Restaurant Review: Julio’s Barrio
JULIO'S BARRIO MEXICAN RESTAURANT 10450 Whyte Avenue ~ juliosbarrio.com Instagram: @juliosedmonton Co-Diner: Tim Golem
Julio's Barrio is an establishment that I used to frequent all the time in my 20s. It was the perfect place to grab dinner before heading out for a debaucherous night on Whyte Ave. If you were able to score a coveted patio table (directly on the sidewalk) there was no finer people-watching around. Now in my late 30s, I was very curious to see how this place holds up as an actual restaurant now that my wild bar-star days are long behind me. VUE Weekly voted that Julio's Barrio had the #1 Best Nachos 2018 and I don't believe that I'd ever tried the nachos. There's a first time for everything! Julio's has been around for a long time. I believe that they used to have a location in Calgary as well but now only the Edmonton restaurant remains. You'll find them right smack-dab in the middle of Whyte Ave in Old Strathcona, right in the middle of all of the action. It's a bit of a party restaurant - which is fun - but it certainly attracts a younger crowd (that used to be me). The space is quite huge and every time that I walk in I am met with tequila flashbacks. However, the decor and overall atmosphere is very well executed. The space is ridiculously vibrant with structural elements that play into the theme. You will never run out of things to look at; from the hanging star lanterns, to cacti and sombreros everywhere, to thematic murals. It's a lot but it's a good over-abundance. It really feels like you're visiting someplace that has fully committed and it's a lot of fun. Of course the Latin music is pumping and the room is forever noisy and buzzing - it's all a part of the experience. The servers are friendly (and are almost certainly university students) and I was seated at a high-top table that provided an excellent view of the restaurant's activity. Julio's is all about the boozy beverages. They are known for their margaritas, Mexican cervezas (they also make micheladas), and of course tequila. But most famous of all are the bulldogs. I'm not sure who invented these things but they're pretty wild. Julio's serves eight different types and each one involves a double margarita and a cerveza... 'Cause you know, if you can't decide what to drink you should just mix it all together. I ordered The Original Bulldog ($13.95) for a straight-up classic.
When it comes to your table the server will upturn the beer into the margarita right in front of you. The beer actually stays suspended upside-down in the bottle until you lift the beer, allowing both beverages to combine. You know that this huge drink is going to set you up real nice for the rest of the evening. And it's actually pretty delicious! I'm not much of a beer drinker myself but this combination works for me. I like that you can taste a little bit of beer while you're enjoying a slushy margarita. This drink is a bit of a rite of passage. It's one of those things that's just crazy enough to work. If this beverage doesn't get you into the vibe of the restaurant, nothing will. While Julio's claims to be a Mexican restaurant, I would actually classify it more as a Tex-Mex place. Many of the foods offered are not incredibly authentic and it's certainly more of an American take on Mexican food. But they do make all of the classics that you know and love. My staple used to be the enchiladas. But of course you'll also find tacos and fajitas (the kind that come to your table all sizzling). However, on this visit I zeroed in on the Mucho Macho Nachos ($19.25) because they are supposed to be good and I really don't think that I've ever had them.
We also added guacamole for $3. These are supposed to feed 3-5 amigos but my husband and I (RE: 2 amigos) were fully intending to crush the entire thing like champions. Which we did, with minimal effort. Julio's also makes six different types of signature salsas and the nachos came with two of them; Julio's Salsa and Roasted Chipotle Salsa. At first glance these nachos are large and covered in ingredients and I can happily report that digging into them was more of the same. I liked that there were plenty of toppings to go around so that every bite was covered in something. The green peppers seemed a bit unique to me, which was nice, and I especially enjoyed the pickled jalapenos and black olives. I would have liked to see a baked bean component to fill things out even more. I was pleased with all four of the dips but felt that the amount of guacamole provided for $3 wasn't exactly a great value. But the best thing about these nachos? The cheese. There is a ton of cheese on these nachos and almost every bite was full of cheesy goodness. You can even double the cheese for an extra $6 and I can only imagine the true madness of that situation. Were these the best nachos that I've ever eaten? No, they weren't. But honestly, in this atmosphere with a boozy drink in hand, they were pretty good. We noticed the Mexican Fried Ice Cream ($8.75) being delivered to other tables and needed to have one ourselves.
This dessert is large and in charge - great for sharing. Sweet and fun, I found the fried ice cream pretty interesting and I enjoyed the crispy pastry element. I enjoyed the over-the-top nature of this treat and certainly can't be mad at the piles of whipped cream and raspberry sauce. This dessert succeeds at being a great time. So how does Julio's Barrio fare at being an actual restaurant? Surprisingly, not bad. I mean, it's pretty campy and far from authentic but there is absolutely a time and a place for a fun establishment like this. It's the kind of restaurant that you go to to have fun. The food definitely delivers on a Tex-Mex level and the atmosphere is awesome, especially in the summertime when the entire front of the restaurant opens up to the street. Julio's is a good-time place and you don't need to be 20 years old to have an enjoyable time and appreciate the experience for what it is.