The quality of the hookah is quite nice. I never had a bad smoke here, and the flavors are usually spot on.
Service can be a huge hit or miss. Ranging from:
A) Busy - very friendly greeting, prompt service, attentive, fresh coals every quarter hour or so
B) Not busy - forgetting food/beverage orders, wrong delivery of hookah
One time, I came when the place was pretty empty during happy hour. I ordered my hookah and took a seat by the window. After half an hour, I still didn't receive my hookah. Apparently the employee couldn't find me and put it with someone else. Now, I'm usually pretty lenient service-wise when it comes to such chill, laid-back places, but I find it pretty ridiculous that I was so "difficult" to find considering I was the only person by the window and had never left my seat. When I think about it, the only times I've ever had terrible service was during happy hours.
A strange thing I really appreciate about their hookahs is that it doesn't stink. I've been to Gypsy Lounge on several occasions, and their hookahs always smelled of poo.
Good hookah, eclectic crowds, WiFi, free shows on occasion, decent staff, great cafe latte. Yup, I'm a fan.
Went here once with my girlfriend and was really impressed. The atmosphere is really laid-back. Our order wasn't terribly expensive like I thought it would be. My girlfriend wasn't too impressed, as this used to be her hangout til management changed, resulting in a lot of changes in the service.
The service was pretty good. Definitely not friendly like it was reported to have been. Really makes me wish I'd known my girlfriend beforehand, and that I'd been able to see the Shi-Sha before it went down the tubes with this new management.
I'm really not sure what the hipsters expect. This is a hookah lounge. It's not going to be fancy. Also, it's a *hookah lounge*. Of course it's going to smell like hookah tobacco. I don't know where these people are trying to go with their complaints about it not being "hipster enough" or the "overwhelming stench."
I would not mind going back, but I think my visit was a one-time deal.