My favorite restaurant doesn’t exist anymore. The franchise does but my favorite location does not. It was The Border Cafe in Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. I am not sure if I remember the timeline right or not. They had a fire in the kitchen and had to close down. Then during the pandemic (I think) they gave up the effort and shut down for good. There is still a branch in Burlington, MA which was the one I had been going to almost exclusively for years even though I preferred Cambridge, and I think there is still one in Saugus, MA too. There were a couple in New Jersey somewhere with the same menu and decor but a different name.
We started going back when I was in my early 20’s. Harvard Square is generally THE place to be, and The Border Cafe had the best food and the best vibe. Their buffalo chicken sauce is to die for, really. Unfortunately, Cambridge is kind of a pain to drive to if you don’t live in metro Boston, so when the Burlington branch opened (much, much closer to home and really easy to get to) we sort of planted our flag there. It was never as good, but it was definitely good enough.
When Jen and I started dating we took the kids there. Neither of them liked it, and little four year old Harry actually felt sick afterwards. Jen and I still went pretty often but never with the kids. Also, we haven’t been there since the Pandemic. Four years. Now, having written this, I am kinda jonesing for their boneless buffalo chicken.
Inside the Red Head's Head 