Uncle Julio's at Grand Parkway Marketplace

Uncle Julio's has just opened a new location in our area, serving Tex-Mex that I'd compare to Alicia's or Mi Rancho, though they are aiming to be more upscale.  We have been to Uncle Julio's in Arlington and were ready to try one close to home.

The place is hugely popular, it's arrival was highly anticipated in the neighborhood and it is constantly packed.  Obviously they are going to be successful here.  I went in on a Saturday for lunch.  The wait for a table was 25-30 minutes.  I was by myself so the bar was an option, but it was packed also.  A seat at the bar opened up within a couple of minutes so I was able to avoid the long wait.

I was quickly greeted and started by a friendly bartender.  Bar service doesn't always work that well, especially when places are busy.  She started me with some thin, crispy tortilla chips and a pleasingly spicy salsa.  The menu has mostly standard Tex-Mex offerings, with a few interesting upscale choices like fajitas and lobster.  That says something right there--this place is not for the faint of wallet.  I'd say prices are 25-30% higher than comparable Tex-Mex.

I went for the carnitas tacos.  Carnitas is a good test--it's hard to do well, usually comes out dry.  It was on corn tortillas with cheese and cilantro.  There was cilantro-lime rice on the side, along with black beans and the usual pico and guacamole.

The tacos were decent, I'd say a little above average--only slightly dry.  OK flavor but not spectacular.  I did not care for the beans, they were very plain.  The rice was OK, I like it better than, say, Chipotle's version, but I personally prefer saffron or traditional Mexican rice.

My food and service were OK, but there were other people around me sending food back.  My wife went recently and found her food to be bland.  I would say they might have some consistency issues.

The ambiance is very nice--comfortable seating and an attractive interior, and it didn't seem to get overly loud even though the place was full.  It would be a pleasant place to share a meal with family and friends.  The bathroom was spotless and fully functional even with such a large crowd.

Overall I think the place will do very well, but I can only give it 3 stars based on value--decent food and good service but way pricey.

My Yelp Review