"Fine" Dining

ยทS4 E4

On the Border: Mark Wahlberg, Bankruptcy, and the "Worst Mexican Chain in America"

February 18
36 mins

Episode Description

๐ŸŒฎ๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿน On the Border: Bankruptcy, Bottomless Calories, and Marky Marg Madness ๐Ÿน๐Ÿ”ฅ๐ŸŒฎ

This week, Trent Tucker (@thegotspod) from the Geek Off the Street podcast joins me to break down the chaotic history of On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, a chain that once lived under the Chili's corporate umbrella at Brinker International before getting unceremoniously left behind. On the Border has had a rollercoaster run. We unpack the Mark Wahlberg-backed Marky Marg (where he didn't even show up for the toast), and celebrate the undeniable appeal of Guacamole Live prepared tableside. Plus, Trent pitches a zero-gravity ramen restaurant, and we read Yelp reviews in the style of a late-night local TV lawyer commercial.

๐ŸŒฏ Formerly a Brinker International Sibling to Chili's
๐Ÿ“‰ "Worst Mexican Chain" According to Men's Health
๐Ÿ’ธ Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and 40 Sudden Closures
๐Ÿน The Marky Marg Featuring Flecha Azul Tequila
๐Ÿ“บ "Why? Because You Can" is the Most American Slogan Ever
๐Ÿฅ‘ Guacamole Live Steals the Spotlight
๐Ÿš€ Trent's Zero-Gravity Ramen Restaurant Pitch
โš–๏ธ A Yelper Who Sounds Like a Personal Injury Attorney

๐Ÿ’ฌ COMMENT BELOW: Is tableside guac enough to save a struggling chain?

๐Ÿ“ข SUPPORT THE SHOW & JOIN THE COMMUNITY:
๐ŸŽ‰ Patreon (Bonus episodes, extended Yelp segments & more): patreon.com/finediningpodcast
๐Ÿ’ฌ Discord (Food talk, memes, cursed Yelp): discord.gg/6a2YqrtWV4
๐ŸŽฅ Watch full episodes: youtube.com/channel/UCLbraNhL6KhDPkdSWt2yiuw
๐Ÿ”— All links: linktree.com/finediningpodcast
๐ŸŽค Guest: Trent Tucker | IG: @thegotspod

Patreon Producers:
Sue Ornelas & Joyce Van

Patreon Subscribers:
David Ornelas, Kellie Baldwin, Jeremy Horwitz, Herbert Amaya, Simone Davalos, Scott Bennett, Amy Reinhart, Josef Castaneda-Liles, & Travis Langley

Free Patreon Followers:
Joe Warszalek, Lauren Cummings, Grace Krainak, Keri Estes, Robert Duran, Patrick Elliott, Michelle Elmer, Dave Plummer, Nicholas Volney, Michael Gerard, Tracy Molino, Phuong Duong, Tyler Robinson, Brandon Gully, Mason Cruz, Michael Milito, Mez, Aaron Hubbard, Steff, Robert McLaughlin, Jewell Hermann, Renae Michael

๐Ÿ‘‰ NEXT WEEK: We actually eat at On the Border and put it through the Chili's Test to see if it can hang with its former corporate sibling.

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