It is not hard to find the regulars at Woodlands Fine Cigars. Walking in the front door, there is bound to be one or two seated and enjoying another cigar, having the same conversations they have tossed around since the shop first opened its doors nearly two decades ago.

"It's a lot like 'Cheers,'" said Chuck Wellman, a customer at Woodlands Fine Cigars for 15 years. "The guys up here are great. We've become good friends. A lot of us even get together once or twice a month and we take our wives out to dinner. It's just a really stress-free environment."

Owner Mike Gager takes pride in the casual atmosphere the shop provides, comparing the experience to an old-school barber shop offering more than 900 types of cigars.

"There's getting to be less and less places you can smoke a cigar," Gager said. "People like to talk and discuss the day's events. We get some lively discussions sometimes."

The owner said he has smoked cigars for years and had prior experience in the industry before opening the shop with partner Mike McCoy in 1996, later purchasing McCoy's portion of the shop in 1998.

Gager's son Phil has worked at the shop since it first opened and said he may one day take over the business.

Phil said customers vary between those who purchase one or two individual cigars and those who buy boxes every time they shop.

The cigars vary greatly as well, ranging in price from $1.50 per cigar to upwards of $40, he said.

The quality difference comes in whether the cigars are machine rolled or hand rolled, Phil said. Cheaper cigars also have shorter fillers and binders, which makes them more loosely packed compared to longer, more tightly rolled cigars.

Gager said he still has a passion for cigars and hopes to stay open for years. However, expansion of the shop is unlikely.

"We've thought about [expansion], but you don't want any more than you can take care of," Gager said.

Customer comments

"I've been coming every since I found out it opened. [I come back because of] the owners, the environment, the selection of cigars and the quality of cigars."

- "Pistol Pete"

"I come pretty much every day, except on Sunday when they're closed."

- Andrew Connelly

"I think my wife really appreciates [Woodlands Cigar Shop] because I come and within an hour, hour and a half, I can decompress and still be home for dinner."

- Chuck Wellman

Woodlands Fine Cigars, 582 Sawdust Road, Spring, 281-296-0202, www.woodlandsfinecigars.com

Hours: Mon.–Fri. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–6 p.m., closed Sun.