Samah Hookah Lounge

It’s a good hookah bar but you need to reserve during the weekend, I don’t like that! Businesses never success like that because they would have sold the table before the other people have come.

This place is SO frustrating. Sat down and ordered our hookahs. Tried to order hummus and spanokopita. They’re out of both. Asked if we could bring in food from the Thai place next door, since they’re out of two of the three menu items they have-​nope. Then we were told there is an hour and a half time limit, even on a Monday when no one is here. This place is definitely not worth it. At least keep some freaking food in stock. Ridiculous. And they don’t serve alcohol. I’m so mad I wasted my night here.

My friend and I used to go here a lot. I was captivated by the design and really was awe struck. After I got over the pretty curtains hanging up everywhere I started paying attention to other details.
After a couple visits I saw that their staff is rude. Almost every time we came here our waiter disappeared and we literally had to go on a hunt for staff to help us. Also they become irritable if you ask for some assistance like you’re not a paying costumer. I mean what the hell do I gotta do to get some help around here? Shit a brick of gold?
What stopped us from coming back was poor customer service and the fact that their hookah tasted burnt… like really burnt. It’s like licking an ashtray. After that I took a lil trip over to Hubble Hookah and never looked back. I haven’t been disappointed with their service or hookah since I made them my regular hookah spot.

They have a variety of flavors, and you can blend your own mixes! We have had their hummus and it was just ok. I love their chai tea as well, it really was my highlight my last trip there! Their décor is very well done. I like their curtains for privacy. And their service is usually very fast!

I was only here for a bit and had the horchata flavor. It definitely didn’t taste like horchata, but it was still good. Their beverage menu was okay.

The Pineapple Express is my favorite flavor here. I highly recommend this as a chill date night place. you can talk and not have to talk over any loud music. the service is equally nice as well. kyle our server was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and was very patient with all the questions we had. if you’re not a huge smoker, you should probably bring more people with you cause one hookah flavor is more than enough for about 4 people. and if you have more people, you can sit in your own private room surrounded by pillows and long sheer curtains dividing you from the next room.
i wouldn’t recommend going on a friday night cause it gets a little crowded. my boyfriend and i like to go during the week to wind down.

I was a huge hookah smoker in college. It was just part of what we did.
When I moved to Chicago I definitely didn’t smoke as much — mostly because I didn’t have the friends around that liked to do it often.
I had one at home I’d smoke occasionally, but then my cousin tipped it over and burned holes in our carpet in a drunken stupor… so we decided not to smoke at home anymore.
This place was conveniently a block away from home so I tried it a few times. Once I sat in the front at a table — not the most relaxing way to smoke a hookah… so we made a reservation for the next time and got one of the cool private rooms with cushions on the floor and a table for your coffee/​tea and hookah in the middle.
Tons of flavors to choose from and you can mix them. I don’t really remember the prices, but I wasn’t overwhelmed by them.
I think it’s a great place to go if you feel like gathering with friends, but don’t feel like drinking.

Should’ve reserved a room because the front tables weren’t the coziest.
Between me and two friends, we chose one flavor and smoked that quickly… too quickly. We didn’t order anything other than drinks, but the original beverage I had chosen was out of stock and I kept hearing the server telling other people that almost everything they wanted wasn’t available either.
Also, this was a Saturday night.
Meh. Just meh.

The only other places I’ve smoked hookah has been in India, South Africa, Turkey, and Spain. I was excited to check out this place right here in Chicago, and it lived up to my expectations. The atmosphere has you feeling like you are somewhere exotic in the Middle East, it was a very chill space, and we relaxed with some tea and pineapple hookah. Loved the floor cushions, music, and lighting. We will be back.

Samah is the best hookah experience I’ve had in the city so far. Sitting on the floor pillows in the curtained private rooms under the dim lighting with soothing background music will make you feel as if you’ve been transported to an Arabic harem. They have many flavors to choose from and our hostess helped us pick out a couple of flavors that we really enjoyed. Food is not bad, your usual Middle Eastern appetizers like hummus and pita which comes in to-​go boxes.
This would have been a 5-​star review were it not for a few negatives: Gratuity is automatically included on all checks even if it’s a party of 2. Water isn’t free and they tend to rush you out when it’s busy. Finding parking on Clark street can be challenging to say the least (not their fault tho). Other than it’s all good here.

I am a lover of hookah bars and the Twin Cities where I’m from doesn’t have much. So when I heard that Chicago has a lot of hookah bars, especially indoor ones, I decided to take a visit when I was on vacation with my sisters in Chicago. For four girls, 2 hookahs, and beverages, it came up to $ 45.
The lounges are fun are quite romantic, in my opinion. There are a ton of flavors to choose from and the crowd of people who visited the hookah bar is diverse, which I really like.

I had a great experience here. My friend and I got the couple package and both of us enjoyed two hookahs and tea for 40 bucks. We were in there for a good two plus hours. The service was great! Our waitress was helpful, fun and super attentive. Good selection of flavors and teas.
I’ve been here few time in the pasted few years, I think is time to give the space a face lift.

I’ve been here a few times. My only other hookah experience was at a sketchy place in DC, and Samah tops that. Still, I don’t love Samah. The service is usually slow, even when there are very few people there. On the plus side, I’ve never been rushed out — even on a Saturday night. The flavors are pretty good, though, and the blends are kind of cool. I’ve only tried the hummus here, and it was alright. The food here is definitely overpriced, and I’d never even think of ordering anything other than an appetizer or two.
They have belly dancers some nights. We had a lot of fun with one of them while celebrating one of my friend’s birthday. Later, though, the dancer knocked over the metal sign holder that sits by the hostess stand which then hit my head. I barely got an apology. Since then, they’ve put in a glass case or something between the front and that first booth.
They are good at giving recommendations, and the décor is kind of cool. I liked the ambiance from the dim-​ish lighting and the large couches. My experiences here have just been kind of meh, for lack of a better word.

Samah has definitely impressed me. Been there a few times and every time has been a great experience. The staff there have consistently been friendly, accommodating, and ready to send some witty banter your way as well.
Everyone there is knowledgeable on flavors and everything hookah and ready/​willing to help you decide which to try or to let you know that they have some killer special mix that they’d like you to try. I’ll admit that I haven’t been steered wrong yet. The hookahs come out ready and I’ve always been able to start blowing some great smoke rings almost immediately.
The ambiance is also pretty great and sets a great mood for dates, to just chill by yourself, or to be with a bunch of friends having a good time. In other words, this is a «versatile» place and will most likely fit any sort of adventure you’d want to have with people. Be warned though!
This place will fill up quick so RSVP in advance, or at least call to check to see if they have enough availability for you to just walk in.

As I continue to «Hookah America» I have stumbled upon this gem.
I sat here debating where or not to give it a 4 or 5 star review. I came to the final decision of 4 for two almost three reasons:
One: It’s pricey. I have smoked hookah now in five different states and it’s probably the second most expensive place I have smoked.
Two: They let people smoke cigarettes… they don’t «technically» let people smoke cigarettes but if someone lights up they wont stop them. — I HATE cigarette smoke. Plus it’s beyond me that anyone would want more tobacco with their tobacco, but that’s besides the point.
Three (ish): There is no alcohol served, and that’s fine. But everything in Chicago seems to be BYOB… bring your own seems out of the question, but then again it could be one of those «well technically» kind of ordeals.
I love the private rooms. I love the pillows on the floor. I love the service and the people that work there are down to earth and pretty knowledgeable.
I haven’t eaten the food, I don’t eat the food at hookah lounges because in my experience, if they aren’t a restaurant FIRST the food is terrible and stay away. To me it’s kind of like having espresso in a tea lounge.

I’ve been to Hookah Lounges in 4 different countries! I have my own hookah at home, I have friends with hookahs, my father has one and I grew up setting up the coal for him… however, if you want to be overcharged for (bad) hookah and bad food, then turned over and f***ed before leaving for the evening… you should come here!
First of all, the hookah taste was BURNT and I was not the only one who thought so, the people across of me complained about it as well. Secondly, I went in on a Wednesday late afternoon to do some work — the place was empty! Why on God’s green earth would I be charged an 18% gratuity fee! What the fuck?!
Then, the menu says that the teas and coffees are free refills as long as you are dining in. When I asked for a tea refill the waitor asks me if I want to change the tea bag, I said, «Umm… sure, I don’t really care.» And then he charged me for TWO teas because he changed the tea bag. When I questioned him about it, he laughed like I was tickling him with pink feathers and said, «Everyone knows that if you get the tea bag changed you get another charge.» Even though he was laughing like a hyena in heat, he was not joking!
This place is perfect if you are not Middle Eastern and do not know what good quality Hookah and Middle Eastern food is. If I could give a ZERO star rating, I would.

This place is AWESOME! I love their package deal. It’s $ 10 or $ 11 per person and you get all the shisha you want plus drinks. The seating arrangement is awesome and very relaxed. I love how they have each area sectioned off to add some privacy and make it seem more exclusive.
I’ll definitely be back the next time I’m in Chicago.

This is a very enjoyable hookah place — just don’t go on the weekends. I went on a Thursday night and the atmosphere was very relaxed without the wait staff timing your experience.
I love the curtains and the pillows. I felt like I was in a Middle Eastern harem. I also enjoyed the food in the takeout plastic cartons, which made me wish I had eaten before I came.
However, the hookah, which was smooth and delightful, made me feel pretty good.

I now love Samah!!!
As An P stated in his review, it is best to roll deep and make a later reservation. Rolled in at 11:30PM this past Friday with 14 peeps and they were really great at accommodating our party. My boy Sam, made sure we were really taken care of. It was $ 10 per person and a free drink per person (they don’t serve alcohol).
We had hookah blowing all over the place as we chose many different flavors. I recommended everyone to try the Miami Vice flavor, which is not on the menu and it was a big hit with everyone! Usually they give you a two hour window, but since they close at 3AM and we were such a great group, they let us stay until closing time
Good times!!!

The secret of Samah is to roll deep and to sure as hell make reservations.
After departing from Unilocal Office Hours at Caoba in the early afternoon, it was due time for a reunion with Andre W., Rafael C., and Diana R. Andre made reservations for 11:30pm, I made reservations for midnight and beat them there with the couple I had dinner with from the Spirit of Chicago Cruise. After ordering hookahs and tea, the waitress informed me someone named Andre W., wanted to join me. «Hell no!!!» I yelled, «Who the hell would want to hang out with that fool!» No, not really. I said come on through and our party of four instantly became a party of seven.
Little did I know that six was the magic number! With six people, they open up their party packages featuring all you can smoke shisha, all you can drink tea and a bad ass time guaranteed. People started taking off their shoes and we were all sitting in a nice booth with curtains that we kept open, lest scandal be suggested. The Arabic music mixed with electronic ambiance took me to some other place while the shisha was mad delicious to snuff out the alcohol.
Then came a belly dancer doing some mad dancing and when she came back the second round the boys tried to put money in her clothes but I said, «She is a belly dancer, not a stripper!» One unnamed party then proceeded to do some madhouse dancing with the belly dancer! As the night went on, our party got sleepier and sleepier with three of our seven conveniently taking naps. The waitstaff didn’t kick us out and let us keep going!
A+