Employees are so slow and lazy we left without buying a book. Tons of employees milling about. Two at the front, one very slowly helping a customer find a book and another very slowly and carefully wrapping books. Nobody clearly waiting for wrapped books. I asked if someone could ring me up and the not bright woman whose only attribute is a cool David Bowie tattoo said that the other guy was helping someone and that she could ring me up but she was wrapping books. Finally we ran out out of time and left without buying anything. Ordered book on amazon. From now on if I want to go to a bookstore, it's locally owned stores or amazon. read more

Music is played way too loud and the music selection is seizure inducing bad. Please change your playlist to more mellow music and for the love of God turn down the volume! read more

Absolutely the worse store I've been too. No customer service availability. Computers don't work, cashiers are rude. I stood in line waiting for a cashier and they all just acted like I wasn't there. No hellos, or have a good day. Just plain terrible. read more

Eh. I like the new building and wasn't one of those people who were up in arms about the new look and I like what it's done for the strip center. I like the parking garage being there, since parking is sometimes a big ole pain there. The good: the cafe has cupcakes. Red velvet from Cheesecake Factory, maybe not what you're looking for in your store but I was pleased. The cafe area is filled to the brim with the wifi stalkers of the world, which I can't make fun of since I do that in other places. The bad: the focus is on the Nook the way it's set up and I could give a poo. I have a Kindle and they're already lucky I'm in there spending way more than I would on Amazon. But I needed to get out of the house and needed some specific texts and gifts. I found a couple cute gifts (little wooden boxes with sayings on them) and I got a perfect Elf on the Shelf cookie jar over the winter break for a pal. Book wise, they aren't going to have more than your airport bookstore. I am taking the CISSP soon and am interested in any texts I can find (of which many exist)... there was only one here. The frickin Borders clearance had more than that the sixth week of clearance. Boooo If people want to know why poor big chain bookstores can't make it, this place epitomizes it. They have crap selection, focus on the wrong things and everything is overpriced. read more

I love that it has 2 levels & lots of windows. Increased seating areas. I still love books at the end of the day. All the technology will never deter me from the pleasure of turning pages, LOL. We lucked up & found a parking space close to the front, but I think there is a parking garage in the rear for this center. It is a really nice looking store & brings make memories of when me, my sister & my mom would spend hours making our selections. read more

I was in a bind for a last-minute book and decided to stop by to browse the store. For a Tuesday night, parking was easy and close as I used the free parking garage. With a convenient elevator that is right next to the back store entrance, it really doesn't matter what level you park on. In addition to books, music and games, B&N has a fairly decent supply of gift offerings (albeit expensive). From candles to journals to lotions, they really do have a pretty extensive offering. I ended up purchasing a couple of the discounted books for a birthday gift. The price on the discounted books are pretty reasonable, probably still more expensive than Amazon, but this trip for me was more about convenience. The check-out line was short. However, the person that was in front of me finished his transaction and then continued to stand at the counter and speak with the cashier about Star Wars or some other nerd stuff and the cashier didn't even acknowledge me until I forced her to face me when I walked right in front of her counter. Other than that, for a quick trip to find a last minute gift, this was a good choice. read more

Up to par with other Barnes. Nice 2 story location attached to a parking garage and plenty of Starbucks near by. Decent amount of seating and locations with outlets. Definitely can get crowded and sadly tables go fast. Overall, what you expect... read more

They don't have the Holiday tea right now but there is a really good cinnamon tea!

this barnes and noble is awesome! i could live here. The staff at the cafe was super nice and speedy

I live a pretty far distance to drive all the way to this particular Barnes & Noble. Thanks to one person in particular Carlos that provides the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER!!! I've gone to several other locations & have been very disappointed with the service. He always takes the time to help me or direct me when looking for a book, making feel like I'm always at actual library. For as long as his there, I will always drive that distance for the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE EVER! read more

Their parking is tricky because of the location, but other than that, this is a great store...plentiful selection, lovely ambiance, and good customer service. I prefer the Holcombe one but only because of parking. read more

This place is huge!!! It's very nice and has a cafe which is funny cause there is two Starbucks outside. Oh well, you can never have too much coffee! Very nice area too, there are some shops that popped up around the store worth checking too! A win-win! read more

I've been coming here ever since it's opened. I really like this place because of the cover parking and this is my study spot (or place to meet up with friends). Plus, there's the convenient of Starbucks where I can get my coffee and dessert and walk few steps and wa-la... I have a table with a outlet. Hehe... on any given day...this place doesn't get so busy where there's always places for you to study. Love it! read more

I am very pleased with this location! I love the Starbucks in store and the employees and always very friendly and helpful!!!

I love the hours at this location, it's open later than my favorite Starbucks across the street. The layout is good and it's always clean. I love their selection of games. Upstairs you will always find people sitting near the windows with a book. It's a great area because the view of River Oaks is pretty nice from those windows. There are only a few parking spots in front, but never fear, you can park at either Starbucks and they never tow anyone. Trust me, I see people do it all of the time. read more

For the past two years I've been trying to read as much as I can, both English and Spanish literature. Barnes and Noble always has the books I need and the staff has always been helpful! read more

I love books. the smell of books just makes me smile. it was a busy location but I found exactly what I needed. Staff was very helpful. The only thing that made me upset was a book I wanted was mispriced... I figured the manager would still honor the price but he didn't. overall... a great place. The area by the café was EXTREMELY crowded... good luck to those looking to find a place with wifi and relax. Its too much noise to relax and read in there. read more

I like this B&N. It's new and in a great location. This is a great place to study or get coffee from one of the 3 nearby Starbucks.

This is one of the last few remaining Barnes and Noble in Houston and it's great! It's got a Starbucks inside of it + another 2 Starbucks within a 100 yard perimeter. The store is set on two stories and is attached to a parking lot. I personally enjoy ordering my books online and picking them up at the store. This location has plenty of seating downstairs and upstairs as well as power outlet for laptops, it's very clean and organized and the staff is friendly. If you can find a seat by the big window a upstairs you can enjoy a nice view when the sun sets. What's also great is that this Barnes and Noble is walkable distance to a lot of stores and restaurants. I hope this store never closes! read more

Very friendly and answer my question very quickly.. The checkout line to purchase my book was not long, I love it ..::in and out

Meh. Staff is fine, place is clean. Selection up to par. Main draw back is seating is incredibly limited ;-/

My comfortable place to relax with book. I like to stay with book and tea.

This i sone of my favorit Barnes and Noble. I like atmosphere in this location. And clarks in this B&N are very kind. Thing are well displayed. I personally think that it is important have nice and well organized image for book store. because if it is not you can not really focus on books. When I need to get some books I try to go this location.Plus as many people said below it is in very nice area. read more

This store continues to be my all time favorite bookstore. The Starbucks inside is great too! I wish that they would take Starbucks gift cards though. read more

Went to search for a birthday gift for my girlfriend and the service was pretty awesome way over the top he walked me through a few options and went above and beyond. Even called another store and reserved a copy of the second book I was looking for. read more

I'm so disappointed that despite this is a great place to hang out and work or read books, they are so inconsiderate about music volume and type that is playing in the background. This place is intended to be a calming, quite and peaceful place not a dancing club with a loud music. This is the only reason I cannot give more than 2 stars. I hope they decide to do something about it. read more

Nice Store but they never have in stock what I'm looking for (mangas). I was a fan of borders, that was my favorite bookstore, now I only have left is B&N and they always disappont me. But I have to say that staff is really helpful. And they seldom have special prices in that kind of books I'm looking for. read more

My family and I come here two times a week and really enjoy the selection and the atmosphere. The Starbucks Cafes inside B&N is nice. I like the small stature guy with the tattoos who works during the week days. He is very helpful and nice. The people that work on the weekends are another story. Sometimes it is like being an unwelcome guest in someones house. What really gets on my nerves about this place is the people who come for the free wifi and lay claim to the chairs for HOURS. Their cords are all over the place and when they leave for 30 or 40 minutes to browse the bookstore they leave their stuff on the chair or table. It is disgusting. My daughter and I had to leave last Saturday because there was no where to sit. read more

Spent a couple of hours here and ended up spending a lot of money. Staff on the floor were eager to help. However, the cashier and manager are a different story. The cashier was rude, condesending and antagonistic. She would not stop berating me about joining their membership club, even after several instances of me saying no. It became clear that their agenda is not to sell books, but to sell their membership subscriptions. The cashier continued to escalate the situation, to the point where her coworkers and customers could tell that she was being pushy and irritating to the customer. I wanted to give up and walk out, but at that point had spent a lot of time picking out the gifts. A couple of days later, I spoke with the manager on the phone about this experience. I told him that I haven't shopped at B&N for quite some time, but after this experience don't plan to come back. He really did not seem to care or offer any understanding or consolation. His tone was rude and defensive. Really a shame. I am guessing based on the customer service reviews, this store won't last much longer. read more

Well, I was really bummed when the Bookstop on South Shepherd Drive (owned by Barnes & Noble) closed, so I decided to go check out the new digs in River Oaks shopping center. Predictably, it was really nice --stocking close to 200,000 book, music, DVD and magazine titles, along with the requisite Starbucks cafe. The place is huge -32,000 square feet spanning two floors with elevator access, the store is being touted to serve as a community center for the neighborhood. The store employs approximately 60 people from the old location which is cool. There are plenty of tables, couches, chairs as well as electrical outlets for laptops -- yeah! The second floor has a pretty nice view of West Gray to boot, but the store definitely lacks the character and ambiance of the old location- but what did I expect, right? Well, perhaps 50 years from now, I can wax nostalgic about this location when it's on being shuttered to make room for the next new store... read more

It's basically a cafe with a toy store attached.

Barnes and noble staff lack customer service. They do not know how to communicate with customers. I live in Houston and went to my closest Barnes and nobles with my toddler cause he likes to play with their Legos there and he happened to climb on the Lego table and play with the Legos and I was right next to him when a rude employee by the name of Angie comes by and starts saying in a very rude manner how he can't be on that table and we had to replace that table 5 times, I had a previous encounter with her when she came before and lectured me on how my son took one of their toys in the bathroom and now it's "contaminated" and cannot be sold. She was like you need to understand that toys are not allowed in the bathroom in a very condensing manner. If you have rules I respect them but come and say things politely...when I complained to the manager called Veronica she was worse she was like "we have rules here and she said its wrong for your son to climb a table it's unsafe for him" lecturing me again on how to be a good mother. How dare they speak to me like this when I'm a member and I buy so many toys and books from them. NEVER going there again! read more

I signed up for their b&n membership and even though I cancel it every year they keep on charging me. I have to keep a vigilant watch on my bank account because no matter how many times I tell them I dont want auto renew they still charge me. Don't bother doing business with a company who counts on making a profit because you don't realize they are charging your account. read more

The River Oaks location is the best Barnes & Noble I have been to, my closest location is Town & Country but there is no comparison. When I can I drive to west gray location it's worth it. Great Experience . read more

In this age of digital technology and Borders closings, some people feel that Barnes & Noble will soon be an outdated luxury. As a lifelong reader, though, I feel that there will always be a need for a luxury bookstore. As a teach on a shoestring budget, it's easier and cheaper for me to read books on my reader. But convenience and finances aside, nothing beats the smell of crisp new books and knowing that you're going to purchase ten to twelve hours of primo reading time. I used to be so anti-Barnes & Noble establishment, but when you put things into perspective, you probably spent $30 at a bar. That money will never be in your pocket again. But you will carry a great novel with you forever. That's what I've told myself the past few months when I've gone into Barnes to get the last young adult utopian page turners - Diverget, Insurgent, Matched, Crossed, The Hunger Games Trilolgy, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone. I'm loving the look of all these crisp books spines and pristine book covers on my shelf. Yes, I love used bookstore like crazy. But I've come to realize that we need to support the publishing industry the good old fashion way. It's the only way we're going to keep great writers living and eating. read more

Poor customer service. I asked a young lady to do a quick search for the author and book I was looking for. She looked at me puzzled as if she had no clue what I was talking about. I repeatedly told her the name, and even showed her the a picture of the book. She took 10 second to search and told me "we are out of stock" I said O.K and walked away. I decided to go back to the same person and asked her "can you please tell me what other store has the book" another 10 second search. She then replied "we actually don't carry her books anymore". I said "WHAT" you guys are a huge bookstore and you don't carry her books. I was upset, but must of all I felt like she didn't want to help or be bothered. Long story short, I walked upstairs looked around. I found the book and plenty of copies. I told myself I wasn't going to get upset or make a huge deal about it. So I decided to go back to that same young lady and said to her FYI you do have her books in stock and walked away. I can imagine how many people left this place without purchasing the book they were looking for. read more

Loved it! It was really neat and has a huge Starbucks area that is open in the store not separate. The seating area is large as well. Friendly staff and even though they didn't have my book, they were able to direct me how to. read more

Best Barnes and Noble location, the place is so clean and organized all the time, and they have THE BEST costumer service, everyone is so nice and helpful, employees always have a smile on their face and are happy to help, they are very friendly and respectful. I go there maybe 2-3 times per week to study and it is always an enjoyable experience, the atmosphere is so cozy. By the way Michael is great!... read more

I've shopped at this B&N many times. Today was my last. I purchased some DVDs Friday evening and had a problem with one of them. I called the store today (Saturday morning) and was told by the associate I spoke with to return it and they would make it right - so that's what I did. I went back to the store with the DVD and the receipt. The cashier was incredibly nice, and began the transaction. However, when he called the manager over, she barked at him and was nasty to me. She was rude and disrespectful - and very loud....yelling at me in front of other staff and customers, before stomping off. The clerk did complete the transaction and gave me a store credit for the DVD. It seems the sales associates are interested in excellent customer service while the manager is only interested in corporate rules. I tracked her down in the store to explain I would no longer be shopping at the River Oaks store, as I did not appreciate being spoken to like a child. Going forward, I will make my purchases through Amazon.....they may have their own faults, but their customer service is phenomenal. read more