Sunshine Coast
Category: Tobacco Shops [Edit]
Neighborhood: Haight-Ashbury1312 Haight St
(between Central Ave & Masonic Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 255-6075
- Hours:
Mon-Wed 11:30 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Thu 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:30 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Sun 11:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
10 reviews
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
"Just got home from the A-1 Smoke Shop and I'm way excited! I walked in with the intention of buying a hookah for a much higher price than I…" read more »
56 Reviews for Sunshine Coast
First came here 3 years ago. Good shisha and the fun thing to do there is to dip this tube they give you in a bowl of soap water and blow "smoke bubbles" with it. This is also the place where some high school looking teeny boppers asked us for some dope. Rejected.
I wanted to find a good hookah lounge in the city. Something urban, chill and filled with young people. Sunshine Coast is your destination for all those things.
I came here with a friend of mine and we decided to get the Lava flavor which was extremely good. Sometimes I can't taste the flavors when smoking flavored tobacco, but this time it was oozing with flavorful lava.
If it is your first time smoking hookah then come here! The staff is friendly and there are copious amounts of smoking supplies, hookahs, tobacco products, lighters, pipes and bongs. These guys are professionals at smoking!
I'd recommend coming here anytime from Thursday through Saturday. I heard that it gets packed with people smoking their lungs away during those evenings. After stumbling around drunk in the Haight, who wouldn't want to mellow out at a Hookah lounge with their friends?
Best hookah lounge in San Francisco... hands down... no exceptions... and I'm an expert (as I used to run a hookah service in my old club). Why is it better than the rest?
1. Better sheesha -- they have a great selection that does not include any crap. Any flavor you pick WILL BE good.
2. Better service -- everywhere else, you'll wait for at least 15 minutes (if you're lucky) to get smoking. At Sunshine Coast, they'll have you smoking within 2 minutes of your order. This is simply the fastest service I've seen anywhere in the world, and I've been to quite a few hookah bars here and there.
3. Better equipment -- the hookahs are clean and correctly packed to provide a mild, smooth smoke. Whatever they do, they do it right.
I first found out about Sunshine Coast yesterday (thanks to Yelp) and promptly walked in to experience it first hand. I was blown away, and decided to spend my day working here today. Today I've been enjoying their fine flavors (like Lava -- highly recommended!) and my work in a beautifully relaxing environment.
Hookahs cost $15 per bowl + $5 for each additional purpose. $7.50 for refills of the same flavor.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
It was my first time to hookah, but my friend researched this place because she's a big fan of hookah. It was a few months ago, but these guys were really friendly and prompt. The place wasn't that big, but there was enough room for us. I really liked this place and tried to go back but got there right after closing...
Never smoked hookah here but bought a water pipe.
A bit on the expensive side I think, $30 for a small glass one.
Haven't had a chance to chat with the people so will try next time if I stop by.
- Good selection of smoking accesories.
- Location is on the spot.
Good shisha, laid back employees, they could improve their business sense.
If you have been curious about smoking hookah no need to fear they will teach you everything you need to know! In fact it is quit simple.
1. Pick a flavor 2. Watch them light it 3. Inhale!
They have the greatest hookah selection and tobacco that goes along with it. The lava flavored tobacco is very strong and fruity it 's one of the popular flavors which the employees usually suggest. The employees are usually friendly and try to accommodate. They have a wide selection of hookahs and sell mini hookahs ($19.99) and larger ones $40-$100 for a decent price.
The only con for me is the loud rap music playing while I smoke hookah. Otherwise, it is a great place to sit down with a couple of people and smoke.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
As someone who smokes ONLY hookah, I find this to be the most awesome smoke gadget ever: a glass tube dipped in soapy solution. Exhale your hit through the clean end, through the other emerges a lazily floating bubble that inevitably explodes into magic smokiness. Tiiiiight.
Been meaning to review this place for a while. I'm not at all surprised to always see it as #1 in the shopping section of Yelp's Best Of, though I myself rate it #1 not necessarily as a hookah shop, but as a spot to chill out and smoke some shisha.
I've been to both Kan Zaman and Nile Cafe numerous times... Sunshine has a much different, less ethnic more hippie vibe. The quality of the shisha, or perhaps the unique way it's served to you, undoubtedly beats that of any of the hookah places I've been anywhere. They use a torch-like thing to heat your coal in the very beginning, and some vacuum-type deal to start off the hookah so that you can bypass the harsh initial tester hits.
They mix up some interesting and unique shisha flavors... like Golden Eye. I don't know what the hell is in that stuff, but the head high is great!
Also, they're really friendly here and knowledgeable if you wanna buy smoking equipment (not quite my thing, but I've seen them at work!). They give you a little card where after you smoke there 9 times, your 10th bowl is free! Admittedly, I actually like my lungs and have only made it to the third holepunch, but at least I know the option's there, right?
The space is a much better-kept and modernized version of your basic Haight street smoke shop. They play cool loungey music. There's I think 3 tables for smoking hookah while in the store, and the atmosphere is really laidback though there's no food or drink available. But really, besides the hookah and glass bubble blower, what else do you need? A must try.
People thought this was:
Useful (3)
Cool (3)
I generally try to avoid the tourist traps towards the park when I'm shopping for new glass. The folks at Sunshine Coast have put together a great shop that's half hookah bar and half head shop. They have a wide selection of shisha, although I've never indulged. The guys here are always up for some BSing and chatter about the latest in smoking "technology." Sunshine Coast has a great selection of high end glass...RooR, pHx, Jerome Baker look a likes, etc. It's hard for me to enter this spot and not spend a couple hundred on new toys.
I need a new sherlock and this is where it'll come from when I decide to pull the trigger.
Excellent customer service.
Excellent selection.
Hands down the best head shop in the Haight.
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (6)
Cool (11)
i love this place!!!!
Yeeeeah.. Ashbury Tobacco down the street is cheaper, and they have a big screen TV you can watch while you smoke hookah. When I walked in here, I felt I was being glared at by the prepsters. As if to say, this is OUR place, not yours. Psh.
I will say that they have a HUGE selection of hookah tobacco. The price is not so nice, but variety is something they do have.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Me and my friends decided to do a random haight night and found sunshine coast through yelp. We could not have had a better time. The place was super chill, they didn't care that we brought in wine (they even gave us cups), and they recommended great tobacco flavors. The owner and the employees were really friendly and VERY generous. Apparently thursday nights are ladies nights and they have great deals for girls. Definitely check this place out.
One of the spokespersons at Sunshine, Mike is always friendly, warm welcoming and chill to say the least. I go there occasionally since it's local to my neighborhood. I love that they have this funky bubble smoking hookah set that you can blow hookah bubbles with of any size. The only con i could find is the place is small and large crowds wouldn't fit so well.
I love this shop, not just for the great hookah, but also, the great guys who work there. I can come in to hang out, read, or have fun blowing bubbles. I really appreciate a place where the people who work there are actually funny, smart, and sweet. This is where I go to chill after my grad school classes or take a friend to hash out a plan. Rock on guys!!!
PS The guys are sooo HOT and single ladies. :) Just bring them a bottle of Hennessy and you be friends.
People thought this was:
Useful (4)
Funny (4)
Cool (2)
I used to shop here often almost 4 or 5 years ago when this shop first opened (or at least when I 1st saw it) and considered this to be the best glass/hookah shop in the Bay.. especially after shopping in Berkeley (on Telegraph) before. I recently started going back here (moved out of town for a couple years) and was amazed that this store has expanded from what it used to be. I always knew the owner would do well considering how motivated, knowledgable, and friendly he is. Always gave me great prices and even let me test a product one time. 5 stars for this store.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
okay i bought the female piece for my bong here. It was diffuser bottom, and they heated it up and bent it for me. 6 bucks.
fucking rad
Man oh man... Sunshine Coast is the place to HOOKAH.. and also a place to kick back, listen and watch sick music and videos... and just have a good time. They have so many different shisha flavors you always end up leaving wonderin which one your gonna smoke next time. The space is really chill, the art and smoke-ware are out of this world. My friends and I make it a tradition to hit up Sunshine Coast at least once a week... and we plan on continuing to do so for a very long time. The quality of the shisha is superior... the space is comfortable... and they treat you like family. What else can you ask for? There are a lot of hookah bars out there in this city... but I guarantee YOU none of them comes close.. to Sunshine Coast.
Cannot express my love for this place in words. Good hookah just a few hundred yards from my warm and fuzzy room? Great, attentive staff, not too many tourists (some loud and obnoxious locals but hey, we all gotta smoke somehow). I've never bought from them but when I do, it will be from this place. 2 people can smoke one bowl for over an hour without it getting at all harsh. Try the lava. Yum.
If you love hookah, then you have to drop by this place. They've got amazing and fresh shisha in 40+ flavors. A great chill atmosphere and menus on the three hookah spots in the back. Any kind of paper you could ever want for your other smoking needs and some great glass pieces around.
This is where intend to get my shisha as long as I'm in SF. Try out Sour Skittles and Razberry. Two great flavors that I've sampled so far. But there are so many more to try.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
We needed to re-up on some impedimenta. Justin gladly helped my boyfriend and me and was very patient with us. On top of the great service, we had the pleasure of looking at beautiful hand-blown art, which ended up coming home with us. He made some good suggestions and we're really happy with them. We were just passing by, so we didn't get to try any tobacco. It's very laid back. We peeked into the back and saw turntables (PLUS) and hookah's (DOUBLE PLUS) Nothing else complements hookah and music any better. We're sooo going back! Thanks Sunshine Coast and Justin.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
So it was time to replace the 20 year old plastic graffix house bong. We needed to step into some 21st century hand blown shit and where better to fill that need than at Sunshine Coast? (thanks YELP!)
My hommie and I spent over half and hour checking out the wonderful selection of hand blown pieces. After a few minutes of us looking around, the big bad retail man, Justin, opened up the glass cases and let us get our hands on some of the equipment. To help us determine which bong we wanted to take home, Justin filled both of the bongs that we were considering with water and let us see how they would pull..... not bad huh? Justin took the time to help us find the bong that we needed of our crib. In the end he ended up changing the slide and bowl to better fit the bong that we were interested in.
Awesome shopping experience!!! Good on ya Justin. Go there and get your bong on... You'll be happy to find your local headshop! All of the inventory is beautiful and of the highest quality. You can't go wrong here.
And.... there are Hookahs in back if that's to your likin....
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (2)
Imagine a place where everything is awesome. A place where good vibes and creativity pour out like so much white miasmic joy. Well, theres no need to imagine.
Theres an ambiance here that doesn't exist anywhere else. You walk around the rest of Haight St. and you quickly realize that its not the Haight St. of legend, but rather a hovel where strange men walk up to you and exclaim "Hey, what you got on my beer?!" and you wonder to yourself if peaceful vibes and mellow atmospheres even exist anymore, but they do. They do.
They do here.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (1)
while they do have somewhat of a selection, i certainly don't think it's all that great. This is "Haight Ashbury", c'mon.
Cool place.
Great vibe, great deals, and the smoothest hookahs west of Istanbul.
Highly recommend!
Awesome people that work there! My buddies and I like to go in and hang out on thursdays after class because it's a good place to just relax and talk. The shisha they have available is very delectable and smooth! It's also very cheap too, 15 dollars for 3 people you can't pass it up! If your ever bored and around there stop in and say hey to them and check out what they have.
All i can say, awesome place.
i'll be there every thursday. :-)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
Best glass in town, period. A "serious" smoke shop, if such a thing can be said to exist. For awhile I used to run into the best kissy-kissy-face pit bull there, too.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
low prices, and some of the best music in san francisco... one aspect that i love about sunshine coast is that it is a place where interesting people kick it. on a given day there are sound designers, djs, filmmakers, photographers, painters, graffiti writers, and so many people from around the world. definitely the coolest spot to chill on haight street. and the numerous shisha flavors, can't mess around with that; the sunshine coast could educate some merchants at the grand bazar in istanbul.
Sooooooo mellow. As much as I love Kan Zaman it can get so crowded and sometimes a girl wants to smoke hookah in peace! Sunshine Coast is totally kick back loved it and so many flavors.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
This is still my favorite smoke shop throoughout this area! Everytime I come around, this is my place for a very large variety of hookah tobacco!
The list of flavors is very long. Favorites are pointed out. Skittles is a yummy flavor! They keep on coming up with more and more...fruit pez? Lava (mixture of guava, passionfruit, and mango)? Who would have thought.
There are 3 hookah bar stool areas. It's $15 for the first bowl and $7.50 for the second bowl. It's for 1-3 people only so each additional has to pay $5 more to join.
$1 drink and snacks.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
This place is so great. The environment is very relaxed, with a live DJ spinning while you smoke your hookah. The variety of flavors is great, and it goes down so smoothly. The price is really right, and they guys that work there are super nice.
I went with my two guy friends on a Friday night. We got there at 5 til 11. They close at 11pm, and the guy invited us in, and told us we could stay and enjoy a bowl as soon as a table cleared up. We took him up on his generous offer. There were 3 of us so it only cost each of us $5. Well worth it to just relax and hang out!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
This place is awesome for Hookah / glassware needs! The owner is super friendly, and will do everything he can to help you out, regardless of what you need. He even modified a glass piece on the spot when I was trying to decide what I wanted. The shisha is the best around, no competition, and they have TONS of flavors and will try to get a specific one if they don't carry it.
If you're up to chill a bit, sit down and they'll prepare you a great hookah bowl and even chat for a while.
Overall, come here before you go to ANY other shop on haight.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
hell yeah!
my friend and i spent about 45 minutes shopping here last night and ended up with a gorgeous hand-blown piece that will no doubt provide many fun days and nights for years to come. justin patiently helped us through the process: showed us different stems and bowls, poured water in and let us try a few, and even threw in a couple one-hitters at the end of the sale. nice guy!
we didn't even try the hookas in that cute little back area, but i'll definitely be back to do that.
thanks, sunshine coast!
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (1)
great place to buy a piece or chill and smoke hookah. staff has always been cool. i always got my pieces from sunshine and i moved outta the city for awhile and came back and they were all of a sudden a hookah bar. they always sold really good hookahs but they took it to the next level. as the old saying goes "you get what you pay for" if you want something personally blown hand crafted come to sunshine if you wanna waste your money on some cheap factory made piece take a walk down haight street there are plenty weak ass shops down haight street to get an inexpensive piece of shit. in my opinion is its the best headshop/hookah bar in the city. good shit jason you got a quality store and it shows. wasssup justin
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
This was my second time at Sunshine Coast and definitely not my last. I strolled up and walked inside where I was given a friendly greeting and given a menu. (A menu?! Hookah bars with printed honest to God menus?)
A friend and myself decided upon watermelon which was amazing until Jayson offered us some of his. Which at the time was Lava and that my friends is truely a classic. How do I know that? Because after about an hour with watermelon we decided we also wanted Lava.
We had a great conversation with Jay and Charles and the others guys who work there. I forgot their names, but they are just as important. I think we managed to stay there for a solid 4 hours, smoking, bullshitting, and just stayin chill. Listening to Bob Marley and some other mellow stuff. We spoke about family and names all on good terms. The bar was empty when we got there but plenty full when we left.
Next time I make it out to the city I am definitely going to make a stop at Sunshine Coast.
-Zack
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I love this place, I always get my hookah tobacco here 6 bucks a small container about 4 bowls for me or 15 for 3. My favorite flavor is Lemon Mint and I come weekly to pick up my fix, other favorites include rose which is very mellow and light and hits like CRAZZY i've never seen so much smoke before, I can fill up my whole house with smoke with one bowl and make it look like foggy San Fran. The guys that work there are very chill and helpful they helped me pick out my bowl and so far im diggin it. Great Place and the best hookah flavors I have tried. Highly Recommended.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (1)
So I've wanted to go to a hookah lounge for awhile now but had never gotten around to it. My friend suggested Sunshine Coast because he'd been there once before (based on the great Yelp reviews) and thought it was fantastic. I'll have to second that: What a stellar experience! The lava shisha was so light and smooth. It had a wonderful, subtle flavor.
Set up: The shop is split into two parts. The front section is the retail area. The back section is the hookah lounge. The lounge has 4 bar tables each with 5 or 6 barstools. It also has a counter for the dj. When we were there, I think the dj started with trance and then switched to hip hop and rap.
Pricing: It's $15 for a bowl which is meant for up to 3 people. Each additional person is $5. You can also get a soft drink, water, or candy for $1.
Menu: They must have had over 40 shishas (tobacco). We got the lava based on their recommendation. It was mellow and tasty.
Miscellaneous: My friend got to talking to one of the guys at the shop (Mike) about the hookah lounge. Being a hookah newbie, I learned a lot. First, they use charcoal to burn the shisha. Apparently, this makes for an even burn. Other places uses wood which has a tendency to burn hot and more quickly which makes it less pleasant to smoke, i.e., the smoke gets hot so you are more likely to cough. Secondly, almost all of their shishas are honey based vs molasses based. Apparently, this makes for better flavor. Finally, they add pomegranate or some other kind of syrup to the water jar which is supposed to take out more impurities from the smoke and enhance flavor.
Mike also told us they plan to revamp the lounge. Specifically, enlarge it and add couches. When they make this change, Sunshine Coast will be a heavenly chill out lounge. I think the only thing that would make it better for me is if they played chill out music (e.g., something like Lebanese Blonde by Thievery Corporation)
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Cool (1)
I know I'm seconding all the kudos even though I haven't read them yet! Chocolate mint chip hookahs, baby, that's all I've got to say! In a completely chill, friendly, come-as-you-are and stay-all-you-want environment. I like Kan Zaman, but it can get crowded and scene-y. This one's my choice!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Funny (1)
Cool (1)
This is my favorite place to stock up on supplies. I always get the same thing, Aleda clears from brazil, organic hemp coated crutches and rizzla rice papers. Great selection for all your smoking needs at a fair price, not like all those places up a few blocks on ashbury. This place is for people who live in the city. Not a place for some old tourists to ogle at bongs and relive their "summer of love"
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Cool (2)
My roommate and I decided to have a hookah tonight after working on our apartment all day. We headed down Haight to the Kan Zaman where we smoked last time. When we got there though, the place was packed. People in blazers were standing around outside smoking cigarettes waiting to get in. We didn't want to stand around just to get in. So we headed back down Haight dejected.
We had passed Ashbury and were getting further from the insanity that is Upper Haight, when we saw that purple sign in the window "Hookah Bar". It looked like a smoke shop at first glance and that threw us. The lights were bright like a store, and we weren't sure that we'd be able to smoke there, but we decided to check it out anyway.
Low and behold, in the back there were tables, where people were puffing clouds of white smoke. We sat down, and ordered some apricot. The other customers were friendly, and the clerk soon gave us all bubble blowing liquid and these plastic tubes to blow bubbles with. I had never done that before. We and the other customers were soon competing to see who could blow the most impressive bubbles.
We'll definitely be going back again soon.
People thought this was:
Useful (2)
Funny (2)
Cool (2)
People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...
Related Lists
-
Love & Haight
... is actually the name of some deli in the Lower…
Hot and New
- Sushi Bistro
384 reviews
Neighborhood: Inner Richmond
- Boulette's Larder
106 reviews
Neighborhood: Embarcadero
- Sushi Time
190 reviews
Neighborhood: Castro
- Wayo Sushi
129 reviews
Neighborhood: Pacific Heights
- Dynamo Donuts and Coffee
33 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission