I like to think Silver Snail and Hairy Tarantula are two sides of the same coin: the former is clearly more trendy, but don't cater as well to certain items; the latter may not be as pretty, but has plenty of selection in regards to everything.
The Silver Snail definitely is a trendy and cleaner spot. But you aren't going there for gaming. They have a great and organized selection of TPBs and back issues, as well as statues and action figures.
The staff is also very helpful, but seem to have their jobs cut out reorganized the sturdy back issue cases.
I would recommend hitting up both stores, but if you're in mixed company, hit up Silver Snail first.