Super happy my husband and I came here. We were a little unsure of what we wanted and Raven was super helpful and knowledgeable !! And I think we found some great things thanks to her. Will definitely be coming back. read more

Great help there behinds counter and was able to find the right fit for some new toys. Even got to meet some bi e guys there which is what I hoped for read more

Super friendly and helpful staff. LGBTQ+ friendly and had no problem finding what I was looking for. Nice, small collection of glass pieces for any smokers too. read more

I wanted a certain item but was open to trying something new. the girl in there was not very friendly and immediately when I walked in, no greeting just wanted to scan my ID. Cool never been asked before Until purchase but whatever. No problem. then as im looking I'm on the phone and was told I could not be on the phone in a rude sarcastic way. "It is obvious you're on the phone but you cannot do that" like damn i might have tried something new today but with the poor customer service and already not having much to choose from, it's best to spend your money on Amazon. better deal and thousands of choices. read more

My wife and I visited this place 9/12/2020 There is very little supply of items. The girl behind the counter was quite rude my wife and I were talking about politics and the girl told us that there will be no political talk allowed in her store if we continued we would have to leave. So we left I never have been treated so rudely in my life I will never return to this place. Mr. And Mrs. Robinson... read more

Ahhh ... the grotto. Where awkward college freshman go when there's nothing to do. When I was still going to NIU, there were pretty much 2 things to do. 1) Eat some really greasy, really cheap fast food or 2) Go to Wal-Mart. Sometimes, an adventurous friend would come up with the genius idea of getting something pierced or visiting the Paperback Grotto, you know -- just to shake things up a little bit. First, let me take a minute to bust a well-known myth. It does NOT cost any money to just browse the Grotto. You've probably heard that it costs one or two dollars to just set foot in the store UNLESS you have a girl with you. This is false. So suck it up, make sure you're wearing boner-proof underwear, and get ready to relinquish your innocence. The store is pretty organized and pretty clean. Some places in Chicago reek of cigarette smoke, but this establishment is actually pretty classy. There's an assortment of products ... toys, dvds, literature for whatever you're into. There's also a couple of booths in the back where you can watch some boom chica wow wow ... but I'm not exactly sure about how that all works (i've never watched a clip there, not judging!). So, if it's Saturday night and you've had your fill of Wal-Mart and Chinese buffets ... grab a friend and drive on over to the Paperback Grotto. It's a fun little adrenaline rush. read more

I had never been to an adult store before, but the young lady helped me find exactly what I was looking for and helped me with any questions I had to ask about the different toys and lubricants. They do ask for your ID, so you should have that on hand before you come in and I don't think there are any exceptions. I'm sure they don't make the rules, but just have to follow them! Anyways, I felt very comfortable being able to purchase my first toy because of the environment that was created to help me feel open to ask any questions I wanted to! They have a wide variety of toys, lubricants and other novelties. They are also a very clean and organized store. Wonderful customer service! read more

I have walked into this location twice in the past two months, each time we were "greeted" by the same lady. The first time, she was so extremely rude. I had left my driver's licence with my husband who was walking in from down the street. He was at the gaming goat, she made me leave until I had it in my hand. I told her I was in fact a lot older than 18. And that didn't matter to her. I was with two friends! One of which calls us her daughter. She has kids my age. But that didn't matter she made me leave till I had it in hand. ( If that's the rule, fine. I get that you have to abide by the rules of the store.) My friends and I left the store. When we returned with it not even a minute later, she had the door locked and went on her break...We made sure to go back after her break. The the entire time she looked at her phone, and watched us. Didn't ask us if we needed help or anything. I had friends looking at toys and she didn't even ask if they needed help. Like I said, she sat on her phone watched us and glared at us. Yesterday, we went back in with my same two friends. I made sure we had our IDs out and in her hand when we walked into the store. She asked if we needed anything and we did tell her no. But as our time went on, she stared at her phone and just was very uninviting. We we're the only people in the store, we were not being rude or anything. Just talking like friends talk. I went to show my friend a hairband they had in there, and the lady behind the counter yelled at me and told me I was going to break it. I'm sorry, I wasn't even close to breaking it. I was being respectful. And even if I did break it, I would of bought it. I know what's expected in a store. And I was appalled. I put my purchase down and refused to buy anything. I waited till my friends were done shopping and we left. I get that people have bad day, I used to work retail. But her behavior was extremely unacceptable, on both encounters. And for this, I will never be going back into your store again. The way she treated us is a way I would never treat a person LET ALONE A CUSTOMER IN A STORE. If I could leave 0 stars, I would. read more

it's still open?! i've become that guy as 'i remember when i was goin to school there' bought a pocket pu$$y here once with proceeds from the sale of used text books my frosh roommate worked there too as i used to think it was a dream job...who am I kiddin, still do read more

I attended niu from 1998-2003 and one thing my husband and I loved about Dekalb is THE GROTTO!!! Yeah boi!

I've been to a few adult shops before and always felt that the products were grossly overpriced and the selection just meh. The Paperback Grotto surprised me. After a viewing of Rocky Horror at the Egyptian a few curious friends and myself wandered in. I was very impressed with their selection of toys and the prices. There are high quality toys to suit all tastes and budgets, as well as videos, books, magazines, lubricants, enhancement products (for size and pleasure), and of course novelties. They even have a selection of incense and blown-glass tobacco pipes. The woman in the store that evening was VERY friendly, knowledgable, and approachable. She helped another couple find a toy to suit their needs and explained to them how the toys worked. Should you choose to make a purchase they will remove the toy from its package so you can touch it and test the vibration strength prior to forking over your cash (this is a huge bonus since there is obviously a no return policy on these products). I'm glad DeKalb has this place. I'm certain many college kids come in to snicker and waste time, but if you are honestly looking for a place to get reasonably priced adult products in a nonjudgmental environment I highly recommend dropping by. read more