Tobacco Leaf

Am an avid cigar aficionado. Chose my cigar, by golly the not Jolly «Jolly» went ahead took my cigar out of my hands & said «YOU’LL SMOKE THIS». Being in the company of others; disregarded his ignorance & smoked the 50% up charged stogie. To be fair (though overpriced) the Teas, Cafė, Chocolates… are phenomenal. Being one of the few places in town to buy & smoke cigars; if you’re a die hard cigar lover go for it. Otherwise I’d suggest grabbing a stogie from Frank’s cigars & head to All Stars patio.

Horrible place, horrible money grubbing upselling greedy cheap owner who does not understand concept of karma. Went to robbinsville to de lorenzos for pizza Wanted to smoke, left my lighter home, saw tobacco store, went into get matches, Jolly says no matches, can smoke in store, but will not offer me a light, instead i must buy his $ 5 lighter. Very condescending Never encountered such rudeness Store is a mess, cigars off brand, over priced, looked stale Can tell the guy is in rip-​off mode. Somewhat akin to an upselling old Calcutta hooker

Where do I start?
First let me preface this by saying I am a former cigar shop owner and operator. I had my shop for several years and managed another store for another several years. With this being said, let me tell you about the Tobacco Leaf (TL).
The owner «Jolly» has three shops. There is one in Lawrenceville, one in Robbinsville and another in PA. I have been to all three and they are pretty consistent. Consistently bad.
I’ll begin by saying TL has a variety of cigars like most stores. The problem is that most of the brands are unknown with some main line brands scattered thruout. IF you look hard enough you’ll maybe find the brand you smoke but chances are you’ll just trip over the no names. No CAO, Ashtons, St Luis Rey, Davidoff, Fonsecas. No Fuentes or Partagas, Punch or low end Rocky Patels. But if you want a JFK or Arganas then this is your place. Look for the discounted stock he is having trouble selling every week.
But be careful and check that cigar you just bought. You see, Jolly doesn’t take care of his humidors. He uses tap water in them and they have calcified sponges that do very little. The cigars are hard and brittle and have the occasional fungus. Not cigar bloom that can be easily wiped off. Fungus that grows inside a cigar and could make you sick. His Robbinsville store has had three customers who have gotten sick from them. I have not, but I know what to look for.
Jolly doesn’t clean the store as well as he should. Floors are dirty and showcases are a disgrace. Boxes on top of boxes with no real order. Its a real shame such nice looking cases are under utilized and exceptional unorganized. You can see he spent some real money to make it nice but its just going downhill since he opened.
Lastly, let me tell you about Jolly himself. Not too much I can add over the other reviews you have read other than the high pressure sales tactics get old real quick. He just doesnt know when to shut up. His employees, although friendly, are improperly trained for this business. They can not operate the confusing register adequately other than ringing up a sale. Refunds have to be made when the owner is there. I had his register take me for $ 55 that I needed to refund thru my credit card bank because his employee didnt know how to do it.
This is a man who should not be in the people business let alone any business. His fake Cheshire smile and hostile arrogance is enough to drive away most customers, including this author.
I will though commend his wife who runs the coffee shop next door of the cigar place. The woman is friendly, personable and genuine. She welcomes those who come in with a cheerful smile and warm demeanor. Its just too bad she is married to such a slug.
Save your dollars friends. There are too many cigar shops in the area to choose from. Try Frank’s Place in Hamilton instead. Lower prices, no fungus and no BS.

I’m not really understanding all the hate for Jolly. Yes he uses high pressure salesmanship, BUT if you guys had enough backbone to just firmly tell him that you know what you’re doing and will ask for help if you need it he backs off. He is running a business he obviously wants you to buy the higher end or rarer cigars because there’s almost no competition in the area and that’s where his margins are. Plenty of times I’ve gone in there telling him my budget and he helps me find great stuff within it. He knows his products across the variety of offerings from cigars to hookah/​shisha to cigarettes. I usually go for hookah or harder to find cigarette brands and he always offers me good insight when I tell him I want to try something new. Also note they offer a lot of a glassware and other related accessories, but it is a bit expensive if you chose the more beautiful and ornate pieces but there are also budget accessories as well. For those of you who prefer to roll your own cigarettes or cigars they also have a wide range of papers and wraps, ranging from standard papers to clear or sweetened and recycled papers and wraps.
Bottom line, he’s running a good business with offerings most places around here can’t match, just be blunt (no pun intended) instead of passive aggressive and you’ll have a good experience. This store also carries bidhis, which are Indian cigarillos and very hard to find unless you go to Edison area. They carry all the major shisha brands and flavors, so you can pick your budget to chose a brand and they always offer good insight into which flavors are good or popular and what to avoid if you tell him what you’ve enjoyed in the past. They have cigars for aficionados as well as cigars for those new and inexperienced in selecting and appreciating them, and will help out people who are clueless and maybe just buying a gift for someone.
Unfortunately, I can only go in when I’m home for holidays now that I’m in grad school in another state, but I always try to make visit when I’m back home. So take advantage of their variety of products and just be firm if you don’t like higher pressure sales.

High pressured owner. Also I was in to look at the selection of Padrons and they were in terrible condition. Hard as a rock and many of them peeling. Seems like a basic that a cigar shop would keep their best cigars in good condition but not here…

I have to go with Lance from Ramsey when it comes to Tobacco Leaf. The owner «Jolly» will make every attempt possible to sell you high end cigars. He’s VERY high pressure and will start tossing cigars to you like crazy. I consider myself pretty knowledgable on cigars, but he will talk to you like you are half a moron, so don’t try to argue. The best day to go is Sunday when he is not working.
About the shop: They have one of the better selections of cigars within a 30 mile radius. He is able to score a lot of the boutique brands and sticks that are highly allocated. The prices SUCK. He charges on average, $ 2 – 3 more per stick than what the manufacturer suggests. I’ve seen them 5 bucks more. He also has a shop in Newtown, PA with the same items and same prices. Quite interesting considering PA tobacco taxes are much lower.
There is also a smoking lounge incorporated into the shop. Ventilation isn’t great, but is certainly better than smoking in your garage in the middle of January.
3 stars for their great selection and hours. I suggest hitting the Tobacco Leaf on Sunday to avoid the high pressure, used car salesman approach.

Both times I have been to Tobacco Leaf it has been an awful experience. The owner will try to upsell you and just does not know when to stop. My first trip I was alone, but for the second trip I brought a friend with me and warned him. He thought I was joking and made fun of me for it, but the second we left the shop his reaction was «WOW! You weren’t kidding, he just doesn’t stop.»
Overall dealing with the owner was very offensive. I told him I was looking to spend about $ 60-​$ 70 for 6 cigars. Again and again he would give me cigars in the $ 15-​$ 20 price range. I can do simple math. I’m asking for a $ 10 cigar and you’re just not listening. To top it off, upon checkout, he was giving me grief for not listening to his recommendations and telling me how much I would regret it. Well no, the only thing I regret was giving this guy my money.

Tobacco Leaf
I don’t go as often as I would like to being that is a bit far for me (40 mins). When I do go it is to meet up with some folks who work in the area. They have a monthly get together, bring dinks and pickies (finger food) I enjoy the place, the staff is well versed in their stock and cigars in general. Very welcoming to all who enter and each time I have gone I feel like he remembers me from the way he talks to me. I find the prices to be reasonable and if you buy in bulk he will work with you. The crowd is always friendly even if you are not part of the group the conversation flows through the room. One thing I do have to say is that it is off of Route 1 and if you miss the entrance during rush hour it take to double back.
Remember to always drink reasonably
Crazy Cubano Out.

This is my favorite spot to smoke. Everyone at the lounge knows each other and it’s always a party. Kudos to Jolley the owner for always making me feel welcome and furthering my cigar IQ. Come join the family at the Tabacco Leaf lounge family!

There’s nothing like a good cigar after a good meal. I went to this joint about 5 times before I realized there was a lounge. When I experienced the comfortable couches and the 50″ HDTV, I was in heaven. The only thing that would make it better is some promotion like «no pants Friday» where I could feel like I was really at home just chilling out in my Star Wars boxers. Mom would kick me in the biscuits if I tried to smoke in the house, so I always have to choose between pants and stogies.
Bachagalupe!

I’ve visited quite a few cigar shops in many a state, and this guy knows his cigars. Having said that, I highly recommend that you pay this place a visit, describe your taste preferences and allow the knowledgeable staff to walk you through the humidor and pick out a handful of cigars to enjoy. You won’t be disappointed!