North of the Border Mexican Cafe in North Conway, NH - One Word... Tequila!
Written: Dec 16 '06 (Updated Feb 12 '09)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: great drink menu, good food at reasonable prices
Cons: closes early
The Bottom Line: If you are staying up this way and looking for a place to dine without traveling too far from the main strip, this is a great place to go.
|
|
|
| AliventiAsylum's Full Review: North of the Border |
Once upon a time there was a restaurant that faced some stiff competition in its cuisine from other area restaurants. So the owner looked around at what was offered and saw a niche to fill. In a very touristy area lined with many restaurants, there were only two other southwestern/Mexican cuisine alternatives. Neither of those were close to where his restaurant was located. North of the Border was born.
North Conway, New Hampshire is not a place you think of when you think of fine Mexican/southwestern food. However, it is a place with a myriad of restaurants located all up and down Route 16. There are a wide variety to choose from with cuisine running the gamut. Competition is fierce among the restaurants for that almighty tourist dollar.
North of the Border is located along the main part of the strip close to many hotels and the outlets. On the whole, it is a rather small, cozy restaurant. Walking in, the hostess station will seat you, or you can sit at the bar. The bar is not large – holds about eight – and has a television which is usually tuned to the Patriots or the Red Sox. Food is served at the bar. The interior of the restaurant is wood paneled with wooden booths and a huge fireplace in the main dining room. There are tables in here as well as in a secondary dining room off of the bar area. Lighting is dim, but I haven’t had a problem seeing.
Chips and salsa are brought to the table and drinks can be ordered. What impresses me right from the start was the drink menu at North of the Border. It’s three pages long! This includes more than 40 different brands of tequila that range in price all the way up to top-shelf stuff that goes for $30 per shot. The selection is really awesome and what is available is high-quality. My one friend has pretty much sampled all of the selections over the time we’ve been in there and he has a few favorites. The frozen drinks are great. A friend from works loves to order frozen Sex on the Beach when we’ve gone here in the past. Me, I generally plan to order something different and then stick with my staple, Tequila Sunrise. But for those who are adventurous, there is plenty to find here.
Want some appetizers to go with your drinks? North of the Border has a good selection including Mexican Potato Skins, Shrimp Tostada, Buffalo Wings, and a variety of different Quesadillas. My favorite though is to get the Nachos and make use of their salsa and taco bar for the toppings.
For a main meal, North of the Border features traditional Mexican fare such as fajitas, enchiladas, burritos, and chimichangas. There are tacos as well and a special taco selection is all you can eat tacos including the topping bar, with a choice of four from all of the flavors (bean, beef, chicken, haddock, pulled pork) that they offer. There’s a good selection of items to top tacos or nachos with at the toppings bar. Everything is fresh and good.
For something more substantial, there’s seafood, chicken and steaks all prepared with a southwestern flare. I love steaks and don’t usually think of them when I go to a Mexican restaurant, but they make them very well here. I have tried both the Tequila Chicken (sauteed with fresh tomatoes and mushrooms; finished with Jose Cuervo, fresh cilantro, and lime) and the Tijuana Chicken (simmered in fresh salsa, Jalapenos, peppers, and onions) and they are both good. Most of the time I stick with the Mexican selections, though. Either that, or we come here for drinks and appetizers. A new item on the menu are flatbreads with toppings, which are really like pizza. I shared one the other day for lunch and it was delicious.
For dessert, as if dinner wasn’t enough, there are Xango (deep fried cheesecake), Kahlua Sombrero Cake (delicious!), strawberry margarita pie, and more. I’m not an eat dessert out person but I tried the first two and a friend tried the last and we liked everything we tried.
The prices are very reasonable for the area. What tends to run up our tab is the drink bill. But one time we took eight of us out to eat and even with appetizers, desserts, and drinks on the bill it came to about $150. A kids menu is available and the food is not just Mexican, so if your kids are picky and want just macaroni & cheese or chicken nuggets, have no fear. I’ve brought some of my co-workers here to check it out and they were happy with it too.
The staff is really friendly and nice. They will accommodate special orders if possible. North of the Border also does take-out and I have gotten a Taco Salad with Guacamole to bring with me to work at night. It’s packaged nice and the shell didn’t end up crushed at all. Delivery is available through a local taxi service, so if you are staying at a local hotel and want to order in, go right ahead. In busier times, though, they might limit what orders they are taking. I saw this happen this year during fall foliage.
The only issue I have is the hours. Like many of the restaurants around here, the hours are not what I am used to coming from New York. With such a good selection of drink, you would think they would stay open later (and in summer months they do) but right now they stop serving generally around nine, sometimes earlier if it’s really quiet. I have had people come up to me at the desk when I am working after eleven, looking for a place to drink and I would love to tell them to go here for drinks and appetizers!
North of the Border is probably the restaurant I’ve eaten at the most frequently since I moved up here and I’ll continue to enjoy it in the future. For something in the middle of where all the hotels are so people don’t have to travel far, it is a great place to eat, and a fantastic place to drink!
website: http://www.northofthebordermexican.com
Other places to eat in New Hampshire:
Cafe Noche, Conway NH ~ Decades Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Delaney‘s Hole in the Wall, North Conway NH ~ Harts Turkey Farm, Meredith NH ~ Merlino's Steakhouse, North Conway NH ~ Moat Mountain Smokehouse, North Conway NH ~ Muddy Moose, North Conway NH ~ Peach's Restauran, North Conway NH ~ Red Parka Steakhouse & Pub, Glen NH ~ Yankee Smokehouse, West Ossipee NH
Sites to see in New Hampshire:
Attitash Bear Peak Ski Resort ~ Bretton Woods Ski Resort ~ Canobie Lake Park ~ Cranmore Mountain Ski Resort ~ Franconia Notch State Park ~ Kancamagus Highway ~ King Pine Ski Resort ~ Loon Mountain Ski Resort ~ Madison Boulder Natural Area ~ Mount Washington Cog Railway ~ North Conway, NH ~ Polar Express Event ~ Shawnee Peak, Bridgeton ME ~ Six Gun City ~ Story Land ~ Whale's Tale Waterpark ~ White Mountain National Forest ~ Wildcat Mountain
Some places to stay in New Hampshire:
Attitash Mountain Village - Bartlett NH ~ Comfort Inn & Suites - North Conway NH ~ Hampton Inn - Concord/Bow NH ~ Yankee Clipper Motel
Books about the area:
Appalachian Mountain Club White Mountain Guide ~ 50 Hikes in the White Mountains
© 2006 Patti Aliventi
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Nachos or tacos using the toppings bar are my favorite. The new flatbreads are great too!
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
AliventiAsylum
|
 in Movies, Hotels & Travel |
 in Movies |
 - Top 50 |
|
Member: Patti Aliventi
Location: Mount Washington Valley, New Hampshire
Reviews written: 2066
Trusted by: 686 members
About Me:
Interstate National Dealer Services from AAA is Automotive Extended Warranty hell: http://www.epinions.com/content_5328707716
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.