HOUSTON — Houston-based Pappas Restaurants has officially acquired On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina, bringing together two long-standing names in the state’s dining scene under one ownership group.
The deal, which closed in May 2025, adds the Tex-Mex chain to Pappas Restaurants’ portfolio of concepts. Our partners at the Houston Business Journal posted last year that Pappas won the bankruptcy auction to acquire On the Border.
Founded in Dallas in 1982, On The Border has built a national following with menu staples such as sizzling fajitas, hand-pressed tortillas, fresh guacamole and margaritas. Company leaders say the brand has long been a gathering place for generations of diners…