With a rich history dating back to the cigar factories of Ybor City, Tampa
has definitely earned its nickname as Cigar City. Here are some great places to
buy and savor a good stogie.
Cigar Castle
At 1,000 square feet, its humidor is about the size of a one-bedroom apartment.
Walk inside and find virtually every brand imaginable. This 4-year-old shop and
lounge has about 1,000 open boxes of cigars for picking and choosing. Create
your own box and get a discount. Cigar Castle has five 42-inch TVs and a large
projection screen for watching sports and DVDs customers can bring from home.
The outdoor patio hosts monthly free cigar tastings. 11724 N 56th St., Temple
Terrace, (813) 985-1300
Club Habano Cigars
Former cigar salesman Pedro Rivero Jr. brought a little bit of Ybor to
Carrollwood with the recent opening of Club Habano. The cigar store and lounge
serves wine, beer and sangria, made with a secret ingredient Rivero only tells
his customers. The shop has domino tables, leather couches and big-screen
televisions. The smell of Spanish cedar, not cigar smoke, fills the air. 11642 N
Dale Mabry Highway, Carrollwood, (813) 269-0400
Edward's Pipe & Tobacco
Don't be surprised to see people waiting outside the door when Edward's opens at
8 a.m. This cigar shop has a loyal following that comes for the cigars,
camaraderie and coffee, which is free all day. Founded in 1960, the store
carries a variety of smoking products, including high-end lighters and wooden
pipes that were once made on site. Smoke a stogie in the lounge or drop by for a
4 p.m. domino game. The store recently added a patio for hosting events and
watching football. 3235 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, (813) 872-0723
Gaspar's Cigar Shoppe
A former UPS store inspired D.C. Goutoufas to open a cigar lounge where people
could access their lockers for a smoke 24 hours a day. Gaspar's operates as a
normal cigar lounge during the day, with a coffee bar and TVs. Late night,
Goutoufas locks up the retail area with a metal partition and lets members come
and go using an access code. 3765 S West Shore Blvd., Tampa, (813) 831-0100
King Corona Cigars
Owner Don Barco describes his shop as a microcosm of what Ybor used to be.
Customers can smoke a cigar, get a shave in the barber shop, order a Cuban
sandwich in the cafe or sip port at the bar. Founded in 1938, the store carries
a good selection of guayaberas, panama hats and humidors. The patio area makes
for great people-watching along Seventh Avenue. 1523 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City,
(813) 241-9109
El Sol Cigars
Founded in 1929 by Guy and Mary Saitta, El Sol is considered the oldest cigar
store in Tampa. Grandson Robert Saitta runs the business today, selling and
shipping El Sol Cigars made in small factories in Tampa, Honduras, Nicaragua and
the Dominican Republic. Also available: antique cigar cutters and boxes and
cigar label T-shirts. Old photos of the family making cigars grace the walls.
1728 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, (813) 248-5905
Metropolitan Cigars
There's no specific place to light up, but customers are welcome to test drive a
new purchase. The store sells it all, from lighters to cutters to humidors and
other cigar accessories. Antoinette Capitano and her family run the business,
which was founded by her husband, Sonny Capitano Jr., about 15 years ago. The
family is friends with Bill Cosby, who's been known to stop by every so often
for a chat and a smoke. 2014 E Seventh Ave., Ybor City, (813) 248-3304
Stogie Castillo's
This cigar lounge has comfy leather couches, chess tables and even a big TV set
up with Guitar Hero. On weekends, passersby can watch a cigar roller at work in
the front window. 1600 E Eighth Ave., Centro Ybor, (813) 418-6937
