I went and checked out the cigar bar downtown, called Poppy Love Smoke, at 112 E. Adams. It's in the Adams Street side of the building that London Bridge is in. I was very impressed. They are a ridiculously nice bunch of people, and stock a great wine selection. They are also very reasonably priced. I couldn't say enough good things about this place.
I had never heard of it before, since they don't have a website or anything. The owner of Cafe NOLA told me about it, and that's when I went. You guys should definitely check this place out. Thumbs-up from me.
Here is an article from 2007:
Cigar bar to open on Adams Street
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2007-sep-cigar-bar-to-open-on-adams-street
Do you know what days they are open?
And how bad was the smoke?
Quote from: Southbanker on June 24, 2009, 01:29:40 PM
Do you know what days they are open?
And how bad was the smoke?
Smoke was zero. You can smell the aroma of cigars, obviously, but the air is clean. Also very modern decor, very nicely done. I was really surprised and impressed. I think they are open every day starting at 3pm till-late.
Southbanker No Love Smoke
Southbanker Love Wine
Sounds like it is worth a try.
Hi all - here is a review .. and shows their hours. Thumbs up for me too.
http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/ (http://reviewjax.blogspot.com/)
Wine and Cigars; sounds good together, especially after a meal, however, I don't smoke, so tell me how does the two together taste?
Heights Unknown
Quote from: heights unknown on July 05, 2009, 05:11:27 PM
Wine and Cigars; sounds good together, especially after a meal, however, I don't smoke, so tell me how does the two together taste?
Heights Unknown
They go together great! I absolutely love the place.
I added them onto my Facebook to get updates on whats going on there. Just got one the other day saying they have sangria.. so I can't wait to get back there and try that out!
You are right. Poppy Love Smoke is a cool place. I went there Friday. And the people there were awesome. It has a nice urban/modern atmosphere.
My only complaint is that the place was dead. 7pm on a Friday in a downtown environment you would expect lots of people hanging out after work to get their drink on. But downtown Jax is just not a after-work happy hour kind of place I guess. Either people go home to their families or they go pack the places at SJTC and Tinseltown.
Later when I drove by there were more people there.
London Bridge & Burrito Gallery have always drawn a decent happy hour crowd, i'm sure in time the love smoke will catch on and have a good size HH crowd.
London Bridge has faded in the happy hour department in the past year... I am still the Bridgetroll but have been moved over to Marks for my happy hour forays... :)
Not to sound like the cheap accountant I am, but last night at Art Walk this place was charging six bucks to get it. I understand the point of cover charges, but it just doesn't seem like good business to charge people on the one day of the month that has the most foot traffic down town. On Art Walk many people frequent different places to check things out and stop by to have a quick drink. We just wanted to get a feel for the place to maybe come back later for a full evening, but that was kind of a turn off.
Downtown is full of ridiculous cover charges. Last saturday it cost $7 to get into Mark's for NO drink specials. Mark's is not worth that at all. It seemed like a bargain when TSI was only $5. The Pearl is another place that will suck your wallet dry.
I may open a bar downtown, it sounds like the margins are Insane!!
I love Jacksonville, but there is no place in this city that should charge anything over $5 for a cover, and Zissou is right, if there is a cover, there better be some sort of deal going on. It just seems like sometimes the basic principles of doing good business are thrown out the window in this city.
Its called supply and demand....if people aren't willing to pay the cover charge, then the place is empty....and stops charging it
If there isn't a cover charge and then they add one because there's a special event, that's called gouging. While this form may not be illegal, it's way bad for business. I hope the owners of these places are reading this forum and paying heed.
No, it's called taking advantage of the fact that the inner core is boring and people don't want to drive to the beach. Most downtown jax clubs wouldn't last a second in other cities. The lack of alternatives is what keeps people digging through their pockets.
I don't mind paying covers on a weekend when going out somewhere, but I just felt it was a bad business move to charge a cover on a night when many people could come through and check the place out who normally would not. I will say though that if they continue to put more bars in and around that strip I would go to the bars that do not charge cover. I would rather be able to hop bar to bar, which I would not do if I would have to pay a different cover at each one.
At Mark's / Dive Bar the cover is usually for the cost of the DJ or special entertainment going on.
Quote from: braeburn on August 06, 2009, 11:17:09 AM
At Mark's / Dive Bar the cover is usually for the cost of the DJ or special entertainment going on.
If the bar doesn't make enough on its own by having the DJ or special entertainment, and they need to charge admission to cover these costs, then it's not really doing good business anyway. If you have a club, or club/bar, then you should have a DJ, but cover's over $5 for anywhere in Jax is unacceptable. And it's not supply and demand, it's just limited options, there is a difference.
Quote from: cdb on August 06, 2009, 11:40:19 AM
Quote from: braeburn on August 06, 2009, 11:17:09 AM
At Mark's / Dive Bar the cover is usually for the cost of the DJ or special entertainment going on.
If the bar doesn't make enough on its own by having the DJ or special entertainment, and they need to charge admission to cover these costs, then it's not really doing good business anyway. If you have a club, or club/bar, then you should have a DJ, but covers over $5 for anywhere in Jax is unacceptable. And it's not supply and demand, it's just limited options, there is a difference.
Seriously? who complains about paying to go to a bar? Cover charges for DJ's/Bands are great...that way bartenders don't have to tip out dj's etc...
You're right..this is Jacksonville, and the club business isn't that great for anyone...but still remember it is a business.
I can see why people complain about cover charges. Why charge me a cover for an empty bar and an ipod DJ. Or, why charge a cover and have no liquor. I feel it's Jacksonville in general and the bar district is still going through growing pains.
Speaking of charging covers, some friends and I swung by the Sinclair to check it out. The girl at the door wanted us each to roll 2 dice to see how much we would pay (There was some acoustic act on stage). We didn't want to see a live act or possibly pay between $2 - $12 each just for some drinks. We ended up at Dive Bar, and had a blast, some people did the entire thriller dance when it came on and we ended up seeing the owner of the Sinclair at the Dive Bar.
^^ The absurd drink markups should pay for the entertainment. A special DJ should cause more people to show up. Those people by more $4 Amstel Bottles or $9 mixed drinks......And presto! the DJ is paid for. A real legit band I can understand, but unless it's Paul Van Dyke, Tiesto, AM, or GirlTalk.. I say a DJ is no excuse for cover.
Folks, its simple...if you don't like cover charges, go somewhere that doesn't charge....like I do!
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 06, 2009, 01:24:03 PM
Folks, its simple...if you don't like cover charges, go somewhere that doesn't charge....like I do!
Exactly...
Quote from: cdb on August 06, 2009, 11:40:19 AM
And it's not supply and demand, it's just limited options, there is a difference.
Isn't that exactly what supply and demand is? In this case, supply is very limited.
Quote from: tufsu1 on August 06, 2009, 01:24:03 PM
Folks, its simple...if you don't like cover charges, go somewhere that doesn't charge....like I do!
agreed. not that lucasjj doesn't have the right to complain about it on here though...that's perfectly fine. But I agree with this view.
I am not complaining about covers in general. I am just saying that I did not think it was good business sense to charge cover on a night when so many people were walking around the place. It was a deterrent to people just coming in to check the place out or have a quick drink.
At a place with good entertainment, like a DJ or band, I would rather pay for a cover up front instead of paying for it in every drink I buy.
Poppy Love Smoke in downtown Jacksonville is expanding
Submitted by Heather Lovejoy on April 9, 2010 - 12:40pm
I just talked to Errol Mizell of Poppy Love Smoke by phone, who says expansion of the downtown Jacksonville lounge has begun. They're taking over an adjacent space, and the size will be nearly doubled â€" from a capacity of about 70 to 130 people.
Mizell said the venue, which is at 112 E. Adams St., gets cramped during bigger events, so more space was needed. The expansion will also allow the venue to bring in bigger live acts, he said. The club often hosts jazz, R&B and soul shows.
They're also putting in a new ventilation system, and plan to add outside tables.
He said construction is slated to be done by the Fourth of July, and a series of events is planned for that weekend. Ocean and Newnan streets will be closed off for a street party and concerts are being booked.
Some people have said they prefer the small, intimate feel of the lounge as it is now, Mizell said. But he said not to fret â€" the laid-back, lounge vibe isn't changing, nor is the intimate mood.
This is great news for Poppy Love Smoke, which opened about a year ago. Downtown will certainly benefit... Cheers to revitalization.
http://jacksonville.com/opinion/blog/403251/heather-lovejoy/2010-04-09/poppy-love-smoke-downtown-jacksonville-expanding
Glad to hear it, I love that place
What was in the adjacent space before?
I read the title and thought of weed.
Then I read the thread to find out I was mistaken
Shame on you D:
"What was in the adjacent space before?"
A small recording studio, I think.
for downtown jax to be so dead sometimes this guy>>"Lucasjj" is doing alot of crying about a few dollars...any bar opening up in these time downtown should charge for live music or a guest dj...this cry baby needs to go to the beaches and get rapped for drinks out there!!!....or ask his boss at walmart for a few more hours...grow up kid this is "the city" not "chucky cheese"......nothings free!!! try traveling a little to local city's and bars, maybe you would a appreciate whats going on downtown JAX!!.....6 more bars would be great for downtown!!!...but there always gonna be that cheep person that's wants something for nothing......KEEP IT UP DOWNTOWN JAX!!! LOOKING GOOD!!!
I am glad I could get you so excited it took you 17 exclamation marks to make your point...but if you read this whole thread my problem was that they charged cover on Art Walk. I think it is an awesome place, and I figured it would be better to get as many people as possible in the door to check the place out. That would be easier without a cover. Also since many places have FREE live entertainment on Art Walk, why charge for theirs.
I will re-post what I wrote before which already said this, and specifically addresses what you said "any bar opening up in these time downtown should charge for live music or a guest dj".
Quote from: Lucasjj on August 06, 2009, 03:03:08 PM
I am not complaining about covers in general. I am just saying that I did not think it was good business sense to charge cover on a night when so many people were walking around the place. It was a deterrent to people just coming in to check the place out or have a quick drink.
At a place with good entertainment, like a DJ or band, I would rather pay for a cover up front instead of paying for it in every drink I buy.
Quote from: downtown gorrilla on April 27, 2010, 10:41:02 AM
for downtown jax to be so dead sometimes this guy>>"Lucasjj" is doing alot of crying about a few dollars...any bar opening up in these time downtown should charge for live music or a guest dj...this cry baby needs to go to the beaches and get rapped for drinks out there!!!....or ask his boss at walmart for a few more hours...grow up kid this is "the city" not "chucky cheese"......nothings free!!! try traveling a little to local city's and bars, maybe you would a appreciate whats going on downtown JAX!!.....6 more bars would be great for downtown!!!...but there always gonna be that cheep person that's wants something for nothing......KEEP IT UP DOWNTOWN JAX!!! LOOKING GOOD!!!
This dude registered on this board just to call someone out?
Quote from: Sportmotor on April 09, 2010, 03:25:33 PM
I read the title and thought of weed.
Then I read the thread to find out I was mistaken
Shame on you D:
Damn Sportmotor! Don't you know Weed is an herb? Poppies are flowers - the very nectar of The Gods!
Trust me on this one Sportmotor, I got my knowledge from a very wise old Caterpillar, who then turned promptly into a chrysalis.Quote
Question's from a Caterpillar:
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
Who are YOU? said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.
What do you mean by that? said the Caterpillar sternly. Explain yourself!
I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir said Alice, because I'm not myself, you see.
I don't see, said the Caterpillar.
I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly, Alice replied very politely, for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.
It isn't, said the Caterpillar.
Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet, said Alice; but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?
Not a bit, said the Caterpillar.
Well, perhaps your feelings may be different, said Alice; all I know is, it would feel very queer to ME.
You! said the Caterpillar contemptuously. Who are YOU? "
OCKLAWAHA
Quote from: Ocklawaha on April 27, 2010, 04:59:35 PM
Damn Sportmotor! Don't you know Weed is an herb? Poppies are flowers - the very nectar of The Gods!
Trust me on this one Sportmotor, I got my knowledge from a very wise old Caterpillar, who then turned promptly into a chrysalis.
Quote
Question's from a Caterpillar:
The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.
Who are YOU? said the Caterpillar.
This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.
What do you mean by that? said the Caterpillar sternly. Explain yourself!
I can't explain MYSELF, I'm afraid, sir said Alice, because I'm not myself, you see.
I don't see, said the Caterpillar.
I'm afraid I can't put it more clearly, Alice replied very politely, for I can't understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.
It isn't, said the Caterpillar.
Well, perhaps you haven't found it so yet, said Alice; but when you have to turn into a chrysalis--you will some day, you know--and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you'll feel it a little queer, won't you?
Not a bit, said the Caterpillar.
Well, perhaps your feelings may be different, said Alice; all I know is, it would feel very queer to ME.
You! said the Caterpillar contemptuously. Who are YOU? "
OCKLAWAHA
No, I did not. I'm not an expert on such things :D
http://www.youtube.com/v/WANNqr-vcx0&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca
Perhaps this will help Sportmotor...
OCKLAWAHA
Yup been high to that, even sober I dont understand what she is singing about.
Quote from: urbanlibertarian on April 10, 2010, 11:16:13 PM
"What was in the adjacent space before?"
A small recording studio, I think.
yea thats what it was.
Quote from: Sportmotor on April 27, 2010, 10:41:33 PM
Yup been high to that, even sober I dont understand what she is singing about.
Damn Sportmotor, I don't think I would have said that!
Tonight's Menu:
Green Apple Flavored Vodka
Papaver Somniferum Nectar
Ganja
Ice Tea Vodka...
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!OCKLAWAHA
Sounds like.... Alice in Wonderland? :D
Quote from: Ocklawaha on April 28, 2010, 12:22:07 AM
Damn Sportmotor, I don't think I would have said that!
Tonight's Menu:
Green Apple Flavored Vodka
Papaver Somniferum Nectar
Ganja
Ice Tea Vodka...
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
OCKLAWAHA
That sounds like the perfect menu! I knew my organic chemistry set would come in handy someday Ock! :)