Iwan Ries & Co

I have been coming here for years. Finally thought I’d check out the private lounge. It was worth the cost!

Enter through an outdated covered entrance on South Wabash where a few (unrelated) porters are smoking cigarettes on the sidewalk. Look for a large placard in front of the door or on the building by the doors if you’re uncertain. Find yourself in a clean but sallow-​looking first-​floor hallway. Follow the paper signs to take the stairs up or use the elevator if it’s working. Emerge onto the second floor and start to smell the sweet scent of tobacco and wrapper. Walk past the charming wooden figure and well-​worn armchairs. You’ve arrived at a large airy chamber dedicated to the display of cigars and other fine tobacco products.
The seasoned salespeople are the sort who will give you a once-​over and have your number. Seeing my dazed expression at the sight of all these choices, I was approached by a gentleman who quickly assessed my needs with a few probing questions and led me around to pick out my needs. Service was brisk but confident, and my cigars were carefully placed into a bag that would keep them properly humidified for about a month and given a box of matches.
You may not find someone with plenty of time on their hands at Iwan Ries, but you should certainly bring the cigar lover in your life to this historic store to see the joy on their face.

Incredible place. A great environment and a very knowledgeable and friendly staff. David spent over an hour with me helping me to pick just the right pipe from their vast selection. I could not be more impressed. It really is a pipe smokers paradise.

Best tobacco/​pipe shop in the midwest. no snobbery, walked in with around how much i wanted to spend and after an hour of discussing and getting educated on so many different pipes, I bought the best one my money could get from them and a several pouches of free tobacco that they just threw in. Unreal. Best Ever.

Let’s be blunt: if your business has been around since before the start of the Civil War, you’re doing something right.
I’ve been to plenty of tobacco shops throughout my life and Iwan Ries is easily the nicest in terms of selection, customer service and overall atmosphere.
There are plenty of places to get cigars in this city, but not all of them store their products properly. I’ve occasionally gotten dried out cigars and even ones with mold on them from other places. That’s probably not going to happen with the set up here. But I’ve gotten away from cigars and switched over to pipe smoking, and they have plenty of stuff for pipe smokers here. I’ve actually never seen such a selection of pipe tobacco at a tobacco shop. There is a lot of bulk tobacco to choose from, but their tin selection is incredible. There isn’t much they don’t have, and it’s a pretty good balance of aromatic and English blends, so you’re sure to find something you’ll like. As for actual pipes, you could probably stack them together and build a replica of Fort Dearborn with all the pipes they have in the store, so it’s guaranteed that you’ll find one that fits your budget.
The customer service is top notch. Everyone working there is friendly and happy to help. Don’t worry if you’re a novice to cigar or pipe smoking. I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to pipes, but I had no problems asking questions with these guys. They’re very professional, not pushy in any way, and they don’t try to gouge you into spending more money for no reason. Whether you go there to buy a $ 5 cigar or $ 200 humidor, they’ll take you just as seriously as a customer
They opened in 1857 and when you go in, it definitely looks like it’s been around for that long, but not in a run down this-​place-​has-​seen-​better-​days way. It feels like you’ve gone through a time portal to the early 20^th century with the fancy chandeliers and the hand carved wooden display cases. It’s just not something you see that frequently anymore. The smoking lounge is probably one of the nicest I’ve seen. There are comfortable leather chairs, wood paneled walls, and a decent view of Wabash ave. There’s a $ 15 entry fee to smoke in there, but it’s also BYOB. So buy a cigar, bring a bottle of your favorite scotch with a few glasses and you’re looking at a nice and fairly inexpensive night out.

I’ve been getting the catalog and ordering tobacco online from Iwan Ries for years. Recently while in Chicago I had a chance to finally stop in the store. Very glad I did. They have a huge selection of pipes, a great selection of cigars and pipe tobacco, and an extremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. I spent about 45 mins with Doug and Ethan going over different pipes and finding the best option for my budget. Overall I highly recommend.

Lovely and helpful staff — very historic shop. Pay a small fee and enjoy the nicely appointed BYOB smoking lounge. A nice cigar lover’s retreat.

Was here about 2 months ago with some friends. It feels straight out of «American Psycho». Awesome environment and staff — I just hope to have some high power business meeting here one day where we talk about taking over the world ;)

The best. Period. Huge selection, knowledgeable staff, tons of pipes, very comfortable, and the place oozes history. This is what a tobacco shop should be!

Inside is amazing and noticed that the cigars were priced reasonably until it was time to pay. I bought cigars for $ 16 and after taxes it came out to $ 21! I didn’t realize that tobacco taxes went up to 28%. I went to Binnys on Grand Av bought the same cigars and they didn’t charge me that ludicrous tax percent. Something is missing in this pictures especially when the sales attendant has to write the receipt by hand and add with a calculator.

Great selection and chill, friendly staff. Not at all intimidating if you’re new to cigars (like I was!) If you’re in the Loop, come to Iwan Ries. I’m glad my first smoke shop experience was with this place. :)

This is an old school cigar, pipe and tobacco spot. Great cigar selection and knowledgeable staff. Believe that

I used to hang around here when I lived on the South Side. The FREE lounge is the place to go, quite a diverse cast of characters – doctors, boilermakers, lawyers, retired sailors, truckers, city workers, salesmen, a retired Chicago Bear, a literature professor who’s an expert on Mark Twain – and all are first rate bullshitters. Forget the stuffy pay lounge with it’s «power smoker» crowd, hang out with the regular guys in the free lounge.

My first time here and I really enjoyed myself. Very informative. The young man they helped me was very knowledgeable about what I’d need and what was the best cigar for a starter. I’ll definitely be back, just wish the lounge was a little bigger.

My last few hours (in the city) on my trip to Chicago. I decided to visit Iwan Ries. It was the best decision I made. I was warmly greeted by Kim (manager). She helped me pick out a house cigar (Hoffman). Great smoke. I thoroughly enjoyed the smoke in their beautiful lounge. An hour or so later when I was done, I decided to go back in the shop and buy some to go. Kim again helped me. She is very knowledgeable, friendly, and most of all, she remembered my name! It’s always good when you get great service, but always better when it feels sincere. I was lucky enough to meet the current owner, Mr Chuck Levi. And as busy as he was, graciously took a second to entertain this visitor with a selfie. Awesome!!! Thank you.
If you are ever in downtown Chicago, come visit Iwan Ries, and enjoy a smoke in this Historic shop.

Very cool byob smoking lounge ($ 15 day pass) with a good selection of smokes. Had a Padron Anniversary which was very reasonably priced but it cracked when punched and another wrapper split when cut. Although they did smoke very well. Humidity needs to be kicked up a little I think. Next time I’ll probably just bring my own but it’s a neat spot in the loop to have a smoke and a chat that’s for sure.

I’ll start by saying that my generation (90’s baby) generally looks down on smokers. They are usually too sissy or just think it’s nasty and unhealthy to smoke, especially coming from California, one of the more liberal, health-​conscious, progressive states in the Union. Chicago also has its fair share of such sissified youth. I smoke not to show off, but because I like the taste, I like the relaxation and I like the variety.
It was an absolute godsend to find out about Iwan Ries. In the Loop, smokers have to be segregated to certain areas, OUTSIDE. In the winter, that won’t do. Iwan Ries is my new retreat at least once a week, maybe more. It’s right down the street from HWC so I can just walk in, buy a cigar, unwind and get some work done in one of the two lounges. The private lounge is a membership-​only, but you can pay $ 15 for a day-​pass for gorgeous wood-​paneled walls, super comfy leather chairs, Fox News or Fox Business on a flat screen and a view of bustling Wabash and the L. The free lounge is nothing special but I have met a few interesting personalities, most of them middle aged to old but it’s interesting to hear their stories.
It’s BYOB, so I bring a Starbucks to go along with my cigar. They have a HUGE selection, from Joya de Nigaraguas to Davidoffs, they’ve got it all. They also got a great selection of pipes, pipe tobacco, lighters, RYO, and snuff. The staff are super friendly, laid back and help me find whatever kind of cigar I ask for, which is usually cheap but good. I got a full bodied but smooth JDN Antaño Dark Corojo for $ 7 last time I went. They usually have classic rock playing which is a huge plus. All in all, Iwan Ries is the place to be if you want to go back to a time where people could smoke in restaurants, bars, planes, wherever, without getting terribly offended.

I’ve been here a couple of times and it is by far my favorite cigar shop. The aroma as you walk to the second floor is amazing. The décor and atmosphere makes it seem like you’re walking back in time. The people who work there are both very friendly and helpful from the first time I went there as a cigar noob to the last couple times I’ve been there as a more experienced cigar smoker.
They have a great cigar collection and a pipe one as well for the pipe smokers. They also stock tons of accesories that one might need. There are two lounges. One that is free and one that is for members or people who pay a daily fee. I’ve never been to the smaller, free lounge so I can’t say anything about that. The other lounge is awesome! BYOB and many comfortable seats. A great place to smoke and enjoy the view of Wabash from the 2^nd floor of the building and/​or play chess with a friend.
Top notch! Would recommend!

It’s a fast paced, health club, power lunch world that we live in these days. It’s now bad form for a boss to have a bottle of liquor in their office or to conduct business with any kind of flair.
Fortunately, hidden gems like Iwan Ries & Co exist to serve as a welcome respite from the rigors of the outside world. If you can’t find a cigar that you like in their shop, then you really do not like cigars. Their selection of smoking accessories and pipes/​pipe tobacco is also excellent compared to any shop I’ve been in around the country and far outstrips anything else that you can find in Chicago.
Their premium lounge, The Front Room, can only be summed up in one word: fantastic. With sumptuous leather chairs, marble topped tables, provided glassware and ice for your BYOB alcohol, it is very easy to lose many hours solving the worlds problems and maybe even starting a few of your own. You can purchase a day pass to the lounge for 25 dollars or become a full member for a year for 750 dollars. The benefits of membership are very worthwhile and if you are an avid tobacco enthusiast, the membership will pay for itself within a few months.
If you are a lover of cigars, pipes and the like, then you simply must give Iwan Ries a look.

Nice shop, good selection of cigars and pipes. Helpful staff. There is a small lounge in the store with eight seats. The other lounge is nicer, but I didn’t want to pay $ 15 to smoke my $ 8 H. Upmann. I recommend this place and will be back next time I’m in town.