Border Grill Santa Monica

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1445 4th St
Santa Monica, CA 90401

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(310) 451-1655
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Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Border Grill Santa Monica - Santa Monica, CA
Reviews
( 24 )
( 15 )
( 6 )
( 5 )
( 10 )

Best

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger define modern Mexican cuisine as light and healthful with large doses...

Worst

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- gua...

Editorial review from GrubHub 1/20/2014

Overpriced, soup was worst tortilla soup ever, steak was just blah more
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Border Grill serves up Modern Mexican Cuisine 1/20/2012

Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger define modern Mexican cuisine as light and healthful with large doses... more
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Border Grill serves up Modern Mexican Cuisine 1/20/2012

Yucatan Pork is achiote pork slow roasted in banana leaves, caramelized onion, orange, cinnamon served with saut?ed plantains, rice, black beans, guacamole, and handmade corn tortillas. OMG, this is absolutely fabulous! Banana leaves are a great way to roast meats (ask anyone from Hawaii). The leaves subtly flavor the meat as it cooks. The onion, orange, and cinnamon were a beautiful combination with the succulent pork. The guacamole was creamy and tasted so fresh. The plantains were caramelized with a slightly sweet taste, reminded me of bananas foster. The tortillas had a rich roasted corn flavor, great for making your own tacos with the pork. Thumbs up, way up! more
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Border Grill serves up Modern Mexican Cuisine 1/20/2012

ocfooddiva Provided by Partner
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger define modern Mexican cuisine as light and healthful with large doses of flavor. They take authentic Mexican fa... more
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Taco truck, please 11/23/2009

After reading a review in the LA Weekly, we were looking forward to a tasty and unique twist on Mexican food. We were quite surprised at the prices when we arrived, but made the assumption it would be perfectly spiced with a unique combination of ingredients...a treat worth the money. My boyfriend enjoyed the baby back ribs and spinach, but I thought the spicing on the ribs was heavy-handed. My shredded pork was very spicy too, but I wouldn't call it flavorful. Drinks were adequate but expensive. Overall a lot of money spent without a great deal of return. So far, not terribly impressed with Santa Monica's mexican food since we just went to Lares, which was cardboard bland. Cons: overpriced, more
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Happy Hour from Hell 5/5/2009

I love alcohol. I love happy hours. Shoot, I sound like Asher Roth. Let's start this one over. Pros: Drinks Cons: Food, Decor, Ambience, Lighting more
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Tasty but not inexpensive 11/29/2008

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 more
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Eclectic menu with amazing flavor combinations 9/26/2008

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. more
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The favoritism and partiality was ridiculous! Overpriced & uneventful. Not worth it! 9/2/2008

Deplorable for an upscale restaurant. The male (age 40s) waiter was insincerely fake as he approached our table. When he realized that we were not ordering drinks (only food) his entire demeanor changed. He was no longer nice. Didn't check in or refill anything. We had to ask other staff for help. He then dotted on a part of ten towards the back. His favoritism and partiality was ridiculous! It had completely changed my feeling about eating out in LA. I usu just pick up food to go. Dining out is no longrer fun but a chore. Waiters are sadistic towards me and enjoy seeing me hurt. What is wromg with these people!!! Anyways, the food was overpriced. The portions smaller than before. A disappointment. A costly disappointment. We had a party of 6. We were celebrating abirthday. After the large bill, the mean waiter still charged us half-price for the dessert when he told me he wouldn't. A sleezy experience. Waiters are so fickle & too faced. Yuck! Pros: Cons outweigh the Pros Cons: The waiter became insincere & neglectful. He ignored us. Very high priced bill! more
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Cool Upscale Mexican 7/24/2008

This is definitely one of the cooler Mexican places in Santa Monica. The food is great (Try the empanadas), but the bar scene is also pretty lively. They have a great selection of beers on tap and have everything else you would expect from a Mexican place. We went here for Cinco de Mayo and had a great time, but it seems like the crowd kind of depends on the night. Definitely worth checking out. more
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The Border Girls seem not to care 5/19/2008

Having periodically eaten here for many years, I finally have to say farewell. Never liking any of the entrees, I always enjoyed the starters and salads -- these, too, have become what one would expect from a mid-level nationwide chain of Mexican restaurant factories. For the past few visits, it's become apparent that the two celebrity chef owners have left the building. Even those $20 coupons from Whole Foods won't bring me back. High points -- pleasant, attentive service, and decor still works. Pros: Good service Cons: Food more
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one to miss, won't be going back 4/19/2008

Service: our waiter was friendly and even took one of our bad-tasting dishes off our bill without us having to ask. also, they were good about keeping our drinks filled up. Pros: better than starvation? Cons: see description of rating. more
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Great Food, Great Service, Great Ambiance 11/19/2007

I love this place. The food is yummy. The waiters are great. The only thing is this place can get really busy, so make sure you make reservations before going. However, if you didn't make reservations, you can always try to eat in the bar area. There is also a gargantuan communal table in the bar area, where you can grab a seat (if it's available) and order anything on the menu without a wait! Woohoo! Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance Cons: Busy - make reservations or eat at the bar more
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Great everything. 10/14/2007

This place is great. The margaritas are awesome, the food is top notch and the service is super friendly. I had a great time and would go back in a heart beat. Pros: Great service-Tasty food-Great margaritas Cons: Expensive margaritas- Not sooo cheap. more
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Great Happy Hour & Very Creative Flavorful Food & Drinks 9/23/2007

The Border Grill has been a favorite of mine for years. The food, drinks & service is still top notch. Happy hour is also the best in Los Angeles. Pros: Food, Drinks, Service & Happy Hour more
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Great Happy Hour! 9/19/2007

The first time I went to Border Grill was for there Happy Hour. When we first arrived at around 5:30 nobody was there, but by 6:30 it was packed! Margaritas were $3.50, and although small, they were at least strong. Chips and 3 kinds of salsa are served with drinks. We got a few appetizers and there are about 3 kinds of appetizers for each price- $3, $5, $7 and $9.75. I was happily surprised at how good most things were. We order Green Corn Tamales, Chicken Panuchos, Duck Wings, and the 2 Hot Tamale Assortment. My favorite was the Panucho- kind of like a soft taco with chicken, blackbeans, and guacamole. The ducks wings were really good too. I wasn't a huge fan of the green corn tamales only b/c I didn't care for the sweetness. Of the 2 tamale assortment, the cheese one was quite good, but the chicken I didn't care for either. Since the happy hr didn't pan out too badly, I went to dinner there this weekend. I feel like each dish is either good or it really isn't. Note- our service was great. The sauteed shrimp dish did well with the shrimp, but the soupy rice left something to be desired. I highly recommend the Grilled Chicken Chilaquiles. That was my favorite! Also, the carnitas were good, but not too original. Overall, a good experience, but it really depends on what you order. Pros: Grilled Chicken Chilaquiles and appetizers Cons: Couple dishes fell short more
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You'll find the best mexican food in town at this restaur... 8/23/2007

You'll find the best mexican food in town at this restaurant. more
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You'll find the best mexican food in town at this restaur... 8/23/2007

LaMarrCollins Provided by Partner
You'll find the best mexican food in town at this restaurant. more
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Trendy latin restaurant that TRIES but misses! 8/6/2007

The setting and enviroment is a Neat and colorful a blend of latin America with 70's modern design, but , If your in the mood for authentic Latin cuisine this is not the place. Found Menu to be very descripitve and inviting to try various dishes however most meals come off more like a fancy version of your typical beans and rice, with a few reduction sauces. Prices are a tad high for what you get. More attention to presentation is kept with a lack of controlled cooking. Dishes are made pretty but flavors are too strong and confusing. We glanced around the room and nobody's food looked inviting to us. The Ono fish I ordered came blackened but raw on the inside, that came off more chewy and tough than expected and was still hungry when finished. Poor execution of the dish of what sounded good. An assortment of decent mixed drinks however I had a Beer and same glass as water glasses seemed a little cheesy. Over all we were confused with what type of food this place is trying to serve if you have the money to spend on a trendy latin food that TRIES to put a zing in the typical beans and rice boring Mexican food enjoy Border Grill and its location. If you want to experience quality and expert taste and authentic Latin cooking of similar prices as Border Grill try the cuban delight, Mojitocuisine in Valencia CA. more
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SURPRISINGLY AMAZING SEAFOOD 7/3/2007

I?m just a valley girl, but I was visiting friends in Santa Monica all day last weekend, and decided since I was at the beach all day, I wanted seafood for dinner. So we went to a Mexican place? I was skeptical when my friends first suggested Border Grill for seafood; because they were in the mood for something else. Didn?t think I?d be happy with the seafood at a Mexican place, but then I ordered the Pescano Veracruzano. It was delicious, who knew olives on fish could be so good. It was probably one of my favorite seafood experiences ever. Also, what?s great about Border Grill is they are very aware of the environment ? all sustainable seafood (there seafood isn?t helping to deplete the oceans), they serve Canadian Seafood (in support of the Humane Society protest of the Seal Hunt), and they don?t have any Tuna or Swordfish on the menu due to high mercury content. Not only was my stomach satisfied, but was so was my brain, OK so I obtained my knowledge solely due to the fact that I was trying to keep conversation flowing between the cute manager, Nathan, and myself ? but it didn?t hurt that he was smart either. So if you?re in Santa Monica and suddenly find yourself stuck in a group with a lot of different cravings, go to Border Grill, there?s pretty much something for everyone. Pros: Environmentally Friendly Cons: A little noisy more
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Menu for Border Grill Santa Monica


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Editorial

  • In Short
    Set on Fourth Street's busy stretch, this splashy Santa Monica mainstay has been serving up mid-priced Cal-Mexican cuisine since 1985. Keith Haring-esque murals bounce off the...

  • 12/13/2004 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:30am - 5pm Saturday - Sunday: 11:30am - 4pm Brunch: Saturday - Sunday: 11:30am - 3pm Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5pm - 10pm Friday: 5pm - 11pm Saturday: 4pm - 11pm Sunday: 4pm - 10pm
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Downtown, West LA
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