My husband and I ordered take out nachos with chicken fajitas for dinner this evening. It was my first time having Uncle Julio's, although my husband has been to the Old Orchard location. I have to say I was quite disappointed with the quality of the food. It looked like they had microwaved shredded cheese on tortilla and put a tiny piece of chicken on top. I could have done that myself. Obviously it still tastes good, but there is no part of this that screams "upscale" to me (other than the hefty price tag of $15) My husband was most disappointed by the cheese. He was expecting something more melty, more like queso, especially for carry out. My husband was pretty upset, especially since this was my first impression of the restaurant. When we got there, there was a 2 hour wait!!!! I can't imagine how disappointed I would have been to wait two hours for something I could have made at home in the microwave. I really can't wrap my head around the price tag. These nachos were not worth $15 (and think it would have cost a 20% tip if we ate in as well). I think for my next upscale Mexican experience I will look somewhere else. read more

Uncle Julio's - These are the nachos with chicken fajitas (which we had for takeout). A very disappointing $15 item. - Mexican Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

See all

Had dinner Sunday evening the service Was very slow it took almost 45 minutes For us to receive our dinner. The food Was just ok. I would say on the Border Is a better choice for service and for The food offered. Given a choice in The future I would select On The Border Vernon Hills. I have made Comments in the past about Uncle Julio and it's fallen on deaf ears. read more

Came in for a quick margarita for cinco de Mayo. First off, no specials for cinco de Mayo at a Mexican restaurant lol. Secondly, ordered a double margarita and got charged for two drinks instead of the regular up charge that the vast majority of restaurants charge. The bartender never gave us a heads up on the price difference. In total, we had 4 "standard drinks" for a total of $71.50. I didn't know that uncle julios was a night club in downtown Chicago that was accidentally built in the suburbs of lake forest, Illinois. 0/10 recommend. Prices do not match the quality served. Finally, the salsa was absolute garbage. Avoid at all costs. read more

Service was slow for a weekday. Service was good when I did get it. FOOD was tasteless and small portion. I'll stick to a non- chain for food. read more

Don't understand the negative reviews - my lady and i went there for dinner on a Saturday and we thought the food and drinks were phenomenal and of the highest quality! The service could've been a little better (granted, it was a busy Saturday though), but overall the food was some of the best Tex-mex we've had in the area. We've lived here for 2 years. Also, the ambiance and setting was very nice. Overall, I was impressed. read more

we had a great experience at the vernon hills location. our waitress Itzel was top notch, she was very attentive to us and made sure we had enough food and margaritas. I ordered the 3 enchilada dinner and it was outstanding. the cheese and onion is amazing. because of people like itzel, we will continue ro come to this location. thanks for making it a great experience. read more

Over priced terrible service have gone once by choice and twice for others request and have yet to have an enjoyable experience uncle Fool...io's to ever return read more

Just went to Uncle Julio's for a work lunch. Where do I start? $11 table-side guacamole was prepared by a person who never bothered to look up or ask how we wanted it. I had to catch his attention to let him know I wanted it spicy. Apparently, you get one drink only because our server never refilled anything (or asked). Plates for chips must be super-expensive because we never got those either. There was a manager type person roaming around randomly with an ear piece. He must be using that to filter out the noise of his patrons because he never bothered to check on us. Tacos came out late and were wrong. I asked for hard and got soft shell. I was also shorted on the sweet corn and got grapes (WTH) instead. Half their parking lot is set up for valet parking which is a pain. It's lunch. You're in a mall and it's not a night club. Just open up the spots. The hostess led off with some weird watermelon margarita special. See this thing hanging from my neck on a lanyard? That's a work ID. I'm at lunch (like 99.9% of the other people here). Hold off on the booze and get me some plates!! Pretty pitiful, all things considered... read more

DANGEROUSLY AMAZING FOOD!! Everything from the salsa, to the drinks, to the chicken & steak fajitas was BOMB!! Service from Carter was EXCELLENT! ***CAUTION*** Eating at this restaurant will make you sleepy after eating. Drive carefully, or take a nap in your car. read more

Long Story short .. rice was dry and old, food was warm but not hot , order a margarita and i got the glass wrap in napkins cause it was dripping all over our table :( ,, i got seated next to high chairs and extra chairs they have in the corner witch we don't care much, but it did bother me that my wife cut not even get out by the time we were finish eating because they we're bringing more chairs as the time when by... server was below average:( i get it servers are busy and they have other tables but be there when food is being served also come around and check if everything is ok all im asking is check on your tables it takes less than a 1min to make sure your order is accurate or not. (The goods = music is great i love it, place is nice) we like to give places 2nd chances we might come again hopefully they deliver! read more

Uncle Julio's - Mexican Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

See all

I came here with my friends over the weekend with our kiddos and overall had a good time. Upon arrival, the hostess wasn't the friendliest when I asked her if she could hurry up our already made reservation since we had 3 toddlers who I didn't feel like chasing around at their restaurant. Had our table been ready right away, we could have sat down right away and began ordering. Here's the good of this place. I loved the trendy atmosphere, it was definitely a pleasant place to enjoy good Mexican food in my opinion. I really liked their margaritas, wish they were a little stronger, but I can ask for that next time, but definitely tasty and for a good price. I absolutely loved their veggie tamales, they were the best I ever had and I've had my share of tamales let me tell you. They were a little spicy, with delicious fresh veggies, yummy cheese, super tasty. I will absolutely get them again. We also really liked the steak and shrimp tacos, but I only wished that the server asked us if we wanted everything on top, as I don't like certain things like tomatoes and cheese on my tacos so I wish there was better communication in that regards. I really liked the chips, they were crispy and warm but the salsa was so so, I prefer it red and not brown colored. Here's what really annoyed me. When we were ordering I had asked what the difference was between tableside guacamole and ordering just a regular large and the server said "their staff actually comes out and makes it in front of you" So I was wondering why pay $5 more for something to be made in front of you. Didn't make sense to me. Well, I have to say big mistake. The "large" guacamole was served on a bunch of lettuce which I did not care for. I thought you're paying for the guac, give me the guac. Plus, the actual guacamole was not flavorful at all, maybe had we ordered it tableside we could have asked for some kick to it with the jalapeno. So do yourself a huge favor and just get it tableside because I'm sure it's that much better and not a waste of money like getting it regular. Lesson learned. Service was a little on the slow side, had to find our server a few times, slow in getting our order, and slow in bringing the food, water, check, etc, but maybe they're just understaffed. read more

I always celebrate my birthday here with the chocolate piñata. We had Carter as our server and he was fabulous. The service was the best we have had in a really long time. read more

Shredded chicken tacos were flavorless and like ground meat instead of shredded as per the menu. The rice was dry,the beans were hard and chewy and over cooked with little flavor. The margarita had very little salt on the rim The music and atmosphere was loud We had four servers who served us quickly and we felt rushed. No one followed up on our food after delivered. Wont be back. read more

Loved the 3 words on the sign: Mexican from scratch. First indication of a good Mexican restaurant - the salsa. Here, it was fresh and had a distinctive, smoky taste from veggies roasted in the back. Interesting drinks. The Jeffe margarita was calling out to my quest for spice - Exotico Reposado tequila, chile liqueur, lime juice and rimmed with salt and pepper as well as a jalapeño. They had a special pineapple margarita that sounded good too. Should have gotten the table side guacamole, but got the guacamole made in the back instead. There were several things on the menu that looked good, but ultimately I settled on the Guadalajara combo of bacon-wrapped shrimp stuffed with Monterey Jack and jalapeño and chicken/beef fajitas. Both were tasty and worth ordering again. We were a group of 15. The ones who liked their food had discriminating tastes when it comes to Mexican food. The ones who thought it was nothing special were the ones who prefer Tex Mex over Mexican and think On the Border is fine Mexican dining. Not a dig - to each their own. The restaurant doesn't do much to help their cause by having a big section of the menu labeled Tex-Mex Classics. Definite confusion whether they want to be Mexican or Tex-Mex and I think it reflects in their yelp reviews. Lots of dings for service in other reviews, but we really didn't have any issues there. Since we were a big group, we got the chocolate piñata, filled with fruit, berries and churros. Fun and tasty, but you need a fairly big group to justify ordering it. Looking forward to going back. read more

Great food, great service, and clean washrooms. We arrived around 8pm. My family wanted Mexican, so we decided to give Uncle Julio's another try. I'm glad we did. The restaurant was about 90-95% full, so we were seated right away. The last time we were there was when they first opened. They have definitely found their groove! The service was great, and the food was served hot and delicious. It's not often I call for a manager to give praise, but I did last night. We will definitely be back!! read more

We gathered all our adult kids and Grandkids for lunch to celebrate my birthday. Because we were a group of 15, we made advance reservations. We were greeted by our servers, who had our table ready and took care of us for over 2 hours and even took our family photo. They all made sure we had enough chips, salsa, beverages, appetizers and our meal, while allowing us to spend time together visiting. To top off our dining, we ordered the chocolate pinata dessert as the birthday "cake" with extra ice cream and toppings. EVERYTHING was so delicious and the service was impeccable. Highly recommend this restaurant. read more

This place is a bit underrated. I can see how the wait can be crazy and the service may be hit or miss (because they are so darn busy)... but I've been here twice now and both times the food was on point! 5 stars. The first time i came here I had Juanitas platter! It was delicious. I would recommend that for anyone who hasn't been here before and isn't sure of what they want. The second time I came here I had the Salmon, which was EXCEPTIONAL!! It was perfectly cooked! And had a great flavor!! I was very impressed. read more

Wonderful experience! Our bartender Jasmine was very attentive. The manager John came over to ask about our food.(we ate at the bar). The restaurant was very busy but overall experience was great. We will go back again. read more

Everything they make is absolutely delicious! Their fajitas are extremely tasty; I personally love the salmon ones with the jicama salad. The coolest thing is that chocolate piñata; super fun and really good churros and whipped cream (I'm pretty sure it has rum or some yummy booze infused). The atmosphere is always alive and lots of people, although the space is large enough so that the waiting time is not long even during busy weekends. read more

Today we visited it for our Valentines dinner with my better half. That's probably for the last time in the nearest future. To be fair, the waiter tried her best, it was not her fault. She was taking care of too many tables. They brought us 3 tortillas for 2 people. When manager stopped by and asked us whether we need anything, we asked for more tortillas. I could see in his face when he asked, he did it only as a part of the routine, without even listening to our responses. Those tortillas have never arrived of course. One of the entries was completely cold, not even warmed up properly. The coffee they served was tasteless and cold as well. On the positive side, the drinks they served were good. That's how they earned 2 stars from me. Bad service! read more

Overall this place is fairly solid. I have been 3 times so far since they opened and I think each time has been better as the staff is getting better. The food is very good. I've had the quesadillas and the bacon wrapped shrimp. Highly recommend the shrimp, it was excellent! The margaritas are good- small and a tiny pricy for what you get, but good. They give you unlimited chips and salsa. The salsa is roasted and not spicy so it will be fine for any taste probably. My friend got the ahi fajitas once and she said they were amazing, and another friend got the Juanita's platter and she liked it (they easily accommodated the request for chicken instead of pork). Haven't tried the dessert yet. The chocolate piñata looks awesome but have yet to try it, definitely looks awesome but huge and you'd need a big group for it. Still perplexed at the valet parking, the parking lot is already small and manageable and I don't see any reason for the valet. Worth it to check it out, it's a step up from Chili's/On The Border/etc. read more

Wasn't too hungry when I stopped by but was able to get a taste of their table side guac & the honey habenero bacon shrimp. The guac was good. Kind of bland. The shrimp however was really spicy but was pretty good. The drink I ordered was pretty good, however I can't remember the name of it. I would come back to have a full meal. read more

Uncle Julio's - Honey habenero bacon shrimp - Mexican Near Me - Vernon Hills, Illinois

No need to talk about food if you have seen an employee using the bathroom and not washing his hand afterwards. Regarding food , it was ok but not wow , we had much better Mexican food in less expensive places. read more

We came for dinner not long ago! The restaurant was not busy at all. We were sat in a small room in the front of the restaurant. We were sat right next to another table. We were the only two parties at the time! When I asked if we could sit somewhere else because I wasn't comfortable sitting so close to another group. The hostess sighed and made a comment under her breath. Our table was too small for 4 people. We had part of our meal on the floor because there wasn't enough room on our table. Each time we asked for support none came! The manager was condescending when I spoke to her. She informed me that they were seating 100% if the restaurant as if we should not have asked for a different table! I will not go back ever. I'll spend my hard earned money where I am appreciated. read more

Food was ok. The restaurant is more Tex Mex then Mexican. Server was slow to take drink orders and then food orders. Guacamole made at the table was small and bland. Grapefruit margarita that my friend ordered was great! Manager was very nice and stopped by to refill drinks and get missing items, which helped make up for the slow service. read more

First with the good: the enchiladas were good, had a nice flavor, but were a bit over priced. The margaritas was good though the rim was barely salted. The bad: the food was s bit pricey. The complimentary salsa was not good and a weird warm temperature. The worst: the hostess was rude as she possibly could be and clearly wasn't sitting people however she felt and not in order. Wouldn't go back. read more

The first few times that we came to eat here were better than the most recent times. I'm not sure what changed, but they need to go back to the old ways. The fajita portions have definitely gotten smaller. Four slices of either chicken or steak meat. Wow! And now only three tortillas too. At least the manager comped the chocolate piñata because they accidentally gave ours to someone else twice. We sat down about 20 minutes prior to others, however they got their food first. Refills for drinks were almost a no. However it could have just been our waitress. Who really knows anymore. I don't think we'll be back there as the prices don't reflect the service given any longer for us. And that's too bad too. read more

The food is way overpriced for the small portions they give you. They don't have a lot of food selections, the food is dry and lacks seasoning, I got the "Jalisco" dish and the shrimps flavor had a burnt charcoal taste to it. Overall I don't recommend. read more

I'm not sure I would ever come back here again, even if I was a millionaire! Overly priced Mexican food, when you can get way cheaper, authentic tacos down the street. Despite the outrageous prices, I think the hype was worth at least one visit. Our server, Lisette, was really attentive and gave us great suggestions. The rest of the staff was friendly as well and we were in and out of the restaurant in 45 minutes! Unheard of for a Friday night so props to them for great service. read more

Mediocrity has opened. Sooo crowded, but I suppose that's because it's new. Cheese enchiladas cold in the center. Fish tacos were not worth going back for. Will this place last through the hype? Sure! Will it last much longer? Only for those who want to spend too much on avg Tex mex food Very sorry it was disappointing but you can't win them all read more

We had ordered drinks: special raspberry margarita, Coors light, and wine. Food: guacamole with pineapple and bacon carne asana fish tacos. The restaurant opened three weeks ago. The service is slow 20+ minutes for drinks. Server told us it's the first night for the bartender (bad choice first night Saturday). The drinks arrived inconsistent lots of ice and only four sips for an $11 margarita of ice. The server had the drink re made and (were charged for another drink). Check your bill closely the server knew we were charged and only removed after asking. The guacamole was excellent but not a reason to come back for dinner. The chips are thin not hot. The carne asada was average at best (beef was chewy and well done). Server mentioned that it was a favorite of hers. Friend had fish tacos and were "good". Overall Tex Mex meal was pricey and food ok. The service was slow. Maybe it will get better or maybe not. The parking lot is a mess when you try to turn into the lot. It's and accident waiting to happen. Cars backing up to the road way and blocking traffic pulling in. They have complimentary valet parking. Hope they can post signs at entrance. Also don't park in the mall lot. New signs "mall patron parking only" are posted that they will tow your car. Had a reservation two weeks in advance. Tried to go opening week-2 hour wait. When we arrived and left the wait was two hours. We were seated within five minutes of arriving. read more

Amazing service, the most friendly host (Daniel), and great food!

I came here even though i could somewhat tell it was going to be a bad idea due to the reviews but also their menu (very basic and simple). The restaurant was beautiful and it was very busy for a Thursday night. I ordered a small queso dip and their ceviche. The queso tasted like cheap cheese that tasted like velvetta cheese you purchase from the grocery store. The ceviche was poorly seasoned and very mushy like it was old and soaked in the liquid for a very long time. Then i had the order of the enchiladas I tried the 3 flavors, cheese and onion, chicken and beef which all were very bland!!! My sister had the order of wrapped shrimps which were just bland as well but the shrimp itself was okay. Basically...the food was so plain but the prices are very reasonable. Service that night started fine but the waiter didn't seem to know the menu (i noticed he had to look at our menu when we ordered the wrapped shrimp) which is understandable because the restaurant is fairly new. The food did take forever to come out. It was a busy night but they were well staffed! So many employees walking around. Not only was it a wait to get out food (My enchiladas did come out warm) it took forever for the waiter to even come by our table so we can get our check! Overall, this restaurant looks beautiful and give you a high end feel which i loved but the menu and food does not belong in it. The food was low quality... read more

I don't know why there are bad reviews here because I have been there twice and had a great experience each time. The first time we went, our server did forget to put our order in so the food took quite some time. The manager, however, came over and gave us a free dessert. The salsa that they serve you is not very spicy, but if you ask them for a spicier salsa they will happily bring it to you. The chips are thin and fresh and crispy. Both times they came to our table hot which was great. I have had the cheese enchiladas here and they are tasty. Everything tastes very fresh and homemade. I also have the ahi tuna tacos and they were very yummy. They had a very tasty jicama and mango slaw in the tacos. Our servers both times were young teenagers and both were very attentive and friendly. The staff is happy and the vibe of the restaurant is fun. Lots of families and groups so it's a bit loud. We will be back! read more

This is based off of 2 separate visits which were both sub-par 1st visit: Everything went well until we got our food, 2/3 meals came out at once. The one meal was fine, the other was the wrong dish. When the 3rd meal came out, it had the wrong meat. The two incorrect meals were taken back and fixed and a manager stopped by to apologize. 2nd visit: There were many tables visibly available, yet we waited 15 minutes beyond our "15 minute wait." When we were brought to our table our hostess did not say a word, dropped the menus and left (weird, but whatever). Then the waiter came and spilled salsa on the table and a menu and just stared at us until we asked for a napkin. A new menu was dropped off and he quickly left. When we ordered, we gave him our drinks and food - BAD IDEA. The food came out first (max 5 minutes), we asked the guy who delivered our food if he could check on our drinks... he promptly ignored us and proceeded back to the kitchen. Both meals were warm, but not hot (tasted like the meat had been sitting there) and the one meal had toppings that we asked to be removed. Manager did comp a portion of the meal as an inconvenience (which was extremely nice) but this has been an all around poor experience. read more

The food is always delicious, but I've never been more disappointed with the lack of customer service. I even called their Corporate office and spoke with Jeremy; only to have him fall through on his promise to rectify the issues my friends and I had. He's yet to call back 2 1/2 weeks later. I realize this location opened a couple months ago, but the Manager on Duty should be trained to help their newest wait staff. Theresa (4 days new at the time) was great. She struggled when it came time for the bill. When Monica, the manager, stepped in she proceeded to charge us incorrectly the second time. That's when Monica said she would "comp" our meal. However, I was charged. Not only charged, but the the wrong amount, as well. I am still awaiting for a credit to appear on my statement. I never signed, nor received a credit card charge slip. Doubtful, considering this was on Sunday, June 12th. Our to-go orders were wrong. Ordered 3 beef tacos and ended up with 1 cold chicken taco. I could go on.. Very unfortunate. I will continue to schlep to Chicago or Old Orchard locations where they have their act together. read more

Food is average but prices make you think you're in downtown Chicago. Service is nothing to write home about.

We came to Uncle Julio's for my birthday to experience the chocolate piñata. It was definitely a fun experience. My party included 2 adults and 3 kids and the chocolate piñata was too much for all of us. They give you a lot and it should be so because it costs $25-30. We only ordered appetizers because truly the intent of our visit there was the piñata....out bill was more than $80! So...this place has good food - fresh and tasty but it's very pricey for the ambiance and selection of things they have in their menu. I'm giving it 3 stars because our service was wonderful but cmmon $80 for 2 appetizers and a piñata? read more

The food is not bad decent margaritas but omg the service sucks. Watched as bartender took 10 min to make 4 margaritas. Writing this review while still waiting for our fajitas. Usually resturant like this the food comes quickly. Here been waiting 45 min since we ordered the main course. Would never come back and would never recommend. read more

I have to admit, they have nice chips and salsa, but it's overly commercialized and pricey. I prefer the while in the wall Mexican joint.