Devereaux House is Reimagining Riverside Nightlife

Devereaux House was born from a long-held desire to bring something different to Riverside's nightlife: a place built around thoughtful food, natural wine and a laid-back vibe.

What began as a side project inside a former overflow space for Riverside's sandwich shop Backstreet grew into a place the owners say is meant to feel less like a bar and more like a house full of friends.

"We want people to feel like they're being welcomed into their house," co-owner Shane Levario said. "We want you to feel like we've been waiting for you all day."

Levario, who also co-founded Arcade Coffee, said the concept grew out of years of driving to Orange County and Los Angeles for natural wine with his friend, Jonathan Turner.

"Natural wine" is wine made with minimal intervention. "Nothing taken, nothing added," according to Turner.

It's made using organic grapes, native yeasts and no sulfites, resulting in wines with flavor profiles that range from light and zesty to earthy and full-bodied.

"It was always a thing that we would talk about," Levario told the Gazette. "One day... we're gonna have a natural wine bar."

When they acquired Backstreet in early 2023, its adjacent indoor space had carpet peeling off the floor and wallpaper dating back to the 1970s – but Levario and Turner saw its potential.

"We made a joke... the first time we walked through that space, we [said] we should do natural wine in it," Levario said.

That moment finally came when Turner hosted his birthday party there and served natural wine.

"Everyone loved it," Levario said. "It ended up being so awesome that we started doing it once a month, and then once a month turned into once a week, and then once a week turned into three days a week – and that's where we're at now."

Naturally, food followed. Devereaux House initially ran with a rotating vendor concept, serving everything from sourdough bread and charcuterie boards to smash burgers, Taiwanese noodles and tacos.

A permanent menu began to emerge after they collaborated with Adrian Gamero of Inner Pizza — a Neapolitan-style pizza pop-up Gamero had been running for several years.

The response to his pizza was so strong that what was meant to be a one-off collaboration turned into an ongoing partnership, pairing experimental pizzas with an ever-changing lineup of natural wines.

Gamero said he worked closely with Levario and Turner to develop a menu that complements the flavors of natural wine.

"These wines are so unique, it's like each is their own person," Turner said. "When I talk to people at the bar about the wines, I talk about them as if they're people. I'm like, yeah, she's kind of sassy. She's kind of angry right now. Give her, like, 15 minutes to wake up."

Gamero knew this partnership was an opportunity to try some "crazy stuff."

"I want to say we're very progressive and try to reach outside of society's norm for pizza," Gamero said. "You don't always expect these flavors we're combining. We're always kind of pushing the boundary."

Gamero said that the experimental vibe of Devereaux House is part of its identity – a fresh twist on a classic staple.

The house itself also helped shape the bar's identity. Levario said many of the details were already there when they took it over – including the exterior with the words "Devereaux House" painted in powder blue.

Levario said he recently received an email from the granddaughter of the house's original owners confirming what had once been a local legend: the house was once owned by Harry and Florence Devereaux, and the name now honors that history.

"They would have loved what it has flourished into," the granddaughter said, according to Levario.

For customers who are new to natural wine, the experience can change how they think about drinking. Turner said people often come in expecting something familiar, then leave with a different perspective.

"Their minds have completely changed about the way that they consume things," he said. "We see the same people returning week in, week out, becoming fans of natural wine."

One such enthusiast is Ward 3 Council Member Steve Robillard, who nominated Devereaux House for the Riverside Prospers Success award in March.

Turner and Levario said the award from city leaders meant a lot to the team, especially after the challenges of opening and sustaining a restaurant.

Levario said receiving recognition from the city felt like an affirmation.

"Sometimes you get in the weeds and think, does anybody even want this? Do people care about this? So getting recognized for it is really encouraging," he said.

The owners also see Devereaux House as part of a wider shift in Riverside. Turner said the city has relied too long on the same kind of nightlife.

"The easy button for the past decade in Riverside was 'open nightclub,' and that's it," he said. "There hasn't really been any thoughtfulness in what else could night life look like."

They said they hope the space shows that there is room for something else.

"Riverside is full of so many incredible, open minded people," Levario said. "I hope this is the beginning."

Looking ahead, the owners plan to expand carefully — starting with a more formal cocktail menu in early May, still rooted in the same wine-forward approach.

The cocktail menu consists of an espresso martini, lo-pro Negroni, Paloma, “Beer-icano,” a strawberry and pink peppercorn spritz, and a blood orange mint spritz.

They also want to keep the atmosphere intact – with live music on Fridays, tasting nights, chess gatherings and other events that give regulars a reason to come back.

"We just want to do more of it," Levario said, "but make sure that we're doing it well."

More information: Devereaux House is open 6-10 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and located at 3739 Nelson St.