Border Cafe

Harvard Square has its goods and its bads.  The Good: There are some decent bars, it's a nice place to walk around in the summer and there are some cool novelty shops.  The Bad: You can never find a place to park for less than $15, it's crawling with hipsters and all those people enjoying a nice walk around in the summer make it damn near impossible to move.But possibly the best part about Harvard Square, and by far the best reason the brave the crowds, is Border Cafe.Border Cafe sits right in the middle of Harvard Square, about a block from the Harvard Bookstore (The Coop is another decent reason to check out Harvard Square, it's a bookstore you can geek out in for a bit) and just up the street from the movie theater.  Border's been sitting on its "cozy corner" of Harvard Square since 1987, and has spawned 5 more locations since its inception.The first thing you notice about Border Cafe when you get there is the ridiculously low prices.  The most expensive item on the menu is $18, but by no means does this mean you're getting low quality or quantity food.Anyone who's been to Border knows first hand the blessing and curse that is the delicious, warm, never-ending, homemade chips that come with every meal at Border.  These chips are beyond addictive - they're perfectly seasoned, perfectly warm, and the waiter will not stop bringing them until you beg him to.  Seriously, there is no limit to the number of baskets of chips you can get for free.  And therein lies the curse.  You will stuff your face with these chips while you look over the menu, you will consume more salt that you thought possible, and you will compensate by guzzling down multiple margaritas before you ever order your meal.  This is not a prediction, it's a promise.And while the chips are superb, they're just the undercard to the main event(s).  The aforementioned margaritas are just strong enough without overpowering you, and surprise surprise, the house margarita is only $5.75.  If you want to make 'em girly like I do (I'm not ashamed of this) and add some fruity goodness, it's a buck extra.We'll get to some of the entrees in a minute, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the best bang for the buck on the menu.  The blackened chicken fingers appetizer is an absolute CANNOT MISS.  I can't stress enough how important it is for you to try this dish.  For $5.96, you get four "boneless chicken tenders marinated, spiced, seared on a cast-iron skillet and served with a Cajun marmalade sauce."  The skillet of the gods cooks these chicken fingers.  They're surprisingly spicy, and match up perfectly with the sweet marmalade sauce.  It's ridiculous that this costs six dollars, and it'd be a crime to go to Border and not try them.As far as main courses go, I have to admit that I'm a creature of habit at Border Cafe.  The first time I ever tried the Catfish New Orleans,  "A large fresh fillet of catfish, royally seasoned, deep fried with a shrimp and basil cream sauce," I knew what it felt like to be in love with a piece of fish.  There's something to be said for consistency, and this dish is consistently cooked perfectly.  But what really makes it great it the sauce.In general, Border does a fantastic job of matching sauce to meat/fish, making a perfect combination of flavors that you'll want to keep stuffing your face with long after your stomach begs you to throw in the towel.  And if taking home a doggy-bag of more than half of your meal is wrong, I don't want to be right -- mainly because I want to eat it again the next day.To be fair, it's not all sunshine and buttercups at Border Cafe.  The place is great, but if you try to go there on a weekend night, there is zero chance you're getting a seat in less than an hour.  In my opinion, it's worth the wait, but beware that you will wait.  In addition, the service has been up and down in my visits there.  More up than down, but probably due to the crowds (or our requests for a 13th basket of chips) we have had some surly waiters in our time at Border.Check out all our photos from our visit to Border Cafe on Flickr.Border Cafe32 Church StreetCambridge, MA 02138617-864-6100