Had an absolutely superb sunday night dinner with my family of 5 (including 3 young kids) on a Sunday night. Our waitress, Hailey, was amazing! Top notch service & she was so considerate of my little ones. She kept the fresh chips & salsa rolling for our table. Hubby had a cocktail & I ordered a mocktail & Hailey generously gave me a sample of their frozen margarita (dangerously good!). Drinks were on the sweeter side. We ordered... -Costal shrimp ceviche: so so good & fresh! Tender shrimp that was perfectly balanced with spicy jalapeno & a citrus-y sauce. Highly recommend! -Cochinita tacos: the pork was phenomenal & loved the seasonings! Portion was big enough for my hubby & I to share. Came with flour tortillas that, I believe, are made fresh there. They were amazing. The only downside...pork was very salty. Still loved it & would order again. -GREAT kids menu options! My 3 kids loved each of their dishes. They got quesadilla, bean & cheese burrito, & chicken tenders. Each came with 2 pick-your-own sides. Overall, huge hit with the family! I'm surprised by the low ratings here but we genuinely had a great time. We will most definitely be back for the chocolate pinata! read more

Had a great experience! Sat at bar table, busy Sat nite at 7pm Waiter was spot on with drinks, refills & chips! Chicken Steak Fajita was awesome TV's in bar showed Nats & college baseball & softball Hostess was friendly - Bar & tables were clean and organized for Saturday dinner chaos, wasn't overly loud read more

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Better UJ than most others UJs. Our server Anthony was exceedingly nice and professional. He lit our table with warm greeting and big smile. He was so welcoming and attentive! Food at this location was better than other UJs. Great bar area and good neighborhood crowd! read more

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This is one of the more disappointing Uncle Julio. It's a beautiful restaurant with great outdoor seating. The meat tasted reheated or pre cooked for the fajitas. The drinks are okay. It feels like the "Applebees" of Tex Mex. Three stars for staff and location. I'd return for a happy hour but not for anything else. The prices don't justify the food quality. read more

So dang delicious, as always!! . Best salsa! Wish y'all were back in RVA. We miss you. read more

We had a reservation at 5:00 PM on this past Friday. We were greeted warmly, but the lady who seated us didn't acknowledge our greeting to her (twice). Could have been a bad day for her, but her attitude set the mood for the evening. We sat at our table and waited for eight minutes to be met by anyone who would welcome us and offer us the traditional chips, salsa, and ask for our drink preferences. We tired of the wait and ended up walking out and ate somewhere else. This used to be one of our favorite restaurants to eat at. Not anymore. We won't be back. read more

This the most awful Mexican food restaurant I have been to. Food is garbage, food tastes like chemicals, over priced. Service is POOR. Don't waste your money going to this over priced no good restaurant. read more

Just when things were going well, Julio's really messed up. They used to have the best chips anywhere - thin and light. Now they are heavy and have a strange chemical after taste. And, the menu was finally back to carrying most of the pre-Covid dishes - it was really good. Well guess what, they couldn't leave it alone. They changed the menu to be like all the other Mexican food places trying to be "trendy" - Julio's had it right and then they had to overcomplicate the food with pickled everything (jalapeños, onions, other elements that are more Central and South American not Mexican) on the tacos and now they are "Artisanal Tacos" - wow, hold me back...to add to the disappointment the bartender was rude and had a short temper. Once again Julio's is spiraling down the drain. I'm sure it's the bean counters again that almost destroyed the restaurant right after COVID with a greatly reduced menu, small portions, and 30% increases. Post food delivery update: as expected definitely the tail wagging the dog - or should I say the bean counters putting the business under - portion sizes are way down - the chicken taco was half the size it used to be (see picture) and the pinto beans tasted weird and several of the beans were hard and not edible - wife enjoyed her carnitas tacos with soft flour tortillas were good size - so this was a total hit and miss - overall not a good experience. And to be totally fair the bartender later on was much more polite - he was having a moment but he came out of it so good on him - because of this I bumped the review up from 1 star to 2 stars read more

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Scratch made everything! Hands down top 3 best Mexican dining experiences in my life. Drive 2 hours each way just to enjoy top-crafted Mexican entrees read more

Terrible service. Took a while for hostess arrive. Waited a good 15 minutes to order drinks which took 20 minutes to get. 2nd round of drinks were not much quicker. Food came in reasonable time. Was neither bad nor good. Just fair. Many better Mexican restaurants around. read more

My family and I tried Uncle Julios after a long time and found it still very friendly, clean and very good service. The restaurant is big with lots of separate areas that are good for families and kids. We were a group of 8 so we tried many different items. All were great and portions generous. Good drinks too. Definitely a repeater for us. read more

Uncle Julio's Gainesville - 3 good salsas - Mexican Near Me - Gainesville, Virginia

The changed the queso! Why? It was fine. The new queso is not good at all. Go back to the old recipe please. Next time I'll go to qudoba and pick up cheese queso and bring it with me. read more

Really good fajitas, good service and nice staff. The atmosphere is really pleasant and it is a good place to eat!

Julie our server was great. Food and atmosphere was awesome (except the lady sitting next to us complaining about everything and anything) great job Julie and staff! We will be back read more

We love Uncle Julio's. The food is always delicious and the service is wonderful! We actually enjoy the store in Gainesville (VA) more than the one in Gaithersburg (MD). read more

We have been customers for a while now, however the bar service during happy hour was terrible. The woman working on Tuesday, September 30th at 3:00 pm wanted to charge extra for items that were not ordered. She proceeded to argue with my husband and went on to say he was immature and reminded her of her son who's a child. She said that if we wanted the "complementary" queso we had to say the word "complementary" so she charged us. We will not be back!! read more

We had the worst experience on Sunday - the food portion was terrible and the server as well was the manager were real unpleasant and unprofessional! It used to be a lot better until last year! read more

Uncle Julio's used to be my "go to" for every occasion. The last few years it seems to have really gone down hill. This evening my wife and I decided to give a try once again. My wife ordered the bacon wrapped habanero shrimp, which is always her favorite, and it came out looking like a burnt offering. I ordered the queso Blanco that I have ordered almost every time I've eaten there. This time it had chunks of Vidalia onions in it after dinner. All I tasted is the onions that was in the queso Blanco. I asked the server and she said depends on who's cooking if they put onions in or not. I will never order it again! And I had their nachos which they were way overcooked and came out. Black burnt ends and edges on the nachos. I've decided it's gonna be a long time before I'll go back. Our server was friendly read more

That was then. This is now. Uncle Julio's has really gone downhill since I reviewed it 7 years ago. The service was particularly poor on our last visit. We hardly saw the waiter, the food took forever, and we were underwhelmed when the food was delivered. We won't be back. Don't see this chain being able to compete for long. read more

I have to give a bad review to Uncle Julio's overall for their ridiculously bad "new" menu. Basically, 3 choices. I expect more for $125. If i wanted limited and "you get to choose for me", I could and will just go to Chewy's! Also, the new Queso tastes like what I would get at Taco Bell! read more

Wow. What happened? The food was not good at all. New menu and the enchiladas are really tasteless. The queso didn't taste like cheese. This used to be a go to. So sad. read more

We love coming here as a family! The quality of food never fails us! We love the salsa, drinks and food they serve. Always quick to be seated and for food to come out. Never fails to come here when we are in the mood for comfy food! read more

Went to uncle Julio's after about 6 months. Recession indicator: The whole menu has changed. There are about 10 options on there, but the prices have remained the same if not increased. The queso is made of velveeta. I got shrimp tacos without crema for my entree. My friend got carnitas tacos without jalapeños. And my fiancé got a chicken quesadilla. Our food came out, a steak quesadilla, carnitas tacos with jalapeños and shrimp tacos with crema. 0 for 3. We sent back both orders of the tacos. The second time they came back cold and my tacos still had crema. I ate around it as best as i could. The side of rice on both tacos was hard, bummer. And the steak in the chicken quesadilla tasted like dog food. Overall, won't be coming back anytime soon, they changed a good thing and that's too bad. read more

This is the second time I have been here and the first time I sat to eat. I was with a friend and asked to be seated in a booth. Little did I know , the booths under the "arch" you can see the bar, had the worst acoustics ever (in the that you could hear the patrons in the 2 adjoining booths as if they were sitting on your lap) and the female server was disinterested right away when she realized we would not be having alcohol. The ticket was small; we each got two tacos meal, and the taco wasn't bad- but the rice it came with was bland. No beans. We drank the whole water jug in 30 minutes and did not receive a fill up for our glasses. They are still using the pay screen instead of a regular receipt, when do these owners realize their servers are losing precious tips due to lack of personalization? Anyway, she was not good, the food was OK, the cost was lower than El Tio's. We went to the bar, me to have a drink, and my friend to have an iced tea- they do not serve sweet tea which I have no opinion about but my friend had a fit. The margarita was ok. the service was ok, but not for $20 bucks. I won't be back to this location. Fairfax Corner location so much better. read more

Food has gotten too many revamps. The Queso has again been updated and no longer tastes the same . It's more of beer cheese thats thick and gritty. We always order our meat medium and they always over cook it. It has no flavor. Rice is always dry and the refried beans are watery. Dinner for 4 with no alcoholic beverages just water or soda was $164.00. They have now lost me as a customer. Service was great food was tasteless. read more

I saw one review that said something like shame on me for coming back. Unfortunately we had the same conversation with each other. Maybe because it was 7pm on a Saturday..but that shouldn't matter for consistency!! We put in a 7pm reservation online. We got there early, waited 10 minutes and in our seats at 7:10. The host staff were efficient and helpful. The pitfall after that is too many tables for one server, especially on a busy night. He did a good job keeping our glasses full and giving us updates. Tonight the major problem was the food. #1 The crevice was bland. "He" said it tasted like the shrimp came out of a can. I think it was waterlogged. #2 My previous review noted my disappointment in not having the tamales they advertised. They should not have put them on the menu. I've had authentic homemade tamales with various types of fillings. I got an order of 3. There was a thin coating of masa harina. Some people make them this way but I never have. That's fine but when I order pork tamales I expect strips of pork. What I got was like ground beef and salty. It's a good thing I asked for the carne sauce on the side. The sauce had an "off" taste. YUCK! I got 3 baby tamales and rice for $18. For his meal, I'm sorry I can't find the name of the dish, he said it was nothing special. There was no Mexican spices or anything like that. I guess you rely on the sauce?! His meal was twice as much with triple the amount of food I got. You'll see the pictures. We will likely not go back again and won't recommend. It's sad. read more

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It was a festive day turned sour--literally and metaphorically--at Uncle Julio's, the scene of what should have been a joyous birthday celebration for my son. He chose the place, bless his heart. My wife and I, bearing the scars of previous dining disasters here, reluctantly agreed. "He's the boss today," I mused. "Tomorrow, the video games face a time-out!" We arrived with hope but were immediately greeted by a waiter so green, I swear he photosynthesized. Outdoor ambient seating and was the best part today. Requesting a spicy regular margarita turned into an ordeal as our fresh-off-the-farm waiter informed us with a robot-like precision that "it's not possible." However, he offered a 'spicy peña' as a consolation. After a spirited discussion, we managed to dispatch him to the bar with orders to wage war on a jalapeño by wrestling it into our drink. The tragedy continued when my Casamigos Añejo arrived, swimming in an ocean of ice. I asked for a single block, but apparently, that translated to a mini iceberg in Uncle Julio's speak. My supposed "neat" drink tasted like sorrow and betrayal--watered-down, spiritless. Then came the fajitas--or should I say, the charade of reheated chicken and shrimp playing hide and seek under a mountain of lukewarm bell peppers. Corn tortillas? A mythical item, it seemed, finally arriving as an afterthought, long after the fajitas had given up all hope of being edible. To add insult to injury, our grilled jalapeño embarked on a solo adventure, never to be seen. And when the bill arrived demanding a king's ransom for what was essentially a culinary shipwreck, the default tip felt like a slap in the face. So, here's to you, Uncle Julio's, purveyor of the spice-less, the watered-down, and the reheated. Thanks for the memories--we'll cherish them as we eagerly cross you off our list. Until never, Uncle Julio's. Until never. read more

After 10 years and 4 visits or more per year. Yesterday was the worst . We were told Uncle Julio's is under a new corporation that has changed the menu and the recipes. They took out all the flavors and left us with bland food. Even the margarita was bad. Oh well on to the next . It will disappear like other restaurants that decide that they do not want to be authentic read more

Chips and drinks were the best part of a $35 lunch. Rare does not mean raw veggies. First and last time. Manager did not even want to address the abysmal quality of their food. I could not imagine how this place would be if 5 tables were seated. read more

The quality of the food here just was not good. I've had average Mexican food before and I didn't regret it like I did after I ate here. The service was fine and prices were average for the area but since everything today is expensive, I felt like it was a waste. I would not return. read more

This is an interesting one for me. There is nothing I like more than good Mexican food, including Tex-Mex. There is a time when I would have given this restaurant a 5-star, but not for a while. The food is inconsistent. Service is almost always lacking. You might be ignored for long periods of time, so ask for what you need before you actually need it. They sometimes change the recipes with negative results. For example, their salsa verde was changed and the new version is seriously inferior to their prior version. Prices are just far too high given current food quality and service level. read more

Have been here frequently in past but I dont know what was up in there tonight. Our food was so slow to come out and mine was a rainbow trout dish with rice. Horribly overcooked-clearly sat under a heat lamp forever. The rice was one giant clump. My husband had the 3 fish tacos-said 2 were edible and one had fish that was quite rubbery. Can't see myself voluntarily returning. read more

Really disappointed in the fact that they removed the happy hour prices. Some friends and I always hit lunch on Fridays, Brian the bartender is always a great face to see, but today, he let us know about the price increase for lunch time margaritas. We were surprised, but more so in the fact that the place was empty. I hope this corporate decision to take away cheaper drinks at lunch is helping, because from what we saw, it was a ghost town. Spoke with the manager, Caitlyn, she said that there was nothing she could do. We will be looking to find the place that everyone else has already found. Sorry UJ, you lost our business. read more

Fantastic food! Fajitas are out of this world! Chips, salsa, queso all on point. Atmosphere is beautiful, service is always outstanding whether you sit in the dining room or the bar. read more

Folks - the tortillas are back!!!!! Unfortunately their tortilla machine broke and they suffered a supply chain issue getting the part in to fix their machine. Unfortunately, they were forced to resort to using store-bought tortillas to get by. Yesterday they got their machine fixed and were able to offer their hand-made tortillas. They were awesome! They have also refurbished their chairs in the bar area and replaced they ruined ceiling tiles. This place is back to the Uncle Julio's we used to know. Great job fixing this place! We are happy to be coming back. read more

I went here for my birthday with my family - I was so disappointed - Just everything the service and food.

My wife and I stopped at Uncle Julio's last evening for a somewhat unusual takeout request. (Long story. Post-surgical recovery treat while trapped at home.) We were helped by Vincent Aylor, who took time to figure out how to meet our request. He is professional and courteous, and he went out of his way to assist us even though the restaurant was particularly busy. Kudos to such an incredible employee! We look forward to our return visits to Uncle Julio's! read more

We called the restaurant 30 minutes prior to arrival to ensure an item on the menu was being served, since it's one of our favorite items on the menu and we'd likely go elsewhere if not 'in stock'. Upon being told on the phone that they had plenty, we went and ordered the item only to be told that they had run out. The backup order of steak tacos came out incorrect in multiple ways and despite being ordered 'medium well' the steak was genuinely raw in the center. My expectations for a reliable Mexican restaurant are fairly low... serve what's on the menu, decent salsa, no raw meat, etc. Unfortunately, Uncle Julio's in Gainesville isn't an option any longer given recent experiences (this is not the first time for some of the issues mentioned in this review). read more

We've been here multiple times this year. Tonight, the food was good as usual, but the service sucked. Nicole was slow and did not get the orders correct. We had to send the Fajitas back, and getting refills was only when we asked. She forgot a beer till we were ready to leave. Then charged us 2x for the Fajitas for 2. Also added in a seltzer that they were out of stock on. Really poor performance. read more

Food always comes out burned and the manager looks like she is in grade school wearing pajamas