Finally made it here and I must say I was underwhelmed. I had heard others raving about this place for a long time, but for my first time visit, I wasn't that impressed. I met up with a friend on a Thursday evening and there was a decent crowd but not packed. Apparently, we had just missed happy hour (it ends at 6:30). Drinks were pretty good. Service was good. Food not so much and I found the prices somewhat high, so this is where my 3 star rating comes in. Overall I didn't have a terrible time so I would give them another chance. At least, there is ample street parking as well as a garage nearby. read more

Uncle Julio's - Platinum swirl. *Disclaimer: drink at your own risk* There's a shot of 1800 sitting on the top - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I've gone to Uncle Julio's for over a decade. It has gone downhill the past few years, but tonight was a new low. It took about 30 minutes for our drinks to come, and well over an hour for the queso. When the queso was served, it had cooled and was clearly sitting for a while. It took another hour for quesadillas to arrive. We ordered the quesa birria originally only for the kitchen to tell our server 90 minutes later they didn't have it. Prices have gone way up and portion size / overall service way down. Our server was absolutely lovely and very apologetic. At one point, she felt so bad that the bar and kitchen were so slow that she talked to the manager on our behalf to see if there was anything they could do for us. the manager did not even acknowledge us and looked annoyed that she was being spoken with at all. she displayed absolutely no customer service skills. our server was so embarrassed. everyone else sitting around us seemed to have similar delays in getting their orders. my friend and I were so disappointed when we went a few weeks ago that we decided we would only buy drinks and appetizers this time. it's clear Uncle Julio's can no longer even handle that. I'm sad to say it, but I will not return and recommend you stay away, too. read more

I told the staff it was birthday and they ruined it. The food took 2 hours to arrive. The food was good but by the time it came out I felt like my stomach was eating itself. Also my group ordered some pink and mango lemonades, but after a hour and a half we were only given the mango lemonades. Our sever Gabi tried, however was not very hospitable. My friends then procceded to ask if they would sing me happy birthday. They proceeded to decline my offer and say they would only sing for $35!!!! Im freaking pissed. Night ruined!!! read more

Went to get a drink and shrimp fajitas on a date Monday night. They were dead! Was shocked by how few customer were in there. Was wildly disappointed because they were out of sour cream and corn tortillas. I'm not one to complain but these seem like VERY basic things to have on hand at a Mexican restaurant. We weren't told they were out of these items until after our food arrived and would've ordered differently if we had known. This place needs better management they shouldn't be running out of key ingredients. read more

Yeah I'm not sure what to say. Uncle Julio's food and drinks are amazing, but the service.. questionable. I would rather not accuse the server of being on drugs except for the fact that she was obviously on drugs. She kept putting her hands on her hips in a very exhaustive way despite not working. She kept sniffing glasses in front of the customers, very odd. She could not remember orders, water included, and would not make eye contact nor take an order. She gave the table next to us a glass of tequila and lime juice. They were obviously perturbed as they ordered a margarita. She proceeded to follow them around the restaurant while they tried to escape her and request a new section. The real lime in the salt wound is that the methhead overlord of our bartender overcharged us, and we tried to leave. We had to request that an extra charge be removed off our check. We paid and got on our merry way out of Ripleys Believe it or Not. STAY AWAY. This place sucks y'all read more

Uncle Julio is the truth and will always be the truth. The food is great! The drinks are strong!! The service is wonderful. The ambiance is a typical Mexican restaurant. Plenty of room. Love it! read more

Uncle Julio's - Uncle Julio's Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We went for taco Tuesday and Uncle Julio's did not disappoint. For only $12 a person, the build your own taco platter was incredible! Delivered with warm tortillas and bottomless chips & salsa, the platter was more than enough to feed the two of us. Both chicken & beef were classic flavors, and the toppings were fresh. Great for a weekday dinner! Definitely want to come back for a celebration so I can try the chocolate piñata! 4 stars because service was pretty slow despite being one of only a few tables in the restaurant. read more

Uncle Julio's - Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Our chicken fajitas were really good. Smoky grilled tender chicken with the usual fixings. Maybe a little skimpy on the quantity for the price. Our shrimp diablo was properly cooked, but the seasoning didn't work for me. I was afraid "diablo" meant heat. But it wasn't that. It was a spice mix that reminded me of mace, star anise, or some other dark flavor. We just gave it back, and decided the fajitas were enough. Our service was ok. The noise was unpleasantly loud. UJ has potential, but you need to be selective. read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Uncle Julios smells great as soon as you walk in. I was greeted promptly and escorted to a table where my waiter met me soon after. Everyone was really friendly and the waiter explained the menu, pointed out their specialties and explained that they are a scratch kitchen and everything is made from scratch including the complimentary chips and salsa. You can tell this food is made fresh and not microwaved like a low-budget Tex mex franchise. I ordered "The Swirl" which is a frozen margarita swirled with frozen sangria- it was an interesting mix and I liked it but it also kind of tasted like grape juice! Not in a bad way. The chips were the perfect texture- thin and crunchy and the salsa was the type that Is more of a purée texture and had a pleasant slightly smoky taste. Next was my entree, I ordered the chicken and steak fajitas and the meat was marinated to perfection! On the menu, the honey chipotle chicken also caught my eye so I asked if I could sub the regular mesquite chicken for the honey chipotle and for a small up-charge (the honey chipotle chicken includes bacon the regular does not) they agreed. This plate included sour cream, a generous amount of guacamole, nice thick-grated cheddar cheese, lettuce and pico. 4 perfect pillow-y flour tortillas, and a side of rice and beans round it out. The rice and beans were my least favorite part of the meal but they were still pretty good. Overall I had a great experience. I was dining alone but the staff did not make me feel awkward about it and all of my food was at my table super quick. 4.5/5 read more

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I usually don't rate restaurants hours after eating, but I need to save some Yelpers money. I ordered the Camarones Diablos. It was pure disappointment. Usually Camarones Diablos at authentic Mexican places involve spice (in the form of a sauce). This was not Camarones Diablos -- it was a fancier presentation of fajitas. This costs $26 -- please do not order this, it is not worth $26 to get 6 pieces of shrimp that have been seasoned with salt and black pepper. I really hope management considers removing this item from the menu or renames this item -- it is not correctly named. I am more than happy to pay for good food, but this is almost offensive at how spicy it is not. Service was fine, the rating does not reflect the waitress's service. She was great! read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We really enjoyed our dinner here. While we didn't make any reservations for our Friday night visit, the staff seated us promptly, and beverages arrived quickly. We both picked items off the specials menu. The Carnitas Fajitas (pictured) had a light honey glaze, which offered a light touch of sweetness to a rather savory dish. The flour tortillas were plentiful and soft, and the beans, rice, sour cream, and guacamole were in ample supply. I wish there were Pico de gallo to help further break up the big portion of meat at fats, but the overall portion was large, and we ended up taking half of each entrée home for later consumption. Good food and good service. Overall, a good experience. AmEx is accepted here. read more

Uncle Julio's - Strawberry Hibiscus Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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The food was just awful. Pick de gallo or salad with tomatos, onions and slaw tasted off . Enchiladas were covered in tasteless glops of white cheese. Only the drinks and the chips and salsa were any good. read more

I will never visit this place again. I went there for the 1st time this past weekend. I was charged someone else's bill. I was told by the waitress that the transaction had been "canceled" on their end even though I advised them that the transaction was pending on my bank account. Well low and behold 2 days later I check my bank account and the transaction had cleared. I called the Manager thinking it would be an easy fix as it was apparent I had been charged twice (once for someone else's bill and once for my bill). The manager refused to acknowledge it and stated nothing was showing on their end and the transaction "doesn't exist" which is a lie. They stole $75 from me and could care less even after proof that the charges had posted on my bank account. read more

Ok I wanted to give this place more stars. However I can't. The food is mediocre but it is definitely for families. The food does not taste as if it is from scratch. I ordered a crab and schrimp enchilada and the bread/tortilla used to wrap it tasted cheap, I ordered a side of mushrooms and corn. I appreciate the courtesy of finding me the corn. I was hoping for Esquites/street corn. I just felt like I was missing something for my entire meal. I should of ordered some quac/cheese on the side for my chips. When I first walked in the two lady greeters said I can sit at the bar. There was no one sitting but one person. It was dirty its ok maybe people just left. What was interesting is the greeter did not acknowledge me or say I will be right with you. I was reseated by the most charming person in the building, Carlos. I think that was the best decision for my moment. It put me at ease. Carlos is a professional and said feel free to request me when you return. Carlos gets 5 stars. Have a great day! read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

i was looking for a place outside to meet my friend and uncle julios is a relaxed place that has an outside section so went here. overall it was decent complimentary chips and salsa were given and they were decent quality chips and salsa. we ordered the guacamole which was alright and for main we ordered the chicken fajitas and the fresca salad both came out really quickly - both big portion with decent flavor read more

Uncle Julio's - chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Wife and I stopped here for dinner, good located near a big garage only a half block away. The restaurant is big inside with plenty of seating, since we had a reservation we didn't have to wait, but there was plenty of open seating available. The waiter was very friendly and answered any questions we had. Our drinks arrived very fast, and our meals came within 10 minutes of ordering. I had the Carnitas Fajitas and it was delicious the bbq flavor of the pulled pork with the grilled onions was excellent, although they could give you a bit more fixing to accommodate the fajita. Myvwife had the crunchy chicken tacos and really liked it. There were quite a few young kids running around, but we enjoyed the overall experience. read more

Uncle Julio's - Carnita Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Prepare yourself to be amazed. How in the world can this place be so busy and the food so absolutely tasteless. Hands down the worst Tex-Mex food I've ever had. I'm serious. You need to work very hard to kill all ingredients and dishes. EXPENSIVE as well! Big mistake going here. Service was pretty bad as well. Eye rolls when we asked for water. read more

Uncle Julio's - Uncle Julio's in Bethesda - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

What a disaster. We had reservations for 6:15pm. The restaurant was barely busy when we arrived. Nothing crazy by any means. Based on how slow the service was, you'd think this place was packed. It wasn't. A few things that annoyed us during our visit: -took server 10 minutes to come to our table to introduce himself -took 10 minutes to get water. Keep in mind we were eventually given chips and salsa. Eating that without water to start? -Chips and queso took 40 minutes -server frequently MIA. Everytime he came by we had like 5 requests because he would disappear for 15 minutes at a time -water glass was dirty. Sent back sprite but never got one in return -multiple missing food items in entree orders -server had issue running credit card -server dropped off card and check and ran away. He did not say thank you, he did not say have a goodnight. Just left the check and got out of there as quickly as possible -double charged for a food item The only reason it's not one star is because the food was pretty decent. I wasn't blown away but it wasn't bad. Def not coming back to this location ever again. BEWARE!!! read more

Can you say slooowww service. Wow I almost fell asleep here. We ordered the fajitas. For two and they were$45 bucks so anyways they brought them out and there were lots of onions but hardly any peppers. So we told mark our waiter and he brought us some out and I'll be damned, they put them on our check. This is not very nice customer satisfaction to me. The dinner was good and tasted ok but oh my god. 2 is all this place rates with me. Will not be returning here. read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I absolutely love here. Their food is pretty good. They have classic Mexican dishes, they give chips and salsa before you order- super fun. I absolutely love their margaritas. They have so many different flavors and there's a good amount of liquor in it! I always get the lucky horseshoe. There's also a good amount of salt on them... I'd totally recommend here for drinks and food! read more

Uncle Julio's - Love their margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

People are harsh here on yelp jeez. This place is always our go-to lunch place for work because it's across the street from the parking garage and the lunch menu is pretty good. I've never had dinner here so this review is just lunch. I came here multiple times already and enjoyed all my experience. The biggest problem I encounter is service. The service is slow when there is a lot of people at the same time. Our server was really slow in getting orders and getting our food to us. The food however is good in my opinion. I got the fajitas from the lunch menu which is a lot in the lunch potion so you will get decent amount of food for your money. Drinks here are good too especially for happy hour! I will come back here again for the convenience and the quality of food is good. read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken and steak fajita lunch menu - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

My family and I love the steak fajitas ... and usually order multiple double portions (For Two option) when visiting.  The meat is always tender and juicy ... the various sides are fresh ... and then you wrap it all up in their warm, house made flour tortilla's (which are so delicious you can eat it them by themselves) ... YUM!!! Of course, before you even get to your meal, you need to hold yourself back from devouring several bowls of free, fresh made chips with their chipotle salsa.  Trust me, you need a lot of will power. The atmosphere is loud and vibrant ... and a lot of fun for everyone. Enjoy! read more

For years we order the Famous Fajitas with beef for two. They're expensive at $52 + tax. The beef is good. However, maybe it's cost cutting: The sauteed peppers and onions, see photo, the onions are raw and there was exactly one piece of green pepper. The sides - guacamole, sour cream, cheese they used to come each in its own container which was reasonable. Now all three come in a very small container smashed together and 75% of it is sour cream. They don't give you enough tortillas so now you have to order and pay for more. Uncle Julio's, why are you getting chintzy with the fajita sides and tortillas? read more

Overall the experience was great. It's my second time coming here. The only complaint is the food tastes a bit too salty depending on your dish. read more

Uncle Julio's - Camarones Diablo - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We used to love this place, a lot has changed unfortunately not for the better. We went recently after a hiatus at 6:30pm on a Saturday, the restaurant was not busy and dinner rush had not started yet. We asked for a booth and were told that non were available even though we saw that two were open, not reserved etc. just dirty plates that were needing to be cleared from the table. The dirty plates sat for awhile until they finally bussed the booths and then people who came in after us were given the booths we asked for. We were sat instead right next to the bathroom entrance even though there were plenty of other open tables. We were hungry from a long road trip and wanted to get some of our favorites from when we used to live near by and came more often. The server was friendly but forgot to bring us a few things we asked for. Our water pitcher was empty for a long time as we were thirsty from the drive and drank it pretty quickly. We ordered the veggie fajitas and the crab and shrimp enchiladas, a swirl and the spicy margarita on ice. The food took awhile but when the it came out it was so disappointing just from looking at it even before we even tried it. The enchiladas were very small the size of a cigar and looked like the rice and small salad were just tossed on the plate with no care or love of cooking. The fajitas were even worse. It didn't come out on the larger oval fajita skillet as once before but a very small circle skillet that looked like it was off the children's menu. The plate was cold and no sizzle at all like it had been sitting at the pass for a long time were it turned cold. There was literally three small pieces of mushrooms, two small pieces of zucchini, some onions and a jalapeño, that's it!! the small plate of rice and beans were cold and rice undercooked! These very sad and extremely disappointing dishes cost $23 for the veggies fajitas and the crab and shrimp enchiladas were $24. Please look at the photos they have up on their website and see that it doesn't even come close to representing what actually comes out of this kitchen and Bethesda location for this chain restaurant. Any chef, cook, manager or server that actual cared at all should be able to see how unappetizing the food looked and shameful the portions are considering how much you're charging for it! On top of all this the spicy margarita was watered down and had no taste and the swirl was violently sweet. We are not the type to complain or send things back, we write positive reviews whenever possible about places to give kudos/respect to things well executed with love and care and just make mental notes to not go back to the very disappointing places and experiences but this was such a great place once but this recent return visit after awhile was so disappointing and unsatisfying that we had to write this review. There are so many better places for Tex-Mex that charge the same or less for so much better food and overall experience. This place used to be one of our favorites but we will not be going back and spending our hard earned money there. There's too many other better options for great Tex-Mex around now! To any owner or general manager who might read this review, you all can and used to execute so much better. Please take a good hard look at what you all are currently and unfortunately doing... read more

Decided to celebrate ME, for an early Mother's Day I took my self on a date at Uncle Julio's Bethesda . I Had the pleasure of meeting Server Will , such a great Server, as I know the Industry I love to go experience restaurants often to see the other side of my everyday life working also at a restaurant. - Server wise , (you need more Will ' s in the restaurant). Touched table the times he was supposed to , his hospitality was good and beyond. - Food : great , I had the Quadalajara dish, delicious. - Ambience : Good . - Food runner was bringing more food to my table she didn't know where the food was going , I wanted to take it but sadly it wasn't mine lol :) - host wise : the adult short lady was amazing , even touched table checking if I needed anything , however the young lady one had a missing smile on her face the entire time I was at the restaurant , when I got to the host stand waited for her , No eye contact when talking ... poor spirit on welcoming guest ..... Other than that I love going to Uncle Julio's Bethesda Location. I will for sure ask for Server Will next time I go there. #appreciatewhatfeedsyourpocket . read more

Before stepping foot in this particular Uncle Julio's, I wondered why the star rating was so low. Surely it must be wrong, because we were told by our server that the food and drinks are made from scratch and authentic. Plus, the service we received was really great. Well, we would soon find out why I too am now a believer as to why I think it's a three star establishment. We came on a Saturday afternoon for drinks and dinner and apparently it was the perfect time because it wasn't too crowded. By the time we left, it was PACKED!! Like, standing out the door - people everywhere, PACKED! It was also extremely loud! The layout of the restaurant is horrible because it almost traps the noise and it just bounces off the walls and never escapes. We found ourselves yelling across the table at one another. I can't deny the noise was a huge negative factor of our dining experience. Between the screaming kids and the extremely loud conversations/nosies, it was hard to enjoy ourselves. Good thing we sat in the back, it wasn't as noisy. Heaven help the people in the front, not sure how they were able to even function. They were sitting on top of each other. For drinks, I of course HAD to order the -321 degree margarita, made from scratch table-side. Best decision I made all night! It's full of flavor, fresh fruit and of course we got a kick out of breathing the "smoke" out of our noses/mouth from the nitrogen induced berries we ate. My dinning companion ordered the Blackberry Margarita, which was also very delish! For appetizers we ordered the guacamole and queso combo. They were both average, at best. Our entrees consisted of the chicken enchiladas for me and the beef enchiladas for my dining companion. They both came with rice and beans. The food was tasty and filling, but to be honest, I've had better. One of my Yelp friends said to come for the food, not for the drinks. I disagree. I think it's the other way around, come for the drinks and not necessarily for the food. I would also come during a less busy time, to avoid the trapped box of noise. PS...street parking is available, but a parking garage is about a block away from the restaurant. It accepts coins for the metered parking. read more

I wish uncle Julio's disclosed where they get their food from so there is more transparency about what we were actually eating. I came here last night with my partner to have dinner for taco Tuesday. Our server had incredible service and he was so kind because the bar was backed up during happy hour time. We ordered the Birria quesadilla/tacos and a taco plate. To be honest the food needed more seasoning. The food and drinks were just ok. read more

Uncle Julio's - Post-Birria tacos & chips - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

So the food is great. But man the hostess stand service is horrible. HORRIBLE! Checked in for a party of four. Was told that the fastest time was for outside because they had no tables available. Here is a picure of the "no tables available." Then she said its because we are understaffed. Meanwhile, and I kid you not, there were 6 servers hovering around the host stand doing nothing and we had two servers helping us when we sat down. read more

Uncle Julio's - Empty tables at Uncle Julios. - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Came here for drinks after yoga class and I felt like the drink were decent. The service was okay and the ambiance was decent too. I got the fresh squeezed grapefruit margarita. The margarita was tart and they put a huge slice of grapefruit as garnish. My friend got the frozen margarita. I felt like it did not taste that great. I would stick to the regular margaritas. They give you free chips and dip, so it was perfect to munch on as we drank our drinks. There was a bug in my water cup, but when I asked for a new water, the waiter was apologetic and quickly got me a new water cup. All in all, a convenient location to get drinks on a weekday. read more

Huge fan of this chain. I've been coming here for years. This location is always packed with all the corporate offices and apartments across the street. I always go for the large swirlys or small one with a shot. Food wise you can't go wrong with any of their tacos, fajitas or fresh guacamole. I do wish their happy hour menu was not limited. You only get $2-3 off drinks between 430-7. Overall this is a great place for some drinks after work or Tex Mex with the family. If you do come here around 6 expect a long wait. read more

Uncle Julio's - Drink menu 03/2018 - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

The service is horrible and slow. It's unfortunate they charge the prices they do and the food is mediocre at best. Even the chips taste like stale oil. Really disappointing. Update reply: thank you for reaching out. I do not retain food receipts but I have all the dates and amounts where we paid with our credit card. We kept trying in hopes it was an off day, but sadly it was consistently less than favorable. If you provide your name and contact in, I am happy to call with the information read more

Great Mexican restaurant in the heart of Bethesda. Expect the expected: typical Mexican dishes, served fresh and hot. We have now been there twice and it's been great both times. Our girls (10 and 12) love it. Especially the virgin margaritas made fresh at the table with a Harry Potter kick: the fresh fruit gets frozen with Hydrogen, creating a foggy spectacle right at your table side. Oh by the way, the non-virgin margaritas are also delicious. Family fun for all, we will be back! read more

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I haven't been to Uncle Julio's for quite some time (basically because I always felt that there were better, family-owned Mexican options in the area), but decided to check it out now that they've remodeled their space. The interior is vastly improved - gone is the gaudy décor in favor of a more upscale-feeling space, with a 'Spanish-modern' bar and more comfortable seating. While the front of the house definitely looks much better, the back of the house is the same as before, turning out okay (but not great) dishes, nothing particularly special that warrants dealing with parking in the Bethesda Row area. The other thing I noticed is that the price point has significantly increased, which is a little odd when the kitchen hasn't upped its game. (Guess you gotta pay for the renovation somehow.) Also, if you're going to charge more, Uncle Julio should be upping his service game and shouldn't be handing their guests electronic devices for them to process their own charges at the end of the meal - that's just downright tacky. So, a Disney-esque experience - all style, no substance. Two stars. read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken nachos - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Too expensive for what is provided. I ordered three beef fajita meals for lunch and it was $144 with extra chips and salsa. Also, there is a service fee applied to take out orders. I have frequent this restaurant for 35 years, but I will no longer. read more

Don't bother horrible service and food is blah. Chips and quac are good but not worth it at all.

This is a solid Tex-Mex restaurant in Bethesda row. I really like their margaritas, especially the watermelon margaritas. The chips and salsa that comes with your meal are some of the best chips and salsa I've had. I would say their food is good but I mostly come here since it's conveniently located in Bethesda. They have a lot of seating and it's a fun atmosphere here. read more

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Change of ownership did it. What a disappointment. I was there a couple of years ago everything was perfect. But now, wow, the food is so bad, and the drinks not to mention. This is how you lose customers.. forgot Churros were served burnt and cold. read more

What happened to this restaurant. Arrives at 8:30 on a Saturday. Not bu St unlike in the past. Decided to eat in the bar area as the dining room was very loud. Seven empty tables, none of them bussed. We helped clean the table after waiting several minutes. Sat down and waited 10 minutes to be approached, long enough for me to almost order from the bar. Ordered drinks which came about 10 minutes later. Ordered food of which half came out timely but we had no setups or plates. Asked the bartender for silverware and napkins. Finally received plates and then the rest of our food after that. Finished our meal and waiter 10-15 minutes before being approached again. No plates were ever cleared. Asked for check as we were quite done. No bus service seen the entire night nor any sign of a manager. Severely under-staffed and not managed. QUITE A BIZARRE EVENING DUE TO AWFUL SERVICE. Doubt we will go back. read more

Looks to be very popular, but not with our family. Grandson's chicken tenders were just so so. My grilled fish tacos were pretty uninteresting, & the fish had an "off" taste. Hubby & son got skirt steak fajitas which were fairly tasteless, and the steak had a soft texture. Maybe an odd night, but we'll likely not be returning any time soon. If you like chunky guacamole and unsalted chips that tasted like lard, you'll like this restaurant. read more