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

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

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

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

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

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 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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 - 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

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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(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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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 - 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 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

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 - 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 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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

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

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

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 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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

Fish tacos were the best I've eaten. Wait staff was efficient, friendly and attentive. Will definitely return.

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

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

The ambiance was great, the chips and salsa=outstanding however the portions and lack of steak in their Steak Fajita bowl was laughable! My wife and I both ordered the bowls and were mutually disappointed in the half full bowl consisting of mainly rice. My Daughter's TexMex combo looked good though and she sampled a couple of the items which were tasty. Her boyfriend ordered 3 steak soft tacos for $24.50, not a fair price for what he received. Staff were outstanding, ambiance, again, was nice albiet quite loud. This particular diggs is in the Woodfield Mall and while our table was quite nicely located at first, when the mall closed, they rolled closed a VERY DUSTY security screen launching dust about and truly made the eating area we were in very dark and also much more closed in feeling. I don't think I'll patronize them again, I just can't spend my hard earned money on shorted foods. 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

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 - Pineapple and a strawberry margarita - Tex-Mex Near Me - Schaumburg, Illinois

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

Great ambience. Amazing food and service. Definitely will go back. Should consider having 1 or 2 Mexican beers on tap.

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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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

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

THIS WAS THE WORST EXPERIENCE IVE EVER HAD AT A RESTAURANT. We got are drinks after 10 minutes of being at are booth. And after this it took another 25 minutes to get are fajitas. And my sister had gotten some tacos and we wanted it plain and it had some tomato in it and we talked to the manager about it and he said that they are ment to be like but it didn't say that on the menu.And just as we where about to leave we tasted the fajitas and they had no flavor and absolutely disgusting. DO NOT RECOMMEND read more

Service was HORRIBLE!!!! The waitress was Not customer friendly..she did not check to see if everything was good. The wait for the food & drinks took over an hour...we did wait because they were way understaffed. Another problem...we ordered margaritas and expected it in a margarita glass, but instead it was put in a beer mug A couple tables that came after us got their margaritas in a margarita glass. We did mention it to the waitress and she didn't know what to say. She didn't even know how to properly split the bill...Never Again!!! read more

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Came here with a friend for dinner before shopping on a Friday night. We had been here once before a couple years ago. When we came, they were able to seat us immediately at a table, even though they were pretty busy. Last time, we ended up sitting at the bar because it was a really long wait otherwise. We each ordered "The Swirl" beverage, which is a combination of frozen margarita and frozen sangria, and it was delicious and satisfying after a hard day. They serve chips and salsa with the dinner, and I think their tortilla chips are great. They are thin - not too greasy and not too salted. The salsa seemed fresh too. Then, we each decided to order fajitas. I went with the skirt steak medium rare, and she went with the chicken and steak combo. The food came out relatively quickly, and although they initially brought out the wrong order for me, they very quickly remedied it without any issue. The steak fajitas were prepared to the perfect temperature, and the rest of the accoutrements were fantastic - cheese, sour cream, guacamole, pico de gallo, beans, and rice. I had the flour tortillas, and they were just the right texture and flavor. The service was friendly and very attentive. And like I said, despite the initial mix-up with my order, they didn't miss a beat, and dinner was still excellent. The price is a little on the higher side, but the quantity and quality made it appropriate. We had plenty of leftovers. If I'm in Schaumburg again, I'm sure I'll be back! read more

Jaz is assume !!!!! Best service ever. Woohoo Jaz you da best. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Uncle Julio lucky to have her. read more

Have been here a few times and it's always great. My family and I start with the ceviche, then fajitas for the table. It's huge, definitely enough to share. Last visit the margarita of the day was blood orange. So good. We finished with churros and ice cream sundae. Both are yummy. The server was wonderful, very attentive without being intrusive. The manager came to the table a couple of times. She's funny. The place is nice, the typical Uncle Julio look. It's spacious, plenty of room between the tables and chairs for wheelchair users; and the bathroom is fully accessible. However, the main entrance is not wheelchair accessible. Doors are very heavy. There is a side entrance through the mall that's accessible if they open it. read more

Went here for a work team dinner... Olimpia was out waitress, and not only was she a great sport, with a wonderfully fun sense of humor, but she got the entire party's orders right, timely, and professionally delivered! The food was excellent (maybe could have had better salsa, with more flavor) and well prepared. I had Pechuga de pollo, a Mezcal based drink, and it was fabulous! The pollo was done, but not dry, excellent plate of veggies, and all the fixings. Well Done all, but especially for Olimpia, Miss Ma'am! read more

Good food and service. Nice ambiance, not too loud. Price's are reasonable. Great place for any occasion.

Uncle Julio's is located inside the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg Illinois. There is ample parking due to the fact it is in a shopping mall and the parking area is of course well lit. We dined at Uncle Julio's for my sisters birthday, at her request. Upon entering we were greeted by a hostess who sat us promptly and was friendly and nice. Once seated, a waitress came and took drink orders and gave her recommendations on drinks and the menu items. Highly recommended were the Blackberry margarita and the Jalisco fajitas. I had both since she claimed they were excellent. The blackberry margarita was delivered with 2 small stirring straws, which promptly clogged up due to the blackberry pulp. They need bigger straws. We had table side guacamole, family sized, and it was made table side. The serving size was somewhat small for a family, especially 3 boys, and 3 adults. Better order two if you have more than 3 eating it. It was delicious. The entree, the Jalisco fajitas, missed the mark. For the amount of food on the plate, the price point was way too high. Jalisco fajitas consist of steak, chicken and "Jumbo" shrimp. The portion size was small and the shrimp were far from Jumbo. The chicken was sliced too thick for fajitas as well. The server was not the most attentive, it would've been nice to see her a bit more or at least get a refill on the water at the table. She came to take the order, deliver the food, pickup the plates and deliver the check. I'd also side note that it was Monday night and the place was a ghost town, so it wasn't slammed my any means. The high point of the meal was the desert piñata, this was ordered for the birthday girl and shared by all. It was an experience, as I've never seen a chocolate piñata before. And yes, you actually break it open with a wooden stick. The most disappointing issue was the lack of a burrito on the menu. Seemed somewhat odd to me, not having a burrito at a Mexican restaurant. read more

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