Good tobacco shop(s) in San Francisco?

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sorringowl

sorringowl

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Just found out I'm going to San Francisco on business this weekend. Any good tobacco shop(s) in San Francisco I should visit? If so, do you recommend a good house blend of theirs. I like trying out a good house blend whenever I travel.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.
 
Not many tobacco shops left in SF. It's been awhile, but Grant's (on Market, between 1st + 2nd) used to be a good stop.

You might also check out the Occidental Cigar Club (on Pine - just a few blocks NW of Grant's) for a smoke and drink.
 
Grant's was great; purchased many fine pipes there in the '70s. Would be curious to hear what it is like now (presuming it is still open). They used to have an excellent bulk classic-style Virginia tobacco (never found out which manufacturer it came from).
 
If you have access to a set of wheels, A short hop north over the GGB
you'll find telford's

http://telfordspipeandcigar.com/pages/store.html

Nice people, good selection of tins & house blends. The weather is expected to be clear & sunny but bring a light jacket since the outside smoking area
tends to be breezy
 
Hey guys,
Thanks for the suggestions. Have been reading mixed reviews of Grant's but I'll probably check it out anyway. Telford's sounds and looks amazing. I will definitely have to find my way to Mill Valley. Can't wait.
 
I was just in San Francisco a month ago and went to Grant's twice. I met the owner the first time who let me try the Emperor Norton blend and I ended up buying a 1/2 lb of it. Really good stuff. They had the usual jars of tobacco house-blends as well as a few tins. They had a nice selection of pipes but it wasn't very big. Accessories and of course lots of cigar stuff.

I enjoyed it because it was a real B&M. There is another place called the Humidor which is down the street a little bit but unless you are a straight cigar guy or illegal substance user, you wont' like it.
 
I was in SF last week and I had the chance to visit Grant's on Market St. I love this place! The owner (I believe), Ted, was a really nice guy and was very knowledgeable about pipe tobacco. They had some really great pipes there too, from high end (like, a couple of Beckers, which were great to see up close), to some Stanwells.

These guys also have some really good house blends. I tried and bought some Old Drum, which is a great, all day, aro that's not too heavily cased (just a nice, mild, steady flavor) and they also have a good Balkan (Balkan Light), which is a nice change of pace from my Balkan Sasieni. I also picked up a tin of G.L. Pease's Odyssey (which is my new favorite GLP blend--had to do it, being in SF and all) and they carry a really nice selection of tins that you won't find in most Tobacco shops (GLP, Pipe Club Blends like GKCPC's Nocturne) and best of all, they even sell small samples of blends that you can only find in tins. I picked up a sample of Nocturne and I definitely like it enough to get some more.

There's a nice little smoking section in the shop and a great humidor if you're into the stogies. All in all, this is definitely worth a visit if you're in the Bay area. Great old Pipe shop with plenty of history and a classic feel. Will definitely go there again when I'm in SF.
 
Grant's semi-regular here. Once a month or so.
Great place. With taxes, expect to pay a bit more for things ($16.75 for GLP, $21 for a tin of Vintage Syrian), but considering shipping, not a bad price to pay to try new things and to support an old-school B&M (this place has history!) Haven't bought a pipe here because prices were a bit much, but some nice and interesting pieces. Check tins, you might get lucky and find something a year old, but not likely.
Knowledgable staff and plenty of recommendations. Nice place to chat about breaking news.
Lots of nice peripheral stuff as well — pipe cleaning stuff, even shaving soap.

Note, their bulk blends aren't bad (sometimes very good!) and quite nice for the price. I'll occasionally get their full english mixture, quality varies.
I'm still enjoying their winter blend 2010 (english with light brandy aromatic, I believe.)
 
I can update this thread with the news that Grant's closed last October 1st (just as I was driving south to San Francisco). I had a nice visit there about a year ago, and enjoyed a pouch of one of their house blends. Can anyone here recommend another shop in downtown S. F. or the East Bay? Ages ago I used to go to Drucquer's in Berkeley, but they're long gone. Thanks for any tips.
 
Not much left in downtown SF. Since Grant's closing, Telford's has become my local B&M. It's located a few miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge, in Strawberry, right off the 101.
 
GJ":bn5lpogp said:
I can update this thread with the news that Grant's closed last October 1st (just as I was driving south to San Francisco). I had a nice visit there about a year ago, and enjoyed a pouch of one of their house blends. Can anyone here recommend another shop in downtown S. F. or the East Bay? Ages ago I used to go to Drucquer's in Berkeley, but they're long gone. Thanks for any tips.
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Piedmont tobacco in Oakland, and Edwards in Los altos are awesome. Edwards is where the Peninsula pipe club meets the first Sunday of every month. I'm there almost every Sunday sitting on a stool, smoking, and learning a ton from the guys there.
 
Thanks for the info, jerk. :)

I'll check out the place in Oakland. Edwards is farther afield for me, but sounds like a great place to know about. Is there still an ice cream and soda place in Los Altos called Clint's? (This is going back over 50 years.)

For the East Bay, I know Whelan's near Cal campus still exists, but I gather they've changed their emphasis since the old days. A nice place I dropped in last year was The Pub on Solano in Albany-- an actual neighborhood pub with a small tobacconist's shop in the back. Not a huge stock of stuff, but a friendly place with a decent range at reasonable prices.

 
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