Stratosphere Lounge

Best place in San Marcos to smoke hookah.  Laid back atmosphere full of comfortable furniture to relax.  They have all the regular flavors plus monthly selections and blends that are created by staff and customers.  Only downside is finding a place to park, but well worth the walk.  It is even BYOB!

This is one of the biggest regrets I have about moving back to Austin. I miss Strat. I used to go here weekly when I lived in San Marcos but now I barely ever get the chance to. Apart from a great place to unwind and smoke, they sell shisha and coals for you to take home. The hookahs that they sell are top quality and beautiful, too. I'm a fan of the byob policy, but it can get pretty crowded on the weekends when all the drunks meander in from the square.
They have boardgames and card games, snacks and drinks, and you can mix flavors in your shisha order.

The only qualms I have with Strat is that it's too small for all of the people it serves, especially on the weekends. I really hope they find a way to extend the lounge somehow down the road. The prices used to be the best around, but since I stopped going on a regular basis the price per-bowl has sky-rocketed.

Tip: Parking is awful in this area in general, so get there early.

Great owner. Awesome selection of flavors, high quality tobacco. They serve a small, somewhat eclectic variety of beverages. If you want some beer, you're free you BYOB. They'll even put the beer in the fridge. The employees are sooo friendly.

Definitely a good place to chill if you want to wind down after a long day or a long night. They have comfy couches, glass tables with chairs where you can play board games and awesome artwork that you can actually purchase.