Don Julio Tacos & Tequila Bar in Kitchener

Amazing food and the best service Ive had in a long time. 10 out of 10 recommend!

Amazing tequila selection! Lovely staff- attentive but not intrusive. Food is 100% tasty and so taste like Mexico. Beautiful decor and lovely atmosphere.

Don Julio offers a truly delightful dining experience. The staff is attentive and welcoming, creating a cozy and unique atmosphere. The food is the real star of the show. The costillas are melt-in-your-mouth tender, and the tacos are bursting with flavor. My wife raved about the refreshing mango and pineapple margaritas, while I enjoyed a fine selection of tequila and mezcal. Cant wait to come back in the summer to enjoy the patio. Vegetarian options: They have veggie tacos Kid-friendliness: I wouldnt bring my kids here

Loved the place!! The food it s so authentic and tasty. Next visit it s a mandatory visit

Love this place! Love love love! Great vibe, kind and helpful staff, and absolutely delicious food!! Consistency between visits, and they are always working on new menu items, which is a real treat!!

I loved this place from the moment we stepped inside. The decor, the music, my coconut margarita, then my fish tacos. The taco shells were great and made on-site. Will order the platter next time!!

Very overrated.

Food was amazing! Cool vibe. Service was slow, but I was in good company. A little pricey for the portions.

The food was amazing! Ray was our server she was excellent

By far the best authentic food we ve had! Super friendly and beautiful atmosphere! Will definitely be our new spot! Thanks again! Beef chorizo and chicken tacos were amazing and the guacamole with chips and street corn .THE BEST!

Great atmosphere, the best tacos in the Kitchener-Waterloo area by a long shot.

Hallie was our server and she was amazing.food was good and drinks as well.

Honestly I m very easy, but I went to this place for a birthday, first I called to ask if they could keep the cake(ice cream cake) in the fridge and very rudely they said the fridge was full my boyfriend took it with us anyways because it was a bday of course, service overall ok, food wasn t that great, kindda cold and the street corn not as advertised, drinks were amazing I must say, they helped us with knife and plates for the cake which btw they stored in the fridge after our arrival, offered us a candle but while they put everything on the table, no one cared to clean up after we were done with our food, so it was just ok to put the cake and new clean plates on the dirty table, honestly a bit gross, so maybe more diligent with service and friendly over the phone.

Food is consistently amazing and great drinks as well. Service has been wonderful every time

This place is a new gem in the city. The margheritas taste like another round is needed and the tacos, forget about it. Ive been there 4-5 times and never tried anything else on the menu.

MUI BUENO! Great spot! Our server HAILEY made the night so much fun! Can t wait for our next trip to dons!

Great food

Loved dinner on the patio! Incredible fish tacos. Also a huge selection of gluten free options!

I was so excited to finally try this restaurant and I wanted to love it, but sadly the food was a letdown. The atmosphere and drinks were fantastic. Love that the menu has so many gluten and dairy free options. The guac was delicious but the tacos fell flat (we tried 4 different kinds). Didn t love their shells and the shredded meat didn t have much flavor and felt like it was sitting in a crock pot of liquid.

Don Julios serves up a fantastic taste of Mexico! The tacos are a must-try, bursting with flavor. While the food is excellent, the service could be a bit quicker. Overall, highly recommended for a vibrant dining experience.

Excellent tacos and service. Had the mango habanero margarita and it was delicious. Would definitely recommend this place to anyone!

What a great spot. Food was delicious, selection of tequila was perfect for me, we enjoyed the special of the day and it was definitely well prepared and presentation was great. Thank you for the great service and our new favourite tequila spot. Great attention to detail.

This place was very good. Very Authentic. I am not sure what people are saying about the food being bland. Equivalent of North Americans saying Italian food in NA is better then the authentic food in Italy (is my guess). The atmosphere here is solid, service was great. Definitely coming here again.

Preface: Quite surprised by others experiences in their reviews. We dined here last night and are a Latin family who not only cook Latin food at home but travel extensively in Latin America. The Xintec, habenero salsa and chips were so packed with flavour! Having corona on tap and the mango habenero margarita was perfection. Our 8 y/o enjoyed the grilled chicken and potato dish while we shared the tacos pollo, pescado, carnitas and res. The fresh corn tortillas made such a beautiful addition to the freshness and taste of the tacos and they re surprisingly so filling 3 tacos per adult is more than enough! Someone saying they don t have fresh lime is weird as I saw the staff preparing the large bin with fresh cut limes. But okay. I wish I asked what the Chef Juan taco special was that day but we were too excited we jumped to ordering. The ambience with the tin lanterns, high ceilings and exposed brick with the open kitchen looking onto the hard working Mexican chefs was the best. Can t wait to return, I hope they introduce some other traditional Mexican tacos and dishes soon. We miss Mexico and this was as close as it gets here in KW.

excellent service, amazing margaritas!

What happened today? So disappointed. Tortillas were cold and stale and yet advertised as homemade. The fresh salsa was several days old. Onions were leathery. The fish tacos not fresh. Tough. The patio floors not swept for several days. The waiter rushed. We were here a month ago with a totally different experience. We loved it mainly because it was so fresh. A more upscale Mexican place. Was hoping it would be a new favourite. The one redeeming item was the Margarita. One of the best in Kitchener. When you pay $10 a taco you expect more. What happened today?

Great food, freshly prepared, and friendly, efficient service. Just a tad loud for converslng.

Service was great but our group of ten ended up sick immediately after dinner. We tried calling the restaurant multiple times to tell them so they could look into it but we kept getting voice-mail and we are concerned that more people will end up sick.

I like Tacos and drinks. A little bit pricey for me but a great atmosphere and tasty food and drinks

I am latino, not mexican, but over the years I became like a Mexican by heart because Mexican food is my favorite, and I always try new original 100% mexican places, so here is my opinion about this place. i went for dinner tonight for the first time and just for the record. 1. This is not an original mexican restaurant, this is kind of the same gringo styles you can find such as qdoba, quezada, bar burrito etc. I was truly dissapointed when I saw the menu. Not tacos al pastor? come on. 2. I asked for hot sauce, and they gave me Cholula, that was definitely an insult and a joke at the same time. I wanted to laugh and cry. Again not a mexican restaurant. 3. Price is ridiculous but at the same time understandable due to my point 3 below. 4. Atmosphere and venue are nice, they have put a great effort on that. 5. Customer service is ok, but I was tired that every 2 mins the waitress was interrupting our conversations, sometimes in an unnecesary way. 6. My opinion could be unfair, If I look for excellence in mexican food, I know. I saw a lot of customers for sure, probably they like mediocre food, with a gret venue, atmosphere and expensive prices. Fair enough. Guys you want real mexican food in KW, Please come to Cactus Mexican Restaurant on Phillip street, Waterloo. You will thank me. Probably not a great venue and atmosphere but food... OH GOD! ( P.S. I am not the owner, just a customer who defends the real good mexican food)

I recently dined at Don Julio, and it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The ambiance is inviting, and the entire staff is incredibly attentive and friendly, ensuring that every guest feels welcome and taken care of. However, what truly set this visit apart was Matthew. His energy and enthusiasm are contagious, making the dining experience not just enjoyable but downright entertaining. Matthew has a unique way of engaging with guests that adds a special flair to the evening. He s not just a server; he s a performer who knows how to elevate the entire atmosphere with his charm and wit. If youre looking for a place with great food, a welcoming environment, and a touch of entertainment, Don Julio is the spot. And if you re lucky enough to have Matthew serve you, youre in for a real treat!

Amazing place, easily the best Mexican restaurant in Ontario

Best staff ever!! Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Highly recommend if in the mood for Mexican. Amazing tequila menu so make sure you have a DD we have tried multiple menu items and have never been disappointed. Perfect date night spot. Vegetarian options: Awesome veg options!! Dietary restrictions: I have celiac and the entire menu is gluten free! (Except churros)

Good dishes

I went there with my date, 1st time. We walked in, and I was automatically physically bumped by a tall server going by me.. who barely said sorry as he kept on going, not making eye contact with me. The server asked if we had a reservation, we did not, the waitress said that we should next time make a reservation, but it wasnt busy tonight, so she sat us..and we ordered. It took forever for our drink order to come. I didnt like the pineapple margarita when it finally came as it was weak and watery, no flavor really..so I re-ordered another one, with some modifications to my liking based on what ingredients they said they had.. that drink never came..my date was done his food and my drink still never came..the bartender as I kept looking over to get his attention wasnt doing anything but cleaning up his station, so it appeared he forgot or was pissed that I asked him to remake my drink, either way I never got my drink. Our server Charlotte, not the server who sat us, was lovely, enjoyed her very much, and the food was good, tho. Wont be returning.

Enjoyed the drinks, margaritas, and wide selection of tequila and mezcal. Tacos and guac were delicious specially carnitas taco. And my friend and I enjoyed both desserts: the churros and the carlota. Last but not least, we receive great service and attention from Miriam.

First time here and I have to say our experience hit the extremes. Some of the best tacos Ive ever had, and definitely the worst service. This merits explanation... The tacos were excellent! Some unique toppings and fillings, and the tortillas were filled to the brim! Only complaint was that the tortillas were a bit too small and thin to support that amount of filling. A couple of us resorted to using a knife and fork because they fell apart. A slightly larger or sturdier tortilla would have worked better. That being said they were thoroughly enjoyed by all. The margarita list is impressive, I was just surprised that despite the enormous list of available tequilas, all the margaritas only featured Jose Cuervo. They were very good, but i was surprised at the lack of variety. And also surprised they dont offer margarita flights! The service. All I can say is...wow. Waiter was extremely slow to take ourborders, never offered us water or asked how the food was or whether we wanted anything else. We had to catch him on the fly just to get water for the table. And at the end of our meal...he was not inclined to offer us our bills at all. The restaurant has emptied. We were literally the only customers left in the building and still he ignored us. I had to ask another server if we could please get our bill. And when it did finally arrive it was wrong. He corrected it and it was still wrong. We just gave up. That is the first time I have ever elected to choose the No tip option.

The best margaritas in KW! I love the food and drinks here - I recommend to everyone!

We have been there twice and enjoyed our experience on both occasions. The Mango Habanero and Jalapeno Margaritas are yumm! A suggestion to have more vegetarian options on the menu. Thanks..

This was our first visit. We were late for our reservation and when I called to let them know they graciously assured me they would do what they could to accommodate. And I even had one additional person. They were so kind and accommodating. Our server, Miriam was professional and kind plus so knowledgeable about the menu. The food was delicious. We were a group of 5 and all had different things and everyone loved their food. Apps, entrees and desserts were all amazing. And the margaritas....so many to choose from. We had a variety of margaritas, the coco, the pineapple and the jalapeno. All were delicious. You cant go wrong if youre looking for a great atmosphere, delicious food and drinks plus great service. Its all here.

Food was very tasty, service was amazing. The menu for the food could have a few more options

First time at Don Julio Tacos & Tequila Bar. What a gem. From walking in we were treated with friendly greetings they were able to accommodate us even without reservations, our Server Robert was outstanding. His recommendations were spot on and the food delicious. We will be back. This is great for downtown Kitchener.

Popped in with a friend on the spur of the moment, first time for both of us. Place was busy but the very friendly staff made every effort to accommodate us and we were seated in minutes. Our server, Rob, was great! He patiently took the time to explain the dishes and guided us when we told him we werent looking for a huge meal, just something lighter. Drinks were prompt (and good!) and the food first rate. We shared an order of street corn; absolutely delicious! We both then had a carnitas and it was great, tender, moist, and flavourful. They even accommodated my friends request for no onions (not every place gets it right). We got an order of churros to go, which we enjoyed later at home. We will definitely be back, can see Don Julios becoming a new favourite go-to.

Came here for the first time last weekend with a couple friends and we were so impressed! Hayley was our server and was so friendly and attentive and helped us narrow down our choices as there were so many margarita and taco options. We decided on the coconut and strawberry margaritas and they were amazing. For the tacos we tried the fish, chicken, and pork and love how filled each taco was! She also surprised us with free churros since we were celebrating a birthday! Would definitely come back again soon

We came in for their delicious margaritas. Doug, Rob & Matt were very friendly & attentive!

The food was delicious and authentic, and Miriam, our waitress, was super friendly and attentive. Definitely worth a visit!

Hands down best trendy Mexican restaurant in town. Food is amazing, has all the authentic feels! They make the tortillas in house, the birria tacos ( and all the tacos) are mouth watering. Drinks- The margaritas are next level delicious, mango habanero, pineapple and the smash that has a hint of mojito. They have Corona on tab, and don julio tequila , which my husband appreciates.Love the decor, the open kitchen and the friendly staff. Fav spot for sure! Ps- Real tacos don t have cheese ( unless is birria) or sour cream. I don t get the mediocre food comments. They literally make the tortillas in house. The lime is lime, and no pulp is served like in many other restaurants. Vegetarian options: Vegan tacos

While the service and drinks were fine, the food was subpar. We started with the street corn, which was the highlight of the food (fresh, full of flavour and a nice starter). The mains were disappointing. I got the carnitas and pollo and while the carnitas were fine, the pollo was flavourless and swimming in water, which disintegrated the tortillas for both tacos. If Im looking for a place for a drink and an app, I might come back. Otherwise, Ill probably try something else in DTK next time.

This is a great spot for delicious tacos. The pescado/crispy haddock taco is my favourite one. I also loved the pollo and Camaron. However, I wasnt particularly impressed with the Campechano/beef taco, even though I was told its one of the bestsellers here. I might be biased though since I personally loved the seafood options here

Sat out on the patio, which while very crowded, was nicely decorated and shaded. Despite the entire place being packed and understaffed, the service was speedy and excellent. Tuesday is taco night, $6 each or $12 for the sets of 2. We ordered the fish tacos to split - they were very delicious. Normally corn tortillas can be flaky and dry but these had a great texture to them. When they accidentally served us tacos with cilantro (wed asked for none), they immediately corrected the issue and brought us new tacos. Would definitely go again.

We wanted to order a couple of taco platters for pick up, and after calling 10 times to finally get through, were told that they would not take a take out over the phone that we had to order in restaurant and wait for it to be ready. Ordering take out over the phone is a normal practice for restaurants and we were shocked at this protocol. We ended up going with a restaurant that we could order over the phone for, and then this lack of accommodation means that we will probably be less willing to patronize Don Julio s in the future.

Environment is intensely loud for my sensory sensitive folks, so much so its hard to have a conversation. Selection of tacos are limited and over priced for my like. I tried a few different tacos, flavor was pretty good but it took 3 or 4 to actually fill me up.

Delish food, glorious tequila selection and an incredible & welcoming staff. Has become a favorite place to go. Dietary restrictions: Almost completely gluten free menu and great vegan options.

We went here for the first time on Tuesday for drinks then again Saturday for a birthday dinner. The atmosphere is fabulous, a huge outdoor patio with comfortable seating and a great indoor space as well. The service is amazing, friendly and fast. Highly recommend! Vegetarian options: Im vegetarian and there are a lot of great options. Dietary restrictions: Most dishes are gluten free and dairy free. The service was fantastic, everyone was helpful and knowledgeable. Wheelchair accessibility: No stairs

Went in for dine in today with a lot of expectations.! Ordered pollo chicken tacos which were served absolutely soggy with little to no cilantro, were super bland and I couldn t take a second bite as they tasted so bad. For the prices they charge the taste of the food is beyond average. I ordered an jalapeño drink that tasted like flavoured syrup and was overly sweet. The service could have been better but considering the place was packed before of the welcome fest it s understood the staff may have been overworked. But the taste of the food was just too bad. Not going again because tere are places that serve better food at a better price.!

Ordered Carnitas tacos (pork) and Pollo (chicken) tacos. We felt it was pricey for a single taco. Both were okay. Also tried tostada - was only average. Service was good and the ambience was amazing! Food

Excellent

This was my second time going here, I live about an hour and a half away, but would honestly make the drive any day for the food here. Everything is always top notch, delicious and flavourful, I really wish there was a spot like this in my town. This last time we went, we got chips & guac, which I didn t grab a photo of, we basically inhaled that it was so fresh, so good. I got the pescado tacos, and when I tell you that the portion size of the meat in these bad boys 2 was enough to keep me full, and I mean FULL, for hours. The food just honestly is so good, I can t say enough about it. The ambience is also so cute, it s not super big inside, but they ve got a big patio for the summer which is just such a vibe. If you re looking for great, delicious Mexican, this is the sport. THE spot.

Really good food with fantastic service, terrific atmosphere and a fabulous drink menu. Ordered a few different tequila cocktails and all of them were very good. Ordered Chips and Salsa for an appetizer along with Yucca fries, both were great. Tried a couple different tacos, the fresh corn tortilla shells were fabulous but I found the meat in the tacos a little over cooked for my liking. Kids ordered churros for dessert and they were very happy with them.

Great atmosphere, nice service, tasty food. A good experience.

Im going to have to agree with the majority here... service and ambiance is 5 star for sure. Food... as much as I wanted to love it, it was around average. Im hopeful things will get better, and would definitely be interested in going back. It was a very nice night out all the same.

Really lovely atmosphere and great service. Food is ok; though the tacos are overfilled and not as flavorful as other places.

Amazing food, great patio, bit pricey.

The margaritas are AMAZING. I had the vegan taco which unfortunately I wouldn t recommend it. I have a pretty good spice tolerance and love spicy food but the taco was WAY too spicy I couldn t finish it. It was also very messy and fell apart while I was trying to eat it. The other person I was with had one of the meat options and had the same issue. We both had to eat our tacos with a fork. The drinks were amazing though and the atmosphere is quite fun. Vegetarian options: Only one vegetarian taco option - cactus, which was WAY too spicy and very messy and watery

Great birthday dinner. Friendly service and delicious food.

Great atmosphere and great service. The food was amazing and very large portions. An excellent place!!

We have been to Mexico many times and this restaurant makes us feel like we are back there. The food and margaritas/drinks are absolutely amazing! We will continue to bring more friends so they can experience it too.

Absolutely obsessed with this restaurant. The most delicious and authentic Mexican restaurant I ve been to. Food was delicious and everything was fresh. 100/10 highly recommended!!!!

Everything was excellent!!

Not good! After waiting for half an hour for three Tacos, you might expect to get freshly prepared top quality food. Not here. Instead, prepare yourself for lukewarm tacos that looks, tastes, and honestly probably actually comes out of a can. And if you are coming here for the drinks, prepare for more surprises, such as salted rim margarita without the salted rim. Don t know if this is a case not enough staff, but I would steer clear of this Mexican place!

Loved it!! Wed is half price apps! Great way to try them all with a group of friends!

Had a great time with my dad on Saturday! Our server Mathew was absolutely amazing. Such a kind knowledgeable person and very attentive. Extremely professional yet down to earth and funny. We would go back just for him. The bartender made such great drinks and the food was amazing! If I could give 10 stars I would. My dad and I had such a nice time and we recommend this gem to anyone and everyone! High quality food and drinks at a reasonable price! Definitely check it out if you haven t !

I went for dinner with my wife and we both loved it. Great atmosphere, friendly staff, great portion sizes and delicious drinks. This place hits all the marks for us. We will be back for sure.

King Shrimp tacos are too good and their service is number one in Kitchener. Mango habanero is out of this world, yes its that good. My only complaint is why you guys are not open throughout the day . Food

Exceptional food and exceptional service from Rob, thank you for all the great recommendations!

The pineapple salsa was so good, but boy, was it spicy. Its too spicy for me. Lol. But the food was good and the drink menu has a lot of cool options.

Very nice place, I will be back

We walked in off King Street to a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Seated at the bar (reservations all booked up) our friendly, knowledgeable, very professional server and bartender Rob was attentive and helpful. He even spied our order as it appeared way at the back in the kitchen and went quickly to retrieve it. And the food was excellent. The Pescado (fish) tacos were so delicious we ordered more. Sunday night was Taco night, so we also sampled Carnitas & Campechano (steak) tacos, as well as margaritas and corona. A warm(ish) spring day got us out walking, and the beautiful new Don Julio was a perfect ending to the weekend.

Great Food, Great Service Dietary restrictions: Gluten free options are great Food : 5/5 |

The wife and I stopped in for dinner on a Sunday afternoon, and the food and service were amazing. Truly great experience. Were from out of town and will definitely be back next time were in town. The Sunday taco special was great. We both had the Mexican Mule to drink, and it was made perfect. Honestly, if you like Mexican food, youre missing out if you havent stopped in. Its an absolute most in DTK.

amazing service & great food!

The place has really good vibe. Nice cozy setup. They have tons of drink options. Service was top notch. I wish the food was better. I have had better tacos. I was surprised they didn t had chorizo. Overall nice place!

I love the service! It is a really good food and the best chef in town!

Don Julio Tacos & Tequila Bar was amazing in so many ways. From the fast service to the tasty food, I had a great time. The service was really quick and the staff were super friendly. Miriam, especially, made our visit special. She was so nice and checked on us a lot to make sure we were happy!!! The food was incredibly delicious. Everything we tried was full of flavor and Id give it a perfect 10/10. The tacos were especially good. Even though the food and service were top-notch, the prices were fair. You get a lot for what you pay, so its a great deal. Overall, I had an awesome time at Don Julio Tacos & Tequila Bar. It was definitely worth the wait. Id recommend it to anyone! I cant wait to come back for more delicious food and good times.

Really nice atmosphere and good food, great for sharing. Margarita time!

The taco of the day was delicious

Amazing atmosphere and authentic Mexican cuisine. Would definitely recommend

Food and drinks are fantastic! Dont be turned off when the default tequila in the drinks is Jose cuervo, you can ask to upgrade your tequila to something of a similar price if you ask

Great vibe, top notch food and service is outstanding!! Also the best Margaritas in town!! Highly recommended Food

The tacos here are authentic and superb! My wife and I really enjoyed our date night here. The margaritas are excellent as well! I would love to come back here again!!!

My favourite place in DTK!!! also, the MANGO HABANERO IS GOLD!!! Food

I wouldn t recommend the chicken tacos. Also hard to respect a place that charges extra for guac on $8 tacos.

Decent spot in Kitchener.. a bit overpriced for the quality. 3 of the people that attended the dinner are having stomach issues. I had 2 tacos and have been having a rough day with stomach issues. The presentation of the tacos is 4/10. Need to turn up the music because all you hear is the kitchen grilling. Looking forward to seeing the patio but definitely beware of the food quality here. Margaritas were 3/10. They can do better but I know its new and theyre starting out, need to watch how they serve food and cleanliness. First time having issues from 2 tacos.

We really wanted to love this place but unfortunately the food just didnt cut it. The staff were nice and the environment was good, but the tacos were just mediocre. For the prices they have, I honestly expected a lot more taste-wise. The presentation was very nice but the flavour didnt match unfortunately. Ive had better tacos at less fancy place in Kitchener for much cheaper. As for the drinks, my margarita was good but my partners sangria tasted like flavoured water. Parking: Its difficult to find parking as its in downtown.

Our first time visiting here and we were not disappointed. Food was very authentic. The staff were amazing. Great place to go with friends. Dietary restrictions: Great place if you have celiac disease. 90% of the menu is gluten free.

Fantastic food. Best Mexican around.

I tried the tostada with seafood and it was excellent. The tortilla for the tacos have a very high flavor love it. I tried the taco de pollo which was very good and the carnitas as well. The best part was the dessert The churros were amazing with the hot chocolate on the side I will go again just for the churros.

Great Margheritas! Try one of the spicy ones.

Everything was good and the most authentic tacos we have had so far in Canada.

The food was good. The margarita pitcher was bad. So bad that we sent it back, and then the new one they brought out was also really bad.

The best Mexican food in the region, hands down, I cant recommend this place enough!

This was our first time here and we raved about the experience all the way home. We were stuffed when we left and impressed with the portions. The drinks were amazing. The service was impeccable from start to finish. We were shocked at how reasonable our bill was - we actually felt like we got so much for price! Which is rare. We will be back since we need to try more of the food options and margaritas!

Best tacos ever!! Service was amazing! Mateo was the best waiter!!

Best tocos in canada, never had better, no joke, and mateo was the best server, never had a better resterant experience

It was absolutely AMAZING

We had a fabulous dinner with family, excellent food and service. Mathew, our waiter, was amazing and full of great suggestions. Everything was great, fresh and on time. Drinks were fabulous! We are looking forward to our next visit. BTW, loved the decor and open kitchen. Thank you to all the staff!

Downtown so parking is limite, but well worth the effort Quaint little restaurant with an open kitchen allowing you to watch the sometimes massive flames lighting up the place. Truly expansive list of tequila and mezcal to choose from. The food is authentic Mexican and very good. The only part that I did not enjoy was that the volume of the music was a bit high so it was difficult to have an intimate conversation

We were all disappointed with the taste of their tacos.

Stopped by at 9:35 PM and the server said that the kitchen closes at 10. Ok, we try to make an order, they say the kitchen closes at 9:45, and we had 5 minutes to order, so we tried to order and they said the kitchen was closed. Who closes a kitchen at 9:38? Sounds like they didn t want to serve us. Disappointing.

Cramped and full, otherwise great experience across all other categories

The food and service here is amazing! This is me and my partners new favourite place to eat and the amount of food you get for the price is great

Great food,drinks and people. A new fave..

Dietary restrictions: Accommodated allergies no problem Food

A great Mexican restaurant. I loved!

Great tacos (although I wish there was an option for unbreaded shrimp.) Innovative tequila cocktail list.

Fantastic authentic Mexican cuisine in DTK. One of our new go to restaurants in downtown.

I really enjoyed our dinner! We were a party of six, we had a reservation and were seated immediately upon arrival. The server was very nice. Drinks were delicious, I enjoyed my Mojito. Food was fresh, tasty and filling. Good size portions. I shared the platter with someone and we had enough that other people tried some ad well. They were quick to bring extra tortillas when we needed.

Came all the way from Toronto to try some authentic Mexican tacos! A must visit!

We enjoyed our first visit to Don Julios.

Really enjoyed the spicy marg here, didnt try the food but want to next time Im here. I went to the patio in the summer and it was very lively. The interior of the venue is also nice.

Great mexican food and atmosphere. For an appetizer, we ordered the guacamole and queso fundido (the baked cheese in the queso was perfect). For our mains we ordered various tacos, all PACKED WITH FLAVOUR! Two or three tacos was easily enough to fill you up, and I am a hungry eater. Also, easily the best Marguerita I can remember having. The atmosphere and service was excellent - friendly, welcoming and well decorated. Cant wait to go back.

The young lady who served us tonite was super pleasant ! We were party of eleven with 5 children !! Food

Our family came in tonight to try this restaurant. Our first time. The server Mateo asked if we had reservations as they were quite busy. We did not but he was able to accommodate us. Mateo was excellent, he was a pleasure and very personable. He does his job very well. We ordered a few appetizers and several different tacos. The food was amazing. Excellent quality and prices, very very tasty. We would definitely recommend this restaurant. A must try. So happy with our choice tonight. Thank you Mateo for great night out.

Overpriced & tasteless food and watered down drinks. The service and atmosphere is great though.

Amazing time, food was amazing. The carnitas tacos were TO DIE FOR! Mateo, the server was amazing, he made our night 1000x better! DEFINITELY COME FOR AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE WITH GREAT FOOD!

Food and drink are 10/10. Mateo the server made sure we had a great time!

Very tasty margaritas here! We had the carnitas and pollo tacos and the tortillas were authentic. Definitely will be back to try more of the menu soon.

Came here on a Friday night for dinner, no drinks. The atmosphere was nice, service was decent, overall a good atmosphere. I was really looking forward to delicious tacos & sides, but unfortunately was met with the same old flavours you can get at any restaurant in KW that has shrimp tacos on their menu. Had the chips & salsa (came with 3 salsas) and only one was edible. The green & red were terrible, likely came from a jar. The corn tortillas seems undercooked as they fell apart as soon as I tried to pick up my taco. The fillings were not great, kind of bland. I understand the place is new so hopefully they take the feedback & apply it!

The atmosphere was great especially for summer. Various types of drinks. Potato was great but the price was a little high for that portion. Food served until 10 and after that we couldn t order more. To me the pork taco was the best. Street parking is available.

This is where you want to be on a rainy Tuesday! Queso was to die for and tacos were huge and delicious. Vegetarian options: Vegan taco was to die for.

The environment is nice, this was probably the nicest Mexican restaurant Ive ever seen. Those tacos need some work though. I had the carnitas and they were soggy and a bit bland. This is the first Mexican restaurant Ive gone to that didnt give more than one tortilla per taco. Im mentioning this because every tortilla on every taco fell apart. I actually needed a fork with my tacos. The vegan jackfruit one was okay, still bland and tortilla fell apart. Same deal with the shrimp taco. Yucca fries were good The drinks were good I wouldnt rate it so bad if the prices werent so high, but, $6-7 per soggy taco hurt my feelings

I booked a reservation for 9pm through the Open Table app for a party of 4 - my friends and I celebrating my birthday. We arrived promptly for the 9pm reservation and were told that wed have to wait 15 minutes as there wasnt a table ready for us - which was fine since I was waiting for the other members of my party to arrive anyways. I could see that the restaurant was completely full and there were many people waiting for spots as the restaurant was completely packed. My sister and I waited outside and when my friends arrived, we approached the hostess again as it had been 15 minutes already and again were told that we would have to wait longer as there were no tables available. I was a little annoyed as I had booked the reservation and had expected a table to be ready to accommodate us, but regardless, we politely just said wed wait. A few minutes later, the hostess steps outside again to give us the option to be seated outside in the patio section and when a table becomes available, wed be moved inside. Because it was fairly chilly and we had already been waiting quite a while, my friends and I agreed and were seated out in the patio. We ordered our drinks and meals - I got the camaron tacos and a pineapple margarita - which were both great, though I found it a bit pricey to pay $17 for two small tacos. My sister also ordered the camaron tacos and a sangria, and my two friends each ordered the birria tacos and a sangria and Waterloo radler. We were half way through our tacos when the hostess came back outside to let us know that a table had been prepared for us, so we then had to pick up our plates and drinks and head inside which was still very busy at this time of night. I checked my phone to see that it was 9:45 by the time we actually were seated inside at a table. Now I understand that as a new establishment, this place would be busy and booked, however as I had made reservations, I was quite disappointed that I had to wait 45 minutes to even be given a seat inside of the restaurant. The hostess was apologetic but it seemed like there were not enough staff to even accommodate the amount of individuals inside of the restaurant. Our server (I do not recall his name) was friendly, but did not seem to check on our table very much and seemed a bit flustered throughout the entire time we were there. We finished our tacos and were waiting for him to come back to our table to order more as we were still hungry. We flagged him down and he came to take our orders. Half way through writing down what we wanted - he suddenly tells us that the kitchen would be closing in 5 minutes and that we wouldnt be able to order anymore food. He then states that he would bring me a complimentary dessert as it was my birthday and would bring chips to our table since we couldnt order any more food, and so I ordered another drink - the mango habanero. My party and I waited another 10-15 minutes or so before we realized that we werent going to get any chips and nobody was even making my drink. My friend then flagged down the hostess who was speaking to our server, who then brought me my drink. The server brought me the carlota de limon cake which was also really tasty, but my night had already been soured by this point as the service was poor and it was not our fault that we missed the 10pm kitchen cut off time. Had we been seated at 9pm as per the reservations, we would have had plenty of time to order more food and drinks, instead of just waiting outside in the cold. My table spent over $100 for our food and drinks despite receiving poor service and barely any food. While I understand that it was a busy night, as there seemed to be a large party of formally dressed individuals seated nearby us who were getting better service and attention, I did not feel as though the staff at the restaurant did enough to honor our reservations and make sure we even had enough time to order food for our party. I had high hopes as I had heard many great things about this restaurant, but this first time experience was a complete let down.

The place is super busy so we had to wait a few minutes even with a reservation but the service was phenomenal and the food was even better, our favourite were the carnitas tacos but chicken and birria were not far behind, the meat is so soft and really authentic flavours, all the cooks really know what they are doing and they were working a mile a minute!!! We parked on the community centre parking lot nearby so we didn t have to pay which is always a bonus :). You can have your pick of tequila drinks but I was hoping we could order a taster of small shots of different tequila brands for sharing at the table and I didn t see anything like that, maybe one shouldn t be mixing their tequilas?! Vegetarian options: Quesadillas and street corn are vegetarian

Bad service

This place is awesome food is great staff is amazing highly recommended it

Had a reservation for 8:00 on a Friday night, and was seated as soon as we came at 7:50. Food came extremely quickly, and the carnitas tacos were to die for. Had the mango habenero margarita I would strongly recommend it. Our waiter Mathew was extremely kind and insightful, he even brought us churros on the house because we couldn t make up our minds. Would strongly recommend eating here! Great atmosphere and was very lively. Great authentic mexican food. Thank you Mathew!!

Fun, lively atmosphere even on a Tuesday night! Great service for our large party. I really enjoyed the street corn and pineapple margarita!

Fabulous meal at Don Julio Tacos & Tequila Bar. Food was very tasty and good portions and service was excellent considering we were a group of approximately 24 people. Will definitely go back!!

Not only were the food and drinks amazing, the service was even better!! Matthew was the best server I have had in years!! He was honest, funny, had the best recommendations and made it such a rememberable experience for us! We will be back!!

Taco places are usually a hit or miss but this place is definitely a hit!! Amazing flavour and amazing service by Matthew!

Food little bit pricey! A guy with White hair very rude! Asked for shrimp tacos with rice and beans order. Beans came with cheese while the menu just mentioned beans I dont eat cheese. I asked the server the guy with White hair why is cheese on mine beans? and he responded very rude thats how they are served with cheese! he said. He ask me is that Ok? I said NO. And he walked away. This guy ruin my night eating in that restaurant where the food wasnt cheap. I did give him a good tip so hopefully he will learn to treat people better next time.

I had a great experience! The service was just out of this world. Our server, Mateo, really made our night!

Came on a Sunday to try out the their tacos for $5. The tacos were pretty good and made fresh to order. They also put a good amount of filling for each taco. My favourite was the carne asada, carnitas, and the campechano tacos. Service was also good and the restaurant was neat and clean.

Lovely meal at Don Julio. Pitchers of margaritas for $26. Get the Mexican corn and guacamole as apps. Our table shared a few tacos and they were all fantastic. It was busy so i would recommend a reservation.

Come for the Margaritas, one of the best Ive had!!! The food is okay. I would avoid the Campechano beef taco, They have ground chips as a topping feels like is topped with sand and pebbles. Did I mention the margaritas are amazing?!?

We had the best time celebrating Dia de los muertos and loooved the mariachi band and especially our tacos. Tried them all and they were clearly homemade and authentic - exceptional! Nosotros nos gusto mucho. And our server Wendy was so kind

This restaurant is fabulous! The food is authentic, reasonably priced, and very fresh! The atmosphere is warm and friendly and our server was great! She recommended the dishes we tried and we were not disappointed! I highly recommend this restaurant if youre looking for an authentic experience, a warm welcome and delicious food!

Very good place, excellent service, very delicious food. I only have 2 topics as a suggestion. 1. The tortillas break very quickly and you dont enjoy the true experience of a Mexican taco. 2 Esquites as a suggestion should be served hot or at least warm. Excellent atmosphere.

I love the place, it has an atmosphere, good drinks and the food is delicious. I love the presentations and all the attention from the staff! Mateo and Mathew always have a smile on their face for service. As for the food, I have no complaints. The tacos are the appetizer because all the credit goes to the poblano chicken and the beef rib This restaurant genuinely has Mexican flavor!

Came in the other day and Mateo was very kind and helpful! Will be coming back.

Good food, fun atmosphere! 4/5 on service as the place was PACKED and it looked like only 2 waiters were on the floor and we did have to wait a bit for our bills. I had 2 fish tacos, a beer and shared chips and guac. Excited to come back and try more items! Parking: Located on King St in DTK, so parking can vary depending on the day and time.

It was our first time here with our friends who were celebrating me and my partner for our birthdays and it was pretty good! We went on a Sunday which to our surprise, had a special for $5 tacos. We ordered yuca fries and queso fundido with beef chorizo to share as well as a bunch of tacos. The yuca fries were amazing and the Chipotle mayo it came with was great - it was spicier than most places where it usually just tastes like mayo. The queso we thought was a little small compared to the photo in the menu but it was also tasty. The pescado and carne guisada were our favourite tacos and the amount of filling was quite generous compared to other places. We also ordered 2 pitchers of sangria which was fine - 1 pitcher was good for about 3 glasses and we had churros for dessert (always a must have!). All in all, the food was good and the service was really great. The food was a little slow to come out but it was decently busy. We also did have to move tables because where we were sitting was very cold but our server was very accommodating. The door was left open to the outdoor patio hence why it was so cold. Parking: We werent lucky enough to get street parking across the restaurant but there is a bunch of street parking. We ended up having to park in a parking lot not too far away and walked over. It is a paid parking lot from Monday-Friday but because we went on Sunday, it was free.

Tacos were great, we couldn t wait to eat, but they re pretty pricey for a taco.

Has anyone in charge of this restaurant actually eaten queso or a decent taco? The absolute abomination that theyve listed on the menu as queso is literally nothing else than melted gouda - no seasoning, no creamy sauce, nothing. Just an extremely greasy block of melted gouda served in cast iron, which ended up giving the cheese a crust. If I wanted a tub of cast iron crusty cheese, I would order fondue (and honestly, comparing what we were served to fondue is an insult to fondue). And while the tacos werent as egregious as the queso, the $5 value pack at Taco Bell packs more flavor and texture. The jackfruit taco? Just a one note monstrosity where everything was the consistency of mashed potatoes - no variety of texture, flavor, or even color. And for a place that holds themselves out as a tequila bar, I would have hoped that the house margarita would actually have been made in house, as opposed to being the out-of-the-bottle sludge I can pick up at the LCBO.

Authentic Mexican. Nice local restaurant but finding parking a bit of a chore. Parking: Hard to find close.... Food : 4/5 |

Fresh food and tasty drinks, but very busy spot

Amazing experience at Don Julio. We will be back and hope this restaurant is successful and we can enjoy it for years to come. Fantastic food with some great flavours. Definitely an authentic Mexican food experience and not the typical Tex-mex you find around. Margaritas were on point. The service was outstanding too. The whole vibe was just amazing. Vegetarian options: My sister is vegetarian and had a great experience. Kid-friendliness: We brought our 15 month old daughter. Our server was very fun and friendly with her. She really liked trying out all the foods.

Great Mexican style restaurant in downtown Kitchener. Friendly atmosphere, great service and a lots of fantastic menu items to order and share with your friends. Selection of margaritas is awesome.

Excellent place if you like real Mexican food The atmosphere was so good, the food was amazing! For entree: Yuca frita. Main dishe: two Campechano tacos, and my husband ordered one carnitas taco and one campechano taco. Drinks: Stella Artois. Dessert: Churros. I love it everything. The service was amazing!!! Ask for Miriam! She is the best of the best!! And if you dont know what to order she can be really helpful because she is Mexican. Thank you so much Miriam!!!! Next time, we will ask for to get some recommendations for drinks and also to try a new dish

I really loved this place, the music, the food and the cold beers! Ill go back with my wife as soon as we can. Miriam was a great server, she knows how to make you feel comfortable and has a great sense of humor. we got a table in a matter of minutes. Kudos to its staff

Service at this place is impeccable! Timing on all our orders was perfect, and they served up a great meal. Cant ask for more! Thanks Matthew!

Excellent service and food! Matthew was AMAZING. Will be back because of him!

First time there tonight and we will definitely be regulars now. The food was delicious and the service was fantastic! Thanks Matthew!

Their Mango habanero margarita has me going back almost every week. It s either the best cocktail ever or I m turning into a raging alcoholic. Make of that what you will

Great place. Inside was full but they cranked the heaters in the tent which was quite cozy. Highly recommend the street corn!

The regular margarita is to-die-for. I need to come back to try their other margaritas. Also had their guacamole entrada and carne guisado, and churros all very delicious! Would definitely come back to try other dishes.

Absolutely loved this spot! The food was amazing, everything was so fresh and tasted great! The atmosphere while busy was welcoming and fun and our server Matthew was phenomenal! He was so kind, helpful and just provided a truly wonderful experience! Also the Mexican mule was one of the best mules Ive ever had! 100% recommend Vegetarian options: Absolutely loved the bowl!

Cool place to eat, friendly staff. Only reason I am giving 3 stars to the food is the birria tacos were some of the saltiest things Ive ever tasted. The other tacos were really good, with a generous amount of meat.

Vegetarian options: Menu includes vegetarian options Dietary restrictions: Menu includes vegetarian and gluten free options Food : 5/5 |

I am extremely disappointed in the customer service from this restaurant. I went with a few friends just over a week ago and the food was decent; pretty pricey, but good. When we sat down it smelled very strongly of bleach, but we didnt think anything of it and went about our meal. After getting home I noticed that the sleeve of the sweater I was wearing had bleach stains all over it from leaning on the table. I reached out the the restaurant through their Facebook and email to tell them about this incident and inform them that an undiluted bleach solution on tables was a bad move. I did not ask for anything from them, even though we had spent $130 on food and drinks. I was very respectful when I reached out and I never asked for any sort of compensation for the $60 sweater that they ruined. All I wanted was acknowledgement that they ruined my sweater; an apology would have been appreciated. Instead, it has been over a week with no response from them. This is very disrespectful, and although the food was not bad, I will not return to an establishment that cares so little for their customers.

Its ok for a night out for drinks. But for tacos, pricey. Would recommend free nachos and salsa for all diners to make it feel homely and less fine dining.