5445 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA

Whenever I visit a new bookshop, one of the most important things I look for is any unique angle, theme, or vibe that sets the store apart from any other. No one needs to look too hard for what makes Uncle Bobbie’s Coffee & Books unique. Aside from the damn good coffee, this shop is rife with personality and is one of the rare shops I’ve experienced that is dedicated to writers and books exploring the Black experience in America.

Most bookshops you’ll visit have a shelf, a table, or a display dedicated to Black authors, history, or culture, and few offer more than that. Bobbie’s gives them every shelf, every table, every display. From the staff picks and new releases by the front door to the back room stocked with modern and classic fiction by Black authors, this shop runs the gamut. There are children’s books, memoirs, biographies, historical explorations of every era of Black culture in America, detailing all the sacrifices, the musical and political revelations, and the forward-thinking artists who are pushing new boundaries in poetry, graphic novels, photography, business, education, and more. There are non-Black authors too. I saw some Stephen King and others, but the vast bulk gives voice to those who didn’t have one for generations.

The shop also has a ton of gifts, from shirts to bags to coffee mugs extolling such slogans as “Support Black Shit.” But beyond books and gifts, the shop is as much a coffee shop as a book shop, and the coffee we had on our visit was some or the best we’ve had in a long time. It’s still a pandemic out there, so there wasn’t much space inside for lounging, but there are plenty of benches outside that have the shop’s logo on them—Cool People. Dope Books. Great Coffee.

The store stands between The People’s Education Center and Lest We Forget Museum of Slavery, and it has the feel of a neighborhood hub, the place where you can go to hang and relax as much as learn and educate. Any neighborhood would be lucky to have such a store. Whether you come for the coffee, the books, the knowledge, or the community vibe, this is a gem I highly recommend.

Atmosphere — A coffee shop with food, gifts, and two rooms of books. The shop feels like a neighborhood hub of culture, community, and knowledge.

Quality — The books are new and dynamic.

Quantity — They have a solid number of books in here considering it’s just two rooms that also has a full coffee bar with food.

Diversity — The books in this shop cover the vast spectrum of the Black experience in fiction, poetry, history, biographies, children’s, and more.

Affordability — They’re new books at fair prices.

Amenities — It’s a coffee shop with full service, food, and gifts like shirts, mugs, audiobooks, and more.

Location — It’s about 15 minutes north of Philly in the Germantown neighborhood. We were staying in the Mt. Airy neighborhood and it was just a few minutes from there.

Customer Service — The staff were all quick and friendly, and the coffee was amazing.

Overall — This shop does what so few do. Instead of giving Black authors a shelf or table, as one might find in most other bookstore, Uncle Bobbie’s gives them a full store, and the books within run the full gamut of the Black experience, with poetry, fiction, children’s books, memoirs, biographies, cultural examinations, historical retrospectives, and celebrations of Black thoughts, values, traditions, and futures. Bookshops like this are neighborhood pillars, and the Philadelphia area should consider itself lucky to have Uncle Bobbie’s around.