Riverside residents no longer need to wait until evening to experience craft cocktails and elevated Mexican cuisine at Bar Ni Modo. The Farm House Collective venue has expanded to seven-day-a-week service, introducing what co-owners Stephen Hasemeyer and Shane Levario are calling an "all day bar" — a concept that bridges the gap between brunch, lunch, and dinner with a continuous service model designed for modern dining habits.
What's an All Day Bar, Anyway?
"Who doesn't like having a cocktail at 11 a.m. in the morning?" asks Hasemeyer, co-founder of Arcade Coffee Roasters, the team behind Bar Ni Modo. But before you picture heavy-handed pours at noon, he's quick to clarify: "We're doing lower ABV stuff. It's not like it's hitting you hard."
The all-day bar concept represents a departure from traditional bar hours. Bar Ni Modo opens at 11 a.m. and serves continuously through 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It's designed for the professional who wants a quality drink after a 4 p.m. client meeting, the museum-goer looking for lunch after visiting the Cheech, or the couple seeking a relaxed evening that doesn't require staying out until last call.
"I don't like late nights and the party scene," Hasemeyer admits. "This is about having a good experience during the day. You can have one or two nice cocktails with good food, not the 'get wasted' type of thing."
For Levario, who was born and raised in Riverside, the all-day concept addresses a gap he's observed for years. "Most bars just aren't open all day," he explains. "Who doesn't want to have a good experience and a good cocktail at 11 a.m., especially with brunch? And to be able to serve bar-style drinks and food at 11 a.m. or noon for lunch — that's really exciting."
The decision to expand to seven days came from recognizing unmet demand in Riverside's dining scene. Hasemeyer recalls a Saturday morning before Arcade Coffee Roasters even existed, when his sister was visiting and they wanted brunch. "I'm looking on my phone like, where can I get brunch in Riverside? There wasn't anything. We had to drive all the way out to Redlands to get decent brunch."
That experience planted the seed for what would eventually become Bar Ni Modo's all-day approach. "There's just so much opportunity," Hasemeyer says. "People want it."
What Changes Throughout the Day?
Walk into Bar Ni Modo at 11:30 a.m. and you'll find a casual, intimate atmosphere. There's no host at the door — instead, you're greeted by the bartender, order at the bar, and seat yourself. The morning menu features items like housemade tortillas with Oaxacan cheese, tortas, and papas (potatoes). Lower-ABV cocktails like the Fresita — a light, bourbon-based drink topped with Jessica Neblina's signature bubble foam — complement the brunch offerings.
The brunch and lunch service runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.. From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Bar Ni Modo transitions to happy hour with snacks and $10 cocktails while the kitchen prepares for the evening service.
At 5 p.m., the entire atmosphere shifts. Full table service begins with a hostess seating guests. The dinner menu brings out heavier dishes like the signature carnitas platter (designed to share between two or three people), beef cheek tacos, and octopus tostadas. Cocktails become more robust, with options like the Root Reviver and the deceptively-named Pink Dream (which is actually purple). Dinner service runs until 8:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
"It's a completely different service model," Levario notes of the transition between dayparts.
The name "Ni Modo" — which translates to "it is what it is" — came from bartender Jessica Neblina, whose grandmother used the phrase. "If you're confronted with a problem or a hard time, it's like, okay, well, ni modo — you're here, it happened, you can't do anything about it," Levario explains. "You have to accept it and move forward."
That philosophy extends beyond the name. Bar Ni Modo features a large community table where strangers become friends over shared meals. "When we first opened, there were multiple couples sitting there that didn't know each other, and they're getting to connect and hang out," Hasemeyer recalls. "That is the thing we want to create in all of our spaces — we want people to feel like they belong."
What Should You Get? (Staff Picks!)
For first-time visitors, the co-owners have strong recommendations. At lunch, try the heart of palm ceviche — a vegan dish that Hasemeyer says is so convincing, his neighbor asked what fish was in it. Weekend brunch-goers should opt for the enfrijoladas or the chilaquiles torta.
For dinner, the carnitas are the star. "That's such a shareable item," says Levario, who also recommends the octopus tostadas despite their intense heat level. "You can't really get great octopus very many places. That's something I'm proud of."
Everything is made from scratch. The kitchen recently hired someone whose sole job is making tortillas. The carnitas take 15 to 16 hours to prepare. The torta bread is baked in-house. Leading the culinary program are Executive Chef Uli and Chef de Cuisine Jesus, while Bar Manager Jessica Neblina oversees the cocktail program.
Bar Ni Modo occupies prime real estate at the Farm House Collective — the venue closest to the stage and courtyard where live music and events take place. "Honestly, I feel bad because we easily have the best spot," Hasemeyer admits with a laugh.
That location creates natural synergies. Guests can grab a burger at Battle Rebellion or pizza elsewhere in the collective, then stop at Bar Ni Modo for cocktails. The covered porch offers views of whatever's happening on the outdoor screen or stage. Parents can let their kids play in the contained courtyard while they enjoy drinks at the bar.
"We're the natural progression," Hasemeyer explains. "You stop and get your food, and then we're your second-to-last stop — because then you've got to stop off at the gelato place and get some ice cream afterwards."
Bar Ni Modo represents the latest evolution in Arcade Coffee Roasters' mission to bring elevated dining experiences to Riverside throughout the entire day. The company's coffee shops open at 7 a.m., Backstreet serves lunch, Devereaux Houseoffers dinner on select nights, and now Bar Ni Modo covers the full span.
"We're not done with Riverside," Hasemeyer emphasizes. While other cities have reached out about potential locations, the team remains focused on serving the local community. Future concepts might include another coffee location to serve the underserved Orange Crest area, possibly even a smash burger concept or barbecue spot.
For now, though, Bar Ni Modo fills a crucial gap in Riverside's dining landscape — a place where quality food and drinks are available when you want them, not just when tradition dictates bars should be open.
"We just lack spaces in Riverside that are really good," Hasemeyer says plainly. "We need good lunch spots. We need places where you can say, 'Oh yeah, I've got to take you to this spot.' That's what we're trying to create."
Bar Ni Modo Farm House Collective 1393 University Ave, Suite 117 Riverside, CA 92507
Website: nimodo.bar Instagram: @bar_nimodo
Hours: Sunday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. (bar open until 9 p.m., dinner service until 8:30 p.m.) Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. (bar open until 11 p.m., dinner service until 9:30 p.m.)
Reservations: Available through OpenTable for dinner service seven days a week and for weekend brunch (Saturday and Sunday). Walk-ins always welcome. Monday-Friday lunch service (11 a.m.-3 p.m. ) is counter service only — order at the bar and seat yourself.
Bar Ni Modo is part of the Arcade Coffee Roasters family. Learn more at arcadecoffeeroasters.com
