Joe’s Hookah Shack

good people and good hookahs and good Joe

Love the guys. Super friendly.
This weekend I visited the boyfriend in LA and he insisted we go here. I wasn’t really sure because I’m not really a hookah person but boy, when we got here, I was converted.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see the owner, joe. But the staff was great and friendly.
A must-​come-​back!

Honestly, I’ve had better experiences in other hookah shacks. The hookah itself is fantastic, thick smoke, creamy taste. The clouds that come out of my mouth are as smooth as a lightly lubricated slug quietly escaping a dark dungeon in pursuit of her lost child who is trapped in ambient air.
Because the manager Mr. Tang is currently out of town and the owner Mr. Kang simply does not give a f**k about his customers, I personally had to set up the hookah myself in multiple occasions.

I was hookahing with a couple of friends with my cheap $ 80 hookah. It was hitting mediocre smoke clouds and the tobacco was okay. Then one of my friends suddenly suggested we call up joe’s hookah shack and request for the «Joe’s Rainbow Tang Service.» An hour after we request it Joe himself showed up and set up the most top shelf hookah. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would risk getting lung cancer again.

Today at 1am I was denied entry to joes hookah shack because quoting joe the owner «I need to drink bro». What kind of manager chooses to drink alcohol and ignore his customers. I thought that this time it would be better since Kevin «the animal abuser» wasn’t working the night shift, yet, I was met with equal hostility from the owner himself. This place truly deserves a one star but I’ll give this place one more chance tomorrow. I hope joe reads this review and realize that he’s lacking hospitality.

There are some customer service issues such as Kevin Tang always asking someone else to pack the bowl when he can just pack it himself, but the music is great, they have a great menu of other drugs.

Wow, what a great place. I somehow ended up staying here for an entire summer last year. Boy, does the time fly by when you’re here. Maybe it’s the people. Maybe it’s the ambiance. Maybe it’s the recreational dr-…activities. It seems like I’m spending an awful lot of time here this summer too. But that definitely doesn’t seem like a bad thing.
The hookah is definitely the best I’ve had and I was licensed as a hookah connoisseur in Paris last year. Personal favorite was Peach Gummy Bear, a special the owner made specifically for me.
I’ve only been to KSung’s Friday show twice because the line is out the door, but definitely worth. Most of the time, I just see him passed out on the couch or doing push-​ups in the corner.
Another interesting character found is Jon. He’s constantly giving me and other patrons presents. The other day, I got to try a new type of «hash» browns or something of the sort.
The dancers in the back room are also really great. Favorite was Rainbow K.
Last but not least, the owner, Joe, is extremely generous. His seemingly unlimited supply of berries and hookah complement each other to create a fantastic lounging environment. Only issue was the other day when he repeatedly poked me from the kitchen area to the bathroom floor. Quite the unique experience.
Overall, great place to hang out. Will definitely be back soon…

Ooooomg I looooove this place!!! The service is great! I don’t even want to leave this place. If I could, I wish I could stay here forever!!!

This place has THE BEST hookah, I love it! Such great service and the owners are amazing guys

Joe’s Hookah Shack is somewhat of a sentimental subject for me.
When I heard Joe’s Hookah Shack was opening up on West Adams, I was thrilled! I have known the owner for years and was a big fan of his Hookah setups and services when he operated on West 30^th. Sadly, I have since then moved to San Gabriel Valley, a.k.a. The 六二六, and the distance prevents me from visiting Joe’s Hookah Shack as often.
Luckily, Joe’s new opening on West Adams is closer to my current residence, and would reduce my driving time by about five minutes. Since my car isn’t especially fuel-​efficient, the cut in mileage could potentially save me enough money to get an extra four or five puffs of hookah.
Unfortunately, I’m actually not saving anything. Joe is a bit of a jerk and let his recent successes get to his head, and now charges $ 0.03 a coal. In this economy, who can afford that??? When I spoke to him, he told me he started hiring assistants, and that he has to pay them. And as always, he’d pull some humanitarian-​business strategy buzzword nonsense out of his pocket, just because he’s a business student.
I told him, «Joe, why are they even here? They cost money bro»
He replied saying something about how profits were high and some other thing he made up about marginal costs.
I tried again, «Joe, you ain’t gotta pay them. They’re your apprentices. They should be waiting on you hand and feet, sleeping at your doorstep, and greeting you every morning with a bag of Mickey-D’s.»
To which he responded with something about workers rights and unions and OSHA.
Saddened, I told him, «Joe, if you really cared about the art of hookah setups, you would be doing it yourself.»
He mumbled some crap about expansion and franchising before quickly shuffling away to tape a plastic bag over a smoke detector.
And that, everybody, is how Joe lost one of his most loyal customers. Although I’m sure Joe’s running a good business, I really don’t think the quality of service and product is up to par. As a level 7 hookah connoisseur (I’m working on my level 8 certification but been pretty busy with other projects), I simply cannot trust my hookah experience in the hands of an apprentice. It’s sad to see a gem deteriorate like this.
Joe let money get in his head, and ash get in the hose. I wish him all the best, but I doubt I will return any time soon.