Back to the Grind is one of those Riverside spots that actually has personality. Good vibes, good food, great service, and classic music that somehow makes you feel cooler than you really are. What I liked most is that they kept the nostalgic feel of the 1920s building instead of turning it into another place that looks like it was designed by the same person who decorates every new apartment complex in California. The old-school character is still there, and it works. It's laid-back, comfortable, and just a good place to grab some food or coffee and hang out for a while. Basically, if the 1920s had Wi-Fi and better coffee, this is probably what it would feel like. read more

The ambiance is absolutely amazing. Lots of seating, coaches, standing tables and more. they have weekly events so if you want a quiet place to study, watch out (open mic nights etc). Our orders were made fast, the service we received was not subpar or bad, I am unsure why there's a lot of negative reviews. The only con is having to pay for parking in the area unless you park further in the free zones. We ordered the croissants and I will say, they are on the smaller side but they are also priced reasonably. Overall we really enjoyed it and will be back. read more

I had a pleasant experience at Back to the Grind coffee shop as I was looking to get off the road to take a work meeting (traffic put me way behind my anticipated road schedule). I didn't want to enter any cafe very small/ with petite tables or judgement if I sat down for 1.5 hr to work on my computer. I bought a sausage croissant which was just ok, but still a nice quick breakfast item. I was able to sit in a comfy chair with an outlet source & table to conference in my meeting. I was left unbothered & comfortable the whole time, which I greatly appreciated. There are several lounge chairs, tables & areas to space out to work, read, lounge, etc! I would certainly return another day to try out their coffee menu and those earl grey lavender scones (wish I saw those first!!) The barista was kind & the atmosphere very pleasant! read more

Great kick of local flavor. Eclectic collections, filled bookcases, leather couches and sounds of footsteps on hardwood floors. A variety of menu options besides coffee. Food & dessert items. The coffee stayed nice and piping hot. It was smooth and bold. Located right in the heart of the downtown area. On the north side of university. Metered street parking or covered structures nearby. Staff were great! Welcoming and helpful. read more

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It was going to be a hot day so I decided to stop in for a nice cool smoothie met the owner of back to the grind he is an amazing man with great customer service so he's built in an amazing place here with plants on the walls and AC going. Cool relaxing place to sit back, plenty of books on the wall games on the bookshelves always an event happening here. Sandwiches are nice fresh you can warm it up and cold if you like. So many great things to say about this place. read more

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SERVICE here is VERY BAD! The service at Back to the Grind was genuinely one of the most unprofessional customer service experiences I've had. While I was in the middle of placing my order, an older gentleman wearing glasses abruptly walked away from me mid-conversation to speak with someone he knew. No acknowledgment, no "I'll be right back," nothing. I was left standing there confused and waiting while they casually chatted amongst themselves. At the same time, my husband approached another employee -- a young woman with very long black hair and a pink bandana (see pic)-- simply to ask for the WiFi password. Without even looking at him, she told him he needed to "buy something first." When he explained that I was already ordering, she repeated herself in a dismissive tone and continued making sandwiches without making eye contact once. What stood out most wasn't just the lack of hospitality, but the overall attitude from multiple staff members. The environment felt cold, dismissive, and inconvenienced by customers being there at all. Ironically, the café advertises community classes like yoga and live meditation classes on the window, yet basic customer service and professionalism seem completely absent. The food itself was fine, which is why this review is specifically about the service experience. Even after how poorly we were treated, I still left a tip because I refuse to match that level of disrespect. Management seriously needs to address the customer service culture here. One rude interaction can happen anywhere -- but multiple employees displaying the same behavior reflects a larger issue. read more

Back to the Grind - A Very Rude, Dismissive and Unprofessional Staff - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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I recently visited this coffee house for a special event and was amazed by establishment's layout as well as their variety of vegan food and beverage offerings for customers. As we walked up to the coffee house, I liked the variety of outdoor seating as well as several types of indoor seating including small tables and longer tables. I was most pleased by the large amount of vegan options available consisting of sandwiches as well as deserts. After looking at the menu, I decided to order a vegan bagel melt and an orange blossom outrageous smoothie while my hubby decided to order a grilled cheese a radical raspberry smoothie. Initially the ordering process was a little confusing since it wasn't clear where customers needed to stand to order. Once we were told by an employee where to go to order, the process was quick. Our smoothies were created in front of our eyes and our food and drink were hot and flavorful. As an avid reader, I throughly enjoyed how the coffee house was filled with several bookshelves containing a variety of books along with.much CDs and other assorted items. Although I wanted to pull a book off one of the bookshelves, since I didn't see an signage saying this was okay, I decided to not browse through the books. The coffee house experience was pleasant, the food was great, and considering the abundance of vegan menu options offered, we will absolutely plan to visit this coffee shop again soon. read more

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Great location, big open spot, friendly fast service very chill to come and do your homework or just work to do the grind read more

Back to the Grind - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Great service stopped in between appointments...picked up a watermelon protien smoothy....knocked it out the park. Well done read more

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I came here for a drag show and was AMAZED to see the underground space/vibe that they had for the shower. It was super cool to see both a coffee bar and drinks being served. Their latte was made extremely quickly and was delicious! We also got the iced black tea, which was very yummy too. read more

Back to the Grind - Club Vamp:Love Bites - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Great food. Amazing service. Wonderful ambiance. Came here for the open mic. Nice crowd of people. A real gem in downtown Riverside.

Before reading my review, please imagine that I am a beautiful woman or handsome man who meets all of your visual criteria. This way my review will get more likes & reactions. See also: The Halo effect. Speaking of the effects of beauty, Back to the Grind is a palatial coffee house loaded with rococo furniture & sturdy wooden chairs. The walls are adorned with bookshelves full of trendy books that people pretend to have read to impress a date like The Alchemist, Harry Potter, The Stranger, etc. The rules at Back to the Grind, albeit few, do not cohere or make sense just like most places. For example, the staff will not allow people to put their feet up on any of the coffee tables. However, people are permitted to bring in dogs of any size. The tables are spotless at Back to the Grind. Unfortunately, the wooden flooring & some of the couches are redolent of kennels and dog food breath. I ordered a large hot chocolate. When I got my order, I was pleased to notice the barista properly prepared a large hot chocolate. The large here is much cheaper than a Starbucks because price gouging is not pervasive in Riverside. 5 stars for being the biggest dog shelter in the city of Riverside that also sells coffee. I would suggest that anyone who brings in a dog heavier than 60 lbs. should receive a free bagel, and one of those hand sized plastic bags for throwing away dog crap. Thank you Back to the Grind for being you in the most offbeat, passe way possible. read more

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I used to love this place; and have taken my sons there several times. Today, however, I brought my son and dog in, and when I went to remove my phone from the charger, these militant lesbians began accossting my dog and he barked at them. I got blamed. Total BS. Then some gay mofo that I never even met, starts telling me not to come back. He doesn't even work there. I have been going there for over ten years. F*ck this place. read more

I've been coming here for years just because it's one of the only coffee shops with plenty of seating options (chairs, tables, sofas, inside/outside seating, etc). You can always find a place to sit. The inside is also quirky with the decoration and has a hipster ambiance. The drinks are okay and not too expensive compared to other coffee places. I also appreciate that they always have vegan options. I did knock down two stars for the customer service and pricing. Customer service seems to have gone downhill a bit. I understand that customers can be rude but there's one barista who has an attitude regardless of who she serves and not in a funny way, haha attitude. Also, I'm not sure what's going on with the pricing but even with tax (8.75% in Riverside) they're charging you a total that's more than expected. The last time I came here my total was $14.45 and they charged me $16.84. According to their text bill from Clover the subtotal was $16.19 and they charged a service fee of $0.65. Even if you take off the service fee, $16.19 is 12% more than what I actually ordered. I'm not sure how they're coming up with these numbers which seems shady tbh. If they're charging an additional surcharges/fees like other eateries it should be posted in an obvious place as is the law. I'm bummed that we're getting overcharged without any rhyme or reason because I really like this place but no one wants to be nickeled and dimed. read more

My husband and I were walking and he wanted to check this place out so we went in. They have a bar and ice cream, some coffee drinks and food items. Service was okay, ambiance was lovely. I enjoyed looking at everything but it was hot! There was an outside and had an upstairs we didn't explore. I would like to check out open mic night. read more

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I loved the vibes in here, very fun to bring some work or art projects. The coffee was good. Seemed to have a lot of food options but did not try. read more

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Beautiful inside. My drink was also really good, and top quality. I went during open mic night and it was a mood. Now the downside - I came to this place because I saw a lot of people complain that this place has horrible customer service and I always like to give everyone the benefit of the doubt... but the people online were truly correct. The person I dealt with (and I assume from descriptions, is the same Person I dealt with), had a horrible attitude. I can only speculate that this is a part owner or at least a very needed employee. I went in and stood by the counter patiently waiting when he saw me he pointed me to the cash register and i waited a few, which I really didn't mind. I literally started with "hi.. can I get a sandwich..." and he immediately scoffed and sighed, I just said you know what never mind, and he responded "it's just that I've made a lot today..." Idk just kind of hit me the wrong way, I understand everyone has tough days, but the fact that (I assume) this person is the person who everyone complains about, does it so blatantly, just rubbed me the wrong way. But that being said, this establishment is a hidden gem and I will be back. read more

Thanks Back to the Grind for having us and for having so many things for me to look at and observe. We found this place on accident on a late Sunday afternoon while traveling back from a road trip. Our vanilla latte's were top notch and staff were gems. This place gives you the cool, relaxed, everyone is welcome and curious, college-like vibes we could all use more of in our daily lives. Especially in this late stage capitalism, fall of the mask, hellscape we are living in. They also have some killer events. We are about 1 hour away but plan to travel back and checkout open mic night for my musician partner and maybe even science night for my nerdy sociologist marketer brain. This place is really the bees knees. Check it out, I promise you'll love it! read more

Love, love, love! Came in for an evening latte and stayed for an hour or so on the cozy patio. As soon as you walk in, you'll notice the cool decor. I'm a sucker for bookshelves in coffee shops! Tamia took our order - she was so friendly and easy to talk to. Definitely will return for the yummy coffee & vibes next time I'm in town. read more

Back to the Grind - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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Came in today discovered by accident and OMG my favorite matcha tea ever so freaking delicious. The person that took my order was so friendly and nice ! The guy that prepared was so sweet too. The ambiance is quiet great for reading which is perfect for me. It's beautiful inside looks like a collector's museum. It's a vibe. I will be back !! read more

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I' visit this place maybe once a year since I live about 30 minutes away... have been for the last 10ish years. I've always appreciated the staff and vegan options. However, some serious renovations need to be considered or deep cleaning. The place smells like a toilet.... It was really hard to sit, read, etc with how awful and dirty the place smells. I understand it's old. I love dusty old coffee shops but it's not enjoyable bc of it. The coffee was also terrible and tasted like tap water :/ read more

Back to the Grind has one of the most unique coffee shop atmospheres in downtown Riverside. It's the kind of place where you can grab a drink, sit down for a while, and just enjoy the creative vibe around you. There's always something interesting going on with the art, music, and people hanging out. The coffee and drinks are solid, and the staff has always been friendly whenever I've stopped by. It's a great place to relax, meet up with friends, or even get some work done. Definitely one of the more iconic coffee spots in Riverside. read more

when i walked in here i was so excited to try this place bc the pictures looked cool. i should've looked at the reviews bc i wouldn't have driven up here knowing id experience what a lot of other people were experiencing. When i walked up to order i asked if i could have oat milk in my latte. they said they didn't have it so i said okay that's fine i'll do a little bit of whole milk and extra ice. i had specifically asked for a short latte with less milk and extra ice. i get my drink back and it was made with a regular amount of milk and light ice. so when i went back up to politely ask if they can remake my drink i was told that "they can try to make it with less ice but that's not how they usually make it". i stood there trying to understand what he meant bc i just asked for extra ice and less milk. the employee with the tattoos and blue tank top was truthfully dismissive and made me feel like an inconvenience for asking to remake my drink. i then notice that there was oat milk this whole time and the other employee didn't even bother to check. i was hesitant to leave a review because i didn't know if maybe they were having a bad day and they just needed some grace but as i see other reviews and how other people stated how they were treated i can see it clearly now experiencing it. regardless, i still didn't get what i ordered as i said less milk but i did get extra ice. i unfortunately had to throw out my drink bc the thought of being another inconvenience to the employees was not even worth it anymore. update the man in the blue tank, his name is Max i believe. read more

Back to the Grind - extra ice iced latte with a lot of whole milk. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

During a recent visit to downtown Riverside in the university area I discovered "Back To The Grind" coffee shop. It would appear to be a local hangout for college students, coffee affancianados, and tourists due to the diverse collection of patrons enjoying a cup-of-joe while chatting or studying. The establishment has a library or den decor with various artifacts and artwork adorning the walls as well as the random furniture which resides within. Offering the usual iced or hot beverages in various flavors and sizes, the shop further offers some delicious doughnuts, pastries, pies, cookies and sandwiches to enjoy. My iced coffee with a dash of cream was perfect! Flavorful dark roast, with the perfect amount of cream over solid ice cubes. The atmosphere is typical for a college study spot with a noise level that is tolerable. Outdoor seating in the rear and as well as curbside in front. Highly recommended. read more

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So many memories here, from lunch stops to study breaks to late night vibes. The staff's the absolute chillest / friendliest / most welcoming I've come across. They honestly get to know you after a visit / two. The coffee ? Perfect. Red eyes, lattes, tarts, a comforting vibe? A library / cozy hideaway? It really can't be pinpointed, you just have to stop by to get it. read more

Great stop just off the 91 freeway, it made it easy to reenter the freeway. My friend and I enjoyed mochas and we were thrilled with the high quality ingredients used. We also bought some tarts. Looking forward to visiting again. . read more

Back to the Grind - Mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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First of all the vibes and ambience of this place was great, but my only complaint was the food and drinks that are always disappointing. I've given this place two chances. I got a matcha the first time and thought matcha wasn't their specialty, but I went in for a coffee and still was disappointed. Also the fact that two of my friends also got drinks and left with an upset stomach... Service was alright. read more

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To me this place seems a little generic compared to my typical cafe setting. Nothing really stood out to me as over the top as it did take a little bit to get my coffee. It is very good tho and I would give it a try. read more

Loved the ambience and variety of offerings! The prices were fair. The affogato was delicious. We attended an event down in the basement, which was a lot of fun because there aren't many locations out here that have a basement. We definitely want to return! read more

This place is special. Not only is the coffee great, the variety of beverages and food extensive but there is a special kind of magic here. You almost have to experience it to know it. There are themed nights and if you are lucky to be here on an open mic night, you will experience an indie show of music and performances. The pricing is great and they do have wine and beer, perfect for a night to unwind. I highly recommend this amazing spot! read more

From the moment I walked in, the atmosphere was welcoming and exciting. I've never been in a place like this before. The ambiance blends the charm of an old school library-like scene in perfect combination with a cozy feel and eclectic decor. I chose to browse the menu and instantly the Caribbean smoothie caught my eye. The menu provided the fresh ingredients being used which were: Banana Pineapple chunks Crushed ice Orange Juice I then swiftly made my way over to the pastry section where I was greeted by a cashier who promptly informed me there were other pastries on the other side of the bar area. My eyes scanned for a potential (unneeded) pastry to purchase when my eyes met a delightful, glazy cheesecake like pastry that included fruits such as kiwi, blueberry, strawberries and even raspberries!​​ The visual appeal of this dainty pastry was absolutely heavenly. Fortunately for my vegans out there they have incredibly diverse vegan options to choose from as well. For those of you who prefer a night with a bit more of a buzz they have options for customers 21+ And to address the eager coffee enthusiasts... there are over 10 different otions to choose from including their signature back to the grind coffee! I on the other hand, am not a coffee enthusiast so please refer to other reviews for more in depth thoughts and descriptions on coffee served here :) I cannot forget to mention the phenomenal jazz music being played by the college students at RCC. The vocals, the strumming of chords, the passion, the music... WOW. They all performed with heart and did not miss a single beat. My heart was full of joy watching fellow college students perform with love and undoubted elegance. It was quite the sight to see and one must be watching live to truly understand the effect the music they play has on your mind, body and soul. What a life changing experience! I will without a doubt be back to enjoy another pastry, try a new beer, and listen to some tunes! Overall dope vibes, unforgettable pastries, entertaining live music and absolutely recommend to creatives or students! read more

Back to the Grind - Pastry and smoothie with live jazz in the back. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Worker was passive aggressive, condescending, and rolled his eyes at me as I picked up my food. He made my order wrong with no offer to remake it, just another condescending comment. Probably a lovely guy who's a lot of fun to hang out with. read more

Worst attitude ever :( love this place dislike the workers The girl in the bun was the only sweetest person might want to change the team with less attitude if this is a constant complaint ! I can only say karma to the attitude because they dropped my drink on the way from removing it from me when they made a mistake they did it so rudely , I only hope this business makes better profit that way they can change the team asap read more

Back to the Grind - Worst workers - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Great ambiance for sitting down, chatting or doing work. Coffee was mediocre compared to other coffee shops in the area and definitely not the place if you're looking to get food too. My friend and I had ordered a croissant and bagel sandwiches and we definitely could have made it at home for much cheaper. I'm my opinion, it's nothing to write home about. read more

Service was great! Very fast! I ordered a smoothie and iced coffee and it was ready minutes after my order was taken. My bagel melt came out quickly as well. Good vibes lots of people laughing and enjoying each others company. read more

Back to the Grind - Ham and Swiss bagel melt - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

I was super scared by the reviews. Luckily I didn't encounter the problem barista, and instead was helped multiple times over by two nice and energetic baristas. Outside the great service, the place itself is amazing. Ideal study and work cafe with plenty of seats and great ambience. There was no ACs but the fan did enough work to not be bothered. Next time I'm in Riverside for family stuff, I'll definitely stop by again to get work done. read more

Love this place! I've been going here for years & it never disappoints. I usually get a chai latte, but everything I've tried has been a win. read more

The food and drink are great! Service has it's time when they seem a little overwhelmed and not rude but annoyed. This place does have a certain vibe and people shouldn't really go if you're not interested in it. I respect they have stayed true to what they are. read more

This place is awesome. Service is great, food is great for its really affordable price. Its a really nice vibe and in my opinion a perfect study spot. read more

Back to the Grind - Croissant - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

Came with my friends after a morning hike , we loved it . They were low staff and it was super busy but overall great staff.. we tried the champagne smoothie lol Will be back ! read more

Back to the Grind - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California