Border Cafe

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32 Church St (at at JF Kennedy St)
Cambridge, MA 02138

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(617) 864-6100
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Reviews
( 24 )
( 42 )
( 16 )
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( 11 )

Best

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

Worst

Maybe back in the early 90's this place was good, but with today's quality authentic Mexican food in the area, this place cant keep up. Pros: location Cons: loud, smokey, ...

I love the fajitas and the margaritas. The atmosphere is ... 8/20/2007

amowery Provided by Partner
I love the fajitas and the margaritas. The atmosphere is fun, too, but the wait can be a little insane for the type of food it is. more
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I love the fajitas and the margaritas. The atmosphere is ... 8/20/2007

amowery Provided by Partner
I love the fajitas and the margaritas. The atmosphere is fun, too, but the wait can be a little insane for the type of food it is. more
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Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. ... 8/10/2007

Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. Not very authentic cuisine, but it's decent, and a... more
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Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. ... 8/10/2007

sushigirl505 Provided by Partner
Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. Not very authentic cuisine, but it's decent, and a good place to go with friends. Yummy fi... more
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Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. ... 8/10/2007

sushigirl505 Provided by Partner
Nice laidback Mexican/Cajun restaurant with good prices. Not very authentic cuisine, but it's decent, and a good place to go with friends. Yummy fi... more
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Great tex-mex, but be ready to lose some hearing 6/9/2007

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. Pros: You won't spend much money, but you'll leave happy Cons: Often too loud on weekends, some staff is not attentive more
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Love this place 4/30/2007

Great service, tons of menu options, good maragaritas and fresh, hot tortilla chips and salsa served before the meal. more
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Great food and service! 1/31/2007

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! Pros: great food,great service and great atmosphere Cons: very busy (long wait) more
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Great Mexican restaurant 11/26/2006

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. Pros: great food, great scene for young people Cons: Parking, wait on wkends more
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Going Down Hill 11/5/2006

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. Cons: Service more
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BORDER CAFE, CHURCH STREET 10/31/2006

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! Pros: Service, drinks, crowd. Cons: won't satisfy the "i-must-have-authentic!" snobs. more
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Good Mexican, Good Prices, Great Margaritas 10/20/2006

*The Food* Border Cafe is like the Chili's of Tex-Mex food (maybe a little nicer). They have the typical... more
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Good Mexican, Good Prices, Great Margaritas 10/20/2006

Mike Provided by Partner
*The Food* Border Cafe is like the Chili's of Tex-Mex food (maybe a little nicer). They have the typical quesadilla, burrito, taco set and some caj... more
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Best all round restaurant in Boston.... 8/10/2006

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! Pros: Great food, great value Cons: You can be waiting a while for a table... more
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Tex-Mex/Cajun Junkie 5/31/2006

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! Pros: Inexpensive, Fun, Casual Cons: Parking, Sometimes Crowded more
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Which boarder? 1/21/2006

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. Pros: tequila, friendly service Cons: bland food, inauthentic more
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Not just for collegians 12/3/2005

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. Pros: prices, ambience, Margaritas Cons: too spicy for kids, NO parking - anywhere, the waits on weekends more
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Loud, Crowded, but great 11/11/2005

Long wait and really loud, but the food was great Pros: Food Quanity, Food Quality Cons: Loud, Crowded more
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Not just mexican 3/17/2005

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. more
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run for the Border 10/18/2004

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. Pros: large portions, fast turnover, good drinks Cons: , expensive for quality, deafening more
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Menu for Border Cafe


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Editorial

  • 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...

  • 9/19/2007 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: M-Th 11-1, F-Sa 11-2, Su 12-1
  • Payments: American Express, Master Card, Visa
  • Neighborhoods: West Cambridge
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