No self-respecting search engine website or wannabe online magazine would offer up a destination city without a Top 10 listicle or guide for its readership.
Either that — or we should be lined-up against the nearest wall, blindfolded, with our favorite Sumatran-wrapped Melanio robusto (2014 Cigar of the Year) lighted and tucked in our mouth for failing to provide actual content that serves our readers, clients, and retail and wholesale partners alike.
Nothing like facing the firing squad with an Oliva Melanio robusto. Not a bad way to go out.
Now then — on to our guide for Ybor City.
Few places in the United States combine nightlife and cigar culture the way Ybor City’s cigar bars and lounges do.
The historic Tampa district was once the cigar manufacturing capital of the world, producing millions of cigars each year. While most of the factories have faded into history, the social tradition of enjoying cigars with friends remains very much alive along the streets of Ybor.
One company that still anchors the city’s cigar legacy is J.C. Newman, which continues to produce celebrated brands like Diamond Crown and Brick House, crafted from tobaccos grown in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. A visit to their historic El Reloj factory is well worth the stop while in town.
Here are a few standout cigar spots in Ybor City:
Sterling Cigar Lounge & Bar
Located along historic 7th Avenue, Sterling is one of the most modern cigar lounges in Ybor City. A spacious humidor, craft cocktails, and comfortable seating make it a popular evening destination for locals and visitors alike.
Tabanero Cigars
Tabanero blends a working cigar factory with a relaxed social lounge atmosphere. Visitors can watch cigars being rolled before heading upstairs to enjoy a drink and a smoke.
Ybor Cigars Plus
A boutique cigar shop that doubles as a lively bar scene. Mojitos, music, and hand-rolled cigars give the place a distinctly Havana feel right in the middle of Tampa.
King Corona Cigars & Café
By day it’s a Cuban coffee and sandwich café. By night, the patio becomes one of Ybor’s most social cigar-smoking environments.
A City Built on Cigars Should Honor its Heritage
Unlike many cities where cigar lounges are scattered across town, Ybor City concentrates them within just a few walkable blocks.
That means a night out doesn’t revolve around a single location. Instead, cigar enthusiasts often bar-hop with a favorite cigar in hand — a movable feast of good smokes — strolling from lounge to lounge along the historic strip.
In other words, the entire district functions like one large cigar lounge – outstanding, Cigar City, USA. Out. Standing … in the street with our fave sticks aflame.
Jg. for Cigar Highway