It is like a hidden treasure in Riverside. Riverside isn't known for their cute or great restaurants, but I am proud to say that we have Backstreet! On a nice summer day, it is so relaxing to just sit in the back patio and enjoy a great sandwich. I love the fact that all there foods seem so fresh and homemade. When you order a sandwich, you also get to help yourself to their mini salad bar. Their potato salad and pasta salads are yuuuummmy. The only CON I can find is that their hours are so limited. I always have to check online before making a trip there. read more

Best sandwiches in old Riverside. Parking is tough so you better get there early for lunch. Try the french dip. Great roast beef, though I prefer they not dip the bread before they stack it. Offer pasta salad and lots of garnishments to go with your plate. Great place. read more

Love this cute little restaurant. It can get pricey when I go because I have to order for my entire family. They also can't go without ordering the banana & chocolate pies. Baked beans and potato salad is to die for. read more

I don't have a grandma but if I did I imagine this is what a sandwich made with love would taste like. Ambiance - you can't fake it, you can't force it, you can only feel it. I'm talking hand made sandwiches as you order, only-have-to-be-open 11am-3pm weekdays, water fountain feature, mature plants and succulents, and the cherry in my book semi-eco friendly. My personal favorite is roast beef on sheepherders bread with baked beans and of course pasta from the mini-salad bar. If you're feeling self-indulgent go ahead and get the banana cream pie hate yourself another day. *You're paying for atmosphere, service, and everything chain restaurants are lacking it's worth it. read more

This place is an amazing hidden gem in Riverside. The layout is gorgeous and is very comfortable eating outside in warm weather due to the shading and the misters. The service is really great and friendly and the food is delicious. We had the pastrami and corn beef on rye and the fixings to go with. I'll definitely be back. I initially saw this place advertised on Burrow Bites on KTLA 5 news a couple years ago so the hype was worth the wait. read more

Backstreet - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

Atmosphere: Is it a nice warm Southern California day? Do you want to sit outside and eat a sandwich in the garden next to a fountain? This could be the place for you. This family owned business is casual and comfortable. It is only open on Monday - Friday for lunch, and they close the restaurant during the early part of the year (January) each year to go on family vacation. Now, there is very limited indoor seating, so if it is raining, it isn't nearly as nice. But, it never rains in Southern California, right? Parking is a bit of a challenge - many people park in adjacent parking lots which are for other businesses. The other businesses frown upon this. Service: The restaurant is a cafeteria-like place. You wait in line, order, and your sandwich is made right before you while you wait. The salad bar is self service, and you seat yourself at a table. Better get that plate off the tray quickly though - the staff will be around to take your tray, provide a straw if you are like me and forget to get one with your drink, and box up your meal at the end. Despite the cafeteria style, the service is usually excellent. I have been here frequently, and I can only think of a very few instances where we needed to find someone who wasn't readily available. Food: Hear me out. At any other restaurant, I would never order what I do here. I am not crazy about roast beef sandwiches - I prefer roasted chicken. I loathe mayonnaise - if I can't use oil and vinegar, I eat my sandwiches dry. I don't even put butter on my pancakes or waffles - so I certainly do not put it on my sandwiches. If I were to read a review like this about a sandwich that was simply squaw bread, roast beef, au jus, cheese, mayo and butter, I would not be interested. But, I promise you, it is amazing. If you don't believe me, go with someone else, let them order the real deal, and take a bite of their sandwich. I always order roast beef on squaw and let them put both butter and mayonnaise on my sandwiches now. It sounds disgusting, I know. I would never order this anywhere else. But, it tastes fabulous. The menu is limited, and if you are vegetarian, this is probably not the best place for you. The sandwiches are expensive - for sandwich + drink, you will pay $12 for lunch. Nevertheless, this is always a top choice for me for lunch. I will drive out of my way to eat here. read more

small hidden place.. Great food, big portions, friendly staff. would def recommend. Was very busy, long line, but goes fast. read more

Backstreet - Turkey sandwich.. Comes with all u can eat salad bar. - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

They have the best turkey here! It like melts in your mouth. I came here yesterday and ordered the turkey sandwich and added cranberry sauce to it :p yea, it totally satisfied my craving lol I love the atmosphere and the food. I definitely recommend this place. The only downside is that it is kind of pricey :/ read more

Don't come here!!!!....said nobody ever.... Top notch friendly service....grade A++++ food.... A little on the $$ side and not too much seating areas so get here early for lunch!..... I give it a 5 star based on the food quality- freshness, ambiance, and friendliness of the employees. read more

Backstreet - Pastrami on French roll with potatoe salada - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

Great food and great service. Well known in riverside auto center for being amazing. I've been a dozen times. Super consistent, moves fast nice employees. I wish there was a place like this near my house. Banana cream pie is off the hook. Turkey sandwich on squaw is my go to. Only draw back is the parking. read more

I've been coming here for lunch for the past 7 years. I can always count on quick service - you line up to order but the line moves pretty quickly. I believe this place has been owned and operated by the same family for a very long time and has a loyal following - including me. The guy who makes the sandwiches is a grump. You gotta know what you want to order before you get to him. The ladies are super sweet. I do admit the sandwiches are a little bit expensive. What I do is get the vegie plate for $3 and get the banana cream pie. You get all the fixin' but the sandwich, which isn't all the great anyways. But the patio is quaint and relaxing. read more

owner is really sweet! their pies are so AWESOME love to be back with my friends & fam for quick lunch stop read more

Backstreet - Ham on Squaw bread - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

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This place is a great place with a very homey feel! From the second I came with my fiancé I loved it. The staff was very friendly and professional and went out of their way to serve us. When we first arrived we sat outside on a colder day. One of the servers noticed we looked a little cold and took us to a building next door with a fire place! The same server even brought us out a piece of Banana creme pie for free! This is a great place to relax and eat some lunch anyday! read more

Backstreet - Fireplace - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

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Every time I'm in town, I make sure to go to Backstreet even in spite of their limited hours of service. The food is generous and delicious, and the staff is simply wonderful. Be sure to try the potato salad and the veggies from the side bar- so many choices to choose from. Their desserts are to die for as well (and they're homemade!!!) I also love the environment- it's like you're in Europe and they're actually encouraging you to eat outside. read more

I don't really know how to explain it, but I love the turkey sandwich. Squaw bread, butter, mayo, turkey, paprika. It's a magical kind of simplicity. And the turkey is roasted there on site, so technically yeah, you could make it yourself, but where can you find fresh sliced on-site cooked deli meat? The sides are uninspired, but who cares? Go for the fresh ingredients and the homemade desserts. If you're looking a froo-froo (sp?) sandwich, go to Simple Simon's. Not that I dislike them, I actually like them a lot, but the appeal is different. read more

I dream of the Turkey Sandwich on Squaw Bread. They ask if you want butter on your sandwich, which I just don't think sounds right so I always decline. You can eat whatever you want off of the salad bar and choose a side (I always get the Baked Beans), and I have always been a happy camper. It is a very, very popular lunch spot in Riverside and a little pricey but their homemade pies are worth it. It is a charming old house with mostly outdoor garden seating and everyone is always friendly. read more

Backstreet has been my favorite sandwich shop for about 35 years. Their food is excellent and the service is wonderful. They treat you like you're part of their family. read more

Well, the setting itself is idyllic, really couldn't be much nicer, outside, plenty of shade misters, brick floor, nice fountain. The food - sandwich is essentially a big pile of overly dry tasteless meat with zero dressing. I guess there may have been a smidgen of mayo, but with 2" of meat it was undetectable. I had to request mustard. A pastrami sandwich with no mustard!!!?? I mean seriously! Bread was a match for the meat - dry and tasteless. Supposedly it was sourdough. Potato salad was pretty good, well above average. The pickle from the "salad bar" looked decent enough, unfortunately it tasted like someone spilled a salt shaker in the pickle bin. Service was attentive and mustard was brought immediately. Avoids single star only due to the setting and service. read more

I am giving a 3 star and that is me being extremely generous but how could I not in this lovely garden setting. I shared a pastrami sandwich with Cole slaw with my husband. If you think of the basic sandwich flavor that's what you get here. Great spot but not for me read more

Backstreet - Garden seating - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

I've been coming to this spot for a few years now it seems so most of the faces are fairly familiar but never wrote a review until tonight. I enjoy the pastrami sandwich on sourdough or rye depending what sounds better. I raid the little salad bar behind me and usually almost always have to take my food to go. The times I do get to sit there it is quite enjoyable. The sit down area is pretty much like a hidden garden of sorts. Little fountains and knickknacks. Usually cooler air than the surrounding heat that is Riverside. As far the as sandwich goes it is good, not the best in the world but far from the worst. I believe the hype of the place is from the simple nature and not being overwhelmed by flashing lights or TVS and loud shiny things but an escape from that. I suppose I am willing to pay just a bit more for that considering the moment I step out my lunch is over and the chaos starts again. I will say this most of the time I do feel like I'm the only one in my age group there but oh well. read more

This is a hidden gem! Great hospitality and the best comfort food. Feels like your home for grandmas homemade lunch! Amazing potato salad, sandwiches and baked beans, and the banana cream pie is to die for! read more

Good food, good service, and provide great outdoor setting to enjoy lunch and meeting with friends. The sandwiches are delicious. Condiments are tasty, provide great selections, unique, and clean. Every must try their banana cream pie, as I find their banana cream pie very scrumptious. read more

Food: Got a pastrami sandwich with potato salad and a slice of banana cream pie to go. The total came out to $15ish (10+ for the sandwich and side and 4+ for the banana cream pie). I thought it was a bit much until I got home and opened my to go box. The sandwich looked ordinary but the amount of pastrami given was actually quite generous. I liked that the pastrami was thin sliced. I didn't like the potato salad I got. It wasn't the normal tangy that I don't like. It was sour. No bueno. I should have gotten baked beans which everyone else was getting. just an FYI, they're not vegetarian. Lastly, onto the banana cream pie. $4+ seems a bit much until you take into account the amount they give you. It was probably about 1/5 of the whole pie. The crust and cream were good but the bananas were super brown. No bueno. Service: I'd never been there before and when I asked for a recommendation, the guy taking my order looked flustered. Shouldn't the person taking my order know what to reccommend? The girls at the cash register were nice though. Verdict:: Its a nice place for lunch date. There's tons of plants. The parking is not good. There's not much of it in front of the restaurant so you'll likely have to park on the street. In the end, the price for food despite the generous portions is what steers me away. I might come back to try the corned beef though. read more

Everytime I'm in Riverside I always think the food options will be so so, but I always seem to have someone recommend a hole in the wall somewhere that impresses me. This was yet another example of this. If you like delis and gardens, this is a home run. I actually had a hard time finding this place at first, as it's on a side street and easy to miss if you're driving by. But it's worth the hunt. The little building looks like a tiny home at first with a garden next to it. You walk in and it is TINY! Basically just a counter and two tables. The menu reminds me of a Deli. Mostly fresh made sandwiches piled high with meat. Everything appears to be a la carte, with side dishes like cole slaw, potato salad, etc available. Even homemade pies. It doesn't look like any deli I'm been in, but I trusted the Yelp reviews and went with the Pastrami. Good call. This is basically like a poor man's version on Langer's or Canter's in Riverside, but housed in a cottage. The prices are comparable a well. Be prepared to spend about $12-15 for your sandwich. The outside seating is the calling card here. You are eating while sitting inside a outside garden with fountains, trellises, ivy, flowers, trees, etc. Outstanding setting. read more

Thar be bees in that fountain! Seriously, it freaked me out about halfway through lunch to glance up at the fountain (which we were adjacent to my table) and see a whole herd of bees congregating. And no one was batting an eye but me. I'd been hearing about Backstreet for years, but rarely have a weekday free for lunch where I can head out to the Brockton Arcade area to try it out. So on Cesar Chavez Day this year, I knew exactly where I'd be having lunch. I ordered tuna, and my husband ordered a meat. We had a strawberry tart for dessert, and, of course, sat on the patio. We really enjoyed looking around the place. I say this with much reverence for Tio's, but it reminded us of Tio's if Tio's wasn't made of refuse. Basically: a lovely eye-candy of a patio. But then I spotted the bees and practically lost my appetite. I say practically, because I still had the strawberry tart afterward. How could I not? And did I really want the bees to notice it? It was like I had an obligation to eat it. For me, the tuna wasn't the way I most prefer it. It was fine, but "wetter" than I like, and I am really hoping that makes sense. The strawberry tart was fine -- I think we compared it to the down-home style of Philippes in LA. All in all, I was glad to finally make it. It was a place with atmosphere, which is so hard to come by in Riverside dining. But for my taste, the sandwich was only so-so. And: bees. So, Yelpers: what should I order next Cesar Chavez Day? read more

Partner had not come here since high school and he is now 48 so we thought we would give it a try. Now I was really excited because all of the reviews and it's super cute. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it was just ok. Had a half Pastrami and I was really disappointed. The meat was fatty and pretty flavorless. Mustard is supposed to enhance the pastrami not over take it. The bread was good. The potato salad good as well as the fresh pickles and pasta salad. Partner had turkey sandwich and he also was disappointed with the flavor of the meat. We also split a piece of banana cream pie at the recommendation and just have to say it was ok! Nothing to write home about. Now the ambiance was very nice the service I would say really good but I don't think I would come here again. I'd rather go to Alicia's in La Habra. Same style of food but amazing flavor. read more

This place is a riverside gem. Very good sandwiches and great sides. for the people who rated this less because it does not offer enough vegetarian choices. well all I can say is, then don't go to a sandwich shop, or better yet eat meat (nah just joshing). the place is great to sit out and enjoy lunch even when it is really hot because they turn the misters on. On the cons, it is a bit pricey for what it is, they need to come way down on the price. Go to Phood on main for better food, wider choice, great atmosphere and great food. the pros are they must put crack onth eturkey sandwich because you yearn for it later! this is a gem of riverside that only a select few know about, it is so god they are not even open all year round, and only do lunch for most of the year and dinner during the summer. read more

I was getting my Thai massage across the street and my bf looked over and saw this place. He said I saw that in tv! We went to just check it out. The manager had awesome customer service and everyone else. The environment was very natural with plants and music. And the sandwich and salad were amazing! And the manager got us free banana cream pie for being first time here. Im definitely coming and having double dates here lol read more

Backstreet - Our free banana cream pie so good! - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

We think Backstreet is the BEST for a quiet atmosphere and delicious lunch! The patio is full of lush greenery that makes for a relaxing afternoon. The food is terrific! Try the turkey and avocado on their yummy whole-grain bread! It comes with baked beans, chips or potato salad as well as a visit to the little salad bar. The pasta salad at the salad bar is quite tasty! Be sure to save room for the banana cream pie . . . it's is pure heaven! The ambiance and service are equally impressive. If you've never been to Backstreet, make it a point to stop by . . . you're in for a real treat! :) read more

One of my favorite lunch spots when my coworkers and I go out! The menu is simple but they keep everything fresh and delicious. My go to order is the house special which is pastrami and roast beef with cheese. They don't skimp out on the meat. The sandwich comes with a side and the salad bar is included. Service is friendly and efficient. They are only open during lunch on the weekdays though. read more

I love this place. It's a little pricey but worth it. The sandwiches are delicious and they don't skimp on the meat. They have a veggie bar which is great!! The outside seating area is small but cozy!! Enjoy... read more

Amazing food with friendly staff. Very cute and cozy with inside and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is covered with trees and misters so you don't have to worry about having the sun beat down on you. It's too bad the hours are so minimal. I had the pastrami sandwich and potato salad with pink lemonade and it was perfect! I can't wait to go back. read more

Backstreet - Pastrami sand which on Italian bread with pasta and potato salad. Yum! - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

Really cool concept, awesome atmosphere, good service, on the pricey side, OK food. I've been here twice now so that means something. In my first visit I was so mesmerized by the uniqueness of the place I would have given it a 4 star rating, but unfortunately my second visit was not as good. The second visit was....COLD. Unfortunately this spot has a really small inside with only 3 or 4 tables with the rest of the seating outside on a tree covered patio. Me and my wife nearly froze to death as we scarfed down our sandwiches. As for the taste they were mediocre... a ton of meat with two slices of dry bread. Tips: I would recommend the french dip. And be assured that the line moves relatively fast during rush hour. read more

Too expensive for the simplest sandwich you will ever have. Plus, one of the older gentleman making my sandwich was very rude. Save your money! read more

Best kept secret! I would recommend... Lunch special on squaw. Load up on the amazing pasta salad and pickles! Lunch rush is a little caos but worth the wait! Hope this helps! read more

My favorite sandwich shop in Riverside. Beautiful outside seating and great food. I always get the Turkey on squaw with cheese and potato salad. The salad bar is filled with fresh veggies and pasta salad. Don't forget to add the cranberry sauce to your turkey sandwich. Amazing!! read more

Backstreet - Turkey with cheese on squaw with added cranberry sauce. - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

We had dinner here. Our 1st time there, however might not be our last. Very lay again atmosphere with the dining area in a included patio with misters maintaining the vicinity cool. We have been there on a Friday night. The pastrami sandwich I had was loaded with meat with a small salad bar available. The owners mingled with the visitor all nighttime at the same time as the team of workers was constantly on foot round refilling drinks. Will absolutely be returning for any other incredible sandwich! read more

Best sandwich money can buy. Great service and very friendly staff. I consider this a bucket list sandwich if you have never had one. read more

Backstreet - Yummmmmy - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

Amazing food. Amazing service!!! You gotta get the sqaw bread And a slice of the banana cream is a must!!! Only open 11-3 so get in line asap! Veggie bar and atmosphere is deliciously beautiful!!!! Can't wait to go back here!!! read more

Backstreet - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California

Food people amazing from the owner to the sandwich-maker to the cashier to the server's good people and then the surroundings awseom can't wait to come back read more

Backstreet - Sandwiches Near Me - Riverside, California