Border Grill – Great, Authentic Mexican Food in Santa Monica and Las Vegas
The Border Grill at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
There are two Border Grills; one in Las Vegas, the other in Santa Monica. The Santa Monica Border Grill, on 4th Street, is always bustling and festive during peak dining hours. I’ve tried many things on its menu, and I’ve never been disappointed. I ate twice at the Border Grill in Las Vegas, in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, and found the entrees there to be just as consistently good as at its counterpart in Southern California.
I strongly recommend making reservations for the Santa Monica Border Grill; while there are several other popular restaurants in its immediate vicinity, this is the only one that serves fresh, authentic Mexican food – not the greasy stuff you’ll find at fast food Mexican restaurants, but the real deal. The Border Grill in the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas Nevada is a bit off the beaten path – near the convention center, a 5 minute walk from the other resort restaurants – but I found this refreshing. There was no wait, and no reservations needed for either meal I ate there.
The food at the Border Grill is, naturally, the standout. No trans fats, organic chicken and beef (I wonder if
Great Skirt Steak at the Border Grill Restaurants in Las Vegas and Santa Monica
happy cows also make better steak) and hormone and antibiotic-free pork. The seafood is sustainably harvested. Empanadas with organic black beans and the Green Corn Tamales are among my favorite appetizers, while the Baja Ceviche (halibut and shrimp), Portobello Mushroom Mulitas, and Grilled Skirt Steak are main courses return to again and again.
The authentic recipes result in meals that taste the way high-end Mexican food is meant to taste. That is, complex and flavorful, spicy when appropriate, and delicate too. The variety is notable as well; Please don’t stick with the basic quesadilla and burrito here – although they’re quite good. Instead, expand your fine Mexican dining experience and get menu items characteristic of the Yucatan, Oaxaca, and other distinct regions of Mexico. Your taste buds will thank you!
Border Grill
1445 4th St.
Santa Monica, CA
(310) 451-1655
Hours vary
Border Grill
Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino
3950 Las Vegas Blvd., South
Las Vegas, Nevada
(702) 632-7403
Open every day at 11:30 AM
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3 Responses
I didn’t get around to trying it while I was at the Mandalay Bay. Now I have a reason to go back, I guess.
Those pictures made my mouth water. I love any and all styles of Mexican food.
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