Oprah-geddon: Winfrey To Quit Show In 2011
Daley Blames - Who Else? - The Media For Oprah-geddon
Chicago Gets Googled
Friday Flashback - Old School Oprah
Today's Transgender Day of Remembrance Honors the Dead
We know our readers probably have their favorite Mexican place, possibly an undiscovered hole-in-the-wall with the best mole in the city. We’d love to hear about it. When it comes to dining out with our baby, however, one of the best Mexican restaurants in Chicago has got to be Uncle Julio’s Hacienda on North Avenue.
We often think the most telling sign of a good Mexican restaurant is its chips and salsa — so simple, and yet so often poorly done. Uncle Julio’s spread is addictive: light, crunchy tortillas and a salsa heavy on the cilantro and smoky chipotle. They offer a kids’ menu with everything from quesadillas to tacos. We get Juanita's platter from the adult menu because we can’t decide between our favorites. It comes with two enchiladas, a taco, and a tamale, all for under $13 and served in under 10 minutes. It takes us less time to eat it, as each portion is even better then the last. What sets the Hacienda’s food apart is how fresh it all tastes. We can cook Mexican food from a dozen boxes and cans at home; when we go out, we appreciate crisp salads, ripe tomato salsas, juicy meats and soft tortillas. A handful of toddlers watch Julio’s tortilla machine at work, mesmerized by the man feeding it rolls of dough. Homemade Mexican food and you’ll entertain my kids? Priceless.
A meal at Uncle Julio’s is always quick; valet parking (often free!), hardly any wait for a table, and attentive service means we can swing a meal even when we’re starving but our baby is at his fussiest. Julio’s offers high chairs and a sling to rest your car seat on, making this the perfect place for a venture out, even with an infant. Bathrooms actually have a changing table, although it’s placement in the doorway means you’ll become friendly with those who come in to use the baño.
With a baby, Cinco de Mayo has become less about great places to grab a cerveza and indigenous chow and more about a place that has both high chairs and decent tamales. Yes, it isn’t unique or undiscovered, but at Uncle Julio’s Hacienda, the food’s great and all of us always leave happy.
Uncle Julio’s Hacienda is located at 855 W. North Ave. Call them at 312-266-4222. Hours are Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m., and Friday/Saturday they’re open until 11:30 for those with late bedtimes.
Sign photo courtesy of Syrtis.
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
tweet this
post to facebook
I took my kids (4 and 6) here on Cinco De Mayo and it was (not suprisingly) pretty busy. The Valet whisked our car away for a very reasonable price (considering the location) though the return was not quite as fast. We were told it was a 40 minute wait, but were called in less than 10 minutes and got a nice table on the patio. They had heaters on because it was a bit nippy outside and that made the patio very comfortable. Even with every table taken and near 100 people waiting, we got our food (exactly as ordered) within 15 minutes and also got attentive service throughout the meal. My kids loved the food and ate everything in sight. The kids' dishes were very kid-friendly (that should be a given but it sometimes isn't) and the adult fare was exceptional. For a holiday outing, it was an all around excellent experience.
I would be careful to note that Uncle Julio's Hacienda is tex-mex, not Mexican. People going there looking for real mexican food will be pretty disappointed.
I've never been to the one on North, but there is also another location out in Lombard. Unfortunately after having to go to the suburban location on business three times, I can say it's the exact opposite.
The food and staff have always been a bit slow, and not very good with filling drinks. And really everything seemed a bit 'average', almost like a Pepe's chain. Frankly the small Mexican places down the street have more flare, and the baha-fresh across the parking lot has better guacamole and fresher vegetables then Uncle Julio's ever has.
So I guess the lesson here folks is not all locations are the same....or just stay out of the burbs ;)
There are wonderful hidden restaurants in Chicago that I love going to...but honestly this restaurants is one of my favorites. The Queso Fundido, the steak tacos, and the Swirl Marg. SWEET JESUS THE SWIRL. IT is heaven.
The decor and even the name and LOGO of this place is cheesy and over the top, but the food I had here was actually and surprisingly pretty good. Sit at a seat-yourself table near the bar, and there's no wait. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, but after Christmas shopping in the surrounding stores, it comes in handy. Especially the beer and margarita part.
It's a chain, so it sucks. Don't go there. Please.
(I eat there all the time.)
We took our twins to an early dinner at Maiz on California on a Friday night. The staff was very accommodating and there was plenty on the menu our toddlers would eat. I really like Maiz. I would say it has some of the finest traditional Mexican (particularly Oaxacan)in town.
Also good is Adobo in Wicker Park. They actually have a children's menu. And they gave the kids little sippy-type cups with straws in them. Score!
Also ran: El Barco on Ashland. The food isn't my favorite, but the restaurant is so noisy that if your kids have a meltdown no one will ever hear it.
I really like this place too,I prefer Tex-Mex to traditional Mexican unless it's New Mexican that you might find in Santa Fe or Albuquerque.I order the same thing as the blogger and it's tasty every time!
I've been there only once, sans kids, and it was average at best. I prefer real Mexican food to Tex-Mex, but if the food is good, I'll try pretty much any place. Definitely not that great.
Best Mexican in the city? You can NOT be serious.
As others have noted, Uncle Julio's is Tex-Mex and it's a chain. It's pretty decent for a Tex-Mex chain restaurant... but if you really want a good Mexican restaurant, there are *many* other options in Chicago--many of which are probably kid friendly, too.
What, is no one brave enough to list their favorites?
Late Night: La Pasadita
Best Flavored Margaritas: Mananitas
Authentic Taqueria: Taqueria Moran (nearby bakery great too)
"Best Mexican in the city? You can NOT be serious."
The post reads:
"When it comes to dining out with our baby, however, one of the best Mexican restaurants in Chicago has got to be Uncle Julio’s Hacienda on North Avenue."
Note the dependent clause at the beginning of that sentence.
Nuevo Leon in Pilsen is fantastic.
Uncle Julio's is just Pepe's meets Bennigans with valet parking.
Bravo! Someone at Chicagoist is brave enough to challenge the urban hipster groupthink that a chain restaurant can't possibly have good food! Independent thought is alive and well at Chicagoist!
antithesis of urban hipster=suburban loser? Smells like Schaumburg to me! I hear they have a great food court at the mall!
blah.... right by where i live, i try to avoid this place at all costs. it's packed on the weekends though, it'd be a better place to go grab some margaritas, i think their food is just ok. plenty of better mexican restaurants in the city. this is like saying lalo's is the best mexican in the city, same over-rated junk. try el jardin on clark
Ha, "Baby on Board" - reminds me of that "Simpsons" episode...
Don't you guys get it? Chicagoist is cutting us some slack so that Nuevo Leon, Taco Veloz and Maiz don't get swamped.
Yes, naive reader, go to Uncle Julio's God Damned Hacienda. It's the best Tex-Mex in the city if you don't want to be near any Mexicans.
Believe or not many people do have children in the city. Finding family oriented places is important.
Food at Uncle Julio's is good but not great, though I do like their margaritas. Uncle Julio's helps fill the "upscale family dining" niche in Chicago, so good for them.
Nuevo Leon is overrated. Way too greasy, except for the very awesome beans and pozole and little carafes of coffee.
De Pasada beats the hell out of La Pasadita.
I am not surprised to see Nuevo Leon rated high on this blog. The owners have made a fortune dressing the exterior of this place up to make it less threatening, then convincing white people to come down there for an "authentic" experience.
Having worked in a meat distribution plant, the meat there is barely a grade above Taco Bell, and not as well preserved. Hacienda at least uses better ingredients, although their valet parking is pretty stupid.
Not a Surprise: It isn't the writers here praising Nuevo Leon. For my money, I'd rather dine at Cuernavaca.
I think Uncle Julio's is the perfect place for parents to take their children. I won't be eating there, so I don't have to put up with your brats. Everyone wins.
I haven't gone to Uncle Julio's in several years, but I remember feeling satisfied after the meal. More recently, I just went there for drinks to meet some friends. like their frozen sangrias. It's surprisingly a heavy hitter. I love their chipotle salsa. I love its smokiness and depth.
I second that Nuevo Leon is overated. The last time I went there, the food was too heavy and greasy.
"I think Uncle Julio's is the perfect place for parents to take their children. I won't be eating there, so I don't have to put up with your brats. Everyone wins."
Amen. I'm no food snob, and love good cheesy Tex Mex. But what I love even more is dining out with no kids around. Thanks for letting me know where NOT to go. :)
Uncle Julio's is decent Tex-Mex at best. A bit overpriced but a decent and filling meal with nice service.
As for Nuevo Leon, it is a slight step up from traditional Mexican peasant food, with potato filled tacos and many dishes based on cheap and gritty skirt steak. I eat there once a month or so, and the price can't be beat, but calling this the best mexican food in Chicago is sort of strange.
We go their sometimes during summer after Cigar happy hour at Exit on Friday
Thank gawd I have yet to see any, screaming little pink one day I'm gonna grow up and be a accountant suburban or Lincoln Park babies, Maybe because they always put us urban pirates in the back away from every body else. But if I ever do, count on me and my equally drunk friends to make obnoxious staged whispered comments like “Ummmmm me wants some steamed pink baby smoked on stick” cause, well that’s just how we roll
p.s Kristin, that's f*cking hilarious
"antithesis of urban hipster=suburban loser? Smells like Schaumburg to me! I hear they have a great food court at the mall!"
Happy friday yall!
drink one on yer Spook, unless your're from Lincoln Park or the burbs
This makes me lose a lot of faith in Chicagoist and the other readers. If you think this place is good, how am I supposed to take any of the other reviews seriously? I've had the misfortune of eating at Uncle Julio's (here in Chicago and in Dallas) too many times because too many people picking the restaurant don't know better, and I have to strongly recommend heading somewhere (anywhere!) else.
It's certainly not Mexican, but I grew up on Tex-Mex and love it, too, and the food at Uncle Julio's isn't even in the realm of good Tex-Mex. On multiple occasions, I've had enchiladas or chiles rellenos served with a cold center--a dead giveaway that this stuff isn't fresh in any sense of the word.
Before moving to Chi., I lived in Dallas and Austin. The Mex-Mex and Tex-Mex offerings here aren't quite as good as what you can find down in Tex. itself, but there are too many good places to waste your time with Uncle Julio's. Just a few better places I can think of: La Pasadita for a slightly dive hole-in-the-wall place, El Tapatio for a neighborhood restaurant, Frontera Grill for a more family-friendly, "chain-ey" feel. Seriously, though, Taco Bell or the breakfast burrito at McDonald's is a better bet than this place.
@transplant
This makes me lose a lot of faith in Chicagoist and the other readers. If you think this place is good, how am I supposed to take any of the other reviews seriously?
There are more than 20 writers who express their own, independent positions.
Uncle Julio's Hacienda is a pretty great place to go to with kids, I agree.... And for all you baby haters... even if my kid does scream, you surely will not hear her over the regular din. She may, however, fling salsa all over you... but I will not care as I'll be on my third swirl.
I ate at the one on North Avenue once, but I go to the ones around DC pretty frequently because my kids love the place. The ones around DC are well-managed and they *are* perfect for kids. The food is actually pretty decent Tex-Mex, but this isn't a place to look for duck confit tacos or some dish you remember from bumming around Oaxaca. The fajitas are a good bet, whether made with nicely marinated skirt steak, chicken or large shrimp. The tacos al carbon are also good and they occasionally have Cabrito (goat). The salsa is good as is the excellent chunky guac. Yes, they're a chain, but they're fast, friendly, and there's some good picks on the menu.
Be very careful here if you valet your car. I went for lunch on Monday and when the valet returned my car to me, I asked "What do I owe you?" He said 7 dollars, so I gave 8 dollars. I thought nothing of it. I went back on Friday for lunch and my husband went to get the car, ready to pay,the valet said "it's complimentary". Imagine my surprise when I realized that the valet on Monday had ripped me off. Seems shady to me. You have to wonder how much cash they walk away with be lying to customers who are not aware that the valet service provided in the restaurant owned parking lot is free. Food was fine, bu tthe experience of being taken left me with a very bad taste!