I used to love Uncle Julio's. We've celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries here. Unfortunately, the quality has significantly diminished over the course of the past years. "From Scratch" went to "chain restaurant". The lettuce used to be fresh, not you're lucky when you have one fresh shredded leaf in it. The cheese used to be shredded by hand in store which is now pre shredded with a thick coat of white powder to keep it fresh, it doesn't melt the same either. The steak went from "oh wow" to "yikes", it's so thin now that besides well done, you simply can't get it any other temperature. The cocktails used to be my go to for Margaritas, now the only thing I can taste is the sour mix. Unfortunately, while the quality went down, prizes went up. The rebranding didn't do Uncle Julio's well. What's left from scratch? Maybe the salsa and tortillas? I can hardly recognize this establishment and have to cross is off my list of favorites. read more

3.5 stars for Uncle Julio's! It's not an authentic Mexican place but they offer pretty decent American-Mexican dishes. Their tacos are tasty and pretty big. What I don't love so much about them is the price and lack of authenticity. However, if you are craving some Americanized Mexican food at a sit down restaurant and the price tag doesn't bother you, the food quality itself is around 4 stars, so give a shot! read more

Always friendly, bartenders who are not light with alcohol, great sizzling fajitas and those crazy good crispy chips and salsa. Have you tried the desserts? Must go place in Columbia. 4 stars because the wait can be long. read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Uncle Julio's is a classic and my favorite go-to Mexican chain restaurant since college. The one in Columbia is right outside the mall and quite spacious. Can't beat their sizzling veggie fajitas! The fresh warm tortillas are served with a pipping hot platter of grilled veggies (peppers, zucchini, onions and ginormous full-size portobello mushroom). The fajitas are complete with all the fixings you could ask for - cheddar cheese, beans, rice, guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Usually there's a missing ingredient with fajitas - guac or cheese, but Uncle Julio's got you covered! My hubby enjoyed his steak and chicken fajitas. The table-side guac is well worth it! Fun to watch the server scoop out and mash 4 avocados, add in some olive oil, salt, squeeze some lemon and mix in onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and jalapenos. The fresh guac is so tasty and beats the stale side of guac served with the fajitas. My hubby enjoyed the margaritas while the Swirl (mix of frozen margarita and frozen sangria) is a sugar rush! Uncle Julio's is always a great time, will be back for more sizzling fajitas and table-side guac! read more

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The drinks were great. Food was odd - the quesadilla had such a small amount of cheese, both the steak and chicken. The guac was ok. It wasn't busy and the service was still extremely slow read more

Food has consistently been good as well as chips and salsa. The one time the steak was cook incorrectly, the manager quickly came and fixed it. I am not one to complain, but he was happy to fix the issue and check back in. read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Filet mignon tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The food was really good .... the location is good it's at the mall making parking plentiful. We had a large group I don't think our waiter did very well with the large table and separate checks.... but other than that everything went well. I had the fajitas they were amazing. The guac oh the guac is out of this world! My the the jefe was ok not as strong as I thought it would be. The piñata is adorable and delicious we enjoyed that part. I will revisit with my kids for a more detailed experience with a smaller group. read more

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I was initially going to give Uncle Julio's 4 stars after leaving the restaurant last Saturday evening but I had to knock down a star because I got super sick from their food the next day. To begin, I made a reservation for 8 for a surprise birthday dinner. When I had to update the guest count, they were very accommodating. I had only been to UJ's once for a quick drink at the bar so I had not experienced the dining side. 1 of our guests explained to me it was a scratch-kitchen, so service was going to be very slow and she was right lol. Ok no problem, let's start on the drinks. I order a Lucky Horseshoe because the ingredients sound amazing but there was 1 ingredient I was not expecting, a fruit fly! Luckily I only had 2 sips before noticing the critter in my green drink. Our waiter comes over, apologizes and I was able to order something else so at this point, I stuck to what I knew, a mojito. By the time our food came out about 45minutes to an hour later, everything was good. Each guest enjoyed their dish and most of us took some home. I chose the Salmon Jardin Fajita which was prepared to perfection at the time I ate. The next day, I had it the same exact way for lunch and will spare the details of how sick I got from it Sunday. To this day, I have no clue what was in my particular dish that made me sick because no one else became ill that weekend. It just sucks that I made the effort for this surprise to occur and I end up being surprisingly sick when it was all said and done. read more

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Service was very low to mother's day which was fine. But we had 4 bartenders behind the bar. Service was just slow and terrible. The communication about our order wasn't great. They had kids at the bar by the way which I thought was a bit odd. Our drinks we had to ask for refills. She just kept walking by like we didn't exist. I wouldn't recommend at all honestly. The co workers behind the bar barely spoke to words to each other. They just moved around each other. It took 45 minutes for shrimp fajitas which came out burnt. She literally just walked by again and didn't even ask if we needed a refill Just wanted to come out a d grab a mom margarita. I'd skip this place in a hert beat read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Initially I was very impressed by the complimentary unlimited fresh chips and salsa - very tasty, very fresh...perfectly thin, warm, and crispy tortilla chips. The red salsa has a kick to it and you can see a bit of the black char from the fire roasted peppers, which I love. And the amount and refills are quite generous! Unfortunately, it is very difficult to eat this salsa without spilling or splashing some on the table, and there were no plates or paper napkins to help with that (didn't really want to use my cloth napkin to mop up the mess). But taste-wise, chips and salsa were 5/5. Grilled fish tacos - looks and taste wise they were *okay*, but functionally lacking a bit? The taco was a little overstuffed so the tortilla got soggy and fell apart on me. The menu says it comes in 2 corn tortillas but each taco only had one, which may have been the issue. I was hoping for some stronger flavors in the crema, or to have a cabbage slaw rather than just straight up cabbage, and to have a lime on the side? And I also realized while eating this that fish seems to work better when it's crispy. The cilantro rice was moist and very lightly flavored but I think it would have been more exciting to have more cilantro or lime in it. I am used to having standard garlicky, oniony black beans in a little bit of sauce next to my rice which I usually eat together in a bite with rice. However, the beans were kind of odd - it tasted like someone mixed black beans with chunky red salsa and added some chili seasoning. Not a fan of the beans. I'd say this dish was ok but could use some improvement - probably 2.75-3/5. Finally, churros - small, dense but adequately chewy little churros dipped in cinnamon and sugar, but maybe not quite as much cinnamon or sugar as you'd expect? The chocolate sauce was watery, like a slightly less viscous Hershey's syrup or something. I expected more of a classic thicker chocolate churro dipping sauce, but no. I would recommend to Uncle Julio's not even having "chocolate sauce" as part of this menu item and adding more cinnamon sugar coating...OR do a light sugar dusting and make an awesome dipping sauce... but this combo doesn't work. For the churros alone, I'd give this a 3-3.5/5 - okay. I'd consider coming back for happy hour for more fresh chips and to try their guac or queso, but wouldn't get the fish tacos or churros again as they are currently offered. read more

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Came here with friends after watching Top Gun. The place wasn't that busy and got seated right away since we had reservations. The specialty dish I got was really excellent. The other dish which was tacos that my wife got was kind of mediocre. She also got the frozen strawberry daiquiri and that was pretty weak in terms of alcohol. The service was good but a bit slow at the end even though it wasn't crowded. Overall it was a pleasant experience with good food and great atmosphere. The fajitas were definitely worth trying. read more

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I've been to a few Uncle Julio's locations and I think the service and quality is pretty consistent. The portions are pretty filling and there are a lot of options to choose from. read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I been here several times before but todays 3 stars is for our waiter and not the food. He was super slow about everything. We knew it was just him because ppl who were seated in other sections around us ate long before we did. Our table was lop-sided and needed something under the legs. My daughter(birthday girl) asked if he could put something there. He took forever and she asked him again. Finally he comes back handing her a stack of napkins, for her to do it, herself. She had to get under the table to apply napkins as a leveler. WE WERE APPALLED. Who gives their female customer with a dress on, the napkins to level the table? After that, we were just hungry and happy that table side guacamole is back!!! We ordered this for an appetizer and the woman arrived right when our food arrived. Waiter NEVER came back after we ordered to check on us or provide an update. My daughter flagged him down to ask for a side of sour cream with her meal. He NEVER came back but walked past several times to help others. We ended up flagging down a manager or hostess maybe(we didn't know who she was but she wasn't dressed as wait staff but had a portable device to communicate with). Asked her for sour cream, plates for the guacamole and napkins. She brought them and we proceeded to eat. My grandsons' beef tacos were very greasy. I asked the woman about it and said I can scoop and drain the meat and offered to get him another one. I started to let her do it but began really weary as to what was actually going on because I was certainly feeling neglected on purpose. The food was good & filling. Guac was awesome. I can't remember the waiters name but he didn't provide good service at all and I'm very easy to please in a restaurant. read more

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Uncle Julio's truly stand to it's promise "made from scratch". The complimentary chips and the tortilla that came with our order of fajitas came really fresh and still warm. As soon as you step inside the restaurant, you are greeted with a savory smell of sizzling food. It just doesnt smell good, it taste good as well. We came for the chocolate piñata for my birthday. It was a fun experience smashing the piñata made of a ball of dark chocolate, loaded with churros, pineapple and strawberry. It was a bit pricey, i am not convinced it should be worth $30 but for the experience, it is nice to try it at least once specially when it is during a special occasion. They write customized greetings according to your event so don't hesitate to ask your server to put greetings such as "happy birthday" or "happy anniversary". The chocolate taste premium, the churros are the best, the pineapple tasted sweet and the strawberries are really fresh so we were happy with that. For the meal, we ordered chicken and steak fajitas. The serving is good enough for two people to share. Quality of meat is really good. Both steak and chicken are full of flavor. Our server, Alexis was also good and made sure we were well taken care of. This restaurant is located within a mall but has it's own entrance from the parking lot so parking is not an issue. Overall, we had a nice time here! read more

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I don't know . . . . maybe I've become a Mexican food and Tex-Mex snob but I've had enough to know when I'm bored by a meal. I'm far from saying it was bad experience but I would call I a non-experience and for meals averaging in the $20ish range something on the plate better impress me. Honestly the most memorable part of the meal was the salsa that came with the chips. It would have been great if this, or a hotter version also came automatically with the meal. (The beans were good too.) I understand that they specialize I fajitas so if I ever come back I'll give those a try. Technically we decided to come here because a few on our group were in the mood for margaritas . . . . and they were pleased with them. I am not big on margaritas though but do enjoy tequila so I thought I'd try their take on a tequila old fashioned. To me, no matter what else you put in an old fashioned, if it doesn't come in a tumble with a huge crystal clear block of ice it's not an old fashioned. This had neither and just tasted like straigh tequila. I like straight tequila but was looking forward to what was described and was disappointed in the execution. My friend ordered one after seeing mine and it came with no ice at all. He ended up asking for ice and agave nectar. (The fresh guac made at the table was great. The guac that came with the meals . . . . not so much.) read more

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It was ok! I think it's a fun place to have dinner if you're already at the mall but honestly the food was okay to me. I had the veggie quesadilla which was mostly onions and I didn't really enjoy it. I liked how they had a chocolate piñata though! That was fun! read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Veggie Quesadilla - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Very slow service. It took our server 30 minutes to get us water, and once he did the glass jugs of water were dirty. The ambiance was very dirty, especially the floors. The food tasted good, but I've noticed an overall decline over the past few years. No plans of returning any time soon. It's a shame, because Uncle Julio's used to be a favorite. read more

It was nearly a year ago that I had lunch here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and I couldn't pass it up this year. This time I sat inside; was seated quickly. Same server, Kim, who took care of my table last year. Fajitas were delicious, service outstanding again. I really shouldn't let a year go by before stopping into this location. Excellent meal and service. read more

Until recently, I would have rated Uncle Julio's 5 stars. My partner and I would order at least once a week and it would remind me of home in Texas. I know Texas, and Uncs was comparable to the food there... until now. New management has RUINED everything good about the food and atmosphere. They don't serve beans with your meal anymore. They got rid of happy hour deals. They serve way less chips and queso. AND they only play 70s and 80s pop and rock instead of the awesome reggaeton they used to play. All around, a way worse experience for just as much or more money. Management has successfully ruined Uncle Julio's. (Pictured is the way overpriced and undersized queso. $9 for a queso that I could get for $2 at Chipotle. They used to give a generous amount and now it's barely enough as a topping) read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Small queso was $9. Should be considered theft at this point - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Soo we ended up here at the last minute. Although it was a Wednesday night. The hostess was a doll. And the service didn't just stop being great cause our server was even better. The service was amazing we had this young lady that was such a delight. I had the quesa-Birria meal. It was amazingggg. I also had a strawberry margarita. I think i found the go to spot in Annapolis for tacos. We will be coming back soon; the ambiance was beautiful yet so calm. read more

I emailed the manager at the Columbia location about a recent dine-in experience and we have not received any response till this day. We were misinformed and there were significant issues with the bill. As returning and loyal customers, there should be an explanation or at least the decency to say "received" to an email. read more

The customer service is SO poor. They did not have any extra menus ( I requested 4 and they said they only had 3) The front end hostess Katy was very rude. Seemed annoyed when I asked for an additional menu. Handed me an unclean menu with QR code when I asked for an additional one. Very unprofessional. Really rained my experience. The front house sets the stage for a memorable experience and they FAILED for this customer. FAILED with a Capital F. Food update: Ordered food. Chicken Fajitas - no smoke, no steam, not hot. Not flavored. Frozen chicken breast. Don't get this. Cheese & Onion Enchiladas- arrived topped with beef. My guest does not eat beef. Why put beef on cheese and chicken enchiladas. Chicken Fajita Bowl - bowl exterior was dirty. Looked like a hot mess. Not appetizing. No flavor. No seasoning. Very very bland. 1st and last time at this chain Mexican where they don't use garlic or adobo. Shameful read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Dirty Chicken Tortilla Bowl - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

I enjoyed the side table guacamole. The customer service was great. The manager was very nice! The salmon entree was really good. I would definitely order that again. The fajitas the person who ordered it didn't like it. The beans are really good. Nice ambiance. read more

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I came in today because I wanted to celebrate Cinco De Mayo. We arrived about noon and it was packed. The host told me the Wait was over 45 minutes and encouraged me to look at the bar /High stools. I found a table near the bar towards the back and it was cool. Jose was very attentive and provided excellent customer service. He came to check on us and made sure there was no dairy in my meal. The managers kept walking around to check on the diners and were friendly. My shrimp and steak fajitas were very tasty. I had two strawberry margaritas and it was a good balance of fruit , juice and alcohol. Since its near the mall, I was expecting more fun!!!! I took off stars because We came here today because it was Cinco De Mayo and I assumed there would be drink and food specials. It's a Mexican restaurant lol. The only special I heard about was a raspberry margarita?! It was also quite expensive for our dinner and drinks. There was no lively music of sombreros. I figured it would be more of a PARTY! This location needs to cater more to families. read more

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Great food and great service by Rachael at the bar. Had the happy hour margaritas they pretty good, not overly sweet. Ordered the Guadalajara fajita with bacon wrapped shrimp, steak and chicken. Everything tasted amazing. Enjoyed the guacamole, cheese, sour cream and grilled jalapeño on the sides. Not only was the food good but it's a cute restaurant that plays good music and the food came out quickly. Nice spot for bday dinner or girls nite out. Check it out read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Cheese - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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I went to this restaurant many years ago and had a delicious experience. But today we tried the Crab and Shrimp Enchilada and the Crab and Shrimp Stuffed Poblano. Both were soupy and mushy, and unappealing right down to the soupy refried beans. The service was great and the management response earned the server a great tip. But I've had great Mexican and will never go here again expecting a delicious experience. read more

Pricey but not overly expensive tex-mex. Margarita was great. Wish the blended was happy hour cheap. Got the rest. Price Rocks. As they say they specialize in the fajita, so did the Triple steak chicken shrimp ( i think shrimp wins but by only a little. ) Home run for plenty home made tortillas Chips and salsa are solid not exceptional read more

I have always been a fan of Uncle Julio's. Tried out the one in Columbia, but we made sure to go earlier on a weekday because it is otherwise just way too crowded and way too loud. Our bartender was amazing, I'm so bummed I forgot her name. I love the swirl drink, it is my primary reason for ever going to an Uncle Julio's! I tried the tacos this time around because I wasn't particularly starving. The tacos are huge, probably could have just had one and been content. They were tasty, I got a chicken taco that had very well-cooked chicken and an ample amount of chicken inside the taco. It had a little bit too much cheese (but cheese is so good), but I'd order it again. I also ordered a ground beef taco, and loved the flavoring on the meat. I definitely will continue to avoid this place on a weekend night, but when it's quieter it is lovely. read more

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We went on Cinco De Mayo and eventhough they were packed and very busy., the service was amazing. We had a wait of about an hour and 45 mins. And it was just that almost to the minute. We got seated and our waiter (Nathan) came over about 5 minutes later. Got our drink order and then our appetizer order. Drinks and Apps came out about 10 - 15 minutes layer, and both were delicious. I ordered the mezcal margarita and my boyfriend ordered the Swirl. Our food arrived about 20 minutes later, I got the street tacos a d my boyfriend got the soft tacos. They were both amazing as well. I would totally recommend this place. read more

Went here for the first time for lunch and had a great experience thanks to our wonderful waiter, Mason. I was going to order a taco salad to be healthy and when he found out that I'm a vegetarian, he suggested I get the fajitas which I said I didn't want because I didn't want to eat any tortillas or rice. So he said he could give me lettuce wraps instead of tortillas and then julienned vegetables as a side instead of rice and beans, so I said yes and was very happy with my meal! It was still extremely filling and the sour cream and guacamole that came with it was delicious. The only thing is that the complimentary salsa and chips are a little eh, but I expect that from a chain restaurant anyway. I would definitely dine here again! read more

Food was amazing and the Service was even better. Our server was so good but unfortunately I can't remember his name and I can't find the receipt which really sucks because he deserves so much credit! Great experience for our family and birthday people...would definitely go again! read more

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We used to love this spot, but the last few times we've had it the beef and chicken in the fajitas taste fake and the tortillas no longer look or taste homemade. Everything tastes like it came frozen out the bag and was reheated before serving. read more

Movie date night, so decided to have dinner before the show. Made a reservation on the website with no problems. I have to say that the portions are really big and we definitely had take out after we were full. The pineapple margaritas were pretty good and overall I would say the food was well prepared and had decent spices, nice aroma, and deep flavor. We'll definitely come back to try some other dishes. The wait staff were working hard and were very read more

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Yummy place! I went there during Black Friday and there was no wait. Tons of tables and enough servers so you aren't waiting a long time for your meal. The restaurant is a bit dark so it is hard to read your menu but overall wonderful food. Our server was attentive and even allowed us to split the check when we had 4 people on separate bills. My only negative review is that the chips for the salsa are very thin and breakable. We order guacamole and cheese dip for the table and had a lot of trouble eating it with the chips we had. Most of us just spooned the dips into our mouths. read more

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I came to this location with family and friends to celebrate my sons birthday. Our sever was excellent, she was on top of everything. Always checking in to see if our needs were being taken care of. The other severs came to help her bring our food to the table, and were equally pleasant. The food and drinks were delicious, and we enjoyed our meal and time at this restaurant. I'm sure we will return again in the near future. read more

Ordered family meal tacos, delivered. The toppings came in one container together, but the lettuce was rotted, slimy, like it had been frozen. It was on the top and throughout, so the Packers knew this and sent anyway, ruining all toppings. So, for $80, we had to eat plain meat tacos. Won't order from them again. Even the meat was tasteless and the guacamole was already browned. read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Rotted lettuce - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

The food here was AMAZING! The service was great and the food came out in a timely manner. The restaurant was clean and had a nice ambiance for friends hanging out and also family gatherings! read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Bacon wrapped shrimp - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

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Mexican food!! This is a franchise?? No way!! Maryland has been good to me lol. I've been to this restaurant several times this is an all time favorite. When in doubt go to uncle Julio's. I love the grilled shrimp it's tasty along with the margaritas and fajitas. read more

Uncle Julio's Columbia - Tex-Mex Near Me - Columbia, Maryland

Very long wait for empty restaurant over 40mins and counting. Just decided to sit at bar since we waiting this long already.

I stopped coming here after more than a couple unsavory experience. One thing I will say is consistent, are their drinks. However their staff and recipes definitely need a little more.....work to say the least. read more