Had dinner at Uncle Julio's in Lombard, IL on November 8th. Our waitress Kristina did an excellent job making sure everything went well!

The food was mediocre, the chicken tacos were okay. The guacamole tasted like it came straight out of one of those guac containers. Although it's advertised ad being made table-side... we were sitting at the bar. Either-way a no for the guac, and the chips were okay. The best part was the salsa that comes with the chips. They have a bucket of it behind the bar and it was delicious, I saw the bar staff refill our salsa bowl and other peoples. It was spicy, but not too spicy, and just a 5/5. The drinks, we first tried the grapefruit margarita because I'm not a fan of sweet cocktails. Then we tried the Perfect Patron Margarita which was slightly too sweet. So the bartender adjusted it with some Ranch Water more lime and mineral water and salt and it was perfection. I did not get his name, but he was great! There was another bartender who we also talked to for a bit who made the grapefruit margaritas and she was awesome. The place was quiet even for a Wednesday night. I think it was just an off day or maybe its not as popular anymore. I had not been here in over five years. I may be back for drinks at the bar. Probably skip the food. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Fresh Grapefruit Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

10 stars at uncle juilos. They were super packed. I had a reservation for over a month. Took about 5 min to get a seat. It was super hard to hear conversation. We ordered queso blanco chicken fajitas and the three choice platter. The food was all really good. The beans were delicious. Our server brought out our check and we said no we want dessert. I have been looking forward to the Chocolate Piñata. For my birthday. It was so much fun. A chocolate ball filled with strawberries, churros, pineapple, with whip cream and chocolate sauce. So. Much fun. So happy we got to finally do this. read more

See all

I was bummed. This place was recommended by my colleagues that I was excited to try it out. I'm not sure if maybe this location wasn't the best but we did not have a good experience. The service was great but the food was a bit disappointing. My husband ordered the birria fajitas, while I ordered the steak fajitas. We got a guacamole appetizer and margaritas. The drinks were nice and strong. The food was decent. There was not enough flavor on the meats. We asked for salsa to eat with our dishes and we were given a garlic green salsa. It was tasty but did not go with the pairing. We always pair salsas to our dishes. To make things worst, I got food poisoning which messed me up for the rest of the weekend. It was sad but I am not sure what caused me to get sick. I wonder if the meat was old or not prepared well. I never had food poisoning from eating steak but it seems this was a first. I recommend being cautious with the beef. My husband did not suffer the same fate but did have an upset stomach. While we had a bad experience, I think the other dishes looked well to try. I love that they have a chocolate pinata dessert. I saw a kid order it for their birthday. I may try that later on, but will be hesitant about the red meat. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

See all

Unfortunately, I wish tho could've been a better experience. I dined here last week with a group of friends to celebrate one of their birthdays. It was a large party so we were seated at two large tables in the dining area. We were seated near the kitchen area which became an huge issue. It became apparent that the kitchen staff would walk in a very tight and small walkway between the kitchen area and tables, causing them to repeated walk behind and bump my friends sitting at the table. Obviously we saw the danger in this and politely asked the servers if they could refrain from walking the shortcut since we were getting bumped. Well, as you can guest, a server attempted to squeeze by with a tray of plates and dropped guacamole and water all over my friends. To say we were upset is an understatement, because we foresaw this happening. The manager was apologetic but not empathetic, and provided my friends with instructions to be reimbursed for dry cleaning. We spoke to the manager again to have their meal comped, because in what world would they return back to be reimbursed when the issue can be solved here and now with a free meal? Even after the incident, staff continued to walk and bump into my friends which was aggravating. If you are going to seat patrons near a kitchen, please ensure there is enough space for the employees to walk by without risk of bumping or spilling all over your guests. The drinks were so so and ironically, I shared my experience with another person who told me "they knew someone who used to work in the kitchen" and I shouldn't go back anyhow. That was pretty cryptic but I don't take that to be a glowing endorsement. read more

Terrible very slow service food was cold. The place was empty. Prices are on a high side. I highly recommend uncle Julio's used to be good went downhill. I got to see the Carne Asada wasn't terrible but there's too many better places read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Carne Asada - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

I feel like I'm a regular now lol have been here plenty of times and it's a go to for my friends and I since it's so central between us. The food has always been great, always freshly made. The table side guac is the best - don't forget to tip your guac maker!! It gets super loud around dinner time it's hard to have a conversation sometimes between the music and loud groups in an open space. Eating outside would be an option to avoid the super loud noise but they always have a long wait to sit outside. Staff has been great thus far no bad experiences. Will definitely be back! read more

Had dinner here for the first time last night. We sat on the patio which was very nice, I got the chicken enchiladas and the watermelon margarita, it was delicious!! Food and service was great! Will be back for sure! read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Watermelon margarita - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

Salsa and chips are great to start with. The tacos- oh my gosh are fantastic. Made from scratch and tons of flavor. Ask for the hot salsa. It's full of heat. Great service for lunch too! read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Steak tacos - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

Place is nice , food was good . There was a little delay as far us getting out check and or having the waitress check on us . On side of that I want to point out that they need to make a better job on cleaning their utensils . Right when I was ready to eat I spotted a hair on my fork. It was hard to tell if it was a scrap or hair but when I my bf tried to see what it was we saw that it was an actual hair on the fork!! Didn't make a big deal i just requested a new fork. I also put the fork on the side to show the manager and The lady that was here as a manager didn't say a word or even bother to apologize . She only took the fork away and never came back. Truely disliked the fact that we didn't get an apology from the manager . Paid all in full but still iffy about coming back due to people that manage the place don't care about the customers. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Hair on fork. - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

They have completely hit rock bottom and changed the last 3 good things on the menu making them horrible .... They should fire everyone and start over but the food changes must be corporate and they have literally destroyed the menu ... very sad read more

Had a reservation for about 30 people. Food was fast for that many people but kept forgetting stuff we ordered for and would get mad when we told him. When it came to the bill he kept putting stuff on the bill that wasn't that persons. We were complaining and then the manager came, she started getting angry at us and saying we can only split into 4 bills when we have 8 split bills but the waiter said it was fine, but she got angry? And said that's what we tell our waiters well apparently he doesn't listen. It took us about 45 minutes just to get our bills split and paid for. No reason it should've been so difficult the waiter wasn't being very smart about taking our orders I would rate this place a zero for big parties and the manager is very rude. We had reservations for our party before so they should be ready? read more

Uncle Julio's is one of my go-to Mexican restaurants. It was the first restaurant in Chicago that I tried, and since then, I've been back at least 3-4 more times. We decided to go back for Saturday date-night and when we arrived, it was packed with about an hour-long wait. Since my husband is a gold member with their perks, we were able to expedite our wait time a little and quickly found a seat at the bar for some drinks. Both of our drinks were tasty and fresh, and we were able to munch on some chips and salsa while we waited. When we were seated, our server (Jeremy) greeted us immediately. He brought us another basket of chips and salsa as well. He was knowledgeable about the menu and was able to answer our questions about differences between the dishes and the fresh fruit of the day. He brought us some spicy salsa as well, which was more of a spicy aftertaste flavor instead of actual hot salsa. Our food came quickly and was delicious as always - we even got a small side of the hot sauce for fajitas, which added a nice kick to the food. Being vegetarian, it was good to see that the restaurant offered cilantro rice and black beans with the vegetarian fajitas instead of spanish rice and pinto beans, which many Mexican restaurants fail to notice otherwise. Overall, our experience was pleasant and we will definitely return, ourselves and with friends too! read more

See all

The food was over not bad but not great. Nothing really stands out. And for the price I wish you get more. But I will say the service was excellent. Even the managers were out and helping. It's a nice date spot as well the ambiance is great. read more

See all

This was my first time going to an Uncle Julio's and was happy with my experience. Went on a Saturday night and got a table right away. The hostess was very friendly and so was our server. Got our water and chips immediately. Once we ordered, our food was out in less than five minutes. Everything tasted good. Fajitas were a bit smaller than expected tasted good. They are house made tortillas so that was a nice surprise. The outdoor seating looked very nice. Bathroom was clean, I'm pretty sure. It was darker than I'd like a bathroom to be. Overall good experience. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Chicken bowl - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

See all

Ordered entrees around 610. Sat and watched multiple tables who ordered after us get their food. @ 650 asked the waitress WTH. She couldn't find our order and said the ticket was lost and asked us to reorder. We walked out after this. Manager couldn't even stop by because she was getting railed by another table that ordered vegetarian food but received meat in there orders. Won't be back. read more

Food was good. Ambiance was very loud. Service by Noel was terribly SLOW. I have been in the industry and so are my children. Was not busy any we still waited for everything we requested. Would not recommend. read more

One of my fave places normally but this visit was off. First of all a fave menu item of a half order of individual nachos is gone. A regular portion is too much for two or even three since we always get queso and guac. Not one, but two managers stopped at our table to check in while we ate (not a fan of being spoken to while in the middle of eating/conversation not one, but twice) and still we received queso but had to wait for chips, had to ask where our guac was - we like to eat it with the queso but that barely happened based on how late it was. My daughter's straw was taken by accident with her drink refill and another not brought. After the check was dropped off we never saw the server again so nothing to go. Biggest complaint is no designation of gf/gluten sensitive or vegetarian. Server had no clue which is s management issue. Manager knew and told me something wasn't gluten free but offered ZERO alternatives, just a sad smile. *** you have corn tortillas, you have the foundation for so many gf options. I'm not sure why you don't capitalize on that. Basically it's like a mine field navigating it. Sadly my dozen times a year that I visit will be likely down to one or two times per year if that. read more

We got seated In A timely fashion chips salsa brought right away - get ready to order and we are told under new management majority of vegetarian options removed from the menu! We only had two or 3 choices ! Well we could Have walked away but we're expecting friends to join so went ahead and ordered only to be disappointed with the food! It was not what we ordered and when we did get the food it was terrible! Service was pathetic as all the attention was diverted to a huge party and all staff were attending only to them ! We are non existent after that. We wanted to order dessert and had to tell three diff people our orders - 40 minutes later we still don't have our dessert! Frustrated we say cancel the order and bring the cheque. We got charged for something we did not order which they did remove but the whole experience was terrible! We would never visit this place again! The manager was very apologetic and courteous and offered to comp The desserts which we never got!! I would. It recommend this place to anyone. read more

We stopped into Uncle Julio's recently for dinner on a work trip outside of Chicago. We were seated quickly and offered water and chips with salsa. Both varieties were delicious - the brown salsa was mild with a distinct "roasted" taste while the red was very flavorful but spicy! Our server let us know that happy hour was about to end, so I snagged their house margarita, referred to on the menu as "The" Margarita. I chose the chicken tortilla bowl, which I found to be a very generous portion for the price! The rest of our group really enjoyed their entrees as well. 4 stars because once our food arrived, we barely saw our server and getting the check took quite a long time. read more

We've been to Uncle Julio's in Chicago a few times, so we decided to try it out here in Lombard. The food was very good. The service was outstanding. However, it was so loud that I would have left before our meal if I could have. When we got there, at about 5:00 on Saturday, there were a few tables with people and us. The music was blaring, and it was noisy then. I did ask the server if it could be turned down, but she said she would love to but didn't know where the controls were. After more customers came in, the louder the noise got. Truly the noisiest place I've been in decades. The food was good, but definitely not worth returning for me. It was good if you have kids with you, since they can be really loud and no one noticed. Or order take out! read more

Uncle Julio's is that great combination of good food and fun presentation. When picky kids can eat their fill and adults are also happy, it's a win for me! The chocolate piñata may seem cheesy, but it's fun and kids love the whole deal (and I can eat the pineapple!). Service is fast and friendly and this location has easy parking and a very clean facility (from table to restroom). read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Yummy drinks! - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

See all

I came here to see if the food was like the location that was on North Avenue and closed abruptly after 30 years. The food and drinks seem almost identical except the rice..but that's ok as I trying to cut carbs out! read more

the rating should be less than 1 as the food, service and ambience was all below par. - No vegetarian options - Food what was prepared incorrectly or not what was ordered and without taste - dessert was ordered and had to wait for over 30 min after which we canceled the order - service was terrible as you can understand from all the issues listed above do not recommend to any vegetarians read more

WHOSE REZ IS IT, ANYWAY? "Welcome to Uncle Julio's, where the wait times are made up and the reservations don't matter!" Though not quite as funny as the beloved improv show hosted by Drew Carey, this popular Mexican restaurant in Lombard still holds the potential to be entertaining. Nichole C had been to the Schaumburg location once before, but my first impression of UJ's got off on the wrong foot. With a booking through Open Table on 2/22/19, we arrived around 7pm to find a massive crowd of people waiting inside. Uh oh. To be fair to them, not only was it a Friday evening, it was also National Margarita Day. To be fair to *ME*, I had a confirmed reservation through a reputable site. They gave us a buzzer and when pressed for an ETA on our seating, they shrugged and mumbled a meek "ummm soon-ish maybe?" Slightly miffed, I got us a couple margaritas at the bar while we snacked on chips & salsa. A well blended gold margarita ($9) helped to cool me down, and after 10-15 minutes we got seated. Looking around, it could've been a whole lot worse (for which I was docking them points with each passing minute). Practically starving, we quickly placed orders for food. The tableside guacamole ($13) was DELICIOUS and having it prepared fresh before our very eyes was a neat trick. The guac guy stopped by every so often to check on us, which we thought was nice (I threw a couple bucks his way). Never one to pass up on the "combo plate #___", I settled on Juanita's Platter ($17). It came with enchiladas (1 chicken, 1 beef), a pork tamale, and a crispy taco with rice & 'frijoles a la charra'. Everything was tasty, though I didn't care for the ranch-style Mexican 'Cowboy beans'. Nichole's carnitas tacos (3 for $16) got the stamp of approval from her. A trio of corn tortillas were loaded with pork, onions, pico de gallo, and covered in red sauce. They came with cilantro rice & black beans. Bread = 4 Circuses = 3.5 The mini cajeta ($3.50) was a perfect dessert for us, size-wise. It was vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut and pecans, plus caramel sauce and whipped cream. Uncle Julio's is famous for the flashy dessert piñata, but there's no way two people could eat that monstrosity. We passed. Our server was on-the-ball throughout dinner. He was speedy, attentive, and genuine. Even though the folks at the hostess stand seemed oblivious, the rest of the staff were cool. Give the guacamole guy a raise! * TL;DR * Opening snafu aside, just about everything else here was solid. The food was of a decent value (bit pricey, but not too bad) and the margaritas were great. The atmosphere can get raucous during peak times, so I'd like to return on a more chill night during the week. I'd recommend Uncle Julio's, though it's probably not the best place to visit on National Margarita Day, reservation or not. read more

See all

Made a stop for famous uncle Julio's Mexican food on our way to Chicago from Indiana. Wish we had it in Merriville, IN. We walked in Friday evening but table was available immediately. Food was great. We enjoyed all. Steak was tasty but little too much flavorful. Chips and salsa was great. Service was excellent. Restaurant has kids menu and chicken tenders were very tasty. Overall it was a good experience dining in. read more

See all

This high review is for our server, Jasmine. She turned our negative experience around by her positive attitude, as well as correcting what I was not happy with. She was also very attentive, replenishing water, salsa, chips before we finished with what we already had. I must say, the negative is in the portion size. We both received a lunch size portion of fajitas, however, because my husband ordered chicken and steak, which is not on the lunch menu, we were charged the dinner rate. That would be fine if we received the dinner portion. Or are the lunch and dinner portions the same size? read more

The food and place was mediocre. Service also lagged as the server did not speak English very well (I.e. I asked for a "drinks menu", and server went to ask "if they have a Margharita like that). After we were done eating, server was nowhere to be found for us to pay the bill for good 20+ mins. Actually, the Margharita and the complimentary chips were the best out of everything. I asked for a spicy margharita and it came out somewhat spicy. Strangely, the place did not have Tajin (even the dive bar down the street has that to rim the glass). Anyway, this place is a chain so can't expect too much. Can't say that I would reccomend it to others. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Mixed enchiladas (chicken and beef) - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

Last night my friend hosted a birthday dinner at Uncle Julio's in Lombard, IL and it was legit the worst experience I have ever had at an Uncle Julio's establishment. We sat near the kitchen where there was not enough space between the kitchen and the table. Three times, I was bumped and asked servers, boys boys, and host/hostess to not walk through there because it's not fun being popped in the head or hit in the back. Of course, this was too much to ask. Well as expected, there was nowhere for them to move our party or put a sign up asking people to not walk through because of the potential hazard. Well shortly after this, a waiter walked through with a tray full of things and dropped it on my wife and I. We were drenched, just to be offered a dry clean (that we still have to pay for and mail in a receipt to be reimbursed). We were treated as if this was our fault and when if the meal was comped, it took the manager Zyra/Xyra 40 mins to come back and she only came back when we asked if there was another manager on duty. We were confronted by kitchen staff when we asked them to longer carry food through the thin passage. Not saying the customer is always right, but at no point were we disrespectful; yet we were treated as if we did something wrong. No one came to clean the area and they left the mess all around us. Our server Horace amazing and was as attentive as he could be, waiting on a party of 16+. I appreciate his attempts to understand the situation and not blow us off like the manger on duty. read more

Uncle Julio's Oakbrook - Grand swirl - Mexican Near Me - Lombard, Illinois

See all

Open until 9:00 unless it's ten to. Complete BS. If you want to close earlier adjust tour hours so I can go to a competitor and still eat without wasting my time. read more

The service, food, and drinks were all ok. The restaurant is way too noisy for my liking. The place was understaffed and you could tell just by lack of cleanliness and the length of wait. For example, we waited a solid few minutes for for someone to treat us at the door. Our waiter was nice and doing their best. The only thing unforgivable was the price. Way too expensive for the quality. Especially the drinks- no where near what they should have been for the price they charged. I would also add the food is Mexican style, but more like Qudoba than a local Mexican restaurant. read more

Came here for lunch while in the area. Cool atmosphere and the staff was great. I had the 2 steak fajita street tacos. The steak was super flavorful and tender. It came with rice and beans which were average. A little pricey for Mexican food but I'm guessing all the restaurants in the area are similar. read more

The service was terrible. Our waitress seemed like she was from another planet and couldn't communicate with us in English or Spanish. Food portions were so small that we had to order a second time to feel like we ate something. Ambiance was poor. We definitely did not feel like we were in a Mexican restaurant. It felt like we were in a place that only wanted our money. Completely over priced... that's all I will say about that. There's no need to elaborate further. If anyone feels like my review is harsh, then by all means... go try this place and see for yourself. It used to be a decent place, but that was many years ago when I was there last time. read more

Poor Uncle Julio! Mexican colors are painted white and brown. Mexican music is trendy backbeat. Food is twice the price. So sad. Server was fine. Manager was fine. Food was fine. Ambiance is not fun anymore. A great place in a colorless world. Efficiency is king here. read more

The restaurant is tucked away near a hotel so they were relatively empty. The service was on point, we were shown to our table and our drink orders taken immediately. We ordered the Shrimp Fajitas and Steak Enchiladas, Fresh Guacamole and my Husband a Strawberry Margarita. The Guacamole was on point, we actually ordered a second serving!!! Their salsa was a disappointment it truly failed to compliment the explosion of flavor the Guacamole was giving. Was this on purpose seeing that the salsa was complimentary but the Guacamole we had to pay for???? They Redeemed themselves with the Shrimp Fajitas, so hot and flavorful!!!! Portion size was good,I had leftovers which I ate later in the evening and it was good reheated!!! My hubby had the Steak Enchiladas which were Swimming in Queso Cheese Sauce as well as melted cheddar. He said the cheese was overpowering the plate , if he were to ever order this again , he'd definitely ask them to scale back on the Queso. And possibly ask for it on the side so he can control the amount. The rice and beans served with each meal were standard nothing special. The Strawberry Margarita he'd ordered had plenty of salt and Ice going on, not enough of the actual drink for the cost of the cocktail, he stated next time he will stick with his usual Corona with a lime. To sum up, the service was teally good, the Guacamole is winning, the Shrimp Fajitas filling and Delicious, the Salsa we pass on that, the Cocktail is a No not worth it!!! The Steak Enchiladas were descent, just a little too much cheese. In all we enjoyed our meal and the value minus the cocktail was good. Visit Uncle Julio's you'll be glad you did and definitely get the Guacamole!!!!! read more

Had the grapefruit margarita , which was super sugary especially a grape fruit one and the chocolate pianists which the restaurant was known for , for the very experience we went in to sone , was quite a disappointment the choorros was too salty s d the server informed us they ran out of whip cream , really ?? Lol I was like whatever read more

See all

They got rid of the Yellow Queso, I don't think me, my friends, or my family can ever come here again. The food is good but the reason we come back is for the yellow queso. Unless it comes back, this will be the last time any of us come back. read more

The food was fantastic and our server Samanta was great! We'll be back :) Order the queso, you won't regret it! read more

Used to be a 5 star but when you removed the chips and queso. It was one of the best items on the menu and our personal favorite but we were bummed when you removed it. Please bring it back and we will be going a lot more. The queso blanco is not as nearly as good as the queso. Just please bring the queso back!!!!!! read more

i used to love this place, but they changed their menu and have no vegetarian options, not even the beans or rice are vegetarian!