The food was good. I had the mini britilla taco appetizer that was ok. A little on the greasy side. Definitely unique and something not usually on menus in Mexican restaurants. My friend wanted brisket enchiladas and the kitchen was kind enough to make those for her. She really enjoyed them. The margarita could've used more tequila which seems to be the norm everywhere these days. Service was slow even though the restaurant wasn't packed. Large space and great for big table parties. Overall average at best. There are independent restaurants that are far tastier IMO. read more

Horrible service do not recommend.cGot there today placed an order at the bar. Person forgot about our order. Other people were being served while we got ignored. After waiting for some time bartender asked us if we wanted to order anything. Told him we placed an order already. He didn't seem to care or care or was sorry about anything. Staff does not care about anything poor customer service. read more

Finally able to try it. I ordered the Barbacoa Beef Fajitas. It was ok. Tender and tasty. My sisters Carne Asada looked good. I didnt get to taste it tho maybe next time. Most of my family ordered tacos and i didnt get any complains so it must have been good. The best thing about the order is the flour tortilla. Its made from scratch and its amazing!!! Seriously! The only complain i have is my rice might be old or left out or maybe at the bottom of the batch. There were some hard grains. Like when its been left out. We also ordered the Chocolatr Pinata for my cousins birthday. It has fruits and churros inside. The churros are yummy! Our server was great. Will definitely come back to try more things on the menu. read more

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Back 20 years ago this establishment was an automatic 5 stars, however, time has not served this chain well. Portions have gone south and prices have risen immensely. Their chips and salsa was so addictive, I would ruin my appetite before the meal came. They even watered the salsa down and changed that great flavor. They jumped the shark when they came out with the family style fajitas with meat that makes taco bell look good. Instead of going 12 times a year I go about once a year hoping it returns to its former glory. I must not be the only one with this opinion as many of the stores have closed as they pull back.... read more

Love the margaritas here. They have a nice outdoor patio with fireplace. They also make the best guacamole. Right off the motorway it's a handy spot to get to! read more

The ambiance and service are GREAT. I was there for lunch with a group of 5, 3 of which ordered the combination lunch and had the same comments. The enchiladas were delicious across the board. The crispy tacos were okay and the soft taco (mine) was inedible. I say that because I believe the tortillas are handmade as they are thick and gummy. The chicken was not dry, so I ate part of the inside like a child. The chips and salsa are delicious and my friend's fajitas were apparently good as well. I really wish I could give more stars, because the service was really, really good as was some of the food, but considering there are so many options in the area, I'm not sure that I would go to Uncle Julio's again. read more

Went to Uncle Julio's in Schaumburg at the Woodfield mall yesterday for dinner. The restaurant is beautiful - well decorated, low/dim lighting, very cozy ambience. Surprisingly it was mostly empty and by the time we left still there were not a ton of tables/customers for the massive size of the restaurant. There was no hostess at the front which was frustrating. The menu is not as great as it was in the future - I was hopeful for their former delicious flautas which they no longer have. :( The menu is a bit expensive. I tried the chicken dorado tacos, they were ok but not out of this world. Hubby got the enchiladas which had plenty of cheese but he felt they were kind of spicy. The meal came with chips and salsa of various spiciness. There was a table of women right next to us that was extremely loud which was annoying. It would be nice if the menu wasn't as pricey and had more options but overall not bad. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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I'm a fan of Uncle Julio's and this location is great! Stopped in after a long day of shopping and the atmosphere was cozy and the drinks are so good! I really recommend "the" swirl. I got the carnitas tacos, I think they forgot the sauce but they were still good. My mom and sister were also very happy with their tacos. We would definitely come back! read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Portions are super small yet still expensive. Staff is still good. Food is meh. Definitely has fallen from how it used to be. Understand with inflation everything is more $$. Keep the portions the same and raise the price if you have to. But they raised the price and cut the food by over 1/2 the size. Definitely will not go back anymore. read more

I could give 0 stars I would. We never got to eat there because of their miserable host, Al. I made reservations for 1:30 because I didn't think I'd make it there by 1. We got there right at 1p - the restaurant was largely empty with three families waiting to be seated. He said they couldn't seat us until 1:30 - but mind you I could have made reservations at any time as I did it while we were driving there. He then said he would go speak with a manager. He came back and said they were "getting a table together for us." After 10 minutes, I asked how the table was coming and he very rudely told us to come back at 1:30. Don't work in customer service if you're a miserable a-hole. I will not be back. read more

I love UJ. ! They have the thinnest chips and great flavor sauce! Love their beans and refried beans. Also steak tacos are fantastic. Need to try elites, also love nachos, we always come back to OB location, servers are always great! read more

A fan of Uncle Julio's for about 10 years. Always ordered the swirl and it always comes in a large mug. Today I ordered a grand swirl and was insulted by this tiny wannabe swirl. Like times are tough, but dang don't call this a swirl when it's more of splash. Tio Julio, wherever you're at make this right. The wait time at the bar for clean up was a joke. There were at least 6 people waiting to sit at the bar but they couldn't because they were dirty from previous guests. There was only one bartender making orders for the whole restaurant, so I get the wait time. But there were others that could have helped out. read more

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Very convenient if you are shopping at Macy's. The ambience was very nice inside. Was immediately seated. I thought the food was very good. This was my first time there. I had cheese and onion enchiladas. They were yummy. read more

(Really 3 1/2 Stars) PIC had never been to the good ole' Uncle Julio's, so I reluctantly went with him for a Friday night date. This was not my first time to this chain, but first visit to this location. I had mixed experiences in the past, but the frozen swirl slushie drew me back... After reading YELP insights, we decided to sit at the bar. GREAT CHOICE! We had quick and kind service, and the bar counter is large enough to dine comfortably. Happy hour was 4-6pm, with frozen Margarita/sangria slushies and house margaritas priced at $5, and beers $1 off. I tried their margarita, and was happily surprised- not too boozy, and just lime-y enough. The free endless chips were toasty and super thin, perfect once salt was added! I really liked their salsa, too, as it was uniquely thin, brown and smoky. The bartender also gave us a slightly spicier salsa, with more habanero kick. The entrees... meh. The mesquite chicken platter had decent rice and beans (no spoon provided though) and a mini platter of lettuce, pico di gallo and guacamole. This "platter" appeared to have been pre-prepped and likely frozen. The chicken breast was good, with a light mesquite flavor. The skirt steak also had a flavorful juice exterior, but was V E R Y chewy. Too chewy. For the price points of the entrees, one can find better Tex-Mex. HOWEVER... I would definitely return for happy hour OR to watch a game with chips and drinks at the bar. Totally an aside... for a MALL chain restaurant, the decor and layout is pretty cool! High ceilings, dark wood accents, private booths, large front patio outside, and bachata music at a reasonable level. read more

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Pretty pricey for the portion sizes; however, the food was good! They charge you extra for ever side thing and it's kind of a lot..service was nice and servers were wonderful! read more

Don't be fooled by the dim lights and fancy décor--Uncle Julio's was a huge disappointment. The food was bland and overpriced, our chicken was burnt and brick hard, and the spicy jalapeño burned our mouths with no warning, while everything else was flavorless. Definitely not worth it. read more

We were originally going to have dinner at Cheesecake, but with a 2-hour wait and a hungry kiddo, we walked over to Uncle Julio's and were told it's only a 45-minute wait, so we decided to give it a shot...and I'm glad we did! We got a text about 30 minutes later and were promptly seated. Our waitress was very friendly and made some great suggestions. We started with the tableside guacamole which was amazing. The adults split a chicken fajita and the kiddo had a kids chicken taco meal with fruit. She polished off her taco and we did the same with the fajitas. The rice was tasty but the beans were kind of bland. Chips and salsa were decent, the chips actually were very nice, thin, and crispy. We had to do the chocolate pinata. This thing is HUGE and loaded with fresh pineapple and strawberries, crowned with churros and whipped cream. It was fun but I don't think we'll spend $30+ on it again. Nice thing to do once. I was kind of skeptical to visit since the reviews here aren't the best, but for mall food, it was really a positive experience all around. read more

Awesome service, our server was the friendliest I've had in a long time.... Clean restroom and dining area..... not to mention how tasty the food was! read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - 3 soft taco beef plate with a Lagunitas little little sumthin ipa - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Hi. I have always wanted to go to uncle Julio's. I went yesterday spur of the moment. My waiter was John he's was polish and friendly. Mauricio the manager he's tall and he's friendly and he's very helpful to his staff. I wanted to say that the restaurant is nice and I had 2 chicken tacos and they were so fullfiling, I will go back because I want to try the chocolate pinata. But my first time and my experience was good. My waiter John was great. I made him laugh a few times. Great experience you should really try it read more

If I could rate this place negative I would. The people here wait until someone walks in to clean the booths and then people are sat to wait. The service was terrible and we clearly specified we couldn't eat pork but there was still pork out in front of us. We mindlessly started eating the beans until we saw bacon. The server didn't say sorry at all and had a terrible attitude about it. read more

Outside tables are well-shielded from the parking lot and Woodfield Mall. Great drinks, especially Mezcale non-sweet Margs. Rebecca was great and caring server! Nice variety of food choices, well-prepared. A lot of fun! read more

Service? What service.?.? Need to hire another bar tender. Not very crowded this afternoon (4 guests at the bar). Sat for 5 minutes, without being greeted, given a menu, or offered anything to drink. Walked-out. Too many Mexican restaurants to wait for bad service to show-up. read more

I had a good time in this restaurant. Service was very good. My boyfriend had the quesa-birria and it was delicious. I had the chicken tortilla bowl and it was overall good. It is a pretty nice restaurant to try. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Chicken Tortilla Bowl - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

I wanted to treat my family to one of the greatest things ever, a Chocolate Piñata at Uncle Julio's. This Mexican chain restaurant is perhaps best known, not for their tacos or quesadilla but for this sweet treat. When you are seated, you are given chips and salsa. We also ordered the queso dip for the chips before ordering the chocolate piñata. This globe comes to the table on a cutting board that takes up the entire table. We were given a wooden batton to break open the piñata. When it's broken, strawberries, churros, and pineapple explode out. You are given whipped cream and warm chocolate sauce to dip the contents in. This is big enough to be a full meal for five people. Our group of four came just short of finishing the whole thing. Their server was going through training, and they were very attentive to our table. I highly recommend Uncle Julios. I'd skip all of the real food and go straight to dessert. read more

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OMG such an Amazing Time From the Front Door To the spicy Shrimp The staff was friendly and attentive. I ordered the Carne Asada and wasn't disappointed. The steak was cooked perfectly and taste great. I also ordered the Berry Margarita and it was well balanced and fresh. The restaurant felt warm, romantic and has beautiful decor. Definitely a place to check out. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

This was my first time eating at Uncle Julio's. I was very pleased with Kyle, the manager, who greeted my son who is a disabled veteran, with a thank you for your service. So many times veterans are ignored rather than acknowledged. Barbara was our server. She greeted us with a very nice smile and her timing was perfect. The food was very good. We had the made at your table guacamole to start. It was very creamy and delicious. My son had tacos and I had a mixed plate. Wanted to try several things. Everything was great. I highly recommend the Schaumburg location in the mall. Will go back again. Thank you for your great place to eat that isn't fast food. read more

We are from Los Angeles and came to Chicago for an event at the Hyatt, we were skeptical about having Mexican food in Chicago but to our surprise this restaurant is FANTASTIC!!! John our server was AWESOME and so NICE! We had the Enchiladas they were DELICIOUS and the Blood Orange Margaritas are sooooo GOOD! Beautiful Restaurant, Great Service, Great Food! Highly highly recommend! read more

Yesterday was my 18th birthday and thanks to my experience at this restaurant it was terrible. We got there a little after 8 we waited about 10 minutes for someone to show up to the counter to get us a table. After we were seated we put our drink and appetizers orders in after. A little while after we put in our food orders. I had noticed a decent amount of time had passed because people started mopping around our table and our waiter started cleaning off counters so it was close to close and we still hadn't even gotten our appetizers. After her walking past our table 3 times we asked where our food was and she answers "they haven't brought your food out yet?" Whilst looking at our empty table. She brings us our food and tells us our appetizers ticket "got lost" (she didn't write down our order at all) she's proceeds to gives us our food that was cold and she forgot the tortillas for my fajitas we had to call a different waitress over for them. I didn't even get to get a desert because it was past close when we got our food. Overall do not recommend the table next to us said there experience was also terrible read more

Took my grandmother here for her birthday and we both ordered a Shrimp and Crab Enchilada. Inside my $22 order was a total of 1 baby shrimp that I took a photo of and one little piece of crab. You would think for $22 I would get an acceptable number of shrimp and crab inside of an enchiladas. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

This 5 star review is based solely on the bartender Kevin, very knowledgeable on the menus extensive offerings as well as a master of his beverages. Should you visit Uncle Julio's sit right in the bar area and Kevin will take the very best care of you. Also ask him to make you an El Hefe cocktail, infused in house for a little spice. Great for sipping away a sunny day. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Waiting on my Barbacoa Quesadillas...highly recommend. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Super! Beyond expectations! Best Grapefruit margaritas ever. incredible tacos. Superb costumer service. The whole package, cheaper than a therapist! Carnitas Tacos. Very welcoming ambiance. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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We used to really like Uncle Julio's but our last visit went downhill. We always used to get the honey chpotle chicken fajitas and they are no longer on the menu. My wife ordered steak fajitas and they were terrible. The meat was basically 50% fat. I understand the cut of meat used for fajitas isn't typically the best, but this was worse than they used to be, and worse than cheaper competition. We also ordered tableside guacamole, that they didn't make at the table and when we compared it to an order of guac we brought home to my mother-in-law, it was identical. Why am I paying so much more for it in the restaurant when it is just the same guac you had premade in the first place, and we don't get to watch you make it? Just sell us the regular guac. The server was nice to the kids and friendly, but kind of ignoring us and socializing. Dinner took quite a while and we had to ask other servers for refills etc. I understand staffing issues, but our server was not that busy. We would try it again when we are around, but only if other options are exhausted. read more

It is loud in here and when you make your order, you can barely get the server to come back around, so if they forget anything, good luck getting it the food is subpar for the price that you pay. Very minimal flavor if any Not a place that I would run back to read more

This is the third time I've been to Uncle Julio's, and I gotta say this place is always reliably good. Tonight I was dining alone so I sat at a high-top table near the bar; I was immediately greeted by my waiter who was quick taking and filling my order. He also stopped to check in multiple times through my meal (wish I'd gotten his name!) The carne asada meal was generously portioned--could have shared it!!--and cooked PERFECTLY!! Like this is the most juicy beef I've had at a restaurant in ages! Beans and rice side dishes were very good, guac, though not overly flavorful is good, homemade chips delicious, and the homemade flour tortilla shells were like pillows!! Obviously I had a great experience!! Will DEFINITELY be back!! read more

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As someone who has worked in the service industry for several years (and actually worked at an Uncle Julio's back in the day), I was extremely disappointed with my experience at this restaurant. Here is the saga of my 2 hour Uncle Julio's dining experience: Upon arriving, we stand at the host stand for a few minutes waiting for someone to seat us. Manager rolls up and we ask for the patio. "There's a 20 minute wait for the patio." I let the manager know there are 3 empty tables on the patio. I'm again told about the wait. Rather than arguing, we sit at the bar to wait. The 3 empty tables remain empty and un-bussed until one becomes "available" which took 10 minutes and me going back up to the host stand to say hey, can you please seat us. While we sat at our table, I watched 10+ staff members walk past un-bussed tables without grabbing a single item. It was disappointing to see such a lack of attention to detail and care for the customers' experience - not to mention, they could have been seating more people / making more money. Fast forward, blah blah blah, food took almost an hour to come out and one of the items was cold. Server was super nice, we didn't give anyone a bad tip as I believe this issue is a top down issue. It's clear that the staff was not properly trained or managed to handle the volume of customers and tables, leading to the slow service, un-bussed tables, and long wait times for food. read more

Uncle Julio's SUCKS. My family and I made reservations to the restaurant, and when we showed up, we were denied our seats! Then, another family walked in WITHOUT a reservation and got seats! What kind of madness is this?!?!? I am NEVER going there ever again. read more

Needed a mom and daughter late lunch. Bacon wrapped shrimp appetizers called us in. We were all set to order fajitas for lunch, really wanted shrimp and steak. That option was not available. Since it was Tuesday saw the taco Tuesday special. A great option, however if upgrading from ground beef to steak and pulled chicken to grilled chicken it is a 20 dollar upgrade. After reviewing the prices, decided to go with fajitas of chicken and steak as suggested by our server. He called it back to another server who placed the order, we voiced to him, fajitas, right...yes, he affirmed. Well, we got the taco meal instead with the steak and chicken. The meat had good flavor, and the taco sides were very good. The taco bar is $12 per person, upgrading to the steak and chicken made it much pricier. The drinks are well made and the salsas very good. Over all good food and solid spice. read more

Uncle Julio's Schaumburg - Pineapple and a strawberry margarita - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

Food was decent BUT I asked server for a surprise Piñata for my husband's bday and they just brought the check ( no piñata or bday singing) Also, service was mega slow and no water was provided to the table Waiter basically never checked on us But the worst part was definitely not being able to celebrate being the reason we were there the bday celebration read more

Very friendly service! I had the roasted cauliflower bowl. My sister had the same. Other sister had nachos or similar. Wished I had ordered that! We all had plain margaritas. Just the 3 of us. Kinda pricey, food mediocre. Bill with tip was a little over $100.00. We went on Saturday at around 11:30. No waiting and the drinks and food came in a timely manner. Chips and salsa complimentary, very good thin chips with a choice of mild or hot. Not much to choose from if you avoid meat. Overall it was a pleasant experience. read more

Ivoshka is the most amazing server. She's attentive and was intuitive to our needs. 100% recommend that you ask for Ivoshka when you come to the Schaumburg Uncle Julio! Christina, the manager stopped by to check on us and made us feel welcome and important. The restaurant was clean and welcoming. 100% recommend the food and service! read more