Uncle Julio’s Gaithersburg
231 Rio Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
Uncle Julio’s Gaithersburg Menu
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Address :
231 Rio Blvd
Gaithersburg, MD, 20878 - Phone (240) 632-2150
- Website https://www.unclejulios.com/locations/gaithersburg/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Loud
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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Patricia G.
In a word.... EXCELLENT!!!! Excellent Food, Excellent Service, Excellent Value, Excellent Drinks....
(5)Justin H.
I was thoroughly disappointed. I ordered the fajitas off the lunch menu and was brought 4 tiny little fajitas that looked like they could have fit in a Lunchables box. These cost me $10 when I could have gotten Lunchables at the grocery store for $2. Left feeling hungry and cheated. The waiter was very nice though, so +1 for service.
(2)Nai L.
This place is ehhhhh. It's not a bad place to eat but it's nothing special. The fajitas are pretty good and the portions are huge. Unfortunately, the service is a little lacking and inattentive. They're always packed so there's always a 15-30 minute wait so sometimes its not even worth the wait.
(3)Salma M.
I mean how many times do you have to ask for your tortillas for your fajita wtf or my drink
(2)Filipina P.
This place makes awesome fajitas. I even liked the chicken fajitas, which I usually don't like in most Mexican restaurants because they end up being very dry and stringy. Last time I was here, the chicken fajitas were very flavorful and juicy. A+ Service is pretty good here too. It gets very loud and busy even during lunch, and I never felt like I had to strain to get my server's attention. Every time I go, the servers are pretty good at checking up on us. Much better that the other Mexican place - better service, better atmosphere and better (not as heavy) food. Good place to hangout after you take the kids to the nearby playground next to the lake. A steady and reliable restaurant. Not the best Mexican food I ever had, but still good.
(3)Adil B.
The complimentary salsa and chips here are delicious. Very thin chips and slightly-spicy salsa (you can ask the waiter for a hotter version). We came here on a Friday night and the wait was about 20 minutes for an outdoor table for four. Outdoor seating overlooks the lake at Rio - nice view! I do wish the outdoor lighting was stronger, though. Uncle Julio's has two menu sections: the cheaper section, with items like tacos and enchiladas, and the more-expensive section which lists the restaurant's specialties. The wait for food was rather long, but we got free dessert and the waiter was a nice guy.
(4)Lynn M.
Food and drinks are always great. Had our Employee holiday dinner there, approx. 20 people. Great service and we all really enjoyed it. We were there on a busy Saturday night, they don't except reservations and wouldn't provide the table until 10 of us were there... but the bar is great and once we had the 10 the wait was not more than 15 minutes which is great for a group seating of the size on a busy night.
(5)Tochi K.
Uncle Julio's has pretty awesome drinks--their margaritas are the best in the area! The chips and salsa are good but I wasn't too impressed with their food. It wasn't horrible but I wouldn't go out of the way for it. Their Tacos were most disappointing. The fish and beef tacos did nothing for me; the Chicken Tacos were just plain old horrible--the chicken was soupy and tasted like it had been boiled in water and nothing else. Not surprisingly, the dinning are seems to be popular with families while the front feels like a great happy hour spot. My rule of thumb for Mexican food at the Rio is: For better food, walk across the bridge to Guapos; however, you'll have to settle for margaritas and drinks that don't live up to what you'll find at Uncle Julio's. For great food, drive up to "Taco Bar" on Fields Road (off the side of the gas station next to the Japanese steak house); however, you'll need to settle for a cafe-like environment with only 4-5 tables, be comfortable with mostly Spanish speaking staff, not mind sharing the front with a beer & wine store while you can't drink, ... and oh yeah, truly great and delicious food at lower prices!
(3)Mike M.
Big fan of Uncle Julio's. Very good quality food and very consistent. You really have to hand it to the wait staff, it's gotta be hard to keep up with a restaurant as large and high volume as this place. Is it always perfect, no. It can be WAAAYYYY too loud. They have concrete floors and not much fabric to absorb noise so it is deafening when they are busy. You cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you without yelling. And, be prepared for a wait. They do call ahead seating but even with that you usually have to wait. Their own success is their biggest downfall. The only issues I've had at Uncle Julio's have actually been with other customers. At this last visit, there was a large family at the table next to ours, maybe 8-10 people. They all shared multiple orders of fajitas. As they finished the obscene amount of food on their table they kept setting the empty plates and bowls on the floor between our table and theirs. My kids were on that side of the table and couldn't get up from their seats without backing into plates on the floor. The group stayed for a long time, letting their kids run around the place and talking. I think the waitress was too intimidated by them to try picking up the stuff from the floor till after they left. And of course, the customer never picked anything up. When they got up to leave they just stepped over their plates. It was really odd and made it a bit uncomfortable for us. As soon as they left, the bus staff came over, split the tables up and cleaned everything up. Just weird. All that said, I'm kind of in a rut, I love their cheese and onion enchiladas. I pretty much get them every time. Yeah, there's other stuff that's great but for $9.99 the enchiladas are hard to beat. The salsa is very fresh tasting and the chips are amazingly light and crisp with just enough salt. They make their own corn tortillas on site. We'll keep our once a month habit of dinner at Uncle Julio's and just hope we don't run into any more strange customers........
(4)Oscar S.
Okay, I only gave Uncle Julio's 5 stars because it's been one of my favorite restaurants since it was Rio Grande. Same thing, nothing changed. Their food is really good and is always fast and fresh to come out (that's what she said). Besides the food, they have these wonderful drinks called..Swirls. Fellas, I used to be anti-frozen Swirls..that is until I had one. And then a second..and then. Well let's just say that if you can handle 3..well really who drinks 3 frozen drinks at a restaurant, lol. The staff is very friendly and even though the wait might be a little longer during the weekend evenings, it's still a fun atmosphere and good place to go. PS. Get the 'Carne Asada' or 'Juanitas Platter'. Oh yeah, and the 'Chx quesadillas' are also a favorite!
(5)Liza A.
Love the swirl drink its has the best mix of flavors and masks the alcohol so well that u wont know when u past the second one cus u might be drunk then. So make sure u have someone else driving. ;) Food its ok but not a wow factor I think this is the standard USA Mexican fussion.
(4)Donna Y.
Uncle Julio's signature swirls are delicious with nice layers of sweet and tangy. The complimentary chips and salsa are great. I wish the chips were thicker so it doesn't break every time I go for more salsa. I've gone here many times for lunch, dinner and happy hour and I've tried the tacos, fajitas, frog legs, quail (which they don't have anymore), and enchiladas. All are seasoned very well and tasty. The portions are huge. Most entrees comes with rice, beans, and salsa so I would recommend sharing with a friend.
(4)Georgio S.
Went in on Sunday with the family after doing a little shopping at the target close by. We were a party of 5 and were seated pretty quickly. Service was excellent and no lie our appetizers were on the table in 5 min. We had the Steak Nachos and the 3 pepper guacamole. Both were outstanding so were the free chips and salsa. Wife and I ordered the Surf and turf fajitas. The fajitas were disappointing, meat lacked flavor. The plates in general just weren't as good as the last time we visited. Next time going to try Guapos to compare and post my review. The flan for dessert was inedible due to the sauce having a burnt taste. Getting a bill for 150 bucks also left a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't of minded the bill if all the food was good.
(3)Liam S.
Always packed on a weekend. The food can be decent, or maybe not. Depends on the time of day and how they feel like serving on that night. I got the Grilled Fish Tacos, couldnt believe the size of all the food on my plate, the tacos could have used more fish though. overall decent, but costly for it's quality.
(3)Chris C.
Food (enchiladas) was lackluster, but I loved their chips and salsa which is always a plus. Customer service (I was at the bar) was excellent.
(4)Isabelle G.
The fajitas are great! The chips are okay - not the best but not the worst either. Both times I went there, the restaurant was really loud. Go there but try to go on a quieter day - Wednesday lunches might be quieter than weekend dinners.
(4)Good E.
i came with a moderate sized group of 9 friends the chips that came to the table were good. the salsa was bad. i am starting to wonder if they do this on intention to make you buy guac. well we didnt do that. i had juanitas platter, which was ALOT of food; taco, enchilada and tamale. i liked the taco but i was not a fan of the tamale. the enchilada was nice and spicy. i had beef in the taco, pork in the tamale and chicken in the enchilada. others at the table had quesadillas, breakfast tacos, shrimp fajita and steak fajita. while i didnt personally sample, others told me that their food was pretty good getting a table held was a bit of pain since they do not make reservation on the weekend but in the long run getting us seated was not much of an issue. parking was also ample in the back. ambience was nice, the eating area is quite spacious and i was surprised to see that they also had a bar which from afar looked very good. bathroom was clean i would like to come here again with a big group, preferably in the evening or a happy hour time so that I can try their swirly margaritas!
(4)Ali S.
Always busy when you really want a margarita or fajita. Pray for a seat in the bar area, otherwise you're going to have to wait. Get their margaritas on the rocks, salt if you choose Cuervo otherwise you can forgo the salt with top shelf. Their chips are pretty fresh and delicious, but they have a very liquid consistency salsa that isn't much better than Pace Picante. I recommend the fajitas, but the proportions are monstruous. Fajitas for one fills two hungry people and makes a good appetizer for three-four people if you're just there for drinks. It seems like they never bring enough tortilla bread the first time, luckily they will bring you more. On a parting note, I really wish sour cream and cheese were just included in the price. They really want to upcharge a trivial two bucks, and then I sit there and go.... 2 dollars for something that will only destroy my health, nothnx. If it came with it I would just slather on the stuff and pay no attention.
(3)C M.
Subpar at best. The food is average and fairly overpriced. They also don't have any beers on tap and charge $5 for Modelo Beers. Go to taco bar around the corner for real Mexican.
(3)Eva O.
Major things went wrong but service and ambiance still warrants them a 3. First off, the Sat night wait was long enough for me to paddleboat around the Rio lake and repeat 5 times. And I wish I had. By the time our little buzzer went off, I was beyooond famished. We were seated outside in the beautiful weather. My Dos equis and chips/salsa came out really quickly (and disappeared just as quickly). The chips were thin and crispy with that nice, just came out of kitchen quality. So I ordered the fish tacos and that's when things started to go downhill. 2/3 tilapias were burnt. I ate the first over-charred one but when another was charred again, I had to send the taco back. Our server was such a sweetheart, took my plate, and did not give me an ounce of trouble. But 15 minutes later, she came back with a tiny plate and my poor, poor, lone taco. What happened to the rest of the plate? My guac and salsa? Rice and beans? I had to request for the other items on my plate again. By now our Uncle Julios experience was running 2.5+ hours long. I'm not even going into the whole miscommunication with the bill thing...we did get some free sopapillas, service was excellent, and the place is otherwise poppin'.
(3)Yasmin K.
So this review is for vegetarians. The first time I went, I loved the food and everything was great. I asked numerous times if the rice, beans, sauce on the enchiladas were vegetarian, and I was assured that they were. The next time I went, I was told almost everything I had ate the first time, contained chicken stock. When I told the waitress that last time this was vegetarian, she replied that this happens all the time. The waiters and waitress and cooks in the back are really unsure of what is vegetarian so there is a lot of inconsistency. I was also charged additionally for the substitute cheese sauce to the meat sauce (the cheese sauce is extremely heavy and not very enjoyable). They do not have any rice that is vegetarian. It is extremely easy to make Mexican food vegetarian friendly, but even after talking to the manager, it seems as though Uncle Julio's will not take any steps anytime soon to make their food vegetarian friendly. For the options they do have, they will charge you extra for and it is overpriced to begin with. The only positive is that the service is friendly.
(1)Micah P.
All right, I went again. My review of the atmosphere stays the same (it is beautiful and the perfect place to eat outdoors on a nice day, etc). However, the food got better. Although the fajitas weren't the best, the fish tacos are not bad. I don't have any complaints for them. Also, their margaritas are pretty tasty too. The strawberry margarita hits the spot and gets you going. The wait staff I came across this time was a lot more friendly and personable than my last visit. Come on a nice day. FYI: if you come here for lunch, they have some stuff on their "Lunch Menu" that is also offered in their regular menu (ie. the fish tacos), but a smaller portion.
(3)Anthony M.
I want to love this place but I just can't. The outdoor seating is definitely preferred as air conditioner is freezing inside. Outside the ambience is excellent and the margaritas were good. But the food is inferior quality to Cafe Rio and is twice the price. The Calamari special was completely burnt and the salsa on the side tasteless. Because we got an appetizer our mains came 70 minutes after our order. We got many apologies due to"many trainee staff today" but this is clearly on the kitchen's inability to cope with a full restaurant at 4pm on a Sunday. If they were understaffed in the kitchen that may explain the extremely poor children's menu. ($6 for 5 (not joking) corn chips with processed cheese melted on them - nachos?). My soft tacos were good but a bit bland. My wife's Tamales tasted old and a lame excuse for vegetarian option. The prices are really tough. $16.99 for shrimp salad. $18 for fajitas. For those prices they need to be the best in the area and they fall way short.
(2)K L.
Excellent location, food was okay, but the service, specifically the hostess staff, was horrible, embarrassingly so - that is your first impression when you enter a restaurant. They were rude and condescending. In their defense, it was extremely busy, but I really don't think their attitude was the appropriate response. If I feel comfortable waiting an hour for a table, that is my prerogative. I took my buzzer and did not "bother" them again until my table was ready, the waiter in the bar area was fantastic.
(1)Yosh H.
My friends raved about this place and because my hotel was a few minute walk away, we all decided to do a group meal here recently. We kept things simple by ordering the Plato Gordo (marinated beef and chicken fajitas, costillas and camarones brochette. Served with rice, frijoles a la charra, pico de gallo, fresh guacamole and warm flour tortillas.) and the Honey Chipotle Salmon (mesquite grilled with honey chipotle glaze served with corn-black bean-cilantro rice and a side of pineapple pico de gallo.). Both were great sharing options. Also, the chips and salsa are AMAZING! Delicious! Dessert was Sopapillas (puffed Mexican pastries sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar, Served warm with honey for dipping), Coconut Flan, and Cajeta (vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut and pecans. Topped with our homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream). Which was comforting because I spilled a glass of lemonade all over myself while passing the salmon around the table. Nothing says it's okay to spill beverages all over a table quite like sugar.
(4)Adrian B.
They were very busy on a Friday night but we were seated in a very quick 10-15 minutes. Service was prompt and attentive. Menu was extensive. Food came out fast and good. Drinks were great. We had a great time and have nary a complaint. It's easy to see why this place is so packed - they know how to run a good restaurant.
(5)Sjoerd C.
Loved the quails, pity restaurant little too crowded and noisy to talk with your companions at the table.
(3)Brittany M.
George was our server this evening and I just want to make sure it is known how wonderful of a waiter he was. We have been to this location several times...food and service are always good, but tonight George made it GREAT! He was friendly, speedy, and accurate. I feel it is important to give credit where credit is due, and this young man deserves a lot of credit. Thoroughly impressed with the customer service!
(5)Amani A.
I come here a lot since its not a far drive from my Casa & it's a good place to hang out with friends ... Never really care too much for their food. The only really good thing they have going is the queso, swirls, and piña colada.. I have had the fajita's and taco's several time much much better at Guapos! But on the plus side it's much cleaner and prettier than Guapos
(3)Jennifer E.
Yummy! Their swirly margaritas are amaze! Great hang out spot for friends!
(5)Amitabh A.
Went here with some friends for lunch. We got here at around noon, got a menu around 12:20, were able to order by 12:45, and left the restaurant around 1:20. There. That's my complaint for this restaurant. As far as the food goes, I ordered Pedro's platter and asked the server if that was vegetarian. She made some suggestions for vegetarian options, and how I could get the Pedro's platter with vegetarian options. She knew exactly what vegetarian meant, and she made useful suggestions. The food was excellent - the best mexican food I have tasted to date. Seriously. I would love to go back here just for the food.
(4)P K.
It is ok. Food is similar to most Tex Mex restaurants. It is very pricey for what you get though...
(3)Scott M.
Great atmosphere, outstanding food, Skirt Steak was tasty, only issue is the margaritas are tiny and pricey.
(4)Matthew L.
I'm not sure if it's a chain restaurant or not but if it is, it's among the better chain foods I've had. I came for a business lunch one time, and I was quite impressed. They have all the normal tex-mex requisites, but there fajitas are outstanding. I think it is the tortillas. I'm going to assume they are hand made. They are delicious. I would come here for them alone. They do get very busy and parking is tough. I would recommend a reservation if coming here for lunch.
(4)Susan M.
The Chicken Fajita Cobb Salad wins on so many levels. Highly recommended. FYI: Lunch time service seemed a little slow for our larger party (7 people). It took ~15 minutes to pay our bill.
(4)Kara T.
SERIOUSLY this is one of my favorite restaurants ever. I grew up in MD and had gone to the Uncle Julio's in Bethesda. Now when I visit my mom, we go to this one in Gaithersburg just because it's a little easier to get to from her house. It is also a necessity to go every time I'm in town. There isn't an item on the menu I wouldn't recommend, although every time I go I end up getting/splitting the half and half chicken and beef fajitas. Must get queso too as an appetizer. They have my favorite kind of chips - light and crispy. The patio at this Gaithersburg location is great - looks over a lake area. There's not much more to say! I very highly recommend stopping in at Uncle Julios no matter which location you go to!!!!
(5)Amber L.
HAIR IN MY SALSA. TWO HAIRS IN MY FAJITAS. The manager seemed completely unbothered and as if he's received this complaint before. I am so disgusted by all means possible. If THREE hairs can safely make it before my eyes then how many did I eat? There is no redemption for Uncle Julios.
(1)Josselyn E.
For location and to be an ambassador of the Latino gastronomy, as a latina I would expect WAY more, even presentation on plates such as "Huevos Rancheros" should look more presentable and not so cheap, where homemade potatoes looked as if they were frozen ones, where overeasy eggs where not cooked at all and the tortilla was serving as a plate for the eggs; as Latinos know we don't serve our food on top of tortillas unless this tortilla is a TACO, BURRITO, BALEADA, QUESADILLA, OR MEXICAN ENCHILADAS, and we Latinos sure know this, since tortillas are our bread. To follow, when I saw reviews here I was expecting; to much probably. I felt kind of proud that such restaurant was representing "Mexican food" to see reviews here was kind of inspiring, we should always expect the best of food anyways, food should enter our eyes and nose in a way we are suppose to fall in love for it. But when you see the pictures you will feel NOTHING for that food, not love nor appetite. As Latinos, we should criticize Latinos restaurants that are located in places like this, and where their cheaper plate is not as cheap because is 12 dollars plus taxes (not included). And where the community ends up believing that's the way our food is made, coming from a country where food is the expression of care and love to our own, this place should have a really good critic from Hispanic heritage come and review this place; and demand more. I love food, and when I go places like this, reminds me why I drive to Riverdale once in a blue moon, just to eat REAL Mexican food, it is an honor that in places that hidden and we get to fund them food is served with such care and such great taste. I sure now know NOT to come back to this place again; since I ended up inside "Corner Bakery Cafe" way better.
(1)Jessica R.
There aren't a whole lot of Mexican restaurants in Gaithersburg with waiter service so my friends and I didn't have much choice when we had a craving for Mexican. We came hoping to get some happy hour specials. Unfortunately, they don't have food specials on happy hour and they only offered something like $1.75 off their margaritas...some happy hour special.... We started off with the guac and queso combo. The presentation was kinda lame -- just a tiny bowl of queso and some guac slapped on the side. The guac didn't taste fresh at all. You can pay more to have the guac made tableside, but c'mon, all your guac should taste fresh. The queso was pretty good though. I definitely wouldn't order this again though. For my entree, I went with the Carnitas tacos. Again, I was disappointed. I wasn't a fan of the tortillas they used and the taco itself just wasn't that great. The only redeeming quality about this place was the complimentary chips and salsa and their Swirls (half margarita, half sangria). Sorry Uncle Julios, but mediocre food and mediocre service -- I won't be here again.
(2)Vashaan J.
I absolutely love this place for Tex Mex in the DMV area. The ambiance is great and so is the food. There frozen margaritas are the highlight of the restaurant to me personally. I tried something new and ordered the red snapper and it was delicious. Cooked just right and the toppings were on point. I will be coming to this one more often.
(5)Mary Kate M.
I had a really good time here last night celebrating an early Cinco de Mayo. Food was good and the drinks were good. My main complaints were the aloof server who looked like he was half baked and the less than sanitary bathrooms. Apparently this applied to both the women and men's restrooms according to my dining partners. When one of my dining partners were leaving the men's bathroom he mentioned that someone was going in there to clean it. By the sounds of it -- I would not want to go in there either until a mop and a solid wipe down of the sinks occurred. Ambiance was busy. We had to wait about 30 minutes to get patio seating which was worth the wait. We spent half of the time at the bar, and the other half at our patio table. Both were relaxing, but the patio overlooking the water right at dusk with a beautiful moon sold it for me. You could have asked for anything better -- margaritas and a pretty night = a night done right. For my dinner and left over lunch today I had the chicken and steak fajitas. This could easily serve people going for $19.99. This is one of the heartier menu items where you get a variety of things such as guacamole, sour cream, beans, rice, tortillas, plus the obvious proteins. This is a solid choice if you're very hungry. It's well prepped and tasty. Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5 rounding down due to lack of cleanliness.
(3)Nicole B.
Let me start by saying their margaritas are awesome. We started out at a cocktail table while waiting for something to open up outside and so we ordered a round of their fresh flavor of the day (watermelon). The margaritas were fresh and awesome. I also got a mango one later on which was equally as good. I would say they are overpriced for the size - $10/11 for a small glass. The chips and salsa they bring out were so much fresher and better than anything you'll get from an On the Boarder. That being said the cocktail waitress was rude and snippy. Had she been friendlier we definitely would have stayed inside instead of moving after drinks. We all work in the industry - a smile goes a very long way. Our waiter outside was so much friendlier. The food was good - my one complaint about the tuna tacos is for $16 I would like more than one skinny little piece of ahi tuna in each taco. There was way too much slaw to fish ratio for the price.
(4)Sakeeeennnnaaa H.
This place is decent. I prefer mariachi in Rockville. This is tex-mex. Not Authentic mexican by any stretch of the imagination. However their chips and guacamole are really really good. The wait on Saturday is atrocious. Service was great the first time, and just ok the second and 3rd.
(3)Leo Y.
We always come here whenever one of us have a birth day, not because they are great at birth days, we just end up here whenever we ask the person who's birthday is up they alway end up picking this place. I guess this must be our favorite restaurant. Just try their table side guacamole, it was better then I expected, they alway give you a lot of food, the staff was new but effective, great value for a family outing. Will alway be our go to restaurant !
(4)Yan C.
5 stars for the the restaurant's design, food, and service! My friend took me to Uncle Julio's when I said I was craving for Mexican food. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. The bright colors of the exterior immediately caught my eyes. The restaurant is ginormous. There is a bar in the front and more tables and booths toward the back. The interior is rather quaint. It is decorated with chandeliers, paintings, interesting vases, and deer heads. We wanted to sit at a booth by the window. The hostess happily accommodated our request. My friend and I shared Chicken and Steak Fajitas for two. We took fellow Yelpers' suggestion and each got a Swirl - a mixture of sangria and margarita. It was a creative idea and cool presentation, but I think I would prefer having them each individually. While we waited for our food to be ready, we munched on the bowl of tortilla chips -- they were crunchy and warm, as if they were fresh out of the oven. The salsa was a bit spicy, which I liked but my friend preferred mild. Our food came very shortly. The tortillas came in a steaming container. They were warm, soft, and fluffy - very different from the tortillas that I was used to. There were only 4 tortillas in a serving but you can always ask for more. We had a generous amount of meat, vegetables, sour cream, and guacamole. I preferred the steak than the chicken - it was cooked medium rare, incredibly juicy and flavorful. I love my food spicy, so I asked for Tobasco on the side. :P The portion was more than enough for the two of us. We ate about 2/3 of our food and had enough leftover to bring home for dinner. Overall the food was on par with the Mexican food I had in Texas. Dining here brought back good memories when I used to live in TX. Lastly, I have to give kudos to our waiter, Ernesto! He was so helpful and came to check on us from time to time. He even offered us more tortillas to take home! Thanks for the awesome service! I will make sure to stop by next time I visit Maryland.
(5)Marley D.
EHHHHHH... A lot of Yelper's always say "I tried to like this place" and idk if they mean it the way I do when I say "I REALLY tried to like this place." So much so that after my first experience here having had SPOILED crab stuffed shrimp, I still came back two years later... Yes, TWO WHOLE YEARS. It was a slow wintery morning when my group of three friends and I came in. We were seated immediately in a huge yet empty restro. Then the chips and dip come out, I ALWAYS judge a Mexi/Tex-Mex type of restro on FOUR THINGS: 1 & 2. Chips & Dips 3. Margarita 4. Carne Asada Fajitas The chips were AWESOME, perfect in every sense; PAPER THIN, warm out the fryer, crispy and held up nicely against the salsa. I personally prefer a raw and tangy salsa vs. a roasted salsa (which is how Uncle Julio's is, roasted) it seemed bland, lacking in flavor except that of the roasted flavor. Not my favorite dip. The Margarita was tasty, but not the best I've had. Shame on you Uncle Julio! It's a Margarita how can one fail? Then... The Carne Asada... Carne Asada is traditionally marinaded in fragrant cilantro, orange and limes.. All melding together to make a superiorly tender and tasty piece of flank/skirt steak... Uncle Julio's version was barely good. Didn't have much flavor.. Tasted like regular steak.. The tortillas were okay, as were the other sides it was served with. (There's a close-by option for BETTER Carne Asada *wink wink) My sister ordered the Cozumel Shrimp Tacos and they were just as BLAH.. Not much to say.. The service was friendly but slow and the kitchen was even SLOWER. Overall... I'd go to my all time favorite Mexi/Tex-Mex restro just across the river. Adios Uncle Julio, I tried
(2)Allison W.
I could see how a trip here could fall flat, but we had a great time. After striking out at seemingly every other happy hour in both Rio and Crown, Uncle Julio's wait was only 15 minutes. I hadn't been here in at least five years! I ordered sangria at the bar in the mean time, and it was ok but for the price you don't get too much fruit. I'd probably stick to margs next time. We got the table-side guac and then shared the chicken and steak fajita platter for two. Everything was good. You can't go wrong with fresh guac and the added jalapeños gave it a great kick. The steak came out perfectly medium rare, too, so major bonus points there. You end up with a TON of food -- we got through about half of the guac, and each had 3 fajitas and still filled a takeout container of meat and veggies and dip. Service was a little slow, but when you're catching up with a friend it's not so bad. I just would have appreciated more attentive water-refilling :) Uncle Julio's biggest asset is probably its size, which will keep it competitive despite the growing competition within walking distance (Paladar and Guapos come to mind).
(4)Jerry S.
It's a chain. The decor is a garish caricature of anything you'd actually see south of the Rio Grande. It's a real zoo at crowd times, people milling around waiting to be called, the PA calling them and the general hubbub. They serve a disgusting miscegenation of sangria and tequila slushee called a "swirl". Most of the menu is run of the mill border style food. So why in name of Speedy Gonzales would I not only eat there but rate them four whole stars? A few small things and one big one. The chips are made of fine white masa rather than my preferred coarse yellow, but arrive warm and with just enough oil on them to establish that they are freshly made. Similarly, the wheat tortillas - you can watch the machine making them while you wait to be seated. The salsa is Mexican style (chunk free, unthickened) with just enough kick. The guacamole is fresh and balanced. What I go there for is the ribs. The recipe is unlike American smoked ribs, with a slightly sweet slightly spicy marinade that almost reaches meat candy status, braised until they reach the tender/chewy point, and finished on the grill to leave just a hint of smoke. $20.99 for a full rack with all the fixings is a pretty good deal, $4.99 for a bottle of cerveza (the only draft is the undistinguished Pacifico) is acceptable. Obviously not a frequent choice, but when that particular craving strikes I will do the drive and rub shoulders with the MoCo eloi en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El… .
(4)Erin W.
Some say that hunger is the best sauce, but I say salsa is the best sauce. And Uncle Julio has it down. Service has always been good. Staff is efficient and friendly. Fajitas are good, not as good as Guapos near by, but definitely solid. I definite prefer the steak vs. the chicken though.
(4)Rachel L.
This place is incredible.... Loved my fresh grapefruit margarita... Guacamole/queso combo was delicious! I got a honey chipotle chicken fajita and it was equally as good... The best part was the coconut flan... It was heaven! ..... Recommend this place to anyone in the area
(5)Kristin M.
I hadn't been here for a while, but took my family for my birthday this past week. I chose to come here because they have a nice outside dining area by the lake at Rio Center. The outside dining is still nice and well shaded at 6:30pm. Our server seemed rushed. In his defense, it was pretty busy for a Monday night because the weather was nice. Everyone was sitting outside, barely anyone inside. I chose to wait 45 minutes for an outside table because inside the music and air conditioning was blasting. I was disappointed that drinks didn't come with the entrees on the kids menu. 5.99 for a small, thin cheese quesadilla, plus a $2 milk seemed a bit steep, in my opinion. I ordered pork tacos. My husband had the fish tacos. Our server brought out one plate of lettuce, guacamole, and pico but set it dead center and rushed off. This wouldn't seem an issue, except that we had no idea if it was for his entree, or mine. It was not enough for the two of us to split, but we split it regardless. The pork tacos were okay, but it was a while lot of filler and tortilla and not a lot of pork. Probably would have been better off ordering a fajita entree, but there prices have increased dramatically in the past 5 or so years. To be expected, I assume, but my family is better off going to Chipotle.
(3)Joe M.
Fresh, solid Tex-Mex! I had Juanitas platter-excellent-kids had Lunch Enchillada and El Dorado-Presentation clean and appetizing! Server Jeff very cordial and attentive-Thanks Uncle Julios, we'll be back!
(5)Alfonso D.
Great food and great service by Baltazar. Red snapper fajitas are new and taste great. The ceviche is always great too.
(5)Heidi F.
I love love their enchiladas. They will make guac from scratch right at your table. Service is fast. Tons of indoor and outdoor seating. The chips an salsa are awesome and different in that it has what seems to be some beef in it. Must try!!
(5)Prashant A.
The restaurant is great... The wait time could be 1 hour if u visit in weekend evenings ... The ambience is really good ... I tried strawberry guava lemonade as suggested by the Server... And I just love it... The server know the stuff... He really helped us and made us comfortable as we are vegetarians...
(5)Bianca F.
I think this is a solid place for some good tex-mex food in the Gaithersburg area. My friend and I come here pretty often. I usually get the swirl margarita or the regular margarita and a mix between the fish tacos, cheese enchiladas or the beef fajitas. The happy hour specials are not that great to me. It's really just a couple of dollars off a regular priced margarita. But a discount is a discount. During our last visit we sat at the tables by the bar area. We asked our server for the specials and he said it ended at 6:30p. It was 6:35p when we asked and a little break would have been nice. Overall, I always had a good experience here for dinner.
(3)Connie M.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times as I used to live a hop, skip and a jump away. I wish I could tell you about all the yummy dishes that they serve here, but all I can tell you about are the fajitas! This is the place to go when you want some perfectly cooked fajitas and some homemade tortillas (fun for the kids to watch as they travel through the tortilla machine!) As a seasoned fajita nosher, I will insist that you choose steak. They never overcook it. Ok. I do ask for it medium rare so even if it sits around (which it doesn't) it will never be dry! I have had the combo (beef and chicken) before and unless they get the chicken just perfect, you can find a dry piece here or there. Sizzling onions and peppers and now all fajitas automatically come with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Yum. My mouth is watering as I type this! Beans and rice also comes with every meal. Many times I have come with my 2 sisters and there is so much food that we only need fajitas for two. True, we always start with an order of guacamole and finish with dessert...but it really is a bargain. All the chips and salsa you can eat. Margaritas on the rocks. A frozen swirl of margarita and sangria. Guacamole (skip the tableside guac because they do not add queso fresco which is what sends it over the top!) or queso dip are always good bets. We like to finish every meal with a cajeta. Fried ice cream. Don't worry. It is not really fried! Some places will fry a tortilla cup to hold your ice cream but not here. Here a giant ball of ice cream is rolled in toasted coconut and served with caramel and chocolate sauce. Seriously simple. Seriously delicious. This last visit we did try the bbq ribs. They were tender and fall off the bone. For that same $20, you could have just gotten more steak fajitas and left with an extra $7 in your pocket! Trust me. You won't be sorry!
(4)Naty V.
Been here a few times. I mainly go here for their Sangria/Margarita Swirls!! So yummy!! Food is ok, nothing special. Their steak quesadilla and carnitas tacos are good. Wait time can be horrendous at times, especially on the weekend. Service is ehhhhh. I've never had any major complaints about this place and as long as they keep serving them swirls I will return!! Parking can be difficult, may mean you need to park far and walk there. Tons of stores and restaurants close by. Right next to the water with the paddle boats. Really nice area.
(3)Puja L.
:( :( :( We've lived here for decades and I've never actually eaten here. I kind of wish I had kept it that way. The food is almost impressively bad. Guapos looks like a Mexican culinary masterpiece compared to this restaurant. I never waste food...but, I actually made the call to leave 2 of my 3 fish tacos on my plate because it wasn't worth assaulting my mouth with more of them. Wow, I don't think I even knew I could be this mean. We sampled the pinto beans, black beans, fish tacos, and cheese/onion enchiladas. Not a single one of these items was good. Ok, maybe the black beans were palatable. 2 plates, 3 people = so much food in the trash.
(1)Steven M.
Went on a Sunday for brunch. They obviously see a lot of business but they were very efficient and had nice staff. We got our food quickly and it was very tasty. Not bad prices either. I can't wait to drop by in the evening for dinner and a drink. Now I want more huevos rancheros
(4)Camila M.
The food is good, but not that special. There are limited choices and although authentic all are unhealthy choices. When I was there we had to wait too long to be seated, and given the average quality of food and service there are just much better options nearby. The guacamole I had with my meal did not seem fresh. And my Margarita was too sweet and not strong enough (felt like I consumed lots of empty calories with no buzz to show for it). If you go at a time when they aren't busy it is worth it, the prices are reasonable and meat lovers will likely enjoy their steak dishes.
(3)Suzanne W.
This was my second time at this location. As always great food and exceptional customer service. Chips and salsa to start, I couldn't stop eating them, so good. I ordered the soft tacos and a watermelon margarita. The tacos are made with fresh ingredients and were delicious. Margarita was on point as well.
(5)Darcy W.
Meh... Very mediocre Mexican food. I have eaten here several times and never have been terribly impressed. The service is ok... The staff seems very young and inexperienced. I cannot say they were not trying and they were very polite. The table side guacamole was also by a young server that didn't understand what table side meant... He prepared the guacamole 20 feet away... Until someone explained table side? The fajitas had rave reviews from the table and seems to be consistent with other yelp reviews. My enchiladas were good. The chips and salsa were awesome! The queso is just ok. As for the drinks the margaritas were excellent with a nice selection of tequila. Do not and I repeat do not order the sangria. It tastes like disgusting sweet cherry cough syrup... Yuck! However the beer is cold! If I didn't have to eat here (for work) I probably wouldn't.
(3)Wing C.
3.5 stars. after the amazing dinner at Cava, my friends and I decided to find a place where we could casually grab a few drinks and just catch up on life. We initially tried stopping at Guapos at the same shopping area but they were packed and wait was 45 mins. We then decided to walk a bit over to Uncle Julio's instead and we were seated in the main dining room. Initially they told us we had to order food in order to be seated but they were a bit more lenient after we placed our drink orders and with just one of us ordered an appetizer. (I guess the total would be similar to people ordering just food and no drinks?). 2 huge complimentary baskets of home made tortilla chips and 4 cups of salsa were served along with our drinks. The chips were really light and before I knew it, I already stuffed my face with half basket gone. Not that they tasted amazing - just your ordinary tortilla chip and the salsa was actually a bit watered down - but they were the perfect munchies to go with the drinks. I tried both the margarita in the gold? And the frozen strawberry margarita - they were strong yet really tasty. I had a few bite of the appetizer my fiancé ordered - seafood ceviche. The tortilla chips it came with were actually a lot better than the ones they had as complimentary - thicker and crunchier. The ceviche was light and well seasoned. Too bad I was too full to try other dishes at this place - (I saw guac with bacon and pineapple on the menu - def want to return for that dip alone!) Service could be a little pushy but with great food and drinks - def worthy of 3.5 stars
(3)Lisa L.
I came here for a family birthday dinner. I made a reservation over the phone & confirmed it at the front desk area when I got there. They gave me a buzzer..after 40 mins I heard my name being called but my buzzer never went off even though I was in the waiting area. So yeah..be careful with that. My daughter got chicken tenders b/c that's apparently one of the few things she will eat in a restaurant. My son got the kidsadillas which he wolfed down..a rare feat indeed. The kids got dough balls to play with while waiting for the food..what a cool idea! The four adults got the Plato Gordo for 3-4 people. We didn't finish it...maybe it was all the free chips & salsa we ate before our food came. Anyways, the food was good especially the bacon-wrapped shrimp. I dipped it in butter too. My mouth loved me but probably not my heart. My waiter was a young guy who was on top of everything. Refilled drinks, took away plates etc all while not being annoying. The only problem I have with this place is that the noise level is insane. I can't hear anyone except the person next to me.
(4)Haley S.
Love this place. Fine service. Swirls are strong and yummy. Great Mexican food. Always seems to be crowded, and they don't take reservations. Plan in advance!
(5)Rick R.
Booya. Came for lunch. Bartender was friendly, despite a little busy. Said hello right away, said he'd be right back, and was. Waiter yells "Drink order!" Thru the window. Fajitas, chicken fajita quesadilla for lunch. $2 for sour cream and cheese? Ok.. Waiter yells "Drink order!" Thru the window. A brief wait and the food comes out. Good. 4 star good. I even had an extra tortilla left over, which almost never happens when I get fajitas. Did I mention the waiter yelling thru the window? Over all food was good, service was fine, waited a little long for food and really wanted to punch the outside waiter in the head.
(4)Ree S.
I am at Uncle Julios atleast once a week...you can't go wrong with the food here. The table side guacamole is amazing as well as the ceviche, queso dip, tortilla soup. I always order steak fajitas. Not a fan of the chicken its a little too plain for me. Also I love the ribs here...they are so flavorful. And lets get real you can not go wrong with the swirls and margaritas here. I would give it a 5 star but sometimes the service can be sucky even on a slow day such as this past Wednesday when I went for dinner. It was dead but our waiter wasn't impressive. Weekends tend to be VERY busy and if they are busy expect not to be able to hear the person next to you....SO LOUD!
(4)Kenny T.
This is a family favorite and personal favorite all the way. Beef fajitas are a must! Made from a thick grilled skirt steak marinated to perfection and cut just before it's brought to your table. The sides are fresh and are great compliments to the fajitas. Honestly I don't think I've ordered anything else here. This is a highly recommended place!
(5)Michael T.
Meat was fresh and tasty! Our order only took only 10 minutes to be delivered.
(4)Joe F.
2 stars, only because our second waitress saved the experience from being a complete wash. A friend and I decided we wanted Mexican food. We ventured to Uncle Julio's and were promptly seated outside. After about 10 minutes, a waitress with horrible hair accessories came and took our drink and appetizer order. She left chips and salsa. So far so good, right? Fast forward 40 minutes. No diet cokes. No guacamole. No one had taken our order. The waitress in question was standing on the other side of the patio, blatantly ignoring us. Finally, we ask another waitress where our stuff is. She asks who our waitress is, we tell her. She lets us know that she will find her. A few minutes later, waitress #2 comes back. "I can't find her. What did you order?" From that moment on, we had a new waitress. Suddenly waitress #1 is back on the scene giving nasty side-eye to my friend and I. She is very lucky I only ordered a diet coke on this night. Food was good, portions were plentiful. The manager was walking around asking people how their meals were, but either he too wanted to ignore us, or was afraid what we would say, as he did not ask us. I would go there again, but only if waitress #2 were guaranteed to be our server.
(2)Dwayne M.
Management comp'd a majority of the bill as a result.
(2)Joseph Y.
Got a enchilada to go. It was okay.
(3)Larry B.
Keep Walking Mis Amigas y Amigos! The Margarita was a "bartender in a hose" travesty, so I requested a hand made one (like Guapos does), the young, unprofessional server did not remove my bad drink but said I drank from it (2 small sips) so I had to pay for it! CALL ME A LIAR!...Listen young'uns you have to taste it to see if it is acceptable! When charged for two drinks, I asked for the Manager who did NOT show but the charge was eventually dropped on the bad one due to my refusal to leave w/o the Manager...and no comp for even half of the good one! Forget speaking Spanish here.....ridiculous in G'burg! C/S at HQ in TX emailed, no help, no contact w/store or regional mngmnt. This people don't give a rat's a** about you or your integrity....seguir caminando!
(1)Che N.
Had uncle julios catered for my daughter's birthday party. They did a great job with setting up and the good was delicious! Will use them again next time
(4)Julia B.
I've been here during a business trip. I loved it. The enchiladas were sooo yummy! Service was very good, too. I wish i could go there all the time...
(5)Kelly C.
I've been here a bazillion times and just decided to write a review now after being there again last night because of the great service we had. In my experience, I've always had a great time here- no complaints on the food, service, anything. The food might not be AMAZING but it is definitely fine for what you'd expect at a Tex-Mex chain. Aside from that, however, I'd like to say that they are very accommodating to big groups, which is awesome. We had a group of 15 go here last night at last minute (I called an hr or two before) and they put together a large table for us so we could all sit together. Aside from that, they even split our checks without us asking- it made dinner go much smoother than it could have otherwise! Similarly, we were never once low on our beverages, nor were we ever waiting for a refill on ships and salsa. Overall, really really great service!
(4)Jenn S.
Pretty decent food for the area. Portions are too big so don't order too much. The fajitas are awesome, love the homemade shells.
(4)Miyuki L.
These chain used to be one of my favorites but after last night's service I was thoroughly disenchanted. Its super busy, super LOUD and servers run around with like chickens with their heads cut off. It should not be like Frogger when you are eating there not knowing if you or your child are going to get run down. It took them a good 5 to 10 minutes just to greet us and drop off chips.. The food used to be my favorite. The guacamole was bland and my entree arrived lukewarm. Honestly as busy as it is you would think the food is constantly pushed out thus should be proper temperature. My daughter 's kidsadilla was barely melted.. Its a shame that a once great place is slipping severely. You pay too much money here for them not to give you a decent meal.
(2)Timothy C.
I'll tackle this one with a pros and cons list. Pro: After perusing the various eateries available at the Rio... area, we settled for Uncle Julio's after reading the menu. Con: Uncle Julio's has a 40's era Disney quasi-racist drawing of a Mexican man (that would never fly in California) as their logo. I did a double-take and thought "Are you serious?" But I guess if there is still a pro sports team called the Redskins, it literally comes with the territory. Pro: We only had to wait 20 minutes on a Friday night to get a table, which is pretty good considering. Con: We were seated on the side patio, which was LOUD. SO loud that we couldn't hear the waiter who was talking to us, and that we had to repeat ourselves to each other all meal. Yes, there was music, and it was packed, but the acoustics on the patio were horrible and it was just a big blender full of noises. Don't sit on the patio. Pro: The chips were great as an appetizer; we got guacamole, salsa, and queso to dip them in. Con: Why do restaurants serve you 3 ounces of cheese sauce with a huge basket of chips? You could only dip your chip in like 1/2 of an inch! But, no matter, the cheese was crappy and bland, so I mainly stuck to the guacamole, because the roasted salsa was kind of bland. Pro: I ordered the Herschel's platter (which doesn't sound like Mexican food at all) which was a chili relleno, an enchilada, a pork tamale, and a steak taco. Each of them was above average but nothing to die for, and my only complaint was that the steak was a bit gristly. Con: I don't think the food was worth the price, especially when you factor in the broken conversation because of the noise on the patio. For instance, I paid $18 for the Herschel's platter, and I would say that it was worth.... $14.50. I wouldn't lose sleep if I never came back here in my life, but to completely write it off would be overdoing it. Go, if you like it, great, if you don't then it isn't for you.
(3)Jeff B.
All I do is win win win no matter what. I got Cheetos in my hand, and I'll never give em up. And every time I step up in the building, everybody's hands go up, and they stay down. And they stay down. lol Uncle Julio's wins no matter what. They seem to always have a long line outside. I have been a restaurant patron at this jaunt since they opened up. They were called Rio Grande Cafe back in the day. Devon used to work here. I continue to come back here despite the average food and loud noise, but the prices continue to increase at a rate faster than inflation, so I feel inclined to stop coming here forever. I would typically order the classic soft taco plate. It came with plenty of food; however, dare I say that if you are on a date, you would be better off with getting Taco Bell on 124 and then going to Jimmie Cone. The fajitas are good as well. Everything is good but not great. They don't give you nearly enough salsa to fulfill your chip-dipping activities. But then you can pay like 8 bucks for a large helping of guacamole. Margaritas are like 9 bucks, too. I have an ulcer though so only my friends drink it. Otherwise, it would tear my stomach to shreds. Also, in my opinion, there are not enough vegetarian options. Or maybe I'm just a snobby and entitled foodie. No but really there are not enough vegetarian options. One example: they don't even serve cheese quesadillas.
(2)Kor H.
I don't hate this place, their food is decent but entirely too often I have waited awhile for a cold meal. I can understand a busy restaurant but in that case the food should come out hot since the kitchen would be busy also. The servers are usually pretty good but usually unless you are sitting at the bar or in the bar area you feel as if you are being rushed out of the place. Their carne asada is great if it is served hot and they are usually packed so I recommend calling ahead on busy nights so you can do most of your waiting at home or on the drive. The swirls are great and really the only reason to go there and if you're feeling adventurous try a reverse swirl with a meltdown of patron.
(2)Jen L.
Only been here once, but the complimentary chips and salsa are amazing. The salsa seems like it is made from scratch in-house. I had the fish tacos, which were so-so, and the baby back rib fajitas are delicious. Although the salsa is somewhat watery, I think it's very flavorful and fits my tastebuds.
(3)Jennifer C.
I always enjoy when I go to Uncle Julio's, my friends and I usually sit at the bar for the yummy margaritas on the rocks. The happy hour specials could be better. Overall the bartenders are always friendly and attentive. My favorite dish is the Carne Asada, it has such a juicy marinade, that always makes me want more of it.
(5)Jessica L.
Yum! I'm a virginian but this is the best uncle julio's i've been to in the DMV area! Good and attentive customer service unlike in the UJ in virginia i went to and the chicken is delicious without just the fat parts we were served at the UJ's in VA. Great food and great atmosphere and great views! Came here for a birthday and went back again! The portions even if small are very filling here so definitely come with an empty stomach! The food is fresh and a bit expensive for mexican but then again so is thai food!
(5)Kat F.
Swirls are to dieeee for!! I've had their fajitas, which are pretty good, but I've been to other places with better fajitas. I will admit, though, that they're beef is pretty tasty and tender. The jalapenos, I warn you, are MASSIVE and super hot. So be careful when trying to eat them. I have also had their Lunch Nacho Especial, which was super simple, but quite filling. I gotta say, service here is always....entertaining. I've always had such fun and amusing waiters every time I have come here. Overall, food is okay, but the ambiance is great.
(4)Jack W.
The tacos al carbon are pretty good here but I think this place is pricey. I usually come here to drink in the Summer and usually just for the swirls.
(3)Peter G.
Nice environment and great location. Delicious Mexican food. Perfect place to entertain family and friends. Lots of choices of drinks to go with the food. Be prepared to wait 30 minutes for a table f you go at weekend.
(5)Tess M.
Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Cafe is ALWAYS a treat. Great service, warm chips and a wide variety of Mexican food. Hubby had the Juanita platter (two enchilada's, taco, rice, beans etc) no complaints from him BUT he said the rice was a little spicy. I had the chicken enchilada's with rice and beans. Margarita out of this world! Food lived up to my expectations - this is a kid friendly place as well as a happy hour hot spot (close to Sodexo and other business) but it is a LARGE restaurant so there is great separation. Price is reasonable, accessible parking and great location. Take a walk around the waterfront before or after dinner.
(4)Brittany A.
Great mexican food, scary drink prices haha. Hubby had two drinks ($9 each) and got a bowl of queso ($8??!) I told him he shouldve asked the price of that cheese! Lol Chips were those thin, crispy delicious chips and the salsa was pretty spicy and runny (I like it more runny than chunky). Queso was really good, too. It wasn't gunky. I got the ribs, hubby got the fajitas for two (we shared both) and tons of refried beans all around. The ribs are smoked, come with a chipotle bbq sauce and are very, very good. Hubby doesn't even like ribs, and he was tearing those bad boys down lol. The flank steak for the fajitas were tender and juicy and done medium. Husband attacked those too, even though he usually likes everything well done. Beans were good, you could tell they were pan refried but they needed more cheese :(. All in all it was about $90 for 2 days of leftovers and the meal...it wouldve been $75 if hubs had known the drinks and that queso were $10 a pop. Good food, reminds me of being back home in s.fl (more Puerto Rican than Mexican in decor lol)
(4)Yu L.
Uncle julios is my favorite Mexican restaurant. My wife and I come here all the time and the fajitas are delicious! We always get the chicken and steak fajitas for two and it is plenty of food for two and the chips and salsa to start is the best !
(4)Mariella B.
Been coming here when it was Rio Grande. Drinks are strong and on point, food is flavorful, and their chips and salsa are fresh (salsa can be made hotter only by request) This place gets really busy especially on summer weekends when the patio is open and the band plays outside. There is no reservations so be prepared to wait but while you are go ahead and hang out at the large bar and have a drink. Come here usually with girls for brunch on weekend mornings. My toddler loves to come here especially when we sit outside or by a window where he can see the lake. The servers here are also very attentive and accept that this place is kid friendly to work with it they give kids dough balls. This is part of the reason why I love this restaurant because of the kid-friendly atmosphere and service. I like all their drinks and being a big tequila fan I don't mind hanging here at night enjoying some Don Julio Silver. The frozen sangrias and margaritas are yum yum but also just as good on the rocks. Just tried their new skinny Guava-Rita (under 180 cals). I am def getting this the next time I go again! I usually stick to their tacos and fajitas. I don't like that they charge like $2 extra for sour cream when I really want is just a spoon full of sour cream...not a heaping side dish. If you're going to give me guacomole with my fajitas you might as well give me the sour cream #justsaying Hands down this place is great...if it's an intimate dinner you're looking for you should go to else where because just like all the restaurants here in the Rio, it gets loud. And just to mention IMO...this place is better than the other wanna be Tex Mex across the lake, Guapos Cantina.
(5)Pegah Y.
I visited Uncle Julio's in Gaithersburg back in mid-September with my family. It's a really nice Mexican restaurant and has a nice lakefront view of the lake at the Rio Entertainment Center. I'm a California native and had been missing good Mexican food, even though it hadn't even been a month since I'd moved back to DC from California. That's how much I miss fresh guacamole and fajitas! Uncle Julio's has quite an extensive menu with tons of options. I opted for the Chicken Faijta Cobb salad, which came with mesquite grilled chicken, smoked bacon, fresh greens, avocado, roasted corn, tomatoes, spicy black beans, Queso fresco, crispy tortilla strips, and my choice of dressing (I opted for chipotle ranch). It was so fresh and tasty and came in a very large portion! I was quite satisfied with my meal and even had leftovers. Surprisingly, even the leftovers were good, and salad is generally not good as a leftover. We all got some appetizers to share for the table as well. These included: -Ceviche Royale (Shrimp, scallops and tilapia marinated with lime and lemon juice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro) -Ceviche Rica (Shrimp marinated with lime and lemon juice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro) There was also chips and salsa at the table. The chips were so fresh they just melted in your mouth... and the salsa was out of this world. I probably ate 100 chips in one sitting, just to savor that delicious salsa. The food was delicious and tasted authentic and fresh, the atmosphere was nice (big, spacious dining area and nice ethnic decor), and the service was quick and friendly. 5 big stars for Uncle Julio's in Gaithersburg!
(5)F K.
This is one of my favorite places to have dinner in the Rockville area. The food is consistently good, as is the service. The fajitas are great, and so is the guacamole, which they make tableside. Very fun dining experience. The chips and salsa are good, and it is a casual atmosphere. Definitely family-friendly. Sometimes there can be quite a wait when the weather is nice and especially on the weekends. I feel torn about how to rate this place, I would not necessarily consider it a 5-star dining experience. Again, though, the food is very good and I come here often.
(4)Jen D.
We've been coming here for years, and have remained loyal customers despite the drop in quality and quantity over the years. The only thing consistently good had been their chips and salsa. However, after an experience tonight where we were lied to repeatedly about the wait time for 2+ hours, insulted by hostesses and the manager, lectured to for not being patient after putting up with their continuous "10 more minutes", and being told "you're the next table" despite seating another party of the same size before us after making that statement, we will certainly not be returning to this establishment ever again. They clearly know nothing about customer service or how to run a restaurant.
(1)Guichi B.
Good service food not as worth it as the price. Fajitas was good, chips and salsa were horrible Chevys has better.
(3)Tim H.
Hands down, this place has the best beef fajitas I have ever had and I have had a lot of beef fajitas from a lot of different places. No joke, this place serves up a healthy sized beef fajita that has flavor and taste. This is what keeps me going back there. The last time I was here, my wife and I went with a friend of mine and his girlfriend. We shared a dish that could feed four easily. It came with chicken and beef fajitas, a section of ribs and a large portion of bacon wrapped shrimp. Everything was wonderful and I suggest you try it too. The margaritas are good too! If you love beef fajitas like I do, give this place a try and I hope you are as happy as I am when I get to eat them. Thank you for reading my review. This review is based off of my personal experience and opinion.
(5)Jael F.
Uncle Julio's signature drink SWIRLS is the BEST! Buy the Swirl! Customer Service is GREAT too! Food is pricey BUT worth the money (delicious!). SHOUT OUT TO MANAGER RICK WHO IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE, FRIENDLY AND LOYAL WORKER EVER! And shout out to bartender Erick! He takes care of his patrons with high quality service in a fast paced environment. Very good customer care from the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave! If you haven't yet, visit this place TODAY!
(5)Randy P.
Give me a Julio's Gold and some beef fajitas, and I am set for the night. Now, if you want to talk to someone, or have an intimate evening, particularly on the weekends, go elsewhere, this place can get noisy and is usually packed on the weekends. Come here for the quality TexMex food, stiff drinks, and lovely portrait of George Takei as our Mexican Overlord.
(4)Paul M.
My family has been coming here forever and it makes me sad to watch this place go to shit. The quality of the food which we have always loved has been in steady decline. The ingredients are suffering, the cooking is inattentive (meat overcooked while chicken has some raw spots) while prices rise steadily. The management of the place seems in turmoil, based on the fact that while we eat here about once/month the servers are always different. The hosts up front are consistently rude, which again comes from hiring kids and not training them (management fault also). We've always loved their fajitas and shrimp dishes (camarones diablos is a fave) but I'm going to have to find a new Mexican joint. I don't think I can take this one much longer. Sad. It was great back in the day.
(2)Michael F.
Uncle Julio's is my go-to place for dinner in the Rio. With our headquarters in the area, I have spent plenty of time checking out the local restaurant scene. Uncle Julio's meets the consistency measure I look for to encourage return trips. It also offers a solid selection and their drinks aren't bad either =P They greet everyone with chips and salsa. I believe the salsa is homemade and above average, while the chips are perfect. They are thinner than typical restaurant chips which is great to truly taste the salsa. As for the menu, I think I've tried most of everything. I won't comment on the standard Tex-Mex fair. They do a great job on tacos and fajitas and I'm sure I won't say anything you haven't hear before. For apps, my favorite is the Ceviche Royale. For mains, if you are looking for something on the more unique side, check out the Shrimp Brochette. Shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon. Yes, the old adage may be true - things taste better with bacon. The only area I think Uncle Julio's falls a bit flat is dessert. It seems to have a limited selection and selections can't seem to be modified. For example, they have this ice cream covered in nuts and coconut and I was disappointed I couldn't get it without the nuts. It was still good, but didn't make great. Therefore, I usually fill up on the apps and entrees and skip dessert (or make it a "liquid" dessert).
(4)Joshua J.
We went to Uncle Julio for the Mothers Day, yesterday, (last year we went to the crowded Guapos in the same area ! ) This year at Uncle Julio we ordered steak and chicken fajita for two, and three more kids food. The food was very good also there was nice waitress /waiters. This year we sat at the patio, very nice view. We were served by a very nice and professional guy by the name of Eduardo, it was our pleasure. We will come to Uncle Julio again very soon.
(4)Edi D.
I went yesterday to eat here. I asked for the steak fajitas well done and they gave it to me medium well. I had to return it to cook it more. I noticed that they are serving the lunch portion for dinner time and you have to paid full price for it. The white rice was over cooked. The steak fajitas didn't tasted like Mexican food as they called it. This is a Tex-Mex restaurant, but it taste like American food. In reality they should chance their name as "Uncle Julio 's Authentic American food trying to sell it as Authentic Mexican food". There is a better place on Germantown called Señor Tequila that has Authentic Mexican food.
(1)Nina G.
They have the best tortillas I've ever had. They're always fresh and delicious. I particularly enjoy their fajitas.
(4)Jessica L.
I am a long time fan of Uncle Julio's. Went on a Saturday night and although the line was out the door, was seated within 15 minutes. I LOVE there fresh chips and smoky salsa. I could eat that as a meal in itself. I usually get chicken fajitas with no skin and always need a take home box because there is just so much food. The swirlys are amazing and at 8$ each, they will give you a nice happy buzz and compliment the Mexican food so nicely. Service is fast and friendly. No matter how busy they are, the food still comes out fast. Sitting outside is nice if its not too hot out.
(5)Fred K.
Been coming here for years, mainly during lunch. Love their free chips and salsa, with their salsa one of the best I've tasted. I remember when they tore down the huge parking lot and built the Washingtonian Center way back when. Their fajita lunch size portion is better priced than dinner and still is more than enough (always stuffed) for one. Their fajita special is $15.99 which includes cheese and sour cream. The regular lunch fajitas are around $13.99 which includes guacamole and tomato salsa, but no cheese or sour cream, which is fine with me. Both come with ample amounts of tortillas, beans, and rice. Highly recommend their fajitas. I also like their two or three enchilada platter too. The service is fast and very efficient, refilling your drinks, chips, salsa, and in and out in less than 40 minutes during lunch. Their margaritas are good and sometimes a bit too strong and used to come here for happy hour, which is always packed. Be great if they offer happy hour specials like nearby Guapos.
(4)Tom G.
Beef tacos had very little beef. Waiter was nice and 5 pepper guacamole is great but would not go there again. Had to find a quick place for lunch and did not have many choices but would not recommend this to others.
(2)Miss T.
Used to be such a good restaurant. Going downhill FAST due to inexperienced servers, lazy cooks and bad management. Food tonight was HORRIBLE. When I asked for a refund on the item that was unsatisfactory, the manager Elliott claimed that all refunds have to go through the corporate office. We used to be regular customers and bring family from out of town, friends, go there for birthday parties. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)Aabha S.
Ever heard of a Mexican restaurant that has no salsa?! Apparently they had run out of salsa the night we dropped in, and the server left us a bowl of chips but nothing to dip them in- forcing us to order the three pepper guacamole which was just okay with a lot of heat but not much flavor. The rest of the meal was in the same category. Just okay. I guess it's not a good sign when I liked the side of rice and beans more than the actual food I paid for.
(2)Megan B.
Uncle Julio's (or as I call it Rio Grande) is my favorite and has been for years. I always get their chicken fajitas. They are perfectly to die for every time. For an alcoholic drink, you can go wrong with a reverse swirl with a Grand Marnier meltdown. This is a swirl of their frozen sangria and frozen lime margarita. They taste simply delicious. Watch out for the wait times on weekends or nice summer days. It can get pretty crazy, but very worth it.
(4)John C.
I don't usually do this, and I downloaded the yelp app specifically for this review. Having made the introduction, here goes. Like every other restaurant - chain, franchise, or independent - there are good days and not so good days regarding food and drink quality, server's disposition, and all of the other variables that can affect a customer's experience. Uncle Julio's is no exception. There are other conditions which do not vary day to day, and these can be lumped together under one term: ambiance. The ambiance as the Uncle Julio's is wonderful except for one minor issue... THE NOISE LEVEL!! The hostess couldn't hear us, and we couldn't hear her. The server couldn't hear us, and we couldn't hear her. My daughter, seated right next to me, and I had to shout in each other's ears. Everyone at the tables surrounding us seemed to suffer the same conditions, for they were shouting as well, exacerbating the situation. I've been in loud restaurants, but they pale in comparison. I've been in plenty of loud venues, such as dance clubs and rock concerts, but they are supposed to be loud. I'm not a professional acoustic engineer, but I do know a thing or two about it, and Uncle Julio's desperately needs to aggressively attack this problem. Seriously, please do something or my family is not coming back!
(3)Wesley Y.
Been here a few times sometimes for drinks some times for dinner. The food can be pretty pricey if you get the fajitas. I got the ceviche royale because I was starving. They make the salsa here like Chevy's when it was around more tomatoes and onions in the salsa which is awesome. It's hard to navigate around the fajitas section a bit because there are soooo many options. It's better to come with more people so you can share a few different meats and its a bit more cost effective. I ordered a Chicken and Beef fajita which is large enough for 2 if you order an appetizer. The especial combo comes with green peppers, onions, sour cream and cheese in addition to the basic lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacmole. The entree comes with a side of rice and beans as well. I want to try the cowboy con queso next time I think it has bacon in it and lots of cheese. The reverse swirls are good. I'm not sure if they have a happy hour but I'll try to find out next time I come!
(4)Kristine Elaine M.
The food here is really fresh and the amounts of guac makes me a big sucker for them. I mean their food is also pretty damn good. Everything has a new kind of taste to it, grilled, spiced, sweet, sour. Everything works well together and your tastebuds will surely thank you. Its a little pricey so be prepared for the bill, however you do get a load of sides, portions, and free chips! The service here is a bit slow, but I dont blame them because it was a busy night. The waitress was super friendly though. Likewise the atmosphere is really fun, and reenacts as if you are in mexico. Because it gets busy however, it tends to get a bit loud with the spacing of the tables in between.
(4)Katrina L.
The food tasted better when I ate it as leftovers. Wasn't overly impressed with this place, and I'm a big Tex-Mex food lover. Veryyyyyy busy and crowded. The chairs were hard and tables were kind of small. Waitstaff, while attentive, seemed a bit flustered and overworked. Ironically food was lacking flavor, though it was loaded with ingredients! Not a place I would jump through hoops to return to. Lalalalala average. The bathrooms were squeaky clean though.
(3)Bedelle M.
Such a nice scenery! Especially at night! The food Is awesome the waiter was knowledgeable of the menu.. A must visit quick service with the food and the swirl margaritas is a must try!!!! Enjoy
(5)Beth P.
Started badly with us. Waitress was rude and the manager did not do much to improve the situation. Maybe that's how it is in the big city Was told I couldn't order something without peppers even though a cheaper version is available that way?? Water was served with no ice....but sodas had plenty of it. We got the manager and he was a not do nice word about anything. I would take my dog to this place.
(1)Jess C.
Bday party celebration. Service was crap-tastic. Server kept delaying our order, and we and sat down for over an hour, and our food was still not here. The place is loud, rambunctious, lively, but I would look elsewhere for for a good time. By the time our table of 16 got the food, we were starving so everything pretty much tasted delicious. But would I go again? Probably not.
(2)B B.
For Mexican food I was not impressed. Not horrible, but I didn't think I got my money's worth there. The chips and salsa before ordering were very good - fresh made. The menu seemed to not include so some of the standard Mexican fare I was expecting - no burritos, my favorite. So I settled for something else, which was not memorable. Service and atmosphere seemed to be more of the focus of effort than the menu options. I don't plan on going back there.
(2)Eric B.
Yes, I've been here a few times and I'll keep going back. The guacamole is incredible and I've eaten a few guacamole trees throughout my life. Tio has a great bar scene after work, mostly locals or travelers on business. The food will not disappoint and the drinks are spot on, just tell them how you want it made and you won't be disappointed.
(5)Angela W.
Huge fan of Uncle Julio's in Dallas and we have gone to this location several times, but after tonight...NEVER AGAIN! After the insane wait (80 minutes) it took another hour to get our mediocre food. The waitress was slow and unorganized and over charged us. It took us another 40 minutes to get our check. We were there a total of 3 hours. When we asked to speak to the managers they didn't do anything except say "I'm sorry." Ugh. This on the last night of our spring break...beyond disappointing. Adios Uncle J!!!
(1)Natasha G.
Let me just start with the fact that we showed up for our reservation ten mintues early they told us our entire party needs to be present for them to seat us...once everyone arrived we waited one hour to be seated....once we were seated the waiter brought our drinks which were all watered down and were basically CRAP! we all ate our dinner and he took our plates and never brought us any dessert menus which was annoying because it was one persons birthday in our party...I will never come here again the server never came to asks us for refills until we stopped him and asked our selves...they are rude and inconsiderate people! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY HERE AT ALL!
(1)Pauly S.
I went to this place last night for dinner place is pretty packed the wait time was about 30 minutes but after we got seated they gave us free chips and salsa and we order a food the food came pretty quick the tacos are nice . my kids ordered quesadillas because they have kids menu. It was a little little pricey but we enjoyed the food I thing we will go back
(5)jon l.
There was an hour wait on Saturday night, so try call ahead seating. Had the fajitas and they were delicious. The chicken and steak was a good quality and juicy. The one issue I had was with the noise level. It was so loud that it was a challenge to hear the others at the table.
(4)Lindsay G.
One of my go-to restaurants to take friends! The food is always the same- Great! Service is courteous and the location is wonderful as well!
(5)Noreen K.
Overpriced crap. Fajitas starting @ $20, really? The vegetables with the fajitas consisted of ... onions and a few thin sprigs of red and green pepper. The ceviche is drowned in cilantro, lime juice and (?) garlic(?). I like tart but this was really hard to eat. The chile con queso was OK and the chips are always good and fresh.
(1)Calvin M.
Disgusting if u want Mexican food walk down the boardwalk 2 guapos its not 2 far from here I had the Juanita's platter today and will I tell u it had to be the most UN authentic enchiladas and tacos I ever ate I couldn't even finish I tried 2 smother it in tobasco and sour cream to get some flavor but didn't work the only thing that was good was the complimentary chips and salsa never again
(1)Amanda L.
The one famous cocktail about this place was swirl, which is the mix of Magarita and Sangaria, in either Magarita first or Sangaria first. It's really nothing fancy after you had it one time. The food was okay, but the waiter's attitude was not good. It seems like that their restaurant is doing good, so they choose not to care some of those they don't like personally. Food were just okay, I do like the queso dip for chips, others are average. Noisy level is high, you need to shout to people who sit next to you, not a place for conversation. Won't go back, period.
(3)Vicki C.
What is the point of calling ahead to put your name on the waiting list and still have to wait 2.5 hours?! The food is not that awesome! Granted our party was 10 people and we did call at 5pm to put our names down. Got there at 6pm... waited.. waited.. ask the hostess how much longer... no estimated time..waited some more...even went across to Joe's for a drink... did some more waiting and finally by 7:30pm we were done. I spoke to the hostess expressing my disappointment. She informed me that all staff members inform parties that are larger than 10 to be expected to wait for a longer period of time then normal. I told her that message was never relayed at 5pm when I phoned or the numerous times I have asked how long the wait was. Ah!
(1)John M.
an unforgettable mexican food experience. well that is true. my wife and i stopped for dinner. warm evening, good food. ambiance.....horrid. it seems the young man at the table adjacent to us was celebrating his birthday. he was playing computer chess with the other young chap at the table. Every time he made a move, he amplified it with verbal sound effects. He looked over at us and apologized, said he was excited that he was winning. Then he began to loudly share..you are fucking jammed, you have not fucking way to win. your shit is done. He continued. I got up and approached him. I asked, where did you go to college. he replied Gaithersburg ah no Montgomery College. I said, then you should know better than to sit in a public restaurant and shout curse words. He responded with a string of expletives beginning with fuck you... I went back to my table and my wife went to find a manager. One young lady approached his table and he explained that he was just sitting there playing a game and I came over an insulted him. I believe he finished with we weren't doing anything fucking wrong, you know me I come here all the time. She came to me and I explained what I said and that I only wanted to enjoy a meal with my wife. She asked if we wanted to move to a table that was 5 feet away. No, I think I should be able to sit here and enjoy a meal with my wife. Then my wife returned with another manager that went through the same routine with the same results. Now, maybe you don't care. Maybe a regular that appears to consume a great deal of your high margin alcohol can just sit there and become a bore. I am a grown man and I do not have to eat there. I chose to do so. I did not think that we would have to sit through that sort of behavior. Social media does have some weight, and I will share my experience. I think you missed the boat on this one or your policy and procedures manual needs a little revision.
(1)M M.
Hands down best fajitas anywhere, especially the steak ones! The vibrant music is the perfect camouflage for noisy kids (whether it's happy or unhappy noise). House made salsa, chips, & tortillas just add to what makes Rio Grande/Uncle Julio's our go to Friday night place with the kiddos. If you're in the mood for libations try the skinny guava ritz or the frozen sangria-margarita swirl.
(5)Denise L.
Dependable, tasty Mexican food for just about anyone! Between the freshly made chips and salsa, fajitas, enchiladas, combination meals and swirls. You are sure to enjoy your dining experience at Uncle Julio's. Great customer service and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating make this place a "go to" for random weekend evenings. Great for family, romantic outings and even time with friends. This place is a little noisy so avoid intimate conversations. :-)
(4)Michelle W.
Our favorite restaurant! Always great service, fast and friendly. Food is consistently delicious! I always get the enchiladas and the cheese dip is so yummy!
(5)Richard S.
Had a nice lunch, outside overlooking the lake. We had the fish tacos and quesadillas. Very nice. Good service.
(4)Gaby A.
I like this restaurant way better then guapos, service is great Highly reccomend if you are looking for good Mexican food :)
(4)Ronan M.
I love this place. Very consistent. My wife and I eat here all the time. Good service, good food.
(5)Gerry B.
You know what you are going to get here, mediocre mexican, but the service was very good and quick, we were seated in under 10 minutes despite a busy weekend crowd. Parking is a pain here, I could have sold my space when we were leaving, they should build a parking garage on top of the parking garage.
(3)Nancy H.
I had lunch today at the Gaithersburg location because my husband and I were craving some nice grilled steak but the steak was very disappointing. It's usually very flavorful with a nice grilled look and taste to it. But the steak I got with my lunch today was gray with no grill marks or flavor. We did show up for an early lunch so maybe the cook was not putting in the same effort as they would for dinner service but this location seems to be so busy at night now that lunch is a better option for us. We said something to the waiter who had the manager come over to talk to us. The manager was very nice and he said he would say something to the kitchen but we still left the restaurant feeling like we wasted our money and time. $61 (with tip) is a lot of money to pay for gray steak. I am usually a huge fan of your restaurant but I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
(2)Benjamin M.
The Washingtonian Center is chocked full of varied restaurants, so choosing where to eat was not an easy decision. However, I was craving some Tex-Mex and wanted to see if the positive reviews of Uncle Julio's held up. It was already past Happy Hour, so I didn't get to enjoy any appetizer or drink specials, but I did want to see what all the fuss was about with their self-proclaimed "World Famous Original Swirl Margarita," a frozen margarita layered with homemade sangria. If that didn't seem girlie enough, the plastic pink flamingo drink stirrer that accompanied the drink certainly sealed it for me. Honestly, it was decent drink, but not quite worth the nearly nine singles they charge for it. For a late dinner I ordered three enchiladas. When the bartender asked what kind of sauce I wanted, I hesitated and then decided to try one of each: the El Paso style red sauce, tomatillo sauce and sour cream sauce. I had a hard time deciding which one I liked the best because I was so hungry, but in the end the sour cream one spoke to me the loudest. The only slightly negative thing was the service, which sort of surprised me with three bartenders working post-Happy Hour. I actually had to ask for the complimentary chips and salsa (excellent), as well as flag one of them down again when I was ready to order. Basically, nothing was initiated from their side of the bar, so take charge if you must. Other than that, UJ's was on point, especially for a national chain.
(4)Johnalee S.
This place refused to serve me because my ID was from Wisconsin. Even though I was wearing a firearms instructor uniform (have to be 21) and had a major credit card. Might also mention a thick Midwest accent. Apparently it is company policy to turn away paying customers for something they can't help. Who carries around a passport? Will never return to this chain. Food looked rather sloppy anyways.
(1)Caroline L.
Always a wait here and this place is huge inside. Service can be a bit slow but their chips and salsa are pretty good. Margaritas are standard- sweet and strong. It's not one of my favorite Tex-Mex places but an ok choice if you're in the Gaithersburg area I guess. I still think Villa Maya in Rockville is much better if you're in that area.
(3)Trevor M.
This is Uncle Sam's NAFTA Cousin that's cooks really well. Everyone should have an Uncle Julio...really, everyone should. Great Happy Hours, Great Tex/Mex atmosphere...but most importantly, the food is really good. Food: I like their salsa. Roasted peppers into the salsa...just serve it slightly warm...and heaven. The tamales are wonderful. Pork and Chicken with the correct red and green verde salsas. This is one of my favorite Ceviche's around and they do make it fresh, but make sure you get here early on a Friday or Saturday or it's gone. Fajitas...what's not to like here. But, what I really like is the fact that you can get quail and you can get frog legs. Nice, moist, tender frog legs that don't smell gamey. Hmmm. Frog legs. Service/Staff: Attentive and quick..but, bear in mind that during happy hour... it can get a little dicey and slow. Bar: This bar just isn't big enough to serve the masses of the Rio/Gaithersburg area. How they don't run out of Tequila is beyond me. Price: Reasonable. Return rate: Can we say Happy Hour! Bottom Line: For Gaithersburg, For Tex/Mex...this is a great establishment that does things that other Tex/Mex don't do...offer good variety (even though it's a chain) and do it well.
(4)Jeneen C.
I went to Uncle Julios for the first time about a month ago and glad that I went! The food is aswesome, It was crowded, however the wait was not extremely long. The Guadlajara is terrific! Cannot wait to go back.
(5)KanKan Y.
The food here is ok...service is ok...but the view is really nice. When the weather is nice out; you should grab a seat outside and soak in the lake view. There are ducks and swans swimming about and the paddle boaters trying to figure out what they should be doing...pretty good view :) Food wise, I love the fajitas here. I defin recommend them over anything else. I also recommend getting a cadillac margarita with a patron silver shot...its pretty tasty :D
(3)Hyun M.
I really loved this place, it was my family's favorite place to eat. Unfortunately, the last two times have been a little disastrous with the food. The Gordo Platter is what my family orders. Last time the chicken was burnt. This time the bacon was black. The manager brought out another batch that was burnt but was turned over so you didn't see it. When I turned it over and showed him. He said it was alright. Perhaps their food costs are up? I took a picture with my husband's blackberry and said I was going to post it. I looked at my bank statements and realized that I have been spending about $300 a month here. We go once a week. Well, I have on principle decided to vote with my feet and I am not coming back.
(1)Hrishi P.
Nice Mexican place to hangout. Food is good. Nice ambience for large group. Service is good. Like the sangria. Get pretty crowded on weekends so reserve beforehand.
(4)Brooke T.
Came here for a late lunch. Service was surprisingly quick for how busy they were. For some reason my fajitas didn't come with sour cream so I requested it. Then finally after 10 minutes they brought sour cream... I don't know what that was about. Other than that, I had a nice view of the lake and some good Mexican food.
(3)Orlangela A.
She said..." I remember this place being better when it was rio grande. I don't really know the difference, but the food tasted just alright. Nothing special about it, even the salsa wasn't the great. Eh..." He said..."Yea when you are looking for Italian food and you eat Mexican food, you wish you rather just go McDonalds. This place was gross. Not much to write, I mean I'd rather of ate at Taco Bell. And I hate Taco Bell"
(3)Tim B.
I love this place. Very good Mexican food and very reasonable. Gets a little busy during peak times and of course that can hurt the quality of service.
(5)Bella S.
Four stars because they have never disappointed. Get the mixed fajitas and gorge yourself on their excellent tortilla chips. Great place to bring guests though a bit loud. I wish I had had my wedding here, random last note.
(4)P S.
This place was pretty amazing on the food front. We had the guacamole and queso to start. These were delightful with their super thin chips and flavorful salsa. I had the Fejitas which had totally tender steak. When we were seated, they asked us when the last time we had been in was. I told them it was our first time. We were wondering where our waitress was with our bill when we were done, when to our surprise the manager came over with a huge plate of sopapillas that they gave us, since it was our first time. If I were in this area, I would go again and again.
(5)Howard H.
This is a great place and the food is delicious. Only issue is that it is so crowded, but that is just a reflection on the fact that they are doing everything right.
(5)Adam H.
Gonna keep it short. Like other Rio Grande/Uncle Julio's Restaurants, the food here is good. I've always had a good experience with this location. Hard to go wrong with anything on their menu. Good place to take a large group on short notice.
(3)Kevin L.
So loud during happy hour. If you want to hear your group, better sit outside. Food is okay, typcial mex food. The people traffic around Rio brings the flow in. Summer evening and weekend night might be too crowded.
(3)Chris G.
Rio Grande is the Best Tex Mex chain around! Suprisingly good food from an chain retuarant! When there is one in a town I'm visiting it's a must visit.
(5)Ashley L.
I will never come here again. Period. I understand my experience is atypical, but I refuse to put up with bad service. I went out for drinks with two of my friends. One of my friends used to work there, so we decided to stop in for a drink or two at the bar. I used the bathroom when I first came in, so my friends took the liberty of ordering my drink. The bartender did not introduce herself to me, I was never asked how my drink was. I was never offered a menu or chips & salsa. I had to ask a waiter to bring us something to much on, and truth be told, we could have been persuaded to buy food if someone had asked. I can appreciate being busy and not giving your full attention, but it was a Monday night.There was no excuse. We left after one drink and had to ask a manager to get me the bill, since the bar staff couldn't be bothered to do so. I finally got my check after asking three different times. I picked up the tab and when it came time to pay, I told the bartender "My drink was great. Thanks for asking." She said, verbatim "Are you kidding me right now?" No. I'm not kidding. This is not how you deal with customers and this is not how you run a business. I would like to comment on the food but I wasn't offered any.
(1)Tom K.
Victims of their own success.... Reliable tex mex food in obscene quantity - not to mention the famous swirlie margaritas - put the Uncle Julio's chain on the map. but what I first experienced 20 years ago in Arlington has become a megachain experience. Lines out the door; impossible to hold a decent conversation; swarms of servers to handle the load of orders- you're lucky if you see the same server twice during your visit. This location overlooking the lake at Rio is great for relaxing if you can snag a porch table when it's not too hot outside.
(3)Steve J.
Paper-thin chips, don't like them. Dirty coffee cup, don't like either.
(2)Mila M.
Great Mexican food. The portions are big and the food is well made and delicious. I highly recommend splitting the fajitas for two. It's a fun place to sit out side in the summer by the water and enjoy great food, unlimited chips & salsa and their famous Swirls! The Swirl is a slushie-like alcoholic beverage that mixes Sangria with a Margarita, delicious! Even at their busiest times, I've always had fast and attentive service.
(5)Doug O.
Have been coming here for years and I love the food. The fajitas are the best I've had and the Salsa can't be beat. Their other items, like enchiladas and quesodillas are all good, though I've had better. The one complaint I have is the atmosphere. As others have already pointed out, this is one noisy restaurant. It doesn't seem to matter how many people are here or what time of day it is, it's noisy. Don't come here and expect to have a meaningful conversation, it won't happen. Overall, the food is very good to excellent, but the noise can put a damper on an otherwise great experience.
(4)Nolly G.
Based on these reviews, a friend and I tried Uncle Julio's last night. We were in town on business, so had little familiarity with the area. The GPS wasn't a whole lot of help but we did manage to find the place. It's in an area of shops and restaurants with a nice water feature, very pleasant to walk around on an evening when it isn't cool & spitting rain. Uncle Julio's is a brightly colored inside & out, sort of like that old Chi-Chis chain. Rooms are divided to break up the noise, and there's a dining porch with a view of the water. Chips and salsa are served right away. I thought the chips were a little greasy, nothing special, but okay for something to nosh on while waiting for drinks. I had the top shelf marguerita, which came in a highball glass--tasty but I've had bigger drinks for $8.25. We ordered side salads and they turned out to be very nice with different greens, red onions, a couple of grape tomatoes, etc. I had the chipotle ranch dressing, not too spicy and good. My friend ordered the shrimp and chicken fajitas while I had the steak. She was very happy with her dinner, well cooked and well spiced, but not overdone--she is not a fan of spicy food. My steak was flavorful and tender. It came with grilled onions and what I now realize was a pepper; it looked funky and after dealing with the fact that they grill frog legs in the same kitchen, I was in no mood to deal with a blackened pod. Hey, it was the end of a long day. We arrived at 5:30 on Saturday night and were seated immediately, but bigger parties were waiting and by the time we left, the place was packed. Two salads, two entrees, two cokes and a drink came to just shy of $65, after taxes before tip. Service was excellent and included free sopapillas for some reason, totally random, but nice. Frog leg aversion aside, I liked Uncle Julio's and will definitely go again.
(4)John S.
I really like this place.Had on more then 1 occasion the combo burritos.Wow.First is they are that big,give you 3,cheese steak n chicken.Rice was cooked good as well.Not overly spicy at all.And also the prices are good as well,had a rib eye dinner and that was done perfectly.Love the unlimited chips n sals,and when you come in you can smell the chips being cooked.
(4)Jenna P.
Yes, it's a chain. And no, the food isn't amazing. But I enjoyed eating here all the same. The ambiance is cheesy, but nice. The outdoor seating is lovely. I loved the homemade chips and salsa. Most of their food is better than you'd expect. However, I would definitely advise against getting the nachos. We received 10 individual chips, each with approximately 1/2 inch of melted cheese on top and a single piece of grilled chicken in the middle. Very bland and boring. I am deducting at least 1 star for the INCREDIBLY slow service. I've been here twice, both during slow times (1:00pm on a Thursday, 4:00pm on a Tuesday). Both times, the restaurant was empty inside, and less than 3/4 of the outside tables were full. And yet we had to wait forever!! We waited 5 minutes for someone to take our drink orders. 10 more minutes for someone to take our food orders. 20 minutes for food to come out. After we were done, we waited 15 minutes before anyone gave us the bill. 5 minutes before they took our credit card. 10 minutes before they returned with the credit card. Come on, it takes approximately 45 seconds to run someone's credit card through the stupid machine!! All told, lunch at Uncle Julios took over 2 hours at a time when they were practically empty. Unbelievable! I would never come here during any evening or weekend hours. I can't imagine how long it would take!!
(3)Chris B.
The best tex mex, and my all time favorite restaurant in the dc metro area. that being said make sure you stick with the tex mex items. Must haves - steak fajitas, seriously the best thing ever, perfectly cooked skirt steak, perfect marinade, and amazing accompaniments - fresh house made tortillas, amazing rice, beans, jalapeno and guac. If you have the money try the guadalajara platter which on top of the fajitas includes shrimp wrapped in bacon stuffed with jalapeno and cheese, seriously ridiculous. To be honest I would not venture too far from these menu items. Remember this is tex mex so you really only want to get something that's off the grill. If you need other selection suggestions I would try something that includes the steak fajita meat in it for example the steak nachos or steak soft tacos. The chips and salsa are also out of this world, fresh made multiple times a day from what I have heard. I have read some complaints about the salsa that it is not fresh, warm, and runny. It is warm and runny because it is fresh...right off the grill to the blender...amazing. Also if you want hotter salsa there is a habanero one that is not on the menu, also free just need to ask. Only cons I really have are that they now have a smaller salsa bowl which is frustrating and that the food can occasionally be inconsistent. Sometimes the fajitas have been sitting and come out with no sizzle and overcooked which is also extremely frustrating. Otherwise this is the best place for tex mex, amazing, and what i compare all other mexican restaurants to.
(5)Lauren B.
Coming from Texas, I have to say that this is by far the best Tex Mex I've had this far north. We got the Guadalajara combination dinner which came with mixed fajitas and brochette shrimp (amazing bacon wrapped grilled shrimp stuffed with jalapeno & monteray jack cheese). It was amazing. Also, check out the swirl which is margaritas and sangria swirled together- a great deal for the alcohol content and also pretty tasty. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area... check it out if you want real Tex Mex.
(5)Stacy F.
I lived in Dallas for a few years and frequented two different Uncle Julio's restaurants there. Their Patron Silver margarita (on the rocks) is fantastic and the food at the Gaithersburg location is good. A little overpriced for Tex Mex but it's good. I'd prefer a little more garlic in the guacamole but otherwise, I can't complain. The food is surprisingly comparable to the food at their Dallas locations, where decent Tex Mex is easy to find.
(3)Susan C.
Nice! Great food and wonderful setting. Great date spot.
(5)K C.
Went here with a couple friends. Frozen sangria was yummy as were the pork tamales. The tamales were moist and flavorful. The dipping sauce that came on the side was also spicy and good. View of the water from the outdoor patio is very nice. Music was a little loud inside. Service was good.
(4)Simone R.
Ok, this is my favorite place to eat!! A little pricey for two people though $70. and wait staff can be poor at times depending on ur waiter but overall great food great atomsphere!! Get the steak nachos and the swirle margarita...yum!! I can never decide on what to get but I always leave full and satisfied!!
(4)Alex G.
Food is great when the order is cook right. I've eaten here a number of times but the last two experiences have been bad. Service seems to be slight downwards. Second to last visit my ribs were so over cooked I had to Tear the meat off the bone like I was eating beef jerky. And my wife's ribs were cold! I have to say the they did correct the food and gave us a free meal. The visit was a take out order and when I arrive thebar staff told me there were no carry orders in the system the proceeded to ask me who talk the order when I replied I did not know it was a woman he just stared at and said oh we'll there is nothing I can do and then had the nerve to say we don't reAlly take orders... Clearly a line of BS. So spoke to he manager who place the order and offered a credit. Not sure if ill back anytime soon
(3)Simon C.
Another of the restaurants around the Rio centre so I wasn't expecting too much. However I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Busy on a Tuesday night with a crowded and pretty noisy bar area (which thankfully you can't hear when in the main body of the place). Efficient, attentive service. Huge selection on the menu, so you should be able to find something you like. And pretty tasty, well cooked food. Overall, probably the best of the bunch of those I've tried at the Rio. Will definitely be back.
(3)Adam L.
Save your money and go elsewhere.
(1)Andrew S.
free chips and salsa doee
(4)Karina G.
Very average and pricy for mexican food. Nothing you can't make at home. The environment is chill but nothing too exciting. Mojitos Are my favorite here but depends who makes it. Overall the location is probably the best thing about this place.
(3)Cristian B.
Overall is a nice place to enjoy a family time however not the best Spanish food restaurant around the rio area... If you keep walking down the phat you will find "Guapos restaurant" now that's were you will enjoy your carne asada with some rice and beans and ofcourse with the great service they give you. And make sure you ask for the server Esaul, you will be sure to get A1 service!
(3)Michael P.
Ok, so I am a transplant from the great state of Texas! So I know Mexican food and Tex-Mex whatever you call it. Mexico is as diverse as Italy is with Italian food all parts of the land have unique flavors to offer. Even in the good ole USA from Cali to Texas and all over you can find Mexican restraunts everywhere. The challenge is to find good or even great mexican restraunts. Well I rate Mexican retraunts on 3 things: 1. Margaritas on the Rocks I always ask for the same Liquors to keep things fair, it is in the mix they use that sets them apart. 2. Chips and Salsa. 3. TORTILLAS! and FAJITAS! Well on to my review. Uncle Julio's is the closes thing to home I have found here when it comes to Mexican food. They excel in all 3 categories. The only thing I have to complain about is I wish the Margaritas were bigger. I always get the Patron Silver with Countreau these are served in rock glasses the first time I saw these I was like WTF that's it! I'll tell you what though they catch up with you pretty fast and I'm no lightweight when it comes to drinking:). The chips I like they taste homemade pretty sure they are made there but I could be wrong. The salsa is ok to me not bad just ok. I really like the Queso though. UMMM I'm starving now I really need to write these on a full stomach. What I really Love about this place though its the Tortillas and Fajitas they are the best in the area. They are always cooked to perfection. The sides of rice and beans are ok, better then most restaurants I think, but they could be better. you can chose between a bowl of pinto beans or a small plate of refried beans which is nice. I Like getting the Guadalajara plate you cannot go wrong with this plate. It comes with Fajitas and bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with jalapenos and cheese not too spicy ummm am I making you hungry yet? I really like the location it's in the Rio shopping area with other shops and restaurants and a movie theater. Oh and it sits right next to a man made Small lake you can walk around it in like 30 minutes I think. Its a cool place to take a date. My final thought is definitely give it a try it definitely satisfies my taste buds of Mexican food. 4 1/2 stars in my book.
(4)Michael K.
This place is overpriced for what is delivered. The Tacos al Carbon is nothing more than two tortillas with fajita chicken, sides of rice and guacamole and pico de gallo. For $18 you would expect a bit more. Just because you throw food on a big ceramic plate does not make it gourmet or high end. Maybe it is just the area I am in, but I might need to stick to the Baja Fresh and Chipotle chains to get more for my money.
(2)Meghan M.
Uncle Julio's is a Tex-Mex chain, and a popular one at that. Must have's here are the (free!) chips and salsa and the margaritas. Less stand-out are the fish tacos but they're still good. HUGE portions, relatively reasonable prices, and speedy service in the bar makes this a decent option for a big lunch or dinner. I'd say it's probably a kick-butt drinks/snacks place if that's what you're looking for, though.
(3)Tamijo C.
Chips are homemade and they are the best chips I've ever eaten! Their homemade avocados are to die for! I ate their fajitas and was satisfied! My husband had the bacon wrapped with jumbo shrimps along with homemade corn tortillas and it was so good! You will not regret going there. I went during the week at around lunch time so there was less people which I enjoyed as well.
(5)Karen D.
Went for lunch today and was reminded how much I love their tacos, and their authentic sopapillas. Too many restaurants dust a little cinnamon sugar on chip and call them sopapillas. Service has always been good as well! Lunchtime specials are good deals.
(4)Sarah G.
Went there with friends tonight just for drinks in the bar area. The drinks were not good. There swirls were all sour mix as were the margaritas. Friends got mojitos that weren't great either. I paid $20 for two drinks and it wasn't worth it. After a table cleared out we decided to sit. The waitress cleaned off the table and took her tip from the previous couple sitting there but then we never saw her again. We had to go to the bar to order anything. Overall I was less than impressed!
(2)V P.
We had a dual birthday celebration with about 15 people here. I called ahead and was pleasantly surprised they took reservations. They seated us promptly and provided a super-friendly, upbeat waitress. Unfortunately, I do not remember her name, but she was fantastic with my (sometimes difficult) family, recommending various dishes and drinks. The restaurant provided complimentary chips and salsa (I prefer the ones at Guapo's more) and for our birthdays, gave us coconut deep-fried ice cream. The food was wonderful, and my finicky family surprisingly enjoyed it (I ALWAYS do). The atmosphere was great, and I'm very glad we chose Uncle Julio's to celebrate our special occasion. Loved the food; prices are fair with good service. Definitely coming back!
(5)stevie t.
It feels unfair of me to review this place since I don't really love Mexican food in general. But I've found plenty of Mexican restaurants that have at least one item I love. Uncle Julio's just doesn't. I'll usually order either a steak with rice or a steak quesadilla. Both are okay. I can get a steak anywhere though, so that's not saying much and a quesadilla is as basic as it gets. I enjoy the queso dip though. Lately when I go (it's a great spot to go for drinks), I just do queso with chips as my food and end up focusing on swirls. The best part about the place is their outdoor patio and tables over the water. It's also got a fun atmosphere and the bar is nice and lively. I'm always up for going to hang out, just can't really justify the calories.
(3)Ash S.
Food is good, tasty, reasonably filling. The problem is the prices. As Gordon Ramsay would say, Shocking! You're basically paying fine dining prices for the usual Tex-Mex staples that are offered in a lot of places. Not very far away at all is the Taco Bar, attached to the gas station, and the food quality is near identical, but the prices are about 1/3. I've never actually done this, but it would be worthwhile to have cocktails at Uncle Julios, walk over to the Taco Bar, and then wander back for a nightcap.
(3)Sara D.
Great location/atmosphere. Pretty good food as well. One word: SWIRLS. They're a little pricey, but any more than 2 for me and I would be seriously feeling it the next day, so they're a great cheap buzz for lightweights like myself. I have been twice and had good service each time. I just wish there was more menu selection, and I personally find the menu a little scatter brained and bulky, hard to read.
(4)Seetha K.
First off, everything is overpriced. The food isn't great, everything I've tried is so-so. Guapo's across the bridge has much better authentic food. Wait staff isn't very friendly - I don't blame them though. That place is always packed because of the location. Bar staff is a little nicer. Only reason I come here is because I am in the area and they have more bar space than Guapo's. Otherwise, I do no go out of my way to come here.
(2)Charle S.
Terrible is the only word I can think of when I see this restaurant. It was expensive and the food tasted like it came out of the microwave. I will never eat there again..
(1)Jacinda T.
Chambord frozen margaritas. I absolutely LOVE these. They are amazingly strong, but sweet and tasty at the same time. The fajitas are definitely the stars of the menu, but be warned, they are BIG! We usually get the combo of steak and chicken. one time they had a special that included lobster with the steak and chicken, and that was pure awesomeness. SO GOOD. Tamales: Get 2 chicken and 2 pork. 4 of the same thing is just too much. Chips & salsa: fresh tortilla chips are always great, and the salsa is good too. the flavors vary from time to time, though. sometimes the salsa is spicy and watery, other times its chunkier and mild. kind of weird, but not a problem. Guac: very good, just go for the original one. the other flavors/added ingredients detracts from the flavor. great service, good food, amazing drinks. I also love the fact that you can call ahead of time to put your name on the waiting list.
(4)Joelyne K.
The food was very bland, nothing special and it definitely was not authentic. The service was also bad. Our waiter never came by to fill up our drinks and was very inattentive to my husband and I. I order the vegetable fajitas and when they brought the grilled vegetables out to me, they didn't bring my fajitas, my beans or my rice. They argued with me and said the dish didn't come with rice, even though the menu said it did. Who doesn't serve rice with beans? My food got cold by the time I got all the pieces to my entree. I was hardly impressed. The manager looked like he was a 15 year old kid although he was very nice. I just don't think this place is too well put together. Service and food was sloppy.
(2)Jorge M.
Food is just ok and don't order drinks they are way to small and way overprice. For the flavor and prices head over to Guapos!
(1)Lisa Y.
Hands down this is my FAV! I love the food & have never been disappointed......you can't go wrong with Uncle Julio's. I usually get the Shrimp Brochette but sometimes will get a Chicken Soft Taco or a Beef Fajita. This place is a well oiled machine & always a winner!
(5)J. D.
Came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon with my wife and two kids. Overall experience was mediocre to poor. My menu was wet... I really hate that. Food took amazingly long to come out. When it did, the enchiladas were barely warm and contained minimal amount of chicken. Spicing on the chicken in the fajita's was a bit heavy. Prices were exorbitant. Fajitas were around $16 and then they charge another $2 for sour cream and cheese. All the fun texmex drinks are around $9 ea. Highly overpriced for the level of food.
(1)Amelia O.
I used to love coming here but things have changed. The atmosphere is great and the restaurant is spacious. Service is always pretty good. My complaint is with the prices and the food. The last two times I came here I was completely unimpressed with the rice. It just never seems fresh, almost like it's been sitting out for awhile. I had to pay an extra buck for sour cream and there was no guacamole. What kind of Mexican restaurant makes you pay for the basics when you already pay $13 for the meal? Although I'm not a huge Guapo's fan, they win over Uncle Julio. Sorry big guy.
(3)Cynthia L.
You go here not for the food, but for the drinks. The breakfast here is appalling, most of the food tastes microwaved, but they do have decent pork tamales (closest thing to homemade as you'll get in this area) and swirls. Again, drinks and company here, not food.
(3)Sandy B.
Always a winner for me. Food is fresh. But man, the fresh tortillas are to die for. Went Sunday lunch. Got seated right away. I have Huevos something with chicken and fruit and avoided the huge amount of food that I normally get with Fajitas. Just the right amount of food for me at that time. And being obsessed with iced tea, I was pleasantly surprised by the iced tea infused with real raspberries. Yum. My friend had the tortillas; and being a light eater, was able to take 1/2 home for a second meal.
(4)Jessica H.
1 star because of the exaggerated, offensive caricature of a Mexican as their logo.
(1)Maria L.
Seating: We were seated right away on a Sunday night, around 5:45 pm Atmosphere: Feels like you are at your Uncle Julio's house, even if you don't have an Uncle Julio. It's decorated like a Mexican Mansion you'd find at Disneyland; one of those theme things they got going on. Food: Chips and salsa are average. I ordered 2 enchiladas, one beef &one chicken; on the side it came with some bean soup, Mexican rice,& a tiny salad ($9.95). There was a red sauce on top of my chicken enchilada& the waiter claimed it was hot& spicy.It was more of a sour taste. The bean soup was good, as well as the beef enchilada. If I'm craving Mexican food again, id rather go to Chevys.
(3)Angela M.
Love their food!!! It's kinda crowded, especially in weekends, but it's worth going there for the delicious Mexican food. Definitely try it out!
(4)John O.
atmosphere: better than average for a mexican restaurant. prices: average for grabbing some mexican food service: average The food servers have been good, but one in particular, a short guy with a buzz cut named Eliott, has been quite terrible. Next time I (yes there will be a next time) I will be tempted to ask the hostess, "We are getting a booth, aren't we? And we do not want Eliott."
(3)Janis H.
Everytime my husband and I eats at Uncle Julios we always leave speechless. The food has no comparison. Its perfectly delicious and tasty. Servers are friendly and nice. The prices are just right.
(5)Valerie B.
Went for dinner on Saturday. Good food and drinks. Server was efficient and attentive which was a welcome surprise due to the crowd. I have never understood parents who wait until their small children are tired and cranky to feed them - a diner next to us was kind enough to offer his chips/salsa to one family SMH. Will definitely come again.
(5)Melinda R.
Some friends and I went on a Saturday night. It was packed, but we were able to be seated pretty quickly. My food was OK. I got one of the platters. I've had better.
(3)Dan S.
Waited 45 minutes for a table for 5 . We were told we were next for 15 minutes, then they gave our table to a party that had just walked in . I spoke to the manager who literally laughed in my face and said we could have the next table if and when one came up. All the while the hostess was doing the right thing by simply saying they had screwed up and SHE was sorry. My son-in -law simply stated the jerk should be fired on the spot . We left without eating.
(1)Mosart R.
Love this place I always get the honey glaze salmon The food is always fresh We always come here as a family get together The dining rooms are always clean The staff very friendly and knowledgeable of menu items We always get seated fast Great place to eat Mexican food Please try the honey glazed salmon you'll love it!
(4)Chris H.
The place is pretty cool and nicely decorated. The food is good,although it can be pricey -- I usually come here to drink though. I'm a big fan of their swirls and just a warning, they can definitely sneak up on you if you drink it without caution so you probably don't want to drive. Probably about to go get some swirls right now actually.
(4)Shawn M.
Love the food at this place and they never seem to leave me unsatisfied. Also, the free chips and salsa are nice in a world where a lot of restaurants have stopped doing it because of cost. My only issues with the place is the location and the fact that the restaurant has NO sound acoustics or deadening. If you stay there for very long, it can deafen you with the cacophony constantly bouncing off the walls. I don't know how the waiters and staff can handle it. The parking is terrible and Rio seems to attract idiots who don't realize that the pavement is for cars and not their rotund asses to stand in. The chairs could be a bit more comfortable and the tables look out of place in a restaurant where every main dish is $20+. However, the food and service make up for these by a lot. I will visit again and hopefully not worry about having some spaced out teenager walk in front of my car because they're texting while walking.
(4)Jack C.
Great food and Service. Nice Happy Hour place too. Try it if you have not.
(4)A.j. S.
Came out to dinner with about 15 people I work with. The food was good, but the manager on duty really ruined to night for us. We needed one extra chair for our table so I grabbed one from an empty table, something people do in restaurants all the time. Anyways I put it back, but the entire time we sat and ate he kept staring at our table (me personally). He had us feeling very uncomfortable the whole time there. Not the kind of service you want when your spending over $300.00 for one meal.
(1)David N.
Uncle Julio's is always a great time. It's gets pretty busy sometimes as they don't take reservations but they do allow you to call in ahead of time to get your name on the wait list so by the time you get there you won't have to wait as long. First, start you off with some freshly made tortilla chips and their salsa. I like the taste of the salsa, I just wish the consistency was a little less watery. Second, order a yummy frozen alcoholic drink. Most people will enjoy the Swirl, which is half frozen margarita with their sangria intertwined. The Chambord frozen margaritas are also bomb.com . I order that one the times when I feel secure enough with my masculinity to be drinking such a pink frozen drink lol. Next, order their combination fajitas which have half chicken and half steak. I definitely a bigger fan of the steak than the chicken but I like the balance and change of flavors. It comes with pretty yummy guac, pico de gallo, tortillas, beans, and rice but I usually also get the cheese and sour cream as well. Add some Tapatio sauce to the fajitas for a delicious time. Lastly, continue to order aforementioned frozen alcoholic drink throughout the meal. Pro-tip: Call in ahead of time on Friday and Saturday evenings or try really hard to find a seat at the bar area unless you want to wait 30-45 minutes to get seated.
(4)Jason L.
I am sure that elephants conceive and give birth in the amount of time it takes to get seated here on weekends. The sad part about how crowded this place gets is that it highlights the fact that Gaithersburg does not have many authentic sit down Mexican joints to visit. Sure the Taco Bar is good but not the kind of place you would take a group of friends or get a mixed drink. I was a bit perturbed that we waited almost 50 minutes on a Friday night for a table of two. What made this even a tougher pill to swallow is that there were numerous empty tables scattered throughout the restaurant on our way back to the table. If I have to wait that long again for chain Tex-Mex I won't be coming here again. Our waiter wasn't quite as bright as the decor that surrounded our table but he was serviceable. Chips and salsa are very good. We ordered the queso which was also pretty good. The ribs I ordered were a bit tough and the flavors were off. The grilled chicken strips were average and as I write this review a month later not really memorable. The beans and rice were decent for a chain. Overall the food gets 3.5 stars. No single item was truly remarkable but I can't say there were enough negative things about our experience here to knock them down to a 2. Avoid on the weekends if you don't feel like waiting an hour for a table.
(3)Kitty B.
Goodness this place just never seems to disappoint. I get the three chicken enchiladas with red sauce, it is absolutely delicious! It a great portion that fills you up and it is always fresh and no bones in the chicken! Compared to guapos ick! Boyfriend gets the ribs with half fajitas he said the ribs where dry but fajitas were AWSOME. For dessert we got piña coladas which was a perfect texture and taste and the chocolate empanada. The empanada tasted great but it always has too much chocolate. Overall will always come back, I am a loyal customer.
(5)Jess G.
Meh. Mexican food, nothing special, and expensive. I only finished my plate because I paid so much for it.
(3)Jerry W.
I used to love coming here but now its a pain, there's always a line to get seated 30-60min waits, when its that long I just walk down the to gaupos lol, the only thing I love about this place is the chips and salsa are so good lol, the food is pretty bland hit or miss sometimes cold sometimes undercooked. One time I waited for a table they said 20min about 30min I went up to get a update they had forgot to put my name on the list some how and since then I rarely come here. Oh yeah the tables are really close to each other one time I went and it was pretty empty and for some reason they put a family right next to us even though all around there was more empty tables and the kids were kind of annoying but what can you do.
(2)Joanna C.
I'd heard a lot of good things about Uncle Julio's/Rio Grande and was excited about coming. They have a good lunch special where you can pick two things so I had a soup and salad. Everything tasted fine and the service was good, but nothing about this place really stood out. I was expecting a little better for the prices, but then again, that could be a general comment for most of the restaurants at Rio.
(2)Lilian Y.
Came here for Cinco de Mayo and for drinks during dinner. Was a fun night! The chips and salsa are really good and so are their margaritas! I had 3 tacos and it was one of the best I've ever had. The atmosphere is nice and the outside seating when it's warmer out is the best!
(4)Miles B.
They have amazing steak fajitas and the best sides to go with their fajitaas than any other mexican food place I've tried. The place is loud but if you want good fajitas come here.
(5)Grace L.
I've been going here for years and prefer this location in the Rio, even though I live and work in Bethesda... Chips and Salsa are always fresh and on-point. The queso, ground beef nachos, and steak fajitas are all awesome! The only downsides are having to wait for a table at the bar, and the occasional screaming child who is out past his or her bedtime on a Friday or Saturday night.
(4)John And Mindy S.
This place has very good Mexican food. the fajitas were great. I also loved the guacamole. The drinks are very expensive though. Its worth trying if you've never been, but don't go here for drinks.
(4)Jennifer H.
This place was great, would be five star except our server was not good. Food was fantastic, we had fajitas and the combo plate with beef enchiladas. Some of the best chicken (moist, tender and full of flavor) I've had in a restaurant. I live in Oregon and was visiting. Girlfriend in DC, I am hopeful we will get an UJ some day, otherwise il look forward to my next visit to the East Coast to visit my friend o course, but also to enjoy another awesome Mojoto and delicious dinner.
(4)Brandon F.
Amazing food and great drinks every time I've been to Uncle Julio's. This place could make a killing if they sold their chips and salsa at the door as take out (and they're free and unlimited at the table!). I get the Juanita platter usually (1 crunchy taco, 2 enchiladas and a tamale) or the combination beef and chicken fajitas. The food isn't cheap, but you most definitely get what you pay for, an amazing meal and amazing drinks. The restaurant itself is very large but I think the tables are a little too close together. Its difficult to hear your table-mates' conversation over the din and your neighboring tables' conversations. The decoration is great and really brings the entire experience together.
(4)Jean C.
Love it !
(5)Seth J.
We just visited a place for happy hour and I did NOT like drink prices at all. $9 for swirl & $6 for Modello not exactly an attractive bargain.
(3)Neka K.
I have ate here twice. Food is just okay... Nothing amazing. And it's expensive for what it is. But it's a good relaxing place I don't feel bad bringing my kid to. I like that.
(3)Tina H.
I'm a big fan of anything in Rio because it's such a great location! I went here for lunch with my best friend (it was my first time.) You know how in cheesecake factory, cpk, they give you bread while you wait? Well here they give you tortilla chips & my best friend was nut over it! she loves them! My best friend got the beef fajitas al carbon & i got the carne asada and they were soooo good! We also got some virgin pina colada and they were alright...CPK's pina colada is still waaay better. We got Cajeta for desert, & it was very...caramel-y. The food is kinda of pricey but I think it worth it though! I'll definitely come back & recommend it to others!
(4)Faride S.
i came to uncle julios on a saturday night just recently. it wasn't packed but it wasn't empty either. we got seated super quick and greeted by our server quick also. his service was excellent! he kept coming back to check on us at appropriate times and was very nice. i had carne asada and it came out delicious. i ordered a mango passion fruit margarita even though im not a tequila fan and it was also tasty. i will deff come back and hopefully i get the same service and not the service that many yelpers are talking about on here lol
(5)Allison L.
Standard Americanized Mexican food. The restaurant and bar are both giant, but since it's in Rio, long waits seem pretty standard. It's a little more expensive than On The Border or Don Pablos, but the portions were seriously huge. The chips and salsa also seemed to be far superior to both those chains.
(3)Tina F.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times and food was always amazing. The Carne Asada w/ grilled peppers and onions are always cooked the way I have ordered it. I normally receive great and fast service.
(5)Zoe P.
I ate dinner with six family members and things were pretty evenly split. The fajitas team loved their food while the girls who got fish (me included) were pretty disappointed. Based on this, and the overall vibe of the place, I'd go with the heavy, meaty, porky classics. The menu features that kind of thing and, although fish tacos aren't haute cuisine, they spiced the fillets too heavily and then overcooked them within an inch of their lives, while offering a bland, mayo-slick version of crema to go on top. I did love the tamales and I did not love the flan - you know how sometimes you get eggs at a diner and they are kind of tasteless and flat? Well, this is like if you had those eggs in your flan. I took home my leftovers but I never ate them. And I was pregnant at the time. So go figure.
(3)Apryl R.
Uncle Julio has delicious text me food. The margaritas are really good and sitting on the patio is so nice during the summer time. Always love coming here!
(4)Irene F.
I can't stand Uncle Julios. Seriously. Nothing tastes or looks fresh here. They got so fortunate to have the awesome view of the water. They have the best outdoor seating. Which earns them the 2 stars. But it just bugs me to eat here. The service is sooooooooooo slow. Every SINGLE time I go. You have to ask for refills repeatedly. Once I finally went to the bar and asked for a water refill. Definitely don't come here if you actually have a "lunch HOUR" The only things I can stand to eat are the shrimp quesodilla (which ps I am NOT recommending) and the tamales which were surprisingly tasty. I also don't like their greasy thin chips nor their cooked brownish watery salsa. I would rather go to Guapos.
(2)Eddie K.
I only come here during lunch so there is no wait and the service is great. So, I can't comment on dinner service. Their lunch menu is a lot smaller now, but the only thing I eat here are the fajitas and enchiladas. They always refill my soda and water in a prompt manner and the food comes out really quick. We always go here when celebrating a co-workers birthday. Has something for everyone - we have vegetarians in our group, but they always find something tasty to eat.
(4)Ana P.
Went here for Valentine's day 2011. BP and I arrived well before the dinner rush, so we were seated right away! It became loud and crowed fairly quickly. Sometimes I felt that the tables were a bit cramped, but wasn't a deal breaker. BP and I ordered the fajita platter, I believe and we made our own fajitas. I preferred the chicken over the beef because it was more flavorful. The beef was chewy and difficult to swallow.
(3)Casey K.
This is a great place for happy hour with friends. It's good food and good drinks for sure. It gets pretty loud and rowdy as the happy hour area fills up and the dinner crowd enters which I don't mind at all. I don't think it would be a good restaurant to have a quiet romantic dinner because with the acoustics, sounds carries A LOT here, so might consider taking the candlelight dinner date elsewhere or you will find yourself annoyed at trying to hear each other. As far as happy hour goes, I usually have the reverse swirl margarita. They are dangerous, but very good and refreshing (especially in the Summer months). The chips and salsa always taste fresh and are consistently good. Start with the chips and queso with the ground beef in it, my friends and I attack this when it comes to the table because it is just soooooo good. Plus, I think we all give each other side glances when it starts to get to the bottom like who is going to get to lap up the last drop and I can't believe this deliciousness is gone. A couple of my friends like the tortillas dipped in the queso, but it is too much clash of consistency for me, the crunch of the chip makes it. I would not recommend the guacamole, there is not that much served so it ends up being kind of a bust (better for 2 people). For my entree, it is the chicken or shrimp quesadilla all the way. It's massive and stuffed perfectly. They serve it with sour cream and guacamole. I love to make the perfect bite with a little sour cream, dab of guacamole, and a little drizzle of salsa. Ah so good, all the flavors merge together and it's a party in your mouth for sure. I would say this place is best for happy hour or at least, that is what I come here the most for. Its is the perfect place to meet and I have always had a seat waiting at the round high top tables. Can speak much on the family friendly front, but the food alone is worth it. Plus, I know if I was a kid, I would love to marvel at the tortilla maker that is constantly turning out fresh tortilla after fresh tortilla...yum!
(4)Katie D.
This place is almost always packed. I advise getting there early. We went last Friday and waited over 15 minutes for a spot in the bar area. Could have gone to any of the other restaurants in Rio but we wanted Mexican. While the staff is great, I think they need to pay attention to how messy the restrooms can get. It looked like it had not been cleaned for most of the day. Other than that, we enjoyed ourselves.
(4)C J.
This place is super noisy. Anytime you go there. The fish tacos were good. The guacamole was superb. Good tex mex food in general. My boyfriend had the steak fajitas which he said were good.
(3)Karen R.
The best Mexican food! I love everything about it, including their amazing chips and salsa. Their place is always packed and that should tell you something! Amazing food!
(5)Jenn M.
Love the swirls and fun atmosphere!!! Food is always yummy!!!
(4)Susan Y.
I realize that my taste for Mexican food is rather Americanized, and specifically tuned to the sort of Mexican food you get in California. Because of this, and the vast differences in Americanized Mexican food you find throughout the United States, I always find it a bit of a risk to walk in to a random Mexican restaurant. Despite this, I had a meal at Uncle Julio's while I was in the area on business -- and it was not bad. Chips and salsa came to the table quickly, and were pretty good. Nice thin, salty chips, and a fairly tasty salsa. For my entree I tried the street tacos -- one benefit is that they will let you mix & match, so I tried a shrimp, a fish, and a carnitas taco. It was more food than I needed, which was well enough since I didn't particularly like the fish taco (should have known better, since it is one of my favorite Cal-Mex dishes). The shrimp was good but a bit overcooked, which made the carnitas the best of the trio. The plate came with some guac, which I chose to enjoy with some of the chips. I thought I was supposed to get beans, too, but they never made it to the table. The restaurant is huge, loud, and seemed to always be crowded during the week that I was in the area -- great place for groups.
(3)Mike P.
Was okay - not great, but okay...Food was so fast thought it may have been pre-made. Would go again maybe, but if there was a better option i would take it.
(3)Christian O.
This restaurant is only a shadow of what it once was. What use to be the turn to for any special occasion is now a place me and my family won't go back to. The quality of the food has continually been dropping over time. And this was the last straw. The steak has gotten more expensive and smaller, and apart from that, they seem to have gotten rid of they grill cook and replaced it with a monkey. It's bee 4 times now that we have gone. That I have to change my stake. Im a stake person I love stake and I like it how I like it. I like it any-wear from rare to medium. Usually asking for medium rare. More than 4 times now have they brought me a stake that was well done. And for the price I'm paying... This should not happen. Customer service is fine most of the time. And waits are not bad unless it's the days surrounding a special occasion or weekends. But the food has LARGELY decreased in quality. Take note that I've been coming to this restaurant for almost a decade now and it is not worth the price anymore.
(2)Neha G.
The worst margarita I have ever had.. I asked the waiter the drink is not the way its supposed to be. She said she will make new one and get but its was still the same.. Worst experience ever. They don't even know how to make a basic cocktail properly.
(1)K C.
Went here with a couple friends. Frozen sangria was yummy as were the pork tamales. The tamales were moist and flavorful. The dipping sauce that came on the side was also spicy and good. View of the water from the outdoor patio is very nice. Music was a little loud inside. Service was good.
(4)Simone R.
Ok, this is my favorite place to eat!! A little pricey for two people though $70. and wait staff can be poor at times depending on ur waiter but overall great food great atomsphere!! Get the steak nachos and the swirle margarita...yum!! I can never decide on what to get but I always leave full and satisfied!!
(4)Alex G.
Food is great when the order is cook right. I've eaten here a number of times but the last two experiences have been bad. Service seems to be slight downwards. Second to last visit my ribs were so over cooked I had to Tear the meat off the bone like I was eating beef jerky. And my wife's ribs were cold! I have to say the they did correct the food and gave us a free meal. The visit was a take out order and when I arrive thebar staff told me there were no carry orders in the system the proceeded to ask me who talk the order when I replied I did not know it was a woman he just stared at and said oh we'll there is nothing I can do and then had the nerve to say we don't reAlly take orders... Clearly a line of BS. So spoke to he manager who place the order and offered a credit. Not sure if ill back anytime soon
(3)Simon C.
Another of the restaurants around the Rio centre so I wasn't expecting too much. However I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. Busy on a Tuesday night with a crowded and pretty noisy bar area (which thankfully you can't hear when in the main body of the place). Efficient, attentive service. Huge selection on the menu, so you should be able to find something you like. And pretty tasty, well cooked food. Overall, probably the best of the bunch of those I've tried at the Rio. Will definitely be back.
(3)Adam L.
Save your money and go elsewhere.
(1)Andrew S.
free chips and salsa doee
(4)Karina G.
Very average and pricy for mexican food. Nothing you can't make at home. The environment is chill but nothing too exciting. Mojitos Are my favorite here but depends who makes it. Overall the location is probably the best thing about this place.
(3)Cristian B.
Overall is a nice place to enjoy a family time however not the best Spanish food restaurant around the rio area... If you keep walking down the phat you will find "Guapos restaurant" now that's were you will enjoy your carne asada with some rice and beans and ofcourse with the great service they give you. And make sure you ask for the server Esaul, you will be sure to get A1 service!
(3)Michael P.
Ok, so I am a transplant from the great state of Texas! So I know Mexican food and Tex-Mex whatever you call it. Mexico is as diverse as Italy is with Italian food all parts of the land have unique flavors to offer. Even in the good ole USA from Cali to Texas and all over you can find Mexican restraunts everywhere. The challenge is to find good or even great mexican restraunts. Well I rate Mexican retraunts on 3 things: 1. Margaritas on the Rocks I always ask for the same Liquors to keep things fair, it is in the mix they use that sets them apart. 2. Chips and Salsa. 3. TORTILLAS! and FAJITAS! Well on to my review. Uncle Julio's is the closes thing to home I have found here when it comes to Mexican food. They excel in all 3 categories. The only thing I have to complain about is I wish the Margaritas were bigger. I always get the Patron Silver with Countreau these are served in rock glasses the first time I saw these I was like WTF that's it! I'll tell you what though they catch up with you pretty fast and I'm no lightweight when it comes to drinking:). The chips I like they taste homemade pretty sure they are made there but I could be wrong. The salsa is ok to me not bad just ok. I really like the Queso though. UMMM I'm starving now I really need to write these on a full stomach. What I really Love about this place though its the Tortillas and Fajitas they are the best in the area. They are always cooked to perfection. The sides of rice and beans are ok, better then most restaurants I think, but they could be better. you can chose between a bowl of pinto beans or a small plate of refried beans which is nice. I Like getting the Guadalajara plate you cannot go wrong with this plate. It comes with Fajitas and bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with jalapenos and cheese not too spicy ummm am I making you hungry yet? I really like the location it's in the Rio shopping area with other shops and restaurants and a movie theater. Oh and it sits right next to a man made Small lake you can walk around it in like 30 minutes I think. Its a cool place to take a date. My final thought is definitely give it a try it definitely satisfies my taste buds of Mexican food. 4 1/2 stars in my book.
(4)Michael K.
This place is overpriced for what is delivered. The Tacos al Carbon is nothing more than two tortillas with fajita chicken, sides of rice and guacamole and pico de gallo. For $18 you would expect a bit more. Just because you throw food on a big ceramic plate does not make it gourmet or high end. Maybe it is just the area I am in, but I might need to stick to the Baja Fresh and Chipotle chains to get more for my money.
(2)Meghan M.
Uncle Julio's is a Tex-Mex chain, and a popular one at that. Must have's here are the (free!) chips and salsa and the margaritas. Less stand-out are the fish tacos but they're still good. HUGE portions, relatively reasonable prices, and speedy service in the bar makes this a decent option for a big lunch or dinner. I'd say it's probably a kick-butt drinks/snacks place if that's what you're looking for, though.
(3)Tamijo C.
Chips are homemade and they are the best chips I've ever eaten! Their homemade avocados are to die for! I ate their fajitas and was satisfied! My husband had the bacon wrapped with jumbo shrimps along with homemade corn tortillas and it was so good! You will not regret going there. I went during the week at around lunch time so there was less people which I enjoyed as well.
(5)Karen D.
Went for lunch today and was reminded how much I love their tacos, and their authentic sopapillas. Too many restaurants dust a little cinnamon sugar on chip and call them sopapillas. Service has always been good as well! Lunchtime specials are good deals.
(4)Sarah G.
Went there with friends tonight just for drinks in the bar area. The drinks were not good. There swirls were all sour mix as were the margaritas. Friends got mojitos that weren't great either. I paid $20 for two drinks and it wasn't worth it. After a table cleared out we decided to sit. The waitress cleaned off the table and took her tip from the previous couple sitting there but then we never saw her again. We had to go to the bar to order anything. Overall I was less than impressed!
(2)V P.
We had a dual birthday celebration with about 15 people here. I called ahead and was pleasantly surprised they took reservations. They seated us promptly and provided a super-friendly, upbeat waitress. Unfortunately, I do not remember her name, but she was fantastic with my (sometimes difficult) family, recommending various dishes and drinks. The restaurant provided complimentary chips and salsa (I prefer the ones at Guapo's more) and for our birthdays, gave us coconut deep-fried ice cream. The food was wonderful, and my finicky family surprisingly enjoyed it (I ALWAYS do). The atmosphere was great, and I'm very glad we chose Uncle Julio's to celebrate our special occasion. Loved the food; prices are fair with good service. Definitely coming back!
(5)stevie t.
It feels unfair of me to review this place since I don't really love Mexican food in general. But I've found plenty of Mexican restaurants that have at least one item I love. Uncle Julio's just doesn't. I'll usually order either a steak with rice or a steak quesadilla. Both are okay. I can get a steak anywhere though, so that's not saying much and a quesadilla is as basic as it gets. I enjoy the queso dip though. Lately when I go (it's a great spot to go for drinks), I just do queso with chips as my food and end up focusing on swirls. The best part about the place is their outdoor patio and tables over the water. It's also got a fun atmosphere and the bar is nice and lively. I'm always up for going to hang out, just can't really justify the calories.
(3)Ash S.
Food is good, tasty, reasonably filling. The problem is the prices. As Gordon Ramsay would say, Shocking! You're basically paying fine dining prices for the usual Tex-Mex staples that are offered in a lot of places. Not very far away at all is the Taco Bar, attached to the gas station, and the food quality is near identical, but the prices are about 1/3. I've never actually done this, but it would be worthwhile to have cocktails at Uncle Julios, walk over to the Taco Bar, and then wander back for a nightcap.
(3)Sara D.
Great location/atmosphere. Pretty good food as well. One word: SWIRLS. They're a little pricey, but any more than 2 for me and I would be seriously feeling it the next day, so they're a great cheap buzz for lightweights like myself. I have been twice and had good service each time. I just wish there was more menu selection, and I personally find the menu a little scatter brained and bulky, hard to read.
(4)Seetha K.
First off, everything is overpriced. The food isn't great, everything I've tried is so-so. Guapo's across the bridge has much better authentic food. Wait staff isn't very friendly - I don't blame them though. That place is always packed because of the location. Bar staff is a little nicer. Only reason I come here is because I am in the area and they have more bar space than Guapo's. Otherwise, I do no go out of my way to come here.
(2)Charle S.
Terrible is the only word I can think of when I see this restaurant. It was expensive and the food tasted like it came out of the microwave. I will never eat there again..
(1)Jacinda T.
Chambord frozen margaritas. I absolutely LOVE these. They are amazingly strong, but sweet and tasty at the same time. The fajitas are definitely the stars of the menu, but be warned, they are BIG! We usually get the combo of steak and chicken. one time they had a special that included lobster with the steak and chicken, and that was pure awesomeness. SO GOOD. Tamales: Get 2 chicken and 2 pork. 4 of the same thing is just too much. Chips & salsa: fresh tortilla chips are always great, and the salsa is good too. the flavors vary from time to time, though. sometimes the salsa is spicy and watery, other times its chunkier and mild. kind of weird, but not a problem. Guac: very good, just go for the original one. the other flavors/added ingredients detracts from the flavor. great service, good food, amazing drinks. I also love the fact that you can call ahead of time to put your name on the waiting list.
(4)Joelyne K.
The food was very bland, nothing special and it definitely was not authentic. The service was also bad. Our waiter never came by to fill up our drinks and was very inattentive to my husband and I. I order the vegetable fajitas and when they brought the grilled vegetables out to me, they didn't bring my fajitas, my beans or my rice. They argued with me and said the dish didn't come with rice, even though the menu said it did. Who doesn't serve rice with beans? My food got cold by the time I got all the pieces to my entree. I was hardly impressed. The manager looked like he was a 15 year old kid although he was very nice. I just don't think this place is too well put together. Service and food was sloppy.
(2)Jorge M.
Food is just ok and don't order drinks they are way to small and way overprice. For the flavor and prices head over to Guapos!
(1)Lisa Y.
Hands down this is my FAV! I love the food & have never been disappointed......you can't go wrong with Uncle Julio's. I usually get the Shrimp Brochette but sometimes will get a Chicken Soft Taco or a Beef Fajita. This place is a well oiled machine & always a winner!
(5)J. D.
Came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon with my wife and two kids. Overall experience was mediocre to poor. My menu was wet... I really hate that. Food took amazingly long to come out. When it did, the enchiladas were barely warm and contained minimal amount of chicken. Spicing on the chicken in the fajita's was a bit heavy. Prices were exorbitant. Fajitas were around $16 and then they charge another $2 for sour cream and cheese. All the fun texmex drinks are around $9 ea. Highly overpriced for the level of food.
(1)Amelia O.
I used to love coming here but things have changed. The atmosphere is great and the restaurant is spacious. Service is always pretty good. My complaint is with the prices and the food. The last two times I came here I was completely unimpressed with the rice. It just never seems fresh, almost like it's been sitting out for awhile. I had to pay an extra buck for sour cream and there was no guacamole. What kind of Mexican restaurant makes you pay for the basics when you already pay $13 for the meal? Although I'm not a huge Guapo's fan, they win over Uncle Julio. Sorry big guy.
(3)Cynthia L.
You go here not for the food, but for the drinks. The breakfast here is appalling, most of the food tastes microwaved, but they do have decent pork tamales (closest thing to homemade as you'll get in this area) and swirls. Again, drinks and company here, not food.
(3)Sandy B.
Always a winner for me. Food is fresh. But man, the fresh tortillas are to die for. Went Sunday lunch. Got seated right away. I have Huevos something with chicken and fruit and avoided the huge amount of food that I normally get with Fajitas. Just the right amount of food for me at that time. And being obsessed with iced tea, I was pleasantly surprised by the iced tea infused with real raspberries. Yum. My friend had the tortillas; and being a light eater, was able to take 1/2 home for a second meal.
(4)Jessica H.
1 star because of the exaggerated, offensive caricature of a Mexican as their logo.
(1)Maria L.
Seating: We were seated right away on a Sunday night, around 5:45 pm Atmosphere: Feels like you are at your Uncle Julio's house, even if you don't have an Uncle Julio. It's decorated like a Mexican Mansion you'd find at Disneyland; one of those theme things they got going on. Food: Chips and salsa are average. I ordered 2 enchiladas, one beef &one chicken; on the side it came with some bean soup, Mexican rice,& a tiny salad ($9.95). There was a red sauce on top of my chicken enchilada& the waiter claimed it was hot& spicy.It was more of a sour taste. The bean soup was good, as well as the beef enchilada. If I'm craving Mexican food again, id rather go to Chevys.
(3)Angela M.
Love their food!!! It's kinda crowded, especially in weekends, but it's worth going there for the delicious Mexican food. Definitely try it out!
(4)John O.
atmosphere: better than average for a mexican restaurant. prices: average for grabbing some mexican food service: average The food servers have been good, but one in particular, a short guy with a buzz cut named Eliott, has been quite terrible. Next time I (yes there will be a next time) I will be tempted to ask the hostess, "We are getting a booth, aren't we? And we do not want Eliott."
(3)Janis H.
Everytime my husband and I eats at Uncle Julios we always leave speechless. The food has no comparison. Its perfectly delicious and tasty. Servers are friendly and nice. The prices are just right.
(5)Valerie B.
Went for dinner on Saturday. Good food and drinks. Server was efficient and attentive which was a welcome surprise due to the crowd. I have never understood parents who wait until their small children are tired and cranky to feed them - a diner next to us was kind enough to offer his chips/salsa to one family SMH. Will definitely come again.
(5)Melinda R.
Some friends and I went on a Saturday night. It was packed, but we were able to be seated pretty quickly. My food was OK. I got one of the platters. I've had better.
(3)Dan S.
Waited 45 minutes for a table for 5 . We were told we were next for 15 minutes, then they gave our table to a party that had just walked in . I spoke to the manager who literally laughed in my face and said we could have the next table if and when one came up. All the while the hostess was doing the right thing by simply saying they had screwed up and SHE was sorry. My son-in -law simply stated the jerk should be fired on the spot . We left without eating.
(1)Mosart R.
Love this place I always get the honey glaze salmon The food is always fresh We always come here as a family get together The dining rooms are always clean The staff very friendly and knowledgeable of menu items We always get seated fast Great place to eat Mexican food Please try the honey glazed salmon you'll love it!
(4)Chris H.
The place is pretty cool and nicely decorated. The food is good,although it can be pricey -- I usually come here to drink though. I'm a big fan of their swirls and just a warning, they can definitely sneak up on you if you drink it without caution so you probably don't want to drive. Probably about to go get some swirls right now actually.
(4)Shawn M.
Love the food at this place and they never seem to leave me unsatisfied. Also, the free chips and salsa are nice in a world where a lot of restaurants have stopped doing it because of cost. My only issues with the place is the location and the fact that the restaurant has NO sound acoustics or deadening. If you stay there for very long, it can deafen you with the cacophony constantly bouncing off the walls. I don't know how the waiters and staff can handle it. The parking is terrible and Rio seems to attract idiots who don't realize that the pavement is for cars and not their rotund asses to stand in. The chairs could be a bit more comfortable and the tables look out of place in a restaurant where every main dish is $20+. However, the food and service make up for these by a lot. I will visit again and hopefully not worry about having some spaced out teenager walk in front of my car because they're texting while walking.
(4)Jack C.
Great food and Service. Nice Happy Hour place too. Try it if you have not.
(4)A.j. S.
Came out to dinner with about 15 people I work with. The food was good, but the manager on duty really ruined to night for us. We needed one extra chair for our table so I grabbed one from an empty table, something people do in restaurants all the time. Anyways I put it back, but the entire time we sat and ate he kept staring at our table (me personally). He had us feeling very uncomfortable the whole time there. Not the kind of service you want when your spending over $300.00 for one meal.
(1)David N.
Uncle Julio's is always a great time. It's gets pretty busy sometimes as they don't take reservations but they do allow you to call in ahead of time to get your name on the wait list so by the time you get there you won't have to wait as long. First, start you off with some freshly made tortilla chips and their salsa. I like the taste of the salsa, I just wish the consistency was a little less watery. Second, order a yummy frozen alcoholic drink. Most people will enjoy the Swirl, which is half frozen margarita with their sangria intertwined. The Chambord frozen margaritas are also bomb.com . I order that one the times when I feel secure enough with my masculinity to be drinking such a pink frozen drink lol. Next, order their combination fajitas which have half chicken and half steak. I definitely a bigger fan of the steak than the chicken but I like the balance and change of flavors. It comes with pretty yummy guac, pico de gallo, tortillas, beans, and rice but I usually also get the cheese and sour cream as well. Add some Tapatio sauce to the fajitas for a delicious time. Lastly, continue to order aforementioned frozen alcoholic drink throughout the meal. Pro-tip: Call in ahead of time on Friday and Saturday evenings or try really hard to find a seat at the bar area unless you want to wait 30-45 minutes to get seated.
(4)Jason L.
I am sure that elephants conceive and give birth in the amount of time it takes to get seated here on weekends. The sad part about how crowded this place gets is that it highlights the fact that Gaithersburg does not have many authentic sit down Mexican joints to visit. Sure the Taco Bar is good but not the kind of place you would take a group of friends or get a mixed drink. I was a bit perturbed that we waited almost 50 minutes on a Friday night for a table of two. What made this even a tougher pill to swallow is that there were numerous empty tables scattered throughout the restaurant on our way back to the table. If I have to wait that long again for chain Tex-Mex I won't be coming here again. Our waiter wasn't quite as bright as the decor that surrounded our table but he was serviceable. Chips and salsa are very good. We ordered the queso which was also pretty good. The ribs I ordered were a bit tough and the flavors were off. The grilled chicken strips were average and as I write this review a month later not really memorable. The beans and rice were decent for a chain. Overall the food gets 3.5 stars. No single item was truly remarkable but I can't say there were enough negative things about our experience here to knock them down to a 2. Avoid on the weekends if you don't feel like waiting an hour for a table.
(3)Kitty B.
Goodness this place just never seems to disappoint. I get the three chicken enchiladas with red sauce, it is absolutely delicious! It a great portion that fills you up and it is always fresh and no bones in the chicken! Compared to guapos ick! Boyfriend gets the ribs with half fajitas he said the ribs where dry but fajitas were AWSOME. For dessert we got piña coladas which was a perfect texture and taste and the chocolate empanada. The empanada tasted great but it always has too much chocolate. Overall will always come back, I am a loyal customer.
(5)Jess G.
Meh. Mexican food, nothing special, and expensive. I only finished my plate because I paid so much for it.
(3)Jerry W.
I used to love coming here but now its a pain, there's always a line to get seated 30-60min waits, when its that long I just walk down the to gaupos lol, the only thing I love about this place is the chips and salsa are so good lol, the food is pretty bland hit or miss sometimes cold sometimes undercooked. One time I waited for a table they said 20min about 30min I went up to get a update they had forgot to put my name on the list some how and since then I rarely come here. Oh yeah the tables are really close to each other one time I went and it was pretty empty and for some reason they put a family right next to us even though all around there was more empty tables and the kids were kind of annoying but what can you do.
(2)Joanna C.
I'd heard a lot of good things about Uncle Julio's/Rio Grande and was excited about coming. They have a good lunch special where you can pick two things so I had a soup and salad. Everything tasted fine and the service was good, but nothing about this place really stood out. I was expecting a little better for the prices, but then again, that could be a general comment for most of the restaurants at Rio.
(2)Lilian Y.
Came here for Cinco de Mayo and for drinks during dinner. Was a fun night! The chips and salsa are really good and so are their margaritas! I had 3 tacos and it was one of the best I've ever had. The atmosphere is nice and the outside seating when it's warmer out is the best!
(4)Miles B.
They have amazing steak fajitas and the best sides to go with their fajitaas than any other mexican food place I've tried. The place is loud but if you want good fajitas come here.
(5)Grace L.
I've been going here for years and prefer this location in the Rio, even though I live and work in Bethesda... Chips and Salsa are always fresh and on-point. The queso, ground beef nachos, and steak fajitas are all awesome! The only downsides are having to wait for a table at the bar, and the occasional screaming child who is out past his or her bedtime on a Friday or Saturday night.
(4)Susan M.
The Chicken Fajita Cobb Salad wins on so many levels. Highly recommended. FYI: Lunch time service seemed a little slow for our larger party (7 people). It took ~15 minutes to pay our bill.
(4)Kara T.
SERIOUSLY this is one of my favorite restaurants ever. I grew up in MD and had gone to the Uncle Julio's in Bethesda. Now when I visit my mom, we go to this one in Gaithersburg just because it's a little easier to get to from her house. It is also a necessity to go every time I'm in town. There isn't an item on the menu I wouldn't recommend, although every time I go I end up getting/splitting the half and half chicken and beef fajitas. Must get queso too as an appetizer. They have my favorite kind of chips - light and crispy. The patio at this Gaithersburg location is great - looks over a lake area. There's not much more to say! I very highly recommend stopping in at Uncle Julios no matter which location you go to!!!!
(5)Amber L.
HAIR IN MY SALSA. TWO HAIRS IN MY FAJITAS. The manager seemed completely unbothered and as if he's received this complaint before. I am so disgusted by all means possible. If THREE hairs can safely make it before my eyes then how many did I eat? There is no redemption for Uncle Julios.
(1)Josselyn E.
For location and to be an ambassador of the Latino gastronomy, as a latina I would expect WAY more, even presentation on plates such as "Huevos Rancheros" should look more presentable and not so cheap, where homemade potatoes looked as if they were frozen ones, where overeasy eggs where not cooked at all and the tortilla was serving as a plate for the eggs; as Latinos know we don't serve our food on top of tortillas unless this tortilla is a TACO, BURRITO, BALEADA, QUESADILLA, OR MEXICAN ENCHILADAS, and we Latinos sure know this, since tortillas are our bread. To follow, when I saw reviews here I was expecting; to much probably. I felt kind of proud that such restaurant was representing "Mexican food" to see reviews here was kind of inspiring, we should always expect the best of food anyways, food should enter our eyes and nose in a way we are suppose to fall in love for it. But when you see the pictures you will feel NOTHING for that food, not love nor appetite. As Latinos, we should criticize Latinos restaurants that are located in places like this, and where their cheaper plate is not as cheap because is 12 dollars plus taxes (not included). And where the community ends up believing that's the way our food is made, coming from a country where food is the expression of care and love to our own, this place should have a really good critic from Hispanic heritage come and review this place; and demand more. I love food, and when I go places like this, reminds me why I drive to Riverdale once in a blue moon, just to eat REAL Mexican food, it is an honor that in places that hidden and we get to fund them food is served with such care and such great taste. I sure now know NOT to come back to this place again; since I ended up inside "Corner Bakery Cafe" way better.
(1)Jessica R.
There aren't a whole lot of Mexican restaurants in Gaithersburg with waiter service so my friends and I didn't have much choice when we had a craving for Mexican. We came hoping to get some happy hour specials. Unfortunately, they don't have food specials on happy hour and they only offered something like $1.75 off their margaritas...some happy hour special.... We started off with the guac and queso combo. The presentation was kinda lame -- just a tiny bowl of queso and some guac slapped on the side. The guac didn't taste fresh at all. You can pay more to have the guac made tableside, but c'mon, all your guac should taste fresh. The queso was pretty good though. I definitely wouldn't order this again though. For my entree, I went with the Carnitas tacos. Again, I was disappointed. I wasn't a fan of the tortillas they used and the taco itself just wasn't that great. The only redeeming quality about this place was the complimentary chips and salsa and their Swirls (half margarita, half sangria). Sorry Uncle Julios, but mediocre food and mediocre service -- I won't be here again.
(2)Vashaan J.
I absolutely love this place for Tex Mex in the DMV area. The ambiance is great and so is the food. There frozen margaritas are the highlight of the restaurant to me personally. I tried something new and ordered the red snapper and it was delicious. Cooked just right and the toppings were on point. I will be coming to this one more often.
(5)Mary Kate M.
I had a really good time here last night celebrating an early Cinco de Mayo. Food was good and the drinks were good. My main complaints were the aloof server who looked like he was half baked and the less than sanitary bathrooms. Apparently this applied to both the women and men's restrooms according to my dining partners. When one of my dining partners were leaving the men's bathroom he mentioned that someone was going in there to clean it. By the sounds of it -- I would not want to go in there either until a mop and a solid wipe down of the sinks occurred. Ambiance was busy. We had to wait about 30 minutes to get patio seating which was worth the wait. We spent half of the time at the bar, and the other half at our patio table. Both were relaxing, but the patio overlooking the water right at dusk with a beautiful moon sold it for me. You could have asked for anything better -- margaritas and a pretty night = a night done right. For my dinner and left over lunch today I had the chicken and steak fajitas. This could easily serve people going for $19.99. This is one of the heartier menu items where you get a variety of things such as guacamole, sour cream, beans, rice, tortillas, plus the obvious proteins. This is a solid choice if you're very hungry. It's well prepped and tasty. Overall, I'd give this place a 3.5 rounding down due to lack of cleanliness.
(3)Nicole B.
Let me start by saying their margaritas are awesome. We started out at a cocktail table while waiting for something to open up outside and so we ordered a round of their fresh flavor of the day (watermelon). The margaritas were fresh and awesome. I also got a mango one later on which was equally as good. I would say they are overpriced for the size - $10/11 for a small glass. The chips and salsa they bring out were so much fresher and better than anything you'll get from an On the Boarder. That being said the cocktail waitress was rude and snippy. Had she been friendlier we definitely would have stayed inside instead of moving after drinks. We all work in the industry - a smile goes a very long way. Our waiter outside was so much friendlier. The food was good - my one complaint about the tuna tacos is for $16 I would like more than one skinny little piece of ahi tuna in each taco. There was way too much slaw to fish ratio for the price.
(4)Sakeeeennnnaaa H.
This place is decent. I prefer mariachi in Rockville. This is tex-mex. Not Authentic mexican by any stretch of the imagination. However their chips and guacamole are really really good. The wait on Saturday is atrocious. Service was great the first time, and just ok the second and 3rd.
(3)Leo Y.
We always come here whenever one of us have a birth day, not because they are great at birth days, we just end up here whenever we ask the person who's birthday is up they alway end up picking this place. I guess this must be our favorite restaurant. Just try their table side guacamole, it was better then I expected, they alway give you a lot of food, the staff was new but effective, great value for a family outing. Will alway be our go to restaurant !
(4)Yan C.
5 stars for the the restaurant's design, food, and service! My friend took me to Uncle Julio's when I said I was craving for Mexican food. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience here. The bright colors of the exterior immediately caught my eyes. The restaurant is ginormous. There is a bar in the front and more tables and booths toward the back. The interior is rather quaint. It is decorated with chandeliers, paintings, interesting vases, and deer heads. We wanted to sit at a booth by the window. The hostess happily accommodated our request. My friend and I shared Chicken and Steak Fajitas for two. We took fellow Yelpers' suggestion and each got a Swirl - a mixture of sangria and margarita. It was a creative idea and cool presentation, but I think I would prefer having them each individually. While we waited for our food to be ready, we munched on the bowl of tortilla chips -- they were crunchy and warm, as if they were fresh out of the oven. The salsa was a bit spicy, which I liked but my friend preferred mild. Our food came very shortly. The tortillas came in a steaming container. They were warm, soft, and fluffy - very different from the tortillas that I was used to. There were only 4 tortillas in a serving but you can always ask for more. We had a generous amount of meat, vegetables, sour cream, and guacamole. I preferred the steak than the chicken - it was cooked medium rare, incredibly juicy and flavorful. I love my food spicy, so I asked for Tobasco on the side. :P The portion was more than enough for the two of us. We ate about 2/3 of our food and had enough leftover to bring home for dinner. Overall the food was on par with the Mexican food I had in Texas. Dining here brought back good memories when I used to live in TX. Lastly, I have to give kudos to our waiter, Ernesto! He was so helpful and came to check on us from time to time. He even offered us more tortillas to take home! Thanks for the awesome service! I will make sure to stop by next time I visit Maryland.
(5)Marley D.
EHHHHHH... A lot of Yelper's always say "I tried to like this place" and idk if they mean it the way I do when I say "I REALLY tried to like this place." So much so that after my first experience here having had SPOILED crab stuffed shrimp, I still came back two years later... Yes, TWO WHOLE YEARS. It was a slow wintery morning when my group of three friends and I came in. We were seated immediately in a huge yet empty restro. Then the chips and dip come out, I ALWAYS judge a Mexi/Tex-Mex type of restro on FOUR THINGS: 1 & 2. Chips & Dips 3. Margarita 4. Carne Asada Fajitas The chips were AWESOME, perfect in every sense; PAPER THIN, warm out the fryer, crispy and held up nicely against the salsa. I personally prefer a raw and tangy salsa vs. a roasted salsa (which is how Uncle Julio's is, roasted) it seemed bland, lacking in flavor except that of the roasted flavor. Not my favorite dip. The Margarita was tasty, but not the best I've had. Shame on you Uncle Julio! It's a Margarita how can one fail? Then... The Carne Asada... Carne Asada is traditionally marinaded in fragrant cilantro, orange and limes.. All melding together to make a superiorly tender and tasty piece of flank/skirt steak... Uncle Julio's version was barely good. Didn't have much flavor.. Tasted like regular steak.. The tortillas were okay, as were the other sides it was served with. (There's a close-by option for BETTER Carne Asada *wink wink) My sister ordered the Cozumel Shrimp Tacos and they were just as BLAH.. Not much to say.. The service was friendly but slow and the kitchen was even SLOWER. Overall... I'd go to my all time favorite Mexi/Tex-Mex restro just across the river. Adios Uncle Julio, I tried
(2)Allison W.
I could see how a trip here could fall flat, but we had a great time. After striking out at seemingly every other happy hour in both Rio and Crown, Uncle Julio's wait was only 15 minutes. I hadn't been here in at least five years! I ordered sangria at the bar in the mean time, and it was ok but for the price you don't get too much fruit. I'd probably stick to margs next time. We got the table-side guac and then shared the chicken and steak fajita platter for two. Everything was good. You can't go wrong with fresh guac and the added jalapeños gave it a great kick. The steak came out perfectly medium rare, too, so major bonus points there. You end up with a TON of food -- we got through about half of the guac, and each had 3 fajitas and still filled a takeout container of meat and veggies and dip. Service was a little slow, but when you're catching up with a friend it's not so bad. I just would have appreciated more attentive water-refilling :) Uncle Julio's biggest asset is probably its size, which will keep it competitive despite the growing competition within walking distance (Paladar and Guapos come to mind).
(4)Jerry S.
It's a chain. The decor is a garish caricature of anything you'd actually see south of the Rio Grande. It's a real zoo at crowd times, people milling around waiting to be called, the PA calling them and the general hubbub. They serve a disgusting miscegenation of sangria and tequila slushee called a "swirl". Most of the menu is run of the mill border style food. So why in name of Speedy Gonzales would I not only eat there but rate them four whole stars? A few small things and one big one. The chips are made of fine white masa rather than my preferred coarse yellow, but arrive warm and with just enough oil on them to establish that they are freshly made. Similarly, the wheat tortillas - you can watch the machine making them while you wait to be seated. The salsa is Mexican style (chunk free, unthickened) with just enough kick. The guacamole is fresh and balanced. What I go there for is the ribs. The recipe is unlike American smoked ribs, with a slightly sweet slightly spicy marinade that almost reaches meat candy status, braised until they reach the tender/chewy point, and finished on the grill to leave just a hint of smoke. $20.99 for a full rack with all the fixings is a pretty good deal, $4.99 for a bottle of cerveza (the only draft is the undistinguished Pacifico) is acceptable. Obviously not a frequent choice, but when that particular craving strikes I will do the drive and rub shoulders with the MoCo eloi en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El… .
(4)Erin W.
Some say that hunger is the best sauce, but I say salsa is the best sauce. And Uncle Julio has it down. Service has always been good. Staff is efficient and friendly. Fajitas are good, not as good as Guapos near by, but definitely solid. I definite prefer the steak vs. the chicken though.
(4)Rachel L.
This place is incredible.... Loved my fresh grapefruit margarita... Guacamole/queso combo was delicious! I got a honey chipotle chicken fajita and it was equally as good... The best part was the coconut flan... It was heaven! ..... Recommend this place to anyone in the area
(5)Kristin M.
I hadn't been here for a while, but took my family for my birthday this past week. I chose to come here because they have a nice outside dining area by the lake at Rio Center. The outside dining is still nice and well shaded at 6:30pm. Our server seemed rushed. In his defense, it was pretty busy for a Monday night because the weather was nice. Everyone was sitting outside, barely anyone inside. I chose to wait 45 minutes for an outside table because inside the music and air conditioning was blasting. I was disappointed that drinks didn't come with the entrees on the kids menu. 5.99 for a small, thin cheese quesadilla, plus a $2 milk seemed a bit steep, in my opinion. I ordered pork tacos. My husband had the fish tacos. Our server brought out one plate of lettuce, guacamole, and pico but set it dead center and rushed off. This wouldn't seem an issue, except that we had no idea if it was for his entree, or mine. It was not enough for the two of us to split, but we split it regardless. The pork tacos were okay, but it was a while lot of filler and tortilla and not a lot of pork. Probably would have been better off ordering a fajita entree, but there prices have increased dramatically in the past 5 or so years. To be expected, I assume, but my family is better off going to Chipotle.
(3)Joe M.
Fresh, solid Tex-Mex! I had Juanitas platter-excellent-kids had Lunch Enchillada and El Dorado-Presentation clean and appetizing! Server Jeff very cordial and attentive-Thanks Uncle Julios, we'll be back!
(5)Alfonso D.
Great food and great service by Baltazar. Red snapper fajitas are new and taste great. The ceviche is always great too.
(5)Heidi F.
I love love their enchiladas. They will make guac from scratch right at your table. Service is fast. Tons of indoor and outdoor seating. The chips an salsa are awesome and different in that it has what seems to be some beef in it. Must try!!
(5)Prashant A.
The restaurant is great... The wait time could be 1 hour if u visit in weekend evenings ... The ambience is really good ... I tried strawberry guava lemonade as suggested by the Server... And I just love it... The server know the stuff... He really helped us and made us comfortable as we are vegetarians...
(5)Bianca F.
I think this is a solid place for some good tex-mex food in the Gaithersburg area. My friend and I come here pretty often. I usually get the swirl margarita or the regular margarita and a mix between the fish tacos, cheese enchiladas or the beef fajitas. The happy hour specials are not that great to me. It's really just a couple of dollars off a regular priced margarita. But a discount is a discount. During our last visit we sat at the tables by the bar area. We asked our server for the specials and he said it ended at 6:30p. It was 6:35p when we asked and a little break would have been nice. Overall, I always had a good experience here for dinner.
(3)Connie M.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times as I used to live a hop, skip and a jump away. I wish I could tell you about all the yummy dishes that they serve here, but all I can tell you about are the fajitas! This is the place to go when you want some perfectly cooked fajitas and some homemade tortillas (fun for the kids to watch as they travel through the tortilla machine!) As a seasoned fajita nosher, I will insist that you choose steak. They never overcook it. Ok. I do ask for it medium rare so even if it sits around (which it doesn't) it will never be dry! I have had the combo (beef and chicken) before and unless they get the chicken just perfect, you can find a dry piece here or there. Sizzling onions and peppers and now all fajitas automatically come with cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Yum. My mouth is watering as I type this! Beans and rice also comes with every meal. Many times I have come with my 2 sisters and there is so much food that we only need fajitas for two. True, we always start with an order of guacamole and finish with dessert...but it really is a bargain. All the chips and salsa you can eat. Margaritas on the rocks. A frozen swirl of margarita and sangria. Guacamole (skip the tableside guac because they do not add queso fresco which is what sends it over the top!) or queso dip are always good bets. We like to finish every meal with a cajeta. Fried ice cream. Don't worry. It is not really fried! Some places will fry a tortilla cup to hold your ice cream but not here. Here a giant ball of ice cream is rolled in toasted coconut and served with caramel and chocolate sauce. Seriously simple. Seriously delicious. This last visit we did try the bbq ribs. They were tender and fall off the bone. For that same $20, you could have just gotten more steak fajitas and left with an extra $7 in your pocket! Trust me. You won't be sorry!
(4)Naty V.
Been here a few times. I mainly go here for their Sangria/Margarita Swirls!! So yummy!! Food is ok, nothing special. Their steak quesadilla and carnitas tacos are good. Wait time can be horrendous at times, especially on the weekend. Service is ehhhhh. I've never had any major complaints about this place and as long as they keep serving them swirls I will return!! Parking can be difficult, may mean you need to park far and walk there. Tons of stores and restaurants close by. Right next to the water with the paddle boats. Really nice area.
(3)Puja L.
:( :( :( We've lived here for decades and I've never actually eaten here. I kind of wish I had kept it that way. The food is almost impressively bad. Guapos looks like a Mexican culinary masterpiece compared to this restaurant. I never waste food...but, I actually made the call to leave 2 of my 3 fish tacos on my plate because it wasn't worth assaulting my mouth with more of them. Wow, I don't think I even knew I could be this mean. We sampled the pinto beans, black beans, fish tacos, and cheese/onion enchiladas. Not a single one of these items was good. Ok, maybe the black beans were palatable. 2 plates, 3 people = so much food in the trash.
(1)Steven M.
Went on a Sunday for brunch. They obviously see a lot of business but they were very efficient and had nice staff. We got our food quickly and it was very tasty. Not bad prices either. I can't wait to drop by in the evening for dinner and a drink. Now I want more huevos rancheros
(4)Camila M.
The food is good, but not that special. There are limited choices and although authentic all are unhealthy choices. When I was there we had to wait too long to be seated, and given the average quality of food and service there are just much better options nearby. The guacamole I had with my meal did not seem fresh. And my Margarita was too sweet and not strong enough (felt like I consumed lots of empty calories with no buzz to show for it). If you go at a time when they aren't busy it is worth it, the prices are reasonable and meat lovers will likely enjoy their steak dishes.
(3)Suzanne W.
This was my second time at this location. As always great food and exceptional customer service. Chips and salsa to start, I couldn't stop eating them, so good. I ordered the soft tacos and a watermelon margarita. The tacos are made with fresh ingredients and were delicious. Margarita was on point as well.
(5)Darcy W.
Meh... Very mediocre Mexican food. I have eaten here several times and never have been terribly impressed. The service is ok... The staff seems very young and inexperienced. I cannot say they were not trying and they were very polite. The table side guacamole was also by a young server that didn't understand what table side meant... He prepared the guacamole 20 feet away... Until someone explained table side? The fajitas had rave reviews from the table and seems to be consistent with other yelp reviews. My enchiladas were good. The chips and salsa were awesome! The queso is just ok. As for the drinks the margaritas were excellent with a nice selection of tequila. Do not and I repeat do not order the sangria. It tastes like disgusting sweet cherry cough syrup... Yuck! However the beer is cold! If I didn't have to eat here (for work) I probably wouldn't.
(3)Wing C.
3.5 stars. after the amazing dinner at Cava, my friends and I decided to find a place where we could casually grab a few drinks and just catch up on life. We initially tried stopping at Guapos at the same shopping area but they were packed and wait was 45 mins. We then decided to walk a bit over to Uncle Julio's instead and we were seated in the main dining room. Initially they told us we had to order food in order to be seated but they were a bit more lenient after we placed our drink orders and with just one of us ordered an appetizer. (I guess the total would be similar to people ordering just food and no drinks?). 2 huge complimentary baskets of home made tortilla chips and 4 cups of salsa were served along with our drinks. The chips were really light and before I knew it, I already stuffed my face with half basket gone. Not that they tasted amazing - just your ordinary tortilla chip and the salsa was actually a bit watered down - but they were the perfect munchies to go with the drinks. I tried both the margarita in the gold? And the frozen strawberry margarita - they were strong yet really tasty. I had a few bite of the appetizer my fiancé ordered - seafood ceviche. The tortilla chips it came with were actually a lot better than the ones they had as complimentary - thicker and crunchier. The ceviche was light and well seasoned. Too bad I was too full to try other dishes at this place - (I saw guac with bacon and pineapple on the menu - def want to return for that dip alone!) Service could be a little pushy but with great food and drinks - def worthy of 3.5 stars
(3)Lisa L.
I came here for a family birthday dinner. I made a reservation over the phone & confirmed it at the front desk area when I got there. They gave me a buzzer..after 40 mins I heard my name being called but my buzzer never went off even though I was in the waiting area. So yeah..be careful with that. My daughter got chicken tenders b/c that's apparently one of the few things she will eat in a restaurant. My son got the kidsadillas which he wolfed down..a rare feat indeed. The kids got dough balls to play with while waiting for the food..what a cool idea! The four adults got the Plato Gordo for 3-4 people. We didn't finish it...maybe it was all the free chips & salsa we ate before our food came. Anyways, the food was good especially the bacon-wrapped shrimp. I dipped it in butter too. My mouth loved me but probably not my heart. My waiter was a young guy who was on top of everything. Refilled drinks, took away plates etc all while not being annoying. The only problem I have with this place is that the noise level is insane. I can't hear anyone except the person next to me.
(4)Haley S.
Love this place. Fine service. Swirls are strong and yummy. Great Mexican food. Always seems to be crowded, and they don't take reservations. Plan in advance!
(5)Pegah Y.
I visited Uncle Julio's in Gaithersburg back in mid-September with my family. It's a really nice Mexican restaurant and has a nice lakefront view of the lake at the Rio Entertainment Center. I'm a California native and had been missing good Mexican food, even though it hadn't even been a month since I'd moved back to DC from California. That's how much I miss fresh guacamole and fajitas! Uncle Julio's has quite an extensive menu with tons of options. I opted for the Chicken Faijta Cobb salad, which came with mesquite grilled chicken, smoked bacon, fresh greens, avocado, roasted corn, tomatoes, spicy black beans, Queso fresco, crispy tortilla strips, and my choice of dressing (I opted for chipotle ranch). It was so fresh and tasty and came in a very large portion! I was quite satisfied with my meal and even had leftovers. Surprisingly, even the leftovers were good, and salad is generally not good as a leftover. We all got some appetizers to share for the table as well. These included: -Ceviche Royale (Shrimp, scallops and tilapia marinated with lime and lemon juice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro) -Ceviche Rica (Shrimp marinated with lime and lemon juice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro) There was also chips and salsa at the table. The chips were so fresh they just melted in your mouth... and the salsa was out of this world. I probably ate 100 chips in one sitting, just to savor that delicious salsa. The food was delicious and tasted authentic and fresh, the atmosphere was nice (big, spacious dining area and nice ethnic decor), and the service was quick and friendly. 5 big stars for Uncle Julio's in Gaithersburg!
(5)F K.
This is one of my favorite places to have dinner in the Rockville area. The food is consistently good, as is the service. The fajitas are great, and so is the guacamole, which they make tableside. Very fun dining experience. The chips and salsa are good, and it is a casual atmosphere. Definitely family-friendly. Sometimes there can be quite a wait when the weather is nice and especially on the weekends. I feel torn about how to rate this place, I would not necessarily consider it a 5-star dining experience. Again, though, the food is very good and I come here often.
(4)Jen D.
We've been coming here for years, and have remained loyal customers despite the drop in quality and quantity over the years. The only thing consistently good had been their chips and salsa. However, after an experience tonight where we were lied to repeatedly about the wait time for 2+ hours, insulted by hostesses and the manager, lectured to for not being patient after putting up with their continuous "10 more minutes", and being told "you're the next table" despite seating another party of the same size before us after making that statement, we will certainly not be returning to this establishment ever again. They clearly know nothing about customer service or how to run a restaurant.
(1)Guichi B.
Good service food not as worth it as the price. Fajitas was good, chips and salsa were horrible Chevys has better.
(3)Tim H.
Hands down, this place has the best beef fajitas I have ever had and I have had a lot of beef fajitas from a lot of different places. No joke, this place serves up a healthy sized beef fajita that has flavor and taste. This is what keeps me going back there. The last time I was here, my wife and I went with a friend of mine and his girlfriend. We shared a dish that could feed four easily. It came with chicken and beef fajitas, a section of ribs and a large portion of bacon wrapped shrimp. Everything was wonderful and I suggest you try it too. The margaritas are good too! If you love beef fajitas like I do, give this place a try and I hope you are as happy as I am when I get to eat them. Thank you for reading my review. This review is based off of my personal experience and opinion.
(5)Jael F.
Uncle Julio's signature drink SWIRLS is the BEST! Buy the Swirl! Customer Service is GREAT too! Food is pricey BUT worth the money (delicious!). SHOUT OUT TO MANAGER RICK WHO IS THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE, FRIENDLY AND LOYAL WORKER EVER! And shout out to bartender Erick! He takes care of his patrons with high quality service in a fast paced environment. Very good customer care from the moment you walk in the door until the moment you leave! If you haven't yet, visit this place TODAY!
(5)Randy P.
Give me a Julio's Gold and some beef fajitas, and I am set for the night. Now, if you want to talk to someone, or have an intimate evening, particularly on the weekends, go elsewhere, this place can get noisy and is usually packed on the weekends. Come here for the quality TexMex food, stiff drinks, and lovely portrait of George Takei as our Mexican Overlord.
(4)Paul M.
My family has been coming here forever and it makes me sad to watch this place go to shit. The quality of the food which we have always loved has been in steady decline. The ingredients are suffering, the cooking is inattentive (meat overcooked while chicken has some raw spots) while prices rise steadily. The management of the place seems in turmoil, based on the fact that while we eat here about once/month the servers are always different. The hosts up front are consistently rude, which again comes from hiring kids and not training them (management fault also). We've always loved their fajitas and shrimp dishes (camarones diablos is a fave) but I'm going to have to find a new Mexican joint. I don't think I can take this one much longer. Sad. It was great back in the day.
(2)Michael F.
Uncle Julio's is my go-to place for dinner in the Rio. With our headquarters in the area, I have spent plenty of time checking out the local restaurant scene. Uncle Julio's meets the consistency measure I look for to encourage return trips. It also offers a solid selection and their drinks aren't bad either =P They greet everyone with chips and salsa. I believe the salsa is homemade and above average, while the chips are perfect. They are thinner than typical restaurant chips which is great to truly taste the salsa. As for the menu, I think I've tried most of everything. I won't comment on the standard Tex-Mex fair. They do a great job on tacos and fajitas and I'm sure I won't say anything you haven't hear before. For apps, my favorite is the Ceviche Royale. For mains, if you are looking for something on the more unique side, check out the Shrimp Brochette. Shrimp stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon. Yes, the old adage may be true - things taste better with bacon. The only area I think Uncle Julio's falls a bit flat is dessert. It seems to have a limited selection and selections can't seem to be modified. For example, they have this ice cream covered in nuts and coconut and I was disappointed I couldn't get it without the nuts. It was still good, but didn't make great. Therefore, I usually fill up on the apps and entrees and skip dessert (or make it a "liquid" dessert).
(4)Joshua J.
We went to Uncle Julio for the Mothers Day, yesterday, (last year we went to the crowded Guapos in the same area ! ) This year at Uncle Julio we ordered steak and chicken fajita for two, and three more kids food. The food was very good also there was nice waitress /waiters. This year we sat at the patio, very nice view. We were served by a very nice and professional guy by the name of Eduardo, it was our pleasure. We will come to Uncle Julio again very soon.
(4)Edi D.
I went yesterday to eat here. I asked for the steak fajitas well done and they gave it to me medium well. I had to return it to cook it more. I noticed that they are serving the lunch portion for dinner time and you have to paid full price for it. The white rice was over cooked. The steak fajitas didn't tasted like Mexican food as they called it. This is a Tex-Mex restaurant, but it taste like American food. In reality they should chance their name as "Uncle Julio 's Authentic American food trying to sell it as Authentic Mexican food". There is a better place on Germantown called Señor Tequila that has Authentic Mexican food.
(1)Nina G.
They have the best tortillas I've ever had. They're always fresh and delicious. I particularly enjoy their fajitas.
(4)Jessica L.
I am a long time fan of Uncle Julio's. Went on a Saturday night and although the line was out the door, was seated within 15 minutes. I LOVE there fresh chips and smoky salsa. I could eat that as a meal in itself. I usually get chicken fajitas with no skin and always need a take home box because there is just so much food. The swirlys are amazing and at 8$ each, they will give you a nice happy buzz and compliment the Mexican food so nicely. Service is fast and friendly. No matter how busy they are, the food still comes out fast. Sitting outside is nice if its not too hot out.
(5)Fred K.
Been coming here for years, mainly during lunch. Love their free chips and salsa, with their salsa one of the best I've tasted. I remember when they tore down the huge parking lot and built the Washingtonian Center way back when. Their fajita lunch size portion is better priced than dinner and still is more than enough (always stuffed) for one. Their fajita special is $15.99 which includes cheese and sour cream. The regular lunch fajitas are around $13.99 which includes guacamole and tomato salsa, but no cheese or sour cream, which is fine with me. Both come with ample amounts of tortillas, beans, and rice. Highly recommend their fajitas. I also like their two or three enchilada platter too. The service is fast and very efficient, refilling your drinks, chips, salsa, and in and out in less than 40 minutes during lunch. Their margaritas are good and sometimes a bit too strong and used to come here for happy hour, which is always packed. Be great if they offer happy hour specials like nearby Guapos.
(4)Tom G.
Beef tacos had very little beef. Waiter was nice and 5 pepper guacamole is great but would not go there again. Had to find a quick place for lunch and did not have many choices but would not recommend this to others.
(2)Miss T.
Used to be such a good restaurant. Going downhill FAST due to inexperienced servers, lazy cooks and bad management. Food tonight was HORRIBLE. When I asked for a refund on the item that was unsatisfactory, the manager Elliott claimed that all refunds have to go through the corporate office. We used to be regular customers and bring family from out of town, friends, go there for birthday parties. NEVER AGAIN!
(1)Aabha S.
Ever heard of a Mexican restaurant that has no salsa?! Apparently they had run out of salsa the night we dropped in, and the server left us a bowl of chips but nothing to dip them in- forcing us to order the three pepper guacamole which was just okay with a lot of heat but not much flavor. The rest of the meal was in the same category. Just okay. I guess it's not a good sign when I liked the side of rice and beans more than the actual food I paid for.
(2)Megan B.
Uncle Julio's (or as I call it Rio Grande) is my favorite and has been for years. I always get their chicken fajitas. They are perfectly to die for every time. For an alcoholic drink, you can go wrong with a reverse swirl with a Grand Marnier meltdown. This is a swirl of their frozen sangria and frozen lime margarita. They taste simply delicious. Watch out for the wait times on weekends or nice summer days. It can get pretty crazy, but very worth it.
(4)John C.
I don't usually do this, and I downloaded the yelp app specifically for this review. Having made the introduction, here goes. Like every other restaurant - chain, franchise, or independent - there are good days and not so good days regarding food and drink quality, server's disposition, and all of the other variables that can affect a customer's experience. Uncle Julio's is no exception. There are other conditions which do not vary day to day, and these can be lumped together under one term: ambiance. The ambiance as the Uncle Julio's is wonderful except for one minor issue... THE NOISE LEVEL!! The hostess couldn't hear us, and we couldn't hear her. The server couldn't hear us, and we couldn't hear her. My daughter, seated right next to me, and I had to shout in each other's ears. Everyone at the tables surrounding us seemed to suffer the same conditions, for they were shouting as well, exacerbating the situation. I've been in loud restaurants, but they pale in comparison. I've been in plenty of loud venues, such as dance clubs and rock concerts, but they are supposed to be loud. I'm not a professional acoustic engineer, but I do know a thing or two about it, and Uncle Julio's desperately needs to aggressively attack this problem. Seriously, please do something or my family is not coming back!
(3)Wesley Y.
Been here a few times sometimes for drinks some times for dinner. The food can be pretty pricey if you get the fajitas. I got the ceviche royale because I was starving. They make the salsa here like Chevy's when it was around more tomatoes and onions in the salsa which is awesome. It's hard to navigate around the fajitas section a bit because there are soooo many options. It's better to come with more people so you can share a few different meats and its a bit more cost effective. I ordered a Chicken and Beef fajita which is large enough for 2 if you order an appetizer. The especial combo comes with green peppers, onions, sour cream and cheese in addition to the basic lettuce, pico de gallo, and guacmole. The entree comes with a side of rice and beans as well. I want to try the cowboy con queso next time I think it has bacon in it and lots of cheese. The reverse swirls are good. I'm not sure if they have a happy hour but I'll try to find out next time I come!
(4)Kristine Elaine M.
The food here is really fresh and the amounts of guac makes me a big sucker for them. I mean their food is also pretty damn good. Everything has a new kind of taste to it, grilled, spiced, sweet, sour. Everything works well together and your tastebuds will surely thank you. Its a little pricey so be prepared for the bill, however you do get a load of sides, portions, and free chips! The service here is a bit slow, but I dont blame them because it was a busy night. The waitress was super friendly though. Likewise the atmosphere is really fun, and reenacts as if you are in mexico. Because it gets busy however, it tends to get a bit loud with the spacing of the tables in between.
(4)Katrina L.
The food tasted better when I ate it as leftovers. Wasn't overly impressed with this place, and I'm a big Tex-Mex food lover. Veryyyyyy busy and crowded. The chairs were hard and tables were kind of small. Waitstaff, while attentive, seemed a bit flustered and overworked. Ironically food was lacking flavor, though it was loaded with ingredients! Not a place I would jump through hoops to return to. Lalalalala average. The bathrooms were squeaky clean though.
(3)Bedelle M.
Such a nice scenery! Especially at night! The food Is awesome the waiter was knowledgeable of the menu.. A must visit quick service with the food and the swirl margaritas is a must try!!!! Enjoy
(5)Beth P.
Started badly with us. Waitress was rude and the manager did not do much to improve the situation. Maybe that's how it is in the big city Was told I couldn't order something without peppers even though a cheaper version is available that way?? Water was served with no ice....but sodas had plenty of it. We got the manager and he was a not do nice word about anything. I would take my dog to this place.
(1)Jess C.
Bday party celebration. Service was crap-tastic. Server kept delaying our order, and we and sat down for over an hour, and our food was still not here. The place is loud, rambunctious, lively, but I would look elsewhere for for a good time. By the time our table of 16 got the food, we were starving so everything pretty much tasted delicious. But would I go again? Probably not.
(2)B B.
For Mexican food I was not impressed. Not horrible, but I didn't think I got my money's worth there. The chips and salsa before ordering were very good - fresh made. The menu seemed to not include so some of the standard Mexican fare I was expecting - no burritos, my favorite. So I settled for something else, which was not memorable. Service and atmosphere seemed to be more of the focus of effort than the menu options. I don't plan on going back there.
(2)Eric B.
Yes, I've been here a few times and I'll keep going back. The guacamole is incredible and I've eaten a few guacamole trees throughout my life. Tio has a great bar scene after work, mostly locals or travelers on business. The food will not disappoint and the drinks are spot on, just tell them how you want it made and you won't be disappointed.
(5)Angela W.
Huge fan of Uncle Julio's in Dallas and we have gone to this location several times, but after tonight...NEVER AGAIN! After the insane wait (80 minutes) it took another hour to get our mediocre food. The waitress was slow and unorganized and over charged us. It took us another 40 minutes to get our check. We were there a total of 3 hours. When we asked to speak to the managers they didn't do anything except say "I'm sorry." Ugh. This on the last night of our spring break...beyond disappointing. Adios Uncle J!!!
(1)Natasha G.
Let me just start with the fact that we showed up for our reservation ten mintues early they told us our entire party needs to be present for them to seat us...once everyone arrived we waited one hour to be seated....once we were seated the waiter brought our drinks which were all watered down and were basically CRAP! we all ate our dinner and he took our plates and never brought us any dessert menus which was annoying because it was one persons birthday in our party...I will never come here again the server never came to asks us for refills until we stopped him and asked our selves...they are rude and inconsiderate people! DONT WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY HERE AT ALL!
(1)Pauly S.
I went to this place last night for dinner place is pretty packed the wait time was about 30 minutes but after we got seated they gave us free chips and salsa and we order a food the food came pretty quick the tacos are nice . my kids ordered quesadillas because they have kids menu. It was a little little pricey but we enjoyed the food I thing we will go back
(5)jon l.
There was an hour wait on Saturday night, so try call ahead seating. Had the fajitas and they were delicious. The chicken and steak was a good quality and juicy. The one issue I had was with the noise level. It was so loud that it was a challenge to hear the others at the table.
(4)Lindsay G.
One of my go-to restaurants to take friends! The food is always the same- Great! Service is courteous and the location is wonderful as well!
(5)Noreen K.
Overpriced crap. Fajitas starting @ $20, really? The vegetables with the fajitas consisted of ... onions and a few thin sprigs of red and green pepper. The ceviche is drowned in cilantro, lime juice and (?) garlic(?). I like tart but this was really hard to eat. The chile con queso was OK and the chips are always good and fresh.
(1)Calvin M.
Disgusting if u want Mexican food walk down the boardwalk 2 guapos its not 2 far from here I had the Juanita's platter today and will I tell u it had to be the most UN authentic enchiladas and tacos I ever ate I couldn't even finish I tried 2 smother it in tobasco and sour cream to get some flavor but didn't work the only thing that was good was the complimentary chips and salsa never again
(1)Amanda L.
The one famous cocktail about this place was swirl, which is the mix of Magarita and Sangaria, in either Magarita first or Sangaria first. It's really nothing fancy after you had it one time. The food was okay, but the waiter's attitude was not good. It seems like that their restaurant is doing good, so they choose not to care some of those they don't like personally. Food were just okay, I do like the queso dip for chips, others are average. Noisy level is high, you need to shout to people who sit next to you, not a place for conversation. Won't go back, period.
(3)Vicki C.
What is the point of calling ahead to put your name on the waiting list and still have to wait 2.5 hours?! The food is not that awesome! Granted our party was 10 people and we did call at 5pm to put our names down. Got there at 6pm... waited.. waited.. ask the hostess how much longer... no estimated time..waited some more...even went across to Joe's for a drink... did some more waiting and finally by 7:30pm we were done. I spoke to the hostess expressing my disappointment. She informed me that all staff members inform parties that are larger than 10 to be expected to wait for a longer period of time then normal. I told her that message was never relayed at 5pm when I phoned or the numerous times I have asked how long the wait was. Ah!
(1)John M.
an unforgettable mexican food experience. well that is true. my wife and i stopped for dinner. warm evening, good food. ambiance.....horrid. it seems the young man at the table adjacent to us was celebrating his birthday. he was playing computer chess with the other young chap at the table. Every time he made a move, he amplified it with verbal sound effects. He looked over at us and apologized, said he was excited that he was winning. Then he began to loudly share..you are fucking jammed, you have not fucking way to win. your shit is done. He continued. I got up and approached him. I asked, where did you go to college. he replied Gaithersburg ah no Montgomery College. I said, then you should know better than to sit in a public restaurant and shout curse words. He responded with a string of expletives beginning with fuck you... I went back to my table and my wife went to find a manager. One young lady approached his table and he explained that he was just sitting there playing a game and I came over an insulted him. I believe he finished with we weren't doing anything fucking wrong, you know me I come here all the time. She came to me and I explained what I said and that I only wanted to enjoy a meal with my wife. She asked if we wanted to move to a table that was 5 feet away. No, I think I should be able to sit here and enjoy a meal with my wife. Then my wife returned with another manager that went through the same routine with the same results. Now, maybe you don't care. Maybe a regular that appears to consume a great deal of your high margin alcohol can just sit there and become a bore. I am a grown man and I do not have to eat there. I chose to do so. I did not think that we would have to sit through that sort of behavior. Social media does have some weight, and I will share my experience. I think you missed the boat on this one or your policy and procedures manual needs a little revision.
(1)M M.
Hands down best fajitas anywhere, especially the steak ones! The vibrant music is the perfect camouflage for noisy kids (whether it's happy or unhappy noise). House made salsa, chips, & tortillas just add to what makes Rio Grande/Uncle Julio's our go to Friday night place with the kiddos. If you're in the mood for libations try the skinny guava ritz or the frozen sangria-margarita swirl.
(5)Denise L.
Dependable, tasty Mexican food for just about anyone! Between the freshly made chips and salsa, fajitas, enchiladas, combination meals and swirls. You are sure to enjoy your dining experience at Uncle Julio's. Great customer service and plenty of indoor and outdoor seating make this place a "go to" for random weekend evenings. Great for family, romantic outings and even time with friends. This place is a little noisy so avoid intimate conversations. :-)
(4)Michelle W.
Our favorite restaurant! Always great service, fast and friendly. Food is consistently delicious! I always get the enchiladas and the cheese dip is so yummy!
(5)Richard S.
Had a nice lunch, outside overlooking the lake. We had the fish tacos and quesadillas. Very nice. Good service.
(4)Gaby A.
I like this restaurant way better then guapos, service is great Highly reccomend if you are looking for good Mexican food :)
(4)Ronan M.
I love this place. Very consistent. My wife and I eat here all the time. Good service, good food.
(5)Gerry B.
You know what you are going to get here, mediocre mexican, but the service was very good and quick, we were seated in under 10 minutes despite a busy weekend crowd. Parking is a pain here, I could have sold my space when we were leaving, they should build a parking garage on top of the parking garage.
(3)Nancy H.
I had lunch today at the Gaithersburg location because my husband and I were craving some nice grilled steak but the steak was very disappointing. It's usually very flavorful with a nice grilled look and taste to it. But the steak I got with my lunch today was gray with no grill marks or flavor. We did show up for an early lunch so maybe the cook was not putting in the same effort as they would for dinner service but this location seems to be so busy at night now that lunch is a better option for us. We said something to the waiter who had the manager come over to talk to us. The manager was very nice and he said he would say something to the kitchen but we still left the restaurant feeling like we wasted our money and time. $61 (with tip) is a lot of money to pay for gray steak. I am usually a huge fan of your restaurant but I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
(2)Benjamin M.
The Washingtonian Center is chocked full of varied restaurants, so choosing where to eat was not an easy decision. However, I was craving some Tex-Mex and wanted to see if the positive reviews of Uncle Julio's held up. It was already past Happy Hour, so I didn't get to enjoy any appetizer or drink specials, but I did want to see what all the fuss was about with their self-proclaimed "World Famous Original Swirl Margarita," a frozen margarita layered with homemade sangria. If that didn't seem girlie enough, the plastic pink flamingo drink stirrer that accompanied the drink certainly sealed it for me. Honestly, it was decent drink, but not quite worth the nearly nine singles they charge for it. For a late dinner I ordered three enchiladas. When the bartender asked what kind of sauce I wanted, I hesitated and then decided to try one of each: the El Paso style red sauce, tomatillo sauce and sour cream sauce. I had a hard time deciding which one I liked the best because I was so hungry, but in the end the sour cream one spoke to me the loudest. The only slightly negative thing was the service, which sort of surprised me with three bartenders working post-Happy Hour. I actually had to ask for the complimentary chips and salsa (excellent), as well as flag one of them down again when I was ready to order. Basically, nothing was initiated from their side of the bar, so take charge if you must. Other than that, UJ's was on point, especially for a national chain.
(4)Johnalee S.
This place refused to serve me because my ID was from Wisconsin. Even though I was wearing a firearms instructor uniform (have to be 21) and had a major credit card. Might also mention a thick Midwest accent. Apparently it is company policy to turn away paying customers for something they can't help. Who carries around a passport? Will never return to this chain. Food looked rather sloppy anyways.
(1)Caroline L.
Always a wait here and this place is huge inside. Service can be a bit slow but their chips and salsa are pretty good. Margaritas are standard- sweet and strong. It's not one of my favorite Tex-Mex places but an ok choice if you're in the Gaithersburg area I guess. I still think Villa Maya in Rockville is much better if you're in that area.
(3)Peter G.
Nice environment and great location. Delicious Mexican food. Perfect place to entertain family and friends. Lots of choices of drinks to go with the food. Be prepared to wait 30 minutes for a table f you go at weekend.
(5)Zoe P.
I ate dinner with six family members and things were pretty evenly split. The fajitas team loved their food while the girls who got fish (me included) were pretty disappointed. Based on this, and the overall vibe of the place, I'd go with the heavy, meaty, porky classics. The menu features that kind of thing and, although fish tacos aren't haute cuisine, they spiced the fillets too heavily and then overcooked them within an inch of their lives, while offering a bland, mayo-slick version of crema to go on top. I did love the tamales and I did not love the flan - you know how sometimes you get eggs at a diner and they are kind of tasteless and flat? Well, this is like if you had those eggs in your flan. I took home my leftovers but I never ate them. And I was pregnant at the time. So go figure.
(3)Apryl R.
Uncle Julio has delicious text me food. The margaritas are really good and sitting on the patio is so nice during the summer time. Always love coming here!
(4)Irene F.
I can't stand Uncle Julios. Seriously. Nothing tastes or looks fresh here. They got so fortunate to have the awesome view of the water. They have the best outdoor seating. Which earns them the 2 stars. But it just bugs me to eat here. The service is sooooooooooo slow. Every SINGLE time I go. You have to ask for refills repeatedly. Once I finally went to the bar and asked for a water refill. Definitely don't come here if you actually have a "lunch HOUR" The only things I can stand to eat are the shrimp quesodilla (which ps I am NOT recommending) and the tamales which were surprisingly tasty. I also don't like their greasy thin chips nor their cooked brownish watery salsa. I would rather go to Guapos.
(2)Eddie K.
I only come here during lunch so there is no wait and the service is great. So, I can't comment on dinner service. Their lunch menu is a lot smaller now, but the only thing I eat here are the fajitas and enchiladas. They always refill my soda and water in a prompt manner and the food comes out really quick. We always go here when celebrating a co-workers birthday. Has something for everyone - we have vegetarians in our group, but they always find something tasty to eat.
(4)Ana P.
Went here for Valentine's day 2011. BP and I arrived well before the dinner rush, so we were seated right away! It became loud and crowed fairly quickly. Sometimes I felt that the tables were a bit cramped, but wasn't a deal breaker. BP and I ordered the fajita platter, I believe and we made our own fajitas. I preferred the chicken over the beef because it was more flavorful. The beef was chewy and difficult to swallow.
(3)Casey K.
This is a great place for happy hour with friends. It's good food and good drinks for sure. It gets pretty loud and rowdy as the happy hour area fills up and the dinner crowd enters which I don't mind at all. I don't think it would be a good restaurant to have a quiet romantic dinner because with the acoustics, sounds carries A LOT here, so might consider taking the candlelight dinner date elsewhere or you will find yourself annoyed at trying to hear each other. As far as happy hour goes, I usually have the reverse swirl margarita. They are dangerous, but very good and refreshing (especially in the Summer months). The chips and salsa always taste fresh and are consistently good. Start with the chips and queso with the ground beef in it, my friends and I attack this when it comes to the table because it is just soooooo good. Plus, I think we all give each other side glances when it starts to get to the bottom like who is going to get to lap up the last drop and I can't believe this deliciousness is gone. A couple of my friends like the tortillas dipped in the queso, but it is too much clash of consistency for me, the crunch of the chip makes it. I would not recommend the guacamole, there is not that much served so it ends up being kind of a bust (better for 2 people). For my entree, it is the chicken or shrimp quesadilla all the way. It's massive and stuffed perfectly. They serve it with sour cream and guacamole. I love to make the perfect bite with a little sour cream, dab of guacamole, and a little drizzle of salsa. Ah so good, all the flavors merge together and it's a party in your mouth for sure. I would say this place is best for happy hour or at least, that is what I come here the most for. Its is the perfect place to meet and I have always had a seat waiting at the round high top tables. Can speak much on the family friendly front, but the food alone is worth it. Plus, I know if I was a kid, I would love to marvel at the tortilla maker that is constantly turning out fresh tortilla after fresh tortilla...yum!
(4)Katie D.
This place is almost always packed. I advise getting there early. We went last Friday and waited over 15 minutes for a spot in the bar area. Could have gone to any of the other restaurants in Rio but we wanted Mexican. While the staff is great, I think they need to pay attention to how messy the restrooms can get. It looked like it had not been cleaned for most of the day. Other than that, we enjoyed ourselves.
(4)C J.
This place is super noisy. Anytime you go there. The fish tacos were good. The guacamole was superb. Good tex mex food in general. My boyfriend had the steak fajitas which he said were good.
(3)Karen R.
The best Mexican food! I love everything about it, including their amazing chips and salsa. Their place is always packed and that should tell you something! Amazing food!
(5)Jenn M.
Love the swirls and fun atmosphere!!! Food is always yummy!!!
(4)Susan Y.
I realize that my taste for Mexican food is rather Americanized, and specifically tuned to the sort of Mexican food you get in California. Because of this, and the vast differences in Americanized Mexican food you find throughout the United States, I always find it a bit of a risk to walk in to a random Mexican restaurant. Despite this, I had a meal at Uncle Julio's while I was in the area on business -- and it was not bad. Chips and salsa came to the table quickly, and were pretty good. Nice thin, salty chips, and a fairly tasty salsa. For my entree I tried the street tacos -- one benefit is that they will let you mix & match, so I tried a shrimp, a fish, and a carnitas taco. It was more food than I needed, which was well enough since I didn't particularly like the fish taco (should have known better, since it is one of my favorite Cal-Mex dishes). The shrimp was good but a bit overcooked, which made the carnitas the best of the trio. The plate came with some guac, which I chose to enjoy with some of the chips. I thought I was supposed to get beans, too, but they never made it to the table. The restaurant is huge, loud, and seemed to always be crowded during the week that I was in the area -- great place for groups.
(3)Mike P.
Was okay - not great, but okay...Food was so fast thought it may have been pre-made. Would go again maybe, but if there was a better option i would take it.
(3)Christian O.
This restaurant is only a shadow of what it once was. What use to be the turn to for any special occasion is now a place me and my family won't go back to. The quality of the food has continually been dropping over time. And this was the last straw. The steak has gotten more expensive and smaller, and apart from that, they seem to have gotten rid of they grill cook and replaced it with a monkey. It's bee 4 times now that we have gone. That I have to change my stake. Im a stake person I love stake and I like it how I like it. I like it any-wear from rare to medium. Usually asking for medium rare. More than 4 times now have they brought me a stake that was well done. And for the price I'm paying... This should not happen. Customer service is fine most of the time. And waits are not bad unless it's the days surrounding a special occasion or weekends. But the food has LARGELY decreased in quality. Take note that I've been coming to this restaurant for almost a decade now and it is not worth the price anymore.
(2)Neha G.
The worst margarita I have ever had.. I asked the waiter the drink is not the way its supposed to be. She said she will make new one and get but its was still the same.. Worst experience ever. They don't even know how to make a basic cocktail properly.
(1)Rick R.
Booya. Came for lunch. Bartender was friendly, despite a little busy. Said hello right away, said he'd be right back, and was. Waiter yells "Drink order!" Thru the window. Fajitas, chicken fajita quesadilla for lunch. $2 for sour cream and cheese? Ok.. Waiter yells "Drink order!" Thru the window. A brief wait and the food comes out. Good. 4 star good. I even had an extra tortilla left over, which almost never happens when I get fajitas. Did I mention the waiter yelling thru the window? Over all food was good, service was fine, waited a little long for food and really wanted to punch the outside waiter in the head.
(4)Ree S.
I am at Uncle Julios atleast once a week...you can't go wrong with the food here. The table side guacamole is amazing as well as the ceviche, queso dip, tortilla soup. I always order steak fajitas. Not a fan of the chicken its a little too plain for me. Also I love the ribs here...they are so flavorful. And lets get real you can not go wrong with the swirls and margaritas here. I would give it a 5 star but sometimes the service can be sucky even on a slow day such as this past Wednesday when I went for dinner. It was dead but our waiter wasn't impressive. Weekends tend to be VERY busy and if they are busy expect not to be able to hear the person next to you....SO LOUD!
(4)Kenny T.
This is a family favorite and personal favorite all the way. Beef fajitas are a must! Made from a thick grilled skirt steak marinated to perfection and cut just before it's brought to your table. The sides are fresh and are great compliments to the fajitas. Honestly I don't think I've ordered anything else here. This is a highly recommended place!
(5)Michael T.
Meat was fresh and tasty! Our order only took only 10 minutes to be delivered.
(4)Joe F.
2 stars, only because our second waitress saved the experience from being a complete wash. A friend and I decided we wanted Mexican food. We ventured to Uncle Julio's and were promptly seated outside. After about 10 minutes, a waitress with horrible hair accessories came and took our drink and appetizer order. She left chips and salsa. So far so good, right? Fast forward 40 minutes. No diet cokes. No guacamole. No one had taken our order. The waitress in question was standing on the other side of the patio, blatantly ignoring us. Finally, we ask another waitress where our stuff is. She asks who our waitress is, we tell her. She lets us know that she will find her. A few minutes later, waitress #2 comes back. "I can't find her. What did you order?" From that moment on, we had a new waitress. Suddenly waitress #1 is back on the scene giving nasty side-eye to my friend and I. She is very lucky I only ordered a diet coke on this night. Food was good, portions were plentiful. The manager was walking around asking people how their meals were, but either he too wanted to ignore us, or was afraid what we would say, as he did not ask us. I would go there again, but only if waitress #2 were guaranteed to be our server.
(2)Dwayne M.
Management comp'd a majority of the bill as a result.
(2)Joseph Y.
Got a enchilada to go. It was okay.
(3)Larry B.
Keep Walking Mis Amigas y Amigos! The Margarita was a "bartender in a hose" travesty, so I requested a hand made one (like Guapos does), the young, unprofessional server did not remove my bad drink but said I drank from it (2 small sips) so I had to pay for it! CALL ME A LIAR!...Listen young'uns you have to taste it to see if it is acceptable! When charged for two drinks, I asked for the Manager who did NOT show but the charge was eventually dropped on the bad one due to my refusal to leave w/o the Manager...and no comp for even half of the good one! Forget speaking Spanish here.....ridiculous in G'burg! C/S at HQ in TX emailed, no help, no contact w/store or regional mngmnt. This people don't give a rat's a** about you or your integrity....seguir caminando!
(1)Che N.
Had uncle julios catered for my daughter's birthday party. They did a great job with setting up and the good was delicious! Will use them again next time
(4)Julia B.
I've been here during a business trip. I loved it. The enchiladas were sooo yummy! Service was very good, too. I wish i could go there all the time...
(5)Kelly C.
I've been here a bazillion times and just decided to write a review now after being there again last night because of the great service we had. In my experience, I've always had a great time here- no complaints on the food, service, anything. The food might not be AMAZING but it is definitely fine for what you'd expect at a Tex-Mex chain. Aside from that, however, I'd like to say that they are very accommodating to big groups, which is awesome. We had a group of 15 go here last night at last minute (I called an hr or two before) and they put together a large table for us so we could all sit together. Aside from that, they even split our checks without us asking- it made dinner go much smoother than it could have otherwise! Similarly, we were never once low on our beverages, nor were we ever waiting for a refill on ships and salsa. Overall, really really great service!
(4)Jenn S.
Pretty decent food for the area. Portions are too big so don't order too much. The fajitas are awesome, love the homemade shells.
(4)Miyuki L.
These chain used to be one of my favorites but after last night's service I was thoroughly disenchanted. Its super busy, super LOUD and servers run around with like chickens with their heads cut off. It should not be like Frogger when you are eating there not knowing if you or your child are going to get run down. It took them a good 5 to 10 minutes just to greet us and drop off chips.. The food used to be my favorite. The guacamole was bland and my entree arrived lukewarm. Honestly as busy as it is you would think the food is constantly pushed out thus should be proper temperature. My daughter 's kidsadilla was barely melted.. Its a shame that a once great place is slipping severely. You pay too much money here for them not to give you a decent meal.
(2)Timothy C.
I'll tackle this one with a pros and cons list. Pro: After perusing the various eateries available at the Rio... area, we settled for Uncle Julio's after reading the menu. Con: Uncle Julio's has a 40's era Disney quasi-racist drawing of a Mexican man (that would never fly in California) as their logo. I did a double-take and thought "Are you serious?" But I guess if there is still a pro sports team called the Redskins, it literally comes with the territory. Pro: We only had to wait 20 minutes on a Friday night to get a table, which is pretty good considering. Con: We were seated on the side patio, which was LOUD. SO loud that we couldn't hear the waiter who was talking to us, and that we had to repeat ourselves to each other all meal. Yes, there was music, and it was packed, but the acoustics on the patio were horrible and it was just a big blender full of noises. Don't sit on the patio. Pro: The chips were great as an appetizer; we got guacamole, salsa, and queso to dip them in. Con: Why do restaurants serve you 3 ounces of cheese sauce with a huge basket of chips? You could only dip your chip in like 1/2 of an inch! But, no matter, the cheese was crappy and bland, so I mainly stuck to the guacamole, because the roasted salsa was kind of bland. Pro: I ordered the Herschel's platter (which doesn't sound like Mexican food at all) which was a chili relleno, an enchilada, a pork tamale, and a steak taco. Each of them was above average but nothing to die for, and my only complaint was that the steak was a bit gristly. Con: I don't think the food was worth the price, especially when you factor in the broken conversation because of the noise on the patio. For instance, I paid $18 for the Herschel's platter, and I would say that it was worth.... $14.50. I wouldn't lose sleep if I never came back here in my life, but to completely write it off would be overdoing it. Go, if you like it, great, if you don't then it isn't for you.
(3)Jeff B.
All I do is win win win no matter what. I got Cheetos in my hand, and I'll never give em up. And every time I step up in the building, everybody's hands go up, and they stay down. And they stay down. lol Uncle Julio's wins no matter what. They seem to always have a long line outside. I have been a restaurant patron at this jaunt since they opened up. They were called Rio Grande Cafe back in the day. Devon used to work here. I continue to come back here despite the average food and loud noise, but the prices continue to increase at a rate faster than inflation, so I feel inclined to stop coming here forever. I would typically order the classic soft taco plate. It came with plenty of food; however, dare I say that if you are on a date, you would be better off with getting Taco Bell on 124 and then going to Jimmie Cone. The fajitas are good as well. Everything is good but not great. They don't give you nearly enough salsa to fulfill your chip-dipping activities. But then you can pay like 8 bucks for a large helping of guacamole. Margaritas are like 9 bucks, too. I have an ulcer though so only my friends drink it. Otherwise, it would tear my stomach to shreds. Also, in my opinion, there are not enough vegetarian options. Or maybe I'm just a snobby and entitled foodie. No but really there are not enough vegetarian options. One example: they don't even serve cheese quesadillas.
(2)Kor H.
I don't hate this place, their food is decent but entirely too often I have waited awhile for a cold meal. I can understand a busy restaurant but in that case the food should come out hot since the kitchen would be busy also. The servers are usually pretty good but usually unless you are sitting at the bar or in the bar area you feel as if you are being rushed out of the place. Their carne asada is great if it is served hot and they are usually packed so I recommend calling ahead on busy nights so you can do most of your waiting at home or on the drive. The swirls are great and really the only reason to go there and if you're feeling adventurous try a reverse swirl with a meltdown of patron.
(2)Jen L.
Only been here once, but the complimentary chips and salsa are amazing. The salsa seems like it is made from scratch in-house. I had the fish tacos, which were so-so, and the baby back rib fajitas are delicious. Although the salsa is somewhat watery, I think it's very flavorful and fits my tastebuds.
(3)Jennifer C.
I always enjoy when I go to Uncle Julio's, my friends and I usually sit at the bar for the yummy margaritas on the rocks. The happy hour specials could be better. Overall the bartenders are always friendly and attentive. My favorite dish is the Carne Asada, it has such a juicy marinade, that always makes me want more of it.
(5)Jessica L.
Yum! I'm a virginian but this is the best uncle julio's i've been to in the DMV area! Good and attentive customer service unlike in the UJ in virginia i went to and the chicken is delicious without just the fat parts we were served at the UJ's in VA. Great food and great atmosphere and great views! Came here for a birthday and went back again! The portions even if small are very filling here so definitely come with an empty stomach! The food is fresh and a bit expensive for mexican but then again so is thai food!
(5)Kat F.
Swirls are to dieeee for!! I've had their fajitas, which are pretty good, but I've been to other places with better fajitas. I will admit, though, that they're beef is pretty tasty and tender. The jalapenos, I warn you, are MASSIVE and super hot. So be careful when trying to eat them. I have also had their Lunch Nacho Especial, which was super simple, but quite filling. I gotta say, service here is always....entertaining. I've always had such fun and amusing waiters every time I have come here. Overall, food is okay, but the ambiance is great.
(4)Jack W.
The tacos al carbon are pretty good here but I think this place is pricey. I usually come here to drink in the Summer and usually just for the swirls.
(3)Tess M.
Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Cafe is ALWAYS a treat. Great service, warm chips and a wide variety of Mexican food. Hubby had the Juanita platter (two enchilada's, taco, rice, beans etc) no complaints from him BUT he said the rice was a little spicy. I had the chicken enchilada's with rice and beans. Margarita out of this world! Food lived up to my expectations - this is a kid friendly place as well as a happy hour hot spot (close to Sodexo and other business) but it is a LARGE restaurant so there is great separation. Price is reasonable, accessible parking and great location. Take a walk around the waterfront before or after dinner.
(4)Brittany A.
Great mexican food, scary drink prices haha. Hubby had two drinks ($9 each) and got a bowl of queso ($8??!) I told him he shouldve asked the price of that cheese! Lol Chips were those thin, crispy delicious chips and the salsa was pretty spicy and runny (I like it more runny than chunky). Queso was really good, too. It wasn't gunky. I got the ribs, hubby got the fajitas for two (we shared both) and tons of refried beans all around. The ribs are smoked, come with a chipotle bbq sauce and are very, very good. Hubby doesn't even like ribs, and he was tearing those bad boys down lol. The flank steak for the fajitas were tender and juicy and done medium. Husband attacked those too, even though he usually likes everything well done. Beans were good, you could tell they were pan refried but they needed more cheese :(. All in all it was about $90 for 2 days of leftovers and the meal...it wouldve been $75 if hubs had known the drinks and that queso were $10 a pop. Good food, reminds me of being back home in s.fl (more Puerto Rican than Mexican in decor lol)
(4)Yu L.
Uncle julios is my favorite Mexican restaurant. My wife and I come here all the time and the fajitas are delicious! We always get the chicken and steak fajitas for two and it is plenty of food for two and the chips and salsa to start is the best !
(4)John And Mindy S.
This place has very good Mexican food. the fajitas were great. I also loved the guacamole. The drinks are very expensive though. Its worth trying if you've never been, but don't go here for drinks.
(4)Jennifer H.
This place was great, would be five star except our server was not good. Food was fantastic, we had fajitas and the combo plate with beef enchiladas. Some of the best chicken (moist, tender and full of flavor) I've had in a restaurant. I live in Oregon and was visiting. Girlfriend in DC, I am hopeful we will get an UJ some day, otherwise il look forward to my next visit to the East Coast to visit my friend o course, but also to enjoy another awesome Mojoto and delicious dinner.
(4)Mariella B.
Been coming here when it was Rio Grande. Drinks are strong and on point, food is flavorful, and their chips and salsa are fresh (salsa can be made hotter only by request) This place gets really busy especially on summer weekends when the patio is open and the band plays outside. There is no reservations so be prepared to wait but while you are go ahead and hang out at the large bar and have a drink. Come here usually with girls for brunch on weekend mornings. My toddler loves to come here especially when we sit outside or by a window where he can see the lake. The servers here are also very attentive and accept that this place is kid friendly to work with it they give kids dough balls. This is part of the reason why I love this restaurant because of the kid-friendly atmosphere and service. I like all their drinks and being a big tequila fan I don't mind hanging here at night enjoying some Don Julio Silver. The frozen sangrias and margaritas are yum yum but also just as good on the rocks. Just tried their new skinny Guava-Rita (under 180 cals). I am def getting this the next time I go again! I usually stick to their tacos and fajitas. I don't like that they charge like $2 extra for sour cream when I really want is just a spoon full of sour cream...not a heaping side dish. If you're going to give me guacomole with my fajitas you might as well give me the sour cream #justsaying Hands down this place is great...if it's an intimate dinner you're looking for you should go to else where because just like all the restaurants here in the Rio, it gets loud. And just to mention IMO...this place is better than the other wanna be Tex Mex across the lake, Guapos Cantina.
(5)Trevor M.
This is Uncle Sam's NAFTA Cousin that's cooks really well. Everyone should have an Uncle Julio...really, everyone should. Great Happy Hours, Great Tex/Mex atmosphere...but most importantly, the food is really good. Food: I like their salsa. Roasted peppers into the salsa...just serve it slightly warm...and heaven. The tamales are wonderful. Pork and Chicken with the correct red and green verde salsas. This is one of my favorite Ceviche's around and they do make it fresh, but make sure you get here early on a Friday or Saturday or it's gone. Fajitas...what's not to like here. But, what I really like is the fact that you can get quail and you can get frog legs. Nice, moist, tender frog legs that don't smell gamey. Hmmm. Frog legs. Service/Staff: Attentive and quick..but, bear in mind that during happy hour... it can get a little dicey and slow. Bar: This bar just isn't big enough to serve the masses of the Rio/Gaithersburg area. How they don't run out of Tequila is beyond me. Price: Reasonable. Return rate: Can we say Happy Hour! Bottom Line: For Gaithersburg, For Tex/Mex...this is a great establishment that does things that other Tex/Mex don't do...offer good variety (even though it's a chain) and do it well.
(4)Jeneen C.
I went to Uncle Julios for the first time about a month ago and glad that I went! The food is aswesome, It was crowded, however the wait was not extremely long. The Guadlajara is terrific! Cannot wait to go back.
(5)KanKan Y.
The food here is ok...service is ok...but the view is really nice. When the weather is nice out; you should grab a seat outside and soak in the lake view. There are ducks and swans swimming about and the paddle boaters trying to figure out what they should be doing...pretty good view :) Food wise, I love the fajitas here. I defin recommend them over anything else. I also recommend getting a cadillac margarita with a patron silver shot...its pretty tasty :D
(3)Hyun M.
I really loved this place, it was my family's favorite place to eat. Unfortunately, the last two times have been a little disastrous with the food. The Gordo Platter is what my family orders. Last time the chicken was burnt. This time the bacon was black. The manager brought out another batch that was burnt but was turned over so you didn't see it. When I turned it over and showed him. He said it was alright. Perhaps their food costs are up? I took a picture with my husband's blackberry and said I was going to post it. I looked at my bank statements and realized that I have been spending about $300 a month here. We go once a week. Well, I have on principle decided to vote with my feet and I am not coming back.
(1)Hrishi P.
Nice Mexican place to hangout. Food is good. Nice ambience for large group. Service is good. Like the sangria. Get pretty crowded on weekends so reserve beforehand.
(4)Brooke T.
Came here for a late lunch. Service was surprisingly quick for how busy they were. For some reason my fajitas didn't come with sour cream so I requested it. Then finally after 10 minutes they brought sour cream... I don't know what that was about. Other than that, I had a nice view of the lake and some good Mexican food.
(3)Brandon F.
Amazing food and great drinks every time I've been to Uncle Julio's. This place could make a killing if they sold their chips and salsa at the door as take out (and they're free and unlimited at the table!). I get the Juanita platter usually (1 crunchy taco, 2 enchiladas and a tamale) or the combination beef and chicken fajitas. The food isn't cheap, but you most definitely get what you pay for, an amazing meal and amazing drinks. The restaurant itself is very large but I think the tables are a little too close together. Its difficult to hear your table-mates' conversation over the din and your neighboring tables' conversations. The decoration is great and really brings the entire experience together.
(4)Jean C.
Love it !
(5)Seth J.
We just visited a place for happy hour and I did NOT like drink prices at all. $9 for swirl & $6 for Modello not exactly an attractive bargain.
(3)Neka K.
I have ate here twice. Food is just okay... Nothing amazing. And it's expensive for what it is. But it's a good relaxing place I don't feel bad bringing my kid to. I like that.
(3)Tina H.
I'm a big fan of anything in Rio because it's such a great location! I went here for lunch with my best friend (it was my first time.) You know how in cheesecake factory, cpk, they give you bread while you wait? Well here they give you tortilla chips & my best friend was nut over it! she loves them! My best friend got the beef fajitas al carbon & i got the carne asada and they were soooo good! We also got some virgin pina colada and they were alright...CPK's pina colada is still waaay better. We got Cajeta for desert, & it was very...caramel-y. The food is kinda of pricey but I think it worth it though! I'll definitely come back & recommend it to others!
(4)Faride S.
i came to uncle julios on a saturday night just recently. it wasn't packed but it wasn't empty either. we got seated super quick and greeted by our server quick also. his service was excellent! he kept coming back to check on us at appropriate times and was very nice. i had carne asada and it came out delicious. i ordered a mango passion fruit margarita even though im not a tequila fan and it was also tasty. i will deff come back and hopefully i get the same service and not the service that many yelpers are talking about on here lol
(5)Allison L.
Standard Americanized Mexican food. The restaurant and bar are both giant, but since it's in Rio, long waits seem pretty standard. It's a little more expensive than On The Border or Don Pablos, but the portions were seriously huge. The chips and salsa also seemed to be far superior to both those chains.
(3)Tina F.
I have been to Uncle Julio's many times and food was always amazing. The Carne Asada w/ grilled peppers and onions are always cooked the way I have ordered it. I normally receive great and fast service.
(5)Patricia G.
In a word.... EXCELLENT!!!! Excellent Food, Excellent Service, Excellent Value, Excellent Drinks....
(5)Justin H.
I was thoroughly disappointed. I ordered the fajitas off the lunch menu and was brought 4 tiny little fajitas that looked like they could have fit in a Lunchables box. These cost me $10 when I could have gotten Lunchables at the grocery store for $2. Left feeling hungry and cheated. The waiter was very nice though, so +1 for service.
(2)Nai L.
This place is ehhhhh. It's not a bad place to eat but it's nothing special. The fajitas are pretty good and the portions are huge. Unfortunately, the service is a little lacking and inattentive. They're always packed so there's always a 15-30 minute wait so sometimes its not even worth the wait.
(3)Salma M.
I mean how many times do you have to ask for your tortillas for your fajita wtf or my drink
(2)Filipina P.
This place makes awesome fajitas. I even liked the chicken fajitas, which I usually don't like in most Mexican restaurants because they end up being very dry and stringy. Last time I was here, the chicken fajitas were very flavorful and juicy. A+ Service is pretty good here too. It gets very loud and busy even during lunch, and I never felt like I had to strain to get my server's attention. Every time I go, the servers are pretty good at checking up on us. Much better that the other Mexican place - better service, better atmosphere and better (not as heavy) food. Good place to hangout after you take the kids to the nearby playground next to the lake. A steady and reliable restaurant. Not the best Mexican food I ever had, but still good.
(3)Adil B.
The complimentary salsa and chips here are delicious. Very thin chips and slightly-spicy salsa (you can ask the waiter for a hotter version). We came here on a Friday night and the wait was about 20 minutes for an outdoor table for four. Outdoor seating overlooks the lake at Rio - nice view! I do wish the outdoor lighting was stronger, though. Uncle Julio's has two menu sections: the cheaper section, with items like tacos and enchiladas, and the more-expensive section which lists the restaurant's specialties. The wait for food was rather long, but we got free dessert and the waiter was a nice guy.
(4)Lynn M.
Food and drinks are always great. Had our Employee holiday dinner there, approx. 20 people. Great service and we all really enjoyed it. We were there on a busy Saturday night, they don't except reservations and wouldn't provide the table until 10 of us were there... but the bar is great and once we had the 10 the wait was not more than 15 minutes which is great for a group seating of the size on a busy night.
(5)Tochi K.
Uncle Julio's has pretty awesome drinks--their margaritas are the best in the area! The chips and salsa are good but I wasn't too impressed with their food. It wasn't horrible but I wouldn't go out of the way for it. Their Tacos were most disappointing. The fish and beef tacos did nothing for me; the Chicken Tacos were just plain old horrible--the chicken was soupy and tasted like it had been boiled in water and nothing else. Not surprisingly, the dinning are seems to be popular with families while the front feels like a great happy hour spot. My rule of thumb for Mexican food at the Rio is: For better food, walk across the bridge to Guapos; however, you'll have to settle for margaritas and drinks that don't live up to what you'll find at Uncle Julio's. For great food, drive up to "Taco Bar" on Fields Road (off the side of the gas station next to the Japanese steak house); however, you'll need to settle for a cafe-like environment with only 4-5 tables, be comfortable with mostly Spanish speaking staff, not mind sharing the front with a beer & wine store while you can't drink, ... and oh yeah, truly great and delicious food at lower prices!
(3)Mike M.
Big fan of Uncle Julio's. Very good quality food and very consistent. You really have to hand it to the wait staff, it's gotta be hard to keep up with a restaurant as large and high volume as this place. Is it always perfect, no. It can be WAAAYYYY too loud. They have concrete floors and not much fabric to absorb noise so it is deafening when they are busy. You cannot hold a conversation with the person next to you without yelling. And, be prepared for a wait. They do call ahead seating but even with that you usually have to wait. Their own success is their biggest downfall. The only issues I've had at Uncle Julio's have actually been with other customers. At this last visit, there was a large family at the table next to ours, maybe 8-10 people. They all shared multiple orders of fajitas. As they finished the obscene amount of food on their table they kept setting the empty plates and bowls on the floor between our table and theirs. My kids were on that side of the table and couldn't get up from their seats without backing into plates on the floor. The group stayed for a long time, letting their kids run around the place and talking. I think the waitress was too intimidated by them to try picking up the stuff from the floor till after they left. And of course, the customer never picked anything up. When they got up to leave they just stepped over their plates. It was really odd and made it a bit uncomfortable for us. As soon as they left, the bus staff came over, split the tables up and cleaned everything up. Just weird. All that said, I'm kind of in a rut, I love their cheese and onion enchiladas. I pretty much get them every time. Yeah, there's other stuff that's great but for $9.99 the enchiladas are hard to beat. The salsa is very fresh tasting and the chips are amazingly light and crisp with just enough salt. They make their own corn tortillas on site. We'll keep our once a month habit of dinner at Uncle Julio's and just hope we don't run into any more strange customers........
(4)Oscar S.
Okay, I only gave Uncle Julio's 5 stars because it's been one of my favorite restaurants since it was Rio Grande. Same thing, nothing changed. Their food is really good and is always fast and fresh to come out (that's what she said). Besides the food, they have these wonderful drinks called..Swirls. Fellas, I used to be anti-frozen Swirls..that is until I had one. And then a second..and then. Well let's just say that if you can handle 3..well really who drinks 3 frozen drinks at a restaurant, lol. The staff is very friendly and even though the wait might be a little longer during the weekend evenings, it's still a fun atmosphere and good place to go. PS. Get the 'Carne Asada' or 'Juanitas Platter'. Oh yeah, and the 'Chx quesadillas' are also a favorite!
(5)Liza A.
Love the swirl drink its has the best mix of flavors and masks the alcohol so well that u wont know when u past the second one cus u might be drunk then. So make sure u have someone else driving. ;) Food its ok but not a wow factor I think this is the standard USA Mexican fussion.
(4)Donna Y.
Uncle Julio's signature swirls are delicious with nice layers of sweet and tangy. The complimentary chips and salsa are great. I wish the chips were thicker so it doesn't break every time I go for more salsa. I've gone here many times for lunch, dinner and happy hour and I've tried the tacos, fajitas, frog legs, quail (which they don't have anymore), and enchiladas. All are seasoned very well and tasty. The portions are huge. Most entrees comes with rice, beans, and salsa so I would recommend sharing with a friend.
(4)Georgio S.
Went in on Sunday with the family after doing a little shopping at the target close by. We were a party of 5 and were seated pretty quickly. Service was excellent and no lie our appetizers were on the table in 5 min. We had the Steak Nachos and the 3 pepper guacamole. Both were outstanding so were the free chips and salsa. Wife and I ordered the Surf and turf fajitas. The fajitas were disappointing, meat lacked flavor. The plates in general just weren't as good as the last time we visited. Next time going to try Guapos to compare and post my review. The flan for dessert was inedible due to the sauce having a burnt taste. Getting a bill for 150 bucks also left a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't of minded the bill if all the food was good.
(3)Liam S.
Always packed on a weekend. The food can be decent, or maybe not. Depends on the time of day and how they feel like serving on that night. I got the Grilled Fish Tacos, couldnt believe the size of all the food on my plate, the tacos could have used more fish though. overall decent, but costly for it's quality.
(3)Chris C.
Food (enchiladas) was lackluster, but I loved their chips and salsa which is always a plus. Customer service (I was at the bar) was excellent.
(4)Isabelle G.
The fajitas are great! The chips are okay - not the best but not the worst either. Both times I went there, the restaurant was really loud. Go there but try to go on a quieter day - Wednesday lunches might be quieter than weekend dinners.
(4)Good E.
i came with a moderate sized group of 9 friends the chips that came to the table were good. the salsa was bad. i am starting to wonder if they do this on intention to make you buy guac. well we didnt do that. i had juanitas platter, which was ALOT of food; taco, enchilada and tamale. i liked the taco but i was not a fan of the tamale. the enchilada was nice and spicy. i had beef in the taco, pork in the tamale and chicken in the enchilada. others at the table had quesadillas, breakfast tacos, shrimp fajita and steak fajita. while i didnt personally sample, others told me that their food was pretty good getting a table held was a bit of pain since they do not make reservation on the weekend but in the long run getting us seated was not much of an issue. parking was also ample in the back. ambience was nice, the eating area is quite spacious and i was surprised to see that they also had a bar which from afar looked very good. bathroom was clean i would like to come here again with a big group, preferably in the evening or a happy hour time so that I can try their swirly margaritas!
(4)Ali S.
Always busy when you really want a margarita or fajita. Pray for a seat in the bar area, otherwise you're going to have to wait. Get their margaritas on the rocks, salt if you choose Cuervo otherwise you can forgo the salt with top shelf. Their chips are pretty fresh and delicious, but they have a very liquid consistency salsa that isn't much better than Pace Picante. I recommend the fajitas, but the proportions are monstruous. Fajitas for one fills two hungry people and makes a good appetizer for three-four people if you're just there for drinks. It seems like they never bring enough tortilla bread the first time, luckily they will bring you more. On a parting note, I really wish sour cream and cheese were just included in the price. They really want to upcharge a trivial two bucks, and then I sit there and go.... 2 dollars for something that will only destroy my health, nothnx. If it came with it I would just slather on the stuff and pay no attention.
(3)C M.
Subpar at best. The food is average and fairly overpriced. They also don't have any beers on tap and charge $5 for Modelo Beers. Go to taco bar around the corner for real Mexican.
(3)Eva O.
Major things went wrong but service and ambiance still warrants them a 3. First off, the Sat night wait was long enough for me to paddleboat around the Rio lake and repeat 5 times. And I wish I had. By the time our little buzzer went off, I was beyooond famished. We were seated outside in the beautiful weather. My Dos equis and chips/salsa came out really quickly (and disappeared just as quickly). The chips were thin and crispy with that nice, just came out of kitchen quality. So I ordered the fish tacos and that's when things started to go downhill. 2/3 tilapias were burnt. I ate the first over-charred one but when another was charred again, I had to send the taco back. Our server was such a sweetheart, took my plate, and did not give me an ounce of trouble. But 15 minutes later, she came back with a tiny plate and my poor, poor, lone taco. What happened to the rest of the plate? My guac and salsa? Rice and beans? I had to request for the other items on my plate again. By now our Uncle Julios experience was running 2.5+ hours long. I'm not even going into the whole miscommunication with the bill thing...we did get some free sopapillas, service was excellent, and the place is otherwise poppin'.
(3)Yasmin K.
So this review is for vegetarians. The first time I went, I loved the food and everything was great. I asked numerous times if the rice, beans, sauce on the enchiladas were vegetarian, and I was assured that they were. The next time I went, I was told almost everything I had ate the first time, contained chicken stock. When I told the waitress that last time this was vegetarian, she replied that this happens all the time. The waiters and waitress and cooks in the back are really unsure of what is vegetarian so there is a lot of inconsistency. I was also charged additionally for the substitute cheese sauce to the meat sauce (the cheese sauce is extremely heavy and not very enjoyable). They do not have any rice that is vegetarian. It is extremely easy to make Mexican food vegetarian friendly, but even after talking to the manager, it seems as though Uncle Julio's will not take any steps anytime soon to make their food vegetarian friendly. For the options they do have, they will charge you extra for and it is overpriced to begin with. The only positive is that the service is friendly.
(1)Micah P.
All right, I went again. My review of the atmosphere stays the same (it is beautiful and the perfect place to eat outdoors on a nice day, etc). However, the food got better. Although the fajitas weren't the best, the fish tacos are not bad. I don't have any complaints for them. Also, their margaritas are pretty tasty too. The strawberry margarita hits the spot and gets you going. The wait staff I came across this time was a lot more friendly and personable than my last visit. Come on a nice day. FYI: if you come here for lunch, they have some stuff on their "Lunch Menu" that is also offered in their regular menu (ie. the fish tacos), but a smaller portion.
(3)Anthony M.
I want to love this place but I just can't. The outdoor seating is definitely preferred as air conditioner is freezing inside. Outside the ambience is excellent and the margaritas were good. But the food is inferior quality to Cafe Rio and is twice the price. The Calamari special was completely burnt and the salsa on the side tasteless. Because we got an appetizer our mains came 70 minutes after our order. We got many apologies due to"many trainee staff today" but this is clearly on the kitchen's inability to cope with a full restaurant at 4pm on a Sunday. If they were understaffed in the kitchen that may explain the extremely poor children's menu. ($6 for 5 (not joking) corn chips with processed cheese melted on them - nachos?). My soft tacos were good but a bit bland. My wife's Tamales tasted old and a lame excuse for vegetarian option. The prices are really tough. $16.99 for shrimp salad. $18 for fajitas. For those prices they need to be the best in the area and they fall way short.
(2)K L.
Excellent location, food was okay, but the service, specifically the hostess staff, was horrible, embarrassingly so - that is your first impression when you enter a restaurant. They were rude and condescending. In their defense, it was extremely busy, but I really don't think their attitude was the appropriate response. If I feel comfortable waiting an hour for a table, that is my prerogative. I took my buzzer and did not "bother" them again until my table was ready, the waiter in the bar area was fantastic.
(1)Yosh H.
My friends raved about this place and because my hotel was a few minute walk away, we all decided to do a group meal here recently. We kept things simple by ordering the Plato Gordo (marinated beef and chicken fajitas, costillas and camarones brochette. Served with rice, frijoles a la charra, pico de gallo, fresh guacamole and warm flour tortillas.) and the Honey Chipotle Salmon (mesquite grilled with honey chipotle glaze served with corn-black bean-cilantro rice and a side of pineapple pico de gallo.). Both were great sharing options. Also, the chips and salsa are AMAZING! Delicious! Dessert was Sopapillas (puffed Mexican pastries sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar, Served warm with honey for dipping), Coconut Flan, and Cajeta (vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut and pecans. Topped with our homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream). Which was comforting because I spilled a glass of lemonade all over myself while passing the salmon around the table. Nothing says it's okay to spill beverages all over a table quite like sugar.
(4)Adrian B.
They were very busy on a Friday night but we were seated in a very quick 10-15 minutes. Service was prompt and attentive. Menu was extensive. Food came out fast and good. Drinks were great. We had a great time and have nary a complaint. It's easy to see why this place is so packed - they know how to run a good restaurant.
(5)Sjoerd C.
Loved the quails, pity restaurant little too crowded and noisy to talk with your companions at the table.
(3)Brittany M.
George was our server this evening and I just want to make sure it is known how wonderful of a waiter he was. We have been to this location several times...food and service are always good, but tonight George made it GREAT! He was friendly, speedy, and accurate. I feel it is important to give credit where credit is due, and this young man deserves a lot of credit. Thoroughly impressed with the customer service!
(5)Amani A.
I come here a lot since its not a far drive from my Casa & it's a good place to hang out with friends ... Never really care too much for their food. The only really good thing they have going is the queso, swirls, and piña colada.. I have had the fajita's and taco's several time much much better at Guapos! But on the plus side it's much cleaner and prettier than Guapos
(3)Jennifer E.
Yummy! Their swirly margaritas are amaze! Great hang out spot for friends!
(5)Amitabh A.
Went here with some friends for lunch. We got here at around noon, got a menu around 12:20, were able to order by 12:45, and left the restaurant around 1:20. There. That's my complaint for this restaurant. As far as the food goes, I ordered Pedro's platter and asked the server if that was vegetarian. She made some suggestions for vegetarian options, and how I could get the Pedro's platter with vegetarian options. She knew exactly what vegetarian meant, and she made useful suggestions. The food was excellent - the best mexican food I have tasted to date. Seriously. I would love to go back here just for the food.
(4)P K.
It is ok. Food is similar to most Tex Mex restaurants. It is very pricey for what you get though...
(3)Scott M.
Great atmosphere, outstanding food, Skirt Steak was tasty, only issue is the margaritas are tiny and pricey.
(4)Matthew L.
I'm not sure if it's a chain restaurant or not but if it is, it's among the better chain foods I've had. I came for a business lunch one time, and I was quite impressed. They have all the normal tex-mex requisites, but there fajitas are outstanding. I think it is the tortillas. I'm going to assume they are hand made. They are delicious. I would come here for them alone. They do get very busy and parking is tough. I would recommend a reservation if coming here for lunch.
(4)Orlangela A.
She said..." I remember this place being better when it was rio grande. I don't really know the difference, but the food tasted just alright. Nothing special about it, even the salsa wasn't the great. Eh..." He said..."Yea when you are looking for Italian food and you eat Mexican food, you wish you rather just go McDonalds. This place was gross. Not much to write, I mean I'd rather of ate at Taco Bell. And I hate Taco Bell"
(3)Tim B.
I love this place. Very good Mexican food and very reasonable. Gets a little busy during peak times and of course that can hurt the quality of service.
(5)Bella S.
Four stars because they have never disappointed. Get the mixed fajitas and gorge yourself on their excellent tortilla chips. Great place to bring guests though a bit loud. I wish I had had my wedding here, random last note.
(4)P S.
This place was pretty amazing on the food front. We had the guacamole and queso to start. These were delightful with their super thin chips and flavorful salsa. I had the Fejitas which had totally tender steak. When we were seated, they asked us when the last time we had been in was. I told them it was our first time. We were wondering where our waitress was with our bill when we were done, when to our surprise the manager came over with a huge plate of sopapillas that they gave us, since it was our first time. If I were in this area, I would go again and again.
(5)Howard H.
This is a great place and the food is delicious. Only issue is that it is so crowded, but that is just a reflection on the fact that they are doing everything right.
(5)Adam H.
Gonna keep it short. Like other Rio Grande/Uncle Julio's Restaurants, the food here is good. I've always had a good experience with this location. Hard to go wrong with anything on their menu. Good place to take a large group on short notice.
(3)Kevin L.
So loud during happy hour. If you want to hear your group, better sit outside. Food is okay, typcial mex food. The people traffic around Rio brings the flow in. Summer evening and weekend night might be too crowded.
(3)Chris G.
Rio Grande is the Best Tex Mex chain around! Suprisingly good food from an chain retuarant! When there is one in a town I'm visiting it's a must visit.
(5)Ashley L.
I will never come here again. Period. I understand my experience is atypical, but I refuse to put up with bad service. I went out for drinks with two of my friends. One of my friends used to work there, so we decided to stop in for a drink or two at the bar. I used the bathroom when I first came in, so my friends took the liberty of ordering my drink. The bartender did not introduce herself to me, I was never asked how my drink was. I was never offered a menu or chips & salsa. I had to ask a waiter to bring us something to much on, and truth be told, we could have been persuaded to buy food if someone had asked. I can appreciate being busy and not giving your full attention, but it was a Monday night.There was no excuse. We left after one drink and had to ask a manager to get me the bill, since the bar staff couldn't be bothered to do so. I finally got my check after asking three different times. I picked up the tab and when it came time to pay, I told the bartender "My drink was great. Thanks for asking." She said, verbatim "Are you kidding me right now?" No. I'm not kidding. This is not how you deal with customers and this is not how you run a business. I would like to comment on the food but I wasn't offered any.
(1)Tom K.
Victims of their own success.... Reliable tex mex food in obscene quantity - not to mention the famous swirlie margaritas - put the Uncle Julio's chain on the map. but what I first experienced 20 years ago in Arlington has become a megachain experience. Lines out the door; impossible to hold a decent conversation; swarms of servers to handle the load of orders- you're lucky if you see the same server twice during your visit. This location overlooking the lake at Rio is great for relaxing if you can snag a porch table when it's not too hot outside.
(3)Steve J.
Paper-thin chips, don't like them. Dirty coffee cup, don't like either.
(2)Mila M.
Great Mexican food. The portions are big and the food is well made and delicious. I highly recommend splitting the fajitas for two. It's a fun place to sit out side in the summer by the water and enjoy great food, unlimited chips & salsa and their famous Swirls! The Swirl is a slushie-like alcoholic beverage that mixes Sangria with a Margarita, delicious! Even at their busiest times, I've always had fast and attentive service.
(5)Nolly G.
Based on these reviews, a friend and I tried Uncle Julio's last night. We were in town on business, so had little familiarity with the area. The GPS wasn't a whole lot of help but we did manage to find the place. It's in an area of shops and restaurants with a nice water feature, very pleasant to walk around on an evening when it isn't cool & spitting rain. Uncle Julio's is a brightly colored inside & out, sort of like that old Chi-Chis chain. Rooms are divided to break up the noise, and there's a dining porch with a view of the water. Chips and salsa are served right away. I thought the chips were a little greasy, nothing special, but okay for something to nosh on while waiting for drinks. I had the top shelf marguerita, which came in a highball glass--tasty but I've had bigger drinks for $8.25. We ordered side salads and they turned out to be very nice with different greens, red onions, a couple of grape tomatoes, etc. I had the chipotle ranch dressing, not too spicy and good. My friend ordered the shrimp and chicken fajitas while I had the steak. She was very happy with her dinner, well cooked and well spiced, but not overdone--she is not a fan of spicy food. My steak was flavorful and tender. It came with grilled onions and what I now realize was a pepper; it looked funky and after dealing with the fact that they grill frog legs in the same kitchen, I was in no mood to deal with a blackened pod. Hey, it was the end of a long day. We arrived at 5:30 on Saturday night and were seated immediately, but bigger parties were waiting and by the time we left, the place was packed. Two salads, two entrees, two cokes and a drink came to just shy of $65, after taxes before tip. Service was excellent and included free sopapillas for some reason, totally random, but nice. Frog leg aversion aside, I liked Uncle Julio's and will definitely go again.
(4)John S.
I really like this place.Had on more then 1 occasion the combo burritos.Wow.First is they are that big,give you 3,cheese steak n chicken.Rice was cooked good as well.Not overly spicy at all.And also the prices are good as well,had a rib eye dinner and that was done perfectly.Love the unlimited chips n sals,and when you come in you can smell the chips being cooked.
(4)Jenna P.
Yes, it's a chain. And no, the food isn't amazing. But I enjoyed eating here all the same. The ambiance is cheesy, but nice. The outdoor seating is lovely. I loved the homemade chips and salsa. Most of their food is better than you'd expect. However, I would definitely advise against getting the nachos. We received 10 individual chips, each with approximately 1/2 inch of melted cheese on top and a single piece of grilled chicken in the middle. Very bland and boring. I am deducting at least 1 star for the INCREDIBLY slow service. I've been here twice, both during slow times (1:00pm on a Thursday, 4:00pm on a Tuesday). Both times, the restaurant was empty inside, and less than 3/4 of the outside tables were full. And yet we had to wait forever!! We waited 5 minutes for someone to take our drink orders. 10 more minutes for someone to take our food orders. 20 minutes for food to come out. After we were done, we waited 15 minutes before anyone gave us the bill. 5 minutes before they took our credit card. 10 minutes before they returned with the credit card. Come on, it takes approximately 45 seconds to run someone's credit card through the stupid machine!! All told, lunch at Uncle Julios took over 2 hours at a time when they were practically empty. Unbelievable! I would never come here during any evening or weekend hours. I can't imagine how long it would take!!
(3)Doug O.
Have been coming here for years and I love the food. The fajitas are the best I've had and the Salsa can't be beat. Their other items, like enchiladas and quesodillas are all good, though I've had better. The one complaint I have is the atmosphere. As others have already pointed out, this is one noisy restaurant. It doesn't seem to matter how many people are here or what time of day it is, it's noisy. Don't come here and expect to have a meaningful conversation, it won't happen. Overall, the food is very good to excellent, but the noise can put a damper on an otherwise great experience.
(4)Chris B.
The best tex mex, and my all time favorite restaurant in the dc metro area. that being said make sure you stick with the tex mex items. Must haves - steak fajitas, seriously the best thing ever, perfectly cooked skirt steak, perfect marinade, and amazing accompaniments - fresh house made tortillas, amazing rice, beans, jalapeno and guac. If you have the money try the guadalajara platter which on top of the fajitas includes shrimp wrapped in bacon stuffed with jalapeno and cheese, seriously ridiculous. To be honest I would not venture too far from these menu items. Remember this is tex mex so you really only want to get something that's off the grill. If you need other selection suggestions I would try something that includes the steak fajita meat in it for example the steak nachos or steak soft tacos. The chips and salsa are also out of this world, fresh made multiple times a day from what I have heard. I have read some complaints about the salsa that it is not fresh, warm, and runny. It is warm and runny because it is fresh...right off the grill to the blender...amazing. Also if you want hotter salsa there is a habanero one that is not on the menu, also free just need to ask. Only cons I really have are that they now have a smaller salsa bowl which is frustrating and that the food can occasionally be inconsistent. Sometimes the fajitas have been sitting and come out with no sizzle and overcooked which is also extremely frustrating. Otherwise this is the best place for tex mex, amazing, and what i compare all other mexican restaurants to.
(5)Lauren B.
Coming from Texas, I have to say that this is by far the best Tex Mex I've had this far north. We got the Guadalajara combination dinner which came with mixed fajitas and brochette shrimp (amazing bacon wrapped grilled shrimp stuffed with jalapeno & monteray jack cheese). It was amazing. Also, check out the swirl which is margaritas and sangria swirled together- a great deal for the alcohol content and also pretty tasty. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area... check it out if you want real Tex Mex.
(5)Stacy F.
I lived in Dallas for a few years and frequented two different Uncle Julio's restaurants there. Their Patron Silver margarita (on the rocks) is fantastic and the food at the Gaithersburg location is good. A little overpriced for Tex Mex but it's good. I'd prefer a little more garlic in the guacamole but otherwise, I can't complain. The food is surprisingly comparable to the food at their Dallas locations, where decent Tex Mex is easy to find.
(3)Susan C.
Nice! Great food and wonderful setting. Great date spot.
(5)