I really wanted to like Uncle Julio's. I went in optimistic, hungry, and fully prepared to declare it my new go-to. And then... well... queso happened. And not much else. Let's start with the high point: the thin tortilla chips and queso were excellent. Light, crispy, and dangerously easy to keep eating long after you should've stopped. Honestly, if the meal had ended there, we might be talking 5 stars and a very different review. But then came my main--a chimichanga-style appetizer that showed up absolutely smothered in a mysterious brown sauce. Not drizzled. Not thoughtfully applied. Drowned. The kind of sauce that makes you wonder if it lost a bet. I gave it a fair shot, but it just wasn't for me. In the spirit of teamwork, I sampled around the table. A colleague's shrimp taco? Better, but not exactly memorable. A bite of steak quesadilla? Let's just say it didn't inspire any follow-up bites. To their credit, the service was good--attentive, friendly, and on top of things. My Diet Coke arrived exactly as advertised, which in some places is apparently a high bar, so points there. Prices were also reasonable, which softened the blow a bit. Still, in an area packed with solid Mexican options, this felt like a "close, but no cigar" situation. I came in hoping for a new favorite and left thinking the queso might be the only thing worth a return trip--and even that feels like a stretch. Three stars: one for the chips, one for the queso, and one for the effort. read more

Wow, this place SMELLS amazing outside, so we are walking around One Loudoun and say, heck, let's give them another try, it's not busy at all 2pm). There were an abundance of tables and booths inside and outside, but we were told they were all "RESERVED" and we would have to sit in the bar area. All high top tables, except one, which we had to use (medical issue). It was by one of two doors outside to the patio on the bar side of the restaurant, which should have been my warning to just leave now and save the hunger for another establishment. The bartender was working EVERY TABLE in the area, inside and outside. I was concerned, but we gave him a chance. Chips were good, salsa was kinda green and tasteless, but we only ever got one basket of chips in the 80 minutes it took us to order, get our food, and ask to pay. There was soccer on in the bar to distract, thank goodness, because it was filled with people and at least four kids literally having foot races in the bar area because they were bored waiting for their food. No kiddie activity crayons or whatever. My husband is halfway through his soda, and we see a long, dark hair inside the glass... INSIDE THE GLASS. When the waiter finally got back to us, we asked for another drink glass. He brought us two fresh drinks, but now mine had a jagged glass chip missing from the rim (where you place your lips), so I was no longer interested in my drink. Food was mostly OK, the fajita chicken is very good, the tortillas soft and fluffy. The beef in the enchiladas or taco my husband got is currently making him feel a bit ill (oily maybe?) but his chicken one was good. The poor waiter had too many tables for one person. The other person in the bar area was in full out prep mode for a night of drinks and bar activities. Lemons, limes, ice, very busy, didn't help the waiter at all. The tables that were vacated stayed dirty for almost 30 minutes outside, no bus boy help, but several staff people in the host area talking and I suppose waiting for the avalanche of guests for those empty tables. By the way, if you sit near the door outside, every single time the waiter opens the door, a gush of humid, hot air blows you hard and strong. It's very annoying, and you want to AVOID the tables by the patio door or you will get to enjoy all the seasons, all at once. We finally were able to get the waiters attention to pay, tipped him (this situation wasn't his fault), and left. Guess what? Empty tables, staff standing around, I was annoyed. Don't go without a reservation, or better yet, don't go to Uncle Julios... The choice is yours. read more

Uncle Julio's - Chipped glass, no thank you - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

For secret of Mayo, they really sucked!!!! No music and a very noisy restaurant Not to mention their bathrooms were absolutely disgusting ! Piss on the seat toilet paper all over the floor A can't wash basin covered in dirty cloth disposable paper- It was that the manager hasn't walked into the bathroom throughout the course of 23 hours of 2 to 3 hours I was appalled and quite disgusted with using the restroom !!!!! Don't go here it's gross !!! Gonna throw up now!!! read more

We came here after sometime to try out the taco Tuesdays. They were fairly crowded on Tuesday evening and we could not get a seat inside so that we sat outside where we had to deal with the pesky flies.. the food took about 15 minutes to arrive and my wife wanted the corn tortillas which took another 10 additional minutes to arrive which was not cool. The food was so so and I don't think we will try the taco Tuesdays again. read more

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Uncle Julios has been my favorite Mexican restaurant for 30 years. We went to the one in Reston and Fairfax and it was always GREAT! We moved to Lenten and started going to the one in Ashburn. It used to be pretty good but has gotten so much worse. Last time I went, their famous salsa was even bad. That has been consistent everywhere into the last time I went in Ashburn. Food contributed to go down hill until we had to say, we can't do it anymore. Service is bad, food is bad. I miss the old Uncle Julio's. They need to get rid of whoever manages the Ashburn location. read more

I love the food at uncle Julio's. However, his location is probably the exception. The service is horrendous. We waited over 30 minutes and no one took the time to offer us drinks and take our order. We untimely decided to just leave and fine another restaurant in One Loudon. read more

Service was excellent and super friendly. There is outdoor and indoor seating with space for larger groups. Food was as expected and consistent. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mushroom tacos with refried beans - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Seems like it keeps going downhill but that won't stop people from lining up on a Friday night. Not me, I'm done with the place. Last nite, the manager argued with my wife about size of the large queso for 10 minutes. Okay, the new "large" which seems pretty small for $12 won out, you know what they say, "the manager is always right". My wife was also wrong for not checking her enchiladas before leaving. We ordered chicken, and got beef, which we can't eat. No worries, wife called, they had the chicken ready when she returned. Even said we could keep the beef too, lol. We don't eat beef so they kept it. Keep it up, Loudoun will always support you, no matter how bad it becomes, just ask the manager. read more

Our server was called away for an emergency. She left the restaurant. We were there for taco Tuesday. We needed refills, no one came to check on our table for 25 minutes. I would think a manager would have come over, told us our server had left but they would take care of us. No one came over and we sat there waiting and looking for someone to help us. Very poor customer service. I place the blame on the manager. read more

My family and I dined at Uncle Julio's Tex-Mex in Ashburn, Virginia, at One Loudoun today. The server was excellent, and we had no complaints about the service we received. However, the food was subpar. I ordered the tamales, but the sauce tasted like canned tomatoes and was very bitter. The rice was extremely dry, and my entire dish arrived cold. My wife had a similar experience, and we were not impressed overall. One of the most noticeable changes was the guacamole. It no longer appears to be handmade; instead, what we received seemed to come from a pre-packaged container and lacked any real flavor. We have visited this restaurant before, and it used to be quite good--we're not sure what has changed. Overall, we were very disappointed and would not recommend it at this time unless improvements are made. For a $90 bill, it simply was not worth it. read more

Amazing Mexican restaurant!!! Don't know what all the bad reviews are about because we aways have a great experience here. The food and service are both really good and it has a great ambiance. read more

This is my 'go to' restaurant. Love the food, the atmosphere, everything. I eat here so often that some of my friends say, 'again?'

Food was absolutely delicious. Service was kind of slow considering they didn't have a lot of tables when we first showed up however, the atmosphere itself was great and the food was so amazing. It didn't even matter. read more

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The food was good, ambiance was nice, our server was great, my son loves the Salmon and we liked the tacos, we enjoyed the tortilla chips with salsa, and the avocado dip was small but good, my only complaint is that my hubby got a Margarita drink and was not that good, really small for a Tex-Mex place and pricey so we do not ordered more. read more

Not surprised to see these dismal reviews. A shame, because this used to be one of our favorite places after seeing a movie. I am willing to give a restaurant a second chance, because off days happen. I do not give third chances. We had dinner here several months ago, and it was disappointing. Just came home after another disappointing dinner. Salsa was bland and runny. When our food finally arrived, my husband's fajitas steak was unevenly cooked and mostly lukewarm, so out of safety concerns, we returned it. Our waiter rectified it. However, we never got water refills, which is pretty pathetic considering the size of the glasses. We won't be back. read more

Changes to the menu (and potentially management change) recently are not an improvement. This used to be our favorite Mexican place in Loudoun but it has gone downhill Fast. Nachos: they used to have awesome nachos individually made with refried beans, shredded cheese and chicken or steak. Now they are an unappetizing mess on blue chips, barely any toppings and even the server acknowledged they changed and softly said she hoped we liked them knowing they looked awful. Menu: many items were removed, we will miss the dorado tacos and the old beef enchiladas with great cheese sauce not the red sauce. Taco salad pictured here was ok but chicken was ice cold, they used to serve it with nice warm chicken. This place has lost the love a bit Cost: They used to have great lunch specials which seem to be gone. Lunch for two (tacos, taco salad, nachos and sodas were $80+ after tip) Service: Our server was a very nice person but the kitchen was incredibly slow at noon with barely anyone in restaurant it took 40+ minutes to get our food. So disappointed this place used to be amazing Fresh tortillas: this place used to have epic fresh tortillas. They still make them but they were thicker, kind of raw in the inside and burnt on the outside. Will start looking for a new Loudoun Mexican place - Mancha in Leesburg is great and may check out Parrandos again instead read more

Uncle Julio's - Taco salad with cold shredded chicken - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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Such a rude manager. Does not give you what's paid for. Just go to a different location and save your time.

I love uncle Julio's! Everytime I go I always get the beef taco salad. I am so happy they changed the taco shell to a bowl versus the cone shell it once was. The guacamole is always so fresh and I dream about their chips and salsa on the regular. Great service! Very attentive but not too attentive where you feel like they are breathing down your neck. I love the decor as well feels a little Disney but in the best way. read more

The piñata will forever be my fav part of the uncle Julio's experience. The tortillas used to be very delicious knowing that they were made in house but it seems like they have stopping doing that cause they taste very bland and taste store bought. I ordered the guacamole as well and there was no flavor to it. There wasn't salt and pepper either to add on the table. The enchiladas were okay but I wish I had ordered something else. I did enjoy the red salsa given with the chips. read more

Uncle Julio's - Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

We had a reservation for 6 pm Friday and thought it would not be too crowded. But it was Our server was great throughout but did not have his name. Ordered table avocado which was super. We ordered crab stuffed Shimp and wished we ordered 2 more. Came with rice and beans and we requested an extra plate which was provided. Nice evening in the outside . read more

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The only thing consistent about this restaurant is it salsa and chips. I wish I more to say about this place. It once was my favorite place for enchiladas. Tonight we ordered taco salad and 3 enchiladas with rice. It was all bland food. Mediocre at best. Maybe I'll circle back one day,..but no plans to revisit this place anytime soon. Sorry, no pictures. It wasn't worth the storage space on my iPhone. read more

Really a 2.5 star experience. We usually enjoy Uncle Julio's however this visit left us all somewhat disappointed. It's sad when you can report the best thing about your meal was the iced tea. The food was very bland and I'm sad to say, I've had better tacos from The Bell. The restaurant was absolutely filthy. We sat in a booth by the windows that looked as though they haven't been washed in months. The floors were unkept and there were so many crumbs between the seat and the window, I had to sit on my coat to keep it from slipping between and becoming covered with debris. We'll keep our visits to Happy Hour from now on. read more

Unfortunately over the years it seems that the quality in food and service has gone down drastically. Nothing tastes as good as it used to, the portions are so small and the prices keep going up, and the servers just seem to lack a sense of urgency. It used to be my go to for birthdays, anniversaries, get togethers, but I can't consider it anymore as it no longer is consistent with the service nor quality in food! read more

Our server was good, but we got steak that looked like it was from a frozen bag and our drinks had no alcohol in them, we were even charged for a higher end tequila. Everything else was fine. read more

Saw this place randomly while walking in the area. It was very busy but I was told that I could sit at the bar or the high tops if I wanted to instead of waiting 15 mins. I sat for a bit looking at the menu and waiting for my husband to join me. They were understaffed and only had one waiter for the entire bar area plus the booths, high tops and tables. Apparently they had been waiting on a few servers who were stuck in traffic. Despite this the server greeted me warmly and assured that he would be back to give us our free chips and salsa. It was our first time there so we didn't mind having some time to look at the menu. He came back and we ordered our food, and to my surprise it came out in less than 10 mins. Our waiter said he had made sure to inform the kitchen to time it perfectly. We had the table side guacamole which was pretty good, but a bit expensive for $16, considering the same thing gets done in the kitchen but I didn't want onions so we decided on this version. There is a house guac about $9-$12 (depending on size) pre made in the kitchen if you don't mind all the ingredients. This was definitely tasty and fresh and you could tell they care about quality. Despite a slight mix up from the kitchen (at no fault to our waiter at all), the timing was impeccable. By the time we were served the guacamole our meals had come out of the kitchen. I ordered a mix and match enchiladas meal with one cheese and one ground beef enchilada with tomatillo verde sauce instead of the red sauce it normally comes with. It came with a side of Spanish rice and some extra pico de gallo. The ground beef was decently seasoned, the cheese pull on point, and the tomatillo sauce fresh and tasty. They use corn tortillas, and fresh veggies for the pico. My husband had the pulled chicken bowl, which was fresh, but he mentioned the mixture of ingredients was a bit odd; however someone else might love the combo. Overall the ambiance was a bit loud due to the amount of people, but the food was better than any other Mexican restaurant in the DMV area (I had been disappointed up to this point with the selections of Tex mex restaurants in this area, as I'm used to amazing food in South FL). The service was amazing! Our server was kind, funny and entertaining as well as had a wonderfully positive attitude. He made sure our food was perfect and delivered quickly, even though he was the only one working in that entire section of the restaurant. We will definitely be coming back! read more

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My daughter and I went yesterday. We both ordered chicken. fajitas and quesadilla. the chicken was pink, red and raw! I would not recommend eating here!! Horrible food read more

Nice Mexican indoor restaurant, with hispanic tunes playing in the background. Food was ok. But the service was horrible. Slow, our drink order arrived well after our food, and our food alone took 38 mins to arrive. The restaurant wasn't even full. Our whole dining experience was almost 1:30 hrs. And again, it was the middle of the week, after rush hour, and at a restaurant 35-40% capacity. read more

Uncle Julio's - Drink Menu - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Came one Sunday afternoon to grab a quick bite. I sat at the bar and the lady took a minute to say anything to me, hand me menu, take my order or give me my complementary chips and salsa. It was a snowball because of the delays in handing me a menu, coming back to take my order and the kitchen to make it. I was getting really hangry, and I was hoping the chips and salsa would tide me over until my food came. It didn't help that a couple sat a couple seats down from me at the bar, and they were immediately greeted, given menus and chips and salsa. I was given chips and salsa only after I asked. I also had to wait a couple times to get my drink refilled. The food was pretty good: I got the El Dorado Tacos (3). I really enjoyed it. The shells were crunchy enough and the fillings were good portion-wise. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Our server Ursula took great care in making sure all our needs were met while celebrating a birthday! Food was delicious!

It's just you average overpriced Mexican restaurant with some flair. Food is good. Service can be overworked but they perform. Bills can creep up unexpectedly. Value is taco Tuesday. All you can eat tacos. Nice outside seating. read more

Uncle Julio's - Taco Tuesday - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

Had a really great experience here! The decorations inside are really cute and the restaurant is very well-maintained and organized. Our food was so delicious, everyone finished their plates! Our server was super attentive, and the manager came by multiple times to make sure we were having a great dining experience! read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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Food was good but service was beyond horrible. This place has really deteriorated over the past couple of years. Could not get our servers attention, 30 minutes after sitting we still didn't have our cocktails or water. 3 of our 4 orders had errors, one taco dish was served without the tacos! No tortillas with the 3 orders of fajitas. Had to go to the bar to get our drinks, had to take silverware from another table, had to get our own tortillas....its like we waited on ourselves. read more

Food and service was amazing . We sat at an amazing time , the food was delicious . It was our first time going to that location ! I am grateful for the staff and food read more

Went here for the wife's birthday Monday afternoon. Got here at 3pm and wasn't busy at all. Was a little put off by the thick cobwebs hanging from the vases to the light fixtures at the side of our table! Had a 10 minute wait for the waitress to take our order. We had the chips and drinks after another 5 minutes and 15 minutes later, we ordered. Another 20 minutes and trying to get someone's attention to bring another drink and refill the chips... the food comes out. Absolutely stone cold. And, the order was wrong!! Wasn't too happy so asked to speak to the manager. He came and looked a mess. Big guy, dirty shirt, pants hanging down his @ss and didn't sound like he knew what he was doing. Off he goes to redo the order... all the time talking to the waitress and other staff from the kitchen, looking over at us. I was so uncomfortable and wasn't sure what was going to come out, so I called him over and said we were leaving and that I'd pay for the chips and drinks. He said we didn't have to... so we left. Very disappointed as we have been here maybe 20 times and visited many times before the area was built up. The restaurant is looking tired and dirty. Service is terrible on all levels. Really need to get your acts together. We ended up driving to Reston and going to the UJ's there... great experience and up to parr. Won't be returning to Loundon location again... I would t recommend it to anyone. read more

Uncle Julio's - Cleaned when?? - Mexican Near Me - Ashburn, Virginia

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Wow how this place has gone downhill! I have been going for years, before the one loudoun location, Reston. I went yesterday and the chips were so thick it was like eating cardboard. They also changed the queso recipe. The new recipe is grainy and not remotely good. If all that wasn't enough, the portion sizes continue to shrink and the food came out cold, I have no desire to go back. read more

Every time we do pickup they screw up the order. And now we're told a large queso is this time container. Not sure if the staff isn't sure of what's going on or they are just giving super small portions a but I'm moving on from this place. read more

I miss the old queso with beef in it. The new queso is okay. It has a nice spice. Also the quesabirria tacos are very good and cheesy. The consome seemed kind of light but good. read more

As a family, we have been going here for years, especially at the Reston Town Center location. The food was top notch back then. Since moving to Loudoun and then opening a One Loudoun location we go to this one. The food has not been as good but my last experience was somewhat better. Their salsa and fresh chips are free and have always been good. We ordered Queso. It was excellent! Full of flavor, not too spicy and just the right consistency. My son and I split fajitas for two with steak medium rare, chicken and two large shrimp with a side of garlic butter. The portions of steak and chicken are smaller but the quality was tasty. The steak was medium rare as ordered. We have to order extra cheese because the amount they give is really skimpy. The wonderful freshly made soft tortilla shells came with only three shells in the container for two people?? We ordered more. Also, it came without pico de Gallo. We asked for it. Overall, happy with the meal but long for the old days when the portions were larger and the prices were better. read more

Amazing place! This is our go to restaurant when we meet up with our friends and family! Great food, good prices and the atmosphere is amazing! The service was also quick and accommodating! 10/10 read more

Apparently they have been bought out by a private equity firm (Sun Holdings) and man can you ever tell!! Their menu is substantially changed, for the worse, and it is NOTHING like the Uncle Julio's we have been used to since living in Texas in the early 1980's! The famous salsa is now runny and bland, and they got rid of their queso blanca, and their Nachos Especial as well as their other delicious appetizers such as the bacon wrapped shrimp. Their menu has an almost anemic group of low quality entrees and their charro beans were replaced by refried beans and the Mexican rice is awful. Their margaritas were watered down and they no longer offer fresh jalapeños if requested, as well as no longer making their tortillas fresh in the restaurant. We have followed Uncle Julio's since leaving Texas in the mid-80s to Virginia, Oklahoma and other areas of the country and were always impressed with their quality, consistency and great food, but we were shocked at the changes and will never frequent Uncle Julio's again unless they bring back their quality and menu to the standards we have appreciated for decades. If you're a frequent patron of Uncle Julio's in the past, don't waste your money!! read more