Meh minus. That's what I'd give the Border Cafe. I got a cup of gumbo which was pretty flavorful and the best part of our dinner. My better half and I both got fajita salads. They were gross. I'm sorry but gross is appropriate. The chicken was soggy (I didn't know that was a thing) and the lettuce had a lot of brown. Our little guy got a cheese fajita and some fries. Those were fine. The service was non-existent but they were busy so I won't fault the server for that. That said, they were busy so maybe the food is better than what we got but I'm all set with that place... read more

I simply cannot say enough about how tasty the blackened chicken is. It's so flavorful and moist, just the right mix of bold and spicy without being too overpowering, and comes served with delicious orange marmalade. I think I'd ask for it as my last meal. The soda and water comes in the biggest glass I've ever seen in a sit-down restaurant, so you are not going to need seventeen refills. The servers are always nice, attentive, and fun to interact with. And the prices are reasonable! read more

Service began fine. Server brought water after we asked- no straws but fine. Too many minutes passed before he took our order. We ordered and too many minutes passed before receiving the appetizers. Too many minutes later our entrees arrived. Protein arrived hot but all rice beans and vegetables tepid. No server asked about our meal. Once finished we waited for the check - and waited. we watched our waiter saunter around with no hurrying whatsoever as we and other tables waited for service. Looked like plenty of staff working- why such poor service? read more

We've eaten here many times. The food was delicious. But I barley made it home before having massive diarrhea

I love this place, been coming here for years now we used to visit Cambridge place but due to closing we visited Burlington place and were happy These pictures from Burlington place Fresh food and affordable They didn't raise up their prices due to the pandemic They minimized the menu so food can be served faster read more

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As a military family, we have lived many places and tried many different restaurants...this is our favorite restaurant of all time. We have been to several locations (Cambridge, MA, Burlington, MA, Iselin, NJ). Even with the post COVID changes, this place is phenomenal with so much flavor. The El Pueblo fajitas are superb and I've never had a chicken quesadilla that wasn't boring and bland until I had one here. The chips and salsa are great and my husband swears by the gumbo. (Better than any we found in New Orleans!) We have never had a bad meal here. They do a lot of business and have alway been fast and efficient. We currently live 2 hours from the closest location and have made the drive on several occasions....yes, it's THAT good. read more

We wanted to order takeout while we were in the restaurant. We were told that we could not do that, and the only way to order the takeout is from their online website.!!! The strange thing is that there is an option to call and order the takeout on their website. So we didn't order and left. The manager was very rude also. read more

My all time favorite for food, service and ambiance. Food is always good and service prompt.

One of my favourite places to eat. Love their gumbo and their fajitas! The menu is a lot more streamlined post COVID but the best items are still there. read more

Food wasn't so good, the food needed more salt and less spice. I love spicy food but this wasn't it. Waitress could of check in more often but choose to just look from distance and not come and ask if we need anything. The food was also cold. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

Not what it used to be! 1) Filet Mignon Jim Bowie style is no longer on the menu. Last time we asked why, the waiter told us because "... too many customer ordered it". 2) French Fries are most the time overcooked. 3) We no longer go there. We enjoyed in the past going there every other weekend when we came back from the beach. read more

Welp, what a different crowd compared to the location in Harvard. In Harvard it is typically a bunch of college kids mixed with young professionals in a darkly lit restaurant screaming over each other and getting very drunk at the Tiki Bar. Even though they are the same restaurant but in different locations--they might as well be two completely different franchises. There is no dim lighting at this location. Matter of fact, there are no college kids. The general population I saw on this Thursday night for the dinner shift were families with young children. The music wasn't blasting and nobody was screaming over each other. The vague smell of weed seeping in through the walls were non existent and nobody seemed out of control. It was a total bummer. Again, since it was a different crowd, things were done differently. One of my favorite things about Border Cafe in Harvard were how strong the drinks were. Maybe it was an off night or with a different bartender, but my margarita's tasted solely of the mix. It's Border Cafe, you go for the drinks. And all the drinks I got were weak sauce and overpriced. For dinner I got the beef fajitas. They don't even deserve a paragraph or anything more than a few sentences. That's how I really feel. Our waiter kept screwing up all night. I think it was a mixture of this fella being young and clearly more interested in flirting with the other young staff members. For example, the house was not crowded and it was like he wasn't even there. When our bill was delivered, it was lower than expected by about $10, which we did not complain about since we were celebrating a new job, and my partner put down their card under the impression that we would be paying that price (about $40). When the card was returned, we had been charged $56 with zero explanation. Would I suggest it? No. Will I return? Maybe read more

LOVE Border cafe because their food is delicious and is priced very decently! Chips and salsa come complimentary. The empanadas and jambalaya rice are exceptionally delicious! I ordered the jambalaya side and appetizer of blackened chicken fingers- so good! I ordered a frozen strawberry margarita as well which was perfect. Always look forward to coming! Our waiter was also so kind and friendly! read more

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I enjoy this place a little more than Margarita's. I feel like their margaritas are cheaper and tastier. I ordered a burrito with rice and beans. The server was very attentive and friendly. The food came out pretty fast, probably within ten minutes. The burrito was steaming hot which is always a plus. They go pretty heavy on the cheese, so it filled me up quickly. Food doesn't taste the most fresh but it is fine for the price. I like the atmosphere here. There is also an outside section which I will sit in next time! read more

Sorry but the menu is now so pathetic we stopped going after many years. Also fajitas seem precooked with mostly onions. All my favorite things are gone and only fish tacos. Never going back. We supported them with takeout during pandemic but the menu is skimping now. read more

Legit best Tex Mex in Massachusetts. Pro tip: ask for fresh tortilla chips. They come out hot and are very addicting. Always have to do a margarita with some Don Julio or Herradura to pair with the chips... followed by a cerveza with the meal. I usually go with a Modelo Especial or Pacifico Clara. For my meal, this time around, I went with the half and half fajitas with jambalaya and guacamole. So filling and so satisfying. The wife ordered blackened salmon tacos. She said they tasted like summer. That dish comes with a grilled half avocado smothered with mango salsa. Damn. Every blackened salmon dish they have is good, especially the salad. Our other go-to picks are the corn and black bean empanadas, taco salad in a tostada bowl, and the Guadalajara Chicken. This restaurant is consistenly good and I have visited countless times. read more

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Set your expectations low and you'll be alright. The food is cheap and so are the margaritas. Unfortunately they taste it too. We went in and it was packed with a 20-25 min wait. We were seated much quicker which was great. The waitstaff was very knowledgeable and confirmed all the food was Gluten Free. The best part was Gluten Free hot nacho chips and salsa (free). Unfortunately it went down hill from there. The food took a really long time to arrive and when it did half of our meals were cold. Not cool, but cold. The waiter was very nice and took them back and a manager confirmed that the food was cold. The food came back out and it was almost luke warm and worst of all, not very flavorful. Atmosphere was pretty cool to look at but very loud and the tables are fairly close together. Getting to the restrooms felt like running for a first down because the waiting area is right in front of the restrooms and you had to push through the crowd. In the end our waiter gave us small packs of M&M's for dessert. The bad part was they were so hot and squishy I was afraid to ask were he'd been carrying them... read more

Border Cafe - Ambiance - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

We really like this restaurant and have been impressed by the food and the service. I used to go to the Cambridge location frequently. This review is due to a strange situation this past Saturday. We arrived at 6:30pm, it was crowded but we were seated pretty quickly. When we were led to our table, there was a little girl laying on the floor playing with toys., not in a corner but in the middle of the floor. We literally had to step over her. Throughout our meal, this little girl, ran around the waiters carrying hot platters...she laid on the floor where they could potentially trip on her. Her parents sat at the table near by, watching her but doing nothing. I kept hoping a manager might come by and ask the parents to keep her at the table or at the very least keep her out of the way of the waitstaff Of course, This shouldn't be the restaurants responsibility but with the lack of parental responsibility, it was a danger for their employees not to mention the little girl. read more

when i walked in, i got greeted and seated immediately, which already gave me a great vibe of the place. decoratation is amazing and so is the food. customer service matters the most to me, and even though i only had one waitress she was amazing. everyone seemed so friendly and amazing. if i could give it a ten i would read more

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Place is great value for drinks and dinner- food is consistent - this is not authentic Tex mex but it's also not Taco Bell. Via El Border

This place should be shut down. I have been going to the Border since they were on the south bound on Rt 1 when the blond guy from Stoneham owned the place. He really cares about the quality of the food going being served. We ordered the chic and beef fajita's and the metal black board that is normally smoking hot and steam blowing off of it was ICE cold and the steak was cold and like chewing on a rubber band! The jumbalaya was cold and looked like it was cooked 3 days ago ... left on a counter to completely dry it out. Then served to us. The meat was so dry it looked like it was in a dehydration over... seriously didn't know what it was! The manager was a complete waste of time to talk to... Post Covid nobody cares anymore... Will not go back and it's sad cause We really love the atmosphere , food and drinks there ... Clean up your act and if you wouldn't eat it/Don't serve it!!!! read more

My wife and I are from the South, and we have high expectations of Cajun food - and Border Cafe never disappoints! This is the second Border Cafe we've visited, and it was just as good as the first. As far as food goes, I've ordered the Gulf Coast Seafood Enchilada (shrimp and crawfish, with poblano jack cheese and this amazing cream sauce on top), Chicken Fajitas (blows Chili's out of the water), Catfish Royale (catfish is one of those things that has to be cooked properly, and they did!) and Shrimp & Crawfish Quesadilla (self-explanatory, ALWAYS dripping with cheese), among many other things. Every time, they are on the mark with freshness, speed of service, and attentiveness of staff. Border Cafe is the only restaurant I'll wait more than 30 minutes for a table at! P.S. If you like shoestring fries, try theirs with Bayou Sauce. SO GOOD! read more

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Got there Saturday night at 5 thinking we would beat the rush. We just made it! They were busy at that time. When we left at 6, there was a line of people out the door. You get chips and salsa(my favorite part about Tex mex or Mexican restaurants) salsa was meh so we got guac. Guac was good. I ordered the steak chimichurri. There was a blackened spice on the outside of the steak that ruined the taste of it. Almost like whatever was in the spice, was burnt. The steak was cooked well. My fiancé got fish tacos and still talks about them. Despite how busy it was, the service was good. read more

I wouldn't label food here mex as much as cajun-mex and in that respect Border Cafe offers a solid above average option. As a vegetarian I was a little nervous about the options available, but there's a well labelled vegetarian section with meat free versions of some of their more notable dishes at extremely reasonable prices. The meal starts with complimentary chips (still warm!) and salsa and our waiter was extra on top on making sure they were refilled. On the flip side our food foreevvveerr to arrive after ordering, especially since we were trying to eat a faster mid-work day weekday lunch. The decor was quirky and made for an interesting conversation. I ordered the Eggplant St. Charles, which was described as eggplant delicately fried and covered with spiced cheese sauce. The dish was served with rice and beans making for a very very brown and colorless plate, tasty, but highly carb heavy. The eggplants were fried extremely well and maintained a superb, easy to bite into texture without being chewy. The sauce was a big heavy, especially served with rice, but well spiced. It was unlike any dish I've had before, but I felt super groggy afterwards. Nothing here is light, but everything is comforting and enjoyable. Depending on what you're looking for Border Cafe might or might not be the spot for you. read more

Border Cafe - Eggplant St Charles - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

Dining here after a terrible day, quickly swept my winter woes away. What can I say here that probably hasn't already been said? I've been to Border Cafes before and never felt impressed by the food, or anything else they had to offer. Until last night, all of my unimpressed thoughts have totally changed. I can't help but day dream about my Swordfish Tacos. I don't think that any other place could ever replicate my plate of perfection. My mouth waters the thought of every indulgent bite. My plate was full with leafy delicious greens, with an amazing mango salsa and a half avocado. Take a look at my uploaded picture! Simply wonderful!I was truly satisfied with the portion. Three fish tacos was just plenty. Best of all, it wasn't the most expensive menu item. It was $10, and change. My waitress, Allison M, was smiley, completely delightful. She was always on top of her game. Consistently refilling my pail of water and adding two lemon wedges before I even reached halfway, or even a quarter way of my 64 ounce water glass. This is pure attention to customers. This has to be one of the fewest times that I have ever seen such flawless waitressing. She deserves to be on some sort of Wall of Fame. If I could only say the worst part of the dining experience, was the mere 5 minute wait for seating. Trust me. It was worth it! I didn't have any adult beverages, but as I looked at neighboring tables, I saw margaritas all lined across the tables. I doubt anyone went home feeling less than pleasant. To top the night off, the amusing staff let me go home with a fun blue balloon. How can't I be in love? I can't wait for my next visit! Border Cafe, you're terrific! read more

Border Cafe - Swordfish tacos - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

I heard this place was good in Harvard square, so I decided to check this one out nearby the hotel. Luckily the place wasn't too crowded for a Sunday night and was able to get a seat right away. They have a fairly large menu of mexican dishes and lots of choices for beer on tap and bottle. They supposedly have great amazing margaritas, but unfortunately I don't drink tequila, so I didn't try it. I got the enchilada + taco dish with a chicken taco and shredded beef enchilada. The enchilada was slightly overcooked, with a rubbery taste to it but once I got into the middle, it tasted ok. The taco was just simply a tortila with just chicken inside and thus slightly disappointing. It came with rice, beans and pico de gallo. I also ordered guacamole as an extra. Overall, the food was ok, good for cheap mexican food, but not great quality. The service here was good though. I really liked the homemade chips that they give you to munch on as well as the salsa. read more

I was in Massachusetts for business and staying at a hotel located near the Border Cafe. Decided to stop in after briefly looking it up on yelp. Being a Texan, I'll eat Mexican food anywhere I go and be happy about it. I couldn't get a seat because it was so busy and because some Yankee broad decided her purse needed its own bar seat. Whatever, I left. This ended up being a blessing in disguise as it lead me to discover Wegmans, which might be the best grocery store ever graced with my presence. Later in the week I decided to give Border Cafe another go. There was no host at the host station so I seated myself at the bar. Now yelp calls this place a Mexican restaurant and judging by the dos equis, corona, and tequila bottles I spied behind the bar, I felt confident that this was a Mexican establishment. I quickly realized that this place only serves bottles beer. No. Beer. On. Tap. Weird, but ok. I opened my menu and discovered that Border Cafe couldn't figure out what it wanted to be when it grew up. There were Mexican options, sure, but the majority of the food options were creole. Not that I'm complaining here, because both of these should be on the food pyramid in my opinion, but again, weird. The bartender served me chips and salsa, which lacked heat, but tasted ok. I ordered the eggplant royale, which is fried eggplant topped with lump crab and cheese. I also got jambalaya as a side. This was a gamble on my part, because a lot of things can go very wrong with a dish like that. My gamble paid off though. The food was delicious. Very glad I paid this confused establishment a visit. read more

Border Cafe - Eggplant royale - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

So i ordered a chicken salad and i was served beef salad and me being indian we dont even think of eating beef as its auspicious to us we worship cow/buffalo. After having first bite i realised something was wrong so i called the manager she came and casually told sorry and left like nothing happened ? I know its not a big of a deal for you but for me it is. I will never recommened this restaurant ever to anyone. Worst place!!!! read more

No longer what it used to be pre-pandemic. they've eliminated many entrees and in my opinion their only signature plate is their fajitas.. everything is else is just average. read more

NOTE: I have posted the same review for the Burlington branch and the Cambridge branch because I have the same opinion about both of them! I've been here a couple times now and I reallyyyyyy like this place. It may not be authentic Mexican or Cajun but the food always hits the spot. First the drinks. Their frozen strawberry margarita is delicious. I'm not normally a huge margarita fan but I can down one of these in ~10 minutes. I pleasantly surprised that the normal frozen margarita was really good too. Things I've tried here: Enchiladas with marinated chicken and pulled beef, chicken quesadillas, and the chicken and chorizo étouffée. I loved all of them! The enchiladas had a really good flavor and the pulled meat was delicious. I also thought there was the right amount of cheese - not too much and not too little. The quesadillas were loaded with melted cheese with a crispy and slightly blackened tortilla and they were sooooo gooood. Finally I had no idea what to expect from the Cajun food but it was savory and spicy and delicious too! I'm not claiming this place is authentic and the decorations are definitely cheesy but love it and frequently crave the food. I will definitely continue to come back! read more

Border Cafe - Enchiladas! - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

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Server was terrible. Only restaurant I've seen that doesn't have chicken con queso and the waitress didn't even know anything about it. Ended up getting blackened chicken and took one bite and it taste straight like a used grill. Glad I wasted my money read more

Finally good Mexican food !! I will be back wonderful service and the food was awesome! So glad we found this place .

This water hole was packed for a Wednesday evening; who knew that there were so many local Tex-Mex fans savoring an evening of margaritas and guacamole! Kudos to our server, Mel, for keeping up with our food and drink orders, and for entertaining our requests for dessert, even though this is a course that isn't offered on the menu. +1 star for decently priced food (although it's a stretch for authenticity) The $7 to $9 margaritas are fairly standard: $7 for well tequila and $9 for patron. The appetizer and salad portions were enough for a full meal, and the entrees were large enough for two meals. Our group ordered $80 worth of food: - Guac for dipping - Crawfish ettoufee (a bit salty for my liking, and the crawfish tasted somewhat off) - Steak and bleu cheese salad (filling for a salad) - Shrimp and crawfish quesadilla with extra guac (large enough for lunch the next day) - Chicken fajita (pretty filling with the additional soft tacos) - El pueblo beef and chicken (enough for lunch the next day) The plates were massive and the entrees all came with sides of beans, rice, and jambalaya. We also got three refills of chips, especially because the guys were munching on them throughout dinner. +1 star for attentive service You might think that we're high maintenance, asking for food to be cooked a certain way or requesting that our first margarita come out on the rocks with salt, and then the second margarita come out with no salt, and the third to be frozen. You might think we're annoying for chatting you up for a few minutes and holding you as a hostage in our conversation, therefore causing you to ignore your other tables. You might think that we're crazy, ordering far too much alcohol (and drinking it all, by the way) and eating everything in sight. But we thank you for putting up with us. Seriously, our server was fantastic. She never once told us that something couldn't be made a certain way, and even offered us margaritas that weren't on the menu. (Try the watermelon margarita - it's like a light jolly rancher mixed with top shelf tequila!) She also knew to leave us alone when appropriate and when to appear with water / drink refills. +1 star for not being ridiculously cheesy. Oh, there's the convenience factor too. There's the usual string of colored lights and Tex-Mex paintings everywhere, but we are grateful that you don't have a live mariachi band playing in the middle of the dining room, with some drunk guest trying to steal the maracas out of the singer's hands. (Yes, I've witnessed this before.) Being located on the Middlesex Turnpike helps alleviate some of the parking problems that people might experience when they visit the Cambridge location. It's also nice that this Border Cafe is located near route 3 and I-95, and right near the Burlington Mall. It isn't perfect, but at least this water hole isn't poisoned. read more

Restaurant just recently opened, but it's the same chain as in Cambridge/Saugus. Service is still getting up to speed, but the food was top notch. This location was much less crazy than Cambridge (which sometimes is insane). I had the blackened chicken dinner, and it was really really good. A good blend of spice and taste, coupled with a lone star beer and a low price....overall a great deal. My wife had a steak and blue cheese salad, which also was great. I'd def recommend you check it out, and make sure to try the blackened chicken! read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

Had lunch with co-workers and enjoyed their Fish Tacos. The service was great and their house made nachos and salsa is great. So about the tacos... The fish was excellent! The salsa and ingredients are very good. Overall it's very tasty but my only gripe is something that so many restaurants seem to do. They drench the tacos with salsa and don't strain the liquid out... This basically amounts to a very messy and soggy experience. I will ask for them to strain for me next time - this sloppy method of assembling the tacos is the only thing preventing me from giving this dish more stars. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts

One star for the friendly and attentive service and the chips and salsa they put on your table. It's the only thing that's really edible. The rest of their food is way too salty and the lemonade they make is way too sweet. Not a healthy combination. I came here a few times back in the day when I worked in Burlington and when a friend suggested it for lunch I decided to give it another shot, but nothing has changed. I got the shrimp and crawfish quesadillas with a side of guacamole. Other places will use generous sized shrimp and cut it into pieces. This restaurant uses the tiny shrimp that come in cans that are nothing but salt and have no shrimp taste. They also put hot sauce in this appetizer, truly rendering it inedible. The guacamole was clearly the salty pre-made kind. Will never come here again. I was amazed at how many people were here and it was Labor Day weekend. I wouldn't want to know how much sodium I consumed from that one appetizer and I could only eat half of it. Blech. read more

Whomever the manager is, needs to be fired. Get there at 7, tells me it will be 35 min. An hour later he says it will be another 15 min. While this is happening he is seating people with smaller groups and not for one second did this genius think, these people have been here so long maybe I'll ask them if they want to split up the group and when I asked him why he didn't even ask that as an option, his response was he is not a mind reader!!! Lol, JOKE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THIS PERSON SHOULD BE FIRED. read more

I have been going to the Border Cafe restaurants for over 2 decades. For the money, you can't beat the food quality and quantity. If you are looking for a quiet dinner this is not your place. The atmosphere is very loud. The margaritas are good and the Fajitas and Burros are excellent. I wish they would step up their dessert offerings. Maybe offer churros?! If you are looking for laid-back, casual Mexican/Louisiana inspired food. Then you should give this place a shot. They did trim back their menu since Covid. I am hoping the bring back their traditional menu. read more

I always enjoy coming here -- except for the crowds, which can be crazy. But, if you are up standing (literally) to be called and being in a noisy place, you will enjoy the food. They somehow have achieved the mix of both a busy bar scene with a restaurant that has lots of kids. The unlimited chips and salsa start things out well. They clearly make the chips continually as every basket I have ever eaten here has been piping hot. The salsa is chunky with clearly defined ingredients. The guacamole is also flavorful and chunky -- just not unlimited or free. I personally enjoy the very large plate of fajitas. Ask for extra veggies. (Or, get the vegetarian fajitas.) The Camptown Shrimp appetizer and the Jambalaya are also really good choices. read more

Delish- I just love this place. I used to be a bit turned off by the fact that it's a chain, but that's become a plus in my book as of late. You always come back and get the same, consistent experience. Chips & salsa? Perfection- they're warm and thin and perfect. Vegetarian options? A+ (they even have a vegetarian section on the back of the menu- thank you!). Ability to customize entrees/sides? Yes & yes. Black bean & corn empanadas are out of this world (though probably 8000 calories). Salads are hearty and on point. Fajitas come with house-made flour tortillas that are nice and thick. This Burlington location is my favorite (vs. the busy, busy Harvard Square). It's so spacious and parking's not even an issue! Love it. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Burlington, Massachusetts