Very simple menu not that many choices for a big place like that they should have more options and for the kids as well

So disappointed with our experience. Maybe we should have ordered more drinks so the waiter would have come back and checked on us. Maybe we would have if he returned at any point during our stay. We asked for refills and water twice without any response from the waiter. The food was overly salty. We would have told the waiter if he had returned. After waiting nearly 20 minutes after we finished eating our meals, we had to find someone to get our check. After expressing our concerns to the server that was nice enough to bring us a check; we had a manager of some sort come to our table and then comped our bill by removing the least expensive item we ordered. We felt like the manager was underprepared to take care of customer service issues. I would not recommend this as a place to stop unless you think you should be ignored. We were wondering if we maybe had a man with us they would have taken better care of us. Fair warning to future diners. read more

What happened? This was a 5 star go to pre-Covid. We went tonight for the first time in a long time and were terribly disappointed. The menu has shrunk significantly, as has the portions. Food was so so at best. What a shame. read more

We came here on a Tuesday night. It was a little busier than I expected, but we were very happy with our experience. We were seated immediately, ordered a mango margarita that came very quickly (and was very good). The chips and salsa came almost immediately after we sat down, and they were fresh and hot. We ordered the pastelitos as an appetizer; they weren't my favorite thing, but were also very fresh and came out promptly. I ordered the beef fajitas and my boyfriend ordered a beef burro. All of it came with rice, beans, guac, cheese, sour cream, and fresh tortillas. The beef came out steaming hot (literally-see the pic hehe). Our server, Raheen, was very attentive, quick, and courteous (thank you!). Overall, we left really happy. I wish they had a dessert menu! read more

Border Cafe - Beef fajitas, beef burro, mango margarita - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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Good margaritas, pleasant staff, decent food. I would give 3.5 stars because the swordfish in our fish tacos was dry and the avocado was borderline passed, but yelp doesn't allow half stars. I have 4 stars vs 3 because the margaritas were not overly sweet and prices were reasonable. Food had wonderful flavor and great portion size. Can't overlook overcooked food though. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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Not vegetarian friendly. Highly inflexible with any kind of substitution, called to ask if the fajitas (chicken or beef) could be without the meat for takeout, even at the same price. Was told no, because "it doesn't travel well". Huh? Veggies come with those dishes anyway, it's obvious they just don't want to accommodate vegetarians. We also asked if we could add salmon to the salad and were told, no. Not great service and we cancelled our 7 person order to take our business elsewhere. read more

I remember enjoying many of their dishes but unfortunately we were let down yesterday. The entrees were unbelievably salty.

This place has been a favorite of mine for over a decade. Large dining are to accommodate any size party . They have long mastered the margarita. My favorite all time is the French quarter chicken. Tons of Tex mex and Cajun offerings. When ever I'm in the area I make it a point to swing in. read more

Border Cafe - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

The only good thing about this restaurant's food is the unlimited free chips and salsa. Unfortunately, the queso and guacamole were subpar, the enchiladas disappointing, the rice and beans were room temperature (and didn't taste particularly well), and the Fajitas had no sizzle (and the veggies were raw). I wouldn't recommend this restaurant to anyone. While the food was bad, I do want to note that the employees were wonderful. They were polite, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients (we had vegetarian and vegan diets in our party, and the server knew what each could eat or what substitutions to make). read more

I've been there a couple of times but this is my first review. I'll say that the Cajun chick fajitas that I had on my first visit were better than the fish tacos on my second visit. Overall the unique combination of flavors that mixes southwestern and Cajun is interesting and works well. The portions are well worth the moderate prices. 3-1/2 stars. read more

Border Cafe - Cajun chicken fajitas. Very good! And free chips n salsa. - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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Great place my friends and I like to go to on Tuesday nights for taco Tuesdays duhh. Can't get enough of the margaritas and the chips the border has just awesome, we always have a good time and Jose the waiter is soooo nice read more

Great dining experience. There are a lot of great choices on the Menu.i enjoyed the Mexican Burgers. The service is great and the place is family friendly . read more

Stopped by here on a sunny, hot Sunday afternoon. We requested to sit outside, being the waitress's only table outside. Olivia D was so kind and friendly and attentive. My boyfriend being an absolute picky eater loved all the dishes she described to us. Great service! Thanks Olivia- he has a new fav spot in town! read more

There isn't anything bad you could really say about this place. When I go out to eat I like the social aspect of it and this place gives you just that. The ambience is nice, I had an amazing server and the drinks are good. Get your self a blended margarita you will not regret it. The food is good, nothing mouth watering or crazy but its worth dining and its good enough to get you there a few more times. The wait was the worst thing here but that should tell you how good a place it is when it is packed. I didn't mind the wait, just had a drink or two while waiting. This place is really worth like a 3 and a half but I can only star in full numbers. As far as it being Mexican food that may be an over reach they don't even have refried beans. But much of the things on the menu are not Mexican either. Which is why I would rate it at 3 1/2 read more

I'm already standing in your restaurant..and I need to order takeout BUT..you tell me I can only order ONline???????? So I left..n won't come back read more

A lot of things to love about this place!! The food is always good, Atmosphere is nice place looks clean for what I could see and extremely affordable.. The bartender LUBA is good people.. every time I go she's always attentive & has a smile on. I gave 4 stars just because I don't like there takeout menu (limited for no reason) and I always have to hang around for 15-20 minutes at the bar to get the dishes that I want then put them in a container, then go home to eat with the family.. It just makes it more difficult. I'm sure they have their reasons but it's a inconvenience I have to say. read more

The Border Cafe is so good. We stopped here for the first time when leaving Logan Airport and we were not disappointed. They greet you with chips and salsa and the service is great . The portions are big and the food is amazing. They have a great kids menu and the food is not really Tex -Mex but not completely traditional either, it is a perfect balance. We typically go to Margaritas when we are going to or leaving Logan but this is our new go to. Only draw back is it gets really busy, so during peak times expect a wait. Otherwise, we highly recommend it! read more

Service is fine. Food is horrible. Chipotle dressing for the fajita salad was terrible. The chips were overdone and who puts fried onions, I'm sure out of a can on a fajita salad. read more

On Sunday, October 1 went into border Café with my son and everything had so much salt in it. It was disgusting. I guess if they wanna keep food longer, they just throw salt on it. Also that the fajita was not even hot and the chicken had a terrible smell. It was the worst food I have experience there .. and let you know who they hired that day to cook ...I didn't go there to eat salt....not sure where they got the chicken from but it was not hot and sizzling like it supposed to be they probably just scraped it off of another plate off another plate and then gave it to me. the manager did. Not seemed surprised ...I'm never going back there again to eat salt and some old chicken and this is a Saugus one. read more

always 5 stars always been coming for nearly 30 years . bring back the multicolored lights . shit decision .

We decided to go back to Border Cafe since it was always our go to place when grabbing a quick weeknight dinner or running errands on a weekend. Great fajitas and drinks. But the Saugus location is very disappointing. They won't add peppers even if you ask. Who wants a sizzling skillet of only chunky seasoned onions with the protein in their fajita? And if you order a side of roasted vegetables to compensate, they come out burnt! Last time here, they were charred black/inedible. Such a shame. Far too many good Mexican or Tex/Mex places to waste $ and time here. Sure it's plenty crowded on weekends, but that's because people want a cheap Margarita. We miss the last 15 years of good service here and good food. Sigh. Other locations are might still be good but not in our neighborhood. read more

Unbelievable. This is the first review I've ever posted first of all. Second, this is the saddest excuse of a salad I have ever seen in my life with the dinkiest piece of salmon. What a joke. Not a meal at all. Do not order the salad with salmon unless you want an entire bed of chopped lettuce, a couple pieces of tomato and a small piece of salmon. Ridiculous. I hope this helps. read more

Border Cafe - Salmon. - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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I stopped at the Border Cafe in Saugus for dinner recently. Parking close to the building is at a premium, but luckily I found a space not too far from the front entrance. As expected, the place was very busy, crowded, and noisy and there was a 15-20 minute wait for a table (given a buzzer). The waiting area inside is not that big, so I ended up standing outside during the wait.There were lots of families here on a Sunday night. What draws in the crowds are the very reasonable prices and value. 15 minutes later, I was seated at a small table, right next to a family already dining. The waitress arrived to take my drink order (I got a big Diet Coke). I was given a complementary basket of chips and salsa. The chips were hot and very crispy, but there was too much salt (cut out the salt please and the chips would be great). The tomato salsa was good, but I ran out of salsa halfway through the chips. For a starter, I went with a Bowl of Gumbo with chunks of sausage & chicken which was decent and had a spicy and salty taste. For dinner, I ordered the Catfish Fajitas with fixins (lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes) with side of jambalaya and guacamole (extra). The cajun seasoned catfish with sliced onions was served on a sizzling platter, was pretty decent. The catfish filets were firm outside, but dry inside. There were plenty of onions, but no sliced peppers, as I would expect with sizzling fajitas. The flour tortillas were served hot but crusty and firm on the outside. The jambalaya was pretty decent, a little salty. Overall, the food was okay (need less salt) and the service was adequate and prompt. I was given a refill on my Diet Coke and the food arrived to my table in timely order in very busy conditions. I was given my check as soon as I finished the last bite of my food, no dessert here??? (Sonic for ice cream afterwards) The atmosphere was very loud and annoying (loud country music and overwhelming crowd noise) giving me a headache. 2.5 STARS. read more

Border Cafe... If it was ten years ago this review would easily be a solid 4.5 or 5! However the quality and service has significantly declined through the years. A lot of the classic menu items have disappeared such as the pollo con jamon... Why they got rid of this dish still bothers me after all these years! It was an amazing dish... Anyway fast forward to the future I came out for a family dinner and we are officially done coming here sadly after all these years. The food was just overall greasy and unappetizing. I had the eggplant and it was covered in gravy... It had good flavor but it was way to oily. The fries here are nothing but potatoes and oil.... No one else at the table seemed to be impressed with the food or the service. I am honestly writing this review and trying to remember any highlights and I can't... It was my dads birthday and even the cake they gave him was a dry sponge covered in whipped cream... Ten years ago I would have recommended this place but today you can honestly get better and cheaper food at chipotle. read more

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Always a great meal and a good value! We've been coming to Border Cafe for many years. The food is awesome. The servers are friendly. The price is right! If you come on a Friday or Saturday, you'll have to wait. It's worth it. Can get a little noisy at times but that's part of the fun atmosphere. read more

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Border Cafe is the best Tex-Mex out there. The chicken quesadilla is a classic. Strawberry margarita is my drink of choice here. I also really love the tostada grande salad..... it's VERY filling too! read more

Your average tex mex restaurant. I have never had anything spectacular. They have intense deco on all walls. The wait staff are keeping safe and do the best they can under the pandemic regulations. Usually really loud with large parties and families. read more

Great food, super reasonable prices and the some of the best margaritas around. The chips will have you coming back if nothing else does, absurdly addicting. Id recommend anything on the menu but the blackened salmon salad, quesadillas and fajitas would be my top choices. You really can't go wrong though. Be warned that some menu items are sneakily spicy so ask your server first if you can't handle much spice. Definitely recommend trying this restaurant, you will not regret it. Also good to note is there large vegetarian section of the menu which can sometimes be hard to find at a Mexican restaurant. read more

Border Cafe - Pulled beef and chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

Doesn't even have there "most popular dish" on there take out menu??? Every excuse at this place is blamed on covid been coming here since I was a kid and it went down hill. Use to be a family favorite now will be going else where alot of better Mexican restaurants on the north shore. read more

Not bad for a Thursday night. Food was good, drinks adequate. Portions are fair. Not a place for a first date, but good for meeting friends and it's family friendly. Also our server Sasha was the crackers. I would coma back for just her read more

I love this place forever! Went for a quick bite before going to see fireworks with my friend Nene on the 4th of July. Super worried about some recent reviews as well as the place always being packed. The place was normal busy with no wait. My friend and I were seated immediately. Nene ordered the soft tacos plate which was enjoyed however was not a fan of the black beans. I ordered the Beef Fajitas for the 100th time. They are just absolutely delicious! I am addicted. I dream about them. I'm not huge into beef and they are mouthwatering. Spicy, on a hot skillet, covered in sautéed onions. Mmmmmmmmm! Reasoning for 4/5 was the black beans are not very good. Just bland, salty. The music was wayyyyyy to loud. I have been here plenty of times and it was definitely much higher than I have experienced before. Service was excellent and our waitress Stephanie was on top of her game. In and out in 50 minutes! read more

Border Cafe - Beef Fajitas.. I love thee! - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

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My wife and I were just talking about how we've probably been to Border Cafe a hundred times (literally), but I had never written a Yelp review. This review is for the Saugus location, although it could stand in for the Harvard Square, Burlington or even the Woodbridge, NJ locations, which I stopped by once on a work trip. First and foremost, the food here is great, and you can't beat the prices. The portions have gotten a bit smaller over the years, but you still get plenty and will walk away full. They are also very accommodating to your order preferences - you can substitute almost anything on the menu and rarely get charged for it. My wife usually substitutes grilled vegetables in place of rice and beans. My personal favorite entree is the zesty blackened chicken, although the chicken soft tacos are another regular order of mine. The salads are also fresh and tasty, and the dressings are homemade. Lastly, the margaritas are very good and prices are cheap - I think around $6 for a house marg. The beer is your standard Tex-Mex fare (think Lone Star, Dos Equis, Corona, etc.). In terms of service, we have rarely if ever had anything other than a great experience - I struggle to even remember one bad trip. If anything, the food comes out a little bit too quickly sometimes, so we usually pace out our ordering of appetizers and entrees. This is a big part of the reason why the wait is usually not bad despite huge crowds on popular dine-out nights. if you couldn't tell from from this review, I love the Border. It should probably say something that we got over $150 of gift cards here for Christmas. If you're looking for high-brow, artisanal Mexican food, the Border probably isn't for you. If you're looking for cheap, fast and fresh, you can't beat it. read more

Border Cafe - Blackened chicken (favorite dish) and chicken soft tacos - Mexican Near Me - Saugus, Massachusetts

My husband and I had lunch there on Saturday. We had fajitas and quesadilla. Our server was attentive but not too much . Just perfect . Even though there were a lot of people the food came out fast. Food was good and filling . Price was fair for the amount of food we good. Over very fast paste casual dinning experience. We give it thumbs up ! :) read more

We had dinner at The Border Cafe tonight. We were greeted by our server Noelle who was very friendly and pleasant. She brought us chips and salsa and took our drink order and brought the drinks to us fairly quickly. She then took our food order. While waiting for our food Noelle came to our table to check to see if we needed anything while we waited for our food. Our food came out fairly quickly and perfectly cooked. Great experience overall read more

Not an allergy friendly establishment. They blamed it on a smaller post-Covid menu. Incredibly disappointing.

Border Cafe does what they do so well. Fresh chip, sizzling fajitas, expedient service at high volume. Are they reinventing gastronomy? No. But they don't need to. What they need to do is churn out margaritas and nicely spiced Tex-Mex at a high rate of speed. And they do it incredibly well. They're best in class. read more

Best fajitas I've ever had!!!!! I won't get them anywhere else since. I get the blackened chicken ones. Chips, salsa & margs great as well! Best American-Mexican restaurant around. read more

Let me start by saying that I'm from LA so I'm used to authentic Mexican food. The place wasn't bad it's just not as good as what I'm used to. This place is actually more of a TexMex cuisine though. You can actually get jambalaya instead of rice and beans. Unfortunately, I think I would've been better off with the rice and beans. The chili relleno was the biggest one I've ever seen though and it was very good. The chips and salsa, guacamole and chili con queso was all very good too. I was also disappointed that they didn't have Guinness but it's not really fair for me to expect it here. I had a couple of Dos XX ambers though and it went well with the food. Not the best I've had but I would go back. read more

Let me first say that this is NOT MEXICAN!! It is delicious Tex-Mex that works for the Gringo tastebuds of the North Shore. I go pretty frequently and haven't been disappointed. If you've read my other reviews, I am rather picky about my Mexican food. Living in San Diego for a hand full of years will do that to you. Definitely check this place out! Plenty of parking, warm and comfortable atmosphere, easy to get to location! read more

They missed a bit this time. I got the chicken taco and pulled beef enchilada. They were pretty decent, but the black beans were just average OK. The rice was WAY TOO salty. Just not a pleasant experience when something is severely over-salted. Service was it's usual par excellance. The price of our food was more than reasonable. This place usually rates four stars with me, but visit missed the mark in the Kitchen staff/food prep area. It was busy when we arrived on Saturday around 6:30 and got busier after we were seated. I would recommend trying to get there before 5:00/5:30 if you don't want a 1/2 hour or so wait. Or come after 8:30/9:00. Some other locations, such as Reading, MA, are much less noisy and generally your wait time during busy periods will be a bit less (maybe 10-15 minutes vs. a 1/2 hour). read more