Uncle Julio's

    Claimed
    $$ Tex-Mex, Mexican
    Closed11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

    Menu

    Popular dishes

    Location & Hours

    Map

    4301 Fairfax Dr

    Ste 100

    Arlington, VA 22203

    Ballston

    Mon

    • 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

    Tue

    • 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

    Wed

    • 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

    Thu

    • 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

    Fri

    • 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

    Closed now

    Sat

    • 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

    Sun

    • 11:00 AM - 10:00 PM

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    in Tex-mex, Mexican

    Amenities and More

    About the Business

    Craveable mesquite-grilled fajitas, made-to-order guacamole, refreshing margaritas & more! We are fanantical about crafting everything in our delicious Mexican dishes and drinks from scratch. This commitment to the details can be found in everything we do -- from our made-from-scratch Mexican food and handcrafted drinks to our distinctly-designed dining rooms, spacious patios, and attentive service. We go above and beyond to surround our guests with quality, so that you'll leave delighted and looking forward to your next visit.

    Ask the Community

    • Q:

      Do they make their tortillas in house?

      A:

      Yes, they definitely do! You can see the machine once you walk in. It's pretty cool!

      Salomon F. 
      8 months ago 1 person found this helpful
    • Q:

      Where can I park?

      A:

      There's street parking and a parking garage right behind the building!

      Catherine M. 
      5 years ago

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    Start your review of Uncle Julio's

    Overall rating

    908 reviews

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    • Photo of Meredith B.
      Meredith B.
      Arlington, VA
      223
      100
      309
      Feb 18, 2024
      1 check-in

      Came here on a Thursday night with one friend, we were able to grab a seat at the bar. Immediately upon sitting down we had waters, chips, and two types of salsa infront of us.
      We got margaritas and enjoyed talking to the bartender, Carlos. The margaritas were fresh and the chips were hot!

      The service won us over and we will be back to try their food!!

      Chips & salsa at Uncle Julio's bar!
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      Business owner information

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      Guest Management

      Feb 19, 2024

      Good day,

      Thank you so much for your kind review. We will let Carlos know you all had a great time.

      Respectfully,
      Joancarlo Parkhurst - General Manager

    • Photo of Jerry X.
      Jerry X.
      Washington, DC
      509
      304
      109
      Feb 12, 2024

      Came here with a couple of friends for a lunch hangout on a Saturday. First things first, Uncle Julio's is a chain of tex-mex restaurants with apparently some of the most consistently average ratings I've ever seen in a franchised restaurant.

      Like everyone else says, Uncle Julio's neither impresses, nor disappoints. If you're in the mood for a traditional quesadilla or tacos or bowl, you really can't be disappointed with the food. On the day that we were there, the manager was also walking around offering great service, making sure the free chips were consistently getting filled. Overall, a solid, average spot to satisfy a craving.

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    • Photo of Jacob C.
      Jacob C.
      Arlington, VA
      76
      146
      91
      Jan 31, 2024
      Updated review

      I've been going here (and other locations) for literally thirty years, but the food has been spotty on the last few visits and, for that reason, we haven't gone back in a while. Today was another bad day.

      Other than the chips and salsa, which were good as usual, the other food was disappointing mainly due to it (including fajitas, tortillas, and queso) being served at room temperature or colder. We sent a couple things back but when the replacements also arrived not hot we gave up as we didn't have unlimited time for dinner. (Added insult to injury when we saw actually sizzling fajitas pass us on their way to another table on the way out).

      I'll probably go back at some point but this restaurant is running out of chances for my family.

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      Guest Management

      Dec 15, 2020Previous review
      Aug 11, 2020Previous review
    • Photo of Mike B.
      Mike B.
      Royal Oak, MI
      188
      93
      24
      Feb 29, 2024

      Amazing guacamole. Crisp, fresh chips. Chicken and steak fajitas with huge portions and tortillas with a perfect texture. Friendly service. Honestly, I was a little skeptical going in. It's been years since I was at Uncle Julio's. But wow, really great experience and would totally go back.

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    • Photo of Jessica F.
      Jessica F.
      College Park, MD
      19
      53
      181
      Oct 31, 2023

      I celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday at Uncle Julio's on a Friday evening, and it turned out to be a memorable and delightful experience.

      The restaurant was not too crowded, and we were seated promptly, ensuring a stress-free start to our evening.

      I ordered the Guadalajara, a delectable combination of skirt steak, chicken, and shrimp fajitas served with rice, beans, guacamole, cheese, and sour cream. The food was a true highlight of the evening. The shrimp was impeccably cooked, and the steak was seasoned to perfection, as always.

      To complement the meal, I opted for a mango lemonade. While it leaned a bit on the sour side for my taste, it still retained its deliciousness.

      For dessert, we couldn't resist ordering the chocolate piñata, a delightful fusion of dessert and entertainment. It never fails to amaze and satisfies our sweet tooth.

      Without a doubt, the star of the evening was the service. Our server was incredibly attentive and caring, ensuring that our dining experience was nothing short of amazing. She deserves a raise, her name is Aiyka!

      Will definitely be coming back !

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    • Photo of Cassandra S.
      Cassandra S.
      Washington, DC
      5
      160
      299
      Sep 17, 2023

      Sometimes you just really want a quesadilla and a marg. Uncle Julio's hits the spot! The patio is always lively in the evening. I had the monthly special margarita which had mango and jalapeno. I ordered the pulled chicken quesadilla but don't like sour cream and they gave me no problems getting it subbed for salsa instead. They didn't want to leave the place empty where the sour cream would go so they were kind enough to give me extra guac! Will absolutely be back.

      Pulled Chicken Quesadilla, Mango Jalapeno Margarita
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    • Photo of Bill P.
      Bill P.
      Dripping Springs, TX
      21
      46
      263
      Sep 4, 2022

      Traveling on business and as I often do...look for a spot that seems to be poppin. Well as I was down the street from George Mason University, I landed here at Uncle Julios. I walked in and took a seat at the bar...seems like a cool place, it wasn't crowded but had the feel of something like Chevys or a typical chain restaurant...they had a large selection of tequilas...that was good ...then they brought me some chips and salsa.

      The chips were nothing special, and the salsa was lacking some kick and seasoning

      I looked at the menu...nothing jumped out at me...but I thought..hey let's try the surf and turf fajitas..that sounded good...when I got it..disappointment set in

      The meat.. skirt steak was sliced wrong..we all know you slice against the grain!..cmon uncle Julio!
      The shrimp...well first the bacon on the shrimp was burned..which then led to a dry rubbery shrimp

      All in all just a bit lack luster...if I had it to do again...think I would've landed somewhere else...Uncle Julio...fixing the quality control and improve on the seasoning will go a long way to getting better than 2-3 reviews ...the young ladies behind the bar were good...but they're not responsible for the quality of the food...thats all I'm saying

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    • Photo of Johanna R.
      Johanna R.
      Fairfax, VA
      86
      3
      1
      Dec 6, 2023

      I've visited a couple times already but on Monday night I had an amazing time! Food was delish and fresh had the fajitas for two and had a couple of the margaritas of the month. Our server Barzon was knowledgeable and the manager Mauricio was very attentive, super friendly, and funny! He stopped by to greet us and came back a couple times to check on us to make sure we were taken care of! Overall a great experience but I do believe they need to change the music to a more upbeat Latin music! some of the songs were kind of a mood killer! Will be returning more frequently hope the next time I won't be listening to don't speak by no doubt...

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    • Photo of Jenna B.
      Jenna B.
      WA, WA
      0
      23
      54
      Jun 23, 2023

      Wow. Just wow. This place is beyond amazing. I got the Carne asada, and it was absolutely fantastic. My dad agreed. Sadly, the curse of being full struck, and I was forced to slow down to save room for the chocolate pinata. The fajitas were "very good" and "delicious," according to those around me. The cheese fondue hit the spot. I got the strawberry lemonade, and it was amazing, but drink it slowly. The sweet in it builds up. The strawberry margarita was very fresh. There was table-side guacamole and the chocolate pinata...

      The chocolate pinata. It's so amazing that it needs its own paragraph. And it's just what it sounds. It is a pinata made of chocolate, full of churros and fruit. The pinata choolate itself was about a centimeter thick. It came and-
      IT WAS GIANT
      The waiter handed me a wooden stick and asked me to do the honors. It took two hits to crack the pinata! It was sooooooo yummy. And I have officially ate my weight at this restaurant.

      Even though just about every table was full, our food came fast, and our table was visited frequently by the waiter helping us get anything we needed. She was very respectful.

      For such amazing food, the price was average.
      This restaurant was very clean and, overall, an amazing experience.

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    • Photo of Jennifer M.
      Jennifer M.
      Hollywood, FL
      111
      13
      5
      Jul 21, 2023

      We were visiting from out of town and wanted some
      Mexican food. We didn't have a reservation so they seated us outdoors which was pleasant because the weather was nice.

      Drinks: slow to arrive and personally think over priced for the small pour. The margaritas can be compared to the quality at Chilis (which I don't care for either)

      Appetizers: queso blanco was delicious as were the chips and salsa and the house guacamole.

      Entrees: food was generally good and tasty but arrived cold.

      Service: Slow. The tables seated around us arrived after us and had all eaten their full 3 courses and we never received our food. We waited more than 40 minutes for our entrees which is unacceptable especially when you have small children at the table. We never even got dessert (which I was looking forward to) because it had gotten so late. There was no reason for this delay, the restaurant was empty.

      It's a one and done for us.

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      Germaine R.

    112 other reviews that are not currently recommended

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