Smoke lounges are nothing new. However, there has not been a Cannabis consumption lounge in Los Angeles and this is where Lowell Cafe in West Hollywood comes in. Before I get into this review, let me start off by saying that I am not a user of Marijuana. My boyfriend, Cain, works in the industry and so, I sometimes join him on Cannabis related events (I previously visited the Weedmaps Museum of Weed with him).
When he heard the first Cannabis Cafe was going to open in Los Angeles, he jumped at the chance to visit and made a reservation a month in advance. As we arrived, I could tell this experience was going to be wack.
The cafe opened last week so unsurprisingly, there was a line to get in. It went quickly though so no complains there but just before we were seated, we were asked if we had used a ride share service to get there or if we had used their valet lot. Apparently, it’s in their policy that you must either use a ride share service or pay for valet. We had parked on the street a few blocks away. They told us they would “let it slide” since it was our first time here. Ok thanks?
Let’s get into what the actual cafe is like. The ambiance is romantic. It reminds me of being in a lush backyard. There’s patio seating and fairy lights on the walls. Props to whoever designed this aspect of the cafe! That’s where my compliments end though.
We were seated and given two menus. One menu is for food, the other one is for Cannabis and Cannabis products. Scanning the menu, I was perplexed by the prices and by the food they were selling. Prices range from $14-$27 and menu items include, crispy brussels & turnips, confit (duck) tamarind wings, and avocado & English pea toast.
If you just said “wtf” to all that, you’re not alone. As I have reiterated, I am not a stoner. But if I have the munchies, you think I want to eat confit? Anyways, Cain ordered a burger and I ended up not ordering anything.
Let me quickly explain the smoking aspect of the cafe. As I mentioned, they have a Cannabis menu. You can order from there and smoke whatever you end up buying. You can also bring your own Cannabis if you don’t want to purchase anything. However, that will cost you $30. Yes folks that’s right, you gotta pay $30 apart from your ride share, valet, and food. Or you can pay a little less than $30 for a pre roll plus everything else I just mentioned. Cain went with a pre roll.
At this point, Cain and I are done with this place and his order (both food and pre roll) hadn’t even arrived. When he did get his burger, it was dry and the fries were nothing special. He finished the food and still no pre roll. It is safe to say that this place is understaffed and service was not great.
This is not an attack on those workers though. Under the circumstances, they were doing their very best. I am appalled that they didn’t have a large enough staff, especially with all the buzz and the amounts of people who have been visiting. Eventually, after 40 minutes, the pre roll arrived. Cain smoked it and we left disappointed.
Lowells cafe is a no for me. It’s a bourgeoisie scam. Stay home, get high, and order something unpretentious. You can smoke anywhere else and for free! If you want a similar tastier experience, get high and go to Urth Caffe.
In theory, it’s a cool idea. It could have definitely been executed so much better though. Coming here is a waste of money. Millennial’s, especially Cannabis consuming millennial’s, want new and unique experiences. This ain’t it ya’ll.
