Happy Hours in Gaithersburg

231 Rio Blvd Gaithersburg, MD  20878 240-632-2150 Themes/Styles:  Latin American / Mexican / Restaurant w/Bar Parking Accessibility:  Easy Less than a mile from I-270 Exit 9. Street parking, adjacent lot, and adjacent parking garage…plenty of spaces, all of them free.
Metro Accessibility:  Difficult/Impossible A short drive from Shady Grove Metro station, but it is by no means walkable.

What is Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Café?

Uncle Julio’s is a stand-alone lake-side Mexican restaurant situated around the lake and located between the many shops and restaurants of the Rio complex. The front bar area is open and spacious with bar tables and chairs, and also serves a sunny patio by the main entrance. Outside Area:  Yes.  A new southwest-facing patio (opening May 2008) by the front door looks over the main walkway through the Rio area. It will be served by the bar (commence happy hour!), and great for sun and people-watching. Entertainment:  No.

Our Review

Uncle Julio’s (known by locals as Rio Grande) is yet another Mexican restaurant serving up the standard fare, but they are able to do it with a bit more style and quality than most. The spacious bar area is bright (but not in a painful way), colorful, and well appointed with wall accents. Nicely separated from the restaurant area, the bar tables and comfortable stools are laid out in a grid fashion from the bar, creating easy mingle situations. The music is the expected Mexican variety, but is sometimes drowned out by the slight echo due to the tall ceilings. The new southwest-facing bar patio (opening May 2008) is sure to be a hit. The bartenders were very friendly and engaging, and I was floored at how fast they were able to bring the food out. And it’s not because I happened to order something that was made accidently and they kept it warm; the tamale appetizer and mix platter were ordered 30 minutes apart, and both were out in under 3 minutes (no exaggeration) and both tasty and fulfilling. Even though the appetizers are too expensive, adding a food special to the happy hour would be nice. The beer deals aren’t bad, and their signature drink, the Swirl (alternating layers of margarita and pina colada), is $5 and a hit among many. The margaritas are tasty, although the happy hour price of $5 is a bit steep for the size you get. Considering the regular price is $7.25, make sure you keep an eye on the clock for that ever-annoying 6:30pm end of happy hour.

The Run Down

If you’re in the mood for Mexican, the service and quality at Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café gives the competition a run for their pesos. If you want to make an evening of your happy hour, the short and early happy hour period is not so Grande.

Reviewed by Lee on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.