Bold Brew at Santa Monica Border Grill

L oud is the word for the new Border Grill at 1445 4th St. in Santa Monica, (213) 451-1655. The sound is a wave that assaults you as you walk in the door. The look is loud too; it’s a raucous room filled with intense colors and big pictures, a place where every wall is a canvas for this bright new look.

The food itself is a bold brew that is perfectly at home in this setting. To begin, there is great guacamole and wonderful empanadas made out of fried plantains stuffed with black beans. The airy Guatemelan tamales should not be missed; they may be the lightest tamales ever made. But my favorite first course was the anticuchos--skewers of wonderfully vinegary marinated heart served with a relish of avocado and corn.

The menu is so enormous that it’s hard to make a dent in a single visit. But I can recommend the tongue stew, the spicy baby back ribs with smashed fried potatoes and the coconut topped lime pie. And, if you’re in the mood for Margaritas, you’ll be glad to know that this Border Grill, unlike its smaller sibling on Melrose Avenue, has a full bar.