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B Street Books
Category: Shopping Books, Mags, Music and Video Bookstores Bookstores [Edit]
301 S B StSan Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 343-2800
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11 am - 6 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- Yes
60 reviews for B Street Books
Review Highlights
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"Great used bookstore with a huge children's section." In 4 reviews -
"...have great selection, prices, and friendly, helpful staff." In 3 reviews -
"I love my large chain book stores but there is a special..." In 3 reviews
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60 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa B.
San Mateo, CA
12/16/2011
I'm so thrilled to have discovered this gem via Yelp! Thank you, fellow Yelpers.
I love this part of San Mateo, as it's a great walking neighborhood with shops galore. This bookstore doesn't disappoint and for what it lacks in space compared to the megachains, it makes up in selection.
There are some truly great books here at amazing prices. The science, history and music sections are top notch. I went today to trade some stuff in and while they didn't take everything, I got a fair deal, and ended up leaving with 3 books with future credit left over!
The staff is really sweet and I could have stayed longer. Highly recommended and I look forward to coming back. -
Review from Roger A.
Burlingame, CA
3/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
A nice small spot that is crammed with a ton of books!!! Plus we went when it was busy.
Service is great as the staff was friendly (gave my son stickers)
the price of books was awesome, as some are used.
the selection varies in subject.
parking can be a challenge.
Its great to see something like this do good. I like book shops and this is a great spot since they sell both new and used books. -
Review from Anthony X.
San Mateo, CA
5/19/2012
I went to this place for the first time and as soon as i entered the store i was welcomed with great hospitality! Actually, the reason i went there was to sell my used books. Most of the places i've been at only credits whatever i bring in. This place actually buy backs books. I wasn't actually expecting to get paid top dollar. The place was crowded with customers and the person explained it would be 45 minutes in order for my books to be looked at. So expect to wait at least an hour if your bringing your books because there are alot of people doing the same thing. While i was waiting for my turn i actually found a book that i was interested. The person who seeemed to be the owner took most of my stuff and i was happy to trade in with the book that I wanted and some money. After the deal, the person simply said "thank you" with a smile and i was on my way back home. I will most definetily come back here to sell again and/or trade. This is the one of the best used book store that I have ever experineced and I hope they will stay in business for a very long time!
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Review from Casey R.
San Mateo, CA
5/7/2012
The written word is a beautiful thing. Love love love this book store. Go here, read, buy books, enjoy :)
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Review from Morgan M.
Burlingame, CA
9/7/2011
They have a very warm staff that went through our books thoroughly, bought a fair number of them, and even gave us two books that we wanted to buy as part of the bargain!
Looking forward to taking more books there and having a chance to go through their great selection. Again, warm staff that was very helpful and very kind. -
Review from Jessica L.
San Mateo, CA
2/8/2012
nice place and everybody works there is so nice! I found some Chinese books there which are interesting.
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Review from Victor G.
3/30/2011
B street Books is a small corner store. it's alphabetized efficiently into subjects.
books new at $20-$30 were selling for 4.95-6.95. a decent selection in the econ and poli sci section.was evident:
finds:
-p. bernstein, "against the gods. the remarkable story of risk"(4.95)
-francis fukuyama, "the great disruption: human nature an the reconstitution of social order"(4.95)
-studs terkel :"working" (5.95)
bookmarks:
-staff very helpful.
-probably wouldn't get much monies for trade in here.
-metered parking not too painfu, pocket wiseListed in: san mateo, my favorite bookies
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Review from Jetta R.
Burlingame, CA
12/20/2010
I can't tell you what I got at B Street Books because then it would spoil someone's Christmas gift, but they totally had it, at a more reasonable price than at bookstores that "specialize" in this particular item that is definitely not "1001 Crafts For Elephant Tusks and Other Illegally Obtained Animal Body Parts".
BSB has the aesthetic of a book store that was raised to be a library, shrugged it off in college to play in drum circles, and got serious again after graduation. It's organized and neatly labeled where it counts but still leaves its other shit strewn about everywhere so you know they haven't sold out. Their children's section actually looks like it was meant for children to browse it, all the more reason I shouldn't have been in it but I'M SO CLOSE TO FINISHING THE NANCY DREW SERIES I CAN TASTE IT.
The teenager at the counter was a little awkward with me when I tried to pay for my purchase and kept staring as if he was trying to figure something about me and freaked out a bit when he heard me speak but whatever. It's San Mateo. They probably don't get many ASU fans out here. -
Review from Jillian R.
Fremont, CA
5/8/2011
This place was heaven to me. It's a quaint, little book shop that offers "like-new to brand new" quality books for really affordable prices. They had great selection as well. I also like their set-up, albeit a bit small. I didn't really mind though because it just felt cozy and homey to me for some reason. Service was great as well. No snotty people here!
If this was closer to me, I would probably drop by every week if I could! -
Review from Francisco C.
Pacifica, CA
2/18/2011
Was great, was in there for 10 minutes and everything was so cheap and great new titles!
within 10 minutes I found the book I have wanted for a month for half the price and basically new condition. love this place will come here more often -
Review from tammy l.
Burlingame, CA
4/5/2011
San Mateo needs more use bookstores! I've found quite a few titles to my liking at a pretty reasonable price.
There's a spot in the back corner to sit and read for a bit by the music section.
I haven't tried selling books here yet, but might do so in the future. -
Review from Sara P.
San Francisco, CA
2/8/2011
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE
The staff is awesome, I chatted with the lady about Barbara Kingsolver for quite awhile, she had never read her books so I recommended my favorite and she recommended her favorite by another author. The atmosphere is perfect for taking your time to browse while sipping a cranberry kombucha and snacking on granola. Best of all, its cheap! $10 for 2 paperbacks. Can't beat that. If I ever want to part with any of my books, I'll write another review for selling but for now, I'll just buy :) -
Review from Andrew C.
San Mateo, CA
6/7/2011
B Street Books (at the corner of 3rd and B in San Mateo) is the best book shop in the heart of the S.F. Peninsula, hands down. From San Francisco to Redwood City, you'll not find a better selection of affordably priced second-hand books! The success of a used book store is a multi-faceted thing, which many outside of the business don't understand. Books are not ordered from corporate suppliers, they are acquired from from private collections, estates, and the customers themselves. A lot of books that people are looking to get rid of are books that they don't want anymore -- which aren't always the best books to fill the shelves of a used bookstore. B Street Books on the other hand has a huge selection of books that ARE worth having on your shelf: which is a credit to their selection process and knowledge of what people want.
Knowing what to put on a shelf or accept into your stock at a used book shop isn't always easy. These guys do it like the pros that they are -- masers of their trade. From mystery to sci-fi, religion and spirituality to theater and music, these guys have it all. Their children's and young adult's sections are always stocked and the sections are organized, tended with care. The atmosphere in the shop, as well, is of note: comfortable, relaxing, welcoming. It's a great place to be on a lunch break or an afternoon around town. (It is especially complimented by a nice cup of coffee from just down the block, at Bean Street Coffee, at the corner of 4th and B.)
In the last two years or so of shopping here as a regular customer, I don't think I've ever needed to ask for help finding where something might be... because it's just that well organized. I have asked after a number of specific topics to see if they'd had anything come through recently, and the owners and clerks are always eager to help. (And they *do* help, gladly, which is another testament to their ability and charm.)
B Street Books is hands down a five-star find as far as used book stores go. And to top it all, they're in the best location imaginable: minutes from everything on foot in downtown San Mateo, across from the movie theater and some of the best dining in town, you just can't beat their placement. Whether you're a local just walking down to check them out or coming in from abroad (they're just a few blocks from CalTrain!) this gem of a shop is worth the visit. If you don't find something you want to read, you're just not looking. -
Review from Louise J.
San Mateo, CA
6/4/2011
We live in San Mateo and are often downtown, so we can stop by B Street Books frequently - and we do. They have great selection, prices, and friendly, helpful staff.
We also just bought a Philip K. Dick book! The owner mentioned that they don't necessarily always have his books, so if you have an old copy gathering dust at home, take it in! -
Review from jackie n.
San Mateo, CA
11/9/2010
All the staff here is very helpfuil in finding your selection or sending you in the right direction... you can find everything from landscaping books, cookbooks, natural studies (looking for a butterfly picture book for an art project), travel, seld-help and tons of fiction. Also love their children's book selection, saves me at least 66% then going to the box book stores and very important when I am sending 10-15 books at a time :)
Thank you to the store owners for filling this niche in San Mateo!! -
Review from Steve N.
Pacifica, CA
3/6/2010
One thing that I can't resist is a book store and especially a used book store. It may be an old book to someone else but if I haven't read it yet it's new to me.
I happened to be in the area and when I saw the combination of book store/parking spot I inevitably pulled in.
I found a nice little used book store which in all honesty I was surprised to find because I thought that rent prices for a store on B Street would be prohibitive for that type of business.
I found a nice, well kept place that had a really good local history section that was worth going back to in the future.
The one book I did buy was Patrick O'Briens "Post Captain". I had read "Master and Commander" which was the first of the series a few years ago and I always have to read these kind of things in order.
It was nice to find another used book store where I could satisfy my appetite for new reading material without breaking the bank. -
Review from Elizabeth A.
San Mateo, CA
12/1/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I love my large chain book stores but there is a special place in my heart for the local neighborhood gently read book store. I past haunts have closed. I was so happy to discover B Street Books. One man's discarded book may be one man's treasure of a book. I have found some incredible finds there. I have also kicked myself for passing up an exceptional book and discovering that someone else was lucky enough to pick it up.
B Street Books is a cozy book nook in the heart of San Mateo. How lucky are we book worms?Listed in: Book Stores
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Review from Kevin S.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2010 3 Check-ins Here
It's nice to see an independent bookstore expanding and growing rather than struggling and closing! B Street Books is still new to the hood and has already moved to comfy and bright new digs at the corner of B and 3rd, kitty corner across from Peet's and just three quarters of a block from Bean Street Coffee.
Their new space allows them to offer up a much more accessible array of well-selected used books and some seating for those dipping into a potential purchase. The people here are very nice too which makes it all the more pleasurable to suppor them.
Browse, buy, and head to the coffee joint of your choice to read in caffeinated comfort. -
Review from Em S.
San Francisco, CA
8/8/2009
Finally! A used bookstore in downtown San Mateo!
My husband and I came across it by accident when it had already been open for a month. It's perfect: very relaxed, a bit disorganized, with variously placed piles of books waiting to be sorted, a friendly staff and owner, and they'll (of course) have a look at your used books if you don't want them anymore. -
Review from christine r.
Peninsula, CA
6/26/2010
I called today and checked to see if someone would be buying books. Yes, I was told.
I took about 9 books down there and a gentleman, I think it was the owner, bought all but one! he was very polite. The bookstore is bright and airy and looked to have a great variety of books available, especially art and cookbooks. I opted to receive cash for the sale instead of credit and all I had to do was sign a piece of paper. easy!
overall a pleasant experience. I will someday go to shop there if I am looking for a book AND want to support a local business. -
Review from Alea G.
9/14/2010
I am such a sucker for used bookstores. They've got a magnetic effect on me and it's generally hard for me to avoid one when I see one. Which is what brought me to this store.
The prices here are amazing, especially for the condition that some of these books come in. For the size of the store, they manage to fit in a lot of books and have a pretty decent selection. They don't have everything that I'm looking for, but not many places do.
The graphic novel selection was kind of lacking. There really weren't many good options. However, through some strange trick of fate, I did find the exact one I was looking for. I'm not even sure why or how it happened, but yay!
All in all, a great place to browse for some books. Great prices and a pretty decent selection. -
Review from Monera M.
6/24/2009
I AM SOOOO HAPPY THAT THERE IS A USED BOOK STORE NEAR ME!!!!
Okay sorry for the caps Yelper's but I am sick of schlepping my butt to Mountain View and Berkley for my used books fix. Really used books smell better, cost less, and have a karmic history of wonderfulness.
They have a growing selection of books and are owned by the same people as Feldmans. I am hoping this will keep them in business, though I hope the recession means that used bookstores will thrive. Cross fingers and BUY BOOKS PEOPLE.
The staff is nice and the store is in the normal second hand chaos which is comforting.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE HELP KEEP THIS STORE ALIVE BY BUYING BOOKS, BRINGING YOUR USED BOOKS, AND SPREADING THE WORD. -
Review from Maureen D.
Sausalito, CA
10/23/2009
In need of a good read, but don't want to pay crazy prices? B Street Books is what you need!
It's soooooooo wonderful to have a used bookstore in downtown San Mateo! The prices are inexpensive and the majority of the used books are in excellent condition!
I appreciated the friendliness of the staff. Since this is a locally owned business, the staff really help your needs if you are looking for a classic book or want to be exposed to something new.
In the store the categories/genres of the books are clearly marked. Also, what is wonderful is that they created a special children's section for younger kids to relax while their parents are searching for a new read.
I needed an Isabel Allende book to read for my MBA course and I found it: Original price $25, B Street price $4.25. AMAZING.
Finally, this place is great if you are on the hunt for vintage or antique books for your collection AND they have a book buying program too!
So if you need a book to quench your literary thirst OR you need some money in a pinch (sell books) then come to B Street Books today!Listed in: Promises of the Peninsula
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Review from Maggie M.
Diamond Bar, CA
9/9/2009
After a large meal, a walk was much needed before hitting up desserts. B Street Books was an answer to that need.
Although it appears rather small, its selection of used books are top notch. Books are organized by sections and alphabetically, so in that respect it was quite well set up.
Best Part: PRICES ARE AWESOME!!! which really only was a plus for the store since I couldn't stop fighting the urge to buy everything in sight.
Improvements: a computer. or some form of inventory.
Owner: Sweet man who was helpful and friendly
Best Purchase of the night: A British-made leather-bound version of Jane Eyre (YAY) -
Review from Celeste B.
Oakland, CA
6/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great used bookstore with a huge children's section. Helpful staff. Dusty, be careful if you have allergies.
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Review from leigh e.
San Jose, CA
7/29/2009
I ended up in San Mateo yesterday for dinner. I wasn't quite hungry yet so I suggested to my friend that we go to a book store. He searched on his phone and found B Street Books which was only a block away.
When we first walked in I wasn't too sure. It seemed a bit chaotic but it was filled with the smell of books so of course I was drawn in. Once I actually took a look at the shelves, I was happy to find that the books were organized. While the selection is small, there was quite a bit to see and I left with several books.
As convenient as shops like Borders can be, there is something about used book stores... exploring books that once belonged to someone else, finding old titles to add to my collection at a price that is a fraction of what the bigger NEW book stores would charge me. It's not for everyone but it's most definitely for me.
I don't remember the names of the two people I spoke with but I assume they are the owners. They were very nice and truly enthusiastic about the shop (which is new). They were interactive with the other people that were in the store although I did see some of the briskness that the two one star reviewers mentioned, that's not something that would put me off since I tend to be a little rough around the edges and well, like I said before, they're honestly enthusiastic about what they're doing and the shop has a great "mmm books" feel to it.
I wish B Street Books luck as the shop matures. I don't live in the area so I won't get to visit as often as I'd like. :] -
Review from angelina m.
South San Francisco, CA
5/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came in looking for anything by Julia Child. I started in the cooking section and was surprised that nothing was organized. I looked around for a minute and asked the lady at the desk and she said whatever is out is what they have b/c they don't have any inventory......OK. The books were cheap but no organization and no inventory is ridiculous. I will not be returning.
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Review from ali r.
San Mateo, CA
4/11/2010
The only reason I don't give B Sreet 1 star is because you can find some amazing, cheap used books, and they put the politics section adjacent to the mythology section. love that
But i gathered about 8 of my old books in best condition and took them down to sell. The man at the counted told me to leave my email address and phone number on bookmarks inside the books and come back, because the buyer only comes in once a week.
I waited for a long time with absolutely no contact, and finally went into the shop to ask what went wrong. The man recognized me and told me that they had LOST my books.
8 books, all with my contact information inside, just managed to disappear.
The man could tell I was upset, so he offered me credit for ONE book. I was almost insulted -
Review from Athena S.
4/25/2011
small place, large selection
good quality used and some new books
super nice staff -
Review from Dennis M.
San Mateo, CA
2/10/2010
"The Wild Braid" by Stanley Kunitz and "Lamb" by Christopher Moore--$4.99 each.
I'm sold. -
Review from Colin M.
San Mateo, CA
6/21/2009
My friend and I were pleased yesterday to discover this new bookstore on B Street. It has somewhat bare but clearly filling shelves with a large fiction section. I walked out with three books - Don Quixote in a nice contemporary translation and two by Kierkegaard - all for just $14.
The selection is small but growing, the prices are right, and the staff person helping us was very nice. I would stop in, sell some books, and pick some up for a great price.
Enjoy! -
Review from Marcia E.
San Mateo, CA
3/25/2010
I was so excited about this store when it first opened. It since has changed locations, and in doing so gave up a lot of space, it seems. I've been in there a couple of times to try to sell books, most recently today. The first time I tried to sell books, they wouldn't take them because they were out-of-date tech books. Okay, I get it. Whatever. Today, I went in to sell three novels -- they were good, new novels in hard back, by popular writers, but I'm short on space and probably wouldn't read them again. The lady working said that they don't buy books on Tuesday/Thursday. Ridiculous. Don't advertise that you buy books if you don't do it all the time. She was pretty rude about it, too, saying that they're really overwhelmed with books right now and that they don't really need to buy anything else.
The hours for this store are also horrible. Unless you're a stay-at-home mom or only shop on the weekends, you'd never get a change to go in there. I'm not impressed, and I left thinking that they've lost a great customer. I won't be back! -
Review from Leo T.
Belmont, CA
3/29/2011
This is a great used bookstore. It's fun just to stop inside and read for a little bit while taking a break from shopping in downtown San Mateo.
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Review from Ava D.
South San Francisco, CA
4/2/2011
Great prices & awesome staff but an EXTREMELY limited inventory. I know it's a small store but I still think they could do a lot better. Of course... my basis for comparison is the now-closed Avenue Victor Hugo on Newbury Street in Boston so my standards are (a bit) unreasonably high.
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Review from Amy C.
12/8/2010
Great little bookstore, with gently used books and terrific prices. Most used bookstores are rather expensive for used stuff; they're very reasonable here. The workers are super nice as well.
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Review from Amy J.
1/12/2010 1 Check-in Here
This used book store is awesome! My BF and I like to stop in here and browse to see if there's anything new or interesting to read. We've found lots of good deals here. Some of the books are in like new condition too. He picked up a software book (programmer/engineer alert) and he got me some Japanese books so that I can learn the basics of the language. All of the books are priced inside the cover of the books, usually about 65% off the list price. The staff are friendly and the new location is even more convenient. Support this little independent store if you get a chance. You're being green by buying used too.
Listed in: 5 Stars
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Review from Aurora K.
San Mateo, CA
2/12/2010
I'm very appreciative of this book store! Downtown has been needing a good used book store for a while so this was a godsend. The prices are reasonable and the people who work here are very friendly.
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Review from Kristen L.
San Mateo, CA
7/27/2009
It has that yummy used book smell. The selections not huge yet because it hasn't been opened that long, but what they have is at a great price, the staff are friendly and they have some really good books so far. But the used book smell is still my favorite.
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Review from Hema K.
8/30/2010 12 Check-ins Here
Love this book store at the corner of 3rd and B St. Came there to browse and found couple of books that are in good condition and less priced! I would suggest this place for those who are looking to buy books to donate to orgs =)
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Review from Nicole S.
12/30/2009
I have sold a lot of books here, but haven't done a lot of shopping. It seems that I can never find that perfect book. Although I may be a little spoiled by the simplicity of Amazon and their wonderful recommendations. B Street recently moved a couple doors down and their new location is much nicer, it has a 'new' clean feel. I would definitely recommend selling your books here and if you like classics or hard to find books definitely come here. If you're like me and you get your reading list from Cosmopolitan Magazine's recommendations I would stick to Borders.
