Abu Nawas is located in the Strykler Square of Fairfax Circle. There is a second hookah bar a few stores down – a much louder and busier place. We chose Abu Nawas because walking into Abu Nawas, we were greeted by the owner, Raad, who was very friendly and welcoming. Looking around, it was an open room with the tables lining the wall, Middle Eastern style paintings by local artists, and a very large hookah in the front corner. The lights on the wall were decorated with cool little tambourines underneath. We sat down and looked at the menu, which had a wide selection of Middle Eastern dishes & drinks ranging from soda, beer, and energy drinks. We ordered a pot of black tea & baba ghanoush, which came garnished with black olives and pickled radishes. Their shisha selection included Starbuzz, Alfakhar, and Nakhla tobacco. We chose Pink Ocean, which came in a modern Chinese hookah with 2 hoses, 1 quick light coal on top of a large, ceramic bowl with 2 extra coals on the side. It tasted like Pink Starbuzz with a mix of with something floral. Upon request, you can have Coco Mazaya coals. Abu Nawas has a great atmosphere, if you just want to relax with friends. People were playing dominoes and cards, and there is password-protected wi-fi but the password was located on a sign on the wall. Arabic music videos playing softly on the corner television, made the atmosphere very relaxing and comfortable. Abu Nawas is open until 3 or 4 am depending on business. For all you cigarette smokers you can also smoke inside. There is another hookah bar a few stores down – a much louder and busier place. Overall I really enjoyed my time here and would definitely return, with friends for a good night and a relaxing night cap.
