Border Grill
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 451-1655
- Cross Street:
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm
Editorial Review for Border Grill – by Allison Austin
The Scene
Black, terra-cotta, yellow, red and blue paint covers the walls. If the room weren't so loud, the clever flavor pairings and precise execution of the kitchen wouldn't be as surprising.
The Food
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the "Two Hot Tamales," present Mexico's bold flavors on this eclectic menu. Purists will find the tart, cool seviche authentic and refreshing. Charred, seasoned carnitas on fresh corn tortillas are terrific examples of Mexican street food. But those who step away from the well-worn taco path will be handsomely rewarded with cilantro-spiked skirt steak or achiote-marinated pork, braised in banana leaves until fall-apart tender.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitBook a private mural-accented room that holds up to 40 people. It's upstairs, but has elevator access. A seasoned manager will help you plan a perfect bash.
The ExtrasLet the Grill do the cooking for your next shindig; call the general manager and ask about catering.
Happy HourWeekdays from 4pm to 7pm, drinks like margaritas, mojitos and imported beers are $4, and munchies such as quesadillas and green corn tamales are all $3.
User Reviews for Border Grill
05/19/2008 Posted by ethan1
Having periodically eaten here for many years, I finally have to say farewell. Never liking any of the entrees, I always enjoyed the starters and salads -- these, too, have become what one would expect from a mid-level nationwide chain of Mexican restaurant factories. For the past few visits, it's become apparent that the two celebrity chef owners have left the building. Even those $20 coupons from Whole Foods won't bring me back. High points -- pleasant, attentive service, and decor still works.
Pros: Good service
Cons: Food
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
04/20/2008 Posted by pengwing
Service: our waiter was friendly and even took one of our bad-tasting dishes off our bill without us having to ask. also, they were good about keeping our drinks filled up. Chips: they were yummy. however, the salsa was sub-par. the person who said it tastes like shrimp cocktail had it right. Poblano Quesadilla: the first bite tasted ok, but then we realized it was super greasy and salty. it was also really thin. as soon as it wasn't really hot anymore, it tasted worse. Inside of quesadilla: imagine 1/2 centimeter thick sea-sponge, covered in brown grease, with the occational string of mucky green. Vegetable plate: Creamed corn was about 5 steps below chevy's cream corn. Blackbeans were actually gross (bland, lard-like, and like plain whole wheat flower mixed in). Zuchini were unrecognizable, not to mention sour, slimey, and coated in wet salt. Did not even touch the mushrooms or the onions, considering they resembled (and smelled like) old worms. As for the "potatos" or what not, tasted exacly like old greasy fries douced in vicscous cheese and old, stringy, unidentifiable veggies. Everything else on the plate: could not identify (neither by taste, look, or smell). This plate was returned, and kindly removed from our bill. Chicken dish with some cassarole (glop) underneath it: The chicken itself was OK I guess, but not better than my Foreman grill can make. It was sitting on a pile of brown/green glop that I couldn't recognize. Looked something like wet sand with a tinge of (again) mucky green. Tasted like sand as well, combined with animal grease, rotted and pungent chile peppers(???), mold??? Who knows what was in it, but it tasted like half-digested camel feed (see Man v. Wild). Certainly passed on dessert after this disaster. We nonetheless felt bad for the waiter (who was quite nice), and left a tip. it is now about 5 hrs since our meal, and i can still taste it. NEVER COMING BACK.
Pros: better than starvation?
Cons: see description of rating.
0 out of 2 people found this review helpful
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