HOPEFULLY TONIGHT WAS A GOOD SIGN!! Ya know post covid Border really took a step back, they didn't do togo orders, they completely cut back their menu and hours (stopped doing lunch) and jacked up their prices (which I mostly get). I've been doing Border for DECADES. Literally. When my 20 year old was born on our way home from the hospital... yup.. we stopped at Border with the 3 day old.... My wife and I use to LOVE THIS PLACE. I remember when they had the kids menu for $2.98. A line out the door every night. We had four kids and being able to go out to dinner with the kids was awesome. Four kids could eat for less than $15. Ok. Back on point here... I think BORDER IS BACK! Everything we had tonight was delicious. The once small menu now has a TON of great new items. Also, they're do togo now! If ya haven't been in a while I understand. Maybe give Border a chance again. It's worth it now. It's not the ridiculously great deal it once was but it's still affordable. You get great table service, friendly staff and a good meal for about the same price as going to Chipotle. Stop ordering in and dine out. Hope you're experience was a good as ours. Keep it up Border!! read more

Absolutely love the Border been going for years even back to Cambridge location, WHY have they added green peppers to the fajita? Nothing on menu states this. I cannot eat peppers so when they brought it out had to take back. I was told no longer can order with just onions? Very disappointing - hope they can resolve this matter as it was fine for years! read more

I only have on thing to say- BRING BACK THE BLUE CHEESE!!!!!! (For the Tejas chicken and salads). No one wants a dill dip! Service is ALWAYS great! read more

Great fun great food great people great prices many different kinds of margaritas. Many different kinds of beers. Also, the food is amazing. They do have a children's menu. I usually get the quesadilla. I get to jambalaya. The salads are fantastic. read more

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Hopefully the manager actually reads this! I ordered their chicken pastelitos, when I was eating it I bit hard into a piece of chicken bone! It did hurt a little. I let the server know, she said she would show the manager. What I was expecting is the manager to check on me or at least comp the appetizer. But nothing! If I would have chipped a tooth, things would have been much different! Pastelitos were still good and server was good. Just take care of your customers. read more

Excellent delicious food. Always our favorite We have been coming here for years. Always high quality and service so quickly. The staff works very hard read more

Border Cafe - Main course delicious - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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I order the Cajun salad from border cafe and recently took a bite of a screw/bolt type thing that was in my salad. The manager refunded my order but this place has gone downhill. A few weeks later I ordered again as it's super close to my house and found two staples in my same salad. Please God for your own safety, stay FAR away!!!!! read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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Found this spot not long after moving to Malden and have been a frequent visitor ever since. Food is authentic to what it is claimed to be, service is good, and the music is even better. Good mix of options on the menu. Recommend! read more

Border Cafe - Cajun, Mexican - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

We arrived at 4:30 for an early dinner on our way home from a Red Sox game. There was 8 adults and a baby. The manager would not let us all sit together. She said it was against company policy to pull two tables together (which we have done many times) and she would not let us sit at the empty table for 8. We overheard another employee say to hear she shouldn't lie to customers. She said they didn't have the staff. So, she sat us at two tables next to each other, we had one waitress and one tab. The waitress was great very attentive, and extremely nice. This took place on Sunday August 3rd in Saugus MA. I think the company would be wise to retrain this manager as they will continue to loose long term customers like me . I will never go back. read more

The food tasted extremely flavorful, my favorite thing on the menu was the pulled chicken pasteletos which were amazing, and much other stuff was just as good as well. The service was good, just not the best, it took a little bit longer than expected, but we did get a lot of food so I completely understand. The ambiance was really festive and entertaining, there was a lot of art on the walls and even plastic statues at the entrance which was entertaining. Border cafe was a very good restaurant. read more

They change the Tejas chicken. It is now breaded. Please bring back the old Teja's. These are nasty.. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

The only reason for 2 stars is the very pleasant waitress. If you like salt, this is the place for you, will love this place. I couldn't taste the chicken in the enchiladas for the salt. The ranch dressing was terrible, the recipe has been changed. How to improve, LOSE THE SALT BOXES! read more

Ordered blackened salmon Caesar salad to go, mango dressing on the side and I also asked for salmon to be placed on the side. My fault, I should've checked it... Got home, this is what I got... Blackened, salmon, flat, and over, seasoned, tasted frozen, Caesar salad, filling about half of the container, drenched in dressing. no mango dressing and the salmon was placed on the salad squished into the to go the container as there were a couple of pieces of grilled greasy bread on top also, squished into the salad. Don't remember seeing the grilled greasy bread on the menu. Anyway, Saturday afternoon, 3:30 PM, called back to speak to manager, and no one has answered so far... Will try again... So disappointed because the salmon was top-notch. Hoping to get some kind of a response from the restaurant as you can see in my reviews, it is rare that I give such a low scoring review. read more

Border Cafe - Flattened overseasoned salmon on a salad... dressing was supposed to be on the side... Instead, the lettuce is wilted and soaked. - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

We visited Border Cafe in Saugus yesterday but had arrived before the restaurant opened at 4pm. Luba, the Bartender, was there and met with us briefly to tell us what time the restaurant actually opens. She was a very connecting and pleasant person to talk to. Because we were too early, we decided to wait in our car until 4pm and then walked in and sat at the bar. We ordered our drinks and dinner dishes both served by Luba. Luba was terrific, first as a greeter, and second as the Bartender. She was highly attentive and responsive in serving us throughout our visit. As we were drinking margaritas with our dinner, I asked Luba for a glass of water and she quickly provided it but later, as my glass of water got low, she quickly filled it up again without me having to ask for a refill. Her quick responses, friendliness and high level of professionalism was very pleasing to us, the customers. There are bartenders out there in the world who are indifferent and must be prodded to take requests from customers and then there are Bartenders like Luba, the best at her job. read more

My daughter and I went to the Border Cafe this afternoon at 4. We were promptly seated. Our server took our order. The food was delivered and that was the last we saw of her until we were past ready for the bill.My daughter's meal was not correct. No one came by to see how things were. She had time to check on the table in front of us multiple times.We wanted to take home the leftover queso dip gave us a bowl, no offer of chips to go with it. That use to be pretty standard. I saw a earlier review of the food being very salty. That's true. I will not be going back anytime soon. This is the second time in a row we've had pool service. Won't happen anytime soon again read more

we went today January 10, 2026. it was terrible. right off the bat, the chips were burnt. my "burro" was so salty and you could tell the beef was leftover. the whole meal was salty which included the rice and bean. then also they didn't take a visa gift card. only gift cards from their restaurant were allowed. so this was at noontime, it's now 4:30 and I have an incredible stomach ache from less than half the dish. this is not the first time this place was a letdown. I'll never return read more

Quite literally have never had a bad experience at Border Cafe. Been to this location many times. Always experienced a friendly staff and quality food. The margs are solid (could use a tad more tequila for the price but still tasty.) Probably the best chips and salsa I've had in MA. The blackened chicken fajitas are my favorite and my gf loves the shrimp tacos. She's from Texas and grew up on amazing TexMex. While this isn't quite Texas level Tex-mex (I know it's technically like Cajun Mex) it's the closest thing in MA I've had - from the food to the drinks and atmosphere. Might be the most underrated regional chain restaurant around. They actually season their food and it comes out hot and tastes fresh which is leagues above some other chains around. Long story short: Underrated and solid. read more

It's very disappointing that one of my favorite restaurants has become unrecognizable. They slashed half the menu. The drinks are 90% mixers and the service has went downhill to the point it's bordering fast food. I went there Friday night for the first time in a while. I ordered 2 top end margaritas that had less alcohol than a high noon at 15$. My table was void of any condiments and my server didn't really care much of any of my concerns. Food tasted reheated and the atmosphere has lost its charm. RIP border cafe. read more

Dreadful meal. Everything is overly salted and seasoned. Perhaps to get you to buy more drinks. The fajitas were covered in a really bad spice rub. They were almost inedible. The noise level is so loud, it is impossible to have a conversation. read more

Border Cafe is one of the better restaurant chains out their with fun food and drinks and plenty of atmosphere. Gogogo. read more

Border Cafe - Jambalaya - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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I just have to say that this place was incredible for our family dinner. They don't take reservations; however, I explained that finally in quite some time my nephew and some of my children and grandchildren would be in the same area at the same time, can they please help me out. PJ Crowley and his staff were amazing from the time we walked in the door to the time we left 2 hours later. Every single staff member was friendly, and the service was prompt, delicious and affordable. They even took a family photo of all 15 of us before we left. I will definitely go back. read more

Disappointment. Only 4 much smaller tortillas with fajitas for two. Charged for extra's tortillas , drinks were 10 to 15 minutes to serve. Used to love this place, now I'll be going elsewhere. read more

Basic, american mexican food. Lots of salt, not much flavor. Prices are great. Drinks are very weak.

Border Cafe is literally my favorite restaurant. When I was living in Boston, I would literally drive all the way to Saugus just to go to Border Cafe. I cannot recommend it enough. The staff are super nice and fast. The water jugs are huge. The free chips are warm and delicious. The guacamole is rich and a good portion. Everything is well priced. But the star is the corn and black bean empanadas. They have ruined all other empanadas for me. The crust is just so flaky!!! The portion is really large, but I can never resist eating all of it. read more

Border Cafe - Corn and Black Bean Empanadas, chips, French fries, and various sides - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

Everything about this Mexican restaurant is awesome. Can't say enough. Best Mexican food and service I've ever had. My boyfriend is very fussy and he had to agree. It was crowded but immediately was served. Staff was very friendly and skilled. Such a pleasant experience. Prompt service. Delicious food. Definitely going back read more

Been coming here since the late 90s ( when it was on the other side of the highway. After going the other night, I will not be going back ever please watch your credit card statements re-ran my card and charged me more than what was on the slip and I left a cash tip that I handed right to the server The drinks are not worth $15. They are very weak and a lot smaller than what they used to be. Called, they said they don't have the slip anymore because it went to corporate with all the other slips. All set, nobody should have to worry that when they run your card that they will rerun it for another amount. read more

Love this place. Fun atmosphere. Good menu. Quick with the free refills. Great with food allergies. I miss the Harvard Sq. location.

I've been going to the Border Cafe since they first opened when they were at their previous location across the highway next to Midas Muffler. Their salsa is the best you'll find anywhere but my absolute favorite has always been the blackened chicken fajita! They serve it with hot tortillas wrapped in a towel, pico, cheese, and guacamole, all on a bed of lettuce. There was nothing better than the scent of that steaming, SIZZLING platter when it was brought out from the kitchen to the table! Other customers would turn their heads to see it when they heard the sizzle and smelled the fajita! Everyone knew what it was! Lot's of oooohs and ahhhhs!! Well, the last several times my husband and I have gone there (we moved to New Hampshire) we've been very disappointed. The fajitas no longer sizzle!!! I asked our waitress why it wasn't steaming and sizzling the last time we were there. She told us some parents complained that the platter was too hot with kids at the table. Well, don't order it...or keep an eye on your kids! Hello! We went again today as I was dying for a fajita. We drove an hour from where we live in NH. Once again, I ordered the blackened chicken fajita. I made a point to tell our waiter "I want it SIZZLING" It arrived hot, not sizzling. I asked him why? He said, "They stopped doing it because the heat was setting off the fire alarms!" (interesting that I've now gotten 2 different excuses) Really? I've been getting the sizzling fajitas since 1994 and have never heard of that happening!! I told him the steaming, sizzling platter of fajita is a VERY LARGE part of the experience and they need to start doing it again! My husband thinks some woke nitwit probably touched the hot platter, complained about a lawsuit, and that's why they're not doing it anymore. If that's true, it sucks for the rest of us who like a SIZZLING FAJITA!!! C'mon Border Cafe! Bring back the fajitas we all know and love! Add a disclaimer on the menu that the plate is hot if people are too dumb to know that steam + sizzle = hot!! I wrote on my bill when I signed it: "Please bring back the sizzling fajita!" When you do, I'll update this review and give you 5 stars. read more

Went last night, food was good, service was good and everything was tasty as it should be. I only have 2 "concerns" 1. Please put the sea salt back on the tables 2. Shouldn't fajitas come out on a sizzling skillet, not just a room temp skillet? read more

Consistenly great food and fast service. Great for families and Luba at the bar makes the best Margaritas. Very reasonable too. Yum. read more

Frequently visit the location in Saugus. I understand the concept of turning tables over quickly. Ordered an appetizer and when it came over they immediately wanted to take our order. Ordered the queso. Came out cold. Sent it back, it came out room temperature. Ordered tacos and asked not to have guacamole on my tacos. Tacos came out with guacamole on them. My daughter ordered tacos with a side of sour cream. The sour cream never made it to the table. Drank all of my soda with the appetizer, chips and salsa. Asked for a second soda, never made it to the table. Not the greatest service. Waiter never came over to check on us once we got our food. read more

I'm not sure what people expect when coming to this restaurant. It's not claiming to be fancy or super authentic. It's a great place if you want to hang out and get some cheaper margaritas, decent quality tex mex and yummy chips and salsa. Our server was super attentive and seriously the nicest, and it has a fun ambiance that I felt comfortable taking my kid and friends. Been coming here for years and the quality is consistent. read more

This place did a great job with social distancing! There's so much space outside and tons of space inside as well - they even separated all of the walking areas with giant Corona 6 pack boxes. All (non-alcoholic) drinks here are massive with unlimited refills. The chips and salsa to start with are warm and delicious. I ordered the chicken bandera and it was a solid amount of food - a little overcooked but excellent flavor, and the grilled avocado with mango salsa was a nice touch. No frills, you get what you pay for, and you'll leave happy and full. read more

Border Cafe - Social distancing - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

Meh. Wife asked for a Capt & Coke, waitress came back with Coke... when I stated "She actually asked for a Capt & Coke..." Waitress was like "what's that?! Our menu changed during Covid...." Yep, right there, you lost me. Covid is over. Pandemic is over. All I hear are weak excuses. Chalk it up to another 'Covid excuse' business. But what it really is is them showing their true colors. The 'we'll do bare minimum to maintain profit.' We've done take out from here previously, food isn't bad. Not memorable. Won't be back. Cheers! read more

Ultimately 4.5 stars! I've been coming here since I was a kid, but it wasn't until our awesome pandemic visit that I felt the need to write a review. Our server, Anastasia, was absolutely phenomenal and attentive, our drinks and chips were never empty. The food was fresh and tasty as usual. It can get a little loud inside and out, but the tables are really spaced out for a comfortable, safe dining experience. Online ordering is easy, and even though you have to pay for chips and salsa when you pick up they give you so, so much it's definitely worth it. I just wish fries were an option online! My go-to is the chicken fajita- comes out sizzling hot, huge serving, and packed with flavor. I always get a second meal out of my leftovers. If you're thinking about a drink, I'd stick to their margs or beer. Their sangria (while delicious) is a lot more juice than wine. This place can get packed any day of the week, so timing is key to keep wait times low. Even then, I promise you it is well worth the wait. The staff might feel a little rushed, but they know what they're doing and get your food to you so quickly. You can't beat the value or flavor! read more

3.5 rating. I have been to other Border Cafes in the past, I would give other locations a full 4. I generally like this place. We went in on a Wednesday evening and this place was bustling with people as always. Very lively. I love it. We asked for a few vegetarians options and we were strangely denied saying "we dont have veggies, it would only contain cheese". We finally ordered a coke, a grand plata margarita, am empanada VEG, a cheese enchiladas, Bean Burro VEG, and sides of sour cream and guac. The margarita was amazing, but a little too salty for our liking. We liked the empanada, enchilada and burro, they all tasted great. The guac was not fresh at all. In the past we have had other things that are not on the menu any longer here. And some other things that couldn't be ordered in a veggie version. I would visit the other locations of Border Cafe instead of this one. read more

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We had dinner there tonight. Great food, excellent margaritas. Reasonable prices. Our waiter, John was professional and courteous. read more

Great place to get home made Mexican food. They have good waiting staff, that knows their menu! A perfect place for lunch or dinner!

Where do I begin. I frequent here quite often. Today, I decided to grab some dinner with my mother. 2 tables were seated after us, and they got their chips and their drink order right away. Needless to say never got anything. The lady who cleans the tables who is polite told the hostess that we hadn't been taken care of a writer came over and came up with some bs excuse she didn't know why we were in her section. We ended up leaving. I was so mad. read more

I got a burger and fries and had asked the waiter to not cook the fries too much because they always come out like burnt crisps. He came back and said they won't do it. I asked the manager and he told me that's the way they cook them. I told him those are not fries, they are potato sticks. He didn't seem to care about me. The manager walked by me a few times and saw that I didn't touch my food at all and didn't ask me if everything was ok. I guess he really didn't care about his custom. Don't order the fries because they are just burnt crisps. read more