I think 2.5 stars is pretty fair for this restaurant. I stopped in today with my mom after taking her shopping for an early dinner. The restaurant was very quiet, there were only a few other people there. Overall a nice place, pretty relaxed, almost a cantina style place. I ordered the Pechuga de Pollo and my mom ordered the Carne Asada and the El Jeffe margarita. The food is okay. The carne was very good and flavorful. The chicken was okay, a little too salty for me. Both plates come with frijoles de charro (cowboy beans) and Mexican rice, pico de gallo and guacamole, choice of corn or flour tortillas. The rice was bland but tasted like tomato paste. The beans are undercooked and needed to simmer for a while longer and a need to be a little mashed to get a thicker consistency. The flour tortillas were under cooked and you could still smell the flour from the dough on them. If they're frozen, they need to be thawed first, then cooked or made a little thinner if they're hand made. The stand out gem was their salsa. It has a nice smoky chipotle flavor, very mild, a little salty. They do have a "spicy" option with "habanero" but to be honest, it's not spicy at all. Even though it's not spicy, it's got a great flavor. The server was very nice and attentive. The food isn't outstanding but it's okay, I wouldn't come back personally, $80 (including tip) for two plates and one drink isn't worth the money to me. The quality is $50 at best for everything. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Pechuga de Pollo - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Wanted to update. Nice atmosphere. But it's freezing cold in here! I mean have to wear a coat. Terrible. Can't enjoy food when I'm cold. We asked and got the reason of if they turn it off then the floor gets slippery. Wow. Then change the floor. Honestly prob won't b back for a long time. And we haven't even eaten yet. I will say our waiter is great. Can't blame him. read more

I don't understand the negative reviews. I always go to Uncle Julio's if I crave Tex-Mex food. Maybe it's because I never dined in and I always do takeout so I can check my order to confirm that everything's good. They did mess up my order once (gave us someone else's order) but they let us keep the food and gave us our actual order. Can't say no to free food. I order a variety of stuff here and they all have been good. If you're looking to dine-in, I don't have much to say about that since I don't have the experience. But the food itself is good. If it's cold just put it in the microwave for a few seconds. I'm just here for good food and this place provides just that. read more

My family and I come here very often and we only ever have good things to say. The manager Kyle always makes sure to check in during our meal to assure that our service and dining experience is going well. I would definitely recommend checking out this location! read more

My wife and our two young boys went here for a late lunch. It's in a mall so they kind of have a captive audience. 3pm and the place was still relatively busy, which we took as a good sign. The server was nice and attentive. So, onto the food... Chips and salsa were perfectly fine. Nothing exceptional. The salsa is very thin so it's hard to get any on your chip. And not a ton of flavor. We ordered nachos with chicken, soft tacos and enchiladas. The nachos came topped individually so they were like little pizzas. But it was mostly just cheese and chicken. We asked for guac on the side, so that was fine. The enchiladas were bland, even with the spicier sauce. Beans and rice also very bland. The soft tacos were on par with Taco Bell. Total bill (no drinks other than water) - $55 with a decent tip. Bottom line, not horrible food but far too expensive for what is basically Taco Bell quality. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Nachos with chicken. Bland. - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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This is our go to place for great service and food. The entire team there is exceptional. The service is always fast and friendly. We are always greeted warmly and have become regulars for a while now. My only request would be that they bring back the ceviche it was amazing! Really miss it and haven't found anything close to it at any other restaurant. Also bring back the Spanish music, the music playing the last couple of times just doesn't vibe with the ambiance, drinks and food. Thank you to Jamie, Jenny and Jerry who always make us feel like VIP's each time we are in. read more

Service was great and love their Sangria and wide variety of drinks. The decor is hip and fun. Food was just ok. I got some shrimp tacos, but it wasn't anything to write home about. The only reason I'm giving them a 4 is for their service and decor. And, if you haven't seen the chocolate pinata, it's fun to watch it get opened. A table near us got one. A $30 it's a bit pricey, but fun for a special event. read more

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I've been here a couple of times with family but my first time doing a review, they know how I feel about this place that presents Mexican food, maybe I'm just being too judge mental but it is my OPINION. Service was good but they Play non Mexican music not COOL, salsa not good. Rice water(horchata) Jamaica (Hibiscus) not available. Specially with Margaritas options,Just go out and support local Mexican,Taco spots read more

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Everytime I go here I tell myself I should try something different. The problem is I LOVE their steak fajitas! So I end up ordering the same thing but I never regret it at the end. I also love their chips & salsa which they'll refill for free. The guacomole is great and I bet the table side option is awesome but I don't know if I'm supposed to tip the guy so I avoid it all together. Lastly, the drinks are worth it. I never had a drink I didn't like. Uncle Julio's is my go to place. They never disappoint! read more

You guys. You can buy their perfect chips in a lb bag to take home! I'm obsessed with their new steak fajita lunch bowl. I have to have it at least once every two weeks...which reminds me- I think I'm overdue! read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Just blah! Everything!!! Empty restaurant...now we know why! Will not be back. Out of white queso? Hmmmm

Save your time and money. I ordered my food online for curbside I was told 45 min. I arrived an hour later and proceeded to wait at curbside an hour more while calling and texting with the store. I couldn't go inside because I had my toddler with me. The guy waiting in car next to me went inside and said all orders are just waiting on a table and he just took the one that had his name on it and no one was supervising. A server came 3 times to my car always with the wrong named order. Left an hour later with no food. Manager said they will refund me in 2-3 days. Furthermore these are the worse servers ever. They look like they hate their job and give you an attitude if they get an order wrong. Worse location ever read more

Fajitas were a very small portion. They only came with a few slices of onion no other veggies. Churros tasted like tortilla chips. Not a good value for the cost. Unfortunate. The manager needs some training as well. read more

The food was very poor quality. My fish tacos smelled fishy, usually a sign the fish is past its prime. My sister's cheese enchiladas were swimming in "cheese food" the kind of sauce you find on cheap nachos at high school football games. The chips and guacamole were good but outrageously overpriced. I would not visit again. read more

Similiar to a Chucky Cheese. Expensive, Children parties in main dining rooms with lots of shrinking, yelling, crying, running, etc. Food is ok and the place clean. However, just too expensive for the nerve racking atmosphere. Should never go there on a grown up type date. ​​ read more

Great tex mex cuisine Not mexican In mexico we don't eat this food Drnks are great Me & my bf Whend to the mall and Have couple drinks chips salsa & queso Was great read more

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Well the only positive to our visit was how quickly we were sat. After that it was nothing but downhill from there. First, our waitress didn't welcome our table till being there for 5 mins. We promptly place our drink, appetiser and sons meal. Our drinks took 15-20 mins to arrive and the app and kids food took a whole 30 mins. In that time the waitress only checked on us once she realised we hadn't received our food yet. She said that due to the wait that it required action from the manager. We said okay no problem and the managers "action" was literally just to deliver our food to our table... didn't look at us or say anything or apologise. Okay fine... Now we waited for our main meal. My husband ordered one of those fajita plates, the Guadalajara. See attached photos of how that turned out. (Over done chicken and steak and burnt shrimp). Yum..... he literally couldn't eat the chicken or steak it was that bad. We quickly asked for our check and notice we were double charged for our comped appetiser (icing on the cake at this point). We pay and leave. Even though our whole meal should have been comped at that point as we waited and hour for food that took us 10 mins to eat since we couldn't finish it. Fyi that managers name is Jennifer. I think she needs some additional training on how to run her shift and handle/speak to customers. Major training. read more

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Entering into Uncle Julio's is a much larger restaurant than it looks. The place is very roomy and a comfortable dining experience. The experience was sweetened with free tortilla chips and salsa, which were really good, thin, crusty and flavorful! We had the Juanitas Platter that comes with a beef and chicken enchilada, crispy taco with beef, and a pork tamale. The platter is actually a decent size for $17. The fillings and the sauces of the enchiladas, taco and tamale were pretty yummy too, each with a different flavor profile. This platter is a good idea if you like options and try out different things, which I love! The children's chicken tenders surpassed expectations. They were not dry and puny, but were quite tender and decently sized! read more

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I have been a long time patron nationwide and one thing that has not changed at all is the house salsa, still just as good as it has ever been. The house made tortilla chips have fluctuated over the years, not so much chips these days as fragments of chips. Have you noticed that the margaritas and swirl portion sizes are shrinking, sure the glass is fancy, but it is small too, so the drink prices continue to soar. Case in point, I was going to get a margarita but noticed how small they had become, yet the price had gone up. So I opted for a tequila and soda. Bartender asked me which tequila, fair question. I asked what was available on rail, the response was Montezuma, eewww! really?! If you are not familiar, think bottom shelf rot gut. So I said make it a Jose Cuervo which is usually a pretty affordable choice given all the higher end tequila options these days. Guess how much my drink was, $10. Not so affordable, and it was a short glass, not a tall. Considering the fact that I can buy a 750ml bottle of Sauza silver for roughly the same amount, a beverage out is really at a premium here. So what really is at play here is general price points for booze to increase margin which is a shame because who wants to eat mexican food without enjoying a lovely margarita, tequila or mezcal? So if you want to keep it affordable, your next best bet is to order a beer, none of which are on tap, why? I think a Dos Equis Amber bottle runs $6. My wife and I shared the nacho appetizer with chicken. Instead of one big pile, the nachos are served individually on a platter, $15 for ten nachos, $1.50 per nacho. The atmosphere is good but because the Skokie location is always packed and because the layout of the Skokie location is so cut up inside, you have to bob and weave between tables and dodge wait staff in order to navigate to the bathroom and back, it is really quite the gauntlet. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Nachos, $15 for 10 nachos, you do the math - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Went to Uncle Julio's yesterday and was really disappointed with the food. I ordered green enchiladas and the sauce was flavorless and they gave me yellow cheese which is the wildest thing I've ever seen as a Mexican woman. My man ordered the Guadalajara plate and the chicken was flavorless the steak was bland and it only came with 3 shrimp and 3 tortillas. The only reason I'm giving it two stars is because our waitress was very helpful and accommodating but the food quality has drastically went down. The drinks were still okay. read more

We came here for the fancy piñata dessert. The mini churros were kinda stale, the strawberries were on their last leg and the dark chocolate was ok. Overall, it was underwhelming. I've been to the Uncle Julio's in Lincoln Park for drinks and their chips/guac. I'd probably come back for that - but not for this $30 dessert. read more

For the last seven years my family has gone to Uncle Julio's for my sister's birthday. We consider it a guilty pleasure, in that it's a chain restaurant, but one that makes some solid fajitas. Over the years, we've tolerated some pretty slow service, telling ourselves it was worth it for the chocolate pinata. Tonight, the tradition ended. The entire night was a comedy of errors. Despite having a reservation, we waited 45 minutes for a table. If they'd at least warned us of the long wait ahead, we'd have grabbed a drink and relaxed at the bar. But they just kept saying "just a few more minutes." When we were finally seated, it was at a table with no silverware. When we asked for napkins, the server brought us a stack of cocktail napkins and no silverware. When we ordered drinks, we waited 20 minutes for them to arrive. And when we ordered food, we had to struggled to control our expressions. The fajita serving platters are now the size of a salad plate. They were served with zero sizzle (and everyone had to wait an extra 5 or 10 minutes for tortillas and beans, sides, etc to come out). Two people got beef fajitas and one came out rubbery and overdone, the other bleeding and raw. Another person got shrimp and it looked like someone tossed a handful of brine shrimp on top of a few onions. All told, we were at our table for two hours (not counting the 45-minute wait), because every single aspect of the evening, from serving to clearing to bringing the check, was incredibly abysmally, slow. Mostly, I feel badly for my sister, because it was her birthday dinner and she felt embarrassed that this was the place that she chose. Of course, it's not her fault. And we won't be back. read more

Delicious food. Average wait staff. The prices were pleasant. A good place to stop in for lunch with friends or a first date.

Table side guacamole was the highlight of our brunch, though the portion was gone extremely quickly for the price. I guess you only pay for the experience of someone coming up next to your table and creating it for you. Camarones were pricey, but the dipping sauce was great and the shrimp were huge! The juanita platter had probably the driest, smallest portion of rice I've ever had, the beans didn't taste like anything, and the taco tasted akin to something from Taco Bell, with flavorless ground beef and lettuce. Only really ate the two enchiladas, which weren't that soft or drenched in sauce. Was so excited for the pork tamale, which also had no flavor and I didn't even finish. Chips are very thin and tasty, but break each time your try them with dip. Waiter was nice, service was quick, but the food was so forgetful and bland, different locations just he quite different in food prep. read more

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Pretty good stuff. Better than Taco Bell but not overly amazing. I ordered the steak and chicken fajitas. If you have a hankering for Mexican, this is good. Rice is bland but they give you guacamole, sour cream, cheese, salsa to doctor it up. Steak is a bit fatty. Overall it ls fine. read more

Amazing food, all made on-site by scratch. We now sit at the bar as the service is fantastic. Rebecca was our waitress tonight, highly recommend requesting her. Rebecca was friendly, patient and explained how Julio's makes the food, etc. everything was good and we were really impressed by Rebecca read more

My family and I have dined at Uncle Julio's in Skokie and Vernon Hills many times and we always order the same few dishes. I usually order the steak fajitas and it never disappoints... until today. It was the saddest looking plate of fajitas I've seen. There were 3 tiny pieces and pepper and the rest was a bed of onions. They also accidentally made an incorrect dish and eventually brought the correct dish, but the kitchen seemed off. Our server was great and did everything in her ability to provide the best service. I hope this is not the new norm. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Steak Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

The portions are good for the price. The chips and salsa are delicious. The service is good. The Old Orchard location offers in door or patio seating. I suggest if you want to eat indoors call and get a reservation. The outdoor seating is first come first serve. The taco salad is enough for 2.5 people to really eat. The avocado and vegetables (with exception to the corn) was fresh in the salad. The shell was light and crispy and tasty. But the corn was canned corn. I am not opposed to eating canned corn but it threw the appearance and taste off for me. If they couldn't use fresh corn off of a cob I would have substituted thawed frozen corn over canned corn in the salad. I would recommend the restaurant because overall I had a good experience and the rest of my meal was tasty. read more

We thought to give Uncle Julio's another try. The food was so very disappointing. The service was okay but whoever was cooking the food did not care about taste or quality. My chicken enchiladas were overly salty. My companion's shrimp and crab enchiladas were also terrible. The charro beans were watery and the black beans had a funny taste. I can honestly say this is the last time I will ever eat there. They need better chefs who know how to cook Mexican food if they want to improve. I would have given no stars if possible. read more

Disappointed that they got rid of salsa carne and agave queso for enchiladas. They replaced it with what looks like a canned red sauce and another one. Will not be going back. read more

I had high expectations having been to the Woodfield location. It was mid day, so not super busy. We got the free table side chips and guacamole. At this Woodfield location, they give you a full size guac. Here, a very small gauc. It was salty and not as lemonly. I ordered reduced salt fajitas. Now during a down time, at Woodfield they prepared it within a reasonable time. I understand this needs to be made differently and will take more time. But here, it just took so, so, so long. Honestly, there is noting I experienced that would bring me here over the one in Woodfield which is sad because there's so many other unique places to eat at Old Orchard read more

Always attentive, great service, outstanding (bottomless) chips and salsa, and the fajitas are fabulous. They do not skimp on the protein, which has a delicious smoky flavor. If anything, I sometimes have to ask for more veggies. I'd rather have that issue. I have only had the steak and chicken fajitas and like them so much, I have yet to try anything else on the menu despite going there fairly regularly! I am truly a guest, not a hired writer leaving this review... read more

Very busy location for a Monday evening! Seated quickly in a fairly crowded and loud dining area. Waiter quickly told us of Margarita Monday's, $5 for Julio's Gold margarita which was nice. Average size marg and it was tasty. We enjoyed table side guacamole with light and fresh chips. Queso was ok at best. Dinner came quickly. Ahi tuna fajitas were good but don't expect traditional fajitas. Corn tortillas were tough and chewy. Carne Asada was tasty but overdone. Overpriced for what you receive. Although they do have a fabulous looking chocolate piñata for dessert!! The waiter reminded the person paying our bill that costs are high in college and he would be happy to take a good tip charged to our company dinner - pretty inappropriate comment in my opinion. I'd look elsewhere for dinner the next time I'm in the area. read more

Bartenders are very good. After they changed their menu a few years back, the food is served just warm or room temp. I had grilled chicken pechuga; needed more grill time, so did the onions and peppers. Enchiladas definitely need be served at a hotter temperature. Mexican butter is very flavorful, rice room temp, corn tortillas just okay (and this time they asked me if I wanted tortillas), salsa great, beans were hot. The bathroom trash bins were full at 12:30p on 7/4/21. Serving area around bar could use some attention, chips on the floor, fruit for drinks looked dry and open to the world. I guess they need more time to get back into the swing of things. The location on North Ave serves their food at room temp, also. read more

When you're in the mood for Tex mex food come here. I've used to only go to their original location on north ave in the city. Since this location opened it is much more convenient when you are in the suburbs. They always have a robust alcoholic menu esp the margaritas. There are different flavors everyday and they come frozen or on the rocks. They will amend any of them into patron too. Over time the portions have gotten smaller. Specifically the Jalisco. Only comes with three strips of chicken beef and shrimp. The entree costs 23.95! It does. Come with tortillas sour cream guacamole salsa and lettuce but it's still over priced for the portion. I gave it four stars because it's reliable for margaritas, unlimited chips and salsa and it's clean. read more

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We ordered $150 worth of take out from this location and threw most of it in the garbage. The quart of salsa was inedible because it was over salted, the guacamole had a massive unripe chunk of avocado in it, the ground beef tacos were extremely oily, to the point where I had to drain them with a paper towel. Then the fajitas I ordered were not cooked to the temperature I requested (it was the consistency of chewing gum) and they forgot the tortillas. Even the chicken tacos were over salted. I am not fan of fast food, but chipotle is much better quality and consistency. I have not had a meal this expensive be this bad. Very disappointing especially because of the price associated and the amount of food wasted due to it being inedible. read more

Dined in here with my family for lunch on 9/1/17. I have to mention first and foremost, we have dined into other Uncle Julio's locations such as Chicago, Naperville and Schaumburg. Those experiences by far are great except for this location ( Skokie) . First : We walked in there right around 1130am when the restaurant had just opened. The host leads us to be seated to a 4 chair squared table . There were 4 of us including my 3yo son. I kindly requested the host if he can sit us to a bigger table as I would like for my toddler to sit in between 2 adults, the host hesitated. I looked around there the place was empty! He then let us sit in a larger table . Second: The server brings the high chair on the side of the table without moving the chair etc . We settle my son in his high chair, the extra chair was left right beside of our table . Third : The kids menu didn't offer, shrimp taco. I requested the server if they could make shrimp taco as kids menu. He said yes. My son's food came he started eating and complains the shrimp were spicy! Naturally, I called our server and asked if he can ask the cook to replace the shrimp to be cooked plain . And server told us that , the shrimp comes pre seasoned. The cook knew this is a " Kids Menu" , Why would you serve spicy shrimp?? Lack of common sense in the kitchen I'd say! A manager comes to our table and try to explain that the server was unaware of the pre seasoned shrimp etc. Apologizes and brings my 3yo a non seasoned shrimp . I've attached pictures of the initial Shrimp/plate that was served and the corrected shrimp as the Kids Menu. Fourth : As we were leaving, the same host - tried to ignore us . He saw as walking out passing him by the front door, no "good byes or have a great day!". Isn't that what a host is supposed to do? It may sound petty but as a host , you should be inviting and pleasant. He seems to have lack of training or should be put him to more training sessions. Would I come back to this establishment or would I recommend this specific location ? Maybe or Maybe not. read more

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Had a great time at UJ at Old Orchard mall!. We got there a bit before noon. Place had just open so the restaurant was not busy at all! The place is in a great location - right next to Old Orchard Mall. The restaurant was immaculately clean. Host was welcoming, and had a great smile. Our server was great, since we were her first table (and only table at that time), she spent some time with us answering some of our menu questions and recommending us some dishes. I ordered the chicken & steak fajitas, and my wife ordered the Chipotle Salmon. Both were great dishes! Food was fresh, and the tortillas were straight out of the oven! Manager stopped by to check on us. She was super nice, and very attentive to our needs. read more

I've always had a girls day here. I love the food, drinks and service. I only wish the music reflected the Mexican restaurant - this adds to the ambience. The last two times I visited there was very non Spanish music. read more

Pretty good- easy to get to and the food and drinks were tasty! It is a little loud, but that doesn't really bother me. The staff was friendly. read more