First time at this Uncle Julio's old orchard. Really nice. We sat outside as it was first beautiful night able to be Al fresco! Really sweet hostess who was very accommodating. Outside was pretty full but we were able to chose between a couple of tables. Kyle the manager stopped by table to check if we needed anything. Our server Jessica was on it. She was very thorough and expeditious. We a tortilla soup and a steak & shrimp Jalisco fajitas. Everything was great and tasty! read more

5 out of 5 stars - A True Tex-Mex Gem! Nestled in the bustling Old Orchard Mall of Skokie, Uncle Julio's is the perfect place to unwind and escape from the shopping frenzy. My friends and I found ourselves seated at the bar, where we met the star of the night, Jane! Jane was an absolute gem and despite being swamped with closing duties, she never let that affect her amazing service. Drinks were always full, conversation always flowing, and laughter always in the air, thanks to our phenomenal bartender. Even though the restaurant was just about to close, they still welcomed us with open arms! To top it off, we were treated to a delicious birthday surprise - churros for the win! Jane truly made us feel like family in the cozy atmosphere of Uncle Julio's. So if you're craving some scrumptious Tex-Mex and an unforgettable experience, head on over to Uncle Julio's in Old Orchard Mall. You might just find yourself a new favorite bartender named Jane! Cheers! Uncle Julio's in Old Orchard Mall, Skokie - where the food is fantastic and the service is top-notch! read more

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

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We never got what we ordered and paid for it anyway. We only ordered the chicken fajita quesadilla appetizer and it was only chicken and cheese, but charged full price. read more

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Service: 1/5 Almost non-existent. I was honestly surprised. I had to ask for napkins and silverware after our food was delivered. Service was phoned in. Atmosphere: 2/5 Was ok. Pretty nondescript. Food Quality: 1/5 Bland. No texture. No flavor. Tortillas were soggy. None of us felt like eating much of anything served. No body got sick but eating what I did made me feel a little uneasy. Value: 1/5 This was expensive and low quality. Worst Mexican food I've had to date. Recommendation: Just not good and an epic waste of your money and time. The one in Vernon Hills is far better...I would even say it was very good. This old orchard location was just terrible. I felt violated by the lack of service, crappy food and high prices. Even the atmosphere is lacking. It has so much potential but I would not go back to this location. read more

Had lunch today at Uncle Julio's in Old Orchard. The food was outstanding. Our server was wonderful and the manager Kyle was so friendly with all the patrons. He stopped by us to ask if everything was OK and my husband and him had a quick conversation about the recent golf tournaments going on. We definitely will keep coming back ! read more

Making reservations for a party of 14 (with 2 highchairs) was no easy task for a 1:00 Sunday birthday party for my 90 year old Mother-in-Law, but their manager Kyle was ready for the challenge with a smile. Our table was ready and waiting for us on time and we were assigned their super pleasant and efficient server by the name of Katie. I was skeptical that one server could handle the lot of us, but her professionalism was greatly appreciated. Kyle came over to check that we were all satisfied and I assured him as well as Katie that we felt completely comfortable with our experience. Kudos to them both . . . a wonderful afternoon was had by all. read more

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

3 stars ENTIRELY for the margaritas. If this review was ONLY for margaritas it would be 5 stars. They are freshly made, no crappy syrup at this place. I had a fresh strawberry one with Patron, on the rocks. It wasn't too sweet and just the perfect amount of everything. Also had the Steak fajitas. Ehh.. I've had better food at those 24 hour taco joints. Come for the margaritas and chips. If you choose to eat don't expect anything worth mentioning. read more

Uncle Julio's - Really.. the best margaritas around - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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This latest experience at Uncle Julio's was actually quite good. The service was great, our waitress was attentive and understanding. And we were seated in a timely manner and the food came out quite fast. We always love the chips and salsa here. The tortillas is another favorite, as they are fresh and made from scratch. This time we also sat outside, our first time doing so at this restaurant. It was a nice al fresco meal. read more

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Best Mex food in Chicago and they close their restaurant near me.....now I am lost without my Mexican food.

Dined during phase 4 of Covid-19 season. I've dined here in the past while shopping at Westfield Old Orchard as well as other Chicagoland locations in the city & in Orland Park. I used to be a fan of Uncle Julio's for a long time. We went to Old Orchard on a beautiful weather day so it was an impromptu dining experience. I didn't quite feel comfortable with dining out experience quite yet but 2 other family members wanted to, so I opted in. This was my first dining experience since Covid quarantine. I've read plenty of articles from wait staff side so I was being considering of them during the whole experience. I made sure I ordered everything at once, be patient, tip well, and leave within 45 min. Service was great and food came out quite fast. I was very empathetic to servers and hostess having to work outdoor & wearing a mask at all times. I sat still & didn't wear a mask while I was eating and I was still hot! Tables were generous spaced out, including some extensions across the walkway, under the tree. It was rather a sunny day so most tables were under sun, minus a few tables under the tent. Food was quite salty in all 3 dishes. I think this may be the regular practice and that my palate might've changed for Uncle Julio's. Myself and 2 other dining mates have ordered: Skirt steak quesadillas: $15.50 very generous in size. Cooked perfectly with sour cream & shredded head lettuce 3 ground beef taco plate: $13.50 it was good minus the saltiness. Tex-mex combination dinner: $16 appreciate this as I couldn't decide what to eat. I've been craving for enchiladas and also wanted tacos so this was perfect. It came with a red chili sauce ground beef enchiladas, salsa verde pulled chicken enchilada, and a ground beef taco. I'm a steak taco type of gal, but this did it. Thanks for making my first dining experience a success. I'd give it a 4.5 star, knocking off 1/2 star for food saltiness, but I still support you, so here you go, Uncle Julio's. read more

Tonight I was wanting Mexican food and thought, you can't go wrong with this well known chain. I sit at the bar because I travel solo all the time. Sitting at a table seems to make the other patrons nervous because I am always stared at. Sitting at the bar, alone, this doesn't happen. Needless to say, I was sadly disappointed. I ordered the 6 bacon wrapped camarones. Stuffed with cheese and jalapeño. Served with grilled onions, green peppers, guacamole and Mexican butter. Coat $32.00. I didn't want the beans and rice or the tortillas. So, I also ordered a side of roasted mushrooms at cost of $6.99 . What I got was 6 very nice sized shrimp with the tiniest sliver of jalapeño wrapped in bacon. These were served on a hot plate on a bed of onions and green peppers (which needed to be cooked a little more). The roasted mushrooms were chopped/diced like they were gonna be added to a recipe. PLUS the server delivering my food tried giving me flour tortillas. An item I told my waiter I did not want. What I didn't get that was supposed to come with my meal was the cheese in the stuffed shrimp, the freshly made guacamole and the Mexican butter to dip my shrimp in. The mushrooms tasted like they were sautéed and not broiled as they were on the greasy side. I am giving 3 stars as my server/bartender who was extremely busy with a large and very loud party at the bar, was still very attentive. I didn't complain about my food until I received my check, because I do not send my food back. I told the waiter he needed to tell the kitchen staff to pay better attention to the food they send out as there was no cheese in my stuffed shrimp, I didn't get the guacamole or butter. The waiter wanted to discount my mushrooms, but I declined. I paid my check in full. Another issue I experienced, I started getting a headache and felt queezy the last 30-45 minutes I was at the restaurant. I heard a loud sound, like a drink was dropped. I turned and saw a woman vaping about 3 feet from me! I am allergic to vape! I get a headache, nausea and if I continue to be exposed, I will start vomiting....violently. Why do people think it's okay to vape in public places?!? Again...the 3 stars are for the waiter, bartender. He was amazing. Only 1 star for the food, averaged to 3 stars. read more

Uncle Julio is a hit or miss when, but depending on which dishes you order. You can never go wrong with the Carnita skillet, always my go to. Some of my favorite appetizers to share, the table side guac, the queso dip (so addicting) best time to go, for a lunch in the summertime. Usually can get seating right away during lunch hours read more

Uncle Julio's - Steak fajitas & Carnita fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

The fajitas are so juicy the rice is perfect the drinks were fantastic I love the chips and salsa read more

Uncle Julio's - Steak fajitas rice avocado cheese sour cream Rea - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Not busy but angry staff. Heard yelling from kitchen. Bartender was rude. I worked as a bartender and I was a little shocked. I was very polite, figuring she might have had a hard day. Ordered a classic margarita and watched her put well alcohol in the drink. It was all mix and no ice. Charged me for patron. I only took one sip. It was not good. Food was cold. She asked me to pay after 20 minutes. They have the device where you tap to pay. It was clear she wanted to close out, which I understand. I never said anything, but it was clear she hates her job. I just won't be back and encourage others not to waste their money. She took the device away right after I gave 20 percent tip and tapped my card. She didn't want me to answer the survey. This led me to realize that she knew she was rude. read more

The food, the service, the food and the ambiance were amazing! We sat by the bar and the bar tender on duty was super friendly and professional. He prepared some yummy margaritas for us and the food was delicious. We had the carne asada and it was cook to perfection. read more

Food literally tastes like it was microwaved. Worst fajitas I've ever had, they were barely "warm" when they brought them to the table. When asked if there was a spicier salsa the waiter shook his head and walked away. Won't ever be coming back here again. read more

Service great food ok. Ambiance comfortable, the music was nice, staff great, food was less than expected. Overall OK experience compared to my last visit 2 years ago. read more

Uncle Julio's - Chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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We ate at the Old Orchard location last Sunday and we were so disappointed in the downsized menu. Several selections were no longer available included the seafood chili relleno, my husbands favorite. The food was okay but not what we were expecting. Several items from the former menu were missing/gone. The staff were very nice, trying to deal with the changes and recent water outage however. We will think twice before returning because the quality has declined. read more

Meh at best and overpriced. What worked was the friendly staff, outdoor patio, and tasty chips & salsa. The steak and chicken fajitas were fine, but nothing special. The pork carnitas tacos filling in one taco was completely fat. Literally. Rice was bland (completely unseasoned) and beans were kind of just there. 1 order fajitas + 1 order tacos + 1 lemonade + 1 margarita = $80. Way too pricey for a way too unsatisfying lunch. read more

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Terrible experience. Will never come back. It took over an hour for our food to come out, and when we arrived no one approached our table for at least 15 minutes. While we waited for our main dishes to arrive, mind you it took about an hour, absolutely NO ONE approached our table, leaving us with empty glasses and dirty dishes. We were never informed of the timing of our food and never approached by a waiter during the entire time of waiting. Once complaining about the timing, our waitress smirked and struggled to not laugh. The service was absolutely awful. Don't come here unless you want to be ignored by the staff! read more

We ordered carryout for lunch. Fish tacos were tasty. Cheese enchiladas were also good but maybe too much cheese. Rice was good. Beans (black and pinto) were just okay - seemed to be missing something. Chips were very crispy but not salty enough, and salsa was slightly bitter. Still, it hit the spot for what we were after. read more

Uncle J is the Red Lobstah of Tex Mex/Mexican food. Pop into any trendy strip mall or mall reinventing itself in a middle income community, and they'll bring la fiesta! The only authentic thing is the Corona beer (and that's become mainstream). That's not why we're here though. It's a menu we know. The food is consistent, and you're not sitting on a bucket in a plaza on vacation next to a push cart on the beach. Enjoy the quality food and upgrade the margaritas. read more

Uncle Julio's - Don't order the house Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

Avoid at all costs. The food was less than inspiring. The service was atrocious, and a quick lunch took nearly two hours. Went in yesterday to get a quick lunch. Ordered an appetizer (queso dip). After about 20 minutes the server comes back to take our order. No queso dip. When we pointed this out, he hurriedly got us some. It was lukewarm and mostly still solid, and quickly went back to being simply solid. About 20 minutes after that, I got up and asked someone if our servier could come over. He eventually comes back, doesn't ask anything about our food, takes our order. Another half hour or so and the food finally comes out. My tacos had been sitting under a heat lamp for an obvious long time, and her taco salad was made with chicken, not with beef as she had ordered. Rather than get her a new one, the server tried to convince her to keep the wrong one. She ate almost none of it. When we were leaving, I pulled the manager aside to mention the problems. He offered to comp our meal (I refused), but he obviously was keeping no control over what was going on there. I don't expect to be back. read more

FABULOUS SERVICE!!! Food was great, but our server was better. Would definitely recommend!

Ambiance was nice, but music too loud for my son so we had to get our food and drinks to go. Was supposed to be half price drinks too, but got back to the hotel in a rush and found our drinks only half full and charged a full $15 each. And the $17 steak fajita bowl (to go) was not worth the money either. Extremely disappointed! read more

Uncle Julio's - $15 for a half full margarita??!! Really? Terrible. - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Alright this one's gonna be mean. This is probably the worst "Mexican" food I've ever had next to Taco Bell (if that's even Mexican) I've tried it 3-4 times in the past 10 years. The only good food item is the guacamole and that's impossible to fuck up. The patron margaritas used to be good too. Now they're like $15 and taste like lime juice on the rocks lol. It's actually embarrassing how bad the food is here. And it always comes out so cold Super mids, this is one of my worst reviews 1/10 read more

The new owners took every vegetarian item off the menu. I LOVED their mushroom tacos and always recommended this place to everyone- This decision lost a long time regular. I will not be returning. read more

FOOD WAS TERRIBLE this is an American nasty place the service was amazing, very good customer service! This place is an American disgusting style KNOCK OFF MEXICAN, change the WHOLE MENU! or take the word MEXICAN outta there.... Disgusting! Nothing Mexican about this place! This is a place for ppl that like that disgusting chipotle style crap food it looks pretty and all but it tasted soo weird and gross kinda like those frozen food dishes that look good till u eat it... read more

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Fresh & delicious Tex-Mex (website says Mexican, but the menu screams Tex-Mex). This isn't a taqueria you'd find in the city - go into the city if you want a taco (yet to find a solid taqueria in the NS). If you want good Tex-Mex, this is the spot. The food is delicious and made fresh. The reviews scared me away for a couple years - thought, the location in the city is delicious - guess I must have ate there before I developed taste.....but turns out, the reviews are just petty complainers. Food review only - can't speak to the service - two toddlers make delivery and take out the only pleasant option. read more

Food is good and the El Jefe margarita is legit. Good spot for a quality meal and a darn good drink.

Ordered 3 soft chicken tacos with rice and beans. As soon as I tasted the rice I knew it was boxed rice. My mother got enchiladas and she didn't like em. She said tortillas were gross. Server was nice. Place was nice. Only thing good was lime margarita. read more

Our family loves this Uncle Julio's location. We come here often, food is always fresh and delicious, staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. Great ambience and amazing drinks We always receive a top notch service. I highly recommend this location. read more

Like so many other restaurants Service is an issue.Maybe my expectations were high because of the last time we had a totally different experience. We ordered guacamole table service, didn't happen. Just regular guacamole.....plates were not removed. So disappointing, for the price.When is it acceptable for patrons to FaceTime/ chat in a restaurant. Totally disrupted by this, no attempts to discourage this from hostess. read more

Uncle Julio's - Dishes stacked up!Server walked by several times. - Mexican Near Me - Skokie, Illinois

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Skip this place. Uncle Julio's used to make pretty delicious food with a nice amount on the plate at a fair price, but not anymore. This is the second time this has happened. They can blame covid or supply chains all they want, but that doesn't fly anymore. It's just a convenient way to stick it to us. We (two adults and a child) spent just under $100 for takeout, and the cartons of food were half empty. I bought takeout because I didn't want to have to cook, and that's what I ended up doing because there just wasn't enough food in their containers. So, it's okay to raise your prices AND give the customers less? And what's their excuse for the lack of flavor? Please just stop with the excuses and start taking care of your customers. Management if you're listening, please knock it off. read more

Celebrated mom's birthday at here--perfect for all ages. The staff made it special, and the chocolate piñata was a hit. Kids had a blast whacking it. Truly memorable! Thanks for the great service and being extra accommodating for a big party! Our waitress was amazing! read more

We go there for the fajitas and birria both are delicious. The Manager always stops by the table to make sure everything is good. The servers are always punctual and polite read more

Went this evening. Good food. Manager was very attentive to detail and our server Yasmine was very sweet. However the hostess is extremely rude and suffers from a false sense of power trip. Don't think I will be coming back till she is there...her presence made the experience very miserable read more

Uncle Julio's in Old Orchard / SKOKIE ILLINOIS: The food was excellent but not to be outmatched by the service. It was a busy dinner hour and with the Memorial Holiday even more customers than usual. However, KYLE, the manager and server LILLIE made the dining with my family quite accommodating and pleasant. They treated us like old friends and made our family night out enjoyable. Ten out of Ten and thank you KYLE and LILLIE. read more

My fiancé and I usually love coming here but we left extremely disappointed today. The service was great and we assume they were short staffed today. However, the food was unfortunately very disappointing. We both got the steak tacos which we normally love but today they were flavorless and almost every piece we bit into was fat. The rice was very dry and lacked its usual flavor as well. The ambiance was very lively per usual but this review is mainly to critique the food that we feel we wasted $50 on. We do love coming here so I'm sure we will give it another try in the future but today Uncle Julio's really missed the mark for us. Hopefully just an off day and this is an exception and not the norm! read more

I usually go to the Uncle Julio's on North Ave, but came here when traveling in the suburbs. I have always loved Uncle Julio's and while the food isn't necessarily authentic Mexican, it is still really good. The drinks are fabulous. Usually places to frozen margaritas toward the end of the drink I just get too much ice and not enough actual booze or flavor. Their frozen drinks are perfect, and the swirl is my absolute favorite. It has become my go-to drink spot with my mother when I visit. Now they also make a swirl with Grand Marnier - not really my think but my mother LOVED it. The space at Old Orchard is huge with a bunch of seating options and a nice outdoor patio. Staff is always friendly. Service can sometimes be slow when they're busy, but otherwise always fine! My mother ordered some kind of honey glazed salmon. She felt it was over-cooked but came with a really good pineapple salsa type topping which was very delicious. I ordered the shredded chicken enchiladas and found them to be fantastic. Maybe nothing that would blow your socks off unique, but I just wanted some good enchiladas and they served their purpose. I'd order them again and again! read more

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