Nice place. Nothing fancy. Good food and nice drinks. May come back at some point but not too bothered.
(3)
Christian K.
Fine Mexican food? The menu is uninspiring and serves the typical staples you would expect from a mediocre Mexican chain. If you want really delicious Mexican food go to El Limon in Conshohocken! The place was also dirty and service so, so. It might be good if they try or maybe they just do not care about the lunch shidt and do a better job for the dinner crowd but the way the place looked (dirty and poorly managwd) so did the food taste.
(1)
Joe K.
Wife and I decided to try this place out and the experience was excellent. We usually go to Plaza Azteca but we had heard about this place through some friends so, why not give it a shot? First impression of the place is that it is very clean. We were seated promptly and then, the deliberation over what we wanted to eat began... I ended up settling for the steak fajitas. Comes with guac, sour cream, pico, shredded cheese, and of course, tortillas. This stuff was to die for... For a second I forgot I was in a chain restaurant. We soon found out why things tasted so good... Barry, a manager at the restaurant came over and introduced himself. He asked how everything was and I shouted back, with a bunch of food in my mouth, "AWSOME"! We somehow ended up in a conversation on why the food was so good and he explained that everything they have is cooked fresh and made from scratch. I have a lot of respect for this and also a manager that spends the time to show and explain how much pride he has for the quality of food they produce. Usually I would give 4 stars for excellent food and service at a chain restaurant but, in the end, I feel like Barry added on the 5th star himself... He went out of his way to make us feel special. Excellent service, excellent staff, and most importantly, excellent FOOD!!!!
(5)
Danita R.
:::Cue Randy Jackson voice and clasp hands; prepare to shrug::: Uncle Julio's was just aight for me dawg. One thing i can say is that unlike quite a few other reviews, my service was great. I went towards the end of a lunch rush on a Saturday and got prompt, attentive and quick service. The food though? Just alright. Not terrible, but not so delicious as to warrant the $$ prices. The tortilla chips are way too thin. They barely withstand a half scoop of salsa and if you expect them to spoon any guacamole, just forget about it and pick up your fork. They're tasty and well-seasoned by themselves, not greasy, but you can't scoop anything. The guacamole was fresh and good but you know when you're convinced you make a better one at home that's just a bit busted. The chicken quesadilla was good, but again, nothing to make you return. My margarita of the day, pineapple, was on so many rocks I thought I was gonna need some ropes and an "On belay!" to repel to the actual tequila. Skimp on my tequila and salt and you won't get my patronage again. Overall, I'll save $30 and stick with other spots for authentic Mexican food. You might want to as well. Unless you just want to be super close to Charming Charlies ;)
(3)
Jeff P.
My 2-year old and I came for dinner. Nothing ticks me off more than being dumped at a table only to sit for twenty minutes with no service. I had to flag down a manager. To his credit he apologized profusely and then bought me a drink and an appetizer. The food is very fresh and tastes great. Just hard to get the taste of bad service out of my mouth!
(3)
Jeffrey Y.
Let me tell you something Uncle Julio. The two stars is because the restaurant was open, clean and well laid out. A bad server or inconsistency with food ends it for me. This place had some of both. Our waitress was not pleasant. It was kind of early so maybe she just got there and wasn't "feeling it". She should have hid that from us. Her attitude was blizzard cold and she forgot to bring out the complete order. Later she remembered and blamed "them". The first flavored iced tea she gave me was delicious.The second tasted like tap water. HUH? The food wasn't terrible but it lacked authenticity. What did I expect tho- it's at a mall. Sorry Uncle Julio but we are no longer related. I'll spend my money at Senior Salsas (in Abington) where the food is consistently delicious, and the severs are effective and pleasant. Adios.
(2)
Greg C.
3 stars based on previous experience with their fajita menu. Enchiladas tonight were a step above Taco Bell but below Baja Fresh. Nice waitress and quick service. The greasiest nacho chips I have ever eaten. Why go here when the best Mexican in the area is around the corner at El Sarape in Blue Bell?
(3)
Tom E.
On Saint Patrick's Day, you drink beer and eat corned beef. On Cinco De Mayo,you drink margaritas and eat Mexican. I decided for the occasion to finally try the chain Uncle Julio's in Plymouth Meeting. I was right that I would be able to get a seat at the bar there whereas Plaza Azteca would probably be packed as their Bar is much smaller. The chips were good - warm and thin. The salsa was a fire roasted darker version than typical red salsa you find most places. Ok. Not great. Not bad. The bartender recommended THE SILVERSMITH - a margarita comprised of Don Julio Silver, Cointreau, lemon and lime sour. At 9.99 it had a nice taste as well as a nice punch. Ordered the STEAK AND ENCHILADA DINNER. This was 6 oz. marinated Skirt steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, with a cheese and onion enchilada, El Paso style red sauce, Mexican rice and refried beans. The steak was ok. The enchilada could have been cooked through. Was ok. Beans and rice were ok. Service was ok. It's a chain that felt like a chain and delivered like a chain. Nothing special. Just ok.
(2)
Dee R.
Everything is made fresh, and you can taste it in their food. It may look like a chain restaurant from outside, but this is authentic Mexican food at its finest.. Ordered "Jaunita's Platter" which is one of their signature dishes. It was delicious! My wife had ordered the fish tacos, and our server was gracious enough to apologize that one of the tacos was accidentally overcooked, and that they were preparing a new dish immediately. Now that is honest, quality service right there! Also, this place is huge, with a nice sized bar area at the front, and private party space in the rear.
(4)
Amy V.
The ppl that actually work here are so dumb. How can u work somewhere and not know what's on the menus. Also, the worst service ever! The food isn't that good either
(1)
Gary H.
Uncle Julio should have had Aunt Julia with him today. The tacos were good but the fun stopped there. The Mexican rice must have dried out while crossing the border. The waitress seemed disturbed by our presence. She started out with the "not today" attitude. Maybe she have called in this morning and told her boss that. I had raspberry tea which was delicious... The first glass. The refill must come from the sink!!! HORRIBLE!!! The chili con queso should be renamed to queso con I don't f'ing know!!! Too cheesy and no chili!!!! I left with the feeling that if I ever had to try this place again, I'd rather go to bed hungry!!!
(2)
Amber K.
I went here for lunch on cinco de mayo and I will never go back. I expected the place to be busy, so I called ahead to see if there was a wait and to put my party of 5 on the waiting list since they do call ahead seating. The hostess said there was no wait, so it wasn't necessary. We arrived 15 minutes later and were told that we would have to wait 15 minutes. I looked around, surprised at how empty the restaurant looked and asked the hostess if she was joking. She said they were short staffed... what? They didn't schedule enough people to serve their half empty restaurant on a day when everyone wants to go out for Mexican food? Did the date sneak up on you? We went to wait at the bar and the bartender was obviously overwhelmed. He told us he'd be with us in a moment. After a minute or two, I tried to find some drink menus to look at, I grabbed something I thought was a drink menu but it wasn't... the bartender looked at me and when I said "oh I was looking for drink menus" and he replied "you could've just asked" with a tone I didn't appreciate. Finally we got our drinks and when we told the bartender we were all paying with separate cards, he rolled his eyes and acted like we were a huge inconvenience. During our time at the bar, my friend ended up with margarita all over his pants from a puddle a previous customer left on the bar. The bartender couldn't be bothered to wipe up the mess and just threw some cocktail napkins towards him. At this point, we debated leaving but the chips and salsa were good and after 20 minutes of waiting, they finally called my name. We carried our chips and salsa with us from the bar (much to my friends' embarrassment) and were happy with our decision since the waitress informed me they were currently out of chips (in their defense, they were making more and we did get more for our the table eventually). Thank God our waitress was awesome. She took care of us and she was definitely the bright spot of our lunch. Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, however 4 out of 5 of our party ordered the fajitas and never received the rice and beans portion of our order. We didn't bother asking about it because by then we were over it. Honestly, the food was good, the drinks were great, the prices were fine... but first impressions are everything and our first 20 minutes in the restaurant were so terrible that I will be taking my business elsewhere. I've heard from 2 other friends that have had similar experiences there as well.
(2)
Mike M.
It was the first time in my life I ever had to walk out of a restaurant. After being seated, we sat at our table for almost 20 minutes without so much as anyone asking what we wanted to drink. The place was practically empty and the staff were just milling around and chatting, some walking right past us, completely ignoring us. I've never experienced anything like it. What a first impression! I won't be giving them a second chance.
(1)
Philly C.
We come here every few weeks or so.. Not "authentic" , but very good Americanized Mexican food.. Nachos are ways fresh as is the salsa .. They have a spicy salsa if u request it .. The Carne asada is by far the best thing on the menu. Marination is perfect and it always comes out nice and medium rare.. The bacon wrapped shrimp are also a must we well.. Overall I say the food is tasty but no where near authentic.. If ur in the area it's a must try..
(4)
Mark M.
Went here with my wife and 2 close friends for lunch Place is very clean, it was too hot to eat outside but music playing and lots of outdoor seating Went in and were immediately greeted and seated Place is huge and it was pretty empty however it was a weekday we all winded up having off. This place could easily fit 100 or more people it's huge! Anyways waitress was super bubbly and nice Took our drink orders right away (bonus points) Margaritas were strong!! (They better be for 10 bucks a pop) Food selection was good lots of Mexican favs and some unique to Uncles items Table side guacamole was awesome! Lady came out and made it fresh and let us pick our fixings I got the fish tacos, great tilapia. Now I ordered the dinner portion And all my friends were supposed to get lunch portions turns out only my buddies was put in as so. So when our entrees came out his looked like the kiddy portion haha All in all good experience Having said that for the area and price, take away the alcohol and table side guac and its pretty much Baja Fresh except I'd never pay $142.00 for lunch there. Don't know if I'll be back but for what it was I was more satisfied by our waitress (her name was like Kassie or something) than I was with the quality to price of our food.
(4)
B. A.
Decent food, hostess was nice but our waiter was a nervous fellow! He seemed very new and not trained well. He even tried to grab my drink before I was even finished! This was on a Saturday night.
(2)
Abbi A.
So-so restaurant. Not very impressed with the food, which was very unexceptional, especially for the price. The service was great and I have no complaints there, but our meals tasted about the same as what comes out of a box from the grocery store. Nothing stood out and with all the other choices for Mexican in the area, I don't think we'll return to Uncle Julio's.
(2)
Allison B.
I went to Julio's for lunch yesterday and had a very positive experience. I was a little wary because of the number of stars I saw on other reviews (I didn't have a chance to read any), but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, the worst part of our visit was simply that it took the hostess a little bit longer than usual to figure out where to seat us, but even she was friendly and eventually got it all figured out. We ordered a small guacamole to go with the complementary chips and salsa we received when we sat down. The guac was fresh and chunky. We each had the grilled fish tacos and those were great. The seasoning on the fish was really good and even though the order only came with two tacos, they were filling. The meal also came with a side of cilantro rice and black beans as well as a hearty scoop of guacamole to go with the tacos. We were also really impressed by our server who was super friendly and attentive. He may be the happiest restaurant employee I have ever encountered -- he pretty much smiled the whole time we were there, whether he was helping us, at another table, or just walking around. Good for him! It's a chain restaurant so I guess it lacks a little on the charm, but they got us fed a tasty a meal, so that's good enough for me!
(4)
Gloria H.
I went to Uncle Julios for dinner the other night. I was excited for a new Mexican place in a good location with a good atmosphere! It was raining the night I went so unfortunately I couldn't sit outside, although the outdoor seating area looked very pleasant - even if being along the side of a parking lot isn't the best dining experience. The food was delicious. I had tacos and my friend had enchiladas. Both of us thought they were tasty, and my portion was very big for technically only being 2 soft tacos. I saw some people having table side guacamole made for them, which looked fun and tasty. The restaurant was a bit dark and kind of loud but we had a nice booth that still gave us privacy and a nice dining environment. Our waitress however was rushing us through the whole meal, asking us for our order probably 3 times before we even opened our menus and then asking us if we wanted dessert or boxes before we were even halfway done our meals! I think she was new and nervous though and I wouldn't hold this against the restaurant. I'll definitely come back to Uncle Julios!
(5)
A G.
1) the chips are literally as thin as paper so they can't pick up water.. and try are they greasiest chips I have ever eaten.. 2)the salsa is basically salsa water ( what's left over after the salsa is eaten) to accommodate the chips 3) the cheese enchiladas are a sweaty greasy blob of cheese that re-coagulated around a soft tortilla 4) this place does not make vegetarian accommodations .. I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that won't subsist beans for meat.. there are however some vegetarian options on the menu 5) the decor was modern and nice but we won't be returning because the food was subpar and super greasy
(1)
Gavin S.
I had the strangest experience at Uncle Julio's this evening - I REALLY liked it. After reading all the negative reviews on here I was sure I was making a mistake by giving this place a try, yet I am a person who will try anything once. Much to my surprise, I couldn't find a single thing not to like about this place. First, a disclaimer - if you go to the Uncle Julio's website and read "Our Story", you will find that this chain restaurant claims to be something other than Tex-Mex, even if it did in fact start in Texas. I am merely a fan of Mexican food and not an expert, so this doesn't mean all that much to me. Apparently it's not the biggest deal to them, because our waiter told us that they are a Tex-Mex restaurant. Anyway, there was so much to like, starting off with the decor - this to me is one of the most visually appealing restaurants I have ever been in. It is also quite large, so I doubt finding a table would ever be a problem, and there is outdoor seating for when it warms up, no to mention a wall of retractable glass doors that turn one room into a total indoor/outdoor experience. As for the food - you start off with free chips and salsa. The salsa is somewhat less tomato focused than traditional recipes, but it is intriguing. The chips are a bit thin, as others have noted, but they still come to your table warm. The thinness isn't so much a problem until you get to the table-side guacamole, which I highly recommend - it is totally delicious. We finished it all before the entrees arrived, perhaps inspired by the pig bowl it comes in. For the main course I had the Juarez combo with beef and chicken fajitas, which means it comes with half a slab of ribs. The ribs were quite good, if not fall-off-the-bone, and not all that meaty. The BBQ sauce was left on the side, which I appreciated. The beef for the fajitas was mostly medium rare, as ordered, and was tender, juicy, and not tough at all. The chicken breast was pretty standard, but there was enough beef and chicken for two fajitas and then leftovers to take home. If you want sour cream and cheese note that these are $1.89 extra. The fajitas come with diced tomatoes, guac, lettuce, a roasted pepper, and grilled onions, as well as beans and rice on the side. Overall very tasty. My guest had the Sunday night special, lobster & fajitas - it's on the menu, and I believe it is also available on Tues or Wed nights. It is basically the same combo, with the ribs and BBQ sauce exchanged for a 6 oz. lobster tail and Mexican butter. It was also quite good. We went through the first serving of handmade tortillas and another batch was brought out with our having to ask, which I again appreciated, as it gave use several to take home. Finally, for desert we split the flan, which was a bit less firm than ideal perhaps, but tasted really fresh and delicious. In the end I have to assume this place has had some problems with consistency, but when they are on I can see why the chain is thriving, even if the menu doesn't compare in terms of variety with the place down the street. Perhaps just a bit more variety and/or unique flavors, and more of a chance to choose a la carte, as the tacos and enchiladas cannot be added individually.
(4)
Chris H.
This review is based only on my take-out service tonight. Called an order in right at 7 PM on a Saturday. The girl on the phone was kind of....abrupt. Not rude, not nice. Was told 35-40 minutes for plain nachos and the Crispy Taco Plate. Ok, I guess since it's Saturday night. I don't think I've ever waited more twenty minutes for Mexican anywhere. Arrive at the bar as instructed a little early hoping maybe my order was done early. I wait several minutes before even being acknowledged at the bar, which was quite busy with only 2 bartenders and one of them running the service bar most of the time. Bartender tells me no to go orders are out yet. Wait a few more minutes and he does say they are running behind with to go orders; apologizes for the wait and offers water or something to drink while waiting. My 40 minutes now have come and gone. Another impatient customer is also waiting for a to go order. Bartender apologizes again and sends someone back to check. Still nothing. Wait another few minutes and someone checks again. Finally, my order is out along with the other customer, who ordered before me. I pay at 8:03 PM- One hour after ordering nachos and some tacos! Minus two stars for very poorly managed kitchen! 2 stars for halfway decent food. It's Saturday night; staff your kitchen properly or get someone in there!! Bartenders were nice and this was really out of their control.
(2)
David S.
Since losing our favorite Mexican place (Salsa's Mexican Grill at the Montgomery Mall) to "progress", the wife and I went in search of a replacement. I'm happy to say that Uncle Julio's is every bit as satisfying an experience, despite the longer drive from home and the completely inconvenient (for me) parking. The service is wonderful and friendly. The table-side guac is delicious, as is every entree and side dish we've tried thus far. During lulls in conversation, spend a little time watching them make fresh tortillas at the open tortilla baking station - it's kind of fun really. The prices are very reasonable and I"m glad to pay them for the flavors and atmosphere here. You almost forget you're attached to a bustling shopping mall!
(5)
Hali C.
Great service, great food, great drinks! My friends and I tried for the first time yesterday during dinner and we were seated right away. Our server was super friendly and eager to help us. The food itself was very good, not sure how "authentic" it is necessarily, but we all enjoyed our food. I got the fish tacos and would definitely get it again!
(5)
Kurt P.
The Fajitas are what you come here for they are really good. The tortillas are freshly made and they give you a large amount of food with the lunch portion. I come here once a week and haven't been disappointed. The bar area is seat yourself and a little more cozy than the wide open dining area so I usually choose there to sit. For the appetizers I enjoy the ceviche which is fresh and tasty.
(5)
Jay G.
To start off, I'm surprised Uncle Julio's receives such poor reviews as I have been here twice and was satisfied both times. Uncle Julio's is conveniently located at the Plymouth Meeting Mall near Whole Foods. The restaurant is easily noticeable when driving on the correct side of the mall by its indistinguishable sign and has a nice appeal to it from the outside. On the inside of the restaurant near the entrance, there is a bar area with booth seating and a TV (maybe more than one, I'm not sure). There is also the normal seating available in which there is a kitchen view and if the weather permits there is outside seating. The first time I came here I sat at the bar booth while the second time I sat by a window in a booth in the other part of the restaurant. Both areas had the same quality of service so it really just depends where you feel like eating when you go there. As for the food, I have had the small guacamole as well as the tableside guacamole preparation in which they cut up the avocados and add many ingredients such as jalapeno, onion, and tomato. I definitely recommend the tableside experience as you can witness the creation of your delicious chip dip. I like the nachos here but they are very thin so they tend to break often while attempting to lift up the heavy chunks of guacamole. The first entree I tried here was soft taco plate with beef tacos which was very good. The tacos were very large, full of beef strips and quite filling. They were not the best tacos that I have ever had, but they are definitely worthy of eating again. On my most recent experience with my girlfriend, we both had the Guadalajara which was a lot of food but very good. The bacon on the shrimp was a bit chewier than I like but overall the mixed grills entree was pretty good. This restaurant provides large servings so we had to take some food home afterwards. As for the drink menu, I really enjoy Julio's Gold which is a special margarita. I'm usually a fan of straight up scotch or whiskey but this drinks makes an exception to my list. The drinks may be a bit expensive but I made it here for happy hour both times and was able to enjoy the half price offer. My girlfriend tried the mango passion rita last time and enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite. The only dessert I tried was the cajeta which was pretty good but seemed to be straight out the freezer as the ice cream was still very hard and it was a bit of a fight to take a spoonful of ice cream. Overall, Uncle Julio's food is good and I recommend this restaurant to anyone considering trying it.
(4)
Rebekah K.
The quality has gone down since it first opened, but still decent and where else am I going to find Tex-Mex? The rice in particular is nowhere near what it was and the beans are hit or miss these days. However, I stand by the fajitas and the bacon wrapped shrimp. *DROOL* I blame the lack of competitive supply and demand for the prices, but the food is worth it in my book. I particularly enjoy the lack of attitude that seems so prevalent in the local hospitality industry.
(4)
Mike M.
After a run of mediocre service at other restaurants, I was really happy to have a very attentive waitress at Uncle Julios. We were the only table seated outside, so it was undoubtedly kind of a hassle for her, but she was still on her game. The decor leans a little on the tacky side, but not so much as to ruin the environment. The food was good. The guacamole was nice and fresh, and everything on my platter of tacos, enchiladas, etc., was tasty. And, all for a fairly reasonable price. One person at my table ordered the sangria, which was acceptable but not great. The margaritas were very good, and they have a decent beer list, which includes most of the Mexican mainstays. There's some competition in the neighborhood (most directly, Azteca), but I was pleasantly surprised that this place held its own.
(5)
Rosie C.
Inconsistent. Went for lunch one day and salmon was not cooked fully. They did take back and made a new one, but by the time I got to eat.. The kids and husband were all done eating and ready to go. When I went for dinner on another night.... Food was great.
(3)
Stephanie G.
Arrived 6:15. Got the buzzer to await a table. An hour and 30 mins later we checked with hostess. Told our name card was lost. We gave up and decided to eat at bar. Asked bartender if we can order. He said "Sure, just a min". 30 mins later he returned as I was tapping the menu. We were discussing whether to stay and he warned us that the kitchen was soon closing. Wow!! So we waited 2 hrs and 15 mins for nothing. Everyone around us was complaining. The lady next to me at the bar said she didn't think the bartender spoke English because he keeps ignoring her. We are a middle aged couple with kids at home. We don't go out much - so it's special when we do. We just wasted an evening at this dump. And we're hungry. I've got other yelp reviews. Never one star. This place doesn't even deserve the 1 I gave it. Most horrid restaurant experience in years.
(1)
Jiten S.
I usually like the food. But the service sucks. Tons of people working and we waited 20 minutes to even get a drink order. Will not come back here until they train these high school kids.
(1)
Craig D.
(3.5) ~ good overall food & service...We recommend getting the (12 oz.)Carne Asada(very good); a cup of Tortilla Soup(good) and finish with the Sopapillas(Very Good!) NOTE: An order of Sopapillas is enough for (3) people;) And we're still looking for their best Margarita, as the Julio Gold(ok) was just too "sour mix" tasting for us...
(4)
Eric R.
Went here for a work lunch. Very average Mexican style food. Nothing special very derivative sorta tortillas tomatoes lettuce and cheese dishes with guacamole and salsa. Not bad, just not good either. So many really good small taquerias and Mexican places in the area. As mall food goes it's pretty average.
Wow, I'm pretty surprised by all of the 5* reviews. I thought Uncle Julio's was just OK. My wife and I stopped in over the weekend for a drink and snack during the late afternoon doldrums, so it was pretty quiet when we arrived. We sat at the bar and were brought chips and salsa pretty quickly. I have to say that the chips and salsa were extremely good. The chips were paper thin and crispy, and the salsa was very rich and smoky. The bartender encouraged us to try a frozen drink called "The Swirl," which was a mix of frozen sangria and frozen margarita. I decided to try it for some odd reason, but it was not my thing. Should have skipped this and gone for a beer. We ordered the queso and guacamole, which we didn't really like. The queso was standard-issue nacho cheese (kind of reminiscent of the stuff that comes with pretzels at the movies) and the guac had a strange stringy consistency to it (not sure what was going on there). Our bartender was kind of cold, not rude or anything, but not that friendly either. We could be spoiled because we usually hang out at places where everyone knows us and is super friendly, but I personally wasn't into the service here. Anyway, we tried Uncle Julio's because it's new and like to try every place in the area. I likely won't go out of my way to visit again, but wouldn't be strongly opposed to stopping in if it were convenient. 3*.
(3)
Shawn H.
I really like Plaza Azteca so I found it curious that they were opening another Mexican restaurant around the corner but the big letters and lights drew me in. I am glad I went here to eat. I did not know this was a chain restaurant. The food is prepared to order so it comes out hot. I have been multiple times. It is weird but my favorite dish is the BBQ ribs. The mix of the BBQ sauce with salsa was different and absolutely delicious. I came here with co-workers on a Friday and they were woefully understaffed. Took forever to get drinks. It got better as the night went in and the crowd thinned but to have to wait for drinks was a bit annoying. I recommend this restaurant. Good location and you can eat outside. But I do not like it better than Plaza Azteca.
(4)
Sarah O.
I was shocked at how much I actually liked this place. The initial impression upon walking in is kind of horrifying. As my dining partner and I noted, the decor looks like they walked into a restaurant supply store and said, "Do you have anything that screams 'Culturally insensitive Speedy Gonzalez cartoon with muddled Southwestern influences?' We'll take it." Additionally, we were pretty much the only people in the restaurant, and service was by no means lightning fast. However, the food was good enough where I wasn't mad at it. I got the shrimp fajitas, which at 13 bucks I considered a bit pricey for lunch - until I saw them. There was an enormous pile of spicy, tangy, buttery shrimp, accompanied by guac and pico, as well as four large, soft tortillas. Being stuffed, I didn't even make it to the rice and beans - I had them for dinner, and they were FULL of flavor. Honestly, I really enjoyed this place, but I tremble to think how loud it must be at dinner on a weekend. If this idea doesn't scare you - totally, totally go.
(4)
Chris B.
Save your money and go somewhere else if your looking for "authentic Mexican" food. I will start off by asking you how can you possibly mess up steak fajitas? I mean really mess up fajitas. We'll get to that later. After sitting down in the bar area I waited and waited and waited before anyone came to my table. To be fair, when that person arrived they had chips and salsa. I had to ask for water... strike #1 The chips might as well have been a salt lick, strike #2. I eventually ordered steak fajitas with no sour cream and a margarita. After literally 5 minutes both my entree and drink were delivered at the same time; not quite strike #3 but certainly odd that it took 5 minutes to cook my fajitas. Strike #3 was certainly the fact that my fajitas were not prepared the way I had ordered them. Half of the entree was well done and the other half was rare. Not to mention I had to cut the fat off of 60% of the steak because it was not edible. Strike #4 was the sour cream that was sitting on top of my cheddar cheese and pico. Strike #5 was that my server never once came to my table to ask how my dinner was after delivering my food. The server stayed at the bar the entire time until coming to take my plate when I was obviously not eating any more. Essentially the only good thing I received was my overpriced margarita. Food was not good and the service was terrible.
(1)
Rachel A.
I had a good experience here. I only went once but plan on going back again. We had the house chips and salsa and the salsa was fantastic. I am kind of a stickler on chips and they do a great job on theirs. They were not too dry and not too salty either. I ordered the beef and cheese enchiladas and both were made perfectly. This is definitely an "in the middle" between a chain and authentic tasting Mexican. I was pleasantly surprised. I will be going back to try some of their other options.
(4)
Kaitlyn G.
Typical chain mexican restaurant. I love that they make the guac in front of you at the table, it adds a little excitement. The food and drinks is a little over priced in comparison to some of my other favorites in the city but it's good for a mall chain restaurant! We went on a saturday for lad lunch/ early dinner and the place was basically empty.
(3)
Kimberly K.
Friendly staff greeted our party of 4 for lunch. The decor made you feel like you were at a Hacienda. The restaurant is brightly lit with big windows. Chips and salsa were promptly delivered after our drinks. My whole party ordered the Especial Fajitas combo with rice and beans. The beef was tender and marinated. The chicken was moist and thick. Rice was a bit bland and beans well seasoned. I asked for corn tortillas and they were served right away. They even brought extra for us to take home with our doggie bag. Taste= B+ not too authentic Service= A+ Ambience= B- headphones on managers make me think of Old Navy Summary - couple steps up from Don Pablo - would go back for lunch
I might as well poured the whole salt shaker in my mouth. The food was incredibly salty. I just imagine the cook pouring salt all over the cheese, chicken, guac. Even the lettuce was salty. Not exaggerating. Unbelievably terrible food. Me and my boyfriend both felt sick afterwards.
(1)
L G.
I have to say I was impressed! I have not eaten here since the first week it opened, but a good friend insisted that it was very good and I should give it another try, so I did. I was pleasantly surprised! Skinny margarita was great. The last time I was there they didn't have table side guacamole and now they do and I have to say it was delicious! The fajitas were very good.... This incredible melted butter came along with the shrimp and the nachos appetizer was very tasty. When I first tried Uncle Julio's, I was sadly disappointed. I had watched the place be built and was very excited for it. That time was a huge disappointment and I swore I would never go back. I am very happy tonight that I decided to give it a second chance! I will be returning :)
(4)
Tiffany T.
Was doing some shopping in the mall and passed this place so I thought I'd stop in for a quick lunch the place was like a ghost town so I sat myself at the bar except there was no bartender there, finally someone comes out to greet me and asked If I was dining in or take out he quickly served me chips and salsa, chips were thin and greasy, salsa was good tho. I ordered a drink the glass was dirty! gross..then I got the combo plate the chicken enchilada was dry and the beef taco tasted like it came from under a heat lamp and it had been sitting there I asked for no beans ex rice there were beans all over the plate! Don't ask for sour cream that will be a ex charge! Over all not good I'll just go to chipotle up stairs next time...
(1)
John M.
Best place ever. Food is great. Drinks are great. I bring all corp customers here. Managers and bar tenders make sure we are always happy. Best of all time
(5)
Tom H.
Came here on opening night. The staff was friendly and well organized. The kitchen ran smooth and food came out quickly. The margarita's were spot on, even the flavored ones. The food was great. Fresh and flavorful with good sauce, but not covered in it the way some places do. You can actually taste the ingredients. From start to finish a great experience!
(5)
Kelly D.
Great new addition to the Plymouth Meeting area - fresh and healthy options! My family and I live five minutes from Uncle Julio's and visited during its first week of being open. We had great service, so I'm not sure what people are talking about when they've given negative reviews, but for a busy family of six, we don't have the luxury of being critical all the time. We've been back four or five times - both in restaurant and for take out and every time the food was very fresh and everyone was satisfied with their meals. I should mention that my family varies from 2 years old to 60 years old - people who like very spicy and people who like mild - so there's something for everyone on the menu.
(4)
Ali K.
LOVE the steak fajitas- Best I ever had. Also, ya must get the warm chocolate pudding filled empanada for dessert- even if you are full! I was surprised to see that many people on here complained about the service at Julio's b/c I've been there a bunch of times, and the service is always super-quick and attentive. We've actually laughed about the fact that we order, blink, and dinner is served. Sometimes we sit in the actual dining room, and sometimes we do self-seating in the bar area. As far as salsa goes, I've had better. But the complimentary chips are served warm and yummy! Overall, I find myself craving Julio's every couple of weeks! I would definitely recommend it for a quick bite before a movie, or for a celebration type dinner with a group.
(4)
Candace J.
Chicken fajitas has a magnificent sauce asada steak is tender chicken fajita Cobb has everything on it margaritas are fresh all natural the ribs are so good and best of all the bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese and halo pen great all you can eat chips happ hour all over the restaurant coming back
(5)
Bill S.
We came to uncle Julio's for my wife's birthday with a co-worker. It was our first time here and coincidentally it's our last time here. I'm glad I was reassured that the place is not Mexican, but it's Tex-Mex instead.... that's still not right. I would never even call this Tex-Mex. Just because you have peppers and some chicken, it doesn't mean you can open a Mexican and/or Tex-Mex restaurant. This was the total crapper. I don't think they could have made the food any more bland and boring. In summation, we should have just ordered at Chipotle in the mall and ate out in the cold parking lot. **Edit: I started to develop a slight pain in my lower left rib cage area before bed. Today I'm in quite a bit of pain in the area. My Dr says it's NOT a ruptured spleen but had to give me medicine to reduce the pain and inflammation. Thanks Uncle Julio, you morons.**
(1)
Rory K.
Every time I go, its fantastic. I have never received food that was anything less than fantastic. Lawrence is by far a superior server. He's very attentive and has just a fantastic personality. I love the Mango Passion Rita! Good work Julio's!
(5)
Chelsea R.
This is by far one of the worst Mexican restaurants I have ever been to. The queso was Velveeta and the service was abysmal. El Azteca is by far a superior establishment right down the road. Both drinks and food are over priced and no where near as good.
(1)
Dani M.
My mom & I ate here last night and were very disappointed in the service..after we were seated, we had to wait 10min for a waiter to come so we could order our drinks and food. We then had to wait 30min for our food to be brought out. Was it busy? Yes. But the manager had to step in to help us because our waiter seemed to forget about us. However, the manager was very attentive and is the only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars, along with the nice atmosphere. The food was average & way over priced. Would I eat there again? Sadly, no.
(2)
Amanda R.
Honestly the food was so bad, rubbery steak and tortillas equally so. The fish tacos just tasted bad. The drinks were ridiculously overpriced and although the restaurant was near empty we still waited 15 minutes to have our order taken. Don't usually review like this but I feel like we were robbed and plaza Azteca is a million times superior!
(1)
Melissa V.
Pros Fresh and tasty food Attentive service Beautiful decor Good margaritas Yummy table side guacamole Fresh tortillas Cons Chips are thin Food wait time, not too bad but could have been faster Def recommend trying at least once and supporting the growth of new business to the area. I'll be back!
(4)
South D.
I will leave my previous review on here (see below), but I'm going to provide an update to my Uncle Julios review that I think should be written. The management and senior management needs to pay attention: The Service is not good. We visit here about once a month at least because we love the food, but every single time there is something wrong with our order, and more importantly it's just so painfully slow! It doesn't matter if they are busy or not, it always take forever to get refills on chips and salsa, fresh drinks from the bar, and the dinner's take forever (again - usually at least one person's order is wrong when it arrives). I watch other tables of people, and they seem grumpy about the service as well. This is a management problem, I don't blame the servers because management should be out helping speed things up, deliver food, asking how things are, etc. I never see that. Other than that, the food is really really good! --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------- Old Review: Great Tex-Mex! I read some of the negative feedback people left, and my only request is: if you don't think this is the best Tex-Mex food in the area, then PLEASE share with everyone what restaurant does have the best mexican food in the area. I'll go there (with a completely open mind) and try it. I want awesome Tex-Mex or Mexican food as much as the next man, but please don't leave some BS vague "I've had better elsewhere" because I want to know where! Oh, and one last thing, if you think that Mexican food and Tex-Mex are the same thing just because it says Uncle Julios "Mexican" Cantina, then you should not be leaving reviews about that which you do not understand. You are what the Mexicans call Los Incompetent. :) FOOD: Tortillas are hand made fresh, served warm for every table, salsa is to die for, and fajitas are insanely good! Try the chicken and beef fajitas! They melt in your mouth! Order extra shredded cheese, they never bring enough. BOOZE: Order a "Swirl" margarita and munch on their great chips and salsa. AVOID: Most of their specials, they're over-priced SERVICE: This is the only real big negative. Their management can't seem to ever get the right mix of real top notch serves and hostesses that we are used to seeing in their other restaurants in cities like Dallas, Chicago, and D.C. Do yourself a favor a make Uncle Julio's a staple in your going out / Mexican food fix hot spot plans!
(3)
Peter S.
My wife and I went for dinner. The food was cold and had no flavor. Beans looked like they came out of a can. Its a pretty place but not my idea of true tasting Mexican Food!!!!
(1)
Katrina S.
This is getting 4 stars for 3 simple reasons - The salsa is the best i have ever had. period. The server was the nicest and most attentive i have ever had. They make their tortillas in house. Food is average, nothing special. People will eat here because the only other place like it is Azteca, which isn't all that much better. If you want Tex-Mex at a decent price, go ahead. If you want real mexican food, at a decent price without the "frills and fluff" trek to norristown and go to Michoacana.
(4)
Kelly P.
I've been wanting to give this place a try since it opened, but it is always slammed on weekends. My husband and I were finally in the area early enough on a Saturday so that we only had to wait 35 minutes (instead of the usual hour it has been when we've tried before). While we over all had a positive experience, there were some issues that keep me from rating this place too high. Pros: - Good salsa and queso - Chicken flautas were tasty - My Mango Passion Rita was one of the best margaritas I've ever had - Fast service - Good sopapillas (fair warning, three people could split that dessert, it is massive) Cons: - The chips are super thin and break easily - The guac was exceptionally mediocre and tasteless - The music. Tons of Katy Perry and generic top 40 pop that doesn't go with the atmosphere at all - The portions are really big (in fact, a patron sitting near me warned us about the portions being way too big). I'd rather have something smaller and cheaper, than so big that I'm taking half home and paying a higher price - People are really tightly packed and you are practically sharing a table with your neighbors. Waiters apologized for being up in our space, and a lady next to us chimed in on our conversation three times. Overall, it was good. Would I rather eat at El Vez or a better Mexican place in Philly though? Yeah. But if I don't feel like going into Philly, Uncle Julio's will do as a suburban replacement.
(3)
Emily S.
Came here with a girlfriend for the first time on a Tuesday night. The place is huge & there was a decent crowd without it being overly crowded. We were seated right away & had chips & salsa on the table before we even ordered drinks. We ordered gauc to start & it was pretty tasty. We ordered sangria and it pretty much tasted like grape juice. I'm hoping there was alcohol in there otherwise it was a very expensive juice. Not impressed. Our meals were pretty good but nothing to rave over. If I was in the mall area & hungry for mexican I'd probably go to Chipotle over this place.
(3)
James B.
Some of the worst tacos I've ever tasted. The server was nice, but slow as hell. Probably will never eat here again.
(1)
Ashley M.
Never disappointed when I come here and they even offer takeout!! I not only got what I ordered, they loaded my bag with LOTS of chips and salsa!! I will definitely be back again!
(4)
Robert B.
If you are looking for traditional Mexican food, this isn't the place for you. They have come up with interesting twists on old favorites. The mix of flavors is well done. I would recommend the spicy shrimp - great flavors.
(4)
Jeff M.
Something different, recently new, wanted to try it, won't be back. Atmosphere, open air feeling, loud and it wasn't crowded at the time when we went after shopping. Service - our server Diamond was very attentive, pleasant, friendly and accommodating. I don't recall the gentleman's name that made the table side guacamole, but he as well was personable accommodating. Their recipe uses lemon, we prefer lime which we requested and he went back to the kitchen to get a lime. Drinks - nothing spectacular, nothing bad. I had Modella and a Patron Margarita, my girlfriend had a Mango Passion Rita. Food - As mentioned we started with Table Side Guacamole which was good. Chips and salsa were good. Chips were thin and warm, very nice. Salsa had great flavor with a nice smokey flavor, something out of the ordinary. My gf had the taco platter with ground beef. Taco shell nice, beef good flavor but salty, just average, had better other establishments. I had Carne Asada and Enchilada Dinner. I was excited when our server told me that they service it medium rare, but then I was disappointed when it came out well. I understand that Carne Asada is marinated which can lead to discoloration. The skirt steak was tender, but too salty, so I'm guessing the lack of ANY pink/red meat was due to over marinating, lending to being overly salty. Was not enjoyable. The cheese and onion enchilada was very lack luster. Cheese and onion enchiladas should consist of thinly sliced white onion, tossed with cheese, rolled in a corn tortilla dipped in enchilada sauce and baked. This enchilada was cheese rolled inside a corn tortilla topped with El Paso style sauce which was stated on the menu, and topped with cheddar cheese that melted as it baked, then topped with raw diced onion. I've never had an enchilada at Taco Bell, but I'm guessing this is what I would get. The dinner was served with Pico De Gallo which basically was large diced tomato and onion, no jalapeno or serrano peppers, lime juice or coriander. I believe I saw someone's review comparing the food to par with something you would expect at Applebee's. I'm sure everyone reads reviews and thinks it might have been a bad night, or the person writing the review is picky or not knowledgeable about the particular cuisine, but without explanation of my knowledge of Mexican or Southwest cuisine, I would agree with the Applebee's comparison. There are several decent Mexican restaurants in the area and I would suggest venturing to one of them, opposed to saying, "let's give it a try," and then end up with saying "should have went somewhere else," like we did. You're safe going for drinks, salsa and chips.
(2)
E W.
This place has potential once they figure out that the food has little or no taste. Very bland. The shrimp wrapped in bacon was a great dish probably the best one they had. The chimichanga was put together nice, just lacked a little salt or something. Fish tacos were solid. Fresh ingredients and decent portions but again lacked a little spice or something. Once this place works out the kinks I think it could be better than the plaza azteca down the road.
(3)
steve e.
i gave you 4 starts because my fish tacos wer tasty,and geneously seved with rice and black bean, salsa, guac, and th whole thing was outrageously tasty,filling, and well presented-the margharitas looked a whole lot like 85% ice...a third of the price of blue bell's el sarape
(4)
Nancy R.
Went to Uncle julios on Sunday afternoon and will never go back. We were seated at a table overflowing with garbage from the previous guests. We received one excuse after another about being so busy and overwhelmed, and yet there were not that many tables occupied. The service was so slow that we ended up cancelling our order for the ovepriced tableside guacamole, that the airhead waitress never took off the bill. When we noticed the mistake and pointed it out to the waitress, she charged us the new amount, but never "reversed" the first charge, so we paid $150 for 4 crappy quesadillas and 2 diet cokes. Quite a rip off. And not even an apoology from the manager. Just more excuses. Plaza Azteca - here we come.
(1)
Danielle M.
Food is over priced. It's decent, but nothing to write home about. Service is great, bartender put the Flyers game on for me and turned the sound up loud. Margaritas are sub-par, could be way better for a Mexican joint. Overall, ehhh... It's alright.
(3)
Vuthy O.
I'm not normally a tex-mex kind of guy. South Philly cantinas and taco trucks are more my speed. In other words, a chain from Texas serving Mexicanish food isn't normally a place I'd hit, but Uncle Julio's does it right. Exceeded expectations by far. Service was excellent, refilling drinks, chips and salsa often and without prompting. Guac and fajitas came out so fast - almost fast food fast. Rock solid guac. Best fajitas I've ever had, chicken was super tender, beef was perfectly cooked. To me, ice cream is perfect on its own - whipped cream, fruit, nuts, sauce = bullshit. I don't know if it's because my expectations were blown away with fantastic apps an entrees, but the coconut shaving and caramel sauce actually improved on the perfection that is vanilla ice cream. I'm almost afraid to go back. The experience was so good, I can't see how I won't be disappointed next time.
(5)
Chad C.
Uncle Julio's is a massive Mexican restaurant located in the plymouth meeting mall. I ate at the bar and in fairness it was around 9:15 on a Saturday night, so the place was winding down. I had a margarita made with don Julio silver, which was tasty but could have used a bit more tequila and that was served with complimentary chops and salsa. The chips were fairly salty and the salsa lacked any real flavor or heat. The menu is heavily focused in fajitas and enchiladas, not two of my favorite options, so I opted for a combination plate which had a crispy taco, 2 enchiladas and a tamale. The taco was the best of the group, having a crisp shell and the contrast of the lettuce with the barely spiced beef. The other ingredients were bland. Certainly not a destination for authentic Mexican food, but an acceptable location for a drink after work.
(2)
Chris B.
Tried on a whim after deciding that we needed a break from On The Border. Decor is nice, and they have a patio area with sliding glass doors that would be good for warmer weather. Salsa was...different. Smoky is a good way to describe it. Not bad, but seemed to be missing something. Guac was OK, but didn't have a ton of flavor (tomatoes, jalapeños, etc.). Most of the table got fajitas. Chicken was melt in your mouth tender, and the steak (beef) wasn't far behind. Grilled jalapeño per plate was a nice touch. Rice was bland. The tortillas though, oh those tortillas. Best part of the meal (which may not be a good sign). Best I've had in a long time. Service was friendly and quick. Overall, one of the better chains I've had, but it's still a chain.
(4)
Chelsea L.
I have to be honest this was the worst meal I've had in the area since I moved here a year ago. Had the beef fajita nachos, the queso and guac, and a pulled chicken quesadilla between my husband and I and the whole thing tasted Awful. The queso was legit cheese wiz and the 14 dollar beef fajita nachos tasted like dog food and only came with 12 premade little nacho chips. I couldn't eat more than 2 squares of the quesadilla because the pulled chicken is CANNED. Seriously. We asked for hot sauce and got salsa? The food just isn't good. Never again. 50 bucks, what a waste!
(1)
Tom M.
The wife and I ate at Uncle Julio's last night. We were pleasantly surprised that while walking in, we noticed that there were perhaps 5-6 tables that were in use out of maybe 60-70 (just my guesstamation). That's pretty much where the pleasant feeling ended. We sat there for no less than 20 minutes before our server came over to ask us if we would like drinks. After ordering drinks directly off of the menu (nothing special), our server had to return twice to ask us if we wanted it "this certain way" ....(ps we ordered an 1800 Margarita and a skinny margarita......selections directly from the menu). We also asked for water along with our alcoholic drinks. Twenty minutes after our selections had been made and no drinks (water or alcoholic) our waitress returns to take our food order. We place our order and 10 minutes after that , she returns with our margaritas, but no water. Another 15 minutes and a different server comes out with our food and at the same time our waitress brings us our water. The food wasn't bad, but at the same time, it wasn't worth raving over either....rather underwhelming. After our experience up to this point, I was dreading and trying to figure out a plan to get the check in a timely manner. Needless to say, my best laid plans were for naught.....Yup......another half hour. I whole-heartedly believe the entire experience could've been better if the service was even marginal, but it was downright AWFUL ! The building itself and the mood it creates is fairly inviting, but it's hard to look past that when the service is that bad. I can't vouch for any of the servers besides the one we had, but ours was horrible.
(1)
Katie M.
Wanted to love it because the atmosphere and patio seating are great. With so many great Mexican options in the are though, el limon and coyote crossing in conshy and taqueria la michoacana in norristown, there food just wasn't good enough. Service was okay for us, also nothing exceptional. Won't be back.
(2)
Nikki B.
Went on off hours for a late lunch so they were not terribly busy but it still took over 5 minutes for a server to come over and get my drink order. It was loud and echo-y and I was seated next to several families with kids despite plenty of tables--so not sure why I got packed in. I asked the server 4 times for a "gin and tonic" even right next to me she couldn't understand and came back saying they didn't have any. Five more minutes the actual server came over and I placed my order. She then came back and asked me about my "odd drink order." I stated I didn't think gin and tonic was that odd. She laughed and explained it was written down as a ginger and tonic and she'd be back with my drink. My food arrived before my beverage. I was in for a late lunch so ordered tamales (vegetable). The server asked me if I was going to order an "actual dinner" and was audibly disappointed when I said no. I didn't see her again for 20 minutes when she came by with the check. She saw me reach for my wallet and walked away. It was 15 more minutes before she came back to run my card. One time I wished I really had cash on me as I desperately wanted to get out of the place. People were letting their kids run amok and two ran up and into my table as I was eating. The latter is no fault of the establishment, but did not make my experience any better. They also don't yet have all the doors marked and people were leaving via an emergency exit, causing the fire alarms to keep going off. The food I ordered was actually quite good. That was the only plus in the experience. My drink came sans a lime, which I had to ask for and never got. The service was absolutely rotten. As such, I wouldn't return by choice (meaning, if friends were dead set on it, I would oblige, but I'd rather go to Chipoltle).
(2)
Joe S.
Traveled here with wife and kids from Atlantic City on the advice from relatives in the Dallas area. First I want to point out this is a Tex-Mex restaurant, not Mexican. It's not fair to compare to an authentic Mexican place. Now onto the review. We went the first week of service so the staff was struggling a little bit but they all seemed very eager to do a good job and learn. The chips were thin crispy and warm. The salsa was different than what I am used to. I really enjoyed it. A very fresh taste followed by a warm smokey flavor. We also ordered the guac and queso combo. Guac was good. Not great but not bad either. The best part was the queso. Warm, smooth , and a very rich buttery flavor. The app was the ceviche royale. Well prepared with a good flavor. Not sure I would order it again only because its not something I normally eat. The entrees were as follows: chicken flautas, beef fajitas, Juanita's platter, and crispy tacos. The beef in the fajitas was my favorite part of the meal. Very tender and flavorful. The flautas were also delicious but my daughter was reluctant to share. I would absolutely go back whenever we cross the river into PA.
(5)
Joe K.
I am dumbfounded by all the negative reviews that I've read. I was here last weekend and I loved this place. The food and service was great. I had the beef flautas, which was exellent with a crunchy beef taco on the side which was delicious. I also sampled the chicken enchiladas and that was very good. The chips although thin with the salsa and guac was very tasty. I must say that this was some of the best mexican food that I've ever had. The service was also fantastic. After dinner I tried the margarita swirl with the frozen sangria, which wasn't bad at all. I want to thank my friends for introducing me to this place and plan on introducing my other friends to this place as well.
(5)
Sam H.
Uncle Julio's is to Mexican Food like Applebee's is to a steak house. Not bad, but not spectacular. The staff is very friendly and accomodating, they are kid friendly and their drinks are so so.
(3)
Heather R.
Cosmo Patron margarita, yummmmm! And I'll be sitting at the bar again next time, because the bartender G was so cute and funny!!! LOVE him! and my drinks were mixed perfectly --delish! My new happy hour spot.
(5)
Gina B.
Not worth going back. My husband and I waited 25 minutes for a table on a Sat night-even though half the place was empty. Service was pretty terrible. The waiter was nice but we had to flag other waiters when we needed somthing. The food came out way too fast-we had not even gotten the standard chips and salsa yet (when we were seated and asked about them we were told they were out and making more). The only highlight of the meal/experience was the homemade mango passion fruit lemondade. To add insult to injury-they are not cheap! Not super expensive but so not worth the prices.
(1)
John T.
Ceviche and the 3 pepper guacamole were very good, much better than you would expect from a chain at the mall. Our server was great and the food was quick and spicy. Would expect this to be a great place for a happy hour
(4)
Karl M.
This is as authentic "Dallas Tex-Mex" as you can get! Been going to UJ since they first opened on Lemmon Ave in 1986 and couldn't believe they were opening in Plymouth Meeting. They must have worked out the opening day jitters mentioned by other reviewers. We went last night and everything was perfect. Service was prompt. The chips, salsa and swirls were as I remembered. And then the enchiladas arrived. Pure Dallas perfection. Tex-Mex just doesn't get any better than this.
(5)
Dina S.
Had lunch here today - it was FABULOUS! The food was outstanding and they dealt with my cumin allergy really well! We both had spicy shrimp fajitas off the lunch menu and I had a delicious mango juice drink. The staff from our waiter on up was attentive and wonderful! Also...the guac made table side was out of this world!
(5)
Lala C.
On labor day 9/1/2014 my husband and I went here for the first time. My husband is from Mexico, so he knows authentic mexican food and he is also a professional cook for a living. I also was a server for over 14 years. As is typical. most mexican restaurants claim to be authentic, but my husband has yet to find one that he says is. We were told by the hostess that all the food was made from scratch, which I find hard to believe at what is clearly a chain restaurant, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. ( I served at Chilis for 5 years where virtually everything comes frozen in a box and half of the menu is cooked in a microwave) We got the guacamole with queso appetizer. The guac was very bland and the queso did not look or taste homemade, tasted like it came from a can. We got the enchilladas with the tomatillo sauce. The sauce was ok, the enchilladas themselves very bland. The chicken ones only had chicken with virtually no cheese on top. The cheese in the cheese enchilladas looked and tasted like low quality processed cheese. No spiciness to the food whatsoever which is ok for me (but even I like more flavor/spice) but my husband likes spicy and true mexican food is spicy and has a lot of flavor, is not bland. My husband said the tortillas were bland and did not taste like they were made from scratch. I tried one and I have to agree. I can pretty confidently say that nothing from here is made from scratch except possibly for the very flavorless guacamole. My husband made the comment "I dont know why every mexican restaurant has to look like a pinata threw up on it, no where in mexico do you really find any place that looks like all these restaurants." and I had to laugh, probably very true. Our service was sub par. Def not great or exceptional service but she did the bare minimum required of a server in an adequate time frame. We def will not be going back again. He originally wanted to eat at Chipotle and I twisted his arm to try this place, I feel embarrassed for having talked him into it. We should have went to Chioptle!
(2)
Seth R.
It's a solid three stars. Servers are good, which saves them from being a two star. The food: meh. Got a trio for lunch. Beef taco...ala taco bell. Except i think taco bell may have one upped them. They acknowledge their taco is worth under $2. These guys think a taco bell taco is worth $5. Nope. Chicken enchilada with verde sauce. Chicken was luke warm. Sauce had almost no flavor. It must have sat around being reused from day to day. I'm guessing three days old. They put some sorta cheese on top that was congealed. The pork tamales...oy! What the heck did you do to the masa? It tasted like cornbread mix. No seriously. Jiffy muffin mix. This thing was never wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf. Ever. Then they topped it with some sort of beef gravy. What the heck were you thinking?! Blech! The rice was old and dry. The beans, well weren't half bad. They put alot of stuff like bacon in there which I sorta liked. They don't make their own tortillas which sucks. They make their own tortilla chips which is better. They push the tableside guac. For $12 i would push that too. Don't fall for it. Lest not forget Norristown has some of the best Mexican food around. Taqueria la Michocan blows this place outta the water. I was just soooo disappointed!!!! In fact I just downgraded it one more star. What was I thinking!
(2)
Quinn B.
This place was a 3.5. It was solid but nothing that you're raving over the next day. With that being said I think it gets the job done if you are craving Tex-Mex. The steak was the best part of the meal it was very tender and flavorful. I ordered the guadalajara which came with steak and shrimp wrapped in bacon as well as an array of sides and tortilla shells to make miniature burritos. The miniature burritos I made with the steak came out very good with salsa, guacamole, and pinto beans. Basically a small chipotle burrito but not quite as good. The best part of the meal was the dessert - sopapillas. My advice is to order more than one serving of them IF YOU WANT TO WASTE FOOD AND GAIN WEIGHT. On a serous note one order of the sopapillas was enough for 3 people. You have been warned.
(3)
Rhian T.
Great service, fresh food, flavorful , surprised us how fresh the fish tacos were and how unique the salsa was. Not that pico stuff you usually receive. Chips were fresh and warm. Enchiladas filled with white meat and a nice red sauce. My only dislike would be no refried beans, I'm not a fan of the pinto beans in sauce.
(4)
Steve Z.
Excellence! Easily the best Mexican faire in the area. Great food and excellent service especially given the newness of the location. Had THE BEST chicken fajitas ever.
(5)
Alex C.
Stumbled on Uncle Julio's during a trip to Whole Foods, we passed on Plaza Azteca, intending to grab lunch at WF prior to grocery shopping. It's clear the restaurant's still working out the newbie kinks but that's expected with any recently launched restaurant. Service was adequate enough, I'm not a believer in judging a place by the service, rather judge by the food, so Uncle Julio's gets an easy pass on the service. The food on the other hand was unimaginative and bland, a bit less than what you'd expect from a chain. It was interesting that it took our server 20 minutes to take our order but the food managed to reach the table in 5 minutes, this quick turnover might have been the precursor to issues later on. What stuck out the most about the experience is how my party didn't finish 50% of the food served, it was just not appetizing, opting to take the leftovers home in a box. Two staffers asked about our food, I informed both the food wasn't very good, no real reaction from either or any probing questions for specifics. Well, during our grocery visit to WF, our stomachs' went a little "loco", ultimately deciding it was best to ditch the left overs in the trash. Will never go back, too many better options in the area. This was one of the worst chain experiences, in regards to quality of the food. On a side note, the drinks looked good although we only had water with the meal.
(2)
Jeff M.
Table side guacamole is the truth. Although priced higher than I'd like, I still recommend. The portion sizes for the meals are large. For instance, the fajita special for one will serve two. Unless you want leftovers, choose wisely.
(4)
Cindy S.
We had a party of 15 and the staff was so friendly and attentive. The ambiance was beautifully decorated in traditional Mexican curios. There was an additional room with a small fire place for cooler nights and an open patio which is great to relax outside with a drink. But I must say the food was outstanding. The complimentary chips with roasted tomato salsa was very good and our entrees ranged from fajita platter, Juanita's platter, Benito's platter, nachos, tamales all tasty & received rave reviews from my friends. The food was served nice and hot and drinks were very satisfying not the cheap liquor you find in some. We were there for several hours enjoying the experience and not once did someone try to rush us off. And, checks were separated which some places don't even consider. I highly recommend this place and I'm planning a trip back soon with a few friends.
(4)
Anthony D.
Over priced!!! Terrible service and I'm certain as an Italian American I can make more authentic mexican... strongly don't recommend!!!
(1)
Robert M.
I must say this is the worst restaurant I've ever been to. Service was okay and ambiance was awesome and then it went all down hill. Paper thin chips, runny salsa, no tequilla in the margaritas. Happy Hour was advertised everywhere so I thought it would be good, nope! It was 2.50 off their overpriced 9 dollar small cup margaritas no food specials. Enchiladas had a blob of old unmelted cheese on them, "spicy guac" not spicy and more importantly not good. You'll turn the menu over 8 times looking for the rest of the food then settle on something and it will taste terrible.
(1)
Lu M.
I was very excited to go seeing I love Margaritas.Well of course I had one.It came in a small glass with alot of ice n salt.It was very good!I could tell it wasn't some cheap mix.My problem was I only had one.The whole meal was eaten and I never got another drink.They have runners bring your food so couldn't order another-by the time the waiter came back we were done.As for the food I order the Carne Asada which was really good.Other people ordered beef tacos soft and hard taco shells.The beef was very greasy!We all tasted each others food.The rice n beans were just OK nothing great.Chips and the salsa were ok.Overall just OK nothing that great!I'm glad I didn't order another margarita since the small glass was $8 bucks.I liked it but it was small.The decor was nice but it was so loud we could hear eachother talk!Best thing was the Carne asada!Everything else was just OK!I'll give another chance but only if I'm already in the area not gonna make special trip! I notice the table next to me basically left almost all of their food that makes me wonder if I should try again!Ok I went back 1099 for a margarita -the carne asada was half the size and rubbery.I didn't realize until I looked at my old pictures on here -not worth the money!
(3)
Renee B.
I really enjoyed this place. We got the pulled chicken quesadilla and chicken tacos. They were both really good. The margaritas were awesome!
(5)
Jocelyn B.
First impression: I think that the person who gave this restaurant a 5 may have had a tad too many margaritas.. I went for lunch and have been looking forward to trying this restaurant. Service was good waitress was attentive and had a good energy. I liked the ambiance cool tortilla maker my daughter enjoyed watching. Appetizers: The food was meh.. we ordered the guacamole/ queso appetizer even though i was a bit offput by the pricetag.. it was good but i didn't think the serving was large enough. Also the salsa was different not sure if I liked it or not.. leaning more toward not would have liked if they had more than 1 kind of salsa maybe.. Meals: I ordered Supreme beef soft tacos and it really just wasn't good. the lettuce tasted funny the rice was dry and gross and the side of beans that came with the meal was not good either. Maybe if I ordered something else I would have liked it but I wasn't impressed. Chicken flautas: these were actually good kids nachos: melted cheese on chips kinda hard to mess up glad it came with fruit Most positive part of experience and reason it got 2nd star: my daughters meal came with a fruit cup and dip.. it is tough to find restaurants that serve fruit and have healthy options. Also the tortilla maker was pretty cool. I think the prices were too high for the quality of food I was served. Also now that I look online looks like they have a lunch menu with better prices which we definitely were not provided with... maybe they don't do lunch menu on weekends?? I will maybe give it another shot, perhaps if I have a couple margaritas first it'll make food better haha
(2)
Jack P.
Overall a disappointment after reading lots of 4 and 5 star reviews on Yelp. We do eat at a lot of Mexican restaurants, having eaten at a less expensive nearby Plaza Azteca many times, we also go to Cantina Feliz in Fort Washington and also El Vez in the city. This place is huge, big rooms don't necessary entice me ......reminds me of an On the Border layout....which is not good...so big rooms usually mean noise and no atmosphere. What we liked. fish tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, servers were friendly and engaging. Miller Lite draft is $5.29, Victory hop devil draft is $5.59......seems out of whack. What we didn't like - waiters.....3 loud plate and tray drops during my dinner...which I find annoying, Plaza Azteca has a much better smoother older Mexican group of servers....maybe its growing pains. - Prices are high for Mexican, quality is OK but not stunning. Quac appetizer is small and not made table-side like many places do now. fajitas are close to $20. - Desert - waited 25 minutes for a friggin desert.....1 to be split among 4 people.....that in itself tainted the meal since it was only ordered as an afterthought. - Parking is a pain since its wedged next to whole foods area in the Plymouth meeting mall. Bottom line - up and down but not terrible, we will give them another chance when the weather gets better and they have the terrace open.....but it doesn't look like it will be a fav.
(3)
jenn m.
Great atmosphere. Excellent service, and delicious handmade Mexican favorites. I love it!
(5)
Phallon S.
I wish there were an option to give less than one star because this place honestly deserves it. Hmm...where do I begin? My boyfriend and I tried this place for the first time tonight. We sat at the bar where we were promptly greeted by our waiter who welcomed us and introduced himself. I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly our waiter was, however this is where the good experience ends. After we received our menus we were very rarely checked on. I mean none of the bartenders/servers even looked in our direction until they noticed us flailing our arms to get their attention at the not so busy bar! After flagging them down for questions about the menu, and to order our drinks and such a few times we received our food. For me, simple hard shell beef tacos that looked great. For the boyfriend half cooked chicken fajitas. After asking to have new fajitas with well done chicken they proceeded to bring out his new, but still pink, undercooked chicken. At this point he decided to go with the beef which looked much safer. Boy oh boy he couldn't have been more mistaken. We ate a portion of our food, which tasted mediocre at best, and waited about 20 minutes for the bartenders that were standing around seemingly doing nothing to notice us, so we could pack up our food and go. I write this review now, a mere 2 hours after getting home, bed ridden after puking my brains out. My boyfriend sits next to me fighting the urge to do the same. So if you enjoy crappy food, even crappier service, and an upset stomach, then this is defiantly the place for you. Enjoy!
(1)
Kate J.
quite bad chain food at it's worst - I think most of it comes frozen and the sopapillas were positively leaden I have no idea why anyone would ever eat here intentionally
(1)
Emily L.
Drinks are ok, but the mexican food is nothing special.
(3)
Philly C.
I decided to try this new mexican spot, so I took my parents there for an early dinner. Since I love all things Mexican, I thought I would fall in love with this place. NoT! To be fair, my waiter was great! Very attentive and helpful... but it was the food that was mediocre. The nachos were ok and my salmon salad was basic, no real exciting flavor. My Mom had the fajitas and they were basic, once again no exciting or memorable flavor. My Father had the grilled shrimp salad and that was bland and basic. Obviously, the reoccuring theme here is Basic, everything was basic... eh.... However, I had a good margarita so at least they got that part right. Overall I would not recommend this spot for dinner, maybe a drink or two, but definitely not for food! Ehhh, I guess I will stick with El Vez and Mad Mex- which are hands down the best Mexican spots in Philly!!! Thumbs down for Uncle Julios's, sorry....
(1)
K J.
Went there for lunch today and was pleasantly surprised. THe salsa on the table was hot and smokey. I got the pork carnitas and they came with rice and beans. The pork was flavorful and good. The only thing I would complain about is that my friend got a quesadilla that came with a fruit plate. I would've liked a fruit plate! haha. I can't wait to go back for happy hour! THe bar looked big and spacious.
(4)
Satish K.
The chips were good but the guacamole was just ok. We ordered the Juanita platter which is a combination of 1 taco 2 enchilada and 1 tamale. All of them were pretty bland and tasted almost the same. I ordered a Draft beer and my wife ordered the skinny margarita for drinks and it took 15 mins to get them. I would have given it 3 stars had the service been better. We've been to almost all the good mexican restaurants from El vez to Tamarindo to coyote crossing to azteca....we r not coming back here
I gave it two stars because service was okay. Here is the problem they make all their sauces with chicken broth. So the vegetarians in our group were SOL. Sh*t out of luck. The veggies are prepared ahead of time so you can not pick and choose. With a great taco truck on top of whole foods why anyone would go here is beyond my grasp.
(2)
Toro H.
Been to many Mexican Restaurants and this may be one of the worst. They have tried to monetize Mexican food way to much that it has cause a loss of authenticity. To order fajitas and to have a cheaper one come without peppers and the more expensive one to have it how can you charge more for what is suppose to be a traditional fajita platter. That's like Wendy's asking did you want a cheeseburger with a bun for 2 dollars more. Won't come back rather do Chipotle Any day anytime.
(1)
V T.
I'm in the area for dinner every Tuesday night with my writers group and we wanted to try Uncle Julio's since it's new and we're getting sick of the same old places. While I'm sure we'll go back at some point, it won't be added to our regular rotation as the food was just okay. As other reviewers have mentioned, the chips and salsa are probably the best-tasting part of the meal. The salsa seems to have a slight hint of barbecue sauce in it and tastes great. The portions are big, but for the price we expected the quality to be better. Guacamole was a little bland, sopapillas are better at On the Border (but they do give you a HUGE plate of them here), the enchiladas were okay. I realize this is a Tex-Mex place but, based on other reviews, many people are missing that. If you're looking for great-tasting Mexican food go to Taqueria La Michoacana in Norristown or drive down the street and hit up Plaza Azteca. If you're at the mall and sick of the other chains, come here. I'll update my review when my group gives this place another try.
(2)
Tori V.
Ordered the patron margarita and it was VERY WEAK. If you want margaritas go to Plaza Azteca down the road.
(2)
J R.
My wife and I went the first week of opening. Been to Mexican restaurants from west coast to east and never had hot brownish salsa which three of the servers said they were not sure of the ingredients. Prices high but atmosphere very nice.
(3)
Jane K.
Loved it our first time there and was so happy with the entire experience . First we met Kevin the manager who was genuinely concerned about our thoughts and what we liked or disliked . The drinks were wonderful, the food was awesome and our server Chris could not have been more helpful. We will defiantly be back and would highly recommend it .
(5)
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Address :500 W Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA, 19462
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Darren A.
Nice place. Nothing fancy. Good food and nice drinks. May come back at some point but not too bothered.
(3)Christian K.
Fine Mexican food? The menu is uninspiring and serves the typical staples you would expect from a mediocre Mexican chain. If you want really delicious Mexican food go to El Limon in Conshohocken! The place was also dirty and service so, so. It might be good if they try or maybe they just do not care about the lunch shidt and do a better job for the dinner crowd but the way the place looked (dirty and poorly managwd) so did the food taste.
(1)Joe K.
Wife and I decided to try this place out and the experience was excellent. We usually go to Plaza Azteca but we had heard about this place through some friends so, why not give it a shot? First impression of the place is that it is very clean. We were seated promptly and then, the deliberation over what we wanted to eat began... I ended up settling for the steak fajitas. Comes with guac, sour cream, pico, shredded cheese, and of course, tortillas. This stuff was to die for... For a second I forgot I was in a chain restaurant. We soon found out why things tasted so good... Barry, a manager at the restaurant came over and introduced himself. He asked how everything was and I shouted back, with a bunch of food in my mouth, "AWSOME"! We somehow ended up in a conversation on why the food was so good and he explained that everything they have is cooked fresh and made from scratch. I have a lot of respect for this and also a manager that spends the time to show and explain how much pride he has for the quality of food they produce. Usually I would give 4 stars for excellent food and service at a chain restaurant but, in the end, I feel like Barry added on the 5th star himself... He went out of his way to make us feel special. Excellent service, excellent staff, and most importantly, excellent FOOD!!!!
(5)Danita R.
:::Cue Randy Jackson voice and clasp hands; prepare to shrug::: Uncle Julio's was just aight for me dawg. One thing i can say is that unlike quite a few other reviews, my service was great. I went towards the end of a lunch rush on a Saturday and got prompt, attentive and quick service. The food though? Just alright. Not terrible, but not so delicious as to warrant the $$ prices. The tortilla chips are way too thin. They barely withstand a half scoop of salsa and if you expect them to spoon any guacamole, just forget about it and pick up your fork. They're tasty and well-seasoned by themselves, not greasy, but you can't scoop anything. The guacamole was fresh and good but you know when you're convinced you make a better one at home that's just a bit busted. The chicken quesadilla was good, but again, nothing to make you return. My margarita of the day, pineapple, was on so many rocks I thought I was gonna need some ropes and an "On belay!" to repel to the actual tequila. Skimp on my tequila and salt and you won't get my patronage again. Overall, I'll save $30 and stick with other spots for authentic Mexican food. You might want to as well. Unless you just want to be super close to Charming Charlies ;)
(3)Jeff P.
My 2-year old and I came for dinner. Nothing ticks me off more than being dumped at a table only to sit for twenty minutes with no service. I had to flag down a manager. To his credit he apologized profusely and then bought me a drink and an appetizer. The food is very fresh and tastes great. Just hard to get the taste of bad service out of my mouth!
(3)Jeffrey Y.
Let me tell you something Uncle Julio. The two stars is because the restaurant was open, clean and well laid out. A bad server or inconsistency with food ends it for me. This place had some of both. Our waitress was not pleasant. It was kind of early so maybe she just got there and wasn't "feeling it". She should have hid that from us. Her attitude was blizzard cold and she forgot to bring out the complete order. Later she remembered and blamed "them". The first flavored iced tea she gave me was delicious.The second tasted like tap water. HUH? The food wasn't terrible but it lacked authenticity. What did I expect tho- it's at a mall. Sorry Uncle Julio but we are no longer related. I'll spend my money at Senior Salsas (in Abington) where the food is consistently delicious, and the severs are effective and pleasant. Adios.
(2)Greg C.
3 stars based on previous experience with their fajita menu. Enchiladas tonight were a step above Taco Bell but below Baja Fresh. Nice waitress and quick service. The greasiest nacho chips I have ever eaten. Why go here when the best Mexican in the area is around the corner at El Sarape in Blue Bell?
(3)Tom E.
On Saint Patrick's Day, you drink beer and eat corned beef. On Cinco De Mayo,you drink margaritas and eat Mexican. I decided for the occasion to finally try the chain Uncle Julio's in Plymouth Meeting. I was right that I would be able to get a seat at the bar there whereas Plaza Azteca would probably be packed as their Bar is much smaller. The chips were good - warm and thin. The salsa was a fire roasted darker version than typical red salsa you find most places. Ok. Not great. Not bad. The bartender recommended THE SILVERSMITH - a margarita comprised of Don Julio Silver, Cointreau, lemon and lime sour. At 9.99 it had a nice taste as well as a nice punch. Ordered the STEAK AND ENCHILADA DINNER. This was 6 oz. marinated Skirt steak, guacamole, pico de gallo, with a cheese and onion enchilada, El Paso style red sauce, Mexican rice and refried beans. The steak was ok. The enchilada could have been cooked through. Was ok. Beans and rice were ok. Service was ok. It's a chain that felt like a chain and delivered like a chain. Nothing special. Just ok.
(2)Dee R.
Everything is made fresh, and you can taste it in their food. It may look like a chain restaurant from outside, but this is authentic Mexican food at its finest.. Ordered "Jaunita's Platter" which is one of their signature dishes. It was delicious! My wife had ordered the fish tacos, and our server was gracious enough to apologize that one of the tacos was accidentally overcooked, and that they were preparing a new dish immediately. Now that is honest, quality service right there! Also, this place is huge, with a nice sized bar area at the front, and private party space in the rear.
(4)Amy V.
The ppl that actually work here are so dumb. How can u work somewhere and not know what's on the menus. Also, the worst service ever! The food isn't that good either
(1)Gary H.
Uncle Julio should have had Aunt Julia with him today. The tacos were good but the fun stopped there. The Mexican rice must have dried out while crossing the border. The waitress seemed disturbed by our presence. She started out with the "not today" attitude. Maybe she have called in this morning and told her boss that. I had raspberry tea which was delicious... The first glass. The refill must come from the sink!!! HORRIBLE!!! The chili con queso should be renamed to queso con I don't f'ing know!!! Too cheesy and no chili!!!! I left with the feeling that if I ever had to try this place again, I'd rather go to bed hungry!!!
(2)Amber K.
I went here for lunch on cinco de mayo and I will never go back. I expected the place to be busy, so I called ahead to see if there was a wait and to put my party of 5 on the waiting list since they do call ahead seating. The hostess said there was no wait, so it wasn't necessary. We arrived 15 minutes later and were told that we would have to wait 15 minutes. I looked around, surprised at how empty the restaurant looked and asked the hostess if she was joking. She said they were short staffed... what? They didn't schedule enough people to serve their half empty restaurant on a day when everyone wants to go out for Mexican food? Did the date sneak up on you? We went to wait at the bar and the bartender was obviously overwhelmed. He told us he'd be with us in a moment. After a minute or two, I tried to find some drink menus to look at, I grabbed something I thought was a drink menu but it wasn't... the bartender looked at me and when I said "oh I was looking for drink menus" and he replied "you could've just asked" with a tone I didn't appreciate. Finally we got our drinks and when we told the bartender we were all paying with separate cards, he rolled his eyes and acted like we were a huge inconvenience. During our time at the bar, my friend ended up with margarita all over his pants from a puddle a previous customer left on the bar. The bartender couldn't be bothered to wipe up the mess and just threw some cocktail napkins towards him. At this point, we debated leaving but the chips and salsa were good and after 20 minutes of waiting, they finally called my name. We carried our chips and salsa with us from the bar (much to my friends' embarrassment) and were happy with our decision since the waitress informed me they were currently out of chips (in their defense, they were making more and we did get more for our the table eventually). Thank God our waitress was awesome. She took care of us and she was definitely the bright spot of our lunch. Our food came out in a reasonable amount of time, however 4 out of 5 of our party ordered the fajitas and never received the rice and beans portion of our order. We didn't bother asking about it because by then we were over it. Honestly, the food was good, the drinks were great, the prices were fine... but first impressions are everything and our first 20 minutes in the restaurant were so terrible that I will be taking my business elsewhere. I've heard from 2 other friends that have had similar experiences there as well.
(2)Mike M.
It was the first time in my life I ever had to walk out of a restaurant. After being seated, we sat at our table for almost 20 minutes without so much as anyone asking what we wanted to drink. The place was practically empty and the staff were just milling around and chatting, some walking right past us, completely ignoring us. I've never experienced anything like it. What a first impression! I won't be giving them a second chance.
(1)Philly C.
We come here every few weeks or so.. Not "authentic" , but very good Americanized Mexican food.. Nachos are ways fresh as is the salsa .. They have a spicy salsa if u request it .. The Carne asada is by far the best thing on the menu. Marination is perfect and it always comes out nice and medium rare.. The bacon wrapped shrimp are also a must we well.. Overall I say the food is tasty but no where near authentic.. If ur in the area it's a must try..
(4)Mark M.
Went here with my wife and 2 close friends for lunch Place is very clean, it was too hot to eat outside but music playing and lots of outdoor seating Went in and were immediately greeted and seated Place is huge and it was pretty empty however it was a weekday we all winded up having off. This place could easily fit 100 or more people it's huge! Anyways waitress was super bubbly and nice Took our drink orders right away (bonus points) Margaritas were strong!! (They better be for 10 bucks a pop) Food selection was good lots of Mexican favs and some unique to Uncles items Table side guacamole was awesome! Lady came out and made it fresh and let us pick our fixings I got the fish tacos, great tilapia. Now I ordered the dinner portion And all my friends were supposed to get lunch portions turns out only my buddies was put in as so. So when our entrees came out his looked like the kiddy portion haha All in all good experience Having said that for the area and price, take away the alcohol and table side guac and its pretty much Baja Fresh except I'd never pay $142.00 for lunch there. Don't know if I'll be back but for what it was I was more satisfied by our waitress (her name was like Kassie or something) than I was with the quality to price of our food.
(4)B. A.
Decent food, hostess was nice but our waiter was a nervous fellow! He seemed very new and not trained well. He even tried to grab my drink before I was even finished! This was on a Saturday night.
(2)Abbi A.
So-so restaurant. Not very impressed with the food, which was very unexceptional, especially for the price. The service was great and I have no complaints there, but our meals tasted about the same as what comes out of a box from the grocery store. Nothing stood out and with all the other choices for Mexican in the area, I don't think we'll return to Uncle Julio's.
(2)Allison B.
I went to Julio's for lunch yesterday and had a very positive experience. I was a little wary because of the number of stars I saw on other reviews (I didn't have a chance to read any), but I was pleasantly surprised. In fact, the worst part of our visit was simply that it took the hostess a little bit longer than usual to figure out where to seat us, but even she was friendly and eventually got it all figured out. We ordered a small guacamole to go with the complementary chips and salsa we received when we sat down. The guac was fresh and chunky. We each had the grilled fish tacos and those were great. The seasoning on the fish was really good and even though the order only came with two tacos, they were filling. The meal also came with a side of cilantro rice and black beans as well as a hearty scoop of guacamole to go with the tacos. We were also really impressed by our server who was super friendly and attentive. He may be the happiest restaurant employee I have ever encountered -- he pretty much smiled the whole time we were there, whether he was helping us, at another table, or just walking around. Good for him! It's a chain restaurant so I guess it lacks a little on the charm, but they got us fed a tasty a meal, so that's good enough for me!
(4)Gloria H.
I went to Uncle Julios for dinner the other night. I was excited for a new Mexican place in a good location with a good atmosphere! It was raining the night I went so unfortunately I couldn't sit outside, although the outdoor seating area looked very pleasant - even if being along the side of a parking lot isn't the best dining experience. The food was delicious. I had tacos and my friend had enchiladas. Both of us thought they were tasty, and my portion was very big for technically only being 2 soft tacos. I saw some people having table side guacamole made for them, which looked fun and tasty. The restaurant was a bit dark and kind of loud but we had a nice booth that still gave us privacy and a nice dining environment. Our waitress however was rushing us through the whole meal, asking us for our order probably 3 times before we even opened our menus and then asking us if we wanted dessert or boxes before we were even halfway done our meals! I think she was new and nervous though and I wouldn't hold this against the restaurant. I'll definitely come back to Uncle Julios!
(5)A G.
1) the chips are literally as thin as paper so they can't pick up water.. and try are they greasiest chips I have ever eaten.. 2)the salsa is basically salsa water ( what's left over after the salsa is eaten) to accommodate the chips 3) the cheese enchiladas are a sweaty greasy blob of cheese that re-coagulated around a soft tortilla 4) this place does not make vegetarian accommodations .. I've never been to a Mexican restaurant that won't subsist beans for meat.. there are however some vegetarian options on the menu 5) the decor was modern and nice but we won't be returning because the food was subpar and super greasy
(1)Gavin S.
I had the strangest experience at Uncle Julio's this evening - I REALLY liked it. After reading all the negative reviews on here I was sure I was making a mistake by giving this place a try, yet I am a person who will try anything once. Much to my surprise, I couldn't find a single thing not to like about this place. First, a disclaimer - if you go to the Uncle Julio's website and read "Our Story", you will find that this chain restaurant claims to be something other than Tex-Mex, even if it did in fact start in Texas. I am merely a fan of Mexican food and not an expert, so this doesn't mean all that much to me. Apparently it's not the biggest deal to them, because our waiter told us that they are a Tex-Mex restaurant. Anyway, there was so much to like, starting off with the decor - this to me is one of the most visually appealing restaurants I have ever been in. It is also quite large, so I doubt finding a table would ever be a problem, and there is outdoor seating for when it warms up, no to mention a wall of retractable glass doors that turn one room into a total indoor/outdoor experience. As for the food - you start off with free chips and salsa. The salsa is somewhat less tomato focused than traditional recipes, but it is intriguing. The chips are a bit thin, as others have noted, but they still come to your table warm. The thinness isn't so much a problem until you get to the table-side guacamole, which I highly recommend - it is totally delicious. We finished it all before the entrees arrived, perhaps inspired by the pig bowl it comes in. For the main course I had the Juarez combo with beef and chicken fajitas, which means it comes with half a slab of ribs. The ribs were quite good, if not fall-off-the-bone, and not all that meaty. The BBQ sauce was left on the side, which I appreciated. The beef for the fajitas was mostly medium rare, as ordered, and was tender, juicy, and not tough at all. The chicken breast was pretty standard, but there was enough beef and chicken for two fajitas and then leftovers to take home. If you want sour cream and cheese note that these are $1.89 extra. The fajitas come with diced tomatoes, guac, lettuce, a roasted pepper, and grilled onions, as well as beans and rice on the side. Overall very tasty. My guest had the Sunday night special, lobster & fajitas - it's on the menu, and I believe it is also available on Tues or Wed nights. It is basically the same combo, with the ribs and BBQ sauce exchanged for a 6 oz. lobster tail and Mexican butter. It was also quite good. We went through the first serving of handmade tortillas and another batch was brought out with our having to ask, which I again appreciated, as it gave use several to take home. Finally, for desert we split the flan, which was a bit less firm than ideal perhaps, but tasted really fresh and delicious. In the end I have to assume this place has had some problems with consistency, but when they are on I can see why the chain is thriving, even if the menu doesn't compare in terms of variety with the place down the street. Perhaps just a bit more variety and/or unique flavors, and more of a chance to choose a la carte, as the tacos and enchiladas cannot be added individually.
(4)Chris H.
This review is based only on my take-out service tonight. Called an order in right at 7 PM on a Saturday. The girl on the phone was kind of....abrupt. Not rude, not nice. Was told 35-40 minutes for plain nachos and the Crispy Taco Plate. Ok, I guess since it's Saturday night. I don't think I've ever waited more twenty minutes for Mexican anywhere. Arrive at the bar as instructed a little early hoping maybe my order was done early. I wait several minutes before even being acknowledged at the bar, which was quite busy with only 2 bartenders and one of them running the service bar most of the time. Bartender tells me no to go orders are out yet. Wait a few more minutes and he does say they are running behind with to go orders; apologizes for the wait and offers water or something to drink while waiting. My 40 minutes now have come and gone. Another impatient customer is also waiting for a to go order. Bartender apologizes again and sends someone back to check. Still nothing. Wait another few minutes and someone checks again. Finally, my order is out along with the other customer, who ordered before me. I pay at 8:03 PM- One hour after ordering nachos and some tacos! Minus two stars for very poorly managed kitchen! 2 stars for halfway decent food. It's Saturday night; staff your kitchen properly or get someone in there!! Bartenders were nice and this was really out of their control.
(2)David S.
Since losing our favorite Mexican place (Salsa's Mexican Grill at the Montgomery Mall) to "progress", the wife and I went in search of a replacement. I'm happy to say that Uncle Julio's is every bit as satisfying an experience, despite the longer drive from home and the completely inconvenient (for me) parking. The service is wonderful and friendly. The table-side guac is delicious, as is every entree and side dish we've tried thus far. During lulls in conversation, spend a little time watching them make fresh tortillas at the open tortilla baking station - it's kind of fun really. The prices are very reasonable and I"m glad to pay them for the flavors and atmosphere here. You almost forget you're attached to a bustling shopping mall!
(5)Hali C.
Great service, great food, great drinks! My friends and I tried for the first time yesterday during dinner and we were seated right away. Our server was super friendly and eager to help us. The food itself was very good, not sure how "authentic" it is necessarily, but we all enjoyed our food. I got the fish tacos and would definitely get it again!
(5)Kurt P.
The Fajitas are what you come here for they are really good. The tortillas are freshly made and they give you a large amount of food with the lunch portion. I come here once a week and haven't been disappointed. The bar area is seat yourself and a little more cozy than the wide open dining area so I usually choose there to sit. For the appetizers I enjoy the ceviche which is fresh and tasty.
(5)Jay G.
To start off, I'm surprised Uncle Julio's receives such poor reviews as I have been here twice and was satisfied both times. Uncle Julio's is conveniently located at the Plymouth Meeting Mall near Whole Foods. The restaurant is easily noticeable when driving on the correct side of the mall by its indistinguishable sign and has a nice appeal to it from the outside. On the inside of the restaurant near the entrance, there is a bar area with booth seating and a TV (maybe more than one, I'm not sure). There is also the normal seating available in which there is a kitchen view and if the weather permits there is outside seating. The first time I came here I sat at the bar booth while the second time I sat by a window in a booth in the other part of the restaurant. Both areas had the same quality of service so it really just depends where you feel like eating when you go there. As for the food, I have had the small guacamole as well as the tableside guacamole preparation in which they cut up the avocados and add many ingredients such as jalapeno, onion, and tomato. I definitely recommend the tableside experience as you can witness the creation of your delicious chip dip. I like the nachos here but they are very thin so they tend to break often while attempting to lift up the heavy chunks of guacamole. The first entree I tried here was soft taco plate with beef tacos which was very good. The tacos were very large, full of beef strips and quite filling. They were not the best tacos that I have ever had, but they are definitely worthy of eating again. On my most recent experience with my girlfriend, we both had the Guadalajara which was a lot of food but very good. The bacon on the shrimp was a bit chewier than I like but overall the mixed grills entree was pretty good. This restaurant provides large servings so we had to take some food home afterwards. As for the drink menu, I really enjoy Julio's Gold which is a special margarita. I'm usually a fan of straight up scotch or whiskey but this drinks makes an exception to my list. The drinks may be a bit expensive but I made it here for happy hour both times and was able to enjoy the half price offer. My girlfriend tried the mango passion rita last time and enjoyed it but it wasn't my favorite. The only dessert I tried was the cajeta which was pretty good but seemed to be straight out the freezer as the ice cream was still very hard and it was a bit of a fight to take a spoonful of ice cream. Overall, Uncle Julio's food is good and I recommend this restaurant to anyone considering trying it.
(4)Rebekah K.
The quality has gone down since it first opened, but still decent and where else am I going to find Tex-Mex? The rice in particular is nowhere near what it was and the beans are hit or miss these days. However, I stand by the fajitas and the bacon wrapped shrimp. *DROOL* I blame the lack of competitive supply and demand for the prices, but the food is worth it in my book. I particularly enjoy the lack of attitude that seems so prevalent in the local hospitality industry.
(4)Mike M.
After a run of mediocre service at other restaurants, I was really happy to have a very attentive waitress at Uncle Julios. We were the only table seated outside, so it was undoubtedly kind of a hassle for her, but she was still on her game. The decor leans a little on the tacky side, but not so much as to ruin the environment. The food was good. The guacamole was nice and fresh, and everything on my platter of tacos, enchiladas, etc., was tasty. And, all for a fairly reasonable price. One person at my table ordered the sangria, which was acceptable but not great. The margaritas were very good, and they have a decent beer list, which includes most of the Mexican mainstays. There's some competition in the neighborhood (most directly, Azteca), but I was pleasantly surprised that this place held its own.
(5)Rosie C.
Inconsistent. Went for lunch one day and salmon was not cooked fully. They did take back and made a new one, but by the time I got to eat.. The kids and husband were all done eating and ready to go. When I went for dinner on another night.... Food was great.
(3)Stephanie G.
Arrived 6:15. Got the buzzer to await a table. An hour and 30 mins later we checked with hostess. Told our name card was lost. We gave up and decided to eat at bar. Asked bartender if we can order. He said "Sure, just a min". 30 mins later he returned as I was tapping the menu. We were discussing whether to stay and he warned us that the kitchen was soon closing. Wow!! So we waited 2 hrs and 15 mins for nothing. Everyone around us was complaining. The lady next to me at the bar said she didn't think the bartender spoke English because he keeps ignoring her. We are a middle aged couple with kids at home. We don't go out much - so it's special when we do. We just wasted an evening at this dump. And we're hungry. I've got other yelp reviews. Never one star. This place doesn't even deserve the 1 I gave it. Most horrid restaurant experience in years.
(1)Jiten S.
I usually like the food. But the service sucks. Tons of people working and we waited 20 minutes to even get a drink order. Will not come back here until they train these high school kids.
(1)Craig D.
(3.5) ~ good overall food & service...We recommend getting the (12 oz.)Carne Asada(very good); a cup of Tortilla Soup(good) and finish with the Sopapillas(Very Good!) NOTE: An order of Sopapillas is enough for (3) people;) And we're still looking for their best Margarita, as the Julio Gold(ok) was just too "sour mix" tasting for us...
(4)Eric R.
Went here for a work lunch. Very average Mexican style food. Nothing special very derivative sorta tortillas tomatoes lettuce and cheese dishes with guacamole and salsa. Not bad, just not good either. So many really good small taquerias and Mexican places in the area. As mall food goes it's pretty average.
(3)Scott H.
You'll get tons of food, it just won't taste all that special. All around the service is fast, but that may not be what you're looking for in a night out. This place is large and can accommodate larger groups. Also, many of the groups around me had kids -- so guessing it's kid-friendly. The décor is what you'd expect with a chain Mexican joint. The music was random and not adding to the Mexican feel. When seated, you'll immediately be served a basket of thin tortilla chips and salsa -- both tasty. It gets worse from there. Most of the appetizers look like full meals to me. Avoid the guacamole since it has no flavor. Also, it's overpriced -- a small is $5.39 and a large is $7.99. Whatever you order, it's likely to show up as a huge pile of rice, beans, pico, meat, and a half pound of cheese -- in, on, or around a tortilla. You're likely going to need to take half of it home. Taste is not their specialty. Bring your favorite hot sauce with you to add some flavor to your bland meal. The best thing I had was a taste of my girlfriend's fajitas -- the chicken was good! I'm sure there's some good stuff somewhere on the menu, but I didn't get it. If you need a quick filling meal, this is the place for you. If you love Mexican food, you won't find it here. If you're lost, Chipotle is on the other side of the mall.
(2)Chris M.
Wow, I'm pretty surprised by all of the 5* reviews. I thought Uncle Julio's was just OK. My wife and I stopped in over the weekend for a drink and snack during the late afternoon doldrums, so it was pretty quiet when we arrived. We sat at the bar and were brought chips and salsa pretty quickly. I have to say that the chips and salsa were extremely good. The chips were paper thin and crispy, and the salsa was very rich and smoky. The bartender encouraged us to try a frozen drink called "The Swirl," which was a mix of frozen sangria and frozen margarita. I decided to try it for some odd reason, but it was not my thing. Should have skipped this and gone for a beer. We ordered the queso and guacamole, which we didn't really like. The queso was standard-issue nacho cheese (kind of reminiscent of the stuff that comes with pretzels at the movies) and the guac had a strange stringy consistency to it (not sure what was going on there). Our bartender was kind of cold, not rude or anything, but not that friendly either. We could be spoiled because we usually hang out at places where everyone knows us and is super friendly, but I personally wasn't into the service here. Anyway, we tried Uncle Julio's because it's new and like to try every place in the area. I likely won't go out of my way to visit again, but wouldn't be strongly opposed to stopping in if it were convenient. 3*.
(3)Shawn H.
I really like Plaza Azteca so I found it curious that they were opening another Mexican restaurant around the corner but the big letters and lights drew me in. I am glad I went here to eat. I did not know this was a chain restaurant. The food is prepared to order so it comes out hot. I have been multiple times. It is weird but my favorite dish is the BBQ ribs. The mix of the BBQ sauce with salsa was different and absolutely delicious. I came here with co-workers on a Friday and they were woefully understaffed. Took forever to get drinks. It got better as the night went in and the crowd thinned but to have to wait for drinks was a bit annoying. I recommend this restaurant. Good location and you can eat outside. But I do not like it better than Plaza Azteca.
(4)Sarah O.
I was shocked at how much I actually liked this place. The initial impression upon walking in is kind of horrifying. As my dining partner and I noted, the decor looks like they walked into a restaurant supply store and said, "Do you have anything that screams 'Culturally insensitive Speedy Gonzalez cartoon with muddled Southwestern influences?' We'll take it." Additionally, we were pretty much the only people in the restaurant, and service was by no means lightning fast. However, the food was good enough where I wasn't mad at it. I got the shrimp fajitas, which at 13 bucks I considered a bit pricey for lunch - until I saw them. There was an enormous pile of spicy, tangy, buttery shrimp, accompanied by guac and pico, as well as four large, soft tortillas. Being stuffed, I didn't even make it to the rice and beans - I had them for dinner, and they were FULL of flavor. Honestly, I really enjoyed this place, but I tremble to think how loud it must be at dinner on a weekend. If this idea doesn't scare you - totally, totally go.
(4)Chris B.
Save your money and go somewhere else if your looking for "authentic Mexican" food. I will start off by asking you how can you possibly mess up steak fajitas? I mean really mess up fajitas. We'll get to that later. After sitting down in the bar area I waited and waited and waited before anyone came to my table. To be fair, when that person arrived they had chips and salsa. I had to ask for water... strike #1 The chips might as well have been a salt lick, strike #2. I eventually ordered steak fajitas with no sour cream and a margarita. After literally 5 minutes both my entree and drink were delivered at the same time; not quite strike #3 but certainly odd that it took 5 minutes to cook my fajitas. Strike #3 was certainly the fact that my fajitas were not prepared the way I had ordered them. Half of the entree was well done and the other half was rare. Not to mention I had to cut the fat off of 60% of the steak because it was not edible. Strike #4 was the sour cream that was sitting on top of my cheddar cheese and pico. Strike #5 was that my server never once came to my table to ask how my dinner was after delivering my food. The server stayed at the bar the entire time until coming to take my plate when I was obviously not eating any more. Essentially the only good thing I received was my overpriced margarita. Food was not good and the service was terrible.
(1)Rachel A.
I had a good experience here. I only went once but plan on going back again. We had the house chips and salsa and the salsa was fantastic. I am kind of a stickler on chips and they do a great job on theirs. They were not too dry and not too salty either. I ordered the beef and cheese enchiladas and both were made perfectly. This is definitely an "in the middle" between a chain and authentic tasting Mexican. I was pleasantly surprised. I will be going back to try some of their other options.
(4)Kaitlyn G.
Typical chain mexican restaurant. I love that they make the guac in front of you at the table, it adds a little excitement. The food and drinks is a little over priced in comparison to some of my other favorites in the city but it's good for a mall chain restaurant! We went on a saturday for lad lunch/ early dinner and the place was basically empty.
(3)Kimberly K.
Friendly staff greeted our party of 4 for lunch. The decor made you feel like you were at a Hacienda. The restaurant is brightly lit with big windows. Chips and salsa were promptly delivered after our drinks. My whole party ordered the Especial Fajitas combo with rice and beans. The beef was tender and marinated. The chicken was moist and thick. Rice was a bit bland and beans well seasoned. I asked for corn tortillas and they were served right away. They even brought extra for us to take home with our doggie bag. Taste= B+ not too authentic Service= A+ Ambience= B- headphones on managers make me think of Old Navy Summary - couple steps up from Don Pablo - would go back for lunch
(3)Gina C.
My boyfriend and I are big fans of Mexican food so we were pretty excited to try Uncle Julio's last night. One thing is for certain....we will not be going back! The restaurant has only been open a couple of months so everything is shiny and new. The place is very big, and the décor is nice. Our waitress was a sweetheart. She could not have been any nicer; however, she was slower than a snail in peanut butter. It took about twenty minutes for us to get our margaritas, and then another ten minutes before we got our water (and that was only because we asked for it for a third time). The restaurant was not crowded by any means so there was no reason for this. I ordered a combination platter, and in plain words, it was gross. There was a piece of gristle (at least I hope that's what it was) in the first bite of my beef enchilada. That immediately turned my stomach. My chicken tamale was decent, but it was lukewarm at best. The rice and beans were too salty to even eat. A to-go box was not even an option for me. What really stands out in my mind is how it took my boyfriend a good fifteen to twenty minutes to get his second margarita. Our waitress had brought us the check, and we paid the bill, yet he still didn't have his drink. We were both so frustrated that we would have left had we not already paid the $9.75 for the margarita. Yes, the drinks were that expensive, and they were in small glasses. Overall, Uncle Julio's left a bad taste in our mouths. We may have been able to look past the poor service had the food been better. Unfortunately, it wasn't.
(1)Hania M.
I might as well poured the whole salt shaker in my mouth. The food was incredibly salty. I just imagine the cook pouring salt all over the cheese, chicken, guac. Even the lettuce was salty. Not exaggerating. Unbelievably terrible food. Me and my boyfriend both felt sick afterwards.
(1)L G.
I have to say I was impressed! I have not eaten here since the first week it opened, but a good friend insisted that it was very good and I should give it another try, so I did. I was pleasantly surprised! Skinny margarita was great. The last time I was there they didn't have table side guacamole and now they do and I have to say it was delicious! The fajitas were very good.... This incredible melted butter came along with the shrimp and the nachos appetizer was very tasty. When I first tried Uncle Julio's, I was sadly disappointed. I had watched the place be built and was very excited for it. That time was a huge disappointment and I swore I would never go back. I am very happy tonight that I decided to give it a second chance! I will be returning :)
(4)Tiffany T.
Was doing some shopping in the mall and passed this place so I thought I'd stop in for a quick lunch the place was like a ghost town so I sat myself at the bar except there was no bartender there, finally someone comes out to greet me and asked If I was dining in or take out he quickly served me chips and salsa, chips were thin and greasy, salsa was good tho. I ordered a drink the glass was dirty! gross..then I got the combo plate the chicken enchilada was dry and the beef taco tasted like it came from under a heat lamp and it had been sitting there I asked for no beans ex rice there were beans all over the plate! Don't ask for sour cream that will be a ex charge! Over all not good I'll just go to chipotle up stairs next time...
(1)John M.
Best place ever. Food is great. Drinks are great. I bring all corp customers here. Managers and bar tenders make sure we are always happy. Best of all time
(5)Tom H.
Came here on opening night. The staff was friendly and well organized. The kitchen ran smooth and food came out quickly. The margarita's were spot on, even the flavored ones. The food was great. Fresh and flavorful with good sauce, but not covered in it the way some places do. You can actually taste the ingredients. From start to finish a great experience!
(5)Kelly D.
Great new addition to the Plymouth Meeting area - fresh and healthy options! My family and I live five minutes from Uncle Julio's and visited during its first week of being open. We had great service, so I'm not sure what people are talking about when they've given negative reviews, but for a busy family of six, we don't have the luxury of being critical all the time. We've been back four or five times - both in restaurant and for take out and every time the food was very fresh and everyone was satisfied with their meals. I should mention that my family varies from 2 years old to 60 years old - people who like very spicy and people who like mild - so there's something for everyone on the menu.
(4)Ali K.
LOVE the steak fajitas- Best I ever had. Also, ya must get the warm chocolate pudding filled empanada for dessert- even if you are full! I was surprised to see that many people on here complained about the service at Julio's b/c I've been there a bunch of times, and the service is always super-quick and attentive. We've actually laughed about the fact that we order, blink, and dinner is served. Sometimes we sit in the actual dining room, and sometimes we do self-seating in the bar area. As far as salsa goes, I've had better. But the complimentary chips are served warm and yummy! Overall, I find myself craving Julio's every couple of weeks! I would definitely recommend it for a quick bite before a movie, or for a celebration type dinner with a group.
(4)Candace J.
Chicken fajitas has a magnificent sauce asada steak is tender chicken fajita Cobb has everything on it margaritas are fresh all natural the ribs are so good and best of all the bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with cheese and halo pen great all you can eat chips happ hour all over the restaurant coming back
(5)Bill S.
We came to uncle Julio's for my wife's birthday with a co-worker. It was our first time here and coincidentally it's our last time here. I'm glad I was reassured that the place is not Mexican, but it's Tex-Mex instead.... that's still not right. I would never even call this Tex-Mex. Just because you have peppers and some chicken, it doesn't mean you can open a Mexican and/or Tex-Mex restaurant. This was the total crapper. I don't think they could have made the food any more bland and boring. In summation, we should have just ordered at Chipotle in the mall and ate out in the cold parking lot. **Edit: I started to develop a slight pain in my lower left rib cage area before bed. Today I'm in quite a bit of pain in the area. My Dr says it's NOT a ruptured spleen but had to give me medicine to reduce the pain and inflammation. Thanks Uncle Julio, you morons.**
(1)Rory K.
Every time I go, its fantastic. I have never received food that was anything less than fantastic. Lawrence is by far a superior server. He's very attentive and has just a fantastic personality. I love the Mango Passion Rita! Good work Julio's!
(5)Chelsea R.
This is by far one of the worst Mexican restaurants I have ever been to. The queso was Velveeta and the service was abysmal. El Azteca is by far a superior establishment right down the road. Both drinks and food are over priced and no where near as good.
(1)Dani M.
My mom & I ate here last night and were very disappointed in the service..after we were seated, we had to wait 10min for a waiter to come so we could order our drinks and food. We then had to wait 30min for our food to be brought out. Was it busy? Yes. But the manager had to step in to help us because our waiter seemed to forget about us. However, the manager was very attentive and is the only reason why I'm giving it 2 stars, along with the nice atmosphere. The food was average & way over priced. Would I eat there again? Sadly, no.
(2)Amanda R.
Honestly the food was so bad, rubbery steak and tortillas equally so. The fish tacos just tasted bad. The drinks were ridiculously overpriced and although the restaurant was near empty we still waited 15 minutes to have our order taken. Don't usually review like this but I feel like we were robbed and plaza Azteca is a million times superior!
(1)Melissa V.
Pros Fresh and tasty food Attentive service Beautiful decor Good margaritas Yummy table side guacamole Fresh tortillas Cons Chips are thin Food wait time, not too bad but could have been faster Def recommend trying at least once and supporting the growth of new business to the area. I'll be back!
(4)South D.
I will leave my previous review on here (see below), but I'm going to provide an update to my Uncle Julios review that I think should be written. The management and senior management needs to pay attention: The Service is not good. We visit here about once a month at least because we love the food, but every single time there is something wrong with our order, and more importantly it's just so painfully slow! It doesn't matter if they are busy or not, it always take forever to get refills on chips and salsa, fresh drinks from the bar, and the dinner's take forever (again - usually at least one person's order is wrong when it arrives). I watch other tables of people, and they seem grumpy about the service as well. This is a management problem, I don't blame the servers because management should be out helping speed things up, deliver food, asking how things are, etc. I never see that. Other than that, the food is really really good! --------------------------------------------------Â--------------------------------- Old Review: Great Tex-Mex! I read some of the negative feedback people left, and my only request is: if you don't think this is the best Tex-Mex food in the area, then PLEASE share with everyone what restaurant does have the best mexican food in the area. I'll go there (with a completely open mind) and try it. I want awesome Tex-Mex or Mexican food as much as the next man, but please don't leave some BS vague "I've had better elsewhere" because I want to know where! Oh, and one last thing, if you think that Mexican food and Tex-Mex are the same thing just because it says Uncle Julios "Mexican" Cantina, then you should not be leaving reviews about that which you do not understand. You are what the Mexicans call Los Incompetent. :) FOOD: Tortillas are hand made fresh, served warm for every table, salsa is to die for, and fajitas are insanely good! Try the chicken and beef fajitas! They melt in your mouth! Order extra shredded cheese, they never bring enough. BOOZE: Order a "Swirl" margarita and munch on their great chips and salsa. AVOID: Most of their specials, they're over-priced SERVICE: This is the only real big negative. Their management can't seem to ever get the right mix of real top notch serves and hostesses that we are used to seeing in their other restaurants in cities like Dallas, Chicago, and D.C. Do yourself a favor a make Uncle Julio's a staple in your going out / Mexican food fix hot spot plans!
(3)Peter S.
My wife and I went for dinner. The food was cold and had no flavor. Beans looked like they came out of a can. Its a pretty place but not my idea of true tasting Mexican Food!!!!
(1)Katrina S.
This is getting 4 stars for 3 simple reasons - The salsa is the best i have ever had. period. The server was the nicest and most attentive i have ever had. They make their tortillas in house. Food is average, nothing special. People will eat here because the only other place like it is Azteca, which isn't all that much better. If you want Tex-Mex at a decent price, go ahead. If you want real mexican food, at a decent price without the "frills and fluff" trek to norristown and go to Michoacana.
(4)Kelly P.
I've been wanting to give this place a try since it opened, but it is always slammed on weekends. My husband and I were finally in the area early enough on a Saturday so that we only had to wait 35 minutes (instead of the usual hour it has been when we've tried before). While we over all had a positive experience, there were some issues that keep me from rating this place too high. Pros: - Good salsa and queso - Chicken flautas were tasty - My Mango Passion Rita was one of the best margaritas I've ever had - Fast service - Good sopapillas (fair warning, three people could split that dessert, it is massive) Cons: - The chips are super thin and break easily - The guac was exceptionally mediocre and tasteless - The music. Tons of Katy Perry and generic top 40 pop that doesn't go with the atmosphere at all - The portions are really big (in fact, a patron sitting near me warned us about the portions being way too big). I'd rather have something smaller and cheaper, than so big that I'm taking half home and paying a higher price - People are really tightly packed and you are practically sharing a table with your neighbors. Waiters apologized for being up in our space, and a lady next to us chimed in on our conversation three times. Overall, it was good. Would I rather eat at El Vez or a better Mexican place in Philly though? Yeah. But if I don't feel like going into Philly, Uncle Julio's will do as a suburban replacement.
(3)Emily S.
Came here with a girlfriend for the first time on a Tuesday night. The place is huge & there was a decent crowd without it being overly crowded. We were seated right away & had chips & salsa on the table before we even ordered drinks. We ordered gauc to start & it was pretty tasty. We ordered sangria and it pretty much tasted like grape juice. I'm hoping there was alcohol in there otherwise it was a very expensive juice. Not impressed. Our meals were pretty good but nothing to rave over. If I was in the mall area & hungry for mexican I'd probably go to Chipotle over this place.
(3)James B.
Some of the worst tacos I've ever tasted. The server was nice, but slow as hell. Probably will never eat here again.
(1)Ashley M.
Never disappointed when I come here and they even offer takeout!! I not only got what I ordered, they loaded my bag with LOTS of chips and salsa!! I will definitely be back again!
(4)Robert B.
If you are looking for traditional Mexican food, this isn't the place for you. They have come up with interesting twists on old favorites. The mix of flavors is well done. I would recommend the spicy shrimp - great flavors.
(4)Jeff M.
Something different, recently new, wanted to try it, won't be back. Atmosphere, open air feeling, loud and it wasn't crowded at the time when we went after shopping. Service - our server Diamond was very attentive, pleasant, friendly and accommodating. I don't recall the gentleman's name that made the table side guacamole, but he as well was personable accommodating. Their recipe uses lemon, we prefer lime which we requested and he went back to the kitchen to get a lime. Drinks - nothing spectacular, nothing bad. I had Modella and a Patron Margarita, my girlfriend had a Mango Passion Rita. Food - As mentioned we started with Table Side Guacamole which was good. Chips and salsa were good. Chips were thin and warm, very nice. Salsa had great flavor with a nice smokey flavor, something out of the ordinary. My gf had the taco platter with ground beef. Taco shell nice, beef good flavor but salty, just average, had better other establishments. I had Carne Asada and Enchilada Dinner. I was excited when our server told me that they service it medium rare, but then I was disappointed when it came out well. I understand that Carne Asada is marinated which can lead to discoloration. The skirt steak was tender, but too salty, so I'm guessing the lack of ANY pink/red meat was due to over marinating, lending to being overly salty. Was not enjoyable. The cheese and onion enchilada was very lack luster. Cheese and onion enchiladas should consist of thinly sliced white onion, tossed with cheese, rolled in a corn tortilla dipped in enchilada sauce and baked. This enchilada was cheese rolled inside a corn tortilla topped with El Paso style sauce which was stated on the menu, and topped with cheddar cheese that melted as it baked, then topped with raw diced onion. I've never had an enchilada at Taco Bell, but I'm guessing this is what I would get. The dinner was served with Pico De Gallo which basically was large diced tomato and onion, no jalapeno or serrano peppers, lime juice or coriander. I believe I saw someone's review comparing the food to par with something you would expect at Applebee's. I'm sure everyone reads reviews and thinks it might have been a bad night, or the person writing the review is picky or not knowledgeable about the particular cuisine, but without explanation of my knowledge of Mexican or Southwest cuisine, I would agree with the Applebee's comparison. There are several decent Mexican restaurants in the area and I would suggest venturing to one of them, opposed to saying, "let's give it a try," and then end up with saying "should have went somewhere else," like we did. You're safe going for drinks, salsa and chips.
(2)E W.
This place has potential once they figure out that the food has little or no taste. Very bland. The shrimp wrapped in bacon was a great dish probably the best one they had. The chimichanga was put together nice, just lacked a little salt or something. Fish tacos were solid. Fresh ingredients and decent portions but again lacked a little spice or something. Once this place works out the kinks I think it could be better than the plaza azteca down the road.
(3)steve e.
i gave you 4 starts because my fish tacos wer tasty,and geneously seved with rice and black bean, salsa, guac, and th whole thing was outrageously tasty,filling, and well presented-the margharitas looked a whole lot like 85% ice...a third of the price of blue bell's el sarape
(4)Nancy R.
Went to Uncle julios on Sunday afternoon and will never go back. We were seated at a table overflowing with garbage from the previous guests. We received one excuse after another about being so busy and overwhelmed, and yet there were not that many tables occupied. The service was so slow that we ended up cancelling our order for the ovepriced tableside guacamole, that the airhead waitress never took off the bill. When we noticed the mistake and pointed it out to the waitress, she charged us the new amount, but never "reversed" the first charge, so we paid $150 for 4 crappy quesadillas and 2 diet cokes. Quite a rip off. And not even an apoology from the manager. Just more excuses. Plaza Azteca - here we come.
(1)Danielle M.
Food is over priced. It's decent, but nothing to write home about. Service is great, bartender put the Flyers game on for me and turned the sound up loud. Margaritas are sub-par, could be way better for a Mexican joint. Overall, ehhh... It's alright.
(3)Vuthy O.
I'm not normally a tex-mex kind of guy. South Philly cantinas and taco trucks are more my speed. In other words, a chain from Texas serving Mexicanish food isn't normally a place I'd hit, but Uncle Julio's does it right. Exceeded expectations by far. Service was excellent, refilling drinks, chips and salsa often and without prompting. Guac and fajitas came out so fast - almost fast food fast. Rock solid guac. Best fajitas I've ever had, chicken was super tender, beef was perfectly cooked. To me, ice cream is perfect on its own - whipped cream, fruit, nuts, sauce = bullshit. I don't know if it's because my expectations were blown away with fantastic apps an entrees, but the coconut shaving and caramel sauce actually improved on the perfection that is vanilla ice cream. I'm almost afraid to go back. The experience was so good, I can't see how I won't be disappointed next time.
(5)Chad C.
Uncle Julio's is a massive Mexican restaurant located in the plymouth meeting mall. I ate at the bar and in fairness it was around 9:15 on a Saturday night, so the place was winding down. I had a margarita made with don Julio silver, which was tasty but could have used a bit more tequila and that was served with complimentary chops and salsa. The chips were fairly salty and the salsa lacked any real flavor or heat. The menu is heavily focused in fajitas and enchiladas, not two of my favorite options, so I opted for a combination plate which had a crispy taco, 2 enchiladas and a tamale. The taco was the best of the group, having a crisp shell and the contrast of the lettuce with the barely spiced beef. The other ingredients were bland. Certainly not a destination for authentic Mexican food, but an acceptable location for a drink after work.
(2)Chris B.
Tried on a whim after deciding that we needed a break from On The Border. Decor is nice, and they have a patio area with sliding glass doors that would be good for warmer weather. Salsa was...different. Smoky is a good way to describe it. Not bad, but seemed to be missing something. Guac was OK, but didn't have a ton of flavor (tomatoes, jalapeños, etc.). Most of the table got fajitas. Chicken was melt in your mouth tender, and the steak (beef) wasn't far behind. Grilled jalapeño per plate was a nice touch. Rice was bland. The tortillas though, oh those tortillas. Best part of the meal (which may not be a good sign). Best I've had in a long time. Service was friendly and quick. Overall, one of the better chains I've had, but it's still a chain.
(4)Chelsea L.
I have to be honest this was the worst meal I've had in the area since I moved here a year ago. Had the beef fajita nachos, the queso and guac, and a pulled chicken quesadilla between my husband and I and the whole thing tasted Awful. The queso was legit cheese wiz and the 14 dollar beef fajita nachos tasted like dog food and only came with 12 premade little nacho chips. I couldn't eat more than 2 squares of the quesadilla because the pulled chicken is CANNED. Seriously. We asked for hot sauce and got salsa? The food just isn't good. Never again. 50 bucks, what a waste!
(1)Tom M.
The wife and I ate at Uncle Julio's last night. We were pleasantly surprised that while walking in, we noticed that there were perhaps 5-6 tables that were in use out of maybe 60-70 (just my guesstamation). That's pretty much where the pleasant feeling ended. We sat there for no less than 20 minutes before our server came over to ask us if we would like drinks. After ordering drinks directly off of the menu (nothing special), our server had to return twice to ask us if we wanted it "this certain way" ....(ps we ordered an 1800 Margarita and a skinny margarita......selections directly from the menu). We also asked for water along with our alcoholic drinks. Twenty minutes after our selections had been made and no drinks (water or alcoholic) our waitress returns to take our food order. We place our order and 10 minutes after that , she returns with our margaritas, but no water. Another 15 minutes and a different server comes out with our food and at the same time our waitress brings us our water. The food wasn't bad, but at the same time, it wasn't worth raving over either....rather underwhelming. After our experience up to this point, I was dreading and trying to figure out a plan to get the check in a timely manner. Needless to say, my best laid plans were for naught.....Yup......another half hour. I whole-heartedly believe the entire experience could've been better if the service was even marginal, but it was downright AWFUL ! The building itself and the mood it creates is fairly inviting, but it's hard to look past that when the service is that bad. I can't vouch for any of the servers besides the one we had, but ours was horrible.
(1)Katie M.
Wanted to love it because the atmosphere and patio seating are great. With so many great Mexican options in the are though, el limon and coyote crossing in conshy and taqueria la michoacana in norristown, there food just wasn't good enough. Service was okay for us, also nothing exceptional. Won't be back.
(2)Nikki B.
Went on off hours for a late lunch so they were not terribly busy but it still took over 5 minutes for a server to come over and get my drink order. It was loud and echo-y and I was seated next to several families with kids despite plenty of tables--so not sure why I got packed in. I asked the server 4 times for a "gin and tonic" even right next to me she couldn't understand and came back saying they didn't have any. Five more minutes the actual server came over and I placed my order. She then came back and asked me about my "odd drink order." I stated I didn't think gin and tonic was that odd. She laughed and explained it was written down as a ginger and tonic and she'd be back with my drink. My food arrived before my beverage. I was in for a late lunch so ordered tamales (vegetable). The server asked me if I was going to order an "actual dinner" and was audibly disappointed when I said no. I didn't see her again for 20 minutes when she came by with the check. She saw me reach for my wallet and walked away. It was 15 more minutes before she came back to run my card. One time I wished I really had cash on me as I desperately wanted to get out of the place. People were letting their kids run amok and two ran up and into my table as I was eating. The latter is no fault of the establishment, but did not make my experience any better. They also don't yet have all the doors marked and people were leaving via an emergency exit, causing the fire alarms to keep going off. The food I ordered was actually quite good. That was the only plus in the experience. My drink came sans a lime, which I had to ask for and never got. The service was absolutely rotten. As such, I wouldn't return by choice (meaning, if friends were dead set on it, I would oblige, but I'd rather go to Chipoltle).
(2)Joe S.
Traveled here with wife and kids from Atlantic City on the advice from relatives in the Dallas area. First I want to point out this is a Tex-Mex restaurant, not Mexican. It's not fair to compare to an authentic Mexican place. Now onto the review. We went the first week of service so the staff was struggling a little bit but they all seemed very eager to do a good job and learn. The chips were thin crispy and warm. The salsa was different than what I am used to. I really enjoyed it. A very fresh taste followed by a warm smokey flavor. We also ordered the guac and queso combo. Guac was good. Not great but not bad either. The best part was the queso. Warm, smooth , and a very rich buttery flavor. The app was the ceviche royale. Well prepared with a good flavor. Not sure I would order it again only because its not something I normally eat. The entrees were as follows: chicken flautas, beef fajitas, Juanita's platter, and crispy tacos. The beef in the fajitas was my favorite part of the meal. Very tender and flavorful. The flautas were also delicious but my daughter was reluctant to share. I would absolutely go back whenever we cross the river into PA.
(5)Joe K.
I am dumbfounded by all the negative reviews that I've read. I was here last weekend and I loved this place. The food and service was great. I had the beef flautas, which was exellent with a crunchy beef taco on the side which was delicious. I also sampled the chicken enchiladas and that was very good. The chips although thin with the salsa and guac was very tasty. I must say that this was some of the best mexican food that I've ever had. The service was also fantastic. After dinner I tried the margarita swirl with the frozen sangria, which wasn't bad at all. I want to thank my friends for introducing me to this place and plan on introducing my other friends to this place as well.
(5)Sam H.
Uncle Julio's is to Mexican Food like Applebee's is to a steak house. Not bad, but not spectacular. The staff is very friendly and accomodating, they are kid friendly and their drinks are so so.
(3)Heather R.
Cosmo Patron margarita, yummmmm! And I'll be sitting at the bar again next time, because the bartender G was so cute and funny!!! LOVE him! and my drinks were mixed perfectly --delish! My new happy hour spot.
(5)Gina B.
Not worth going back. My husband and I waited 25 minutes for a table on a Sat night-even though half the place was empty. Service was pretty terrible. The waiter was nice but we had to flag other waiters when we needed somthing. The food came out way too fast-we had not even gotten the standard chips and salsa yet (when we were seated and asked about them we were told they were out and making more). The only highlight of the meal/experience was the homemade mango passion fruit lemondade. To add insult to injury-they are not cheap! Not super expensive but so not worth the prices.
(1)John T.
Ceviche and the 3 pepper guacamole were very good, much better than you would expect from a chain at the mall. Our server was great and the food was quick and spicy. Would expect this to be a great place for a happy hour
(4)Karl M.
This is as authentic "Dallas Tex-Mex" as you can get! Been going to UJ since they first opened on Lemmon Ave in 1986 and couldn't believe they were opening in Plymouth Meeting. They must have worked out the opening day jitters mentioned by other reviewers. We went last night and everything was perfect. Service was prompt. The chips, salsa and swirls were as I remembered. And then the enchiladas arrived. Pure Dallas perfection. Tex-Mex just doesn't get any better than this.
(5)Dina S.
Had lunch here today - it was FABULOUS! The food was outstanding and they dealt with my cumin allergy really well! We both had spicy shrimp fajitas off the lunch menu and I had a delicious mango juice drink. The staff from our waiter on up was attentive and wonderful! Also...the guac made table side was out of this world!
(5)Lala C.
On labor day 9/1/2014 my husband and I went here for the first time. My husband is from Mexico, so he knows authentic mexican food and he is also a professional cook for a living. I also was a server for over 14 years. As is typical. most mexican restaurants claim to be authentic, but my husband has yet to find one that he says is. We were told by the hostess that all the food was made from scratch, which I find hard to believe at what is clearly a chain restaurant, but I gave it the benefit of the doubt. ( I served at Chilis for 5 years where virtually everything comes frozen in a box and half of the menu is cooked in a microwave) We got the guacamole with queso appetizer. The guac was very bland and the queso did not look or taste homemade, tasted like it came from a can. We got the enchilladas with the tomatillo sauce. The sauce was ok, the enchilladas themselves very bland. The chicken ones only had chicken with virtually no cheese on top. The cheese in the cheese enchilladas looked and tasted like low quality processed cheese. No spiciness to the food whatsoever which is ok for me (but even I like more flavor/spice) but my husband likes spicy and true mexican food is spicy and has a lot of flavor, is not bland. My husband said the tortillas were bland and did not taste like they were made from scratch. I tried one and I have to agree. I can pretty confidently say that nothing from here is made from scratch except possibly for the very flavorless guacamole. My husband made the comment "I dont know why every mexican restaurant has to look like a pinata threw up on it, no where in mexico do you really find any place that looks like all these restaurants." and I had to laugh, probably very true. Our service was sub par. Def not great or exceptional service but she did the bare minimum required of a server in an adequate time frame. We def will not be going back again. He originally wanted to eat at Chipotle and I twisted his arm to try this place, I feel embarrassed for having talked him into it. We should have went to Chioptle!
(2)Seth R.
It's a solid three stars. Servers are good, which saves them from being a two star. The food: meh. Got a trio for lunch. Beef taco...ala taco bell. Except i think taco bell may have one upped them. They acknowledge their taco is worth under $2. These guys think a taco bell taco is worth $5. Nope. Chicken enchilada with verde sauce. Chicken was luke warm. Sauce had almost no flavor. It must have sat around being reused from day to day. I'm guessing three days old. They put some sorta cheese on top that was congealed. The pork tamales...oy! What the heck did you do to the masa? It tasted like cornbread mix. No seriously. Jiffy muffin mix. This thing was never wrapped and steamed in a banana leaf. Ever. Then they topped it with some sort of beef gravy. What the heck were you thinking?! Blech! The rice was old and dry. The beans, well weren't half bad. They put alot of stuff like bacon in there which I sorta liked. They don't make their own tortillas which sucks. They make their own tortilla chips which is better. They push the tableside guac. For $12 i would push that too. Don't fall for it. Lest not forget Norristown has some of the best Mexican food around. Taqueria la Michocan blows this place outta the water. I was just soooo disappointed!!!! In fact I just downgraded it one more star. What was I thinking!
(2)Quinn B.
This place was a 3.5. It was solid but nothing that you're raving over the next day. With that being said I think it gets the job done if you are craving Tex-Mex. The steak was the best part of the meal it was very tender and flavorful. I ordered the guadalajara which came with steak and shrimp wrapped in bacon as well as an array of sides and tortilla shells to make miniature burritos. The miniature burritos I made with the steak came out very good with salsa, guacamole, and pinto beans. Basically a small chipotle burrito but not quite as good. The best part of the meal was the dessert - sopapillas. My advice is to order more than one serving of them IF YOU WANT TO WASTE FOOD AND GAIN WEIGHT. On a serous note one order of the sopapillas was enough for 3 people. You have been warned.
(3)Rhian T.
Great service, fresh food, flavorful , surprised us how fresh the fish tacos were and how unique the salsa was. Not that pico stuff you usually receive. Chips were fresh and warm. Enchiladas filled with white meat and a nice red sauce. My only dislike would be no refried beans, I'm not a fan of the pinto beans in sauce.
(4)Steve Z.
Excellence! Easily the best Mexican faire in the area. Great food and excellent service especially given the newness of the location. Had THE BEST chicken fajitas ever.
(5)Alex C.
Stumbled on Uncle Julio's during a trip to Whole Foods, we passed on Plaza Azteca, intending to grab lunch at WF prior to grocery shopping. It's clear the restaurant's still working out the newbie kinks but that's expected with any recently launched restaurant. Service was adequate enough, I'm not a believer in judging a place by the service, rather judge by the food, so Uncle Julio's gets an easy pass on the service. The food on the other hand was unimaginative and bland, a bit less than what you'd expect from a chain. It was interesting that it took our server 20 minutes to take our order but the food managed to reach the table in 5 minutes, this quick turnover might have been the precursor to issues later on. What stuck out the most about the experience is how my party didn't finish 50% of the food served, it was just not appetizing, opting to take the leftovers home in a box. Two staffers asked about our food, I informed both the food wasn't very good, no real reaction from either or any probing questions for specifics. Well, during our grocery visit to WF, our stomachs' went a little "loco", ultimately deciding it was best to ditch the left overs in the trash. Will never go back, too many better options in the area. This was one of the worst chain experiences, in regards to quality of the food. On a side note, the drinks looked good although we only had water with the meal.
(2)Jeff M.
Table side guacamole is the truth. Although priced higher than I'd like, I still recommend. The portion sizes for the meals are large. For instance, the fajita special for one will serve two. Unless you want leftovers, choose wisely.
(4)Cindy S.
We had a party of 15 and the staff was so friendly and attentive. The ambiance was beautifully decorated in traditional Mexican curios. There was an additional room with a small fire place for cooler nights and an open patio which is great to relax outside with a drink. But I must say the food was outstanding. The complimentary chips with roasted tomato salsa was very good and our entrees ranged from fajita platter, Juanita's platter, Benito's platter, nachos, tamales all tasty & received rave reviews from my friends. The food was served nice and hot and drinks were very satisfying not the cheap liquor you find in some. We were there for several hours enjoying the experience and not once did someone try to rush us off. And, checks were separated which some places don't even consider. I highly recommend this place and I'm planning a trip back soon with a few friends.
(4)Anthony D.
Over priced!!! Terrible service and I'm certain as an Italian American I can make more authentic mexican... strongly don't recommend!!!
(1)Robert M.
I must say this is the worst restaurant I've ever been to. Service was okay and ambiance was awesome and then it went all down hill. Paper thin chips, runny salsa, no tequilla in the margaritas. Happy Hour was advertised everywhere so I thought it would be good, nope! It was 2.50 off their overpriced 9 dollar small cup margaritas no food specials. Enchiladas had a blob of old unmelted cheese on them, "spicy guac" not spicy and more importantly not good. You'll turn the menu over 8 times looking for the rest of the food then settle on something and it will taste terrible.
(1)Lu M.
I was very excited to go seeing I love Margaritas.Well of course I had one.It came in a small glass with alot of ice n salt.It was very good!I could tell it wasn't some cheap mix.My problem was I only had one.The whole meal was eaten and I never got another drink.They have runners bring your food so couldn't order another-by the time the waiter came back we were done.As for the food I order the Carne Asada which was really good.Other people ordered beef tacos soft and hard taco shells.The beef was very greasy!We all tasted each others food.The rice n beans were just OK nothing great.Chips and the salsa were ok.Overall just OK nothing that great!I'm glad I didn't order another margarita since the small glass was $8 bucks.I liked it but it was small.The decor was nice but it was so loud we could hear eachother talk!Best thing was the Carne asada!Everything else was just OK!I'll give another chance but only if I'm already in the area not gonna make special trip! I notice the table next to me basically left almost all of their food that makes me wonder if I should try again!Ok I went back 1099 for a margarita -the carne asada was half the size and rubbery.I didn't realize until I looked at my old pictures on here -not worth the money!
(3)Renee B.
I really enjoyed this place. We got the pulled chicken quesadilla and chicken tacos. They were both really good. The margaritas were awesome!
(5)Jocelyn B.
First impression: I think that the person who gave this restaurant a 5 may have had a tad too many margaritas.. I went for lunch and have been looking forward to trying this restaurant. Service was good waitress was attentive and had a good energy. I liked the ambiance cool tortilla maker my daughter enjoyed watching. Appetizers: The food was meh.. we ordered the guacamole/ queso appetizer even though i was a bit offput by the pricetag.. it was good but i didn't think the serving was large enough. Also the salsa was different not sure if I liked it or not.. leaning more toward not would have liked if they had more than 1 kind of salsa maybe.. Meals: I ordered Supreme beef soft tacos and it really just wasn't good. the lettuce tasted funny the rice was dry and gross and the side of beans that came with the meal was not good either. Maybe if I ordered something else I would have liked it but I wasn't impressed. Chicken flautas: these were actually good kids nachos: melted cheese on chips kinda hard to mess up glad it came with fruit Most positive part of experience and reason it got 2nd star: my daughters meal came with a fruit cup and dip.. it is tough to find restaurants that serve fruit and have healthy options. Also the tortilla maker was pretty cool. I think the prices were too high for the quality of food I was served. Also now that I look online looks like they have a lunch menu with better prices which we definitely were not provided with... maybe they don't do lunch menu on weekends?? I will maybe give it another shot, perhaps if I have a couple margaritas first it'll make food better haha
(2)Jack P.
Overall a disappointment after reading lots of 4 and 5 star reviews on Yelp. We do eat at a lot of Mexican restaurants, having eaten at a less expensive nearby Plaza Azteca many times, we also go to Cantina Feliz in Fort Washington and also El Vez in the city. This place is huge, big rooms don't necessary entice me ......reminds me of an On the Border layout....which is not good...so big rooms usually mean noise and no atmosphere. What we liked. fish tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, servers were friendly and engaging. Miller Lite draft is $5.29, Victory hop devil draft is $5.59......seems out of whack. What we didn't like - waiters.....3 loud plate and tray drops during my dinner...which I find annoying, Plaza Azteca has a much better smoother older Mexican group of servers....maybe its growing pains. - Prices are high for Mexican, quality is OK but not stunning. Quac appetizer is small and not made table-side like many places do now. fajitas are close to $20. - Desert - waited 25 minutes for a friggin desert.....1 to be split among 4 people.....that in itself tainted the meal since it was only ordered as an afterthought. - Parking is a pain since its wedged next to whole foods area in the Plymouth meeting mall. Bottom line - up and down but not terrible, we will give them another chance when the weather gets better and they have the terrace open.....but it doesn't look like it will be a fav.
(3)jenn m.
Great atmosphere. Excellent service, and delicious handmade Mexican favorites. I love it!
(5)Phallon S.
I wish there were an option to give less than one star because this place honestly deserves it. Hmm...where do I begin? My boyfriend and I tried this place for the first time tonight. We sat at the bar where we were promptly greeted by our waiter who welcomed us and introduced himself. I was pleasantly surprised at how friendly our waiter was, however this is where the good experience ends. After we received our menus we were very rarely checked on. I mean none of the bartenders/servers even looked in our direction until they noticed us flailing our arms to get their attention at the not so busy bar! After flagging them down for questions about the menu, and to order our drinks and such a few times we received our food. For me, simple hard shell beef tacos that looked great. For the boyfriend half cooked chicken fajitas. After asking to have new fajitas with well done chicken they proceeded to bring out his new, but still pink, undercooked chicken. At this point he decided to go with the beef which looked much safer. Boy oh boy he couldn't have been more mistaken. We ate a portion of our food, which tasted mediocre at best, and waited about 20 minutes for the bartenders that were standing around seemingly doing nothing to notice us, so we could pack up our food and go. I write this review now, a mere 2 hours after getting home, bed ridden after puking my brains out. My boyfriend sits next to me fighting the urge to do the same. So if you enjoy crappy food, even crappier service, and an upset stomach, then this is defiantly the place for you. Enjoy!
(1)Kate J.
quite bad chain food at it's worst - I think most of it comes frozen and the sopapillas were positively leaden I have no idea why anyone would ever eat here intentionally
(1)Emily L.
Drinks are ok, but the mexican food is nothing special.
(3)Philly C.
I decided to try this new mexican spot, so I took my parents there for an early dinner. Since I love all things Mexican, I thought I would fall in love with this place. NoT! To be fair, my waiter was great! Very attentive and helpful... but it was the food that was mediocre. The nachos were ok and my salmon salad was basic, no real exciting flavor. My Mom had the fajitas and they were basic, once again no exciting or memorable flavor. My Father had the grilled shrimp salad and that was bland and basic. Obviously, the reoccuring theme here is Basic, everything was basic... eh.... However, I had a good margarita so at least they got that part right. Overall I would not recommend this spot for dinner, maybe a drink or two, but definitely not for food! Ehhh, I guess I will stick with El Vez and Mad Mex- which are hands down the best Mexican spots in Philly!!! Thumbs down for Uncle Julios's, sorry....
(1)K J.
Went there for lunch today and was pleasantly surprised. THe salsa on the table was hot and smokey. I got the pork carnitas and they came with rice and beans. The pork was flavorful and good. The only thing I would complain about is that my friend got a quesadilla that came with a fruit plate. I would've liked a fruit plate! haha. I can't wait to go back for happy hour! THe bar looked big and spacious.
(4)Satish K.
The chips were good but the guacamole was just ok. We ordered the Juanita platter which is a combination of 1 taco 2 enchilada and 1 tamale. All of them were pretty bland and tasted almost the same. I ordered a Draft beer and my wife ordered the skinny margarita for drinks and it took 15 mins to get them. I would have given it 3 stars had the service been better. We've been to almost all the good mexican restaurants from El vez to Tamarindo to coyote crossing to azteca....we r not coming back here
(2)Genie G.
I too was surprised by all the negative reviews. Every staff person we dealt with was polite, genuinely friendly and very professional. It was really cool to have them make guacamole right at our table, and there is nothing better than fresh guac. It could have had a little more heat to it, but it was still really good. I had Benito's platter, which was really tasty. Great portion sizes, plenty left over for the next day's lunch and just as tasty reheated as that night. My only minor negative was that it is a little noisy for conversation depending on where you sit. But the décor was interesting and very colorful, and again--the staff were wonderful. I would absolutely go back.
(4)Ken P.
I gave it two stars because service was okay. Here is the problem they make all their sauces with chicken broth. So the vegetarians in our group were SOL. Sh*t out of luck. The veggies are prepared ahead of time so you can not pick and choose. With a great taco truck on top of whole foods why anyone would go here is beyond my grasp.
(2)Toro H.
Been to many Mexican Restaurants and this may be one of the worst. They have tried to monetize Mexican food way to much that it has cause a loss of authenticity. To order fajitas and to have a cheaper one come without peppers and the more expensive one to have it how can you charge more for what is suppose to be a traditional fajita platter. That's like Wendy's asking did you want a cheeseburger with a bun for 2 dollars more. Won't come back rather do Chipotle Any day anytime.
(1)V T.
I'm in the area for dinner every Tuesday night with my writers group and we wanted to try Uncle Julio's since it's new and we're getting sick of the same old places. While I'm sure we'll go back at some point, it won't be added to our regular rotation as the food was just okay. As other reviewers have mentioned, the chips and salsa are probably the best-tasting part of the meal. The salsa seems to have a slight hint of barbecue sauce in it and tastes great. The portions are big, but for the price we expected the quality to be better. Guacamole was a little bland, sopapillas are better at On the Border (but they do give you a HUGE plate of them here), the enchiladas were okay. I realize this is a Tex-Mex place but, based on other reviews, many people are missing that. If you're looking for great-tasting Mexican food go to Taqueria La Michoacana in Norristown or drive down the street and hit up Plaza Azteca. If you're at the mall and sick of the other chains, come here. I'll update my review when my group gives this place another try.
(2)Tori V.
Ordered the patron margarita and it was VERY WEAK. If you want margaritas go to Plaza Azteca down the road.
(2)J R.
My wife and I went the first week of opening. Been to Mexican restaurants from west coast to east and never had hot brownish salsa which three of the servers said they were not sure of the ingredients. Prices high but atmosphere very nice.
(3)Jane K.
Loved it our first time there and was so happy with the entire experience . First we met Kevin the manager who was genuinely concerned about our thoughts and what we liked or disliked . The drinks were wonderful, the food was awesome and our server Chris could not have been more helpful. We will defiantly be back and would highly recommend it .
(5)