This is one of my favorite places to study or simply destress. This local coffee shop is very spacious and holds a lot of events and serves as a great work and study environment. If you just want to stop for a bite, it's a great place to do this as well! I really love this place because it seems like everyone is here: people here for business, students studying, people de-stressing, families grabbing coffee, artists working on their latest pieces! It's a nice place to drink coffee and people watch. For me personally, I love to study. There is a handful of hidden outlets, so I would come with a fully charged laptop. WIFI is available but it can be spotty at times. So usually I bring my textbooks and notes and type all my essays here ( meh wifi means I can't spend all that time on fb and actually be productive!) So it can be a good and bad thing haha. There are plenty of tables located on the ground and second floor and outside as well. In regards of food and coffee, they are both affordable and great. Coffee has a great balance of bitterness and sweetness. My go to is the hazelnut latte (iced). They offer sandwiches, soup, icecream, acai bowls, and affogatos. I believe there's more... which I need to try next time! **Keep in mind this place is CASH ONLY. if you don't have cash they have an ATM on site. **There is a parking lot behind the shop however it is a small lot. Parking in DTR usually has an hourly rate. the lot across the street has first 90 minutes free. After 5pm i believe and on weekends, there is free parking! read more

Fairly inexpensive for drinks and even food. Great atmosphere that tailors towards being inviting to all walks of life. Having many nostalgic items placed throughout that gives it an oddly familiar feel. A large selection of drinks and treats make it easy for even the pickiest of people. read more

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

Great ambiance, love how they have books and games you can read. Coffee was good. Would pass on their food options. Online menu wasn't up to date (no soups, or specific sandwiches as listed online). read more

Drove out of my way to come here and they are closed. POS place wasted my time. I will never try coming here again. Posted they are open at 7am which you would expect for a coffee shop, but off in the corner it says 8am, but maybe it's 9am or they could be closed for good. read more

Phenomenal atmosphere for the coffee drinkers. No matter who you are or how you live your life, here they make everyone feel welcomed and comfortable. They host many events such as live music, chess night, Ukelele lessons, poetry nights, and other themed parties. Overall a very cool place to chill at with your friends. Great for College students. read more

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

The baristas have terrible attitudes, the beans taste like watered down sadness, even the tea. Would not recommend this place what so ever

This place is my home away from home. :) The atmosphere is friendly and eclectic. Everyone is accepted, you'll meet people you'd never expect you'd get along with and wham! Conversations. The staff is friendly and wonderful. The owner works the day shift, he's a kick. :) Never giving money to Starbucks again. The Grind all the way. ^ I started writing that review in 2012, for some reason Yelp doesn't allow my phone to post them. But you know what? Still rings true. Without Back to the Grind, Riverside would be such a dead place. I've legitimately looked all over for a coffee shop or a bar, that felt like such a community space in other towns... Nothing. The Grind has a sign on the wall "A place of all to come together leaving all labels outside." And it means it. It's not about the coffee for me, or the cool building (bonus!) It's about the sense of a creative community the Grind fosters. It's a huge part of what makes Riverside special. It's home. Can't wait to be within it's walls. read more

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This place is an eclectic mix of all the things someone could love about a coffee shop, and it is definitely a place I would love to visit again. The lighting is bright but the furniture is dark, ranging from high chairs and high tables to arm chairs and couches. This place is huge and has lots of seating. They also have book shelves in here that you can take books from and read, which is a sweet addition. They also have restrooms available and many decorations such as paintings for sale on their walls. The menu looks delicious, and is absolutely friendly for tea drinkers, which is not something I can say about some coffee shops in this vein of establishment. The chai tea latte was delicious and if you like chai tea lattes, this one should be no different. The menu was a little bit sparse in all areas, but the selections that they had were generally good. It also seems to be a good place to catch a catch a snack - they have a sandwich menu. It's also a nice place to study - it's quiet for a coffee shop. Outlets are few and far between however. Another downside is that Back to the Grind is cash only. There is an ATM inside the building, however, which you can use, but I'm not sure if there's fees attached so bring cash just to be safe. 10/10 would recommend :) read more

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Good place! Came here because the place we initially wanted to go was closed. I like the food we ordered, my juice was good, my sandwich was good, service was great. Didnt want too long and it wasnt too pricey either. read more

I was visiting a friend at UCR and we decided to stop by to relax. I automatically fell in love with how comfortable the place is. They had a back shelf full of books and art everywhere. They were playing jazz which just added to my excitement. My friend and I decided on a hot chocolate and a steamed apple juice. I loved my hot chocolate- there was something particularly really good about it. I wonder what it was, maybe cinnamon steamed in with the milk? I'm not sure- but I must find out. We sat upstairs, and everything was as it should be. Good quality drinks, a quiet environment, good music and good people. My only complaint was the whole "cash only" thing. I wanted food because it looked really good, or maybe even a pastry and I even walked downstairs to the ATM. Unfortunately the ATM was not working! Bummer! Anyways, I hate places that do not let me spend my money just because I only have a debit card. Especially coffee shops that offer so much, but don't offer multiple ways to pay. read more

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

Ambiance is nice, they sell vegan food. ONLY ACCEPT CASH. Super inconvenient but they prob do it for taxing purposes who knows ..... Smoothies are decent. Several staff members seem rude. For example I walked in with another item from another coffee shop and the barista told me I couldn't have outside food, which is fine, wasn't an issue for me if he's following policy ,only issue was how rude he was about it, like relax dude . They need to relax and lighten up honestly. Every time I go they look super arrogant like they hold a prestigious position lol....but I mean it's a cute coffee shop lighten up read more

It was okay. I love coffee shop hunting but beware CASH ONLY. ATM sucks up money so you basically are paying for 2 cups of coffee just to get one if you don't have cash on you and use this ATM I think I went at a horrible time. I had heard this is a great place to study and kick back only to find a busy loud coffee shop with a long line and only 1 barista. Cashier was sweet but barista was very short answered when I had a question on the brews. Not too many places to study. It's overall a pretty place with a nice home design but coffee was over sweet and I tried to ask them to fix it but only the cashier was nice about it. Definitely gonna just give it another chance to change my opinion. I got their cold brew which wasn't that strong But it is a nice change from the regular Starbucks scene. read more

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm *NOT* a big coffee drinker; and yet.. I love places like Starbucks and Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Back to the Grind, located in Downtown Riverside, is another one of my fave such places. Why? Welllll....... When I come to a place like this.. there are certain criteria I look for. The quality of their teas, their smoothies (if they offer them), their "nibblers" (pastries and other such small edibles), and...probably the most important... ATMOSPHERE! Let me tell you - my results for BTTG on all these criteria have been 5 stars all the way. First.. the atmosphere. This is a BIG draw to the place. Darren, the owner (and a really friendly guy) has done his best to make the place appeal to all kinds of people and groups. You walk into the main room; and your first impression is one of casual comfort. There are tables, chairs and couches everywhere; a large bookshelf stocked with books everyone is free to read, all kinds of artwork from local artists that are available for purchase. It really has a hip, bohemian vibe to it without coming across as cliquish. There are two additional levels to explore. An upstairs loft with tables and chairs that is a bit of a fun challenge to get to.. and the basement. The basement is really great because Darren lets all kinds of groups meet and get together in it - and its also used to display additional art, host art shows, poetry readings and even concerts! Darren is very "local conscious". Their teas, both hot and iced, are delicious. What I and the wife are addicted to, however, are the smoothies. They have almost a dozen different "themed" smoothies that are delicious! Wife's favorite is the "Orange Blossom Outrageous". Also of note are their "nibblers"... their pastries are always fresh and their lemon bars are to die for. They even offer Gelato! I've yet to try a coffee drink here, as I said I'm not big on coffee. I might, however, try one or two this winter when it gets colder and I need a warmup. However, everyone whom I've chatted with here have told me the coffee drinks are good. Darren and his employees make you feel welcome and wanted, and that's important. Wifi is offered here as well - and the password is posted right near the front register. Don't be a douche, though... purchase something before you leach Darren's graciously provided service. Back to The Grind is a nice place to come and study, to meet people and chat, or perhaps to meet someone new. Definitely a fixture of Downtown Riverside. One that I hope remains for a long time. read more

Seriously great espresso. Like really really amazing. It was like drinking rocket fuel. A great independent coffee shop. It's got that throwback feel, and I couldn't shake the feeling that there should have been a dude strumming a guitar in the corner. But in a good way. It's got a great brick interior, with books lining one wall, and a space for live music. In fact, I met a musician there who was writing his songs for his performance that evening. CASH ONLY!!! They do have an ATM as well. Also, it's largely street parking, which you do have to pay for. $1 per hour. So back to this espresso...I went for a long run afterward and felt amazing. Seriously. The roast is perfect, and I contemplated moving to Riverside on my drive home because it is so good. There is a case of pastries and other sweets, which all looked incredible. I tried the croissant stuffed with ham and swiss...delicious. Croissant was light and flaky, and the entire dish was perfectly seasoned. Awesome place and i can't recommend it enough! read more

Back to the Grind - 4 shot Americano and half caf mocha - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

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I love this place the art and they even have shirts. The people were friendly that worked behind the counter.

Fun and funky! Cash only! Great coffee, good selection of beer, and SO MANY BOOKS! Love the vibe of this place and the kind people working here! read more

If you lived in the 90s and loved it, you'll love Back to the Grind! This place is terrific. If it was near my college, I'd have been a regular. It's a big space, with lots of 'character': sofas, wooden tables/chairs, a basement for events, games to play, books to read, a fruit CSA-type program, and an outdoor patio area. They have cool events, art on the walls, and hip clientele. I can imagine college students hanging out with laptops, kids with sketch books...it was like a time machine for me. We brought two tumblers to fill with coffee for our drive, and we paid less than a dollar total! Awesome. The coffee was a dark roast, much like I'd have gotten back in the 90s. The price was right, the tattooed staff were cool, and I felt a little old. But that's okay. If I'm in Riverside, I'd make it a point to return here. read more

Such an awesome cafe, really love that they have a variety of food to choose from. I had the veggie wrap which was very delicious and a scoop of cookies n cream ice cream. Both reasonably priced. Everybody in the cafe was laid back, & the people working behind the counter were very nice. I especially loved the art in this space. Wish I could put this place I my pocket, and bring it back with me to Chicago. read more

Back to the Grind - Delicious veggie wrap! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

The coffee and latte isn't too good but the cheesecake and chocolate chip cookie were good :) The service was great! read more

Nice little coffee shop that offers beer and ice cream. Great environment to study. Open space and plenty of tables. P.s. mediumroast is the Wifi password. read more

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

Hands down my favorite cafe in riverside. Good coffee, good pastries, and interior decor that will make your mind race. A friendly place that values the arts and community. They host open mics every Monday and Wednesday; it's always the highlight of my week read more

This hole in the wall coffee shop left my friends and I in such shock. The front makes it seem like I you will be entering a small space. But that's not the case at all because instead we entered what looked like The Last Bookstore in LA. There were bookshelves that lined the walls and had hipster artwork hanging from all corners of the shop. This was near UC Riverside's campus and you can tell that many students come there to lounge/chill/study. This place had outdoor seating, a balcony, and a downstairs area where my friends and I witnessed a singer. This coffee shop has open mic nights and this gentleman performed for us. It was such an awe-inspiring performance because he also shared his story. The atmosphere and vibe was very relaxing and in so glad my friends and I went on a detour before we went to Palm Springs. read more

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

Place is super cute and chill. Black guy who works in the morning is super chill. Feel so comfortable here. Thanks, man. Coffee is good too and people are relaxed too. xx read more

Staff was rude af. I had a question about the menu and the person making. Drink was ignoring me then when I finally got his attention he made it seem as if he's to busy to talk then proceeded to point to menu. I left immediately. Will not be getting my business read more

Baristas are incredibly rude and disrespectful. Went inside to order a tea and coffee with a friend and you can feel the attitude as soon as you come through the door. He became impatient when we tried leaving a tip on the screen because it resulted in him having to do one extra step, so I entered 0.00 once he fixed it. My friend asked for light ice and another barista chimed in with the one taking our order to rudely tell us that their drinks don't have much ice anyway. I cancelled my order after that. I feel like this place could be improved if they got rid of all of their current employees :) read more

I work close, very, very close...I choose to walk to Molinos, or Augies or Coffee Court. Back to the Grind is a cool hang out spot but the coffee and food is just not good. I have been here about 5 times and every time I say to myself "I'll give them another chance!" and I instantly regret it. I've had hard as a rock cookies from the case, expired espresso shots and super sweet iced chai latte (among over things if you're counting). Sorry but no other chances from me. : ( read more

I have been somewhat settling for this place for a while and something of a decent place to get food and read. However, it is a shame we don't have a coffee shop in Riverside with competent staff. I was waiting in line to put in an order since the man at the register was busy, so the other man offered to start my order. My bag was digging into my shoulder, and the man at the register was still busy, so I went to put my bag at a table and returned to the line to pay. The man who made my sandwich asked me as I was standing there if I had talked to the man at the register, and I said I was waiting to. He then reminded me that I needed to pay. Why did he think I was standing there waiting to pay if I was not intending to? I had been a somewhat regular customer and had never failed to pay before. When I mentioned this to the man at the register, his tone could have not been more rude. Instead of telling me that no offense was meant tried to defend the other man's position. This is hardly a way to treat a fairly regular customer who or any honest person. I took the sandwich to go because I am an HONEST person and will never go in there again. read more

Wow, this place is amazing. The building is over 100 years old; I love the old school brick-walls, the decorations, the huge book shelves, the wooden floors, the old 80's arcade space invaders machine, the patio, the live music events they have, the couches to chill... Wow. The staff is super cool and friendly (and hipster in the good way), the coffee is good, locally grown. Maybe the only problem is that it's a bit pricey but hey, for this place i'm willing to spend the extra buck. Will definitely come back again, and again and again. read more

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Seriously, the best cappuccino I've ever had! Great and friendly service, free wifi, and nice quiet working space. Lots of room to spread out--I'm just in town visiting on a Friday morning--and the ambience is really nice. I love the decor, and the menu looks good. The coffee is amazing! It's really smooth and mild. I'm a fan of Bird Rock coffee and like it freshly roasted. I also am one of those people who can't drink coffee without sugar, but this is perfect just as it is! I am amazed! I'd definitely recommend this place and will be sure to return. read more

Back to the Grind - Very cool bookshelves for your reading pleasure! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Riverside, California

They were super rude for no reason at all. I asked a friend to order for me so I could start working on an assignment but I came up to ask for the wifi password and they asked me in the most condescending tone if i was a paying customer. Then they were really rude to my friends saying their drinks were ready but said the wrong name so we had no idea that it was their drinks. The prices were also very expensive for the type of service we received. Very disappointed and would not come back. read more

Bomb coffee and everything is fairly priced. Love coming in the morning when there is not a lot of people. Cool low key spot. Coffee and baked goods are 10/10. Would recommend. read more

Amazing little coffeehouse. Very community centric. Nothing too special about the food but is very worth the price and supporting a place that supports the community. read more

They serve a decent cup of coffee but not worth the attitude you get from the baristas. My class is down the street, i get out at 8, get to their shop arnd 8:25-30. They close at 9pm and had a show going on. They were stacking chairs up while the show was on and ppl sitting and drinking. We walk in and you can sense the attitude. Even heard the baristas say "fuck" under his breath. I can understand 10-5 mins before closing but a half hour?!? If you guys dnt like ur jobs, get a new one. Cool atmosphere, but get a coffee elsewhere. Wont be back again. read more

As a study place- awesome. The place must have been a bar long time ago but this place is a really cool place. I love the decor, the line of bookshelves full of books and odd trinkets, the high ceilings, the abundance of tables and chairs, how it's not too quiet but not loud at all and the temperature is just right. Cool enough to wear a sweatshirt but warm enough for a tank. I swear, it was perfect. Their coffee- is okay. I had a sip of my friend's iced coffee and it was kind of watery, but maybe that's because I like it really strong. I'm a fan because they have an outside seating area, a shit ton of tables and chairs, an upstairs seating area and a downstairs. There's a bunch of different kinds of people here and I love to look around. Today, I ordered a crossaint melt and a watermelon heaven smoothie with pineapple. The melt was okay. They probably costco'ed everything, but who cares, it was like 3 bucks and that's what starbucks and almost every other cafe does. The watermelon heaven smoothie was good. If you like a lot of flavor and you like something really sweet, try jamba juice instead. I personally liked mine because it wasn't too sweet. This place also hosts a lot of live bands and the like so I can't wait to come by here again when they have another cool event. It kind of reminds me of home in Berkeley with it's chill vibe but with way crappier coffee than berkeley does. But whatever, nothing competes with blue bottle, I suppose. As far as the whole "hipster" thing that everybody talks about- I don't see it, but maybe I went on a hipster free day. yay! read more

One of those weird places in downtown riverside you learn to appreciate so deeply in your heart. Came to open mic last night: TUESDAYS 7-9PM and let me tell you... To say it was awesome is an understatement... Everything from the vibe, atmosphere, people, and not to forget the coffee went perfectly together. I got a small back to the grind with dark chocolate instead of white chocolate. Not a huge mocha fan but wanted to try something new. It was pretty sweet just like my night but overall I was satisfied with the drink. I highly recommend you to come on Tuesdays by yourself or with good company because life is about coffee, people, and places :) Overall I'll be coming more often before I graduate... Which is quite soon. read more

The guys that work here are incredibly rude and have a huge "master of my domain" complex. They are curt to customers and terribly rude and ungrateful to the musicians that play here. I seriously have never had a worse experience than when I've dealt with these underachieving, hipster, poser, inferiority-complex-having lackeys. I don't know if it's because Riverside is a college town so these jokers think they're above the students that come in there but any kid from the community college is going farther in life than these cantankerous wannabes. Get over yourselves, losers. Don't take out your frustration from working a dead-end job at a dive, dirty bathroom, cash-only coffee shop on paying customers. Hang in there another 5 years and maybe you'll save up enough to move out of your mom's house. read more

i never leave reviews but wow. horrible service off the bat, even though we were excited to try this place out. came here to study on a wednesday around 5pm and we stood in the (empty) line, off to the side even, to look at the menu and see what we want. after a few minutes we're ready and go up to the register to order, a guy in a yellow brown hat was making drinks, seemed nice, another guy in all black w a hat running around then finally comes to the register and says "so are you finally ready" with an attitude like he didnt want to serve us. mind you ive worked in an environment like this, ive worked a customer service job, im literally a server, but the amount of disrespect and attitude was INSANE. i brush it off and ask kindly if they were still serving food, because obviously some places stop serving at a certain time, and we came around 5pm, so i just asked to make sure. this man continues to roll his eyes, sigh, and act miserable because i wanted to order food. said "i mean yea but they take a long time" with an attitude, i still brush it off and say oh its okay if its too much work i dont want to bother yall too much. rolls his eyes again and says its okay so i order a BLT and guess what. rolls his eyes and sighs again and says "well that one takes the longest to make". at this point im taken aback so i just say oh its okay then. but no he continues to say "we're really busy right now and the bacon takes 20 minutes but whatever alright BLT sandwich anything else". i CONTINUE BEING NICE. i say its okay dont rush take ur time whatever and i also wanted a coffee so i order it, he grabs the cup writes on it and SLAMS IT ON THE TABLE BEHIND HIM MAKING IT FALL. THEN PICKS IT UP TO SLAM IT BACK DOWN AGAIN. now im seriously confused as to what i did wrong to get on his bad side because i did not do anything to this man and was nothing but nice to him. he asked if i wanted whipped cream and i nicely said no its okay, he SHAKES HIS HEAD AND SIGHS??? then mumbles something under his breath as i answered him i was paying w card. and now looking at other reviews about his attitude im not even surprised im not the only one who experienced this guy with a stick up his ass. jasper and nicholas were their names and whoever was the one with the unbelievable rude attitude needs to get out. over here complaining about your own damn job, not wanting to make a damn sandwich for gods sake you're pathetic. god forbid anyone comes in this coffee shop to order a coffee and food w him because thats asking for too much for him to do apparently. absolute ridiculous. hope hes proud of the way hes treating customers and reading these in his free time because at that grown age?? its embarrassing. and not sure if we were targeted because we were asian or what but towards the caucasians and the hispanics he seemed completely fine with less attitude which is insane in an establishment like this. hope nothing but the worst for him honestly. coffee was decent but the interaction completely ruined it and would not come here even just to sit or study. read more

The barista never acknowledged me but served the white man in a ponytail right away. It was as if i didn't exist. Maybe it's because I don't look like a rich hipster. Too pretentious for me. I guess that's the vibe they're going for because the barista definitely matches the ambiance. read more

Let's start by say that the customer service here is amazing. The man behind the counter was making sure to let me though that although he was busy that he saw me. The food is very good and the "back to the grind" latte was amazing. Traditional coffee shop don't expect too much but what's here is good read more

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

Pretty cool and relaxing coffee shop in downtown riverside. The barista was cool. He made a hot and a cold latte correctly. The coolest part of the visit was probably the owner (we assume) to show us the basement floor of the coffee shop. It is covered to be an extra space to connect and charge. Good looks homie. Overall: Charged and chilled there for the next couple hours. 'Twas a good time. Price of the latte was avg. ~$4 for vanilla latte. Would return if I was in the area and needed to go to a coffee shop. read more