It's the end of an era.
Chefs Susan Feniger and Mary Sue Milliken are closing the Santa Monica location of Border Grill after 26 years in the neighborhood, a restaurant that has held a special place in the hearts of Angelenos since 1990. After choosing not to renew their lease, the chefs will be opening an entirely new concept next year.
Feniger and Milliken became familiar faces in the LA community with their Food Network show Too Hot Tamales, filming episodes at Border Grill Santa Monica when they weren't serving hearty plates of Mexican food and countless margaritas. Prior to Border Grill, they opened City Tavern in Hollywood, where the diverse menu acted as a catalyst, in part, for so many fusion restaurants that currently operate in LA.
Border Grill will close in mid-October—no doubt with a huge, margarita-soaked conga line, like the one that graced the restaurant when it first opened. In the meantime, the restaurant has plans to resurrect favorite dishes, bring back 1990s pricing and a few other fun celebrations. Of course, you can still get your Border Grill fix at the Downtown LA location, LAX or one of the roaming Border Grill food trucks.
The culinary duo estimates that they've poured more than 325,000 bottles of tequila, handmade 9 million tortillas and mashed more than 500 tons of avocados throughout the years. Let's help them celebrate their hard work—and say goodbye—with one last visit before the lights go out.
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