Head for the Border
By Maxwell Tucker
March 2005 - Looking for something to warm us one cold night last
month, two friends and I headed out to the Border Grille in Leominster.
Located next to the newly renovated Mall at Whitney Field (formerly the
Searstown Mall), the Border Grille is a Mexican restaurant with a few
surprises — well worth the 20 minute drive from Worcester. After
we were seated, we ordered frozen House Style and Black Jack margaritas
and a glass of Black Swan Shiraz. Frozen or on the rocks, the assortment
of margaritas at the Border Grille is vast. The House was the perfect
mix of lime juice and tequila, while the Black Jack was a sweet Chambord
Liquor concoction with an edge.
The dining room atmosphere is a cross between roadhouse and function room,
with the crowded bar area reminiscent of a sports pub. The themed restaurant
has traffic signs (N’awlins – 1,023 miles) and scenes of Louisianan
streets and riverboats hanging over the comfortable, oversized booths.
We poured over our menus as we dug into our complimentary baskets of chips
and salsa. The Border Grille’s offerings are extensive, featuring
Mexican standards like fajitas, enchiladas, chimis and tacos, as well
as “Bayou Favorites,” “Rodeo Drive” (steaks) and
“Just Plucked” (chicken). For appetizers, we chose Border
Wings and Southwest Egg Rolls. The delicious Border Wings were boneless,
sweet and spicy and served with a ranch dip. The Southwest Egg Rolls didn’t
disappoint either, large rolls fried and stuffed with diced chicken, corn,
black beans, cheese and more – awesome. For dinners, we ordered
the Border Cut, Salmon Magurey and Grand Isle Tuna. The Grand Isle Tuna
is one of my favorites, a
large tuna steak marinated in lemon, garlic and tequila then grilled and
piled with peppers and onions. The 14-ounce Border Cut prime rib was excellent.
Taking up the entire plate, it was perfectly prepared with plenty to take
home in a doggie bag. The winner of the evening without question was the
Salmon Magurey. This was a generous portion of salmon stacked with scallops
and huge pieces of lobster.
The entrees all come with salads and a choice of sides, including fluffy
Spanish Rice, Jambalaya, Garlic Roasted Mashed, Border Skin Fries or Guacamole.
Desserts ran the gamut from Rio Grande Mud Pie (chocolate, coffee and
vanilla ice cream served with hot fudge in a pie
crust) to Deep- Fried Ice Cream, Key Lime Pie and other daily specials.
With great margaritas, hearty dinners under $16 and a great location at
the intersection of Routes 2 and 190, the Border Grille continues to be
no-brainer. So, grab your favorite sidekick and head for the Border! Also,
don’t miss the lunch buffet. Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m.
to 2 p.m., the Border hosts Central Mass’s only all-you-can-eat
Southwestern/ Mexican lunch buffets.
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