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Categories: Newspapers & Magazines, Coffee & Tea, Bookstores [Edit]
933 Lincoln Rd
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Even better in its new location, Books & Books offers something for everyone in a relaxed setting. Wonderful variety with helpful staff.
From cheap paperback mysteries for the beach to fancy art books for the coffee table, you are sure to find it at this gem.
The cafe right on Lincoln Road is dependable and reasonable.
You can buy books here, which makes it the only establishment in South Beach for which this is true. If you can find it, that is, tucked in behind Design Within Reach and dwarfed by its own cafe/restaurant.
And, if you can ignore the giant room of picture books, the room of travel books, etc., there is a room with a plausible fiction section-- maybe 1000 or 2000 books, maybe a few more. If you're desperate, you really could do a lot worse.
I'm more of a regular at the Coral Gables location, but I just burrowed my way into the relatively new incarnation of Books and Books at the Beach. "Burrow" is sadly too accurate- you pretty much have to follow elaborate clues and arrows from the street cafe to figure out B&B exists at all, it's like an Indiana Jones mystery. That's Miami, though- there's literacy here, it's just hidden very very well. The store, btw, is beautiful- almost forbiddingly so. Many of he books are arranged museum style and I could almost hear my Mom shouting at me: "Look but don't touch!" The way the books are organized in their gallery-like cubbyholes is, well, either "sort of confusing" or "exploration-friendly", you decide how optimistic to be about it. The store is aesthetically pleasing, but in the way a trendy boutique should not be. This isn't the inviting bookstore I know.
And "inviting" is where my review went down stars. I've been going to te Gables Books and Books for years, and (I say this with all the love that keeps me coming back)- the staff is not exactly known for their great customer service. But that's fine, I can take a little curtness from a hipsterish girl who's busy thinking about what to wear to Poplife later. But at the Beach Books and Books? I stopped by with a friend and she pretty much got barked at after asking a simple friendly question about their schedule. ("What? Why should we tell you when we close? Are you retarded? It's probably on the door out there somewhere! If you care so much, Google us! GOSH, IDIOT!" - ok, I exaggerate a bit, but it kind of felt like the person needed a little more practice on not ripping the face off customers.)
Up the approachability, B&B. You're selling books, not Gucci bags.
Great books nice staff great food Can bring your dogs.
I'm here often and a proud member of their book club :) I never had an issue with their selection. Except for once, they had every book I wanted to buy and the one time they did not, they brought it over from their other store and a couple days later I picked it up. Which is a non-issue since I live on the beach.
One day last month I walked in and was surrounded by jeans and had to do a double-take. When I went back outside I noticed that their old spot is now Diesel jeans ugh. They moved and I just don't know how I feel about their new location in the back, hidden next to Design within Reach. I liked that they had a storefront before where you could sit and read. The new store is really nice and airy. Seems more modern and they can definitely expand their selection with all the additional room they have now. I'm just worried that they may not get the same foot traffic all they way in the back since you can't see it.
Set back a bit from Lincoln Road (you enter by passing the cafe and outdoor magazine stands), the shop is quite cozy. Individual nooks hold various genres of books. In the center of the store had a table of some of the latest fiction titles.
I was attracted to the nook with the giant coffee table books. These are the sort that come with their own boxes as they are so large.
For a book lover, this is definitely a good place to stop but they probably don't have the latest or largest collection of recently published books.
I honestly think the new Books & Books digs is a big improvement over the old space where Diesel now stands even though you can't really see the entrance for this bookstore from Lincoln Road's main thoroughfare.
It's more modern spacious, organized, and there's actually much more seating areas inside in the small rooms and outside as well (and I'm not talking about the Cafe @ Books & Books). There's even a magazine rack outside for people wanting to lounge and read them, similar to the concept that is popular at the beloved Coral Gables location.
Now if they could also add the wine bar, maybe a kids room, and more events such as live music or movie nights as the Gables location, then I'd DEFINITELY be sold!
This is an improved addition to the seemingly book-less Miami Beach.
Great place and great value for Lincoln Road. In my (albeit limited, being a Bostonian) experience on Lincoln Rd, this is one of the only normal restaurants. The menu is HUGE and they also have great vegetarian and vegan options. The service is fine, nothing notable in particular.
Try the Chicken CLT- like a BLT, but chicken, chorizo, watercress, and tomato. Yum.
I love Books & Books! And the outdoor cafe is great! There's a fish sandwich there that's delish. Ok, this is a store review. The coffee table books have a good selection. And I usually buy my friends' gifts from here to support.
I'm reviewing this place based solely on the the Cafe, since the Books aspect of it is no longer existence. For the past 3 years I have been working in SoBe and there is no greater place to take a leisurely lunch than Books and Books Cafe on Lincoln Road. Not only is the food excellent, but the people watching is just a great. Good food + great ambiance = sold. Their lunch menu is fairly diverse and they typically have their own take on traditional dishes, such as a burger served on focaccia, trust me it works beautifully. One of their staples is their mixed greens salad with house dressing, which comes as a side dish to many of their dishes. I highly suggest you take a long lunch one of these Fridays and make the trek to Book and Books for a nice leisurely lunch.
This is not a complete bookstore by any means.... but it's a great little shop. They have lots of books I've never seen before, lots of interesting stuff I just wanted to sit and page through.
I've always loved independent bookstores, especially those with a cafe as well. This place does it well - great vibe, interesting selection, friendly staff. Haven't tried the food or coffee.
The best lunch on Lincoln Rd. I always hit up this place when my best friend (vegetarian) comes to visit. And I love that the actual bookstore expanded into new digs. Favorite menu items: goat cheese and pear salad, yuca fries, avocado and cheddar sandwich.
I'm giving this four stars, but I'm really in the 3.5 range. I haven't eaten at Books & Books, but inevitably swing by every trip to grab a new book or magazine. Their selection is small, yet strong, and they have a wide variety of magazines and cool postcards/greeting cards. It's a very cozy setup and I hope to try their cafe soon as everything always looks so yummy.
For some reason I don't mind paying full-price here for books-maybe b/c their independent feel. Books & Books is a great asset to Lincoln. Yay Books!
While not trying to hate on one of the more positive Miami institutions... the above average ratings for B&Bs has got to stop. As a book store this place is a joke. Why? Well, the selection is terrible. They have trouble keeping the magazines even sort of current. It's always crowded (which would be fine if the had that many interested book buyers), but no, its because they are often times more of a cafe than a bookstore. I do pop in to look at the 2 or 3 decent stands of new books (most of which are predictable), but other than that does anyone ever buy stuff there? Or do they go home and Amazon it?
IT's cool - buy a book - and have one of the best sandwiches on Lincoln road, with a never-ending catwalk show-- well it is right outside a modeling agency.
Let me first say I love mom-and-pop shops. I'm all about supporting your local this that and the other, BUT I can count on my fingers and toes the number of times I've been there and asked for a book and they didn't have it. Today, however, put the icing on the cake for me. I asked for a book, one person spent a few minutes looking for it, pawned me off on someone else, who spent about 10 minutes looking for it, who then told me they have it somewhere (she knows because she's seen it) but she has no idea where it is. She offered to get it from their other store so I could pick it up tomorrow, but I don't live on the Beach and it's easier to just order it from Amazon than deal with Labor Day weekend parking nightmare on Miami Beach to get a book the day after I wanted it. No thanks. I hate to say it, but the Beach needs a real book store, a reliable one.
Books and Books has a great selection of interesting books to make you think. They have everything from the latest book bashing Obama to communist memoirs. I love that the books aren't what I've already read or heard of. The place is full of inspiration.
Within 5 minutes of walking in, I said some variation of the following at least a dozen times, "Oooh, I heard/read about this book. I've been meaning to read it." The selection seems personal in that way. The art books are gorgeous, I wish my coffee table were bigger.
I haven't taken advantage of the cafe yet, but the cupcakes look yummy (Or at the very least, adorable).
As much as I love supporting small (and I mean small) bookstores like this one over Borders and Noble, I still have a hard time buying books full price when I know I could hop on to http://half.com and spend, well, half as much.
My friends and I came here for dessert and coffee one night and had an experience that can only be described as interesting. While we were eating, a homeless lady that was hanging out a few feet away from our table pulled down her pants, bent over, and just pissed everywhere. Naturally, she did this directly in my line of sight, so i kiiiind of lost my appetite. But the staff was so nice about it; the hostess with the pink hair apologized over and over again, moved us to another table, and apologized some more, even though it clearly wasn't her fault. What was even better was that without being a bitch, she kindly led away the homeless woman, who was definitely mentally ill.
Nevertheless, I still love the feel of Books and Books... I mean, it's on Lincoln Road, but it manages not to come off as super-touristy. Inside there's a small but well-stocked book shop that I love to wander in, and outside there are a bunch of tables where you can get a cup of coffee, a glass of wine, or a meal. Our desserts were just okay (not sure how the food would be, but they have a nice menu), but the coffees were great and the place has such a nice vibe that I would definitely go back.
Ok I'm rating this low because I was so dissapointed in the selection. They are really great at having an inventory of the classics, hobby books, non- fiction, autobiographies everything except fictional bestsellers. Most bookstores at least have a section that has the NY times bestsellers somewhere on display but not this store... I get that the place is going for the whole we want you to think vibe and whatever but at least try to semi cater to the fact that there are alot of people that just want a fun simple read that they can take to the beach while they catch some rays....
Great selection, very knowledgeable staff, and the perfect people-watching-cafe on Lincoln Road. As to John H.'s characterization of South Beach, the Pam Anderson clone army didn't invade our artsy, eclectic neighborhood until the late '90s, and they didn't drive all of us out, or the Lincoln Road and Espanola Way farmers' markets would have closed long ago.
Those of us without Napoleon complexes are content to live and let live - I don't bother the bouncers at Mansion, and I get to drool over Jonathan Safran Foer at Books & Books mostly without interference from the illiter-gliterati. Funny how that works, huh?
Um, I don't think name of this joint should be "Books & Books." In fact, I vehemently believe it should be re-named "Cooks & Cooks" instead because I NEVER (we're talking NEVER) find the books on my must-read list but I certainly do find Miami's best chicken curry salad and cupcakes to fill my belly. I'm also a huge fan of their black-bean hummus dip with bagel chips. Delish! For books, I stick with Amazon and B&N...while they may not have good grub, they sure do have a helluva selection.
So if you've been to South Beach you may be surprised that there would even be a bookstore in that area (not the most scholarly place) and that it would be on this road (full of shops and outdoor eating) and that it would be a great book store, but it definitely is. It's small and the selection is somewhat limited, but they have a really nice cafe in the bookstore with seating outside and they have a huge selection of Spanish books (about half the selection). It's such a cute independent bookstore - an oasis in a sea of superficiality...
Decent book store on Lincoln Rd. Go here if you want to pick up some art/design/architecture/photo/culture coffeebooks/tomes. You won't find your latest Nora Roberts novel here. No Dean Koontz either thank god. Instead, a thoughtful selection of artsy, independent press literature for the most part. Escape from the brutal heat, enter this place, and be prepared to be thoughtfully provoked by the stuff you pick up.
This shop is the South Beach outpost of Books & Books, Miami's well-loved independent bookstore mini-chain. It goes without saying that the selection of books & magazines is comprehensive and interesting, with a selection far better than that of your average Barnes & Noble. The best part about this location, though, is its eponymous Cafe. The food is outstanding, especially the desserts. It's one of my favorite places to eat in South Beach -- the outdoor seating is truly lovely!
A great local book store and cafe with an extremely friendly and attentive staff. Although we did not find what we were looking for, one of the clerks looked up what we wanted. A great fit and find on Lincoln road and definitely a better book store than the larger chains.
Right off the bat, I have to lodge my main complaint with Books and Books and that is - they are literally open for breakfast for about an hour! They don't open till 10 or so and then at around 1130 switch to the lunch menu! Boo! If you are an early riser like we are, I would recommend taking a walk and having some coffee and a snack somewhere else, but save some space in your stomach for brunch at B&B. We always get their basic breakfast, with eggs, and sausage, and yummy crunchy bread and marmalade. Big cups of coffee a must, of course! (Also worth noting that B&B has some great magazines and books that are hard to find elsewhere in South Beach). I'll see you soon Books and Books (hopefully)!
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