Webster's Bookstore Cafe

My daughter and I discovered this bookstore hidden in State College today. We are always trying to find places that remind us of the PNW vibe where we grew up, and this is definitely it!! Vegan & GF food, good music, coffee, old books and even a cute little vintage store. We highly recommend checking this place out. The staff there are super friendly too!

Great place to chill and hang out. With some book-reading ambience music from local bands to a good variety of books to buy off-the-shelf, it's one of the nicest nooks in downtown state college.

One of my absolute favorite places to visit! I extremely love this place. The workers, atmosphere, and everything else are so amazing! I would highly recommend this inclusive business to anybody who is cool!

Jazz Brunch Webster's Bookstore & Cafe was delightful this past Sunday. There was a nice assortment of brunch foods, the stars for me being the roasted potatoes, probably the best I’ve had while dining out and the fresh fruit. The pancake texture was a little off for me, but Hubby said a little extra syrup did the trick for him. Kudos to Webster’s for serving organic maple syrup, I hate when the only option at a restaurant is “pancake syrup” whatever all that concoction is…. The background live music was lovely and just the right volume so table conversation could still be enjoyed. Cool place to browse, too!

Great place for their Sunday brunch with a wonderful atmosphere and great delicious food!

I was looking for a unique spot to get some work done during my visit to State College & this fit the bill wonderfully! Great vibes amongst books & vintage shop, but slow service in the cafe due to being ran by students. They were out of both things I ordered & didn’t let me know, but when my snacks never came, the manager acted quickly to find a solution. - also great prices; there are many options $7 and under

Can I please move in? This place is enchanting! There are books, coffee, food, clothes and some antiques, what else can I ask for? Loved the tables in little nooks where one can study, read or hide from the world:))). We accidentally got here, right after we have already had lunch, so we didn’t get a chance to try the goods, but this is the first place on our list for our next visit to State College

Reminds me of places in Greenwich Village in the 60s. The bowls we had were the size of a side salad in most restaurants with prices of a large vegan bowl in Greenwich Village of today. I had a chia latte which tasted watered down.

Hidden gem in downtown state college. Old school coffee shop roasting beans in the center of the cafe. Great service with excellent cold brew and drip coffee. Give them a shot you will love them

This is truly a hidden gem. Accessible by wheelchair or by stairs (there are two entrances), you will be transported into a magnificent, "basement" style classic used book store. Tons of options from travel to fiction to language and more. Look through tons of vinyls and cd's! If that's not enough for you, sit and enjoy your reading/browsing experience at the many hidden chairs and tables among the shelves, or sit amongst other book lovers at the cafe. Order yourself a nice iced coffee or matcha to beat the heat, and enjoy a delightful locally made muffin or other treat! Still not doing it for you? There's an incredible selection of vintage clothing, jewelry, and accessories to browse at the Tiger's Eye! Whatever you do, give yourself enough time to properly appreciate this cool place. Enjoy!

Would give 1000 stars if I could. I grew up in state college and Websters Bookstore Cafe is such an amazing place to experience new things! I met the love of my life here after I got my heart broken. I was just browsing for books and music and there he was. The best thing that ever happened to me. Dreams really do come true! Plus the sweet treats are amazing!! Every time I come back to this little town I'm reminded of the love I found. Webster's cafe! I love you, I love you, I love you

The idea of a small 100% vegan cafe in a bookstore is genius but the execution wasn't so much. The staff was friendly and accommodating and tried to make our experience the best but the food was served cold and incorrectly from how it was ordered. Overall, I would still recommend it but don't have such high expectations as we obviously did.

I was amazed I hadn't written a review about one of my favorite places in State College. Websters is awesome and I come here several times a month, much to my wife's chagrin. Webster's has a fantastic book selection, and I really don't think I've ever seen prices as cheap as theirs. The bookstore is huge, and there is always something I find to buy. They have an enormous selection of folio editions, a huge Civil War section, and manage to keep cheap paper backs to a minimum. They have occasional events and sales, such as buy 3 get one free, or when a donor drops off a huge stack of books they often put them out at sale prices. The owners are also so so nice and really love books. They will do whatever they can to help you find something you're interested in. I am in love with the space. Piles of books everywhere, sort of chaotic organization, winding bookcases and hidden seating areas - all they need is a cat! You can reserve tables for meetings, but you can also just grab an open one. I actually have never eaten AT the cafe, but I've had their catering quite often and it is really delicious food.

Real fantastic and special place in the area. All the food is incredible and the atmosphere is unparalleled. Any of the coffees or teas are excellent and browsing around for books or records is a blast. A must do if you're looking for something a little low-key to do in town.

Ambience, food, service, books, old record selection. Where can one get this excellent combination?! Will definitely come back again!

Love webster's. Sometimes live jazz music on sunday mornings. Good coffee and atmosphere.

This bookstore/cafe is very unique with varied tables surrounded by books to purchase in an eclectic way. Interesting ambiance. I asked the server to order me whatever she recommended since all the food is vegan/vegetarian and sounded good. I received the Wuthering Heights. It was delicious. I also had the chili, which was good but was more of a bbq flavor than a typical tomato based chili and the beans in the chili were crunchy rather than soft. A lot of other customers ordered coffee drinks, which looked good. I would definitely recommend this place and plan on returning to try other options.

Love love love Webster, this is definitely my favorite place in state college. My friends and I frequent this place and as a self-proclaimed coffee snob, I have to say this is one of the best! I usually get a latte (sometimes with vanilla) and it is hands down the best latte and under five dollars. I've gotten some good lattes in state college but usually with oat milk the cost makes me feel like a boomer complaining about inflation, can't say Websters has ever made me feel that way. Additionally I love the food! I'm a vegetarian so it's difficult to find places for me to eat sometimes but I can literally get anything on the menu like that's so exciting! My favorite are Brave New World and Encyclopedia, I definitely recommend them! I have also convinced my parents to come here a few times and they love it! They aren't plant based, but Websters is certainly convincing them to get on board!

Cute and super dog friendly! Great menu, good drinks, decent book selection (though you won't find recent bestsellers or anything), and overall amazing atmosphere!

I had breakfast here today for the first time -- AWESOME! First... what a cool place... I had no idea of the expanse underground!! Fabulous used book and record collections to browse. But I came for the food -- and was not disappointed! The Paradise Found burrito was to die for!! Made to order -- everything was hot and super fresh. I also really liked that I had an option to order it spicy as well. I had their house blend Italian Roast coffee too - also great! Generous portions for both the food and coffee. Very nice staff too! I am looking forward to heading back! (But I enjoyed what I had so much, I will probably order the same thing!)

I decided to check out this place to see what it was about. So there are books, there is a small vintage shop & then the cafe. I ended up ordering a wrap even though I really wanted a salad, but they didn't have much in that dept that was appealing. I also got a vegan brownie but it wasn't that good, maybe overbaked or just sat there for a while. I was hoping for more options since this is apparently the only veg place in town. Yet other places have better veg*n options. I guess small can only get you so far. The place is pretty neat, not your typical place. I didn't understand all these mugs on the shelves though.

Webster's is the kind of place that makes you want to live nearby, or at least wish you had a place like it back home. I was in town helping a friend move out his college student daughter. She knew about Webster's and recommended it to me for their vegan cafe. On day one I got the 100 Years of Solitude wrap, which I chose primarily because it's named after my favorite novel, but also because it sounded delicious: Chili, potatoes, tofu scramble and cheez. It was delicious. They were showcasing a blueberry crumble made from locally sourced ingredients. I got that too. It was delightful. On day two I returned for an everything bagel with a spread whose name I can't recall. It was a pâté made from walnuts, mushrooms and onions. Incredible. And I also wanted to try the vegan mac and cheez. The serving could have been shared by a family. I ate it all. I also spent some time looking through the Stax of Trax, the section of the store selling used vinyl. Though I resurrected my old turntable a few years ago, I haven't purchased any additional vinyl since the 80s. I took home three albums, and also picked up a book. I don't know that I'll ever have another reason to be in State College -- this was only my second time there, the first being in 2008. But if I am, or even passing nearby, I will be visiting Webster's again.

Walked in here for a cappuccino one of the best smooth cappuccino I have had ! Great little find my kids all bought books :)

I've been here a couple times now, and it's definitely a unique place and feels very 'local'. The first time I went was to meet a friend (pre-covid) for coffee and hang out, and I enjoyed it quite a bit for that. It's mostly a bookstore, but there's a tiny cafe section there that serves beverages and light snacks. I got tea, I think, and while it was good it was still a bit pricy. I'm not a big fan of the cluttered atmosphere... I like things to be neat and orderly so random piles of books (seemingly not following any sort of organization) really bothers me. It feels like I'm hanging out in someone's garage, which some people may love it's just not my personal preference. It's definitely a cozy atmosphere, and like I said, many people I know feel very comfortable there and go for studying. It's quiet, so perfect if you have lots of work to do! The second time I went was to buy some loose leaf tea (they sell it by the ounce). I thought this would be a quick stop but my friend and I both ordered loose leaf tea, and only one guy appeared to be working the register and he stopped everything to weigh out our teas. This took about 20 minutes, and there were two other people in line behind us. I really wish he'd have paused the tea prep to at least take their orders, I would've completely understood and wouldn't have minded the extra wait. It ended up just being an extremely uncomfortable wait because he ignored the other customers (didn't even say anything to them) and the other people working seemingly didn't care. It was a weird situation. Overall, Webster's is a local spot, good for studying if the clutter doesn't bother your inner peace like it does mine. Happy to support local when I can, but this place just wasn't the best I've seen around.

Honestly, this place was super cool. If I had more time I would have loved to stick around and look through the stack of books throughout the store. I ended up finding a book to take home and grab lunch while I was at it. I was amazed at all of the vegetarian and vegan options and the burrito I had was delicious! Never would have thought a vegan burrito would be that good! Now to the bad part of the review...I ordered a Matcha latte and it was pretty terrible. I've had my fair share of matcha and this was not it. The color was off (murky type of green, not the bright, vibrant green) and the drink was very bitter. Im thinking the matcha powder was old and potentially expired, that's the only reason why it would look and taste like that.

Outstanding used bookstore. Looks like a hole in the wall, and hardly luxurious. But walls and walls of used books ar great prices. Knowledgeable staff

You have to be comfortable with the grungy cluttered and chaotic feeling of this student hangout. But my latte and ciabatta egg sandwich were decent quality. Feels like a throwback to 60's & 70's cafes when it was last cool to be shaggy and tuned out-- without the laptops, cellphones and social media. Try it. Don't come for the used books, they're overpriced and sloppily shelved.

Loved the vibe of this place! Lovely collection of books. We just just visiting but would have loved to spend more time at this wonderful cafe!

Great used book selection. Many kinds of tea and coffee. Limited seating. A good hang out though.

I'm a bit beyond my college days, but I was surprised at how active and busy it was at Webster's the Friday before Christmas. Doesn't winter break usually start earlier? As is standard in all college coffee shops in basements, it is a mix of coffee shop, used bookstore, and record store. Records are limited but decent mix of your classic and contemporary rock and pop and some jazz. Hip hop and rap is lacking but what they have is pretty good. Coffee is solid and again, prepare for it to be pretty busy. I really needed some coffee after my flight so glad to find a place like this.

Love it here! All of the food is so unique and delicious--plus most of it is vegetarian or vegan! I have tried the two towers which is two slices of homemade focaccia with mushrooms, peppers, and tofu. SO GOOD. It's my go to order, you really can't go wrong. The breakfast sandwiches are also delicious. Anything on their homemade focaccia is really amazing. Their Thai-hini salad dressing is delicious and I highly recommend it for any of their salads.

Good prices and amazing vegan food. One of the best places in state college to get good vegan food. Staff are super friendly and the vibes are super chill.

I travel a lot for work, and I love spending time at coffee shops. For bakery food, for the coffee, for the ambience. In my mind, Webster's is one of the top 10 coffee shops in the country, probably in the top three for ambience. Food is quite decent and decently priced. It's cafe food, which means that it's going to be closer to a homestyle preparation. We all know that. But I have no qualms about giving them my money for a meal. Coffee is great, they have a house blend that does the job. Also chai, lots of teas, and the usual espresso drinks. One thing I love about Webster's is that you see every variation of Penn State affiliate, from the overwhelmed grad students to artistic types to frat and sorority members. Faculty meet students to talk about their papers. Seats are spread across a book store that also sells homemade pottery mugs, and it's equally as easy to talk as it is to sit down and write a paper. Cafes like this are disappearing, even in college towns. I hope the students of State College will continue to patronize and support Webster's, and realize how lucky they are to have this resource.

Wonderful vegetarian/vegan spot in State College, and not something people normally insinuate with Webster's as a bookstore. I had heard great things about their black bean burger so I finally gave it a shot yesterday. Delicious, fall off the bun, moist, well seasoned, and filling are just a few words I would use to describe this burger. Topped with home-made pickles, catsup, mustard, and fresh greens. Side soup or salad, the butternut squash soup warms the soul. Highly recommend.

Delightful Indy bookstore, record store, coffee shop and foods. Great for vegetarians. Nice helpful staff. Dog friendly. A gem

Webster's...is not a place to go to if you're in a hurry, or if you have high expectations for customer service. They surely take their time making your drinks and sandwiches - both of which are above average in taste and quality. A healthy collection if vinyls plays over the sound system, creating a nicer ambiance than one would expect in this basement used bookstore/coffee place. Also taking you back in time is their dated system for using the wifi - some unique password printed on scraps of paper that is only valid for 30 minutes (about the time it will take for them to make your drink and sandwich). An upgrade from their old location, they are no longer taking donations to help pay the electric bill. Despite the fact that nothing they do makes sense, Webster's is a place I love visiting. And I'll be happy to sign their petition (again) next time they go out if business. Hint: the service improves the more homeless you look.

Love the Brown Cow! Super awesome drink as a nice treat. Cool vibe and super friendly.

Really quaint environment. You have to navigate your way through a bookstore to get to order food. I got a bagel with pepper cream cheese and my friend got a tofu item. Both were pretty good. We also got tea which was very nice. The food is a solid decent but the place feels homely.

Webster's is a lovely, lovely cafe and bookstore! When I moved to State College, it was one of the places that I decided to be a "regular" and I always feel at home with their friendly staff and fellow patrons. I also got the lifetime membership with my own mug! I love to get the Brown Cow (which uses local chocolate milk from Meyer Dairy as the milk in a latte) as a treat. They also have a wonderful and extensive collection of teas -- including a lot of unique herbal (non-caffeinated) varieties! The baked good are all homemade and vary, but I always try to snag a chocolate chip cookie if they are they - just the right amount of chewy and salty!

A great place to grab coffee, have a laid back breakfast or lunch, or set up camp and do some reading or other work. Webster's has several house coffee blends, espresso drinks, and a huge variety of teas, both caffeinated and herbal. Bagels and other pastries are on hand, and they make great egg and cheese sandwiches. Soup, salad, and vegetarian chili are also mainstays, and tasty. Counter service is friendly and fast. Seating is ample and usually not too crowded, and the background music is drawn from the store's large record section, and as such is often eclectic and worthwhile listening. Webster's is also a venue for myriad local art events. I have spent a lot of mornings, afternoons, and the occasional evening here and I always recommend it.

I'd love to love them. I've been a few times, and found it to be a scattered but interesting used book store, cafe, and coffee house. But you call about hours because it is the holidays and their web site says their hours are irregular, and they give you incorrect information (even Yelp is wrong right now). You show up at the register well within that time to purchase books and they say they are closed. Yet, you are standing there with books and cash in hand. And, there is no one to call to override that rule and no way to pay. Really, no way to pay, the register is closed and we cannot open it. Good luck to you, bye bye, can't hold cash overnight, not what my job's worth. http://abebooks.com got my order, and while I did not get to see the books first, at least I did not waste 5 min. calling them (check the web site first), and 10 min. parking, 2 min. to try the wrong door (please use the other, hidden door on the alley), and 10 min. finding the books (that was easy and great fun), a few jokes about how they have their own dictionary and thesaurus, 5 min discussion about how it was closed, but we were there with books in hand, and no, it was not possible to pay them or leave money or to call a manager, and then 5 min. back to the car. And then 10 min. with http://abebooks.com, a used book store clearinghouse, which has only let me down when it was my mistake. I won't be back again until 2018. i wish them well, we really need used book stores, but they make it hard sometimes to work with them. Impossible, actually.

Amazing place! The atmosphere is so Cody, and the ideal place to study. Great staff, and incredible food and coffee! Their melts and the brown cow is my go to!

So wonderful and cozy! The tea is absolutely delicious, and I love buying books there. It always smells like books, which is my favorite. I'm not too thrilled with the wifi, you have to buy something to get it and it's under limited time, and not particularly fast. But I definitely don't come here for the wifi. Keep it going!

Typically on a Sunday afternoon, Irving's is the spot for bagels and lattes. However, I was pleasantly surprised with Webster's! It was quite busy with the impressive vegan brunch buffet but our orders came quickly considering how packed it was! The ambience is a typical coffee shop but what stands out is the live music they have! The everything bagel + the specialty "Yemaya's Delight" walnut/sunflower spread was very yummy. I will say that the waitresses behind the counter are a little fiesty- which is why I gave them 3 stars.

I rarely have an opportunity to get over here, but I'm thrilled whenever I do. This State College institution is as comfy and friendly as ever. I have a favorite- brown cow, iced in summer, hot the rest of the year. It's a latte made with Meyer Dairy chocolate milk. Creamy and delicious. We were there long enough to need a snack today, so we snagged a veggie wrap with cilantro lime dressing. Hit the spot perfectly. It was served with a fresh side salad with a dressing that's still tickling my brain. It had an amazing citrusy tang that neither of us could identify- I thought maybe coriander, hubby says no. Staff didn't know. Besides offering great food and drinks and a cozy space, Websters does a lot for the community. They host various musical performances and dance lessons. They try to contribute and they source locally as much as they can. One thing I really love about Websters is that the temperature is comfortable. Weird, I know. But I really can't stand air conditioning in commercial buildings- most of the time they have it turned up so high you need a hoodie just to sit inside. But I was at Websters in shorts and a tee shirt, and sat comfortably typing away for a couple of hours. Wireless is free for 90 minutes with a purchase. If you need it longer, you must buy something else. This might annoy me with some places, but it's a small business, and they gotta pay the bills just like everyone else, right?

Great espresso machine. Someone needs to train the employees how to use it. Two or three more items on the menu would be welcome. The atmosphere is eclectic and comforting. Very friendly staff. I've enjoyed several afternoons here. Never found a single book I wanted (they've been well picked over). WIFI TIP -- There are no warnings on your 90 min./per purchase sessions. So TIME YOURSELF and back-up your online writing on your own system. When time is up -- it's up, and passwords/sessions don't overlap.

The books/music: Smaller used book selection that I'd like, but some decent surprises that I've purchased in both books and vinyl. Webster's is not really any cheaper than E-bay or Amazon, but if you enjoy browsing books in person rather than shopping online, it has that "hip to be square" used bookstore in a basement feel that you may be craving. Hardbound books seem disproportionally overpriced as compared to other merchandise and I usually only buy paperbacks or records as a result, and only occasionally at that. The food/drinks: I had the lunch wrap special: curried egg salad and the soup special: Indian vegetable. I was naturally worried about all the things that could go wrong with a curried egg salad but I was pleasantly surprised at how tasty it was. The soup was delightful, vegetarian and very complexly flavored, try it if it's on special. My friend had a cup of vegetarian chili, and she liked it but it was a bit on the spicy side for those of you sensitive to such things. I had a dark house coffee which was good and a glass of the complimentary water (nice touch). I found the food a tad pricey for basement bookstore cafe food, but it was very fresh and better tasting than I expected. Overall, Webster's is probably worth a gander if you have an hour to kill with friends and you want to grab a paperback and a snack. My friend had one of the desserts while we met and she really liked it, so maybe a hot beverage and a sweet snack is more your style, though lunch worked for me.

The vegan breakfast burrito is so delicious, and the environment is very cozy and relaxing. Great cafe and place to study

The atmosphere was great and I loved it, but I had a not so great experience with the staff hence my mediocre rating. I ordered a tea and asked for flavoring in it. I stood there and waited as the staff prepared my drink and I heard them whispering to each other about how bizarre it was to put flavoring in. I ignored it because what do I care what the workers think about my order? I got my drink and I went to pour some milk into it, and the milk curdled. I previously worked in a restaurant so i understand how these things happen, so i nicely walked up to the workers and simply asked for a replacement drink and told them the milk was rotten. They told me that the milk isn't rotten because they just got a shipment in. I showed them my drink to which they ripped out of my hand and remade it and placed it on the counter angerly. I responded with "thank you!" which was followed with the worker rolling there eyes and stomping away. I was very displeased with this considering I was completely understanding of the situation. The drink was mediocre and nothing spectacular.

Had a wonderful lunch that someone brought me from here while I was in town, the food was amazing and I couldn't wait to go back. My only reason for a 4* rather than 5, is that when I went back to pick up food, the staff seemed very busy and I stood for quite a while waiting. I decided that I needed to do something a bit faster in that particular moment, but honestly I would come back in a heart beat... just need to know that I have to budget a bit of time in case they are backed up.

I am not a vegetarian by any means, and I tend to think a lot of the ones I've came across are cocky, but I love Webster's - so that should tell you something about the place! The choices of food that include meat are limited, but their dishes are good regardless. I especially love their brunch (coconut cardamon pancakes and burrito!). The Encyclopedia bagel is delicious, as are their chai teas. I like the atmosphere, the fact that books are everywhere around, that people can bring their doggies, and that they serve Sweet Indulgence(s?) pies. I'm knocking one star because the ordering process is a little bit confusing for first-timers, and I'm never sure whether I should tip the waiters or not (but I always do, of course!). -You have to order and pay at the counter, then sit, and they bring you your food. Strange!

Websters is a hidden gem of state college! Amazing coffee, teas, breakfast sandwiches and more. On top of great food is an amazing friendly staff. The staff takes their time and engages with their customers. By my 4th visit to Websters, the baristas and manager had known my name and my "order". After that, I proudly called websters my home base for homework and coffee breaks for my 4 years at Penn State. Thank you websters for taking care of me during my time at PSU!

Websters is a hidden gem in State College and 100% worth a visit. This was the first place I've felt like my patronage was appreciated and came to know and admire the owner, Elaine. Her passion and unwavering for local businesses and artists is something to be admired. The menu is delicious and the drinks, namely the Brown Cow is a game changer.

Coming to this cafe was coincidental. I came only because I was going to meet my teacher for office hours. However, when I came in, I couldn't help but feel interested in the cafe and the books. The environment is very, I don't know, bohemian and unique? The people were very nice and easy to talk to. I got the "Brown Cow" coffee drink and it was out of this world! The coffee is very nice, and the food is nice, too. I ordered the tacos and it was amazing! The food was well flavored, the greens were fresh, and I was pleasantly surprised and pleased that the cafe supports local farms, farmer's markets, and organic farms. The atmosphere was very nice. I haven't had too much time to browse the book section, but the used books were still in good condition and there are a lot of books to choose from. If you have the time, please go there to visit and maybe grab a bite and a drink if you would like.

A place with a great atmosphere & good people. Get work done or have a quality conversation. Highly recommend.

Webster's is the only thing that makes State College bearable. It's an oasis. Amazing selection of books, even records, good coffee, progressive politics, lots of seating for varied seating needs, Elaine is wonderful and welcoming. The food is good too! One tiny gripe - clumsy and inaccessible internet access, annoying sign in procedure. But otherwise - if you find yourself in State College, it's Webster's!

what a cute used bookstore! the place is laid out like a book hoarder's den: shelves and shelves everywhere, even over door frames and behind in little nooks and crannies. the selection is decent: there were sections for kids books, science, self help, art, photography, cooking, buddhism, ... the biggest two sections by far are the scifi/mystery and literature ones. i came by looking for a used copy of victor hugo's les misérables, which they didn't have but they did have a decent french section (as well as a similarly sized german and spanish collection) including a few of hugo's other works. i got a copy of l'étranger by camus as a consolation prize, but the search continues. the desk in the middle catalogs a fair fraction of the books they have in store, so to avoid a manual search you could ask them to check their database first. but that defeats the whole purpose of the used-bookstore-search in my opinion! need to mention: there is also a small selection of used vinyl and a very spacious cafe section for sitting, laptoping, and nibbling on cafe fare.