Coffee & Tea
Local Favorite

Back To The Grind

Closed · 8 AM-9 PM ★ 4.50 (1413) Updated October 2026 Riverside, CA

About Back To The Grind in Riverside

Back To The Grind is a hip, airy coffee shop and tea destination at 3575 University Ave in Riverside, California. It offers a welcoming setting for enjoying great coffee, a broad tea selection, sandwiches, vegan food, comfort food, healthy options, small plates, quick bites, and desserts.

Whether you are stopping in for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dessert, the menu provides options for a relaxed meal, a quick visit, or solo dining. With comfortable seating and a casual, cozy, historic, and trendy atmosphere, it is also a good place to work on a laptop.

More than a place to grab a drink, Back To The Grind brings together food, coffee, and community experiences. Guests can enjoy live music, live performances, concerts, art shows, and open mic nights, while the on-site bar adds another option to the experience with beer and alcohol available.

Outdoor seating, table service, Wi-Fi, a restroom, gender-neutral toilets, and fast service make visits convenient for a wide range of occasions. Customers can choose dine-in, takeaway, delivery, or on-site services, and reservations are accepted for those who prefer to plan ahead.

Accessibility is an important part of the visit, with a wheelchair-accessible entrance, wheelchair-accessible seating, a wheelchair-accessible toilet, and a wheelchair-accessible car park. Back To The Grind accepts debit cards, credit cards, and NFC mobile payments.

Rated 4.50 out of 5 based on 1,413 customer reviews, it is a popular choice for coffee, tea, meals, desserts, and live local experiences. To learn more or plan your visit, call +1 951-784-0800 or stop by 3575 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92501, United States.

★★★★★ 4.50 rating (1413 reviews)
Back To The Grind in Riverside
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Independent Reviews
Back To The Grind interior

More Than Just Coffee

Every cup we serve is a small moment of joy, carefully crafted by passionate baristas who care about your experience.

  • Free WiFi
  • Cozy Seating
  • Pet Friendly
  • Local Roasters

Reviews

From our beloved regulars

Eileen Rodriguez

Eileen Rodriguez

8 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It’s a cute little cozy coffee bar, order Hazeltine oat latte. Was good not the best but very chill and easy parking. Good place for a quick grab and go in the mornings.

Rachel

Rachel

4 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Found my every Sunday spot. I used to come here yrs ago but I’d have my toddlers so I’d order and leave. Now those same toddlers are adults and we started coming again recently. The vibe is absolutely everything. Love the young very pretty black girl who works there. Next level kindness and energy. Big ups to the entire crew. Thx for giving ppl a loving and calm environment in this crazy world.

Jennifer Velez

Jennifer Velez

year ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thanks Backtothegrind 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! 🖤

Christina G

Christina G

8 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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.

Jason

Jason

9 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

This place has a vibe that is hard to match, a vibe and aesthetic that truly inspires. Classic for writers and artist. The owners got it right, and I'm glad they've been open for so long. The crowd is generally chill, and friendly if interaction takes place. The atmosphere doesn't take all the heavy lifting. The food and drink options tie a nice bow around the perfectly wrapped gift. Sandwiches are made to order, and the pastries taste fresh and satisfying. I don't know if they're homemade or outsourced, either way, they chose quality. The two primary men there always seem to be hustling. Treat them with human kindness, and they'll take care of you.

Deanna Leiann tm

Deanna Leiann tm

7 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The atmosphere is great just like the rainbow 🌈 around my head Great coffee prices $5.50 for a tall latte Come see the place.

SbabyB

SbabyB

2 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

I’ll always love BTTG. It was my favorite spot to hang as a teen and all these years later I still haven’t found a better coffee shop. I always stop here when visiting Riv <3

Angel OP

Angel OP

4 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Such a cool spot, so much was going on. Went one day and a cheese meetup was going on and the next time it was live music. People were there on a date, studying, playing board games, you name it the social activity was going on.

J. Anthony

J. Anthony

3 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Great coffee, great atmosphere, and excellent service. Dog friendly inside and out, with seating out front and in back. Good cost effective bites as well. Highly recommend.

L Seven

L Seven

4 months ago
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Today was my first visit to Back on the Grind and I am smitten!! I popped in to have a bite to eat not knowing what to expect. Very nice surprise! Walking in I was captured by the sweet Smith jazz playing and the decor. The rows of book shelves filled with books (which you can check out, as long as you bring one), and nostalgic items. The art works, the many tables. I even liked the way the bathroom does are designed. Lol. To me this is a place I could spend hours in listening to the music and reading or just looking at all the book shelves. I should have gotten names, but alas it will have to happen at a later time. The young lady who took my order was very nice and informative. Oh yeah, I ordered an Iced white chocolate mocha and a bagel with cream cheese. Nice and simple. If you venture inside, I promise you will not be disappointed! I'm so glad I was guided here. I can't wait to return to this book lovers, art lovers, music lovers, and coffee lovers den.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Back To The Grind

Business Features

Highlights & Amenities

Accessibility

  • Wheelchair-accessible entrance
  • Wheelchair-accessible seating
  • Wheelchair-accessible toilet
  • Wheelchair-accessible car park

From the business

  • Identifies as Black-owned
  • Identifies as LGBTQ+ owned
  • Small Business

Service options

  • Outdoor seating
  • On-site services
  • Takeaway
  • Dine-in
  • Delivery

Highlights

  • Fast service
  • Great coffee
  • Great dessert
  • Great tea selection
  • Live music
  • Live performances
  • Serves local specialty

Popular for

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Solo dining
  • Good for working on laptop

Offerings

  • Alcohol
  • Beer
  • Coffee
  • Comfort food
  • Healthy options
  • Quick bite
  • Small plates
  • Vegan options
  • Vegetarian options
  • Wine

Dining options

  • Breakfast
  • Brunch
  • Lunch
  • Dessert
  • Seating
  • Table service

Amenities

  • Bar on site
  • Gender-neutral toilets
  • Restroom
  • Wi-Fi

Atmosphere

  • Casual
  • Cozy
  • Historic
  • Trendy

Crowd

  • Family friendly
  • Groups
  • LGBTQ+ friendly
  • Tourists
  • Transgender safe space
  • University students

Planning

  • Accepts reservations

Payments

  • Debit cards
  • NFC mobile payments
  • Credit cards

Children

  • Good for kids

Parking

  • Free parking lot
  • Free street parking
  • Paid parking garage
  • Paid parking lot
  • Paid street parking

Pets

  • Dogs allowed
  • Dogs allowed outside

Come Say Hi

We'd love to see you! Stop by for your favorite drink or to try something new.

Location

3575 University Ave, Riverside, CA 92501, United States

Hours

Closed · Thursday 8 AM-9 PM
Tuesday 8 AM-9 PM
Wednesday 8 AM-9 PM
Thursday 8 AM-9 PM
Friday 8 AM-9 PM
Saturday 9 AM-9 PM
Sunday 9 AM-5 PM
Monday 8 AM-9 PM
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Questions about catering, private events, or just want to say hello?

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