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Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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The carne asada quesadilla is heavenly. Divine, delicious, drool-inducing. I can't imagine ever ordering anything else there again now that I have eaten this.
Border Grill also has a lunch truck that makes its way around the area. They sell a $5 version of the carne asada quesadilla that is just as good as the restaurant version.
While the general service and the margaritas were very good, the carnitas dinner (highly recommended by our waiter) would have been more aptly titled "boiled pig fresh out of lukewarm water". It was completely bland and lacked any punch. The pig itself was thick with gooey fat, and tasted like it literally came out of a vat of greyish swine slosh. It was beyond disgusting.
While I normally will give a restaurant a pass on a bad dish, I could not get past the waiter's shameless plugging of this inedible tripe. Obviously the cats in the back alley had turned their noses to this pork, and it was being pushed by management on unsuspecting patrons.
who do these Too Hot Tamales chicks think they're fooling? Lipstick on a (boiled) pig, still makes it a PIG!
I really wish San Diego had a Mexican restaurant like this. Don't get my wrong I love taco shops and greasy mexican food but sometimes I'd like to indulge and not feel so bad after. This is where this place comes in.
I have been here on several occasions and I can't recall a time I have ever been disappointed. I have ordered the tamales, chile relleno, green chilaquiles with roasted chicken slices and there Cochinita Pibil. These all taste so delicious and fresh. I especially love their selection of salsas. Drinks! on a sunday afternoon a nice glass of their Paloma Blanco Margarita makes the rest of your day bright and sunny. Oh! and I cannot forget that you need to try the desserts, I don't have a favorite but they have an exquisite and delicious selection of tasteful slices of sin.
The staff is great, always friendly. I have never had to wait too long to be served.
Nothing is typical here, every plate is unique.
4 for spirit (as in "attitude that inspires") and spirits (as in Cucumber Margaritas, Premier Mojitos and Mexican Greyhound Martini) - and a good number of staple menu items. Okay, before you guys throw me to the lions for the 4 stars, let me state my case...
People forget about Border Grill in Santa Monica, but it's still alive and kicking - Chef Mary Sue Milliken is committed to offering bold flavors as well as being a philanthropic leader in the community.
My favorite starters are the Amarillo Ceviche, the guacamole and any of the quesadillas - I mean, how can you go wrong with Manchego, Panella and Cotija??
Entrees that are reliably good are the Border Veggies (with quinoa, yes); Grilled Fish Tacos - the lime crema is really what makes the dish stand out; Grilled Pear and Endive Salad (with pistachios, yum!) and people like the Pork Pibil. I lean toward a lacto-ovo pescatarian diet but occassionally will take a bite or two outside of that b/c I love to try flavors.
I think you will do well here if you like sweet or citrus drinks, sauces, cheese and side dishes. My favorite sides are plantains, artichoke hearts and chick pea salad. The chili sauces (ancho, rojo and chipotle) and baby artichoke salsa are really good too!
Two trippy things to note: lamb tacos (I think they offer these on the truck now) and a cookie that is made with chips - yes, potato chips. I don't have an opinion on either, but thought I just throw that out there just in case you wanted to get a sense of how "outside the box" this place can be - whether its good or bad, I leave that to you guys.
I do think they could do better with the decor and lighting as it can be dark sometimes for lunch, but for happy hour and dinner its good.
If you're curious, they're part of the Dine LA list and now you can get 3 courses for lunch at $16 and dinner at $26. There's a regular $10 "quick lunch" too so you can ease into your experience. If you're a fan, they offer cooking and mixology classes that are quite fun for folks in the neighborhood.
We came in for lunch at around 2 PM on a Tuesday. As others have said, the interior is modern artsy. And I love that we got to sit near the window and people watch. There is a wild mixture of super rich looking, homeless, fashion forward, joe averages, and nerds walking by this place. The location is great, right near the Promenade with two hours free parking in the structure across the street.
There were three other groups and just two servers in the whole place. We were seated immediately. Within two minutes, we had water on our tables, Then the chips with the three little containers of salsa verde, poblano type, and regular salsa. All of them had acidity, sweetness, and varying degrees of heat. In five minutes, our waitress took our order. After watching them make their own tortillas (a plus for me) we both opted for the carne asade tacos. I hate to admit to being a Type A person and clock watcher, but I am.
Within 15 minutes of our arrival, our food comes. The 5 inch double tortillas are packed with grilled and marinated beef and topped with fresh salsa. There was green rice and red rice which is naturally colored with the salsas to kind of tie the whole meal together. It was a little dry for my taste, but I love rice anyway. There was also a creamy black bean side with a hint of sweetness. The presentation overall was nice, but I really liked the taste. Cost of this lunch was $11.99 each. It was the perfect size for me, not too much and not too little. Two minutes into the meal, the waitress checked up on us. In a few seconds, the other server brought us retills for our drinks. And after both of us had finished our plates, our server asked us if we needed anything else, or wanted to check out their desserts. We said, no thanks. She brought the check out in a minutes.
While I was signingthe check with a 20% tip, the server took the time to speak to the table next to us about all the ingredients in their turkey salad with charred corn, lettuce, peppers, apples, etc. It was a great looking plate, and the customer said she loved every bite of it. That little five foot woman weigning 100 pounds probably gained two more right then. The other table behind us had an enchilada of some type, the empanada, and they spilt an entree salad, and she said it was fantastic.
At exactly 2:30, I did not feel like they were rushing me out of there, But I was glad to be done and was ready to hit the road before the traffic. The first two hours of parking is free. All in all, the service was a lot better than I expected after reading the reviews on yelp. I am sure avoiding this place during peak hours was a big factor in the great service. I also took a long look at the kitchen on my way to the bathroom and I liked how clean it was, and that it was somewhat visible even from where I sat in the front. Overall, based on my one time experience here, I'd come back next time I'm in town.
My husband and I went to dinner at Border Grill on Saturday night. We are big fans of Ciudad so we thought we'd try out this sister restaurant. We were not disappointed!
We loved the yummy and interesting flavor combinations (lots of chiles I've never tasted before). Everything we had was great but I especially recommend the corn soup & grilled skirt steak They are fabulously smart to offer split desserts. I had the aztec chocolate cake and the peach tart. Wow!
My husband enjoyed his meal too. He had a margarita, green corn tamales & Gaucho Steak (yum!). He wasn't thrilled with the Mexican Chocolate Cream Pie. Everything else was really great.
The atmosphere is fun, location is good (near the action of 3rd street but not too crazy), and the food was great. We will definitely be back! Now all I need is an excuse so I can hire the Border Grill taco truck to come cater a party for me.
I've been here a couple times for happy hour with my friends, which is probably why I like this place so much.
The happy hour margaritas and mojitos are good, as are the tiny happy hour tacos and other muchies. I just have the black bean ones and they are filling for me since I like small portions.
Besides, they always make sure the chips and 3 salsas are full, so that's not bad either.
If I'm in Santa Monica, this is a place I'd go back to.
I've always enjoyed every meal I've had here, whether it be for lunch, dinner or happy hour. Sure, some of their items are on the pricier side, but I find that I can make two meals out of one so that makes it seem more affordable.
Recently, I had their carnitas tacos, which featured braised pork on two corn tortillas topped with chipotle salsa, guacamole, onion and cilantro, with a side of red rice, green rice and black beans. Really yummy...both at the restaurant and when when I finished it off for dinner a couple of days later!
For those who keep comparing this place to El Cholo, I completely disagree. The food here is better and when you factor in that you have to PAY FOR VALET PARKING at El Cholo, Border Grill is also cheaper.
I will say though that the service at Border Grill has been inconsistent in my experience. The guy who greeted my friend and I was kind of dismissive and told us to wait for the rest of our party. But not a minute later, someone else from our large party showed up and spoke with another hostess who seated us right away. Refills on water were also hard to come by throughout our meal.
One of my stand-by LA favorites. We drive from downtown to Santa Monica every couple of months just to eat at Border Grill. It is definitely Mexican-ish, which would at least partly explain why I love it so much. Not heavy or over saturated and without some of the less savory ingredients you find in some traditional Mexican food. One time we did a tequila tasting/pre fix menu dinner - it was a great date! They have events like this regularly and they also have a cooking class you can take.
The cochinita pabil is to die for. If the taste of that dish isn't "authentic" then I'm not sure I need the real deal. The salsas you get with the fresh tortilla chips at the beginning of your meal are also incredible.
For those who have lived and eaten in Los Angeles for any length of time there becomes an honorary rite of passage to seek out the city's most authentic Mexican food. From street-corner vendors to hole-in-the-wall salsa spots with the neon Negro Modelo signs in the window and the seemingly endless showings of futbol from around the world inside, there are no shortages of great southern boarder fare in the City of Angels.
So it makes total sense that high Mexi conglomerations mark the city's gastro landscape as well and none does gourmet salsa like Border Grill in Santa Monica.
Leslie and I try to dine there once a year, at least, and are never disappointed with the quality and originality of the food. The floor-to-ceiling walls are adorned with colorful, peyote-inspired paintings reminiscent of Frieda Kahlo on a margarita binge.
And speaking of, the margarita list is intoxicating with dozens of specialty drinks alongside a tequila list that must number over 100 even with one closed. Leslie loves the prickly pear marg, a sweet and seductive purple concoction designed, as good drinks are, to conceal the brut force that hides within.
Judging a good Mexican restaurant always starts with the salsa and Border Grill delivers a trio of delicious dippers to accompany the crispy chips. The limey succulence of a tomatillo sauce is divine as is a chipotle-infused creation and another that hints of mashed arbol and tomatoes.
The place is owned by Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, who've penned several successful recipe books under the nom de plumes, Two Hot Tamales and though I've never tried their tamales (there's Mama's in MacArthur Park for that), the rest of the menu is can't-miss excellence.
Mahi Mahi ceviche is tangy and hearty in an onion-tomato broth. On a warm chip with a drizzle of the aforementioned tomatillo salsa is like a drunken fishy libation served, as it is, in a chilled martini glass.
One of my favorite dishes on earth is cochinta pibil, an achiote-rubbed pork hunk steam-cooked in banana leaves and served with caramelized onions and a hint of orange zest. BG makes a savory version that absolutely melts on the tongue.
Today, Leslie tried the lamb tacos featuring giant lamb chunks in a rich adobe sauce and wrapped in corn tortillas with diced poblano chilies and a rich manchengo cheese. The broth dribbled down the wrists assuring that the flavorful goodness would be enjoyed later for the licking.
I opted for a pepita (smashed pumpkin seed)-crusted hunk of halibut served over an artichoke mash that - if you like the flavor of choke hearts - was like something silkier and more succulent than any mashed potato dish you've ever had.
The halibut itself was broiled to perfection - crispy with the seed dust on the outside and all flaky tenderness on the inside.
Prices are what you might expect for higher end Mexican but, when one considers that a slab of halibut at Gelson's is $15 bucks a pound, the $13.50 tag for the lunch plate seemed more than reasonable.
If you're going to the tourist swamp that is 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, do yourself a favor and fill up on iron-clad margaritas and face-slapping favors at Border Grill before braving the sweat-streaked street musicians and balloon-animal bozos beforehand. You'll be a lot less angry in the end.
We went late Sun. nite an hour before closing with a group of nine people. We did call ahead and they were very accommodating. We had an awesome server (Jonah?) who went above and beyond in his duties, he even hooked us up with some free appetizers!
Chips and salsa (3 kinds) were consistently refilled and delicious. We had the special bbq goat meat tacos which were amazing and I also had the Oaxacan chicken tamale w/ mole which i'm sure i will get cravings for in the future! we tried the small sweet corn tamales as well which were also very good.
amazingly, all nine of us were very very pleased with our food, drinks, and service. I will go back asap!! :)
Good food for the price! The dining room layout felt a bit overcrowded, but the server was great and food was good! I will be back!
Stopped in recently for a light, late-night bite after a movie with hubby. I hadn't been here in over 10 years, and was a little worried the food wouldn't be as good I remembered, but it was delicious. Especially liked the wild mushroom quesadilla and green tamales, which I washed down with a refreshing, if pricey, margarita. I would definitely go back if we didn't live clear across the country. Maybe next time I'm in L.A.
I always try to eat at Border Grill when I am up in the LA area. I originally became familiar with the place through the show "2 Hot Tamales" that was on Food TV years ago. I even got a photo with Suzanne one night when she came out to say hi.
Yesterday I had lunch there. I found the service to be extremely good considering it was the middle of the lunch hour. Chips and Salsa were really good, definitely freshly made salsas. I ordered the fish taco's and they were delicious. The taco had a citrus flavored coleslaw which blended really well with the fresh fish and hint of avocado. The taco was a little more moist than I like, had be eaten with a fork, but overall the meal was excellent. I was surprised a meal like this cost only $11.95. I have eaten at other places around Orange County, paying more for average tasting food. This meal tasted very special and was obviously cooked by people who put their heart into it.
My experience is kinda different because I'm a vegetarian and poor. So I'll do my best not to judge too harshly, but the happy hour drinks and the service are what got this 3 stars, otherwise I'd stick with 2. Not going back unless I get a gift certificate or win the lottery.
Happy Hour: The mojito was incredible, probably one of the best I've had out here in LA. Sangria was fabulous as well! Not at all impressed with the happy hour food, it was way too pricey and not many vegetarian options, so that was very disappointed. Plus it's VERY hard to find seating!
Restaurant: Yes it's delicious, but incredibly overpriced (we're talking mexican food here, right?) and still not enough vegetarian options. I went because I'd heard good things, but really unimpressed. :(
Service: Excellent.
Hm. Wasn't really impressed with Border Grill.
I love Mexican food - LOVE. So i was excited to try a "fancy" version. Though looking at the menu, it seemed a little more Cuban or something - plantains and black beans, empanadas, roasted pork, etc etc. No worries because I love Cuban food, too!
I started with the special margarita of the night - blackberry. It was really sweet, and I should have gotten it blended rather than on the rocks, it seemed to never get cold enough. I should have stuck to my intuition and gone with the mojito.
I started with the special sweet corn soup with crab salsa. This was pretty darn good. I love sweet corn anything, and this hit all the right notes. It was sweet, but slightly spicy. I don't know about this crab salsa though - I didn't taste any crab. Is crab salsa supposed to have crab in it or do I just not know enough about food?
For dinner I got the roasted pork plate - cochinita or something? The plate was a little unappetizing - pork in a thick sauce over some rice and beans, with plantains somewhere in the sauce. I was expecting a pretty plate with pretty plantains and garnish and stuff. But no, looked like it was just spooned on there. Whatever, as long as it tastes good, right?
It was alriiiiight. I've definitely had better. The pork seemed a little dry (in all the sauce, I know). There weren't enough beans for my liking. The menu said something about caramelized onions, but I couldn't find any of those. I ate half of it and took the rest home. Tasted better the next day.
We got the brownie sundae for dessert. It's hard to go wrong with brownie, whipped cream, ice cream, and caramel sauce. Nothing really latin about it though. Maybe if it was a cinnamon spiced brownie, or they threw a little chili powder in with the chocolate? I don't know, I'm not a chef.
I wouldn't choose to go back here if there is better mexican/cuban food to be found out there. But if a bunch of people were going here, I wouldn't object. I think I'd try the corn tamales and empandas next time - it's probably a safe and tasty choice.
OH and can I just say that some people walked into this restaurant in basketball shorts, t-shirts and flip flops. Come on. I know we're in Santa Monica and the beach is down the street, but have a little class and put on some real clothes for dinner, ass.
So mediocre. I went for restaurant week and everything was just average. Cucumber jalapeno margarita was flavorful, but not spicy at all. I had the portabello mulitas for an entree, like a mushroom sandwich stuffed with goat cheese and mashed yams. It was lukewarm and I couldn't tell if it was supposed to be hot or not. Empanadas and Corn Tamales for apps were nothing to write home about, more average. For desert we had an underwhelming chocolate cake. We won't be back anytime soon.
I had a coupon so I decided to try out this place. I always forget that there are restaurants on this side of Santa Monica. The place is vibrantly decorated. They have good salsa, but the chicken taco was just okay. For a Mexican restaurant it is pretty upscale, but if felt like an upscale version of El Torito. Their speciality drinks are different, but expensive and so are the entrees. Again, don't mind spending a lot money if the food knock my socks off, but if it is just average, then I just like I got ripped off. This place may be better for happy hour, but I haven't had a chance to check it out yet.
Did you know that dinela was extended? And Border Grill was one of the first restaurants to participate when dinela first started here so i appreciate that and also that they have kept their 3 course at the one $ level and for lunch that really is a bargain.
I love their corn tamales and the rest of the meal was descent. i wanted to try the meat dish but went with the tilapia option for a slightly lighter lunch meal but I i was afraid it would have a caffishy flavor. Actually it didn't and had a nicely seasoned flavor.
Desserts were also good. I like their flan but didn't have it today.
Overall it's a dependably good choice
I have been a fan of Border Grill since it was a tiny storefront on Melrose in the 80's. City Cafe...still miss it. Still was hooked when BG moved to SM, and have had many great meals with friends there well into 2000. HOWEVER, we went yesterday for lunch, at my request, and while the food was still serviceable, the prices were ridiculous.
Waitstaff great, restaurant pretty empty, food okay. Seriously overpriced for what you receive. I think my somewhat romance is over.
Still in love with Street. Go to Street instead.
Basically, expensive, but really yummy. We had weird service when we went (right between lunch and dinner) but it was still good food. I had the seared halibut with smashed artichokes, split the Oaxacan tamales and shrimp ceviche for appetizers, and swizzled a few ginger pomegranate margs.
Delicious food!
not my first time in this restaurant - might not even be my last - but I just get annoyed with places that allow the whole 'automatic tip for large parties' influence service. it just irks me. Not to say the service was bad - it just was bare-minimum. (like this drunk only was able to score two beers during dinner - insane)
the food was tasty and fresh.
I don't know what it is but I just love this place. Its like a dirty love affair turned to sweet, sweet romance. I use to go here and "use" Border Grill for their delicious cocktails and chips and salsa. Then one day, I was like ... what they heck, I am gonna try some food here too.
Let me tell you something ... the food is good!
I always get the turkey tostada when I have lunch here. Mmmm, bitch ... Its good. The portions are ridiculously huge though. I have never been able to finish anything here. I have also had some of the appetizers during happy hour. The sweet potato fries ... delicious. They have these awesome pepper things too that are freaking good (just don't take your contacts out later or you will feel like burn.)
Anyways, this place is a good bet if you are in Santa Monica and don't want any of that silly promenade food. Good place to eat. Good place to drink.
Have been a regular for the past 7-8 years and always thought Border was a good meal until past several visits.
The turkey entree was of Denny's quality (lots of gristle and hard).
For $20 the high profile owners need to get back into the kitchen.
Prior meals have also lacked the quality once offered.
The setting: Sunday late afternoon in Santa Monica after seeing a movie. Need some food that is not burgers & fries.
Border Grill seemed to fit the bill in looking at the menu posted outside.
The good: The chips were very fresh and sprinkled with sea salt (yum salty!). They have real iced tea, not that obnoxious and gross tropical tea. Taco plates were very reasonably priced. My husband got bean & cheese & I got potato rajas tacos which came with 2 kinds of rice and beans for about 9 dollars a plate. Both were tasty and filling.
The service was very good for most of the meal but the place was pretty empty considering it was about 3p.
The bad: after we ordered and didn't have the menus in front of us anymore the waitress casually asked if we would like guacamole. Though I assumed the guac wasn't free, I had no idea HOW expensive it was. The guacamole was 9.75 for what was a healthy portion for 2 people but was more expensive that either my husband or I's entrees, which seems a little ridiculous for what is basically a side
The waitress seemed scarce when it was time for us to get our bill. She finally came around but that is one of my pet peeves, I hate having to sit for ages waiting for the bill.
Quick and efficient service at this place is extinct. Don't go here expecting a quick meal. On average, I would estimate our waiter stopped by the table every 20 minutes, and this included the 20 minutes in between dropping the check off and picking it back up.
The food, while pricey, is ok. I had the grilled skirt steak which had lots of flavor. The sides were typically good, except for an odd cole slaw/salad type combination which tasted like soap. Our party enjoyed the salsas at the table and the homemade tortilla chips.
The restaurant also seemed clean and others raved about the margaritas.
My summary: an overpriced restaurant owned by former food network stars who try a little too hard to make tacos trendy which results to crappy service and a pain in the wallet.
Our visit here started out good. The salsa was quite good...so was the water...
I just can't recommend it. We only ate here because we wanted Mexican food and didn't want to drive up to El Cholo but we SHOULD have.
Green corn tamales were tasty but mushy like they had them sitting in the steamer for 10 hours. That's not how tamales should be!
I had some other food but overall it wasn't that good. Fried green tomatoes, just okay. Tilapia, just okay. Plantains, again, just okay.
It'd be one thing if this place was cheaper, but hell a two person dinner cost $75! No thanks.
This place is just ok. We came without a reservation on a weekend night, which may have been a mistake, but the hostess kept lying to us! She originally said 45 minutes, which were fine with because restaurants usually over estimate and we wanted to hang out by the bar and get margaritas anyway. However, after an hour I decided to approach the hostess about our table, who then couldn't tell us how long, maybe a few minutes. Another 15 minutes passes, I ask again. Again she says soon. Long story short we waited and hour and half for a table, obviously on the assumption it wouldn't be more than 45 minutes. We would have gone somewhere else had we known.
The worst part is that I took my friends from out of town that night and wanted to take them someplace nice and Mexican. I really wish I had opted for El Cholo instead. My carnitas were dry and not very flavorful. On top of it our waiter kept forgetting about us.
The only reason this place gets 3 stars is because I have been for lunch and had a great meal. Anyway, save yourself a trip for weekend dinners and just go to El Cholo
It's really true, all the best restaurants are off the promenade.
I've been here for lunch and happy hour and I really enjoy it. The waiters we've gotten have always been really nice and friendly, the service is usually good, and the food is awesome. I feel like it's different enough from your typical Mexican cuisine to be new and exciting (it's got more of a Latin/South American twist). A few times we went we also got coupons for $10 off the next order of $25 or more. These do not work on happy hour even though it doesn't say anything on the coupon. Trust me though, we tried and failed. So we ended up walking around the restaurant and giving our coupons to other patrons who were all really grateful for the unexpected $10 off.
Why do I love the food here so much? Because it tastes really good. Duh. But no, not just that. The menu here is so vast, you're bound to find something you're in the mood for. Also, it's really creative. There are so many things you could order here that you just don't see normally. Personally, I think even their tacos are pretty unique and very tasty. I love their chips and salsa. And the Cochinita Pibil. And the tamales albeit they're kinda small.
With a cheap public Santa Monica lot across the street, it's convenient to get to at any time. Plus, their happy hour deal is really good. M-F 4-7pm $4 Drinks - House Margaritas, Mojitos, and Sangria, Draft Beer and Select Wines by the Glass. $3 Border Tacos. If the entrees weren't so expensive, I would be all over this place every week.
I was told by a hotel concierge "this place is better than El Cholo". My opinion, this place is "sub-optimal". The Plantain empanadas were good, but I've had better. The Conchinita Pibil which is slow roasted port in banana leaves with beans, rice and more plantains was much better, but still pretty bland.
Don't go here in a hurry. I went here hungry, which was probably a mistake. The longer it took, the harsher critic I became. I'm not crazy about the ambiance and eating outside, downwind from the parking structure isn't a viable option.
I didn't realize until I read other reviews, this place was created by "celebrity" chefs. That's almost unbelievable. Perhaps, there were better days......
Boy, my last review was harsh! I've been to Border Grill in person since then. The food is not great, but it has a foundation of quality ingredients and competent chefs. I'm no authenticity snob, but this restaurant's Mexican-ish cuisine misses the mark for me. For instance, I don't want grapefruit in my fish tacos. Service and atmosphere are good, however, and I think the restaurant is good enough to go back (given that I live in the area). Three stars it is.
I ordered for delivery, so I didn't get to view "the scene." I can only imagine that this… Read more »
We were celebrating my dear girl, K's recovery from surgery with margaritas and chips and guac.
Yeah, I'm sure the Doc said "BE CAREFUL." But hey, if having fun is against the Doc's orders then I'm going to wear the honor of Rebel proudly.
Susan ordered a cucumber margarita. Interesting I thought, and as soon as she took a sip, she EWW'd it immediately and pushed it away. K tested it out and deemed the drink "it's Spa water with tequila." Yeah, I passed on the quality control testing since...uhm that doesn't sound very good.
As for the food. I guess it was ok. Chips and Guac...I mean I guess you can't mess that up. The sweet corn tamales? Really cute on the plate (How Dorky am I that I recognized the plates from their sister restaurant in DTLA, Ciudad?) but not really all that great. It was just sweet. No other flavor to report.
I would come back but just for drinks....
2 stars - trendy latin bistro, yuppie happy hour
I've been here dozens of times for different occasions and each time it gets worse and worse. I can't help it if my coworkers vote for this place for lunch or happy hour. Its just a trendy looking place with a contemporary dishes that are very small portion and very overpriced. The drinks are watered down as well. The salsa kinda sucks. The service takes way too long sometimes and a few times they've abandoned large parties of us in the upstairs loft / prison room. It gets so loud in this place! The interior architecture must be made to augment the cacophony i suppose!
After 5pm looking around the place just seems full of the self important, ego centric santa monicans to gather and puff out their feathers and squak about their fascinating lives over happy hour.
plenty of other better places to go in the area
This has a prime location, right next to third street promenade and behind the old santa monica place. The resturant was opened by a pair of "celebrity chefs" who used to host a show on food network called "two hot tamales". The food is tex-mex fusion, and i would definately characterize it as creative and flavorful. The interior is exactly like the food, colorful and bold.. and loud. The resurant is partioned from the bar, and the crowd is is like night and day. Barside was a young 20's to 30's crowd, typical santa monica beautiful people. resturant-side were a lot of families with kids and older couples.
I had the delicious green tamale for an appitizer and the short ribs for my entree. They were incredibly tangy and generously portioned. Overall, its a nice place to eat with family if you're in the area.
It's that time of the year again where people get to try out some of the restaurants that is on their "to try" list at a fraction of a price. Yes, it's DineLA Restaurant Week again!
For me, I had been meaning to try Border Grill for some time and this was a good opportunity to do so. This restaurant was started by two female chefs, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger (otherwise known to TV audiences as Too Hot Tamales on Food Network) who were coworkers at a Chicago restaurant back in the old days. In some ways, both of them are considered a pioneer in a profession dominated by men. When they decided to open up this restaurant back in the 90s, they fashioned this restaurant as a Mexican street food that is repackaged into a Mexican gourmet served in a beautiful, colorful cantina style restaurant.
For some purist who decried this because the Mexican fare is being conceived by two Caucasian female chefs whose culinary background training does not consist of Latin or Spanish cooking. It didn't sit very well for some die hards of traditional Mexican food. Especially in LA where the population is majority on the Latin side.
However, with good words of mouth are being passed out, this restaurant not only have survived, but the chef duo also have opened up a popular Spanish fusion place in downtown LA called Ciudad. For every Sunday evening, these two chefs would be in charge of Tapas night served here. I had the honor of dining on one of those Sunday night tapas and let me tell you, it was fantastic if you have never tried it out.
For $16 for a appetizer, main course, and a dessert for this DineLA Restaurant week special, it was worth trying out to see how this place stacked up and also to see what was the fuss all about.
The restaurant was easy to find and has a nice smooth modern look. Before we get into the dining area, they have a bar facing out to the front door where I suspect they have done big business with the Happy Hour crowd in Santa Monica.
In the Ceiling and near the north end wall of the restaurant, there are a lot of mural paintings that are very decorative and playful for the casual dining experience. If you have to ask me what I thought of it, I can give you the critique in that art will be appreciated with the crowds that dine here regularly. For me, it was just odd, but it does not affect my dining experience either way.
To start off, we get a choice out of three appetizers. However the restaurant posted a different menu on DineLA's website and presented a menu with a few minor changes. Because of the mixup with the menu, the restaurant to give everyone of us both the empanada and the green corn tamale http://static.px.yelp.... .
I extremely enjoyed the green corn tamale. It was a creamy corn wrapped in a corn husk. The plantain empanada is not a banana plantain inside of an empanada. Rather, it's a plantain skin covering black beans, poblano peppers, and cotija cheese. Totally caught off guard by that because I was literally expecting an empanada that is rich with sweet plantain, but this version of empanada is not bad at all. Sweet on the outside, salty in the inside makes it sweet and sour for that little package.
The main course got into a more rocky road. I was expecting a Short Rib Pilbil, but instead got a Cochinita Pibil http://static.px.yelp.... instead. What's the difference? I think the restaurant messed up the menu presented to DineLA weekly because the short rib was only available on dinner while the Cochinita is for lunch.
Cochinita was slow cook stewed pork roasted in their banana leaf with some grilled onion, orange, and cinnamon mixed into the flavors of this stewed pork. The plate was presented along with their roasted plantain tortilla, organic rice, and black beans. I didn't mind the mix up because I would have ordered the cochinita pibil instead have I not ordered the short rib, but the staff tried to present this item as though I have ordered a short rib.
For dessert I got The tres leches http://static.px.yelp.... , which is a sponge cake that is made from three different milk (evaporated milk, condensed milk, and sour cream). Being that the cake is suppose to be wet, but not soggy for the cake texture, I love this restaurant's version of the Tres Leches. It was very moist and held up very well when the cake get presented. In some versions, it's way too dry or the cake will fall apart like a bad sour cream yogurt. This Tres Leches was more than satisfactory.
For $16 compare to that $30 normaly for the grand total, it was a deal that was worth it just to try out a new place that otherwise would have been put off until .....arrrhhh...Ok I'll admit it, until likely to be never visited. If you are a fan of the Ciudad's tapas night or their Spanish fusion, come out to the westside for this unique take on Mexican street food.
I'm a big fan of Border's Happy Hour which runs M-F from 4pm to 7pm where you really get the most for your buck in these hard times!! The Green Corn Tamales for only $5 are amazing, as are the Grilled Fish Tacos (only $3!). The margaritas are big and not premixed and the sangria is worth trying as well. The chips come with a special assortment of salsas which i look forward to dipping into each week! I never walk out of there spending more than $15 including tip, and I'm always pleasantly full. The crowd is a diverse, after-work assortment, as it is near the promenade. Avoid the valet and park across the street for $3 after 6p.
For a different taste, try their AMAZING breakfast menu at the Farmer's market on Sunday's on Main Street in Santa Monica. Their breakfast wrap filled with eggs, shaved cheese, and other fresh goodies--with steamed veggies on the side--is so delicious & SO BIG you'll probably want to share...don't even think about the breakfast burrito--unless you're not eating for the next 2 or 3 days. ;)
We have been frequenting this restaurant for more than 10 years and it remains one of our favorites.
The food is Spanish/Mexican inspired but incorporates a host of innovations and fresh ideas and in my opinion, this restaurant, was almost singularly responsible for the beginnings of this trend more than a decade ago.
The restaurant's menu includes several old favorites but also is updated every several months with a couple of new items. While at this point, there is not any real innovation going on, the food remains more than 90% consistently high quality in spite of serving a very large number of customers.
Specific recommendations:
Chips and salsa: included with every meal - the chips are made fresh and are excellent and you get 3 salsa variants, each pureed rather than chunky. This could be a satisfactory meal by itself.
Salads:
Pear/endive/pistacio/jalapeno/blue cheese - very creative and tasty
Chopped: a true variety of ingredients including corn and jicama
Other:
quesadilla, surprisingly good for such a typically bland food, they prepare with sharp Mexican cheese, add freshly roasted green chilies and serve with watercress salad!!!, not Taco Bell style at all. The wild mushroom version is also great.
All of the deserts are made on the premises and are consistently good to great, no frozen cheesecake or mousse cake here.
Hey - most of us here live in or around L.A. You can argue forever about who has "real" or "authentic" Mexican food. I like taco trucks. I like El Cholo. I like Border Grill. BG has an interesting menu, excellent flavor combinations and fine attention to detail. It has a nice range of tequilas. Plus it is close to 3rd St. and the beach and prices aren't too bad considering the location. A nice spot for locals or to take guests. I call it a keeper in my restaurant rotation.
My girlfriend and I dined hear last night being Saturday and loved it! I notice that a lot of people who yelp really have no clue as to what good food is. I feel like I know what good food is since I have a culinary arts degree and have worked in a lot of really great restaurants over the past 10 years so this is why I feel that I have grasp on what great food is. Alright back to the food... best chips I have ever had at a mexi restaurant. they are so good that no salsa is needed. But then I tried the salsas and the three of them were equally great! Next we had the border classics app and the empanadas, tamales and panuchos were tasty! The green corn tamales were a little weak but still tasty. She had the cochinita pilibul which was awesome and I had the short rib special which blew my mind! Amazing dish! Dessert was blackberry polenta cake and tres leches and both held true to the rest of the dishes. All in all we will come back a bunch I foresee!! My new favorite place for sure!!
I went here for the first time on Cinco de Mayo, simply because Santa Monica lacks any cool place to grab a margarita and awesome mexican food.
Needless to say my BF and I were really disappointed.
The place was empty on Cinco de Mayo afternoon, it should have been packed for the area it is in.
The decor reminded me of a first grade class room. The drawings everywhere were distracting and hideous.
The food and drinks were not much better.
They brought out chips accompanied by three salsas.
One tasted like pizza sauce out of the can, one was so spicy and the last one tasted like nothing. That could have been because the spicy one burned off all my taste buds. My BF became nauseous after eating the chips and salsa.
I ordered a pomegranate margarita that cost $12, not a big deal. I dont mind paying money for quality items. This was horrible. It was strong alright, a strong taste of crap. Not to mention it was in a tiny glass, not even a margarita glass. He ordered a cadilac margarita which again lacked the margarita glass and also tasted horrible.
Keep in mind I love tequila, I can spot the difference between a horrible tequila and a good tequila. When we ordered our drinks I have never heard of the house tequila that came with our drinks. I asked the waitress and she informed me it was one of their best tequilas. WOW if that is their best I hate to see their worst.
Finally our food came out. OMG the portions were so small I doubt my five lbs chihuahua would be full after eating it.
I ordered carne asada tacos. These two tiny little tacos about the size of a baby's hand come out with half a plate of rice on the other side.
It might just be me, but if I wanted to eat rice for lunch I probably would have just ordered rice. The tacos were awful. The meat was chewy and under cooked. My BF ordered the special and it looked disgusting. He didnt even eat it.
The worst part was is the price! They are charging almost $15 for such small portions.
I was really disappointed because I wanted a chill place to hang out and have some margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, but we left and couldnt even finish our food or drinks.
I would recommend avoiding this place at all costs and heading down to Pink Taco in Century City.
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Italian
Los Angeles, CA
Category: Religious Organizations
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Santa Monica
Category: Mexican
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