I'm from Seattle, and wanted to give some props to the Night Owl Lounge Hookah Bar. I went there last night for the first time and had an enjoyable experience. I'm going to go down the list of what's important to me for a hookah bar, and give a rating for each area of significance (1-10). Atmosphere: The interior feels brand new with nice couches, awesome spray paint murals on the walls (including a huge sprawling Owl right when you walk-in), great sound system, cool lighting, and a lot of people in my age range were there. I give the atmosphere an 8.
Hookahs, Tobacco, and Coals: The hookahs, tobacco, and coals were all high quality. The hookahs were of premium quality as well as the tobacco. They use the stove heated coals (logs) that provide a clean burn of the tobacco. A multitude of flavors were offered, and I was pleased with my strawberry mango selection. I give the hookahs, tobacco, and coals a 9.
Service: The service was pretty good. The setup is pretty original in that it operates much like a restaurant. You walk in, choose your group's area, and a server comes to give you a menu and take the order. From order to smoke was probably 7-10 minutes when they were really busy. This was definitely manageable. I give the service an 9.
I've been to the other hookah bars in Seattle (before they shut down), and this beats those hands down. The only way the Night Owl is able to stay open is by charging an initial $5 membership fee (so they can claim it's a private club). My friends and I are going to be there this summer so 5 bones wasn't too bad. I'd recommend checking this place out if you live within driving distance of Seattle, and enjoy hookah lounges.
Ben
