Barnes & Noble

Smell.
When you walk in the smell of a Barnes & Noble Store is unlike anthing - not like what used to be Borders, not like when you walk into the area where you order your books through Amazon, unlike anything. You want to find the nearest floor space and just hunker down and enjoy the feel of being in a living room with your favorite book.

It is so incredibly sad to see Barnes & Noble leaving this downtown D.C. location, I always stop here when I visit and it is a haven in the middle of the city.

Being able to stop and shop the remains of what is a closing sale was a great opportunity for gifts for next year but sad just the same. I have been lucky through the years to be able to frequent this location for many reasons. CLosing the book on this location will not be easy.

First review as newly anointed Yelp Elite! How exciting to have that badge now and part of the family. Now back to business.

Had to be in DC so stopped by Barnes and Nobles at this 12th Street location to get some work done. Haven't been here in years and the store is pretty dated but still a nice location to get some books to read or work in the cafe. Unlike the B&N in Rockville that has sensors where you can't take any books into (right Mike B.?), this one is a little more welcoming. In fact, I saw a homeless man reading a few books for several hours and then leaving it on the table. Security guards roam around constantly so I feel so safe lol.

Got here early around 9:30 so the cafe was pretty empty, which means plenty of outlet plugs for me to choose from to plug up my laptop, iPad, and iphone.! Score! The outlets are like gold here and I can see people eyeing me the whole time, waiting for me to leave so they could take my spot. I was afraid to go to the bathroom to leave my stuff cuz I might lose my seat! By the way, the outlets seem overused so plugging in is a hassle for some spots as your plug tends to fall out cuz the holes are loose. Oh there's free wifi too!

Ordered a turkey maple sandwich/wrap which was gross, turkey was dry and wrap seemed stale. Cafe Macchiato didn't taste the same as they do in the "real Starbucks". It was actually really bad. Should have went to the real one across the street. These seem fake to me cuz you can't use your Starbucks member card. However, it's relatively nice to sit and work while enjoying the hustle and bustle of the city. Members get 10% off their purchases as well as other special promos.

The Good:
- nice cafe area to bring your laptop to work or just mingle
- free wifi
- can bring books into cafe
- members get 10% off and other promos (food and books!)
- books everywhere - just look it's in a book!

The Bad:
- lacking in outlets, get there early. Loose outlet holes
- bad Dr. Seuss collection, missing way too many of the other books
- can't get your Starbucks rewards here...I think?

The Ugly:
- bathrooms are wet, gross
- food is terrible, tastes like reheated food
- coffee is gross, go to Real Starbucks

The sales associates are somewhat knowledgeable about where they keep their stock and books. This location is quite small as a New Yorker I'm used to having two-stories for a book store. The staff is knowledgeable about the popular books such as "Chronicles of Narnia" series and Harry Potter.

I'm not going to give it five stars as they don't disappointed don't have a lot of stock available. The don't have all the "Chronicles of Narnia" series or only have "Magician's Nephew" of the seven. What good is that to have only one book of the entire series? This location sits on a strip of stores.

It's everything you would expect from a B&N in the city. It's two stories, with the cafe and kid's area up top. Travel section (my favorite!) on the ground level is pretty small, sadly.

I have found the sales associates to be really friendly and helpful, so that is a plus. But the cafe isn't really great. I know, it's a bookstore, not a cafe, so I don't know how fair it is to base my rating partly on that, but...it contributes to the vibe. The last time I went, it took forever to get my drink, and my cookie was completely forgotten. After waiting for a while and realizing I had simply been forgotten, I brought it up to the barista, who then questioned whether or not I actually ordered one until I pulled out my receipt and showed her that I had just paid for it....sheesh.

In all, a good store in a great location in the city.

This is a pretty big Barnes and Nobles and with bookstores slowly going out of business, let's hope this one can make it.

What I like about this location is that it's in a great area near other stores, such as H&M, Zara, etc, as well as E Street Cinema and a bunch of food places.

Sometimes, I'll go here to do some "work" in their cafe. They also have some interesting guest speakers. Overall, I really like this store. It can get a little crowded and the tables aren't always clean, but I don't care...I just hope it stays open...;)

A dying breed....bookstores..... so PLEASE "occasionally" buy something?

Whenever the family wants to hit the museums, guess who ends up driving them there and dropping them off? *All you nits who say, just ride Metro obviously have not encountered the infamous 20-30 minute delays when you just miss the train as the conductor gleefully shuts the door in your face AND the utter lack of A/C!!!"

After dropping off the family early on a weekend, just drive right over to this B&N and easily find parking right in front. It literally only took me about 5 minutes after dropping them off at the National Museum of Natural History.

This place is huge and roomy. A great cafe' upstairs with plenty of seating and friendly help is always at hand.

Again: please try to buy something occasionally? Do we really want this LAST book chain to go under in the future?

Greay selection of book and best of all Starbucks in there! Keeps the bookworms topped up with caffeine!
The toilet is clean too.

This is a review for the Cafe upstairs that serves Starbucks coffee, food, and desserts.
I received the absolute worst customer service that I have ever experienced. The cashier was extremely unprofessional, rude, and no help at all when asking questions about the menu. This is an independently run cafe that serves Starbucks and you'd be better off going up the street to the real Starbucks where their employees know the proper way to address and treat a customer. If you're reading this, Courtney G.-- you should consider a job where you do not interract with people in any capacity considering your lack of social skills and human courtesy in general.

***This is a standard Barnes & Noble with a decent selection for an in-the-city Barnes & Noble; there are two floors***

I am not sure what the parking situation is around here, but I imagine there are a few pay parking lots.

This Barnes and Noble is two-stories and smaller in size than your average suburban variety. But what it lacks in size and selection, it makes up for in staff service and location. The store is one block south of Metro Center and doubles as a great rain shelter.

I cannot emphasize this enough! When you find yourself in the middle of a storm emerging from the Metro, don't stand around looking soaked and miserable. Hop on over to the Barnes and Noble and catch up on your favorite reading. You'll look and feel smarter than everyone standing outside waiting for the rain to wane.

There's also a Starbucks and a small cafe area upstairs where lots of students come to study, including yours truly. Despite my general dislike for chains, I give this store my undying gratitude for letting me mooch their electricity, water, and bathrooms on a daily basis.

If you want to avoid hearing language partners practicing butchered Spanish in the cafe, there is a quiet corner in the back of the second floor with an oversized study desk.