If you're in Arlington and want a convenient, good quality, Mexican spot, here's the place. There's a ton of room and parking is validated in the garage next door. First off, the salsa is super yummy, mild, not chunky, and just the right temperature. This is paired nicely with the thin tortilla chips they provide, free of charge. I chose the fish tacos off the lunch menu (yes, this was during lunch time and not dinner). They're a little spicy, but not enough to make you cry, haha! The rice and beans that came on the side were super yummy and a great addition to the two tacos. The avocado cream drizzled on top gave the tacos a really nice flavor and sweetness. Great spot for big groups and not too pricey! read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

This is in our neighborhood, but we've never been. We had the steak and chicken fajita platter for two. Even though we ate very few chips at the start, this was very filling. Also, since we aren't that crazy about Mexican food, we were pleasantly surprised. The quality and value are both good. We will likely return. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Well I have been going to uncle Julio's for a while now and the service and service is always very consistent. I always recommend people to go there for any type of celebration and they are never disappointed. The restaurant is very Mexican style and I just love their Carne asada ... so yummy. The drinks are very good and they aren't over priced. I love their piñata, I just think is the perfect place to take someone to celebrate their birthday. I definitely recommend this spot if you are looking for really good food and great drinks for a good price. read more

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I used to come here often, but the quality started to go down last year so I stopped. After about a year I decided to give UJ another try. But alas they have not improved. The prices have gone up while the portion size and quality have gone down. To add insult to injury, they charge a 6% service fee to take out orders. I may try again next year in the hope that management will take note of the many negative reviews being left recently. read more

Waited for about fifteen minutes on a Saturday night around 9pm. It was really crowded and super busy. But i didn't mind because i saw they made their own tortilla's FRESH!! We ordered fajita and got to taste the fresh tortilla, it was soo fluffy and warm - godsh my mouth is watering!! We also ordered the enchilada and tamale combo - nothing to write about other then its ok. But def get the fajita's. they were spectacular read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Fresh tortillas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Good spot for a group meal, it's a very spacious restaurant. I got the fish tacos, which came with beans and rice. The cilantro rice had corn and was pretty good. The seasoning and avocado sauce on the tacos were good, but the fish was a bit fishy and didn't taste very fresh. The highlight of the meal was the manager offering us a tasting of their new dessert - a chocolate piñata. It was quite an experience, takes 10-15 minutes to prep and they paraded it out around the restaurant. It was a chocolate piñata filled with fruit and little pieces of churros on a tray with Kahlua whipped cream, caramel sauce, and berry sauce. They gave our guest of honor a small baton to hit the piñata until it opened. The chocolate and Kahlua whipped cream were delicious, definitely recommend it as a unique dessert for a special occasion. read more

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The worst location ever, I have been to the WB and Bethesda locations and they were great. I have come here 3 times in hopes that they will step their game up and it's closest to my home. I had to send the food back several time and the brought dirty dish out and dirty cloth. Horrible food and service read more

***Happy hour review only*** The happy hour here isn't that happy. $2 off margaritas and $1.50 off wine and beer. Essentially the margaritas were $7-8 and the beer around $5.50-6. Chips and salsa are free if that matters to you. I had a Laguintas- happy he asked if I wanted a frozen mug. My boyfriend had a swirl- half frozen margarita half frozen sangria. They layer it from two different machines so that was nice it didn't just come out from one. Location is very convenient right next to Ballston metro. HH is until 6:30 so I'd recommend only stopping here if you're already in the area. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Chips and salsa - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Excellent food, atmosphere, and margaritas. The service was great and the bartender mixed a great margarita. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Tres amigos margarita, Chile con queso, salsa and chips - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Services were ok/good. Waitress and waiter were doing a good job. The food. I rather go to taco bell. The chili con caso, it's like Velveeta. The gauc. Well they serve it to you on a flat plate instead of a bowl. What kind of commies would put you through pushing gauc around a flat plate with these thin restaurant style chips??? Most of it ended up on the table. PUT THE GUAC IN A BOWL! Common sense isn't the most common thing. L Then we got the "Ranch Water" mix drink on their menu...ffs. What's is the recipe, 8oz lime juice, 2oz sour, half oz alcohol...with a lime garnish? Didn't even drink half our drinks. Left them. We were afraid to order dinner. Left and went and had a burger a couple doors down. TERRIBLE. Feel sorry for the staff having to serve up this garbage. read more

The wait was 45 minutes and for a Saturday that's normal. I expected to be seated, order food, eat and then get going as I had two tired kids but the delay came when the waitress took forever to give us boxes, took another 5 minutes to give us the check and took another 5 minutes to process it. Wish the waiters would have a method on how to handle a busy night and not forget customers. The food was pretty good and the chips were warm and fresh. The environment was nice and very loud. When it comes to parking, make sure you get your ticket validated and expect to pay $4 to park in garage. Parking in street is tricky and on weekends it's hard to find a nearby spot. I wish parking for Uncle Julio customers was complimentary :-( read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

AMAZING FOOD!!!! Adam is a terrific server, highly highly recommend the guac and any of the tacos!! read more

Very disappointed. Used to eat here and it was very good. Started with the frozen Margarita which tasted like soap. It took 20 min to get our server back and he said they had similar complaints, guess they didn't rinse the machine but didn't seem to do anything about it. They comped a replacement but didn't get it until we were ready for desert. The food took too long and they didn't deliver it all and portions of the meal (sides) arrived well after we started eating. The food also arrived cold as well but didn't send it back as we couldn't wait another hour. Won't go back! read more

My fiancé and I came by this location on a Saturday around lunch time and we asked to be seated outside. The hostess sat us to our table and brought us chips and salsa, but unfortunately that's where the service stopped... we waited there for 15 minutes before deciding to get up and leave. No one even came to bring water. There was only one server outside who was working her a** off with other tables (She was probably overwhelmed and had just forgotten about us) and while there were a bunch of servers inside just standing around. Sadly this was also our first time returning since my fiancé found a piece of dried up paper napkin or something in her soda glass after it must've been washed and out back "clean" with it in there. I don't think I'll be coming back to this location anytime soon. The food is good, just not worth waiting that long for without water. read more

Great place with home made tortillas. We ordered Guacamole appetizer which was made at table side, and it was one of the best I've ever tasted! We also orders the Piñata dessert for my brother in laws birthday read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Piñata dessert - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Great drinks. Average food not authentic and tastes commercial and processed. I don't think I'd be pressed to return .

Would probably give 3.5 if I could. We got takeaway so maybe that impacted my perception but the food was fairly generic - it was a bit soggy and the salsa tasted like it was supposed to be smoky but leaned towards burnt. Overall seemed a bit overpriced, although the quantity was decent. read more

If you like authentic Mexican food, do not look here. Flavorless, insipid, hastily prepared. How do they remove the flavor? This place is pathetic. I had shrimp fajitas that had no shrimp flavor. Even the chips were flavorless. read more

Lackluster meal and only okay service. Restaurant basically empty on a weekday night. Food is overpriced and the menu is quite limited. Our party was really surprised. The fajita bowl was basically just rice. read more

We were wow'd by the tv commercials showing the nitrogen infused 321 margarita and my wife's choice when we had a friend coming to town who enjoys Mexican food. They wheel a cart to your table to make the specialty drink in front of you which brings the eyes of all patrons in the restaurant wanting to see the smoke. To my surprise, not many if any others in the restaurant ordered it. The drink itself was ok and not exactly what my wife and I had imagined. It was filled with fruit, not overwhelmed or tasting of alcohol, and didn't ooze smoke with each taste as the commercials suggested. The server provided an edible item dipped in nitrogen that was eaten first and allowed a few puffs. Otherwise the drink itself allowed no puffs. As a result, I wouldn't order again or recommend. There was no restaurant provided parking so my wife and friend found parking on neighboring streets without issues. The building was undergoing renovation and took some effort to follow the arrows and locate the entrance. They offer complimentary chips and salsa which we weren't impressed with. The chips are super thin and the salsa is runny. I ordered the beef fajitas and enjoyed them. There was a good amount of beef, vegetables, and tortillas and was flavored well. Overall an ok visit and we would probably look at other options before returning. read more

Excellent service and delicious queso! The server and other staff frequently checked in to see if I needed anything and everyone was so nice!! read more

We had brunch here and had a decent experience. The service and ambiance was great but the dish I ordered lacked flavor. The guacamole lacked salt and overall taste and feel of guacamole. The salmon jardin wasn't very tasty and lacked flavor. Maybe I'll be back to try something different but the food the first visit wasn't outstanding. read more

The food is pretty good. But the service was mostly non-existent. We sat with our finished dishes on the table for over 30 minutes. Before they were cleared we received a check. Nothing about coffee or desert. Also they say they validate parking. They don't tell you it's for $1 and you still have to pay $4 to get out. So you leave with literally and figuratively with a bad taste in your mouth. Unlikely we'll return. read more

I decided to order uncle Julio's last night after taking long time break. They did disappointed big time. Fajitas were extremely inedible. Steak was raw, you couldn't even chew it and chicken had no flavor. Best part was I ordered and paid extra tortillas for fajitas, they sent me 3 tortillas. Unbelievable. This place is waste of money... it explains why this place has 3.3 stars. read more

I came here with my wife and we enjoyed ourselves so much that we want to make this place a Sunday tradition. When we came in at right around 6pm the place was as busy as all get out! I would venture to guess that the dining room was half full, so we we found an ideal table pretty quickly without a wait. We were immediately greeted by a friendly Server and we started out with fajita quesadillas. She went for a strawberry margarita, and I chose a Corona light. Everyone inside was chattering but it wasn't bad at all and we just called sipping on our drinks while we waited for the appetizer. Soon enough it was brought to our table, and by that time we were both ready to order. I enjoyed the fajitas so much that I decided to order the skirt steak fajitas entre. It had been so long since I had treated myself to a steak. She ordered the carne asada platter which included Mexican rice and beans. I completely forgot to take a picture but my fajitas were magnificent! We both had an awesome time this evening! read more

Ordered cheese enchiladas tonight for dinner, and when I got home I swear to god I opened up what HAS to be canned dog food with a semi-cheese like puddy gooped on top. The food was ice cold, the...enchiladas? Absolutely were not enchiladas, the rice was dry, and the beans were basically 99% salt. Now it could be that the individual taking my order over the phone heard me say "give me your absolute worst day old entree"...but I'm like 99.9% certain that I said cheese enchiladas when ordering. For 20 bucks, this is the WORST food I will ever order. Absolutely disgusting. Won't ever return to an uncle julios again. I feel absolutely disrespected even being offered "food" like this. You're FAR better off going to taco bell, or maybe scrubbing some lint out of your dryer. Both are far more appetizing and much cheaper. read more

Let me just say I really like the flavor this place has in all of the dishes I try. This most recent time I had the table-side guacamole and it was nothing short of delicious. Fresh avocados and you can customize your toppings. I had the chicken enchilada dish as well which never fails me. The green chili flavor in the cream sauce is what makes the dish. The queso w/ ground beef was tasty as well. read more

My favorite Mexican place in the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area. The food quality is amazing. Most Mexican restaurants offer a home made guacamole, margaritas and fajitas! What makes this chain a little bit different is how they do it. The fajita meat is marinated just right so that when it comes to the table you are getting a juicy, full of taste piece of chicken or beef. The salsa is pretty special as well, it has a roasted tomato feel to it, not the usual red, tangy salsa you get in other restaurants. I also recommend ceviche. If you like fresh marinated fish, you will love it here! This restaurant chain has tons of potential. In fact one of the items the company has always took pride in, is its fast pace and customer service. The last 2 times I visited the restaurant, I did not get that quality experience. I am extremely disappointed to say that my server was not available for me in any shape or form. The drinks took too long, they were wrong when they came out, he didn't check on us through the meal, my fajitas got cold because I couldn't find anyone to get me tortillas, I did not get any refills and our table was never cleaned throughout the visit until I signed my check. Even the check, which most servers realize is not something you want to wait on, took a while to receive. I love Uncle Julio's, but that's twice in a row, please review your training and staffing. At some point, the lack of service outweighs the delicious food. read more

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Heard about this place because of the -321 margarita and the drink lived up to the hype! It is so good and cool to watch them make it. They dining room seating as well as a bar. We sat at the bar because there was a wait for other seating. It's a very upbeat, lively and busy spot. Great Place for the "boo or bae" or hanging out with friends. The bartenders are very attentive and you can order from the menu at the bar. The bathrooms needed attention, I would think it would be better but not a normal day....Friday night Happy Hour. Orders come ok quickly. I will return if not only For the -321! You gotta try it! read more

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Hey, I understand, it's a chain Tex-Mex place. But the food is actually not bad. Let's start with the giant bowl of nachos. Fresh, warm, tasty. The salsa was a bit dark in colour and didn't have the light fresh kind of taste that I prefer but it was still OK. We ordered a small guac that was fresh and creamy and just the right size for two people. Got the combo with ribs (good), steak and chicken fajitas (very good). Also got some spicy ahi tuna tacos - not spicy at all, wasn't worth the price. Biggest issue of the night was the service. Was served the food, with no forks and no tortillas. I waited around 10-15 minutes before these arrived -- brought to us by another server because our waitress disappeared. (She later explained that she was dealing with a "mix up". That's fine, but isn't it up to the manager to step in and provide backup? (He was busy walking around asking if everything was OK just 20 mins earlier but also not to be found during our actual moment of need.) Patio was a nice spot although near the street, the sidewalk is wide enough that you don't feel like you are eating in traffic If not for the momentary lapse in service would have given the 4*. read more

This restaurant was absolutely wonderful the staff was extremely friendly & helpful and the food was absolutely delicious as well also the drinks are strong just the way I like them lol read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

The service was great and the food was tasty as usual! I came on a Friday afternoon and they were a little busy. I ordered the pick two and got an enchilada and a tamale which tasted good. The queso was my favorite though! I also got the swirl alcoholic drink and it was pretty yummy. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Chips and salsa with the swirl drink - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Decided to try this place last night and let me just start with, I'm willing to give it another try. 1. The restrooms are really clean. 2. According to the hostess, they aren't staffed enough to be able to manage indoor and outdoor seating right now. So if you're planning to dine here, the only option is indoors. 3. They aren't vegan friendly but they do have vegetarian options, mostly beans, veggies, and cheese. 4. They serve complimentary chips and salsa. The salsa is really good! 5. They aren't serving garnishes right now so no lemon or lime slices. 6. Even though they are using the same menu, our server told us they're not actually serving all the things on their menu. 7. They play really great music; makes you want to put in your boogie shoes!! 8. Even though I asked twice for no meat on my salad, I was still served a chicken salad but when our server noticed, he rushed over to ask if it was okay. I just asked for a plate and removed it myself. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Jalisco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

It was okay, the waitress was great and the guacamole machine that comes to your table was definitely different from what I'm use too, it's just something about mexican restaurants back where i live at in Arizona especially Abuelos in Peoria, just didnt taste as good as I'm use too but it was good for being way on the east coast... definitely a great place for groups and meetups.. read more

First time dining here. I was very satisfied. No wait to be seated, our table hadnt been wiped down before the previous customer so I had the hostess to wipe it down before we sat down. I ordered the $5 swirls. Our waitress was Natalie. She was AMAZING! Our food came out quick and it was delicious and I was stuffed. Can't wait to go back. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Combination enchiladas. Two chicken, one ground beef, no beans, double rice. Sooooo good! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

First time trying Uncle Julio's on the late night. It's a pretty big restaurant with a large outside seating area. We sat outside and had no issues with flying insects around. The menu was definitely not the biggest but had the usual on there - your fajitas and tacos. The drink menu was okay - they do not sell pitchers. All in all, my experience was great with a good waiter but the food selection could have been better. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Fish tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

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Went for lunch and sat outdoors. Original seat was in sun, they accommodated by allowing us to switch to shade. Not too much of the outdoor seating provided shade. Served salsa in individual serving dishes, possibly due to Covid. Had a special Sunday drink deal, $5 swirl. Salsa, food, drinks, and chips were all delicious! I ordered the chicken tortilla bowl, very tasty and good proportions of ingredients. Good size for price! Had plenty of leftovers. read more

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Good for a taco Tex-Mex fix but nothing "BAM!" about el Tio Julio. Frozen sangria was good, waitress was good and COVID protocols good. read more

Uncle Julio's Ballston - Two crispy beef tacos, beans and rice. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Arlington, Virginia

Diggity Dig it! Visited over lunch, sat at the bar. Had a simple lunch, couple margaritas (very strong), and the El Dorado (dual taco) plate. Very good. Menu looks really good, want to return and try it again sometime. read more

Made a reservation for a party of 8 and even though 80% of the restaurant Was empty they forced us to sit in an area that was packed and surrounded by 20% of the customers. They said everything else was "reserved." Give me a break. Not going back. read more