On the Border Mexican Cafe
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
10 Reviews for On the Border Mexican Cafe
I went here last night with a friend. We sat on the patio and they had their misters on...very nice!
We started off with their 18oz Margaritas...on the rocks...with salt. I figure you can't get any better then that! Chips and salsa were good. I had the Chicken Flautas which were very good and cheesy. My dining partner had the Enchiladas Suizas which I got to try and very good with the tangy green sauce.
Very attentive wait staff also...
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
I have been to this On the Border several times as it is my husband's favorite restaurant in the area. I have never had to wait for a table even when we came during busy hours, which is always nice.
But the wait to get drinks, chips and even your meal takes a long time. The service has always been lacking when I eat here. One time, after a long wait for our dinner, the meal was luke warm. Since I had waited so long and was very hungry, I didn't want to send it back.
We went last night and waited 5 minutes for chips and our drinks. The food came out fast and tasted great (as usual) but it took another 10 minutes for the waiter to bring us the credit card slip to sign. He only had 3 tables and seemed very frazzled.
The food is great, chips and salsa are free but the service is lacking big time. Don't eat here if you are in a hurry.
The drinks are great - the margaritas are delicious. But that's about it. The food is terrible. Terrible. Terrible.
When I moved from California to a small town in Massachusetts near the New Hampshire border, one of the biggest culture shocks for me - besides the absolute lack of people of color - was the absence of any Mexican food.
Except there was an On the Border.
Okay, so imagine a place where there are no people of color. Imagine that the only Mexican restaurant in town is part of a national chain. Just how good do you think that restaurant is going to be? Yeeeeeah.
I will grant you that such a restaurant serves a purpose in a town where there is no other Mexican food. An On the Border in Sacramento though? No.
Imagine overpriced mediocre tacos/burritos/fajitas, overpriced mixed drinks, and average chain-style "Mex" food loaded with salt/cheese, because according to chains that's what Mexican food is all about. All this in a city where you can get cheap, authentic Mexican food pretty easily and where great fish tacos (hush!) abound in all sorts of establishments.
So no. Just no. For this kind of quality I'll hit up a Baja Fresh instead and save myself $15-$20, thank you very much.
P.S. I lasted in Mass. for about three months.
People thought this was:
Funny (1)
Wasnt impressed with this place. The salsa was good enough, but that was about it. Chicken Fajitas were really bland and boring, as well as way overpriced. Went once and never again, even when it was one of the few places to eat in Natomas.
Jeff
www.grubberz.com
Another boyfriend favorite...but I like going to OTB every now and then too. They always have yummy, WARM tortilla chips served with very good medium-spicy salsa. Other dips for your chips to try are the mild queso and guacamole live (made at your table); it's about $2-3 more than the pre-made guacamole, but it taste 10 times better and fresher. It's also really easy to fill up on the chips, so I'd recommend sharing an entree. We usually share a plate of mixed meat fajitas and it ends up being just right. If you need a whole entree all to yourself, the burritos and the Enchiladas Suizas are pretty good, and so are the rice and beans that come with them! Entrees range from $11-$15.
For a chain, this place is definitely a cut above Chevy's or El Torito.
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
For quick restaurant Mexican food, I like this place quite a bit. We've gone to this location to catch a bite before hitting the movie theater in the same shopping megaplex. They have been timely with the orders, the selection is great (I had the smoked brisket tacos with jalapeno barbeque sauce... uh, Yum-O!), and the salsa has a fresh bright taste with just enough heat.
It's easy to fill up on appetizers. I have learned to steer away from the fundido (Mexican cheese fondue with melted Jack, onions and garlic, and chicken all combined in a delicious oozy melty mess) because although delicious, it is a huge calorie bomb! I still crave it though.
Try On the Border if you haven't already. The formula they've devised for the food at this chain really works. However, be forewarned--a top shelf margarita can run you a whopping $11!
People thought this was:
Useful (1)
Really? 4 stars?
The only things that are good here:
Chips--deceptive, because you eat a lot of them. They are fried half-tortillas.
Salsa--cooked, but quite good for what it was.
grilled veggies
Service--quite good, and responsive, and the waiter was quick on the draw and anticipated napkin issues before we did.
Bonus:
Crayons for the kiddos.
That's it! I'd go back for: margaritas, chips and salsa, and I'd order a giant platter of their veggies and sit out on the misted and fanned patio that no one else was using, and feel smug about my truxel experience.
I tried their chicken fajita heart smart/lower calorie plate because I'm feeling fat lately. PF got this massive chile relleno combo that couldn't be finished because of the thick clotted refried beans that tasted vaguely of liquid smoke. Honestly, his platter looked amazing unappetizing, but he made some headway because of our extreme hunger.
Beanie got the grilled chicken, with a side of rice (undercooked and hard in spots), and a specially ordered side of refried beans. Had I known they would be so icky, I'd have ordered her the grilled veggies, which were delicious. The chicken was less than delicious, very boring. My 2 year old was more interested in the salsa, which had a little kick, but was fairly safe for the toddler set.
Normally, I would get a more traditional plate of food, but I figured this was a chain, and they probably have good response from their lower calorie fare, right?? My platter was two flacid and oily corn tortillas stuffed with dry "mesquite grilled chicken" slices, chunks of anemic tomatoes (why? it's summer, at least give me ripe ones to pick off of my plate) and wilty iceberg lettuce. Comes with a red sauce that looks like shimp cocktail, and I nixed it as soon as I smelled it. I did sort of enjoy the black turtle beans once I dumped the regular salsa on everything, and I voided my low calories by ordering a side of sour cream to up the ante on the dried out chicken. I also really liked the grilled veggies, which appear to be fresh (one nice piece of red bell pepper, yellow and zucchini squash strips, grilled till soft with a little oil and salt, simple and good.) Had I known the veggies were so good, I'd have ordered tacos stuffed with them instead. I really think they did a disservice to the chicken, both beanie's and my own.
As PF says, this place is a whitey chain restaurant's interpretation of Mexican, and it's mostly a Mexican't.
$37 plus tip, and I'm just glad we didn't pay for it. My boss got me gift certificates.
People thought this was:
Useful (9)
Funny (4)
Cool (4)
OK...so it's a chain...and I've been to lots of other places before. But this place gave me one of the best experiences with my family. On our way back from Tahoe after a friggin' looooooonnnngggg drive (thank you Caltrans!), we stopped for dinner. Our waitress was so on top of things, she goes down as one of my top-5 ever. Food was excellent and prepared perfectly...keeping in mind that I have lots of direct comparisons. And yeah...I shared my comments with the manager at the restaurant as well as the corporate office. Each person showed me they cared about my comments, and I even got sent a bunch of gift certificates as a thank you. Now sure...if I had complained, the tune may have been different, but having done more than my fair share of complaining and compliments, it is VERY rare that the management actively participates in their customer concerns.
So sorry that Luisa had a bad experience with the place and management.
People thought this was:
Cool (1)
After we got our new place, we went back to reno to get our stuff and recharge our tan for a couple of days. on the way there, we had to stop in sacramento for dinner and we went to a chain restaurant called on the border. for a chain, it was good. the inside looks like any chilis or fridays or etc place, but it has good mexican food. i had a yummy chicken enchilada with pink sauce, refried beans, and rice. mmm i devoured it. jesse had the same thing, and matt had one of those friedy ones you know, whats it called, oh a fajita. even the nacho chips and salsa were good! definitely worth it for a chain.
Hot and New
- Zelda's Original Gourmet Pizza
117 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Market Club
6 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Cafe Rolle
45 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Shoki Ramen House
69 reviews
Sacramento, CA
- Cafe Au Creme
10 reviews
Sacramento, CA