An upscale expensive Mexican restaurant but has a great Happy Hour! House Margs $6 (frozen or rocks) and chips queso/guac for $6. Sat a the bar with okay service - had to get our own silverware and ask for a menu and twice for chips/salsa to begin. Semi busy bartender, I think. Loved the taco bar with all the fixings! Splurged on two menu margaritas but I'm telling ya get to the happy hour those margs are just as good! The 2 menu margs were just ask expensive as our taco bar, and 2 happy hour margs. Definitely a great place for foods and margs - again go for the happy hour! read more

Uncle Julio's - Spicy Pina - a spicy pineapple margarita $13.50 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

Went here on an early (6pm) Saturday Night celebration. There just 6 of us including two teenagers and all had good appetites. Let's start with We didn't get to leave until 8pm as service is sloooooowwww ! So slow we almost ran out of things to say. Waiter was nice, but can't make up for how slow. Wait, Saturday? Was it really busy? NO. In fact after the other party left the room we were alone for the rest of the night. Even drinks were slow. And when the waiter returned with our drink order some days later, he proclaimed "we don't make that one anymore!" This forced my poor wife to wait another twenty minutes to get a drink that they could actually make. Normally when service is slow a waiter or manager will stop by and check in and offer more chips or water or a cot and a pillow. Nope. Finally the food arrived, it felt like Sunday. It was good? Yeah it was nice. I mean it is dolled up Mexican food, not real Mexican. But okay . Remember we were celebrating, so we ordered the chocolate piñata. Well they must hang them in the fridge because that only took another 20 minutes to get and the kids enjoyed it. Upon leaving we walked out through the huge bar and there was no one. The side rooms had an ample amount of folks. But 8 o'clock on a Saturday and this place was turning down. Alas Uncle Julio, we are crossing you off the list. Too expensive, food that tries too hard and delivers so/so and service so slow that snails and turtles can compete in a race. read more

I don't understand the ratings at all on this restaurant or maybe it has changed. Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures while I was there because I was met my girlfriends and we were so busy talking we forgot. When you arrive, you're agreed by a beautiful mural outside. The inside is decorated beautifully and there are two separate rooms that have the glass garage doors that can lift up and opens to an outdoor patio seating area that's really nice! The chips are thin and crispy just like I like them and the salsa is perfectly spiced and smoky. I ordered the tomatillo enchiladas. They were seriously the best I have ever tasted and I've been to a lot of Mexican restaurants even in Texas. They were so delicious! It came with guacamole and it was perfect! A lot of restaurant just taste like smashed avocados. Not here, It was awesome! The service was great. I am giving them 5 stars and I have been telling all my friends about it. My friend that had us meet there, works for MoBap hospital and apparently staff there know about this place. Maybe they are too busy to post reviews b/c they frequent it and I absolutely loved it! I will get tons of pictures next time! read more

The biggest needed improvement is to have a Wine List with bottles to purchase Doesn't need to be extensive but only serving a couple of wines by the glass is pitiful. And worse yet, when we inquired if we could get any of those wines by the bottle, we were told no Just because you have an extensive tequila list doesn't help wine drinkers. There are plenty of other Mexican/southwest restaurants in the St. Louis area that have a nice wine list including Spanish wines and Argentinian wines, etc.. The Service was OK but not great. And the taco Tuesday portions seemed skimpy read more

Good service great atmosphere. Food is delicious. Great place for birthday parties or other celebrations. read more

This was my second visit. You can tell they are struggling with service. We waited longer than we should for our server to come to our table. I love the decor of this place! The furniture, pictures and color scheme are beautiful. It's also very spacious. I'm not a fan of their steak. First visit I had steak tacos and the meat was tough. Second visit I had the steak quesadilla and the meat was tough and fatty. I''m giving four stars for the chocolate pinata! What a fun experience! You're given a wooden stick to crack it open. You can't tap lightly. It's thick chocolate. Inside are strawberries, pineapples and churros. You're given chocolate sauce and whip cream decorates the board. The board is huge so you're need to clear the table before they bring it out. read more

Uncle Julio's - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

I want to start the review by saying that the biggest disappointment was the service. The food was decent and our server was nice enough, but it was apparent that they were severely under staffed. Our server was working tables, the bar, and also cleaning tables which may have added to the time spent here. We went here on a Friday night right at 5. We got our drinks order in relatively quickly, but then did not have our food order taken for another hour and a half. After waiting for the food to come out for an hour we had to find our waiter to ask the progress of our food. Once the food came out some of the plates were hot and the others were very cold and you could tell had been sitting for a while. Overall it was surprising that it took over 3 hours to leave with a heavy majority spent just waiting. Not sure I will be back for dine in service, and hoping that your experience is better than ours! P.S. no food pics because by the time the food came I was too hungry and forgot! read more

Let's say you were in Frontenac for some reason, you wanted to eat Mexican food and you didn't want to go anywhere else, lest someone break the radio antenna off from your car and use it to smoke rocks. In that case, you might honestly want to eat at Uncle Julio's. The food is actually pretty decent, and it's reasonably priced by the standards of today's restaurant meals--which is to say that it's not at all financially responsible to eat there. But it could be worse! I've eaten there a few times over the years. Only once, the first time I ate there, was there more than a small handful of people there eating. I got takeout from there once on a Cinco de Mayo, and it was weirdly amazing in a way that it never was before or since. It tasted the way (literally any) food tastes when you're high on marijuana, but I was as sober as a judge. The last time I was there before today, I was forced to sit at the bar for a while until my table was ready, even though there was hardly anyone else there. Was the table not emotionally prepared? Once I was finally seated, I was given free guacamole as consolation. This was the best guacamole I've ever had in my life, with the caveat that I'm a savage and a brokie. I've hardly ever left the state of Missouri, and I may never leave again in life. In general, I'd say the food is good, but it's purposely engineered to appeal to decidedly unsophisticated people. All of the meat dishes are weirdly sweet, the way that they are at an Americanized Chinese restaurant, there's melted cheese, sour cream and what have you in places where it's not called for, as if this were a Taco Bell, and the fajitas aren't sufficiently charred. This time, I went with the street tacos, because you can't really go wrong with tacos, and because I'm trying tacos from different restaurants to compare them. I notice that more and more restaurants are carrying street tacos in addition to regular tacos, and indeed that is the case here. In addition to the street tacos, you can get tacos with flour tortillas or crunchy, Taco Bell-style shells, with various kinds of meat. They're all served with rice and pinto beans, which is mighty generous of Uncle Julio and prevents me from having to order them à la carte, or whatever's Spanish for à la carte. Usually, street tacos come with just meat, onions, cilantro and a squeeze of juice from a dry lime wedge that may have already been used, on a corn tortilla. At Uncle Julio's, you also get cheese melted down into the tortilla, fire roasted jalapeños, avocado and pico. Was the purpose of all this to justify the price? I wasn't about to ask if I could pay less for something more authentic, because I liked the waitress' hair and I didn't want her to think that I don't have a lot of money. As was the case with the carnitas fajitas I had on another visit, maybe the single worst thing I've ever had in a Mexican restaurant, the steak was weirdly, unnecessarily sweet. The cheese was also unnecessary, but I wasn't mad at it. It's cheese, so it can never be truly unwelcome, and it may have lent some structural support to the corn tortillas, which tend to fall apart. The jalapeños, avocado and what have you give it a different vibe from something you might get at a tacqueria. It's served with a habanero salsa that's shockingly good, the way that guac I once had was really good, but it kinda overshadows everything else. The tacos are honestly better without it. Service was weirdly inattentive, given that there was hardly anyone else there. The girl seemed nice enough, but I'd be curious to know where else she had to be. Personally, I wouldn't have minded if she stood there the entire time and watched me eat, in case I needed something. read more

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Pros: Stephanie is a great server Decor is nice Cons: The door was locked when we got there They have almost zero vegan/vegetarian options. They offered me a guacamole taco. Gross My salad was shockingly, even comically small. See pic. $14.25 for the equivalent of a side salad. My husband said his chicken enchiladas were "ok". So disappointing read more

Uncle Julio's - Fresca salad - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

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Five of us came here on a Saturday night without reservations, but the host managed to get us a high top in the bar area (btw the most comfy seats I've ever found in a bar). They were clearly understaffed tonight but I feel our neglect was excessive, since we had to go to the bar several times to ask for basic needs. Loved their chips and salsa and the tableside guacamole is stellar but the rest of the experience was mediocre at best. Decent margaritas, the popular Quesa-Birria was bland and unexciting. I ordered the steak and lobster fajitas and my husband got them without the lobster. The steak was really tough, the lobster was just okay, and we got no accompanying sour cream, etc. which was odd. Beautiful place, friendly staff and great location, but at that price point, we shouldn't leave disappointed. read more

It was a rainy day so we decided to venture out to a new place for lunch. We ended up at Uncle Julio's near Frontenac. It bills itself as a Tex-Mex fresh cuisine and it did a great job living up to it! The interior was sophisticated and made me think it would be a fun Fri. Night date spot for sure. For a rainy Sat at noon it was just starting to get busy . We were quickly brought complimentary chips and salsa that reminded me of the old Chevys chips and salsa if you were around for them. Our food was fresh, hot and delicious! The menu was limited and yet had plenty of options to choose from at the same time. We were pleased with the portions sizes and endless chips! Go give them a try! read more

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Nice restaurant located in Frontenac serving up delicious food and drinks. That have happy hour bar specials which are mainly drinks and a few appetizers. The menu is smaller which is nice not having to read a book to decide what to order. The food arrived hot and flavorful and a nice size portion, the taco was great and the chicken enchilada was full of flavor, moist and worth getting. Definitely a good choose for lunch or dinner. read more

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Delicious food and amazing service. Has a great atmosphere. The habaneros bacon wrapped shrimp are amazing.

I'm not sure if we were there on an off day or what but I'm not sure I'll be back. Our server acted like he didn't want to deal with our table after waiting about 10 minutes for him to finally stop at our table after we were seated for a 6:15 reservation. He was short, rude and not very helpful. We ordered the table side guac for the experience and it wasn't even made next to our table. The gentleman making it was wonderful but the table next to us got our experience as he stood there making it, no one was at that table btw. While we waited the table side guac gentleman was nice enough to get us plates, chips and silverware as our server could have cared less. Other runners did bring out our other appetizers luckily. While we were waiting on the main courses, an entire tray of drinks was dropped next to us spilling all over my son and his jacket, nearly hit a small child as well. Not one person asked us if we or any other table was ok or if we'd gotten anything spilled on us, they just threw up a spill cone and then cleaned up the glass. Our entree's finally made it and honestly it was large portions of food, but I don't get the hype as they were unseasoned and bland. The server came by and was basically trying to clear our table while we were still eating grabbing plates we were obviously still using. This server couldn't get us a check fast enough once we said we were slowing down and to not touch our plates. Again, maybe an off night, as some of the other staff was pleasant, but after we left I was more irritated than anything else. So much for a nice family dinner experience. I feel like the other tables around us had similar experiences as we did. Not a fan. read more

My husband and I went one random night a few months ago and while it was not crowded AT ALL the wait was insane. Like seated right away but 20 minutes to get our server and an hour to get food. Another table near us got up and left because they had been waiting for their food for so long and finally gave up. We chalked this experience up to maybe they were just understaffed this one night. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago. The restaurant was so empty and service was equally as slow. We have vowed never to return. No apologies for slow service, zero acknowledgment. We contemplated do we leave and grab fast food because we had plans following dinner. It was so insanely slow. read more

Food was actually great it was perfect for my mom's birthday. Definitely will go back 10 out of 10 Great servers very professional, very fast and understanding for a big party... read more

Uncle Julio's - Honey Chipotle Salmon - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

I was actually shocked this place was so good. It is a very well lit, fancy, dining space. We were greeted by the hostess and seated immediately. Our waitress was a gem, and she allowed extra time for us to look over the menu since this was our first time being there. We settled on the mixed berry magarita, and they were really great. It was a good mix between the alcohol and other drink components. The berries were also fresh too. We ordered the El Dorado beef tacos, and my date got the beef enchiladas. He also added a side of queso blanco as well. All of the food tasted great. They give you chips and salsa( medium and mild). The medium had a kick to it, but overall, it was still good. Before we left, my date said I picked a good spot, so we will for sure be back. As always, until next time... read more

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The restaurant was accepting reservations for 1:30 and 1:45 pm. We had a reservation at 1:45 pm but could not be seated for an indeterminate amount of time. There was no host upon entry. We waited for awhile to be greeted. There was only 1 server for a Saturday afternoon. I asked if we could sit at a table while we waited for more employees to arrive. I asked if we could order drinks while we waited. The answer was perpetually no. There was no accommodations. The manager was not present. We walked over to 801 local which had a much better experience. read more

The food was amazing. I had shrimp fajitas. The portions were great. Enjoyed the beans that came with it and the tortillas were the best I e ever had. My husband had the fish tacos which he loved. Again, they were plentiful and the black beans were phenomenal. Our waiter, Mikeal, was attentive and very nice. We were a group so we ordered the chocolate piñata which was both fun and delicious! read more

My family and I went here for my wife's Birthday and she wanted the chocolate piñata as we have been there one additional time a few months back. I am sorry to say that it did not get any better. Food was fine, staff was friendly but the service was PAINFULLY slow. Just as it was back in late October. Waiter, as before, was not knowledgeable about the menu and not on his game. Water glasses not fill drinks slow to come out ect. If you like Mexican style food this will suffice. But be prepared to make this the only thing you do for several hours. I hope they figure it out but chances of us returning are extremely low. There are better options out there. read more

We live in Central Indiana, where there are no Uncle Julio's. We were driving by and saw this one on a map, so I knew we had to stop. The fajitas, as always, were delicious, and I always love freshly made tortillas. Additionally, our waiter, Isaiah, was both attentive and kind (and didn't mind our weird request for some extra meat for our pupper who was waiting for us in the temperature-controlled car). Happy we stopped, and would stop again. read more

Came here for a MeetUp group presentation, so was in a back room. They jammed too many tables in, so trying to get in and out from your seat was almost impossible. It was COLD in the room. The buffet cost $23.50 and was a pathetic amount and variety for that price. The plates they provided were stupid small. No decaf coffee. Would not choose to return. read more

Uncle Julio's - Food from buffet - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

My wife and I stopped in for lunch and they were either very short handed or just ignoring us. Was excited to try a new place but after 5-10 minutes of waiting to be seated we left. Doubt we will be back. So the 2 stars is strictly service. Good luck! read more

My first time here. Nice place. My wife's order was completely screwed up. They left out 2 major ingredients of her salad, one being chicken. They did make it up and we didn't have to pay for it. I had to send my drinking glass back because it had some crud on the side. The water had floaters in it. Not sure what was going on this day. I like spicy food but all our dishes were a little spicy . Didn't expect that. They took care of us with chips and salsa. I liked the darker salsa. Probably won't come back though. read more

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Christmas Eve. Reservation for 13 at 6:45pm. The restaurant originally was to be open till 9. While waiting for food we found out that the bar had closed and we could not order drinks. Our waiter said that he was just informed of this. Very disappointing. I told our waiter when ordering that I would be ordering 2 chocolate pinatas for the table. He said to remind him when the food came. Meanwhile, the manager stopped by the table and we mentioned out disappointment that the bar was closed. He gave an incoherent response by saying that workers left and that corporate would not allow him to keep the bar open on Christmas Eve. And that he would not risk losing his job. WHAT? While the manager was there I told him about the chocolate pinatas. He said that he would go now and turn in that order. In a while, the waiter started bringing the checks. I said, "Wait, what about the chocolate pinatas? " He looked down and shook his head no. When questioned he told us that the person who makes these had left. I pointed out that the manager said he was ordering them for us. He then said that the manager left also. If you can't handle our party at your restaurant, then dont make a reservation for us. We would have gone somewhere else. A terrible restaurant!! read more

We came to Uncle Julio's during the middle of the week and the restaurant had a lot of availability. We were sat in the enclosed patio room likely because we have kids which we are used to. There was however another table of about 20 people there which were really loud so I would have preferred to sit somewhere else but we didn't ask to move. My mom asked if she could just order one enchilada and one tamale. She was brought a three enchilada plate with a tamale on the side instead. My food was accurate and it was pretty good. I paired my plate with a Paloma to drink which was quite refreshing. read more

Food was cold. Service was slow ( btw they were not busy at all, there were like 5 people in the restaurant). Prices are too high for what you get. read more

Average at best and way over priced for Tex-Mex. The whole restaurant seemed to be themed around "what is trendy" with zero actual culture or aesthetic appeal. Our server seemed a bit more concerned about getting off work than actually helping make our experience pleasurable. Having said that the food was good it simply was not worth the price of admission. I am glad my wife and I stopped in but highly doubt we would ever go back. Side note; some of the neatest glassware in the game! read more

Uncle Julio's - Fish Tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

Love coming here during the week! Great customer service and easy to find parking. We came for drinks and appetizers and both were tasty and easy on the wallet! read more

We were seated outside. Waited for about 15 minutes with no service. Called a server over and told him. He hardly acknowledged us. We waited another 10 minutes and still no service. Told the host and he didn't care at all so we left. read more

I was just reminded why I quit going to Uncle Julios tonight. Only because of a buy 50 get 20 back coupon did I return just now. I wonder how such poor service can continue for so long a time (doesn't management read these reviews?). The evening started with finding out they were out of Michelob Ultra beer (the biggest selling beer in the USA BTW). I took a Corona instead. We ordered the skirt steak fajitas. It came out very quickly--luke warm and we were given 3 tortijas per person--three! (when double that amount were required). The server had abandoned us so I approached the bar and ordered more from the bar tender 8 minutes later they showed up. I could have used another beer or two but was never given the opportunity, Our "server" buzzed by us twice--ghosting us each time. The coup d'gras was when I handed my credit card to the bartender (had to get up to accomplish it--again zero server). Two minutes later I was told my card was lost!! LOST? After more drama--a waitress surfaced with my card (no explanation how she ended up with it). So--never never again. Its really been this way since the place opened. Too bad--I'm a big Tex Mex fan but good news--plenty of other good Tex Mex places to go. I just don't understand how this store can remain open for all this time--it has to be among the worst in this chain (if not--the chain would have folded by now) read more

Stopped in for dinner last weekend for a friends going away party. Love the interior and ambiance of Uncle Julio's- much more upscale Mexican vibe. We were in the back room the entire time and the one thing that stood out to me was the level of service. Absolutely exceptional- even for a big group. They waited on us hand and foot- stellar! The chips and salsa are fanatic and fresh. They have two salsas that come complimentary for the table. The el heje margarita is delicious! All of them were great though. I had the chicken and shrimp fajitas for my entree and it was fresh and not very oily (loved that). The portions were a bit smaller than what I am used to. You do have to request the rice and beans- they come with it, but do need to be requested. Everything with the fajitas comes separated. My husband had a burrito bowl and said the portions could've been a bit bigger but it was fresh and delicious. We tried their churro espresso martini and it was delicious. The prices are higher than your traditional Mexican restaurant, but Uncle Julio's is far more upscale than that. The service was unparalleled. We will be back! read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken and shrimp fajitas for one - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

The menu on the website states that items vary per location. Uncle Julio's at Frontenac Plaza does not offer one item that is vegetarian. The cheese and onion enchiladas only come with a meat sauce , they did not have a red sauce. I ordered the fajitas and told them that I would be fine with onions and tomatoes since they did not have any other vegetables in the back. When the entree arrived they only brought rice, tomatoes, and onions. Evidently the beans had meat in them as well and they forgot to mention that. My spouse ordered the Fresca Shrimp Salad. They said it was the grocery store bag salad with shrimp on top. The food tasted subpar. The service could be improved. The waiters didn't care about refilling drink orders. The positive was that the restaurant was clean. read more

Good food, good service, good ambiance. The mushroom tacos were awesome. I've never tasted a mushroom taco like this before in my mouth. It melted in my mouth. All the flavors were married together perfectly and it was so delicious. The cabbage bowl was outstanding. I never had anything like this either. It was different. The flavors were complimenting each other well. It's a little noisy in here when you come to sit down and eat. It's not that romantic because of the noise, but it's a good place to come and you'll be able to hear each other's conversation if it's a group of it, say maybe from two to six people. They have a shared parking lot with other stores and it's right in the Frontenac area here. You can't miss it. It's a little pricey, Probably 5 dollar signs out of 5, but it's worth it. Bring yourself out at least once to try it. Then again make.it 2 or 3 times to try everything vegetarian. You will love it and the vegetarian in me loves this. I know the carnivore and everybody else will love it. They even got a shrimp and crab Taco and enchilada and fajitas. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mushroom tacos... Oh so good - Tex-Mex Near Me - Frontenac, Missouri

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In town for business and tried Uncle Julios for an early dinner. We were seated in the bar area and then quickly greeted by our server. Love the vibe and decor. Very spacious and nice furniture. My co worker had a house margarita and I had the El Hefe. Shaker for El Hefe ends up giving you two full drinks. Chips and salsa were very fresh and tasty. Dinner was Ceviche and then Cheese and Onion Enchiladas. All good. Service was good throughout. My only note is all surfaces needed a good dust and scrub. The shelf next to our table, the clay pots on the shelf, the plastic dish under the plant(?), the light fixture above the table, etc., etc. read more

If you are picking up food, show up after 30 minutes of the pick up time promised or you will wait.

A group of us went on margarita day on a Saturday night. We had 730 reservations but were not seated until 8. Our server came and told us how busy they were. Took our drink order and it seemed to take a while to get the drinks. After a while the server came back and took our order. It took somewhere between 45 minutes to an hour to get our order and they got my daughter's order completely wrong. The food was excellent loved the Smokey salsa sauce for the chips. I had chicken fajitas and they were awesome. The service was terrible, I'm not sure why, we were in a back room away from the main areas. Even when the server came into our area, she never checked on us, no water or drink refills. The server was not unfriendly they just didn't pay attention. The price was high, I'm assuming because the food is so good. read more

I came here one night for dinner with my family and their red salsa is yummy. Their brown salsa was smokey. Their beans are sort of like black bean chili. We had quesadillas for an appetizer. They love thier cabbage slaw on the entrees just FYI if that's not your thing! I think overall the food was pretty good. read more

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Beto was the most excellent server. He's also the part time manager. I have two small kids and he anticipated all of our needs. Just such a wonderful experience! He made eating out with our little monsters, a complete joy! Thank you, Beto! read more

We arrived at around 4:00 PM on a Saturday night. There were maybe 5 tables full which should have been our first clue. We didn't speak to a server for over 30 minutes after being seated, and only received service after one of our party got up to ask for service. Our waiter wasn't even informed that we were his table, and no one was checking on us so we could've easily been waiting all night. Our waiter was polite, but didn't check on us once of his own volition the entire meal. We got one refill and that was after multiple attempts of flagging him down, because he was also bussing tables. One of our drink orders was incorrect, and with zero check-ins, it was impossible to correct without getting up again and bothering someone else. Service was a snails pace, even for the very few people who were dining here on a Saturday night. It was one of those experiences where you feel like you need to ration your drink because you don't know when you'll get a refill. We waited for maybe an hour and a half before our food arrived. We saw more than one person from other tables get up to ask for service, one of which appeared to leave out of frustration. The fajitas were over $24 for an individual and was probably the worst fajita I've ever had, not worth $15. There are many other reviews that share these problems and they have not been resolved. It's a shame because the location is attractive and the ambiance would have been a cool experience if the food was even average tex-mex quality and average service. My guess is it's a combination of a staffing and food prep issues. read more