Protagonist Cafe (1722 S. Ninth Street, Soulard) is a charming literary-themed café that serves as a cozy community hub for book lovers and coffee aficionados alike. Housed in a pre–Civil War building, the café features a towering 27-foot built-in bookshelf stocked with over 5,000 pre-loved books available for purchase—each meticulously organized by topic and author. Open daily from morning until evening, it offers organically roasted, fair-trade small-batch coffee and espresso, freshly made sweet and savory pastries (from its sister café, Antagonist), and a relaxed environment that invites patrons to linger over literature and lattes.