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Borderline Bar & Grill
Category: Restaurants American (Traditional) American (Traditional) [Edit]
99 Rolling Oaks DrThousand Oaks, CA 91361
(805) 446-4435
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 6 pm - 2 am
Sun 6 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
26 reviews for Borderline Bar & Grill
Review Highlights
"However, if Country music and dancing to it is your thing..."
(in 5 reviews)
"For a "Boot Scootin'" good time totally come here to..."
(in 6 reviews)
"...priced fair and it's a fun place to people watch, but if..."
(in 2 reviews)
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26 reviews in English
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Review from Joanna Y.
Northridge, Los Angeles, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
It is like stepping into a whole new world. This place in Thousand Oaks, CA is definitely where all the cowboys are at!
When we first arrived, we waited in a long line to have our IDs checked. Okay. Not a traumatic experience in the least, but the two guys checking the IDs were only speaking to each other and barely looked up to do their jobs (check the ID, put wristband on 21+ patrons). Kinda rude and looked at me like I was insane when I thanked them and told them to have a good night. There was a gentleman checking wristbands at the door and collecting the $5 cover. He was nice.
We waded through a sea of plaid shirts and ten gallon hats and found our other friends who were at a table right next to the bar. It was extremely busy and crowded, but even so, it took the bar tender a little long to help us. I ordered a Blue Moon ($5, which I find pretty reasonable) and my friend ordered a Captain and Coke. Hers was $7 which seems fair. Without saying a word, she passed it to me and I tried it. Couldn't taste the rum at all. Kinda seemed like the most expensive glass of Coca Cola ever. Plus, bar tender didn't acknowledge us either. I thought cowboys (or in the tender's case, cowgirls) we're supposed to be friendly...?
Music was really loud and fun. If you get here early they teach you the dances which seems like a good deal. Seeing my friend extremely happy to dance on her birthday was worth the trip for sure, but I don't think I would come back other than for such an occasion. -
Review from Johanna C.
Northridge, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
1- Long line which I'm not down for, which was ended by two guys to concerned with their own conversation to look up for just enough time to check id (I probably could have been a different person than my id).
2- It was crowded and I was surrounded by men in ten gallon hats and plaid shirts. This was not my place at all so stuck out among the country line dancing goers.
3- I'm use to long waits at bars but this was more than usual, as she kept helping others she finally noticed us, helped other and then us.
4- My drink of choice, as always captain and coke, all I tasted was coke, nothing else, I can understand the standard but this was not even standard. Me being used to a heavier handed drink had my newly 21 year old friend try it and she agreed, all she tasted was coke as well, so I knew I wasn't crazy (at least at the moment).
Overall, I would only go again with friends that I wanted to be around. The wait, the ambiance and the drinks weren't all sub-par. -
Review from Christina C.
Tarzana, Los Angeles, CA
8/21/2011
I'm giving this place one star cause I was not impressed with it at all. I went for country night on Saturday with two of my friends cause we had heard a bunch of good things about it and wanted to give it a try. My friends and I love country music and we horseback ride so it sounded like a great place to go.
When we got there, we were "greeted" by a girl who seemed uninterested and didn't want to be there. Now I've been to other bars before, and have never had to pay a cover charge to get it. The only time I've ever paid a cover charge was when I've gone to the clubs in Hollywood. That was one of the first things that I encountered that I wasn't crazy about. My friends and I figured what the heck and went in to give the place a try.
We went to the barn to order some drinks and when we got them, we were very disappointed. I got a Jameson and coke and one of my friends got a Salty Dog. The Jameson and coke tasted like it was mostly water. I couldn't even taste the whiskey. My friends salty dog was the same way. We ordered a round of shots of Jameson and when we drank them, we were greeted by watered down Jameson. I wanna say that the Jameson was probably 50/50 alcohol and water. We decided to close the tab and go to The Tipsy Goat. When I got my bill, I was shocked to see $5.45/shot and I think it was $8 for my Jameson and coke. I've been to clubs that charged me less for a shot and charged less for a Jameson and coke, and at the clubs it wasn't watered down!!!
We ended up leaving with the intentions of never going back because for the quality of the alcohol, it was over priced and the $5 cover charge was ridiculous. On top of everything, my friends and I were the youngest ones there. We are all 22. The next youngest group of ppl were probably close to their 40s. We will definitely not be returning to Borderline but I do know we will definitely be going back to The Tipsy Goat. It made up for the lack of a good time we had at Borderline and the people we met there were soooo much nicer and the drinks were 100 times better that at Borderline.
Talk about a disappointment. -
Review from Cat P.
North Las Vegas, NV
2/5/2012
Things I liked:
+ Line dancing! The lesson was fun and inclusive. Instructor looks like a cross between Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris. There were old-timers, kids, cougars, college kids, and everything in between. We had a blast on the floor!
+ Wood paneling and wood doors in the restroom - kind of reminds me of taverns at home (Wisconsin).
Things I didn't like:
- Mr. McSurly at the door. We were there for a party, we're bringing $$ into your place at a dead hour (dinnertime). A smile, perhaps?
- The carpet (?) on the floor. I think it was carpet... about the thinnest, grayest, dirtiest ick I've ever seen.
- Bad lighting
- Weak drinks (as mentioned previously). My first margarita was weak; the second was undrinkable - mix on the rocks. Two in a pint glass didn't give me the remotest of buzzes.
- The mix of "wedding" tunes (Celebration, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, etc.) and country. I'm okay with all country. If you want to be a country place, you should embrace it.
- Lack of atmosphere. This place could really use one of those overnight makeovers and a few touches of ambiance. -
Review from Nancy L.
Los Angeles, CA
6/11/2011
I came here on a Saturday night for Western Line Dancing night. They offer 2 free classes at 6:30 and 7:30 pm. I attended both classes and learned T.G.I.F. in the first class and Cleveland Boys in the second class. The instructor was really clear, helpful and nice. Apparently, in a line dance, someone calls the dance that you're suppose to do, and you go on the dance floor and show your stuff. The music was VERY random - I country lined danced to 'N Sync. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to line dance to 'N Sync's "Just Got Paid" or sing along to it like I used to in high school.
I'm not giving Borderline B&G 2 stars because I'm hating on line dancing. I mean, I love solo dancing. I would actually have given them 4 stars, except the food and drink weren't that great. I had high expectations for some reason. I got Mell's Lemonade, which is strawberry vodka with lemonade. It tasted like watered down Countrytime lemonade with half a shot of vodka. I felt cheated. I'm sure that if the drink was better, I would have enjoyed the line dancing more. My friend got the Western BBQ 1/2 lb. burger. It was okay. Meh. The crinkled cut fries were probably frozen recently. -
Review from Miguel G.
Valley Glen, CA
3/8/2011
This used to be a great place but in their effort to squeeze more money out of people they are going to lose a lot of them. I used to bring groups to enjoy the place but will never again. There door staff a has no clue what customer service is and there policy is absolutely stupid. If you say your going to play pool and go to the left it's free to go in, if you say your going to dance and go to the right they charge you ten dollars. This is just ridiculous as if you just go left and walk around the back as it is one big open place you are able to dance.
If they keep that up they will shut down soon in my opinion. -
Review from Louie F.
Burbank, CA
8/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Borderline Bar & Grill is one of the only late night spots in Thousand Oaks, serving up decent food and moderately priced drinks.
Although the bar is a good time, I don't see the need for a cover charge to party in T.O. -- that's just lame. Once you pay the $5.00 cover, you are given a wristband. Drinks are certainly not a deal here, with the average price of a beer being $5.00 and mixed in the $10.00 range.
As the night grew later, we ordered some cheese fries and onion rings. On the servers suggestion, we chose the Guiness beer-battered rings and they were delicious! The cheesy french fries hit the spot as well.
For the guys, the lady scene here is great. Plenty of cute single ladies, dressed to impress and looking for somebody to dance with. Denim, belt buckles, boots and a hat are almost a necessity here as well.
The dance floor is huge and almost reminds me of a Friday night dance in a high school gym. The DJ plays blocks of country music as well as Top 40 and pop. During the country music blocks, you should stay off the dance floor unless you're prepared to line dance, less you get trampled. During the Top 40 blocks, the lights dim (think night club atmosphere) and the floor is open to 'free dance."
So that leads me to my super important tip: If you're a guy and have no clue how to line dance, learn before you go. It is the number one way to pick up on a lady, because the majority of girls here are out dancin'. Unlike your typical Hollywood club, what sticks out to me is that most of the girls will dance with any guy as long as he can hold his own on the dance floor, which makes for a good time.
I am only awarding three stars though because of the cover charge and the above average pricing for drinks, especially at a country bar. When there are awesome country bars like the Cowboy Palace dishing out buckets of beer for $6.00, it's hard to justify $5.00 for a Corona. -
Review from hanhie d.
7/19/2010
LINE DANCING!
- $9 long islands, $5 coronas, $9 lemon drops, $3.50 bud lights
It is quite pricey to get buzzed here, so get your drink on at home if you're cheap like me. I had so many drinks but I barely got tipsy. What a waste!
-$5 curly fries. Highlight of my night! You get a lot & they were delicious!
- the PEOPLE.
You've got a few grandma's/grandpa's getting there groove on. I thought it was very cute cause grandma can shake her hips like its 1999.
Then there was a mixture of the older & younger crowd. You gotta love it when a 50 year old man comes over to you and says "you know how to two step? *wink" Then 5 minutes later, the 25 year old comes over and says "you know how to two step? *wink" ... was that the pick up line for the day or something? NO i do not know how to two step, and NO i do not want to two step with you. ok, i'm mean, but my friend was friendly and went for it.
Anyway, none of us have ever line danced before so we were all pretty clueless, but we still had a lot of fun!
It was a little depressing when they slowed the music down for a couple dance though. -.- sheesh, way to remind all the people who are single that they're single!! It sure made me miss my beau!
They also changed it up a few times and played some top 40's music. You see all the younger people bumpin' & grindin'. o.O
Overall, this place is very different yet very fun! Its fun to see people in their cowboy boots/hat having a good time. I never knew line dancing can look so damn sexy! They also offer salsa, ballroom, hip hop & family nights too! Give it a try! :D -
Review from Thomas B.
Thousand Oaks, CA
8/8/2011
We love Adam Corolla and were glad to see him coming to Thousand Oaks. We arrived a half-hour ahead of the slated door open time in hopes of getting a good seat. After an hour & ten minutes standing in line, they finally let us in 40 minutes after the "opening" time.
We rushed to get a table with an unobstructed view of the stage and thought we had succeeded. As show time approached, more and more people began standing in the aisles next to our table, blocking our view of the stage, but we figured that would be fixed when the show starts. Wrong.
As Adam got on stage, the aisles packed tight wth people who probably arrived 10 minutes before showtime. We pointed this out to the staff who indicated they would take care of it. But then they began furiously serving food and managed to avoid our waves -- at that point it was pretty clear that they had no intention of clearing the aisles.
So much for waiting in line for more than an hour to get a good seat. We tried asking people to not block our view, and were ignored or got "ask me if I care" or "so?" type comments and gave up on that. After they finished serving food, the staff disappeared along with our view.
With our stage view completely blocked by 10-15 standing people, we might as well have saved the $150+ spent on food and tickets and listened to one of Adam's podcasts.
Borderline seemed interested only in collecting money and packing them in. I'm sure glad a fire didn't break out -- I thought venues had maximum safe capacity that required clear exit paths. With aisles so tightly packed, an emergency could have been a bad scene. -
Review from Greg B.
Thousand Oaks, CA
9/13/2011
This is the only bar in town where the chicks out number the guys like 3 to 1 and they are actually nice and not stuck up like at so many other bars in the area. Totally approachable and open to having a good time. I've been here on a few occasions with friends and every time, at least a few of us, leave with a gals number. We came here for my friends 28th birthday, the owner was walking around and heard that it was my friends birthday and the first time he'd been to the bar so he bought us all a round of shots. It's one thing to get a free birthday shot but to get an entire round for everyone in your party? I've never had that happen at any other bar without some sort of VIP status. The drinks are reasonably priced for an area bar. Domestic beers are only $3.50 and shots of Jameson (my choice) are 6 bucks. Pretty fairly priced compared to some bars in the area. The food is better than some of the restaurants in the area that charge more for a smaller portion size. You get a big plate loaded from corner to corner. The $5 coverage charge does suck but it kind of weeds out the douche bags you may find at other bars like The Tipsy Goat or Sunset Terrace. I'm giving this 5 stars for the good atmosphere, fun time, reasonable drink prices, all the good looking girls and guys and the friendly owner and bartenders.
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Review from Kevin P.
10/1/2009
For a "Boot Scootin'" good time totally come here to Borderline Bar and Grille!
I went on Thursday when James Otto was performing on their stage and it was a "hoot and hollerin'" good time (I'm going to fit as many of these "quotes" as possible in this review).
Their dance floor is a good size maybe 20 x 20 and it was "jumpin' and jivin' " (ok that's not country) with tons of people, there was a $20 cover charge that night, but that was because of James Otto, where usually it's $5. The DJ was good and everyone was smiling and looking like they were having fun, a more younger crowd I think the average age was 18 - 35.
Their bar is a whole wrap around, with a patio for smokers and pool tables to show "how to shoot a combo" with darts and all. They had tables to sit at too, I sat in the back cause it's where the patio was and it was really warm in there.
I'd also think that there is a good 1/1 ratio with men and women, but then again it was a concert night, but I'll find out next week cause I'll be there again working.
So shine them boots, "cause they were meant for walkin", adorn that stetson and grab that bolo tie and hop in your Ford to Borderline and jump "into the ring of fire" before you go "on the road again" on the "Happy Trails" especially if your "one hot mama" lookin' "for a good time" "'Cause I'd like to see you out in the moonlight" to "check you for ticks" unless "you don't want to"..... phew....time to get on my "p-p-p-p-plower" and go "chug a lug a-luggin" home...
Enjoy! -
Review from Denis S.
2/3/2008
I was convinced to come here by some friends under the guise of "trying new things." Overall, the bar isn't too bad, but nothing special. It has a good amount of tables, some pool tables, a dart board, and a smoking area.
Then there is the huge dance floor populated by a lot of cowboy and cowgirls. While Country music isn't my thing, and dancing to Country music is even less my thing, I could still see why so many people have fun.
My problem is that there are obviously the regulars, who have their routine down and if you don't know what you're doing its not easy to just jump on the dance floor and join in. However, I must say that everyone is pretty friendly and non-judgmental and are even willing to help you learn the movements.
My friends ordered some salads at the bar, and it was over half an hour before they were given their food. I mean, I could understand if there was a cooking time, but these are salads, and the place wasn't that busy.
Another negative for me is that the crowd is a little older than my usual scene, but it was also kind of cool to see people of different generations getting together and having a good time. Overall I give this place a 3.5, but just can't make it to 4 because it really isn't my scene. However, if Country music and dancing to it is your thing, then you should definitely check it out. -
Review from Lynda O.
San Francisco, CA
5/17/2007
LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. It's one of the few places I know of in Ventura County that you can find good country music and dancing! I love both and the bar is a plus! Also they have pool tables and dart boards (never used the dart boards though). It also has a pretty diverse age group depending on what night you go there. My girl friends and I have been coming here for years. I still need to try out some of the other dance nights like Salsa night. They have something different just about every night. Check out their website for a calendar of events. On fridays they usually have a live band. Emerson Drive was there once, unfortunately my friends and I got there too late to see them :-(.
This is a good place for the family, provided you go on a family night. -
Review from Amanda G.
Los Angeles, CA
2/23/2009
I'm a Nebraska girl by way of L.A., so there's some part of me that feels at home at Borderline. The primary thing to understand about this place is that you must, under all circumstances, accept it for what it is: a country line-dancing bar. I completely understand that it just may not be your thing, in which case it might be better for you to just stay home. However, if you are feeling adventerous and don't mind getting a little our of your comfort zone, this place can be a lot of fun.
I typically go with a group of girls, so I know that my experience is very different from a guy's experience. There are lots of regulars who know all the dances (which rang from two-step to line-dancing to brief interludes of club dancing, complete with a disco ball-inspired saddle hung from the ceiling). Typically, all the girls in whatever group I happen to be with that night will get asked to dance by one of the regulars and/or guys that work at Borderline, so we always get the chance to polish our two-stepping skills.
The aspects that I like about the dancing here are really two-fold: 1) you don't feel like the guys are asking you to dance just so they can get in your pants; on the contrary, they're usually patient with you while you learn and are always respectful. 2) whether it's line dancing or two-stepping, you don't have to have a clue how to do the dance in order to earn a spot on the dancefloor; you can just go out there and have fun!
As far as the bar part goes, I think its pretty typical; honestly, I don't go there for the bar, I got there for the dancing, so I'm perhaps not the best person to ask. I know that they do have pool tables, though, so if all else fails, there's that.
Bottom line: this has the potential to be disatrous if you don't have an open mind, but if you're willing to give it a chance, it's super fun. Granted, it's not for everybody, but you never know until you try! -
Review from mindy d.
3/2/2008
Salsa night here is hit or miss. Sometimes you dance with a nice partner, and it's fun, and you laugh, and you don't want the song to end.
Other times you get some guy grinding on you when you thought there was supposed to be rhythm to a cha cha, or someone stabs you with their shoe because your partner didn't protect you, or you get some egomaniacal LA salsa guy who will "teach you" which translates to them leading you so hard your body has no say in its movements.
But I do like that they will play a bit of reggaeton with their typical salsa selections. -
Review from Jessica R.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2007
You couldn't pay me enough money to go on "college night" to this place! Mostly because I am not in college and college kids like to hump on the dance floor and I don't.
I go on Saturday's (when I am home visiting family)- and it is mostly country music (which I like), they rotate music, two stepping, line dancing, cheesy bar music (ACDC, Justin Timberlake, Etc), my only complaint about the music is that they usually play SO many "couples dances... seriously, there will be maybe 6 people dancing on the dance floor and the DJ will CONTINUE to play couples dances. WTF!? The line dances are fun, and the cheesy bar music is great to watch, because how many times can you say that you have seen a cow boy shake his wranglers to Kanye West or Justin Timberlake?
Drinks are okay priced. I have a huge crush on JR which makes ordering drinks that much better. A back patio for smokers, a pool table and dart board by the bar.
Just a typical bar, nothing special or unspecial. Although I do with there was a place I could boot scoot in the city... -
Review from Amanda C.
Thousand Oaks, CA
1/28/2010
Went here on midnight for my 21st cause there isn't a lot of places around here open late. It's a silly fun place. It's fun for line dancing if you like that. It has pool and darts. I have yet to try the food. There is a $5 cover for 21+ and $10 for 18 yr old. If you know the right people you may get in for free ;]
It's great for groups too. -
Review from malisa a.
Newbury Park, CA
5/11/2009
I came here for the line dancing classes and was pretty disappointed. The dance floor is WAY to small for the amount of kids and teenagers trying to dance on it. No less you are taking a class so half the room is going one way, the other half the other way. I got punched, stepped on, elbowed, backed over. It was not fun. Oh, and I guess it's good for men because there were ALL women in there!!!
I'll stick to watching Urban Cowboy. -
Review from emily h.
Los Angeles, CA
1/27/2009
I dont mean this in a bad way its just not for me:
Borderline is cheesey (and if i was in a boot scootin mood it would be perfect)
i am not big on dancing but if i do dance i dont want to have to take a lesson to do it
i just want to move
there is pool and darts so thats cool -
Review from norma f.
Newhall, CA
7/2/2010
Ok...I'm only giving it four stars due to the fact they have the BEST BEER BATTERED ONION RINGS I've ever had. The drinks were pleasantly strong and priced fair and it's a fun place to people watch, but if you go there you should definitely try their onion rings... talked about them all day today!
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Review from Michelle O.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2006
Ehhh this place is ok, i guess. They have different things on different days of the week. Like Thursday night they have line dancing and Wednesday night they have college night that goes from 10-1 and they age is 18+. I personally like to dance and just wanted to go to college night to hangout with friends and dance. I didn't feel like going far so as a loca place, it was ok. The music though they played that night wasn't that good, I could have been a WAY better dj LOL. Yeah if you just need to dance and can't or won't go further away like LA then go here but if not then don't . Not my cup of tea, but I really wanted to dance! :) hehe I do like the fact that they have college night so you can be around people your own age.
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Review from J B.
Simi Valley, CA
3/24/2010
I'm not a huge fan of this place. But sometimes they have cool events lined up. For example this past weekend, I heard Busta Rhymes would be performing and it was only $20 to go see him live.
Well, It had to be the most disappointing show I 've ever attended.
First, we arrived and where told it was $15. But ended up paying $20...then, Busta rhymes didn't get on stage until 30min before they closed... He performed 30 sec of 4 diff songs and walked off the stage saying "Thats how we do in the 805, we close it out" and threw his microphone down.
Finally, when we went to ask if we could get our $$$ back we where told by some of the employees that the owner locked himself in his office and probably wouldn't come out until 4 or 5 am so he would avoid all the angry Busta Fans. Bottom line, Borderline either has to Sue Busta Rhymes for not performing or eat it up and refund those who attended. I still have my wrist bands, and plenty of fans who where highly disappointed. Apparently they have a line of upcoming performers. With recent events and how they have handled them, they can count on low attendance in the future. -
Review from Hallie N.
Agoura Hills, CA
4/16/2010
I went to Borderline Bar & Grill for a "Busta Rhymes" concert. He went on 30 minutes late and only played one song. When I asked for my money back, they refused it. I do not care if it was the entertainer's fault or not. When a venue books a show it is their responsibility to make sure the entertainer actually plays a show. If I knew I was paying $20.00 to see busta rhymes pretend to drink a grey goose bottle then leave, I wouldn't have gone.
"the customer is always right." does not exist at this place. When I asked to speak to a manager they said "they don't really have a manager, just 5 or 6 co-managers" Nobody is really in charge and they do not know how to conduct business in a professional or friendly fashion.
I will never go back to Borderline again.
The drinks are also expensive and there's usually puke in the bathroom. Enjoy. -
Review from Monica G.
Westwood, CA
8/15/2006
I give this place 1 star..at least for the night that my friends and I went on: Wednesday College night (18+), 10pm-1am. We could've had more fun in my garage and I could've invited better guys (the ones that night were soooo ghetto) AND I would've played much better music. I'm not going there again..not even for line-dancing/country night..although I bet the crowd is much better those nights.
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Review from Crystal L.
Malibu, CA
7/9/2009
Big dancefloor, gross old men, DJ kinda sucked, not worth the cover.
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Review from M S.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2008
Thursday nights are the best by far. I think it's 18+ but on the weekends turns to 21+. Saturdays have been dead the last few months. Drinks are cheap and there is a $5 cover for 21+. You cane come early too for free lessons. I used to go several times a week but with the new ownership, weekends are rather dead.
