B Street Books remains an absolute gem. While I certainly miss having them right in downtown San Mateo, their new Burlingame location is well worth the trip. They have a fantastic, curated selection where you can truly get lost in the stacks. I rarely leave without finding one or two obscure titles that feel like once-in-a-lifetime finds. What I appreciate most is the atmosphere: the owner and staff are incredibly knowledgeable if you have a question, but they truly respect the "browser's right" to wander in peace. No hard sell, no hovering--just a quiet, welcoming space to discover your next favorite book. It's the kind of local shop that makes a community better. read more

Good new location. Great prices, lots of books for everyone, and really helpful staff. read more

B Street Books - The front of the store from the street - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

Independent bookstore with a large selection of collectible books and other books in every subject. Small and simple bookshop with some great deals on used books. read more

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Very kind gentleman at the front super helpful. Fun selection of kids books and comic books.

Bookstores are rare nowadays. Even more, to find one open most days of the week with such a large collection. They have books ranging from the popular to the unique and the rare. I adore this location to just browse around until I find something unique or to reminisce. My brother did find an audio book as well while browsing around. I believe this location also accepts trade-in for credit (if I remember correctly). Support local bookstores! read more

B Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Classic old school style bookstore in downtown San Mateo!! Very small, books everywhere, and comfortable chairs to sit and read. Went here when Covid was still going on, they have you sanitize your hands when you enter. And for a place that sells mainly used books, it's very clean and organized. Glad bookstores like this are still around!!! read more

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This is a PSA to support local bookstores! I don't normally review bookstores, but B Street Books is hands down my favorite. They've been in business for over 10 years now, and I am relieved that they stayed afloat despite the huge hit COVID had on small businesses. I've been pleasantly surprised by the rare books I stumble upon here. I first picked up a book here by the American poet Ogden Nash back in 2018, and have spent the last few years scouring countless used bookstores in hopes of finding another anthology. Whaddaya know, I recently found another Nash anthology at B Street Books... talk about coming full circle :') Staff is friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. All collections are well curated, neatly organized, and easy to navigate. Book prices are incredibly fair, considering how much some rare books are worth nowadays. B Street is a must-visit the next time you're strolling around downtown! read more

B Street Books - Outside view - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

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I love bookstores, and I've been sad to see fewer of them over the past few years. This is a wonderful used bookstore in downtown San Mateo, with shelves full of interesting books on all topics, including "INTERESTING MISCELLANY" - how can anyone resist? We've picked up a lot of good books for the kids here, including the exact same amazing optical illusion book that I had as a kid. There's a comfy reading chair near the kids section if you want to curl up with your kid for a quick story session. The shelves go on for quite a while, so you can spend a lot of time here. Unfortunately it closes at 7pm most weeknights so we're not able to make it on date nights, but it opens later on Friday and Saturday evening. They buy books only at certain hours, so if you're trying to unload some of your books, make sure to check that you're coming at the right time. Unsurprisingly, the (purchase) prices are really good, and it feels good to support a local bookstore. read more

B Street Books - "INTERESTING MISCELLANY" - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

I have only visited once so far, but this bookstore is great! I recommend that all book lovers on the peninsula check out this store. B Street Books sells used books which is amazing for readers like me who prefer to buy unique books. I'm usually on the lookout for special editions or visually appealing additions of books which is something that B Street Books has plenty of. They even carry rare items specifically for collectors. Or, if you are looking to support individuals instead Prices seemed more or less reasonable all things considered. There is a lot of value here, especially for children's books. If you have a kid who is into reading (or if you want them to be into reading) this is a great place for you. The staff was kind and helpful. While I did not get to speak to them very much, you can tell that they put a lot of love into this store. read more

The service was nice, but the resell value is garbage! They chose a few books, all were brand new and 1 I think I opened once. They offered me $7 cash or $11 store credit. It's not even worth the effort of parking, paying for parking if you get it, and hauling your box of books into the store and waiting. It was the biggest waste of my time. I declined and am now going to either donate them to the library or leave them on the curb for people who will actually appreciate them. read more

A beautiful book store with a great selection. It has a homey feel, most especially with the cute book store doggie! My friend loves going here for the books & I love going here to see the dog so it works out (hehe)! They have a good selection of used and new books for a solid price. From children's, to young adult, to many other genres of books... they have a great variety. The woman who runs the store is incredibly friendly which adds to the homey feel. There's a couch for people to lay on as well as a cute rocking horse the kids can ride. I appreciate small little gems like this one. read more

B Street Books - Nana, the cutest little book store pupper! - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

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Super awesome bookstore! I was walking around downtown San Mateo and saw B Street Books, and I'm so glad that I stopped by. I feel like you don't really see bookstores like this anymore nowadays, so it was super cool to see all the shelves filled up with tons of books. There are signs up to let you know the genre of books, but otherwise it's just awesome walking around and getting lost in the books. The books are all reasonably priced as well. They have so many collector's editions of books, and it was truly awesome to see them up for display. There's also a really good variety of books, from old classics to contemporary novels to cookbooks and more. I would absolutely come back here to peruse some more. I parked in one of the downtown garages and walked to here! read more

So far best place for me to find pre-owned books and sometimes hard to find one. Most of the books are in very good condition and price is reasonable. Worker is also very friendly and helpful. read more

Great local bookstore and we always come here first before going to a bigger chain bookstore or ordering online.

Fantastic, cute, quaint, little bookstore! Exactly what you're looking for if you wanna browse used books and stumble upon some fun, unique, and famous titles. This is the first bookstore that I've found that has older and newer titles, and everything from paperback cheap books, to signed hardback copies. Next time I'm in San Fran, I'll definitely be stopping by! The staff is very nice and waves you in if there's enough room, they just ask that you sanitize your hands. I never felt rushed and it was nice honestly they they didn't ask me 100 questions or bother me while I was browsing. read more

I'm really happy this book store is here and able to stay open. The owner and staff are great and super helpful. They have a great selection of books and in a perfect location. read more

I love this store. Lots of ever-changing inventory of used books all the time. If you are looking for beautiful books by Easton press, the folio society or franklin library they have them. read more

A downtown bookstore, right on the corner of B Street and Third. How convenient is that! Also, I knew it had to be good because my 7-year old grandson wanted to go there. Books, books, and more books. Every genre you can ask for, more books than you can ever read in one lifetime. Every available space in the store is crammed with books, but fear not, there are nooks and crannies where chairs and various seating have been shoved into fit for the person who wants to just sit and read or look at all the books the grandchildren have found and "must have." There is even a store dog, Nana, who allows children and adults to pet her and would probably even be happy if small children would read to her. It's downtown San Mateo so be aware you will pay for precious parking. read more

This is one of my favorite book stores. It's in a prime location. I've also sold back books here, and they're pretty quick with it. I absolutely love used book stores and this one is one of my top 5. Downtown San Mateo is so happening that whenever I'm down there, I have to stop in B Street Books, if it's open. I often times look for children's books for work or my nieces or nephews, or of course, just anything that captures my eye for myself. The store owner is kind. The book selection is wonderful. The prices are great. The location is perfect. You can get boba or Philz and walk around searching for the perfect book(s)! read more

What a lovely, quaint, independent bookstore. A lovely place to browse after dinner and to pick up a new read. They also have a nice rare book case.... Amazon is squashing charming places like this so, maybe stop in here and buy yourself a new or gently used book? read more

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Schedule an appointment to bring your books in (it will be 2-3 weeks from when you call so you do have to plan). Finishes in 15-30 minutes. You can get cash back or for 50% more, you can get store credit. ($10 cash or $15 store credit, for example). Books taken - usually need to be in almost new condition, with some conditions if the book is a good seller read more

This is a very nice bookstore. I did bring in books to trade in. I didn't get much, but I wasn't expecting much. I did a little research and even with online book buyers, they give you very little, unless you want to sell yourself, which i had no interest in. I would rather give back to a local business. They had a very good selection of used books and I had fun searching the isles. I definitely will be going back every once in a while to see what they have. . read more

Nice little bookstore in the heart of San Mateo. I was in line for 10 minutes with books to sell. Although 10 minutes is long, I appreciated the man at the register taking the time to talk to customers about the books they were buying. This is what a book store should be like -- people talking about books and workers engaged and excited about literature. Street parking is hard to find but I got lucky and got one of the spots right in front of the store!! Would love to go back and spend more time here. read more

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Went here today for the first time. Beautiful book store, tons of books to select from and the woman there who I assume is the owner; greeted me warmly and was very helpful. Got two books for a great price. Thank you! I found my new book spot. I'll be here again :) read more

B Street Books - Two great books I found at B Street Books - Bookstores Near Me - Burlingame, California

my 2nd time to visit to sell more of my oracle cards and i asked for that woman gina thought she was very kind and professional- this time around just the because her boss was in the store acted soo strange as if she never met me!!! shes a joke! for all my cards all brand new inly charging me for $3-$8 they are worth more! so bad service that woman gina is the worst sale person! her attitude is questionable she for sure not a grrat biz person! attitude sucky and boss is super cheap!! read more

Absolute gem of a bookstore. It's not a Barnes and Noble, so don't expect an exorbitant amount of space and tidiness. If anything, this is precisely where the magic of this bookstore lies. I give this a 5 stars because of the friendly service and the clear love for books that goes into the store. read more

I love looking at bookstores. This was a decent sized bookstore with surprisingly alot of seating inside! I didn't spend a lot of time here but I really liked browsing through the books. Books were very fairly priced too! Next time I'm in town and want a new book, definetely will be making a stop here! read more

This is a cute little downtown bookstore that's like Hermoine's bag, much bigger on the inside! I always love the jute box classics they're playing and I enjoy looking around, but the prices keep me from buying most of the time, even though a few titles have caught my eye. The service is mostly a three - largely ignored until you come to the front. Which in a bookstore I don't per se mind, but was definitely noticed the last time I came in when there were some curt responses to another customer's questions. I still really enjoy physical books so this is a regular stop for the honey and I when we're wandering around the area, mostly for their biography, since it still makes me grimace when stores mix sci-fi and fantasy! read more

I have never ever been in a bookstore with used books that was so lovingly clean and organized, No musty mayhem. This is bookstore is both curated and accessible. A destination book experience. read more

This is a great bookstore. A large selection of used books. They also specialize in hard to find/rare books. The owner Lew is amazing and very knowledgeable on his inventory. If you need a book and your in San Mateo, go there! read more

This place is the best. They have everything, the service is very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend this business and Renee is awesome read more

I always make it a point to check out used bookstores wherever I travel and B Street's up there in my favorites! It looks small on the outside and when you first enter, but there's a hidden section in the back. There's also something for everyone across all genres, even ones as niche as manga. Prices are exceptionally fair for the physical quality and diversity of books! I'm not much for buying a lot of books, but B Street makes it hard not to. read more

It is nice to have some where to bring your unwanted books. I have never bought anything here, only brought books to sell. He now has specific hours that you can drop your books off, the bummer is that he doesn't look through them on the spot, you have to come back several hours later to see what he wants to buy and what he doesn't. This also sord of sucks when you have several heavy bags, because parking in downtown is not easy, so you have to haul them to the store, then come back and try to find parking again to pick up the ones he doesn't want. I would say on average, I have gotten 5% of the purchase price for my books, ie a book that cost $12, I got about .50 cents. For me, it wasn't really about the buy back money, we were just trying to find these books a good home for those who still read off paper. read more

This is such an adorable bookstore! I love how quaint it is. I stumbled upon this store during COVID. All staff were wearing a mask and sanitizing areas customers had been. I absolutely love coming across cute bookstores. This one may be one of my favorites. It's the perfect size with just the right amount of option to where is does not overwhelm you. If you love books you should stop by. read more

Classic and old school style bookstore! The owner, Lou is extremely friendly and kind too! Although I was selling my books there, he ended up giving me a book in return for free! read more

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 wise read more

Huge selection of used books and most of em were gently used. Shall I assume that many of them books were turned in by Burlingame housewives who spend just about everyday of the year sitting around doin nothing? Ha! That would mean they left Starbuck's, ditched their "friends" and stopped the shopping spree long enough to read a book!!! Idk why they are in such great shape, but the books I handled during my search for book #1 of the Jack Reacher collection were in smashingly good shape. I'd definitely stop in again, but this time around I made it out the door without spending a dime. read more

I have been to this bookstore few times and always loved it until today. I went with my son to pick up few books for him and spent about $60. While checking out, I asked if I could have few bookmarks. With the staff's permission, I took few (probably 5 or 6). Without a word, the staff took those bookmarks back, counted two, gave them to me and the took the rest back! Seriously?! We just bought a bunch of books and he couldn't spare few bookmarks?! It's sad because both my son and I really liked the store but I don't think we will go back again. I hope the owner will read this review and learn that customer service is the key to a successful business... :-( read more

This bookstore is magical. They have great prices, nice selection, organized and always have the hard-to-find book I've looked everywhere for. read more

A diamond in the rough. With many bookstores disappearing, it's a relief to know that this charming bookstore is around and open 7 days a week and late into the evening. A favorite for me and friends to stop by and browse their extensive collection before or after dinner in the area. The owner, Lou, is great to chat with. Hoping he survives through this difficult time. Please support him and other local bookstores! read more