Mojitos and Sangria at Border Grill
Even though we’re thoroughly addicted to the pick-your-own-seats luxury that $28 buys us at The Landmark, we make it back to the Promenade every so often for dinner and a movie. The theaters down there are old school - no stadium seating, creaky chairs, questionable sound systems - but the dining options in Downtown Santa Monica are somewhat endless compared with their West LA counterparts.
True, the Santa Monica dining options themselves are getting a little long in the tooth, with old standbys like Jiraffe, Trastevere, I Cugini and Michael’s serving up the same dishes they’ve successfully been serving for more than a decade. That said, if they’re still around after all these years, they must be doing something right. Even still, many of the options for the dinner half of “dinner and a movie” are way too pricey for my wallet, these days. Yes, we could grab a bite at Baja Fresh or a slice at Johnnies NY Pizza. But sometimes - okay, most of the time - my better half is looking for something with a little more ambiance, the opportunity to get a drink, perhaps a menu with some sort of exotic cheese offering - i.e. something that usually ends up costing me $100+.
Border Grill Ceviche Shots
Enter Border Grill and their Monday through Friday 5 to 7pm Happy Hour. Border Grill falls into the long-toothed class with a menu and an interior design that has been making locals and tourists alike happy for 20+ years. Despite the artwork and the deafening acoustics you get from hanging large slabs of art from the ceiling, the team at Border Grill, celeb-chefs Mary-Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, have managed to keep the menu fresh and the crowds coming in.
They’ve had a long standing happy crowd lured in by bocatitos and cheap margaritas. Now, with everyone still waiting for our country’s economic stimuli to kick in, they’ve made happy hour even more appealing.
The Border Grill happy hour options are designed to please a wide spectrum with $4 margaritas, mojitos, sangria, and select beers and wine. $3 tacos offer up delicacies like Potato Rajas and Roasted Lamb in sweet adobo sauce. Ceviche shots, coming in again at a mere $3, seem to be the best deal in the house. And the menu is topped off by $5 bites ranging from Beef Brisket Taquitos to Green Corn Tamales and Poblano Quesadillas.
All in, with far too many tacos under my belt, we managed to get away with a $35 check the last time we went there. Sara was happy with the cocktail options and the manchego cheese in her tacos. Plus, we were able to make it to our 7:30 movie without having to rush. (That’s another advantage to taking the Happy Hour option. At $3 a taco, Border Grill is counting on quick turnover and brings the food out quickly. )
So if you’re looking for a cheap date that will keep your date happy and work with your movie schedule, I recommend making your way down to Border Grill on any given weeknight. The Happy Hour at Border Grill can get pretty packed, especially on a Friday night. So get there early.
