Cigar Lounge: Smokers Abbey – East Nashville, TN – Have Mercy

It is not every day that you walk into a cigar shop decorated with religious emblems, paintings, and artifacts which is owned by an ordained christian minister. That is the experience you will have at Smokers Abbey located in East Nashville, TN. The shop is owned by the burly and bearded Joshua Stump and yes, he is an ordained minister, tobacconist, and artist.

Smokers Abbey is one of the stops I made with my host, Miguel Schoedel, the national sales manger for Crowned Heads. I really want to thank Miguel for taking the time to introduce my son Dominic and I to Smoker Abbey. So howl at the moon as I walk you through Smokers Abbey!

The shop is located in a small strip mall in East Nashville, TN and from the outside you may not realize it is a cigar shop if you did not know. There is no yellow and red sign that says “CIGARS” just a double door that has the Smokers Abbey logo emblazoned on the doors. The shop is celebrating 6 years in business and has also licensed the name to a sister shop in Austin, TX.

Once you enter, the first thing you see is the wooden bar where Joshua is normally hanging out and the concrete floor. The shop has a fine selection of craft local brews and a decent selection of bottled and canned craft beers. If you get there early for happy hour, it is two for one. They are known for rotating their taps to create some rare & unique options.

Happy Hours are:

  • Mon-Fri: Noon-7pm 2-for-1 draft, $1 off cans & bottles
  • Sunday: All day 2-for-1 draft, $1 off cans & bottles

Besides Joshua, there are two other tobacconists; The Captain Nathan Pohnert and Adam Gleaves. All three are experienced at making sure your palate is pleased with the many boutique cigars and hand crafted pipe tobaccos. Yes, Smokers Abbey prides itself on carrying the best line of boutique cigars on the market and are always searching for the best cigars for their customers.

Here is a short video I made to walk you through the shop and what is has to offer.


The Humidor

As I noted, the humidor is stocked with a huge selection of boutique cigars. They are also a big supporter of the local Crowned Heads Cigar Company and even have a special Smoker Abbey only Crowned Heads blend known as the “Sanctuary”.

The Smokers Abbey Sanctuary by Crowned Heads

Craft Beer

If you are going to pride yourself on boutique cigars, I guess the logical extension to that is craft brew, and Smokers Abbey has plenty for you to choose from. Though they don’t have a full liquor license, they do have a monthly boutique cocktail event where a local, licensed mixologist comes to mix and serve craft cocktails. I hear that is a great event to be at. They also have food trucks outside and even patrons come to make food of their choice to serve. All in all, it is a pretty laid back establishment.


The Shrine

Throughout the shop you will see plenty of religious art and artifacts hanging on the wall including two beautiful paintings that Joshua painted himself right outside the humidor. One of St. Francis and the other of St. Clare. The wall hangings brought back fond memories of some of the old Italian living rooms of my friends growing up in NY. The only thing missing was the plastic covers on the couches.


Seating Areas

There are four seating areas in the shop. A large area to the left of the bar, with comfortable leather chairs and tables and of course the wrap around bar itself. In the back there is a locker room that also has seating and an inlaid chess table for your enjoyment. There is also a chess table in the front. Off to the right of the bar, is another small seating area with leather chairs and couches. Moving to the back there is the final area that is dimly lit and secluded from the din of the crowd in the front of the shop.


Pipe Smoker?

If you are a pipe smoker, like my son Dominic, Smokers Abbey has a fine selections of blends available and also pipes for sale in case you don’t have one. Not being a pipe smoker myself for decades, Dominic chimed in and said the blend was superb!


Events

Smokers Abbey runs plenty of events throughout the year. In fact, Joshua told me they have weekly poker tournaments, other card tournaments, Uno, and even Cards Against Humanity. They also have monthly, and sometimes more than monthly, cigar events that feature the many boutique cigars they carry.


Contact and Hours of Operation

Smokers Abbey is located at – 604 Gallatin Ave #102, Nashville, TN 37206

The shop is open 7 days a week with the following hours:

  • Mon-Thurs: 10am-Midnight
  • Fri-Sat: 10am-1am
  • Sun: Noon-Midnight

Contact:


In Conclusion

I would like to thank Reverend Joshua Stump for his generous hospitality and also Miguel Schoedel from Crowed Heads for introducing me to a special Nashville vibe. This is certainly a shop I would visit if I lived in the area. Laid back, friendly, welcoming, and informative with a wide selection of boutique cigars and craft beers. And hey, if you want to get married, Reverend Stump can handle that too.

Boston Jimmie and Reverend Joshua Stump
Boston Jimmie and Reverend Joshua Stump

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