Revolutionary Grounds

Revolutionary Grounds not only has good food and coffee but is also an outstanding book store. They have an impressive list of titles covering history, sociology and progressive politics. It is also a popular venue for local community activists to gather and hold meetings. Most of the groups that I belong to hold their meetings at Revolutionary grounds. We would be lost without them.

Waaaay back in 2002; I lived in Pacifica, California & started visiting Tucson in the summer. (I had to thaw out from San Francisco June) I started frequenting this place under a different name & management. As the summers went by; I witnessed a ½ dozen proprietors come & go. Then one summer, there was a new proprietor and I had a feeling she was going to stick! I could tell the coffee & espresso had a better flavor with a much higher quality taste. It was just a coffee house to me for years! I never gave her food a chance. That was until 2014 when I decided to retire & move to Tucson. I walked in one day wanting a bagel. These were the freshest, largest bagels I’d ever seen! I think it was a plain bagel (she has a big variety). Lots of avocado, 2 eggs & double Swiss cheese. HEAVEN! I realized that I’d never had a real bagel before! I was sold right there & then! I went out back to there garden where there are at least 4 tables. Turned on my lap-​top (free WI-​FI), and truly had one of the best lunches I’ve ever experienced. Her fresh, HUGE bagels aren’t the only thing that is great. «REVOLUTIONARY GROUNDS’ also has a «simplicity salad» that I’d give an A– ! If you’re vegan; this is the right place for you! (I’m not) her teas are superb, her Humus dish is great. I could go on & on BUT I have got to tell you about her soups are Heaven on earth!!! I suggest her home made black bean soup with a tad of coconut & CHIPOTLE! Sounds too spicy? It’s not! She puts just enough chipotle in to give it a tiny zing! The menu is good size, all their food is as fresh as possible!
When you walk in the place, you get the feeling that the proprietor is a little left of center politically. You can’t miss the building (it’s really red)! But it’s also a book-​store so you don’t have to be a Liberal to come in and have 4^th Avenue’s best coffee & teas. They also sell every type of non-​alcohol beverage you desire, Dr. Pepper, bottled water, V-​8, etc. What is so strange about «REVOLUTIONARY GROUNDS» is they promote their coffee & books. You wouldn’t know about the high quality food until you walk in & see a menu Or a barista fixing a sandwich. Oh, that’s the last thing, Joy (the owner of «REVOLUTIONARY GROUNDS») has a knack for hiring good people that work there! Give it a try! I guarantee you WON’T be sorry!

Here on Christmas day, great service from Joy and totally awesome coffee! Don’t miss the back patio, very nice!

Great location and a spot where I would hang out with a friend or colleague. But just an ok cappuccino. Blend of steamed milk and espresso not great. Beans had good flavor though. Go there, but cappuccino could better.

Coffee for intellectuals? Maybe! I like this place. I had drank here years ago before I «Yelp» reviewed and always. Recently I stopped by for a cup of hot coffee, large, and I loved it. You pump the coffee yourself. Delicious and fresh. I like the vibe of this place, a place to look over books and relax, and a great vegetarian/​vegan menu too. I’ll be coming back. You don’t have to subscribe to the political points of this coffee shop to enjoy it but it does make it unique and great to congregate with like-​minded individuals.

Great location to come by and grab a coffee, latte, or chai as you’re strolling down 4^th Avenue, but this place isn’t for everyone to stay and hang out.
For one, it’s stuffy and hot in the summer since they don’t use A/​C and just keep the doors open. The few seats they have are fairly old and not the best maintained.
Sure, it has books for sale, but most of the material is fairly political, with a random sparse selection of books and crafts for children.
Personally I did not like the vibe and felt out of place, but may be the right cup of tea for someone looking for revolutionary reading material.

Got an iced vanilla latte and it was so delicious! Not sure of the espresso beans they use, but definitely recommend it!

Love this place. Amazing book selection to quench your thirst for knowledge and vegan goodies selection to fill your tummy. My soy latte is always good. Try the vegan streudel or loaded bagel :)

The chi tea, Wow! I come in and get a dirty chi now and then. The flavor really pops! The atmosphere is great! Great place to read!

I love this place, love the owner, have been going there for years.
I also love the overt politics, though I am not a communist. At least somebody is trying to do something different and get in the face of homogenous college student liberal 4^th avenue land.
Food options are pretty decent for a small café, and they have vegan options.
My only complaint is that it is so tiny– if it’s super hot it isn’t very pleasant to be outside, and it’s just too small inside to get any work done (yeah, I’m one of those coffee shop laptop people). Though, if the weather is nice– the back patio is a LOVELY place to sit.

It’s not the fanciest spot, and it doesn’t necessarily have the best coffee in the world, but I have a special love for Revolutionary Grounds.
There aren’t many places in Tucson where you can hear discussions in multiple languages, read Marx, and sit next to a cross dresser (at two in the afternoon, mind you) all while you sip on a chai latte. I use this example, because it’s exactly what I experienced there last week.
This place is about inclusion — inclusion of different ideas and different people. They’ve even got a Marxist book club that meets there weekly. And their chai is pretty damn good, too — spicy!
Revolutionary grounds is quite, friendly, but a little hot (swamp cooling in August just doesn’t generally cut it).

cute little coffee shop. i actually had their strawberry lemonade drink and i was impressed, it was very good.
also, this place is CHEAP lol

Very unfriendly service vegan chocolate chip cookie was not good or vegan peanut butter cups

mmmmmm Basil Lemonade :)
I love everything about this place, but the lemonade is best!

Though vegans need not be leftists, one coffee shop in Tucson’s artsy 4^th Avenue district holds ample offerings for the two. Owned by two self-​admitted «socially active leftist bibliophiles,» Revolutionary Grounds offers a head-​spinning array of intellectual books for sale, on topics ranging from Marxism to feminism to health and LGBTQ issues. Funky signs urge resistance against the man and the patriarchy.
Stimulate your mind, then stimulate your heart rate with one of the tempting coffee drinks. But know that this café’s offerings transcend traditional coffeehouse staples. The best part of stumbling upon this joint was the enticing vegan finds, many of which were as spicy as the bookshop’s rhetoric.
Items like Che’s Fave (from the menu: vegan turkey, vegan peppered turkey, vegan cheese, avocado, romaine, pepperoncini, vegan mayo and hot sauce on sourdough bread); Anna G. Panini (hummus, avocado, tomato, cucumber and Siracha on multigrain); and Trotskyite’s Treat (hummus on toasted pita with cucumber, tomato, romaine, kalamata and feta, spiced up with pepperoncini and hot sauce) were as flavorful as they sounded. (Dishes that aren’t vegan can be made to be – I didn’t notice the feta when I ordered.)
The restaurant stocks an unexpected array of faux turkey options, not to mention a variety of tempting vegan baked items (we’re horrified that we missed the vegan peanut butter pie). Bumper stickers, T-​shirts and other merchandise will help inspire change. And did I mention the relaxed outdoor patio where employees gladly let us linger? The shop also hosts community groups, book clubs and others, which makes it apropos for people who want to have meaningful conversations without being rushed out of their table.
When we were there, a lone employee was manning the counter and making all the food and drinks, so be forewarned this is not the quickest place to grab a quick bite. But what did you expect? Afterall, revolutions take time.
To learn more, go to Revolutionary Grounds’ website.

I love. LIke. Love. This place. It harkens me back to my militant days of women’s studies and long ago long talks over strong coffee.
The coffee is delish. The treats are delish (and they even have vegan & gluten-​free options!) The GF peanut butter cups are my fave!
And when you’re not sitting in the charming little sitting area… surrounded by books about Che Guevera, Feminism, and the politics of pop culture… you can venture out back into a beautiful patio area filled with basil plants that fill the air with amazingness and little white twinkly lights.
This place is a gem among gems!

I love this shop, run by fun and interesting people always willing to take the time for conversation whether about life or politics :)
My favorite drink here is the Basil Lemonade, also good is the Prickly Pear Lemonade, inexpensive and refreshing. I have bought a few books here as well as they provide a selection of books you’re not likely to found eagerly on display in other shops :)

I love this little social-​justice oriented coffee shop. It’s a cozy, cute little place with great front and back patios. Theirs is the best coffee in town, and it’s fair-​trade to boot. I’ve gotten sacks of books here, but sometimes I just borrow a book to read during my visit. [Not Burnt Out, Just Unscrewed’s «First Friday Funnies» interactive improv is the highlight of the month; you should definitely check it out. Edit: No longer happening as they now have their own space.]
Unlike most coffee shops, you’ll often see people interacting or reading, Small groups tend to get together here. It’s not uncommon to strike up a conversation with a stranger, which I rarely have the opportunity to do in other coffee shops. They do have free wi-​fi, though, and it’s a cozy spot to do your internet browsing.
I previously commented on the quality of the food and the unprofessionalism of the baristas. It looks like the owners have made better hiring choices over the past year or so. I can typically count on good food from most of the staff. The owner, Joy, makes terrific food and the best cookies in town. She always has vegan stuff available, and almost always has gluten-​free and soy-​free options.
Bonus: The bathroom is gender-​neutral. :)

I was a little hesitant after reading some of the other reviews on here, but I decided to stop in and support some 4^th Ave businesses during this harrowing construction.
I was pleasantly surprised. The staff was very friendly, the prices reasonable, the cold drinks were served in glass tumblers (though we were given the option of a larger plastic one). The selection of books and random merch was interesting, and we ended up getting a book before we left. Definitely worth stopping in!

I should have looked around the place a little more closely before I walked in because this was soooo not my scene. I stuck out like a sore thumb, but I forged on in the hopes that some light food and a hot drink would allow me to settle in with my own book.
Politics aside, the service is what really ticked me off. I asked the barista what was good to eat there, and she simply handed me a small, laminated menu without a word.
About a minute later, she came back to the counter and said, «Well?» with just the right amount of derision and boredom that I had to restrain myself from jumping over the cash register and shaking her by the shoulders. After I ordered a banana and a hot tea (food prepared by her seemed like a terrible idea at this point), she told me to go ahead and sit and she’ll bring my tea by when it’s done.
So I sat down at a table.
And waited.
And then I peeled my banana.
And ate it.
And waited.
And waited…
I turned around to see what was the hold-​up, and there was my tea… sitting on the counter cooling off by itself, barista nowhere to be found.
Kids these days.