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    The Notebook Cafe

    3.8 (46 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    The Notebook Cafe Photos

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    THE NOTEBOOK CAFE ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - The Notebook Cafe

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    David F.

    Everything about this place is amazing from the moment you walk in, i usually get the dulce de leche late and the standard sandwich but i've tried about every latte and the rest of the food and it is all really good including the service it sucks that most of the bad reviews are about long waits during busy times and not the wait time from when you order to when you get your stuff -_- but other than that im happy to see most of the tik tok posts are positive reviews Message to the owners, i see another shop owner is not really happy you're around and they keep trying to bash your name but remember like Eazy E said "all publicity is good publicity"

    Miriam L.

    Cute new place, wanted to check it out. Really liked the vibe/decor, service was ok. I asked for recommendation and the barista suggested the Salted Vanilla Pistachio latte. $8 The drink was not good. It was maybe a 3/10. It didn't have a pistachio /vanilla flavor, the salt was overpowering the cold foam and the cold foam tasted just like regular heavy whipping cream. I was also expecting a cute aesthetic cup like shown all over there IG and i got a basic clear cup. Not a good first impression for sure. May try it again, but likely won't go out of my way. I hope you have a better experience.

    Stephanie G.

    Rich coffee! First off, who doesn't appreciate a cute locally owned coffee shop?! The ambiance is adorable...low lighting, intimate, darker colors, and just welcoming. The cashier was friendly and attentive. I believe they have only been open a week. Now for the coffee, it was absolutely strong and tasty and everything I like in a coffee. It's quickly going to become my favorite spot. I got the Iced Vanilla Latte w Half N Half, an extra shot of espresso, and Vanilla Cold Foam...and wow, talk about perfection! My husband got a Hot Americano w a pump of Vanilla and it was super hot just like he prefers. Overall, strong 5/5!! Try it out for yourself

    Decor inside
    Leilani M.

    New neighborhood coffee shop in the downtown area. Right across the street from the post office. Line does get long so plan ahead. Inside is quaint with high top table or seating along the wall. Also patio 3 tables on the sidewalk. Staff were welcoming and friendly, keeping up with T the rush of guests, espresso was great! Double shot over ice was refreshing on the hot day. Gave some pep to my step. Street parking only. There's a few limited parking spots right in front otherwise will need to pay at the meter. Parking garage a block away. Single restroom for customers. Would definitely return!

    Miguel G.

    Where do I begin. The flan dessert? The coffee? The ambiance? Or the personalities behind the counter? There's so much to unwrap in this brand new little coffee shop in the heart of Downtown Riverside. The decor is modern and was kept nice and clean. The owners John and Michael were so welcoming and made me feel like I was ordering as a friend rather than a customer. John gave me a solid recommendation for the Salted Vanilla Pistachio Latte. We also got to try the Banana Flan as well as the Ube flan which both had the best flan texture but my favorite was definitely Banana. The owners even came out to check up on us and asked how we were doing and wanted our genuine feedback which shows how passionate they are about growing their business and offering exceptional service. Just after today's visit I know I'll be coming back to try everything off their menu!

    Ghirardelli caramel latte
    Kariss A.

    This place absolutely nailed it. The açaí bowl was incredibly fresh and delicious -- you can really taste the quality of the ingredients, and everything felt perfectly balanced. Not overly sweet, just clean and refreshing. I also tried their Ghirardelli caramel coffee with salted caramel foam, and it was so good. The sweetness was just right, and the foam added a nice touch without being overpowering or too heavy, which I really appreciated. Overall, such a great experience from start to finish. Everything felt thoughtfully made, and I'll definitely be coming back!

    Ashley H.

    I was excited to try this place since I've been following their IG page for awhile. Yet, I was somewhat let down when I went for a latte during my lunch break today. It is small inside, but the decor is cute and fits the vibe they are going for. The barista that took my order was nice and nice enough to let me know they were backed up on drinks... That's where the disappointment set it. With staff trying to get caught up on ALOT of lattes, I ordered a match (less backed up). Maybe The Notebook Cafe is still trying to figure out a system that works or weren't prepared for heavy foot traffic.. but having to wait 45+ minutes for a drink is not okay. I'll wait for foot traffic to die down until I give this cafe another shot. Until then, if you want to try it yourself, be prepared to wait (depending on the day?).

    Bathroom vibes
    Hope N.

    Beautiful café with delicious drinks. The coffee was rich and flavorful, and the matcha was excellent as well. Unfortunately, the service left us feeling a little disappointed. While standing in line, a staff member in a white shirt and hat was handing out samples and completely skipped over my fiancée and me. Later, after we sat down waiting for our drinks, he came around with more samples and avoided us again. It may not have been intentional, but being overlooked twice while everyone else got one..definitely changed the energy of our visit. We had planned to stay and enjoy the café, but decided to leave after getting our drinks. We'd still come back because the drinks were great, but hopefully the customer experience feels a bit more welcoming next time...

    Genesis B.

    So I've seen all the hype. Not sure if it's worth it YET. They just opened the 13th and I came a week after. The cafe is on Main St, right in downtown. I arrived on a Saturday morning around 9am. The line was almost out the door. Inside, the cafe's aesthetic was like a study, contemporary, with dark colors. Or reminds me of a library. It can get crowded pretty quick, since it's a pretty narrow space. There is restroom down the hall, towards the back and there are two accents walls. At the front counter, there is a patty shelf with muffins and bread. The menu is on a paper sized display, with laminated menus as well. I saw they offered lattes, espresso, matcha, cold foam, and specialty drinks. There are two sizes, 16 and 20oz. For food, I saw just sandwiches (not breakfast), toast, and an açaí bowl. I decided to get the 16oz Ghirardelli Caramel latte with whole milk. I paid around $8 with some change. It takes a bit to receive, since there was lot of people. Luckily there was seating. Once I received it, I tasted it. I did taste the caramel but not much of the chocolate. Not very impressed YET, but I would come back.

    Korina R.

    I went during their soft open so I knew there was still going to be some hiccups but these weren't hiccups, they were real issues that hopefully have been fixed but I'll be waiting a couples of months until I go again. The man who took our order was super friendly loved him and then it all went downhill from there. We got one drink probably 5 mins after we ordered and then the second one came probably 25 mins after that... I received the first one and they said they would bring out our second one shortly so we waited, and waited, 10 mins went by and I went inside to see maybe they had it at the bar. They didn't, the man who took our order was like you haven't received your second drink? Let me see what's going on. Well he had a talk with his baristas and they were like oh we didn't know what you wrote so we didn't do it. Wild to me and to him but he told them what it was and went on with taking orders. I stood back a bit, another 5 mins went by and I believe the owner asked me if I was still waiting for anything, I told him I was for a while now, now he went back to the baristas to talk to them. He told me it would be out shortly. Another 5 mins went by and they have been calling out other orders left and right. And again no drink for me :/ the owner guy went back again and asked them again and his baristas finally said it was just getting the ice. I finally got my second drink, just a caramel latte... nothing fancy. By that the time my first drink was watered down and not great. Second drink was whatever. I was really looking forward to this spot opening since I work downtown. Maybe I'll give it another try in a couple months. One star for the man taking our order and another for the cookie we also ordered. That was good.

    Celeste C.

    Just went for the first time today and it was sooo good! The drinks are amazing! My husband got the brown sugar shaken espresso and I got the banana cream matcha. OBSESSED! The workers were very welcoming!

    White Peach Cloud
    Aileen R.

    The White Peach Cloud is 10/10. Also, their brown sugar shaken espresso was really good too. They have a variety of cold foams+flavors that are not very common. Be warned, they just opened and the line gets pretty long. Don't go if you're in a time crunch and be mindful of the baristas. Don't let the negative reviews about the wait time fool you into not going. Or, go when you have more time. Busy people might have to stay away until the buzz dies down.

    banana matcha and blueberry latte

    Got there around 9:30am for their grand-opening at 10am. I asked if I should form a line, but one of the workers said it wasn't necessary because we were first. Despite this, I still formed a line and a group of 3 still cut in front of us... There was no structure and no giveaways. I think they underestimated the turn-out. Once inside, our drinks took a while because of the lack of preparation. Also, the cups were filled to the brim with ice and the drinks lacked flavor. There's a lot to improve and I hope they take the time to address these issues.

    Raspberry Fuzz and Banana Cream Latte

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    22 days ago

    Helpful 1
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    22 days ago

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    18 days ago

    Helpful 2
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    21 days ago

    Helpful 7
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    21 days ago

    Helpful 0
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    19 days ago

    Helpful 8
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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - The Notebook Cafe

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    Back to the Grind

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    (757 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    I had a pleasant experience at Back to the Grind coffee shop as I was looking to get off the road…read moreto 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!

    SERVICE here is VERY BAD!…read more 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.

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    Inside
    Inside
    Back to the Grind
    Back to the Grind

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    Buenos Dias Cafe

    Buenos Dias Cafe

    4.1
    (253 reviews)
    0.7 mi
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    I found this place a few weeks ago and was impressed with coffee and the loaded breakfast burrito…read more I came back again today hoping that they could duplicate the quality and quantity of both. They did. Ordered the loaded burrito with sausage and bacon. It was in fact loaded. There was not a single bite that did not have sausage, bacon, crispy potato, cheese, avocado, AND sour cream. Wrapped all nice and pretty like a burrito present. You literally cannot go wrong with this breakfast burrito. The salsas are good. Green has a little kick to it in spice and tanginess. Red is really mild, almost like a pico. Ordered the Morenita with 2 added shots of espresso (yes, I'm a caffeine addict, lol!). It was delicious, the espresso was rich and flavorful. I have a feeling that every time I come here in the future, my order will stay exactly the same. Keep in mind, the food is made fresh to order, so you can wait for a minute especially if there is a few people already enjoying this place. The inside is a nice little set up, but I always enjoy sitting outside. Highly recommend this place.

    You're here for the review. Here it is…read more BOMB. Everything on the menu is delicious. I've tried just about every food item, and today went with the sausage burrito. Thick, meaty, eggy, cheesy goodness. Today I was lucky to receive both the green and red salsas. Which is better? Naw, it doesn't work like that. They each have their own flavors and hit differently with each bite. Not enough kick for y'all, but for me it was perfect (lightweight). For coffee, I went with El Chino, which is their version of a Vietnamese Coffee. Without stirring, you're going to get that moment you're looking for. After a good stir, you're sipping on a creamy, but strong coffee. Perfect for those who need a quick boost. The girls here always take care of you, answers your questions and provide the best service. If you're not a fan of lines, set your alarm to come a little earlier than your normal coffee run (pre-9am). Either way, come here and try it yourself, you won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Absolutely love the murals
    Absolutely love the murals
    They also have a cute little section to buy from. I bought some shot glasses & a heart mug. Pricing on those are pretty reasonable as well.
    They also have a cute little section to buy from. I bought some shot glasses & a heart mug. Pricing on those are pretty reasonable as well.
    Dulce de leche latte

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    Dulce de leche latte
    Qamaria Yemeni Coffee

    Qamaria Yemeni Coffee

    4.8
    (389 reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$

    This used to be a spot I'd come to if I was in the area, but now it is the destination! Everything…read moreon the menu is delicious. I struggle to ever choose just one dessert, so we usually get a few and share. The management really makes us feel taken care of, no matter how busy it is. Try the honeycomb sweet bread, it's perfect morning, noon, and night.

    Overall: a cute place and concept( pretty expensive and hot or miss food…read more ---- My number one gripe is that there were no prices on any of their items in their display case for food and desserts. How are people supposed to know how much things cost? If here is enough room to have the name of the product on it, it's not hard to put the number of dollars it costs right there next to it. I hateeeee when coffee shops do this! The coffee was an iced pistachio latte for $8.50, and various food items that we had no idea the totals until charged for the bill, I don't remember the exact number but I was kind of shocked at the total price of everything which I think was high $30s-40s? The interior was super cute with their red chairs and their story concept on the walls. The seats were comfortable and it was pretty crowded in the coffee shop with students and people working on their laptops. The food wasn't that good. For the prices we paid I kind of expected more, especially from that chicken roll item. The chicken was very dry and the flavors were lacking. It tasted like something you can get frozen from the stores that you just microwave or air fry.I enjoyed the cheesecake, but I didn't really like the pistachio milk cake, it tasted Joe they just mixed their milk solution with pistachio pudding powder (based off of the to bright/unnatural green color of it) and didn't flavor it with any real pistachio nuts. I enjoyed the coffee as well however I feel that the prices of everything was expensive especially when we didn't even know the prices of 3/4 of the things we purchased. I understand that we can ask how much each thing cost but how annoying would it be to ask about every single one. It would be very annoying and such a hassle for the cashier too. On the plus side parking is easy bc it shares it in a pretty big plaza. Another upside is that it's close to a ton of good food options in that area as well. ---- Overall: I wouldn't be back, expensive, don't know the price of their food bc none of it is listed out, and the food is hit or miss, interior decor is very cute tho

    Photos
    Pistachio Latte
    Pistachio Latte
    Outdoor seating!
    Outdoor seating!
    Inside Seating Area

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    Inside Seating Area

    The Notebook Cafe - cafes - Updated July 2026

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