If you were a fan of On the Border in Cary, you’ll be happy to know that the place is re-opening on Wednesday, 4/13! A serious fire at the end of 2015 closed the place but also gave the restaurant an opportunity to renovate and update the interior. To the tune of $1.5 million dollars from what I’ve been told and construction continues on an outdoor covered patio. Luckily I was recently invited to their Friends and Family preview day to prepare their staff for the grand opening. Here’s how it all went down!
On the Border is located in the back of the plaza on Walnut Street about 100 yards across from the Barnes & Noble. The entrance faces away from the parking lot which is odd! Lots of green and brick up front, the insides have been nicely re-done to give the place a rustic Southwestern type feeling (unfortunately I don’t have any interior shots). It’s a large dining room with a bar to the right and plenty of space to stretch out in.
We’ve got a limited menu for Friends & Family day but the full menu has plenty of Tex-Mex standards. We order up the queso with ground beef which is served with well-browned flour tortilla chips, excellent. The queso comes with guac, jalapenos and more and is quite good but we could use more given the shallow dish it’s served in. On the Border’s standard corn tortilla chips are fantastic! Thin, perfectly salted and they come in very large and flat pieces for salsa dipping.
I go with the brisket tortilla which comes with the chicken tortilla soup while my friends go with a chicken taco and fajita salad. My tortilla soup comes with lots of chips and is decent but a bit over-salted. The quesadilla is nicely pan-fried and the right portion-size for lunch. The chicken tacos look like the big winner at the table, three beautiful looking tortillas stuffed with white breast meat and onions. And the fajita salad is prepared hot and sizzling at the table, a nice touch.
My muerto margarita is pretty refreshing but a bit sweet and sugary for my tastes. Service at On the Border was solid for pre-opening and I’m sure they will get better once things have shaken down in the first couple of months. So welcome back On the Border Cary! I know that you’re a favorite for quite a few folks in the area and I’m sure they are going to love the new space and refreshed menu, buena salud!
1102 Walnut Street
Cary, NC 27511
919.439.5030
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