Went there not long ago. I ordered the chicken quesadilla and found a piece of thick white plastic in my food , it looked like the top to a food pouch/ package. I did swallow a small piece and pulled out a piece about the size of a nickel. I told my waiter and the manager came over and said sorry, that was it I was still charged for my meal........I felt like no one cared. I haven't returned since. read more

Had a wonderful experience for lunch today after a business meeting. Sat at the bar with a very friendly, courteous, and helpful bartending stuff. I had the combo fajita with beef and blackened chicken which was bountiful. I even asked that that the fajita come non-sizzling because I was in a crowded bar which they were kind enough to bring as requested. The food was outstanding with hot, freshly made tortillas and two ice tea refills (each time with three lemons) without asking. The price point was awesome at less than $20 and just had a very pleasant experience here. I will definitely come back again and highly recommend. read more

Service: Mostly prompt and courteous. Food: Always order the same things off the menu - queso, blackened chicken, jambalaya, house margaritas. The blackened chicken is one of my absolute favorite things to eat in Boston. The jambalaya is delicious too. They make my favorite margaritas. And you gotta have the queso. Ambience: Bustling, tex-mex feel. Summary: I love blackened chicken! read more

My son and I got there when it was "slow" today and right away knew it was going to be - again- crappy service. It was beyond words. It's a shame, food is awesome but I service was awful. Kathryn A Was as if she didn't know we were there. What should have been a 45 minute tops lunch, turned into an hour and fifteen. 10 minutes for drinks, 15 minutes for credit card to be processed. I would blame it on the up swing in customers but we could see her he whole time! Hanging near the register talking, looking my way and then taking another order, it was just truly unbelievable. Thing is, not the first time. Different people each time. My son goes with friends and started the lunch with a comment "why is it sucky service every time I come here" Left my check with the hostess and told her to let the manager know worst service ever - food awesome but servers aren't making it. It there was. O stars that would be my rating. Sadly. Peace read more

So the food was great, loved the empanadas. This review isn't about food or atmosphere or anything like that. I wanted to get food from here and take it back to my office but when i asked the host (presumably the owner or manager? 40-50s, button up shirt) about getting an order to-go, he said "we don't do to go orders." I chuckled thinking he was joking, but he told me with a straight face that they don't do to go orders, that they don't even have to -go containers. I thought this was weird, but because i had my heart set on the empanadas, i just sat at a table and ordered from the waiter. The portion was larger than I could finish in one sitting, so I asked the waiter, "what am i supposed to do with this if I can't finish" still under the impression that they "don't even have to go containers" and he said, "i can wrap it up for you, of course. it's your food!" I was very confused. The waiter came back a few minutes later with my food IN TO GO CONTAINERS!!! what is this about? I just don't get why the host/owner would lie to me about something so dumb. read more

I have only ever tried the empanadas, rice, & beans which I love (but I'm not that picky nor am I seeking anything authentic). The margaritas are okay-the other mixed drinks are strong to the point that you may as well just order shots. read more

Delicious and cheap food. Sometimes the service isn't great, but I've been going here for years and keep coming back! Biggest downside is that they don't do takeout ... seriously, they would make a ton more cash if they did! read more

Horrible. Chips tasted like garlic salt. Salsa tasted like garlic salt. Taco and enchilada tasted like garlic salt. Cheese enchilada had cheese. Nothing else. No sauce, no onions, just cheese. Shredded beef taco had -- shredded beef, nothing else. No lettuce, no tomato, no onion, no cheese. But, plenty of garlic salt and poor quality meat. What do you expect of "TexMex" in Massachusetts? Bleh. I'm still gagging up garlic salt. Bleh!! Someone complained about my review, so I went back to review my review. I realized that I forgot to mention that the rice and beans also tasted like garlic salt. read more

We actually came to eat here when the wait never seemed to end at the popular restaurant around the corner. Unfortunately this place also had a bit of a wait but not nearly as long, which is why I give it only 4 stars. On a good note the service was great, the drinks were great and the food all around was delicious. I always leave with a leftovers but this time I ate everything. read more

Went with the chicken and chorizo étouffée and crawfish étouffée. They both were great and so were the margaritas.

My brother recommended the crawfish étouffée here. It is sooooo yummy and the ultimate comfort food. The cornbread is light and and fluffy inside and crisp outside. The kids meals are priced just right and they gave the biggest basket of fries to my daughter, it dwarfed her! read more

The service was good. The place was LOUD. Food and drinks came quickly but the food was really only mediocre. I had the swordfish tacos and the fish just wasn't that good. The tacos were soggy. Wouldn't go back. read more

Really good food. Solid service and prices are appropriate. Wish there was one on the South Shore. Can't wait to go back. Blackened Chicken Fajitas are delicous! read more

It's the only place I will order a margarita. I get strawberry because they muddle fresh strawberries and use large sea salt flakes on the rim. Delicious food also. The chips are perfect. Just the kind yet get from an authentic Mexican restaurant, but the authenticity stop about there. I've had the chicken fajitas and they were delicious. read more

This is my all time favorite casual place to eat. Mix of Cajun, Mexican and TexMex. Very good Margaritas and endless chips and Salsa to start. Recommend the gumbo and guacamole if you want a little extra for a starter. All of their blackened fish are amazing, my favorite is the salmon. Staying with the seafood; their seafood enchiladas are great, with shrimp, crawfish and crab. Other favorites are the fajitas, burros, blackened chicken, steak salad and crawfish étouffée. All meals served with either rice & beans or jambalaya. Also great place to bring the kids as it is loud, cheap kids meals, and chips munch on. read more

I was first introduced to The Border Café about 20 years ago in Saugus. I have to say that I love it as much today as I did then. I tend to get the Chicken Guadelajara almost every time because it is so good. My wife gets seafood enchilada every time for the same reason. I have been to all of their locations and I think this one is clearly as good as the other ones. I think that if someone doesn't like this place they are just not a fan of good food or just a negative person. read more

I worked in Burlington for many years and my "going away" party was at the Border Café - we had a blast! We managed to secure a spot in the front near the fireplace (it was January) - the service was a bit spotty but that can be expected - we had a group of about 30 people. Excellent food and great drinks - highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Love this place. Great food. Servers come around just enough and not when your mouth is full of food. You only need 1 drink with your food from the tortillas to the end....they give you a massive drink (soda). Service is always great. Price is just right. Its comfortable and not stuffy. Just s good place to eat. 1 star off because they dont do take out. read more

Holy Salt content. The swelling from the sodium was so bad that I left with cankles and sausage fingers.... not a good look. Cool atmosphere, great for meeting people after work, but stick to the drinks. read more

Wow, this food was salty! I tried my girlfriend's food just to make sure a silo of the stuff didn't accidentally tip over onto mine. I have to admit, though, the taco and enchilada plate still tasted good, I just wish they'd ease up a bit on the salt is what I'm saying. Atmosphere is a little weird, you're eating in single huge room packed with tables. Service was spot on, even though we went on a Sunday afternoon when it was quite busy. read more

My boyfriend and I have been to this place twice now.. and its fantastic!! The atmosphere, the bar, the food, the waitresses.. everyone is so nice, they enjoy being there and its a very nice place to unwind, have great food, and good company. :) We got the Pastelitos both times as an appetizer cuz they were great.. I had a few margaritas and each was fabulous.. Everything we have ordered has been delicious.. I had the crawfish quesadilla which was great, and the fajita salad which was awesome. My boyfriend had got the enchilada which looked great too. We sat outside both times which was really nice with the nice weather, very comfortable.. It was really nice to find a place where the staff genuinely enjoys being there, you get big, delicious portions, great margaritas and they keep a high standard. Will go there many times more. :) read more

We are fans of the Harvard Square location but Burlington not so much. Atmosphere is cool and prices are great but the wait staff and check in staff are not good. We were virtually ignored from our waiter and could not get refills on drinks. He also never asked how our food was - which was not good and cold. The fajitas are usually good so stick with those. No excuse for service this bad 2x in a row from a place we used to enjoy. read more

I love Border Cafe! Granted, I only ever get the fajitas every time I go, so I can only base my review on that. Either way, they are delicious every time! Fast/friendly service too. read more

If you work in Burlington and like freshly made chips - you will love this place. I had some of these today along with a great taco salad kind of thing that arrived in a giant tortilla casing. We could have easily been right in and out quickly if we needed to be - the service was quick. For once though, we weren't and got to linger around and eat a few more of those chips! read more

Just as excellent as the Saugus location. We may end up making the Burlington location our regular, being that we have had less than great service in Saugus our last few visits. read more

This is my go-to place everytime i come up to visit friends near Burlington. I always get the Chicken Quesadilla and it's great everytime! Their chips are delicious and salsa is great (but a lil spicy for me). Expect a long wait bc this place is always packed!!! The atmosphere is great as well. Wait staff is always friendly and food is made pretty fast. The prices are awesome and thats one of the reasons this place is great!! read more

This is very good casual dining. It has a good vibe, and the service is excellent. While our party of five was waiting for our meals, someone came from the kitchen to apologize that they had run out of white rice, which accompanied my entrée, and did I want to wait until they made more or accept a substitute. That level of service for inexpensive casual dining is exceptional. read more

I have reviewed the Harvard sq location and gave them three stars. While most everything is the same this location is new and clean. I also must give this location an extra star. The extra star is a result of OUTDOOR seating. While we had to wait a bit longer for the outdoor seating it was worth it. Nice place to grab drinks and grub with friends in the burbs. Bring your Tagamet the tequila can give you wicked heartburn..... read more

I'm not usually a fan of chain restaraunts, but I enjoy coming to Border Cafe. The chips are served fresh out of the fryer and the salsa has a good flavor, but it could use a bit more heat. The mix of mexican and cajun flavors are successful if not totally authentic. Great place to come during the work week for a quick lunch. The selection of Texan/Mexican beers is also a nice touch. read more

They won't seat people until the whole party has arrived. Don't bring a group unless you come in a bus. Don't plan to meet anyone there because they even removed the cozy seating area. read more

This had been a family favorite since the early 90s, well, their Cambridge location anyways. We will no longer be going back, all over a pepper, no lie. We asked for a pepper on the chicken fajita, even offered to pay an additional fee. Three managers had to have a team huddle regarding our request. It was denied. No pepper. No one could explain why, don't think our request was unreasonable, but the management's inflexibility to keep their customers satisfied means we really don't want to go back to this place. read more

Listen we're in....Massachusetts! Not California. Go there if you want authentic. Enjoyed lunch with tasty Popcorn shrimp, Delicious Pulled beef taco w/Cheese enchilada w/yummy blk beans n rice...& Vegetable fajitas. Oh, & a nicely poured Margarita. Oops forgot to mention the awesome chips & mild salsa. Oh did I mention the fresh guac?! Mmm. Very well trained service staff incl hostesses. Nice decor..an easy vibe. Enjoy! read more

Arrived 10 minutes before open but the manager saw we had a baby so let us in early. He then checked in twice during our lunch. Great service here. read more

Great good, great service. We did however have to wait quite awhile to get our bill, so I approached the manager and he got us out very quick and apologized. I would definitely visit again if in the area. read more

Go here frequently. Food is good. Only 1 time had a BAD meal. Love eating outside. Prices are good. Would be nice to change menu or have specials. Frustrating when you want something different. read more

As others have said this place is spacious and clean and is very similar to their Saugus (I believe) location. The food is passable but not exciting. It's very cheap though. I went for the Burros and they were decent. On the Border in Woburn is better. read more

This place is usually pretty consistent on quality of their food and their decent prices. I recently tried the eggplant royale dish wish "reportedly" had lump crab meat and spices with a fried eggplant --- I think I got royally jobbed on this one -- a bland cheese sauce covered the crispy eggplant --- and that's about all I can say --- no cajun spice to speak of and no crab wedged between the eggplant and the cheese sauce --- Frozen Strawberry Margaritas had chunky ice chips in them, making it near impossible to enjoy with a straw. If there was alcohol in it, it may have had a bottle of tequila waved over it -- but there was no taste other than slushy strawberry....which is good if you wanted a Slush Puppie... Service was adequate until the waiter forgot $60 of my change - that kind of ruins the service when you have to at least entertain the idea that the guy "forgot" on purpose - -- This was about my 8th trip to the Border Cafe and I would rate this location at the bottom. Cambridge, cramped but charming, is the one I recommend. This place used to be about a 4.5 star place but has meandered down the road to just about 3 stars. I am now looking for a replacement for this type of restaurant - read more

Pretty good food. We absolutely love the blackened chicken. Service is pretty terrible though.

Pretty good tex-mex menu, with a pretty good variety if you're not interested in mexican. I had the salmon which was good. It was super noisy inside (it was a Friday night), but we ended up getting table outside. Drinks are good. Atmosphere is good. Overall, a good experience. Not unbelievable, but good. read more

The Border Cafe is a decent standard chain. The salsa is delish and the chips are served really warm, which I love. The other thing I love about Border Cafe are the really large drink glasses. I tend to drink a lot when I go out to eat, so the large glasses are great in that I don't need to ask for a refill often. The meals aren't spectacular, but they are definitely satisfying if you are looking for standard tex-mex. read more