Just found out I'm going to San Francisco on business this weekend. Any good tobacco shop(s) in San Francisco I should visit? If so, do you recommend a good house blend of theirs. I like trying out a good house blend whenever I travel.

Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks.

Not many tobacco shops left in SF. It's been awhile, but Grant's (on Market, between 1st + 2nd) used to be a good stop.

You might also check out the Occidental Cigar Club (on Pine - just a few blocks NW of Grant's) for a smoke and drink.

Tobacco is legal in San Francisco?

Grant's was great; purchased many fine pipes there in the '70s. Would be curious to hear what it is like now (presuming it is still open). They used to have an excellent bulk classic-style Virginia tobacco (never found out which manufacturer it came from).

It has been a few years, but Grant's Pipe Shop is worth stopping at as already mentioned. It is close to the Montgomery St. BART station. They have a website: http://www.grantspipeshop.com.

If you have access to a set of wheels, A short hop north over the GGB
you'll find telford's

http://telfordspipeandcigar.com/pages/store.html

Nice people, good selection of tins & house blends. The weather is expected to be clear & sunny but bring a light jacket since the outside smoking area
tends to be breezy

Hey guys,
Thanks for the suggestions. Have been reading mixed reviews of Grant's but I'll probably check it out anyway. Telford's sounds and looks amazing. I will definitely have to find my way to Mill Valley. Can't wait.

I was just in San Francisco a month ago and went to Grant's twice. I met the owner the first time who let me try the Emperor Norton blend and I ended up buying a 1/2 lb of it. Really good stuff. They had the usual jars of tobacco house-blends as well as a few tins. They had a nice selection of pipes but it wasn't very big. Accessories and of course lots of cigar stuff.

I enjoyed it because it was a real B&M. There is another place called the Humidor which is down the street a little bit but unless you are a straight cigar guy or illegal substance user, you wont' like it.

I was in SF last week and I had the chance to visit Grant's on Market St. I love this place! The owner (I believe), Ted, was a really nice guy and was very knowledgeable about pipe tobacco. They had some really great pipes there too, from high end (like, a couple of Beckers, which were great to see up close), to some Stanwells.

These guys also have some really good house blends. I tried and bought some Old Drum, which is a great, all day, aro that's not too heavily cased (just a nice, mild, steady flavor) and they also have a good Balkan (Balkan Light), which is a nice change of pace from my Balkan Sasieni. I also picked up a tin of G.L. Pease's Odyssey (which is my new favorite GLP blend--had to do it, being in SF and all) and they carry a really nice selection of tins that you won't find in most Tobacco shops (GLP, Pipe Club Blends like GKCPC's Nocturne) and best of all, they even sell small samples of blends that you can only find in tins. I picked up a sample of Nocturne and I definitely like it enough to get some more.

There's a nice little smoking section in the shop and a great humidor if you're into the stogies. All in all, this is definitely worth a visit if you're in the Bay area. Great old Pipe shop with plenty of history and a classic feel. Will definitely go there again when I'm in SF.

Grant's semi-regular here. Once a month or so.
Great place. With taxes, expect to pay a bit more for things ($16.75 for GLP, $21 for a tin of Vintage Syrian), but considering shipping, not a bad price to pay to try new things and to support an old-school B&M (this place has history!) Haven't bought a pipe here because prices were a bit much, but some nice and interesting pieces. Check tins, you might get lucky and find something a year old, but not likely.
Knowledgable staff and plenty of recommendations. Nice place to chat about breaking news.
Lots of nice peripheral stuff as well — pipe cleaning stuff, even shaving soap.

Note, their bulk blends aren't bad (sometimes very good!) and quite nice for the price. I'll occasionally get their full english mixture, quality varies.
I'm still enjoying their winter blend 2010 (english with light brandy aromatic, I believe.)