Uncle Julio’s Fine Mexican Food
1860 Peachtree Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30309
Uncle Julio’s Fine Mexican Food Menu
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Address :
1860 Peachtree Rd NE
Atlanta, GA, 30309 - Phone (404) 350-6767
- Website https://www.unclejulios.com/locations/atlanta/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Adam M.
Wow, I honestly expected a higher cumulative rating on Yelp. This place would get my vote as the best (American) Mexican in Atlanta. Albeit expensive, this place has the freshest ingredients I've ever tasted in Mexican joint. Great drinks as well! I think the steak fajitas are the best I've ever had. They actually cook them on the rare side of med rare if you ask, and that makes me very happy. I hate overcooked meat. And if you care, medium is overcooked. The service has always been solid despite being busy, and their tortillas are excellent. Give the fajitas a try, med rare of course!
(4)Jasen M.
Im deff a fan How can u not like a place where they are making fresh tortillas rite there in front of u? I will admit the prices are a bit steep for mexican cuisine but the food is good and thats what matters. Service was speedy and attentive. I dropped in for lunch with a friend so don't have much to report on the food since I had a bowl of soup and a side of guac. Both were quite good though.
(4)Jenay M.
GREAT FOOD! went there for my friends bday and we all enjoyed the food...and that was great because everyone knows how hard it is to please EVERYONE in the group. atmosphere was great but it can get kinda noisy at times...the nachos were amazing this was were i had guacamole for the first time and it was like a fiesta in my mouth lol
(5)Rob F.
I came here with a large group of friends for a birthday party. Ready for a great night, I got a couple drinks- one of which was their signature margarita. Each drink was really small, especially for the price tag they through on it. The waiter apologized for the first one being so small and said he'd bring a large one out for the 2nd- which did at first appear larger, but i emptied it into the first glass to find that they were the same portions. For dinner, I ended up with the fajitas which were ok and plenty enough to fill me, but for the price I would have hoped for something a little more flavorful. And of course, it's valet parking only, despite the huge parking lot they have available. Over all the party enjoyed it, but I won't likely be returning on my own.
(1)danielle g.
Save your money. No, I'm totally serious. The best thing about this place is the patio. And yes, the paint job is cool. But, that's not why I go to a restaurant. Let me start with the menu. I was a little shocked to see so many items above $15, but hey, it's "Fine Mexican Cuisine", right? We ordered: - Mojito $9.25 (eek!) - Frozen margarita ($7+?) - Chips & salsa (Complimentary) - Guac & cheese dip w/ chorizo $8 - Chicken tortilla soup ($6) - Enchilada combo plate (beef & cheese) My thoughts: - The mojito was decent. Small, but decent. However, small & decent doesn't warrant a $9+ price tag. Yes, I realize it's Buckhead; that's no excuse. - I didn't have any of the margarita, so I can't help you here. - Chips & Salsa: Chips were good; thin & hot. Salsa tasted fresh & obviously a "house" recipe. Pretty tasty. - The guac & cheese dip: Are you kidding me? $8 for a small ramekin of orange cheese dip with a chorizo goo in the bottom (no real chunks of chorizo sausage to be found; more like a chorizo chili). Tostito's matches their dip easily, and I can get that in the snack aisle at the grocery store without the sticker shock. The guacamole was pretty good, but the shredded cheese they put on top was pointless & detracted from the dish, rather than adding to it. - Now, I will admit, it might be hard to impress me when it comes to Tortilla soup. I LOVE the stuff. My bar is set pretty high there, and this sad attempt fell far below par. It was essentially more of a vegetable soup with chunks of chicken in it. No cilantro or lime flavors, no cotija cheese, tortilla strips were already limp by the time I got the soup. Seemed odd to have zucchini & squash in it too, but that was ok. - The walk of shame for the evening was reserved, however, for the enchiladas. Too much going on for a plate that should be simple & delicious. Points added for the authentic corn tortilla flavor, but points taken right back for using that mysterious orange cheese for the filling. The beef seemed to be just browned ground beef, and it was also drowning in a sea of this chunky red sauce that hinted at a marriage of Mexico meets Italy. More marinara-like or something. The rice & beans they served on the side? I had two bites & gave up, because it just wasn't worth it by this point. The service was even substandard. They didn't seem THAT busy (the inside was practically empty), and every time they brought our food out, we watched them try to take it to another table before they brought it to us at ours. Not a huge deal, but an interesting sidebar to note if you expect superior service with your Buckhead prices. Last, but certainly not least, was the Manager. He came to our table and said, "So, I hear you thought the food was mediocre?" So, we answered him honestly & said yes. We proceeded to tell him why, and he looked a bit stunned & just said, "Wow, you guys are harsh." LOL! I know when I'm being harsh, and we were very nice about it actually. So, I just kinda looked at him and said, "Well, you asked." Maybe it was a "bad night" for the kitchen staff, or the servers were really in the weeds, but overall, that's no excuse for mediocre food being served at every turn. If you're going to tout that you serve "Fine Mexican Cuisine" and charge prices that reflect that claim, you need to be able to back it up with superior, dare I say, outstanding food. Next time, save yourself some money & get better food somewhere else.
(1)Bryan C.
I'm a big fan of mexican food and I've always been interested in eating here as i used to pass by it every day on the way to work. When my wife and I got there, the place was fairly packed (it was about 6:30pm). Our first mistake was not requesting to go outside as the inside was insanely loud. We could barely here what our waitress was telling us and we have to lean in close to each other the entire night to carry on a conversation. We Decided to get the Chili con Queso for an appetizer which wasn't that good at all. The Tortilla chips were fresh and tasted really good, but the Queso was sweet tasting (also they don't sell the white queso there). For the Main Entree we got the Beef Fajita platter for 2. The beef was really fatty but tasted decent. The rice and beans were OK as well but nothing to write home about. Service wasn't much to write home about either. Getting refils and getting our check seems to take way longer than normal, and by the end of the meal I was ready to get out of that loud restaurant. Our Bill came to about 60$ after tip for a meal what my wife and I felt was just "meh." Don't think i'll be coming back here again, I've had much better mexican at much more reasonable pricing elswere in the ATL.
(2)Moutarde M.
Wait for food was very long. "$1 Taco Tuesdays" which is the only reason we came turned out to be a scam. They don't exist. The tacos were not very good either. Very dry and flavorless. Just some meat thrown into a soft taco with some lettuce and tomato....no salsa or sauce of any kind. They also screwed up on our bill and our order so we had to ask to get that fixed. We will not be returning despite the nice outside seating area right on Peachtree....actually not so nice since we kept getting attacked by flies. Very disappointed.
(2)Mark V.
I thought this place was good. It is very Tex-Mex-y, so don't go in thinking that you're going to get authentic Mexican food. Also, it's a little pricey. With all that being said, I thought their fajita was absolutely amazing and this sounds minor, but their black beans were perfect. I definitely recommend.
(3)Biljana B.
When somebody says Mexican food, I always think of Uncle Julio's!!In my opinion, The best Mexican food in Atlanta!! :-)They have the best chips and salsa in town, the chips is super thin and crisp and the salsa has a very unique smokey taste. The best dish is the chicken/steak fajitas, a little more expensive but worth the price! The meat is nicely marinated and juicy. They have friendly faces and if there is a slight dislike about anything, the manager comes over to the table and takes care of the problem immediately! I love the way they treat their customers and that's why I always come back!
(5)Ross P.
Fajitas are the best here along with there frozen Margaritas, there queso is the best!
(5)Mystical S.
I love this place so much I celebrated my birthday there. They have excellent margaritas and shrimp quesadillas.
(5)Sonya Y.
I used to enjoy going to this restaurant. The food is good but the service and management sucks now, things have completely gone downhill! The last time I was there, it took them making my order, which was straight from the menu, 3 times before it was right and the party I was with had finished eating. Embarrassing and the manager did not care one bit! He(Brad) acted as if it was a normal thing and joked about it saying "3rd is a charm" wtf???? Never again, I only continuously spend where customer service is a priority! The experience was horrible and restaurants come a dime a dozen I will just deal with my other "go to" places that appreciate the customer and customer experience! Dueces UJ
(1)Nicole R.
I heard of this restaurant through the "Burt Show" as I driving back from a long night at Opera Night Club! The next I received a Atlanta Restaurant Magazine in the mail and saw the advertisements for the same restaurant! (Must of been a sign) So as I always do, I grab someone to come with me and when I walked into this restaurant I was greeted by the hostess and serve fresh host chips with salsa dip and it was AWESOME! I later ordered the "Camarones Brochette" which is Six jumbo shrimp stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and fresh jalapeño, wrapped in bacon and mesquite grilled over an open flame. Served on a sizzling platter with our famous Mexican butter!!!! I murdered that food and then I returned with boyfriend and ordered the "Juarez" which is also a favorite! After stuffing myself, I decided to order a drink and then comes the manager and he gives us a "funnel cake desert" FREE! We didn't even have room to eat it, but it was such a nice gesture, so we box it and ate it later :) On your next visit,let me know how it goes :) -Shevonda
(5)Brigitte M.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times. Some positives: The patio is large and located conveniently on Peachtree Rd. The decor/atmosphere is nice. Food is tasty. Some cons: A bit pricey for Mexican. Mandatory Valet (I am really neutral on this point), and the biggest con... *Horrible service* The horrible service seems to be consistently horrible every time I go. The wait staff does not come to check up on you after your food has been delivered, and it has consistently taken 20+ minutes just to close the tab. In fact, the last time I went on a double date that was to be followed by a movie, but the service was so slow that we had missed our movie!! :/ If you feel like spending a good bit of money on Mexican food with horrible service then by all means... The food is delicious but I am not sure it is worth it anymore...
(3)Melissa B.
Went here for Cinco De Mayo. The 2.5 hour wait didn't even bother me. The food is ridiculously overpriced. I orderd combination fajitas and I literally got 3 large shrimp, 2 strips of chicken and 2 strips of steak. Sour cream and shredded cheese is $2 extra! The fajitas were $20!!! I couldn't even make 3 fajitas out of what they gave me. I have been to better tasting and better priced restaurants. There's far too many Mexican restaurants in Atlanta ( one on every corner) for me to ever go here again.
(2)Autumn S.
I really enjoyed my tamalies. Also had a few bites of others food at table the ribs were actually delicious very flavorful. I was very satisfied with the drinks I had their margaritas only gripe is I was hoping to get pitchers of it instead of cups since we had a group. But other then that it was a fine experience and I would go back again.
(4)Branson S.
I was very pleased with the food and service I received from my server Olivia. However, when I tried settle a problem with the manager, Nick, he came to my table he was very rude and treated me as if I was ignorant. He was not willing to listen and did not offer any alternative solutions. As I left I tried to bring my displeasure with Nick's demeanor to his attention, and he continued to be rude and defensive. From my experience the adage that "the customer always comes first" does not seem to be something that Nick is aware of.
(1)Heather S.
I grew up in South Texas and I get pretty picky about mexican food. Everything I've ever had here has been similar to what I had growing up. Yes, it's a chain and yes, there is authentic food to be had on Buford but if you want some tasty food, good drinks and don't want to eat in a shack (taco veloz), then this is a good option. They have some higher end menu items (quail for instance), but I always just stick to the combination platters and the fajitas. It's more Tex Mex than true mexican but tex mex is my favorite so that works for me. It's a good place for groups even though it can get loud because it's kind of cavernous, but drink some more tequila and you won't care.
(4)Michael E.
I had lunch today here with my favorite gossip girl, Melissa L., and I have to say, it was ¡muy bien! I have a tendancy to prefer smaller dining rooms, so the size of the place is a bit overwhelming. But, once I was seated at a cozy booth in the corner, that subsided. We started with what were probably the best chips I've ever had. They are SO light, they practically float out of the basket. Unfortunately, I believe this would lead me to eat more of them, but, dang, they were good! The salsa was quite tasty, too - very peppery (as in black pepper, not vegetable peppers), which I like. I was kind of jonesing for a taco salad so I was bummed they didn't have one on the menu (really? no taco salad?), so I opted for the cheese and onion enchiladas. Boy, when they say cheese, they mean C-H-E-E-S-E! There was a lot of it (not that I'm complaining) which caused me a couple of embarrassing moments having to sever the melty cheese from my mouth as it was still connected to the food on the plate - you know what I mean. Again, a good problem to have. Melissa L. recommended I get a drink called "The Swirl" next time I'm in on a non-work day. She claims it's almost as good as a fro' mo' at El Taco, so I'll definitely have to give it a try. I got a little teary-eyed as a I left because it made me start thinking about Rio Bravo (remember that place in Buckhead?) which then made me start thinking about being 28 again which made me start thinking about what it was like to have a 30" waist which made me think of Backstreet on a Saturday night which, well, I should stop there. Overall, a solid Tex-Mex dining experience with good service, too. I will go back.
(3)Todd P.
I think the key to a better food experience with Uncle Julio is to avoid Friday nights. My friend and I decided to drop in at Casa Grande after the Yelp Elite event for a margarita and a quick bite last night and it was a marked improvement over my previous two-star visit. Our server was efficient, friendly but not overbearing. The food was well prepared and I was happy that my enchiladas weren't buried in a mountain of shredded iceberg lettuce like that poor taco dish of days gone-by. Fridays are still good if you are going just for drinks and eye candy. Ay carumba!
(3)Lisa A.
While I normally prefer a smaller family restaurant, I have to say that Uncle Julio has won me over. I LOVE the thin chips and salsa, the fresh hand made tortillas, and the fajitas! Yes, the place is huge and it annoys me how they ask my name and if I have been there before, but as soon as the chips arrive, it's all good! The prices are a bit high, but the quality of the meat in the fajitas is worth it. No scraps of mystery meat. Instead you get big strips of tender and juicy meat. It's not my husbands favorite, but we have a deal and every other week or so, we have lunch here.
(4)Dave L.
Very good food. While some of the other resturants in this chain have lost some of thier appeal, this one has not. the good is great as are the drinks.
(4)Aimee C.
Yay, I'm a fan is right! I love Uncle Julio's. I hadn't realized the restaurant was part of a franchise until I was asked to meet a friend here for lunch. Coming from Chicago (and obviously thinking the world is revolving around me) I was delighted for a staple in my life, just a hop, skip and a jump away. I love Uncle Julio's for the following reasons: 1. Their chips are so paper thin you can honestly eat an entire basket 2. Their salsa is delicious, it's saucy, rather than chunky 3. Their swirl margarita -- need i really say more 4. Their fajitas!! who doesn't love fajitas? Anyways, if you're looking for delicious mexican food with a fun and festive atmosphere, you can find it here.
(4)Lauren S.
Uncle Julio's has great food, as long as you aren't looking for dirt cheap Mex. It is definitely more expensive than Monterrey, etc. The patio is big & great for dinner before going out in Buckhead. The Swirl is a MUST! But be warned - they may be sweet & fruity, but a couple of those will get you! Parking is valet, which is a little bit of a pain.
(3)Kerry O.
Best steak fajitas in town with pretty competitive price. Just watch out for the swirls they're really tasty but they can sneak up on you if you don't keep count :)
(5)Umm N.
Uncl Julio's is a resturant that has everything working for it while having everything working against it at the same time. "How so?" you may wonder. Well let's break that down. What works: It is casual enough where no one will feel out of place in their worl uniform yet nice enough to take someone on a first date or even first anniversary. The decor is colorful and authentic enough to know that this isnt the average Mexican restaurant that can be found in the suburbs on almost every block. And as for the food? Oh yes, the food! It is fresh, it is amazing. The fajitas are absolutely delicious. My favorite is the mesquite grilled butterfly Diablo shrimp with steak fajitas. Most of the mesquite grilled items come with guacomole and pico de gallo. I like to add the cheese and sour cream combo. They have a variety of appetizers- queso (which is yellow), tamales, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, several types.of guacomole, ahi tuna tartar, and soups. Someone who is aware of the fact that Mexico DOES border an ocean and thus offers plenty of seafood dishes, AND there are amazing dishes beyond tacos and nachos --- such as Carne Asada, Quail, and Fajitas-- can appreciate the a place like this.... and that is where the problems begin. What Doesnt Work: Too many people are not aware of what all Tex-Mex food has to offer and thus settle for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and nachos. UJ doesnt do those wrong, but the fact that that someone's bill can come out to about 14 bucks before or after the tip for such a "simple" entree and soda can definitely spoil anyone's experienceand make them think that the meal was nkt worth what they paid. To me, this explains why UJ is such a hit or miss for people. People walk in this "TEX-MEX" restaurant expecting that combo list of meals that are around 6.99. ha! Not here folks. Drinks: Superb. Delicious. Summary: Dont waste your money on the enchiladas, tacos, etc thinking you are saving money. You'll walk out wondering how your bill still ended up around 15 or evrn 20 bucks and will be mad. DO spend your money on the more expensive items--- fajitas and specials-- and you will feel it was well worth it!
(4)Liz B.
While in Atlanta for business, a colleague and I chose this restaurant because we thought that a restaurant named "Uncle Julio's" must have character and we weren't disappointed. The hostess was genuinely excited to be at work and was a pleasure to interact with. Erika, is likely one of the best servers I've had the pleasure to interact with. Not only was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, her recommendations were excellent and her service was impeccable. Our meals arrived so quickly we thought that there must have been a mix up and that we'd received someone else's food. My colleague and I were both thrilled with our choices, and I highly recommend the fajitas with freshly made flour tortillas. Seriously - one of the best service experiences I've enjoyed in a very, very long time. I'll make a point to visit Uncle Julio's again next time I'm in town.
(5)Alex K.
The food was delicious, I ordered the tamales and they were the best I ever had. And I grew up in Texas too. These were much better and softer. The waiter was very friendly but a bit pushy, but the place was packed so I'm sure he was stressed from other tables too. The place is pretty pricey but their menu said everything was handmade from scratch so I guess that makes sense. Had we known the price earlier we probably would have went somewhere else but still worth it.
(4)Bobbin W.
I really needed a drink last night--and fortunately, one of my girlfriends lives around the corner from Uncle Julio's Casa Grande. I slurped a frozen Chambord margarita, shooting brain freeze tingles up my face. It really was a delicious drink, and if my tolerance were higher, I would have crushed another one. I ordered a soft taco plate, which came with two beef tacos nestled between a heap of shredded iceberg lettuce and a serving of spicy rice. The tacos were classic and perfect--nothing but ground beef, melted Cheddar, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Plus, the tacos were gargantuan--so I kind of ate four tacos... The meal also came with a little cup of black beans, which I poured onto the rice and slathered onto my chips. I barely could lift myself from my chair when it was time to go, but hey--I was hungry. My only gripe is that the restaurant doesn't offer fish or shrimp tacos. I actually didn't notice any seafood selections on the menu at all, and my sensitive stomach often only can handle ocean life, as opposed to heavy chicken or beef. The ambiance is pretty chill--I sat on the front patio, which overlooks Peachtree: a lovely sight at night. Perhaps the whizzing cars and sparkling skyline are what kept me mesmerized, causing me not to realize I downed about half the bowl of chips.
(4)steven c.
This is a tastey, if overpriced mexican restaurant, with somewhat of a scene. I think I was sitting in the bar portion, but I did notice the monstrous dining room behind me. The gaucamole is pretty good, and the fajitas were a nice size. To me it's not worth the 40% increase in price due to location. Complimentary valet was nice, but frustrating to see them drive 20 yards to an empty parking lot. In general, I don't go for spending extra money on ordinary tex-mex. If you're going to experiment with new ideas I'm willing to pay the price. Nothing food-wise out of the ordinary here, though. Overall, I enjoyed.
(3)Chelsey C.
Do not go to Uncle Julio's if you want to eat in less than 2 hours. Went one Sunday afternoon when it wasn't very busy and waited almost an hour for food that was mediocre at best. Would not go back.
(2)Heather I.
I guess I forgot about this place in my complaint about not having enough Mexican restaurants in Atlanta...but I do really like this place. The service has always been excellent, food excellent, guacomole AWESOME. The prices are a little north of your standard Mexican-American combo #1 & combo #2 places but way worth it. It's where you go when you want to go out for "Fancy Mexican" but don't feel like getting shot in the face at Rosa Mexicana. (I'm just kidding, y'all, I'm sure that can only happen once...) The parking lot is WAY big, too, and with parking lots size DOES matter. (I know you know what I'm talkin' bout.)
(4)Amber F.
Classic margaritas are awesome. Had the the special which was grilled salmon with rice and a tequila sauce that was amazing and large enough for my husband and I to share. Nice decor, but a bit noisy. Will be back for sure!
(4)Joel C.
Two of my co-workers, Ron and Michael; wanted to go out for a nice dinner: Ron - "Lets go to Casa Grande!" Joel - "Casa Grande!?!? The food isn't very good there!" Michael - "But its boys night on Friday night!" Ron - "C'mon Joel, you like to be in the scene and be seen!" Joel - "Awww...man! But the food sucks!" Michael - "Yes, but who needs food when there is eye candy!" Joel - "Ugh..." That pretty much explains the night as a whole! It was good to run into some people I haven't seen in a couple of years...honestly it felt more like a high school reunion than dinner on Friday night. It's been years since I have been here and its pretty much the same. Lots of guys all over the place sipping on margaritas, eating fajitas (minus the tortillas and carbs of course) and pointing fingers at people as they walk in the door. Definitely an uncomfortable feeling when you feel like you are on a catwalk and every ones watching you while you go to the bathroom! Good times, good times... Anyways, two stars for the food and an extra star for Friday Boys Night. If you were to bring me here any other day...I think I would pass...or even better, catwalk myself over to No Mas Cantina!
(3)Norman C.
We have been passing Uncle Julio's on our journeys into the city for several Saturdays nites now. Well low and behold opportunity knocked and we had time to stop and eat last nite. 5 star's all around, Service,decor, and the food. In a nut shell it reminded me of don pueblo's baypines back in Florida where we used to live which was a favorite of ours. We will most definitely be going back. The location is also ideal if your going to the Alliance Theater for a show. On a side note I also noticed a lot of family's with young { 3 to 5 } very happy to be there children. The wait staff greeted them with a cute dance and catered to them very nicely. And they where very well behaved little kidlets for their age group. My wife commented that they must be locals and it's a place they go to often.
(5)Scott M.
For me, the best Mexican Restaurant that i have been to so far in Atlanta....went on a Friday night and the crowd was extremely "happy". Which is weird for me because as much as people talk about the "happiness" in Atlanta, I honestly rarely see "happy people". We'll this was happiness on steroids (at least the bar area, where we waited until we got a table). Service at the bar area was a little bit shaky, actually the damn place was so packed we had to go and get a server to order drinks. After slurping down a margarita, we were seated in roughly 20 minutes. Service was pretty good at Uncle Julio's surprisingly, I wasnt overwhelmingly hungry (per my usual), however, I did go ahead and order an enchiladas and tacos combination. I have come to expect so little when it comes to mexican in this town...between the overhyped Taqueria Del Sol---the over-hyped and simply gross El Azteca and the over priced Rosa's.....things just havent worked out well in the city on the Mexican front. Here, the meat was high quality (meaning i dont want no damn dark meat on a shredded chicken taco...), fresh, and seasoned extremely well. The salsa was pretty damn impressive, very fresh, very tasty. I felt like things were "clean" in the restaurant, and considering the looks of some of the mexican restaurants i have been to...this works extremely well for me. Service/food was great....so far my favorite mexican rest. experience in Atlanta.
(4)Kate T.
I honestly do not know what is consider as "real" Mexican food despite that one time I visited Mexico, but to me, it's p-r-e-t-t-y good~! The place is colorful - vibrant is the word and quite a merrily crowd. I'd be sure to visit again if I'm ever up for some good Mexican food!
(4)c. k.
Okay, in all seriousness, do not take pre-packaged, pre-cut, grilled chicken breast, throw it on a grill and call it Fajitas! That goes for those "flour tortillas" purchased at the grocery store and warmed in the microwave too. And certainly, do not charge $16.00 for the whole thing. I mean, the salsa alone was the most authentic item there...or was that just the fresh cilantro floating on top of Kroger brand salsa? And what is with Fox News playing behind the bar? Is that Atlanta-must-see-TV that I do not know about? (Vomitous). Service was kind. And that Swirly-margarita thing is really good, and probably the best thing I ingested! However, I am anticipating a diabetic coma any minute now.... The End.
(2)Sandra S.
Went to the new location in the Perimeter area near the corner of Hammond and Peachtree Dunwoody. DISAPPOINTED! Why? When I ordered, I asked for a ramekin of queso to go with my taco. The waiter said he doubted the kitchen would do it but I could order a bowl of queso. No, thank you, can you please ask them to let me have a ramekin! I am willing to pay a surcharge. I just want a taste! Work with me people I am on a diet! (lol) The waiter returned with our food. No queso. The kitchen will not do it, says the waiter. So, I ate my lunch special which consisted on 1/2 cup fresh fruit, 1 beef taco al carbon, 2 tablespoons guacamole and 2 tablespoons of pico. For $11. It was tasty, although Uncle Julio's serves their fajita meat medium and I would prefer medium-well. And the new location has a great atmosphere. But I am over Uncle Julio's and won't return. Can't get some queso on the side even when you offer to pay for it? At a restaurant with their premium prices, customer service (you know that thing where you do what the customer says) is not great. No thanks. Not for this chica. Adios, Uncle Julio.
(2)Evan T.
I have lived in Texas and travelled through California and Arizona, all hotbeds for great Mexican cuisine. Uncle Julio's is just as good if not better than any I have ever ate at. The portions are large and well worth your money, the service is great and very helpful and the food is outstanding. I hear it gets a little crowded on weekends, we went on a Monday so I'm not sure about that one. The crowd was everything from hipsters to businessmen, couples on dates to families of five. I would suggest anyone in the Atlanta area to stop by and give this place a look, I am a HUGE fan.
(5)Daniela S.
I guess I'm in the minority but I really like ol' Unca Hooolio's! It seems like it would be a cool place to go in the evening. It's all festive looking and has a nice atmosphere. I've only been there during lunch, so usually the place is more than half empty, but I've heard that it picks up at night especially on the weekend. And it's CLEAN - that's very important to me! And no doubt I'm seriously hooked on their chips and dip - simply delish!!!! Usually I'm grossly stuffed from all the chips that I'm never hungry enough to eat a meal while I'm there. But I order anyway of course! :) My usual order is the three taco plate with beef which comes with beans and rice. I love that they serve HARD tacos, I can't stand soft tacos and I'm sick and tired of "mexican" places that don't serve hard tacos....but I digress. The tacos are tasty, if not a bit greasy. I rarely can eat more than one of them because, as I said I'm already 'bout to explode from all the chips I've consumed. The rice is yummy, but I can't stand the beans. The beans come in a bowl...with broth. I thought they would be refried beans but I guess they are trying to go healthy and make them in a broth, like bean soup - meh, no thanks. All in all, I like the place. It's pretty pricey for lunch depending on what you get. They have a lunch menu but I never like anything that's on it, so I guess that's why my bill is a little higher than normal. Hopefully the next time I try it will be at night so that I can try one of their margaritas.
(4)Jen H.
I love this place! Their COMPLIMENTARY chips are homemade and my favorite in Atlanta. The Salsa is also my favorite. I hate when I go to a Mexican place and their chips are hard and stale. Uncle Julio's chips are soo crunchy and warm (just made) and yummy. I always get the fajitas which are also so tasty. The meat is of good quality and the tortillas are also homemade and warm and fluffy and soft and delicious. The Swirl drink is also good and it looks pretty with a swirl of purple and white. As for the service, I am amazed at how fast they serve the food. As soon as you sit down, they provide you with chips and salsa, instantaneously. Then the food comes out in like 5 minutes, all warm and sizzling.
(5)Roberta H.
I used to love coming here for the sangria swirl and guacamole. Stopped coming here because I couldn't stand the slow/rude service any longer.
(2)Andre S.
Get in my belly! Yeah, I was short of licking my plate clean after wolfing down my Chicken Enchililadas! The rice they served along with it was delish! The margarita's are thirst quenching, but somewhat on the weak side. I prefer to have that "omg, how am I going to drive home after drinking this" feeling after one sip of a margarita. Oh yeah, if you go on a Friday night, make sure to call ahead to make a reservation. This place gets mad busy!
(4)Jennifer B.
This used to be my favorite Mexican place when I first moved to Atlanta several years ago. Its definitely a step up from your typical Mexican place--the chips and salsa are great, as is their queso. They still really have some of the best tamales I've ever had. Oh and definitely the Swirl! Drink two of those and you are good to go! I loved sitting outside on a nice night watching cars getting towed from the Wendy's parking lot! Good times. I haven't been to Casa GRande in a couple of months, since we are now closer to Don Pablo's--our new fav tex-mex spot---similar menu, same quality, better prices. However, CG still holds a special place in my heart!
(4)Madeleine C.
This place serves darn good salsa and fluffy warm tortillas They have a great menu with some options you seldom find on Mexican menus, such as frog legs and quail. I think it's a higher-end Mexican restaurant with large portions and tasty food. Their enchilada with sour cream sauce, carne asada, and vegetable tamales are some of my favorites. Apparently, it's also a great place to socialize because every time I go, there is a crowd of drunkies by the bar drinking neon colored drinks with salt on the rim. I've heard they have great margaritas but I've never had one. The service is a little lacking even though they have tons of servers running around but maybe they expect you to be drunk and not notice the crazy wait. They take call-ahead seating.. and I highly recommend it =)
(4)Valentina V.
Story of highlights and maybe a couple of disappointment at Uncle Julio's Casa Grande. 1. When you live in Midtown you usually drive a lot by Casa Grande...funny enough, every time someone from another part of the city (or actually from another city) is in my car, always asks me if I've ever been there..."Oh, look at that huge Mexican place!" (and seconds afterward) "Have you been there yet?"...so yeah. And yes, an angelic choir for that big, big parking lot. 2. I finally got to go on the day of the moon eclipse. I was part of a large party, and as some other Yelpers pointed out, it seems the restaurant is designed for a bunch of tables with a bunch of people. Very comfortable for this purpose. 3. Chips and salsa, FANTASTICOS. El queso, semi-meh...well, almost there. It felt a little starchy to me. 4. Food is OK. I had the Carne Asada and it was fine. The sides didn't look spectacular so I didn't touch them. One of my friends had a mixed dish that included frog legs. He was OK about them and said they were a little too high on the garlic. I wouldn't push it to other food options away from the original Mexican dishes...but I found interesting to have such option in the menu. Verdict: When you've had the chance to eat sublime, out-of-this-world Mexican food in Atlanta, Casa Grande doesn't come close to the real experience (hint: Buford Highway small mom-and-pops Mexican restaurants, owned and operated by Mexican families that cook for their patrons like they are part of their household). 5. Waitstaff was nice, polite and eager to please but they seemed a little overwhelmed by the size of our group. 6. The sopapillas are good. But share an order, it's a big one...oh, and don't forget that ice-cream to pair up with the little, greasy puffs of joy! But the big bright stars of the night were in the glass and on the wall: oh...that mischievous Margarita! Deliciosa, deliciosa. If I wasn't driving that night, I'm pretty sure I was going to make excellent friends with Patron...and from the wall, you have that ENORMOUS painting of a chihuahua dressed up in one of the many Mexican folk costumes...yes, that little dude turned-into-a-giant kept staring at me during the whole meal, LOL! I don't want to imagine what happens when Patron and chihuahua meet and greet. FANTASIA version en Spanish... If you're having a birthday or one of the company bashes, this is the place to go to. Don't expect to have a memorable Mexican meal, though. Believe me, go to that magic not-so-yellow brick road Buford Highway is!
(3)Caitlin L.
I really don't get this place. My boyfriend and I are HUGE Mexican eaters, as in, we like our tacos and enchiladas. I don't really believe in fancy Mexican food, I tend to think there's something non-authentic about it and fake. We came here one hot summer afternoon because we've driven by a million times and have always wanted to try it; I mean, it stands out! I ordered a sangria/margarita mix which was very yummy and I suppose if I was more into alcohol than food, than this place would most likely get another 2 stars. Not only was it difficult for me to order my taco, enchilada, beans and rice because I suppose it was too simple for them..but it wasn't good! And the price was way too high for what it was. I'll go to Mi Barrio for some legit Mexican food and good margaritas, and it definitely won't break my bank.
(2)Rob M.
If a colonic is your idea of good Mexican food - then this is the place for you. Day two and I am still recovering. But, let's assume that's my issue. We waited nearly an hour on a Friday night, while enjoying an overpriced cocktail. Our server was charming, and seemed to be trying - but the service was terrible. Never cleared our empty cocktail glasses, forgot our app, forgot to take our app off the bill. Yes, the manager came and checked on us. So, they definitely seemed to be trying. The food? Truly nothing special. I had the cheese enchiladas - very standard and served with a hefty tablespoon of rice, and a small portion of beans. Had to request (and pay) for sour cream, and it did not include guacamole. I will say it's the best chips I have had in Atlanta. Crispy, light, not greasy. Clearly, you are paying for Buckhead and the trendy scene. Better actual Mexican food to be had.
(2)Corey J.
SWIRL ANYONE? that phrase takes me back to the 2003-2006 era....and no kids, we're not talking about a margarita....lol while I no longer do ghb/meth or what-not, I get a kick out of asking for a swirl, trying to keep a straight-face....drug references aside, Casa Bonita is always the go-to place when you want to see, be seen, and have above-average mexican cuisine. The portions are just right for this self-described fat girl, and even if you have to wait a little while for your table, the bar area is large enough to accomodate your wait-time. I would give 5 stars if it were slightly cheaper.
(4)Amber M.
Two stars: one for our bartender Bill and one for the salsa we devoured. Since leaving Santa Barbara in November 2007 I have had mad cravings for good Mexican food. Yesterday Rob K. and I went to lunch at Casa Grande with high hopes. The music brought us back to California, the decor was bright, the 1950's diner tables and chairs were just weird. This place is huge and I can imagine a lot of large after-work crowds going here for cocktails to wait out traffic. We sat at the bar and our bartender was exceptionally perky and entertaining. This was surprisingly not annoying at all. Ordered an a la carte meal (tamale, taco, beans) but got the wrong food delivered to me. Bartender made good by bringing out the missing item from my plate which Rob K. ate because I was so full from eating all the chips and salsa that came before the meal. The enchilada sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Too much cheese on top. Platters not plates. I hate that. In the end, my craving for good Mexican food has not been answered (yet - I am an optimist) but my curiosity about this big restaurant has been put to rest. Overall - bring your grandma here for good service and vibrant atmosphere.
(2)Marla B.
I love this place and visit it regularly. Their tamales and steak fajitas are excellent. I love the freshly made, warm tortillas and the chips and salsa. The atmosphere is great and we usually have wonderful wait staff. However, i will say that sometimes their menu specials can be hit or miss. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad it's bland. Other items on their menu are definitely good. Not necessarily great, but better than many mexican restaurants.
(4)Fiona S.
Loud, over-priced, somewhat inconvenient location (if you don't know what you're looking for you might miss it, and if you are coming north on Peachtree, it's almost impossible to turn left into their lot) and just really not the kind of place I'd go out of my way for. And let's face it, northern Midtown on Peachtree is out of the way for pretty much everyone. Service was pretty mediocre. Not horrific, but sub-par and what I've come to expect from over-hyped "commercial" restaurants (as opposed to local joints and mom-and-pop places.) The food was ok - chips were definitely the highlight, which is pretty sad, actually. Fajitas were just fajitas, same as when I make them at home. The one thing that was actually tasty was the Swirl margarita. I'm a serious margarita girl and I really enjoyed the Swirl. I could see the potential of this place being just a bar with tex-mex bar food, but the dining room is just way too big and too loud. I really have no intention of ever going back here.
(2)Shannon W.
Food was amazing. I recommend the Jalisco. I got the beef one. The meat was perfection.
(5)Ritu P.
This place is one of the crappiest places in atlanta to have mexican food.. i ordered the vegetarian tamales and there was literally 3 or 4 pieces of bellpeppers in each tamale... horrible food... wont ever go again
(1)Carol H.
This place is great. It's a little pricier than other places in town but you're getting what you pay for. The home made tortillas are AMAZING. I always order cheese and onion enchiladas (a classic and a favorite of mine) and never leave unhappy. My family goes here whenever we're all in town because it has consistently great food. Oh yeah, and try their swirl margarita it's great, but be careful, they make them a little strong.
(4)Andrew S.
This is your typical chain Tex-Mex fare. That said, the chicken fajitas were delicious. Service was so-so...Our waiter was super nice but served us a corked bottle of wine (with part of the cork floating in the bottle.) He also wouldn't pour the wine in our glasses (he said he was clumsy.) I give him credit for knowing his limits. I guess it's better than having a bottle of wine dumped all over the table. For that I should be thankful.
(3)Dawn B.
The reason that I'm only giving this place two stars has nothing to do with it's drinks, quality of food or customer service. So now that we got that out the way my disappointment came with the cost of the meal....come on Uncle Julios $16 for grilled chicken? Almost $20 for quesadillas and you serve me on a vinyl table cloth with plastic menus? I guess that's for the children who come here.
(2)Victor F.
Go for the swirl. Get a designated driver or be prepared to call a taxi. Boys night is Friday night. Be prepared to wait a while and drink a lot. Very laid back. The staff is always nice, fun, busy, and eager to please. But for the love of God, make a burrito!
(4)ML V.
Wow, not good! Just ate here tonight for the first time and here is the verdict - good Patron margaritas and yummy chips, salsa and queso. That's it, stop there, that's all this place is good for. I had a quesadilla appetizer and the vegetable platter. The quesadilla had a strange after taste, almost metallic. And the veggie platter...it's as if they didn't put much effort into it because they're just vegetables. The portobello mushroom was so dry I asked for balsamic and olive oil. The waiter (who was strange and also dry) said they didn't have balsamic so I said I would just take some olive oil. I'm not sure what they brought me but it wasn't olive oil. My husband had an enchilada platter. He said the cheese enchiladas were good but the chicken one was awful. I tried it for myself. Awful indeed. AND it's pricey! I don't get it. Won't be going back.
(1)Katherine D.
Once day, my BFF and I stopped by Uncle Julio's for a girly frozen cocktail. We accidentally got so hammered that we forgot to go to school. Ah, the memories. Four stars for the drinks and the house made tortillas. Nothing else really matters. P.S. Supposedly their rellenos are something to write home about but I would steer clear of them. Too greasy.
(4)Erin W.
For festive fine Mexican dining try Casa Grande on Peachtree. I went with my boyfriend a few months ago and was shocked to see so many large groups. Casa Grande is very accommodating and ideal for super groups of 10 and 20. Whether you choose to sit indoors or on the patio overlooking Peachtree, you'll enjoy the flavorful food. Try one of Julio's Margarita's, especially the frozen swirl. The sweet frozen swirl blended well with my warm and spicy chips, salsa, chicken enchiladas, rice and frijoles a la charra. Casa Grande can be a little more expensive than the average authentic Mexican restaurant; however it's worth every penny. There are daily specials; they offer Sunday brunch and a Kid friendly menu. Casa Grande is not the best place for a date as the music tends to be loud. If you're taking the kids, don't go on Friday or Saturday evening. Additionally, Casa Grande doesn't accept reservations but the service is fast and friendly. For more information visit unclejulios.com .
(5)Bridget M.
As far as Tex-Mex goes, this restaurant was pretty decent. Not usually a huge fan of Mexica, but the Hello Stiletto shoe club got me through the doors. The restaurant itself was festive larger than I expected and the staff was very welcoming. I enjoyed the complimentary appitizers of quesadillas and nachos, but I can't say they were the best I've ever had. I did LOVE their signature drink, the Swirl. For anyone who likes margaritas and/or sangria, I highly recommend you try this drink!! Based on the experience I had, I would go back and try a few more things from the menu.
(3)Liz L.
Hmmm. Maybe it's because I didn't order a margarita. Maybe it's because it was 3:30 in the afternoon and the kitchen was not staffed to it's fullest ability. Maybe it's because I'm weird and I like my shrimp de-veined (because I know what those alleged "veins" really are). Or maybe it's just because the food I ordered just wasn't very good. But the shrimp fajitas that I got a) came with veins, and b) didn't come with cheese. Not a great combo in my mind. However, the chips and salsa were excellent. And my companions said that their food was decent. So, three stars. Even though my shrimp made me finalize my decision to become a full vegetarian and not a fake fish-eating "vegetarian," who technically should actually refer to herself as a pescatarian.
(3)Jackie H.
I liked it. I just sat at the bar and ate so I didn't get the whole experience but it was a friday and they were busy. The place is nice and festive. The prices are comparible to the area. The food was good and the service was fine.
(4)Chriss F.
My friend and I went again around 7pm on a Saturday night. Had the swordfish special with littleneck clams. Excellente ! The server was nice and helpful with the menu. I think going earlier in the evening allows you to enjoy your meal. The later it gets..the louder it gets. Ask for Matthew if he is available..nice, friendly service. We had the mint fried ice cream with mini sopapillas for dessert. :)
(4)Kori M.
So I absolutely love the Uncle Julio's in Chicago and i was really excited to see this location. Unfortunately, everything was sort of blah. I can't quite put my finger on it but it just was missing something. The service was ok. The food was cool. The patio was nice. Hmmm, it sounds blah as I'm typing it. I guess I just wanted everything to be super awesome but it wasn't. What a let down.
(2)Miranda B.
I loved my visit to Uncle Julios. It's a little pricier than I normally am willing to spend so it will have to wait until I have more spare cash, but they're worth the cost. The food was delicious and plentiful. Our server was very polite and to top it off we got a free desert since it was our first time ever going. This place is awesome. :D
(5)Becky B.
A friend and I just ate a Uncle Julio's last night and were both very pleased with the food and service. A word of warning, though: Don't look for a sign that says "Uncle Julio's". Instead look for a sign that says "CASA GRANDE" in huge letters because the words "Uncle Julio's" is practically illegible when driving by. They offer complementary valet, but I chose to park myself since I didn't have any cash for a tip. Even though the restaurant was pretty busy, we were seated immediately. We tried their signature drink called the "Swirl", which is a mix between a margarita and sangria and very tasty. The calamari is FANTASTIC--not the least bit rubbery like at most places. If you're up for dessert, you must try the sopapias! Good service, too.
(5)Chrissy A.
Uncle Julio's Casa Grande never fails put a big smile on my face. The atmosphere is bright, festive, and full of charm. Definitely a great place to celebrate a birthday, meet friends for dinner, great for dates, and also a great place to take the family. If margaritas are your thing, I'd highly recommend "The Swirl." It's Casa Grande's signature margarita..Sangria meets Margarita. I'll be honest, 2 of these drinks will guarantee a good time. 4 will give you an out of body experience. They are life changing, and worth the money...Even the boys like em! They might try to put up a fight due to the frozen-colored-nature of the drink, but once they try it...Its highly unlikely they will switch to another drink. Also, they have a special machine that makes their hot fresh soft tortillas-complimentary for ever table. The chips and salsa hit the spot every time. And the cheese dip isnt half bad either. (Buyers beware that is is the yellow cheese dip, not the white-id recommend getting it with the jalepenos!). I always order the steak fajitas. The steak is truly life changing. So tender and juicy..it comes out on a hot skillet with peppers and onions. I used to be a chicken girl...but ever since I took a chance with steak at this place, ive changed my ways-at least when i find myself at Casa Grande. Definitely get the cheese and sour cream..It adds to the fajita experience. And, although I hear that others love the charro beans, I tend to go for the refried beans instead. They will switch it out on request. Bottom line.... if you are looking to have a great night out-Try Casa Grande if you haven't already. Its a Mexican food lovers paradise. Definitely more sophistocated than your typical Mexican food joint. Id say it's ...Mexican Food meets Magic on a plate. Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 4 Recommendations: Swirl Margaritas Steak Fajitas All in All: Seriously Addicted to the Swirl Margaritas and the Steak Fajitas..Life Changing!
(5)Nicole P.
I love this place. From the atmosphere to the food to the frozen margaritas.. the chips and salsa are fresh and really good too. The steak fajita is what I get all the time..We go to this restaurant at least once or twice a month. Each time I am pleased with everything. It can be a bit pricy after a few drinks but the margaritas are the best Ive had in the city. My favorite food item are the fluffy homemade tortillas...they are made in house right in front of you on this tortilla maker machine. The chips and tortillas are the best... You will enjoy this place just dont go expecting to eat for cheap it is pricy but worth the price tag.
(4)Falicia G.
What? Are those frog legs on your menu? No I didn't have the guts to try them, but there are several dishes on the menu that contain frog legs. Is that traditional Mexican? Hmmm... I did have the queso dip, which was terrific. I ordered 2 enchilada's: one chicken and one beef. They were both good. The best part, though, was my margarita! I would say that the food is much better than Pancho's on Buford Highway but, not as authentic as some other Mexican restaurants that I've been to. This food left me hopping right out the door. RIBIT!
(4)I D.
We sat outside on the patio, very nice. The service was great. The food was so delicious and plentiful. The crispy tacos are very good. We could not stop eating the Con Queso...it was sooo good. There are no chicken finger type foods for kids. Our youngest would not eat anything on the menu because he does not like Mexican food.
(4)Luciano G.
We were not impressed at all with their food. Small but pricey portions. I ordered skirt steak and It was too thin, dry and cold. Not eating there again anymore. Staff was very friendly and polite.
(2)Tracy L.
I'm not usually a fan of Mexican style food, but I came here since Hello Stiletto was having an event here. ATMOSPHERE: It's actually very nice inside. Upscale from usual Mexican places, which most are cheap, semi-fast food anyways. Nice and clean. Place is very big. Large bar area as you enter. Dining room is also very large which is further inside past the hostess. FOOD: There were complimentary appetizers at the party of which I tried: 1. Veggie quesadillas - good, but nothing special. 2. Tostadas (?) - tortilla chip with refried bean and cheese on top served with lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream, guac. 3. Salsa - this was yummy. It was different from the usual salsa I've had at other restaurant and from the grocery store...but can't pinpoint what's different about it. SERVICE: EXCELLENT. I was greeted by the hostess. She was very polite. I came super early so I can get some work done on my laptop while waiting and they were very accommodating. They moved a set of table and chairs by an outlet so that I could do this (my battery life is basically nil)! How nice is that! Since I was there early he went ahead and introduced me to the servers and explained how the party was set up. LOCATION: Next door to Ted's Montana Grill. Diagonally across the street from Chick-fil-A, Jimmy John's, Cafe Intermezzo. PARKING: Huge free parking lot behind the restaurant. CONCLUSION: Service is so good I'll probably come back to try some of the vegetarian selections on the menu.....but maybe we got all that attention since it was part of the shoe party... who knows.
(3)Yuna P.
After trying El Azteca, I gained some confidence in Mexican food. So my boyfriend and I tried this colorful Mexican restaurant with a bit of high expectation. When I stepped into the restaurant, it was pleasant to see authentic interior decor. It took us a little bit for the sitting hostess to sit us, but we were able to get a table in the patio - which I enjoyed. As soon as we sat down, the waiter came and greeted us and brought us tortilla chips and salsa - which was totally magical. The salsa was too spicy for me, but I don't do spicy food, so most people should be okay. I ordered Shrimp and Lobster Soup and salad, which was sort of mediocre. It took a long time for the food to come out as well - but at least we had the tortilla chips to chew on. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any Mexican food lovers. Oh, and make sure to check out the tortilla popping machine as you enter the restaurant! It's quite amusing, really.
(3)Denise H.
The Swirl margarita & sangarita is the reason why I trek up to buckhead to Uncle Julio's! The chicken nachos are reason numero dos! Not a big fan of the guac though and for a mexican restaurant bad guac will cost you a star!
(4)Lisa L.
Not special, pricey, and mediocre service. Add to the fact that the server checked with the kitchen to make sure the baked beans were vegetarian friendly... and my friend found a piece of bacon in her serving. Nice.
(2)Rebecca O.
I endorse this place as part of a real Mexican food dining experience. The salsa here is by far a highlight, and the chips are consumed just as fast ... as are the frozen margarita with a swirl of frozen sangria drinks (just ask for a Swirl). You can watch very nice ladies make tortillas. Very loud, bright and fun atmosphere. Good work, Uncle Julio.
(4)Michael D.
The foods good its a great place to socialize and have large group gatherings good drinks the free valet is the best especially when i went it was raining so its a great thing very loud so not a great place for a romantic quite dinner. Also good service. decent prices.
(3)Seth H.
Lunch/Dinner Chicken Fajitas (for 2) w/ Chicken Tamales Food: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Average: 5 Anytime I come here it's packed yet it always delivers the goods. I've never had a bad meal here. The usually meal my partner and I share consists of the chicken fajitas, chicken tamales, and sometime on occasions some margaritas. The tamales are so tasty, the tomatillo sauce they serve on the side is to-die-for. The guac there is better than most at other restaurants. The only thing I will say negatively about this place is that it is loud. Prepare to be talking louder than usual when you come here any busy hours. Since the inside is still so beautiful as far as decor and they have a sweet patio I'm not taking off points for the noise factor. I actually like the loud noise sometimes. So far this place is the best Mexican food I've had in Atlanta. I will continue to come back Uncle Julios.
(5)K A.
Awesome made from scratch tortillas. Food is delicious. Atmosphere is fun but it is pricey especially the drinks.
(4)Kimberly L.
Went for the $2 taco tuesday. Everything was overly salted, and the "queso" dip was literally some melted orange Velveeta cheese; and in it, a can of Rotel's diced tomatoes and green chillies . Chips were all broken, rarely did one of us score on a whole chip. The $2 tacos were bland to say the least...a plain flour tortilla topped with chunks of boiled-looking chicken, cheap shredded lettuce found in bags, a few pieces of diced tomatoes and shredded orange cheese. No sauce, no flavor. But the rice and beans, that came with, had more than a day's worth of sodium in each bite. Hospitality was bad as well... treated our group like we were a nuisance. Not happy, and won't be coming back.
(1)Ashley W.
I actually like this place. Good food and great drinks. It's definitely an Americanized Mexican cuisine, but still pretty good. However the wait time is always long but I guess this is expected on Peachtree!
(4)Brittany M.
This place was ok. Nothing was wrong with the service. Our waitress was very nice. I just felt the food was a little overpriced. Especially since it wasn't spectacular or anything. I had the chicken fajita. It was great, but for $15 I expected better. I also had a strawberry mojito (that I had to request cause apparently the bartender doesn't make these on a regular basis). It was good but I was like really? It's a strawberry mojito, what you mean he/she or whoever doesn't regularly make it? Whatever. I think I'll just stick to my side of town and get the cheap, good Mexican food.
(2)Jim L.
I must start by saying that this place gets high marks for hosting the welcome home dinner for the 179th MP Company as they returned from Afghanistan. My nephew and his band of brothers invited us and we really enjoyed it. The place is really big, spacious, and just looks nice. After doing the valet parking thing, and doing my Ediie Murphy impression, we went in with about 15 folks and got seated. Our waiter was John, who really knows his stuff. Obviously well trained, professional, and had everything on the menu memorized. I was pretty amazed that he handled most all of our big group. The salsa here is really good. Different from most places as it has virtually no heat and a darker color. Really good. Chips were warm and brought out to us about every 10 minutes! First up in the 'order' dept. was a great starter called Cowboy Queso. Great cheese, bacon, chorizo, and toppings. Crap, why didn't I think of this? Wonderful way to start. My order was the fajitas. I loved them. Cooked perfectly and had a lot of extras including sour cream, cheese, guacamole(made fresh every 15 minutes), and lettuce, pico, etc.....wow. Free sides were beans and spanish rice. Both really good. The combo fajitas included steak, chicken and also had mesquite grilled frog legs! Yeah, baby. Really great place to eat. Maybe the best Mexican I've had since 1988 in Phoenix at La Perla.
(4)Amy W.
We love this place for the yummy thin chips and smoky salsa, the swirl margarita/sangria frozen drinks, and the awesome fajitas. Straying off the menu more than that, things can get a bit spotty, and a bit expensive, but I know what I love here and keep coming back for more. Fresh tortillas help for sure. Yum!!
(4)Christal B.
I'm from TX so I know good Tex-Mex and this place was less authentic than Taco Bell. We went for taco Tuesdays which was a good deal but very generic tacos. No flavor, no seasoning, nothing remotely authentic. I never saw one Mexican cook. I mean it's called Uncle Julio's! Where's Uncle Julio? I won't be back. You could do a better job with an El Paso Dinner kit at home. 2 stars for free valet.
(2)Steve M.
The food here is exceptionally good. Probably the best Mexican food I've been able to find in Atlanta. The prices are on the high side and it can get pretty noisy since the interior decoration is all hard surfaces but it's a great choice for great Mexican food in Buckhead.
(4)Shon B.
Very mediocre food and completely over priced. I could of just cooked what I ordered and saved a few bucks.
(1)Carey C.
Can't lie... I read some reviews before posting! Seems like a make or break place for sure. I have been here 4-5 times. Food has typically been good. Service all over the board. My last was horrible. Also, I didnt enjoy the food this time as well. I'm a little concerned (to quote Gordon Ramsey) their standards are all over. I'm definitely coming back.... Wished they'd go to a table side preparation of their quacamole! It would help for sure! On so many levels!
(3)Brian K.
Apparently I never received the memo that Uncle Julio's is a de facto mecca for gay males on Friday evenings. The front atrium of this place is essentially one big gay gauntlet, complete with judgmental stares, multi-colored cocktails, and the scent of Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male. Had I been informed of this situation beforehand, I would have at least put on some moisturizer. Food: Uncle Julio's is a casual chain restaurant that serves standard, Americanized Tex-Mex fare and specialty drinks. During my visit, I opted to start with the Swirl, which is a frozen amalgam of margarita/sangria. The drink was flavorful, but the serving was small for the price. I also ordered the chicken nachos as an appetizer and the chicken fajitas as an entrée. Overall, I would consider the meal to be perfectly edible, but by no means impressive. I'm still not particularly clear on what "fine Mexican cuisine" is, but I can say that their food is no better than most other Tex-Mex joints in the area. Service: I did experience a minor issue with the service, but the situation was resolved promptly, so I won't hold it against them. In brief, we were seated at 6:50PM and provided with the standard menu, as well as a second menu for happy hour, which ended at 7PM. Upon ordering from the happy hour menu shortly before 7PM, we were advised that it was too late because "the computer" would no longer accept the order. The manager was called and the situation was resolved; however, it shouldn't have been escalated to that point. If they don't intend to honor the happy hour menu for those seated before 7PM, then they shouldn't provide it. Moreover, "the computer" is not a viable scapegoat; if the IRS can override their computers, so can you. Atmosphere: The restaurant features a series of large dining rooms, with high ceilings and large windows. Although it is part of a chain, the place does not exude a commercialized vibe. The bar area is located within the front atrium, but is sizeable enough to accommodate large groups. Cost: Overpriced for the quality of the food. Appetizers are $5-$10, while entrees are $10-$20. Other: Only valet parking is available, but it is complimentary; free street parking is also an option on nearby 28th St. The restaurant does offer call ahead seating.
(3)Don S.
My co-worker and I took a VIP friend of ours (photographer to Beyonce, Chaka Khan and many others) to the $2 Taco Tuesdays. We waited 30 minutes for food and call the manager to see what was going on. He came back and told us that the kitchen lost our ticket and apologized. So...we waited another 10 minutes for the food to come out. The food was pretty good ... just cheese and meat ... no other toppings though. Sour Cream is $2 and Guacamole is $3 extra. The manager comped the Guacamole and Sour Cream and gave us 1 additional taco for free. At the end ... the checks came out with tacos we didn't order on the bill. I had 3 tacos and 2 drinks. The bill should have been $12 for drinks and $6 for the tacos. $18 right?? I complained and complained to the server. The manager never came back to the table. Long story short, they ended up charging me $24.12. Wait ... that's not all. I got the final charge on my credit card and a tip was added to my card for $5.57 bringing my total to $29.69. I had already left a CASH tip on the table and then got charged for a tip I didn't leave on the ticket. Needless to say ... I probably won't be frequenting this establishment again. I called their corporate offices ... talked to Shelby and she said that she would make an adjustment...but nothing has been done and it's already $2 Tuesday again!!!
(1)Briana D.
If you go, please check out the huge creep chihuahua (with a sombrero and maraca) painting in the back of the restaurant. Every time I come, management walks by our table to make sure we're okay and asks if there's anything she can do. Great customer service. I doubt you'll ever have a craving and say, "Dang I want some tacos from Uncle Julio's!" The food is just so so. Nothing too spectacular. Just lacks flavor. Like they got recipes off Pinterest and didn't have the right ingredients so just used what they had sitting in the kitchen. Great place for drinks with friends.
(3)Ashley M.
Having dined here a few times, Uncle Julio's has never been a favorite choice, but I put my reservations aside recently for a friend's birthday dinner. This experience was probably one of the worsts in my memories of this restaurant. Although there were only 8 of us, our server seemed to struggle with every aspect of our dining experience, even with listing the Tequilas they serve. Some of us had silverware, others didn't. Our table was also crowded with empty beer bottles, appetizer plates, and finished glasses that were never collected throughout our meal and the duration of two hours of dining. Then comes the food... I ordered a Queso/Guac combo for the table to share, and was very surprised at the quality of both of these items. The guacamole was poor-to-average and the Queso was stiff, yellow (which I hardly expect at a Mexican restaurant), and thickly unappetizing. My meal was the Ensalada Especial, a plate of mixed field greens with grape tomatoes, jicama, cucumbers, red onions, red cabbage, tossed in a citrus vinaigrette and topped with a salmon steak. This was possibly one of the worst salads I have ever eaten. The dressing tasted literally like nothing and barely did any of the fresh ingredients justice. It always amazes me when restaurants can mess up a dish as simple as a salad. Although I ordered my salmon medium, it was extremely well done-- so much so that after I separated it from my the failure that was my salad, I slathered salsa over it just to add moisture so I could take it down. For an extremely overpriced establishment that serves "fine" food, I expected much better quality in both service and food. I really wish I could be more satisfied with this place, but instead walked away from my last experience with a reluctance to ever come back.
(1)Suzanne B.
Seriously wayyyyyy better than expected. Huge but cute décor, totally noisy but kind of fun. Good for groups... Viva Mexico! Ordered from street taco menu, was nice portion-size for price. Liked the menu, not quite typical.
(4)Annie N.
Worse restaurant ever. Staff is rude and food is not very good! Sorry Uncle Julio's, we won't be returning :(
(1)Anna M.
Service & food was very poor. How hard is it to melt cheese on a damn soft taco???? I do not anticipate on returning.
(2)Will T.
Friday night is gay night at Uncle Julio's and if you arrive after 8pm the lobby will be packed with a gay S&M crowd (stand and model). If you've never been to a gay bar, this might be the closest you get. There haven't been this many gay men in one place since Liza married David Guest and they're all busy cruising and trying to impress with how much time they've spent at the gym. There's lots of air kissing going on. Hapless conventioneers who wandered in without a clue sit wide-eyed taking it all in and suburban high school boys cling to their prom dates for dear life. With a show like that, who cares about the food? Which is actually pretty darn good. Other nights are presumably more conventional, but I like Friday best. As soon as you're seated, a basket of the lightest, crispy, warm chips arrives along with a bowl of smoky chipotle salsa. It's all very addictive and calls for another round of margaritas (with salt, on the rocks, please). My willpower here just melts away and lasts about as long as an illegal immigrant in Arizona. Camarones (that's shrimp for those of you who fell asleep in Spanish class, or for those who took French, like that's really helping you out now) Brochette, come stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese, wrapped in bacon, grilled and served on a sizzling platter, accompanied by the usual guacamole, sour cream, Mexican rice and beans. It's a major treat and yummy. Just don't do what my friend did and order "that sizzling platter of cajones." Talk about your Freudian slip. The busboy flinched and nearly dropped his tub. But, with all the testosterone in the lobby, we understood. Remember, camarones - shrimp, cajones - well...that's a different food group entirely. I tend to gravitate toward the Tex-Mex Classics section of the menu, also known as the most affordable part of the menu. I've eaten Juanita's Platter and we've taken quite a shine to each other, but I've gone both ways and eaten Hershel's Platter, too. Enchiladas are my favorite Mexican dish and I've tried all the varieties here. They come with salsa carne unless you get the Chicken Enchiladas which come with a choice of their special El Paso red sauce, salsa verde or sour cream sauce. I'm a fan of the salsa verde. Service has always been quick and efficient. The really smart, and cute, waiters know how to turn on the flirt factor Friday nights, sometimes shamelessly, and they can work a tip better than a dancer at Swingin' Richards. Yes, Uncle Julio's is slightly higher priced, but you get your money's worth with large portions and will go away stuffed. Plus, your food will be good and you'll have a great time. What are you waiting for?
(4)Damien B.
Tuesday is dollar taco night. Chicken and beef. The soft taco is the way to go. Simple and they are big enough to fill you up without breaking the bank. The place is much nicer than most Mexican spots for sure. It has this odd Tex-Mex vibe with cow heads and horns, tiny dogs, and lots of color.
(4)Luis A.
Once again. We gave them another try. And was disappointed again. We use to go there all the time and it was very good. Real Tex Mex. food didn't have flavor. Time to spend our money somewhere else.
(1)David K.
As long as I can remember Friday nights here are hot with the gays. Their drink of choice? Definitely a swirl. That's half frozen margarita and half frozen sangria. It's delicious and definitely still my "go-to" drink whenever I come here. The carne asada is amazing. Seriously my favorite piece of meat in all of Atlanta. The steak fajitas are good too (and made from the same beef as the carne asada). It's kind of expensive, but that's to be expected for the high quality food. On my last visit I tried the tamales for the first time. The pork are definitely better than the chicken. Both were kind of disappointing because they're made of cornbread instead of real masa.
(4)Michael C.
This place was an American take on Mexican food. Some of the things where traditional Mexican, but there were some differences. The ceviche was good, but wasn't something you would see in a traditional Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere was very over-the-top on Mexican decor. They could have toned it down a little bit and made it a little more comfortable. Everything tasted great and I left completely stuffed. I would go back again, but only wish the music could be turned down a little bit. It was kind of tough to have a good conversation with some people with the music constantly being turned up the more people showed up.
(3)Inga J.
We ordered an original fajitas for two and the steak was medium rare to rare,"grilled" onions were steamed mot grilled. When we told that to waitress, her excuse was that "they usually cook steak medium rare". Well.. I wish she told us before we ordered that the steak will be rare, onions steamed and fajita pan will be just warm instead of being extremely hot!
(1)Ashleigh P.
I used to live a block from here... I really like the food, so I am kinda, sorta glad that I don't live so close anymore. They have really good swirl margaritas... that's right sangria swirled tequilla drinks, how could you go wrong with that? I don't usually like a cooked salsa, but their's is a fire roasted type of salsa and is so so good. Their guac is really fresh and delicious. Okay, I am a tamale girl, and one of the best deals they have is the tamale appitizer dish. So much food and a great price. they have this Mexican butter crack sauce... omg, sooo nomsy. Dip those fresh made tortillas in that shit. I have never has a bad meal here.
(4)Rick F.
Great crowd, great location! That's pretty much it! This place reminded me of the old Chi Chi's chain. Kind of exciting, cool mexican atmosphere and music but that's where it stopped. The food is down right horrible, the service is OK nothing special, when you have to pour your specialty frozen margarita out of a machine you know you might be in trouble. The Salsa is processed and mass produced, the guacamole is bland, the shrimp with cheese wrapped in bacon was flavorless, how is that possible? Go for Mexican beer, friends and atmosphere but eat someplace else.
(1)Ashley P.
I'll probably be burned at the stake since I'm a Texan saying this.... but I just don't like it! The fajitas are the only decent thing here, but unless I have another person to split an order for one with, not gonna do it. Overpriced and just don't love anything here. Ended up here, against my will I might add, because I don't like any of the locations in TX either... let's just say I was not converted into a Julioer (Belieber anyone? anyone?). Queso didn't look appetizing so didn't even have a single bite (why waste my precious calories?!), salsa is ok (personal preference that I don't love the roasted salsas), food was so so... and overpriced. When I lived in Northern Virginia, we used to go to an overpriced so so Tex Mex restaurant because it was the ONLY option..... come to realize it's the beloved Uncle Julio's from TX just called Rio Grande up there. Wasn't a fan then, not a fan now. However, I love me some gay men, and Friday nights are a packed house. All the single ladies, all the single ladies... don't expect a ring on your finger from anyone here. One last thing... they do make a great margarita on the rocks with salt. JS...
(3)Susan R.
I rarely ever leave a bad review but I feel compelled to do so here. I still find the food tasty but the service is so bad it makes the entire experience unbearable. First, we were seated and waited ten minutes for our order to be taken. We started with margaritas and queso. It was probably a 15 minute wait for our drink and dip. Time enough to devour a bowl of salsa and chips. Drinks and dip finally arrive but no chips. We wait again. Chips arrive about 5 minutes later after flagging down two people and then the real waiting game arrives -- for our meal. Meals arrived at all the tables around us. Our waitress was finally flagged down. We think our order for enchiladas, tacos and one tamale is lost. No, the manager comes out and says "we need to make more tamales." As anyone with familiarity with tex men knows, you don't just whip up tamales. Finally, 20 minutes after saying we are starving, our food.arrives. (Meanwhile, our drinks were gone and no ask (or even someone to ask) for a refill. Really, these are big ticket items. You want to sell more margaritas! We ate (the food was tasty) and pledged to ourselves to never come back. A couple of things to be noted. I have been a faithful uncle Julio's patron since the 1990s in Dallas and then since the restaurant opened here. Also, this is our third bad experience with the service, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt before. This was the straw that broke the camels back. Mi Cocina here I come.
(1)Carla M.
We went today for their $1-$3 taco special and the food was very good. Our server was new so service was a little chaotic but he was super nice so we didn't care too much. They have great alcoholic beverages but tonight we all tried their flavored lemonade which was so delicious, especially the chunks of fruit in the drink... did I mention how yummy their salsa is??
(4)Phoebe T.
This place sucks. Go to On the Border instead. I ordered a tortilla soup and for 8 dollars, it sure is small. At that price, you could get the tortilla soup, enchiladas AND rice and beans at On the Border! The chips and salsa are also subpar here and of course the parking situation is the worst - you have to valet! This was a good place for the large party that we had but I would never come back for a meal on my own.
(1)Jamarcus T.
I've said time and time again that customer service will make or break a place. Man, was there fantastic customer service, but before I even begin, those are some great chips and salsa. Great location, and great food! We ordered the grilled chicken fajita and one of their "off menu" items. No complaints on food. Daniel, our server, was also exceptional, very funny, friendly and much more than just the "fill up my water" server. So much so that when we declined dessert, he and the manager came out and brought us this cinnamon and powdered sugar plate of goodness (looked like dumplings) to be dipped in honey, on the house, for our continued service. Very classy move and i'm appreciative I would say to get there early (before 7:30pm) because parking was full and only valet parking was available, although they work on tips so there's no up front cost. Just an edit, I didn't realize that the valet was mandatory, so I guess get there anytime. Absolutely check this place out!
(5)Darrian D.
I absolutely loved this place. Our waiter was amazing. I dont remember his name but he was a pretty lively young guy. Went through the menu very fast. Drinks were amazing. I had the Meltdown... haha. Food was amazing! My gf finished her food, which she never does! I need to come back for taco tuesday!
(5)Daniel B.
A couple of my friends really like Uncle Julio's, but I can't say that I am a big fan. The restaurant is spacious, clean, and festively decorated, but has too much of a generic feel to it. Uncle Julio's is a nicer than your typical Mexican joint and is a great place for hosting large groups because they have so much space. I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and there were four other large tables celebrating birthdays. The restaurant also has a bar and patio. Wow, what a happening place to have a fiesta. The salsa is served warm and is spicier than the the salsa served at most other Mexican chains. The chips were light and crispy, but still oily. The queso dip was okay, but had an unappetizing smell to it. The menu has some interesting options that you wouldn't typically find at a Mexican restaurant, including grilled quail and frog legs. I went with the chicken enchiladas served with rice, refried beans, and warm soft tortillas. The entree was actually pretty good as the meat was tender and went well with their red sauce. The portion sizes are large. The hostess was friendly and our server was attentive to our needs throughout the entire night. Complimentary valet parking is available on busy nights, although you still have the option to self-park if you want. If coming with a large group, reservations are recommended.
(2)Rachelle C.
The food was very good! My husband and I had the lunch special fajitas with chicken and beef. The beef was yummy! They have the orange cheese dip and I like the white cheese way better but it was still decent. The space is huge so we could sit with our loud 1 year old away from people. Haha . The service was fast and the server was friendly and did everything perfect :)
(3)Restaurant L.
This is a place I normally frequent.....the last couple of visits service has been suspect but today tops it all....I walked in, we asked for the patio and a good server. Clearly this server we had did not know what she was doing....I blame mgt I asked about the features she replied don't have any drinks were off, timing was off, clearly I knew the menu better than her.....i order the Juanita Platter as usual, 2 onion and cheese enchiladas, chicken tamale and beef taco, came out incorrect, I sent back because I wanted green sauce on chicken tamale.... Got it back, so I took a bite, not know looked down because it did not taste right...i am eating pork..... I have never eaten pork in my life.......i threw up in the bathroom...... I am not happy.....i sitting here with a headache....this is ridiculous.......NEVER....MGT DID NOT TRAIN THIS THIS SERVER AND THEY DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, I AM SICK..... GOOD LUCK UNCLE JULIO NO MORE OF MY MONEY....
(1)Becca D.
One word: fajitas! It's pretty much all we come here to get, so I couldn't tell you about anything else. I also don't bother going anywhere else if I want them. They make their own tortillas in house (you can actually watch them being made if you're seated in the right area), they grate their own cheese, and grill the meat, peppers and onions which gives your veggies that perfect "snap". We've also ordered the fajitas for two as a carry-out, and they were just as delicious as when we dine-in. It's a pretty big restaurant with a dimmed-lighting ambiance, but everyone is usually dressed pretty casual. Our service is always perfectly fine. Quick tip: valet isn't mandatory (something we didn't realize until our third or fourth visit), just tell them you'll park at the side of the lot. There's also a semi-hidden side entrance off the side street if you want to bypass the valet guys completely. While the fajitas are amazing, they're expensive. Cheese and sour cream are add-ons. We usually can't get out for under $50 once we add a queso appetizer to our meal. But again, worth it every once for a mexican treat!
(4)Rohan S.
Tuesday $1 tacos may be a new tradition for me. The tacos were large and very good. Very good for a dollar. The Swirl, their signature drink, is also strong and delicious. Service was fast and the waiter was very knowledgeable and kind. I recommend this place for the $1 Tacos. the food is good, and you can save the money you spend on food to get their nice mixed drinks.
(4)Ms. W.
OMG...the last time I was there I ate the skirt steak (not sure what it's called) but it was a-friggin-mazing! I have yet to get anything I didn't love! I would recommend Uncle Julio's for afterwork, birthday lunch/dinner, hanging with the girls...whatever. Good food!
(5)Daniel B.
I ate here last night. It was probably the 5-6th time I've been here, and the quality has gone down substantially. First off, it was $2 taco night, so there were a lot of cheapskates in there. Not my problem though. My date and I got seated immediately. The server was prompt to greet us at the table, but was also very quick to pressure us into ordering drinks. Without having time to look at the drink menu whatsoever, I ordered a pitcher of house margaritas. My date asked for a glass of water as well. The server ignored her, so she asked again; louder and less polite. The server said she'd be right back with it, but no water was ever brought out. This was kinda weird to me for a "fine" dining experience. Usually, waters are immediately brought out regardless of if you want them. Next was issues with ordering. My date is a vegetarian. The vegetarian options have almost entirely disappeared. She ordered veggie tamales. She asked the server why two veggie ones were the same price as 4 pork ones, and the server had no answer. She didn't offer to find out either. I ordered the pork tamales, as they sounded good, and I love tamales. I asked if they came with anything, and the server told me that they are an appetizer, so I asked for rice and beans too. Not my fault that the menu is confusing, especially when you only have a minute to look it over. Anyways, the veggie tamales were decent. They came with cheese and sour cream on them. The pork ones were dry and bland. There was no pork to be tasted, and the masa was completely unseasoned. I'm a chef. I understand that they were pre-made and heated to order, but come on; put a little salt and pepper in the masa, especially if the filling is unseasoned and less than a tablespoon per tamale. Also the salsa has changed to a tepid, brown sludge that only tastes of cilantro and watery vinegar. Usually salsa is served cold, room temp, or hot. I'd never had it pissy warm before. The rice and beans are usually a staple of mexican dining, so I thought they might be good. The beans were decent. The rice was dry, bland, and had clearly been microwaved to death. I could only eat 2 or 3 bites before pushing it away. So back to service. We were never offered anything else. When the pitcher of margarita was empty, the server just took it away; not asking if we wanted anything. I had to wave the server down to ask for the check. The server brought it and handed it to my date( I guess I'm old-school, because I never let women pay for anything when we go out, and rarely even discuss the prices). All in all, I felt that I'd been ripped off. The $25 pitcher was the only redeeming thing about our $50 tab. It was expensive for house margs, but it was good. My food was the quality of canned, $3 Hormel tamales, so I got played there. The veggie ones were alright, but my date had to have a snack as soon as we got home. All in all, if you want tamales( and I know they aren't really a traditional mexican dish), treat yourself to Bone Garden. They are way better and much cheaper. If you want Rice and beans, go anywhere else; even Taco Bell.
(2)Roderick M.
Visited this place tonight with my usual group of friends. At first, I was extremely impressed. Nice decor, very clean. The wait was a little long for my taste. We were finally seated after about 45 minutes.Our waiter was so preoccupied with flirting with a table of guys that looked like refugees from Queer As Folk, that he managed to get our drink orders totally wrong. Unapologetic when we asked where our missing drinks were, he returned about 10 minutes later to take our food order. I ordered the nachos with grilled chicken. COLOSSAL MISTAKE. Dry, flavorless, except for the bitter, cloying, half-melted cheese- they were virtually lukewarm. We had waited so long, I didn't even feel like sending them back. Not that I would have been able to, because our waiter didn't come back to the table to refill our drinks or ask how everything was. I never saw a manager in circulation. The waiter finally came back with the ticket. By this time I had a major attitude and had to bite my tongue to keep from laying into him. Needless to say, he did not get a tip. I'm a lover of Mexican food, but Uncle Julio's left much to be desired. The Billy Barou platter from Moe's is way superior than this flaccid, lukewarm, tasteless mess. Coupled with the horrible service, I will never visit this place again and wouldn't recommend it to others.
(1)Lisa M.
Fun place. Fun servers. We went mid afternoon - there was no wait but still there was other patrons making it lively. We enjoyed fajitas and margaritas.
(5)J J.
Great go-to place for Mexican food. Love the Fajitas and swirls. Taco Tuesday is fun but a bit too crowded for my taste and tends to attract families of 15 looking for a cheap meal. A bit pricey for Mexican food but always filling. Servers are, for the most part, great but most college kids and some of them are less attentive and might have needed to repeat the third grade but they are still always fun and seem to try which is better than most chain restaurants. Avoid the patio....the service takes longer and the car smog gets all in your tacos and distorts the flavors. Can't wait for my next visit!
(5)Skillet P.
Went here with friends for $1 Taco Tuesdays. So good. I got 4 tacos, 2 beef (1 soft and 1 hard) and 2 chicken (1 soft and 1 hard). All were good but everyone in our party preferred the beef over the pulled chicken. It just had more flavor. After 4 tacos we were all stuffed. Service was good but I think our waiter was new and he will hopefully get better. 3 of us ate for $25 so complaining about anything would just make me feel like a jerk.
(4)Christy A.
This place has awful service and the food is very expensive. . I used to go here a lot but a recent number of back to back bad experiences I will not go back. There are a lot of better Mexican places in town and basically it is like they don't appreciate your business. Never again!
(1)Kristin K.
I love Uncle Julios. I'm always happy from the minute I drive in. I'm convinced its Uncle Julio that does it. That big wide smile on the sign. He seems so happy! I've never seen anyone that happy. Anytime you see someone that happy and with that big of a smile, you just feel good like you want to smile too. Maybe that's what they had in mind. Whatever it is, it works. I also enjoy making fun of Uncle Julio's mustache. That's good fun as well. Whatever they're doing here, they're doing it right. Everytime I come in here, the service is always fun and friendly and very fast. I've never had a problem with service at all. The food is totally delicious. I love their salsa and the chips are so light and airy. I get the fajitas and they're not too much food. I think they run a lunch special so its a little cheaper and smaller portion for that. The steak is perfectly cooked with a bit of pink in the middle and we all know how good things with pink in the middle can be. If the weather is warm I like to sit outside. They have a huge seating area that faces Peachtree so you get to see the cop hired by the Wendy's misdirecting traffic so that people can stuff their faces with the Double Baconator with fries or as I like to call it, the express lane to the Piedmont Hospital Cardiology Wing (I'm pretty sure there's not really a Cardiology wing, I had to make that up to make the joke work). Inside is nice enough too though, lots of people scurrying around everywhere, lots of activity, its quite exciting. There's also a nice big parking lot behind the place, lots of spots, no worries. Listen to me and listen good because I'm only going to say this once. When you leave, if you are going to go North on Peachtree, do not go out via the driveway between the Uncle Julio's and the Ted's. Its right turn only and you'll end up going south and then you'll have to pull a yoowee. You can try to make the turn on to Collier if you want, but the way traffic backs up at that light, good luck getting in without blocking someone or sitting there for 20 years. No, go out the driveway on the side of the lot across from the big condo, take a left to Peachtree and then you can easily make a left turn when the Collier light turns red. I'm serious about this, the only thing you have to be careful of is the Wendy's cop misdirecting traffic. That might delay you a bit but throw him a double baconator and you might get past it without too many problems.
(4)Gabriel J.
Not recommended for alcoholics. I catch a bigger buzz eating my deodorant. Kidding aside, this place is kind of like a Mexican-themed Applebee's. Some might scoff at that and mention how everything is made fresh, etc. Have it your way, dude. Good food is good food, and theirs ain't.
(2)Michael T.
This is my second review and the last time I will go to Uncle Julio's. The service has become worse every time we come here. Something is always wrong with our orders or certain items are missing. This would be an easy fix if we always ate at the restaurant but sometimes we take our food to go. Today we place another to-go order and waited forty minutes to get our food. This was during one of the slowest times and there were maybe two tables with customers in the entire place. The bartender wasn't friendly at all. There seemed to be an off the clock employee chips and salsa while we were never offered anything while we waited. She did, however, help herself to a drink. At least Bell Street Burritos will be opening down the street soon.
(1)Gus P.
Very good Mexican food. They make flour tortillas on premise. The freshness is difference in taste is evident. Some of the dishes are just as good as the Mexican food I had in Mexico City.
(5)Robyn G.
I may be biased because I'm from the DC-area where there are a few UJs and I have been going for years, so when I get homesick, I love to go to UJs for a swirl (half margarita half sangria frozen - their signature drink and a must have!) Their queso is yellow queso, which I have heard is kind of a sin down in the South (white queso has become my fav), so for you Southern connoisseurs of queso, you may not want to get it, but I still think it's really good. It doesn't get super thick really fast like other places that leave their queso out forever. Their chips and salsa are my favorite. This place is great for HHs (Happy Hours for those of you who don't know...I've been asked 1000s of times what HH stands for down here). I almost always get their fajitas (I recommend the higher quality steak option or chicken fajitas). You can get fajitas for two, which is a ton of food. I usually can only eat maybe 1.5-2 fajitas once I go through queso and salsa, so we get to take home extras. You can ask for to-go tortillas and they're really cool about giving you extras. I know I mentioned the swirls, but since they are frozen and not everyone loves frozen, so their special Julio's marg is kind of strong for my liking, so the normal margarita is what I would recommend.
(4)Lindsay W.
So I probably wrote a review in the past that was AMAZING for Uncle Julio's, but after my last experience, NO WAY! There were 4 of us (3 adults and 1 child) on a Sunday evening around 6ish. The place was maybe 40% full. Our server did not even give us a moment to look at the menu before asking us what we wanted. We had to explain that 1 person from our party had not arrived yet. When he did, she asked right away what we wanted, as if she was ina rush to get out of there. I had to ask about the specials myself. We ordered 2 chicken fajitas and a chicken enchilada plate. The fajitas came out sizzling. The platter had soggy buttery onions and cut up chicken breast, and a raw onion ring on top. yuck! Then we waiting 2 minutes for the tortillas that went with them. My enchiladas looked good until i cut them open and found beef mixed in with my chicken. Yuck! Our server never checked on us and finally when a manager saw that I was not eating, had asked why and I explained. A new plate came out, but I was no longer hungry. I could ad used a refil on my margarita, but no one offered to sell me one. I had to ask the manager to remove my food from the bill since I would not be eating. We left once we paid the bill and I do not know what to do for CInco de Mayo now this yeat.
(1)Caitlin B.
I must say that I REALLY like this place. My dad suggested this place for my birthday lunch and said that they had the best chile rellanos in town. Well, much to my surprise, they actually were. So fucking good! Perfection on a plate. If there's a better place to get chile rellanos in town, let me know, but as far as I'm concerned, these rock! The tortillas rock also! I'm a fan and a fan for life!
(4)Lincoln F.
Uncle Julio's is both mine and my girlfriend's favorite restaurant around Atlanta. So it is with great pain that I have to give them 3/5. I have had wonderful fajitas and killer tacos (especially on Taco Tuesdays...) but the last time Uncle Julio's really disappointed us. We ordered immediately, without looking at the menu, and then proceeded to wait for over 45 minutes for our food without a visit from the waitress. This is when we noticed that the table next to us received their food, which we remembered being ordered after ours. After a few seconds (and looks of confusion noticed on the neighboring customers' faces) we realized that the waitress had brought them our food! The waitress and neighboring waitress discussed this in hush tones, then our waitress arrived and said that she is sorry but the kitchen was slow due to multiple orders. About 5 minutes later, the manager came over and apologized quickly and informed us that our order had been brought to the wrong table. We waited another 15 minutes before finally receiving our food and the order was still incorrect. The waitress never apologized for what actually happened - in fact she never confessed to giving our order to another table. The manager apologized for about 5 seconds, and that was it. I don't think we have ever had such blatantly bad service before. Overall, a 1/5 evening that the usually good food can not erase.
(3)Ang G.
We were a party of 11 with 2 very young kids. The restaurant would not seat us until all the guests had arrived which I understand when things are busy but the restaurant was almost empty this shouldn't be the case. Margaritas were watered down & filled with ice. Move on to the food - salsa was good. Ordered Guacamole & lacked considerable amount of salt (very bland) - for $10 it certainly wasn't worth it. I ordered the Chicken Fajitas & all I can say was it was average. Food is expensive when compared to similar restaurants in the vicinity $40 / person (with 1 drink per person). We will would not return.
(2)Teresa L.
The chile rellenos are just amazing and the atmosphere is commercial, but pleasant. Service was great. I've had other meals at Uncle Julio's that were not memorable, but after trying the chile rellenos, I will definitely return. The swirl margarita was also awesome.
(4)Dee C.
The Swirl! Food was also good.
(4)Christopher P.
#Yelp365 5/365 Sanora platter + warm salsa + friendly waitstaff = doable for lunch this place is pretty big so those corporate meetings breaking for lunch can continue at this place. they make their own tortillas but i didn't get a chance to try. the salsa is pretty banging... i think it's a rosted pepper salsa and it's served warm... yum yum my platter had a crunchy tac, enchilada, and a tamale... all were pretty good it's a nicer mexican resto but i like the shitty looking taco shacks....
(3)Whitney T.
I had a great time @ Julio's. My Sangrias were really good and the food was great and came out fast on a Saturday night! The service was great also. Sit outside if you can because it sits on Peachtree and there's a pretty nice view.
(5)Dana F.
I love eating here and have never had a bad meal. The margarita with berry in the name (sorry forgot the name) which is on the rocks is absolutely delicious!!! I always get the Guadalajara which has the stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon with fajitas. Delicious and plenty for both dinner and lunch the next day. My sweetheart always...ALWAYS gets the "Cadillac" which is sometimes not on the menu. It has a lobster tail, fajitas, and all the normal sides (we both skip the rice and beans and opt for fresh fruit instead). If you go by on Thursdays, try the Pablano Cream Soup, it is soooo good! Today, we had a complimentary dessert (it was my birthday) and let me tell you that the Chocolate Empanada is to die for! I cannot explain it any better. It is known that Friday nights are "ladies (yes, gay) night" however I found other times to be just fine if you are not comfortable within that crowd. We have always had great servers and great interaction from the manager. In fact, he is the one who offered us the dessert tonight. I always go back.........and always recommend to others!
(5)CHRISTY L.
Cheese enchiladas with meat sauce. MEH. Reminded me of Chef Boyardee's cheese raviolis. Seriously. Great chips and queso. OK margaritas. But, the ONLY thing that ever makes me WANT to go to Uncle Julio's is that GIGANTIC painting of a Chihuahua. I am totally planning a heist to steal that thing. It's probably my favorite piece of restaurant decor in all of Atlanta, if not the world. I definitely suggest stopping in here just to pay homage to that thing. It's glorious.
(2)D M.
so on the day I visited i was craving some Mexican food. I'm glad i stopped by. the chips were light and crispy. the salsa was superb. I ordered some guacamole tasted great. also had a enchilada 2 tamales and a taco. the green Verdi sauce on the enchilada had awesome flavor. the only sad part was the price. the meal was over $22 (about $27 with tip). that was a bit pricey but like i said i was craving it.
(5)Amiee M.
Best fajitas is town! Love the atmosphere and it's only a block from home!
(5)Christopher E.
So I know this place is a love it / hate it sort of place. I think Uncle Julio's is a bit pricey for Tex Mex but then again I've never had a bad meal here. This was one of my many Birthday lunches and it was pretty darn good. I got the combo fajitas $11.95 at lunch makes them more affordable than dinner and believe me it is more than plenty to eat. The food was hot and good, the service was friendly, the music is a bit loud. I would almost be tempted to give this place five stars but the LOUD MUSIC and the excessive charges for any little addition or side request when the menu is already rather pricey keep me from giving the last star.
(4)David Z.
On the whole, Uncle Julio's is quite good, and certainly superior to most of the generic Mexican restaurants around Atlanta (it's also a little pricier). Their (free) chips and salsa were OK, but the salsa was a little watery for me. I ordered the Honey Chipotle Salmon with pineapple pico de gallo and black bean rice. The flavors were all very fresh, especially the honey on the salmon. It tasted like real honey, rather than honey flavor. The customer next to me at the bar had also gotten the salmon, and his piece was at least 50% bigger than mine...so that made me sad.
(4)JaneDoe D.
Last night, as my mom and I sat waiting for a to-go box in our booth, a waitress dropped bussed plates from a 10-top on me by accident. Flatware and leftovers were thrust onto my face, chest and arms. I heard someone gasp nearby. I couldn't believe what had just happened. The force was strong enough that the booth was pushed backwards. The bussed plates got mixed into our food that we wanted to take to go. I was at Uncle Julio's treating my mom for her birthday, which the manager and our own waitress knew, and we planned to go to a show after dinner. Now that my clothes were ruined, our plans were also ruined. The manager took $6 off a $33 bill for the incident and gave me an envelope to send my cleaning bill. We had to ask for them to replace the food we had planned to take to go before all those plates landed on me and the table (they didn't offer). How this situation was handled was shameful. It is the worst dining experience I have ever had. We will never go back.
(1)Intown Foodie ..
Disappointing Lunch! This is not a good place for business people to visit during their lunch break. I've been a big fan of this Uncle Julio's location in the past. It's been a while since I've visited, but today's lunch was offensive. The food was good, but the waitstaff & service was just plain awful. Although there were only a few tables occupied in the restaurant, it took us 1 and a half hours to get our food, eat and get our check. I am very disappointed in Uncle Julio's.
(1)Alison B.
Spent a relaxing early fall afternoon doing some work on their spacious, pleasant patio recently. My Verizon wi-fi device worked well (amazing in and of itself) so I killed a couple of hours intermittently noshing on fresh hot warm salty chips and queso and making my own very pared down version of grilled chicken fajitas all the while craving a swirl margarita (half frozen sangria, half frozen margarita). I have had the swirls before and can not recommend them highly enough! My only regret that day was that I didn't have one, but my fear was that my concentration would wane too quickly! :)
(3)Michelle B.
First time here and it was phenomenal! Mady, our waitress was great. She was very attentive. The manager came to check on us a couple times. The food was excellent, especially the fajitas with spicy shrimp and pinto beans! I would definitely recommend this place to family and friends.
(5)Jaimie M.
Great food and phenomenal customer service! Speedy lunch service. I loved it!
(4)Cali B.
DISGUSTING and OVERPRICED. I'm not sure who would call this "Mexican" food, because it is NOT. The "queso" (which is not actual queso) looks and tastes like it came from a can. Queso isn't orange and watery, people. Of the chicken I got, I ended up spitting out half of it, as I don't eat chewy fat or gristle.
(1)Stormtrooper H.
We recently went to Uncle Julio's for take out while staying at Piedmont and were really impressed by the tortillas and AMAZING salsa. The bartender was extremely friendly and we would go back just to deal with her. It's a few dollars more than other Mexican joints, but the quality and portion size justify the cost.
(4)Kenneth G.
One of my favorite mexican resturants..love the Juanita platter...and the Frozen Sangria(Swirl)...I enjoyed my service each time I went there..always had a nice & friend waitress/waiter...
(5)Charles H.
Great Mexican food. Friendly service. I'd give it five stars if not for the unsafe parking lot. My car was broken into during daylight hours. For the prices they charge, this place can afford better security.
(4)Bob J.
Fantastic food. A little slow but quality food. Forget the cowboy queso good but not worth 10 bucks.
(4)Neil N.
Uncle Julio's is the best Tex-Mex experience I've had since Rio Bravo self-destructed around 1992. Four of us ate at Uncle Julio's on Saturday, August 9, 2008, and had a fabulous time. The atmosphere was great. The food was excellent but the service could have been better. One thing I loved about Rio Bravo was their drinks were served in really huge tumblers; Uncle Julio's tumblers are large, about 16 oz, but not huge and I spent a lot of my meal with an empty tea glass. The waitress was pretty scarce but after all, it was Saturday evening and the place was bustling. I'm looking forward to going back to see whether another waitperson is more attentive. I went back on Sunday evening, December 21, 2008, and the service was much improved. Shawn was very attentive. What a great place; I wish I lived closer.
(4)Frank M.
With all the great mexcian food places on Buford Hwy, why go here?
(2)Gina C.
I came here last week with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. Since it is a central location, it was good for everyone. My friend and I shared the steak fajitas for one. It was a good sized portion so all you meat lovers out there, this is the entree to get! By the time you eat the chips and salsa, sharing the fajitas is perfect. I love the light crispiness of the chips and the salsa has the right amount of spice. The fajitas didn't have any fatty parts. They came with rice and beans which were both delish. The guac is chunky just the way I like it. I'm a big fan of Mexican so this place was a winner!
(4)louis n.
Gulity Pleasure. I come here to enjoy their famous "Swirls". half frozen margarita and half frozen sangria mixed. top it off with a shot of Patron and you got a party for one!
(4)Kathy B.
I just visited this place for the first time Friday for happy hour and dinner. The Swirl is a must! Very yummy and they don't kid around with this drink! Definitely sample the cheese dip for starters. Everyone at our table tried something different for their entree and no one was disappointed! The Nachos Especial and Chicken Enchiladas (try the sour cream sauce) were a hit. By the time we left, around 8 pm maybe, the bar was absolutely packed! Apparently it is the place to go for early night drinks! I must say, the service got a little slow towards the end of the night. Be patient though, overall, it was worth it!
(4)Erin W.
Good food, good margaritas. Huge portions. However, they don't offer pitchers, and the glasses they server margaritas in are tiny. The place is big and seems to handle lots of large crowds with ease. I've seen friends enjoy some of the massive platters that come with seafood, chicken, etc etc.
(4)Deanna J.
And again, the Swirl frozen drink is my best friend and my worst enemy. Strong, yes. Easy to drink, yes. Was I really paying attention to the food when it came out? No.
(4)Don b. M.
I have been a customer of this location for years, since it opened. Generally, the food is excellent (a touch pricey for what it is), the drinks are very over-priced (not unique to this establishment), but good, & a generally decent "time". However, when they do screw you (as they did to me last time), THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT IT ("Corporate Policy"). My friend & I arrived at 9:05pm, Tuesday. I ordered the tamales appetizer; server said it would take "a while" since the kitchen had just had a "large party". No Problem, I love the chips/salsa/guacamole. Tamales came 25 minutes later; 5 minutes later they try to shove the entree on me (I had requested to not to have it til I finished the appetizer, as usual), the Manager came out to tell us to eat quickly & LEAVE (because they had hood cleaners coming). He never once acknowledged or spoke to ME, just my younger friend. He came out to hurry us out 3 more times in the next 15 minutes, never once speaking to me (the only one still trying to eat!). The server "Last Called" me for BOTTLED $5 BEER even BEFORE I had the first tamale eaten (What? They don't have a bottle opener after the Bar Staff leaves?). The asshole manger, Nick, even sent the poor server over (when I had 2 half-eaten enchiladas of 3 total) with a To-Go container, suggesting I LEAVE & take it with me! I refused, saying I had PAID for HOT FOOD in a restaurant, not cold take-out (which I couldn't even re-heat at my home!). In spite of the fact that we were gone by 10:35 (Posted Close Time is 10:30pm!), I was rushed (4-5 times), insulted, & not allowed to FINISH EATING the food I both wanted (I was very hungry!) & HAD PAID FULLY FOR!. I have never had a worse, more unreasonable, more INSULTING treatment in 57 YEARS of Dining (I grew up in a NOLA restaurant; worked as a Restaurant Host 2 1/2 years in Atlanta; & dined out 5-7 per week for 22 YEARS in New York, BTW!). A week later, even after phone calls & emails to the Manager & to their Corporate HQ, they have neither called, emailed, apologized, or done ANYTHING AT ALL, except to arrogantly say that it's "Corporate Policy" to do this to Customers & they NEVER, EVER 'comp", nor refund ANYTHING, for ANY REASON, so "F*** You, Mr. Customer!". THIS CHAIN WIPES ITS ASS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS! Just keep driving by this place! Update: Only after 10 days of calls did their HQ call back. They neither apologized, nor gave me back any of badly misspent money. No one goes to a restaurant, or store, EXPECTING a Horrible Experience. How WELL that business corrects its mistakes is what counts. These thieving, rude assholes DO NOT CARE. Patronize this place long enough, & you, too, will likely be screwed over without the simplest attempt to make things right.. AVOID!
(1)Vincent V.
Not enough of a step above the El Azteca down the street to merit double the price. This Texas based chain tries very hard to deliver higher end Tex Mex, but it doesn't distinguish itself form the other Tex-Mex chains at all. I'd rather go to Buford Highway and find some dirty hole in the wall place and risk the intestinal discomfort. The drinks were very overpriced. You're getting a shot glass sized margarita for full sized prices...and it's not like the drink tastes twice as good as the margaritas you can get elsewhere, it just costs that much. The patio overlooking Peachtree is a nice feature. The added elevation gives you a good view of the black-clad Intermezzo crowd and the giant bison statue at Ted's.
(2)Amoura W.
i like a lot! at first i wasn't too sure, i had been to the place a few years back when it wasn't Uncle Julio's. but was just there two weekends ago, and they have the BEST chips & cheese dip i have ever had. Everytime I go i get a to-go order just for that! Also the steak, shrimp, fajita meal is really yummy:) worth checking out!
(4)Shai T.
It's pricey but the lobster fajita is the Bomb!!
(5)Shannon H.
Yum, yum, yummy mexican food. Kid friendly before 8:30pm, not so much after 8:30. Excellent chiles rellenos, fajitas, and enchiladas, but important to note that one order of most anything is enough to feed two, especially after cheese dip / chips and a couple margaritas. Go when you're hungry, or really in need of an awesome drink (I recommend a swirl or three).
(4)Barney B.
food is decent, and fairly typical for this type of joint - nothing really authentic, but standard options for a Mexican-influenced menu in the US. the atmosphere is big and cavernous, which leads to an unneccessarily noisy place.
(3)john k.
Uninspired. Very tasty margaritas.
(2)Carter M.
Excellent Service. Love the Rocks Margaritas and Salsa. I wish I knew the Salsa Recipe!!!
(5)Dave A.
Uncle Julio's is a big festive space. They have a special ten thousand dollar machine that makes the softest tortillas complimentary for every table, and their signature "Swirl" (sangria and margarita mix) packs a potent punch which hits the spot every time. The food is good too. For the foodies, they serve some pretty sophisticated entrees, but I usually just share the fajitas for one - after swirls, chips, and queso, that's really all I need.
(5)D.L H.
Pretty good for a mass seating restaurant. Try the enchiladas with the red sauce. I loved it, no complaints here.
(4)Margo R.
Hip, hip, hooray for good Mexican food! First of the all, the exterior and interior are equally bright and exuberant. The red, yellow, and blue umbrellas on the patio really draw attention from the street. I was worried this place would be tacky, but it actually wasn't. Casa Grande is a great place for a group of friends to gather because the atmosphere is lively and who doesn't love quality Mexican food?? I like the chicken quesadillas. The sangria is good, though I am more of a Margarita girl. It's more expensive than let's say, El Azteca or Taco Bell, but the quality is incomparable. Me gusta, me gusta.
(5)Grant M.
ok enough Tex Mex restaurant. I'm probably a bit jaded though, having recently moved here from Houston, TX.
(2)A + P.
Just got back from Saturday night dinner at Uncle Julio's. We don't like places with a loud atmosphere like this, but we came by after we decided not to wait an hour plus at Rosa Mexicana. Here, the wait was 15 minutes, which was acceptable, but as we were finding it to be noisy while we were waiting, we almost bailed. Anyway, I had the quail a la parilla, and my wife had the special pollo blanco. It seemed unusual to find quail and frogs' legs on a menu of a Mexican restaurant, so I went for the quail just to try something that I don't usually get a chance to try. It was good, though maybe a little too much of the chipotle sauce, and harder to eat than chicken just because it's smaller and more bony. I had a strawberry margarita which wasn't very strong. I didn't try the pollo blanco, but it looked to have too much cheese for my taste. We also overdid it on the tortilla chips (with the house salsa plus an order of guacamole), so we definitely had more than we could eat and brought enough home to have another meal out of this. The chips were nice and warm, though too fragile to be able to scoop the guac.
(3)rashmi d.
yet another "tex mex" restaurant in atlanta that's not very impressive. the food, margaritas, and service were all average. definitely not worth the price you pay. went on a sunday night so it was also pretty dead. keep in mind i'm a texas girl, so i might be a little picky when it comes to tex mex.
(2)Janae S.
I went to Uncle Julios as a birthday dinner and I, along with my party were thoroughly satisfied. We had the Cowboy Queso as an appetizer, which was nothing short of the best nachos I've ever had in my life. My aunt and I had the chicken and steak fajitas for two, which left us both with plenty to take home and my cousin ordered the shrimp fajitas. All in all, a very VERY good Mexican restaurant. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because I felt like I have more trips to make and more dishes to taste.
(4)Evonnie H.
my favorite place to grab a Frozen Sangria...the best in town! You gotta try it!
(4)Tony M.
Lunch at the bar (if you work with me or I work for you, stop reading this review right now) ... what a great way to make Mondays your biatch! =) If you've never been to Uncle Julio's, you are needlessly depriving yourself of a fun Tex-Mex dining experience. If you've been to one before, you know why this place was so tempting to me as I drove by in the middle of my work day. I sat at the bar and Johnathon was ready to take my drink order. You should know right away that this barely 21 bartender has a conversational voice as smooth as an 18-year old Scotch and a gift for gab that pairs perfectly with Uncle's signature frozen margarita and sangria swirl. Get this recent Economics and Philosophy major graduate to talk and you'll be jealous whenever he has to step away to attend to other guests. Even so, Johnathon is so skilled at making you feel as if you are the only guest at the bar - even when you're not - that he won't be stuck in this position for long. Were there a restaurant version of Fantasy Football Leagues, he'd be the team member everyone wanted to have on their fantasy restaurant crew. I bet if you check back here in a few months, he'll be promoted or will have landed a cushy job that appreciates his skill set more. BUT... back to the food. I ordered a combo plate of their two newest fajita proteins: Honey Chipotle Chicken and Honey something-or-other Carnitas. The carnitas were great and next time, I will get a full order of just those. The flour tortillas were made as fresh as always. The chips as light as ever. The salsa was as lip-smacking as could be. Charro beans and Spanish-style rice being the obligatory sides, they were as good as entree co-stars can be. It's hardly anything you'd go there to order on its own, but it was tasty enough. Kitchen service was speedy (No, don't ask if Gonzalez works back there). Food temp was appropriately sizzling for a fajita course. Everything on the plate was consistent in quality and taste as you expect from Uncle Julio's no matter what city you're in. Kudos to the management and the crew for making this happen as nothing is worse than going to a store in a chain and the portion sizes are different or the taste is wrong or the quality of the ingredients isn't up to par. Whatever you're doing, keep it up! Andale!
(4)Tow A.
Came in for $2 taco Tuesday. Had a pineapple margarita. Tasted very little booze!! Tried to complain about it & that was to deaf ears. Worst margarita of my 30 years of drinking booze. Don't have the booze because the bartenders suck!! Chips were good but kitchen messed up our taco order. So we had to wait an additional 10 mins. And when they arrived the order was messed up. Management is very poor with trying to achieve customer satisfaction. When we complained, the manager on duty did nothing. He was the one over the kitchen that screwed up the order. Crazy!! Don't wast your time!!
(1)Cindy G.
Not great, but not bad. They can accommodate large groups and accept reservations, which is nice...but the food is mediocre at best. If you're looking for average Mexican food, this is your place. The passion margarita is tasty and the carnita tacos are good. The guacamole leaves a lot to be desired.
(3)Stephanie C.
My boyfriend and I walked in for our first visit around 9:30 on a Saturday night with no reservation. The Hoists was on the phone when we walked in for about 5 minutes and did not say anything to us. She just gave us this look like "ughhh not another table to seat" but we waited for her to be done on the phone and she brought us to our table without saying anything to us but stopping every few feet to talk to other employees... The same lady then sat 2 more tables around us. We sat there for about 8-10 minutes before we were asked if anyone had helped us. The waiter did not ask us if we wanted anything to drink. He just asked us if we wanted salsa, so we said sure. When he came with the salsa I had to quickly ask for drinks before he ran off again. He brought us 2 bowls of salsa and one bowl was very soupy like it was drinkable and the other bowl you needed a spoon to eat it with.. The two tables sat after us got their drinks and food before us But my boyfriend and I shared the steak fajitas the only thing I thought was good was the steak I did not touch the rice and beans after one bite. The beans were also very soupy and very salty. This is a big restaurant and seems like it can get very busy. But that night was not as busy as I think it should have been on a Saturday night in Buckhead. But even though it was not extremely busy there were people running around cleaning and organizing things and it was very loud. I am not saying its a bad thing to clean but it seemed that there were more employees running around than there were customers eating. It is definitely not a good place for a date.
(2)Tavi H.
We have walked in while the hostess was on the hard line phone at the welcoming desk. She continued to be on the phone for the next few minutes without expressing any apologizing delay. She finally gets off the phone and takes us to a table without ever apologizing for or anything along those lines. The place is very loud with metal decorated walls and high ceilings. I assume it was created this way to give the feel of the a cantina. Definitely not a place to bring a date, but good for larger groups. The food was great. I am not a big fan of Mexican food, but this was the best I've ever had. Due to below than average service I must rate this about half way, unfortunately.
(3)Thi T.
To be honest, I only come in for their dollar taco Tuesdays. Don't let the price fool you. They are big tacos. I can only eat two at a time. Obviously for that price, you can only dine in and not take the tacos home. Their salsa is very fresh. Unlike salsa I'm used to, it's at room temperature. I've tried one other dish before (fajitas?) but I thought it was not worth the price. It wasn't flavorful and memorable, or even authentic tasting. I'd recommend Nuevo Laredo for more expensive but authentic tasting Mexican food. Staff here is very friendly and attentive. There is plenty of parking in the back.
(3)Wen L.
I went on a Saturday with some friends for brunch. We had a great time and the waitress was very sweet. This is a place I would go to to hang out with friends, not for the food. We had a party of around 10. Well, they do not seat you until 80% of your party is present. I understand this rule if it is lunch time or dinner time and it is busy. However, at the time, there were maybe 6 other customers in the whole restaurant. Meh, I just wanted to comment on that - I can totally overlook that and it is not considered in my rating. The food ordering process was painless. When the food came out, they missed one order. So one person sat without food for a while. Not so good when it wasn't busy at the time. I ordered the chilequiles brunch with fruit side. The best part of the order was the cream sauce they had to dip the fruit in. The dish itself was not great and was not terrible. Not much to say about it. It was decent, but not something I would think about again or crave. My husband ordered the fish tacos. Now his parents have a mexican restaurant so he may be biased haha. But the cabbage salsa on it was flavorless. Meh once again, not a dish you would crave or think about. The homemade tacos skins were a treat though! The salsa I liked though. It has a burnt/grilled kind of flavor that I thought was delicious. Yum! Overall, I would only go back if I was to meet friends who wanted to go there to hang out and eat.
(2)Gino B.
When everything is closed at 10pm in the city, Uncle Julio's is still humming and buzzing. We Walked into a festive ambiance with salsa beats echoing throughout the space. The dining room is large and the decor very Mexico but low key, not overwhelming; just right: Andale! Right away, attentive hosts sat us down and a basket of nachos and a fire smoked tomato and pepper salsa saucer came To the table. We ordered ceviche and a cheese beef nacho dip that were very good. For the mains; the mesquite grilled salmon with steamed root vegetables and pineapple salsa was excellent and very healthy. The bacon wrapped tiger shrimp with rice, beans and a garlic aioli was very tasty as well. The portions were excellent and didn't compromise on quality or taste; great job Uncle Julio! The tagline underneath the Uncle Julio's logo states "made from Scratch Mexican"; Tonight's food absolutely tasted True to that statement. We were too full to look at dessert; next time! Overall, the service was very friendly and unhurried. While The place was still busy when we were ready to leave, Shakira was was heard singing her heart out on the dining room speakers while the hostess was shaking her hips to her hit "wherever whenever"...olé olé!!
(4)Lauren R.
Worst Mexican food I've ever had. This was pretty gross. I got a chicken quesadilla and felt as if I was going to throw up. So I took a sip of water and when I looked down there was a live bug floating around on the top of my water. My stomach still feels a little queasy.
(1)Michelle A.
What I consider an authentic Mexican restaurant. A nice jam to sit on, lightings are dim and very friendly for groups to hang. Pro: - there is a bar - waiters are super nice - atmosphere is relaxing and very good for group gatherings - music and design is very traditional - food and flavor is awesome! Cons: - the waiter isn't very good at explaining - for example, they didn't tell us not to touch that dish because it's super hot, leading to our burnt finger - food is quite expensive compared to other restaurants we usually go , like come on, 20 bucks for six medium size shrimps Overall, if I had more money, I'd come again ; got to try that margarita, looks so good.
(4)Thanh Thuy P.
i came for a friend's birthday. it didnt live up to the hype. fajitas were good but most of the food we ordered was not on par with other atlanta area mexican restaurants. service was slow and erratic but to be fair we had a large party. i did not like the drink i ordered.
(3)Y. P.
I'm writing this review as I sit in the bar area. When I walked in the bartender said hello, which was good. But I have been sitting here for 45 minutes and have not been offered a menu or water nor has anyone come to my table. I'm even sitting here watching four employees at the bar having a conversation. If I was not waiting for other people, I would have left by now. When I go to their other location, I get service regardless of where I sit (bar area or main dining). I won't be back to this location.
(1)Adrienne T.
It's all good here with me. Listen, I'm originally from Beaumont, Texas. Halfway between Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana. I grew up with Mexicans. Mexicans who actually prefer to be called Mexicans versus the other more PC terms we've come up with. I grew up eating Mama Ninfa's food right there from her first little shanty shack restaurant on Navigation Street in Houston. Forget the big time conservative political show piece she has become. I remember screen doors, swatting bugs to keep 'em out, and lines of people going down Navigation for breakfast tacos. All that to say, anything Mexican or Tex-Mex that isn't Ninfa's original on Navigation in Houston doesn't impress me. So, to say that Uncle Julio's is cool with me when I'm in the mood (which is verrrry rarely) is saying a LOT! Always a good meal, service has always been fine, and the REVERSE SWIRL is delish!
(4)Candice A.
This place was nice and really surprised me. My friends & I went on Tuesday. There was a special for two dollar tacos. Even though I am not very fond of tacos, I really enjoyed them. Now, the item we liked on the menu the most was, The Swirl. I'm not sure of what the ingredients were but I do know it was a mixture of two drinks. It was the best drink I have had in months. Not only was it good and sweet but it was filled with alcohol. Let's lets just say, We were extremely happy afterwards! It was only eight dollars and well worth it. The service was amazing as well. Our waitress was very very nice. Trust and believe, we will be back very very soon! This place truly gets a thumbs up!!
(5)Amanda M.
I've always wanted to try this place, and after 8yrs I finally did. It was SO DAMN DISAPPOINTING! The food wasn't any better than a place like Moe's, Willies, or They do call ahead seating, so I called an hour ahead. She said there was barely a wait. I called for a party of 10. Once we get there, there is barely anyone waiting. Yet they refuse to sit us outside, they then proceed to tell us that large parties are not allowed out there....yet a party of 16 was out there. When I asked about the large party, they replied that they came when it was slow. It go to a point we were just going in circles. When we finally finished with dinner, it took them 45 MINUTES FOR THEM TO GET OUR TABS CORRECT! We could never find out waiter, and we constantly had to track him down. It was not worth the pain. There are SOOO MANY better places to eat for Mexican. Will never go again. Not worth the money either!!
(1)Yalanda S.
You know those times when you had a tough day at work and dont feel like cooking or talking to anyone? Then you need to try the honey chipotle fajitas at Uncle Julios. The smoky sweet taste of the chicken with the sour cream, grilled onions and peppers were AWESOME!! The tortilla chips are always so light, warm and crispy. I had the most amazing service from a newbie, Ontario!! You were amazing on your second day on the job. And my favorite server at Uncle Julios is Angelo. He always provides top of the line service. Devin was so sweet just stopping by to ask if we needed anything or just to fill up our water. She wasnt even assigned to us!!! Thanks to all of you for making a hard day at work seem like nothing. You guys are so awesome! I will definitely be coming back for more great food and great service!!!!!
(5)Marjorie K.
Came here with a group of close to 20. Even though we called in well in advance for reservations and called well in advance to let the restaurant know we were coming. We still had to wait 45 minutes before our tables were ready. The food was not all that spectacular. It was average. Once were were seated we put in our orders and were served in a timely manner. Our waiter was on top of everything and is the reason this restaurant is getting an extra star in my review.
(3)Derek C.
Good, solid, Mexican food. They make their tortilla chips on-site and the menu has something for almost anyone.
(4)C N.
I want my old Uncle Julio's back. As a former waiter many years ago and a long time customer, I was totally disappointed at my visit last Sunday to this restaurant. Not only was the restaurant almost totally empty at noon, the service was horrible. My food was so salty, I couldn't finish it nor could my wife. I had the shrimp and my wife had the fish tacos. This restaurant has changed since it was sold from the original family to a hedge fund in 2011. The ingredients have been cheapened it seems and the prices are way too high. Even my wife who also used to love the restaurant says she won't go back. And if yesterday's crowd was a sign, Uncle Julio's may have trouble remaining in business.
(2)Taylor L.
I'm starting off this by saying that we accidentally ended up here. We were searching for Alma Concina and typed the wrong address into the GPS and instead of driving across town, we decided to stop here. They do have valet parking which is great but if you chose not to use it, they make you park at the very back of the restaurant despite having an empty lot. The place inside is quite dingy and the decor is strange, outdated and dusty. Our waitress was nice and greeted us immediately, got our drinks out quickly. We ordered queso dip, which was either out of a can or something I could have made better myself. It was velveta cheese and flakes of red pepper. The drinks were so weak that I forgot I even ordered something with alcohol. I opted for the chicken enchiladas and refried beans, which the waitress told us was extra because "they make us tell you cus people get so pissed when they find out on the bill." The corn tortillas were undercooked and the cheese wasn't even melted nor was the dish hot at all. Overall I was not impressed. Edit to my post: So there was some drama here because of a blackened steak issue. It was so serious, the manager was forced to call the cops! Entertainment at it's finest.
(1)Codi S.
Latepost! Late but better late than never. I went here with some friends for a late dinner and we were seated immediately. It took a while to get a waiter but once our orders were taken they were very quick. I had a chicken fajita meal with a margarita and nothing about the food here stood out. The rice and beans were subpar. The guac however was amazing!! I would come here again for drinks but to eat Mexican I'll pass!
(3)Roger L.
Good was okay but not worth wait ! Terrible service again! This wasn't first or 2nd or 3rd but 4th time here with bad service and ok food! Final trip here! One of 4 in party didn't receive food until the rest had finished and they charged full price for his dinner and all of our delay!! Ridiculous!! Pick a different place! Don't go here!
(1)No E.
I was uncertain about trying this place out because I read some negative yelp reviews, however I was pleasantly surprised. Food was really good and drinks were great, out waiter (Angelo) provided great customer service. Overall very good experience...
(4)J F.
Not the best Mexican food but it did hit the spot (so so) fresh homemade tortilla are the best! Decor is old and not very inviting. ..table clothes need to be thrown away! Walls have an old feel ands dark lightening at night. ..overall won't return but server was very attentive! !!
(2)Travis R.
The Only bright point of the meal was the service. It has been over a year since I have dined here. The menu was odd no burritos at a Mexican restaurant. The food was barely edible and just not a good dining experience. My last time here.
(1)Ian L.
Food: 3 Value: 2 Service: 4 The service is decent, our waitress was on the ball. It was also Saturday night so perhaps they have good zone control now unlike what other reviews suggest. We ordered the 2 person platter, it was expensive. 35 pp including tax and tip. The beef and chicken fajitas were merely so so, tough. Flavor was passable, but it wasn't bad. Just was forgettable. Ribs: forgettable. Tough, dry, flavors not too exciting. nothing like ribs in Texas. The money's at the bacon wrapped shrimp!!!!! Those are truly delicious, especially dipped in the garlic butter. Definitely the highlight of the meal. Recommend? Sure but don't order the fajitas. Shrimp.
(3)Jill L.
The food was good but what really sets this place as a 5 star is the service. Everyone we came in contact with was ridiculously helpful and accommodating. I simply will go back because the staff is awesome and made our meal a blast!
(4)Lindy F.
"So can I get you gentlemen something more to drink? Or maybe something to nibble on? Some Pizza Shooters, Shrimp Poppers, or Extreme Fajitas?" -- Office Space (1999) Slooooooooow. That is what the service seems to be. Always. Doesn't matter what the time of day is, or the day of the week, or even the time of the year. They have an "Islands" attitude with time... it doesn't exist. Other than that, they do a pretty decent job here. I have a couple of menu items I tend to stick to, but only because I know they are great and I won't be disappointed. My favorite is the vegetable fajitas (I'm no where near being a vegetarian). You get zucchini, summer squash, onions, peppers, portobellos, potatoes and this mexican butter glistening on the top. Served with the usual accoutrements and flour tortillas - it is enough food for two meals. Their queso is orange cheese (say what?) which is weird, but their guacamole saves the day. And I do enjoy their chips, about 3 visits out of 4 (that 4th visit, they always seem under cooked - there is no explaining that one). As for the place, it is GREAT for groups. We have come here for many work lunches, birthday dinners and overall pre-debauchery meals. They have a bar area, patio and very clean bathrooms. The staff is super friendly and accommodating, even if they are molasses-like. I enjoy my Tex-Mex fix, and Uncle Julio's does the trick occasionally... especially when I crave those veggie fajitas!
(3)Cam S.
The service is absolutely amazing. The staff is quick and polite. The place is very clean. They have plenty of seating for both in and outdoors. Our server was quick and I can tell the communication b/w staff is great. Once we were seated our server Ryan promptly greeted us with chips and salsa. He made the experience a great one as he was on his p's and q's. The food was excellent I had the fajita w/ fruit and sweet cream was great. The portions were a good size. The shrimp Quesadilla was good as well. It all arrived promptly. Definitely will be coming back.
(5)Amelia C.
Service has fallen off tremendously. It's really disappointing because it used to be consistently great. Management--whatever has changed, please go back to what you were doing before!
(3)Queenie D.
My oh my. Quite a disappointment really. First of all, cheese dip reminds me of melted Velveeta or that canned nacho cheese dip with some chopped onions and tomatoes and what have you - It was not good at all. The guacamole dip, although it was indeed, without a doubt, made with real avocado, was well... nothing BUT avocado. It tasted just like avocado mushed together with a few chunks of onions. The onion chutney/salsa wasn't that impressive either. I mean, I can see that they're fighting tooth and nails to deliver this "fine Mexican dining" experience, but boy, the food falls short ... way way way short. Now, it was a Sunday, and they have a $10 chicken fajita special, and that's exactly what I had. WHAT IS UP WITH CHICKEN SKIN on my fajitas?? It was not appetizing at all. It was gooey, chewy, and fatty - and there was quite a bit of them on my plate! The amount of onions were overwhelming (although if you're an 'onion' type of person, this may work on your favor.) The plate was so hot and greasy that the plate was popping off the searing hot grease onto our faces when the food was being sat down on the table. THAT HURTS!? guys, is there anything else you can do about that? I had to cover myself with their napkin to protect myself. Oh well, we survived. The service fell short as well. They eventually got slammed and we didn't see our server for about an hour. We eventually had to ask someone else to please bring our checks. Our server forgot a couple of items at the beginning of the meal as well, and although it wasn't completely horrible, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. The ambiance all in all was actually nice. They have a patio and that can be a lovely thing. They also have $5 margarita specials on Sunday. I didn't have any, but tried my friend's and they weren't sweet and that's cool with me. All in all, I don't think I will be coming back to this place. I didn't know what to expect before I came, given it was my first time, and yep .... I think that's it for me.
(2)Rachel D.
Antoinette was amazing! The queso was hot and the chips were perfectly fried and crunchy. My beef taco was outstanding. I'll be back whenever I want great service and fabulous food.
(5)Keysha P.
Had a training for work (7-13-14) over in the Hyatt hotel which is not far from this Uncle Julios location and all I can say is YUM! The MANGO PASSION LEMONADE IS ADDICTIVE....could have stayed there and drank those all afternoon. This restaurant is definitely more of an upscale type of Mexican restaurant.....decor is beautiful. Beef could have used a little more flavor but overall a solid meal in a beautiful restaurant! Will definitely return.....
(4)Edwin M.
Before you waste your time coming to this place, it might be a good idea to call and ask if they have the food that is actually on their menu. It's a restaurant that runs out of food and let you eating only their choices not yours.
(1)C'est La J.
I almost forgot to do this review, but the bubbles currently sitting in my stomach 24 hours later were a swift reminder. A friend of mine and I decided we wanted Mexican food and wanted to give this place a try. I wasn't SUPER hungry and felt that an appetizer would be filing enough. Now before I get to my order, lemme say that once we were seated, no one greeted us to at LEAST give us water for approximately 21 minutes. Yea, I timed it. When you need your throat wet, you start doing things like this out of desperation. So anyway, I ordered their appetizers: speciality guacamole with a small side of queso. I was feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to try the bacon pineapple guacamole. When they brought my plate out, I immediately wanted to ask the waitress where did they order the cheese whiz from because this wasn't like any queso I've ever seen. It LOOKED processed, but hunger will make you throw ALMOST anything a bone. One thing I noticed when they brought it out was they didn't bring any chips to go with it. When I inquired about this, she said "oh, cuz we gave you chips with the salsa we sent out before. You want more chips?" I mean, first off, don't ask me that question like I'm being greedy or acting out of line for...oh, I dunno...wanting the chips that's due me for my guacamole. What was I supposed to do? Dip my fingers in it and eat like a savage? Since she made it such a shameful thing, I said I would just go ahead and use the scrap chips from the salsa they served (keep in mind, my friend ate the salsa and chips. I didn't). So back to the food. The watered down cheese whiz was one thing. The guacamole was another. I dunno if the "cook" in the back was trying to run a little joke on patrons or he/she just straight up didn't know how to cook bacon, but that stuff affixed on top of that guacamole could surely fall under every health code violation in and outside of the US. It is BACON, man. BACON! BACON is like God's candy. It's one of the first things many learn how to cook (in the microwave). And you mess that up? BACON is supposed to be a redeemer in all things horrible. It can heal the sick, offer vision to the blind, remove all worries, doubts, and feelings of loneliness. And this clown messed it up like BACON is some sort of new phenomenon that takes a lot trial and error or many sleepless nights to properly prepare. I would at least feel better about my food selection if the BACON was cooked by someone with bacon cooking experience but nah. I was highly disappointed with the entire experience. Uncle Julio's used to be that lick when they were serving the roasted corn and crab guacamole. But I guess when they got rid of that, they also got rid of courteous staff and good chefs cuz that place is a big naw now. On a side note, I asked God shortly after I observed the foolery that was my order why was I being punished. He still hasn't responded but as soon as He does, I'll update this review.
(1)Laura M.
I saw some reviews wherein patrons complained about poor service but our service was excellent. Refills delivered promptly and we were greeted pretty soon after being seated. We had grilled chicken and veggie fajitas. Generous portions, excellent food and played nicely. We can in at 3PM on Sunday and could not have been more pleased.
(5)Mary Locke M.
Uncle Julio's is solid high end-ish chain food. I used to really, really like it, but I think my Mexican taste buds have improved and they definitely did away with the chile relleno. They do, however, still have gay Friday, and for that alone it's worth frequenting for the people watching every once and awhile. We went on Friday night after the idiot hostess at Varasano's didn't clarify it was going to be an hour wait (a whole different rant for another time). I called Uncle Julio's at 8:00 and they had a five minute wait, so we promptly drove down the street in search of queso and margaritas. Five minutes turned out to be more like fifteen minutes, but we got seats and margaritas at the bar so no real worries. Piece of advice: if you are a single female, don't plan on meeting a mate at Uncle Julio's on a Friday night. The bar was packed with gay men. I almost felt compelled to attempt to make a new gay BFF by showing them pictures of my French Bulldog. Seriously though. Upon being seated, we immediately began to chow down on the chips, salsa, and queso. The chips are light and crispy, the salsa is smoky and delicious, and the queso is that neon yellow nacho cheese Tex-Mex kind. Granted the cheese dip was good, but when I want queso I want warm, gooey queso blanco with a hint of jalepeno. I consider myself a sort of queso connoisseur at this point, and this stuff just isn't the same as Mexican queso goodness. I was also totally bummed about the removal of the chile rellenos from the menu. They used to have them. I used to order them. Apparently I was the only one who ordered them? All four of us went for the Juanita's platter. It was a very solid and filling platter (way too much food to be considered a plate). Service was decent, albeit slow but that can probably be chalked up entirely to the Friday night rush. I was a little disappointed about the lack of rellenos and queso blanco, but all and all Uncle Julio's is a very solid chain choice for Tex-Mex. The atmosphere is fun and lively and a good place to go before a night out on the town. Uncle Julio's is definitely better than Chuy's, but certainly no Nuevo Laredo. It's worth going to if craving Tex-Mex, but don't prepare to be blown away by the experience.
(3)Morgan D.
Don't get anything other than the fajitas! Trust me on this one! They make their flour tortillas from scratch and you can absolutely tell. They are so soft and fluffy that I can't imagine getting fajitas anywhere else. It's a casual, fun environment and they have great chips and salsa. I would recommend the swirl--half margarita, half sangria and it is DELICIOUS! Overall, a great Mexican option. A littler more upscale than your average Mexican restaurant. So good!
(5)Nikki L.
I had the chicken enchiladas and they were ok. Ineeded some sour cream or something because they were dry. The frozen sangria is really tasry but I'll try the Swirl next time since it's highly recommended. I could eat the chips and salsa ALL day!! LOL I will be back because they have Happy Hour
(4)Adrienne S.
Most uncomfortable dining experience of my life. Waitress takes our drink order and food order and leaves the table. Next thing I know the manager comes to our table and tells us that we are getting a new waiter because our waitress was in the bathroom crying and saying that we were calling her names.. Bizarre! We only saw her like twice we had nothing bad to say about her. She literally just lied! I was so shocked that someone would do that. Then we saw her talking to the other staff members and I felt really uncomfortable like everyone knew or something (maybe they didn't) but that's how I felt ya know? We spent the rest of our visit over compensating by being overly nice so people wouldn't think we were a bad table. Just so uncomfortable.. I will never go there again. There was other problems too but this review is already too long lol sorry this review should be for the Hammond location
(1)Cherie T.
The service was exemplary thanks to Angelo. He made our night and kicked off our vacation in grand style!
(5)Orin T.
As a huge Mexican food fan, I have been coming to Uncle Julios off and on for a few years. I usually go to the one in Dunwoody because it's close to my job but I ended up at this location with my homegirl after the AIDS Walk. We originally wanted Thai food but they were closed (in between lunch and dinner hours). We walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by Chrysae at the bar. We didn't really have a preference on where we wanted to sit but when I saw her bright, smiling welcoming face, I knew we needed to sit over there. I think I made a good choice because she turned out to be really awesome. She was very attentive, friendly and welcoming so that always helps me feel good when I am spending my hard earned money on food. I decided to order my good old fashioned "Reverse Swirl Meltdown". That's always my drink when I go there and it always gets me where I want to be. It's a twist on their normal Swirl option with a shot of Grand Marier (sp chk) on the top. I'm pretty sure it's not on the menu but it's da bomb! Boom! (Thank me later) *do people even say da bomb anymore?!* Oh well She brought us some chips and salsa. The chips were tasty and warm. To be honest, the salsa was a little soupy but to each his own! We devoured it anyway and I'm pretty sure she had to refill our bowls a couple of times (don't judge). I ordered the 3 chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce as my meal. I also ordered the tortilla soup as my appeTEASEr because I was feeling a little under the weather. As always, the chicken enchiladas did not disappoint. They were flavorful and cheesy just like me. They came with a healthy portion of rice and little bowl of beans, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and I dollop of guac. I really enjoyed. It was so filling that I had to take an enchilada home and it still tasted good the next day! My soup was ooook. I was looking for a little more punch and kick but it definitely wasn't bad. My friend had the chipotle BBQ chicken quesadillas and that was bangin too! Of course I had to sample some of hers *for review purposes only ;-)* and they were definitely tasty and had lots of SABOR! (uh huh, yea look it up. It's espanol!). Overall we had an enjoyable time and Will definitely be back. Hopefully Chrissay will be there again when we go.
(4)Lucy L.
I can't judge from the actual menu items, but the $2 tacos are so terrible. The meat and the chicken were so bland... Worst tacos I've ever had! I had to add the salsa from my chips to give it any flavor. I guess you get what you pay for but as a weekly special I would've assumed that I would be getting MORE than what my money would pay. Thankfully, even coming in by myself I got a basket of chips and salsa and the waitress was quick enough even on a busy day. The menu seems fairly pricy but I guess there is a nice atmosphere and rumors of great drinks. Though I should say that something felt a little off about my experience. I came in by myself (I don't have a problem with this) but something in the waiters made me feel a little uneasy. Might've just been me(?) If you are coming here for the $2 tacos I say skip out on them and just go to Tin Lizzy's where you might pay one more dollar for each but have something absolutely delicious.
(2)Jess R.
This is HANDS DOWN the BEST Mexican food I have ever had!! We were heading into Atlanta when we drove past the building that quickly caught my attention - looks like a cantina, with bright colors. We made it a note to check it out on our way back...best decision we had! The margaritas were delicious, the food was to die for...and don't get me started on the homemade salsa! We kept telling the staff that they need to open a location in Michigan, because we wanted to experience the restaurant all the time! Do yourself a favor a stop...your tastebuds will not be disappointed!
(5)Stanley L.
We were "awarded" a meal at this upscale Mexican restaurant after a successful week at Atlanta Gift Fair. The place is in a modern stripe mall right in the heart of Perimeter Mall area. We were seated promptly. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with tasteful Mexican pottery and art. The 2nd floor is huge with exposed beam ceiling that gives it an airy, lofty feel. They really spent quite a bit decorating the place. Our waitstaff was very friendly, shocked me a little bit since I wasn't used to Southern hospitality. He explained the specials and we ordered some queso dip and 2 surf and turf specials and a steak fajita dish. The steaks were delicious and the lobster top notched. The queso dips were very delicious for the first few bites, then it is just too heavy for my taste. I prefer fresh salsa over the cheesy sauce. Our total bill comes out to a bit over $100 for 3 which is fair considering we had 2 surf and turfs and one steak dish with appetizer and ice teas. I would definitely recommend coming here.
(5)Robert M.
You'll probably see the word vegetarian and stop reading unless you are one. Read all the way to the end. Went here with my wife who is a vegetarian. Not many options on the menu but we spotted some kind of fajita dish that had meat and a bunch of veggies in it. We requested that they just leave the meat out and add some more vegetables. Here's the fun part. The waiter told us it was not possible for them to do that without charging us for two meals. We asked why, and he replied "because all of our entrees are pre-portioned and separated." That's code for "your food comes out of a bag" folks. So much for gourmet...
(1)Nemil S.
Came for the Taco Tuesday deal (I think they changed it from 1$ to 2$). They have free valet parking, between the restaurant and Teds. A lot of times there is a cop there that will stop traffic to let you turn in since P'tree can get busy. They serve their salsa warm, smoky/burnt/peppery flavor, kinda similar to the one at Willys. Margarita ($6) - 3/5 - decent house margarita made with el jimador silver. A little sweet for my taste. Black bean soft taco - 4/5 - the best taco out of the three. Juicy and a lot of great Mexican spices. Much better than what I was expecting. Beef soft taco - 1/5 - if you were to blindfold me, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and Taco Bell. Chicken soft taco - 2/5 - shredded chicken with okay flavor. Nothing too great or amazing. Each of the tacos are served soft or fried. These were the three tacos that were $2, they have others for $3 and $4 as well.
(2)Carrie Neal W.
Alright, Julio's foolios - now that I no longer work there (and since I deleted my previous reviews per our semi-official corp policy...) - here goes!! Many notes - To recap things I wrote in my several previous reviews (taken down in July when I started working as a server) - The fajitas rock, and the skirt steak is awesome - a combo of that for one plus a veggie fajita - portas, zucchini, squash, all the good stuff- is a great way to go, and plenty for two- adjust accordingly if more in the party. Service is supposed to be prompt, spot on and awesome; having worked there, I am surprised by some of the reviews here - which btw I did discuss with the new CEO right before I quit - expectations for our standards of service were VERY clear - and discussed every shift. I called it "The Airport Twirl" as far as uniform inspection went, and we were quizzed before shifts about menu item descriptions, daily specials, everything. If you were good, you knew it all down pat. First, a few general rules and corrections to some of the apparent confusion/misinformation I've read in others' posts - There is free parking not just valet; some people seem to be confused by this based on my reading reviews - just tell them you want to park yourself. Gay Friday isn't as big as it used to be and it's a split deal on whether (customer-wise, from them) that's good. You will always be allowed in at least one second before closing and before leaving, even if well past closing, you should never be "encouraged" to do so. Here's the great, as I do consider it a great Tex-Mex restaurant (can we not have the "debate" about how they do it in other states or whether this is "real" Mexican, please?): -Managers who care - not really just from an employee's perspective (which they truly did about me - from a broken foot about a month in to various other mishaps) but because I know how they all wanted to take care of the guests. -Made to order/homemade/almost nothing from store bought (Blue Bell Vanilla excepted - and those who have reviewed that tamales aren't made with in house masa- wrong!) - The meat is always top quality - and I can say, especially having worked in a few kitchens, the staff is first class. If something was wrong - well, it was probably the server's fault. Just sayin'... -The guac rocks. They always told us to "sell what we would want eat" and I swear, if you like bacon- get the pineapple bacon guac; if you like spicy, go with the three pepper. -If the "quesadillio" as I called it special of the week is the BBQ chicken - GET IT - trust me. If it is spinach, get it but add grilled fajita chicken or steak. Get the full order not the lunch order with fruit. -The Swirl - well, go with the reverse swirl (a server should know what you mean)- it's stronger. -There are a LOT of good fish choices - the honey chipotle salmon (always on the menu) rocks, with the black bean cilantro rice and pineapple salsa, and when available the salmon campeche special is amazing - grilled salmon topped with crab meat and roasted red pepper, on a tequila cream sauce with a chorizo rice...I became a salmon convert working there. Oh, and those who mentioned few/no fish choices? Wrong: grilled (or fried if you prefer) tilapia fish tacos - shrimp fajitas - shrimp brochette (bacon wrapped, or the "Diablo" which is just grilled) - and the other standard salmon entree, the mesquite grilled . . . Here's the not-so-great . . . -This Julio's is still dealing with a version of "Taco Tuesday" - it's now $2 not $1 but still a complete pain in the ass. It sucks for people who work there, from servers, to kitchen staff to managers. The idea is to bring in customers who will come back other days - alas, many do NOT. They only come on Tues and order water, and I could count on being stiffed of a tip completely at lunch and/or dinner (I always worked a double). People don't listen when you say things like "dine in only" or "all sides are extra" and it sucks. And- honestly? - the hospital staff from Piedmont were the worst. SMFH. -The chille relleno. Just - don't - ... -The queso is orange. Apparently this is a "Southwest" thing - UJ is based in Dallas - but it is off-putting to a lot of people, including me. It tastes awesome and we were always encouraged to sell it in any version, but the color - just, no. -Frazzled management staff due to recent changes - new GM, two managers who've left since I started in the summer, the "youngest" two are one right out of college (with potential but still soooo green) and the other with a better grasp of things but doubtful of his own capabilities . . . PS- If a server doesn't tell you, know that there is extra spicy salsa (no charge) available, and the chicken fajita lunch size is $9.99 all day on Tu even at dinner.
(4)Benjamin G.
After a friend made a hullabaloo about Uncle Julio's greatness and amazement, we were alone excited to check it out. We came in on a Friday afternoon on somewhat of an off hour. First of all, this place is gigantic. There are probably over 100 seats available at any given time with the large bar, patio, and intricately laid out dining room. It's pretty impressive. We sat near the patio and had a great view of the semi-open kitchen. The best part is watching that brilliant contraption that makes fresh flour tortillas. Ever had a freshly prepared, warm flour tortilla for fajitas or just dipping in queso? Yeah. Some kind of wonderful. The food was pretty good. We started with plenty of tasty chips and salsa. Quite good. Then, we ordered the spicy guac. Holy awesome. It was fantastic. Not too spicy, but a definite kick compared to other guac varieties. We left none alive. For entrees, we both ordered some fajitas -- chicken and veggie. The fajitas were good. Perhaps a little over-salted, but still great with those freshly prepared tortillas. Seriously magic with them being so warm and tender. I do love the giant, grilled jalapeno atop all of the fajita mess. A nice touch and practical garnish. The only sleeper with Uncle Julio's was the service. Now, we did come in during an off hour, but if you're going to be open, you should still have impeccable service. Our server(s) seemed to switch throughout our lunch and were very sporadic throughout. Empty glasses, unused plates, and just general absence. Getting our check took a while. Where we would have liked to be in and out in around 40 minutes, we were there for over an hour. Not a huge deal, but perhaps just an oversight with not having proper staffing during that time of day. I'd definitely come back, especially with friends. Though, I'll most likely make sure we end up dining during normal hours.
(3)Craig R.
Had the Spicy Sizzling Shrimp -FANTASTIC!! Beef enchiladas were good, too. Great chips, fresh and hot, and well-seasoned black beans. Antony was very attentive - had a great time.
(4)Jang C.
Uncle Julio's looks like your typical, generic, gaudy, over-the-top, Tex-Mex restaurant. People love their Tex-Mex it seems. This place got busy on a Friday night with people of all ages came to eat dinner. They have self parking and valet parking. I have no idea where the self parking is, but the valet is available as you drive in. The staff seems friendly. I think these guys are the friendliest bunch of staff at a Tex-Mex that I know. I ordered their Fajita Especiale. It comes with grill chicken and beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese, grilled onions, grilled jalapeno pepper, rice and beans, and sour cream. Of course, they give you a few pieces of tortilla to wrap everything with. I was pleasantly surprised by my fajita. The beef came out cooked medium rare with nice char. The chicken was grilled nicely too. If you combine the guacamole, pico, grilled onions and meat together in the tortilla, it tastes delicious. I liked it.
(4)Carlita Q.
Perfect place for a work dinner. I had the swirl (margarita mixed work sangria) and the cheese enchilada with carne sauce. Amazing!!! Service was consistent.
(4)William L.
This is an update. I don't know what has happened to this place. The service is pretty appalling now. You have to flag down people to get waited on. It was kind of embarrassing when I took my guests there and they were pretty much ignored by our waiter in a 1/4 full dining room. The food is still good, though. They stopped serving flan, which was a big reason I used to go there. I will not be visiting here anymore, even though I used to be a regular.
(2)Caroline C.
I was looking forward to trying Uncle Julio's taco Tuesday but was very disappointed in the food. We ordered a small guacamole, 2 carne asada tacos, 3 regular taco Tuesday tacos, & a kids quesadilla (for our 2 year old). The patio was nice so we sat outside. Before we ordered I asked our server what exactly the taco Tuesday deal is. He described the regular $2 taco as 'ground beef in a taco' & said there is a $4 taco with fajita meat. I ordered the $4 taco with the carne asada fajita meat hoping it would be more tasty than just ground beef. I was immediately disappointed. It was bland & dry. I wished the taco had more ingredients in it with more flavor. I was hungry so I took a few bites & then asked our waiter for sour cream. He brought a large amount of sour cream on a plate. I used a little of it but the taco still didn't taste good. They charged an additional $2 for the sour cream. My husband had the regular $2 tacos. Basically he describes it as 'not good' & 'not substantial'. My almost 2 year old son had the kids quesadilla. It came with a little cup of fruit. He hardly ate any of the quesadilla. It was just cheese in a tortilla. $5.49. It just didn't taste good to any of us. Our server was fine. He kept asking to fill our drinks & checked on us when he walked by. Other waiters seemed nice too. The restaurant itself is nice & big. My son enjoyed watching the tortilla making machine inside.
(2)Kai M.
Love this spot. Honey Chipotle Salmon and table side GUAC is all i get every time. Can't go wrong with either.
(5)Emily L.
Was working an event nearby that ran late so it was mostly because we didnt want fast food that we ended up here. We were told there was about a 15 minute wait when there were clearly booths available. Once we got seated, it took a long time to see our server. I thought they might be short handed then started counting servers. There was a 2:1 ratio, meaning 2 tables for every 1 server, so more than enough. We order, food comes out in timely manner and then our server disappears. Had to wave down another for a refill. Once we finished i got my credit card out so the server would understand we were ready for check. He was nowhere to be seen. I started to tap my credit card on the table thinking another server would take the hint. Nope, they traipsed past me one after another olivious to my stare down. Our server finally shows back up and offers dessert which we declined since I didnt want to stay for breakfast at the rate we were going. Food was okay, but nothing exciting.
(2)Chelle B.
THE best guac, cheese dip, salsa and chips. I always order steak and chicken fajitas. My fajita tip? Slather your tortilla with a schmear of sour cream and guacamole then add a squeeze of lemon juice before adding your meat and other toppings. Delish!
(5)Tyler M.
This place is like if a traditional Mexican restaurant changed one ingredient on every dish to make it taste terrible. The waiter warned us that the red sauce on the enchiladas was bad. I decided to order it anyway. It was one of the worst dishes I've ever had.
(1)Kisha M.
Uncle Julio's is my go-to place when I find myself in Buckhead and craving a margarita. I love going in the warm weather and being able to sit outside as Buckhead traffic rolls by. My fave things to order is a margarita and queso, but they have a decent menu as well. On my most recent visit we tried three appetizers: Bacon and Pineapple Guac - the pineapple was a nice addition, but the bacon was totally unnecessary. Basic guac is so delicious you really needn't mess with it. Chicken Tamales- I'm not a fan of tamales, but my companions enjoyed them. I think we got four in the order. Shrimp Ceviche- This was pretty good. A nice amount of shrimp which was tart thanks to the lime. The torillas that came with it were pretty plain and could stand to be jazzed up a bit. Service is always good and UJ and I've never had to wait. I like going in off-peak hours when I can park my car 30 feet away, otherwise you have to valet.
(4)Chuck L.
Yup. Regular old too-much-food pseudo Tex-Mex. don't go out of your way. No, seriously, don't go out of your way. It's a big chain. It's typical tex-mex. Extra shredded cheese is 2$ more. It tastes exactly like I figured it would. Neither good nor bad. Kind of like eating frozen Mexican TV dinners. Maybe that's harsh, but hey, it's my review. If you want a lot of boring fake Mexican food served in giant portions with just a hint of flavor, then this place is for you. If you want authentic Tex-mex or real Mexican, you know where to find it. Spoiler alert: it's not in a franchise named Uncle Julio's.
(2)Sally P.
I've been to this place twice and I can say with full confidence that it really sucks. Ridiculously over-priced for averagely-plated standard Americanized Mexican food. I sort of have a standard for restaurants. If it's more than $12ish dollars a plate, it better be better-than average food. At Uncle Julio's you can expect to pay a lot more than that, while receiving Chili's quality version of the usual Mexican chain-restaurant fare. Service is slow. Even if only half of the restaurant is full, servers fly all over the place and scramble around like they have way too many tables on their hands. This happened both times when I was there, and I noticed that there really weren't that many tables, but also that there was an alarming amount of food runners. Uncle Julio doesn't really seem to think the servers need any more help, but that when food is ready to come out, there better be at LEAST THREE random dudes from the back bringing out your trays of food. My second time here I started to see why this was. Uncle Julios fancies itself as a higher-end restaurant, where you elaborately plate small amounts of food on large dishes. Each entree comes with a huge plate and then a few side dishes, and they seem to insist that everyone at a table gets their food at the same time. So there's a huge clamor to figure out where the hell are we going to fit all these plates?! When you get the plates though, you'll see that you get tiny amounts of meat, arranged on the side and almost tucked underneath ANOTHER plate containing substantial helpings of fixings like guac, pico and rice and beans. I ordered frog legs (because how often do you see frog legs on a menu?!) and got a plate of fixings with like 3 tiny pairs of tough, dry frog legs on the side. The legs were just thrown on the grill, letting them get nice and dry, chewy and flavorless. $20 for that shit. I didn't have to pay for this, but I was still pissed that it was so bad. Aside from all the bullshit with the food and busy busy chaos, Uncle Julio's swirly frozen margarita thing is supposed to be famous or something. I'm not a big drinker, and I liked it, but honestly, you don't need to go there to get a drink like that. I'm sure Applebees, TGI Fridays and Chili's all have something just like it. Honestly this place is all hype. Tasteless, sorority girl-hype because of one girly drink, overblown prices and cliche theme and decor. The Vera Bradley of the Mexican restaurant world, if you will. Also, the Uncle Julio logo is (a little bit racist, but what do you expect) scary. Julio looks like a crazed murderer.
(1)Cindy G.
Best part about Uncle Julios is there chips, salsa and guac...I did find the restaurant to be loud and somewhat overpriced. $11 margaritas, which were mostly ice. My salad was $16 and had 6 nice grilled shrimp- however, the rest was all lettuce for the most part. Service was excellent and the ambiance was great.
(3)Lincoln F.
GREAT food, but the worst service I have ever experienced in my life! I was yelled at by a Valet, and lied to about my food! They delivered it to another table! We waited for TWO HOURS for the server to come say "umm the kitchen is running behind" and the manager to come up and say the same thing! I OVERHEARD the manager and my server whispering about how they gave my food to ANOTHER TABLE and then they have the nerve to walk over and lie to me? What a JOKE! I will not make the mistake of getting food here again.
(1)Nicole S.
We sat outside on the patio during a warm Sunday night and the view was really nice. We could see the downtown Atl buildings from where we were seated. The service was really good and we arrived at the restaurant maybe two hours before closing. The food was VERY fresh!! The guacamole was SOOO fresh and was the best I've ever tasted. The tacos were also very fresh. For once, I ended up ordering an enchilada and I should have gone with the tacos because they were really good. My friends and I also had margaritas that were also very delicious. I def. recommend this restaurant for some fine mexican food.
(4)Kischa J.
Let me preface this review by saying I'm from California and know good Mexican food. This place is decent enough. I generally go for Taco Tuesdays -$2 chicken or beef. It's a deal, gets me out of the house on the cheap, so hey. The chips and salsa are great although I love it spicy so they give me fresh jalapenos on the side. I've had other things on the menu, but haven't been very impressed. My favorite drink is the skinny guavarita. It doesn't taste skinny like so many other places and is about 130 calories. It's my go to every time. My only gripe is that they force you to valet in a huge, open parking lot. They will let you self park only if you ask and the small, designated area isn't full.
(3)Dee P.
Ew! Ick! Blech! I don't know HOW this place was packed at lunch on a Sunday. It's some of the worst food I've ever eaten! I wouldn't ever eat this food again even if it was free. My fish tacos were bathed in salt and sodium. I tried to eat a few more bites after the first taste, but couldn't get beyond that. I asked to send my dish back (which I can only recall once ever doing in my life), so the manager came out and talked to me. He said, "Yeah, we've been told our fish tacos are quite salty, but that's the way they are." WTF?? If you've been told that, then change the recipe or the chef! My friend did not really like her enchiladas either, but at least ate half of them. Instead of giving me my money back, the manager "treated" us to some sopapillas. So, yes, that's what I ate for lunch. Dessert. Do NOT waste your $$ and time here. There are PLENTY of better Mexican restaurants in Atlanta.
(1)Cheryl R.
Love this place! This was our first time coming here. The salsa threw us off at first but it's only the looks. The taste was amazing. Nachos: essentially small taco she'll sized round chips with a heap of toppings. Absolutely fabulous. The fajitas: oh my, they were to-die-for. Their meat is marinated and out of this world. 10/10 would eat there again.
(5)Bill B.
Not what I was looking for to vancy not real Mexican place to me had a margarita that wasn't good at all and left.
(2)Casey W.
It's a little concerning when you walk in at 9:30, restaurant closes at 10:00 and is almost empty, and the manager says it will be a few minutes because all the servers are full. Once sat, the experience went very well. The appetizer came out quickly. About the time we finished off the appetizer, our entrees were arriving. The food was tasty ranging from enchiladas, to tacos, to steak. We decides to take two desserts with us but were informed that the two that we chose were not available as they had run out. That was a bit unpleasant since the only other options included ice cream, or sopapilla. Neither are the greatest option for take home desserts. I'm sticking with three stars mostly for the server. He did a great job and was very apologetic for not being able to provide the fullest of the experience. The kitchen running out of food was not his fault but rather managements.
(3)Cody F.
Love it here! I got the Cadillac Platter at the Ft Worth UJ for my birthday, mixed fajitas with a whole baked lobster! This Atlanta store was great too. They have absolutely the BEST beans. So many of the entrees are delicious and we came for lunch. I'm always blown away by the beans though. You can't hardly beat Uncle Julio's for consistently excellent Mexican and Tex/Mex.
(4)Aaron P.
This was quite possibly the worst Mexican restaurant experience I've ever had. Every single thing went wrong. I was meeting friends on a weeknight at around 9 PM so things were not very busy. I ordered one of their margaritas to start off. It was watery, and I had my friends taste it to confirm before sending it back. They also sent back a drink or two during this comedy of errors. The salsa that came with the chips was far from fresh. It tasted like they just dumped a can of tomatoes in with a jar of pace and threw it into a blender. I believe I ordered the fajitas. They were completely lacking in flavor. The guacamole contained avocados that were long overripe. The service was inattentive. There were no more than a dozen tables seated at the place when I arrived and there was a staff of at least 6 on hand. We were waiting at least 20 minutes in between each visit from one of the servers. I will not go back to this location.
(1)Karen L.
Had a really good experience. Went with a group of 5. Not crazy about the salsa. I had the cheese and onion enchiladas and thought they were really good. One of my friends had bacon wrapped shrimp and she thought it was fabulous. Had margaritas and a swirl drink - all were good. The service was attentive and fast.
(4)Terra C.
This place was yummy. The Queso had just the right amount of kick. The chips were light and perfect amount of salt. The margarita was delicious. The fajitas were huge. I think I'll have enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow. The steak was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth. I'm beyond stuffed but wish I could eat more since it was so good.
(3)Jeffery D.
Love the salsa here...... Nothing better then a Sunday brunch mimosa. Fast service and the patio is great.
(4)Misi P.
Colossally horrible service. I had dinner here with my brother and his family whilst visiting and we were seated at a table that had napkins and silverware all around the floor. Drum roll please.... The food took 45 minutes to come, only after we saw a manager and mentioned 'hey, we're still waiting, where's the food?' The manager said she'd compensate for the wait with dessert. She failed to say it was one dessert between five people, not individual ones after we ordered desserts. Nevermind that, we'd pay for the others, but 25 minutes later, there's STILL NO DESSERT. By this point it's like whatever, just get me the bill and adjust accordingly. Now, that ended up being an ordeal as well. The kicker? The food was meh. I think the Uncle Julio's in Chicago is alright, but this was not worth the time spent. And my brother had to act a fool to get things taken care of. This
(1)Rishi S.
The food was very respectable! The chips are thin and crispy, which I am not a fan of because the chips kept breaking when getting some delicious 3 pepper guacamole. The salsa was very runny lacking substance and taste. The drinks were fantastic, and the fajitas were good. Make sure u get the especial fajitas. The flour tortillas were my favorite though, thick and fluffy. The service was mediocre, but I blame that on the low number of staff, not the quality of the server.
(3)Eric H.
This place is kind of a disappointment every time I go. It seems to be slowly getting worse. The ingredients are just not fresh enough for the prices they are charging.
(3)Greg O.
First, know that I won't just give four stars to just any tex mex, mexican restaurant. I liked this place a lot after we went here while in town on business. Was told by a friendly waitress about dollar tacos, which we had to take her up on. So, between the dollar tacos, shrimp skewers, chips and guac, and fajitas, we all had a lot of good food. Too bad they won't come to this area.
(4)Sabrina C.
I visited Uncle Julio's in Atlanta last night to celebrate my friends and mine birthday. I must say the food was good, but the level of customer service was horrible. What was totally unbearable is that the service was horrible from top to bottom. The waiter was pleasant initially, but that quickly changed. I'm sure serving 9 woman was a daunting task. However, to have to wait 15 minutes for sliced lemons after water was brought to the table, to have to ask 2x additional times for the rice instead of retried beans, to have food drop immediately behind where we were seated & the waiter simply walk away, but the fact that we were told the birthday desert was not available because they were out just capped the night. This was a very disappointing evening, I would never recommend this restaurant. The entire experience was horrible.
(1)Richard H.
Food is an 8 on a scale of 1-10. Never had bad food here. Never had bad wait service. That being said I never experienced such poor front of house service. Waited more than 20 minutes for a party of 11 when the dining room was wide open with available seating. The hostess and front of house manager gave off way to much attitude and only secured us seating as we were walking out the door to go to the Wendy's across the street. Hostess never once left the station to see if tables were being cleared, moved or set up. In the past I have taken larger groups here even at lunch time when the restaurant was packed and we were welcomed and constantly updated on when our table would be available. This experience has soured me and I will not take a group to dine there again. Which really is a shame because it's good food but they need to up their front of house customer service.
(1)Chris E.
This place is good... but not great. The service is ok, the food is average and it gets busy at night. If you're looking for something quick it will do. But there are lots of better Mexican places in Atlanta if you want a really great meal. It's nice in the summer when you can sit outside on the patio. If it's busy inside it gets really loud, it's hard to have a conversation at your table when the place fills up.
(3)Kymani S.
I've never been to a Mexican restaurant without a vegetarian option. If you're looking for authentic Mexican cuisine, this is DEFINITELY not the place. Even the chips and salsa was gross. Top that off with the awful service and it was one of the worst restaurants I've visited. Never again.
(1)Jenell W.
The food is very American-ized but also very good...... The swirl margaritas are to die for....... The quest is a no go but the guacamole is yummy.... The patio action is great, perfect scenery looking right at Peachtree. Try the chicken fajitas and black beans vs. pinto...
(4)Alex P.
Excellent brunch spot. Always great service and delicious food.
(4)Sara S.
Stopped in to have a glass of wine from a bad day at work and meet my friend at Julios tonight and didn't even expect what I got...... one of the most amazing conversations with the bartender Tory she is amazing the food which is always a great seller is nothing compared to the welcoming staff. I really enjoyed my time at the bar I didn't even realize my friend was 30 minutes late. She really made my night turn around I will be back!! The steak nachos are so good fyi!!!
(5)Tony M.
Lunch at the bar (if you work with me or I work for you, stop reading this review right now) ... what a great way to make Mondays your biatch! =) If you've never been to Uncle Julio's, you are needlessly depriving yourself of a fun Tex-Mex dining experience. If you've been to one before, you know why this place was so tempting to me as I drove by in the middle of my work day. I sat at the bar and Johnathon was ready to take my drink order. You should know right away that this barely 21 bartender has a conversational voice as smooth as an 18-year old Scotch and a gift for gab that pairs perfectly with Uncle's signature frozen margarita and sangria swirl. Get this recent Economics and Philosophy major graduate to talk and you'll be jealous whenever he has to step away to attend to other guests. Even so, Johnathon is so skilled at making you feel as if you are the only guest at the bar - even when you're not - that he won't be stuck in this position for long. Were there a restaurant version of Fantasy Football Leagues, he'd be the team member everyone wanted to have on their fantasy restaurant crew. I bet if you check back here in a few months, he'll be promoted or will have landed a cushy job that appreciates his skill set more. BUT... back to the food. I ordered a combo plate of their two newest fajita proteins: Honey Chipotle Chicken and Honey something-or-other Carnitas. The carnitas were great and next time, I will get a full order of just those. The flour tortillas were made as fresh as always. The chips as light as ever. The salsa was as lip-smacking as could be. Charro beans and Spanish-style rice being the obligatory sides, they were as good as entree co-stars can be. It's hardly anything you'd go there to order on its own, but it was tasty enough. Kitchen service was speedy (No, don't ask if Gonzalez works back there). Food temp was appropriately sizzling for a fajita course. Everything on the plate was consistent in quality and taste as you expect from Uncle Julio's no matter what city you're in. Kudos to the management and the crew for making this happen as nothing is worse than going to a store in a chain and the portion sizes are different or the taste is wrong or the quality of the ingredients isn't up to par. Whatever you're doing, keep it up! Andale!
(4)Tow A.
Came in for $2 taco Tuesday. Had a pineapple margarita. Tasted very little booze!! Tried to complain about it & that was to deaf ears. Worst margarita of my 30 years of drinking booze. Don't have the booze because the bartenders suck!! Chips were good but kitchen messed up our taco order. So we had to wait an additional 10 mins. And when they arrived the order was messed up. Management is very poor with trying to achieve customer satisfaction. When we complained, the manager on duty did nothing. He was the one over the kitchen that screwed up the order. Crazy!! Don't wast your time!!
(1)Stephanie C.
My boyfriend and I walked in for our first visit around 9:30 on a Saturday night with no reservation. The Hoists was on the phone when we walked in for about 5 minutes and did not say anything to us. She just gave us this look like "ughhh not another table to seat" but we waited for her to be done on the phone and she brought us to our table without saying anything to us but stopping every few feet to talk to other employees... The same lady then sat 2 more tables around us. We sat there for about 8-10 minutes before we were asked if anyone had helped us. The waiter did not ask us if we wanted anything to drink. He just asked us if we wanted salsa, so we said sure. When he came with the salsa I had to quickly ask for drinks before he ran off again. He brought us 2 bowls of salsa and one bowl was very soupy like it was drinkable and the other bowl you needed a spoon to eat it with.. The two tables sat after us got their drinks and food before us But my boyfriend and I shared the steak fajitas the only thing I thought was good was the steak I did not touch the rice and beans after one bite. The beans were also very soupy and very salty. This is a big restaurant and seems like it can get very busy. But that night was not as busy as I think it should have been on a Saturday night in Buckhead. But even though it was not extremely busy there were people running around cleaning and organizing things and it was very loud. I am not saying its a bad thing to clean but it seemed that there were more employees running around than there were customers eating. It is definitely not a good place for a date.
(2)Tavi H.
We have walked in while the hostess was on the hard line phone at the welcoming desk. She continued to be on the phone for the next few minutes without expressing any apologizing delay. She finally gets off the phone and takes us to a table without ever apologizing for or anything along those lines. The place is very loud with metal decorated walls and high ceilings. I assume it was created this way to give the feel of the a cantina. Definitely not a place to bring a date, but good for larger groups. The food was great. I am not a big fan of Mexican food, but this was the best I've ever had. Due to below than average service I must rate this about half way, unfortunately.
(3)Wen L.
I went on a Saturday with some friends for brunch. We had a great time and the waitress was very sweet. This is a place I would go to to hang out with friends, not for the food. We had a party of around 10. Well, they do not seat you until 80% of your party is present. I understand this rule if it is lunch time or dinner time and it is busy. However, at the time, there were maybe 6 other customers in the whole restaurant. Meh, I just wanted to comment on that - I can totally overlook that and it is not considered in my rating. The food ordering process was painless. When the food came out, they missed one order. So one person sat without food for a while. Not so good when it wasn't busy at the time. I ordered the chilequiles brunch with fruit side. The best part of the order was the cream sauce they had to dip the fruit in. The dish itself was not great and was not terrible. Not much to say about it. It was decent, but not something I would think about again or crave. My husband ordered the fish tacos. Now his parents have a mexican restaurant so he may be biased haha. But the cabbage salsa on it was flavorless. Meh once again, not a dish you would crave or think about. The homemade tacos skins were a treat though! The salsa I liked though. It has a burnt/grilled kind of flavor that I thought was delicious. Yum! Overall, I would only go back if I was to meet friends who wanted to go there to hang out and eat.
(2)Gino B.
When everything is closed at 10pm in the city, Uncle Julio's is still humming and buzzing. We Walked into a festive ambiance with salsa beats echoing throughout the space. The dining room is large and the decor very Mexico but low key, not overwhelming; just right: Andale! Right away, attentive hosts sat us down and a basket of nachos and a fire smoked tomato and pepper salsa saucer came To the table. We ordered ceviche and a cheese beef nacho dip that were very good. For the mains; the mesquite grilled salmon with steamed root vegetables and pineapple salsa was excellent and very healthy. The bacon wrapped tiger shrimp with rice, beans and a garlic aioli was very tasty as well. The portions were excellent and didn't compromise on quality or taste; great job Uncle Julio! The tagline underneath the Uncle Julio's logo states "made from Scratch Mexican"; Tonight's food absolutely tasted True to that statement. We were too full to look at dessert; next time! Overall, the service was very friendly and unhurried. While The place was still busy when we were ready to leave, Shakira was was heard singing her heart out on the dining room speakers while the hostess was shaking her hips to her hit "wherever whenever"...olé olé!!
(4)Lauren R.
Worst Mexican food I've ever had. This was pretty gross. I got a chicken quesadilla and felt as if I was going to throw up. So I took a sip of water and when I looked down there was a live bug floating around on the top of my water. My stomach still feels a little queasy.
(1)Michelle A.
What I consider an authentic Mexican restaurant. A nice jam to sit on, lightings are dim and very friendly for groups to hang. Pro: - there is a bar - waiters are super nice - atmosphere is relaxing and very good for group gatherings - music and design is very traditional - food and flavor is awesome! Cons: - the waiter isn't very good at explaining - for example, they didn't tell us not to touch that dish because it's super hot, leading to our burnt finger - food is quite expensive compared to other restaurants we usually go , like come on, 20 bucks for six medium size shrimps Overall, if I had more money, I'd come again ; got to try that margarita, looks so good.
(4)Thanh Thuy P.
i came for a friend's birthday. it didnt live up to the hype. fajitas were good but most of the food we ordered was not on par with other atlanta area mexican restaurants. service was slow and erratic but to be fair we had a large party. i did not like the drink i ordered.
(3)Y. P.
I'm writing this review as I sit in the bar area. When I walked in the bartender said hello, which was good. But I have been sitting here for 45 minutes and have not been offered a menu or water nor has anyone come to my table. I'm even sitting here watching four employees at the bar having a conversation. If I was not waiting for other people, I would have left by now. When I go to their other location, I get service regardless of where I sit (bar area or main dining). I won't be back to this location.
(1)Adrienne T.
It's all good here with me. Listen, I'm originally from Beaumont, Texas. Halfway between Houston and Lake Charles, Louisiana. I grew up with Mexicans. Mexicans who actually prefer to be called Mexicans versus the other more PC terms we've come up with. I grew up eating Mama Ninfa's food right there from her first little shanty shack restaurant on Navigation Street in Houston. Forget the big time conservative political show piece she has become. I remember screen doors, swatting bugs to keep 'em out, and lines of people going down Navigation for breakfast tacos. All that to say, anything Mexican or Tex-Mex that isn't Ninfa's original on Navigation in Houston doesn't impress me. So, to say that Uncle Julio's is cool with me when I'm in the mood (which is verrrry rarely) is saying a LOT! Always a good meal, service has always been fine, and the REVERSE SWIRL is delish!
(4)Candice A.
This place was nice and really surprised me. My friends & I went on Tuesday. There was a special for two dollar tacos. Even though I am not very fond of tacos, I really enjoyed them. Now, the item we liked on the menu the most was, The Swirl. I'm not sure of what the ingredients were but I do know it was a mixture of two drinks. It was the best drink I have had in months. Not only was it good and sweet but it was filled with alcohol. Let's lets just say, We were extremely happy afterwards! It was only eight dollars and well worth it. The service was amazing as well. Our waitress was very very nice. Trust and believe, we will be back very very soon! This place truly gets a thumbs up!!
(5)Amanda M.
I've always wanted to try this place, and after 8yrs I finally did. It was SO DAMN DISAPPOINTING! The food wasn't any better than a place like Moe's, Willies, or They do call ahead seating, so I called an hour ahead. She said there was barely a wait. I called for a party of 10. Once we get there, there is barely anyone waiting. Yet they refuse to sit us outside, they then proceed to tell us that large parties are not allowed out there....yet a party of 16 was out there. When I asked about the large party, they replied that they came when it was slow. It go to a point we were just going in circles. When we finally finished with dinner, it took them 45 MINUTES FOR THEM TO GET OUR TABS CORRECT! We could never find out waiter, and we constantly had to track him down. It was not worth the pain. There are SOOO MANY better places to eat for Mexican. Will never go again. Not worth the money either!!
(1)Yalanda S.
You know those times when you had a tough day at work and dont feel like cooking or talking to anyone? Then you need to try the honey chipotle fajitas at Uncle Julios. The smoky sweet taste of the chicken with the sour cream, grilled onions and peppers were AWESOME!! The tortilla chips are always so light, warm and crispy. I had the most amazing service from a newbie, Ontario!! You were amazing on your second day on the job. And my favorite server at Uncle Julios is Angelo. He always provides top of the line service. Devin was so sweet just stopping by to ask if we needed anything or just to fill up our water. She wasnt even assigned to us!!! Thanks to all of you for making a hard day at work seem like nothing. You guys are so awesome! I will definitely be coming back for more great food and great service!!!!!
(5)Marjorie K.
Came here with a group of close to 20. Even though we called in well in advance for reservations and called well in advance to let the restaurant know we were coming. We still had to wait 45 minutes before our tables were ready. The food was not all that spectacular. It was average. Once were were seated we put in our orders and were served in a timely manner. Our waiter was on top of everything and is the reason this restaurant is getting an extra star in my review.
(3)Eric H.
This place is kind of a disappointment every time I go. It seems to be slowly getting worse. The ingredients are just not fresh enough for the prices they are charging.
(3)Greg O.
First, know that I won't just give four stars to just any tex mex, mexican restaurant. I liked this place a lot after we went here while in town on business. Was told by a friendly waitress about dollar tacos, which we had to take her up on. So, between the dollar tacos, shrimp skewers, chips and guac, and fajitas, we all had a lot of good food. Too bad they won't come to this area.
(4)Sabrina C.
I visited Uncle Julio's in Atlanta last night to celebrate my friends and mine birthday. I must say the food was good, but the level of customer service was horrible. What was totally unbearable is that the service was horrible from top to bottom. The waiter was pleasant initially, but that quickly changed. I'm sure serving 9 woman was a daunting task. However, to have to wait 15 minutes for sliced lemons after water was brought to the table, to have to ask 2x additional times for the rice instead of retried beans, to have food drop immediately behind where we were seated & the waiter simply walk away, but the fact that we were told the birthday desert was not available because they were out just capped the night. This was a very disappointing evening, I would never recommend this restaurant. The entire experience was horrible.
(1)Richard H.
Food is an 8 on a scale of 1-10. Never had bad food here. Never had bad wait service. That being said I never experienced such poor front of house service. Waited more than 20 minutes for a party of 11 when the dining room was wide open with available seating. The hostess and front of house manager gave off way to much attitude and only secured us seating as we were walking out the door to go to the Wendy's across the street. Hostess never once left the station to see if tables were being cleared, moved or set up. In the past I have taken larger groups here even at lunch time when the restaurant was packed and we were welcomed and constantly updated on when our table would be available. This experience has soured me and I will not take a group to dine there again. Which really is a shame because it's good food but they need to up their front of house customer service.
(1)Chris E.
This place is good... but not great. The service is ok, the food is average and it gets busy at night. If you're looking for something quick it will do. But there are lots of better Mexican places in Atlanta if you want a really great meal. It's nice in the summer when you can sit outside on the patio. If it's busy inside it gets really loud, it's hard to have a conversation at your table when the place fills up.
(3)Kymani S.
I've never been to a Mexican restaurant without a vegetarian option. If you're looking for authentic Mexican cuisine, this is DEFINITELY not the place. Even the chips and salsa was gross. Top that off with the awful service and it was one of the worst restaurants I've visited. Never again.
(1)Jenell W.
The food is very American-ized but also very good...... The swirl margaritas are to die for....... The quest is a no go but the guacamole is yummy.... The patio action is great, perfect scenery looking right at Peachtree. Try the chicken fajitas and black beans vs. pinto...
(4)Alex P.
Excellent brunch spot. Always great service and delicious food.
(4)Sara S.
Stopped in to have a glass of wine from a bad day at work and meet my friend at Julios tonight and didn't even expect what I got...... one of the most amazing conversations with the bartender Tory she is amazing the food which is always a great seller is nothing compared to the welcoming staff. I really enjoyed my time at the bar I didn't even realize my friend was 30 minutes late. She really made my night turn around I will be back!! The steak nachos are so good fyi!!!
(5)Seth H.
Lunch/Dinner Chicken Fajitas (for 2) w/ Chicken Tamales Food: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Average: 5 Anytime I come here it's packed yet it always delivers the goods. I've never had a bad meal here. The usually meal my partner and I share consists of the chicken fajitas, chicken tamales, and sometime on occasions some margaritas. The tamales are so tasty, the tomatillo sauce they serve on the side is to-die-for. The guac there is better than most at other restaurants. The only thing I will say negatively about this place is that it is loud. Prepare to be talking louder than usual when you come here any busy hours. Since the inside is still so beautiful as far as decor and they have a sweet patio I'm not taking off points for the noise factor. I actually like the loud noise sometimes. So far this place is the best Mexican food I've had in Atlanta. I will continue to come back Uncle Julios.
(5)K A.
Awesome made from scratch tortillas. Food is delicious. Atmosphere is fun but it is pricey especially the drinks.
(4)Kimberly L.
Went for the $2 taco tuesday. Everything was overly salted, and the "queso" dip was literally some melted orange Velveeta cheese; and in it, a can of Rotel's diced tomatoes and green chillies . Chips were all broken, rarely did one of us score on a whole chip. The $2 tacos were bland to say the least...a plain flour tortilla topped with chunks of boiled-looking chicken, cheap shredded lettuce found in bags, a few pieces of diced tomatoes and shredded orange cheese. No sauce, no flavor. But the rice and beans, that came with, had more than a day's worth of sodium in each bite. Hospitality was bad as well... treated our group like we were a nuisance. Not happy, and won't be coming back.
(1)Ashley W.
I actually like this place. Good food and great drinks. It's definitely an Americanized Mexican cuisine, but still pretty good. However the wait time is always long but I guess this is expected on Peachtree!
(4)Brittany M.
This place was ok. Nothing was wrong with the service. Our waitress was very nice. I just felt the food was a little overpriced. Especially since it wasn't spectacular or anything. I had the chicken fajita. It was great, but for $15 I expected better. I also had a strawberry mojito (that I had to request cause apparently the bartender doesn't make these on a regular basis). It was good but I was like really? It's a strawberry mojito, what you mean he/she or whoever doesn't regularly make it? Whatever. I think I'll just stick to my side of town and get the cheap, good Mexican food.
(2)Jim L.
I must start by saying that this place gets high marks for hosting the welcome home dinner for the 179th MP Company as they returned from Afghanistan. My nephew and his band of brothers invited us and we really enjoyed it. The place is really big, spacious, and just looks nice. After doing the valet parking thing, and doing my Ediie Murphy impression, we went in with about 15 folks and got seated. Our waiter was John, who really knows his stuff. Obviously well trained, professional, and had everything on the menu memorized. I was pretty amazed that he handled most all of our big group. The salsa here is really good. Different from most places as it has virtually no heat and a darker color. Really good. Chips were warm and brought out to us about every 10 minutes! First up in the 'order' dept. was a great starter called Cowboy Queso. Great cheese, bacon, chorizo, and toppings. Crap, why didn't I think of this? Wonderful way to start. My order was the fajitas. I loved them. Cooked perfectly and had a lot of extras including sour cream, cheese, guacamole(made fresh every 15 minutes), and lettuce, pico, etc.....wow. Free sides were beans and spanish rice. Both really good. The combo fajitas included steak, chicken and also had mesquite grilled frog legs! Yeah, baby. Really great place to eat. Maybe the best Mexican I've had since 1988 in Phoenix at La Perla.
(4)Amy W.
We love this place for the yummy thin chips and smoky salsa, the swirl margarita/sangria frozen drinks, and the awesome fajitas. Straying off the menu more than that, things can get a bit spotty, and a bit expensive, but I know what I love here and keep coming back for more. Fresh tortillas help for sure. Yum!!
(4)Christal B.
I'm from TX so I know good Tex-Mex and this place was less authentic than Taco Bell. We went for taco Tuesdays which was a good deal but very generic tacos. No flavor, no seasoning, nothing remotely authentic. I never saw one Mexican cook. I mean it's called Uncle Julio's! Where's Uncle Julio? I won't be back. You could do a better job with an El Paso Dinner kit at home. 2 stars for free valet.
(2)Steve M.
The food here is exceptionally good. Probably the best Mexican food I've been able to find in Atlanta. The prices are on the high side and it can get pretty noisy since the interior decoration is all hard surfaces but it's a great choice for great Mexican food in Buckhead.
(4)Shon B.
Very mediocre food and completely over priced. I could of just cooked what I ordered and saved a few bucks.
(1)Carey C.
Can't lie... I read some reviews before posting! Seems like a make or break place for sure. I have been here 4-5 times. Food has typically been good. Service all over the board. My last was horrible. Also, I didnt enjoy the food this time as well. I'm a little concerned (to quote Gordon Ramsey) their standards are all over. I'm definitely coming back.... Wished they'd go to a table side preparation of their quacamole! It would help for sure! On so many levels!
(3)Terra C.
This place was yummy. The Queso had just the right amount of kick. The chips were light and perfect amount of salt. The margarita was delicious. The fajitas were huge. I think I'll have enough for lunch and dinner tomorrow. The steak was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth. I'm beyond stuffed but wish I could eat more since it was so good.
(3)Jeffery D.
Love the salsa here...... Nothing better then a Sunday brunch mimosa. Fast service and the patio is great.
(4)Bill B.
Not what I was looking for to vancy not real Mexican place to me had a margarita that wasn't good at all and left.
(2)Brian K.
Apparently I never received the memo that Uncle Julio's is a de facto mecca for gay males on Friday evenings. The front atrium of this place is essentially one big gay gauntlet, complete with judgmental stares, multi-colored cocktails, and the scent of Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male. Had I been informed of this situation beforehand, I would have at least put on some moisturizer. Food: Uncle Julio's is a casual chain restaurant that serves standard, Americanized Tex-Mex fare and specialty drinks. During my visit, I opted to start with the Swirl, which is a frozen amalgam of margarita/sangria. The drink was flavorful, but the serving was small for the price. I also ordered the chicken nachos as an appetizer and the chicken fajitas as an entrée. Overall, I would consider the meal to be perfectly edible, but by no means impressive. I'm still not particularly clear on what "fine Mexican cuisine" is, but I can say that their food is no better than most other Tex-Mex joints in the area. Service: I did experience a minor issue with the service, but the situation was resolved promptly, so I won't hold it against them. In brief, we were seated at 6:50PM and provided with the standard menu, as well as a second menu for happy hour, which ended at 7PM. Upon ordering from the happy hour menu shortly before 7PM, we were advised that it was too late because "the computer" would no longer accept the order. The manager was called and the situation was resolved; however, it shouldn't have been escalated to that point. If they don't intend to honor the happy hour menu for those seated before 7PM, then they shouldn't provide it. Moreover, "the computer" is not a viable scapegoat; if the IRS can override their computers, so can you. Atmosphere: The restaurant features a series of large dining rooms, with high ceilings and large windows. Although it is part of a chain, the place does not exude a commercialized vibe. The bar area is located within the front atrium, but is sizeable enough to accommodate large groups. Cost: Overpriced for the quality of the food. Appetizers are $5-$10, while entrees are $10-$20. Other: Only valet parking is available, but it is complimentary; free street parking is also an option on nearby 28th St. The restaurant does offer call ahead seating.
(3)Don S.
My co-worker and I took a VIP friend of ours (photographer to Beyonce, Chaka Khan and many others) to the $2 Taco Tuesdays. We waited 30 minutes for food and call the manager to see what was going on. He came back and told us that the kitchen lost our ticket and apologized. So...we waited another 10 minutes for the food to come out. The food was pretty good ... just cheese and meat ... no other toppings though. Sour Cream is $2 and Guacamole is $3 extra. The manager comped the Guacamole and Sour Cream and gave us 1 additional taco for free. At the end ... the checks came out with tacos we didn't order on the bill. I had 3 tacos and 2 drinks. The bill should have been $12 for drinks and $6 for the tacos. $18 right?? I complained and complained to the server. The manager never came back to the table. Long story short, they ended up charging me $24.12. Wait ... that's not all. I got the final charge on my credit card and a tip was added to my card for $5.57 bringing my total to $29.69. I had already left a CASH tip on the table and then got charged for a tip I didn't leave on the ticket. Needless to say ... I probably won't be frequenting this establishment again. I called their corporate offices ... talked to Shelby and she said that she would make an adjustment...but nothing has been done and it's already $2 Tuesday again!!!
(1)Briana D.
If you go, please check out the huge creep chihuahua (with a sombrero and maraca) painting in the back of the restaurant. Every time I come, management walks by our table to make sure we're okay and asks if there's anything she can do. Great customer service. I doubt you'll ever have a craving and say, "Dang I want some tacos from Uncle Julio's!" The food is just so so. Nothing too spectacular. Just lacks flavor. Like they got recipes off Pinterest and didn't have the right ingredients so just used what they had sitting in the kitchen. Great place for drinks with friends.
(3)Inga J.
We ordered an original fajitas for two and the steak was medium rare to rare,"grilled" onions were steamed mot grilled. When we told that to waitress, her excuse was that "they usually cook steak medium rare". Well.. I wish she told us before we ordered that the steak will be rare, onions steamed and fajita pan will be just warm instead of being extremely hot!
(1)Ashleigh P.
I used to live a block from here... I really like the food, so I am kinda, sorta glad that I don't live so close anymore. They have really good swirl margaritas... that's right sangria swirled tequilla drinks, how could you go wrong with that? I don't usually like a cooked salsa, but their's is a fire roasted type of salsa and is so so good. Their guac is really fresh and delicious. Okay, I am a tamale girl, and one of the best deals they have is the tamale appitizer dish. So much food and a great price. they have this Mexican butter crack sauce... omg, sooo nomsy. Dip those fresh made tortillas in that shit. I have never has a bad meal here.
(4)Ashley M.
Having dined here a few times, Uncle Julio's has never been a favorite choice, but I put my reservations aside recently for a friend's birthday dinner. This experience was probably one of the worsts in my memories of this restaurant. Although there were only 8 of us, our server seemed to struggle with every aspect of our dining experience, even with listing the Tequilas they serve. Some of us had silverware, others didn't. Our table was also crowded with empty beer bottles, appetizer plates, and finished glasses that were never collected throughout our meal and the duration of two hours of dining. Then comes the food... I ordered a Queso/Guac combo for the table to share, and was very surprised at the quality of both of these items. The guacamole was poor-to-average and the Queso was stiff, yellow (which I hardly expect at a Mexican restaurant), and thickly unappetizing. My meal was the Ensalada Especial, a plate of mixed field greens with grape tomatoes, jicama, cucumbers, red onions, red cabbage, tossed in a citrus vinaigrette and topped with a salmon steak. This was possibly one of the worst salads I have ever eaten. The dressing tasted literally like nothing and barely did any of the fresh ingredients justice. It always amazes me when restaurants can mess up a dish as simple as a salad. Although I ordered my salmon medium, it was extremely well done-- so much so that after I separated it from my the failure that was my salad, I slathered salsa over it just to add moisture so I could take it down. For an extremely overpriced establishment that serves "fine" food, I expected much better quality in both service and food. I really wish I could be more satisfied with this place, but instead walked away from my last experience with a reluctance to ever come back.
(1)David K.
As long as I can remember Friday nights here are hot with the gays. Their drink of choice? Definitely a swirl. That's half frozen margarita and half frozen sangria. It's delicious and definitely still my "go-to" drink whenever I come here. The carne asada is amazing. Seriously my favorite piece of meat in all of Atlanta. The steak fajitas are good too (and made from the same beef as the carne asada). It's kind of expensive, but that's to be expected for the high quality food. On my last visit I tried the tamales for the first time. The pork are definitely better than the chicken. Both were kind of disappointing because they're made of cornbread instead of real masa.
(4)Michael C.
This place was an American take on Mexican food. Some of the things where traditional Mexican, but there were some differences. The ceviche was good, but wasn't something you would see in a traditional Mexican restaurant. The atmosphere was very over-the-top on Mexican decor. They could have toned it down a little bit and made it a little more comfortable. Everything tasted great and I left completely stuffed. I would go back again, but only wish the music could be turned down a little bit. It was kind of tough to have a good conversation with some people with the music constantly being turned up the more people showed up.
(3)Will T.
Friday night is gay night at Uncle Julio's and if you arrive after 8pm the lobby will be packed with a gay S&M crowd (stand and model). If you've never been to a gay bar, this might be the closest you get. There haven't been this many gay men in one place since Liza married David Guest and they're all busy cruising and trying to impress with how much time they've spent at the gym. There's lots of air kissing going on. Hapless conventioneers who wandered in without a clue sit wide-eyed taking it all in and suburban high school boys cling to their prom dates for dear life. With a show like that, who cares about the food? Which is actually pretty darn good. Other nights are presumably more conventional, but I like Friday best. As soon as you're seated, a basket of the lightest, crispy, warm chips arrives along with a bowl of smoky chipotle salsa. It's all very addictive and calls for another round of margaritas (with salt, on the rocks, please). My willpower here just melts away and lasts about as long as an illegal immigrant in Arizona. Camarones (that's shrimp for those of you who fell asleep in Spanish class, or for those who took French, like that's really helping you out now) Brochette, come stuffed with Monterrey Jack cheese, wrapped in bacon, grilled and served on a sizzling platter, accompanied by the usual guacamole, sour cream, Mexican rice and beans. It's a major treat and yummy. Just don't do what my friend did and order "that sizzling platter of cajones." Talk about your Freudian slip. The busboy flinched and nearly dropped his tub. But, with all the testosterone in the lobby, we understood. Remember, camarones - shrimp, cajones - well...that's a different food group entirely. I tend to gravitate toward the Tex-Mex Classics section of the menu, also known as the most affordable part of the menu. I've eaten Juanita's Platter and we've taken quite a shine to each other, but I've gone both ways and eaten Hershel's Platter, too. Enchiladas are my favorite Mexican dish and I've tried all the varieties here. They come with salsa carne unless you get the Chicken Enchiladas which come with a choice of their special El Paso red sauce, salsa verde or sour cream sauce. I'm a fan of the salsa verde. Service has always been quick and efficient. The really smart, and cute, waiters know how to turn on the flirt factor Friday nights, sometimes shamelessly, and they can work a tip better than a dancer at Swingin' Richards. Yes, Uncle Julio's is slightly higher priced, but you get your money's worth with large portions and will go away stuffed. Plus, your food will be good and you'll have a great time. What are you waiting for?
(4)Damien B.
Tuesday is dollar taco night. Chicken and beef. The soft taco is the way to go. Simple and they are big enough to fill you up without breaking the bank. The place is much nicer than most Mexican spots for sure. It has this odd Tex-Mex vibe with cow heads and horns, tiny dogs, and lots of color.
(4)Luis A.
Once again. We gave them another try. And was disappointed again. We use to go there all the time and it was very good. Real Tex Mex. food didn't have flavor. Time to spend our money somewhere else.
(1)Rick F.
Great crowd, great location! That's pretty much it! This place reminded me of the old Chi Chi's chain. Kind of exciting, cool mexican atmosphere and music but that's where it stopped. The food is down right horrible, the service is OK nothing special, when you have to pour your specialty frozen margarita out of a machine you know you might be in trouble. The Salsa is processed and mass produced, the guacamole is bland, the shrimp with cheese wrapped in bacon was flavorless, how is that possible? Go for Mexican beer, friends and atmosphere but eat someplace else.
(1)Ashley P.
I'll probably be burned at the stake since I'm a Texan saying this.... but I just don't like it! The fajitas are the only decent thing here, but unless I have another person to split an order for one with, not gonna do it. Overpriced and just don't love anything here. Ended up here, against my will I might add, because I don't like any of the locations in TX either... let's just say I was not converted into a Julioer (Belieber anyone? anyone?). Queso didn't look appetizing so didn't even have a single bite (why waste my precious calories?!), salsa is ok (personal preference that I don't love the roasted salsas), food was so so... and overpriced. When I lived in Northern Virginia, we used to go to an overpriced so so Tex Mex restaurant because it was the ONLY option..... come to realize it's the beloved Uncle Julio's from TX just called Rio Grande up there. Wasn't a fan then, not a fan now. However, I love me some gay men, and Friday nights are a packed house. All the single ladies, all the single ladies... don't expect a ring on your finger from anyone here. One last thing... they do make a great margarita on the rocks with salt. JS...
(3)Susan R.
I rarely ever leave a bad review but I feel compelled to do so here. I still find the food tasty but the service is so bad it makes the entire experience unbearable. First, we were seated and waited ten minutes for our order to be taken. We started with margaritas and queso. It was probably a 15 minute wait for our drink and dip. Time enough to devour a bowl of salsa and chips. Drinks and dip finally arrive but no chips. We wait again. Chips arrive about 5 minutes later after flagging down two people and then the real waiting game arrives -- for our meal. Meals arrived at all the tables around us. Our waitress was finally flagged down. We think our order for enchiladas, tacos and one tamale is lost. No, the manager comes out and says "we need to make more tamales." As anyone with familiarity with tex men knows, you don't just whip up tamales. Finally, 20 minutes after saying we are starving, our food.arrives. (Meanwhile, our drinks were gone and no ask (or even someone to ask) for a refill. Really, these are big ticket items. You want to sell more margaritas! We ate (the food was tasty) and pledged to ourselves to never come back. A couple of things to be noted. I have been a faithful uncle Julio's patron since the 1990s in Dallas and then since the restaurant opened here. Also, this is our third bad experience with the service, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt before. This was the straw that broke the camels back. Mi Cocina here I come.
(1)Jamarcus T.
I've said time and time again that customer service will make or break a place. Man, was there fantastic customer service, but before I even begin, those are some great chips and salsa. Great location, and great food! We ordered the grilled chicken fajita and one of their "off menu" items. No complaints on food. Daniel, our server, was also exceptional, very funny, friendly and much more than just the "fill up my water" server. So much so that when we declined dessert, he and the manager came out and brought us this cinnamon and powdered sugar plate of goodness (looked like dumplings) to be dipped in honey, on the house, for our continued service. Very classy move and i'm appreciative I would say to get there early (before 7:30pm) because parking was full and only valet parking was available, although they work on tips so there's no up front cost. Just an edit, I didn't realize that the valet was mandatory, so I guess get there anytime. Absolutely check this place out!
(5)Darrian D.
I absolutely loved this place. Our waiter was amazing. I dont remember his name but he was a pretty lively young guy. Went through the menu very fast. Drinks were amazing. I had the Meltdown... haha. Food was amazing! My gf finished her food, which she never does! I need to come back for taco tuesday!
(5)Amelia C.
Service has fallen off tremendously. It's really disappointing because it used to be consistently great. Management--whatever has changed, please go back to what you were doing before!
(3)Cindy G.
Not great, but not bad. They can accommodate large groups and accept reservations, which is nice...but the food is mediocre at best. If you're looking for average Mexican food, this is your place. The passion margarita is tasty and the carnita tacos are good. The guacamole leaves a lot to be desired.
(3)Janae S.
I went to Uncle Julios as a birthday dinner and I, along with my party were thoroughly satisfied. We had the Cowboy Queso as an appetizer, which was nothing short of the best nachos I've ever had in my life. My aunt and I had the chicken and steak fajitas for two, which left us both with plenty to take home and my cousin ordered the shrimp fajitas. All in all, a very VERY good Mexican restaurant. The only reason it didn't get 5 stars was because I felt like I have more trips to make and more dishes to taste.
(4)Evonnie H.
my favorite place to grab a Frozen Sangria...the best in town! You gotta try it!
(4)Queenie D.
My oh my. Quite a disappointment really. First of all, cheese dip reminds me of melted Velveeta or that canned nacho cheese dip with some chopped onions and tomatoes and what have you - It was not good at all. The guacamole dip, although it was indeed, without a doubt, made with real avocado, was well... nothing BUT avocado. It tasted just like avocado mushed together with a few chunks of onions. The onion chutney/salsa wasn't that impressive either. I mean, I can see that they're fighting tooth and nails to deliver this "fine Mexican dining" experience, but boy, the food falls short ... way way way short. Now, it was a Sunday, and they have a $10 chicken fajita special, and that's exactly what I had. WHAT IS UP WITH CHICKEN SKIN on my fajitas?? It was not appetizing at all. It was gooey, chewy, and fatty - and there was quite a bit of them on my plate! The amount of onions were overwhelming (although if you're an 'onion' type of person, this may work on your favor.) The plate was so hot and greasy that the plate was popping off the searing hot grease onto our faces when the food was being sat down on the table. THAT HURTS!? guys, is there anything else you can do about that? I had to cover myself with their napkin to protect myself. Oh well, we survived. The service fell short as well. They eventually got slammed and we didn't see our server for about an hour. We eventually had to ask someone else to please bring our checks. Our server forgot a couple of items at the beginning of the meal as well, and although it wasn't completely horrible, there is definitely a lot of room for improvement. The ambiance all in all was actually nice. They have a patio and that can be a lovely thing. They also have $5 margarita specials on Sunday. I didn't have any, but tried my friend's and they weren't sweet and that's cool with me. All in all, I don't think I will be coming back to this place. I didn't know what to expect before I came, given it was my first time, and yep .... I think that's it for me.
(2)Rachel D.
Antoinette was amazing! The queso was hot and the chips were perfectly fried and crunchy. My beef taco was outstanding. I'll be back whenever I want great service and fabulous food.
(5)Keysha P.
Had a training for work (7-13-14) over in the Hyatt hotel which is not far from this Uncle Julios location and all I can say is YUM! The MANGO PASSION LEMONADE IS ADDICTIVE....could have stayed there and drank those all afternoon. This restaurant is definitely more of an upscale type of Mexican restaurant.....decor is beautiful. Beef could have used a little more flavor but overall a solid meal in a beautiful restaurant! Will definitely return.....
(4)Edwin M.
Before you waste your time coming to this place, it might be a good idea to call and ask if they have the food that is actually on their menu. It's a restaurant that runs out of food and let you eating only their choices not yours.
(1)C'est La J.
I almost forgot to do this review, but the bubbles currently sitting in my stomach 24 hours later were a swift reminder. A friend of mine and I decided we wanted Mexican food and wanted to give this place a try. I wasn't SUPER hungry and felt that an appetizer would be filing enough. Now before I get to my order, lemme say that once we were seated, no one greeted us to at LEAST give us water for approximately 21 minutes. Yea, I timed it. When you need your throat wet, you start doing things like this out of desperation. So anyway, I ordered their appetizers: speciality guacamole with a small side of queso. I was feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to try the bacon pineapple guacamole. When they brought my plate out, I immediately wanted to ask the waitress where did they order the cheese whiz from because this wasn't like any queso I've ever seen. It LOOKED processed, but hunger will make you throw ALMOST anything a bone. One thing I noticed when they brought it out was they didn't bring any chips to go with it. When I inquired about this, she said "oh, cuz we gave you chips with the salsa we sent out before. You want more chips?" I mean, first off, don't ask me that question like I'm being greedy or acting out of line for...oh, I dunno...wanting the chips that's due me for my guacamole. What was I supposed to do? Dip my fingers in it and eat like a savage? Since she made it such a shameful thing, I said I would just go ahead and use the scrap chips from the salsa they served (keep in mind, my friend ate the salsa and chips. I didn't). So back to the food. The watered down cheese whiz was one thing. The guacamole was another. I dunno if the "cook" in the back was trying to run a little joke on patrons or he/she just straight up didn't know how to cook bacon, but that stuff affixed on top of that guacamole could surely fall under every health code violation in and outside of the US. It is BACON, man. BACON! BACON is like God's candy. It's one of the first things many learn how to cook (in the microwave). And you mess that up? BACON is supposed to be a redeemer in all things horrible. It can heal the sick, offer vision to the blind, remove all worries, doubts, and feelings of loneliness. And this clown messed it up like BACON is some sort of new phenomenon that takes a lot trial and error or many sleepless nights to properly prepare. I would at least feel better about my food selection if the BACON was cooked by someone with bacon cooking experience but nah. I was highly disappointed with the entire experience. Uncle Julio's used to be that lick when they were serving the roasted corn and crab guacamole. But I guess when they got rid of that, they also got rid of courteous staff and good chefs cuz that place is a big naw now. On a side note, I asked God shortly after I observed the foolery that was my order why was I being punished. He still hasn't responded but as soon as He does, I'll update this review.
(1)Laura M.
I saw some reviews wherein patrons complained about poor service but our service was excellent. Refills delivered promptly and we were greeted pretty soon after being seated. We had grilled chicken and veggie fajitas. Generous portions, excellent food and played nicely. We can in at 3PM on Sunday and could not have been more pleased.
(5)Mary Locke M.
Uncle Julio's is solid high end-ish chain food. I used to really, really like it, but I think my Mexican taste buds have improved and they definitely did away with the chile relleno. They do, however, still have gay Friday, and for that alone it's worth frequenting for the people watching every once and awhile. We went on Friday night after the idiot hostess at Varasano's didn't clarify it was going to be an hour wait (a whole different rant for another time). I called Uncle Julio's at 8:00 and they had a five minute wait, so we promptly drove down the street in search of queso and margaritas. Five minutes turned out to be more like fifteen minutes, but we got seats and margaritas at the bar so no real worries. Piece of advice: if you are a single female, don't plan on meeting a mate at Uncle Julio's on a Friday night. The bar was packed with gay men. I almost felt compelled to attempt to make a new gay BFF by showing them pictures of my French Bulldog. Seriously though. Upon being seated, we immediately began to chow down on the chips, salsa, and queso. The chips are light and crispy, the salsa is smoky and delicious, and the queso is that neon yellow nacho cheese Tex-Mex kind. Granted the cheese dip was good, but when I want queso I want warm, gooey queso blanco with a hint of jalepeno. I consider myself a sort of queso connoisseur at this point, and this stuff just isn't the same as Mexican queso goodness. I was also totally bummed about the removal of the chile rellenos from the menu. They used to have them. I used to order them. Apparently I was the only one who ordered them? All four of us went for the Juanita's platter. It was a very solid and filling platter (way too much food to be considered a plate). Service was decent, albeit slow but that can probably be chalked up entirely to the Friday night rush. I was a little disappointed about the lack of rellenos and queso blanco, but all and all Uncle Julio's is a very solid chain choice for Tex-Mex. The atmosphere is fun and lively and a good place to go before a night out on the town. Uncle Julio's is definitely better than Chuy's, but certainly no Nuevo Laredo. It's worth going to if craving Tex-Mex, but don't prepare to be blown away by the experience.
(3)Morgan D.
Don't get anything other than the fajitas! Trust me on this one! They make their flour tortillas from scratch and you can absolutely tell. They are so soft and fluffy that I can't imagine getting fajitas anywhere else. It's a casual, fun environment and they have great chips and salsa. I would recommend the swirl--half margarita, half sangria and it is DELICIOUS! Overall, a great Mexican option. A littler more upscale than your average Mexican restaurant. So good!
(5)Nikki L.
I had the chicken enchiladas and they were ok. Ineeded some sour cream or something because they were dry. The frozen sangria is really tasry but I'll try the Swirl next time since it's highly recommended. I could eat the chips and salsa ALL day!! LOL I will be back because they have Happy Hour
(4)Adrienne S.
Most uncomfortable dining experience of my life. Waitress takes our drink order and food order and leaves the table. Next thing I know the manager comes to our table and tells us that we are getting a new waiter because our waitress was in the bathroom crying and saying that we were calling her names.. Bizarre! We only saw her like twice we had nothing bad to say about her. She literally just lied! I was so shocked that someone would do that. Then we saw her talking to the other staff members and I felt really uncomfortable like everyone knew or something (maybe they didn't) but that's how I felt ya know? We spent the rest of our visit over compensating by being overly nice so people wouldn't think we were a bad table. Just so uncomfortable.. I will never go there again. There was other problems too but this review is already too long lol sorry this review should be for the Hammond location
(1)Cherie T.
The service was exemplary thanks to Angelo. He made our night and kicked off our vacation in grand style!
(5)Orin T.
As a huge Mexican food fan, I have been coming to Uncle Julios off and on for a few years. I usually go to the one in Dunwoody because it's close to my job but I ended up at this location with my homegirl after the AIDS Walk. We originally wanted Thai food but they were closed (in between lunch and dinner hours). We walked into the restaurant and were immediately greeted by Chrysae at the bar. We didn't really have a preference on where we wanted to sit but when I saw her bright, smiling welcoming face, I knew we needed to sit over there. I think I made a good choice because she turned out to be really awesome. She was very attentive, friendly and welcoming so that always helps me feel good when I am spending my hard earned money on food. I decided to order my good old fashioned "Reverse Swirl Meltdown". That's always my drink when I go there and it always gets me where I want to be. It's a twist on their normal Swirl option with a shot of Grand Marier (sp chk) on the top. I'm pretty sure it's not on the menu but it's da bomb! Boom! (Thank me later) *do people even say da bomb anymore?!* Oh well She brought us some chips and salsa. The chips were tasty and warm. To be honest, the salsa was a little soupy but to each his own! We devoured it anyway and I'm pretty sure she had to refill our bowls a couple of times (don't judge). I ordered the 3 chicken enchiladas with sour cream sauce as my meal. I also ordered the tortilla soup as my appeTEASEr because I was feeling a little under the weather. As always, the chicken enchiladas did not disappoint. They were flavorful and cheesy just like me. They came with a healthy portion of rice and little bowl of beans, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes and I dollop of guac. I really enjoyed. It was so filling that I had to take an enchilada home and it still tasted good the next day! My soup was ooook. I was looking for a little more punch and kick but it definitely wasn't bad. My friend had the chipotle BBQ chicken quesadillas and that was bangin too! Of course I had to sample some of hers *for review purposes only ;-)* and they were definitely tasty and had lots of SABOR! (uh huh, yea look it up. It's espanol!). Overall we had an enjoyable time and Will definitely be back. Hopefully Chrissay will be there again when we go.
(4)Lucy L.
I can't judge from the actual menu items, but the $2 tacos are so terrible. The meat and the chicken were so bland... Worst tacos I've ever had! I had to add the salsa from my chips to give it any flavor. I guess you get what you pay for but as a weekly special I would've assumed that I would be getting MORE than what my money would pay. Thankfully, even coming in by myself I got a basket of chips and salsa and the waitress was quick enough even on a busy day. The menu seems fairly pricy but I guess there is a nice atmosphere and rumors of great drinks. Though I should say that something felt a little off about my experience. I came in by myself (I don't have a problem with this) but something in the waiters made me feel a little uneasy. Might've just been me(?) If you are coming here for the $2 tacos I say skip out on them and just go to Tin Lizzy's where you might pay one more dollar for each but have something absolutely delicious.
(2)Jess R.
This is HANDS DOWN the BEST Mexican food I have ever had!! We were heading into Atlanta when we drove past the building that quickly caught my attention - looks like a cantina, with bright colors. We made it a note to check it out on our way back...best decision we had! The margaritas were delicious, the food was to die for...and don't get me started on the homemade salsa! We kept telling the staff that they need to open a location in Michigan, because we wanted to experience the restaurant all the time! Do yourself a favor a stop...your tastebuds will not be disappointed!
(5)Stanley L.
We were "awarded" a meal at this upscale Mexican restaurant after a successful week at Atlanta Gift Fair. The place is in a modern stripe mall right in the heart of Perimeter Mall area. We were seated promptly. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with tasteful Mexican pottery and art. The 2nd floor is huge with exposed beam ceiling that gives it an airy, lofty feel. They really spent quite a bit decorating the place. Our waitstaff was very friendly, shocked me a little bit since I wasn't used to Southern hospitality. He explained the specials and we ordered some queso dip and 2 surf and turf specials and a steak fajita dish. The steaks were delicious and the lobster top notched. The queso dips were very delicious for the first few bites, then it is just too heavy for my taste. I prefer fresh salsa over the cheesy sauce. Our total bill comes out to a bit over $100 for 3 which is fair considering we had 2 surf and turfs and one steak dish with appetizer and ice teas. I would definitely recommend coming here.
(5)Robert M.
You'll probably see the word vegetarian and stop reading unless you are one. Read all the way to the end. Went here with my wife who is a vegetarian. Not many options on the menu but we spotted some kind of fajita dish that had meat and a bunch of veggies in it. We requested that they just leave the meat out and add some more vegetables. Here's the fun part. The waiter told us it was not possible for them to do that without charging us for two meals. We asked why, and he replied "because all of our entrees are pre-portioned and separated." That's code for "your food comes out of a bag" folks. So much for gourmet...
(1)Nemil S.
Came for the Taco Tuesday deal (I think they changed it from 1$ to 2$). They have free valet parking, between the restaurant and Teds. A lot of times there is a cop there that will stop traffic to let you turn in since P'tree can get busy. They serve their salsa warm, smoky/burnt/peppery flavor, kinda similar to the one at Willys. Margarita ($6) - 3/5 - decent house margarita made with el jimador silver. A little sweet for my taste. Black bean soft taco - 4/5 - the best taco out of the three. Juicy and a lot of great Mexican spices. Much better than what I was expecting. Beef soft taco - 1/5 - if you were to blindfold me, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between this and Taco Bell. Chicken soft taco - 2/5 - shredded chicken with okay flavor. Nothing too great or amazing. Each of the tacos are served soft or fried. These were the three tacos that were $2, they have others for $3 and $4 as well.
(2)Carrie Neal W.
Alright, Julio's foolios - now that I no longer work there (and since I deleted my previous reviews per our semi-official corp policy...) - here goes!! Many notes - To recap things I wrote in my several previous reviews (taken down in July when I started working as a server) - The fajitas rock, and the skirt steak is awesome - a combo of that for one plus a veggie fajita - portas, zucchini, squash, all the good stuff- is a great way to go, and plenty for two- adjust accordingly if more in the party. Service is supposed to be prompt, spot on and awesome; having worked there, I am surprised by some of the reviews here - which btw I did discuss with the new CEO right before I quit - expectations for our standards of service were VERY clear - and discussed every shift. I called it "The Airport Twirl" as far as uniform inspection went, and we were quizzed before shifts about menu item descriptions, daily specials, everything. If you were good, you knew it all down pat. First, a few general rules and corrections to some of the apparent confusion/misinformation I've read in others' posts - There is free parking not just valet; some people seem to be confused by this based on my reading reviews - just tell them you want to park yourself. Gay Friday isn't as big as it used to be and it's a split deal on whether (customer-wise, from them) that's good. You will always be allowed in at least one second before closing and before leaving, even if well past closing, you should never be "encouraged" to do so. Here's the great, as I do consider it a great Tex-Mex restaurant (can we not have the "debate" about how they do it in other states or whether this is "real" Mexican, please?): -Managers who care - not really just from an employee's perspective (which they truly did about me - from a broken foot about a month in to various other mishaps) but because I know how they all wanted to take care of the guests. -Made to order/homemade/almost nothing from store bought (Blue Bell Vanilla excepted - and those who have reviewed that tamales aren't made with in house masa- wrong!) - The meat is always top quality - and I can say, especially having worked in a few kitchens, the staff is first class. If something was wrong - well, it was probably the server's fault. Just sayin'... -The guac rocks. They always told us to "sell what we would want eat" and I swear, if you like bacon- get the pineapple bacon guac; if you like spicy, go with the three pepper. -If the "quesadillio" as I called it special of the week is the BBQ chicken - GET IT - trust me. If it is spinach, get it but add grilled fajita chicken or steak. Get the full order not the lunch order with fruit. -The Swirl - well, go with the reverse swirl (a server should know what you mean)- it's stronger. -There are a LOT of good fish choices - the honey chipotle salmon (always on the menu) rocks, with the black bean cilantro rice and pineapple salsa, and when available the salmon campeche special is amazing - grilled salmon topped with crab meat and roasted red pepper, on a tequila cream sauce with a chorizo rice...I became a salmon convert working there. Oh, and those who mentioned few/no fish choices? Wrong: grilled (or fried if you prefer) tilapia fish tacos - shrimp fajitas - shrimp brochette (bacon wrapped, or the "Diablo" which is just grilled) - and the other standard salmon entree, the mesquite grilled . . . Here's the not-so-great . . . -This Julio's is still dealing with a version of "Taco Tuesday" - it's now $2 not $1 but still a complete pain in the ass. It sucks for people who work there, from servers, to kitchen staff to managers. The idea is to bring in customers who will come back other days - alas, many do NOT. They only come on Tues and order water, and I could count on being stiffed of a tip completely at lunch and/or dinner (I always worked a double). People don't listen when you say things like "dine in only" or "all sides are extra" and it sucks. And- honestly? - the hospital staff from Piedmont were the worst. SMFH. -The chille relleno. Just - don't - ... -The queso is orange. Apparently this is a "Southwest" thing - UJ is based in Dallas - but it is off-putting to a lot of people, including me. It tastes awesome and we were always encouraged to sell it in any version, but the color - just, no. -Frazzled management staff due to recent changes - new GM, two managers who've left since I started in the summer, the "youngest" two are one right out of college (with potential but still soooo green) and the other with a better grasp of things but doubtful of his own capabilities . . . PS- If a server doesn't tell you, know that there is extra spicy salsa (no charge) available, and the chicken fajita lunch size is $9.99 all day on Tu even at dinner.
(4)Benjamin G.
After a friend made a hullabaloo about Uncle Julio's greatness and amazement, we were alone excited to check it out. We came in on a Friday afternoon on somewhat of an off hour. First of all, this place is gigantic. There are probably over 100 seats available at any given time with the large bar, patio, and intricately laid out dining room. It's pretty impressive. We sat near the patio and had a great view of the semi-open kitchen. The best part is watching that brilliant contraption that makes fresh flour tortillas. Ever had a freshly prepared, warm flour tortilla for fajitas or just dipping in queso? Yeah. Some kind of wonderful. The food was pretty good. We started with plenty of tasty chips and salsa. Quite good. Then, we ordered the spicy guac. Holy awesome. It was fantastic. Not too spicy, but a definite kick compared to other guac varieties. We left none alive. For entrees, we both ordered some fajitas -- chicken and veggie. The fajitas were good. Perhaps a little over-salted, but still great with those freshly prepared tortillas. Seriously magic with them being so warm and tender. I do love the giant, grilled jalapeno atop all of the fajita mess. A nice touch and practical garnish. The only sleeper with Uncle Julio's was the service. Now, we did come in during an off hour, but if you're going to be open, you should still have impeccable service. Our server(s) seemed to switch throughout our lunch and were very sporadic throughout. Empty glasses, unused plates, and just general absence. Getting our check took a while. Where we would have liked to be in and out in around 40 minutes, we were there for over an hour. Not a huge deal, but perhaps just an oversight with not having proper staffing during that time of day. I'd definitely come back, especially with friends. Though, I'll most likely make sure we end up dining during normal hours.
(3)Craig R.
Had the Spicy Sizzling Shrimp -FANTASTIC!! Beef enchiladas were good, too. Great chips, fresh and hot, and well-seasoned black beans. Antony was very attentive - had a great time.
(4)Jang C.
Uncle Julio's looks like your typical, generic, gaudy, over-the-top, Tex-Mex restaurant. People love their Tex-Mex it seems. This place got busy on a Friday night with people of all ages came to eat dinner. They have self parking and valet parking. I have no idea where the self parking is, but the valet is available as you drive in. The staff seems friendly. I think these guys are the friendliest bunch of staff at a Tex-Mex that I know. I ordered their Fajita Especiale. It comes with grill chicken and beef, pico de gallo, guacamole, cheese, grilled onions, grilled jalapeno pepper, rice and beans, and sour cream. Of course, they give you a few pieces of tortilla to wrap everything with. I was pleasantly surprised by my fajita. The beef came out cooked medium rare with nice char. The chicken was grilled nicely too. If you combine the guacamole, pico, grilled onions and meat together in the tortilla, it tastes delicious. I liked it.
(4)Carlita Q.
Perfect place for a work dinner. I had the swirl (margarita mixed work sangria) and the cheese enchilada with carne sauce. Amazing!!! Service was consistent.
(4)William L.
This is an update. I don't know what has happened to this place. The service is pretty appalling now. You have to flag down people to get waited on. It was kind of embarrassing when I took my guests there and they were pretty much ignored by our waiter in a 1/4 full dining room. The food is still good, though. They stopped serving flan, which was a big reason I used to go there. I will not be visiting here anymore, even though I used to be a regular.
(2)Caroline C.
I was looking forward to trying Uncle Julio's taco Tuesday but was very disappointed in the food. We ordered a small guacamole, 2 carne asada tacos, 3 regular taco Tuesday tacos, & a kids quesadilla (for our 2 year old). The patio was nice so we sat outside. Before we ordered I asked our server what exactly the taco Tuesday deal is. He described the regular $2 taco as 'ground beef in a taco' & said there is a $4 taco with fajita meat. I ordered the $4 taco with the carne asada fajita meat hoping it would be more tasty than just ground beef. I was immediately disappointed. It was bland & dry. I wished the taco had more ingredients in it with more flavor. I was hungry so I took a few bites & then asked our waiter for sour cream. He brought a large amount of sour cream on a plate. I used a little of it but the taco still didn't taste good. They charged an additional $2 for the sour cream. My husband had the regular $2 tacos. Basically he describes it as 'not good' & 'not substantial'. My almost 2 year old son had the kids quesadilla. It came with a little cup of fruit. He hardly ate any of the quesadilla. It was just cheese in a tortilla. $5.49. It just didn't taste good to any of us. Our server was fine. He kept asking to fill our drinks & checked on us when he walked by. Other waiters seemed nice too. The restaurant itself is nice & big. My son enjoyed watching the tortilla making machine inside.
(2)Kai M.
Love this spot. Honey Chipotle Salmon and table side GUAC is all i get every time. Can't go wrong with either.
(5)Emily L.
Was working an event nearby that ran late so it was mostly because we didnt want fast food that we ended up here. We were told there was about a 15 minute wait when there were clearly booths available. Once we got seated, it took a long time to see our server. I thought they might be short handed then started counting servers. There was a 2:1 ratio, meaning 2 tables for every 1 server, so more than enough. We order, food comes out in timely manner and then our server disappears. Had to wave down another for a refill. Once we finished i got my credit card out so the server would understand we were ready for check. He was nowhere to be seen. I started to tap my credit card on the table thinking another server would take the hint. Nope, they traipsed past me one after another olivious to my stare down. Our server finally shows back up and offers dessert which we declined since I didnt want to stay for breakfast at the rate we were going. Food was okay, but nothing exciting.
(2)Chelle B.
THE best guac, cheese dip, salsa and chips. I always order steak and chicken fajitas. My fajita tip? Slather your tortilla with a schmear of sour cream and guacamole then add a squeeze of lemon juice before adding your meat and other toppings. Delish!
(5)Tyler M.
This place is like if a traditional Mexican restaurant changed one ingredient on every dish to make it taste terrible. The waiter warned us that the red sauce on the enchiladas was bad. I decided to order it anyway. It was one of the worst dishes I've ever had.
(1)Kisha M.
Uncle Julio's is my go-to place when I find myself in Buckhead and craving a margarita. I love going in the warm weather and being able to sit outside as Buckhead traffic rolls by. My fave things to order is a margarita and queso, but they have a decent menu as well. On my most recent visit we tried three appetizers: Bacon and Pineapple Guac - the pineapple was a nice addition, but the bacon was totally unnecessary. Basic guac is so delicious you really needn't mess with it. Chicken Tamales- I'm not a fan of tamales, but my companions enjoyed them. I think we got four in the order. Shrimp Ceviche- This was pretty good. A nice amount of shrimp which was tart thanks to the lime. The torillas that came with it were pretty plain and could stand to be jazzed up a bit. Service is always good and UJ and I've never had to wait. I like going in off-peak hours when I can park my car 30 feet away, otherwise you have to valet.
(4)Chuck L.
Yup. Regular old too-much-food pseudo Tex-Mex. don't go out of your way. No, seriously, don't go out of your way. It's a big chain. It's typical tex-mex. Extra shredded cheese is 2$ more. It tastes exactly like I figured it would. Neither good nor bad. Kind of like eating frozen Mexican TV dinners. Maybe that's harsh, but hey, it's my review. If you want a lot of boring fake Mexican food served in giant portions with just a hint of flavor, then this place is for you. If you want authentic Tex-mex or real Mexican, you know where to find it. Spoiler alert: it's not in a franchise named Uncle Julio's.
(2)Derek C.
Good, solid, Mexican food. They make their tortilla chips on-site and the menu has something for almost anyone.
(4)C N.
I want my old Uncle Julio's back. As a former waiter many years ago and a long time customer, I was totally disappointed at my visit last Sunday to this restaurant. Not only was the restaurant almost totally empty at noon, the service was horrible. My food was so salty, I couldn't finish it nor could my wife. I had the shrimp and my wife had the fish tacos. This restaurant has changed since it was sold from the original family to a hedge fund in 2011. The ingredients have been cheapened it seems and the prices are way too high. Even my wife who also used to love the restaurant says she won't go back. And if yesterday's crowd was a sign, Uncle Julio's may have trouble remaining in business.
(2)Sally P.
I've been to this place twice and I can say with full confidence that it really sucks. Ridiculously over-priced for averagely-plated standard Americanized Mexican food. I sort of have a standard for restaurants. If it's more than $12ish dollars a plate, it better be better-than average food. At Uncle Julio's you can expect to pay a lot more than that, while receiving Chili's quality version of the usual Mexican chain-restaurant fare. Service is slow. Even if only half of the restaurant is full, servers fly all over the place and scramble around like they have way too many tables on their hands. This happened both times when I was there, and I noticed that there really weren't that many tables, but also that there was an alarming amount of food runners. Uncle Julio doesn't really seem to think the servers need any more help, but that when food is ready to come out, there better be at LEAST THREE random dudes from the back bringing out your trays of food. My second time here I started to see why this was. Uncle Julios fancies itself as a higher-end restaurant, where you elaborately plate small amounts of food on large dishes. Each entree comes with a huge plate and then a few side dishes, and they seem to insist that everyone at a table gets their food at the same time. So there's a huge clamor to figure out where the hell are we going to fit all these plates?! When you get the plates though, you'll see that you get tiny amounts of meat, arranged on the side and almost tucked underneath ANOTHER plate containing substantial helpings of fixings like guac, pico and rice and beans. I ordered frog legs (because how often do you see frog legs on a menu?!) and got a plate of fixings with like 3 tiny pairs of tough, dry frog legs on the side. The legs were just thrown on the grill, letting them get nice and dry, chewy and flavorless. $20 for that shit. I didn't have to pay for this, but I was still pissed that it was so bad. Aside from all the bullshit with the food and busy busy chaos, Uncle Julio's swirly frozen margarita thing is supposed to be famous or something. I'm not a big drinker, and I liked it, but honestly, you don't need to go there to get a drink like that. I'm sure Applebees, TGI Fridays and Chili's all have something just like it. Honestly this place is all hype. Tasteless, sorority girl-hype because of one girly drink, overblown prices and cliche theme and decor. The Vera Bradley of the Mexican restaurant world, if you will. Also, the Uncle Julio logo is (a little bit racist, but what do you expect) scary. Julio looks like a crazed murderer.
(1)Cindy G.
Best part about Uncle Julios is there chips, salsa and guac...I did find the restaurant to be loud and somewhat overpriced. $11 margaritas, which were mostly ice. My salad was $16 and had 6 nice grilled shrimp- however, the rest was all lettuce for the most part. Service was excellent and the ambiance was great.
(3)Lincoln F.
GREAT food, but the worst service I have ever experienced in my life! I was yelled at by a Valet, and lied to about my food! They delivered it to another table! We waited for TWO HOURS for the server to come say "umm the kitchen is running behind" and the manager to come up and say the same thing! I OVERHEARD the manager and my server whispering about how they gave my food to ANOTHER TABLE and then they have the nerve to walk over and lie to me? What a JOKE! I will not make the mistake of getting food here again.
(1)Nicole S.
We sat outside on the patio during a warm Sunday night and the view was really nice. We could see the downtown Atl buildings from where we were seated. The service was really good and we arrived at the restaurant maybe two hours before closing. The food was VERY fresh!! The guacamole was SOOO fresh and was the best I've ever tasted. The tacos were also very fresh. For once, I ended up ordering an enchilada and I should have gone with the tacos because they were really good. My friends and I also had margaritas that were also very delicious. I def. recommend this restaurant for some fine mexican food.
(4)Kischa J.
Let me preface this review by saying I'm from California and know good Mexican food. This place is decent enough. I generally go for Taco Tuesdays -$2 chicken or beef. It's a deal, gets me out of the house on the cheap, so hey. The chips and salsa are great although I love it spicy so they give me fresh jalapenos on the side. I've had other things on the menu, but haven't been very impressed. My favorite drink is the skinny guavarita. It doesn't taste skinny like so many other places and is about 130 calories. It's my go to every time. My only gripe is that they force you to valet in a huge, open parking lot. They will let you self park only if you ask and the small, designated area isn't full.
(3)Dee P.
Ew! Ick! Blech! I don't know HOW this place was packed at lunch on a Sunday. It's some of the worst food I've ever eaten! I wouldn't ever eat this food again even if it was free. My fish tacos were bathed in salt and sodium. I tried to eat a few more bites after the first taste, but couldn't get beyond that. I asked to send my dish back (which I can only recall once ever doing in my life), so the manager came out and talked to me. He said, "Yeah, we've been told our fish tacos are quite salty, but that's the way they are." WTF?? If you've been told that, then change the recipe or the chef! My friend did not really like her enchiladas either, but at least ate half of them. Instead of giving me my money back, the manager "treated" us to some sopapillas. So, yes, that's what I ate for lunch. Dessert. Do NOT waste your $$ and time here. There are PLENTY of better Mexican restaurants in Atlanta.
(1)Cheryl R.
Love this place! This was our first time coming here. The salsa threw us off at first but it's only the looks. The taste was amazing. Nachos: essentially small taco she'll sized round chips with a heap of toppings. Absolutely fabulous. The fajitas: oh my, they were to-die-for. Their meat is marinated and out of this world. 10/10 would eat there again.
(5)Casey W.
It's a little concerning when you walk in at 9:30, restaurant closes at 10:00 and is almost empty, and the manager says it will be a few minutes because all the servers are full. Once sat, the experience went very well. The appetizer came out quickly. About the time we finished off the appetizer, our entrees were arriving. The food was tasty ranging from enchiladas, to tacos, to steak. We decides to take two desserts with us but were informed that the two that we chose were not available as they had run out. That was a bit unpleasant since the only other options included ice cream, or sopapilla. Neither are the greatest option for take home desserts. I'm sticking with three stars mostly for the server. He did a great job and was very apologetic for not being able to provide the fullest of the experience. The kitchen running out of food was not his fault but rather managements.
(3)Cody F.
Love it here! I got the Cadillac Platter at the Ft Worth UJ for my birthday, mixed fajitas with a whole baked lobster! This Atlanta store was great too. They have absolutely the BEST beans. So many of the entrees are delicious and we came for lunch. I'm always blown away by the beans though. You can't hardly beat Uncle Julio's for consistently excellent Mexican and Tex/Mex.
(4)Aaron P.
This was quite possibly the worst Mexican restaurant experience I've ever had. Every single thing went wrong. I was meeting friends on a weeknight at around 9 PM so things were not very busy. I ordered one of their margaritas to start off. It was watery, and I had my friends taste it to confirm before sending it back. They also sent back a drink or two during this comedy of errors. The salsa that came with the chips was far from fresh. It tasted like they just dumped a can of tomatoes in with a jar of pace and threw it into a blender. I believe I ordered the fajitas. They were completely lacking in flavor. The guacamole contained avocados that were long overripe. The service was inattentive. There were no more than a dozen tables seated at the place when I arrived and there was a staff of at least 6 on hand. We were waiting at least 20 minutes in between each visit from one of the servers. I will not go back to this location.
(1)Karen L.
Had a really good experience. Went with a group of 5. Not crazy about the salsa. I had the cheese and onion enchiladas and thought they were really good. One of my friends had bacon wrapped shrimp and she thought it was fabulous. Had margaritas and a swirl drink - all were good. The service was attentive and fast.
(4)Misi P.
Colossally horrible service. I had dinner here with my brother and his family whilst visiting and we were seated at a table that had napkins and silverware all around the floor. Drum roll please.... The food took 45 minutes to come, only after we saw a manager and mentioned 'hey, we're still waiting, where's the food?' The manager said she'd compensate for the wait with dessert. She failed to say it was one dessert between five people, not individual ones after we ordered desserts. Nevermind that, we'd pay for the others, but 25 minutes later, there's STILL NO DESSERT. By this point it's like whatever, just get me the bill and adjust accordingly. Now, that ended up being an ordeal as well. The kicker? The food was meh. I think the Uncle Julio's in Chicago is alright, but this was not worth the time spent. And my brother had to act a fool to get things taken care of. This
(1)Rishi S.
The food was very respectable! The chips are thin and crispy, which I am not a fan of because the chips kept breaking when getting some delicious 3 pepper guacamole. The salsa was very runny lacking substance and taste. The drinks were fantastic, and the fajitas were good. Make sure u get the especial fajitas. The flour tortillas were my favorite though, thick and fluffy. The service was mediocre, but I blame that on the low number of staff, not the quality of the server.
(3)Taylor L.
I'm starting off this by saying that we accidentally ended up here. We were searching for Alma Concina and typed the wrong address into the GPS and instead of driving across town, we decided to stop here. They do have valet parking which is great but if you chose not to use it, they make you park at the very back of the restaurant despite having an empty lot. The place inside is quite dingy and the decor is strange, outdated and dusty. Our waitress was nice and greeted us immediately, got our drinks out quickly. We ordered queso dip, which was either out of a can or something I could have made better myself. It was velveta cheese and flakes of red pepper. The drinks were so weak that I forgot I even ordered something with alcohol. I opted for the chicken enchiladas and refried beans, which the waitress told us was extra because "they make us tell you cus people get so pissed when they find out on the bill." The corn tortillas were undercooked and the cheese wasn't even melted nor was the dish hot at all. Overall I was not impressed. Edit to my post: So there was some drama here because of a blackened steak issue. It was so serious, the manager was forced to call the cops! Entertainment at it's finest.
(1)Codi S.
Latepost! Late but better late than never. I went here with some friends for a late dinner and we were seated immediately. It took a while to get a waiter but once our orders were taken they were very quick. I had a chicken fajita meal with a margarita and nothing about the food here stood out. The rice and beans were subpar. The guac however was amazing!! I would come here again for drinks but to eat Mexican I'll pass!
(3)Roger L.
Good was okay but not worth wait ! Terrible service again! This wasn't first or 2nd or 3rd but 4th time here with bad service and ok food! Final trip here! One of 4 in party didn't receive food until the rest had finished and they charged full price for his dinner and all of our delay!! Ridiculous!! Pick a different place! Don't go here!
(1)No E.
I was uncertain about trying this place out because I read some negative yelp reviews, however I was pleasantly surprised. Food was really good and drinks were great, out waiter (Angelo) provided great customer service. Overall very good experience...
(4)J F.
Not the best Mexican food but it did hit the spot (so so) fresh homemade tortilla are the best! Decor is old and not very inviting. ..table clothes need to be thrown away! Walls have an old feel ands dark lightening at night. ..overall won't return but server was very attentive! !!
(2)Travis R.
The Only bright point of the meal was the service. It has been over a year since I have dined here. The menu was odd no burritos at a Mexican restaurant. The food was barely edible and just not a good dining experience. My last time here.
(1)Ian L.
Food: 3 Value: 2 Service: 4 The service is decent, our waitress was on the ball. It was also Saturday night so perhaps they have good zone control now unlike what other reviews suggest. We ordered the 2 person platter, it was expensive. 35 pp including tax and tip. The beef and chicken fajitas were merely so so, tough. Flavor was passable, but it wasn't bad. Just was forgettable. Ribs: forgettable. Tough, dry, flavors not too exciting. nothing like ribs in Texas. The money's at the bacon wrapped shrimp!!!!! Those are truly delicious, especially dipped in the garlic butter. Definitely the highlight of the meal. Recommend? Sure but don't order the fajitas. Shrimp.
(3)Jill L.
The food was good but what really sets this place as a 5 star is the service. Everyone we came in contact with was ridiculously helpful and accommodating. I simply will go back because the staff is awesome and made our meal a blast!
(4)Thi T.
To be honest, I only come in for their dollar taco Tuesdays. Don't let the price fool you. They are big tacos. I can only eat two at a time. Obviously for that price, you can only dine in and not take the tacos home. Their salsa is very fresh. Unlike salsa I'm used to, it's at room temperature. I've tried one other dish before (fajitas?) but I thought it was not worth the price. It wasn't flavorful and memorable, or even authentic tasting. I'd recommend Nuevo Laredo for more expensive but authentic tasting Mexican food. Staff here is very friendly and attentive. There is plenty of parking in the back.
(3)Lindy F.
"So can I get you gentlemen something more to drink? Or maybe something to nibble on? Some Pizza Shooters, Shrimp Poppers, or Extreme Fajitas?" -- Office Space (1999) Slooooooooow. That is what the service seems to be. Always. Doesn't matter what the time of day is, or the day of the week, or even the time of the year. They have an "Islands" attitude with time... it doesn't exist. Other than that, they do a pretty decent job here. I have a couple of menu items I tend to stick to, but only because I know they are great and I won't be disappointed. My favorite is the vegetable fajitas (I'm no where near being a vegetarian). You get zucchini, summer squash, onions, peppers, portobellos, potatoes and this mexican butter glistening on the top. Served with the usual accoutrements and flour tortillas - it is enough food for two meals. Their queso is orange cheese (say what?) which is weird, but their guacamole saves the day. And I do enjoy their chips, about 3 visits out of 4 (that 4th visit, they always seem under cooked - there is no explaining that one). As for the place, it is GREAT for groups. We have come here for many work lunches, birthday dinners and overall pre-debauchery meals. They have a bar area, patio and very clean bathrooms. The staff is super friendly and accommodating, even if they are molasses-like. I enjoy my Tex-Mex fix, and Uncle Julio's does the trick occasionally... especially when I crave those veggie fajitas!
(3)Cam S.
The service is absolutely amazing. The staff is quick and polite. The place is very clean. They have plenty of seating for both in and outdoors. Our server was quick and I can tell the communication b/w staff is great. Once we were seated our server Ryan promptly greeted us with chips and salsa. He made the experience a great one as he was on his p's and q's. The food was excellent I had the fajita w/ fruit and sweet cream was great. The portions were a good size. The shrimp Quesadilla was good as well. It all arrived promptly. Definitely will be coming back.
(5)Daniel B.
A couple of my friends really like Uncle Julio's, but I can't say that I am a big fan. The restaurant is spacious, clean, and festively decorated, but has too much of a generic feel to it. Uncle Julio's is a nicer than your typical Mexican joint and is a great place for hosting large groups because they have so much space. I came here to celebrate a friend's birthday and there were four other large tables celebrating birthdays. The restaurant also has a bar and patio. Wow, what a happening place to have a fiesta. The salsa is served warm and is spicier than the the salsa served at most other Mexican chains. The chips were light and crispy, but still oily. The queso dip was okay, but had an unappetizing smell to it. The menu has some interesting options that you wouldn't typically find at a Mexican restaurant, including grilled quail and frog legs. I went with the chicken enchiladas served with rice, refried beans, and warm soft tortillas. The entree was actually pretty good as the meat was tender and went well with their red sauce. The portion sizes are large. The hostess was friendly and our server was attentive to our needs throughout the entire night. Complimentary valet parking is available on busy nights, although you still have the option to self-park if you want. If coming with a large group, reservations are recommended.
(2)Suzanne B.
Seriously wayyyyyy better than expected. Huge but cute décor, totally noisy but kind of fun. Good for groups... Viva Mexico! Ordered from street taco menu, was nice portion-size for price. Liked the menu, not quite typical.
(4)Annie N.
Worse restaurant ever. Staff is rude and food is not very good! Sorry Uncle Julio's, we won't be returning :(
(1)Anna M.
Service & food was very poor. How hard is it to melt cheese on a damn soft taco???? I do not anticipate on returning.
(2)Restaurant L.
This is a place I normally frequent.....the last couple of visits service has been suspect but today tops it all....I walked in, we asked for the patio and a good server. Clearly this server we had did not know what she was doing....I blame mgt I asked about the features she replied don't have any drinks were off, timing was off, clearly I knew the menu better than her.....i order the Juanita Platter as usual, 2 onion and cheese enchiladas, chicken tamale and beef taco, came out incorrect, I sent back because I wanted green sauce on chicken tamale.... Got it back, so I took a bite, not know looked down because it did not taste right...i am eating pork..... I have never eaten pork in my life.......i threw up in the bathroom...... I am not happy.....i sitting here with a headache....this is ridiculous.......NEVER....MGT DID NOT TRAIN THIS THIS SERVER AND THEY DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, I AM SICK..... GOOD LUCK UNCLE JULIO NO MORE OF MY MONEY....
(1)Becca D.
One word: fajitas! It's pretty much all we come here to get, so I couldn't tell you about anything else. I also don't bother going anywhere else if I want them. They make their own tortillas in house (you can actually watch them being made if you're seated in the right area), they grate their own cheese, and grill the meat, peppers and onions which gives your veggies that perfect "snap". We've also ordered the fajitas for two as a carry-out, and they were just as delicious as when we dine-in. It's a pretty big restaurant with a dimmed-lighting ambiance, but everyone is usually dressed pretty casual. Our service is always perfectly fine. Quick tip: valet isn't mandatory (something we didn't realize until our third or fourth visit), just tell them you'll park at the side of the lot. There's also a semi-hidden side entrance off the side street if you want to bypass the valet guys completely. While the fajitas are amazing, they're expensive. Cheese and sour cream are add-ons. We usually can't get out for under $50 once we add a queso appetizer to our meal. But again, worth it every once for a mexican treat!
(4)Rohan S.
Tuesday $1 tacos may be a new tradition for me. The tacos were large and very good. Very good for a dollar. The Swirl, their signature drink, is also strong and delicious. Service was fast and the waiter was very knowledgeable and kind. I recommend this place for the $1 Tacos. the food is good, and you can save the money you spend on food to get their nice mixed drinks.
(4)Ms. W.
OMG...the last time I was there I ate the skirt steak (not sure what it's called) but it was a-friggin-mazing! I have yet to get anything I didn't love! I would recommend Uncle Julio's for afterwork, birthday lunch/dinner, hanging with the girls...whatever. Good food!
(5)Daniel B.
I ate here last night. It was probably the 5-6th time I've been here, and the quality has gone down substantially. First off, it was $2 taco night, so there were a lot of cheapskates in there. Not my problem though. My date and I got seated immediately. The server was prompt to greet us at the table, but was also very quick to pressure us into ordering drinks. Without having time to look at the drink menu whatsoever, I ordered a pitcher of house margaritas. My date asked for a glass of water as well. The server ignored her, so she asked again; louder and less polite. The server said she'd be right back with it, but no water was ever brought out. This was kinda weird to me for a "fine" dining experience. Usually, waters are immediately brought out regardless of if you want them. Next was issues with ordering. My date is a vegetarian. The vegetarian options have almost entirely disappeared. She ordered veggie tamales. She asked the server why two veggie ones were the same price as 4 pork ones, and the server had no answer. She didn't offer to find out either. I ordered the pork tamales, as they sounded good, and I love tamales. I asked if they came with anything, and the server told me that they are an appetizer, so I asked for rice and beans too. Not my fault that the menu is confusing, especially when you only have a minute to look it over. Anyways, the veggie tamales were decent. They came with cheese and sour cream on them. The pork ones were dry and bland. There was no pork to be tasted, and the masa was completely unseasoned. I'm a chef. I understand that they were pre-made and heated to order, but come on; put a little salt and pepper in the masa, especially if the filling is unseasoned and less than a tablespoon per tamale. Also the salsa has changed to a tepid, brown sludge that only tastes of cilantro and watery vinegar. Usually salsa is served cold, room temp, or hot. I'd never had it pissy warm before. The rice and beans are usually a staple of mexican dining, so I thought they might be good. The beans were decent. The rice was dry, bland, and had clearly been microwaved to death. I could only eat 2 or 3 bites before pushing it away. So back to service. We were never offered anything else. When the pitcher of margarita was empty, the server just took it away; not asking if we wanted anything. I had to wave the server down to ask for the check. The server brought it and handed it to my date( I guess I'm old-school, because I never let women pay for anything when we go out, and rarely even discuss the prices). All in all, I felt that I'd been ripped off. The $25 pitcher was the only redeeming thing about our $50 tab. It was expensive for house margs, but it was good. My food was the quality of canned, $3 Hormel tamales, so I got played there. The veggie ones were alright, but my date had to have a snack as soon as we got home. All in all, if you want tamales( and I know they aren't really a traditional mexican dish), treat yourself to Bone Garden. They are way better and much cheaper. If you want Rice and beans, go anywhere else; even Taco Bell.
(2)Roderick M.
Visited this place tonight with my usual group of friends. At first, I was extremely impressed. Nice decor, very clean. The wait was a little long for my taste. We were finally seated after about 45 minutes.Our waiter was so preoccupied with flirting with a table of guys that looked like refugees from Queer As Folk, that he managed to get our drink orders totally wrong. Unapologetic when we asked where our missing drinks were, he returned about 10 minutes later to take our food order. I ordered the nachos with grilled chicken. COLOSSAL MISTAKE. Dry, flavorless, except for the bitter, cloying, half-melted cheese- they were virtually lukewarm. We had waited so long, I didn't even feel like sending them back. Not that I would have been able to, because our waiter didn't come back to the table to refill our drinks or ask how everything was. I never saw a manager in circulation. The waiter finally came back with the ticket. By this time I had a major attitude and had to bite my tongue to keep from laying into him. Needless to say, he did not get a tip. I'm a lover of Mexican food, but Uncle Julio's left much to be desired. The Billy Barou platter from Moe's is way superior than this flaccid, lukewarm, tasteless mess. Coupled with the horrible service, I will never visit this place again and wouldn't recommend it to others.
(1)Lisa M.
Fun place. Fun servers. We went mid afternoon - there was no wait but still there was other patrons making it lively. We enjoyed fajitas and margaritas.
(5)J J.
Great go-to place for Mexican food. Love the Fajitas and swirls. Taco Tuesday is fun but a bit too crowded for my taste and tends to attract families of 15 looking for a cheap meal. A bit pricey for Mexican food but always filling. Servers are, for the most part, great but most college kids and some of them are less attentive and might have needed to repeat the third grade but they are still always fun and seem to try which is better than most chain restaurants. Avoid the patio....the service takes longer and the car smog gets all in your tacos and distorts the flavors. Can't wait for my next visit!
(5)Skillet P.
Went here with friends for $1 Taco Tuesdays. So good. I got 4 tacos, 2 beef (1 soft and 1 hard) and 2 chicken (1 soft and 1 hard). All were good but everyone in our party preferred the beef over the pulled chicken. It just had more flavor. After 4 tacos we were all stuffed. Service was good but I think our waiter was new and he will hopefully get better. 3 of us ate for $25 so complaining about anything would just make me feel like a jerk.
(4)Christy A.
This place has awful service and the food is very expensive. . I used to go here a lot but a recent number of back to back bad experiences I will not go back. There are a lot of better Mexican places in town and basically it is like they don't appreciate your business. Never again!
(1)Kristin K.
I love Uncle Julios. I'm always happy from the minute I drive in. I'm convinced its Uncle Julio that does it. That big wide smile on the sign. He seems so happy! I've never seen anyone that happy. Anytime you see someone that happy and with that big of a smile, you just feel good like you want to smile too. Maybe that's what they had in mind. Whatever it is, it works. I also enjoy making fun of Uncle Julio's mustache. That's good fun as well. Whatever they're doing here, they're doing it right. Everytime I come in here, the service is always fun and friendly and very fast. I've never had a problem with service at all. The food is totally delicious. I love their salsa and the chips are so light and airy. I get the fajitas and they're not too much food. I think they run a lunch special so its a little cheaper and smaller portion for that. The steak is perfectly cooked with a bit of pink in the middle and we all know how good things with pink in the middle can be. If the weather is warm I like to sit outside. They have a huge seating area that faces Peachtree so you get to see the cop hired by the Wendy's misdirecting traffic so that people can stuff their faces with the Double Baconator with fries or as I like to call it, the express lane to the Piedmont Hospital Cardiology Wing (I'm pretty sure there's not really a Cardiology wing, I had to make that up to make the joke work). Inside is nice enough too though, lots of people scurrying around everywhere, lots of activity, its quite exciting. There's also a nice big parking lot behind the place, lots of spots, no worries. Listen to me and listen good because I'm only going to say this once. When you leave, if you are going to go North on Peachtree, do not go out via the driveway between the Uncle Julio's and the Ted's. Its right turn only and you'll end up going south and then you'll have to pull a yoowee. You can try to make the turn on to Collier if you want, but the way traffic backs up at that light, good luck getting in without blocking someone or sitting there for 20 years. No, go out the driveway on the side of the lot across from the big condo, take a left to Peachtree and then you can easily make a left turn when the Collier light turns red. I'm serious about this, the only thing you have to be careful of is the Wendy's cop misdirecting traffic. That might delay you a bit but throw him a double baconator and you might get past it without too many problems.
(4)Gabriel J.
Not recommended for alcoholics. I catch a bigger buzz eating my deodorant. Kidding aside, this place is kind of like a Mexican-themed Applebee's. Some might scoff at that and mention how everything is made fresh, etc. Have it your way, dude. Good food is good food, and theirs ain't.
(2)Michael T.
This is my second review and the last time I will go to Uncle Julio's. The service has become worse every time we come here. Something is always wrong with our orders or certain items are missing. This would be an easy fix if we always ate at the restaurant but sometimes we take our food to go. Today we place another to-go order and waited forty minutes to get our food. This was during one of the slowest times and there were maybe two tables with customers in the entire place. The bartender wasn't friendly at all. There seemed to be an off the clock employee chips and salsa while we were never offered anything while we waited. She did, however, help herself to a drink. At least Bell Street Burritos will be opening down the street soon.
(1)Rachelle C.
The food was very good! My husband and I had the lunch special fajitas with chicken and beef. The beef was yummy! They have the orange cheese dip and I like the white cheese way better but it was still decent. The space is huge so we could sit with our loud 1 year old away from people. Haha . The service was fast and the server was friendly and did everything perfect :)
(3)Carla M.
We went today for their $1-$3 taco special and the food was very good. Our server was new so service was a little chaotic but he was super nice so we didn't care too much. They have great alcoholic beverages but tonight we all tried their flavored lemonade which was so delicious, especially the chunks of fruit in the drink... did I mention how yummy their salsa is??
(4)Phoebe T.
This place sucks. Go to On the Border instead. I ordered a tortilla soup and for 8 dollars, it sure is small. At that price, you could get the tortilla soup, enchiladas AND rice and beans at On the Border! The chips and salsa are also subpar here and of course the parking situation is the worst - you have to valet! This was a good place for the large party that we had but I would never come back for a meal on my own.
(1)Gus P.
Very good Mexican food. They make flour tortillas on premise. The freshness is difference in taste is evident. Some of the dishes are just as good as the Mexican food I had in Mexico City.
(5)Robyn G.
I may be biased because I'm from the DC-area where there are a few UJs and I have been going for years, so when I get homesick, I love to go to UJs for a swirl (half margarita half sangria frozen - their signature drink and a must have!) Their queso is yellow queso, which I have heard is kind of a sin down in the South (white queso has become my fav), so for you Southern connoisseurs of queso, you may not want to get it, but I still think it's really good. It doesn't get super thick really fast like other places that leave their queso out forever. Their chips and salsa are my favorite. This place is great for HHs (Happy Hours for those of you who don't know...I've been asked 1000s of times what HH stands for down here). I almost always get their fajitas (I recommend the higher quality steak option or chicken fajitas). You can get fajitas for two, which is a ton of food. I usually can only eat maybe 1.5-2 fajitas once I go through queso and salsa, so we get to take home extras. You can ask for to-go tortillas and they're really cool about giving you extras. I know I mentioned the swirls, but since they are frozen and not everyone loves frozen, so their special Julio's marg is kind of strong for my liking, so the normal margarita is what I would recommend.
(4)Lindsay W.
So I probably wrote a review in the past that was AMAZING for Uncle Julio's, but after my last experience, NO WAY! There were 4 of us (3 adults and 1 child) on a Sunday evening around 6ish. The place was maybe 40% full. Our server did not even give us a moment to look at the menu before asking us what we wanted. We had to explain that 1 person from our party had not arrived yet. When he did, she asked right away what we wanted, as if she was ina rush to get out of there. I had to ask about the specials myself. We ordered 2 chicken fajitas and a chicken enchilada plate. The fajitas came out sizzling. The platter had soggy buttery onions and cut up chicken breast, and a raw onion ring on top. yuck! Then we waiting 2 minutes for the tortillas that went with them. My enchiladas looked good until i cut them open and found beef mixed in with my chicken. Yuck! Our server never checked on us and finally when a manager saw that I was not eating, had asked why and I explained. A new plate came out, but I was no longer hungry. I could ad used a refil on my margarita, but no one offered to sell me one. I had to ask the manager to remove my food from the bill since I would not be eating. We left once we paid the bill and I do not know what to do for CInco de Mayo now this yeat.
(1)Caitlin B.
I must say that I REALLY like this place. My dad suggested this place for my birthday lunch and said that they had the best chile rellanos in town. Well, much to my surprise, they actually were. So fucking good! Perfection on a plate. If there's a better place to get chile rellanos in town, let me know, but as far as I'm concerned, these rock! The tortillas rock also! I'm a fan and a fan for life!
(4)Lincoln F.
Uncle Julio's is both mine and my girlfriend's favorite restaurant around Atlanta. So it is with great pain that I have to give them 3/5. I have had wonderful fajitas and killer tacos (especially on Taco Tuesdays...) but the last time Uncle Julio's really disappointed us. We ordered immediately, without looking at the menu, and then proceeded to wait for over 45 minutes for our food without a visit from the waitress. This is when we noticed that the table next to us received their food, which we remembered being ordered after ours. After a few seconds (and looks of confusion noticed on the neighboring customers' faces) we realized that the waitress had brought them our food! The waitress and neighboring waitress discussed this in hush tones, then our waitress arrived and said that she is sorry but the kitchen was slow due to multiple orders. About 5 minutes later, the manager came over and apologized quickly and informed us that our order had been brought to the wrong table. We waited another 15 minutes before finally receiving our food and the order was still incorrect. The waitress never apologized for what actually happened - in fact she never confessed to giving our order to another table. The manager apologized for about 5 seconds, and that was it. I don't think we have ever had such blatantly bad service before. Overall, a 1/5 evening that the usually good food can not erase.
(3)Ang G.
We were a party of 11 with 2 very young kids. The restaurant would not seat us until all the guests had arrived which I understand when things are busy but the restaurant was almost empty this shouldn't be the case. Margaritas were watered down & filled with ice. Move on to the food - salsa was good. Ordered Guacamole & lacked considerable amount of salt (very bland) - for $10 it certainly wasn't worth it. I ordered the Chicken Fajitas & all I can say was it was average. Food is expensive when compared to similar restaurants in the vicinity $40 / person (with 1 drink per person). We will would not return.
(2)Teresa L.
The chile rellenos are just amazing and the atmosphere is commercial, but pleasant. Service was great. I've had other meals at Uncle Julio's that were not memorable, but after trying the chile rellenos, I will definitely return. The swirl margarita was also awesome.
(4)Dee C.
The Swirl! Food was also good.
(4)Dana F.
I love eating here and have never had a bad meal. The margarita with berry in the name (sorry forgot the name) which is on the rocks is absolutely delicious!!! I always get the Guadalajara which has the stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon with fajitas. Delicious and plenty for both dinner and lunch the next day. My sweetheart always...ALWAYS gets the "Cadillac" which is sometimes not on the menu. It has a lobster tail, fajitas, and all the normal sides (we both skip the rice and beans and opt for fresh fruit instead). If you go by on Thursdays, try the Pablano Cream Soup, it is soooo good! Today, we had a complimentary dessert (it was my birthday) and let me tell you that the Chocolate Empanada is to die for! I cannot explain it any better. It is known that Friday nights are "ladies (yes, gay) night" however I found other times to be just fine if you are not comfortable within that crowd. We have always had great servers and great interaction from the manager. In fact, he is the one who offered us the dessert tonight. I always go back.........and always recommend to others!
(5)CHRISTY L.
Cheese enchiladas with meat sauce. MEH. Reminded me of Chef Boyardee's cheese raviolis. Seriously. Great chips and queso. OK margaritas. But, the ONLY thing that ever makes me WANT to go to Uncle Julio's is that GIGANTIC painting of a Chihuahua. I am totally planning a heist to steal that thing. It's probably my favorite piece of restaurant decor in all of Atlanta, if not the world. I definitely suggest stopping in here just to pay homage to that thing. It's glorious.
(2)D M.
so on the day I visited i was craving some Mexican food. I'm glad i stopped by. the chips were light and crispy. the salsa was superb. I ordered some guacamole tasted great. also had a enchilada 2 tamales and a taco. the green Verdi sauce on the enchilada had awesome flavor. the only sad part was the price. the meal was over $22 (about $27 with tip). that was a bit pricey but like i said i was craving it.
(5)Amiee M.
Best fajitas is town! Love the atmosphere and it's only a block from home!
(5)Christopher E.
So I know this place is a love it / hate it sort of place. I think Uncle Julio's is a bit pricey for Tex Mex but then again I've never had a bad meal here. This was one of my many Birthday lunches and it was pretty darn good. I got the combo fajitas $11.95 at lunch makes them more affordable than dinner and believe me it is more than plenty to eat. The food was hot and good, the service was friendly, the music is a bit loud. I would almost be tempted to give this place five stars but the LOUD MUSIC and the excessive charges for any little addition or side request when the menu is already rather pricey keep me from giving the last star.
(4)Christopher P.
#Yelp365 5/365 Sanora platter + warm salsa + friendly waitstaff = doable for lunch this place is pretty big so those corporate meetings breaking for lunch can continue at this place. they make their own tortillas but i didn't get a chance to try. the salsa is pretty banging... i think it's a rosted pepper salsa and it's served warm... yum yum my platter had a crunchy tac, enchilada, and a tamale... all were pretty good it's a nicer mexican resto but i like the shitty looking taco shacks....
(3)Whitney T.
I had a great time @ Julio's. My Sangrias were really good and the food was great and came out fast on a Saturday night! The service was great also. Sit outside if you can because it sits on Peachtree and there's a pretty nice view.
(5)David Z.
On the whole, Uncle Julio's is quite good, and certainly superior to most of the generic Mexican restaurants around Atlanta (it's also a little pricier). Their (free) chips and salsa were OK, but the salsa was a little watery for me. I ordered the Honey Chipotle Salmon with pineapple pico de gallo and black bean rice. The flavors were all very fresh, especially the honey on the salmon. It tasted like real honey, rather than honey flavor. The customer next to me at the bar had also gotten the salmon, and his piece was at least 50% bigger than mine...so that made me sad.
(4)JaneDoe D.
Last night, as my mom and I sat waiting for a to-go box in our booth, a waitress dropped bussed plates from a 10-top on me by accident. Flatware and leftovers were thrust onto my face, chest and arms. I heard someone gasp nearby. I couldn't believe what had just happened. The force was strong enough that the booth was pushed backwards. The bussed plates got mixed into our food that we wanted to take to go. I was at Uncle Julio's treating my mom for her birthday, which the manager and our own waitress knew, and we planned to go to a show after dinner. Now that my clothes were ruined, our plans were also ruined. The manager took $6 off a $33 bill for the incident and gave me an envelope to send my cleaning bill. We had to ask for them to replace the food we had planned to take to go before all those plates landed on me and the table (they didn't offer). How this situation was handled was shameful. It is the worst dining experience I have ever had. We will never go back.
(1)Intown Foodie ..
Disappointing Lunch! This is not a good place for business people to visit during their lunch break. I've been a big fan of this Uncle Julio's location in the past. It's been a while since I've visited, but today's lunch was offensive. The food was good, but the waitstaff & service was just plain awful. Although there were only a few tables occupied in the restaurant, it took us 1 and a half hours to get our food, eat and get our check. I am very disappointed in Uncle Julio's.
(1)Alison B.
Spent a relaxing early fall afternoon doing some work on their spacious, pleasant patio recently. My Verizon wi-fi device worked well (amazing in and of itself) so I killed a couple of hours intermittently noshing on fresh hot warm salty chips and queso and making my own very pared down version of grilled chicken fajitas all the while craving a swirl margarita (half frozen sangria, half frozen margarita). I have had the swirls before and can not recommend them highly enough! My only regret that day was that I didn't have one, but my fear was that my concentration would wane too quickly! :)
(3)Michelle B.
First time here and it was phenomenal! Mady, our waitress was great. She was very attentive. The manager came to check on us a couple times. The food was excellent, especially the fajitas with spicy shrimp and pinto beans! I would definitely recommend this place to family and friends.
(5)Jaimie M.
Great food and phenomenal customer service! Speedy lunch service. I loved it!
(4)Cali B.
DISGUSTING and OVERPRICED. I'm not sure who would call this "Mexican" food, because it is NOT. The "queso" (which is not actual queso) looks and tastes like it came from a can. Queso isn't orange and watery, people. Of the chicken I got, I ended up spitting out half of it, as I don't eat chewy fat or gristle.
(1)Stormtrooper H.
We recently went to Uncle Julio's for take out while staying at Piedmont and were really impressed by the tortillas and AMAZING salsa. The bartender was extremely friendly and we would go back just to deal with her. It's a few dollars more than other Mexican joints, but the quality and portion size justify the cost.
(4)Kenneth G.
One of my favorite mexican resturants..love the Juanita platter...and the Frozen Sangria(Swirl)...I enjoyed my service each time I went there..always had a nice & friend waitress/waiter...
(5)Charles H.
Great Mexican food. Friendly service. I'd give it five stars if not for the unsafe parking lot. My car was broken into during daylight hours. For the prices they charge, this place can afford better security.
(4)Bob J.
Fantastic food. A little slow but quality food. Forget the cowboy queso good but not worth 10 bucks.
(4)Adam M.
Wow, I honestly expected a higher cumulative rating on Yelp. This place would get my vote as the best (American) Mexican in Atlanta. Albeit expensive, this place has the freshest ingredients I've ever tasted in Mexican joint. Great drinks as well! I think the steak fajitas are the best I've ever had. They actually cook them on the rare side of med rare if you ask, and that makes me very happy. I hate overcooked meat. And if you care, medium is overcooked. The service has always been solid despite being busy, and their tortillas are excellent. Give the fajitas a try, med rare of course!
(4)Jasen M.
Im deff a fan How can u not like a place where they are making fresh tortillas rite there in front of u? I will admit the prices are a bit steep for mexican cuisine but the food is good and thats what matters. Service was speedy and attentive. I dropped in for lunch with a friend so don't have much to report on the food since I had a bowl of soup and a side of guac. Both were quite good though.
(4)Bryan C.
I'm a big fan of mexican food and I've always been interested in eating here as i used to pass by it every day on the way to work. When my wife and I got there, the place was fairly packed (it was about 6:30pm). Our first mistake was not requesting to go outside as the inside was insanely loud. We could barely here what our waitress was telling us and we have to lean in close to each other the entire night to carry on a conversation. We Decided to get the Chili con Queso for an appetizer which wasn't that good at all. The Tortilla chips were fresh and tasted really good, but the Queso was sweet tasting (also they don't sell the white queso there). For the Main Entree we got the Beef Fajita platter for 2. The beef was really fatty but tasted decent. The rice and beans were OK as well but nothing to write home about. Service wasn't much to write home about either. Getting refils and getting our check seems to take way longer than normal, and by the end of the meal I was ready to get out of that loud restaurant. Our Bill came to about 60$ after tip for a meal what my wife and I felt was just "meh." Don't think i'll be coming back here again, I've had much better mexican at much more reasonable pricing elswere in the ATL.
(2)Moutarde M.
Wait for food was very long. "$1 Taco Tuesdays" which is the only reason we came turned out to be a scam. They don't exist. The tacos were not very good either. Very dry and flavorless. Just some meat thrown into a soft taco with some lettuce and tomato....no salsa or sauce of any kind. They also screwed up on our bill and our order so we had to ask to get that fixed. We will not be returning despite the nice outside seating area right on Peachtree....actually not so nice since we kept getting attacked by flies. Very disappointed.
(2)Mark V.
I thought this place was good. It is very Tex-Mex-y, so don't go in thinking that you're going to get authentic Mexican food. Also, it's a little pricey. With all that being said, I thought their fajita was absolutely amazing and this sounds minor, but their black beans were perfect. I definitely recommend.
(3)danielle g.
Save your money. No, I'm totally serious. The best thing about this place is the patio. And yes, the paint job is cool. But, that's not why I go to a restaurant. Let me start with the menu. I was a little shocked to see so many items above $15, but hey, it's "Fine Mexican Cuisine", right? We ordered: - Mojito $9.25 (eek!) - Frozen margarita ($7+?) - Chips & salsa (Complimentary) - Guac & cheese dip w/ chorizo $8 - Chicken tortilla soup ($6) - Enchilada combo plate (beef & cheese) My thoughts: - The mojito was decent. Small, but decent. However, small & decent doesn't warrant a $9+ price tag. Yes, I realize it's Buckhead; that's no excuse. - I didn't have any of the margarita, so I can't help you here. - Chips & Salsa: Chips were good; thin & hot. Salsa tasted fresh & obviously a "house" recipe. Pretty tasty. - The guac & cheese dip: Are you kidding me? $8 for a small ramekin of orange cheese dip with a chorizo goo in the bottom (no real chunks of chorizo sausage to be found; more like a chorizo chili). Tostito's matches their dip easily, and I can get that in the snack aisle at the grocery store without the sticker shock. The guacamole was pretty good, but the shredded cheese they put on top was pointless & detracted from the dish, rather than adding to it. - Now, I will admit, it might be hard to impress me when it comes to Tortilla soup. I LOVE the stuff. My bar is set pretty high there, and this sad attempt fell far below par. It was essentially more of a vegetable soup with chunks of chicken in it. No cilantro or lime flavors, no cotija cheese, tortilla strips were already limp by the time I got the soup. Seemed odd to have zucchini & squash in it too, but that was ok. - The walk of shame for the evening was reserved, however, for the enchiladas. Too much going on for a plate that should be simple & delicious. Points added for the authentic corn tortilla flavor, but points taken right back for using that mysterious orange cheese for the filling. The beef seemed to be just browned ground beef, and it was also drowning in a sea of this chunky red sauce that hinted at a marriage of Mexico meets Italy. More marinara-like or something. The rice & beans they served on the side? I had two bites & gave up, because it just wasn't worth it by this point. The service was even substandard. They didn't seem THAT busy (the inside was practically empty), and every time they brought our food out, we watched them try to take it to another table before they brought it to us at ours. Not a huge deal, but an interesting sidebar to note if you expect superior service with your Buckhead prices. Last, but certainly not least, was the Manager. He came to our table and said, "So, I hear you thought the food was mediocre?" So, we answered him honestly & said yes. We proceeded to tell him why, and he looked a bit stunned & just said, "Wow, you guys are harsh." LOL! I know when I'm being harsh, and we were very nice about it actually. So, I just kinda looked at him and said, "Well, you asked." Maybe it was a "bad night" for the kitchen staff, or the servers were really in the weeds, but overall, that's no excuse for mediocre food being served at every turn. If you're going to tout that you serve "Fine Mexican Cuisine" and charge prices that reflect that claim, you need to be able to back it up with superior, dare I say, outstanding food. Next time, save yourself some money & get better food somewhere else.
(1)Biljana B.
When somebody says Mexican food, I always think of Uncle Julio's!!In my opinion, The best Mexican food in Atlanta!! :-)They have the best chips and salsa in town, the chips is super thin and crisp and the salsa has a very unique smokey taste. The best dish is the chicken/steak fajitas, a little more expensive but worth the price! The meat is nicely marinated and juicy. They have friendly faces and if there is a slight dislike about anything, the manager comes over to the table and takes care of the problem immediately! I love the way they treat their customers and that's why I always come back!
(5)Ross P.
Fajitas are the best here along with there frozen Margaritas, there queso is the best!
(5)Mystical S.
I love this place so much I celebrated my birthday there. They have excellent margaritas and shrimp quesadillas.
(5)Jenay M.
GREAT FOOD! went there for my friends bday and we all enjoyed the food...and that was great because everyone knows how hard it is to please EVERYONE in the group. atmosphere was great but it can get kinda noisy at times...the nachos were amazing this was were i had guacamole for the first time and it was like a fiesta in my mouth lol
(5)Rob F.
I came here with a large group of friends for a birthday party. Ready for a great night, I got a couple drinks- one of which was their signature margarita. Each drink was really small, especially for the price tag they through on it. The waiter apologized for the first one being so small and said he'd bring a large one out for the 2nd- which did at first appear larger, but i emptied it into the first glass to find that they were the same portions. For dinner, I ended up with the fajitas which were ok and plenty enough to fill me, but for the price I would have hoped for something a little more flavorful. And of course, it's valet parking only, despite the huge parking lot they have available. Over all the party enjoyed it, but I won't likely be returning on my own.
(1)Kate T.
I honestly do not know what is consider as "real" Mexican food despite that one time I visited Mexico, but to me, it's p-r-e-t-t-y good~! The place is colorful - vibrant is the word and quite a merrily crowd. I'd be sure to visit again if I'm ever up for some good Mexican food!
(4)c. k.
Okay, in all seriousness, do not take pre-packaged, pre-cut, grilled chicken breast, throw it on a grill and call it Fajitas! That goes for those "flour tortillas" purchased at the grocery store and warmed in the microwave too. And certainly, do not charge $16.00 for the whole thing. I mean, the salsa alone was the most authentic item there...or was that just the fresh cilantro floating on top of Kroger brand salsa? And what is with Fox News playing behind the bar? Is that Atlanta-must-see-TV that I do not know about? (Vomitous). Service was kind. And that Swirly-margarita thing is really good, and probably the best thing I ingested! However, I am anticipating a diabetic coma any minute now.... The End.
(2)Sandra S.
Went to the new location in the Perimeter area near the corner of Hammond and Peachtree Dunwoody. DISAPPOINTED! Why? When I ordered, I asked for a ramekin of queso to go with my taco. The waiter said he doubted the kitchen would do it but I could order a bowl of queso. No, thank you, can you please ask them to let me have a ramekin! I am willing to pay a surcharge. I just want a taste! Work with me people I am on a diet! (lol) The waiter returned with our food. No queso. The kitchen will not do it, says the waiter. So, I ate my lunch special which consisted on 1/2 cup fresh fruit, 1 beef taco al carbon, 2 tablespoons guacamole and 2 tablespoons of pico. For $11. It was tasty, although Uncle Julio's serves their fajita meat medium and I would prefer medium-well. And the new location has a great atmosphere. But I am over Uncle Julio's and won't return. Can't get some queso on the side even when you offer to pay for it? At a restaurant with their premium prices, customer service (you know that thing where you do what the customer says) is not great. No thanks. Not for this chica. Adios, Uncle Julio.
(2)Evan T.
I have lived in Texas and travelled through California and Arizona, all hotbeds for great Mexican cuisine. Uncle Julio's is just as good if not better than any I have ever ate at. The portions are large and well worth your money, the service is great and very helpful and the food is outstanding. I hear it gets a little crowded on weekends, we went on a Monday so I'm not sure about that one. The crowd was everything from hipsters to businessmen, couples on dates to families of five. I would suggest anyone in the Atlanta area to stop by and give this place a look, I am a HUGE fan.
(5)Daniela S.
I guess I'm in the minority but I really like ol' Unca Hooolio's! It seems like it would be a cool place to go in the evening. It's all festive looking and has a nice atmosphere. I've only been there during lunch, so usually the place is more than half empty, but I've heard that it picks up at night especially on the weekend. And it's CLEAN - that's very important to me! And no doubt I'm seriously hooked on their chips and dip - simply delish!!!! Usually I'm grossly stuffed from all the chips that I'm never hungry enough to eat a meal while I'm there. But I order anyway of course! :) My usual order is the three taco plate with beef which comes with beans and rice. I love that they serve HARD tacos, I can't stand soft tacos and I'm sick and tired of "mexican" places that don't serve hard tacos....but I digress. The tacos are tasty, if not a bit greasy. I rarely can eat more than one of them because, as I said I'm already 'bout to explode from all the chips I've consumed. The rice is yummy, but I can't stand the beans. The beans come in a bowl...with broth. I thought they would be refried beans but I guess they are trying to go healthy and make them in a broth, like bean soup - meh, no thanks. All in all, I like the place. It's pretty pricey for lunch depending on what you get. They have a lunch menu but I never like anything that's on it, so I guess that's why my bill is a little higher than normal. Hopefully the next time I try it will be at night so that I can try one of their margaritas.
(4)Jen H.
I love this place! Their COMPLIMENTARY chips are homemade and my favorite in Atlanta. The Salsa is also my favorite. I hate when I go to a Mexican place and their chips are hard and stale. Uncle Julio's chips are soo crunchy and warm (just made) and yummy. I always get the fajitas which are also so tasty. The meat is of good quality and the tortillas are also homemade and warm and fluffy and soft and delicious. The Swirl drink is also good and it looks pretty with a swirl of purple and white. As for the service, I am amazed at how fast they serve the food. As soon as you sit down, they provide you with chips and salsa, instantaneously. Then the food comes out in like 5 minutes, all warm and sizzling.
(5)Sonya Y.
I used to enjoy going to this restaurant. The food is good but the service and management sucks now, things have completely gone downhill! The last time I was there, it took them making my order, which was straight from the menu, 3 times before it was right and the party I was with had finished eating. Embarrassing and the manager did not care one bit! He(Brad) acted as if it was a normal thing and joked about it saying "3rd is a charm" wtf???? Never again, I only continuously spend where customer service is a priority! The experience was horrible and restaurants come a dime a dozen I will just deal with my other "go to" places that appreciate the customer and customer experience! Dueces UJ
(1)Nicole R.
I heard of this restaurant through the "Burt Show" as I driving back from a long night at Opera Night Club! The next I received a Atlanta Restaurant Magazine in the mail and saw the advertisements for the same restaurant! (Must of been a sign) So as I always do, I grab someone to come with me and when I walked into this restaurant I was greeted by the hostess and serve fresh host chips with salsa dip and it was AWESOME! I later ordered the "Camarones Brochette" which is Six jumbo shrimp stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese and fresh jalapeño, wrapped in bacon and mesquite grilled over an open flame. Served on a sizzling platter with our famous Mexican butter!!!! I murdered that food and then I returned with boyfriend and ordered the "Juarez" which is also a favorite! After stuffing myself, I decided to order a drink and then comes the manager and he gives us a "funnel cake desert" FREE! We didn't even have room to eat it, but it was such a nice gesture, so we box it and ate it later :) On your next visit,let me know how it goes :) -Shevonda
(5)Brigitte M.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times. Some positives: The patio is large and located conveniently on Peachtree Rd. The decor/atmosphere is nice. Food is tasty. Some cons: A bit pricey for Mexican. Mandatory Valet (I am really neutral on this point), and the biggest con... *Horrible service* The horrible service seems to be consistently horrible every time I go. The wait staff does not come to check up on you after your food has been delivered, and it has consistently taken 20+ minutes just to close the tab. In fact, the last time I went on a double date that was to be followed by a movie, but the service was so slow that we had missed our movie!! :/ If you feel like spending a good bit of money on Mexican food with horrible service then by all means... The food is delicious but I am not sure it is worth it anymore...
(3)Melissa B.
Went here for Cinco De Mayo. The 2.5 hour wait didn't even bother me. The food is ridiculously overpriced. I orderd combination fajitas and I literally got 3 large shrimp, 2 strips of chicken and 2 strips of steak. Sour cream and shredded cheese is $2 extra! The fajitas were $20!!! I couldn't even make 3 fajitas out of what they gave me. I have been to better tasting and better priced restaurants. There's far too many Mexican restaurants in Atlanta ( one on every corner) for me to ever go here again.
(2)Autumn S.
I really enjoyed my tamalies. Also had a few bites of others food at table the ribs were actually delicious very flavorful. I was very satisfied with the drinks I had their margaritas only gripe is I was hoping to get pitchers of it instead of cups since we had a group. But other then that it was a fine experience and I would go back again.
(4)Branson S.
I was very pleased with the food and service I received from my server Olivia. However, when I tried settle a problem with the manager, Nick, he came to my table he was very rude and treated me as if I was ignorant. He was not willing to listen and did not offer any alternative solutions. As I left I tried to bring my displeasure with Nick's demeanor to his attention, and he continued to be rude and defensive. From my experience the adage that "the customer always comes first" does not seem to be something that Nick is aware of.
(1)Heather S.
I grew up in South Texas and I get pretty picky about mexican food. Everything I've ever had here has been similar to what I had growing up. Yes, it's a chain and yes, there is authentic food to be had on Buford but if you want some tasty food, good drinks and don't want to eat in a shack (taco veloz), then this is a good option. They have some higher end menu items (quail for instance), but I always just stick to the combination platters and the fajitas. It's more Tex Mex than true mexican but tex mex is my favorite so that works for me. It's a good place for groups even though it can get loud because it's kind of cavernous, but drink some more tequila and you won't care.
(4)Chelsey C.
Do not go to Uncle Julio's if you want to eat in less than 2 hours. Went one Sunday afternoon when it wasn't very busy and waited almost an hour for food that was mediocre at best. Would not go back.
(2)Heather I.
I guess I forgot about this place in my complaint about not having enough Mexican restaurants in Atlanta...but I do really like this place. The service has always been excellent, food excellent, guacomole AWESOME. The prices are a little north of your standard Mexican-American combo #1 & combo #2 places but way worth it. It's where you go when you want to go out for "Fancy Mexican" but don't feel like getting shot in the face at Rosa Mexicana. (I'm just kidding, y'all, I'm sure that can only happen once...) The parking lot is WAY big, too, and with parking lots size DOES matter. (I know you know what I'm talkin' bout.)
(4)Michael E.
I had lunch today here with my favorite gossip girl, Melissa L., and I have to say, it was ¡muy bien! I have a tendancy to prefer smaller dining rooms, so the size of the place is a bit overwhelming. But, once I was seated at a cozy booth in the corner, that subsided. We started with what were probably the best chips I've ever had. They are SO light, they practically float out of the basket. Unfortunately, I believe this would lead me to eat more of them, but, dang, they were good! The salsa was quite tasty, too - very peppery (as in black pepper, not vegetable peppers), which I like. I was kind of jonesing for a taco salad so I was bummed they didn't have one on the menu (really? no taco salad?), so I opted for the cheese and onion enchiladas. Boy, when they say cheese, they mean C-H-E-E-S-E! There was a lot of it (not that I'm complaining) which caused me a couple of embarrassing moments having to sever the melty cheese from my mouth as it was still connected to the food on the plate - you know what I mean. Again, a good problem to have. Melissa L. recommended I get a drink called "The Swirl" next time I'm in on a non-work day. She claims it's almost as good as a fro' mo' at El Taco, so I'll definitely have to give it a try. I got a little teary-eyed as a I left because it made me start thinking about Rio Bravo (remember that place in Buckhead?) which then made me start thinking about being 28 again which made me start thinking about what it was like to have a 30" waist which made me think of Backstreet on a Saturday night which, well, I should stop there. Overall, a solid Tex-Mex dining experience with good service, too. I will go back.
(3)Todd P.
I think the key to a better food experience with Uncle Julio is to avoid Friday nights. My friend and I decided to drop in at Casa Grande after the Yelp Elite event for a margarita and a quick bite last night and it was a marked improvement over my previous two-star visit. Our server was efficient, friendly but not overbearing. The food was well prepared and I was happy that my enchiladas weren't buried in a mountain of shredded iceberg lettuce like that poor taco dish of days gone-by. Fridays are still good if you are going just for drinks and eye candy. Ay carumba!
(3)Lisa A.
While I normally prefer a smaller family restaurant, I have to say that Uncle Julio has won me over. I LOVE the thin chips and salsa, the fresh hand made tortillas, and the fajitas! Yes, the place is huge and it annoys me how they ask my name and if I have been there before, but as soon as the chips arrive, it's all good! The prices are a bit high, but the quality of the meat in the fajitas is worth it. No scraps of mystery meat. Instead you get big strips of tender and juicy meat. It's not my husbands favorite, but we have a deal and every other week or so, we have lunch here.
(4)Dave L.
Very good food. While some of the other resturants in this chain have lost some of thier appeal, this one has not. the good is great as are the drinks.
(4)Aimee C.
Yay, I'm a fan is right! I love Uncle Julio's. I hadn't realized the restaurant was part of a franchise until I was asked to meet a friend here for lunch. Coming from Chicago (and obviously thinking the world is revolving around me) I was delighted for a staple in my life, just a hop, skip and a jump away. I love Uncle Julio's for the following reasons: 1. Their chips are so paper thin you can honestly eat an entire basket 2. Their salsa is delicious, it's saucy, rather than chunky 3. Their swirl margarita -- need i really say more 4. Their fajitas!! who doesn't love fajitas? Anyways, if you're looking for delicious mexican food with a fun and festive atmosphere, you can find it here.
(4)Lauren S.
Uncle Julio's has great food, as long as you aren't looking for dirt cheap Mex. It is definitely more expensive than Monterrey, etc. The patio is big & great for dinner before going out in Buckhead. The Swirl is a MUST! But be warned - they may be sweet & fruity, but a couple of those will get you! Parking is valet, which is a little bit of a pain.
(3)Kerry O.
Best steak fajitas in town with pretty competitive price. Just watch out for the swirls they're really tasty but they can sneak up on you if you don't keep count :)
(5)Umm N.
Uncl Julio's is a resturant that has everything working for it while having everything working against it at the same time. "How so?" you may wonder. Well let's break that down. What works: It is casual enough where no one will feel out of place in their worl uniform yet nice enough to take someone on a first date or even first anniversary. The decor is colorful and authentic enough to know that this isnt the average Mexican restaurant that can be found in the suburbs on almost every block. And as for the food? Oh yes, the food! It is fresh, it is amazing. The fajitas are absolutely delicious. My favorite is the mesquite grilled butterfly Diablo shrimp with steak fajitas. Most of the mesquite grilled items come with guacomole and pico de gallo. I like to add the cheese and sour cream combo. They have a variety of appetizers- queso (which is yellow), tamales, ceviche, shrimp cocktail, several types.of guacomole, ahi tuna tartar, and soups. Someone who is aware of the fact that Mexico DOES border an ocean and thus offers plenty of seafood dishes, AND there are amazing dishes beyond tacos and nachos --- such as Carne Asada, Quail, and Fajitas-- can appreciate the a place like this.... and that is where the problems begin. What Doesnt Work: Too many people are not aware of what all Tex-Mex food has to offer and thus settle for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and nachos. UJ doesnt do those wrong, but the fact that that someone's bill can come out to about 14 bucks before or after the tip for such a "simple" entree and soda can definitely spoil anyone's experienceand make them think that the meal was nkt worth what they paid. To me, this explains why UJ is such a hit or miss for people. People walk in this "TEX-MEX" restaurant expecting that combo list of meals that are around 6.99. ha! Not here folks. Drinks: Superb. Delicious. Summary: Dont waste your money on the enchiladas, tacos, etc thinking you are saving money. You'll walk out wondering how your bill still ended up around 15 or evrn 20 bucks and will be mad. DO spend your money on the more expensive items--- fajitas and specials-- and you will feel it was well worth it!
(4)Liz B.
While in Atlanta for business, a colleague and I chose this restaurant because we thought that a restaurant named "Uncle Julio's" must have character and we weren't disappointed. The hostess was genuinely excited to be at work and was a pleasure to interact with. Erika, is likely one of the best servers I've had the pleasure to interact with. Not only was extremely knowledgeable about the menu, her recommendations were excellent and her service was impeccable. Our meals arrived so quickly we thought that there must have been a mix up and that we'd received someone else's food. My colleague and I were both thrilled with our choices, and I highly recommend the fajitas with freshly made flour tortillas. Seriously - one of the best service experiences I've enjoyed in a very, very long time. I'll make a point to visit Uncle Julio's again next time I'm in town.
(5)Alex K.
The food was delicious, I ordered the tamales and they were the best I ever had. And I grew up in Texas too. These were much better and softer. The waiter was very friendly but a bit pushy, but the place was packed so I'm sure he was stressed from other tables too. The place is pretty pricey but their menu said everything was handmade from scratch so I guess that makes sense. Had we known the price earlier we probably would have went somewhere else but still worth it.
(4)Bobbin W.
I really needed a drink last night--and fortunately, one of my girlfriends lives around the corner from Uncle Julio's Casa Grande. I slurped a frozen Chambord margarita, shooting brain freeze tingles up my face. It really was a delicious drink, and if my tolerance were higher, I would have crushed another one. I ordered a soft taco plate, which came with two beef tacos nestled between a heap of shredded iceberg lettuce and a serving of spicy rice. The tacos were classic and perfect--nothing but ground beef, melted Cheddar, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes. Plus, the tacos were gargantuan--so I kind of ate four tacos... The meal also came with a little cup of black beans, which I poured onto the rice and slathered onto my chips. I barely could lift myself from my chair when it was time to go, but hey--I was hungry. My only gripe is that the restaurant doesn't offer fish or shrimp tacos. I actually didn't notice any seafood selections on the menu at all, and my sensitive stomach often only can handle ocean life, as opposed to heavy chicken or beef. The ambiance is pretty chill--I sat on the front patio, which overlooks Peachtree: a lovely sight at night. Perhaps the whizzing cars and sparkling skyline are what kept me mesmerized, causing me not to realize I downed about half the bowl of chips.
(4)steven c.
This is a tastey, if overpriced mexican restaurant, with somewhat of a scene. I think I was sitting in the bar portion, but I did notice the monstrous dining room behind me. The gaucamole is pretty good, and the fajitas were a nice size. To me it's not worth the 40% increase in price due to location. Complimentary valet was nice, but frustrating to see them drive 20 yards to an empty parking lot. In general, I don't go for spending extra money on ordinary tex-mex. If you're going to experiment with new ideas I'm willing to pay the price. Nothing food-wise out of the ordinary here, though. Overall, I enjoyed.
(3)Amber F.
Classic margaritas are awesome. Had the the special which was grilled salmon with rice and a tequila sauce that was amazing and large enough for my husband and I to share. Nice decor, but a bit noisy. Will be back for sure!
(4)Joel C.
Two of my co-workers, Ron and Michael; wanted to go out for a nice dinner: Ron - "Lets go to Casa Grande!" Joel - "Casa Grande!?!? The food isn't very good there!" Michael - "But its boys night on Friday night!" Ron - "C'mon Joel, you like to be in the scene and be seen!" Joel - "Awww...man! But the food sucks!" Michael - "Yes, but who needs food when there is eye candy!" Joel - "Ugh..." That pretty much explains the night as a whole! It was good to run into some people I haven't seen in a couple of years...honestly it felt more like a high school reunion than dinner on Friday night. It's been years since I have been here and its pretty much the same. Lots of guys all over the place sipping on margaritas, eating fajitas (minus the tortillas and carbs of course) and pointing fingers at people as they walk in the door. Definitely an uncomfortable feeling when you feel like you are on a catwalk and every ones watching you while you go to the bathroom! Good times, good times... Anyways, two stars for the food and an extra star for Friday Boys Night. If you were to bring me here any other day...I think I would pass...or even better, catwalk myself over to No Mas Cantina!
(3)Norman C.
We have been passing Uncle Julio's on our journeys into the city for several Saturdays nites now. Well low and behold opportunity knocked and we had time to stop and eat last nite. 5 star's all around, Service,decor, and the food. In a nut shell it reminded me of don pueblo's baypines back in Florida where we used to live which was a favorite of ours. We will most definitely be going back. The location is also ideal if your going to the Alliance Theater for a show. On a side note I also noticed a lot of family's with young { 3 to 5 } very happy to be there children. The wait staff greeted them with a cute dance and catered to them very nicely. And they where very well behaved little kidlets for their age group. My wife commented that they must be locals and it's a place they go to often.
(5)Andrew S.
This is your typical chain Tex-Mex fare. That said, the chicken fajitas were delicious. Service was so-so...Our waiter was super nice but served us a corked bottle of wine (with part of the cork floating in the bottle.) He also wouldn't pour the wine in our glasses (he said he was clumsy.) I give him credit for knowing his limits. I guess it's better than having a bottle of wine dumped all over the table. For that I should be thankful.
(3)Dawn B.
The reason that I'm only giving this place two stars has nothing to do with it's drinks, quality of food or customer service. So now that we got that out the way my disappointment came with the cost of the meal....come on Uncle Julios $16 for grilled chicken? Almost $20 for quesadillas and you serve me on a vinyl table cloth with plastic menus? I guess that's for the children who come here.
(2)Scott M.
For me, the best Mexican Restaurant that i have been to so far in Atlanta....went on a Friday night and the crowd was extremely "happy". Which is weird for me because as much as people talk about the "happiness" in Atlanta, I honestly rarely see "happy people". We'll this was happiness on steroids (at least the bar area, where we waited until we got a table). Service at the bar area was a little bit shaky, actually the damn place was so packed we had to go and get a server to order drinks. After slurping down a margarita, we were seated in roughly 20 minutes. Service was pretty good at Uncle Julio's surprisingly, I wasnt overwhelmingly hungry (per my usual), however, I did go ahead and order an enchiladas and tacos combination. I have come to expect so little when it comes to mexican in this town...between the overhyped Taqueria Del Sol---the over-hyped and simply gross El Azteca and the over priced Rosa's.....things just havent worked out well in the city on the Mexican front. Here, the meat was high quality (meaning i dont want no damn dark meat on a shredded chicken taco...), fresh, and seasoned extremely well. The salsa was pretty damn impressive, very fresh, very tasty. I felt like things were "clean" in the restaurant, and considering the looks of some of the mexican restaurants i have been to...this works extremely well for me. Service/food was great....so far my favorite mexican rest. experience in Atlanta.
(4)Roberta H.
I used to love coming here for the sangria swirl and guacamole. Stopped coming here because I couldn't stand the slow/rude service any longer.
(2)Andre S.
Get in my belly! Yeah, I was short of licking my plate clean after wolfing down my Chicken Enchililadas! The rice they served along with it was delish! The margarita's are thirst quenching, but somewhat on the weak side. I prefer to have that "omg, how am I going to drive home after drinking this" feeling after one sip of a margarita. Oh yeah, if you go on a Friday night, make sure to call ahead to make a reservation. This place gets mad busy!
(4)Jennifer B.
This used to be my favorite Mexican place when I first moved to Atlanta several years ago. Its definitely a step up from your typical Mexican place--the chips and salsa are great, as is their queso. They still really have some of the best tamales I've ever had. Oh and definitely the Swirl! Drink two of those and you are good to go! I loved sitting outside on a nice night watching cars getting towed from the Wendy's parking lot! Good times. I haven't been to Casa GRande in a couple of months, since we are now closer to Don Pablo's--our new fav tex-mex spot---similar menu, same quality, better prices. However, CG still holds a special place in my heart!
(4)Madeleine C.
This place serves darn good salsa and fluffy warm tortillas They have a great menu with some options you seldom find on Mexican menus, such as frog legs and quail. I think it's a higher-end Mexican restaurant with large portions and tasty food. Their enchilada with sour cream sauce, carne asada, and vegetable tamales are some of my favorites. Apparently, it's also a great place to socialize because every time I go, there is a crowd of drunkies by the bar drinking neon colored drinks with salt on the rim. I've heard they have great margaritas but I've never had one. The service is a little lacking even though they have tons of servers running around but maybe they expect you to be drunk and not notice the crazy wait. They take call-ahead seating.. and I highly recommend it =)
(4)Valentina V.
Story of highlights and maybe a couple of disappointment at Uncle Julio's Casa Grande. 1. When you live in Midtown you usually drive a lot by Casa Grande...funny enough, every time someone from another part of the city (or actually from another city) is in my car, always asks me if I've ever been there..."Oh, look at that huge Mexican place!" (and seconds afterward) "Have you been there yet?"...so yeah. And yes, an angelic choir for that big, big parking lot. 2. I finally got to go on the day of the moon eclipse. I was part of a large party, and as some other Yelpers pointed out, it seems the restaurant is designed for a bunch of tables with a bunch of people. Very comfortable for this purpose. 3. Chips and salsa, FANTASTICOS. El queso, semi-meh...well, almost there. It felt a little starchy to me. 4. Food is OK. I had the Carne Asada and it was fine. The sides didn't look spectacular so I didn't touch them. One of my friends had a mixed dish that included frog legs. He was OK about them and said they were a little too high on the garlic. I wouldn't push it to other food options away from the original Mexican dishes...but I found interesting to have such option in the menu. Verdict: When you've had the chance to eat sublime, out-of-this-world Mexican food in Atlanta, Casa Grande doesn't come close to the real experience (hint: Buford Highway small mom-and-pops Mexican restaurants, owned and operated by Mexican families that cook for their patrons like they are part of their household). 5. Waitstaff was nice, polite and eager to please but they seemed a little overwhelmed by the size of our group. 6. The sopapillas are good. But share an order, it's a big one...oh, and don't forget that ice-cream to pair up with the little, greasy puffs of joy! But the big bright stars of the night were in the glass and on the wall: oh...that mischievous Margarita! Deliciosa, deliciosa. If I wasn't driving that night, I'm pretty sure I was going to make excellent friends with Patron...and from the wall, you have that ENORMOUS painting of a chihuahua dressed up in one of the many Mexican folk costumes...yes, that little dude turned-into-a-giant kept staring at me during the whole meal, LOL! I don't want to imagine what happens when Patron and chihuahua meet and greet. FANTASIA version en Spanish... If you're having a birthday or one of the company bashes, this is the place to go to. Don't expect to have a memorable Mexican meal, though. Believe me, go to that magic not-so-yellow brick road Buford Highway is!
(3)Caitlin L.
I really don't get this place. My boyfriend and I are HUGE Mexican eaters, as in, we like our tacos and enchiladas. I don't really believe in fancy Mexican food, I tend to think there's something non-authentic about it and fake. We came here one hot summer afternoon because we've driven by a million times and have always wanted to try it; I mean, it stands out! I ordered a sangria/margarita mix which was very yummy and I suppose if I was more into alcohol than food, than this place would most likely get another 2 stars. Not only was it difficult for me to order my taco, enchilada, beans and rice because I suppose it was too simple for them..but it wasn't good! And the price was way too high for what it was. I'll go to Mi Barrio for some legit Mexican food and good margaritas, and it definitely won't break my bank.
(2)Rob M.
If a colonic is your idea of good Mexican food - then this is the place for you. Day two and I am still recovering. But, let's assume that's my issue. We waited nearly an hour on a Friday night, while enjoying an overpriced cocktail. Our server was charming, and seemed to be trying - but the service was terrible. Never cleared our empty cocktail glasses, forgot our app, forgot to take our app off the bill. Yes, the manager came and checked on us. So, they definitely seemed to be trying. The food? Truly nothing special. I had the cheese enchiladas - very standard and served with a hefty tablespoon of rice, and a small portion of beans. Had to request (and pay) for sour cream, and it did not include guacamole. I will say it's the best chips I have had in Atlanta. Crispy, light, not greasy. Clearly, you are paying for Buckhead and the trendy scene. Better actual Mexican food to be had.
(2)Corey J.
SWIRL ANYONE? that phrase takes me back to the 2003-2006 era....and no kids, we're not talking about a margarita....lol while I no longer do ghb/meth or what-not, I get a kick out of asking for a swirl, trying to keep a straight-face....drug references aside, Casa Bonita is always the go-to place when you want to see, be seen, and have above-average mexican cuisine. The portions are just right for this self-described fat girl, and even if you have to wait a little while for your table, the bar area is large enough to accomodate your wait-time. I would give 5 stars if it were slightly cheaper.
(4)Marla B.
I love this place and visit it regularly. Their tamales and steak fajitas are excellent. I love the freshly made, warm tortillas and the chips and salsa. The atmosphere is great and we usually have wonderful wait staff. However, i will say that sometimes their menu specials can be hit or miss. When it's good, it's great. When it's bad it's bland. Other items on their menu are definitely good. Not necessarily great, but better than many mexican restaurants.
(4)Victor F.
Go for the swirl. Get a designated driver or be prepared to call a taxi. Boys night is Friday night. Be prepared to wait a while and drink a lot. Very laid back. The staff is always nice, fun, busy, and eager to please. But for the love of God, make a burrito!
(4)Amber M.
Two stars: one for our bartender Bill and one for the salsa we devoured. Since leaving Santa Barbara in November 2007 I have had mad cravings for good Mexican food. Yesterday Rob K. and I went to lunch at Casa Grande with high hopes. The music brought us back to California, the decor was bright, the 1950's diner tables and chairs were just weird. This place is huge and I can imagine a lot of large after-work crowds going here for cocktails to wait out traffic. We sat at the bar and our bartender was exceptionally perky and entertaining. This was surprisingly not annoying at all. Ordered an a la carte meal (tamale, taco, beans) but got the wrong food delivered to me. Bartender made good by bringing out the missing item from my plate which Rob K. ate because I was so full from eating all the chips and salsa that came before the meal. The enchilada sauce tasted like it came from a jar. Too much cheese on top. Platters not plates. I hate that. In the end, my craving for good Mexican food has not been answered (yet - I am an optimist) but my curiosity about this big restaurant has been put to rest. Overall - bring your grandma here for good service and vibrant atmosphere.
(2)Fiona S.
Loud, over-priced, somewhat inconvenient location (if you don't know what you're looking for you might miss it, and if you are coming north on Peachtree, it's almost impossible to turn left into their lot) and just really not the kind of place I'd go out of my way for. And let's face it, northern Midtown on Peachtree is out of the way for pretty much everyone. Service was pretty mediocre. Not horrific, but sub-par and what I've come to expect from over-hyped "commercial" restaurants (as opposed to local joints and mom-and-pop places.) The food was ok - chips were definitely the highlight, which is pretty sad, actually. Fajitas were just fajitas, same as when I make them at home. The one thing that was actually tasty was the Swirl margarita. I'm a serious margarita girl and I really enjoyed the Swirl. I could see the potential of this place being just a bar with tex-mex bar food, but the dining room is just way too big and too loud. I really have no intention of ever going back here.
(2)Shannon W.
Food was amazing. I recommend the Jalisco. I got the beef one. The meat was perfection.
(5)Ritu P.
This place is one of the crappiest places in atlanta to have mexican food.. i ordered the vegetarian tamales and there was literally 3 or 4 pieces of bellpeppers in each tamale... horrible food... wont ever go again
(1)Carol H.
This place is great. It's a little pricier than other places in town but you're getting what you pay for. The home made tortillas are AMAZING. I always order cheese and onion enchiladas (a classic and a favorite of mine) and never leave unhappy. My family goes here whenever we're all in town because it has consistently great food. Oh yeah, and try their swirl margarita it's great, but be careful, they make them a little strong.
(4)ML V.
Wow, not good! Just ate here tonight for the first time and here is the verdict - good Patron margaritas and yummy chips, salsa and queso. That's it, stop there, that's all this place is good for. I had a quesadilla appetizer and the vegetable platter. The quesadilla had a strange after taste, almost metallic. And the veggie platter...it's as if they didn't put much effort into it because they're just vegetables. The portobello mushroom was so dry I asked for balsamic and olive oil. The waiter (who was strange and also dry) said they didn't have balsamic so I said I would just take some olive oil. I'm not sure what they brought me but it wasn't olive oil. My husband had an enchilada platter. He said the cheese enchiladas were good but the chicken one was awful. I tried it for myself. Awful indeed. AND it's pricey! I don't get it. Won't be going back.
(1)Katherine D.
Once day, my BFF and I stopped by Uncle Julio's for a girly frozen cocktail. We accidentally got so hammered that we forgot to go to school. Ah, the memories. Four stars for the drinks and the house made tortillas. Nothing else really matters. P.S. Supposedly their rellenos are something to write home about but I would steer clear of them. Too greasy.
(4)Erin W.
For festive fine Mexican dining try Casa Grande on Peachtree. I went with my boyfriend a few months ago and was shocked to see so many large groups. Casa Grande is very accommodating and ideal for super groups of 10 and 20. Whether you choose to sit indoors or on the patio overlooking Peachtree, you'll enjoy the flavorful food. Try one of Julio's Margarita's, especially the frozen swirl. The sweet frozen swirl blended well with my warm and spicy chips, salsa, chicken enchiladas, rice and frijoles a la charra. Casa Grande can be a little more expensive than the average authentic Mexican restaurant; however it's worth every penny. There are daily specials; they offer Sunday brunch and a Kid friendly menu. Casa Grande is not the best place for a date as the music tends to be loud. If you're taking the kids, don't go on Friday or Saturday evening. Additionally, Casa Grande doesn't accept reservations but the service is fast and friendly. For more information visit unclejulios.com .
(5)Bridget M.
As far as Tex-Mex goes, this restaurant was pretty decent. Not usually a huge fan of Mexica, but the Hello Stiletto shoe club got me through the doors. The restaurant itself was festive larger than I expected and the staff was very welcoming. I enjoyed the complimentary appitizers of quesadillas and nachos, but I can't say they were the best I've ever had. I did LOVE their signature drink, the Swirl. For anyone who likes margaritas and/or sangria, I highly recommend you try this drink!! Based on the experience I had, I would go back and try a few more things from the menu.
(3)Liz L.
Hmmm. Maybe it's because I didn't order a margarita. Maybe it's because it was 3:30 in the afternoon and the kitchen was not staffed to it's fullest ability. Maybe it's because I'm weird and I like my shrimp de-veined (because I know what those alleged "veins" really are). Or maybe it's just because the food I ordered just wasn't very good. But the shrimp fajitas that I got a) came with veins, and b) didn't come with cheese. Not a great combo in my mind. However, the chips and salsa were excellent. And my companions said that their food was decent. So, three stars. Even though my shrimp made me finalize my decision to become a full vegetarian and not a fake fish-eating "vegetarian," who technically should actually refer to herself as a pescatarian.
(3)Jackie H.
I liked it. I just sat at the bar and ate so I didn't get the whole experience but it was a friday and they were busy. The place is nice and festive. The prices are comparible to the area. The food was good and the service was fine.
(4)Chriss F.
My friend and I went again around 7pm on a Saturday night. Had the swordfish special with littleneck clams. Excellente ! The server was nice and helpful with the menu. I think going earlier in the evening allows you to enjoy your meal. The later it gets..the louder it gets. Ask for Matthew if he is available..nice, friendly service. We had the mint fried ice cream with mini sopapillas for dessert. :)
(4)Kori M.
So I absolutely love the Uncle Julio's in Chicago and i was really excited to see this location. Unfortunately, everything was sort of blah. I can't quite put my finger on it but it just was missing something. The service was ok. The food was cool. The patio was nice. Hmmm, it sounds blah as I'm typing it. I guess I just wanted everything to be super awesome but it wasn't. What a let down.
(2)Miranda B.
I loved my visit to Uncle Julios. It's a little pricier than I normally am willing to spend so it will have to wait until I have more spare cash, but they're worth the cost. The food was delicious and plentiful. Our server was very polite and to top it off we got a free desert since it was our first time ever going. This place is awesome. :D
(5)Becky B.
A friend and I just ate a Uncle Julio's last night and were both very pleased with the food and service. A word of warning, though: Don't look for a sign that says "Uncle Julio's". Instead look for a sign that says "CASA GRANDE" in huge letters because the words "Uncle Julio's" is practically illegible when driving by. They offer complementary valet, but I chose to park myself since I didn't have any cash for a tip. Even though the restaurant was pretty busy, we were seated immediately. We tried their signature drink called the "Swirl", which is a mix between a margarita and sangria and very tasty. The calamari is FANTASTIC--not the least bit rubbery like at most places. If you're up for dessert, you must try the sopapias! Good service, too.
(5)Chrissy A.
Uncle Julio's Casa Grande never fails put a big smile on my face. The atmosphere is bright, festive, and full of charm. Definitely a great place to celebrate a birthday, meet friends for dinner, great for dates, and also a great place to take the family. If margaritas are your thing, I'd highly recommend "The Swirl." It's Casa Grande's signature margarita..Sangria meets Margarita. I'll be honest, 2 of these drinks will guarantee a good time. 4 will give you an out of body experience. They are life changing, and worth the money...Even the boys like em! They might try to put up a fight due to the frozen-colored-nature of the drink, but once they try it...Its highly unlikely they will switch to another drink. Also, they have a special machine that makes their hot fresh soft tortillas-complimentary for ever table. The chips and salsa hit the spot every time. And the cheese dip isnt half bad either. (Buyers beware that is is the yellow cheese dip, not the white-id recommend getting it with the jalepenos!). I always order the steak fajitas. The steak is truly life changing. So tender and juicy..it comes out on a hot skillet with peppers and onions. I used to be a chicken girl...but ever since I took a chance with steak at this place, ive changed my ways-at least when i find myself at Casa Grande. Definitely get the cheese and sour cream..It adds to the fajita experience. And, although I hear that others love the charro beans, I tend to go for the refried beans instead. They will switch it out on request. Bottom line.... if you are looking to have a great night out-Try Casa Grande if you haven't already. Its a Mexican food lovers paradise. Definitely more sophistocated than your typical Mexican food joint. Id say it's ...Mexican Food meets Magic on a plate. Food: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Service: 4 Recommendations: Swirl Margaritas Steak Fajitas All in All: Seriously Addicted to the Swirl Margaritas and the Steak Fajitas..Life Changing!
(5)Nicole P.
I love this place. From the atmosphere to the food to the frozen margaritas.. the chips and salsa are fresh and really good too. The steak fajita is what I get all the time..We go to this restaurant at least once or twice a month. Each time I am pleased with everything. It can be a bit pricy after a few drinks but the margaritas are the best Ive had in the city. My favorite food item are the fluffy homemade tortillas...they are made in house right in front of you on this tortilla maker machine. The chips and tortillas are the best... You will enjoy this place just dont go expecting to eat for cheap it is pricy but worth the price tag.
(4)Falicia G.
What? Are those frog legs on your menu? No I didn't have the guts to try them, but there are several dishes on the menu that contain frog legs. Is that traditional Mexican? Hmmm... I did have the queso dip, which was terrific. I ordered 2 enchilada's: one chicken and one beef. They were both good. The best part, though, was my margarita! I would say that the food is much better than Pancho's on Buford Highway but, not as authentic as some other Mexican restaurants that I've been to. This food left me hopping right out the door. RIBIT!
(4)I D.
We sat outside on the patio, very nice. The service was great. The food was so delicious and plentiful. The crispy tacos are very good. We could not stop eating the Con Queso...it was sooo good. There are no chicken finger type foods for kids. Our youngest would not eat anything on the menu because he does not like Mexican food.
(4)Luciano G.
We were not impressed at all with their food. Small but pricey portions. I ordered skirt steak and It was too thin, dry and cold. Not eating there again anymore. Staff was very friendly and polite.
(2)Tracy L.
I'm not usually a fan of Mexican style food, but I came here since Hello Stiletto was having an event here. ATMOSPHERE: It's actually very nice inside. Upscale from usual Mexican places, which most are cheap, semi-fast food anyways. Nice and clean. Place is very big. Large bar area as you enter. Dining room is also very large which is further inside past the hostess. FOOD: There were complimentary appetizers at the party of which I tried: 1. Veggie quesadillas - good, but nothing special. 2. Tostadas (?) - tortilla chip with refried bean and cheese on top served with lettuce, tomatoes, jalapenos, sour cream, guac. 3. Salsa - this was yummy. It was different from the usual salsa I've had at other restaurant and from the grocery store...but can't pinpoint what's different about it. SERVICE: EXCELLENT. I was greeted by the hostess. She was very polite. I came super early so I can get some work done on my laptop while waiting and they were very accommodating. They moved a set of table and chairs by an outlet so that I could do this (my battery life is basically nil)! How nice is that! Since I was there early he went ahead and introduced me to the servers and explained how the party was set up. LOCATION: Next door to Ted's Montana Grill. Diagonally across the street from Chick-fil-A, Jimmy John's, Cafe Intermezzo. PARKING: Huge free parking lot behind the restaurant. CONCLUSION: Service is so good I'll probably come back to try some of the vegetarian selections on the menu.....but maybe we got all that attention since it was part of the shoe party... who knows.
(3)Yuna P.
After trying El Azteca, I gained some confidence in Mexican food. So my boyfriend and I tried this colorful Mexican restaurant with a bit of high expectation. When I stepped into the restaurant, it was pleasant to see authentic interior decor. It took us a little bit for the sitting hostess to sit us, but we were able to get a table in the patio - which I enjoyed. As soon as we sat down, the waiter came and greeted us and brought us tortilla chips and salsa - which was totally magical. The salsa was too spicy for me, but I don't do spicy food, so most people should be okay. I ordered Shrimp and Lobster Soup and salad, which was sort of mediocre. It took a long time for the food to come out as well - but at least we had the tortilla chips to chew on. I would definitely recommend this restaurant to any Mexican food lovers. Oh, and make sure to check out the tortilla popping machine as you enter the restaurant! It's quite amusing, really.
(3)Denise H.
The Swirl margarita & sangarita is the reason why I trek up to buckhead to Uncle Julio's! The chicken nachos are reason numero dos! Not a big fan of the guac though and for a mexican restaurant bad guac will cost you a star!
(4)Lisa L.
Not special, pricey, and mediocre service. Add to the fact that the server checked with the kitchen to make sure the baked beans were vegetarian friendly... and my friend found a piece of bacon in her serving. Nice.
(2)Rebecca O.
I endorse this place as part of a real Mexican food dining experience. The salsa here is by far a highlight, and the chips are consumed just as fast ... as are the frozen margarita with a swirl of frozen sangria drinks (just ask for a Swirl). You can watch very nice ladies make tortillas. Very loud, bright and fun atmosphere. Good work, Uncle Julio.
(4)Michael D.
The foods good its a great place to socialize and have large group gatherings good drinks the free valet is the best especially when i went it was raining so its a great thing very loud so not a great place for a romantic quite dinner. Also good service. decent prices.
(3)Neil N.
Uncle Julio's is the best Tex-Mex experience I've had since Rio Bravo self-destructed around 1992. Four of us ate at Uncle Julio's on Saturday, August 9, 2008, and had a fabulous time. The atmosphere was great. The food was excellent but the service could have been better. One thing I loved about Rio Bravo was their drinks were served in really huge tumblers; Uncle Julio's tumblers are large, about 16 oz, but not huge and I spent a lot of my meal with an empty tea glass. The waitress was pretty scarce but after all, it was Saturday evening and the place was bustling. I'm looking forward to going back to see whether another waitperson is more attentive. I went back on Sunday evening, December 21, 2008, and the service was much improved. Shawn was very attentive. What a great place; I wish I lived closer.
(4)Frank M.
With all the great mexcian food places on Buford Hwy, why go here?
(2)Gina C.
I came here last week with some friends that I haven't seen in a while. Since it is a central location, it was good for everyone. My friend and I shared the steak fajitas for one. It was a good sized portion so all you meat lovers out there, this is the entree to get! By the time you eat the chips and salsa, sharing the fajitas is perfect. I love the light crispiness of the chips and the salsa has the right amount of spice. The fajitas didn't have any fatty parts. They came with rice and beans which were both delish. The guac is chunky just the way I like it. I'm a big fan of Mexican so this place was a winner!
(4)louis n.
Gulity Pleasure. I come here to enjoy their famous "Swirls". half frozen margarita and half frozen sangria mixed. top it off with a shot of Patron and you got a party for one!
(4)Kathy B.
I just visited this place for the first time Friday for happy hour and dinner. The Swirl is a must! Very yummy and they don't kid around with this drink! Definitely sample the cheese dip for starters. Everyone at our table tried something different for their entree and no one was disappointed! The Nachos Especial and Chicken Enchiladas (try the sour cream sauce) were a hit. By the time we left, around 8 pm maybe, the bar was absolutely packed! Apparently it is the place to go for early night drinks! I must say, the service got a little slow towards the end of the night. Be patient though, overall, it was worth it!
(4)Erin W.
Good food, good margaritas. Huge portions. However, they don't offer pitchers, and the glasses they server margaritas in are tiny. The place is big and seems to handle lots of large crowds with ease. I've seen friends enjoy some of the massive platters that come with seafood, chicken, etc etc.
(4)Deanna J.
And again, the Swirl frozen drink is my best friend and my worst enemy. Strong, yes. Easy to drink, yes. Was I really paying attention to the food when it came out? No.
(4)Don b. M.
I have been a customer of this location for years, since it opened. Generally, the food is excellent (a touch pricey for what it is), the drinks are very over-priced (not unique to this establishment), but good, & a generally decent "time". However, when they do screw you (as they did to me last time), THEY WILL DO NOTHING TO CORRECT IT ("Corporate Policy"). My friend & I arrived at 9:05pm, Tuesday. I ordered the tamales appetizer; server said it would take "a while" since the kitchen had just had a "large party". No Problem, I love the chips/salsa/guacamole. Tamales came 25 minutes later; 5 minutes later they try to shove the entree on me (I had requested to not to have it til I finished the appetizer, as usual), the Manager came out to tell us to eat quickly & LEAVE (because they had hood cleaners coming). He never once acknowledged or spoke to ME, just my younger friend. He came out to hurry us out 3 more times in the next 15 minutes, never once speaking to me (the only one still trying to eat!). The server "Last Called" me for BOTTLED $5 BEER even BEFORE I had the first tamale eaten (What? They don't have a bottle opener after the Bar Staff leaves?). The asshole manger, Nick, even sent the poor server over (when I had 2 half-eaten enchiladas of 3 total) with a To-Go container, suggesting I LEAVE & take it with me! I refused, saying I had PAID for HOT FOOD in a restaurant, not cold take-out (which I couldn't even re-heat at my home!). In spite of the fact that we were gone by 10:35 (Posted Close Time is 10:30pm!), I was rushed (4-5 times), insulted, & not allowed to FINISH EATING the food I both wanted (I was very hungry!) & HAD PAID FULLY FOR!. I have never had a worse, more unreasonable, more INSULTING treatment in 57 YEARS of Dining (I grew up in a NOLA restaurant; worked as a Restaurant Host 2 1/2 years in Atlanta; & dined out 5-7 per week for 22 YEARS in New York, BTW!). A week later, even after phone calls & emails to the Manager & to their Corporate HQ, they have neither called, emailed, apologized, or done ANYTHING AT ALL, except to arrogantly say that it's "Corporate Policy" to do this to Customers & they NEVER, EVER 'comp", nor refund ANYTHING, for ANY REASON, so "F*** You, Mr. Customer!". THIS CHAIN WIPES ITS ASS WITH ITS CUSTOMERS! Just keep driving by this place! Update: Only after 10 days of calls did their HQ call back. They neither apologized, nor gave me back any of badly misspent money. No one goes to a restaurant, or store, EXPECTING a Horrible Experience. How WELL that business corrects its mistakes is what counts. These thieving, rude assholes DO NOT CARE. Patronize this place long enough, & you, too, will likely be screwed over without the simplest attempt to make things right.. AVOID!
(1)Vincent V.
Not enough of a step above the El Azteca down the street to merit double the price. This Texas based chain tries very hard to deliver higher end Tex Mex, but it doesn't distinguish itself form the other Tex-Mex chains at all. I'd rather go to Buford Highway and find some dirty hole in the wall place and risk the intestinal discomfort. The drinks were very overpriced. You're getting a shot glass sized margarita for full sized prices...and it's not like the drink tastes twice as good as the margaritas you can get elsewhere, it just costs that much. The patio overlooking Peachtree is a nice feature. The added elevation gives you a good view of the black-clad Intermezzo crowd and the giant bison statue at Ted's.
(2)Amoura W.
i like a lot! at first i wasn't too sure, i had been to the place a few years back when it wasn't Uncle Julio's. but was just there two weekends ago, and they have the BEST chips & cheese dip i have ever had. Everytime I go i get a to-go order just for that! Also the steak, shrimp, fajita meal is really yummy:) worth checking out!
(4)Shai T.
It's pricey but the lobster fajita is the Bomb!!
(5)Shannon H.
Yum, yum, yummy mexican food. Kid friendly before 8:30pm, not so much after 8:30. Excellent chiles rellenos, fajitas, and enchiladas, but important to note that one order of most anything is enough to feed two, especially after cheese dip / chips and a couple margaritas. Go when you're hungry, or really in need of an awesome drink (I recommend a swirl or three).
(4)Barney B.
food is decent, and fairly typical for this type of joint - nothing really authentic, but standard options for a Mexican-influenced menu in the US. the atmosphere is big and cavernous, which leads to an unneccessarily noisy place.
(3)john k.
Uninspired. Very tasty margaritas.
(2)Carter M.
Excellent Service. Love the Rocks Margaritas and Salsa. I wish I knew the Salsa Recipe!!!
(5)Dave A.
Uncle Julio's is a big festive space. They have a special ten thousand dollar machine that makes the softest tortillas complimentary for every table, and their signature "Swirl" (sangria and margarita mix) packs a potent punch which hits the spot every time. The food is good too. For the foodies, they serve some pretty sophisticated entrees, but I usually just share the fajitas for one - after swirls, chips, and queso, that's really all I need.
(5)D.L H.
Pretty good for a mass seating restaurant. Try the enchiladas with the red sauce. I loved it, no complaints here.
(4)Margo R.
Hip, hip, hooray for good Mexican food! First of the all, the exterior and interior are equally bright and exuberant. The red, yellow, and blue umbrellas on the patio really draw attention from the street. I was worried this place would be tacky, but it actually wasn't. Casa Grande is a great place for a group of friends to gather because the atmosphere is lively and who doesn't love quality Mexican food?? I like the chicken quesadillas. The sangria is good, though I am more of a Margarita girl. It's more expensive than let's say, El Azteca or Taco Bell, but the quality is incomparable. Me gusta, me gusta.
(5)Grant M.
ok enough Tex Mex restaurant. I'm probably a bit jaded though, having recently moved here from Houston, TX.
(2)A + P.
Just got back from Saturday night dinner at Uncle Julio's. We don't like places with a loud atmosphere like this, but we came by after we decided not to wait an hour plus at Rosa Mexicana. Here, the wait was 15 minutes, which was acceptable, but as we were finding it to be noisy while we were waiting, we almost bailed. Anyway, I had the quail a la parilla, and my wife had the special pollo blanco. It seemed unusual to find quail and frogs' legs on a menu of a Mexican restaurant, so I went for the quail just to try something that I don't usually get a chance to try. It was good, though maybe a little too much of the chipotle sauce, and harder to eat than chicken just because it's smaller and more bony. I had a strawberry margarita which wasn't very strong. I didn't try the pollo blanco, but it looked to have too much cheese for my taste. We also overdid it on the tortilla chips (with the house salsa plus an order of guacamole), so we definitely had more than we could eat and brought enough home to have another meal out of this. The chips were nice and warm, though too fragile to be able to scoop the guac.
(3)rashmi d.
yet another "tex mex" restaurant in atlanta that's not very impressive. the food, margaritas, and service were all average. definitely not worth the price you pay. went on a sunday night so it was also pretty dead. keep in mind i'm a texas girl, so i might be a little picky when it comes to tex mex.
(2)