Everything is made from scratch. It is fresh and it is good. However, I do see it as expensive for what it is and unnecessarily packed. It was a Sunday after the regular rush times, but for two people it was still a 20-minute wait. Oh well, I was hoping that the wait was worth it since I wanted to try this place out. We ordered way too much between two people and the prices are quite high. We were always curious about this place because we always see people waiting for their seats. It was a curiosity that I wanted to clear out before the end of the year so we tried this place. Some drinks, tableside Guacamole and several dishes. I must say the dishes are a lot. The food will get you full as long as you make the right choices. There are a lot of choices. I ordered some platter and it looked really messy. There was no other way to plate this platter, but things were running to the brim on the dish. It was just okay for the price. However, my wife's dish which was the tuna was much better than mine. I was surprised that for a Mexican establishment that the tuna turned out much better than their tacos. As for their drinks, they felt a bit watered down, but it wasn't too surprising there. The table-side guac was good. Not much of a performance for the additional $5. But, out of curiosity, it was worth it I guess. The guy making the guacamole wasn't talkative, but it looked simple enough that it got me trying to make fresh guacamole at home. So I guess it gave me a confidence booster. I can see this place being a great place for hosting big events. There was some company Sunday brunch that took the whole back room. The amount of room and seats made this ideal for them. Definitely worked out for them, but I think there is way too much hype for the food and for the price. I think I would have had a much more satisfying meal somewhere else. Now we know. read more

All of a sudden I heard a couple of different people say nice things about Uncle Julio's. We were going to be in Gaithersburg so decided to have lunch there. When we got there it wasn't crowded and we were seated in a booth in the front dining room. The décor was pleasant and there was a nice open feeling with large windows and a high ceiling. Gradually more and more diners arrived and I imagine it gets very crowded in the evenings, especially on weekends. Our granddaughter ordered an enchilada with fajita beef, husband had tacos with fajita chicken, and I ordered the tacos with shredded chicken. The tacos were decent but they weren't overflowing with meat. We had tacos a week later at a different restaurant and the chicken in them was more plentiful and much juicier. Our granddaughter liked her enchilada very much. I think the food was more 2-1/2 stars but I'm upgrading it to 3 because our meals came with fruit rather than the usual bland beans and rice. Our server was pleasant and efficient and my swirl margarita was good. If we're in the area we would probably go back but will stick with our current go-to restaurant for "Tex-Mex" style food. read more

not only does the sax musician look like a Tom frm Vanderpump Rules- he's terrific! (and Jesus should REALLY take pointers frm the hostes and server working frnt patio right now) read more

Uncle Julio's - .....finally happy again.... - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Oy. Lame. Lame. Lame. Below average food, both in taste and quality. Service average. Cleanliness questionable. Ambiance not bad. Prices were way too expensive for the level of quality: In fact, The prices and location were the only parts of the experience that were above average. Unless you're starving or have really low standards, steer waaay clear. read more

Disappointed in the menu flexibility. Wanted Ala carte tacos. Even though they had 9 or 10 different types on the menu, you can only order ala carte from 4 types. And of course none were the ones I wanted. Makes me wonder if every item is pre-prepared and is waiting to be heated when ordered. So no menu flexibility. Service was excellent. Heading back to Taco Bar for my taco fix. read more

Although I've been to Uncle Julios several times before, I feel like tonight was the best thus far. We had to wait about 30 mins because the area was super packed tonight, even for a Wednesday. The waiter was very sweet and personable. He recommended the carnitas Aztecs (a new menu item) and I'm so glad he did. The Pork was slightly crispy with a yummy honey based sauce. I didn't talk for nearly 10 minutes after the food arrived because I was completely enjoying the sweet, salty taste of the carnitas. The tortillas are made there and make a huge difference. Additionally, the chips are thin and crunchy. The salsa is roasted tomatoes and has a very mild kick with a deep, flavorful compliment to the light salt on the chips. For dessert we shared sopapillas with ice cream. It was ok, but nothing that I will crave to have again. They came with a honey sauce that was a tad sweet for my liking (and I love sweets). I walked away satisfied with our great waiter and good food. read more

Definitely like this place. Nice drinks, we ordered beef enchiladas and chips. Taste delicious. Service was nice and friendly, our waiter was knowledgeable and attentive. Nice interior, cozy place with nice atmosphere. Reservation might be a good option, place can be packed. read more

Went here for Valentine's day 2011. BP and I arrived well before the dinner rush, so we were seated right away! It became loud and crowed fairly quickly. Sometimes I felt that the tables were a bit cramped, but wasn't a deal breaker. BP and I ordered the fajita platter, I believe and we made our own fajitas. I preferred the chicken over the beef because it was more flavorful. The beef was chewy and difficult to swallow. read more

3.5 stars. after the amazing dinner at Cava, my friends and I decided to find a place where we could casually grab a few drinks and just catch up on life. We initially tried stopping at Guapos at the same shopping area but they were packed and wait was 45 mins. We then decided to walk a bit over to Uncle Julio's instead and we were seated in the main dining room. Initially they told us we had to order food in order to be seated but they were a bit more lenient after we placed our drink orders and with just one of us ordered an appetizer. (I guess the total would be similar to people ordering just food and no drinks?). 2 huge complimentary baskets of home made tortilla chips and 4 cups of salsa were served along with our drinks. The chips were really light and before I knew it, I already stuffed my face with half basket gone. Not that they tasted amazing - just your ordinary tortilla chip and the salsa was actually a bit watered down - but they were the perfect munchies to go with the drinks. I tried both the margarita in the gold? And the frozen strawberry margarita - they were strong yet really tasty. I had a few bite of the appetizer my fiancé ordered - seafood ceviche. The tortilla chips it came with were actually a lot better than the ones they had as complimentary - thicker and crunchier. The ceviche was light and well seasoned. Too bad I was too full to try other dishes at this place - (I saw guac with bacon and pineapple on the menu - def want to return for that dip alone!) Service could be a little pushy but with great food and drinks - def worthy of 3.5 stars read more

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Amazing location, pretty interior and view, right by the waters with the huge geese and ducks. We didn't get seated by that view, but we got seated by the tortilla station where we got to see the tortillas made fresh from scratch. Very cool! We waited for around 15 minutes before we got seated. People there seem cheerful, and it seems to be a very versatile place such that it's great for drinks and hanging out with friends, and also for a semi romantic setting if you get placed by the window to see the view of the water. Prices are around $20 a dish, which is worth it for the fajitas, but not so much for a taco salad (~$16, around double the price compared to other places). Margaritas are around $10 each. They give chips and salsa, and the chips were super fresh! Thin and crunchy, very delicious. The salsa was more or less room temperature, to the warmer side. The flavor was good that I finished the entire bowl. I got their seasonal margarita, blood orange. It tasted amazing and if prices weren't an issue, I would have gotten a few more. We tried the asada fajitas, which came with 4 fresh tortillas, rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, veggies, etc. My husband said that the taste/flavor was worth the cost, which is a rare thing for him to say. A few pieces were a bit dry, but everything went very well together. It was a good amount of food, as he had one fajita portion left to take home. We also tried the chicken taco salad. It came with avocados, and a generous amount of them. Mmmm!!! So good, around as good as the avocados are in California. The taco bowl shell came next to the salad, which was interesting. It was fun to crack with a spoon after a margarita. The kids got the chicken tenders off the kids menu- yes, they are kid friendly as they had kids menus with crayons and such. They enjoyed it, and they loved seeing the tortilla machine in action. read more

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I'm here in town visiting for business, I came here after work during happy hour on a Wednesday. Sat in the 'seat yourself' bar area. The service was SUPER fast. Got complimentary chips and salsa soon after sitting. I ordered a Grand Swirl and the Combination enchiladas (1 chicken & 1 cheese and onion) the Grand Swirl was really good and Cheese and Onion enchilada was literally life changing. Overall really great experience. read more

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I don't understand the 3.5 rating here. We go all the time and have never had a bad experience. Yes, sometimes the tortilla chips are greasy, but they are fried... I love getting the chicken/beef enchiladas or their fajitas. If you're not worried about sugar, try the honey bbq chicken fajitas. One day we came for early dinner and their combo fajitas had a deal: if you get steak, you can upgrade to filet mignon no charge. (Obviously did that). Service is always good. Skinny margs are always great. This place will always be a go-to. read more

Decent service but very expensive. Not many to basically none vegetarian options and alcoholic Drinks are average, I ordered their season peach margarita and it was ok. With Guapos just walking distance away now I know why people prefer to go there. read more

First time dining at an Uncle Julio's. The inside of this restaurant was pretty spacious, good for medium to large-ish groups for casual dining. The free chips were pretty greasy, but the salsa was really good (it was kind of tomato soupy with a hint of spiciness and onions). We got 4 servings of fajitas, which was sufficient to fill 5 people! I didn't walk in with the highest expectations for food at this place, but oh my goodness, the steak fajitas were REALLY GOOD. It was succulent, with the right amount of fat and meat ratio, tender, and seasoned just right I also love how they make their tortillas in the house. It was quite entertaining to watch lol read more

If you would like to support a great staff, come visit. If you would like food made with quality ingredients, go elsewhere. read more

Been coming here for years, mainly during lunch. Love their free chips and salsa, with their salsa one of the best I've tasted. I remember when they tore down the huge parking lot and built the Washingtonian Center way back when. Their fajita lunch size portion is better priced than dinner and still is more than enough (always stuffed) for one. Their fajita special is $15.99 which includes cheese and sour cream. The regular lunch fajitas are around $13.99 which includes guacamole and tomato salsa, but no cheese or sour cream, which is fine with me. Both come with ample amounts of tortillas, beans, and rice. Highly recommend their fajitas. I also like their two or three enchilada platter too. The service is fast and very efficient, refilling your drinks, chips, salsa, and in and out in less than 40 minutes during lunch. Their margaritas are good and sometimes a bit too strong and used to come here for happy hour, which is always packed. Be great if they offer happy hour specials like nearby Guapos. read more

Came here for lunch last weekend, went without reservation but was seated very quickly. Food was delicious and service was great. Our waitor was very polite and helpful, all the employees were wearing fae masks. The only reason im giving 4 starts is bevause the fish was rather salty, nonetheless still good and the steak tacos compared to the fish seemed a bit lacking. Overall would recommend and would come back read more

Uncle Julio's - Fish Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Food is great here. The biggest plus for me is. That it's not a madhouse like Guapo's across the pound. You can actually hold a conversation with your table. Will keep coming back here read more

This place is really good! I highly recommend it for a date night, birthday party, or just to get a drink! I was really impressed with the margarita selection and the entrees were amazing as well. Definitely one of the better places to eat at in Gaithersburg! read more

Uncle Julio's - Vegetable fajitas for one - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Uncle Julio's is my go-to place for dinner in the Rio. With our headquarters in the area, I have spent plenty of time checking out the local restaurant scene. Uncle Julio's meets the consistency measure I look for to encourage return trips. It also offers a solid selection and their drinks aren't bad either =P They greet everyone with chips and salsa. I believe the salsa is homemade and above average, while the chips are perfect. They are thinner than typical restaurant chips which is great to truly taste the salsa. As for the menu, I think I've tried most of everything. I won't comment on the standard Tex-Mex fair. They do a great job on tacos and fajitas and I'm sure I won't say anything you haven't hear before. For apps, my favorite is the Ceviche Royale. For mains, if you are looking for something on the more unique side, check out the Shrimp Brochette. Shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon. Yes, the old adage may be true - things taste better with bacon. The only area I think Uncle Julio's falls a bit flat is dessert. It seems to have a limited selection and selections can't seem to be modified. For example, they have this ice cream covered in nuts and coconut and I was disappointed I couldn't get it without the nuts. It was still good, but didn't make great. Therefore, I usually fill up on the apps and entrees and skip dessert (or make it a "liquid" dessert). read more

An OK place to go for some Mexican food. Went here a few times with my coworkers for a team Happy Hour after work. The deals were alright. It wasn't anything too special, really. Still had a good time with friends, with some drinks and tasty Mexican food. Bar area was pretty loud and a little cramped since the tables were a bit small, even after putting them together. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I went for my birthday a few weeks ago, our server was attentive for the most part of the dinner and had good energy with my family. However the food really did lack in flavor, I remember Uncle Julio's having their infamous fajita platters be the star of the show which is a plate i've always gotten when I go there, but this time it wasn't really the best. Maybe that night wasn't the best day, but Uncle Julio's really has gone downhill and hopefully I go there next time to try the food once again. read more

Pretty good spot for some decent Tex Mex style Mexican food with very good margaritas. They are somewhat known for their fajitas and you won't be disappointed if you do. Be sure to ask for extra tortillas though as you'll only get two. At many places the rice and beans are something of a filler or afterthought, give them a try here, they're quite tasty. Also the chips and salsa are top notch read more

The guacamole was brown!!! Manager was so rude!! Didn't even apologize! And it was my birthday!!! I will never come back to this place read more

Uncle Julio's - No one touched there guacamole!!! - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I always love Uncle Julios but my server was super rude, smart mouth and took too long. I would go somewhere else next time. 4 stars cause it is uncle julios Server gets 1 star. read more

This restaurant is in the prime location. It sits right off the lake at Rio and has tons of seating outside to enjoy the scenery - calm waters and busy side walks. The service is usually amazing here even with all the crowd. There is always a wait during the peak hours but they have enough sitting areas to have quick turnovers. You can choose to sit at the bar, in the restaurant, or out on the veranda. There are a couple of decent items for vegetarians. Firstly, you start out with the complementary chips and salsa. The Smokey salsa is unique to other Mexican restaurants and preps you up for the unique choices from the menu. The live guac, although not unique to just Uncle Julio's, has proper flavor and fresh ingredients to set itself apart. The servers are trained well to engage in humorous talks while they work to avoid any awkwardness. Really appreciate the accommodations for vegetarians as once I told the server of my diet needs, they recommended couple of dishes and assured that the food is cooked in fresh utensils. I've had many different dishes but I prefer the cheese enchiladas and cheese quesadillas. The food is good, not great, but has the right flavors. The nitrogen frozen deserts and drinks are a must try for anyone who wants to breath smoke like a dragon while eating puffs. Although the drink can be a bit sour if you don't request to sweeten it up a bit. Overall, I've come here a lot in the past and will continue to do so. So why not full 5 stars? I'd like to see some more flexibility with the menu to be able to convert some of the dishes to vegetarian dishes. Some of the sauces have animal based ingredients and so the choices are limited for vegetarians. read more

We were celebrating my boys bday party there, the place was crowded, it was great idea to make reservations. The food was great, chocolate peniata was amazing conclusion for the party. We didn't wait a lot for the food although the place was full and people were standing on line in front of the restaurant. The waiter was very nice and patient with us. Highly recommended!! read more

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I have heard a lot about this place that its a cool place. From the desserts to the drinks and food. I called to make reservations "7 people at 7pm" when I arrived the table was not ready and had to wait 10mins. We were finally seated to what seemed like a "tourist trap culinary experience" With a pricey menu was compared to most TexMex restaurants. The server was nice and helpful just a little slow. I ordered a margarita which was made with liquid nitrogen. It was good. Most of the people in my party ordered the tacoshell salad. We also got the chocalate piñata it was good. read more

Amazing! We ordered the premium margarita kit and the nacho bar for curbside pick up. Everything was packaged amazing, portion sizes were excellent, and the food and margaritas tasted fantastic. The way they have it set up is incredible. You get to keep the shaker and the jigger that they give you, and the tequila (they give you a whole bottle) that comes with it is pretty tasty! Overall a great value for the price This will definitely be on my list of things to reorder. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Food is always great. However, prices have gone up and food portions have gone down. For years, my husband and I have always ordered Steak Fajitas. You pay $25 for some strips of steak, guac, sour cream, cheese and tortillas. They took away the rice and beans! It's not worth the money. After 20+ years of coming here, we won't be coming back again :-( read more

4 of us came in for a department lunch on a Friday around 2pm... it's my first time here and the space is pretty big and decorated nicely. There was nachos and salsa served and our drink orders were taken. Our waiter was efficient and friendly. I ordered the carnitas bowl. It was pretty good. Such a lively atmosphere. We had a great time! We'll be back. read more

Uncle Julio's is a pretty typical Mexican chain. I've been to this location and one in Fairfax, VA, multiple times. The only really bad information I can give to you about this place is that it gets LOUD and CROWDED. Even if you think it won't be busy because of the timing...you are wrong. This place is always busy for some reason and forget about trying to go to the bar (unless you want to be shoulder to shoulder with a stranger). Also, all the tables seem too close together (to fit in more customers, so...more $$$ for them), so if you have a problem with being around too many other people, just skip this location. Don't go to the other Mexican place in Rio either, though, its just as crazy. Why I give this place 4 stars, though - its got solid food options and is always a stable option when going out to Rio. Sure, I wish it had more, but the entrees are great, I love the Guacamole, quesadillas, enchiladas and more. I have never been disappointed with the food or service here. The employees are all super nice and knowledgeable about their menu. If you don't get enough tortillas with your meal - just ask for more, free of charge! I also love the piñata dessert. I've never gotten it, but it looks super fun (it is way too expensive for an adult like me to be ordering)! read more

What can I say I'm a California guy from California that knows good Mexican food and this Mexican food isn't really that good the selection wasn't that good also but it's OK though. Service was OK they kind a lagged. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Took my mom to Uncle Julios to celebrate her birthday and the service and food was disappointing! The food & service did not stand up to its name! Here is a list of issues I encountered: -server was slow -did not refill drinks- had to ask -steak tacos came out over cooked -fajitas did not come with sour cream and guacamole -sour cream and cheese came out but no guacamole -another sour cream and guacamole came out at the end -another table ahead of me complained about the service -had to call the manger to address issues -took forever to get a box and the check The reason y I did not give 1 Star was bcuz the manager did try to fix the issues and checked on us. And even then everything still took forever to come out and the food was just ok. Highly disappointed, this was a special celebration and the service and food lacked so much, we just wanted to go. Will think twice before returning, did not meet the standards at all! Thumbs down read more

Yeah ... no. Tried it one night Ina weekend summer 2021 the wait was 30 minutes I have the the receptionist my phone number she said let me test it, nothing came through to my phone we confirmed the number again and there was nothing she could do and she didn't offer to do anything several people were frustrated with this. So we and others just left. I went back a few months later during the week it was not bush got seated the restaurant was almost empty. Ordered was surprised I do t think they have all of the traditional Mexican items in the menu - our waitress disappeared we had to ask someone else for a refill of our water it was unbelievable. The food oh yes the food was mediocre to top it off and I'm not being mean it just was blah...it's a bi e building but some other company should take it over and a better manager and staff. Thumbs down. read more

Uncle Julio's has been my go-to place for amazing Tex-Mex food for decades. The fajitas are always extremely good and I love the frozen "swirl" of sangria and margarita they have. I usually request to go there on my birthday or some other special occasion. However, I want to note that on my most recent recent visit I was really impressed how they handled a situation with my child and a food allergy. My child ordered the Shrimp al Pastor, which is advertised on the menu as coming with a mango slaw. However, the shrimp were served what looked like chunks of pineapple as well. My husband tried a chunk to verify whether it was pineapple or mango (it was pineapple). My child is allergic to pineapple, and we pointed this out to the server. They quickly whisked her dish away, re-prepared the dish in a separate pan without pineapple, and had it back out to her with some extra mango slaw in a couple of minutes. The manager also came over to talk to us and reassure us. I was really impressed with their handling of the situation. This event also reminded me to warn my child that sometimes food labeled as "al Pastor" comes with pineapple, and that we need to remember to ask about this in the future. read more

Typical Tex-Mex or whatever they call these kinds of restaurants. Surprisingly crowded on a Monday evening, maybe because it's summer and this area is like a gathering center. Margaritas are good, service is friendly and fast, but the drinks are not particularly strong and the food is, well okay. I had the ceviche, which was pretty decent, the fish was fresh, marinade was okay and washed it down with a nice IPA. My co-worker on this business trip had beef fajitas, which looked nice, I should've tasted it. read more

Uncle Julio's - ceviche and beer - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Food Never Came Been Waiting Since 11 foh dis jaunt my ma it neva came. First I walk in sad because I only have 20$ then I sit down, and immediately my ears ruptured because of the noise. How am I outside and I can't hear myself breath. I order my Food and it came I love this restaurant so much I wish to come here every day of my life for the rest of my life. My dearest Wishes, Manny read more

Uncle Julio's - angry girl - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

This the second time in the last few months that everything was gross. 1. Med rare does not mean burnt. 2. Quac had hard pieces and almost broke a tooth 3. Service fee of $7????? 4. Chips were stale again 5. Wraps for fajitas were not cooked ripped and honestly inedible. Last time I called in and complained. This time we won't be back agian. Makes me sad. We used to love it. But their inconsistency not good. and at this price point it should be better. read more

Been here a couple times and overall I would say the experience was great. The food was tasty. I recommend the Carne Asada and the tableside guac. The location is bomb to: you can walk around Rio afterwards. read more

Uncle Julio's - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland