The John Bale Book Company & Cafe

Everyone here is so friendly, they all seem genuine and happy. Have gotten something different every time I’ve been and have yet to be disappointed. Love their «Thanksgiving on a roll”-type special or any kind of sandwich on a roll pressed! The best part of the lunch though is hands down their oatmeal raisin cookies, can’t rave about them enough!

Good sandwiches for a decent price, friendly staff and a quiet and cosy environment. All I was looking for in a luch spot. Minus one star for not playing any music.

The good-​super cute, fun used bookstore that sells food.
the bad-​if you want to buy a book you have to wait in the long line of people ordering food. Also, when were there a couple of the staffers were arguing with each other.

I had the pleasure of attending a high tea last Saturday! What an amazing afternoon! And the other patrons were so friendly and sociable! Definitely worth trying!

I love John Bale! It’s super cute and unique inside, with actual books lining all the shelves around the café seating. If you need to meet up with someone for a casual business meeting or lunch, this is a great place to do it. The grilled cheese is awesome, and there are always daily specials. I love the Shepherd’s Pie. The staff is super friendly, helpful and thoughtful. There is usually at least one gluten-​free baked good available too.

Stopped in for a quick snack, and some help in finding books the Si;as Bronson librarians were too uninterested in helping me find. It was late but they fixed me up with a quick bite. I was looking for some books on local history, and they went above and beyond in helping me. Showed me some basic book on the subject downstairs, and then took me upstairs. The person who helped (sorry didn’t get his name or already forgot) explained the kinds of books, what they might cover, asked what aspect I was interested in etc. and kept coming back and forth with all kinds of books on a limited subject matter. Showed me other books on the subject outside of my specific interest just for fun… cool books.
I told him about the problems I had getting help at the Bronson Public library, and he was able to suggest several online resources. This bookstore showed the passion I would normally get at a library, and more so. Saved my sanity on a unfruitful journey to Waterbury looking for local history.
I bought some great books at a fair price! Great gem in this town!

Waterbury has a pretty limited dining selection for walking distance from the hotel. Here on business and glad to find this retreat! Lots of personality and reasonable prices with regard to both books and food.

This is a great spot to have lunch. They have sandwiches for less than $ 8 and you can enjoy it in a library which is pretty rare these days. I like to support this business. They are nice and I enjoy the environment and location in downtown Waterbury.

Nice spot in downtown Waterbury. I had the Philly cheese sandwich and it was pretty good but more of a panini. Tasted fine. People were great. The real treasure here is the huge collection of used books! Everything you could ever want. Awesome selection and prices are great for books. The food prices are a little on the high side but it is made fresh and the setting is worth the extra buck or two. You can get in and out quickly but don’t cheat yourself out of a great browse through their fantastic book selection. Easily the best lunch spot in downtown Waterbury.

I didn’t pack a lunch on my first day at my summer internship because I wanted to see what downtown Waterbury had to offer in terms of lunch spots for the rest of my summer. At lunchtime last Tuesday, I took a walk down Grand Street and was drawn in by the John Bale Book Co.‘s Joba Café specials board on the sidewalk. In colorful marker, this dry-​erase sandwich board told me this place had a chipotle chicken wrap and fire-​roasted veggie chowder — I immediately turned in. I didn’t end up ordering either, but those specials alone showed this place had promise.
I was slightly overwhelmed when I walked in because the inside of this bookstore/​café was bigger than I expected — and so was the menu. At the beginning of the line there’s a rack of chips and a cooler of drinks. There’s a display case with huge cupcakes and different cold sides. The menu included lots of sandwich options, soups, and salads. Prices were pretty standard — not exactly cheap, but reasonable. I went with a chicken salad sandwich on rye, which was $ 6.95 with a bag of Lays or coleslaw — 25 cents more for a bag of Deep River chips. I also got an unsweetened iced tea. I paid at the register and grabbed a seat at a table to wait for my sandwich, which was brought to me pretty quickly. It was a solid chicken salad sandwich — good quality, and it made for a satisfying lunch.
The inside of the bookstore/​café is very open — conducive to both lunching and reading. There was a newspaper left at my table, so I browsed through it while I ate since I was there by myself. I noticed a little corner with an acoustic guitar and music stand. I think it’d be a cute spot to sip on coffee and listen to some local music too. The walls are lined with bookshelves, and the ceilings are pretty high, so the bookshelves go up that high. I want to take some time this summer to actually look through some of the used books.
I left for lunch a little early when I visited, so I missed the rush, but the place filled up just after 1, which is when the courthouses break for lunch. The line moved pretty fast, but if I had the option to get there before 1 or after 1:30, I would, just to avoid a long line.