A hugely popular restaurant for expats

Searching for authentic Mexican food usually leads to mom-and-pop joints tucked away on side streets, boasting legendary tales of the Alamo and recipes passed down from abuelas.

But don`t expect your average chain-restaurant fare here. Word-of-mouth about On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina is sweeping across the land like tumbleweed.

"We were excited when we heard there were signs advertising it," said Cathy Williams, who enjoyed the enchiladas with her husband, Terrill. "We couldn`t wait to try it," she said.

The Oklahoma couple dined with their co-workers from Cheonan.

"The food was great," said California native Ruth Barrera. "I scraped my plate."

Fajitas are the specialty, like the top-selling Chicken Chipotle Fajita (25,900 won) with melted jack cheese, chipotle pesto sauce, bacon bits and onion strings. You can choose among 10 other fajita entrees, and that number doesn`t include the fajita quesadillas, fajita nachos or another popular seller the Sizzling Fajita Salad (16,900 won to 19,900 won).



The Tex-Mex grill headquartered in Dallas, Texas, opened in Sincheon in 2007. And it`s become a hit with foreigners and Koreans alike.

"A friend of mine recommended this place to me," said Canadian Lisa Chen. "They said the portions were really good, and there were unlimited chips and salsa." Chen shared chicken fajitas with her friend Holly, from New Zealand. The two were discussing how there were no Mexican restaurants where they lived in Incheon. "I`ll definitely tell others about it," Chen said.

Debora Beeler, visiting from Gangneung, raved about the Fajita Steak and Chicken Quesadillas (18,900 won) with melted cheese, sauted onions, pico de gallo, sour cream and guacamole. "It`s the bomb diggity," said Beeler, who described the tortillas as crisp and tender. "I don`t know how they do it."

Actually the tortillas are made fresh daily on site at the tortilla station, where patrons may see them being pressed and grilled as they enter restaurant. Also made daily were the salsa and guacamole, which Beeler appreciated. "And they use real sour cream," which was the real test for the California native, "because that`s hard to find in Korea."

The taco menu (16,900 won) offers an array of fillings beyond the ground meat you were served during school lunch. Fish tacos are stuffed with battered fillets in creamy chipotle sauce, pico de gallo, and shredded cabbage and cheese. The smoked beef brisket taco blends jack cheese, fried onions and jalapeno barbecue sauce. And the buffalo chicken taco fires up with a tangy hot sauce and cools down with Jalapeno Ranch dressing and chunky blue cheese.

Build your own burritos and create your own chimichangas (17,900 won) with steak or chicken and all the extras, prepared grilled or fried. Most entrees are served with Mexican rice and black or refried beans.

Fiesta colors and desert tones complement a Mexican motif with terracotta-potted plants and glazed plates used as wall decorations. An enclosed terrace brings in a nice breeze and a second-floor view of the street below through vertical fold-out windows.

The bar area features a beer-bottle chandelier, a flat-screen TV perfect for big sporting events, and Latin grooves playing in the background. It`s a perfect hangout for Friday and Saturday nights, which draw the biggest crowds, according to employees. So expect up to a 30-minute wait if you don`t make a reservation.

The drinks alone make it a perfect hotspot to chill after a stressful day at the office. Choose your own tequila and liqueur for customized margaritas served frozen or on the rocks. Or go easy with the frozen fruity virgin alternatives. Mexican imported beer will also quench your thirst.

For happy hour, try the Border Sampler of chicken quesadillas, steak nachos and chicken flautas and the fixings (22,500 won). Empanadas, with a delicate chewy crust and well seasoned beef, are also an ideal appetizer. Or you can crank things up with Firecracker Stuffed Jalapenos (11,900 won).

Beeler indulged in the Dulce Leche Cheesecake (7,900 won). "This cheesecake is decadent. It has layers of flavors," she said about swirls of cream and caramel and buttery graham cracker crust served on a plate drizzled with chocolate sauce. "It`s the best I`ve ever had."

The Sopapillas (5,900 won), puffed gold brown and sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, were enough to feed four. They were piping hot and sinfully delicious: Dipping them with the honey provided would`ve been a crime.

"I don`t remember the On the Border being this good back in America," Beeler said. "They care about the details here."

Apparently On the Border Korea picked up a few tips from the American headquarters. According to a key employee, staff is flown in to train employees from the chef down to the hostesses to ensure that quality and service don`t get lost once the franchise crosses the Pacific.

The restrooms were clean - always a good sign the kitchen is too - with mint-scented liquid soap and a touch-free, hot-air sanitizer. The service was superb with members of the English-speaking wait staff checking in regularly with customers and replenishing fixings.

On the Border prepares savory meals unlike some Tex-Mex chains that suffocate dishes in cheese and drown them in sauces. The selections should satisfy every Tex-Mex craving diners could have. It even serves Mexi-fied sirloin, salmon and shrimp dishes.

This is an evening that won`t leave you feeling price gouged like many Western restaurants in Seoul. If it`s been a long time since you`ve had a decent Mexican meal, head for On the Border.

The experience will have been worth the wait.

(sonyabeardmail@gmail.com)



Location: YBM 2nd Floor, Changcheon-dong, Seodaemun-gu (use Exit #4 of Sincheon Subway)

Hours of operation: 11:30 to 22:30

Phone: 02- 324-0682

Second Location: Coex Mall, Gangnam

Website: www.ontheborder.co.kr



By Sonya Beard