History
The hookah lounge has clear antecedents in the tradition of coffee houses in the Middle East, where people smoke tobacco from hookahs or other styles of water pipe provided by the establishment. In this traditional setting the hookah is typically of the single-hose variety. This is in contrast with the multi-hose variety favored in the hookah lounge and intended to emphasize the communal nature of the activity.
Specialties
The hookah lounge is an establishment where patrons share shisha/tobacco from a communal hookah which is placed at each table or a bar.