Bo’s Cigars offers a members-only setting with a porch stoop feel

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

On the northwest corner of Long Beach City College’s main campus, the unmistakable aroma of cigar smoke hangs in the air, a peculiar complement to the smell of fried rice from nearby Chinese and Thai restaurants. Do a little detective work and you’ll find the scent of smoldering cigar tobacco originates from Bo’s Cigar Lounge, a small but comfortable haven from the constant rush of cars on Carson, just outside Bo’s front door.

In May 2006, Bo Mouissat, a retired restaurateur, bought what used to be a used textbook store and quickly turned it into a popular decompression zone for local suits and cigar buffs. It’s also a favorite hangout for cops, firefighters, judges and city officials.

To evoke an 18th century English gentlemen’s smoking club, Mouissat chose high-back leather armchairs, polished wooden floors and stately wainscoting panels. Ceiling fans quietly turn above the lounge, effectively moving the smoke into a specialized ventilation system. The look in the lounge is upscale. Private. Members-only. The feel, however, isn’t—by design.

“I tried to make this an open space that’s not cliqueish or intimidating,” Mouissat tells me, turning away from the in-store espresso machine. (He’d poured me a fresh mug to calm my hacking cough. A true gentleman.) “I want people to feel like this is their home away from home, a place to relax and unwind.”

Mouissat welcomes his customers with a warm handshake, just as he welcomed my father and me last Thanksgiving. We could have been in his home (which is actually in Lakewood): Greeting us like his personally invited guests, Mouissat talked cigars with my dad and guided me, a cigar greenhorn, to the right petite corona, a tasty Hawaiian mango and chocolate mint ice cream flavored CAO Karma Sutra Splash. He was helpful, but didn’t hover. Mouissat says he purposely doesn’t “chaperone” or follow customers into his custom Spanish cedar humidor, unless they’ve specifically requested his assistance. “People feel free to come and go here,” he says. “There’s no pressure. We leave worries outside.”

One of the finest cigars in Mouissat’s premium collection is the hand-rolled Padrón 80th Anniversary Cigar, the company’s first perfecto-shaped stogie and a tricky cigar to come by due to limited release and high demand. Each is wrapped with individually numbered bands to curb counterfeiting, an industry epidemic. Brands like Arturo Fuente, Rocky Patel, Graycliff, Ashton VSG and dozens of others are also available, from luxury to affordable cigars.

But if Mouissat’s first passion is cigars, his second is collecting sports memorabilia. An impressive collection of original, autographed sports memorabilia lines the smoking lounge’s burgundy walls. Displayed alongside one 60-inch and three 42-inch plasma flat screen TVs are an autographed Tiger Woods polo shirt, a pair of signed Nike Air Jordans, an early AFC leather football helmet, and loads of autographed USC gear, including a helmet signed by six Heisman Trophy winners.

Currently, NFL fans can puff on a torpedo at Bo’s while rooting for their playoff picks. Mouissat expects plenty of traffic up to the Super Bowl. There’s even a 20-inch flat screen in the restroom, so you don’t have to sweat missing the winning play.

For the more casual cigar shopper, Bo’s also offers a great selection of lighters, cigar accessories and personal humidors. Cigar lockers are available for rent and a rooftop patio is available for special events. There’s free wi-fi, too—but, really who’d want to work?

BO’S CIGAR LOUNGE 4501 E CARSON ST | STE 114 | LONG BEACH 90808 | 562.429.5600 | BOKNOWSCIGARS.COM  

Tags: bo's cigar lounge, Long Beach, padron, smoking, stogies