This is a Great spot for some casual Mexican food and low key meals. Food quality was good. Portions are decent. But the tableside guacamole was not impressive , especially after compared to what some other Mexican restaurants offer. Pricing is reasonable & atmosphere is comfortable. Staff were friendly and attentive. Will return for more exploration and updates on reviews. read more

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I had to stop here on my trip up to New York because sadly our New York locations have closed. We ordered the avocado ranch fries, chicken tacos, and steak fajita. The food came out very fast and we thought everything was good. I appreciate how they constantly have new specials to try. Unfortunately, our server was very slow and unfriendly Note: this location has a big parking lot and the bathrooms are very clean. read more

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For many years, we've dined at our gotten takeout from On The Border. Conveniently located and with yummy Tex-Mex creations, we knew what to expect. Until the last couple of years. The quality seems to have declined and tonight, even packaging has become substandard. After getting home with our take-out order, we realized that 2 side orders of queso were missing. Additionally, my grande taco salad was packaged in a scotch-taped cardboard box. Trying to extract it carefully, the crispy tortilla bowl fell apart and a counter cleanup was needed. I called the restaurant and a friendly staffer quickly refunded my missing queso. He explained that corporate wants the boxes used and appreciated my feedback of how disappointing the order appeared. On the Border and Corporate Office, do better. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Grande Taco Salad - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Last week, I returned to On the Border, and I'm officially hooked on their house margaritas! I originally went because I was invited, and honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect. But my first visit didn't disappoint, so now I can add it to my happy hour list of spots with great margaritas. The mixologist really took good care of us, making sure our drinks were spot on. Did I mention they have $5 margaritas during happy hour? They were tasty and definitely hit the spot! I'm not sure if it was the margaritas or just the vibe, but I found myself craving their salsa days later. When I returned for a second visit, I quickly agreed to having a whole bowl to myself. I also love their jalapeño poppers--crispy, deep-fried, and stuffed with buffalo chicken dip. They're spicy and pair perfectly with the margaritas. I've been there three times now, and each time, they've been out of the sangria swirl. I'm not sure if it's because it's a weekend favorite and people are drinking it all up, but two consecutive Mondays with no sangria swirl was a bit of a letdown. Despite that, I'd definitely return for happy hour over and over again. read more

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Downhill again. From the hosts who just couldn't care enough about their jobs to the server who was inattentive and flat-out rude at times, I really don't have much more to say to myself to ever come back. We were a party of six, we were sat with 20 minutes before anyone bothered to acknowledged us. This was after a 20-minute wait for a table. We flagged the host to call a server. No waters for 40 minutes. Dropped off chips but no salsa, which took another 45 minutes to come. Appetizers came out much after entrees for some. One in our party didn't have her food a full hour after ordering while the rest of us already ate. My entree wasn't made as requested and the server insisted that's how I ordered it, despite the fact that I never would order beef tacos. Manager nowhere to be seen. Definitely an all-around fail. Go to Chido's in Laurel (SUPERB) or Rinconcito in Gambrills (LOCAL!). read more

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It's been a long time since I ate at On The Border Mexican Grill. Surprisingly food was on point. The margaritas are always good. My only complaint is that service was slow. read more

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Sign says permanently closed. I piled up this evening and the doors were boarded up and no cars in the parking lot.

We sat in the bar area and our server was Duane. Before I even get to the food, I want to acknowledge the superb service Duane provided. They were short staffed and he was bartending, serving and checking folks out better than I've seen most restaurants with a full staff. In terms of the food, everything was hot, fresh and cooked to perfection. The food had the perfect amount of cheese and seasoning. The drinks were also well made and got the job done. We came on a Sunday so it was quiet but you still got the bar vibe. Try out the steak quesadillas and you won't be disappointed. Also, ask for Duane! We came back a week lately specifically because of his customer service. read more

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Total failure for our work event catering. Save yourself the headache and book a different local caterer. My experience was extremely disappointing: Punctuality: They showed up late, which is unacceptable for a professional event. Accuracy: The order was totally incorrect. Completeness: Several items I ordered never arrived. It's hard to find dependable catering, but this definitely isn't it. Look elsewhere! read more

Heather our server made our visit so much better because of her amazing service. Her knowledge of the menu is extensive as she helped us make a selection. Thank you Jeff B Columbia Md. read more

We had a lovely server who was so sweet. We ordered the Gran Popi and the create your own combo. My create your own combo had chili relleno, beef empanadas, black beans, chicken flauta, and Mexican rice. All tasted great. The chips before dinner were a bit over baked. The chips we got to take home were excellent. Overall, we really like this place and will be back. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Make Create Your Own Combo - Pick 4 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

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The service was amazing and I loved the large burrito they had. Very filling and tasty I do recommend.

I hate leaving bad reviews. I loveddd on the border growing up but now I feel like it is just completely substandard. Our waitress was nice, but spent over 20 minutes sitting in a booth playing on her phone while we waited for the check. We ordered a "sampler" style appetizer and can honestly say nothing was enjoyable or even similar to what was advertised. The tomatoes were old and freezer burnt, the beans tasted very strongly like plastic, and it was overall very messy and unappealing. We also ordered shrimp, steak, and chicken tacos. The steak was okay, but the shrimp was genuinely inedible. The cilantro rice came in a plastic bag, and the Mexican rice had bugs in it. I didn't say anything to the server because she was young and I didn't want to upset her, but I left hungry with no appetite. Definitely disappointed and can't say I would recommend. read more

We visited for lunch on a Friday. The place wasn't crowded. Our server was friendly and not locked into our needs. Refills were hard to get. Extra napkins and spoons arrived when we were halfway done with our food. Our server didn't mention being busy or short staffed and there weren't many customers in our section. Other employees saw me looking for our server and weren't proactive in helping. The food was decent. The chips and salsa were yummy. We each had our own salsa container. The burritos were very good. The red sauce was excellent. The fajitas were enjoyed by hubby. The toppings were fresh. His meat was sizzling on the plate when it was served. My friend enjoyed his burrito. Our priority was visiting and we dealt with the hiccups in service since we were enjoying each other's company. I wouldn't go out of my way to visit here but if I were in the area, I would consider returning. If we were neglected when it wasn't busy, we could get forgotten in a crowd. read more

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It is a chain restaurant. If you are expecting an elevated menu, or white glove service, you will be disappointed. If you are just looking for some tasty food in large quantities for a good price, you will be thrilled. I live in the city and have tons of great food options nearby, but sometimes my wife and I just want a cheap/easy meal where we know we are gonna get our food fast, get a lot of it, and not pay an arm and a leg. On The Boarder delivers just that. Join their rewards program, you will get discounts periodically that make it an even better deal. I got the Big Burrito, and it was huge, could only eat half of it (although I took the rest home and had it for dinner later that day). Writing this review is making me hungry, hope to go back soon. read more

On the border was a disappointing experience. We came for happy hour and the wait time was pretty long although the restaurant was not packed at all. I got a border bowl which was very bland and tasted like something you could make at home. The jalapeño stuffed poppers were okay, but very greasy and heavy. I will say the margaritas are huge and worth the happy hour price, and overall delicious. But I will not be coming back here again. read more

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Some of the salsa and chips in the area. Ambiance is good. The service is hit or miss due to turnover of the staff. But tonight the highlight was greeter Keali besides being a delightful greeter she saved the day with helping out an over matched waiter. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Today was their 40th anniversary, but the service was so slow than an 90 year old could have done it faster. See the photos I posted, many of the tables were not cleaned off. I asked for black beans with my birria tacos, they brought out refried beans. The server said, "oh you should have told me". Well, looks like based on the condition of the bar and restaurant, along with previous recent reviews, this place has a lot of problems. read more

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I usually love this place but last night was really disappointing. The inside is decorated very nice and it's a great environment, but the service can be bad depending who your waiter is. Took 20 minutes for our waiter to introduce herself, 20 more minutes for our tequila flights to come, and another 20 minutes later for our food to come out. After sitting down for 15 minutes another waiter brings us the salsa and chips, and asks if we want anything to drink. The other waiter also was the one who brought us our drinks from the bar, and he was more attentive to us, asking if we need anything multiple times as compared to our waitress. Overall good food and environment, but the service needs improvement. Thank you to the waiter who went out of his way to take care of us in addition to all of his tables. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Tequila flights - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

I so appreciate this spot. Was hungry for something good to eat! The food was fresh,hot and came out quick! Service was spectacular! Even was greeted by the new manager with a treat for next visit! It was clean and everyone was extremely pleasant! It had been a while since I visited here. I will be back! Sooner now. Thank you to the hostess Amia for greeting me, thank you to me awesome waitress Heather and the manager Nick for making my experience top notch! See you next visit! read more

I am sitting in the restaurant as I write thus. I ordered the Bowl with "Mexican" Chicken, gluten free. I was delighted with the meal. Although, the chicken was a little dry. Maybe because I got the queso fresco on the side. It tasted like a nicely seasoned blend of spur cream and mayo. In addition to gluten, I need to avoid lactose. The bowl was like a sampler ... a bit of salad, a bit of corn, a bit of lime rice that was perfectly cooked, a portion of black beans that I loved, some sliced fresh avocado and even a few delicious pieces if pickled red onion. My wife had a taco bowl with ground beef. She was not pleased with the beef. She said it was "wet" maybe from excess fat. The salsa was HOT, even for me! I eat HOT. My wife like the fried taco pieces. Service was a bit slow. read more

Passing thru on the way to DC, it was getting late so we my husband I stopped here for dinner. I love Mexican fare but assumed a chain restaurant wouldn't be much better than the usual good margaritas found in such establishments. Anyway, I'm so glad we did! Yelp had only rated it 3* so I wasnt expecting all that much. But the food in a word, was fantastic! The chips and salsa gratis were among the best I've ever had 'Got the "Mexican grilled chicken trio" dinner...for $14.95, it came with a surprisingly generous serving of Chicken Tortilla Soup. I have Had this soup I am guessing 50 times in the last 20 years, and this soup ranked among the very best! The juxtaposition of flavor and textures..well, I don't haven't written many reviews, but decided to do so in my appreciation of a such a great dinner experience;) Didnt drink because we were driving Lon distance, but looking at drinks at nearby diners at the bar, I wish I could. Finally, I wish to thank our friendly server Ali. Totally chill guy! read more

I had a small problem with my order a few weeks ago which is the first time. anyways i called and the General Manager MR. Cole answered. I did did tell him of my issue, I must tell you he was very polite, professional and listened. He than told me sorry regarding the issue and took my order and said it was from the management. I must say it reminded of the old days two decade ago we had employs people like MR Cole. Sir keep up the good work. Thank You. Raj. Will be back. read more

The food here is tasty and I've tried a variety of items. This was my first time dining in. The service was a bit slow but that's to be expected on a Friday night. I got the shrimp border bowl and, while it was good, the portion was smaller than I was expecting. We also got chips and queso, and their queso was really good. read more

Every single time I come here the customer service is atrocious. Even ordering online pickup I've waited at the empty service desk for 20+ minutes and the restaurant is empty not sure who's running this place but they need to be let go ASAP read more

I came here to catch up with a group of mutual friends. I've been here a handful of times in the past, but I'm never disappointed. The prices are standard for similarly styled chain restaurants. It was lunch time on a Sunday, but we were still seated pretty quickly. I ordered the Superior Dinner which consisted of a crispy beef taco, a chicken enchilada with sour cream, a cheese & onion enchilada and a mini chicken chimichanga. Everything tasted delicious, but my eyes were definitely bigger than my stomach. Lol! Our entire group seemed to enjoy our meals and we also had fun interacting with our waitress. The team here has a good sense of humor and were very helpful. There is plenty of parking out front. There are also a good amount of food and drink specials. As long as the quality of the food and service remain the same, I'll be back. As always, I had a great experience at On the Border! read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Very nice workers the people at the bar greeted us when we walked in are server was very quick with are drinks are food only took around 25 minutes , the food well cooked and tasted good. I really recommend this restaurant the workers a so nice and polite. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

It was along drive from NY and my hotel was about a mile so decided to find something spicy hot Mexican food. Yelp came to rescue and Found On the Border ... I am fan of this brand of restaurants.. food was messed up first time being vegetarian. Ask for special Menu and insist that you are vegetarian other wise expect extra wait ... well with House Margarita grande .. time flies... Get free queso salsa with first visit to this location if you show coupon when try to use QI- fi log in . Great dip for free chips and medium hot salsa.. Host Maya was helpful in finding me a good booth and got me chips / salsa pronto. Jasper tried his best to correct the kitchen misunderstanding., read more

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Building was cold. Soup came very cold. Do not eat microwaved soup. Food was very bland. Chip were go. Manager came over and nothing about food and service. Thank god that traders joes and Aldi's were open. You are correct we will NOT return. read more

I could give a negative star the customer service here is horrible , they took forever to greet me I had to seat myself and all the workers just looked at me and kept walking past me nobody asked if I've been helped or anything. It looks nice inside the place but the music was also too loud. The food was decent but it could've been better. read more

I ordered empanadas and they were just ok. The crust wasn't burnt so that's good however, they lacked flavor. If you order the appetizer empanadas you can mix chicken and beef. The chips and salsa were quite tasty. I would give this place a second try but order something else.. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Empanadas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

Having gone to OTB dozens of times, I can say it's been a rollercoaster. Pre-Covid, their service and food was excellent! During Covid and directly after, I can say their service and food was extremely lacking (as many restaurants and businesses were). I'm happy to say that our most recent experience was top notch and much like it used to be! We sat on the bar side in a booth where our waitress was very kind and mostly attentive. The restaurant seemed quite busy, however everyone appeared to be having a great experience. The tables were clean, as were the restrooms which is always a plus. We did not wait long for our food or drinks and everything turned out great. My only reason for giving a 4 over a 5 star review is simply because our orders were slightly wrong. But, they still turned out to be very delicious and satisfying! I highly recommend trying OTB. It appears there's new waiting staff that has revitalized the restaurant which is so nice to see. Great drinks, great food and great atmosphere. Highly recommend! read more

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To go service wasn't great however the Taco Salad is what really s_cked. Good shell but nothing more than a store bought lettuce package filling it. Leas meat and cheese than you'd find in a Taco Bell taco. For $12.99 dollars better read more

Had a very nice dinner on a Friday night. The restaurant was not too noisy. The service was good. The food was good. I had the boulder border bowl with shrimp which I liked. My partner had a combo plate, the Gran papi, which he liked. They give you a big bowl of chips and salsa to start. I would eat here again. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Gran papi - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

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The only reason why I gave this review 2 out of 5 stars is the food. The food was great but the service was horrible. I hadn't been to this restaurant since before the pandemic and I have to say my experience was shamefully lacking. It was my birthday yesterday and I really wanted a good meal. Over the years the food has always remained consistent and delicious. The restaurant unfortunately is truly run down on the inside. Seats are cracking, there's built up grime between the tiles of the tabletops, and the bathrooms... chipped off paint and wood on doors and walls. The soap dispenser is held together by tape. I am not sure what management is doing with the profits of this place but it needs to be invested back into the business. Our waiter very lacklusterly took our order. The food came out fast and then he disappeared for the rest of the night only to suddenly bring us the check and it was obvious we were not even close to being done eating. He never checked on our drinks or chips once. I noticed he ignored the table behind us the entire time we were there as well. We weren't asked if we wanted any dessert. We felt like we weren't worth his time and our business unwanted. If we could have left half a penny as a tip we would have. It was painful and they weren't even busy due to the weather last night. Needless to say, for a birthday experience, it was terrible. I may come back for carry out but never again for dining in. read more

We walked in on Thursday at 4PM, to a virtually empty restaurant (only one person seated at the bar drinking). We stood at the (empty) hostess stand, and while people back in the kitchen noticed us, no one did anything. My husband looked around the restaurant, found a waitress, waved and smiled at her - and she WALKED AWAY. Surprised, we waited a couple of more minutes, and no one came out to greet or seat us. After a total of 15 minutes of waiting, we walked out. I guess they didn't need our business. I've only been rudely ignored like this once before, and we never went back to that place either. I guess I'll have to go to Chevy's when I want Mexican food in the future. read more

What a joke. My daughter ordered chicken nachos. The description listed on their website states it comes with guacamole, sour cream, jalapenos etc... you know the basics that come with nachos.... Well needless to say hers was just chicken, beans and cheese. Called and Gary the manager said to me it's supposed to have just chicken, beans and cheese...ummm sir wrong it's not. So I explained to him what it's supposed to have on it, I chose to use inappropriate language because Gary acted like we were wrong because we wanted the nachos prepared how they are supposed to be prepared...silly me..lol so Gary hung up on me. I called back and he said he would credit us back. The slushee's taste like sugar free ice so to sum things up....if you don't stay away from on the border - Columbia, then stay away from Gary, the chicken nachos, and the slushee's unless you have money to waste read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Grande Fajita Nachos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland

This is a nice local spot to grab a drink and cheap meal if you're in the area. It's not extremely authentic or fantastic, but it's a decent fast Hispanic food chain with pretty good margaritas. There's ample parking which is nice and it's close to lots of shopping and grocery stores. Entrees average $10-$15 and there's usually no wait or if you go on a weekend, typically only a 20 minute wait or so. Service can be a bit slow but I don't really mind that. You get unlimited chips and salsa while you wait and food always comes out hot. I like the patron margarita, or the borderita which I think are worth the extra splurge compared to the house margs. read more

In the mood for Tacos, my GF and I went out late night in search of satisfying our craving. On The Border was our choice due to convenience of location, and my GF had good experiences there in the past - I was the first timer. Initially, we sat at the bar, and was instantly greeted by one of the two bartenders. He quickly provided us w/ tortilla chips and salsa, which, as hungry as we were, we were super grateful. After thinking about it, neither of us wanted to drink alcohol and decided instead to sit at a booth. We were greeted by our waitress who was extremely friendly, as she took our orders. I got the street style chicken tacos, and the GF got the Southwest Chicken Tacos & we shared. Two styles of Tacos, both delicious in their own way. Keena loved mine, it came with grilled chicken, grilled onions, guacamole(which I got on the side, so it's not pictured), pico de Gallo, and refried beans. The South west tacos had fried chicken, seasoned very well, Southwest sauce, all the fixings and black beans. Both meals hit the spot, and we have zero complaints. It was super busy last night and our waitress still got our food to us in a timely fashion and everything was delicious. I will definitely be returning. read more

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Great food and service! Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. I ordered the fajitas with shrimp and steak. It comes with rice and either refried beans or black beans. I asked for the refried beans. I wasn't a fan of the rice or refried beans. The shrimp and steak were cooked great and flavored nicely. It comes with sautéed onions and peppers, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, and pico de Gallo. It also comes with 3 warm soft shells, but I asked for more. read more

On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina - Fajitas with shrimp and steak, rice, and refried beans - Tex-Mex Near Me - Elkridge, Maryland