A centuries-old Middle Eastern tradition is becoming increasingly popular in the United States: the hookah. Hookah bars seem to be popping up left and right, particularly in college towns and urban cities, as more people look for ways to spice up a typical night on the town.



Hookah lounges boast impressive menus with just about every flavor of tobacco, or shisha, you can possibly imagine. Choose from an array of fruit-flavored shisha including mango, strawberry and peach, or go for something sweeter like chocolate mint, orange cream or pina colada.

Shisha smokers say sharing a hookah with friends is a fun and fresh new way to socialize while embracing multiculturalism at the same time. Patrons of hookah lounges will sit for hours smoking shisha, playing table games, enjoying live music, and noshing on traditional Persian dishes.

Many feel that hookah lounges have reinvented the nightlife and restaurant scene. It's an experience that, by its very nature, encourages social interaction and making new friends -- something that is often missing in the lives of busy Americans lost in cyberspace and chained to their computers and BlackBerrys. The hookah bar is all about immersing yourself in the experience and the tradition. As one hookah lover puts it, "You talk with young people, old people, all kinds of interesting types. Next thing you know three hours have gone by! There's really no other experience like it."

While smoking shisha seems to be a growing trend, hookah bars in some cities are going up in smoke. In Boston, a series of anti-smoking laws passed earlier this year will require all hookah bars to close within ten years. Similarly, in North Carolina, a smoking ban in restaurants and bars will go into effect in January, forcing hookah bars to either convert to a tobacco shop or shut down.

Here's the buzz on some of the best spots to smoke shisha coast to coast:

10. Tantra Restaurant & Lounge in Miami, Fla.
The vibe at Tantra exudes seduction. A live grass floor, waterfall and sensual music make this place hot, hot, hot.

9. Sphinx Café Hookah Bar in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Catering to the University of Pittsburgh college crowd, Sphinx Café is the city's only authentic Egyptian hookah bar and coffee house.

8. Gazuza in Washington, D.C.
Under the same ownership as D.C.'s trendy Chi-Cha Lounge, this Dupont Circle hookah lounge features sleek modern décor and an expansive second-story patio overlooking Connecticut Avenue.

7. Horus Cafe & Kebab House in New York, N.Y.
NYU students flock to this cafe for Mediterranean and North African bites, over 20 flavors of hookah, and DJs and belly dancers on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

6. Gypsy Café in Westwood, Calif.
All the hipsters head here for wonderfully smooth hookahs, first-rate food and impeccable service.

5. Zentra Hookah Bar in Chicago, Ill.
Located on West Weed Street, this exotic little hideaway is a great place to toke -- hookah, that is.

4. Layalena Restaurant in Tempe, Ariz.
There's nothing "college bar" about Layalena. This hookah lounge features belly dancing, high-quality tobacco, gourmet bites and a beautifully appointed décor.

3. Desert Nights in Redondo Beach, Calif.
Consistently rated among the best of the best in the LA area, Desert Nights keeps the hookah experience authentic with an impressive array of exotic shisha flavors in a casual, relaxed environment.

2. Cozy Café Hookah Lounge in New York, N.Y.
With over 69 flavors of hookah, this place keeps the shisha-loving crowd coming back for more. Don't miss the live belly dancing on Friday and Saturday nights.

1. Ali Baba's in Brentwood, Calif.
Rated by locals as the best hookah bar in the Bay Area, Ali Baba's varies their shisha flavors by season so there's always something new to smoke.

Click here for a directory of hookah bars in your state.