Very nice casual Tex Mex restaurant. Our food was very good and prices were on par for the area. Not a quiet place so conversation can be difficult. Our waitress was helpful and professional. Would recommend for a casual dining experience. read more

My family and I have always been fans of Uncle Julio's. My wife still calls it Rio Grande. It's been a go to place for our family. We made the mistake of ordering a meal on Cinco de Mayo. I had the same experience many others who have posted here had. I arrived for my 7pm pick up and just saw a swarm of people and cars. It was a disorganized chaos, people just standing around and every 10 minutes or so someone from staff would call out a name. Nobody could hear so if we were lucky someone else from the crowd would yell out the name. Almost everyone had a mask and were doing what they could to socially distance but there were just too many people in a relatively small space. I was slated for 7pm and I got my food at 9:50 PM. My relatively simple order of beef and chicken taco kit with guacamole came without the chicken and guacamole but I was happy to get something. I don't blame the front line staff, they were clearly in the weeds without strong management support but the process was a disgrace. Also, if we listened to the police and relied upon the restaurant calling us when our orders were up, none of us would of received our food. They were clearly not calling people. I don't believe they could since the printed order slip didn't include the last 2 numbers anyway. read more

Total upscale Mexican restaurant on Bethesda Row. Reminds me of that fine authentic dining I experienced on a recent trip to Acapulco. Exotic variety of bar drinks, excellent selection of appetizers, incredible variety of main courses to select from, and some amazing desserts. For our main course, red snapper and a chicken fajita dish were served quite hot, and incredibly fragrant. The snapper was fork tender and moist despite being grilled on mesquite wood! The chicken fajitas were delicioso (oops, wrong culture) :-) I highly recommend dining here if you are in the mood for fine Mexican cuisine. I'll be back soon too. read more

My family and I went to Uncle Julio's on 5/29/22 located in Bethesda, MD to celebrate my nephews 17th birthday. We were a party of 13. Upon checking in we were told we could not be accommodated due to the number in our party. We acknowledged because we hadn't made a reservation, we'd have to wait and asked to be placed on the waiting list. We were told there wasn't a waiting list and was told again they couldn't accommodate us. The hostess was extremely dismissive and rude. I looked around and pointed out to the hostess the multiple tables that had parties of 10,11 and 12 and asked her if the issue was she couldn't accommodate 13 people or 13 black people. She riled her eyes and refused to answer. At this point, I observed there were NO people of color seated or dining in the restaurant. Long story short there were multiple empty tables and if they wanted, they could have seated us. I asked for a number to the corporate office and a manager came out. I was shocked to see that he was black. I think he was asked to come out so I'd relax my opinion about their discrimination, which is ridiculous. I explained the situation and he offered to place us on a waiting list. I asked him if he was going to put us on a list we were told didn't exist. I told him at this point I wouldn't feel comfortable dining there and felt disrespected and had no desire spend my money in an establishment that obviously discriminated against me and my family based on race. If you are a person of color please do not patronize Uncle Julio's in Bethesda MD. Please note I gave 1 star because the manager showed compassion and attempted to help. If this had't happened they would have not gotten a star. read more

OMG. This is my top fave restaurant in the area! The food is always fresh and the chips and salsa are to die for. I have pretty much had everything on the menu and it all tastes amazing. Im so glad they have a rewards program I already reached the highest level. When in doubt go here! read more

If I could do one star I would. I wanted to take a night out on June 4th 2021. We were welcomed in nice until it was time for us to get a table. At the hostess table one guy said put us at a certain table and this girl decided to changed it, she ended up sitting us all the way in the back next to the restrooms while all the whites were sitting up. We would of been the only ones in the back. Very racist. Please do not eat here if you're of color. read more

I really like just about everything at Uncle Julio's! Especially the carne asada and the fajitas. It really is some of the best that I've ever had and I grew up in Southern California where they have the best Mexican food outside of Mexico itself! They often have specialty margaritas that are outstanding as well. My wife loves their salads and she is especially hard to please when it comes to any food! The servers are always polite and helpful. It's a great experience all the way around! Love it! read more

We went to Julio's last night as a party of four. The food was good, the service was good. They make fresh guacamole right at your table and it is incredibly good. The down side was that the music is so loud it is impossible to carry on a conversation across the table. The lighting is also very dim. The hostess had a rather extreme hairstyle, which was pretty weird. I prefer a more professional appearance in the wait staff. read more

Uncle Julio's is delicious, consistent and the service has always be great. I make it a point to come here at least once a month even though I live in DC. I have been coming to this location for years! read more

Food is good, salsa is great. I ordered chicken and beef tacos but was only given beef. And the place is so loud! I could barely hear the people I was with. At around 8pm they dimmed the lights so dark that people were using their phones to see their menus. I'll come back because the food is good, but still it is not great if you are trying to have a nice meal with friends/family. read more

Why bother going to a restaurant if: A - Food is average B - Food is overpriced C - Service is awful! I can't remember the last time I had such bad service! The hostess practically ignored us and our waitress was acting as if she was doing me a favor by acknowledging us. Would never go back! read more

Bad experience with staff member. Went today with a group of friends and our waiter had lots of trouble placing our orders and splitting up check. First, he needed to come back to the table 4 times to confirm our orders, he kept getting them confused. I'd suggest writing those down. And also instead of him splitting all 4 meals onto 4 cards, the receipts came back with 1 card paying for everyone's. It took quite some time to fix this. Although he was very apologetic and food is always great. read more

Great fajitas and tortillas. I go here all the time.

This was my second visit to this restaurant. The location is impeccable - situated on the corner of Bethesda and Arlington, there is covered outdoor seating along Bethesda Ave but my favorite spot was the glassed in area off one side of the bar facing Arlington Blvd, with high tables and chairs and spacious. My friends and I were there mainly for a drink so we just ordered guacamole, nachos, and a chicken quesadilla. There's nothing exciting about the food, although the signature drink - the Swirl - frozen Margarita layered with home-made frozen Sangria was quite interesting and definitely worth a try. For dessert, I would recommend the flan, which is better than most, good size, light and tasty. It's a good place to hang out with friends, for the ambience and fairly good service, but not for a gourmet dining experience. read more

This place has mediocre Mexican food. Not terrible, but not amazing either, that's for sure. I had the fish tacos and the fish was over cooked and dry. Others had sampler type platters that had some decent elements (chicken enchiladas) and some not so decent elements (tamales). The salsa is kind of smoky tasting, not a traditional tomato/cilantro type you may be used to. I found it a little disappointing. We had to wait half a hour and it was really busy and loud. Saturday night though so that is to be expected. Next time I will probably try another restaurant since there are so many options around the area. read more

Three of us stopped here for a quick round of margaritas on Cinco de Mayo at 10 PM after enjoying Washington Ballet downtown at the Kennedy Center. We of course were the oldest people in the place, and didn't get too many strange looks! Place was hopping even at 10, although it was Cinco de Mayo and it was a Thursday night, the traditional hot night for young singles. Walked up to the bar, took only a few minutes to grab the attention of the other bartender after the first bartender ignored us. Ordered two regular margaritas, on the rocks with salt, and one virgin margarita because my spouse was not drinking. Margaritas were excellent, great fresh flavor. Small glasses and plenty of ice meant that you down the drink in about 3 good sips. But still delicious. Easy to find seating at small hightop tables. Table was dirty, as were several others, so I grabbed a used napkin off of another table to clean ours. I took a look around, floor was dirty, so clearly it is not a priority to keep tables and floors clean, at least not at 10 PM on Cinco de Mayo. Bartender was really friendly. When I told him that we needed one 'virgin' margarita without alcohol, he said he would try to make it. He did it first, it came out just fine, and he didn't charge us for it! Really a nice gesture! We didn't eat anything because this was a quick celebratory stop. Parking on the street was simple and immediate, and no parking fees starting at 10 pm. Normally it's impossible to park on the street and even tough to find parking across the street in the public lot. So this was a good parking experience for us! Atmosphere was festive and loud. You have to shout, or at least speak up assertively and near the ear of your companion, in order to be heard. Because of Cinco de Mayo we were given green wrist bands upon entry; we were all old enough that they didn't bother asking for our ID's. read more

I wish I could write this place a good review because I do really like their food. The service was by far the worst I have ever experienced at a restaurant. It is extremely overpriced. The atmosphere is very loud and you can barely hold a conversation with the person next to you. Save your money and try somewhere else for knock-off mex. This second paragraph comes about two weeks after the first post. My office at Walter Reed National Military Center scheduled a going away party for a faculty member. I went to the event thinking that there was no way the service could be as bad as the first time. Boy was I wrong. It took over an hour and a half to get the food and the ice was melted in our glasses before the waiter returned. This place continues to be an absolute joke. read more

It's a 3.8. And I rounded up. I've been going to Rio Grande for nearly two decades. I will say, I preferred the old location better. But, this one is just fine. It's not the best Mexican establishment (and based on price - I would recommend Guapos in Bethesda or Chevys ANYWHERE) but it's good. I LOVE Rio chips. Thin and salty. The fajitas are very good as are the combo platters (Juanitas, Benitos) and the enchiladas. Really, the food is good and even my appetite can't eat enough (amateur move - eating too many chips to start) to clean the plate. I bring leftovers home. The drinks are good - though not terribly cheap. It's a tradition with my friends to go to Rio for chips, food and swirls. If I lived in Bethesda, I probably wouldn't go to Rio every week but I go when I'm in town and the girls want to get together. I have no reservations recommending this place. On that word - make reservations. But on a busy night, don't expect them to have their act together to seat you immediately. Service could probably get a little better / sharper. read more

Had a work dinner here this week. Fresh homemade salsa n chips. Grilled fish tacos was excellent. The grapefruit n kiwi margaritas were quite good as well. Stop in again ? Yes! read more

I haven't had the food. Just came here for a quick drink to beat the heat. Frozen Margarita was delicious. Much like Chevy's but I would say better service. Our server's product knowledge was much appreciated, even if he did spend a little TOO much time explaining the drinks instead of taking our order. Plus he forgot to give my table our glasses of water that we requested several times. We. Were. Parched!!! haha However, it's spacious, especially the bar area which is appreciated. They are clean. I heard great things about the frozen Sangria (especially the "Meltdowns") so should I come back, I plan to try that again. read more

Oh...this place. It's at its peak when its warm outside and you can sit on the patio and slurp margaritas. Actually, even better then their margaritas are their margarita and sangria swirls. You can get the meltdown Swirl which has a shot of Patron topper...does the trick pretty quickly. The food is good, about what you'd expect from a casual Mexican joint. Free chips and salsa like every Mexican restaurant north of the border. I think their enchiladas are delicious in a greasy, lots of melted cheese kind of way, but don't expect out of this world flavor. Their fish tacos are also pretty good. I would normally give 3 stars but I've always received really good service here, even when they're packed, so I'm gonna be generous and bump them up to a 4. It's just a place that's really fun. read more

Food looks very pretty but it doesn't taste authentic, it tastes cheap for the price. We ordered the steak fajitas and it tasted very bland. The guac with 5 sides and the side plate was very awkward. Came with tiny portions of sides in a huge wooden tray decorated with all sorts of chips. Very strange and not enough to share if we would've ordered for a lot of people. Margaritas had salt in the mix. We paid $120 for two people and left with a sour taste in our mouths. read more

My friends from California (and the ones from Mexico for that matter) may give me crap for this, but I have always loved Rio Grande. Standout dishes include the shrimp quesadillas and the fajitas. The nachos -- individually constructed on sturdy tortilla chips -- are the best I have ever had (and my nacho-eating experience is extensive). Of course, as good as it is, this Tex-Mex restaurant doesn't quite make you feel like you're in Mexico, or even Texas. The seemingly all-white racial background of the wait and host staff makes the decidedly un-PC caricature of "Uncle Julio" all the more unsettling, and then there is the fact that even the staff mispronounce the name of the restaurant as "Rio Grand." All in all, though, Rio Grande not only stacks up well against its neighbor, the appalling Austin Grill, but holds its own against Mexican fare in any region of the country, in my opinion. It's a nice option for anyone in the area in the mood for Mexican food. read more

Eh, it was okay. I really enjoyed the vegetarian tamales and fajitas, and the bartenders and hosts were very friendly. Our waiter was nice, but he felt a little hovercrafty, and the sangria was too sweet and not at all what I expected. The guacamole didn't feel authentic, even if it's actually made on the premises like they said...it was too salty and mayonnaise-y. Guac don't need no mayo. I'd definitely go back if I were in the area and craving Latin American cuisine, but mostly I just wish the DC area had better cheap, delicious Mexican. Sigh. read more

It's OK. The service was nice, the food was nice. The outdoor seating was nice. It's just that... well, nothing really popped out at me for me to say that this place is extraordinary. The free/endless chips and salsa was good. Thin and crunchy chips with pretty good salsa with little to no kick. We ordered cheese and guacamole too for our chips... both were ok. I ordered their special.. shrimp stuffed with crab. I guess I just imagined them to be bigger when the waitress was describing it to me. But it's basically 4 medium sized shrimps with about a 1.5 tablespoons of crab on top of it. All served on top of rice and vegetables. It tasted ok. My husband and friends shared chicken and steak fajitas and seemed to be enjoying it. So maybe go that route next time? Bottom line: not a bad experience. Maybe next time, I'll try the fajitas =) read more

Ok so I used to go here years back so I cant speak on any experience I had recently but I will say I grew up on this shizzle and it used to be and last time I checked was still really good eats. They make their tortillas in house and they are seriously paper thin, wonderfully hot and super crispy. Their salsa is oh so smokey and so tasty, I cant get enough of it. To start I always get the chili con queso, its the best queso dip I have ever had, no question. They press the tortillas right there in house on this machine and those too are off the hook which is why I used to always get the combo fajita platter thing which comes out piping hot, sizzling to be exact and tastes oh so good. Their drinks are slurp-a-licious and the tequila here flows down the pipes like cotton candy. To finish get the sopapillas you wont be disappointed. read more

I came here on my quest to find the perfect margarita and discovered Sangria margaritas.... dangerous combination! Great service in any location that I have visited but I do like to frequent the one in Bethesda. I like getting the Juanita's Platter when I am hungry because it allows you to make a combination of Two enchiladas, One crispy taco, and One tamale. It is a good way to sample different items without having to commit to a whole meal. read more

I was stuck between a 2 and a 3, I always liked Uncle Julio's in Rio for the margaritas and the fajitas. However, they really aren't worth the wait on busy evenings. I've tried some of the other food, and it's kind of meh as I've had better mexican food at a fraction of the cost from food trucks and gas stations (taco bar). So let's talk about my experience on a friday night. I live in north bethesda, so it's about the same time length to make a trip up 270 as it is to come to downtown Bethesda. I called both restaurants, Rio had a one hour+ wait. I called Bethesda and they said 20-30 minutes, great we put our name down. So 20 minutes later we arrived at the restaurant and they had our names down and it said that we were next, the issue I think was that we were five people and most tables are designed for four. I kid you not that we waited thirty more minutes and still hadn't been called for a table, so we complained. I mean I could have been seated at Uncle Julio's in Rio and at least they didn't lie to me about the wait time. That was a really bad start to the experience, after we were seated it was a typical experience. Their twister or whatever that frozen margarita is was sub-par compared to the one I had at Lauriol Plaza, just stick to the rocks next time. read more

I've been here a bunch of times. I've been coming here since it was named rio grande so it's been a good 8 years. It's been around in Bethesda for a long time and it's always been amazing. The good: Love the beef fajitas and ceviche. It's always my go to when coming here! For desert I love the Cajeta. The bad Nada! read more

My best friend LOVeS uncle Julio s Rio!! We go often with her- and we always enjoy the scene every time. The new renovation is really nice. Staff is always on top of it all and we always have a great meal. Love the guacamole too! read more

So my girlfriend and I had the rare opportunity to put the nachos and margaritas of two tex-mex restaurants head to head: Austin Grill and Uncle Julio's. We had just came from Austin Grill, feeling pretty let down. Uncle Julio's was clearly the place to be; it was crazy-busy. We snagged a table by the bar and waited for awhile. Nobody came. People that grabbed tables after us were getting served. Ours even had a tip on it. So we moved to a table closer to the waitresses and were served immediately. Fantastic Margaritas! Oh my god. Really really tasty. Came in glass 1/4 the size of the "Texas" margies at Austin Grill, but about the same amount of kick. Nachos....WTF!!!!! we got like 10 chips again. Bethesda is weird. Regardless, these nachos were way tastier, mostly cause they had cumin in the beans, and it came with guacamole, and jalapenos. Austin's Grill's nachos had nothing but sour cream, and are supposed to come with jalapenos but I couldn't see or taste them. Uncle Julio's is without a doubt the winner. Don't even bother with Austin Grill. If we go back, and I think we will, I want to try their fajitas. They looked and smelled delicious. Might earn this place another star. On a side note, the singles scene in Bethesda is kind of amazing. Uncle Julio's sort of seems like where everyone starts the night before going out. My girlfriend and I want to come back and just watch the parade. read more

minimal, but at least tasty vegetarian options. The warm tortilla chips that're automatically brought to the table are thin and crisp and salty and yummy. I'm not much of a drinker, and yet I really enjoyed their signature "Swirl" frozen adult beverage (swirled frozen margarita and frozen sangria). Not sure what that means though-- is it just really good, or is it just really sweet like a Slurpee with some alcohol thrown in and therefore appealing to us novice drinkers? The other folks at the table who're FAR more experienced in liquor than I all really liked their Swirls as well, so maybe it's just a really tasty beverage? Main reasons for only 3 stars: as far as veggie options go, it's overpriced... and, it's unbelievably loud. Really. I'd read this in other reviews, but was STILL surprised by the volume upon actually experiencing it... Like, so loud we couldn't hold a conversation at our table... :( Which made for a really irritating and disappointing meal... (wonder if they realize that their lights on the outside blue posts look like HRC logos? love it!) read more

Not a great Mexican place. It is about as authentic as On the Border. The restaurant is always really loud and I agree with Jay that the food is salty. The salsa they bring out is always watery and a few times the chips have been stale. Last time I was there I got the simplest of Tex-Mex fare, a ground beef hard taco, but by the time it got to our table the grease from the beef had soaked through the taco shell and the seasoning wasn't fully mixed into the beef. Not a satisfying meal. Also, this may have just been my waiter, but I ordered a "regular margarita" assuming that would be the cheapest but when we got the bill they had charged me for their top shelf tequila. I asked him about it and he said, "top shelf IS their regular margarita." So make sure you are specific or you will end up with a $10 margarita. read more

This restaurant was very busy, the atmosphere was good. Friendly servers, the food was very good. Not a place for a romantic date, more family oriented... Good place for a drink after work or catch up with friends. I ordered the Bacon wrapped shrimp with tortillas. VERY good, I recommend! read more

Taste the beef fajita which is excellent, also the stream, which marinated well, with sides of guacamole and tomatoes. One of the noticeable appetizer is the thiny crunch of home made nachos, will make you come back for more. read more

First off, I have no idea how this restaurant has so few stars. We came about an hour before close on a Monday night, so the restaurant was slow (not busy) and we had no issues with the service, but maybe that would be different if we went on a Friday or Saturday. Honestly, even if the service weren't great, I'd still be happy because the food was that good. My boyfriend and I ordered the habanero honey bacon shrimp for an appetizer and they were delicious (there are 4 large shrimp for reference). We then split the honey chipotle chicken and bacon fajitas for two and they were delicious as well! We ended up ordering too much food, so we took the chicken, bacon, and veggies home and then had it over cauliflower rice for lunch the next day. I also got a watermelon margarita and it was unfair just how good it was with little chunks of watermelon in it. We don't come to Bethesda very often, but we'll definitely be back for Uncle Julio's alone! read more

I find this place as good as any of the other industrial-strength TexMex places. The queso dip is on par or better than Mi Rancho; Cactus Cantina or Guapos - actually it's the best of the three. The dining room is a little dungeony, but it's nice break from TexMex kitsch. The guacamole was good as was the Grapefruit margarita. Our entrees would not set the world on fire, but they were way past competent. My tamales were actually excellent and something not on a lot of other local menus. As far as chains go, this was quite a pleasant experience. My wife loved her tacos and the chips and salsa were great. Standard fair, yes. But executed properly and a wonderful server (Clare) who was the best server we've had anywhere in a bit. The 3 represents where it falls in spectrum of all restaurants. In it's category, I'd give it a 4. read more

Nice atmosphere, maybe just a little bit loud but the restaurant was really crowded. Delicious Mexican food for a reasonable price. Right place for dinner with friends. I'll go there again. read more

Omg I ordered two tres amigos margaritas and that was enough! But the drink is made to perfection. I cannot taste the liquor. It's a perfect margarita! The food portions are perfect if not too much. read more

Uncle Julio's was recently renovated in Bethesda- it is a lot fancier now than it was previously. They are generous with chips and salsa- which are quite tasty. However, sometimes the chips are cold, and not very good. The fajitas for one is a generous serving and enough for two people (with the unlimited chips and tortillas) - it is just over $20 and vey good. The service is often slow and it gets really loud and crowded on the weekends. read more