Of all the Mexican restaurants in the TC, this has to be my favorite decor. I like how driving down 61 it's just off to the right without the side streets. I had a taco and cheese enchiladas. I have to say they are identical to El Loro and I wonder if they are under the same owners. The non greasy meat in a hard shell beef taco topped with Mexican cheese was delicious. I like enchiladas at other places better, but these were very good. Free chips and red salsa to start were really generous, and the largest chips I've ever seen and none of them were broken pieces at the bottom. Another reason to go to WBL. read more

Great mex! I have no idea where any negative reviews came from. Cheese sauce is awesome!

Peach Margarita? Yes, Please!!!! Had a great time here a few weeks ago. Margaritas are reasonably priced, especially at Happy Hour. I love that they give you a bottle of salsa. Salsa was really good, chips were average. Food- Carne Asada tacos-Loved these, they were so good. Most authentic Mexican tacos are served with onions, cilantro, and lime so next time, i will add this, but even as they were, they were yummy. I brought one home for Ci and she gobbled it right up. Refried Beans-Perfect. If you don't like your refried beans smooth, order the regular pintos. These are really blended but that's how I like them. Chicken Flautas-I tasted these, they were good but nothing I would order. Service- Worst Service ever!!! Its a good thing this cutie was easy on the eyes, and we each had a few margaritas in us, because he was so horrid, most people would have gotten mad. He did not refill our waters and we had to ask for everything. He was so inattentive, it was funny. We were actually laughing...He even brought us saucers for a cup, when we asked for small plates. You know, the plates that go under the cups..... I was with my BFF so nothing can bring us down when we start talking and laughing but I am reserving a star for next time. If the service improves, i will bump it up. read more

Muy Authentico? Of course not, you're at Don Julio in White Bear Lake. If you come here with the right expectations, you will be pleasantly surprised. If you come here wanting Grandma Julio's homemade tamales and barbacoa slow roasted over the fire pit out back, then you're out of luck. My family has been coming here for about three years now. It's somewhat comparable to Acapulco or maybe even Ol' Mexico, but the food is better, tastier, and very well priced. Our service has always been quite good. The wait staff are always attentive and have never gotten our order wrong. Standard chips and salsa. A huge cold Dos Equis served in a frosty mug always starts my weekend out nicely. Fajitas are good, nothing real special. Enchiladas poblanos are excellent and my favorite, the mole sauce is awesome. Chimichangas are always good too. Kids meals have nice portions and are very reasonably priced at $5 with a drink included. I would challenge you to stay away from those dreaded "combo plates". They are never a good idea. Instead go for the chilaquiles, tacos al pastor, tacos carne asada, the Steak Tampiqueno, or the Chile Colorado. These are the dishes that are going to be as close to authentic as you get in downtown White Bear Lake. During the nice months, the Patio/deck is a nice place to hang out. A little noisy as its right on Hwy 61, but still a great place to soak it up and relax. We've never tried the dessert, but why would you when the Cup and Cone is a short walk away? Give the Don a chance. If you know what you're getting into, you'll be glad you did. read more

Poor Don Julios. As I went on their opening weekend, I think they were a bit overwhelmed at the turnout. We arrived at about 7pm on Saturday evening with a party of 4 and they informed us there would be about an hour wait. This was ok, we understood. When we finally did get seated--it took forever for the waiter to arrive to take our drink order. When we finally got menus, it took another 20 minutes or so for a waiter to claim our table and ask for our orders. Unfortunately, many of the waiters are still learning English so it made it slightly difficult to communicate what we wanted to eat. (Thankfully I know a bit of rough Spanish!) :) Our food was slow to arrive (but this was mostly because of the abundant clientele!), and when it did there was confusion as to what exactly we had ordered--and one of our orders had to be completely re-ordered. We also watched a waitress with a full tray of dishes and glasses drop them all on the floor--poor girl. All in all, the experience was entertaining and the food tasted good--I do hope that Don Julio's does well, I just think they need to hire some more staff (especially bilingual staff!) P.S. Parking lot is SMALL. Arrive with time to street park. read more

We went in apprehensive due to everything we heard about the service. Turned out, everything was great! We were seated right away (we went on an early evening during the week). Chips were brought out right away. It was MAYBE 5 minutes between the time we ordered and the time we received our food. Super fast! The food was delicious, and the menu extensive. I can't wait to go back and try more. We did wait about 15 minutes when it was time to pay. I'd rather wait at the end of the meal, than the beginning. The staff were all super nice and helpful. We didn't have just one waiter - about five different people took care of us. Highly recommended! If they took reservations, I'd give them 5 stars. read more

I am confused at such mixed reviews. It does seem many of the negatives were written when they first opened. I would not eat at any restaurant when it first opened. I found the place quite delightful. The staff are very friendly though people are right that language is a slight barrier. By sticking to a normal restaurant exchange I did not find a problem. The food is not the heavy, greasy, cheddar filled glop that most Mexican restaurants serve around here, so if you are expecting the typical belly bulging food then you will be disappointed. Even though portions are large for a great price, there is no grease running around the plate and each type of filling and form has had a unique, subtle flavor. You are left full but not ready to be harpooned. My kids are going back there with friends tonight. And the only reason I left off a star is the food really isn't very spicy which I have come to expect from Mexican restaurants. But maybe I've been tainted by belly bulging glop. read more

Never tried this place before and decided to check it out with my parents. They claimed its real good! We toke the long drive and its a cute small place! very clean and neat and not to loud with the music not like other Mexican place were I'm like screaming to the server cause the music is to loud! they sat us down and because they recognized my parents we got good service from a server who always waits on my pops Right away I ordered a pina coloda it was sad looking lol just white slushy basically no fruit no umbrella no nothing. The taste was just like juice didn't taste the alcohol in it watever it was still good but never again! I ordered Nachos Supreme it came right away the portions was okay I would expected by the name to be like a mountain high it was boring looking too just brown color but I was hungry and with my parents so I didn't complain! my dad has seen me throw fits and he hates it! My dads steak was over cooked that it shrunk and my boyfriends plate was decent because it was just beans and rice and my mom well she loves food she never complains! for $60 I wouldn't come here again I rather go to like Chevys plus the servers looked all mean they kept mean mugging my boyfriend like they wanted to get punched or something! but our server which I forgot the name this young small dude was very nice read more

This is great tex-mex in the good ol' WBL. They have everything you'd expect at a classic tex-mex restaurant.. in fact, the menu has about 40 pages and thousands of items (I joke... but you'll see). The food is delicious, the service is friendly and on-point, and I the frozen margaritas are strong. Don't come if you're expecting some high-brow fancy authentic Mexican food or a fine dining experience. Come prepared for deliciously greasy Tex-Mex covered in cheese and slathered in salsa that wont set you back an arm and a leg. I liked it so much that I actually went THREE times while I was home, in the span of four days. read more

My brother and I decided to check this place out after I ate at the North Branch location (which was great by the way). The waiter, who spoke almost no English, gave me a blank stare when I asked him what kind of Gin they had at the bar. Eventually, he figured out that I wanted a gin and tonic. Whatever. We got our food and of course mine was wrong. Upon pointing this out to the expressionless waiter, he grabbed the food and took off without saying a word. I finally got my food after my brother was nearly done with his meal. Again, no explanation or apology. My brother asked for a refill on his water and when the waiter returned, again without saying a word, he slammed the cup on the table causing water to splash out. While this was going on we noticed another table that was rather upset because the same waiter had messed up their order three times. The whole scene would've been comical had I not been so disgusted with the service we received. As expected, we had to ask for our bill. We found a manager and expressed our disapointment at the terrible service and her reply was "just don't tip him then". Well no shit. I've worked in the restaraunt industry in the past and I like to think that I have a basic idea of what good customer service is. Because of that, i'm extremely forgiving when it comes to mistakes or slow service when I go out to eat. Hell, I once took a bite of a BBQ Bacon burger at a Ruby Tuesday's only to sink my teeth into a half dollar sized chunk of plastic that had inexplicably found it's way to the bbq sauce bin in the kitchen. Even then I only asked for my wings to be comped. Don Julio's on the other hand managed to hit a nerve with their atrociously bad service. My visit to Don Julio's was quite honestly the worst dining experience i've ever had, which is a shame because the food isn't bad. Oh yeah, the language barrier has to get adressed or the poor service won't be getting better anytime soon. read more

This place was okay. It is somewhat authentic. Really nice Spanish speaking staff. Got to practice my Spanish. Was thinking of coming in again. BUT I read a review of some people getting food poisoning...so don't know. The atmosphere was nice. Service was fast. read more

Had been eyeing this restaurant for a couple of months and finally went to go try it. Got there around 3:30pm and only 1 car in the parking lot and 1 customer inside. We ordered and the food was fine, nothing extraordinary. The 2 star rating, is because of the huge number of flies in the restaurant, with a lot of them, swarming the light above our table. Staff didn't seem to be bothered by them and was probably a normal part of their day. One other customer, came in and sat at the bar while we were there. Would not recommend this restaurant read more

My last residence was East LA which speaks for itself. The cuisine here is excellent, freshly prepared, and served by waitstaff who CARE if you like it! Not to mention GENEROUS portions at a low price. Even the wine and beer are fairly priced. Of utmost importance is that Don Julios is very clean and inviting, especially the restrooms. Are you on your way yet? read more

Very disappointing. We both ordered combo plates and everything was the same and very blah. Just meat in a tortilla with bland sauce. No cheese, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, etc. Chips were good but salsa was very bland as well.....and I'm not a person that likes spicy stuff so if I say it's bland - it's white bread bland. We've been there once before a couple of years ago and weren't impressed but thought - it's been awhile so let's give it another try. Never again. Washington Square has better Mexican food (granted more expensive - but as the saying goes "you get what you pay for.") read more

Food is always hot and consistent. Taquitos, enchiladas, taco salad, dips are always great. Fast and friendly.

My friend and I were looking for something in White Bear Lake. Her and her parents frequent Don Julio's and reported it was good. We were greeting very promptly when we arrived. Our service was really great. That made the difference between a 3 star or 4 star. Our drinks and food orders were taken very promptly and the turnaround was QUICK. We were checked on frequently. Probably the best service experience I have had in a while. The staff was really great. The food was OK. It is definitely americanized mexican food. I didn't have any real expectations going in, so I can't say that I was disappointed with the food. If you are looking for more authentic mexican fare, it would probably be best to look elsewhere. However, they have a large menu and several different combo items to get a little taste of everything. The prices are reasonable. I could see this as a place to get a decent, fast, well priced lunch. I would return, especially for the service experience. That is a high priority for me when I go out. They also have a bar which appeared to have a lot of selection. It was not at all loud or obnoxious. I appreciated that as well. read more

You see one typical American Mexican restaurant you've seen em all, this place is just another boring joint with no flavor or life to it, cook some real Mexican food and the people will come. read more

Not the best mexican food in the world, but its good for the location and the price. The inside is really cute, abd the patio is super nice, and happyhour margarhitas are amazing 5 dollars for a jumbo! The strawberry frozen ones are worth thr stop, but food wise it could do better. read more

Don Julios - Strawberry margarhita - Mexican Near Me - White Bear Lake, Minnesota

The service is always good and the food comes out super fast. Huge portions and great pricing. Also their margaritas are enormous and delicious. read more

Lunch specials are great and reasonably priced, especially the lunch fajitas! Try something new and authentic, you won't regret it! read more

I ventured on Cinco De Mayo. Naturally for the occasion the place was packed!The parking lot was full and I needed to park on the street behind the restaurant. They gave out numbers to keep the parties straight , we got #31 when we checked in, and they were seating #20 at the time. The total wait wasn't too bad though, about 20 mins. Once seated the server brought the complementary, fresh from the kitchen, totrilla chip and salsa. Since it was a Monday all bar drinks were 2 for 1, which made the decision to get a margarita quite easy! The menue was extensive with combos, lunch and dinner specials. I ordered steak fajitas and was not dissappointed in the portion or flavor. read more

Don Julios - Cinco de Mayo margarita & fajitas! - Mexican Near Me - White Bear Lake, Minnesota

Enjoyed a wonderful meal this evening. I believe this Don Julios is the best mexican restaurant in the area! Best quesadillas ever!! OMG, the salsa is so good! Absolutely the best. And our waiter was wonderful, as all of them are in this restaurant. Thank you for a wonderful experience!!! read more

We would have loved to try this place. We arrived at 11am on a Saturday, their posted opening time. The doors were locked. We waited until 11:15, but they never opened the doors. If a restaurant wants customers, they should unlock their doors. read more

We've then going to Don Julio's for many years and love the atmosphere the service and the food. My husband is a Texas native and I live there for 11 years and came to appreciate excellent Tex-Mex food. This is the closest we've found to that in Minnesota so far. read more

I was at Don Julio White Bear last night. I had the worst service in a restaurant that I've ever had in my 56 years. Then to top it off trying to pay the bill at the end of the night I was so miss treated by the staff then I have ever been treated in any restaurant EVER. It ended with my waitress waving her finger in my face! Were do we live now that a staff member can threaten they're clientele? Don Julio didn't deserve any of my money but I paid $12.77 just to get out the door. read more

Love this place!Great service and the food is always on time and hot great place to stop and get a good bite of Mexican food

I get a kick out of how misused the word authentic is. This is American mexican just like all the rest of the places around town save a few. Anyway service is questionable but yes the food is good. Not authentic but good. I think service will get better too as they are new still.... read more

Exceptional! Service: Fabulous. Our waiter was extremely friendly, our drinks were never left empty, and the food came straight from the kitchen (VERY quickly!) Food: YUMMM!!!!! I love me some Mexican food, and this did not disappoint. Value: Exceptional. Large portions at extremely affordable prices. Can't wait to go back!!!!!! PS Be sure to get a side of guac. It's amazing. read more

Consistently excellent. Authentic Mexican food in the heart of White Bear Lake. Nice atmosphere, large bar and plenty of seating. They do have an outside patio as well. read more

Don Julios - Pollo Jalisco delicious. Would definitely get this again. - Mexican Near Me - White Bear Lake, Minnesota

The service here is great and most of the food matches. It is so fast and the food is always prepared so quickly, but still states fresh. Only problem was their queso, the queso at their Forest Lake location is great, the best in the area, but something was off with this location. read more

Nicely fixed up space in the old Two Guys from Italy spot. Good food. Love the warm chips and lunch specials.

Low prices and lots of food may seem like a bargain, but... Stale chips, sticky tabletops, floors covered with food bits, staff that are indifferent, and trash EVERYWHERE outside the building. Not to mention staff huddled around smoking as you enter. Overall, a dirty, cheap restaurant trying to be something it's' not. (How on earth can they possibly have multiple locations? read more

This is classic Mexican cuisine at its finest! Everything is full of flavor and authentic tastes. This is my new favorite hot spot for great food, fun environment, and can even practice my español with the servers while I'm there! I can't say much for the cocktails as I don't drink alcohol anymore, but they sure look tasty! This is a must try!! read more

Our first trip here had the Parrillada Fajatis and we really liked it. Salsa was good, Margarita was great. Will be going back soon. read more

I eat here on occasion, for 2nd time in a row I was helped by the manager on a take out menu and when I ordered 2 entrees he just wrote $10 dollars twice on menu and I said I wanted more sauce on the items he just changed price on the ticket, I worked in kitchens and so I asked how will the cook would know extra sauce as it just has a dollar more and didnt say extra sauce, he played dumb even after explaining 3 times. THE KICKER was he came up with a price of $38 for 2 $11 entrees and 1x $4 bowl salsa. I asked how he got that number and he had me move aside while he helped another customer then I insisted he change the bill and only after I pulled out the calculator on my phone did he redo the check to around $28. This is the 2nd time the manager has tried to run up my bill for "tip" for him. Never going back. Manager is a thief. Double check your bill if you do eat here or better yet eat at the one in forest lake. read more

Meh, it was fine. I love mexican food but we don't get it often when we're out to eat. I don't know why but I suspect that it has to do with the fact that we haven't found good mexican around us yet. We decided to go out for dinner last night and Don Julio's sounded good. We were promptly seated and received chips & salsa before we had even sat down. We also got our drinks ordered in record time. We ate a lot of chips & salsa while waiting for drinks and decided to order a side of guac, which was ok but needed some salt. I ordered the Mex-chilaquiles and hubs had the burrito roqueta - which has chicken fajita filling and is topped with their cheese sauce. Daughter had the kids cheese quesadilla. I thought my chilaquiles were soggy and not very authentic. It was chips and shredded chicken covered in their "special sauce" which was not very flavorful and then topped with their cheese sauce. I would have much preferred some real cheese on top. Hubs' burrito was decent, better than my dinner and kids quesadilla was pretty run of the mill. I don't think we'll go back but maybe we'll give it another chance. read more

One of my favorites in White Bear. Have had many very nice weekend lunches here over the last couple of years. Food is very good and the service is prompt. Highly recommended. read more

Very fast service- sometimes baffling. Great free salsa. Food is your typical Mexican sit-down restaurant style. Kind of a goofy entrance to the parking lot. You can pay at your table or at the register which is kind of confusing. read more

We really enjoy going to this Mexican restaurant. The food and the staff are great! The prices is right too. I'm often there for lunch with friends. Try the Fajita Burrito I highly recommend it. read more

My husband and I went here on a Friday night. After reading some reviews, we were hesitant, but overall, I am very glad we came! My biggest issue with any restaurant/bar is service, and the service here was fantastic! We were seated immediately on the patio, and our server was over to greet us in under 30 seconds even though the restaurant and patio were quite busy. Our server was very smiley and friendly, and had our drinks out to us very quickly. While we waited for our food (which was NOT a long time) we observed other people on the patio. A few people tentatively tried to speak Spanish to the servers, and they were very encouraging and receptive. (I am a fluent Spanish speaker, and some of this Spanish was terrible, but the servers were so sweet and excited) As for the food, we were given chips and salsa right away. The chips were warm and the salsa had just the right amount of spice. My hubby and I shared the mole enchiladas and a side of beans. The food came out in under 3 minutes, and it was PLENTY for two to share. The quality of the food was good, especially when we got our tab and it was under $20 with 2 alcoholic beverages and food for 2. I'm not sure why this establishment has received anything other than glowing reviews. I would definitely recommend this place if you're looking for fast, friendly service and good food for a great price. read more