Uncle Julio’s Gainesville

Service was just okay but the food was great. Table side guac is totally worth it.

Went for Fathers Day dinner with my wife and three of our kids. Our party of five was sat at a 4 top with 5 menus but only 4 chairs. The hostess just put the menus down and walked away and the table was filthy. Had sticky soda and dried beans on half of it. I had to ask the waitress to wipe it off. When she showed up 15 minutes after we had been sitting there. Did I mention that I had to get another chair from another table myself.
We ordered a child’s soda for our 4 year old and, Claudia (one of the worst waitresses I have ever seen, brought him a full sized soda glass. When we asked for a lid the one she brought was too small for the glass and even though she saw it was too small she did nothing to correct the issue. We had water in smaller glasses that the lid fit on so they do have smaller, kid sized glasses with lids.
We ordered Guacamole and Queso and by the time someone brought them out we only had a few crumbs of chips left. They were never refilled. When they brought the food out we mentioned that we had been out of chips and the Queso was now cold. The nice server that brought the food said he would send the manager over. Now I ordered fajitas and they didn’t give me any tortillas. By the time he came back to see if the manager had come over the rest of my family was ½ done with their meals while mine was getting cold because I didn’t have any tortillas.
Then Dawn the floor manager comes over and listens to our tales of woe and comps us desert and didn’t charge us for the apps that we could not eat. 10 minutes later, Claudia comes by to check on us. This is her first appearance since leaving a lid that didn’t fit 45 minutes ago. When we finished eating and sat for another 15 minutes they brought the big desert tray, chocolate piñata, out but nothing had been cleared. We had to help clear the table so they could set it down.
I have always loved the food at Uncle Julio’s and I’m disappointed that the service is so bad at one so close to my house that I can walk there that I won’t be returning. I thought the service was bad the last time I was there but this was way over the top. At 46 years old this is the first time my service in a restaurant was so bad I needed to talk to a manager. Not how I wanted to celebrate my Fathers Day.

I’m a big fan of this chain, have dined in their restaurants all over the US. I’ve been to this location 4 times and every single time I’ve had a problem with the service or food came out late and cold. Probably the worst run Julios and the manager completely useless. Not to mention hired a staff of fools.
I won’t be coming back to this location.
I’ve had my food cleared and have an empty water glass and an empty beer glass for the past ten minutes, meanwhile I’m one of 3 people at the bar and there and several people working, but are more worried about closing the bar than attending to their patrons who actually pay them. They close in an hour too…

Avoid like the plague if you need to be somewhere (like a concert). Had a 630 reservation. Arrived and were told that they have a table for us in 15 minutes. That’s their «policy.» That’s right. The policy is to make you wait 15 minutes even if you arrive for a reservation. Ours finally buzzed at 658. When we did get in, service was slow.
Do yourself a favor: Go somewhere where «reservation» means that you get seated at the reserved time.

Can I give the biggest shout out and appreciation to Kayla who was our server today? Having worked in the food industry before it makes the experience all the more enjoyable and appreciate just how much work and effort it takes to give great and wonderful service. My friend took me to Uncle Julio’s for the first time today and goodness. I was not expecting that level of service and beyond but we sure received it. I can’t imagine a better server at all, she definitely set the standards very high!
The enchiladas were absolutely delicious (got it with the sauce verde) and trying some of my friend’s fajitas they were delightful. Thank you for the phenomenal first experience.

When we arrive in evenings, the place is packed so we sit at the bar. After getting to know the bartenders, we don’t want to sit anywhere else. They are fantastic, humorous and attentive. The food arrives quickly, hot and delicious! It is my new go-​to place!
Shout out to Brian — Best Bartender

Hubby and I sorta stumbled across Uncle Julios tonight. Maybe it was because it was early and a Wednesday., but the staff was very attentive. Having never been to this chain before, we compared it to other Mexican restaurants we’ve been to and this won hands down. Granted, it won’t be an everyday restaurant, but when in the area (we live 45 minutes away), this will be a treat. Iced tea was fresh, the salsa is made from grilled veggies and had a wonderful smokey flavor we loved. Chips thin and crisp. We ordered the steak and chicken fajitas. The meat was incredibly flavorful, the tortillas fresh and altogether some of the best we’ve ever had. I haven’t mentioned the guac yet, but it was incredible — so fresh! We are fans of this restaurant and look forward to our return trips.

Don’t bother. This used to be my favorite restaurant until I came to this location. I only go there because I have a friend who works there. The quality of food at the one in Fairfax Corner surpasses this one! Does not compare.

Food is fine service was lousy. Hire right people or at minimum honest people.
Asked for booth table, the host (looks like high school kid) says there are none available. Really? I see clean booth tables with table setting at least every other tables with customers… and my party was sat in the corner by the door. Who knows maybe she doesn’t like asians… then waitress comes and takes our order never saw her face again. Finally the guy who was serving water got us what we needed. Really? Would i go back to this place? You guess. These kids also needs understand what customer service means. too spoiled… if you dont want to work, no one is stopping you… leave room for other folks who actually wants to work.

Definitely not the best Julio’s I’ve been too. I prefer the Fairfax location. Our server was grumpy and not very attentive. We had to ask for chips, salsa, and drinks or we may never have gotten them. In the middle of our dinner she brought us our checks, and never offered dessert. Food wasn’t the best either. Hit the table luke-​warm, and the carne asada was unfortunately overcooked. Disappointed because Julio’s is one of our favorite places to go, but we don’t anticipate visiting this location again.

Wasn’t impressed with the service, the lobster/​seafood soup tasted weeks old and the seafood in it was so chewy and tough, we had to spit it out. The flavor even tasted spoiled. The bartenders, two males, weren’t very attentive. One was friendly and doing most of the work (poor guy) and the bearded one looked stoned and/​or unhappy to be there. Won’t be back. I’ll visit the other location.

A neat customizable experience but watch the salt! They don’t ask if you want it and our preparation included way too much.

I’ve given this place a few chances and, unfortunately, I won’t be back. The food is incredibly bland and the service slow, though friendly.
The guacamole had almost no flavor to it which is a shame as I went there with a craving for good guacamole! Gainesville VA has a great, small Mexican place — I recommend going there and avoiding the huge wait at Uncle Julio’s.
(They do have a fantastic patio. But nearly all the restaurants around them have patios, so it’s not a reason to go back.)

This place looked really good from the outside but I have to say it’s a pass. There are much better Mexican places in the area for much better prices.
The Wife and I decided to do a lunch here since Friday night dinner had over an hour wait, so we thought it must have been good… unfortunately we were really wrong. The only saving grace was that our server was really nice and friendly.
Now onto the awful food. We ordered the Fajitas for two and it came with the usual stuff, I will admit their tortillas are actually pretty good but come on, I’m not paying 50 bucks for Tortillas. We did a combo of chicken and steak, the chicken was ok but I don’t know why they leave the skin on… yuck. Now what really pushed the meal into the death spiral is the steak portion of the fajita, I’m not a professional food critic but who uses steak with gristle in fajita meat??? I expect thin, lean steak when i make my wraps not ones where i feel like i’m chewing rubber.

My favorite Mexican restaurant– bar none– in the. State!!! I have never had a bad meal here. Everything is made fresh and tastes sublime. The wait staff is knowledgeable and extremely friendly. The tortilla soup is a must, as is cowboy queso.

We arrived at our reserved time and were seated quickly. The waiter quickly took our drink order and the chips and salsa were brought over. Our order was then taken. Like two minutes later, our meals arrived. The waiter then «checked on us» once every five minutes. He rushed us through our meal, constantly interrupting our conversation and asking if we were done. I literally had to hold on to my plate and glass to keep him from taking it away.
The quick evening out ended with the fire alarm being pulled, and allowed to continue sounding for more than 10 minutes.
Give me a break. Not a good experience.

eh. There is just so much better Mexican food around this area, there really is no reason to come to Uncle Julio’s where you’ll most likely wait a while for your table and pay a lot for your «just okay» meal.
I’m not saying it’s bad. It’s not, it’s good food. It’s just really pricey for the what you get. In my opinion, the best thing they have is the bacon wrapped shrimp dish, which is pricey, but very good. The chips are good and get replenished quickly, and the tableside guacamole is way overpriced.
Honestly, I“m not one to complain about the price of food, eating out is where all of my money goes… but I just don’t feel satisfied when I’ve left here feeding my family of 4 for close to $ 100 with appetizers, NO alcohol and tip. Like I said, there are so many mom and pop shops that you can eat for less than half that cost and it’s just as good, if not better.
We’ve been for lunch and dinner and both times, servers dropped huge trays full of used dishes on the ground. Drinks and glass were everywhere. That is definitely a safety hazard that should be addressed.

I’ll start by saying the quantity of food for the price isn’t a value by any means. We ordered fajitas for two, and maybe it’s my big American appetite that ruined it, but it looked like a fajita plate for one. It didn’t even come out sizzling and the steak was still raw on the inside (was I supposed to specify?). The chips are paper thin (zero idea how they could hold up to the overpriced guacamole), the salsa is basically oil and pepper — not chunky at all but a decent smoky flavor behind it. The steak and chicken on the fajita was seasoned well, and the dish was tasty (the tortillas are pillowy soft). They charge $ 10 for 3 shrimp… And the beans are watery and had bacon in them (is that TexMex or.?)
We will probably not eat there again — it’s just not worth the money, especially when you can get legit Mexican cuisine for much less at any one of the authentic Mexican restaurants in the area. (Carne asada for $ 22? … No.)

I’ve eaten here a couple of times now for lunch.
A friend and I met here for lunch the first time. At that point they had been open perhaps a week. We sat at the bar. I ordered us a side of the Three Pepper spicy Guacamole and a Con Queso with ground beef. While we were waiting for that — we were served a basket of chips and salsa. The salsa was rather bland, thin, and watery. We told them it was not very spicy and they brought out a second different salsa that allegedly was made with Habaneros — it was much spicier!
The guacamole and queso came out — both were rather tasty, especially the guacamole. Nice heat.
The first time I ordered the Beef El Dorado tacos from the lunch menu. my friend ordered the fish tacos. When our food came out, they had my friend’s order wrong and had brought him some grilled salmon. So they took the food back and remade his order correctly.
The El Dorado tacos were rather ordinary and bland. Not much seasoning and flavor.
Afterward the manager came by and apologized for the mixup and tore up our check. We were surprised but made sure we left a tip for the bartender — not their fault the kitchen botched the order.
The second time I visited I once again sat at the bar and ordered the Mamacita’s Lunch Nacho’s — with grilled Fajita chicken and an extra side of Guacamole. There is a .99 cent charge for the extra guac. I also asked for hot sauce — the only options are Tabasco and Cholulu hot sauces. I wish they offered some much spicier hot sauce options.
The nachos were actually pretty good. Each chip has some chili and melted cheese, with a strip of the grilled marinated Fajita chicken on it, and small bed of shredded lettuce with a dollop of sour cream and guacamole, and a few slices of Jalapeños…
Service was good both times.
There are at least two large flat panel HD TV’s in the bar area along the back wall. At this point in time, there is no WiFi network available for customers. As far as cell service goes, at least on AT&T, there is a very poor cell signal inside the restaurant.

Uncle Julio’s, what can I say? Yet ANOTHER chain restaurant here in Gainesville. First of all, the restaurant is beautiful. It is very spacious. The bathrooms were clean. The outdoor patio looked to be a nice place to sit down, relax, and enjoy a meal.
Our service was very good. You couldn’t throw an avocado without hitting a server. They were everywhere, and ready to serve. For a newer restaurant, I wasn’t expecting this.
First came the chips and salsa, both of which were hot in temperature. The salsa had a smokey flavor. This appy was fresh and easy on the taste buds.
I ordered the Cozumel Shrimp Tacos. The menu mentioned mango and habanero. This is a great combo… except here at Tio Julio’s. I was expecting «sweet heat,» instead I got bland. I could not detect ANY habanero. Also, the «hand made tortillas» were very rubbery.
I ate with a table of eight. The overwhelming sense was that of «nothing to write home about.» Everything was «fine.» Give this place a shot yourself, maybe you will enjoy it. I, however, am in no rush to go back.