Cigar Devotees Now Have Larger Digs in Mamaroneck

Although it’s rare to see anyone light up in public these days, there is one place in Mamaroneck where you won’t be issued a ticket for enjoying a smoke: in Mamaroneck.

Cigars—unlike their unpopular counterparts, cigarettes—still have a core following among people that appreciate the many nuances in flavor and taste as they would a fine wine or liquor.

“Most cigar people do not smoke cigarettes,” said owner Josh DeSiena, adding that cigar smoke is typically not inhaled like cigarette smoke, but savored for enjoyment.

An entrepreneur at heart, DeSiena—who is also a Professional Golf Association (PGA) pro—opened the Mamaroneck location in 2008 across from , following in the footsteps of his father and brother, who purchased the original Doc James shop in Shrub Oak, NY after the founder’s death in 1993. Both locations are one of only a handful of shops in Westchester County, said DeSiena.

Doc James—now housed, since May 1, in a converted 1830s horse barn on 133 E. Prospect Ave. with better décor than any man cave could offer—is both a lounge and a cigar store, where customers are just as likely to sit down and hang out as they are to make a purchase and leave. The cigar lounge is not the first business to set up shop in the old barn.  Prior to Doc James, there was an upholstery shop and, before that, local legend has it that there was a head shop at that location in in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Exposed beams, swinging barn doors and wide-planked floors sourced from a 165-year-old New Hampshire barn mingling with the sweet smell of cigar smoke make you feel as though you’re in a rustic hunting lodge, albeit one with all the comforts of home like large screened TVs and a pool table.  The interior was designed by Danielle Monteverdi, a member of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) and owner of in Mamaroneck.

“I try to make it as comfortable as I can,” said DeSiena, adding that he hoped to appeal to the occasional wife or girlfriend that makes an appearance among his mostly male clientele.

The store stocks a wide selection of cigars ranging in price from $5 to $45 per cigar as well as cigar accessories such as lighters, cutters, cases and humidors.  He is the only merchant in Westchester carrying Davidoff cigars, the Swiss luxury brand. Monthly and yearly memberships are available which include use of a cigar locker and discounts off cigar purchases.

“A lot of customers know what they’re talking about and know what they like,” said DeSiena, about the discerning clients that frequent his shop.

Given the larger space, it’s no surprise that the store has already played host to several parties including a cigar tasting where different wines and scotches were paired with complimentary cigars. An upstairs loft is available to be rented for private parties.

And although the store still bears the original owner’s name on its sign, the DeSiena family now sells a line of cigars named after themselves, described on their website as, “a rich, mild to medium bodied smoke that offers a warm and balanced, creamy, nutty flavor to be savored right down to your fingertips.”

Doc James Cigar Lounge is located at 133 E. Prospect Ave. in Mamaroneck, across from Molly Spillane's, (914) 630-7333, Josh@DocJames2.com.  Store hours are: Mon-Wed, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.; Thur-Sat, 10 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Street parking only.