This review is more for the so called Starbucks inside this book store but not exclusively. The other day I went to this store because my grand daughter wanted to buy something for her mother's birthday. As my grand daughter was shopping, I decided to get a tall house coffee with peppermint flavoring. As the cashier approached the counter her expression quickly changed as it was probably apparent kind of dark skinned. Some of you would be surprised at how often this happens. Americans all too often want to think racism doesn't exist or black people are just too sensitive. This is what we have to deal with in this country so you just press onward. Most whites are able to press onward as well once the initial shock passes. This middle aged woman apparently wasn't able to. As I gave my request for a tall house coffee with peppermint and half and half, she almost snarled "we don't have peppermint flavoring". I asked if they were out because of the way she replied. Again, she half way snarled out, "this isn't an actual Starbucks, we just sell some Starbucks products". She quickly ran through a list of flavors they offer. It went by so quickly that I had to ask her to repeat the list. I heard Toffee so I chose that one. Interesting that coffee cost ten scents more here than actual Starbuck stores. Not so interesting is what it taste like. Bad! Kind of like coffee flavored dirt. Almost $3 later, I drank some of it, about a quarter of a cup. By this time, my grand daughter had found what she was looking for and I had had enough of this bad coffee, feeling cheated out of my money with bad customer service to boot. I just dropped the rest of my cup in the trash as we went to the cash register to pay for my grand daughters stuff. By the time it was all paid for, I decided to tell the young woman at the register about the poor customer service part of my coffee buying experience just a few moments before. She asked me which server I dealt with. Usually when someone ask you that question, you can assume there has already been other complaints about this woman's sense of customer service or who she is serving. After all, the white woman that was served by her just behind me wasn't treated with the same disdain as I appeared to be. Bottom line? At the least, Starbucks should rethink not running or at least training whoever sells their coffee. That experience left a bad taste in my mouth and not just from the coffee. read more

Smaller store with less bargains. Naturally a lot less selection than its sister store next to the Del Amo Mall(which has two floors). If you want to sit there is a Starbucks café, you can grab a free water and enjoy a book or magazine. I still come on occasion before shopping at TJ's for any good book deals, but all my purchases are usually made at their other store. read more

Barnes & Noble - "The Truth Is Out There." - Bookstores Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

This Barnes and Noble is really clean and the staff here were pretty helpful. It doesn't have the 2nd story like the Torrance one, and yet it isn't cramped at all! If you pay attention, they have a lot of great deals going on. We saw they had a Criterion sale for 50% off! If you're a Barnes and Noble member, you get another 10% off! AND, they had a coupon for 30% off any item. So our $30 movie turned into a $10 movie! I would say that their normal movies and cds are a little pricey, but if you are looking for an older movie or a Criterion, there's a good chance you won't be disappointed. The membership isn't free; I got mine included when I bought my brother's Nook (and now the whole family uses the membership). I use it mostly at the Cafe, but the nice thing is that no matter what, I always get an extra 10% off of items; even clearance! read more

Have been a member for a few years because of the great discounts, ease of shopping online and ordering or pre-ordering books. With my daughter now becoming an avid, novel reader and building her library of books, as well as purchasing books for her English class we frequent B & N. I've always been pleased with their service, their selection and the helpful, knowledgable staff. The store is large, open, well lit, clean and tidy. Parking lot is big but can get tough during dinner time and weekends as it shares with the likes of REI, Trader Joes a variety of restaurants and Old Navy. read more

Great place to read or study if you find a place to sit! The service is wonderful here, I can spend hours walking around and finding books that interest me. The atmosphere here is different from other B&Ns. This location is a single story so no need to go upstairs and down stairs all the time. Parking lot is spacious so no need to worry about that! read more

surprisingly easy to navigate with 2 kids under 4. the kids section is very well organized. well, it WAS, until all the kids from my daughter's preschool got through with it. lots of books and crafts as well as a designated area for the little ones. my kids were very captivated from start to finish. cafe comes in handy with a Starbucks and quick hot foods like pizza and desserts like rice crispy treats. parking was not too bad at 5p on a wednesday night, to our amazement. we'll be back to find our books for the kiddies. read more

Barnes & Noble - B&N rocks! - Bookstores Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

Good place to wander around when you're not exactly sure what you're looking for. Large store and parking lot. Something I've always wondered...why don't the Starbucks inside of B&Ns take Starbucks gift cards???? read more

Pretty disgusted with the customer service today. I realize it was the end of the day, but when you are to be excellent it shouldn't matter the hour. I was looking for books and there were young ladies talking up front, focused on "go backs" rather than customers. The young lady half-apologized before looking up my book for me. She did offer to order it and look at another store, but I needed it right away. Also, the part that really rubbed me the wrong way... when I walked to the counter to make my purchase, I provided the woman with my phone number so she could look up my membership. She proceeded to basically question me and ask for my ID. She doesn't realize that what's she's insinuating is that I would potentially lie about being an educator. When I asked her why she was requesting it, she stated because it was an educator account. I was too tired and needed what I was there for. I would have left my items there. If I had the time, I would have absolutely spoken to the manager on duty. I will take this up with corporate to be honest. Yes I'm sure the employees can do what they wish, but for the $7 I was saving... unacceptable. She tried to fix it by informing me that every weekend I get a large discount this month. It was too late. The damage was already done. The only reason I gave 3 stars was because they had what I needed and they were open. read more

This is one of my favorite bookstores. Perks: staff is always helpful, always smiling, and the cafe is good. Every time I have come in, there has been a book author dropping by to autograph a couple of books that they will display and sell at the customer service desk. Even met a actor or 2 while enjoying my coffee! read more

What is it about book stores that gets me wasting hours and hours inside them? This particular B & N is great and the people are really nice. The store is always very neat and clean. I own a Nook (gift I never use) but I really like buying books better. One day I'll figure the thing out. I always see people with their Nook's talking to the staff, asking questions, showing them things. They seem very helpful. There is a Starbucks inside, which I'm not a fan of (coffee bean addict). The folks there are nice as well when I've gotten things for my husband. The kids section is large and there are always tons of rug rats running around. I don't have said rats of my own but can tell they have a good time with all the toys and books. Honestly the best thing about this B & N is the restrooms. Always very clean and well stocked. Only downside to this location is that it shares a horrific parking lot with Trader Joes. Use your imagination and just take my word for it. On weekends, good luck. read more

I'm a book junkie so of course I love this place...great place to go and zone out for a few hours. The store is easy to navigate and it's always fully stocked. The staff is pleasant and helpful. Fast check out!...I shall return. read more

Barnes & Noble - Lobster and Salmon what a Combination! - Bookstores Near Me - Manhattan Beach, California

A good B&N and a large selection. I come here to do homework with my son. The cafe always has folks scarfing coffee and working. No power outlets folks, but free wi-fi. I do wish some folks would get off the large tables so parents and students can use them properly. Cafe has good snacks. Love those cheese pretzels. Cafe's Downside: There's always an old man who hogs the large table with stacks of messy papers, and he farts a lot. I'm not kidding. Just raaaap....raaaap. Some folks have no class! We had to move. I recognize him now and we stay on the other side of his fatal wind. read more

3 stars. I came in the other day to find a book with my boyfriend. We were having trouble finding the book so we asked this lady for help...she was unbelievably RUDE. We asked if she could help us out finding the book and she said "well, I can't help you if I don't know the name of the book." And then gave a big fake smile to top it off. Ugh, I wish I would of gotten her name. The only reason why I'm giving it 3 stars is because after dealing with this rude lady...I went to check out and got a very nice and helpful cashier. Check out was fast and easy. : ) should of gotten his name too! Thanks for turning my experience around! read more

Great place to get that thing called A BOOK! Just to recap...it's fluffy, made of paper, and has billions of letters that form words! Great to browse, grab a magazine (because literally, there IS a magazine for EVERYTHING!) and grab a delicious PANINI SANDWICH from the cafe! Cozy times! And you've got Pier One and Whole Foods when you get done! .... Because you know you need a Ginger Peach candle and some awesome overpriced food for later! ;) read more

I rarely rate the big stores, I feel like you know what you're getting into with them. I've had decent experience at this B&N in the past, but that's usually when I know where to find what I want, I can go in, get it & check out. But I recently attended a lecture & while taking notes another attendee mentioned 2 books that she thought I'd enjoy. I didn't have anything to write on when I spoke with her, but I remembered them best I could and wrote them down before heading over to B&N to pick up a copy (yes, I could just order them through Amazon, but I wanted to flip through them and be sure they were going to be helpful before purchasing). My husband and I arrive at B&N and look through the sections where we think these books would reside and find nothing. So we hobble (I'm currently on crutches) over to the customer service desk where I explain that I may not have the titles completely correct, but could the woman behind the counter tell us if they carry them. She types in the first title I tell her (again, reminding her there could be wiggle room with what it's called) and she looks at the screen blankly, then at me, then at the screen, then at my husband, now back to me, now back to the screen and dead pan says; "That's not a book. I don't know what you're talking about." So I brush it off and ask about the second title (they're in the same genre of business so I assume if you don't have one, you'll have the other B&N) and she once again looks at the screen and says "Nope. Never even heard of it. Guess we don't carry it." Not once is there an offer to look it up at other stores, on their website, have it ordered. NOTHING. I was really frustrated that she couldn't even make a suggestion for something that would be close to either of those books (seeing as she wasn't sure they were real books). And before we were even done speaking with her, she just walks off from behind the kiosk. On the way out, we hobbled back into the business section, just to see if there was something out and there the lady was! I almost wonder if they really did have the book & she was double checking to see if she even gave us the correct information about them not having them. I came home and instantly found both books on Amazon. Guess it's worth the money to get both & not deal with being treated like I'm the one that doesn't know what's going on. read more

I saw a book I wanted on their website and it was on sale. I saw the buy online and pickup in store checkout option but I preferred to walk in for the thrill of searching the aisles.. big mistake! After i had waited in a 20 minute line the cashier told me she cant give it to me for the sale price advertised I would have to buy it online and pick it up in store but she doesn't know how to do that "so dont know what to tell ya" she said! I was so upset with the customer service and the time wasted there. Walking out of there i thought to myself this is why businesses fail who wants to be treated like that when you can just buy online. I really hope these people change their level of customer service for the sake of the store. read more

Barnes and Noble is always a great place for book lovers. My problem is that there are not enough handicap parking spaces and inside there are not enough chairs throughout the aisle to sit. I find it difficult to spend more than 5 minutes in the store became of my disability, I need to be able to sit periodically and looking for books on the 2 bottom shelves is almost impossible for me. So an answer might be upholstered benches might be an answer. I know that I purchase more books when I am inside a bookstore than when I buy online but for now I buy 99% of my books from Amazon because it is just easier. I wish Barnes and Noble would hookup with BookBub.com and offer bargains in the store similar to what BookBub.com offer online. read more

This is a good Barnes and Noble location. It has a good selection of books and I've been able to locate some specific books that are harder to find. Their cafe area is pretty nice, and they have some good deals around the holidays especially. A great place for gifts. read more

This is the best bookstore for little ones! They have an educational toy department with the coolest Lego table set up. The children's section is massive with tables and chairs for story time as well as stuffed animals and other toys. Also a great Sesame Street section which my son loves. Clean restrooms and nice cafe. read more

Kind staff and wonderful book selection. Picked up a really nice Italian cook book and funny birthday card for a friend.

This is for the Starbucks inside....lame place. They charge for ridiculous items that regular Starbucks does not. For instance, they charge for a pump of read more

Chick behind the counter did not look happy to help me check out...okay.... Books are tad bit overpriced. Amazon has better deals but I guess if you want a book right away... read more

I kind of dislike that this is now one of the closest book stores to my home since both Borders locations near me folded but I'm still glad there's a physical book store nearby. Large selection of material. There's a Starbucks counter inside but never a place to sit in the seating area. I'm not a fan of electronic book readers and I prefer physical copies of books and magazines. I have found that prices are a bit cheaper via bn.com than in the store, but the prices somewhat even out with added taxes and shipping and handling. read more

I decided to go old school and go to a bookstore to buy a book, LOL. I definitely miss it. I remember being little and spending hours just going through all the rows. I am a sucker for the "picture books". The ones that are always near the front with pretty pictures but definitely worthwhile books about tattoos, LA history, world wars, cookbooks, origami, and more. My only complaint, and I can definitely understand the business directive, but I was told that typically they only carry ONE copy of every book. I came in and wanted two, but unfortunately would have had to go to another location to get another copy. UGH! Guess this is why people choose to order online.... Other than that, it was an enjoyable slice of nostalgia =D read more

Day two of my quest to find a good cafe to work from found me at the Barnes and Noble cafe, partially because I needed to go to the Trader Joe's next door anyway. Plus one for convenience! The cafe space is large and the wifi was speedy enough for me. Unfortunately, it's definitely set up to discourage people from lingering. I couldn't find a power outlet when my laptop began to die and the temperature was set to Siberia. Also, I had really poor cell phone reception-- just one crummy bar. And FYI, they don't accept Starbucks gift cards. Overall, not a great place to get work done. The quest continues! read more

Came here looking for some crochet books (nothing specific, just wanted to browse) and found that the crafts & hobbies section was just every type of craft and hobby combined. I've been to other stores where each specific craft is organized individually within the crafts & hobbies section, so that is what I was expecting. It made it really hard to browse through crochet books. I wasn't looking for any book in particular so there was no need to ask for help. I just think it needs to be organized better. It didn't seem that there was a very big selection either. Parking is kinda hectic at this location. I prefer the Barnes & Noble in Torrance on Hawthorne blvd. read more

I used to love Barnes & Noble, but in the last few years service has definitely gone downhill. It's hard to find employees -- even harder to find employees who know anything about books. No one seems to have any real knowledge of the children's section Example: Today an employee asked me if I knew the author of Ramona Quimby. Today I took my items to the register and I wasn't allowed to use my gift card due to the "system being down." Big disappointment for me and my kiddo. So we left empty handed with a store manager who didn't seem to have any reasonable solutions. Again, a customer service fail. I hope the customer service improves. I sure would like to know when I can use this gift card. read more

It's a barnes and noble with a cafe. The cafe has free wifi. That's a plus. The minus. No outlets. Minus star for that. Fail. read more

After Borders is gone,now this is the only bookstore we have in the area!...and Pages in MB which I also love. That's kind of ridiculous,isn't it?But even before,this was my favorite bookstore in the area anyway.Clean,organized,nice atmosphere and easy to park.What else do you expect? We really need bookstore for our future kids!!!I support B&N from bottom of my heart!Also B&N membership worth every penny. Here is why: FREE 1-3 business day shipping You get 15-50% off coupon via email pretty often Discounts at Starbucks in B&N I don't even consider to live in the town where no bookstore exist!!!For me,property value goes down when there is no bookstore!!!:P read more

I'm not one to spend a ton of time reviewing big chain stores. But these days independent book stores are few and far between. Because of this I shop at this B&N regularly and would like to point out a few things that give me pause. To start, this store has instituted a charge for bags, since the Manhattan Beach town fathers did away with plastic bags earlier this year. Now I understand B&N's frustration with not getting their way, but it's not only rude, it smacks of childish spite. Only a small fraction of their customers are actually from Manhattan Beach proper. They should suck it up like virtually all of their fellow businesses and switch to paper bags. They also seem to be relying more and more on special ordering, and keeping inventory to absolute minimum. Why would I special order a book at the store when I can do that from the comfort of my own home? It seems as though B&N is going to go the way of Tower Records. Like Tower, B&N had two things that made them attractive to consumers that online shopping or small stores didn't offer. That is a huge selection and the ability to browse. Remove that and I think it is only a matter of time of B&N. read more

True bookstore. Good stuff. Does anyone else own books anymore? I do. Tons of them and I mark them up with highlighters. Yes indeed.

Ordered three books. Two were to be shipped & one I was to pick up at the store. For some reason, the book, I was to pick up at store was cancelled. I called and they said it was because they could not verify my mailing address. Which is funny, because I received the other two books in the mail today. The same billing & shipping address. What a pain. I should have bought them from amazon and received them a lot fast and without my order being cancelled! read more

This store only has one 5-shelf bookcase with African-American books out of the 1000s of books in this store. A couple of months ago I was in there looking for a book to read and a couple of ladies passed me. They were talking to each other and said where is the African-American section. I said this is it this one small section. The other thing that bothers me about this company is the $25 membership to get a discount. They take your money and give it back without interest in a form of a discount. Like I think not! read more

Ahhhh, my mental playground! I swear I am home and everywhere I need to be when I come to Barnes & Nobles. This location is very clean and quiet. If I could just make one request....It would be to expand the Spiritual / Self-Help section as well as the African American History section. We all know there are way more books out there than what they have displayed. The African section is literally only 5 shelves deep. read more

A good environment if you love reading books, get a drink of coffee, or just to chill. However, if you are coming here to study with your laptop please think twice because they lack power outlets in the study areas. So if you have a dead battery, time to hit the road. If you are coming here, take your time because believe it or not, you can lose yourself by just seeing how much books they contain. They always have some event like an author signing so you can never be bored! The help desk actually helps YOU find the books you need but be patient because you are not the only one who needs help! They also take their time helping a consumer. ( good or bad depends on your situation). It gets chilly so if you decide to stay in the store for awhile, bring a sweater or anything that will keep you warm. (good place to be when its summer). The parking is typical like any place where stores are bunch together. Usually when I visit, I can find a parking close to the building. (lucky me!) All in all this is a spiffy place to be! read more

Bottom Line: They have a nice selection of books, but some employees need a lesson on kindness. I had finally found the book I was looking for, but I didn't appreciate that the first employee that I asked to assist me told me to just find it myself. This location has a huge parking lot, so there really isn't too much of a hassle to find a place to park. One star for that! The layout of the store is very easy to follow, and the store is also very clean. Another star for cleanliness. This store is stocked to the brim, and have so many different types of books! I had driven from one bookstore to another to find one book, and this is the only store in the area who had it. What a win! One last star. read more

I used to live near this branch. I like coming here. A few hours ago, I was in the area so I decided to stop by and grab a coffee and 2 cupcakes to go. When I got home, I eagerly opened the white bag of goodies and to my disappointment, I saw that they gave me the wrong cupcake. I got vanilla instead of red velvet! Red velvet is my favorite and I don't think driving back through stupid LA traffic is worth it... Very disappointed... you don't do that to a very pregnant lady! :( read more

It's a bookstore that you have to pay for books at. It says it opens at 9am. At 9am a woman came to clean the door. She did not let us in. Another woman had to come later to do that. It does have a fake Starbucks though!!! It's pretty good. read more

Barnes & Noble, the best book store ever! I can spend hours and hours here, I can find anything I want from sports , business to kids books! This store is not that big but they have all books somehow, the price is fair and you can always find discounts and great deals in some books and items, if you have kids Barnes and Noble is the best place to take them and help creating love for reading. If you are book addict and haven't go Barnes and Noble you haven't go to a real bookstore! read more

Very helpful staff. place is huge and a starbucks inside. Had a good time. Ill be back