Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse

Great quaint bookstore that carries a lot of cute children’s gifts, trinkets, and a large selection of junior books.
Not a whole lot of help from staff or much greeting, but didn’t need it since the store is so small and have no problems locating items.
Parking in the back or one hour street parking off to the side.
Happy reading.

I really don’t even know where to start. My family experienced arguably the absolute worst customer service experience we ever have. It was particularly shameful, especially considering their laughable signage encouraging visitors to «support the local bookstore.»
Well FBC… we are the locals you are trying to court. And you blew it.
My wife and I are young professionals with three small girls (4, 6, 8 yrs old). We live in the area. We are local business owners in the area. We are eager to support fellow local businesses. And as a young family, if you get our business, and treat us well, you will have our business for generations.
You know, for as empty, stuffy, small, and dead as their bookstore is, one would assume they would not be eager to alienate a local family. One would be wrong.
Here’s the story. Our four-​year-​old just started Pre-​K a few blocks from the bookstore. Our six-​year-​old and our eight-​year-​old are homeschooled on Tuesday — Thursday. For the first few weeks, we would drop our Pre-​K off, and walk to the bookstore once a week (Tuesdays), for a change of scenery. For a couple hours, once a week, they would do their schoolwork in the bookstore coffee shop.
We always (ALWAYS) made a point to purchase multiple cups of coffee, purchase muffins and other pastries, and ALWAYS purchased at least one book per week from the bookstore. I have the receipts to prove this. And we are always careful to make sure our girls were well behaved, quiet and calm during our visits.
So, after a few weeks into our new Tuesday tradition (which our girls loved), my wife and girls were sitting in the café (with a just-​purchased cup of coffee, muffin AND book). A few minutes into the visit, the manager rudely, and loudly (purposely loud, enough that the other 2 or 3 people in the bookstore would hear) scolded my wife (IN FRONT OF OUR KIDS) that they needed to «purchase more items from the café and bookstore» if they were going to continue to use the (COMPLETELY EMPTY) café area.
All of this, with a cup of coffee, a muffin, and a book sitting on the table.
Completely unacceptable to treat paying, returning, faithful, local customers this way. If you have an issue (you shouldn’t, but if you do), talk to myself or my wife in a reasonable manner, out of earshot of our kids, and the other customers.
I hesitate to throw the term «discrimination» around, given the culture we live in. But seeing as there is a small group /​senior ladies bible study that meets around the same time we frequented, and nothing was said to them, one can only assume that young families are simply not welcome at FBC.
We will never be back. And thankfully I don’t see FBC being in business much longer. It is a ghost town.
By the way, we’ve moved our Tuesday tradition to Vromans. Absolutely love it. Its a little drive down the road from LCF, but at least they have a legitimate operation, larger selection, awesome customer service, and welcome our kids. And now they have our business.

I really want to like a local, independent book store. The parking is great. I love having the elevator open directly into the store. But there is something not inviting about the shop. The items are smashed in shelves all over the place. Strange items for a book and gift store. The clerks ignored me which is to my liking, but then followed me around as if I was messing up their merchandise. I peeked in the coffee shop and turned away. Very cold space. I may be back but not sure why. Bottom line– not inviting.

For the past couple of years my daughters and I have come here a few times to purchase children books as gifts. We usually stop in on our way to the party buy a couple books, have them gift wrapped, and then gets some coffee drinks to go. This has become our go to place for birthday gifts and we love finding some original books. I do have to say I have never used it for adult or teen books so I don’t have an opinion on the selection in those categories. Up until yesterday we were very happy with our routine. This place is never really busy even on Saturday afternoon. If this staff thinks this place gets busy tell them to go work at the Americana and see how they like it. We stopped to order our drinks first. The girl behind the counter did not acknowledge us right away and when she did her response was «you guys are going to have to wait» with an attitude, because she was «busy». No problem I worked in customer service my whole young adult life I’ll just go shop and come back. We picked out our books and I approached the girl by the gift wrap station because I know she can ring me up and wrap there. Yes she was wrapping something at the time but I said excuse me, politely, TWICE. This B*$/& turned around and rolled her eyes so hard that even my teenage daughter was shocked. She basically wasn’t willing to help us and we had to walk to the other register where the new girl was having trouble and needed help. So along comes the happy gift wrapper who then told me I had to wait until 4pm to pick up my books to be wrapped… It was 2:00pm! I had 2 average size books, No it is not busy and does not take 2 hours! We left and didn’t order our drinks either. If this is how the managers want their staff to act I won’t be visiting them ever again and I will tell everyone I know.

Amazing place where you can search for a perfect book that will suit to your interest, it’s a good concept combining coffee/​tea and bookstore, great stuff. I wanted to stay here much longer when I return.

This is the perfect place for studying/​working. Most people come here to work, so you don’t have to worry about the noise. There are strips of outlets running along the walls, so you never have to fight for one. Service is always very friendly. Coffee is served with a biscoff, which is a nice touch.
It’s a no-​frills café; there’s not much except plain tables and chairs. Still, I recommend this local place over a big chain Starbucks.

So much nicer than the original bookstore. Having the coffee shop is a nice touch. Sitting area outside also. I would have given 5 stars except one day my child was waiting for me here, and she was told she couldn’t sit on the premises because she didn’t buy something! She always buys a drink here, but one day she didn’t have any money.

I’ve never been to Flintridge Bookstore, but I’m writing this review to shout out to Jenny for the rescue she offered when we needed to print books on demand for one of our clients right away. Their Espresso machine is a lifesaver! Thanks so much, Jenny!

Hello? Where have you been hiding Flintridge Bookstore? Ha! I found you, and I love you! The joy! This is a terrific independent bookstore.

My go to place if I want to visit a bookstore and see what is new. I like the staff choice section to get an idea for reading. The small coffee café is also good for working and sipping a latte. Their special author appearances also are fun. I also have found gifts for people here too.

Oh, local independent bookstore, I wanted to love you but alas, I’m disappointed. The book selection is truly uninspiring, even for a small bookstore. As others have mentioned before, there is a disproportionately large section devoted to gifts and journals and stationary and whatnot, but who knows, maybe that’s where most of the revenue comes in these days? There is a significant section dedicated to reading lists of La Canada High School, so if you go there, this might be the place for you. Perhaps farther if you live in the La Canada/​Montrose/​Glendale area, Vroman’s in Pasadena is my preferred alternative small, independent bookstore.
The coffee shop is nothing special but there are a TON of outlets and they let you sit here for a long time as long as you have bought a drink (a reasonable expectation for a coffee store, I think). Wi-​Fi only accessible with purchase. The music is a little loud but it’s mostly classical and makes an excellent background for working.

I have to say that I’m a bit surprised that the Flintridge Bookstore & Coffeehouse doesn’t have a better average rating. I’m not sure what more you could ask of a local bookstore.
They seem to have it all: a healthy selection of books, easy parking, a good location, and a decent café. The space is quiet and inviting, and though it isn’t as expansive as say a Barnes & Noble, I feel like it serves its purpose.
The café has some good options available, and the prices aren’t outrageous either! Plus, they have a decent amount of chairs and tables for you to set up shop for the afternoon and get some studying, work, or reading done.

SUPER RUDE!!! I was sitting at a table with my average coffee and the place was empty when a lady who worked here kicked out a 12 – 13 year old girl sitting next to me trying to study geometry for not buying something! The girl had got a water glass and was quietly sitting when this employee told her the place tends to «get too busy» and the seats require that you buy something. The girl then asked if she could sit at an outside table and the employee repeated her speech about «paying guests“only outside too. I felt so bad I asked the girl if she wanted to join me since I’d already bought a coffee but she was shy and understandably embarrassed so she waited outside for someone to pick her up. There are literally 12 empty tables right now. This employee has ruined a seemingly average place by being so unnecessarily rude.
The coffee is average and the wifi is slow, I will not be back.

The atmosphere is amaIng. The employees make sure u are treated in a perfect way. Good prices and clean place. It worth the trial!!!

I love studying at coffee shops and this one is fantastic! It’s so open and has tons of seating, with good lighting mellow music and plenty of OUTLETS! The wifi is fast and when its not too crowded its a great temperature. When it does get crowded (which I’ve only seen once) it can be a little on the warm side, but that’s probably just because I’m used to the arctic of Starbucks lol This local gem also has some fantastic coffee and really warm/​friendly staff. Plus the bookstore part is incredible (I want to buy them all!) The only reason I can’t give 5 stars today is because they aren’t open very late which is a bummer for a night owl like myself. Other than that I really recommend coming in you won’t be disappointed.

Books plus coffee plus wi-​fi equals my kind of menage à trois: delicious, energizing and no likely unwanted complications. Flintridge Bookstore and Coffeehouse serves up a more than decent cup of coffee plus potent wi-​fi and a nice selection of books and gifts to peruse. If you live in the area and don’t have time to drive to Pasadena for your Vroman’s fix, here’s your solution. Street parking or in the private garage.

A hidden gem! Love this place! Quality tea and coffee for inexpensive price. Clean and nice atmosphere. A lot of tables to study and relax. Great service, the lady working at the café was very friendly. Love how the tea comes with a biscuit. The muffin is a bomb. Definitely choose this local family owned business over Starbucks and other corp owned cafes.

I was really underwhelmed by this place. I love bookstores, and coffee so I thought this would be the perfect melding of the two thereby making it my new happy place. But it wasn’t. It felt more like a thruway RestStop than a quaint bookstore-​coffeehouse.
The book selection was blah, and there was a hodgepodge of gifts that I didn’t really understand. The coffee was fine but no better than what you could get at a 7 Eleven. However, their children’s book section seemed decent and well populated by families and giggling children so maybe I’m just the wrong demographic for this shop.
I didn’t have a terrible experience by any means, but I found this place very disappointing especially given the glowing reviews it has. It’s like a hallmark store meets Barnes and Noble (one with a Starbucks), and if that’s what I was looking for I would’ve gone to the Americana.

Very nice space, homey and comfortable, good coffee. And, wifi!
Decent book selection but really hard to find books due to how they are ordered. This is hard to explain but they might have a monster «health» section and then the books are ordered by author’s last name, rather than by specific subject. Very hard to find things by sub-​subject.

Great place to study, with plenty of outlets and space. Wifi strength is strong. The downside — the coffee drinks are ok. I had the pumpkin spice latte and is was downright awful — too much nutmeg or cloves that was overpowering the cinnamon and pumpkin. Occasionally there are quite a few high school students that just like to chit chat instead of studying so I may have to change venues soon.