Lori and I eat here quite often and this was our favorite place for Mexican food. (notice I said was) Now to be fair the number of times we ate her without incident far outweigh what you will read in this review, but it always strikes me that they may have new management and this is the reason. Anyway the Last time we ate here two weeks ago we arrived late lunch ear;y dinner time. The place was packed and the waitress, new to us, was agonizingly slow. We were in the main dining room and usually eat in the booths in the bar area, so we weren't pleased but sort of shrugged it off as they were busy, we were in the main dining room and that was that. Tonight we went and sat in the bar area. This time the place was nearly empty. The hostess sat us, got us our pita chips and salsa and said your waitress will be right with you- she wasn't- in fact between ten and fifteen minutes elapsed before she showed up to take our drink orders and then just disappeared for another ten minutes. I neglected to mention it was the same slow woman we had on our last visit. The two people behind us were leaving and asked her to package up their food to take with them and this seemed to be approached as a monumental task. another waitress went by the bar asked if the drinks on the bar were ours and gave them to us. we then watched another ten minutes while she fretted over the packaging of food and finally she came over and took our order. Lori wanted another drink so she put her empty beer bottle at the edge of the table- nothing. Our intrepid waitress had seemingly disappeared. fifteen more minutes maybe twenty went by and another waitress brought us our food. she asked if we needed anything else loris asked for another drink she said oh ok who is you waitress, so after describing her off the new waitress went after another ten minutes I had had enough. I walked to the front and asked to talk to a manager. a woman stepped forward and said yes i asked if we could be waited on and explained the mysterious vanishing of our waitress, by then seeing the ruckus the second waitress hotfooted to the bar and brought another beer to the table. Now I must say that all of this nonsense ruined my meal Lori felt the same- but here is the rub. But first-let me state this. It always bothers me when I get bad service at aplace , complain and they say we won't charge you. I never ask for this and i certainly don't go looking for problems to get my meal comped and I said to Lori if they offer to comp the meal I want to pay for it and just get out of here but guess what. Not only did they NOT offer to comp the meal- they never ever expressed any sorrow over our inconvenience- we were treated like dogs and they couldn't care less. No apology by anyone in management- only the incompetent waitress fumbled and stumbled a half baked apology. We wont be back here for a while because despite years of patronage they apparently have no use for us. read more

Long time customer, my family and I have been coming here on several different occasions. No matter what time or day service is great, for the most part. I have to say, I recently came here for lunch with some friends and although food came out quick it was very informal. Some people will probably like being "left alone" lol dramatic? I don't know but I like a bit of interaction. Overall I like coming here with the family on the weekends. Try Catfish New Orleans, fantastic! read more

solid food, casual friendly atmosphere, great prices, generous portions... simply awesome place. customers range from young couples to families w kids to elderly. they immediately bring out a huge pile of fresh warm chips w salsa. make sure you don't pig out on these and ruin your appetite for the entress (i've done that too many times :( appetizers: everything i've ordered has been tasty, esp these little popcorn crawfish you dip into honey sauce. but chips + appetizers + entrees leave you very uncomfortably full at the end, so watch out. entrees: i love their fish dishes. their fish tacos are very delicious... couple of soft tacos w fresh lettuce and fried catfish inside; comes w side of beans and rice. i reckon these things are not very healthy, but oh well. ever since baja fresh closed down, border cafe is really the only place in boston to get fish taco (albeit their fish is catfish, which is unusual choice for fish taco). i'm not a big fajita/enchilada person, but my friends have said that those are pretty good as well at border cafe. frozen margaritas: very solid, although not the best i've had (i'm from cali and used to do weekly trips to phoenix, so my standards could be a bit high). certainly some of the best you can get in boston. read more

I absolutely LOVE the Border Cafe. The Sangria is refreshing and the food is delicious. And the prices...you can not beat the prices! If I could I would eat here every single night. One of my all time favs for cheap and delcious food! read more

I like border. It is one of our routine restaurants to go. The one in Harvard square is the best. For the Burlington location, it is good except that I had a very bad experience in my first time visit. I ordered seafood enchilada, and the crab meat on the top was still cold. I asked to get another one, and the size shrunk half the size :( but then after several months I went there several times, the quality remained good. You get large amount of tasty food with a low price. And their freshly squeezed orange juice is healthy and tasty too. read more

Good food, cheap prices but service is alright. Our waitress messed up our order and was publicly complaining about getting double sat. Very unprofessional. Other than that the food is always good when we go there! read more

I got the pulled chicken and cheese quesadilla and it was soggy and gross. My app was very salty as well. The drinks are always spot on and I love the endless amounts of chips and salsa. read more

I don't recommend this place at all! I'm not sure if it's under new management or what but this honestly was by far the worst restaurant I have ever been to in my life. The waiter messed up our drinks twice and when we asked for a lime in our margarita he said that margaritas don't usually come with limes (seriously?) We ordered guacamole and it was probably the worst guacamole we've ever tasted. I also think the salsa came right out of the jar. As for our meals they also were terrible. The fajitas had zero peppers and very little meat, it was basically a pile of onions. We never ever complain but decided to complain to the manager and he was the most inconsiderate rude manager I've ever come across. I honestly don't even know how someone's customer service skills can be so terrible in a management position. After chatting with the manager he stormed back over to the waitstaff and they all were in a circle staring at us it was the most uncomfortable and unprofessional situation. After when we got in our car we can see through the window that they all were hovering around our table to see how much of a tip we left. For the level of serviceman food we left more than we should have. Again I don't recommend a single thing about this place. read more

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Come here all the time, beef fajitas are hands down the best item. First, I'd like to say that I get such a kick out of all the people that negatively review this restaurant like its a "Michelin Star" rated place. It's a fast, casual, inexpensive place that is consistently good and busy any day of the week I might add. With all the restaurants around Burlington that don't make it, BC is still going strong, for a good reason. People that complain about little things, this and that -- they are most likely very "frugal" to put it nicely and complain almost anywhere they go and try to get free/comped food, etc. Where else can you get homemade Fajitas with handmade tortillas, sides and all the condiments for $15?? Not to mention the endless free chips and salsa, huge sodas/water cups and inexpensive, decent margaritas. I don't understand all these negative reviews - perhaps try a higher end place and expect to pay double or even more - but I bet you won't. Feel free to send me a message and explain your reasoning. Thanks! read more

Was at the Borders at Burlington Mall and was hungry for Mexican so we went to this Tex Mex-Cajun chain. It was Friday night and the place was jammed. It must seat over 150 people in an open area with wooden tables. Many families with kids and I can see why. They delivered decent salsa and fantastic hot tortilla chips (Best I have had in Boston) but the service was slow to order, but then the food came out fast. My friend has the Guacamole appetizer that was big enough for four people and delicious although a bit salty for my taste. I had the Steak Fajitas and she had the Fajita Salad. Both were large servings and we could not finish either after all the salsa and guacamole. The Margaritas are large and very popular and a good value. I had the jambalaya as my side dish and it was delicious. The only complaint is had is the excellent flour tortillas for the Fajitas were very small and I could not put all the ingredients in. To finish all the fajita filling one would have to eat all the tortillas so I just passed on them and ate the filling off my plate. They serve this dish with delicious grilled onions not peppers, as is usually the case. Great family place, decent and large servings of well prepared food. I would go back, but not on Friday or Saturday night. read more

Must say, haven't been to the Border in years and I happen to drive by this one every day on the way to work, so my brother and I decided to stop in for lunch before heading to a movie. Glad we did! I always have had good memories of this place from years ago when I used to frequent their Route 1 location. The Burlington Location is very clean and bright. We ordered the Cajun popcorn shrimp app and had the delicious free chips and salsa they have always served, great as usual. I of course, had to order one or three of the always excellent Margheritas! I believe my brother ordered the Crawfish Etoufee and I had the Blackened chicken with rice and black beans. As I stated before, hadn't been here in a long time and happy that they are as good as I remember. I also had to give shout out to our server Nick. He was seriously one of the best servers we have ever had. Very attentive, always there if you needed a refill or anything else, too bad there couldn't be someone like him in every restaurant! Overall excellent time. Would highly recommend to others and will definitely be back. good prices and portions to boot. read more

This place gets hopping. Busy at lunch and dinner because it's friendly service and decent Mexican food. Provides a lot of food in each platter. Good bang for the buck here. read more

Chicken quesadillas with no chicken in it and very soggy. The remade it and the same thing. F- service. No tip. Very inconsiderate.

Always consistent. Place is very clean. Considering the turnover. Staff is always friendly, food comes out quickly and is both kid friendly and a good place for date night. Beef fajita is awesome! read more

One of the reasons to go to Border Cafe vs Taco Bell is to have a restaurant like ambient. I am no food expert but if you like chicken in cheese this is definitely the place to go. Ordered the quesadillas and the enchiladas and both tasted pretty much the same, - Chicken in cheese.. Good thing the enchiladas were slimy and soggy which made them easier to swallow.. And oh yeah, they give you a super sized glass of water which makes the whole thing so much easier to swallow, and that way the servers dont need to visit again to serve you water anymore. The service wasn't any great either, i only saw our server twice, one when he came to take the order, the next to give the bill. Scratching off this place from my list of restaurants.. read more

Wanted to bring home some take out...manager said it wasn't their policy.....seriously? Very bad customer service. Manager was not accommodating at all. Bob Murphy from Burlington needs to find a job that doesn't involve customer service....he's an ass.... read more

This is the worst example of Tex-Mex I have ever had. I am from Texas. Not sure how they advertise "authentic Tex mex". It's not even close. The fajitas had a strange seasoning on them. The rice, also had a strange seasoning. No refried beans-only black beans. The salsa tasted like it was out of a jar, not homemade. I really tried to find one thing that my husband and I liked but just couldn't. At least, the service was good. We definitely will not go back. read more

Servers will serve patrons until they're highly intoxicated. Doesn't ID patrons when they ask for alcohol. Seen a child drinking out a Margarita glass. Food is sub par. I would recommend going to besito across the street at the Burlington mall. The staff is always friendly amazing cocktails and professional. I've tried this location multiple times as I'm hyper local- I can't recommend this place read more

I absolutely love the Border Cafe.....the food is always good and the service is usually very attentive too!

This is one of my favorite places, and the prices are extremely reasonable. Great for lunch or dinner. Very noisy, however.

My favorite mexican spot. I love the chicken burro - it's my absolute favorite. I could eat it every day. I have always had exceptional service when I go there. Never once have I had a problem with my food or waitstaff. An A+ all around. read more

Love Border Cafe! Great guacamole, delicious black bean and corn empanadas, and good margaritas (I like the hornitas margarita). The line can be long if you don't get there early, and they don't take reservations :( This place is kind of big and noisy, and it can be hard to get the server's attention sometimes. The prices are very reasonable. Overall, I highly recommend the Border Cafe! read more

What a surprise! I didn't expect such fast and friendly service in such a busy loud restaurant. The food had a Cajun spicy flavor to the Mexican style dishes. We had a great time and had great food. We would definitely return and try to find one in our area ( Northern New Jersey) or somewhere else in our travels. read more

Six of us went to this restaurant on Tuesday evening for dinner. Out of the six entrees the waitress brought four that we had ordered and two that we had not. She left with the two incorrect entrees promising to return in "minutes". 15 minutes later she returned with the identical two incorrect orders! When this was brought to her attention she once again requested a few minutes to correct the situation. We asked to speak with the manager- a very young woman came over to explain that "mistakes happen"- when the fact that the identical mistake had happened twice and that the remaining four diners had now finished eating was mentioned she said that the comment was uncalled for!??! A couple of minutes later a man came to our table also stating that he could produce the correct meals in minutes. We explained that we were not interested in eating the meals after the others in our party had completed their dinners & we were not interested in taking the dinners home- we also mentioned that the dinner experience had been ruined for the entire table, all because our waitress obviously was uninterested in writing down what was being ordered. In the end we were not required to pay for the dinners that we hadn't received. I would have thought that our entire bill would have been zeroed becuase of the incompentence! read more

I went to Border Cafe this past Sunday night with wifey, brother, sister in law, my 2 nieces and nephew. So, this is a good spot for families. There were 7 of us and they had plenty of big tables. You get free chips and salsa. Which scores major bonus pionts to me. The chips and salsa were good. I was also very hungry so having food right away helped. Wifey and I split the chicken fajitas. We order the double for $19.95. So, when you think about it is $10.00 a person. Pretty good deal if you ask me. The only problem was a single order came out. Sister in law got the manger over and he quickly fixed our dish. Can not go wrong with chicken fajitas. You can make them how you like them. It comes with rice, beans, tomatoes, cheese, and sour cream. My sister in law got the catfish fajitas. She said it was good but very salty and she was worried because she had a weigh in the next morning. But a bonus for her was her dish came with a lot of onions so she was happy. My brother got fajitas too. He got 1/2 chicken and 1/2 beef. He did not speak much. He was to busy eating. So, i guess he liked it. As for the kids. My nephew got the chicken fingers and fries. They looked good. If he had sat next to me I would have tried them. But like most kids he did not eat to many of them. One neice got the the kids taco and it only came with one taco and she was disappointed. So. we had to order another. My other niece got a burger and she ate the whole thing. All three orders came with shoe string fries. I tried them. They were very good. The meal ended with free m&m's and starburst for the kids. And free balloons. We sent the balloons up to Heaven. And one of my nieces left her m&m's in my car. So, me and wifey ate them. Overall this place is OK. If you are looking for good Mexican food skip this place. But if you dinning out with the family this a good place to go to. Soon, wifey and I are expecting a baby so I am sure we eventually go back to this place. And to my brother and my sister in law who had just had twins boys. I am sure they will visit this place as well. read more

Solid Mexican food at very reasonable prices. The portions are large, and the chips and salsa are great. This is a nice location, separate from the mall with its own big parking lot. read more

Hadn't been to the Border Cafe for a while, but was glad to revisit and will definitely make this our "go to" Tex-Mex restaurant. The prices are soooo reasonable and the food is really good. I had the swordfish tacos, and hubby had the combo blackened steak/chicken fajitas. He was very pleased. We didn't have a wait for a Saturday night, and were in and out of there in one hour. We will definitely eat here more often. read more

We love this Border Cafe for the family. We have three teenagers and we can feed all of us for a great price. Everyone loves the food and the parents really enjoy the Margaritas! The restaurant is always packed and the atmosphere is fun. I would recommend this place for anyone looking for fun, great food and all at a reasonable price. The service can be lacking at times, due to the high volume of customers. read more

This place is pretty solid. Usually make it a point to visit this place when going to the Burlington Mall as it is right across the street. Can get a little busy if you are going on a Saturday night, and I would really think about some other place all together during the holidays. I have noticed that this place usually has a lot of families with very small children. Could be because the place is so loud. They have some of the best Chilie Con Queso around, highly recommend this as a app. The fajita steak meat is also seasoned very well. The chips they bring out right when you sit are always warm and fresh. Only down side is there is no hot salsa available. Only the cheap bottle of hot sauce they have on the table which stinks: too much vinegar. On the whole we always have a good meal when we come here, and the price is not bad at all. Sure there can be long waits, but the turnover is pretty quick. read more

Great atmosphere! The drink sizes are huge! The service was slow but our waitress was very apologetic. We will defiantly be back but hopefully on a less busy night! read more

Nice decor, good chips and salsa, decent sangria. The issue I have is that I ordered catfish fajitas and instead was served a blackened white fish. I am not sure if they are purposely serving the wrong fish to save money or if it was an honest mistake.The taste and seasoning was good, but disappointing if the restaurant on the whole is trying to con it's customers read more

Great food, inexpensive, clean and near mall. Centrally located. One major downside is rush hour crowds. It can get really, really clogged up there, so try to work your way around the 5:30 to 7:30 PM crowds. Tables turn over fast and the cajun fare is tasty for Yankee fare. read more

Border never ceases to impress me. I've been going there frequently since my first time in 2010. It's perfect for a hungry belly and a tight budget, however my only complaint is that when it's very crowded it gets VERY loud which is hard for my hearing-impaired relatives. But I mean, you can't blame them for being crowded. They're delicious and consistent! I'd give it 4.5 stars if possible. read more

I have eaten here a number of times, and while food is predictable, it always tastes good. We have always been seated quickly and the wait staff has been attentive, courteous, and knowledgeable. I especially enjoy the outdoor seating in the spring and summer. read more

I was there many times.Cheaper than most places and delicious.No bad experiences whatsoever.Recommend this place strongly.

Good food for cheap. I like to go here before or after a movie and get burrito, fajitas, or shrimp quesadilla. Gets crowded and a little loud. read more

My wife and I are a big fan of Border Cafe. We try to go there at least once a month. Their Eggplant Royale is as good as it gets. Lately I have been awed by their Crawfish etouffe. Their corn bread is so good that sometimes they run out of them by evening. Our only complaint is the complimentary tortilla chips being a little salty and the salsa accompanying it is usally really tart. But again its free so I am not really going to complain about that. Must visit place for good cajun food. read more

My girlfriend and I make a point to visit this fine establishment at least twice a months. Service staff are professional and friendly, even on those really crazy Saturday nights! Free chips and salsa are always good! Chicken fajitas are reasonably priced and delicious. However, we have noticed that the amount of chicken have been getting smaller and replaced with more onions! Please don't skimp on the chicken!! As for drinks, your frozen margaritas are worth dying for!! read more

Short wait at 6:30 on a Thursday. Good service and great food. I was particularly impressed with the price.

I have always been a fan of Border Cafe. I think the food is fabulous and reasonably priced. We made a reservation for a group of 14 for today. When we arrived we were seated at two separate round tables. We asked to sit together and we were told we could not, we were told that it's the "owner's" rule. This was a farewell party, and we were disconnected from half of our group. Literally, because we were at a round table, some of our backs were to them! When the reservation was made, one assumes that you will be seated together, that tables will be pushed together to accommodate, and if you can't accommodate, you should probably tell the person requesting. If this wasn't bad enough, a large group came in when we were finishing up, sat right next to us and we watched a different manager join THREE tables together to accommodate them, right in front of us. When I spoke to the manager about it, he became defensive and argumentative, no apology, and came up with some lame excuse as to why they couldn't do that for us. Totally unprofessional, and incompetent, both managers quoted different rules, and a frazzled waitress who had a lot of trouble and management intervention to split a check in half.... for each table. They totaled us together, and yet did not seat us together. Management needs some management 101 skills! read more