You know how excited you get when you see exactly what you want on the menu?

How about the burst of energy that runs through your body when you see the waitress walking with a tray of your food. “Oh, that’s mine right there!”

Then she repeats your order as she places it in front of you and it sounds like sweet music to your ears. It’s in that moment when you inhale the fragrance of the food and look at the delectable creation you’re about to devour that you realize: you got this at happy hour prices. Charlie Sheen, what’s the word of yours? Oh yes: winning!

At least I was winning when I went to Border Grill in Downtown LA for their happy hour. I dined at Border Grill in Santa Monica as a part of my Cinco de Mayo series and enjoyed it. To now visit the same restaurant, at a different location, and a special time of day had me on the fence. Would the taste be consistent between locations? Would the quality decrease just because it was happy hour? And would it be worth returning another day? I was ready to find out.

The happy hour prices at Border Grill are reasonable: $3.50 tacos, $5 bites, solo drinks ranging from $3 to $7 and pitchers ranging from $16 to $25. With those prices in mind, I didn’t mind ordering a few more dishes then normal and the friend with me agreed. To drink, I got a margarita. I actually didn’t like it at all. I want to like margaritas, but once I drink them I quickly remember that I don’t like them. I don’t know why I think some food and drink dishes will grow on me, but unfortunately margaritas are one’s that just haven’t done well in my favor. I was really happy that the waitress let me exchange my drink for another, free of charge. I repeat, free of charge. That was very sweet of her! I got my drink right the second time around after I ordered a Mint Mojito ($5). The alcohol didn’t overpower the drink, but it was also strong enough so it didn’t feel like I was sipping on Crystal Light. Not too strong and not too light, just right. Plus the mint added a refreshing accent to top it off.

And let’s not forget the chips and salsa. A Mexican restaurant that doesn’t have the fundamentals of tortillas chips and dip would be lacking in a major area. They’re a staple, easy to make, and completely necessary for the start of any epic Mexican foodie adventure. Did I enjoy eating all of the chips? Pretty much, but I had to keep a safe distance from the salsas because they were spicy. Who am I kidding, I’m a wuss so the minute I feel a hint of spice I tossed in the white flag. I don’t care if it’s just pepper, that flag is getting thrown on the field.

With a good drink in hand, the next to-do was to order food. We started with tacos: a flight of two honey cumin glazed pork Back Back Rib tacos, one marinated steak Carne Asada, and one pork shoulder Carnitas ($3.50 each). If you’re thinking the tacos are overpriced in comparison to the average $2 tacos you may get somewhere else, then you’re right. It’s a $1.50 extra which may seem crazy. But the extra cash pays for the quality food. You know some of those $2 tacos taste as if the meat has been sitting in the basement freezer for two months. Or that the lettuce and cabbage is really grass from the backyard. Not here. The meat is fresh and the cabbage is, well, cabbage. In no way am I telling you to forgo your cheaper tacos, but I am suggesting you classy it up a bit and enjoy a bit of taco sophistication every now and then. I liked these tacos. The meats were seasoned and flavorful, the spices were prominent enough to enhance the taste, and the tortillas were soft and tasted fresh.

Four tacos would never be enough for the both of us, so we also ordered the Brisket Taquitos ($5). Random fact about my gut: it loves taquitos!!! They’re crispity, crackley, meaty, and are topped with some of my favorite sauces. One thing I dislike about taquitos is they’re only served in a set of three. Did the Mexican Restaurant Committee (think I made that up) agree that 3 would be the official number of taquitos to give out and every restaurant agreed. Sorry, three won’t suffice. Multiply that number by two, serve that to me, and I’ll be happy. Thankfully, these were about 25% bigger than the average taquito. They were packed with slow roasted shreds of black angus beef brisket. To add to that, they were topped with guacamole, spicy slaw, cheese, sour cream, and salsa fresca that made it filling. I wasn’t in the need for more taquitos after these.

At this point were edging onto the full side, but decide to push ourselves full throttle into a food coma. To end it all we got the Poblano Quesadilla ($5). It had roasted poblano chile, chipotle salsa, and a selection of Mexican cheeses. If you’re wondering if the cheese stretched as you bit into one end and pulled the other, yes. Not to the effect of the Little Caesar’s pizza commercials in the early 90s, but a good stretch. What I liked about the quesadilla here is it wasn’t greasy. I’ve had my share that feel like they drip in oil, but this one didn’t have that problem which made it easy to eat and enjoy.

I was happy with Border Grill in Downtown LA. The food was similar to that at the Santa Monica location, the quality maintained its taste even if the price was reduced, the happy hour items varied offering a nice selection of options, and the restaurant had its own fun personality. Our waitress was sweet and our visit was pleasing. We will definitely make plans to revisit them again!

A delightful surprise about this location is they have a free shuttle to take you to various Downtown LA attractions and venues. And no they don’t just leave you there, you can give the driver a call and the shuttle will pick you up to drop you off at the restaurant. This is a great amenity because you can park your car in the structure, eat at the restaurant, and then explore the city for a bit. Whether you want to go to the Downtown LA Art Walk, catch a concert at Grand Performances, or catch a movie at Regal Cinemas LA Live you can. You don’t have to worry about driving during a busy event or paying for parking again. As long as you get back to the restaurant before it closes, you’re good to go!

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Address: 445 S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90071
Phone: (213) 486-5171
Hours: Monday to Thursday – 11:30am to 9:00pm, Friday and Saturday – 11:30am to 10:00pm, and Sunday 11:00am to 9:00pm.
Happy Hour: Monday to Friday – 4:00pm to 7:00pm, Saturday – 3:00pm to 7:00pm, and Sunday – 3:00pm to close.
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