Golden Leaf Tobacco

I have been going into golden leaf tobacco shop in uptown for as many years as i can remember. I was in his shop on march 1^st and was sitting on the sofa like i had done hundreds of time before. I had stopped in the night before and bought a pack of dunhills and 3 empty cigar boxes for 3.00 each. I left because it was closing hour the night before but returned the next day to do some invoicing on my laptop. After a late night emergency plumbing call i own a small self employed plumbing business and had been called out to a job about 3am to 5 or 6 am i already have insomnia and sleep apnea myself. Anyway my point being that i was a little tired. I was sitting on the sofa doing my invoices and the owner came over to me an hour after i had got telling me i need to leave number one because he did not sale e cigarette and that he noticed i had one next to me i then pointed out i understand that but i also bought this 13.00 pack of dunhill from your store the night before at closing he the told me will i noticed you nodded off once or twice while you’ve been here I tried to explain to know yes that’s true I own my own business and was out working late on an emergency plumbing call late last night or early this morning and now I’m just doing anything for the day and thought I would do it here. He then said whatever I’m not running a shop for squatters to come hang out at. I then said really you think that I am a squatter. I then said you don’t remember me from the other store before you moved. He looked at me funny and said again im not running a place for homeless to hangout he never saw me pull up because he was in the back of the store when i parked in front of his front glass door or he would have seen that i drove up in a 40k Tahoe. I guess the sweatpants and zip up sweater + $ 500 Burnie scarf and the 1800 laptop + $ 700 cell phone next to me he must have thought i was upper class homeless i guess anyway as i was leaving i told him if you treat a customer that has been coming in your store for 10 years like this i don’t know how you are still in business. I may have thrown him off that day because i was dressed down but still you should never judge a book by its cover because that book my also have a girlfriend that writes reviews about small blogs about small owner operated business around town. And that has a very large following.

I really enjoy smoking a good cigar and relaxing. Found myself in uptown on a very cold evening and had the urge. I found this place via Unilocal (of course!) Went in and the humidor smelled amazing. I found myself one I wanted to try and the guys were willing to help but I had pretty much already made my selection. They were helpful with cutting the tip off and giving me a good light. The only thing they are missing is a liquor license that allows you to bring some drink in with your smoke as they just seem to go hand in hand for me.

This is a great spot for your cigar needs. The atmosphere in the lounge and shop itself is very comforting. The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. You can park in the lot behind the building for free.

This review is not completely fair as the incident I’m referring to is years and years old, that said, it was such a humiliating and disheartening experience that I still feel compelled to write about it years later. As I should also note that the employee in question is most likely not still working here. Here goes: I lived literally half a block away and would buy cigarettes here almost daily, everyone was so friendly and nice when I would come in during the morning/​mid afternoon; they would even let me bring my dog in, and placate him with treats. Well, one night my boyfriend and I had a nasty fight and I was blowing off steam by taking a walk. You know how it is when you see a place you are so comfortable with and feel so at home in? It can be like a life saver when you are having a bad day/​time. So I popped in… well of course I did not necessarily need a full, new pack of cigarettes, so i took to the comfy leather chair with tge daily paper as i have so many mirnings, well, when «Steve» (the name he gave me following a big confrontation) realized this he proceeded to kick me out and verbally assault me. I have NEVER been treated so rudely, so poorly by a trusted establishment that I frequent. I was made to feel like a homeless squatter by a place in which I spend 9 $ every morning. Now I get that he may not have recognized me if he doesn’t work a lot of day shifts, but he outright called me a liar when I tried to tell him my frequency of patronage. He not only ruined that particular night for me, but made it so I could never (with any pride intact) go back to a place I truly enjoyed going. Worst customer service ever!

Great place. Great cigars. The prices are on the top end but there aren’t a lot of places around like this any longer so it’s all good.

I continue to enjoy supporting this wonderful shop. I can always count on a great stogie, a pleasant atmosphere, and lots of interesting patrons (including the awesome staff) to have conversations with… or just sit by myself and work.
The reason I feel compelled to knock down one star is that I am increasingly perturbed by the very high prices, which is not entirely the fault of Minnesota’s high tobacco taxes. Identical cigars may be several dollars cheaper at Stogies on Grand in St Paul or Burn in Burnsville. While I will continue to support this wonderful shop because I appreciate having it in my neighborhood, I hope the owner considers that his prices are a notch too high.

Hit or miss staff experience. Waited 10min for someone to ring me up. Usually nice friendly helpful staff though and a chill environment to smoke and have a good conversation!

Owner is a little rough & harsh but still great peeps and new store is spacious & lovely. Expensive Sticks.

Fantastic service, friendly and knowledgable staff, and overall a great space to shop, smoke and hang out in general.
Also, their selection of pipe tobacco and estate pipes is fantastic. They don’t sell hookah tobacco or supplies, but I guess that’s because there’s a place down the street who specializes in that. No bother. More room for cigars and pipe tobacco.

Love love love this place! Relaxed atmosphere, extremely helpful staff and an excelent assortment of cigars! I love to go here on a lazy weekend afternoon on a date or with friends, lounge around while smoking my cigar pick, and play cards or chess while letting the smells and atmosphere roll over me. Plus free coffee! The only thing that could make my time here more enjoyable is if they had a liquor license, too. Nothing better than a good cigar with a brandy!

Good selection of cigars, helpful staff. The only reason I don’t give this place 4 or more stars is, when I went in with a female friend who was actually buying my cigars as a gift, they refused to acknowledge her and only talked to me («would you like a bag», «here is your change» despite my friend being the one who gave them the money). I would chalk this up to just a mildly autistic counter person but I’ve heard this from other women who’ve been here. Guys, I love your tobacco and I love a good cigar but, please, make it a little more inclusive in there so my friends don’t feel like they are pariahs in a place they are spending their own money

Love this place! The staff are always friendly, very knowledgable and really helpful in choosing a great smoke. The atmosphere is relaxing and the patrons always super cool and fun to converse with. Whether chilling watching TV, enjoying a good smoke with a date or just unwinding at the end of a long day. this is always one of my favorites!

Good new location, good ventilation, good parking in back, very good selection. I like the staff guys and the humidor. Great place in Uptown.

Average cigar shop. This doesn’t make it a bad place at all. The strengths are the walk in humidor, the friendly and attentive staff, exceptionally clean lounge, and most importantly the attention to detail in regards to smoke removal. This shop is exceptionally clean. I observed the employees cleaning constantly. The weaknesses are the selection of cigars and the prices. No Gurka, limited Drew Estate, and CAO. Don’t get me wrong, the humidor is filled with cigars, but many are brands I have not heard of such as «Nick’s Smokes». The prices are a little steep as well. A Kristoff typically selling for ⁸⁄₉ dollars is 13 here. Cigars are expensive, but mark ups are huge. Again, very nice shop and the free WiFi is a bonus. I will be back for sure.

New, improved location. Much more open floor plan and spacious smoking areas. The old location was basically a narrow, shotgun-​style building. This is a wider store front that has bigger windows, lets in more natural light, and allows for easy viewing of the whole store from wherever you are. Other than the improvement on space, not much else has changed. One of the best, if not the single best, cigar shops in Minnesota.

Woohoo! First to review the «new» Golden Leaf Tobacco shop. Well, at least the new digs its in.
I’m torn between 4 or 5 stars. Can I do the half-​star?
The place is nearly too big, but I can’t fault that at all. Now there is plenty of room to relax and enjoy. I really wasn’t crazy about the cigar the other evening, but I’m not a regular cigar aficionado and I walked in a little late while my buddy was getting the info on the stogies from the shop keeper. Next time I’ll take the time to get one that suits me better.
The place is very relaxing made up with warm décor and comfortable chairs and couches. High intensity air machines filter the air, however they aren’t all that loud. The two guys working were friendly and both made the rounds emptying ashtrays. Really the only legitimate negative was that It was very dry inside so maybe a soda (pop) cooler would be helpful instead of having to walk to the neighboring SA Gas station.
I’ll definitely be back.