The Hookah House

The first time I visited Hookah House in 2012 was fantastic, super chill atmosphere and the guy serving us was very friendly and made us the best honey green tea I’ve ever had in my life. Great hookahs of course!
Unfortunately on my most recent visit in December 2014 this was not the case. The seating is still the same, comfy but limited space on lounge style cushions/​pillows. Just pray you don’t have to sit on one of the little stools if you’re on the opposite side of the tables. The music is also very loud club mix stuff. Most of the clientele is local college kids.
It was very busy and the staff was not very attentive to use once we got our hookah setup, and only came once to refresh our coals and gave us no tongs to rotate them, so by the time they came back our bowls were very harsh and burned.
The bowls are overpriced themselves, ranging from $ 14 to $ 18 for a 2 person hookah. The brands they serve aren’t that great either. The stuff they sell in their store is better than what’s available on the menu.
We didn’t order any snacks but the green tea we got was just basic Lipton tea, so it was kind of disappointing
Overall it was just disappointing to see what use to be such an awesome place slip in terms of quality.

The set up is awesome. even when there are a ton of people in there you have enough space to stretch your legs if you need to due to the way they set up the seating in the place. we have only gone once but the atmosphere was stellar enough that we will go again.
They also have the hospitality to let you smell the tobacco before you smoke it which is a new thing as far as i have seen.
The Turkish coffee is AMAZING, maybe im just used to drinking run of the mill coffee but this coffee was some of the best i have had in a long time i highly recommend giving it a try.
the vibe we got was nice as well the only thing i would change is maybe play some more authentic regional music for the hookah setting as it is kinda hard to vibe out to 90’s hip hop. Alas what can you expect this is Lawrence…
Either way i recommend giving this place a try its nice and relaxing and one of only two reasons i have found to actually go to downtown Lawrence.

I love the Hookah House, and frequent it often!
Interior is very welcoming, and low key. Staff is not only polite, but extremely knowledgeable about their products.
Shisha menu is large, varied, and priced fairly. Food is decent, but not super exciting. I highly recommend their rose water lemonade!

This is the best Hookah house I have ever been to in the USA, They have the best customer service. I have been coming here for years, Sunday karaōke night is my favorite night. I’m sorry u have a person in this review that burned herself I hope she goes back to you guys and you could hook her up with the free hookah because I feel really bad that She gave you two stars.
Hazem is the one running this business I think and he is a really nice guy. If you read this review please try to talk to him.
The hookah house is the best place to go to to sober up specially after a long night at tonic.

My friends and I went to Lawrence just on a nonsense trip. We were walking up and down Massachusetts st, not expecting to find anything open when we came acrossed it:) we actually met some really rad people. The staff was so sociable and nice, we got WTF, Alice as our first flavor and it was to die for! We stayed almost until they closed, we did some different dances and our new friends and us all did it together. We had so much fun and will definitely be coming back!

Alright.
I’ve loved hookah house for YEARS. Seriously, since the first time I came here and they had pillows on the floor and well, screw sanitation, let’s smoke some chocolate mint and blow bubbles. But after tonight? NO.
I came in and sat near the middle and the guy adjusted my coals and knocked them over. Okay, understandable. I’m not upset about that. Then he did it again and OW! A coal landed on my foot and unhappy doesn’t begin to describe my feelings, but again, it was an accident and no hard feelings, right? Right, UNTIL I went to the front and mentioned it and the guy was anything but apologetic. In fact, he told me that people who come to the Hookah House EXPECT to have hot coals land on them. Ummm, what? I’ve been here dozens of times and never expected to get third degree burns on my feet and be faced without an apology.
To their credit, though, the guy that actually dropped the coals on me was apologetic. The owner? Not at all. Before tonight, Hookah House was my favorite after-​the-​bar hangout spot. After tonight? I’ll go to Aladdin’s Café where I think even if they nearly light me on fire, they will apologize.

Just across the street from one of my favorite restaurants in Lawrence (715) is the Hookah House. Sure, they are playing some arab music videos from youtube, but if that doesn’t bother you (and they are pretty hilarious, some of them) then sit back, order some tea and hookah, and relax. It’s a nice way to start or finish a night.

The Hookah House is nestled in a little loft above the hustle of Mass Street. Upon entrance, the room is a long rectangle with windows at each end and low, colored lighting. Painted murals of the Middle East adorn the walls, and a variety of unique decorations. They’ve recently added string lights, which add an even nicer atmosphere at night. Sitting by the window allows for a view of the street below! Seating consists of two low sitting benches that run the length of the room, with a bunch of colorful pillows to separate you from your neighbors. Music is played at different levels, during busy times the music can be rap and hiphop, but electronica, alternative and Middle-​eastern type of music is also played frequently.
The servers that run the business are all members of an Arabic family (Although now there are some outside hires). They’re very friendly, and regulars will have the treat of getting to know them personally. Coals on a busy night may run low, but asking is all it takes for them to be refreshed. Flavors are now available based on brand — 12.99 for a basic, 15.99 for premium, and 17.99 for Nirvana, the shisha made by the Hookah House family. Refills on bowls are based on the type of shisha you want. Basic includes flavors from Al-​Fakher, and Premium includes Fumari, Social Smoke. Food prices are acceptable, water is no longer freely available (.99 now) due to FDA regulations, but outside drink+food is accepted.
The Hookah House stays open late, and during the spring and summer there are a lower amount of people around. There’s a lot of college kids who frequent here, but older crowds have also made appearances! Even when it’s loud and busy, it makes for good conversation — no one to overhear you, and during down time sound doesn’t carry.
The Hookah House recently has added Daily specials. They are available on a chalk board outside of the house and are subject to change. Usually they’ll give you a couple dollars off of select shisha.
I’ve been to a few hookah bars, and this has the best pricing system yet. it has never failed to provide me with a good time, and the atmosphere is much more conducive to relaxation or bonding time with friends.

Pretty cool for my first hookah experience. There seemed to be a lot of young guys (who look like they play a lot of Magic) hanging out. Also, I wish they would pick one music genre and stick with it; they were literally playing YouTube videos from their laptops and one minute it would be some bangin’ Rick Ross, the next some weird belly dancing. I liked this place and I’d definitely try a hookah bar again.

I thoroughly enjoy the Hookah House. The people who run the place are AWESOME. It has a cozy interior, and is a great place to go chill with a group of friends and chat around a hookah and some snacks. It’s great any time, but I have to say I usually end up there at 2am when the bars close — it’s a great way to end the night and sober up before driving home. I also like it that time of night because it’s pretty lively!

I used to spend some serious TIME here back in my KU days (what I wouldn’t give to be a restless hippie college kid again…)
I started coming here right after they opened and have been fortunate enough to watch it grow and evolve over time getting larger, getting prettier, and the service has never once faltered. The family that owns/​runs this joint is fantastic. After you go a few times they really get to know you, know your name, know your flavors, know your drinks. Its the kind of special touch that makes you want to go back to a place. The hookahs are beautiful, they use super tasty shisha, and the food/​drinks are killer! I’m not playin’ when I say that some of the best hummus and babaganouj have come from this joint. I moved away from Lawrence before they had the room next to it and turned it into a little bakery/​shop thing so I can’t comment too much on it. But I did hear that its where they make all the food that’s served inside of the Hookah House and as such, I can attest for how good it is.
The ONLY thing I don’t love about Hookah House is something that is truly bittersweet. I wanted so badly for this place to really catch on and do well in Lawrence, and after a little time it totally did. This means I don’t have to fear for its disappearance in the ether of flash-​in-​the-​pan Mass street joints. Unfortunately, since its only 18+ it also means that EVERY high school kid that doesn’t have a fake ID will be there, all the time. I guess part of me is jealous that this kind of place didn’t exist in my hometown for my 18 year old days… but it also sort of ruins any hope for peace and a good unkilled buzz when its jam packed full of teenagers.
That said, I’ve never let the potential crowd dissuade me from going, but I have turned around and gone elsewhere a few times after showing up and it looked like a high school holiday dance.
I miss these guys and as always will visit whenever I’m back in town. Keep it up!

This is the second hookah/​nargile bar I’ve visited in Lawrence. The location is interesting: second floor of one of the buildings on Mass, right across from Café Beautiful. If there were half stars, the place would get 2.5 stars on a busy night, and four stars on an empty night. (See below.)
The Good: Good quality tobacco. The service was prompt: drinks were brought out swiftly, our nargile was brought out often, and our charcoal was refreshed often. They have backgammon sets. Always a plus. When it’s fairly empty, I’m guessing it’s a very nice atmosphere.
The Bad: It wasn’t empty. It’s loud. It’s hot. There’s no middle eastern tea (Turkish çay, or something similar). Instead, it’s regular old black tea. Meh.
The Ugly: The place is crawling with older high schoolers and college freshman who can’t get into bars, and want to do something «adult» on a Thursday night. This ruins the atmosphere completely. I should come out on a slow night to see how the place is then, but until then …