The Border Cafe

Pro: There must be something about this place given the long line that stretches outdoors on Friday and Saturday nights. The margaritas are great and the food is cheap and tasty. The parade of chips & salsa is never ending. I didn't even realize they served Cajun food. Without fail, I always order the enchiladas. I'm never disappointed! Con: They're strict about not seating you until your entire party is there and it's extremely crowded on Friday and Saturday nights. They do give you one of those beepers so you can wander around the Square a bit, but the wait is usually 45 min-1 hour. Mysteriously, this place is still always full of large groups. I'd rather just go here with a small group on a weeknight for a big margarita. Insider's tip: They offer you a side of jambalaya or rice & beans with your meal, but you can also request a generous portion of steamed vegetables or fried plantains as a side.

We looked around Harvard Sq. for a relaxing (affordable) place to eat and stumbled into the cafe. Packed with people which is usually a good sign. Prices very reasonable and service was quick and friendly. Cool atmosphere and wonderful food.

Ok so this is actually a review on the Border Cafe in Saugus (I haven't been to the one in Cambridge, but they're probably just the same). I love it here because the food is quality mexican with good space and atmosphere. The chips are perfectly cooked and warm when you get them, and the salsa is super tasty (and chunky, which is a must for me). I could just come here and eat the bottomless chips/salsa all night, with some margs or coronas of course. But the best dish is the half grilled chicken and half steak tacos, served on a sizzling skillet with perfect soft, warm tortillas in a bowl. The restaurant is also fairly inexpensive so it's great for a fun night out with friends or family, or for a more casual date.

The food isn't fantastic, and sometimes the service can be iffy, but it's always a fun, lively atmosphere. Great cheese quesadillas.

Ah, Border Cafe. I love that somehow, though I'm sure you are always swamped in the kitchen, that your proteins are always cooked perfectly - my food always arrives piping hot at the table, any the chicken always had a great sear on the outside, but is perfectly juicy on the inside. Next, don't even get me started on the condiments/sauces! My favorites are the mango salsa - perfectly sweet mango cubes with just the right spicy/citrus-y bite to them, the perfectly sweet-spicy-garlicky chipotle lime glaze for the plantains, and the Cajun spiced marmalade, just to name a few. The tortilla chips here are not just a starter, they are a way of life - freshly fried throughout the day, they pair exceptionally well with the guacamole, which I would personally prefer a bit more on the chunky side, but that's just me. As far as downsides - there are not a lot of exciting vegetarian options here. Most of the choices are heavy on cheese and light on creativity. I also almost always get not-the-best... Read more

I always order the same thing: Chicken Enchiladas Margarita's are awesome too!!

I was so disappointed when I went there. First of all, ordered a Margaritta and the waiter insisted on seeing my ID, which I had left in my other purse back at my apt . A little rediculous because I'm far beyond the legal age and that was quite obvious. So my boyfriend walked back to the apt to pick up my ID for me (He's the only good part of this bad experience). As I'm waiting for his return, the waiter saw me waiting there for almost half an hour and never once asked if I would like to order any appitizers or another drink. I guess if you sit their alone you wont get any service. So finally when my ID arrives and I begin to order, I ask for a frozen Margaritta with salt and ask the waiter which one he thinks is good. The waiter begins to tell me that Margarittas on the rocks are better and the salt takes away from the flavor of the Tequilla. A little insulting since I know what I like, and he thought his tastes were better. Shouldn't waiters suggest items based on what the custome... Read more

The fajitas here are amazing. I always order the veggie fajitas (I ask them to hold the pepper seasoning that it usually comes with)and my ...

This Harvard Square favorite offers delicious and inexpensive Mexican and Cajun food in a fun and lively environment. Students, tourists and families flock to this Southwestern-themed restaurant which is known for its gigantic frozen margaritas and large portions. The meal starts off right with a basket of warm tortilla chips and tangy salsa which are irresistible. The appetizers, including the chorizo with tomatoes, onions and poblano jack cheese; and the Cajun popcorn shrimp do not disappoint. And Border Cafe features an exhaustive menu that has something for everyone. Favorites include the sizzling chicken, beef or fish fajitas; the chicken guadalajara filled with red peppers and spinach; the shrimp and crawfish quesadilla; and the mesquite-grilled swordfish steak with Jalape?o butter. There is also a dazzling array of salads and a large vegetarian menu. Though far from highbrow and a bit noisy on weekend evenings, the Border Cafe offers good food and fun in the midst of Harvard Squ... Read more

My family has been going to the Border Cafe in Harvard Square for over 20 years. We are native Bostonians and now California transplants. ...

For cheap Tex Mex and a cheap Margarita. This is the place! The border cafe has something for everyone including run of the mill Tex Mex and some interesting Cajun dishes too. This place will not break the bank either so expect to wait at the bar and enjoy a marg before dinner. On the weekends this spot is overrun with college students and locals who want to pull in the free chips and salsa by the pound! Don't miss the $5 Margarita, the fish tacos or the border chili!

So, I accidentally left my credit card in the restaurant and immediately went back to retrieve it. For some unknown reason, the manager took it home, and I needed to talk to the other managers. At first, the first manager denied knowing any waitress who looked like my description, I showed him the bill with her name printed on it and he then changed his mind. Yet, he did not answer my question about the credit card although the waitress said that she had given the card to another manager. In the meantime, another manager somehow got involved, but had no clue what steps to take, and the first two managers simply disappeared for a while. I left the restaurant to return the next day. No phone call the next day, no voicemail about the credit card, no apologies, whatsoever. I had to go to the restaurant 3 times to retrieve the card finally! The managers are so disorganized, don't communicate with one another, and are simply rude. Not professional at all.

Been twice and both times had very good experience. First time we had a wait of 15 minutes and the second time we were brought right to a table. I purposely chose to eat mexican the first time, burrito was OK, chips and salsa and margaritas were very good, service great. Second time through, we were seated promptly, served promptly, food right out of the oven, atmosphere is just right. I recommend highly.

This last Saturday we were a party of 11. We reached the restaurant at around 9:15 pm. They gave us a buzzer and the manager at the door told us to wait for 30-45 min. We stayed at the bar until 10 pm. We asked for the status of our table. At this time we talked with the ?manager? (or someone who said he was in charge) and told us to wait for 15 minutes more. At about 10:20 pm we were told that we still had to wait 10-15min to get the table. Since he was very rude and we found unacceptable his excuse for making us waiting for that long and watching other people being sited (there were empty tables but they were separated and they could not put them together) I asked for a complain book or similar. At this point he became more aggressive, he laughed at us and he mentioned that they did not have such thing. I felt stupid since in many countries you can always ask for a complain book so I asked to talk to someone over him. He said there was no one over him (Andy Olson) so he gave me a p... Read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for 4 years.Tthe food is pretty good and worth coming back for but the service, especially from the manager, has convinced me to never go back there again. I was sitting with friends and ordered my favorite meal and my wife forgot her ID so she couldn't get a drink. this is completely understandable why they refused to serve her a drink. what made it an unpleasant experience was when the manager came up to us and said "move your drink away from her she keeps reaching for it and i don't have time to keep watching you." That comment left us all shocked. The whole table heard everything he said, he didn't say please, he treated us like minors, not even a simple I'm sorry. We where all professional in different health care fields. this stupid punk manager had a grin on his face as he said this to us as well. his tone was disrespectful like he had to babysit us. The thing the idiot didn't notice is the chips that the waiter put was next to the drink a... Read more

The Border Cafe is a favorite on mine. The quessadillas are the best. Bring back the carne asade. It's the best! The drinks are great too...

This has been my favorite restaurant for ten years. But as sad as it sounds I, a regular customer even after I moved to the west coast, had a major setback in what I think of the place. I flew in from San Francisco last week and met with a friend and went to Border Cafe to eat. A second friend was going to join us later but she was not going to eat. Now we were refused a seat in the restaurant until my second friend who wasn't going to eat arrives. Even though the restaurant was at least half empty and I explained to the manager the situation that the third person will not be eating but will be here to see me and catch up and that I had just flown in from SF and that I was starving and wanted to eat at my favorite restaurant. All that meant nothing to the guy. He absolutely would not seat us. He kept a sarcastic smile throughout my attempts to explain. I was really disappointed. Maybe it is restaurant policy but to be honest when I left the largely empty restaurant being refused a... Read more

The Scene Due to the area's lack of inexpensive dining options, the wallet-friendly Border Cafe is the restaurant of choice among Harvard Square's younger residents. (Translation: expect hour-plus waits on weekends.) Large groups gather at massive tables scattered among the two Southwestern-themed dining levels, while solo diners flock to the tiny bar area and its TVs. At night, indulging in a gargantuan frozen margarita is the favored method of counteracting the high noise levels and hectic environment. The Food No one has ever confused the sizzling fajita platters or overstuffed quesadillas with gourmet Mexican fare, but overall quality is good and portions are exceptionally large. (Rare is the table that orders an entree for each diner.) After plowing through a basket of warm tortilla chips and fresh salsa, patrons select from the menu's lengthy listing of standard Tex-Mex (chicken enchiladas) and Cajun (spicy blackened swordfish) dishes. Hits Setting the standard for group dining... Read more

I've been to Border Cafe many times and I've always gotten my money's worth. The chips and salsa are really good and they give you huge portions of everything (from drinks to food) for relatively cheap. There's nothing particularly outstanding about the food, but it's good, and anyway - you're not paying loads of money for something fancy. I will say it's probably my favorite Tex-Mex place in Boston (though there don't seem to be too many to choose from). Other reviewers were right in saying that on weekends, it can get really loud and it's hard to hear the people you're sitting with. But it's a fun place with a lively atmosphere and my friends and I have always had a good time here. Plus, it's located in Harvard Square which is a nice area to roam around after a big meal.

Border Cafe is hands down my favorite tex-mex restaurant. Their food is easy on the pocketbook yet still of great quality. I usually end up eating too many chips, salsa, and guacamole and ruin my dinner. They make one of the best margaritas in Boston. I would recommend, however, visiting them at an off hour. Come Friday and Saturday nights, the place is packed and food and drink quality shoots way down. Be ready to wait outdoors, buzzer in hand. About 3 out of 4 visits we get an attentive waiter, but there have been some flops that nearly ruined our experience.

Great service, tons of menu options, good maragaritas and fresh, hot tortilla chips and salsa served before the meal.

My fiance and I often dine here and had nothing but a good experience. I am a vegetarian and there is only around 10 vegetarian options on te menu and since i am the type that enjoys trying a different dish each time I already tried every vegetarian meal. They are all great just wish there were more options! Its fairly affordable. Depending on time/date you are going the wait can be anywhere from getting a table right away to waiting a half an hour to sit. If you and your party are nondrinkers you can get a table in the nondrinking section of the restaurant and so far i have yet had to wait to sit in that section. the service is excellent. they refill your drinks (non alcoholic) for free and give you free chips and salsa!

Dinner at the Border Cafe last night was as great as it has always been. Had a 15min wait for an 830pm dinner. Place was packed but we did not feel rushed. We were actually allowed to hang out at our table for quite a long time after we finished our meal. The large portions were very filling and tasted great. A friend, who never had enchiladas before, could not believe how delicious they were. All in all, couldn't ask for a better time.

Used to be a great place. The food is still good but the service continues to get worse. Last visit the appetizers came out amazingly quickly and the entrees seconds later. Never asked about drinks and tried to push us out before we were done. Probably will not return.

Oh, boo hoo hoo, those who climb on their soapbox and constantly harp that the Mexican food around here is not authentic - NO KIDDING, who cares, deal with it, you're not going to get an authentic fresh New England lobster in Texas or a Maryland crab cake in Alaska; the Border Cafe is good, fun, cheap, and I love it. Note to the biggest complainer: it's "BORDER," not "BOARDER." I've been going here over ten years and have never had a bad experience. I love the drinks, I love the food, I love the warm greasy chips, I love the catfish, the college kids, the tourists, the staff. GOOD STUFF!

I can't people that give this place bad reviews. It doesn't purport to be the most authentic Mexican restaurant in town but it does have great food. The chicken fajitas are the best I've had with the most tender and tasty chicken I've tasted. Yes it's busy, yes it's noisy but that all adds to its charm. The Gold Tequilas have a good kick to them and where else can you get such generous servings of wine (albeit in a tumbler!). So for all you grumbling Texans take a hike!

I have been eating here for over 10 years. My first experience was in 1995 right after living in Texas for 10 years where I got hooked on Tex-Mex/Cajun. I recommend the Catfish Fajitas, Catfish New Orleans, Jumbalaya & Original Texas Margarita with Grand Marnier instead of Cointreau! Enjoy!

Even the waiter agreed that this wasn't authentic or even edible food. Completely bland and tasteless. My friend (who is from Texas) laughed when I said I was craving Mexican food and suggested this place. The only thing remotely authentic was the tequila. I had to drink enough to even get the food down. I'm afraid I'm going to have to wait until I get back to LA to get a decent Mexican/Tex Mex meal.

20 years after college you can still appreciate the Border. In fact you can bring kids but they'll probably find the taco not your basic school cafeteria fodder. The service was quite attentive and surprising for Harvard Sq. Fond memories are not one bit false here.... you'll come back for more.

Long wait and really loud, but the food was great

The food here is just Tex Mex food, but it is just so popular, because The Border Cafe is just so good. When you get here, you get an almos...

I love Border Cafe!! I am a Texas implant and this place has the best chicken fajitas. The tortillas are homemade. They went up on the pr...

I don't even like spicy food but this place made me have a new craving. The drinks are great, the atmosphere is authentic and lively and the...

Amongst all of the over priced restaurants in Harvard sq. The Boarder Cafe continues to be the cheapest place to have a sit down dinner in H...

Borders Cafe feels like a chain, and offers alot of pluses and minuses of one. Positive: Good food, reliable menu, cheap Negative: Long w...

Agreed that this place gets really busy, but I think it is the location. The food was always been ok, not great. The drinks are good. I w...

Thursday through Sunday night, and some weeknights, the line to get into Border Cafe snakes around the block. There's often upwards of an h...

Not just mexican, this place also has some cajun flavors as well. They've got a great creole chicken, and also serve the usual burritos, tacos, and fajitas. The margaritas aren't that strong, but they are huge so you should get a good buzz.

This was the scariest burrito I've seen in Boston. You won't find one of these in Mexico, Texas, or California. Good quantity for college kids but not any bit of authenticity. You can supersize mediocrity.

I am from Louisiana, so maybe I am a little biased. They have a lot of claims Louisiana itself but trust me, you haven't come close to what you get down south here. Althougha great substitute, just not what you should believe food down south taste like!

This place can get crowded at night, but it's worth the wait. Just wait it out at the bar (if you can get near it) and have a delicious margarita. The food is awesome, I have never been disapointed in the many times I've been there. It's a bit loud at times, but that isn't unexpected. Great place to hang out and have a good, cheap meal with friends.

Whenever I go to the Boder Cafe I always order their Gold Margarita beause its the best. The food is great. I love the salsa. The Border Cafe is always my destination at Harvard Sq. then across the street to Starbucks for that on the way home coffee.

This restaurant is awesome, great food, great atmosphere, great margaritas (i have a passion for the strawberry kind), I go with friends all the time. We can enjoy a meal, a drink, and feel at home without killing our wallets!

I am from the South with a heavy Mexican Population and many restaurants. I have eaten at many Mexican Restaurants and would not rate this one of them. The food is good, but if you are in the mood for refried beans, spanish rice with traditional Mexican Spices (Chili and Cumen), I would not reccomend this restaurant. The spices they use are more geared toward Cajun.

There are a lot of great items on the menu, but nothing surpasses the blackened chicken. It's addictive. And what a great buy! For those trying to curb carbs or just love spicy and really well-prepared vegetables, replace the José's rice and beens with the veggies. The salsa and chips are perfect. The service is very quick. I love this place! The food at the Saugus restaurant is just as good as the one in Cambridge and there is actually a place to park.

My friend and I were seated quite promptly during the lunching hour, and the service was quick. The portions are large, and there is a lot of noise, but that's expected of this type of environment. The food is very good, and the price is right. I would dine here again.

When I saw this restaurant listed as #2 for margaritas I had to save some unsuspecting souls that have actually had a good margarita from this experience. In fact, while I'm at it I would like to save anyone that has actually had good mexican or tex mex or for that matter southwestern food avoid this place like the plague. Being born and raised in Texas I have a pretty good idea what both good tex mex and authentic mexican should taste like, and this sorry excuse for a mexican restaurant simply doesn't qualify. And the frothy top shelf margaritas this joint serves up aren't even bad disco bar good. Undrinkable! And my burrito was served up insome strange soupy concoction. BAD with a capital B!

Went to Border Cafe with a group of about 9 people, the last weekend in Jan. We did have to wait and they would not seat us until our entire group had arrived. The place is extremely loud, margaritas are ok but the food was excellent, especially for the price. Everyone in our group was very pleased with their food. I would return.

The Border Cafe has what I would call THE WORST margaritas I have ever had in my life. I feel sorry for the people who think these are good; they have obviously been missing out. To make matters worse, there is usually a significant wait to get in. If someone were to open a reasonably good Tex-Mex or cajun restaurant in Harvard Square, they should make a fortune.