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Ali Mama Cafe
Categories: Food Coffee & Tea Nightlife Bars Hookah Bars Coffee & Tea, Hookah Bars [Edit]
3229 W Sunset BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90026
Neighborhood: Silver Lake
(323) 668-0856
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Music:
- Music Videos, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Sun, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- No
- Smoking:
- Yes
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
34 reviews for Ali Mama Cafe
Review Highlights
-
"The lounge also supplies playing cards." In 6 reviews -
"Also, the Turkish coffee is a must have." In 11 reviews -
"The shisha was delicious." In 5 reviews
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34 reviews in English
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Review from Connie L.
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Awesome, hole-in-the-wall hookah place. Great prices, wonderful customer service, laid-back, neighborhood atmosphere (complete with playing cards, chess boards, etc.). Yummy Turkish coffee with cardamom.
Street parking, credit cards accepted, open late. -
Review from Iris Z.
Los Angeles, CA
The customer service is excellent! Very attentive and friendly, they are definitely welcoming! Last time I was there my wallet fell out of my purse in the restroom, and they were kind enough to come upstairs and I must admit it was a bit embarrassing, but they called out who it belonged to! I felt so happy I wouldn't have noticed it missing.
I enjoy sitting up there listening to music ( last time Wutang was on haha) and playing cards till literally early hours of the morning!
don't get turned off by the hole in the wall look, it is definitely worth a shot and if you like hookah your bound to enjoy this place. -
Review from Josh C.
San Gabriel, CA
2/7/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Now this is a legit hookah lounge!!
Ali Mama is one of those hole-in-the-wall establishments that most people won't even bother giving a second glance when they pass by. Actually it looks like a deli or a small market from the outside.
Once inside, however, you go up a short flight of stairs to a dimly lit blacklight room with a TV and ethnic music playing in the background. Patrons have free reign over what types of music they want to listen to, so as long as they can locate the remote.
There a ton of hookah flavors to pick from, and the prices are more than reasonable. The workers are attentive to your needs and even if its your first time, they are polite and patient while they show you the ropes. The service is topnotch.
My favorite location is the upper-level backyard area. There's a giant trough-looking thing filled with searing hot coals and wood, and occasionally a worker will come by to refresh the patrons' coals. There's a fan that turns periodically as well, and while its on, sparks fly everywhere. Definitely dangerous, but I cant help but be mesmerized by the pretty fire. Like moths to a flame...
Anyway, the turkish coffee here is just ridiculously good as well. Coffee enthusiasts will love a cup. Be warned though, two small cups will be enough to send you bouncing off the walls. -
Review from Mike G.
Los Angeles, CA
5/24/2012
My friend and I go here regularly for some late night hookah. Always a good time.
-
Review from Nikki I.
Los Angeles, CA
5/17/2012
My friend and I were wandering around Silverlake area and were in the mood for hookah so we looked this place and up and checked it out. We walked in when they opened, so we were the only people there. The hookah bar is upstairs in this cute little dining area with led and string lights all over the place. They have a few flat screens with radio stations they let us choose from. I remember selecting something off the menu and the server shut it down and recommended something else, which was kind of strange. The hookah was pretty decent, as I recall. It's nice that it's open super late and I'm sure it would have a fun vibe as it gets more crowded. Not the most impressive hookah bar, but decent if you're craving hookah in the area.
-
Review from Richard M.
Riverside, CA
12/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
All I can say is fun fun fun. This is the best hookah bar I've ever been to. It might of been the company but I think the owners and employee's are just so friendly. They have so much tobacco knowledge, and make great blends.'
Oh and the hot chocolate was really delicious. It had spices and sweetness to it I've never experienced before. -
Review from Marvin G.
Los Angeles, CA
8/13/2011 20 Check-ins Here
I've been to a handful of hookah lounges/place but this one definitely tops the list!
They have Excellent customer service! They remember you, hand out and take jokes like if they were your best friend, great expertise in Tobacco mixes, and will gladly help you out if you are having trouble getting a good hit with your set.
Let's you play all types of music even some Arab music sets the mood. They got a tv set so You can play movies too!(not sure about pornos 0.o, but it is an 18+ place) tons of board games also.
Incredible amounts of hookah flavors and almost limitless combinations.
Has always provided a good environment for groups and dates, whether your there to have a good time or to woe that special someone.
Definitely worth coming back! -
Review from Mary A.
Pasadena, CA
7/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This place has the best hooka ive ever had, my friends and I are avid smokers and this place is tops.
Dont be fooled or intimidated by the looks of the place, everyone is super friendly and the service is great!
They give you the remote control to the patio tv and you can watch movies or shows all you want.
theyve got board games and cards - really chill spot! -
Review from Christal Y.
San Francisco, CA
7/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
The best hot chocolate I've ever tasted. Cinnamon silkiness with spices, whipped cream, chocolate chips, marshmallows and chocolate syrup. Uhm, YUM.
Don't be afraid by the exterior. Once you walk through the back it's like entering a fluorescent Neverland. Blacklights, cards and games - it's really a hipster hangout shielded by Armenian/Egyptian/ethnic men to deter people who just put up a front.
The turkish coffee is amazing. Do not drink it at night unless you're planning to stay up until kingdom come.
Good, strong hookah too! And quite cheap. Unfortunately if you have more than 6 people, they make you get 2 hookahs, even if less than 6 people want to smoke. What is up with that? We all got drinks each too :(
There's a $3 cover charge as well if you don't order a drink. :/
The only thing that kind of bothered me was the tone of the service. It's good, great service, even, but sometimes I feel like I'm being talked down to. -
Review from Catherine G.
Waltham, MA
4/26/2011
So, my friend and I were a little nervous to go in here, because the front room was filled with big, burly types of guys. But every person we interacted with was friendly, and not at all in the creepy type of way! (girls, you know what I mean). They have a fun little back room, and we went and smoked hookah and drank tea. The hookah was AMAZING, the service was excellent, and it was an overall perfect hookah experience.
Also, although we did take advantage of it, this place is BYOB. We are definitely planning on going back with a bottle of wine.
Sum up: The staff was great, hookah amazing, and ambiance fun and casual. -
Review from Heven R.
Los Angeles, CA
6/29/2011 11 Check-ins Here
A few friends and I happen to chance upon this place while searching for a hookah cafe on yelp. I've been to a few other places, mainly in Glendale and Burbank and the experiences there weren't great. The reviews of the place were great so we decided to check it out.
It is an awesome place! Not fancy, straight up kick back, and totally friendly. The owner and his staff treat you like family and take good care of you. The Turkish coffee is awesome, and the selection of flavored tobacco is enormous.
The place stays open late, I've walked out of there around 4:30am and there was still people playing cards everywhere. -
Review from Leah H.
Los Angeles, CA
12/4/2011
A very authentic hooka bar indeed. The staff is excellent and the music is great. Bring your own drinks and stock their freezer to last you through the night. You can play cards here at the big tables so bring lots of friends. It's a relaxed but fun environment unlike some other places I have been where blaring rap music ruins the scene. If you want to feel like a true habeeb this is the spot ;)
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Review from Feliz F.
Los Angeles, CA
12/18/2010
I love this place! Its open late and you get to BYOB here! There's many hookah flavors to choose from and the staff is really friendly and attentive. The prices here are really reasonable compared to the ones in Hollywood where they charge you an arm and a leg.
This place is the "go to" place where you can just chill and hang out with friends. But when you get there, make sure you go to the back upstairs room because the older clienteles are in the front.
I love this place! -
Review from Serop B.
La Crescenta-Montrose, CA
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very chill place, hole in the wall but very cozy and spacious in the back, the owner himself will make sure you have everything you need, hookah is very smooth and the nut tea is amazing, no food here though but there is a Mexican restaurant right next to it that has great tortas and will let u park your car there if there isn't any infront of alimamas. Overall good experience but not a place to bring a first date.
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Review from Nancy C.
Los Angeles, CA
11/19/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Met up with some my friends here before we hit-up the Korean BBQ next door which is always packed, and they got some BOBA which was so yummy!! After our night of Korean BBQ we headed back here to get some more BOBA for all of us and sat there the rest of the night watching youtube videos on our IPhones. Plenty of seating and just an empty space to hang out, get some BOBA and have a good time. They supposedly do Hookah but never saw anyone hitting it up so may check it out in the future and review that, but there drinks are good!! My man got some sort of chocolate coffee concoction and loved it!! But the rest of us stuck to the BOBA!! Yum!!
-
Review from Michelle P.
Los Angeles, CA
6/13/2010
What does one do when experiencing insomnia?
Well, besides write yelp reviews like I am catching up on tonight (sorry to those of you fans getting a ton today. I promise to stop after this one.), you can go to Ali Mama Cafe!!! They are open until 4am on week nights and until 6/6:30am on weekends. This is the place for those of us serious night owls!
Anyway, this past Friday after the dodger game and a trip to my favorite bar in the world - Short Stop, my date took me here to Ali Mama. This is my first Hookah Lounge experience, and I loved it. I'm not a smoker, but really enjoyed the vibe and feel of this place. Our waiter was really helpful and suggested Earl Gray flavored tobacco. It was DELICIOUS - fruity. aromatic, sweet, just wonderful!
We also ordered a wonderful custard dessert topped with coconut and nuts for only $5.50 It was vanilla flavored, great texture, yummy flavor. It went well with the Earl Gray as well.
We found out you can bring in your own alcohol. They don't serve it, but you can bring your own.
The lounge also supplies playing cards. My date and I played poker, then war, then go fish. I won, but he was a great sport. We laughed a lot. The hookah lounge was so chill. We could have stayed longer, but I needed to be up early and to get home to sleep.
I just loved this place, and look forward to going back. (The date was good too. Yay! I needed a good experience following the disappointments of last week's dating episodes -different guy. Ouch. But, it's nice to feel appreciated again). -
Review from Eva V.
6/8/2009
LA hookah bars are a real gamble; you never know what you're going to get. Personally, I like my hookah bars to follow the rule of the three Cs: cozy, casual, cheap. So far, Ali Mama is the only hookah bar I've found in the Los Angeles area that meets all three requirements.
From the outside, Ali Mama looks more like a rundown convenience store than a place to hang out on a weekend. The front of the cafe has several tables and seems designed for the older clientele, complete with checkerboards and easy access to hot drinks. Up the stairs is the young people room. Blacklights, more tables, and a makeshift DJ table are used to give the younger visitors a more "hip" place to smoke. If you're someone who prefers a more private atmosphere, there's the backyard.
This place is no frills, but the service is wonderful. Our waiter was friendly, helpful, and very charming. The hookah is on the higher end of cheap, but the flavors were great and we were allowed to manage our own coals. Also, the Turkish coffee is a must have. Our waiter says they use imported coffee, and whether or not that's the case, the stuff is delicious.
Check this place out if you're looking for a good spot to have a smoke and a laid-back evening with friends. -
Review from Massoud S.
Los Angeles, CA
8/23/2011 10 Check-ins Here
For starters the service here is excellent, at first you'll be thinking what the heck am I doing here but once you go inside and get settled in you will enjoy it. This is one of the best hookah lounges I have been too, the prices here are great and they have a wide variety of flavors. What I like best about this place is that they let you bring outside food, only thing is that you have to buy something off their menu or you have a $3 cover charge. Best thing for me on the menu is the shalab or the Turkish coffee try it!
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Review from angelica m.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2009
ali mama, this one's for you:
I look and stare so deep in your eyes
I touch on you more and more every time
When you leave I'm beggin you not to go
Call your name two, three times in a row
Such a funny thing for me to try to explain
How I'm feeling and my pride is the one to blame
Yeah, cause I know I don't understand
Just how your love can do what no on else can
Got me lookin so crazy right now
Your love's got me lookin so crazy right now
(Your love)
Got me lookin so crazy right now your touch's
Got me lookin so crazy right now
(Your touch)
Got me hoping you page me right now your kiss's
Got me hoping you save me right now
Lookin so crazy your love's got me lookin
Got me lookin so crazy your love
When I talk to my friends so quietly
"Who he think he is?" Look at what you've done to me
Tennis shoes don't even need to buy a new dress
You ain't there, ain't nobody else to impress
It's the way that you know what I thought I knew
It's the beat that my heart skips when I'm with you
Yeah, but I still don't understand
Just how your love can do what no one else can
Got me lookin so crazy right now
Your love's got me lookin so crazy right now
(Your love)
Got me lookin so crazy right now your touch's
Got me lookin so crazy right now
(Your touch)
Got me hoping you page me right now your kiss's
Got me hoping you save me right now
Lookin so crazy your love's got me lookin
Got me lookin so crazy your love
I'm warmed up now
Let's go
Young hova
Ya'll know when the flow is loco
Young b and the r-o-c uh oh
O-g, big homie
The one and only
Stick boney but the pockets are fat like tony
Soprano the roc handle
Like van exel
I shake phonies man, you can't get next to
A genuine article, I do not sing tho
I sling though , if anything I bling yo
Star like ringo
War like a green berret
You're crazy bring your whole set
Jay-Z in the range
Crazy and deranged
They can't figure him out
They're like "hey is he insane?"
Yes sir I'm cut from a different cloth
My texture is the best fur, I'm chinchilla
I've been ill of the chain smokers
How you think I go the name hova
I've been reala'
The game's over
Fall back young ever since
I made you change over to platinum
The game's been a wrap
One
Got me looking so crazy, my baby
I'm not myself lately
I'm foolish, I don't do this
I've been played myself
Baby I don't care
Cuz your love got the best of me
And baby you're making a fool of me
You got me sprung and I don't care who sees
Cuz baby you got me so crazy -
Review from Charles K.
Los Angeles, CA
10/8/2007
I frequent this place pretty often. I don't smoke cigarettes, but I enjoy a shisha every now and then. Let me tell you, this place has the PEFRECT shisha! Doesn't get much better then this, and now they have belly dancers.Very authentic shisha. Super smooth, and there is always fresh charcoal being fired up.
This place is super friendly. The service, the customers, and the vibe is very laid back. You have the usuals, and then a mix of others. The decor isn't the best, but I come here JUST for the shisa.
I was here tonight, and they invited me to eat dinner with them. One of the owners INSISTED I drop my shisha, and dine with them. It was GREAT Northern African cuisine. SO delicious! What a rare treat! This place is so friendly!
It's a great place to even just have some tea, or some Turkish coffee. It's open until LATE. Usually 4-5am. Depends on the patrons =).
Support local shops! -
Review from micah f.
Los Angeles, CA
7/13/2008
I'm here most Sunday evenings to play dominoes with friends. Love the hospitality. Love feeling instantly like a "regular" in spite of the fact that I am not a middle aged armenian man with a penchant for marathon card-games.
I can imagine that some (I'm looking at you, you dirty hipsters) might be a little intimidated by the place. Don't be. Your money is good here. -
Review from thebvg s.
La Canada Flintridge, CA
9/6/2011
Love Hookah, love this place . I'm a fan . It looks a little shady and almost scary out front, but the space upstairs is really chill . You have to street park but I've never had trouble finding a spot . The workers are really nice and helpful . They let us bring our own beer last time since they don't sell alcohol . so very chill .
The food is delivered from a nearby restaurant and it's really, really good . The drinks are all good, especially the Turkish coffee .
It's a really fun atmosphere and good for hanging out with friends, but maybe not a date .
Just make sure you check your receipt before paying. Last time our group found lots of unnecessary extra charges that weren't explained to us before being added on . When we commented on it the workers took it off . -
Review from jo ..
Los Angeles, CA
2/20/2011
I'll keep it short and sweet. Friendly staff, homey environment, tons of hookah flavors, amazing turkish coffee, good prices, board games and playing cards. Last but not least - black lighting. It's a great place to just kick back. Can't ask for much more.
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Review from Harrison G.
Los Angeles, CA
8/8/2008
As other reviewers have said, this is a really laid back place. I went here last night based solely off the other reviews and I was not disappointed.
There was a variety of customers, which I really liked. At the entrance you're greeted by middle aged arab men and women, almost all with their own personal hookah. They look at you like you don't belong, but walk in and don't be discouraged. The manager/all employees were extremely friendly. Once I met him it was as if we had been coming there for years.
We chose a table in the back room which featured couples, girlfriends, one person on her laptop studying, a group of guys of mixed race and age. We eventually moved to the way back to be outside again (and to avoid the TV).
The shisha was delicious. We were boring and just got strawberry, but there were a wide variety of flavors to choose from, some I'd never seen before (ex. kiwi, sex on the beach). There is a 1 drink minimum per person or a $3 cover charge (it says this on the menu). I'm not sure how strictly it's enforced because the waiter almost left before we gave him our drink order. Anyway, almost all the drinks are under $3 so it's worth it to get something (hot teas, turkish coffee, fruit juices, smoothies, they got it all).
There are three distinct areas: 1) the sidewalk out front. 2) the back room. 3) the way back. The sidewalk was crowded with what seemed like regular customers playing card games. The back room was OK, but had a big and loud TV playing that I was not into. I have a love/hate relationship with TV and would've asked them to turn it down or off (to be replaced by music) but everyone else was enjoying it. In the way back you can still hear the TV but you're outside and little removed. It feels like you're in your friend's backyard. There's a little yard up some stairs, you can see some stars. The one downside to this area is that you're near the grill where they burn all the charcoal so periodically it smells really smoky.
Overall a really good, relaxed, cheap place. i've been looking for a good hookah lounge that wasn't pretentious and this is it. Also, people said it was BYOB. I didn't see anyone drinking beer and I didn't asked the employees, but that would be a great feature. -
Review from Ryan H.
Los Angeles, CA
9/9/2010
List Review
BYOB
Open Late
Not crowded
Great hookah flavors
Self coal
Friendly staff
poker chips + cards
Movies played
Black light
This place is a hidden gem. I've only been once but it was a great first impression. This is definitely on my late night to do list. The hookah was smooth, long lasting and quality. Also, as we were leaving the owner was making food for people (service). I wish it was closer to my house in the hood. -
Review from Sri P.
Silver Lake, Los Angeles, CA
4/18/2009
I went to Ali Mama's last night on a whim with a friend of mine, who praised its glories. I was a bit skeptical at first. I am a small woman, and slightly intimidated by a place whose clientele was composed almost entirely of big, burly men that evening. But my friend is 6'5", and a force to be reckoned with in his own right, so I took the dive. Soon after as we walked in, I felt silly for being so skeptical. We looked over the place, trying to find a table. And my friend said to me, "I'm not sure where to sit." A man next to us interjected kindly over his card game, "Anywhere you want! Check out the back too! There's plenty of space there and at the table over here." This is pretty much the tone of this place. Just incredibly friendly people smoking hookah, playing cards, backgammon, dominoes or chess (they keep sets of all of these for customers to play).
Service was so kind as well. My friend had a really nice, tart hibiscus tea. And I had a really delicious Turkish coffee, that was sweet, but not too sweet just like I requested, that I'm still wired on this morning. I had enough for two or three little cups of it (and it was just $2.99!). We chatted, we played a game of chess, we hung out in the back room full of mellow people smoking hookah and just having a good time with their friends and watching some TV late into the night. Plus, for hookah smokers, they have an incredible variety of shisha. Downside for non-hookah smokers (like me), those fruity, floral, minty smokes that commingled in the air were still stuck in my hair this morning. I'd still do it again though for that cup of Turkish coffee and a conversation over a game of chess. -
Review from Ethan M.
New York, NY
8/13/2009
This place is great. They have a huge selection of hookah flavors, and the prices are relatively cheap for a hookah bar. They only charge by the hose, not by the person.
We sat out back in a nice outdoor patio and a bigscreen TV. They brought out the hookah (pomegranate) with coals from a large pile out back. The staff was friendly and told us this place is BYOB. To boot, they are open till 4AM! -
Review from Vageha K.
Tustin, CA
6/14/2011
Went here after a wedding in the area. The owner/manager was really nice and welcoming to our party of 5 on a Sunday night at midnight. Great hookah in a cozy spot.
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Review from Hamed M.
10/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
i felt like i was at my family or friend's house. the owner was super nice and attentive. if you're with multiple people, opt for a multi hose. it's not that much more expensive, and definitely beats passing the hose around.
the back, upstairs room is cool. there's a tv and blacklight.
the highlight of my visit, though, was the shalab. maybe that's not the correct spelling, but it was this rice pudding desert with fruits and nuts. the original flavor was to die for. a bit pricey at $6, but i'd get it again in a heartbeat. -
Review from Henry M.
Pasadena, CA
11/14/2008
Super pushy about what flavour and brand of shisha one should get, but that aside, good prices, decent pipes, and a lovely atmosphere - especially in the back. Not sure how much else there is to say about a hookah cafe.. they're open till 6am or so every night which is a-fuckin-mazing. I really couldn't get over how pushy they were with different things though, so they only get 4 stars.
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Review from Gregory S.
Long Beach, CA
7/2/2010 1 Check-in Here
A great night hang-out. In my evergoing attempt to try everything at least once. I wanted to try a hookah bar. They are open late til 4 am on weeknights and 6 am on weekends. BYOB. The downstair area was where the old-timers hang, the upstairs has indoor and outdoor lounge with multple tables with playing cards, I forgot to ask if they had chess or other board games. Free wi-fi. The service is great and willing to help any noobs to hookah. I made a mistake and posted a picture of me with a hookah was reminded to remove because people may get the wrong impression, trust me it was tobacco, earl grey flavor, smooth and sweet.
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Review from ajwest f.
Washington, DC
11/5/2009
This place is the real deal. The owners are Egyptian and Tunisian and most of the customers are Arab or North African.
The sheesha is good and the mint tea and Turkish coffee are perfect after a night at the bar...yea Ali Mama stays open until 4 or 5 am.
I have spent many a nights in the back patio sobering up with some mint tea, a hooka, a deck of cards and Al Jezeera on the big screen TV. -
Review from Romeo G.
Los Angeles, CA
3/9/2008
As others have commented, Ali Mama Cafe is wonderful place to relax and enjoy a coffee or tea and smoke shisha/hookah. The decor is a bit on the quaint side, but what it is lacking in furnishings is made up for in atmosphere and clientele. Ali Mama Cafe is definitely NOT the glitzy, cheesy hookah bars of Westwood!!!!
The downstairs room seems to be populated by mostly, but not all, Egyptian, Arabic-speaking men playing cards or various board games...which is cool if you're learning or already speak any Arabic. I hoping to try out my skills someday soon! Otherwise, the "patio", which is enclosed and has heaters operating during the colder months, serves as a nice, relatively quiet place to play cards or socialize while enjoying one of the cafe's gustatory specialties.
On our first trip (I went with my fiancee) we found the servers to be friendly, informative, and gracious hosts. You really do feel like you are in a friend's home. We both tried the Turkish coffee, which proved to be very good and prepared to our requested sweetnesses. I look forward to trying the mint tea on my next visit, as well as the shisha/hookah. All in all, Ali Mama serves as a well-appreciated reprieve from the impersonal, frenetic vibe of Starbucks and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores of Los Angeles. -
Review from John M.
Los Angeles, CA
1/10/2010
I just came from there. Nice environment and really friendly staff.
