Cancel

Open app

Search

Back to the Grind

3.7 (766 reviews)
Open • 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 2 months ago

Back to the Grind Photos

Business Info

BACK TO THE GRIND ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Casual
DJ
Live music

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Back to the Grind

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Food items
Leilani M.

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.

Kindergarten special with protein
Jordan S.

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.

Vanessa C.

The atmosphere was quite pleasant, however the theme is kinda confusing. The service was basic, very straight forward not a lot of conversation. The food was meh.

A Very Rude, Dismissive and Unprofessional Staff
Sharon M.

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.

Close up of hot vegan food items
Tamara E.

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.

Inside
Johnny G.

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

Club Vamp:Love Bites
Nisha M.

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.

Head
Ken H.

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.

Amazing ginger and lemon juice shot!!!! Made fresh by Ilana So healthy and refreshing

Yummy ginger lemon juice shot at the Grind!!!!!!' So healthy and delicious Thank you Ilana

OC Stay Dry Roofing O.

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

Coffee place
Tiffany P.

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.

See all

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Gel G.
0
23
4

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Oliver M.
151
37
23

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Michele C.
129
17
14

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0
Photo of Jas S.
271
225
1067

2 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Dan B.
10
30
2

1 year ago

The best vibe of any coffee shop in Riverside. Great drinks, cool regulars, a great hang.

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

9 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Vada S.
0
27
22

1 year ago

Business owner information

Photo of Timmy W.

Timmy W.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of JR L.
647
171
120

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 2 of 20

Ask the Community - Back to the Grind

Is it still cash only?

Hello! No we are not cash only but there is a 4% charge for all card transactions

Do you guys still have open mics for poetry or just music and comedy now?

Hello! Our repo nights, aka our poetry nights, are on Mondays now! At 6:30

Is there places to charge laptops?

Yes

Is smoking permitted in the back patio?

Yes

Do they have pool tables? I tried searching for "pool billiards" and this was the first recommendation but I don't see any pool tables in their pictures..

No, they do not have pool tables. Mainly table sitting throughout the coffee shop.

What nights are open mic nights?

Mondays

Do they have dine-in at the moment?

No one in Riverside County is approved for dine-in at this time.

Is Back to the Grind gay friendly?

It's definitely gay friendly!

Does Back to the Grind host Open Mic Nights?

They do! And if you go on their Facebook page or go in person they have a monthly calendar that tells you their events. I believe the open mics are Monday's from 9-11pm (poetry, music and open mic night). RUPO (Riverside Underground Performance… 

View All 10 Questions

Review Highlights - Back to the Grind

“Yeah, sometimes there's homeless crazies that come in, but mind you, we're in downtown Riverside.”

Mentioned in 39 reviews

Read more highlights

You might also consider

Heroes - Turkey Sandwich and Curly Fries

Heroes

3.6(2.6k reviews)
0.2 mi
•$$

Oh my gosh! FABULOUS!! If you are hungry, they will take good care of you. Huge portions of…read moredelicious food odd what you get here!!! Huge menu of unique items. The hardest decision is "what do I order??" After that, be prepared to be fed and your taste buds on overload. I ordered the Shrimp salad. Freaking amazing!!! I never order salads at a restaurant. But it looked so good, I had to. It was huge and now I have lunch for tomorrow. My got a super spicy Jamari burger. He says it was amazing. He had leftovers for tomorrow too. The side salad he had was a meal in itself. The vibe here is great. Looks like an old salon or something. Very cool!! Has outdoor and indoor seating. We will be back!

I've been coming to Heroes since they opened many years ago. The food is really good, once they…read moreactually get your order right. On the majority of occasions, at least one person at our table has received the wrong order, or food not prepared as requested. Today, I ordered the pulled pork sandwich lunch special but received the pulled chicken sandwich. Both of my friends had asked for extra dressing, which they did not get at first. Two servers brought the food for our party of three, and both kept asking if we were a party of four because they thought that someone else at our table must have ordered the pulled chicken. Neither was the server that originally took our order. Luckily, everything was corrected fairly quickly. I think the problem is that Heroes has this policy that "every server is your server", but I think that often just causes chaos and confusion and wastes a lot of staff time and energy making sure the orders and the checks are right. Sometimes that policy translates to "nobody is your server" when you ask for something that you never get. Overall, the food is good, the drinks are huge, and the atmosphere is fun. I should mention that the servers are usually friendly and upbeat, but the service model they have to work under is just crazy.

Photos
Heroes - Great times!

Great times!

Heroes
Heroes - Mimosa

See all

Mimosa

Back to the Grind - coffee - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...