Uncle Julio’s

Wasn’t pleased with waitress. She never brought out my frijoles charro and was grabbing our drinks off the table before i could finish signing check. Food was fair at best but not fine. Pricey

Order the bacon wrapped jalapeño shrimp and the regular margaritas… Sooo Good!
While the restaurant up sells the fajitas as their trademark (and their flavor is good) my beef was cut thick and with the grain rather than against making them chewy and the chicken has its skin. (Off putting)
Great chips and salsa and Flavor overall — just lacked service and left feeling blah.
Those bacon wrapped jalapeño shrimp though will ring me back for a second try.

I live in a town that has plenty of Mexican restaurants, none of them great. At least not the several I’ve tried. Uncle Julio’s would crush it, in my Colorado town. Portions are generous and my meal was prepared perfectly. Our server was solicitous and happy to make suggestions from the menu. I try to come here once every time I’m around Austin, and I’ve never been disappointed. Is it super-​authentic Mexican? Probably not. Is it delicious food and great service? I think so.

My first time at this establishment was for a ‘work dinner’ and we only chose this chain because of its proximity to the JW Marriot. As a resident of Austin, I’ve never been before. The interior was nice and I had high expectations, but the service was borderline unacceptable considering we were an easy going table of 5 on a very uncrowded Thursday evening at 7 PM. Although our server was incredibly friendly, we waited a long time in between drinks. Also, after I placed my order, they later came back and informed me that they were «out» of what it took to complete the order and asked if I wanted another menu. My replacement meal was also relatively cold. I won’t say that I’ll never go back, but this was not an impressive first visit.

I’ve always wondered about this place flashing it’s big bright lights on the corner of the street. It’s not one we usually think of to try and we usually only come across it strolling around downtown after eating somewhere else close by.
The mystery ended last Friday at my company Christmas party.
Food — We had the typical «easy to feed the masses» — chicken and/​or beef fajita buffet style. I don’t normally order chicken at restaurants if there is any other meat option (too many instances of dry chicken). I was surprised and impressed how juicy the chicken was. The beef was juicy as well, but the meat was difficult to bite and pull clean. For example, I would bite into the beef taco and the rest of the strip of beef that I just bit into would also come following out — not so much a clean bite. I ended up just cutting the beef into bite sized bits and all was good. The chips were thin restaurant style just to my liking and the tortillas (whether cooked in house or not) tasted like it was made in house. The rice was a little sweet to my liking but to each their own.
Service — we had a good amount of people to fill the side room and I was equally impressed at their choice of how many servers we had. I felt well taken care of as if I were sitting at a table with just my husband and myself.
Ambiance — it was a pretty big place and seemed similar to one of those chain restaurants. The space they sat us in echoed a bit so it was difficult to hear each other talk or hear what was going on during our white elephant exchange.
Overall — I would say this place is A-​OK.

The food was great except for the Queso (too many raw onions) and the service was even better. (Thanks Richard). The hostess was terrible

How many extra stars can I give??? Fantastic accommodating restaurant!!! The private room was a perfect place to have my mothers birthday. Our server Richard went above and beyond d and Mage sure our night was perfect. Everything from taking the perfect picture of our party to surprising my mom with a special dessert and getting us in and out quickly because we had a show. He was the best! Food great and prices reasonable! Thank you Richard and uncle Julios for helpful no to make it a perfect night!!!

For a chain restaurant, this place is really solid. The tableside guac is awesome and is accompanied by some warm tortilla chips. I had the fajitas ans was pleasantly surprised. The chicken and beef had great flavor and came with all your standard fare.
It’s probably not the most authentic place to eat in Austin, but it’s a great option if you want to please a big crowd.

Only if you live in a state without an Uncle Julio’s can you truly appreciate this place.
Most of the bad reviews are from Texans who have so many fucking Tex-​Mex options that they can afford to be snot-​nosed nitpick critics. But for the REST OF US, who don’t have an Uncle Julio’s nearby, coming here and ordering the fajitas is a religious experience.
Go here, order the fajitas, sit back and come in your pants. Because the meats, the house-​made soft, pillowy-​flour tortillas, the pico, the salsa and the chips are THAT GOOD.
I will go back to my home state and dream about these fajitas.
The rest of you bitching and moaning about Uncle Julio’s, well, let me know where else you can get those pillow soft tortillas, perfectly seasoned fajitas and roasted tomato salsa.
I’ll await your response.

Nothing too memorable about the food aside from the table side guacamole which was pricey. Our server was exceptionally attentive which made our experience a lot more enjoyable. This place is convenient if you work downtown and need a quick bite and maybe a margarita to take your mind off if the workday. I can see the purpose it serves.
When it comes down to it, you’re paying a premium for food that isn’t really that indicative of good Tex-​Mex in Austin or Mexican food at all. Try your luck on the east side and get your fill of real food with some soul. I bet your whole meal will cost less than that table side guac at this place.

So, a friend suggested with place for our Downtown Lunch Friday. I love TexMex so I gave it a go. Parking was trouble, of course, b/​c of the area. You might want to factor that cost in.
We were seated for about. 2 – 3 minutes (in restaurant time, that’s a long time. in the summer time, that’s REALLY long). Waiter acknowledged us but didn’t come back for another 2 – 3 minutes. We were waiting for another person so maybe that’s why he was giving us time (?). I was very disappointed to have to wait so long for a glass of water. So finally the waiter gets around to us with chips and salsa, we put in our drink orders and asked for water.
Shortly after that our friend came. Waiter took his time coming back around to us. Sigh. There’s a theme I’m trying to emphasize. We finally got our orders in. We got a queso. The salsa looks promising but it was so bland! The queso came out and THAT look promising but once again, it is lacking. At this point, I’m wondering why I’m here. The service, the apps, so far was lacking in so many ways. For a semi-​expensive tex mex place! Ok, orders place.
We waited for a long time. I can’t throw a number out, because I might be lying. It got to the point where I wanted to ask if there was a problem in the kitchen, if our waiter ever came by to check on us. He might be new, he might be overwhelmed with tables, I don’t know. At this point, I would have appreciated a visit from someone, asking if everything was okay, but alas, nothing.
Dum Dum DUMMM, our food came. I was ready to be disappointed in the food because of everything that has been going on. I got the Spicy Sizzling Shrimp. Maybe I was biased or something but when it was set down, I wasn’t happy with how the shrimps look. The sides look amazing though. My friend got a fajita plate also. We got one fajita warmer with 4 flour tortillas. My friend assumed they were all his, I told him that he better share. (of course we had to ask for more). Back to my entrée, it was DELICIOUS!!! Wow. all the sides were great. I made 2 huge tacos and still had so much leftover. Oh, the great sides did not include rice and beans. I mean, they were there but they were not my style/​taste, aka, I didn’t like it.
My husband got the soup and taco combo, the chicken tortilla was not the style that we like. Husband said that the al carbon steak wasn’t really al carbon and it was definitely not tenderloin like he is used to.
My friend was also very happy with his entrée. I can’t speak for his food. He got the Honey Chipotle Chicken and it was plated very nicely and looks really good too.
I also for a Julio skinny guava rita, it tasted good but had no guava taste in it. Not sure if I got a regular by mistake or what, but ehh.
I would give this place another star if the service wasn’t so slow and unattentive. They definitely needed more help.

If you like fajitas and grilled dishes, Uncle Julio’s is a great option. The night we went, all of our party tried a different grilled dish — honey chipotle salmon, honey chipotle chicken, and beef fajitas. Each were excellent, although the honey chipotle chicken ended up with some extra garnish (crema and some greens) that wasn’t mentioned on the menu nor did it show up on the honey chipotle salmon. No worries, as the wait staff made the order to our liking without any hassle whatsoever.
The biggest negatives to Uncle Julio’s are as follows: downtown parking, higher than average prices, and the Tex-​Mex side of the menu is pretty average. Our salsa and queso were both very average and definitely lacked any «oomph.» To quote Emeril, it needed to be «kicked up a notch.» And for a table that ordered 3 fajita-​type dishes, we received surprisingly few flour tortillas.
Uncle Julio’s isn’t bad at all. But for their price point and attempts at being upscale, the execution needs a bit more work.

Wow this was a sad experience. So many things wrong I just wanted to get the heck out. Service was inattentive and lacking. The fajitas with EXTRA vegetables came with 5 small bell pepper strips (not an exaggeration) and enough onions to turn off a city block. The tortillas were cold (2 different orders). Could have been so much better.
Would someone call your Uncle Julio to fix this travesty?

I’m a little surprised by some of the reviews about his place. My husband and I were here one weekend and sat outside for lunch with our dog. Our waiter was very courteous and I love anyone who offers to bring water for my pooch without me having to ask!
It’s a little off the beat and path so I don’t feel they’re as busy as some of the other spots downtown — at least not when we went.
I thought the food was great and we will definitely go back. We’ve since been back for drinks with friends at the bar, but not again for food.

This place is so freaking good!!! Located on the trendy side of downtown Austin, this place is huge! You walk in and you walk past this huge expanse of a bar area before you even get to the main dining room. They also have an outdoor patio which is pretty awesome. On this trip I ordered one of their famous swirl margaritas — I had to stop at just one because they tend to sneak up you if you’re not careful. I also ordered the Camarones Diablos. I don’t know why they’re called «diablos» because there was nothing hot or spicy about them, but they were still delicious and the fresh made tortillas will melt in your mouth. Love this place!

While unfamiliar with this chain, I figured it must have been a national since it was HUGE and that was to our benefit on a Saturday night where we were trying to find a table for 11.
The menu is big so there is something for everyone. The sangria was good (our server warned us off the frozen sangria which I appreciated). Free chips and salsa so yay.
I had the acapulco salad with grilled shrimp. It was pretty good but the dressing (the citrus vinaigrette) was sort of blah. All the food for my table came out in quick succession so no one was left out which is always positive. And the server took care of our need for separate checks very easily.
The space is big and we were seated near the tortilla machine so that added a bit of fun.

Uncle Julio’s was the perfect location for my company’s reception during an annual conference in Austin.
I worked with their events manager a couple of months ahead of time to reserve their Comador room, which sat about 35 people at two long tables. I arranged for chips, salsa, guacamole, veggie quesadillas, a taco bar, and sopapillas.
Compared to other local restaurants with private rooms, Uncle Julio’s was by far the most affordable. Total bill was $ 1,000 to feed 35 people.
My only complaint is that there was a miscommunication about the time food would be set out; however the fantastic manager and waiter were very attentive and responsive to our needs.
The food was delicious and fresh. Everyone in attendance loved in.
Some ordered drinks from the bar, and our waiter expertly kept their tabs separate.
Overall, a great evening at Uncle Julio’s.

Holy Guacamole! This place makes the guacamole fresh right there at your table and wow what a difference it makes when it’s that fresh, And the bowl they leave you with is enormous. There were only 2 of us and there was enough guac for at least a half dozen people (probably more).
The place is enormous and I’m sure it’s loud and festive when it’s jam packed. The service was fast and our waiter so nice. 2 of us split a rather large order of fajitas– a combo of chicken, shrimp and steak. It came with 4 tortillas, but he brought us another 4 for free because there was enough meat for that many.
The mango margarita was delicious but the frozen sangria a bit overly sweet. Overall a great meal and great experience.

Holy guacamole! Their house-​made guac is off the chain… anexplosion of flavor! We had a 14 top, with a ton of really great food, so I’m not gonna attempt to go over each one. Just know that the food was a solid 4 stars!
The service was another story though. It took us 30 minutes to get our first round of drinks, 45 to get our orders in, and 2.5 hours of total dining time. While everyone else began eating their apps, that was the time our server chose to tell me that they didn’t have the ceviche I ordered 30 minutes before. So I had no appetizer, other than the guacamole that that the entire table shared. Bummer. They had potential.

If you’re in downtown Austin and really like Fajitas then Uncle Julio’s is the place for you. For almost everything else they are very mediocre.
The service is typically very slow and so I don’t recommend going there if you’re in a rush. We’ve been burned so many times on the timing that we only do carry out now and then take it back to our office.
If their fajitas weren’t so delicious we would never go back. However make sure you check your carry out orders before you leave. Multiple times we’ve been missing tortillas (a key ingredient for fajitas) or one of the orders, and if you catch it at the store they are very nice about actually giving your food to you.
The sopapillas are tasty, but you have to ask for extra powdered sugar and cinnamon or you will wind up with virtually naked sopapillas.
The beef fajitas are the best thing on the menu, but the chicken ones are also a close second. If you order the chicken you will also get a side of drawn butter which is super tasty. You can hack the menu and ask for the drawn butter when getting the beef fajitas and get a double win.
I give the fajitas 4 stars and everything else 2 stars, which averages it out to 3 stars.