Olsson’s Books & Records

Here’s the thing, the Olsson’s here isn’t nearly as nice as the one on Market St. in San Francisco. Compared to the SF Olsson’s this looks like an old dingy bargain basement or a library from the 1970s.
Also, the service has never been that great in the bookstore section of this store. Today the man at the counter couldn’t be more flippant about the customers and bitter with life if he tried to. His mannerisms and speech were downright rude.
Of course they do have a pretty good selection of books, they’re close to the theatre, in Penn Quarter, and they have lots of books on sale all the time.
If you’re not expecting the SF Market Street Olsson’s and you’re OKay with just decent service because you want to save money on the books this is a good place for you.

Hey Washingtonian DCers. what’s up with your 72% chocolate flavoring? I saw that flavor a couple times when surveying the ice cream shop scene. haha.
So I didn’t really hang out in Olsson’s, but bummed around Footnotes Café. their version of Starbucks to a Barnes and Noble for those not in the know. The café’s book themed sandwiches were cute, but I needed me some ice creaaaam. I chose one scoop of 72% chocolate (18% love?) and I believe one scoop of coffee chip or expresso chip. Both were creamy and very yummy.
I really liked the coziness of the place. Even the bookstore seemed to have a warmth to it. We sat on the couch in the corner and I probably could have passed out right there (after I finished my ice cream of course). Loved the couple (I’m assuming) working. They were very nice and fielded all of my cheesy jokes. But seriously. why only 72% chocolate?

I love this bookstore because nearly everything is on sale all the time, and they have a very good selection. That said, I’d steer clear of their modern fiction unless you know about the book in advance. I’ve bought at least three books from the fiction section on the spur of the moment, just because they looked good. They did NOT, however, look like artsy, badly written lesbian erotica. Which is what they were. If that’s your thing though, this is the place to go. Other than that, the history, biography, current events, and non-​fiction sections are great. They also have a huge collection of both classical and indie music, which makes this a pretty frequent stop for me. I also love that, even though they’re a very small bookstore, they have a selection that definitely competes with much larger book stores, and their CD selection is far superior. The food is good, they have a ton of movie rentals, they’re cheap, and they have internet access for ten cents a minute. All in all, a very nice store.

D.C.‘s local book chain always has an excellent selection of books out. I’ve never been at a book store where every other book looked excellent. They’re up on all of the intriguing new books, and they include prominently some neat looking editions of classic philosophy texts. The coffee shop is good too, though a big caveat: you cannot bring books into the coffee shop. How very rude, eh? Especially since there’s really nowhere else to sit and peruse. Great sale recently and possibly still going on of those «Best American» anthologies (Best American Essays, Best American Short Stories, etc.). Next to the Folger’s Shakespeare theater, this packs a double whammy. Thanks for redeeming Penn Quarter from the sin of mediocrity, Olsson’s!

The newly resurgent Penn Quarter definitely needed a bookstore – that it was an independent bookstore is icing on the cake. Olsson’s sells music as well as books but since it’s an independent store the selections are going to be far more limited than Borders or Tower Records. The main reason to go here is because of the knowledgeable and helpful staff and the care that they take to selecting their wares. As in any bookstore these days, the prices will be much more than Amazon but if it’s service that you want without the café or bar attached, then Olsson’s is for you.
This particular Olsson’s has a small café but unlike Border’s or Barnes and Noble they require you to buy the merchandise before you sit down for a cup of coffee. Wireless access costs extra at 10 cents per minute.