As a longtime resident of Santa Clarita, CA, and an avid cigar smoker, finding a cigar lounge that feels like home has been a persistent challenge. That is, however, until I stumbled into Genuine Cigars in Valencia, CA.
Genuine Cigars
Upon entering the store, the first thing I noticed was the rich aroma of what smelled like high-quality cigar smoke. That, coupled with the high-end look of the lounge, was enough to reel me further into the store. I noticed different TVs playing in various sections of the space with comfortable-looking leather chairs everywhere I turned my head.
With Genuine Cigars already setting the bar quite high upon first glance, I noticed a beautiful walk-in humidor straight ahead of me. I felt drawn to this humidor like a moth to a flame, and I started walking towards it, passing other customers, smoking and laughing with each other. Before reaching my destination, I was greeted by a friendly man named Jean. He welcomed me to the shop and explained that he had just taken over as owner of the place. He was very welcoming and encouraged me to look around and to ask if I had any questions. I thanked him and walked into the humidor.
I’ll start by saying that the number of options was a bit startling. At first, I was afraid I would be overwhelmed by the large variety of cigars they carried. However, I soon felt immersed in the process of checking out all the lines they carried and figuring out which one I would select for my smoke of the day.
They seemed to carry every brand one could imagine, ranging from a budget-friendly Arturo Fuente, to a top-shelf Cohiba. As I looked around, I noticed that no one was standing near me or hurrying me along in my selection process, which is something that has turned me off to other cigar shops in the past. As I grabbed my Montecristo White Label, I headed back out into the lounge to pay.
I was again greeted by the owner, Jean, who told me I made a “great choice” and rang me up. I was, once again, pleasantly surprised when Jean offered to cut my cigar and told me that I could hang out in the lounge and smoke for free since I purchased a cigar. At this point, Genuine Cigars was already starting to feel like my second home.
We proceeded to talk and watch a Dodgers game
Next, I took my cigar and was invited to sit down with a small group of gentlemen in the main smoking area. They were so welcoming and friendly, and it felt as if we all bonded over our common love of cigars. We proceeded to talk and watch a Dodgers game playing on a TV screen above. Another thing I quickly noticed about this place was that everything was immaculately clean. The ashtrays were freshly cleared, and it seemed as though no smoke was lingering in the air, as a result of what I’m guessing is a good ventilation system. The icing on the cake was that there were huge windows to the outside that allowed plenty of natural light into the space.
After smoking and bidding farewell to my new cigar buddies, I took a quick lap around the store to look at the other cigars they had in cases in the main part of the lounge. I noticed that they had a full case filled with every type of Davidoff cigars one could imagine, as well as a big selection of Padrón cigars. I also saw a wide variety of cigar accessories and high-end lighters to cover all bases of the cigar smoking experience.
As I walked out of the store, I was told goodbye by everyone there, which was very pleasant and made me feel as though I was accepted right into the fold. It really stood out to me in my time here that, unlike the cliquey lounges I have attended in the past, everyone seemed to be more like a family. I definitely found what I was looking for in a cigar lounge and will definitely be coming back soon to have a Padrón!
Been to Genuine several times over the years. Good group of guys that smoke there every day. Very comfortable place and it is well air-conditioned. That’s a big plus for the area. Also, there is a CheeseCake Factory next door if you get thirsty or hungry.