Why 4 stars? Because of nice people. --- --- --- As I've been writing a lot lately - my go-to coffee order is super boring nowadays: double-shot of espresso, black. This means that there's not a lot of variance between coffee shops, because the taste of an espresso shot is mainly going to depend on the type of bean, rather than something special that the barista does. But I wanted to give Chamblin's a shoutout for the aforementioned barista, who was super friendly and genuinely seemed to be enjoying herself. Our brief interaction was cheery enough to even put me in a better mood. Aside from that, if I had been looking for a more robust selection of coffee, I could have found it here. Matt C even ordered a cortado, which I didn't see listed on the menu, but the barista happily obliged his request. She also hooked us up with the WiFi password: exoticshrub482 - which is obviously the best WiFi password ever. The only negative is that we were in an area with a pretty sizeable homeless population and a few of them made their way into the shop, which didn't do wonders for the smell around us, but we were in and out quick enough that it didn't bother us too much. read more

The young folks who run Chamblin's Uptown are wonderful. This is exactly the kind of place every downtown should have at its heart. Jax is that much more of a city for it. You could search classics upstairs, novels and art history, or biographies or poetry downstairs. For years, Chamblin's Uptown has also hosted book launches, signings, open-mic nights and readings. The cafe, meanwhile, is wonderful with americanos, local beers, and, believe it or not, "sexy grits." & it's located in the loveliest, most historic, and architecturally significant part of downtown, right next to the main library and the Museum of Contemporary Art Jax. Businesses like this need our support. They make this city a better city. By far. read more

I love this place!! They have TONS of books to choose from (basically floor to ceiling throughout), good prices, it's quiet, it smells good, and their coffee shop is delicious! read more

Chamblin Bookmine is a gem of a store. Both the uptown and Roosevelt location. If they don't have what you're looking for just try again the next day. The constant swapping of books by guests means there's always a chance what you're looking for may come in. I love grabbing a bagel and iced coffee at the uptown location while getting work done in the cafe. Then following it up by getting lost in the stacks. Living out my best main character life. Even if you don't know how to read, go for the relaxed and chill atmosphere. read more

Great place to go in and find some rare books or records and I love the adjoining cafe. Staff has always been very helpful and friendly

One of my favorite spots in Downtown, JAX. Friendly staff and great drinks. I got a Bacon Egg & Cheese everything bagle, that rocked my World. Highly recommend. Bonus: A Library. read more

Amazing! This is by far my favorite place in Jacksonville. The food and coffee are always made with perfection. Great vegetarian and vegan options. The staff is amazing!! I've been coming here for years and have never been disappointed. There's access to internet, so it's a perfect place to get some work done or read a book (the book store in this gem is HUGE) or to just stop by for a break with friends while chilling downtown. The environment here is welcoming and enjoyable. Cannot recommend this place enough. A+++ read more

Perfect spot for morning meetings! Lots of tea and coffee options. They're very vegetarian &a vegan friendly too! You can't beat the location and ambiance for a quiet place to sip and read or work. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Happy vibes - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I cannot say enough nice things about Chamblin's. It's such a wonderful gem in downtown Jax. My favorite thing to do is drop in during the weekend, grab an Italian soda, and then get lost in all of the books for hours. If you're looking for something particular or have any questions, their customer service is top notch and always willing to help. If you're looking for breakfast or lunch, all of their food has been fantastic and great prices. They also have an extensive menu of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free items. read more

The food is good and they had vegan options which excited me as I wanted something light and healthy. Today I had the Jerk Tempeh Wrap and it was tasty. I am looking forward to trying other things on the menu. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Jerk Tempeh Wrap - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Chamblin's is one of my favorite places in Jax and one of the first places I take any friends that are visiting. With its cozy aesthetic and friendly employees, its always a joy to browse for awhile or just pop in to pick up and book. Plus, you are supporting a small business! My favorite find from Chamblin's is two signed paperbacks, which they didn't even charge more for because of the signature. Love Chamblin's and I hope they stay a fixture of Jacksonville. read more

Maybe my favorite place to spend time downtown. This is such an amazing bookstore, especially if you enjoy taking a break from your phone and getting lost in stacks for a while. If I need a break, there isn't anything better than to get myself a (surprisingly good) cappuccino on the way in, walk around for a while, pull a bunch of books off the shelves, and sit down at a table to sort through them and figure out which ones to buy. The staff are friendly and helpful. Chamblin's is an institution for a reason. read more

Their food always hits the spot just right. My favorite place to go to for a delicious breakfast. Their coffee always serves and it's a cute place. Staff is always cool and helpful. Personally, I am absolutely obsessed with their matcha. What's better than a chill and yummy breakfast and following it up with a walk around the bookstore? read more

It took me 10+ years of living in Jacksonville to check out Chamblin's Uptown, and when I did - WHOA! I've never experienced anything like it in Jacksonville. What a marvelous place: people watching, used books galore, and the best part: the little cafe. It seats probably 25 and there are a few tables outside as well. I love the veggie #1 wrap but add the creamy goat cheese. It's a tomato basil wrap stuffed with cucumber, mixed greens, tomatoes, hummus (!), vinaigrette, pepitas, almonds and some other goodness I can't recall. Delicious for $5.50. And they have a full coffee bar, with a self-service area too. You can opt for a refillable mug (and they're funny - had the Sigfried and Roy one last visit) and try various flavors. They also offer almond milk, which is a great alternative for non-dairy types. There are two hot soups usually. The black bean, African peanut and wild mushroom have never failed to disappoint. And there's the cookies...each day a different "cookie of the day" lies happily wrapped in a bowl by the register and snatch one of these gems up for just .50$. Can't beat it! You can trade your old, used books for store credit or they'll give you cash back (less than they would for whatever credit you'd earn). I've done both. I've also gotten lost for hours in Chamblin's. It's cozy and inviting and a perfect fixture downtown. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Veggie #1 wrap and a Bold Bean (local) coffee - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

What a wonderful bookstore/icon in Jacksonville! Most books are arraigned in alphabetical order of the authors name. They have upstairs, and yes it gets very hot up there. They have a cafe connected to the bookstore. They have many tables and chairs to sit at wine reading a book and having a snack or a drink. We went to the 40 year celebration event last night. I created an account, donated three hard back books last night and he will pay me something for each book and add it to my account. My step daughter and I found two books we wanted to purchase. Check out had a long line, but it moved very fast. They do accept debit/charge cards. Thank you Mr. Chamberlin's for having one of the best, oldest and the most deletion of books in northeast Florida-40 years strong. I hope he never retires! read more

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So I found myself in Jacksonville attending a work-related conference and as fate would have it I decided to stay an extra day to make my trip worth it. Since my hotel was essentially close to everything, I decided to wander around downtown J-ville and visit MOCA. After checking out the museum, I was starving because of course my hotel didn't include free breakfast; therefore, I found myself starving AND in need of a coffee fix. Because it was Sunday, I was concerned no quaint coffee shops would be open. But as I walked closer to this place called Chamblin's that the MOCA gift shop clerk recommended to me, I realized that this place was more than just "quaint." It was exactly the type of place I was looking for--relaxed, coffee-infused, and well priced. I decided to try out their turkey croissant sandwich, which included a cranberry chutney that really made me glad that Thanksgiving is coming up soon. Combine that with the Green Mountain coffee, available in blueberry and certified free trade organic among other options and it was exactly what I needed. After eating, I turned around and suddenly realized that Chamblin's also houses a used book/cd/dvd store. And an overwhelming (in a good way) one at that. I searched through shelves and shelves of interesting books, and even found an early Christmas/birthday present for my friend that I know she'll love. With two floors of books translating to an almost limitless amount of shelves on each topic, I don't know how you couldn't find something. And the neat thing for Jacksonville residents is that they seem to accept a lot of used books and pay a decent price for them (I saw someone dropping some off as I was checking out). All in all, Chamblin's Uptown is a really awesome place that I will definitely keep in mind if I ever find myself in Jacksonville again. I sincerely don't think I would have had as enjoyable an experience if I hadn't spent like 2 hours getting lost in this cafe/bookshop. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I found a rare title I have been searching for at a more than reasonable price! Lovely store not quiet the maze of their other branch the Bookmine but still lovely! read more

Just happen to stop in here after driving past it literally hundreds of times while I was looking for a quick snack and a cup of hot tea or I could knock out a little work on my computer. I saw this on yelp and thought maybe I would give it a try. I ordered a tuna salad and a large hot tea and it was a little over $11, not too bad. The salad came out on spinach which was extra nice with and obviously homemade vinaigrette, heavy on the garlic and totally tasty. They use it seems like a 2 ounce scoop for the Tunis itself which is made with dill, fresh dill no less, and celery and onions but no mayonnaise-based product and it was good you get a 2 ounce ramekins of dressing on the side Hot tea was as usual, they have a selection of various teabags and you just help yourself. They have some interesting ones like Gypsy cold care. My only reason for four stars instead of five stars is because the girl at the counter really didn't seem like she wanted to be there, none of them were very happy, and they all seemed to be just going through the motions nobody was smiling and nobody was happy. So that didn't really make me feel welcome unfortunately. Other than that it's delightfully shabby and comfortable. Felt like college all over again. read more

One of the greatest used bookstores in the United State. Amazing selection and very well organized. The prices are even reasonable. Readers this is your Mecca! Go there. read more

I love this place so much, my husband proposed to me here while drinking a midnight oil coffee with a Big Bang bagel. He literally got down on one knee and asked me to marry him at Chamblins because he knew how much I love being there. It became my essential coffee stop in early 2013 when I first moved to Jax. They have a great local baker that brings in really yummy bagels and cupcakes. The mural on the front is welcoming and surreal. Chamblins really gives downtown Jax character, and its awesome to have a coffee shop where they know you by name and your order by heart. read more

Warning - if you step into Chamblins you will fall down the book rabbit hole! Walking into Chamblins you will immediately smell paper and coffee and see books floor to ceiling. Both floors are filled with used books in great condition. Expect to pay 1/2 the suggested retail price. You'll find lots of different genres and can spend hours perusing both floors of books. When I've asked for a particular title, many times the employee actually knows if they have it in stock. They've also had a book that was in stock in the Westside location brought to the Downtown location for me to purchase. I've stopped inside for many reasons - for me, for a gift, for a friend, etc. If you love actual books, you'll want to buy the entire store. Once you're exhausted yourself with book shopping, stop in the cafe for a drink and snack. They offer coffee, tea and other drinks and a small menu of snacks, breakfast and lunch items. They often have soups and one of them is usually vegan. I'm a fan of the three cheese and spinach bagel with cream cheese. Or I'm feeling particularly indulgent, a croissant with peanut butter, bananas and Nutella. Support a local business and check it out! read more

I fell in love with this bookstore right after stepping through the front door; what a great spot for enjoying downtown Jacksonville. Just like all great combinations - peanut butter and chocolate, rum and coke, you get the idea - the small cafe fits in perfectly surrounded by mountains of new and used books all sorted neatly by category. I didn't come in for anything in particular, so I ended up browsing aisle after aisle of books, stumbling across some great finds along the way. Never did make it up to the second story, so I'll have to explore that next time. The staff was very friendly and seemed to know most customers by name, talking with them about how they had liked the books they had bought last. Once you find a book you like, take it outdoors to read on the patio and people watch as people come and go downtown. Bottom line: You can get lost in this place, in a good way. It's a book lover's (and hoarder's) dream, and definitely worth stopping into the next time you're downtown. A tip: Check the inside cover of the books for pricing as you're comparing different copies - they can vary even on the same book. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Outside Chamblin's - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Chamblin's is my secret weekend getaway! There's nothing better than ordering a coffee, a sweet treat, and losing yourself in a book in the quiet sanctuary of Chamblin's cafe! While I am not crazy about the quality of their cappuccinos, the price is SO cheap for both their coffee and bakery items. It's hard to beat the price of a little bit of heaven for under $6! The system to FIND books seems a lot more manageable than its sister store, Chamblin's Bookmine and the employees seem a lot more helpful too. I especially appreciated Sarah and Erika who made my lunch and checked me out. Their Blueberry Iced Coffee was a surprisingly fresh delight. I am also a fan of their chocolate peanut butter cupcakes and long twisted donuts. To steal a line from the judge Mary Berry from The Great British Bake Off, "It's scrummy!" The view across the street is the yarn bombed Hemming Plaza and it just feels good to "get away" and escape to someplace peaceful with an eclectic atmosphere. I received a $20 gift card for my birthday and made NUMEROUS trips to the cafe before the money ran out. Thanks Chamblin's for being such an affordable paradise for book and cupcake lovers :) read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Peanut butter, chocolate and banana cupcake and coffee. - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Books, books and more books, and art, and coffee and nibbles. What is not to LIKE??? I confess I am a book junkie and greatly love the little local book shops. I usually find my way into bookstores when traveling too. So this local downtown treasure is always a treat to visit! Books stacked as high as you can see and filling every available space! Don't forget upstairs!!! I love getting lost in the smells of books. I have been several times and will for sure be back many more! A highlight of downtown! read more

Stopped in during one spark to look around and to grab a $3.00 intuition during one spark ( they're usually $5.00) anywhere else. liked the chill atmosphere I plan on checking the book selection out on another visit. read more

Excellent customer service. Called ahead of time for a certain book woman was very professional and helpful. I was designing a costume for the literary ball and they were so helpful with resources for research . Purchased the books love the store and cafe very unique and calming love this place very organized read more

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Chamblin's is a hidden gem! Huge book selection larger than the big box stores around. My child was in love with the variety. We explored the store for hours. Their coffee shop had something for everyone even a variety of vegan alternatives. Loved their tempeh wrap and the vegan desserts. read more

a real gem and a perfect way to spend a day off. The used books are 50% off and there is a quaint cafe that you can sit in to read once you've made your decision. There are endless book choices and the environment is slightly quirky and fun. The cafe has some great gluten free and vegan options. I definitely will be coming back. Got three books and a great afternoon! read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Endless options at chamblins. - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

I am impressed, Chamblin's Uptown was truly impressive. Very unique environment that you have to experience. Everything was so flavorful. People who work there are incredibly pleasant and welcoming. Don't miss Chamblin's Uptown. read more

Love the old bookstore feel. Great collection, reasonable prices, fun to being kids in. Also love the cafe attached, they serve a killer Tempe wrap read more

What more could you ask for than a day of entertainment with nourishment too? Two full floors of books and books. Some old, some new... all with discount pricing. This is a true cozy bookstore with the perfect cafe attached. People all super friendly and very helpful. One of the best spots I found in the city for a quick look! read more

Enjoy a cup of coffee or your favorite cake at this place. Always friendly and relaxing atmosphere .

This bookstore has an extensive collection in all varieties and categories of books. I'm not sure that I've seen more used books in a bookstore before. read more

The daunting task of trying to put your head around what to look at first never subsides. After well over an hour I reached saturation and nearly psychotic symptoms trying to process all the options. My take on book store like this that are "mom and pop" shops is simple: a gateway into knowing the local community. It is plain simple, this place pulls books from Gainesville, Atlanta and as far South as The Keys but a lot is procured via local people coughing up their old "unworthy" books, CD, and other media. I snagged a deal in an esoteric book of Buddhist poems that sells for $180 on Amazon. I'm not even going to say what I paid for the owner would stick to the ceiling but I got another equally as unusual Eastern paperback that likely is only sitting in private collections at this point... Come here for the fun of browsing, don't think the cafe will satisfy is you're at all sensitive to quality coffee, but mostly I say to keep this place as a local gem. Enjoy. read more

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I love coming here. It's my favorite local hidden jewel. Filled with books on books on books, it's easy to get lost in this place. So many shelves, so many options. It's a quaint place, but a book lover's paradise. They also have the most AMAZING cinnamon apple cider I have ever tasted! There's a small cafe area for you to sit enjoy a book, company, grab a bite to eat, or something to drink. They serve breakfast all day as well as lunch and they also have vegan options! read more

I love Chamblin's but Uptown is the best place to go if you want to spend some time exploring books, sip on some great coffee and just chill in general. Great atmosphere and the staff are extremely knowledgeable about books! It's also a great place to meet up with friends read more

This place is a hidden gem. I never pass up a used bookstore but this one is probably the most orderly, organized used bookshop I've ever been to! Take your time and do some browsing. It's a minimum 2 hour visit! read more

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Very relaxing atmosphere and knowledgeable staff. Every time I bring something in for trade they always take it. And i can find what I want no problem. The coffee's good too read more

The food was excellent and the prices are fair. I would have given a full five star review based on that, but the employees were rude and gave the place a bad vibe. I would have considered this my first choice to take clients for meetings, but I will look elsewhere because no one wants a side of pretentious hipster attitude with their food. read more

Chamblin's Uptown - Books, Mags, Music & Video Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Early morning breakfast surprise. I was downtown this morning and took a wrong turn. It brought me past Chamblins so I decided to stop and get breakfast. I was dead set on the egg and cheese croissant with a cup of coffee. However, my plans changed when I noticed the sexy grits. And yes these grits are sexy LOL they are basically grits with vegan butter but instead of eggs or bacon it's served with Tempeh on top. It was very good. I've never had Tempeh but I enjoyed the consistency. Kind of similar to sausage crumbles. The grits had a nice consistency and flavor. The coffee was also great. Just be advised, if this is your first time, and you're getting a plain coffee, the coffee is on a big table and you serve yourself. I was looking a bit lost when it came to that LOL. Extremely happy they were open this early. read more

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