On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

My family decided to eat here after attending the little one’s dance recital. We had a total of 8 people, and were told we’d have a 45 minute wait. That seemed a little ridiculous to us, as there weren’t too many people in the restaurant.
We sat outside for a good 40 minutes or so, before deciding to go wait inside. When we stepped in, someone seated us right away, which confused me, because they didn’t page us, but when we came in, they sat us.
Considering it took them over 40 minutes to prepare the table, I was extremely disgusted to find my part of the table sticky and as if it hadn’t been cleaned at all.
All of this had me doubting the restaurant selection and put me in a bad mood. But luckily, the server was very sweet and helpful. We had two young children at the table, and the servers that they stopped (they’re very chatty) always played along and were very kind to them even though they were probably busy.
The food came out pretty quickly, and it was fairly good. Decent for a Mexican restaurant, although I will say my carnitas and chicken were both slightly burned and extremely dry. Everything else was very good, I loved the rice and tortillas (I got a fajita platter.)
Another thing, we had grandma at the table as well, and she needed to be served early due to health problems, which the servers were very kind about and took her order/​served her promptly.
All in all, had the waiters been poor or mediocre, I would have given this place one star, but the service was wonderful, even if it was dirty and the food was simply okay.

Another disappointing restaurant in the Jordan Creek area! Only reason I am giving 3 stars is because of the service. I had an awesome waiter who did take great care of me, promptly came over to me and filled my drink up and brought my check to me quickly as I was on a lunch break.
I always order my staple Mexican food pretty much at every «Mexican» restaurant which is two enchiladas and rice. Food came out quick, maybe a bit too quick? Enchilada shells were crispy to the point where it crumbles off which wasn’t tasty. The rice tasted like it was from a can and so did the queso dip. Salsa was so spicy I could hardly eat it.
Will avoid this one for next time…

I know, I know. This is a chain… but being currently the only Iowa outpost for this Mexican cantina chain, I think it does warrant a review.
Came here last night for dinner, a short stroll from my new-​ish digs out by Jordan Creek Mall. Greeted by a friendly host and promptly seated, offered warm chips which were tasty and accompanied with a red salsa which was medium in the spice level.
I checked out the drink menu and noticed a decent selection of typical libations found at a Mexican joint such as cervezas, mojitos, margaritas, etc. I did not partake but my partner ordered a Modelo Negra and enjoyed it. I could see myself choosing one of these and sitting outside on their patio which is adjacent to the lake/​pond area.
Waitress promptly came to the table and was helpful in questions on the items. I ordered Veggie Fajitas which came with zucchini, peppers, onion, mushroom, spinach along with a side of black beans and rice along with a plate of sour cream, guac, ‘n pico. It was very fresh, which was unexpected to me as I expected something bland. No it was not spicy, but salsa can always kick things up. However, you can’t hide fresh, and this all did taste very fresh!
Partner ordered a combo of taco and enchilada and he did enjoy it well enough too.
Portions here can range from small to large, and it seems you can make vegetarian/​vegan options too, which is great for a group. I did see the next table to us, got tableside guacamole which was entertaining to watch get made.
Overall not a bad choice! I will definitely return.

Food has always been good, it’s the service that is lacking. Lunch service, while courteous, was slow and inefficient. Margaritas are still the bomb.

This place has been hit or miss for both service and good quality. Try to avoid lunch time as the D team is is manning the helm. Dinner time is significantly better but we still have had bad service. After going multiple times in the past years this last experience will be our final visit. Our waiter was Sherman, poor guy didn’t have a clue. Service was crazy slow. Both my food and my girlfriends food came out incorrectly, then after taking the food back mine still came out incorrect at which point I had given up. The cherry on top was that when we got the bill none of the food we ordered was actually on it. We waited about 15 minutes before I got up to track down Sherman to inform him of the mistake. If you are out by Jordan creek and want Mexican I’d recommend cinco de mayo

Have been here three times in two years and went for dinner this week. Chips and salsa were good, and I chose a dinner with a variety of items on it that was twice as much as I could eat, so I enjoyed an extra meal from it. Also enjoyed a regular margarita that was surprisingly delicious for not being one of those top shelf monsters. Was impressed with my server named Brandon — he had a large party of 9 or 10 he was serving, plus a couple of other tables, and he never skipped a beat on my service or with check backs. Very prompt and professional.

I would admit after not liking the place for longest time, I finally like their food. Last time I took my boss there and I felt crap for selecting that restaurant.
Recently I visited this place & the waiter (5***** for him) was polite he was super busy but was paying lot of attention to our needs. He recommended good margarita (strawberry & mango) & yes it did turn out to be good.
In food, they have very tiny portion of the special so avoid that.

The wife really likes OTB until last night. We always had gotten the chicken fajitas and a drink. We were both surprised when we were greeted with a huge basket of chips and two bowls of salsa. I think it is to fill you up before the much smaller entrée comes. It was obviously not the same OTB we had eaten at the last five years. The fajita meat and veggies were very dry. Cheese and guacamole as gone almost on the first fajita. We ordered the guacamole as an add on for a mere dollar a piece. Not a huge deal but the wife had a little left over so service brought us a take home box and then put in another huge box of chips and salsa! He made sure we knew it! OTB, I’m sorry but it is very obvious to me you are cutting costs. It’s not a big deal but it is drastic change. We already had chips left over. $ 40 for a drink and two dry fajitas is just a little more than I want spend.

My husband son & I went here for dinner tonight. We hadn’t been in years so I thought what the heck? Let’s see if the queso is as good as I remember.
Sadly, no. The only reason for the two stars was the queso. I swear our waitress was an addict straight out of breaking bad. We practically had to get up for our own refills on our drinks, she wandered constantly & talked to herself under her breath but we could barely get her to stop at our table unless we physically grabbed her.
When we were finally able to put in our orders they took forever to get to the table. I wish I could say things got better from there but they did not. Mine & my husband’s steaks were horribly fatty & not even cooked as we had requested. They didn’t even get the 10 — year-​olds cheese burger right.
Needless to say we will not be frequenting this establishment.

My husband and I really like Mexican and usually go for authentic but also like to go to OTB every once in awhile, mainly for the Guacamole made fresh at the table. So we went tonight and the Guac and food did not disappoint! I had fajitas and he had southwest chicken tacos. Portions were huge and flavored were spot on. Service was good when around. We ran out of chips and salsa and had to ask 2 different servers for refills which should never happen at a Mexican restaurant. When it was time to pay we had our credit card ready to go and waited and waited for her to pick it up with the check. Finally we got tired of waiting and left cash but we would have left more of a tip if paid with our card but just got tired of waiting. When we left my husband got a toothpick at the host/​hostess area and the 2 hosts were in the middle of a conversation and didn’t acknowledge him or say thank you etc. Bottom line food was good but service was sub par.

Food and service was okay but expected better because this place is pricy. We went for a birthday celebration for a friend and if you get a chance the patio is nice, but a little small. I ordered the fajitas and asked for no cheese, no rice, no tortillas and of course it came with all those things. It was a 15 minute wait for drinks and the waiter came back and brought everyone’s but mine which he forgot about. Food was not bad, I ordered carnitas, steak, chicken fajitas and the carnitas was the star of the dish.

Pretty decent. It’s a chain so don’t expect authentic Mexican style. But it’s not bad by any means. I ordered a make your own combination of 2 flautas and one taco. The menu pictures the flautas like tiny egg rolls but they actually are decent sized. Same for the hard shell tacos– they are good sized too. Ask for extra salsa when your food comes so you can slather it on your tacos & flautas. The flautas come with a nacho cheese dip but I like a spicy kick so it just wasn’t enough for me.
The rice was good but I’d like a bolder flavor. The black beans were pretty good.
All in all, a pleasant surprise. Oh and the flan was REALLY good.

Food isn’t spectacular but I’ve always had a pleasant experience when having dinner. However both times I stopped in over lunch have been completely different experiences. It’s like their lunch staff doesn’t seem to care. About anything. Service, manners, being personable, etc.

I always leave this place feeling ill. It’s less like a restaurant and more like an eating competition. Both food and service were good. Waiter keep placing countless baskets of chips and sodas in front of me that I felt compelled to consume. By the time my tacos came I was near capacity. However, the tacos tasted great and were man sized. I had to crawl out of my chair to get to the car; I was so full. Thankfully there were no zombies in the parking lot. I don’t think I could have out run them if there were.

If you like Mexican food go to a real Mexican restaurant. I have been twice and I would recommend not wasting your time and money here. The service is slow and the food is not good.

For starters they are much pricier than your average neighborhood Mexican restaurant. But the ambiance is nice. It’s apparent that their front of house management is not up to the task. It was filthy. The tables and chairs were sticky. We overheard other tables have the same conversation about how everything they touch is sticky. The floor under our table was greasy. My feet would slip out while sitting at the table. The high chair we were given had a gooey red sauce that was starting to thicken on the hidden part of the leg, which I disgustingly sank my hand into. That was gross. The food and service was good. But the visit disgusted me.
The fried Baja style fish tacos are what compels me to pay their prices for my family of four when I get the urge. There’s only a handful of places in town that make them at all similar to Rubio’s, which is the only right way to make a Baja fish taco in the US. The sauce is right on but they screw up on using flour instead of authentic corn tortilla and lettuce instead of cabbage. However it’s close.

I love Mexican food and have eaten here a few times. The restaurant itself is bright and open. They have a great patio next to the lake. Which is nice during the spring-​fall months when the mall has outside events like jazz on Sunday or a fundraiser.
The service is always quick and they are very friendly. You get chips and salsa. The salsa is spicy. You can get an even hotter version if you want. I’ve gotten the queso and the guacamole live. Both are excellent. I love tortilla soup. I have only had a few places make it well. This one is not to bad. It’s got some spice to it. The broth is very good. I have had the 3 cheese enchiladas, fish tacos, brisket tacos, and empanadas. All taste exceptional. If your really hungry get the giant burrito with steak. It will fill you up! To share get the fajitas. It’s perfect for 2 people who aren’t to hungry. As far as kids food goes quesadillas are pretty good but for the picky one get mac or chicken fingers. Deserts are ok. Nothing amazing. Overall the food is pretty salty. But has decent flavor.

I passed this place all the time and never really thought about given it a shot, but decided to try it out that one day to get refueled for a quick shopping day. I knew this was a chain restaurant before going, so I was not expecting something spectacular.
The atmosphere, staff, and based mood was great throughout the whole experience. We ordered a margarita for each of us, I got the mango one and my friend got a Miami Vice (a pina colata and strawberry mix). We also started with guacamole to add with our complimentary chips and salsa. The chips, salsa, and guacamole were all okay, nothing great, definitely had better elsewhere. The mango margarita was a bit strong but still manageable, the Miami Vice margarita was the highlight of the dinner, super tasty!
For dinner we got the lunch burrrito (I forgot what kind) and I got the Torta Mexicana, which was a sandwich. The dishes were pretty good, nothing impressive about them, standard chain tasting Mexican food.
The server was very friendly and the atmosphere was nice, overall we had a good time!

One of my biggest pet peeves is when reviewers preface their review by saying how much they love independently owned places better then chains and then they hold it against the place for being a chain restaurant.
In the spirit of honesty, I probably would not have chosen this place had it not been for a gift card. Still, it surprised me. The food was under seasoned, which is incredibly rare in this type of place but appreciated. Service was quick, meal size was 2 meal worthy and their complimentary chips and salsa had some kick to boot!
Reason for docked points
–Server seemed lost when I asked
for their favorite dish. This is not dinner at the Apollo but you should have an answer.
–The sangria tasted like battery acid

Decent Mexican food for a chain restaurant. The large cauldrons of beer you can order hit the spot when eating something spicy. They have a create your own fajitas menu which I really like because it allows me to pick and choose my meats and veggies and get the level of spice I want. Also, like a majority of Mexican places, free chips and salsa is served here.
Can’t say much more than that. Service has never been horrible enough to make me want to complain on here. Ambiance is fairly traditional chain. Bar area on one side, family style area on the other. Few TVs scattered around in the bar. They do have a handful of tables outside as well which is nice on a warm summer day.