Uncle Julio's Fairfax

Food is amazing. Very authentic. Best Mexican food.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Overall I would say that Uncle Julio's was about average. Nothing terrible and nothing great. I got the red chili enchiladas , and they were okay , but far from great. I wasn't fond of the sauce.

One nit: They have no draft beer. What kind of restaurant has no draft beer?

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Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

Used to love coming to this restaurant. Recently they’ve made some changes (and not for the better). The queso (that has been a staple of this place for years and one of the many reasons I went) has been replaced by what I can only describe as cheap plastic cheese replacement. Even the waitress said she hated it and that customers have been complaining. Funny thing is, quality overall is going down but the prices are going up. There are plenty of other Mexican restaurants in the area and this one will no longer get my business until they start putting their customers before their pocketbook.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 5

As soon as we walked in, I noticed a dirty odor! Dingy atmosphere. Almost walked out! It use to be a good restaurant but not anymore at least at this one. Food was small portions, not cooked well, tough meat, cold rice, too salty, very ill prepared and expensive. Will not return. Very disappointed!

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 2

Excellent TexMex. Guacamole excellent. Chiis and salsa excellent. Great chicken tortilla soup.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I’ve been a longtime fan of this restaurant, but I'm truly disappointed to see that my favorite dish, the Camarones Diablo, has been removed from the new menu. That dish stood out because of the large, perfectly butterflied shrimp and the excellent spice level. The current shrimp options simply don't compare. It's a huge letdown and I hope the restaurant considers bringing this signature dish back. The menu feels much weaker without it.

This was a pretty good experience for a chain restaurant. Let’s face it though, their fajitas are hard to beat. We ate at the bar and shared chicken and steak fajitas for 2 and the portions were adequate, the meats were so tender and the accoutrements were plentiful. Edwin at the bar was also very attentive. I’ll come back for sure.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

I could tell immediately that things have changed. The menu is limited and the prices went up. Fajitas were my go to, but now the steak is different quality and the tortillas don't hit like they used to. The beans and rice are incredibly dry. On top of that service was incredibly slow! We had to get up and ask for our own silverware and the check.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

I went to uncle Julio’s tonight to celebrate my birthday with a couple friends and noticed that their menu had changed. I used to always get the Camarones Diablos because I don’t eat meat, only some seafood and unfortunately that is one of the items they took off their menu. I ended up getting just a salad with the grilled jumbo shrimp on it and unfortunately the shrimp were awful and tasteless. Since they took the Camarones Diablos off the menu and because I can only eat certain menu items due to dietary restrictions, I probably won’t be back. It’s unfortunate because the Cameroon’s Diablo was so delicious so I’m not sure why they would take off such a popular item.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Uncle Julio’s used to be one of my favorite restaurants, but ever since they were bought out by a private equity company, it’s clear the quality and experience have gone downhill… and this new menu change feels like the ultimate downfall. They completely overhauled the menu starting 9/26 and removed a ton of great entrées, including the burrito bowl, which was always my go-to.

I ended up ordering the fajita chicken quesadillas, but they were incredibly bland and disappointing. Even worse, chicken tacos aren’t even on the menu anymore. Uncle Julio’s was always my spot for margaritas, but my house margarita this time didn’t taste fresh and just wasn’t the same. On top of that, they’re using a new recipe for the yellow queso… and it was not good at all.

This used to be a reliable, flavorful spot, but the new ownership and menu changes now have me thinking twice about going back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 4

It has been probably 15 years since I have been to this restaurant. I saw something about the chocolate piñata and thought it sounded so neat, so decided to go. They ran out of glasses so we didn't get water until after our meal was delivered. We had to remind our waiter about our margaritas also, which I guess they were never planning to bring. I ordered a taco salad with pulled chicken and no onions. It was given to me full of onions and no chicken. The waiter was kind, but not very attentive. I asked for the manager and he took the salad off the bill, so that was nice. My husband enjoyed his tacos. After the fiasco with the drinks and my salad, we decided not to order the chocolate piñata - especially after seeing the absolutely ridiculous price. Maybe I'll come back in another 15 years.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

For authentic Mexican food in Fairfax, Virginia, look no further than Uncle Julio’s: a great choice for families, company gatherings, or a takeout meal. The menu features fresh Tex-Mex cuisine, attentive service, and a convenient location at Fairfax Corner with plenty of parking—all at a fair price. The cozy patio offers a dining even more enjoyable. Favorites like the mesquite-grilled steak, roasted peppers, crispy chips, and tangy salsa keep us coming back for more. We definitely try what kitchen takes pride next time.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

On 7/2/25, I was dining outside at your restaurant with my three children, along with my sister and her two young children. While we were peacefully enjoying our meal, a group consisting of three women and one white man was seated two tables away from us shortly after we arrived. Our two-year-old children were playing quietly near our table and were not causing any disruption.

Approximately 20 minutes into our meal, the man in that group began shouting profanities—specifically using the F-word—directed toward our children. His behavior was aggressive and completely unprovoked. Shortly afterward, the three women accompanying him joined in, yelling and cursing at us loudly. This terrifying outburst traumatized my 11-year-old daughter, who began crying uncontrollably. I calmly asked the individuals to stop and pointed out that my daughter was visibly upset. One of the women then approached me in an intimidating manner and insisted I move my daughter closer to her “so I can traumatize her more” further escalating the situation and causing even more fear.

The entire scene caused extreme emotional distress to our children and to us as parents. My daughter was visibly shaking, and I experienced a panic attack from the chaos. We had no choice but to leave the restaurant prematurely, and the children were left shaken and frightened.

What is most troubling is the lack of intervention from your staff. Despite the hostile behavior exhibited by this group, no action was taken to de-escalate the situation or remove the offending parties. This lack of response allowed the harassment and verbal abuse to continue unchecked and reflects very poorly on your establishment’s ability to ensure a safe and family-friendly dining environment. If you are part of an ethnic minority, I highly suggest for the sake of your safety and your children, DO NOT GO HERE!

My family and I had a deeply disturbing experience at this location. We were verbally harassed and threatened by an older white male and a woman accompanying him. Despite immediately reporting the incident to the manager due to concerns for our safety, no meaningful action was taken. As a result, we felt compelled to leave the premises.

We have video evidence of the entire incident and have filed formal complaints with both the Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission.

If you are part of an ethnic minority or value a safe and respectful environment, I strongly urge you to avoid this location.

Wait staff took 15 minutes to come to table. Portion size has been cut in half to what you would get in the past. We spent $150 for a family of 4. Manger was useless. Will not be going back. It was not busy when we went in on a Friday night.