Border Grill

The food isn’t bad. Pretty popular place, hard to find street parking, but plenty of garage parking at reasonable price. The prices are pretty high here and service is friendly and quick.

I like the happy hour and I like the food, but our server who was clearly on some type of prescription medication picked and itched his butt as he was walking away from us as soon as he took our order and he didn’t wash his hands. Thank god he didn’t deliver our food to the table and or make it. So foul… 2 stars only because the food is pretty good. This story is 100% true Incase anyone is wondering, and just when I thought I have seen it all.

This place is underrated! The fish tacos are amazing and love the grapefruit slice on top. And how can you go wrong with hand made tortillas?! Great tamales as well.
I wish they had more unique drinks, maybe because we were there for happy hour, the drinks were not that great. Would go back more if they had a better selection of high end mixed drinks with fresh squeezed juices.
But overall — highly recommend!

Can I give this review minus stars??? I have wanted to go to Border Grill since watching Too Hot Tamales years ago. Since I was visiting Santa Monica I made reservations for brunch yesterday. Boy was I disappointed. The restaurant was old, tired and dirty. There was what looked like years of dust and grime on the speakers. The carpet was faded and had not been vacuumed in a long time. Three of us ate and had a drink for $ 125 which was not worth it. The food was okay, some dishes were good and others weren’t worth it. I did enjoy the carnitas taco and the churro nuggets which I had with vanilla ice cream. I cannot express enough how high my expectations were. To be so disappointed upset me. I never thought well known chefs were have a restaurant so dirty.
For really good food, clean restaurant and friendly staff go to Rocksugar Pan Asian!!!

I was super excited to eat here while in Cali since I am a huge fan of Top Chef and Chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. We went in for lunch and I had the Carne Asada Quesadilla while the hubs had the Carne Asada Tacos. I let him have a bite of mine and he said my dish was so much better than his, which was a bummer. I expected both of our dishes to be top notch and my quesadilla was delicious!
Overall though, the atmosphere was a real drag. It was dusty, dingy, and seemed outdated. It was fun to say I’ve eaten there, but I wouldn’t necessarily go back.

The quality here has really gone downhill.
Unfortunately the prices have not.
Was the most expensive «meh» meal I have maybe ever had.
The service was slow and our appetizer was brought out cold.

Super impressed with this place! It is a little more expensive for Mexican food but it is the best Mexican food I have ever had! Seriously creative dishes were played perfectly and tasted super yummy!
Great for the family! Highly recommended!

Sorely disappointed by my Border Grill experience on cinco de mayo. The reason we picked this spot was because the website advertised cinco de mayo specials. We were greeted by unfriendly wait staff. When we arrived the dining area was nearly empty however we could not be seated to enjoy drinks until our party had arrived. We were advised we could grab a drink at the bar, which was full as it was a small space. The drink specials: $ 11 margarita is not special. The cantina had all of 10 seats? The corn was not offered in the dining area and they had taken the queso off the menu as of 2 weeks ago. It was so loud in the space itself that we could barely hear each other even though we were huddled at a small table. They had added a chair to a 4 top to make it a table for 5. My friend ordered the steak that was supposed to come with tortilla bread, the bread didnt come out with the dish and we asked for it and we were charged an additional fee for it! To top it all off, our table of 5 was rushed out and charged a 18% gratuity? Since when is gratuity added for tables of 5?
Santa Monica specials:
Thursday, May 5, 2016
$ 4 specials in the cantina: grilled corn esquite with bacon mayo, chef’s secret street taco, and corona
$ 6 Sangria
Specialty cocktails and craft beer
Downtown location had a much better deal:
Al pastor tacos, chicharrones, grilled corn, and churros available for $ 5 each
Go the whole hog with unlimited tastes and a border margarita for $ 30 per person
Live dj on the patio
$ 5 Mexican Beers
$ 6 Border Margaritas and Corralejo shots

I love their food! The two hot tamales have done it very well. There take on authentic Mexican food. Each dish served was so good.

Tapas and champagne for brunch. #SoLA, and I love it. I’ve been here for dinner, which is always a solid choice, and for happy hour, which, to be honest is not what it used to be, but Brunch at Border grill is just about Brunchtopia. In my house I’m always the one who wants the relaxing experience of plated meal, elevated cuisine, and table service, and the BF and kids want the variety of a buffet. This is the best of both worlds. Brunch is served tapas style — so the items are just a few bites worth of food. That way, you get to sample a variety of dishes, or keep coming back to the ones you love.
$ 29.99 for brunch seems pricey, but given beautiful plated dishes, and first class service, it feels like a good value, and an even better value on special occasions when they add special items to the menu. (Easter brunch included items like guava empanadas, and lobster benedict, that don’t normally appear on the menu. It’s an additional $ 12 for bottomless mimosas, including flavors like Jamaica and prickly pear passion fruit. Best of all — you’re just a few blocks from the beach, so you can take your very full belly for a walk.

My friend and I stumbled upon this place while strolling around Santa Monica with our babies. The staff was so friendly upon greeting us and even moved around tables and chairs to accommodate our strollers. The menu was different than most Mexican places I’ve been to so I wasn’t sure what to order. Our food did not disappoint though! It was delicious. So many flavors and so fresh. Our kiddos loved the chips too! Definitely glad we stopped in. Thanks for being so sweet to us and our babes!

So I absolutely love the Border Grill ! In Vegas dinner at the Mandalay Bay location is always a stop for me. I decided to try the Santa Monica location, which is in a prime spot by the promenade where all the action is. Tried the small plate brunch with unlimited mimosas and everything we ate tasted sooo good. The plantain empanadas and waffles were my favorite. I love that the mimosas had variety (not just orange juice). Wait staff friendly and fast. Would definitely recommend and come again !

This place is overrated. The food tastes good but that is because it is super salty and fatty, you will feel gross after your eat and wish you didn’t. With so many delicious Mexican places in Los Angeles, don’t choose the border grill! It is way too expensive for what it is and should be avoided. I went because I was in the area and I had seen it on real housewives of Beverly hills, but regretted the decision. A food truck would have been just as satisfying.

Went for Dine LA. It was early not many people in the restaurant yet. Browsed the menu. Noticed the items were twisted Mexican dishes. I went for the Dine LA lunch menu (2 courses for $ 20) Started with the guacamole. It was good but didn’t care for the chips it came with (not pictured) for entrée I ordered the chicken enchiladas, my meal was not good at all. Two types of rice, the brown colored rice was dry and had no flavor. The other rice was not much better. The black beans were just ok. The enchiladas were not good, didn’t like the flavor combinations. The green chilis on top gave it a flavor of a chile relleno. The mushrooms were not necessary. The green sauce was not good. Nothing really about it was good. Just looks pretty.
My boyfriend decided on the brunch. It was a great way to sample a lot of their dishes. He had a few favorites steak and eggs. The steak was tender and flavorful. Shrimp and grits and huevos rancheros. I tried a few of the items from his brunch options but nothing made me say «wow» I was disappointed in our visit here. I would rather go to a hole in the wall authentic Mexican restaurant.
Service could be better. We had to ask twice for a refill on chips and I had to ask for a coffee refill. They do offer a VIP card and you can receive 15% off at every visit and this includes alcohol.

This place is not super expensive, but pricey enough that two people dining is going to run you $ 100.
This place is very likely owned by the same people as Ciudad, as I found the food/​drink menu and decorations to be nearly identical. Unfortunately, another identical element is also the POOR service. I think I waited an hour to get the check after I had finished my food, and I waited at least 15 minutes at the bar before being able to get a drink at the bar. Not happy with that at all.
Other than that, I have to say the food is delicious. Nice flavors, unique dishes and generally great chefs make this an interesting option in Santa Monica. Although it’s called Border Grill, which leads one to think it’s Mexican food, there is definitely some caribbean flair, making this much more like Cuban food, a la Ciudad.

I’m not exactly sure why I had high hopes for this spot. Sadly, my hopes were dashed. Overpriced, overdone «Mexican» food. For $ 23 you would think chicken poblano enchiladas would (a) taste good, and (b) come with rice and/​or beans. I could hardly taste the chicken through all the sauce and various toppings all over the enchiladas. I accidentally left my to-​go box in the car and the only reason I went and got it was so my car wouldn’t smell like food in the morning. Sad.
My friend ordered the barbacoa enchiladas, which were a bit misleading as it was basically barbacoa spread out on a tortilla, covered with another crispy tortilla. She didn’t finish her margarita either, come to think of it.
All in all a very disappointing and pricey meal (for Mexican food). I would have enjoyed Super Mex or anything similar much, much more. I ended up paying for the whole meal as I just felt bad that it was my suggestion.
Two stars because the chips were pretty good and the salsas weren’t terrible.

Border Grill is straight up delicious; there’s no other way to sum it up! The ambiance is fun, with colorful paint and graffiti all over the walls and ceiling, creating the perfect setting for a nicer, sit-​down meal. The menu has everything from quesadillas and ceviches to tacos and enchiladas: all the classics, if you will.
As soon as you’re seated, fresh chips and a trio of salsas are brought to your table. My favorite salsa is the green one but the bright red is pretty tasty too. If you know what’s up, you’ll get the Border Guacamole to start and have your chips refilled at least three times – because who doesn’t do that at every Mexican restaurant ever?
When it comes to food, I love a lot of the appetizers, like the Green Corn Tamales (which are still wrapped in the corn husks when they’re brought to the table) and the Brisket Taquitos (the spicy slaw and guacamole on them is SO bomb). The al pastor and carne asada tacos are my favorite meals, all served on handmade corn tortillas with rice and beans on the side. They are a little spicy and generously seasoned to make them packed full of flavor!
Like most other reviews have said, yes, the food is expensive. I agree that it is a little overpriced, but you also pay for quality so I can’t knock it too much. When it comes down to it, I always leave full and satisfied so clearly they’re doing something right here!

Upscale Mexican food with a ton of flair and personality! Sam and Mariano made us feel at home with extra special touches throughout our meal.
Girls lunch went over well starting with a Cadillac margarita and a pomegranate margarita. Shortly there after we try the slow cooked beef taquitos which are literally the best I’ve had. Don’t even get me started on the delicious slaw served atop.
The chef sends out an amuse Bouche of ahi ceviche– deliciously Limey!
For our entrée we shared the steak quesadilla. This tortilla is amazing with flavorful tender steak.
Dessert was the lovely churro bites– served hot with yummy Dulce de leche.
Literally the food here was amazing, great flavors and served at a decent portion size. The atmosphere is cozy and modern with bright fun décor. The thing that put it over the top was the authentic service done with pride.

$ 30 for unlimited tapas Sunday brunch. Oh yeah.
What I had:
YUCATAN EGG BENEDICT SLIDER
manchego cheese biscuit * over easy egg
yucatan roasted pork * hollandaise sauce
pickled onions
— this was incredible! Biscuit was great, but the pork is outstanding!
BAJA CEVICHE TOSTADITA
lime marinated sustainable seasonal fish and scallops * cilantro * jalapeño * tomato
cilantro aioli * cucumber
— also incredible! Bite size portion, I could’ve eaten a dozen ;)
OAXACAN PANCAKES
mexican chocolate chips * maple syrup
— super ridiculously tasty ;)
PERUVIAN SHRIMP AND GRITS
aji panca chile marinated shrimp
roasted poblano * creamy parmesan grits
— the shrimp were incredible — so awesome. Sadly, the grits were not as awesome and I didn’t care for the sauce
AL PASTOR TACO
grilled pineapple, chicken, pork * pickled onions
jicama orange salsa * habanero
— good but not awesome, great handmade tortilla
BREAD PUDDING FRENCH TOAST
caramelized bananas * maple syrup
— tasty, but not the best bread pudding I’ve had
CHURRO TOTS
dulce de leche infused churros * cinnamon sugar
whipped cream
— good, but not awesome like I had imagined
Wish I could’ve tried more! Would definitely return!

The Service: Wonderful! Our server is attentive. She kept reminding us to refill the bottomless mimosa. How sweet! Food are served promptly.
The Food: Weekend brunch! $ 29.99 per person. UNLIMITED small plates (tapa style)
There are 24 items on the menu. If you have a bigger group, they can even do a bigger plate… family style to share! How thoughtful are they~
$ 12 for bottomless mimosa. Well… the drink is very light. Next time, I would skip it. Also save more space to try out more different dishes!
Will definitely come back again!
The Parking: Parking structure right across street. First 90 minutes free. $ 1 per hour thereafter.