‘Super Banny’ and Hookah, Deco Drive

It was my great pleasure to experience smoking a hookah again at Deco Drive on Lincoln Road, South Beach.

In London I used to smoke Middle Eastern hookahs which used combinations of natural fruit leaves – mango was my favorite. Deco Drive hookahs are different, they use natural leaves plus a little tobacco. I had the Star Buzz, a delightfully fragrant mix of Blue Mist, Black Grape, Queen of Sex (! – very fruity, lots of berries), mint colossus.

Smoking these leaves in a hookah gives you a great high – with no drugs! I think it’s because of the increase in oxygen you take in when you smoke. ‘Super Banny’ – server, bartender, hookah maker – says if you don’t usually smoke you should smoke the hookah lightly, not take too much in. Otherwise, in my experience, you get dizzy. Also in my experience, you can become unflatteringly red!

Hookah smoking is really relaxing. They are traditionally smoked by groups of people and doing one with friends is a great way to start your evening in South Beach - Deco Drive is open 10am – 2.30pm.

Cigar Room

Deco Drive maintains very high levels of cleanliness and quality of product. They sell the hookah experience, white label cigars, food and alcohol. Even the cocktails use premium brands – that’s not a norm in Miami.

Deco Drive Blackberry Mojito

I’m not usually a fan of mojitos because they’re usually made with far too much sugar.But Deco Drive’s mojitos are divine – no typical rim of sugar, and they employ pure, clean ingredients. Loved the Blackberry Mojito – Bacardi Superior, fresh blackberries, mint, lime, a splash of sweet-n-sour and club soda. Even a slice of raw sugar cane that you can stir your drink with! The Tropical Mojito came a close second, with Malibu Coconut and Passion Fruit Rum, fresh mint, lime, splash of mango puree and Sprite.

Tropical Mojito

The menu is healthy (with lunch and dinner prices) and a full range of the coffees that people love in Miami – cortadito (my favorite), cafe con leche, Irish coffee, etc.

Cortadito

L’il Wayne is a partner with Deco Drive and I can see why. This brand offers a consistently high level of experience.  I like the ethos of Deco Drive, they really go all out to make the customer happy with everything they do (after all, the tagline for my art is ‘Art That Makes You Feel Good’) , from their hookah lounge and cigar shops to their newest venture, Abuela’s Cuban restaurant in South Beach.

Smoking a hookah is extremely relaxing and convivial. I’m considering moving to South Beach and I know that if I do I’ll become one of Deco Drive’s many loyal and happy customers. I really recommend stopping by next time you’re in South Beach. It’s a natural way to get high and also a very nice social thing to do. I’m sure a lot of business meetings would benefit from smoking a hookah too!

Star Buzz – looks like frankincense.

A sign of educated approval is that lots of Middle Eastern visitors LOVE Deco Drive. They typically stay for weeks and return to Deco Drive every day. ‘Super Banny’ says the big favorites with Middle Easterners are apple and grape. Apple is favored by the men – a stronger taste – and grape by the ladies. (There is a particularly Middle Eastern offering on the menu too – Moroccan Delights, a mixture of dates and nuts.).

For the price of a couple of cocktails you can enjoy a premium hookah for over 2 hours. Deco Drive is distinctive in that it offers premium blends (in their hookahs) at prices cheaper than local competitors who don’t use premium blends. Hookahs are priced $20 – $28, a bargain for a great time and what, for many, is a novel experience.

Disposable Mouthpiece for Hookah

An innovation here is the disposable plastic mouthpieces that you are given to fit into the mouth of the hookah. In London we used to wipe the mouthpiece lightly as the hookah was passed around a group, at Deco Drive everyone is given their own plastic mouthpiece which is slipped into the mouth of the hookah as it is passed around. Hygienic or what?! Even the straws are hygienic – when you get your drink the plastic straw in it has a paper covering on the end that you take off before you drink.

Five stars for the Deco Drive experience! You can even buy a hookah and everything you need for it to take home.

Deco Drive Cigar and Hookah Lounge – 414 Lincoln Rd, Miami Beach, FL 33139 (305) 531-8388

Edward making magic in the Deco Drive bar.

* Blame the lack of clarity of the photos on my computer virus – why do people do that stuff?!!!!

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