Border Grill
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Phone: (310) 451-1655
- Cross Street:
- Santa Monica Boulevard
- Hours:
- Sun-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-11:30pm
Editorial Review for Border Grill – by Allison Austin
The Scene
Black, terra-cotta, yellow, red and blue paint covers the walls. If the room weren't so loud, the clever flavor pairings and precise execution of the kitchen wouldn't be as surprising.
The Food
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, the "Two Hot Tamales," present Mexico's bold flavors on this eclectic menu. Purists will find the tart, cool seviche authentic and refreshing. Charred, seasoned carnitas on fresh corn tortillas are terrific examples of Mexican street food. But those who step away from the well-worn taco path will be handsomely rewarded with cilantro-spiked skirt steak or achiote-marinated pork, braised in banana leaves until fall-apart tender.
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Insider Tips
Where to SitBook a private mural-accented room that holds up to 40 people. It's upstairs, but has elevator access. A seasoned manager will help you plan a perfect bash.
The ExtrasLet the Grill do the cooking for your next shindig; call the general manager and ask about catering.
Happy HourWeekdays from 4pm to 7pm, drinks like margaritas, mojitos and imported beers are $4, and munchies such as quesadillas and green corn tamales are all $3.
User Reviews for Border Grill
11/30/2008 Posted by differentplaces
After wandering around the promenade for a bit for something new, we found the Border Grille a block away. The Carnitas Nortenas were good, with the full complement of sides- guacamole, serranos, house-made tortillas, and other stuff. I would not say they were better than carnitas I've had other places, but they were $5-$6 more expensive than other places I've been too. I'd also agree with other reviewers that the drinks were quite pricey. The margaritas and mojitos were around $12. The atmosphere was nice - the interesting paintings on the walls and bright colors. On the service issue, it was a bit strange. We were told there would be a half hour wait because we hadn't made reservations - yet half the tables appeared empty. Perhaps there weren't enough waiters. In any case, we were seated immediately at the family/communal table when we said that was alright. There were already ten people sitting around the table. That made it interesting - in a good way. Our waiter took our order quick enough, but then there were periods when we didn't see him for a bit too long. He did suggest the perfect entree for my wife. And the speed with which the food was delivered after being ordered was impressive. I'd say we were served in about five minutes. It was the follow up for other items that had us looking for our waiter. A decent experience overall. The below average rating is based on value.
Pros: ambience
Cons: value
09/26/2008 Posted by moneymoney
Just went to this restaurant for the first time even though I have walked past it countless times. What a gem! My party tried 3 different appetizers and 1 entree dish and everything was both unique and delicious. The shrimp ceviche was sauced differently than I've ever had it with more of a tomato base but it was delicious. Enjoyed the endive and pear salad...the blue cheese added a great touch. The entree was a slow-cooked pork dish (don't remember the name) that was super-flavorful. The highlight of the evening was their Moroccan Eggplant appetizer, which was one of the specials. SOO delicious, very highly recommended. It came with a curry cream sauce that had so many distinct flavors that all compliment each other and the eggplant wonderfully. The waiters were amazing and basically standing around waiting to serve us. The Maitre d' came over to make sure all was well with the meal and even chatted with us for a few minutes. Great experience! I was thrilled to see that in touristy Santa Monica, a restaurant still knew how to treat its customers.
Pros: Morrocan Eggplant
Cons: Set up and ambience isn't terribly cozy.
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