Where you can smoke a cigar indoors near Coeur d’Alene, and why Spokane can’t

Idaho law lets cigar lounges exist. Washington law does not. That one difference shapes every cigar room on either side of the state line.

Drive 20 minutes west from Coeur d’Alene and you cross more than a state line. In Post Falls you can sit in a leather chair and smoke a cigar indoors. In Spokane you cannot, anywhere open to the public.

Idaho and Washington handle indoor smoking very differently.

Why the line matters

Idaho’s Clean Indoor Air Act bans smoking in most public places, but it lets two kinds of businesses allow it: bars, and stores that mainly sell tobacco. That is the door every Idaho cigar lounge walks through.

Washington’s law is shorter and stricter. It says no one may smoke in a public place or a place of employment, and it does not carve out tobacco shops. Spokane cigar shops sell inside, and customers light up outside.

The Racketeer Lounge, Post Falls

Paul Banducci opened The Racketeer at 605 E. Eighth Ave. in 2021. Nathan and Lauren Arakelian own it now. It is a cigar lounge and bar with more than 150 cigars, built to be sat in. Closed Mondays; open from noon the rest of the week. (208) 262-9622.

Stogies and Stories, Post Falls

Chris Johnson, Jim Fox and Mike Oertel opened Stogies and Stories: Cigars, Spirits and Friends in December 2024, the Coeur d’Alene Press reported. The centerpiece is a 400-square-foot humidor, and the owners said the goal was a place where people can relax. The business posts its hours on Facebook rather than a website, so check there before you go.

Coeur d’Alene Pipe & Cigar, downtown

Downtown Coeur d’Alene’s shop sits at 416 E. Sherman Ave., a few blocks from the lake, selling pipes, cigars and tobacco. (208) 664-0786.

Cigar House, Spokane

Solomon Braaten opened Cigar House at 7314 N. Division in 2024, the Spokane Journal of Business reported, after moving from the Tri-Cities on his 25th birthday. The shop carries premium cigars and pipe tobacco, and no vapes or cigarettes. By Washington law, the smoking happens outside.

Before you go

Hours change, especially in winter, so call ahead. And if you are new to cigars, our companion piece explains the words you will hear at the counter.

ESPOstogie cigar journal, free right now

ESPOstogie, the free cigar journal where this list started, is made by Accelerated Experiences LLC, the company that owns Kcounty.Media. No business here paid to be included. You must be 21 to buy tobacco.