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Uncle Julio's

3.6 (727 reviews)
ModerateTex-Mex, Mexican
Open • 11:00 am - 11:00 pm

Uncle Julio's Reservations

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UNCLE JULIO'S ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Trendy
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Uncle Julio's

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Chicken fajitas
Teresa R.

We hadn't eaten here in quite a while. The food is always pretty good. I wouldn't say it's the most flavorful fajitas but they are pretty good. The servers all appear to be very courteous and efficient, which is always appreciated. It's located in a very nice place, outside of the Columbia Mall. We were lucky not to have to wait for a table although it was a Saturday evening. You can't go wrong eating here.

Tamales
Becca S.

This dinner was magical! The moment you walk in the door you are transported to Mexico. While it doesn't seem like it would be a family place, it was very kid friendly. I'm not sure if we were sat in the unofficial kid section but we were surrounded by other kids and my children had a blast making friends. For the food. I was completely unimpressed until I took a bite. My tamales were skinny and odd looking. There are a lot of bad tamales out there so I mentally braced for it, but these blew my mind. The taste reminded me of my Hispanic friends mothers where I grew up, making them homemade. My kids meals were also fantastic. The bean and cheese burrito tasted like something I wanted to order. Not to mention most Mexican restaurants don't know how to heat up chicken tenders. These were made to perfection for kids! Now to the show stopper. The chocolate piñata. Was so much fun! It seemed gimmicky, but it was interactive and actually tasted great! The churros, fruit, and dark chocolate all blended in one were magically balanced and creative. It felt like something from Disney. I couldn't get it every time because it's a lot, but it's definitely a must do for any celebration.

Guacamole and margarita flight
Joseph O.

Came here with my daughter for lunch and I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by their staff and the food. Table side guacamole is amazing . The chips and salsa were on point. The tortillas were homemade style and were amazing. I ordered the fajitas and loved it. My only mistake was having too much chips, salsa and guacamole before my meal arrived. The margarita flight was awesome and tasted great!

Inside view from our table.
Karen F.

Located on the outskirts of Columbia Mall, my niece and I decided to eat here when the place we were originally going to go to had closed without warning. We were sat right away, and the hostess was very sweet. I appreciate that they put us in a less busy area since we had a toddler with us. Our server flew by our booth a couple of times with an "I'll be with you in a minute". After what seemed to be about 10 minutes, she finally came by to take our order. Food came out in a timely manner. We both had the make your own tacos, which I thought meant they would come out de-constructed, but no, there were two ready-made soft tacos. Which was fine - I just ate the meat and it was very flavorful. I love that they give you the option to have beans or not with your rice. I also really enjoyed their chips and salsa - the salsa was delicious. Once we finished, we had to wait an extra 10 minutes to get our server to bring our check. She seemed capable of handling only one table at a time, because I heard her say to another table near us "I'll be with you in a minute" multiple times. Long story short: food was good, service was just okay.

Ieshia T.

I was searching for happy hour spots in Columbia and stumbled upon Uncle Julio's. While I'm usually not a fan of chain Mexican restaurants because I prefer authentic Mexican cuisine, the Margarita special they were running all week definitely caught my eye. I decided to go with a Mezcalero since it was a one-drink type of happy hour, and paired it with a quesadilla filled with pulled chicken. The quesadilla was small, but decent. The bartenders were friendly and engaged in great conversation. I especially loved them placing a clean cloth napkin down as a placemat--it's the little things that make a difference. I took my time checking out the happy hour menu and regular offerings, and after a bit of browsing, I was excited to try something that reminded me of Mexico. The Mezcalero didn't disappoint--it was the smoky flavor I was craving. The guacamole tasted fresh, and I appreciated the perfect balance of lime, which added just the right touch. I can definitely see myself coming back, especially for drinks. P.S. They use tongs at the bar for the fruit! Lol--just another fun detail that shows they care!

Shrimp fajitas
Anna F.

We went to Uncle Julio's last night for my cousin's birthday celebration last night. We were a large group with two kids. Our server Brian was very nice, patient and helpful. I haven't been to Uncle Julio's since they opened back in 2018. I had the shrimp fajitas and was pretty good. I enjoyed the Mexican buffets that it came with. The shrimp fajitas were enough for me. We also ordered a chocolate piñata for my cousin. It was nice to see a restaurant filled with people.

Tamekah W.

Great service! Excellent drinks! Food was good too. We went for happy hour. Our waiter/bartender was fantastic. Very attentive and provided great recommendations. The watermelon margarita was delicious!! Will be back for sure.

Frozen margaritas flight
Daisa J.

My first time and had a really pleasant time. Plenty of parking in the open mall lot. Customer service was friendly. The food tasted good, and fresh. The drinks weren't too strong

Luis A.

Since this restaurant is located at the Columbia mall, it's always packed. I observed people are having a good time; Therefore, The restaurant is noisy. It doesn't bother me at all. The food was delicious. My food was delicious specially the shrimp. The shrimp cooked to perfection with the right amount of seasoning and bacon. My humble opinion is that Uncle Julio has one of the best margaritas in the DMV. The only complaint I have about this location is parking. It's difficult to find parking if you come on Friday or Saturday night.

Roasted Mushroom Tacos
Allyn F.

I came in for Father's Day yesterday and had THE BEST tacos I've ever had in a long time! As a vegetarian, my options are limited here so I usually get the grilled vegetable fajitas, but since they had a specific scaled-down menu for Father's Day, I had even fewer options. I picked this one and was not disappointed. Every bite was bursting with flavor and the mushrooms were cooked to perfection. I loved the subtle cheese layering the bottom of the tortillas. The sauce on the side was a little too spicy for me, so I opted not to eat too much of it. The only downside is I feel that the tacos should be slightly bigger for the price or served with beans as well as the rice. That being said, the next time I go back I will definitely order this dish again!

Cranberry apple margarita
Katie N.

We came to Uncle Julio's and did t quite get what we expected. The restaurant was busy when we arrived but we were still able to be seated since it is a large location. I ordered the steak fajitas and we waited over an hour for the food to come out. Upon arrival the fajita plate wasn't hot or sizzling the way it usually does so I was a bit disappointed to have received a cold meal. I'm not sure if it was an off day so I'll give them one more try, but I kept the review at 3 stars since the drinks that came out did come out fast and were made pretty well.

The Guadalajara! The only entree you ever have to order. PERIOD!
Franklin F.

Uncle Julio's is my spot. I've only been to the one at Columbia Mall and the one in Orlando. The chips and salsa are top tier. None of that red tomatoey salsa. This stuff is homemade rockstar style salsa. We go through at least 2-3 bowls on each visit. I can only do one when I'm by myself. The Guadalajara is the only entree I've ever had. My cousin turned me on to Uncle Julio's year ago and told me that I need to try the Guadalajara if I ever go. To this day, that is all I've had. I don't even ask for a menu. This place is 5 Star! Get here and get it! That's it.

Chips
Tee T.

Customer Service was great. We were greeted as soon as we walked in and escorted to our table. We immediately received fresh chips and salsa. Our server was prompt checked on us and even the manager walked around to check on tables. Rating 5 Food-Rating 3 and that's generous Strawberry Margarita-Absolutely no flavor, no taste. Just crushed up strawberries and pure alcohol. Queso-Super Runny Chicken Quesadilla-Very thick breading, Chicken Fajitas-Seasoned and Juicy!! Very thick wraps also Ambiance- Beautiful aesthetics Parking lot with plenty of free parking

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2 years ago

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11 months ago

Great service, good food. Fast, convenient, satisfying. Good salsa, guac, queso. Only complaint was it was quite dark.

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Uncle Julio's Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Uncle Julio's

How are they with food allergies? Need to avoid soy, msg and peanut...is this possible?

Your waiter/waitress will ask if you have any food allergies before they take your orders :)

I'll need to order some vegan options - can you do that on a Saturday night? Thanks.

Hello Beth, Thank you for reaching out and we are happy to assist by providing you with a few options that are vegan or can be substituted and made into a vegan dish.… Read more

Do you have outdoor seating?

Absolutely! Come on out and enjoy a margarita on our patio.

Is this a good place for a birthday dinner and if so should I make reservations?

Uncle Julio’s is an Outstanding place for a birthday dinner! The chocolate piñata makes a very memorable celebration. We’ll even write happy birthday on the tray if you just ask your server when you arrive.… Read more

That swirl margarita looks amazing. I'm having a farewell work luncheon for my boss on Wed., 19 June - at the Columbia location and I would love to treat her to this. What flavors does it come in?

The swirl is a frozen margarita and frozen sangria. It doesn't come in the other flavors, but you can get a platinum swirl that is topped with a shot of 1800 silver tequila - it's fun, it floats on an inverted lime wedge at the top of your drink.… Read more

Does this place require reservations?

We don’t require a reservation but if you have a larger party it’s a good idea to call the restaurant or use our app to reserve a table.… Read more

Is there happy hour and if yes at what times/days?

Happy Hour is from 4:30-6:30 it's $1.25 off of wine a beers, and 2.25 off of all other liquors other than their El jefe, fresh margaritas and one other drink.

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Chido's Tex-Mex Grill - Shrimp and chorizo fajita with mango margarita

Chido's Tex-Mex Grill

3.8(581 reviews)
8.6 mi
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more like a 3.5ish…read more we enjoyed our meal at Chido's. we went mid afternoon and it was busy considering the off hours. the chips and salsa were good (salsa a little runny, but tasty). we started with empanadas, which were really done well. the dipping sauce they came with was delicious - almost like a pickled or fermented sauce with herbs and finely diced onion. wasn't for my husband but i couldn't get enough of it! i had a combo plate, and got a beef enchilada and beef chile relleno. the relleno was flavorful (i LOVE cilantro) and the enchilada was done well. very cheese heavy, but that's never a bad thing in my book. expect VERY big portions. my husband found an eggshell in his rellenos, which was a bit of a disappointment. while i enjoyed mine, he indicated they weren't prepared as he expected. i found the flavors right, but i'm not usually very picky. our waitress was attentive and the atmosphere was relaxed and not too overwhelming (it's a big restaurant, this might be different at night with a full house). overall decent experience!

Came here with some friends. Open surface parking lot, free. We didn't have a reservation but it…read morewas easy enough to get a table (booth) for 6 on a Friday evening. Booth was comfortable. I didn't have much, but the table chips & salsa was good. We ended up sharing a pitcher of Cadillac Margarita ($63) and regular Mango Margarita ($50) since we were all getting marg's anyway. These were all more than enough to share between 4 people. The Mango was good, the Cadillac was strong! I ordered Shrimp Tacos ($16). I don't think they were on the menu, but they were provided. 3 Tacos with salsa, guacamole & lettuce on the side. It always came with a bowl of brown beans and yellow rice. Good. I was full after 1 taco. When it's someone's birthday, the staff comes out in almost like a full band. It was cute. We were all able to pay on separate checks. I and myself took on the full responsibility of purchasing the marg's for the group. Not sure if it was due to the size of our party, but gratuity was automatically added at 18% to my check.

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Chido's Tex-Mex Grill
Chido's Tex-Mex Grill - Mondays are fajita night   Buy 1, 2nd one is half price

Mondays are fajita night Buy 1, 2nd one is half price

Chido's Tex-Mex Grill - Sangarita

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Sangarita

Savage Burrito - Low quality ingredients along with the cheese in the Queso.

Savage Burrito

3.5(11 reviews)
0.1 mi

Having ordered from this location many times in past and enjoyed their large delicious burritos, I…read morewas underwhelmed with my order from last night. The burrito was almost half the size it used to be and the contents were rather dry. Add to that the smaller than previous amount of queso for a large order of chips and this was a disappointing order. At least the chips were still delightful. I get it that prices are up and sizes are down but when quality is also impacted, I'm hoping this was just an "off night" for Savage. Might give them another go but that'll be a while.

By far, the nastiest food I've had in a long time. I haven't had anything from here before, but ut…read morepopped up in DoorDash so I gave it a try. It didn't take too long to get here and that was cool. The price range was good as well. When the food got here, it wasn't even hot. It was warm at best. The burrito was wrapped up in Aluminum Foil, which I thought would have prolonged the temperature, but it didn't. I started eating the burrito and the meat was chewy and inedible. I had a total of 5 pieces of meat so far and some of it was edible. I had to spit out the meat due to its rubbery texture to say the least. It's not the first time I came across some rubbery meat, but it made me come to the conclusion that they need to serious consider where they get their meat from. I cannot be the only person who questioned the quality of this place. The Queso was bad too. Not sure where they got the cheese from but it's bad. The Guac was bad too. This food was a bad dream...seriously. I was unable to get a full refund because DoorDash was down and I couldn't talk to customer service. To the owners of this establishment, I beg you to change your food vendors. I don't know you personally, so as a business owner myself, I hope that you make the proper adjustments because I am not the only one who has a quality complaint. Can I get my money back though?

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Savage Burrito - Cheap meat that I tried to chew. Had to spit it back out. Yes, this is 6 chunks of meat that I spit out.

Cheap meat that I tried to chew. Had to spit it back out. Yes, this is 6 chunks of meat that I spit out.

Savage Burrito - Large chips

Large chips

Savage Burrito - Not the Dream Team, the Horror Team of food from this place.

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Not the Dream Team, the Horror Team of food from this place.

Los Compadres - Fresh crispy chips and rich zingy salsa!

Los Compadres

4.3(169 reviews)
6.6 mi
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Los Compadres Restaurant was absolutely amazing and a must-visit if you love (or want to try)…read moreauthentic Mexican food. The atmosphere was great, the service was outstanding, and the chef clearly knows what they're doing. George truly made the experience memorable for me and my three kids. Thank you all please keep up the great work, and please keep that food quality and consistency going!

Great Méxican food, some American food, Full bar, Nice staff, Nice regulars, Comfortable…read more Over the past 6-months or so, I'm becoming a regular at Compadres restaurant and bar. The food has been excellent on several visits, and the staff and regulars are real nice. On this visit (Jan 2026), I was just stopping in for a quick brew before a long evening. I've known some of the staff here, so I knew I'd be comfortable. The bar staff remembered my usual drink, which is always a welcoming feeling. I favor a tangy tequila drink as a great partner to the food, or any slightly-sweet cocktail or beer. They have a wide selection. And they remembered my favorite dish, which I've ordered here only once before! I love birria tacos, and they make a terrific recipe. It's tender slow-cooked shredded beef with rich savory flavors too complex to know all the ingredients. The beef picks up the sweet smokiness of mild peppers, perhaps chipotle, deeply-marinated for hours with herbs that i will guess as cumin, thyme, and others, and caramelized diced onion. It's loaded with some queso into a folded soft corn tortiila, which is soaked in the marinade, then pan or griddle-seared. Or maybe seared and then filled? Either way, it's a deeply-colorful hand-held like a super-flavorful super-juicy quesadilla. This birria-dilla is served with a dark reddish consommé of all the flavors of the beef and the marinade, for dipping and dousing and generally risking your clothing to splashes, spills, and wild abandon. Compadres also served me freshly fried thin very-lightly-spiced tortilla chips with a zingy fresh chunky red salsa, and i realized that, without thinking, i was dipping the chips in that luscious consommé more than the salsa! I enjoy the food and the relaxed ambiance of this little place. They recently added a lovely terrifically-detailed mural by a local artist of a pueblo magico, a village of delicious food and good compadres. You know those friends who you always seem to visit at meal-time for a taste of whatever is simmering? These Compadres are those compadres.

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Los Compadres - Lovely terrifically-detailed mural by a local artist of a pueblo magico, a village of delicious food and good Compadres. (Nov or Dec 2025)

Lovely terrifically-detailed mural by a local artist of a pueblo magico, a village of delicious food and good Compadres. (Nov or Dec 2025)

Los Compadres - The lovely-plated plate of occasionally available savory juicy birria tacos!!! Oh, please, eat these! Happiness!!!

The lovely-plated plate of occasionally available savory juicy birria tacos!!! Oh, please, eat these! Happiness!!!

Los Compadres - Close up of beautiful mural in main seating area.

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Close up of beautiful mural in main seating area.

El Agave - Enchiladas

El Agave

4.3(309 reviews)
8.8 mi
•$$

No-frills location in Catonsville for great happy hour specials until 6pm and a menu for…read morevegetarians and meat eaters alike. Parking lot has ample space. The exterior looks worn down and unassuming. The interior is small but was able to accommodate our party. The service was good, with both bartenders taking turns serving our table. I ordered happy hour chips and queso, and the queso felt very unfresh and can-like. They only offer one basket of chips & salsa complimentary per the menu but we were a party of 5 and received two. My happy hour app was rung up as regular price. The hard shell bean tacos I ordered had very little beans in them and only beans, no other toppings. There was lettuce, tomato, and cheese on the plate on the side, so I had to dress my own tacos. They tasted okay, not great, not bad. The $6 Monday margaritas are for the 12 oz and are made strong. It's a $1 more for a flavor and $1 more for a larger size (16 oz). The men's bathroom is small and had two urinals that are right next to the bathroom door. I will probably stick with my usual spot in Laurel, called Chido's.

Visited El Agave today and let me tell you, it won't be the last time! We got there and we were…read moreimmediately sat and our drink + fresh delicious chips + salsa hit the table! The salsa you could tell was made fresh and had just enough kick, the chips were delicious! I ordered the Agave Burrito and it was stuffed full of shredded chicken and was the perfect size with refried beans + rice. My friend ordered the California burrito with El Pastor and it was stuffed full and also very delicious! We didn't have room for dessert but the churro cheesecake sounded amazing! This place felt very authentic and was the perfect balance of noise and being able to talk! Service, ambience + food all get a thumbs up from me!

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El Agave - Bar

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El Agave - Ribeye

Ribeye

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Menu

Uncle Julio's - tex-mex - Updated May 2026

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