What could be better than a bookstore you ask?
How about a bookstore with a coffee shop and cafe during the day and a bar at night?
Welcome to The Literary
I had the wonderful pleasure of dining and shopping at The Literary book bar this past weekend.
It was a chilly, rainy day and my husband and I ventured over to a downtown storefront. The sign lit up the window and welcomed diners and shoppers into the beautiful shop known as The Literary.
The walls are lined with a mix of small tables and bookshelves. Several low display tables dot the front area of the shop. The counter to order food and drinks is around the back corner, opening into another seating area.
There’s a pretty decent selection from all of the main genres: fiction, YA, current events, cooking, mystery, scifi, etc.
Flyers near the register advertise for upcoming book clubs. There’s a promotion for a discount if you complete their summer reading challenge.
Local goods like stickers and notebooks are scattered amongst the books. Hand-written staff recommendations are found throughout.
I’ve never been to a book bar like this before, but they were off to a great start.
The Food
The Literary offers a simple selection of brunch and lunch food– like strawberry waffles and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. Coffees and other specialty drinks are featured on the wall near the counter. Later at night, they will be well prepared to serve a wide section of alcoholic drinks.
The food was brought straight to our table. Coffee and lemonade first, quickly followed by the food. It was tasty and delicious. They even got the classic coffeehouse flower/leaf in the steamed milk on top of the mocha coffee.
It was quiet enough to read, but I still felt comfortable chatting as I ate. The staff was pleasant and the self-serve water/utensil/condiment station allowed guests to customize what they needed and wanted without being wasteful.
Books!
I loved the overall atmosphere of The Literary. The clientele was as varied as the book selections.
I saw many new releases and it was clear they try to keep up with the most current and trending books. The classic section obviously featured, well, classics. But I saw a few authors that I personally like to read like N.K. Jemisin and Michael Crichton.
Of course, they had a full set of the Harry Potter series, so they’re doing things right in my opinion!
A Rainy Day in the Book Bar
I had a wonderful day eating and shopping at The Literary. I will absolutely be visiting again. Maybe next time, I’ll go in the evening hours to try the wine selections.
If you’re in the area, try them out!
Spine & Leaf Books 