough to get by and have some fun.
The first thing I noticed was that the staff genuinely seemed to like doing their job. The second thing I noted was that the place was dead - like nobody at all there- when we arrived at 8:30pm.
We ordered the Pandora's Box which was one of their customer favorite's. Fruity. The two people that I went with thought it was too fruity. I liked it but then again I am the guy who thinks that Long Islands and Pink Panty drinks are heavenly
Like Taric mentioned below, they did have a hard metal screen, which I kind of liked over the aluminum foil. I need to check into that when I get my own hooka.
In all, I liked the place. It was a little blah on the eyes, but nice. My only other references to hookah are in-home and Harem. Which, Harem sucks something horrible. I hate that place. I am giving Red Sea a 4 star because I think the smoke room could use a touch of improvement (no metal office chairs, etc).
I've got plenty of hookah lounges to browse in the West valley, so when I venture out of my way to Red Sea, you KNOW it has to be for a good reason. They're such a minimalist lounge--couches, pillows, tables, small speakers. No fancy lighting, no Arabic TV...this is indeed a place to chill out.
They have an impressive shisha selection, with all brands from Al-Waha to Fumari. They take an interesting approach to hookah preparation, too. Instead of aluminum foil, there's a hard metal screen. Instead of wood charcoals or Japanese coals, there are instant lights. Don't get me wrong, I think instant lights are freaking disgusting, but Red Sea is the only place that can use them effectively. Major props.
Having visited for the first time under new ownership, I tried my best to troll some of the staff. They did a great job justifying their pricing ($2 cover for everyone, hookahs are slightly cheaper). And when we had a frank discussion about places to puff shisha around the valley, I noticed they were well-traveled. And no matter how much I encouraged them, they refused to badmouth the competition! Still, it was fun to try. :-p
That elusive 5th star, however, may be out of reach. A bad pairing to your quality product, your atmosphere is, well...rather boring. Do something about it.
Oh, and bring back that canopy in the corner. I'll be back to check on things.
Awesome, Awesome, place to relax with some good friends. Â And probably the best Hookah I've had in Tempe as well. Â I had never done Hookah too much and it had been awhile since I had gone but my girlfriend and a friend of mine wanted to go again one Tuesday night so the first spot we went too (which was the closest to us) was Cafe Istanbul on Apache. Â When we entered we weren't even greeted by the worker, just ushered to a very uncomfortable spot near the door. Â All three of us were getting really bad vibes once we sat down, the place just did not feel like a Hookah bar...so we left and then went to Red Sea, thankfully. Â
  As soon as we entered the Red Sea there were two really cool dudes that greeted us and made us feel welcome.  Like I said, we were sorta new to Hookah and they gave us some awesome suggestion and talked to us for about 5mins.  These guys really  know (and love) their Hookah.  We picked the Raspberry Lemonade, which was wonderful and smooth and fairly inexpensive as well, only about 5$ total for each of us (including my military discount).
 *The Best thing about this place is the atmosphere in the lounge, its very dark with calming red lights throughout.  They have huge couches and a pillow spot on the floor which was our favorite.  What's pretty cool and unique and actually really adds to the chilllll atmosphere is the Classic Rock they play, It seriously completed my night when "Mary Jane's Last Dance" by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers played.  Seriously, Hookah Bars don't get any better than this place.
Personally, this is my favorite Hookah Bar in Tempe.
For starters, it is super cheap for great shisha. The staff are extremely friendly and they provide excellent service. About every 10-15 minutes someone is around to check up on your coals and see how things are going. The atmosphere is a little plain, yet chill, and the couches are SO INCREDIBLY comfy. Almost all of their flavors are tasty, and it's definitely a fun time. I would 100% recommend it!
WARNING: Red Sea cards EVERYONE who walks through the door.
First off, you HAVE to try the Yumberry hookah, it is amazing!
Their prices are great and the big sectionals they have are really comfy. You can buy bottled soda, but no liquer or food. The lighting could be better, the bare bulbs are just too bright if you're sitting underneath them. The music was a good volume, you could actually hold a convo without shouting like some hookah bars I've been to.
All in all this is one of my fave hookah places in the valley, if they just served booz they would be perfect!
I have been a regular of Red Sea for over 2 years, which includes frequenting the Red Sea of past ownership. I have complete confidence in making the statement that the new owner (Chuck) has turned the lounge from "Good" to "Amazing". He personally serves you, always has coals replaced before you even think of needing them, and will create you an amazing blend of flavors. Everyone is extremely friendly and the prices are much lower than other nearby establishments. Definitely a great place to try out, or to be a reoccurring guest. Red Sea does not disappoint.
Review Source:The new owner is doing something very right because when I was in high school everybody knew this place as the filthy 'dive' of Hookah Bars. It was the one that you went to if all the others were busy and the easiest one to sneak underage kids into.
I miss the old art and Alice in Wonderland type chairs, but everything else has been improved GREATLY. The music isn't too loud or soft, the girl at the front was so friendly and helpful (it was my friends first time with hookah), and they had a wide variety of flavors.
The ONLY problem I have is that they don't serve drinks or food. Even if they aren't going to have food they should at least do fountain drinks. People get thirsty!
Edit: The owner actually contacted me to tell me that due to some stupid rules they can't do fountain drinks but they do sell bottled drinks at the front. That alone shows an owner that cares!
Five stars all around!
$12 for four of us! Are you kidding me? I'm used to like four times that. My jaw literally dropped. The employees were funny and nice. My only quip is I think they should do some rounds to see if people need new coals. Instead we had to run and ask for some. But besides that I was sold. Oh and there is a tattoo shop next door. Oy vay!
Review Source:Tempe is full of assholes willing to rip college students off.
The worst of these are the hookah bars. Wretched hives of scum and villainy that peddle over-priced, sub-par sheesha and smoke-flavored beverages to the dumbshit transplants who don't know any better.
In their defense, many of them deserve it.
Most of them don't know what they're doing, and don't care to learn.
They can't be bothered to find out whether the sheesha that's being stuffed in bowl is pre-packaged or freshly made. They don't even know how to tell if the hookah's been cleaned out. And they don't care to, either.
All they know is that whatever it is that they're doing is making them "cultured".
This is why I don't tell any of my college friends about Red Sea Cafe.
Not that they'd know where to find it even if they're looking for it. Lodged in between a Club Tattoo (which for some reason owns 90 percent of the parking spaces) and some Eurotrash hell hole, Red Sea is quite the hidden treasure.
But damn is it worth it.
The first thing you'll notice is that they actually card everyone who comes in. For real.
Surprisingly, this cuts down on the douchebag factor. Hmmm.
Unlike other hookah bars, who simply pull their sheesha out of a package (and then sell those packages for 25 cents when the expiration date's approaching), Red Sea makes it themselves. There's always someone in the back, mixing a fresh batch of some exquisite flavor or another.
Btw, try the Jello-O flavor. For reals.
Red Sea has plush, massive couches for you to lay on. None of this "sitting on the floor" shit that you get at Tut's. Seriously, who makes their paying customers sit on the floor? Even Wal-Mart has benches.
And unlike other hookah bars, where the same three hip hop/techno songs as loud as the stereo or the law will allow, Red Sea prefers the "play an entire album at a reasonable album" approach.
When you're inhaling some of that fine peach or cherry to some Pink Floyd, you'll wonder how you ever lived trying to shout over the sound system and dancing teenagers to tell the uninterested "waiter" that you want a refill.
It's enough to make you wish your friends went back on their pledge to quit smoking.
Okay, Â so, I'm reverting to wanting to be back in my twenties. What can I say? Â I took my cousin and his wife to this Hookah bar. Â LOVED IT!
The only reason I didn't give five stars was because I still think more could be done with the atmosphere. Â But hey, it's Tempe... land of a million different opinions.
The Sheesha was excellent! Â Very smooth. Â No burn, no headache afterwords. Â The staff was very friendly, very accommodating and did a great job of keeping on top of our needs. Â The choices to blend for flavor were out of this world! Can anyone say "almond joy?" Â SWEET!
If you want a really nice experience, go ahead to the Red Sea... I'm pretty sure you'll be happy. Â I'm Hook'ad.
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