On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
3080 Iowa St, Lawrence, KS, 66046
On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
3080 Iowa St
Lawrence, KS, 66046 - Phone (785) 371-4075
- Website https://www.ontheborder.com/locate/lawrence-ks
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Alicia R.
I think that OtB is a great place to have a light mexican-inspired lunch (I really like that they have menu options that are lighter and that have calorie counts). The chips and salsa is also good. My list visit I ordered a vegetable dish and the server was very contentious to ensure that I did not have any dietary restrictions. All in all, a fine place. The service has always been prompt and friendly, and the prices are standard for a chain resturant. I would most likely give this more stars, since I have never had a bad experience with food or service in the several times that I have eaten at this location, but I am biased by the other, local mexican places that are in town. There are several that are locally-owned, family-ran and also have great food and service.
(3)Laurel C.
Oh On The Border, I don't know why I go. You're food isn't all that great and yet I sometimes still go. The only thing on the menu I really like is the beef empanadas but they don't like me. Their salsa is too spicy for me and doesn't taste fresh. There are so many better options if you want Mexican food but we had a gift card. Then we realized the gift card was still at home so we will have to go back sometime.
(2)Rhonda S.
When I first came to Lawrence, and joined a group of ladies in the workshop I was attending, they decided to go to On the Border. It still isn't one of my favorite Mexican places. I think their salsa is a bit hot, plus there's other local places the same price. But I didn't select it, and I can eat Mexican food every day. So when we sat down to order, it (I find this common the last few days, by the way, it's following me around), the server suggested beef enchiladas. I don't eat beef enchiladas. There was another lady with us who is a strict vegetarian, as well. So we opted for cheese enchiladas and guacamole tostada. The tostada all it was a dried corn shell with a glob of guacamole and a bit of lettuce. It was a bit bigger than a tostido corn chip but not much. The server warned that the sauce on the cheese enchilada had beef in it, when I ordered it. I don't really care, I'm not vegetarian, per se. I eat beef tacos, so I can deal.. The sauce tasted like Ragu with beef (which truly grosses me out), with taco seasoning.The enchilda was just okay, but would've been fine with a different sauce. The enchilada sauce is awful! It totally ruined it for me. The Dorito tacos at Taco Bell are better than the food I ate here. I'm not one who minds chains, but in Lawrence there's places 10 times better than On the Border, both chain and local.
(2)Joi B.
With all of the options for Mexican food in the immediate area (not to mention the plethora of options in Kansas City), I don't see how places like this can survive, and yet they do (and are often quite busy, to boot!) Oh, that's right, it's why places like McDonald's, Taco Bell, Olive Garden (UGH!) and Papa John (DOUBLE UGH) can survive when there are dozens of other locally-owned and maintained similar options in the vicinity. People don't want venture outside their comfort zone. I can understand that. It's why I keep going to Henry's or Z's for my morning caffeine fix, after all. You can say that On the Border is good for families. But you could say the same of just about any Mexican restaurant, can't you? I don't think I've been to a Mexican restaurant that didn't have a kid's menu with the standard tacos, quesadillas, chicken fingers and enchiladas. That said, I would give On the Border two and a half stars because the staff is always very nice and accommodating to the point where you can actually see yourself returning, even though you looked up the fat content of that chile relleno you grudgingly ordered due to the lack of vegetarian options on the menu and saw that you somehow ate the fat content of 7 Big Macs, 5 large fries and 5 Shamrock shakes. Which brings me to the other plus of this place, because it's a chain, like McD's, they are forced to put up the nutritional value of their menu items. So, read it and weep, my friends.
(2)Bill B.
What I find to be particularly useful about On the Border is its provision of a complete table of nutritional information for everything on the menu (a plus for such chains). You can find that information on the chain's web site. While Tex-Mex food can be very unhealthy, you can find some good choices from the online table of information. An especially good choice is the grilled vegetables fajitas or sauteed shrimp fajitas. Choose the El Diablo Veggies option and the Tequila Lime Chile Sauce with the fajitas. You can have them replace the refried beans with vegetarian black beans. If you tell them to skip the cheese, sour cream, and rice, they'll add more of the other condiments, and you can have them substitute corn tortillas for the flour tortillas. The result is a very healthy meal. Another reasonable choice is the grilled salmon dinner, but it is best to replace the BBQ sauce with the Tequila Lime Chile Sauce. However, the salmon comes in only once a week, so ask when the salmon came in before ordering it. While there are other Mexican restaurants that I prefer in Lawrence and KC, they provide no nutritional information, so I don't have a clue about how much sodium, saturated fat, carbohydrates, or calories I am consuming at those restaurants. Of course if you prefer really authentic border-Mexican food, with lard in the tortillas, etc., you would not want to know the nutritional information; but fortunately none of the Mexican restaurants in Lawrence meet that unenviable standard of authenticity. On the Border is the only Mexican restaurant in Lawrence that offers good quality wine.
(3)Alicia R.
I like On the Border well enough. Sparingly. I feel like they are more Tex-Mexy compared to your typical Mexican restaurant. I think this is supported especially by the amount of fried foods here. Unfortunately, those are the ones I always eye. Empanadas are quite tasty; I prefer the chicken to the beef. I've had various dishes here, the un-fried fish tacos, the fried fish tacos, chile rellano, and others. Most of these are fairly tasty, though most items are clearly not for the weak of heart - literally. Back in the day I think I had their dessert empanadas, which were pretty good. Not a fan of the chips here; maybe not corny-tasting enough? The rice is only so-so. The interior is actually pretty nice, in my opinion. Bright and colorful with some creative aspects. Like Joi mentioned, the servers are pretty great. It's worth going every now and then, but only if you're in the mood for something likely fried and heavy. Though, as Bill points out - they do have some less fat-hefty entrees.
(3)Patrick S.
I'm a vegetarian and didn't realize that their enchilada sauce automatically comes with meat in it,even though it never says that on the menu. I'm not sure how it got on my plate,but it was really hard to tell until I took a bite..Our chips had a hair in them...yuck! overall I was not pleased.
(2)A A.
The enchiladas are just ok, the chips are good
(2)Nick C.
Well, I agree with the below post in regards to the chain dining experience. I have to say that my visits to On The Border have been very mixed. The salsa is almost always watery and too blasted hot, especially when the waiter never fails to not bring your water until 10 minutes after you've been seated. The food is meh, the service is consistently meh, the ambience is meh. On-The-Border's sole redeeming quality is their cheap, plentiful frozen margarita's, which can be the perfect thing to unwind after a crappy day at work. Their outdoor patio can be pleasant on a cool fall evening, enough to make up for the fact that you haven't seen a waiter in 20 minutes. Oh, and this is perhaps a personal pet peeve, but few things annoy more than having your food delivered to your table, and then having to wait for somebody to bring your silverware and napkins to you. It seems just downright rude to place hot(at least at one point in it's life) food in front of somebody and not allow them to dig in the moment it's placed on their table. Inevitably, one must wait for the waiter to go find the pitcher to refill your water, talk to their co-workers about their plans after work, take another table their drink, scratch their ass, wash their hair, paint their toenails, make a racist joke with the cooking staff, and then finally come back to your table to refill your water, having forgotten long ago about the food you've been starving to get at for the past 45 minutes it took for it to arrive and the fact that you might actually ENJOY eating it, preferably not with your hands. Apologies for the rant, but that all comes bubbling up to the surface every single time I eat here. There are far better, more authentic, and just plain more enjoyable "mexican" places to eat in Lawrence.
(2)James M.
Great food and service! I had the Monterey Ranch Chicken Fajitas and the Queso Blanco. Both were great! Our waitress Brittany did a great job! I drink a ton and my glass only went empty once before she got my speed down. We will be back soon!
(4)Joyce B.
Food was good. The server didn't seem interested in waiting on us. She was way more attentive to the college aged students at the next table. I have news for her, middle aged people usually have more money and thus can tip better, unless there is a lack of service.
(4)Brittany W.
Server recommended the southwest chicken tacos, they were awesome! The salsa was a little spicy but she brought us a more mild version, which was way better. Went there a while back and the service was not great, this time I have no complaints. Overall we were very impressed.
(5)Jason H.
Service sucks. Greeter couldn't be bothered to smile. Waiter apparently went into Witness Protection immediately after our order arrived. Waited over fifteen minutes for our check. Also, they changed the Empanadas and they aren't as good as they used to be. They cost more, though, so there's that.
(2)K G.
We've been fans of this restaurant in the past but hadn't been in a while. When it was suggested recently, we all thought it sounded good so we went. What happened? The food is not at all what I remembered. The lack of customers at dinner time should have been a red flag. The chips were plentiful but very salty and stale tasting. The food was only so-so. I had the fish tacos and can honestly say that they were probably the most unimpressive fish tacos that I've ever had. All in our party agreed that we didn't feel the need to return. Too bad. The food/atmosphere used to be good.
(2)Wesley H.
This is the WORST "On The Border" experience we have ever had. It began okay with a quick serving of our drinks, and chips; however, it quickly devolved into the worst dining experience we have ever experienced at an "On the Border". I ordered the "Ultimate Fajitas", my wife ordered the Fish Tacos, my father ordered a bowl of soup & a Burger, my mother ordered a 3-item Combination platter, and my daughter ordered a kids nachos with french fries. The delivery of our food took over 45 minutes (during lunch time). Once we did receive our food it was VERY lack-luster. My ultimate fajitas were anything but. There was minimal meat on it, with only 2 shrimp, and more onions, bell peppers, and squash(??) on it than anything else. The tortillas wraps were dried out (not moist). My wife's tacos were WAY too spicy, she asked for the sauce to put on the side (indicating that she didn't want it to be too spicy), you would think this would prompt the waitress to ask if she wanted the jalepenos that normally come on the taco...alas it didn't. My mother ordered a beef taco, and received a chicken one. My dad's burger was not cooked to order, and my daughter didn't receive the fires that she was supposed to. When she did get her order, they were limp and almost cold (not hot or warm). The waitress did not bother to relay any of our concerns to the manager (which we never saw during our visit), and didn't even offer an apology for all the incompetence demonstrated during this visit. We were trying to have a special lunch to celebrate our children's achievements at school, and this lunch did not help us achieve that. As we were leaving, we noticed a decal on their main dining room wall that read, "Everything here is great." That couldn't have been further from the truth for us. Fair service, Poor food, and horrible customer service.
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