I had the best steak ever in Virginia. Thanks to Rick he helped me to pick my dish. Great restaurant with great service. Thanks again to Rick read more

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

I love this place. Service is always fast and the food is great. Can't go wrong with any of their margaritas but I swear they stole their chip recipe from chili's.... read more

This Uncle Julio's used to be my favorite spot pre-Covid. The service, food, and drinks were awesome at that time. We would visit at least 1-2 times a week. Today I had the worst experience by far! There were only two other tables when I was there. It took 30 minutes to get queso and at the hour mark I asked about our taco order and the server said she would check the kitchen. Usually, pre-Covid we would have had everything we ordered within 30 minutes during peak time when the restaurant was full. Covid has really affected this restaurant all around. The tacos we received were not all created equal and some of the tacos looked half built with only about 1 tablespoon of meat. The only good thing we received were the margaritas. We will never return after spending $130 for the subpar food and service. Too bad because this place used to be awesome. read more

Great place for a family party even during covid! It was about 8 of us on April 13,2021 we had a reservation. *HUGE PLUS*they had us seated in the back table good space from others. The whole restaurant seemed as though it was spaced good tho. Anyway service was GREAT!! & our server was able to handle the large party. He brung out some good salsa & chips. I ask for spicy salsa & that was great so if you like a little kick ask for spicy they do have it. Me & my boyfriend got a quesadilla but we really could have split one! They are huge! Chicken was season good inside & good amount of cheese. Drinks were tasty . Some of my other family got fajitas and a julisco(might have spelled that wrong) they said the salmon was great as well. So shoutout to them for the good service & food! we didn't have to wait long either. The food is not expensive, especially for the area. They also have nice outdoor seating. The people out there seem to be enjoying. Go check these guys out !! Thanks again!! read more

Amazing AUTHENTIC Mexican food. Not the typical Mexican restaurant, you can tell they wanted to stand out and be different while still remaining true to Mexican cuisine. Service was great as well. Will definitely be back! read more

Uncle Julios was okay if you like Mexican food. Went for a monthly family outing and Uncle Julios was the chosen spot. I had the grilled fish tacos. It was pretty good. The guacamole was delicious! I had a drink called the piñata rumchata (I think) . That was yummy ! read more

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My husband and I were visiting from Texas and decided we missed TexMex food, so we stopped here. We had the fajitas for two(beef and chicken), the ribs, and bacon wrapped shrimp platter. The beef fajitas were very tender and delicious. The chicken had a wonderful and juicy flavor, the meat from the ribs just fell off the bone. I loved the bacon wrapped shrimp because the bacon was cooked to crispy the way we like it! The sides of rice and beans were good , as well. We also enjoyed the chips and salsa! If you have ever eaten at a Pappasitos Mexican Cantina in Texas and enjoyed the food, this restaurant will not disappoint! The only thing we did miss was the 'mantequilla' that is served at Pappasitos! read more

Took a small group there to celebrate a friend's last night in town. The staff was super nice and took care of our every need. Could not have asked for a better experience! The table side guacamole was amazing - everyone commented on how good it tasted. The watermelon margarita was another hit as was the tres amigos. We ended with the chocolate piñata- made for the perfect dessert and activity for a group such as ours. read more

I was here Jan 15 Wednesday evening ... sat in the bar area .. Waiter was nice but short staffed we were told .. we ordered fajitas with shrimp, chicken and beef. Literally there where 3 strips of chicken and 3 strips of beef and three shrimp. We got 6 because we ordered extra shrimp. Potions were small with the fajitas. When we finished I had to remove the food from the table while we saw other staff standing around .. Interior is beautiful but service and food potions lacking .. I will say the chocolate dessert is great .. Also please I order more cocktail straws we were told they no longer have them .. A beautiful restaurant so need to get more staff and potions .. read more

Located on the ground floor of a high-rise in Ballston, this proved a setting for millennials; a group I am not a member. If you are, you most likely will enjoy the atmosphere -- loud, vibrant, and fast-paced. We had a reservation yet were still given a pager and had a 20 minute wait. It reminded me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry states: You know how to TAKE the reservation, just not how to KEEP the reservation. Our friends suggested we do the chicken fajitas for 4, only to discover it's only for 2. We had another long wait to get our order taken. The meal includes rice and a soup, which neither of us wanted. Our waiter said we could get refried or pinto beans; we opted for refried. Our meal came within minutes- in a whirlwind of three servers, whipping plates everywhere. A rectangular platter of sliced chicken, tomatoes, and onions is accompanied with two tiny plates with shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, shredded cheese and two huge dollops of cream cheese and avocado. Another tiny plate is used to make fajita. I had to ask for more lettuce, which came in a tiny bowl. I guess they're not used to people eating vegetables. There was also a plate with rice and a small bowl of brown mush. I tried explaining to the servers I wanted refried beans, not the soup, and they just stared at me. When I flagged down our waiter he said the beans are sometimes cooked down to the mush. So...,we actually still got soup. And it was pretty gross. We also had to wait quite a while for the actual fajita. (We had eaten almost half our chicken). First we had to flag down our waiter - who had disappeared-- and then more time waiting for the shells. Our waiter never returned. All our drinks were empty and I wanted more lettuce and tomatoes. (Really?? One TINY plate with sides???). We had to finish our meals without any of this. To top it off, we used the parking garage because we thought it was free with a validated ticket. Turns out that's only on weekdays. We won't be returning. read more

I think I spent too much money here on my visit to be honest. I went for Sunday brunch (10/28/18) with my soccer team because they were the only location showing the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona game and I was not too impressed with the brunch menu. My breakfast tacos were pretty good but I was really hungry and added a side of potatoes. I asked for cheese on my potatoes and side of sour cream. Everything came out the way I wanted except the bartender (I was sitting at the bar) didn't mention that those would be an additional charge, each. So my 2.99 side doubled and didn't find out until the bill came out. This is typically not an issue but I would have appreciated being told ahead of time so I can make that decision myself. Other than that, the service was very well and the bartender did a great job! He even took back my first drink I didn't like and made me another one, wish I had his name. read more

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

If you've never had Mexican food in your life, you might finish your meal. The only redeeming quality was that our server was very friendly and attentive. Even still, it was really really overpriced and underwhelming. The meat of my tacos was extremely dry and flavorless, and the rice was cold. I probably only took 4 bites, and couldn't bring myself to eat more. In this area, there are so many amazing restaurants your money could go to. Don't waste your time here. read more

Drink was on point rsvp at 6 but my guest were very late an hour later...still had couple drinks el jefe was strong and the swirls were different but good...food was good ordered the plater with steaks and ribs...place was packed but service was quick... Only bad thing it was humid day no a/c...being stingy read more

Great food, nice margs, and good atmosphere. My favorite Mexican restaurant in the area- the chips and salsa are delicious and all of the vegetarian options I've had so far are great. I'd recommend the enchiladas. The margaritas are a good size and quality for the price and the bar staff is happy to make it to your liking. Appreciate the service and space! read more

Here Thursday night. Very big place, lots of tables, very empty. Ordered bacon habeñero shrimp app and the seared tuna tacos. Both were quite bad. Shrimp/bacon way burnt and overcooked. Tuna tasted so bland my sis thought it was a tomato. They were both a bit sweet, but that was it. Terrible bar service. The strawberry marg was OK but overly tart. Not coming back here - there are many good options around, unfortunately I recommend you try something else. $$-$$$. Not worth it. read more

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

My extensive research into Tex-Mex restaurants has led me to two conclusions: 1) Outside of pizza, Tex-Mex is *the* most kid-friendly cuisine of all time. Every Tex-Mex joint I've been to has been packed to the gills -- half the patrons kids under 10 -- and loud as all get-out as a result. 2) A Tex-Mex chain is a Tex-Mex chain is a Tex-Mex chain. Swirl margs? Check. Eight types of fajita combos? Check. Fried ice cream? Check. Friends and I have been coming to Rio Grande for longer than I care to reveal, and this place has done little to disabuse me of my Tex-Mex theories. It's loud, crowded, staffed by cordial, efficient robo-teens, and hits all the Tex-Mex whistles and bells in the food and bev department. But -- they do make their own tortillas on-site. Their house salsa is spicy and smoky. Their fajita fixings are fresh and high quality. And you can get frogs legs here (husband would want me to point this out to you). However -- it's pricier than other chains in the area. Parking is a hassle unless you pay for a garage. And they don't take reservations, so you might have a looooong wait (you *can* call ahead, tho). I dunno, you decide. Maybe I'll see you there sometime, hangin' with my high school crew. read more

I am not a fan of Mexican food and yet, Uncle Julio's won me over! The food is very fresh, in fact, the tortillas are made right in front of the customers! The amount of cheese is controlled which is something I really appreciate as a lot of restaurants make up in the humongous amount of cheese and cream what they cannot create in original spices. I had the shrimp quesedillas and loved it thoroughly. The quantity was so big that I had to box a big portion of my meal up and carry it home with me. I heated and enjoyed the delicious meal the net day once again! One of the best features is the table side, freshly made, authentic guacamole. The taste and the creamy texture were on a totally different level! Love it! The only two bummers are: it is a tad bit on the more expensive side for a Mexican restaurant and secondly, the place is damn noisy! I understand it is a family place and children love to eat here too....but it is so noisy that at times I couldn't hear what my own table-mates were saying or what our server was saying. Those two are the only drawbacks. All in all....good, wholesome, fresh, delicious food in generous amounts and good service! read more

Two stars for the service. We received one out of 3 things we asked for on s continuous basis WHEN the server came back to the table (although very friendly just seemed to be overwhelmed). Came here twice with large parties and from what I have observed they seem to do better at smaller tables (at least the servers we have had). ID GIVE THE FOOD 4 STARS. On the first visit i didn't care for the nachos on (they gave one piece of chicken for every 15 chips and were extremely dry) and the enchiladas were okay. Second visit chicken and steak fajitas were delicious! read more

I will give this review 4 stars, mostly because of the great beef fajitas and decent margaritas. I've been a fan of Uncle Julio's for years (even when it was known as Rio Grande) as a place to get authentic Tex-Mex food, but the menu has strayed so far from it over time. I suspect this is a result of customer tastes but the addition of mango, pineapple, and creamy sauces, just doesn't fly as Tex-Mex. And please don't ask me if I want a cucumber margarita. Yech! Service could be better -- it seems to be slipping from its usual high standards. Wish you would bring back the cabrito which disappeared from the menu years ago. read more

First let's start with a tip: Park inside indoor underground parking, they will validate it for free (cause we all know how bad the parking could be in Arlington) I've been to several uncle Julio's (aka Rio Grande) in DMV area and they all seem to be on a level playing field, granted I only ever visit Rio Grande for one dish only and never had anything else and that's Steak Faijta. Now I've had many Fajitas in many places ever since I remember eating ;) but none has ever come close to Rio Grande's steak fajita, the meat is tender and flavored just right the freshly baked tortillas are on point and the grilled onions and jalapeño makes the dish complete. I basically do not waste my time with other places if I am craving fajita I'll just go straight to Uncle Julio! now for other Mexican dishes I might consider other places! read more

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

I had a decent experience here last night for dinner. Food was good and well cooked, and service was decent. I have no complaints about the two. What does bother me is the lack of orchestration of how to enter the building. If you enter from one side -- you have no door or signage that is directing you to where to go. Instead we had to ask a guy who worked there that was out on his cigarette break. This would be a lot easier if they had a sign saying to go around or something. We entered through the patio area which made things a bit awkward then had to walk through the restaurant itself to get to the hostess stand. Post some signage and where you're fire exit is directing patrons on where to go, and I'll give you a 4th star. That's how frustrating this was. read more

Totally unimpressive. From the moment we walked in the door we were not feeling this place. Arrived around 8:30 pm, there was no warm welcome, the host takes us to our table and it is right next to a huge dirty table in the middle of the room, and I saw dirty unbussed tables all around so I asked if we could sit by the window where it looked cleaner. The host agreed and took us to the corner where the server was cleaning his section and said he was done with his shift, and the host looked to another server, and he said no to taking us as well. As a former server, I know very well you should have conversations about who will serve a table away from the guests. We immediately felt like no one wanted to serve us. We finally got a server (and he seemed like he was high), and he took our orders but during the meal we never saw him and had a different server every time we needed something or our food was being delivered. All around horrible service, had to wait forever for everything. Even the bathroom was dirty and unkept, and on my way to the bathroom I overheard more servers rolling silverware nearby talking- one said they had the ceviche for dinner and it was disgusting. Again- don't talk about this stuff in earshot of customers. If the food was good I would go back, but it was not at all. Y'all, this is not mexican food. It's not even Tex-mex. Chipotle has better tasting and more authentic flavors. The salsa tasted like marinara sauce and the chips were so extra thin its like they were hardly existent and they were covered in oil. Maybe if you are from the north and you dont know what really good tex-mex should taste like you will love this place. The fajita meat was good, but the food came to us so late it wasn't even that hot anymore.... you want your fajitas to arrive sizzling, you know? I ask the server who brought the food "what is this sauce?" He was like, "I dont know" and asked another server, and that server said- "It might be the chipotle lime sauce... maybe." So that was not great. And the margarita sucked. Way too much mix, too much sweet and sour, and too little alcohol. Asked for it with salt- there was a tiny bit of salt found running down the side. Needless to say- this was a horrible experience- and I should have known better just by the name of the place- If it were an authentic and good place they wouldn't call it "Uncle" Julio's it would be Tio Julio's. Anyways- we will never be back. YUCK. read more

Wow. This place is loud! The salsa and the chips passed by test though. The food was hot, and the service was good. Made a great lunch place--I didn't try the margaritas cause I am not exactly a 5' oclock somewhere type of girl. Next time I am here for dinner/happy hour will be sure to dabble. read more

My family had the pleasure of having Dysteni as our server. She was very knowledge of the menu and I took her suggestion of getting the shrimp fajitas. The hubby got the ahi fajitas, and the kids got steak fajitas and the cheese quesadilla. We also got the ceviche as an appetizer. Everything came out hot and delicious. I will definitely come back and have Dysteni as my server, but the entire staff was pleasant and friendly! read more

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

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Meh. Food was ok not great. Service was slow with drink orders. I've had much better Mexican food. Chips and salsa were horrible, thin and bland. Ordered a cheese enchilada it was not that great . Floor where we were seated was dirty with prior guest beans under our table. The positive the atmosphere was nice and decor. Waiters were somewhat friendly. I'd pass. read more

It's alright, the best thing going for it is probably the location and outdoor seating. It doesn't have the best cleanliness reputation having worked in the same building in the past. It's a chain restaurant so you can expect mediocre Mexican food but the biggest turnoff is probably how expensive it is for the quality of food. Nevertheless it's always packed especially at happy hour. read more

Terrible service. Manager was rude and unprofessional. Food was mediocre. Will NEVER give them another dollar.

The 1/5 stars is more from a service standpoint. I ordered delivery (via Eat24): Juanita's combo platter which is supposed to come with rice and beans. I also put in all caps NO CHEESE/SOUR CREAM- deathly allergic in the remarks section and called them up afterwards to reiterate the point ad nauseum. Also, requested an extra side. Order comes and cheese is speckled all over my meal; extra side nowhere to be found; there is no rice or beans. God bless Eat24; they expedite a redo and re-delivery right at the cusp of the restaurant's closing. Second round: All good except the cooks still neglected to include the customary rice and beans. Seriously, guys? You aren't Taco Bell. Give better service. No sanctuary for those w/ special dietary needs. read more

Consistently good!! The tableside guac is good but so is the regular guac. Fajitas are awesome - meat is tender, flavorful and verified legit by a San Diego-an. I hear they know their fajitas and tequila. Appetizer portion tamales are small meal-size and the tacos dinners are large and filling. Fast service, loud and happy customers. Great place to escape the boredom of Arlington. read more

Where to begin? Happy hour made me unhappy. Greeted and seated by an obese bearded, yet initially kind, man-child. Things were going great, ordered food and drinks, then he vanished to the hostess stand where he began chortling and regaling at length with a male manager. He neglected our table for a long while, long enough for me to become frustrated and leave my table to interrupt his conversation for the check and a to-go box. He already had the check prepared, not even asking if we were done before having it printed. I'm a softy, so I tipped 10%, got to the parking lot, remembered I forgot my doggie bag, went back, and the obese man had already trashed it. I've forgotten doggie bags before, and never has any place trashed it that fast, ever. I looked around and saw him dart into the back kitchen area. I asked the hostess stand for the manager, he went to the back area, came back apologizing that my order had been trashed. He knew EXACTLY what my order was, so I know he talked to the obese guy. He offered to give me a new order, but I was already upset. I just left. It is really hard for me to get upset enough to give 1 star. REALLY hard. The food was not bad, but the service displayed by this corpulent specimen has pushed me to bar Uncle Julio's from my menu for life. The sad part is I wanted to drink MORE and hit that margarita list. There are MUCH better options in the area, even for TexMex. Note: I don't hate obese people. I am obese. I only included this detail in the event that management sees this and can identify the employee or worse....you get him as your server. Just look for the man who resembles John Snow's fat Night's Watch companion from Game of Thrones, sans character garb. read more

2.5 stars This might be one of the most ridiculous restaurants I've ever eaten in. Kitsch, kitsch, kitsch. The only thing that would have made it unbearable would be if the servers were wearing sombreros. Thank God they weren't. My coworkers and I hit up Rio Grande for a birthday lunch. We'd called ahead and made a reservation, but apparently there was some confusion and our table wasn't ready, but we were accomodated. I'll just say it now: the only reason I would go back would be for the food, which wasn't that bad. Granted, I've had better (I'm sure we've all had better), but the chicken enchilada with red sauce was flavorful, and came with rice and a side of chopped tomatoes and shredded lettuce. Not sure what the point of "salad" was. Maybe I was supposed to put it on top of the enchilada. Who knows. So, food not bad. Service wasn't bad either. But the decor is just so damn cheesy! read more

I've eaten here twice, and had drinks there more often than I'd care to. Both times I got the vegetarian fajitas, both time they made me sick. One possible culprit is that apparently they cook their tortilla chips in lard (when I've asked there, they say they're cooked in vegetable oil, a friend of a friend works there and says "they routinely lie about this. they are cooked in lard, which is why they coat the roof of your mouth in oil in an unusual way") and I'm not used to digesting it. The food is standard Mexican-style American food, but (in my case) it makes you sick as a bonus. The little bar area is crowded and loud, although service is decent. Not much in the way of exciting beers, but I give them points for at least serving some Mexican beer. read more

This is my most-frequented restaurant and I love it. It's also a "gold mine" -- they get a steady lunch crowd, a big happy hour crowd (huge on Friday and Saturday) and a packed house for every dinner service, including many large tables and plenty of kids. It is super noisey when the dining room is full (brick walls and concrete floors for those harsh, echoey acoustics). They even do a brisk weekend brunch business (special menu with breakfast burritos, etc.). So, if you can, the time to go is off-peak (between 2 and 5). You'll have the place almost to yourself, better service, and a level of relaxation you can't get when it's rocking. The fajitas have been reviewed substantially already, but for my money they pale in comparison to the costillas (falling-off-the-bone pork ribs). They are served with a nice chipotle barbeque sauce, but are so perfectly glazed and smokey that they don't really need it. There's a platter that has a serving of both costillas and fajitas (with grilled onions and jalapenos, warm soft tortillas, pico de gallo and guacamole, and rice and their terrific beans) which is enough for two to share if you're starting with, say, an order of their consistently great pork tamales. The tamales are rich and very authentic and homemade tasting, and the accompanying chile colorado sauce (beef chile screaming with cumin) is a marvel. You can even get this sauce a la carte (not on the menu, but it's like $1.50 and well worth it). The other things I'd recommend are their cheese and onion enchiladas (topped with a beef-chile sauce), tortilla soup (nice grill-marked chicken and crisp vegetables in a really good broth, and caldillo (beef stew with poblano chiles...I think it's the Tuesday soup of the day). Tip: for a truly sublime margarita, order one on the rocks with El Tesoro Platinum and Cointreau. Skip their generic ones. My girlfriend likes their sangria on the rocks. Get a table outside if the weather's nice. read more

WARNING: Chips and Salsa may cause you to become an addict! I can't remember how many I ate which is really sad..lucky for me, I'm not counting these calories. Otherwise, I probably consumed my entire caloric intake for the day!!! I came here to celebrate my sister's birthday and to start off we had the guacamole was really good I have to say. I've tried Rosas and Guapos and this one is up there in terms of ratings. Again, if you must stay away from the chips, the guac is also the next best thing to stay away from. My sister and ordered the combination fajitas (chicken/steak) and it was great. From the homemade tortilla to the most tenderized steak, this is a must try entree. I don't recall what other people had and didn't care at the moment, so I can't really give you any other recommendations... So, chips/salsa/guac 5 stars...entree 5 stars...oh and service 5 stars! read more

Uncle Julio's offers pretty decent Tex-Mex. Table side guacamole for $11.99 maybe a little pricy, but it's very good especially if you are sharing with a group. Complementary chips and salsa is good, and you can ask for more if you'd like. Our server was attentive and efficient. The weather was really nice, so we enjoyed sitting outside. As the leaves come out, it'll be a very nice shady patio. Enjoy! read more

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Eh, A-Ok. I wouldn't seek it out, but I wouldn't object if a friend wanted to meet there. -Fish Tacos - tilapia, grilled not fried, topped with a light cabbage slaw. $15 was 3 tacos plus rice and beans and a bag of chips. This is actually a fair price, but the tacos weren't outstanding. Lots of shredded cabbage slaw on top. Not incredibly flavorful or incredibly generous with the fish. Good tortillas like all the local "Don" whatevers. Rice was light and fluffy and I like it a lot. -Chips and salsa are salsa. Thin, fresh chips. Salsa is medium. Inc -They sneak in a 20% gratuity on all orders when you get your electronic pay pad. Not only do I find this practice distasteful, they even do it on a take-out order when you pick up from the bar. You have to go in to adjust/remove, which is difficult and annoying. Buyer beware. read more

I've been to Rio Grande quite a number of times, especially since it's practically on the same block as my apt. Though since it is a minute or two away, I don't go *that* often... relatively. First off, their margaritas and the swirl (frozen marg and sangria swirled together) are really good. And they are on special during their happy hour. Unfortunately the HH specials only last till like 6 or 6:30, which is when most people are just getting off work. If I leave work early for some reason, it's definitely an option for a place to grab a drink. Next, their chips and salsa are quite addicting. I could eat at least a whole basket by myself, and oftentimes do! The rest of the food has been hit or miss. I think the tamales, the carne asada, the guac, the queso, the fresh tortillas, and some of the brunch options are really delicious. However the salads, the bacon wrapped shrimp, the veggie platter, the nachos, the enchilada and the tacos were all so-so, but lacked something (I don't know what). Overall, it's an okay place to grab dinner with friends, cause it's convienent (near the metro, in ballston, so could easily be the first spot for drinks in a night). But I hope there are better tex-mex options in the area that has better food for the same price, or cheaper. Guess I'm still searching for that. It is however much better than Chevys which is a couple streets over in the mall. read more

Great for Kids. Now I dont claim to be an expert on children, but recently went out with a friend with 2 kids, and they liked watching the tortilla machine do its thing (ooh.. fire and machinery). This allowed us to have some welcome adult conversation. I certainly enjoyed the margarita and chips. Also they sell fajitas by the pound which is definitely the way to go if you are out with some friends. Convenient to the metro, service was good. read more

WOW. It's been a while since we ate here - back when we were still living in Ballston - but not so long that I don't remember the last time we gave it another "college try." This is definitely NOT the place to go to, if you want to spend at least part of the time "conversatin'". It's really WAAAY too noisy for that. I can remember back in the early days when it was a lot quieter, and the perfect place to come and eat for singles, couples, Tex-Mex lovers or just casual foodies in general. Now it's a huge 'turista' feed-bag, choked with more high chairs and strollers than you'd see at any faux-restaurant at Disneyland/World. NOT that there's anything wrong with that, as Mr. Jerry would say... Sadly, as the decibel levels have risen, the quality of the food has 'mos def' fallen. Best item on the menu (at least for me) is still the chicken fajitas, and you get more than your money's worth. They'll also keep bringing you fresh, hot tortillas until the cows come home. Which brings me to the one staple of Uncle Julio's that hasn't changed. Because they do make all their chip and tortilla products right on the premises, their taste is second-to-none. Although it would certainly earn you a dirty look from the wait staff, you could make dinner just out of the chips and salsa and margaritas and not have anything else! Speaking of which - the straight-up margaritas are sublime, but watch out for the fancy 'swirl' ones, which suspiciously resemble tequila-flavored Slurpees. (Now THERE'S something maybe 7-11 should try!) All-in-all, not a bad place to go when you're in "cave dweller" mode. ("Me HUNGRY. Me no talk now. Me EAT.") But there are places to get better (and QUIETER) Tex-Mex. Oh, yeah and one more thing: come early on the weekends. They DON'T take reservations during that time, and if you move too slow, count on at least a 45-minute wait. OUTSIDE. Which is not all that bad on a warm evening in July, but January? Uh-uhnh. read more

After numerous great encounters with every single staff member (minus one super terrible one, but I'll overlook them because I specifically ask not to be placed in that person's section) I can easily give this Uncle Julio's a good rating! Liz, the wonderful bartender and occasional server is a jewel at this location! Jon P. is a riot and watches over his tables very well... Some people complain about the noise level here, but every single UJ's I've been to has a high level of jubilant noise during the prime times. If noise bothers you, then come later in the night or during lunch time! Geez, do you really think tequila and good Tex Mex are going to be enjoyed quietly!??!?! The chips are salsa are excellent with a spicy chipotle flavor rounding it off. They're served as you sit, so don't overlook them! Food is always mega fast... sometimes too fast. Take out is handled by the bar and is always ready when promised and a great way to enjoy Uncle Julio's at home or in your hotel! Street parking is a pain and the attached garage has no full validation (validated at the hostess stand). Eh. Don't use the garage across the street on the weekends because it has an early closing time. read more