Last week, Dale and I got to dine at On the Border while they were training for their grand opening. Having been raised in Southern California, I tend to be skeptical of Mexican food in the Northwest…especially if it comes in the Tex-Mex style. But I was more than pleasantly surprised by our meal.

We started with an appetizer called “Guacamole Live!” This guacamole is made to order at your table and we both agreed it was quite good. Smashed avocados, red onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, cilantro, and fresh lime juice all combined to make a fantastic guacamole. Scoop it up with the monstrously sized tortilla chips and I was more than happy!

Dale had the Border’s Best Lunch Fajitas and they looked fantastic. A taste of the chicken from Dale made me realize how good they were. Grilled chicken, onions, bell peppers, guacamole or cheese, and your choice of tortillas make this a delicious meal. Dale ordered the refried beans and rice with his meal. The refried beans were partially mashed and partially whole and looked darn good from across the table!

I ordered the Lunch Fish Tacos. I love good Ensenada style (deep fried) fish tacos so was excited that they advertised a Dos XX beer-batter. I will say just one thing: TO DIE FOR! I loved the light taste of Dos XX in the batter and they were some of the best fish tacos I have had. I also ordered the black beans which were quite tasty and healthy. The Mexican rice was, well, not exciting. But that’s OK…the rest of the meal more than made up for the rice!

One thing is for sure…Dale and I both left there feeling quite stuffed. The lunch portions were more than generous in size and the Guacamole Live only helped make our bellies quite full. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal and will definitely go back again.

On the Border has its grand opening on Monday, Cinco de Mayo. Located at 1505 SE 164th Ave in the Fishers Landing neighborhood of Vancouver, WA this is one restaurant not to miss!

Take care,

Chris Hyde
Dale Chumbley