John Bale Books And Cafe

Do you love being surrounded by old books? Reading the notes that an old owner left in the margins 100 years ago? Do you love good,hot coffee, freshly cooked REAL food and wonderful company? This little nook of a bookery/cookery is heaven on earth for all of us who love the written word. The only way this place could be better would be to have armchairs, fireplaces and lap blankets. A minimum once weekly visit is recommended for maximum maintained sanity.

I love this place. I think the people are great, and the food is wonderful. Being able to browse for or read a book in comfort while sipping a cup of their coffee is very relaxing. Their sandwiches are delicious and they offer a wide variety. Enjoy a fruit salad or any number of other treats. A+ in my opinion.

Waterbury needs more independent casual spots like this. Coffee is good, counter lunch options pretty good too. Book selection is reasonable, it's a couple floors so you're bound to find something of interest. When I want to take out of town colleagues to more positive Waterbury spots, John Bale Book Co. makes the short list.

Found them on Google Maps, called ahead and asked, "Do you buy used books?" Yes they did. "Sweet." Drove about an hour into Waterbury and found a helpful employee. She priced the books for me and took them to her manager. The manager said only the owner could buy books and he was out. I explained that I called before driving in and all I was told was "yes." The manager said I should have asked when I could come in to sell my books. She probably should have said, "I'm the manager, I take responsibility, and I apologize for the inconvenience." She shouldn't have tried to blame it on the new girl. She definitely should not have lectured me on what I should have done. To the owner I'd say, Watch the company you keep, the managers you hire, or yours will join the ranks of sad, forgotten bookstores.