The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Good place for all your coffee and tea needs, the fact that they use powders instead of syrups makes the coffee taste better…

I love love my riverside mission inn coffee bean and tea leaf. Thank you to all of wonderful baristas that set my day off right. Beth, Sean, Jack, jay, Joe, Sarah pretty much everyone

I’m always on a hunt for the perfect study spot! So my thoughts on the place:
PROS:
–lots of windows for natural lighting!
–good amount of indoor seating
–decent amount of outlets
–free wifi
–decent sized tables
–big patio with a lot of outdoor seating
–great customer service
–clean bathrooms
–free parking after 5pm (Mon-​Fri)
–otherwise, $ 1/​hr
CONS:
–drinks are alright (but I’ve only had a few)
–pricey (similar to Starbucks)
There was a special promotion for $ 2 spring drinks. I ordered a ice blended blood orange sweet tea. It tasted extremely bland and watered down. I asked the cashier if I could get more blood orange in my drink. I expected them to just add more syrup into my cup, but instead they just made me a new drink with extra blood orange. It tasted much better!!! (Still wouldn’t order it again, but it’s not bad)
The workers were all very friendly and nice. I just don’t absolutely love the place because I haven’t found a drink I love yet. But bottom line, it’s a good place to go study at!

I actually love this place but today the employee Sarah was having a bad day. I have been getting my drink the same way for over a year. she had a major attitude when I questioned her about it. she acted like I was trying to cheat her by asking for a dry Americano with non dairy creamer hahaha. she decided to throw a bottle of chocolate against the wall. so sad CBTL. maybe I’ll stick to Redlands

I’ve been coming here for years and I thought I established a good rapport with the baristas. I obviously thought wrong because when I called today at 820am and spoke with some guy name Joe (I think) he was very unfriendly and did not know how to greet a customer. I simply asked if I could place a phone order as I’ve don’t numerous times in the past 3 years and he replied with ‚“sorry we have a line” and the rude ass hung up. So I decided to drive by and there were roughly 3 to 4 people in line. He clearly couldn’t multi task but than again it may be a new policy set in place by CBTL or Beth. i won’t know the actual answer to this because he didn’t take the time to explain this to me. Oh wait he was extremely busy with his 3 customers. I will not be coming here’re again.

Ok place. Typical coffee shop. Hippie baristas and fussy customers. Huge outdoor seating area. Was in and out fairly quick.

After patronizing this spot nearly twice a week for the past 12 months, I managed to be asked to leave the premises. I made the mistake of bringing my slice of pizza, from two doors away, inside from the cold damp evening air; instead of sitting outside on the patio. I was told, immediately upon sitting down & awaiting the long line to purchase my coffee, that this was a «kosher environment» and no outside foods were permitted at their establishment.
The male employee stood across the room as he yelled this out but returned behind the counter. I approached the employee, introduced myself, and explained my intent to purchase coffee, as well as my past patronage of their business. He replied that I could discuss the matter with «Beth», as he dismissed himself to other things.
It has been a great place to patronize this past year; the female employees have consistently been professional and friendly. However, my coffee breaks will take place at other nearby shops (Augies Coffee Roasters-​Riverside, McDonald’s, etc.) but not here.

Terrible. They messed my drink up when I asked for sugar free, if I had diabetes that would be a nightmare then when I told them they hurried and threw the drink together and didn’t even mix in the powder so I had to get it remade AGAIN!!! and the person I was with asked for half powder and I saw them put a full scoop in, but we had so many problems he didn’t even want to bring that up. And they showed they were obviously annoyed when I asked when THEY messed up. I worked at coffee bean for a year, I know how to make the drinks and I know what the powders taste like. I also saw them leaving espresso shots sitting and then using them which is totally against standard practice at coffee bean because the espresso needs to be mixed with something ASAP or it gets bitter. Terrible location. Go to one of the other coffee places around the mission inn.

I love this place !! It is a little more expensive than Starbucks but it is worth it.

The white chocolate ice blend with a shot of afogato expresso coffee is very delicious! Very clean store and nice atmosphere… Customer service has its ups and downs.

Good at what they do. Coffee. Not sure what else to expect. Free wifi. I’m sure if you go in there daily they would spark a convo good service good coffee thanks

This is a good alternative to Starbucks. Their coffee is just as good but they are usually not as crowded as Starbucks. It is easier to get a table and chairs for a small group.

this is 0 stars. very bad service, the employees rather hang around and talk to each other than serve the customers. the feeling is that people owe them their business. its a very sad state for a business to be in. i will not be returning to this establishment and i am going to take my business to Starbucks. very disappointed and i do not recommend.

This is a good size location. It can get quite busy. Employees are friendly. The bathrooms were not so clean. But hey then again everywhere I go I must have «Pear Berry Sweet Tea»! lol …

I got a butter pecan latte but I have to remember to say over ice or they will make it blended, it’s ok, I like this drink it taste really good, and something different, can’t get it anywhere else and i bought a large drink and a pastry I get a dollar off

Custer service is good and drinks are okay. I’ve tried about 7 types of drinks here and not really made me feel «alive». I get it when I’m in the area and the place is always clean and kept clean. Just a regular coffee bean, nothing more, nothing less.

They make your drinks fast, but it doesn’t compromise the taste of it. I pretty much like everything I order there. Their ice blended drinks are cremier, tastier and way better than starbucks. I’m definitely coming back for more. There’s also tons of parking spaces everywhere and if you can’t find one there’s one in orange and mission. They offer free 90 minutes parking and that’s a steal!

While I adore and am simply in love with the ultimate mocha from CBTL, this one was the only time I did not love my coffee.
Maybe its my fault for being «adventurous» and for the first time ever NOT getting the ultimate mocha.
They have 2 birthday specials going on right now, birthday cake and rocky road ice blended coffee.
Both were screaming my name, so I got my son the birthday cake one (sans coffee) and for myself the rocky road, make it ultimate
(add chocolate covered coffee beans aka crack)
Service was excellent, the location really nice.
I had no idea Riverside has a nice Mainstreet and this is located right on it.
Back to the coffee, the birthday cake, well tasted like a birthday cake shake, fun to try a sip, but that’s about it.
Even my son didn’t finish it.
The Rocky Road… meh lacking, just tasked powdery.
Now to the biggest let down, the ultimate chocolate covered beans were so finely ground you saw them but didn’t taste them.
The whole point is the chunks that’s get stuck in your straw and you can chew.
My husband had said ultimate mocha and while the taste was better than my Rocky Road, the bean snafu the same issue.
Had we not been treated by the in laws, I would have brought it back and gotten another, but being as I didn’t have to pay I was fine with it.
They had blood orange sweet teas, no comment on if they liked them or not.
They sucked them down pretty quick so that’s a good sign.
In all, I would for sure come back here and ask to coarsely grind the beans next time.

Love Their No Fat /​No Sugar Chocolate Powder
SITREP
I used to stay away from Mochas because of the high fat and high sugar count that exists, especially in coffee shop bought mochas at any coffee establishment. But I have found a way around that. I buy the No Fat /​No Sugar Chocolate Powder from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL).
THE SETUP
Instead of buying a mocha at Peet’s or Starbucks or any countless Indie Coffee shops that I patronize here in Sacramento, I buy their regular coffee. Then at work (when I arrive during the week days) or at home (on the weekends), I put a couple tablespoons of this wonderful Chocolate mix into my just acquired coffee — along with 2 – 3 packets of Splenda, and mix.
Wa-​La!
I have a no-​fat /​no-​sugar Mocha and I couldn’t be happier!
RIVERSIDE
On this occasion, I was working in Riverside, CA and was delighted to find out that there was actually a CBTL near the bottom of the California Towers building at 3737 Main and just a few store fronts away from our lobby. Usually while I am in Sacramento, this means a road trip (in conjunction with some other activity) to San Francisco — the location of the two closest CBTLs to Sacramento.
Since I am absolutely addicted to this substance, I just had to buy two cannisters of this lovely manna of the gods and packed them both into my suitcase for the return trip back to Sacramento. :)
THE LOWDOWN
They have my Chocolate «Crack»!

This Coffee Bean is right across from the historic Mission Inn Hotel. Great coffee shop feel in a more interesting part of town!
We came here recently for their OPEN HOUSE $ 1 ice blended drinks — 1 mocha mudslide and 1 cookies & cream.
The cashier was a really sweet guy who did not make us feel like cheapskates for taking advantage of their $ 1 deal =D
I usually don’t care for the hot coffee drinks at Coffee Bean b/​c they turn out too too sweet for my taste (the only exception for me is the hot vanilla — go figure!). Something about drinking a too sugary hot drink makes my tummy do a nausea spin. But their ice blended drinks are great!
Meter parking outside, but it stops charging at 5pm. Yet, who wants to have coffee after 5pm unless you don’t mind being awake the entire night.