Made reservations, was seated right away. 7 of us, we all ordered tacos or fajitas. What does any Mexican restaurant on the planet need to have & serve you when you're eating tacos & fajitas? TORTILLAS!!! We were not served tortillas for 15-20 minutes AFTER we received our food. All 7 of us literally sat and stared at our food because none of us could eat it. Neither our server nor the food runners who brought us our food brought tortillas, after sitting around 5 minutes without them we asked someone for them, 15 minutes after that they brought us 2 small bowls with around 8 in them. For 7 people. All of our water glasses were empty the entire night. The difference between the steak with the taco Tuesday platter & the steak others in our group had with their steak tacos & steak fajitas was night & day. I prefer the multiple small taco places near my house any day over this place. We spent over $200 on dinner & I deeply regret it. It was my 1st time at any Uncle Julio's & my last. read more

This has been my favorite Tex Mex since high school. Quality food similar to the North Ave location. Wouldn't really call it Mexican food though. Chips and salsa are high quality. Fajitas are my go to. Plato Jalisco is what I get every time. read more

1. Hostess did not escort us. Did not give us menu and told us to move the high tables by the bar, because we didn't mind sitting there due to lack of seatings. 2. After we got our food, waitress did not come by to check on us. We called for them several times and even waved our hands to them, but the waitress ignored us. 3. Food did not come for a long time, and meanwhile the waitress did not come by at all to check up on us. 4. The bathroom is a mess. 5. The only reason I give 2 stars is because of the food. It's pretty decent. But is it all worth it, no. read more

I was excited to come here for my birthday dinner. I had been here once before and was obsessed with their shrimp tacos and frozen margaritas. I still love their food, but their service was awful. My food came out 10-15 minutes after everyone else's. I think they forgot about me as the server asked what I had ordered. It took forever to even order our meals and had to ask multiple times for plates for our appetizers. Im not sure I would dine at this restaurant again unless I was craving those shrimp tacos. read more

3rd uncle Julio's visit In three days. They seem to be the closest thing to all my hotels. This one is good with the food as are the others. I wouldn't say the service started out great, but there was a supervisor overseeing everything and helping the wait staff stay aware of everything and helping out the team when needed. Super friendly manager, super helpful, made the difference in 3 and 5 stars. Very well managed location. Way to go. Lady supervising Wednesday night was amazing. read more

"FELT LIKE PAYBACK FROM THE HOSTESS." First we didn't have are reservation go through "user error, my fault " , so the hostess wouldn't seat us. Finally after a minute of looking through my email for reservation confirmation, the hostess seats us at a DIRTY table, which no one ever cleaned .Then they waited 25 minutes to even approach us with drinks and specials. When we do get service, the waiter jokes how the hostess doesn't like us ..."WTF" .... is this why are table is dirty,We have no service for 25 minutes, and to top it off the food was horrible and the drinks felt watered down. Everything felt creepy and like we were being punished by the hostess. Worst experience ever and I will never go back to Uncle Julios in old orchard again. read more

Our son in Los Angeles, CA coordinated a wonderful surprise anniversary dinner for my wife and me at Uncle Julio's. Our daughter and her family joined us and we were delighted with the excellent food, ambience and constant attention provided by Assistant General Manager Mario Monarrez and his service oriented staff. As soon as we were seated, two bowls of salsa, one spicy and one mild and a basket of warm freshly made chips were placed on the table and were kept full preceding our main fare. The menu was diverse, moderately priced and stated clearly what each item was. Drinks were reasonable and our eight year old grandson was enthralled with the preparation and taste of his -321 (virgin) Margarita. He loved his beef only taco. He also sampled and rated the adults' meals. He had such a great evening he insisted on having his next birthday celebration at Uncle Julio's Rather than list all of the delicious items we enjoyed, I offer and highly recommend my wonderful dinner for your consideration: Appetizer: Pork and chicken tamales Carnitas tacos Entree: JUANITAS PLATTER™ included Beef enchilada with agave queso sauce Chicken enchilada with creamy hatch chile sauce One crispy taco with beef Pork tamale Cilantro rice Cup of spicy black beans Desert: CHOCOLATE PIÑATA (full of fresh mouthwatering fruit served on a platter with mounds and mounds of freshly made whipped cream) I do not understand why so many negative reviews stressed the high prices. My Juanitas Platter was less than $20, one of the more expensive items on the menu and well worth every penny. Treat your self and your loved ones to an evening of delicious freshly prepared food and drink in a warm and inviting restauant with an attentive, friendly staff: Uncle Julio's in Old Orchard Mall, Skokie, IL. read more

My boyfriend and I are passionate when it comes to Mexican food. Tonight we decided to give Uncle Julio's a try despite the pretty horrible reviews we read on Yelp. We sat down and ordered pretty fast. I was upset that they didn't have burritos but I settled for 3 steak tacos and my boyfriend got chicken fajitas. While waiting we devoured three servings of chips and salsa. The chips were homemade but a little on the greasy side. Their salsa was phenomenal. Once we got our food we didn't waste a second before diving in face first to the deliciousness in front of us. Our sever, though busy, was very attentive and personable. We believe his name was Freddie. The only downfall was that it was a little pricey for just me and my boyfriend. We ordered just chicken fajitas and 3 steak tacos and just water. It totaled up to 35 dollars. However, we tipped our waiter well and proceeded to leave full and very satisfied. We will both return in the future. read more

They had my reservation and walked us right in front of everyone. My date was impressed for certain we keep discussing how I need to make reservations from now on for whereever we go. I have been to Uncle Julio's out in Oak brook Terrace before. This location was a bit nicer as it wasn't as loud as the Oak Brook location. I recommend the EL Jeffe Margarita if you like salt and pepper. My date tried my drink but ate or inhaled to much pepper and ended up coughing. I loved it. Always good Guac read more

The chips and Salsa were awesome The Nacho appetizers were delicious My steak and Chicken fajitas were outstanding! Seriously one of the best Mexican food joints around! read more

One of our favorite places for Tex Mex. consistently good food and service ! Very pricey but quality is tops

My family & I went to have a birthday dinner on January 1, 2016. We were escorted to our table that was located in a corner moshed between two other tables. This is where the experience takes a turn for the worst. We order drinks to start and the three "Swirls" (Margarita & Sangria) come out and have a lot of fruit fly's in them- visible to the server and she states that's how all of their drinks come. I can understand a fruit fly maybe two but all three drinks have over 10 per drink! Ashley, the server, awkwardly laughed and said that she would send a manager over. In the meantime our meal arrives, fajitas without tortillas. The manager comes up to the table and asks how our experience is going. We showed him the fruit fly's and then explained to him that we are being served Fajitas without tortillas. He was apologetic but by that time the food was warm at best. I paid the bill and then left. I would not recommend this location for Uncle Julio's. The location on North Ave we've always had a great time and great service at so we are not boycotting Uncle Julio's, just this location. read more

My husband and I just went here for dinner and thought it was great! We arrived and there was a 20 minute wait so we went and had a drink at the bar. We were paged after about 10 minutes at the bar and were seated at a table. Our service was prompt and our waiter was very helpful. Oh and the food was delicious! I don't know why people don't like the salsa and chips, they are very flavorful. We got chicken quesadillas for an appetizer, my husband got chicken enchiladas and I got the shrimp diablos meal. All very good. The portions are large, which is nice if you like leftovers for the next day. Overall I would recommend this place, I know we are definitely going back. I am not sure what all the negativity is about in the previous reviews. read more

We are holders of Uncle Julio loyalty accounts and frequently attend the North Ave. and Schaumburg locations. However, we will not be returning to this location. The service from Miranda was abysmal. She forgot elements of our order, neglected to ask us how the food was after depositing it, and didn't return to the table until she dropped off the check. Since we were paying with a gift card, we needed her assistance, but we couldn't find her for nearly 10 minutes. We finally flagged down a manager, who apologized but made no attempt to rectify the situation. As if this was not bad enough, both myself and my dining companion became very ill as a result of the food. We are currently in the throes of food poisoning, but I was so angry I had to write this review. read more

Terrible service. Sat down for 20 min and didn't get so much as a hello from anyone. No drink orders. nothing. So we left.

The beef enchiladas came cold with a very hard shell, and the beans were mostly liquid. They remade our entire orders and it helped a little. i was surprised that there was not any compensation for their huge mistake read more

I just had the pulled chicken tacos. Instead of braised thigh meat, it was some kind of sodium filled, pasty breast meat that had been pulled apart, combined with tired tomatoes and chopped iceberg lettuce, served in gummy, white flour tortillas. My five-year-old daughter says that the grapes that came with her quesadilla were quite good. My fault for going, with the red white and blue sign that said "fine Mexican food." read more

The food was really good. My friend And I shared quasadillas and the nachos were delicious. Drinks were pretty strong I got the swirl and it was different, but good. Ana was our server & she was awesome! Will come back since it's so close to my house! read more

Fresh & delicious table side guacamole!! Steak was tender and tasty, however, the cheese and onion enchilada was salty and for a "Mexican" cuisine they don't carry horchatas - a main drible. Fresh grapefruit & watermelon margarita was 'the bomb' must drink! read more

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

We really enjoyed the food at Uncle Julio's! Everything was absolutely delicious! I don't know what they do to the skirt steak, but I could almost cut it with a fork. Bottom Line: Definitely on a more expensive side (minus one star), but well worth a try! read more

I have been here several times and it never disappoints! Being from California I was skeptical there would be anything close to good Mexican in the Midwest but I was wrong. I love it more than most restaurants in San Diego for Mexican fare. From the house made salsas to the table side guacamole, this place takes their food very seriously. Make sure to try the home made pork tamales and request meat sauce to top them, simply divine! They also have filet mignon fajitas that just melt in your mouth! They have freshly juiced margaritas with whatever fruit is in season, everything from ruby red grapefruit to pineapple. They're the best! So relax with some freshly made paper thin chips and fire roasted salsa while you explore the diverse menu. You won't be disappointed! Be prepared to wait for a table! Well worth it though. read more

Disappointing first and last visit today: not a very clean restaurant, slow service, and below average overpriced food. Not one redeeming feature. read more

Awesome dessert! If you love coconut, pecan, caramel and whipped cream in a uniquely crafted plate, the Cajeta is a must! read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - The Cajeta: coconut, pecan, caramel sauce & whipped cream. Yum! - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

I am so disappointed with this restaurant now. I have been to the uncle Julio's in Bethesda and it just blows hours away. I've also dined at the downtown uncle Julio's a number of times and it's a lot better. Our service this night was only subpar. The gentleman did not look like he wanted to even be there. I always order the nachos and are used to get a very nice size piece of chicken or steak on my nacho and the past three times I have been I get a smaller and smaller piece. Definitely not worth the money. And it's such a shame because it's very obvious that there's they're cutting back to save money. But I still love the watermelon Margarito's. They are fantastic. Too bad Uncle read more

The drinks are good but the food is only a step above Chili's. It's your typical chain restaurant. That pretty much sums it up...

Pros: ambiance, outdoor heaters, food Cons: expensive, waitstaff wasn't too attentive read more

I love this place. Carne Asada plate and fajitas were excellent. Tortilla chips nicely seasoned and great salsa. The waiter was attentive and polite. read more

As I work near uncle Julius and I watched it being built, it was imperative to try this place which gets many high marks from my Co workers and friends. Usually turned off by the corporate concept restaurant I entered wearily today. Much to my surprise, I like it here. It is to be expected to be greeted cordially and always appreciated. The bar staff is friendly, knowledgeable and prompt. They are also encouraged to try all the food they have to recommend. Once familiar with my taste preference the bartender recommended lovely choices tailor made for me. Margaritas are not usually a go to for me but the bar tender made a concoction just for me. Not sweet, with lots of lime. Yummy. For me, the mark of a great Mexican restaurant is their Tamales. One of Medicos finest gifts to the world and one of the most frequently messed up I was exited to order these here. The outer later is light and fluffy on all flavors of which they have 3. I tried the pork and chicken and am looking forward to try their veggie. The tamales are an appetizer which is reasonably priced at $8.99 for 4. It comes served with a sauce of your choice, but in my case the bar tender ordered 2. A green and a red which where both creamy and smooth, totally un expected. The chip, fresh and warm, maybe a little to thin, but packed with flavor and the fire roasted pepper salsa, delicious-smoky. I could eat this all day long. Come on in, sit down, enjoy an un expected stay in the burbs at a restaurant on the fringe of old orchard mall. You won't regret it. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - Chips and fire roasted salsa. Margarita, to shelve. - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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I don't understand how this place has not received five stars. The waiter was either tip hungry or super stoked to serve us. The standard salsa that comes with chips taste phenomenal. My boyfriend claimed it tasted like steak.. And I love steak so if you're into that definitely try their salsa. The grapefruit margaritas were delicious. Throw a corona in there and you've got yourself a pretty damn decent fish bowl. Fajitas were decent ceviche was tasty but the coconut flan ! I made love to that with my mouth. It was AMAZING. So amazing I wanted to drive another 40min to pick up a few more to go. I thoroughly enjoyed the food drinks and service here the interior is clean as well :) read more

I visited this place with my wife after hearing from great things about it from an employee that works here. I love to support business where the employees get treated fairly and love the business themselves. Anyways besides this apparently being a great place to work, it is also a great place to eat. As you get seated right away you get these amazing chips with what I think is the best salsa I have ever had. Everything is fresh and taste amazing. We have been here twice already and both times both the food and the service was great. Definitely becoming a regular at Uncle Julio's! read more

Delicious food and great service! Always satisfied every time! I recommend to make a reservation through open table, since it's always packed for dinner! I love this place!! Can't wait to go again! read more

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I love this place! Considering it's a "chain" restaurant, the food is very good. Now, would I consider it super authentic Mexican, not really, but I have to admit that the homemade tortillas are pretty good. And all their food and cocktails are tasty. Their fajitas with chicken, steak, and shrimp are delicious. Service always great. I highly recommend this place. read more

Love this restaurant! The food was delicious! It's a brand new restaurant inside Westfield Old Orchard and you have the option to eat indoors or outdoors, weather permitting of course. read more

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The food is always good but I've had a couple of bad experiences with the same rude hostess. I guess that happens because they are always super busy! We ended up waiting 90 minutes after being told 20. I'm ok with waiting my turn when it's super busy but she seemed to enjoy messing with customers. I watched her tell a family with a handicapped child to move the wheelchair several times, it was crowded and difficult for them to move. Totally uncalled for!! They should really pay more attention to who they have at the front desk - bad customer service !! On the other hand the bartenders are great and it's a fun place to watch a game! I highly recommend the carne asada, the taco salad, table side guac and grapefruit margarita! read more

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

Been here a few times. Had the carne asada once, which was good. But food has gone down hill with each visit. Each dish is over-spiced and over-flavored. More spice is not better. Tortilla soup is too spicy and greasy. Chips are thin and greasy too. Hard to find food that kids will like since soup, chicken breast, and beans were all too spicy. Rice was either undercooked or dried out. Ended up ordering chicken fingers for our 5 year old- who normally loves good Mexican food. I had general indigestion soon after leaving. Service was sufficient. Food tries too hard, but is simply not 'authentic' Mexican as claimed. I would call it Mexican style. I suppose if it was authentic, it would be called Tio Julio's, not Uncle Julio's. read more

The worst experience ever !! Poor service and disgusting poor quality in food!! Overrated and overpriced!! Guacamole was so small and consisted of one big chunk of avocado. The fajitas are over $50 with shriveled onions and no other vegetables. Water was spilled on the table and no one came to wipe up table. Took away napkins and drinks while we ate. The chocolate piñata consisted of rotten strawberries. I would NEVER Step foot in there again. Then to add insult to injury , they try to recommend 20% tip on the whole taxed bill. They are not a made from scratch kitchen. Garbage!! read more

Went here twice in same week when I was on travel. I got the steak Quesadillas both times and the steak was amazing! I'll def be going back when I return in a couple weeks (plus Dominique behind the bar is pretty awesome too) read more

Good food. This is how a $12 margarita on rocks looks like. Watery margarita taste with more than half cup filled with plain ice. read more

Uncle Julio's Old Orchard - $12 margarita - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

My grlfriend and I had the chicken and steak fajitas which were done to perfection and soo good. Our server was Susan and she is very nice and very helpful! (Thanks for your careful attention and good humor Susan!) My girlfriend has many allergies and Susan made her comfortable and confident in ordering. I also had a spicy margarita which was excellent and delivered quickly too. Kudos to Susan for making our meal great, and hats off to the chefs who I know are busy on this Saturday evening. read more

Great food and the manager was great to our group. Portions were huge and we had lots of leftovers. We will be back.