You can find almost any type of place you want to have a session.  Whether you prefer a more cultural feeling with less of a “done-up” style or a classy restaurant where you can enjoy drink service alongside your shisha, you can find it in the DMV.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to stop by Chi Cha Lounge on U Street.  Chi Cha is one of those club/lounge/hookah bar hybrids.  They have a full menu of mostly Spanish fare and full bar to accompany their decent shisha selection.  The hookah is a bit on the pricey side for the area ($18) but price reflects the premium atmosphere they promote.

The furniture and seating arrangement really adds a great aspect to the whole experience.  In the main bar area you’ll find very low comfy ottomans breaking up the large open floor in front of the bar.   A corridor wrapping around the perimeter of this main area has wall to wall velvet benches with tables staggered for smokers that want a more private feel.  Some would call it cramped, I call it cozy.

Probably the biggest surprise about the whole evening was the sheer number of people that flooded the bar just after 11pm.  Granted it was a beautiful night in a city that hasnt seen one like it since last fall, but it definitely isnt the scene typical to many DC area hookah bars.  Everyone came dressed to impress and with a great energy.

Even though the mob of people in the main lounge were enjoying a mix of dance and house tunage, the perimeter lounge, where I sat, wasn’t overwhelmed by how loud the music was.  It wasnt difficult conversing with company and it was nice to know that there was a party going on in the next room.  Again, not your typical hookah bar.

My only complaint lies in how our hookah was prepared.  I believe both of the bowls we ordered through the night were a little over packed causing the shisha to burn harshly.  I usually don’t mind too much and enjoy a little extra edge every now and again but my company did not appreciate it.

I know I’ll be back to Chi Cha.  It has a lot to offer and this time I’ll probably go check out the food.  It’s what I imagine is an urban hookah smoker’s delight.  It allows you to go out for an evening with friends who don’t like to smoke and still have a good time at the same place.  Chi Cha may be the pioneer of the up and coming DC hookah scene,  definitely check it out this spring and summer.

Chi Cha Lounge
1624 U Street, NW
Washington DC 20009 (map)
(202) 234-8400‎
http://www.latinconcepts.com/chi-cha

I like this product for 3 reasons:

1. Without being too cliche and using current popular culture buzzwords, this is an environmentally friendly way to smoke hookah.  With this product you’re actually recycling your old jugs of moonshine and bottles of Jack Daniels for use as your very own tacky but “green” hookah water pipe.  Leave it to us Americans to take the culture out of the hookah.
2. I like the idea of being able to customize my hookah with whatever bottle I can find.  I would take pride in experimenting with different types of bottle shapes and bottle sizes.  It allows you to fit your hookah to personality or your living room.  I’m really interested to start seeing some pictures of what people have come up with using this product.  Please don’t hesitate to send them to me.
3. I especially like this product because it’s dirt cheap.  It’s less than $15 to get your own Witch Hookah set up.  Thats a great deal especially if you’re new to hookah and dont want to commit to a nice one yet.  Check it out in our Store

I’ve read mixed reviews about how well the product works.  It apparently works better on plastic two liter bottles of soda rather than on glass bottles.  Though I’ve hard any leaks are easily sealed with electrical tape, which maybe ruins the whole point of having your own customizable piece of hookah art.

Another similar product I’ve heard about but its significantly more expensive is the HoboHookah.  In addition to the clever name, it looks promising but it’s less available out there.  HoboHookah does have a Hookah Gangbang video to it’s credit:

I’d love to hear your feedback about how these products work.