Kasbah Hookah (Austin, TX)

Image from Yelp

Vicken here. I've been hanging out in Austin, Texas with my friend for a few days now and since I landed, I've been dying to try out all the hookah Austin has to offer. Let me tell you about my first visit: Kasbah Hookah Lounge. Neat little place on Guadalupe and W. 28th Street, located less than a block away from the University of Texas campus. We got there at 11pm on a Monday night, surprised to see almost all the tables filled up in the front patio. Not a bad crowd for a Monday night. We head inside the Kasbah Lounge to place our order, which was pretty hazy with smoke. Not very good ventilation. Plus, the night was too warm in Austin to be inside, so we went back out and found a place to sit.

The atmosphere of the place is good. Very relaxing, comfortable, and enjoyable. We ordered some Al-Fakher lemon-mint hookah and Moroccan Mint tea. Lemon-mint shisha is a favorite of mine and was hitting nice and smooth. They use quicklight coals, which I'm not a big fan of. They're easier to light, but they impart a chemical taste that damage the flavor of the hookah since it's coated with ignition aid. Still, it wasn't going to kill my night, so it's fine. The Moroccan Mint tea this place has though is fantastic. A perfect blend of mint and tea. A small pot of tea will last you about 4 cups, so definitely order a large pot of this stuff.

We met one of the owners, a Jordanian guy, who was welcoming and laid back, and switched me over to a complimentary "ice hose" tip. The smoke passes through the ice-filled tip, giving you a nice chill feeling in your lungs and mouth.  

Hookah at Kasbah costs about $16 dollars and they have over 80 flavors to choose from, plus "flavor of the evening" specials. They don't serve alcohol, but it's BYOB, so take advantage.

Overall, good atmosphere, good hookah (except for the quicklights), friendly staff, and bombtastic mint tea. But avoid sitting inside if you enjoy breathing. Nevertheless, a good time was had.