Cancel

Open app

Search

Monroe Street Books

4.0 (1 review)

Monroe Street Books Books, Mags, Music & Video Photos

Recommended Reviews - Monroe Street Books

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration
Photo of Ted S.
2
125
54

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Sandy's Books and Bakery

Sandy's Books and Bakery

4.4(75 reviews)
19.7 mi
•$

A quirky little spot in Rochester! I love when coffee shops and bookstores are in conjunction with…read moreeach other. A variety of pastries, food, and beverages, as well as local Vermont merchandise. Lots of fun little things to look at inside. Good service, good coffee. Nice place! Check it out if you're passing through.

Charm: 6 stars. Comestibles: 3 stars…read more We took the "back way" home from VT this winter break, a strategy that avoided interstate traffic, but also occasionally situated us behind slow-moving tractors and trucks on one-lane country roads. Overall, we enjoyed the way's meandering charm, especially when we stumbled upon places like Sandy's Books and Bakery in Rochester, VT (which made me immediately think of you, Mercedes). Per the headline, Sandy's is a used bookstore with original, classic, 1960's and 70's era finds from Agatha Chrystie, Isaac Asimov, etc... newer books about foraging, mysticism, and other fun things; locally made candles, soaps, walking sticks, crocheted hats; and locally made food products in / adjoining the cafe. There are numerous rooms on two floors where you can take your time to slow down and enjoy a book. (Fiction, science fiction, horror and mystery are upstairs!) Cafe tables are set up in many of these semi-private reading rooms so you can enjoy a coffee or pastry alongside a good read. Places like this make me swoon and had we not been on the clock, I would've loved to browse for hours and hours. The setup certainly invites that, as do the friendly local patrons. Sadly, we had to peel our children away from smelling each and every homemade soap and candle, and from trying to fence with the beautiful, polished, natural wood walking sticks (pickaxes, our 8 year old called them), and get our food order to go so we could make our an appointment (for race ski sharpening ) in time. What we tried: - Broccoli and potato quiche, made with a gluten free tortilla crust -- delicious and homemade, with tender, custardy egg -- but undersalted by our standards and made with very little cheese. The eggs had an interesting and unexpected faint whiff of vanilla. - Roasted carrot and lentil soup -- soup made with small green lentils was conceptually great, but overly sweet and served with what could've been a wonderful bread roll, but one that was microwaved and inedibly rubbery as a result. We would've enjoyed diced carrots that had been cut smaller than these 2" slices, but that's a preference. - Apple cider donuts -- I'm sure these would've been amazing fresh out of the fryer, but sadly, these spheroids (not rings) of fried dough were dense, oily, and well past peak freshness (two or three days old?) on our Friday morning visit. - Morning glory muffin -- moist, not overly sweet, very good - Cafe au lait -- you're told to fill a mug with pre-made coffee from the dispenser and to come to the counter for the steamed / frothed milk, which was unexpected for me. The coffee on our visit was watery. Baked goods (including cookies of all sorts), looked so lavish and amazing that I'd come again to try other items, but really, it's the overall experience that charms. Food and drink may not be the winning components, but perhaps I don't mind when a bookstore is so darn welcoming and charming. Bookmarking for a return visit.

Photos
Sandy's Books and Bakery - Cute cook store and cafe

Cute cook store and cafe

Sandy's Books and Bakery
Sandy's Books and Bakery - Bookshelves of some goodies they sell

See all

Bookshelves of some goodies they sell

Tempest Book Shop - View from Rte 100 / Main Street

Tempest Book Shop

5.0(6 reviews)
20.3 mi

The owners of this gem of a book store know so much about books and give the best recommendations,…read moreand the bread is fabulous

You're immersed in the sweet perfume of books as soon as you walk in. There are piles upon piles,…read morean improbably large number crammed into this small bookstore, the cacophony recalling a wild, lushly overgrown garden -- or perhaps a cheerier version of the bookstore in "The Neverending Story." It's just (dis)organized enough to maximize your browsing enjoyment. You stumble across unexpected delights in the many nooks and crannies! But if you're looking for a specific something, the kind owners are immediately there to assist... and expound upon similar reads you might enjoy. They're like living, breathing Spotify playlist curators for books. Good ones. Tempest also carries puzzles and a massive selection of movies on DVD. What's on display in the store is only the tip of the iceberg. The rest of the iceberg lives in the owners' garage, we're told -- but they're happy to dig out whatever you request. Sadly, we're only in the area for a few weeks of the year. Most of our time is devoted to skiing and on the days when skiing isn't ideal, seeing friends. But next December, I vow to (1) set aside a full day for a proper browse and chat with the fascinating, brilliant, and well-read owners; and (2) do all our holiday shopping here. This store is a true treasure, clearly a labor of love.

Photos
Tempest Book Shop - Plenty of parking

Plenty of parking

Tempest Book Shop - A bit crowded with books and movies and puzzles  watch batteries and stuff

See all

A bit crowded with books and movies and puzzles watch batteries and stuff

Monroe Street Books - bookstores - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...