On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina — Restaurant in Tyler

Let me start by saying I love On The Border Restaurant, my most favorite restaurant, and I’ve been going to the one in Tyler since it opened, as have many members of my family. We live in Athens, so our choosing to drive 45 minutes to come to this restaurant tells you how much we love On The Border. We have almost all of our family celebrations there, usually a party of 7-20 people. Our check this time was $200, after tip, and this was one of our small groups. Last night, we were there celebrating my grandson’s 13th birthday at his favorite restaurant. We arrived around 7PM and I was greeted, after about 5 minutes, by the bartender. I told her we were a party of 7, why we were there, that we needed some extra space as we had gifts, balloon bouquets and a cake. Her answer was we only have 2 servers so your choices are in the bar or in the middle, where there weren’t any tables available to accommodate us. The patio and the other half of the restaurant were empty but were not open as they appeared to be ready for closing. She left to go talk with one of the servers in the bar, which I knew, and he was quite surprised that she was wanting to seat us in an already full bar that he alone was serving. When she returned, I explained to her again our situation, but she seemed uninterested in serving us or accommodating us. She said it’s going to be this table, that was dirty, and that’s all she had. She made me feel like she would just rather us leave as they were not going to “dirty” an area that was already clean and ready to close. They sat us in the bar area, at a bar table for 6 in the corner, a wall on one side, with a chair on the end. Nowhere to set our gifts or cake, much less food for 7 people, 3 teenagers and 4 adults. She said we could use the floor to set the gifts and cake, in front of the door going out to the patio, as it wasn’t open. The only thing positive about the meal was we had a good server, Matt, who I’ve known a long time, and he did the best he could considering he had at least 6 other tables. I thought surely, as she watched us unload all the balloons, gifts and cake and set it on the floor, crowd around a table in the corner, that she would offer us a different table, one that was 6 feet away in the closed room but with plenty of room for us. SHE DID NOT! We did our best to not let it take away from our celebration but it was difficult! I’ve never been so disappointed in a wait staff member. Absolutely ZERO interest in customer service. I very seldom write a review, especially a negative one about my favorite restaurant, but I wanted someone in their staff to know what happened, as I’ve never been treated that way at that restaurant. There didn’t appear to be a manger there, and if there was one, shame on them for seeing that kind of service and allowing that situation to go on. I know this is NOT typical service for that restaurant so it’s not going to affect my returning to it. However, if it had been my first visit, I would have walked out and never gone back. Yes we could have walked out, created all kinds of havoc, asked to speak to a manager, but we didn’t because this is where we wanted to be. My hopes in writing this review is the right people read this and appropriate actions are taken to make sure this doesn’t become the kind of service a patron can expect when they choose to have dinner at this restaurant. I don’t want a gift certificate, free food, refund, nothing….I just don’t want to see this restaurant close because of the kind of customer service we received last night becomes the “normal”! ...

My recent visit to On the Border Mexican Restaurant left me deeply dissatisfied and questioning the hype surrounding this establishment. From the underwhelming food to the lackluster service, it was an experience that fell far short of my expectations.

To start, the atmosphere at On the Border was mediocre at best. The restaurant seemed stuck in the past, with outdated and worn-out decor. The overall ambiance lacked the vibrant and lively feel that one would expect from a Mexican eatery. It was a rather forgettable setting that failed to enhance the dining experience.

Moving on to the food, I found it to be disappointingly average. The menu boasted a variety of Mexican dishes, but the execution was lackluster. The flavors were bland and uninspired, as if the kitchen had forgotten to include the essential ingredients that give Mexican cuisine its distinct taste. The dishes lacked authenticity and failed to excite my taste buds. It felt like a watered-down version of what Mexican food should truly be.

Additionally, the service at On the Border was subpar. The staff appeared disinterested and inattentive throughout my entire meal. It was a struggle to get their attention, and when we did, their responses were lackluster and unhelpful. The waitstaff seemed more interested in chatting amongst themselves than providing a satisfactory dining experience. It was evident that customer satisfaction was not a priority for them.

Furthermore, the pricing at On the Border was unjustified considering the quality of the food and service. The inflated prices left me feeling cheated and disappointed. I expected a certain level of excellence for the amount I paid, but what I received was far from it. It was a clear indication that On the Border is more concerned with maximizing profits than delivering a memorable dining experience.

In conclusion, my visit to On the Border Mexican Restaurant was a regrettable encounter. The lackluster ambiance, uninspiring food, and indifferent service all contributed to a disappointing experience. For those seeking an authentic and satisfying Mexican dining experience, I would strongly recommend looking elsewhere. On the Border falls short in delivering the quality and value that one would expect from a reputable Mexican restaurant. Oh and the dirty bathrooms with dead cockroaches littering the floor in the hallways were...

From my group. Jennifer Miles (They called the police on my group.)

This was the worst experience I’ve ever had. Along with at least 20 of my colleagues. One of our elderly friends meals was wrong. She asked for the manager so she could get it resolved. Mind you there were over 20 of us. NONE of the rest of us complained although there was plenty of reason to. There was another person who ordered a meal and an hour and a half later he was told they are out of brisket. Another at an hour and 50 minutes was told they were out of all beef so they didn’t get their meal. We were all told over an hour and a half later that they were out of guacamole!!! It comes with every meal that we adored!!! It was more than frustrating to say the least. It took me 53 minutes to get my drink and 63 minutes to take my order. I did not complain. The manager came to our table at an hour and 40 minutes to discuss with my friend that her meal was wrong and she could not eat it. (Remember she is elderly). She tried but just couldn’t do it. It was way too salty for her and she can’t have salt. The manager said because she has taken a bite that she has to pay for it and would not have any other course of action. No resolution! No offer for the meal she ordered and no offer for a different meal. Nothing!!! My friend again said she couldn’t eat it and didn’t want to pay for it since she couldn’t eat it. The “managers” solution was to call the police!!! She literally called the police because an elderly lady could not eat, not only the wrong meal, but a too salty meal!!! This so called manager doesn’t even qualify as a server!!! On the border Tyler should be ashamed to call this person an employee let alone a manager. Shame on you Brittania!!! You are a sorry excuse for an employee let alone a manager!!! You are in the wrong position. I feel sorry for the servers who have to answer to this pathetic excuse for a manager. You not only were rude and unprofessional, but you wasted 3 police officers valuable time. Apparently this is a regular issue according to local law enforcement. So your job instead of having law enforcement do it for you. Pathetic!!! I got most of it on video!!! I will NOT post inside videos or pictures of the Restarant. I have them for the ones who need proof or corporate (on...