DON JULIO MEXICAN KITCHEN & TEQUILA BAR

DON JULIO MEXICAN KITCHEN & TEQUILA BAR is the easy recommendation: an A health grade at 95/100 and 4.9 stars from 30,610 diners. A clean kitchen and a room that loves it don't always line up — here they do.

Its latest inspection on January 26, 2026 cited only 1 intermediate and 2 basic violations. On health score it's safer than 61% of Orange County restaurants we grade. Menus here flag options for vegan and vegetarian diners.

A · 95/100 · safer than 61% of Orange County

Get directions Call (407) 930-5498

Restaurant details

Health grade
A (95/100)
Violations
3 total — 1 intermediate, 2 basic
Address
12789 WATERFORD LAKES PKWY STE 13, Orlando, FL
Cuisine
Mexican
Categories
Mexican restaurant, Bar
Price
$20–30
Rating
4.9 stars (30610 reviews)
Seats
150
Phone
(407) 930-5498
Website
Official website
Photo of DON JULIO MEXICAN KITCHEN & TEQUILA BAR
Photo: Don Julio Mexican Kitchen - Waterford lakes

Community Rating

Reviews via Google
4.9 Community-sourced rating 30,610 reviews
Read all reviews on Google →

What diners say — our read

Diners writing about this place keep returning to service. Reviewers who mention service rate this place 4.9 on average — it is working in the restaurant’s favour.

Older reviews score better than newer ones (4.6 recent against 5.0 earlier), so direction is worth weighing alongside the average. If you had to pick one number to represent this corpus it would be 5, the most frequently given rating (26 reviews). One subject never comes up here: plate size.

The health record runs ahead of the reviews. The last DBPR inspection returned an A (95/100) with 1 intermediate and 2 basic violations. DBPR last walked in on January 26, 2026. The trend across inspections is improvement. On health score it sits safer than 61% of the Orange County restaurants we grade. The citations behind that grade include storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils and handwash sinks accessible.

Both measures agree, which is the least complicated version of this page. The individual reviews are below, newest first, if you want the raw material.

Our own analysis of 28 reviews for this restaurant, set against its Florida DBPR inspection record. How we calculate grades →

  • June 30, 2026

    Nicholas is an awesome guy!! Food is great and the atmosphere is good! Definitely coming back

  • June 30, 2026

    The food was absolutely delicious, and the staff was very friendly. Nicolas took excellent care of us throughout our visit. He was courteous, attentive, and made our dining experience even more enjoyable.

  • June 29, 2026

    Santiago es súper especial , su atención fue fabulosa . Super recomendado .

  • June 29, 2026

    SANTIAGO IS GRAND, PERFECT, AND EVERYTHING I WANT IN A WAITER

  • June 28, 2026

    Santiago

  • June 28, 2026

    Santiago took great care of us! Will be back soon.

  • June 28, 2026

    Amo a Don Julio gracias a Santiago por una noche espectacular!! Mis sabados son los mejores gracias a Don Julio! Santiago se asegura de darme la mejor atención! Conoce muy bien el menu y es excelente en su trabajo.

  • June 28, 2026

    Santiago was an amazing server. He was on time and welcoming!

  • June 28, 2026

    Overcharged my bill

  • June 28, 2026

    Santiago was great and so energetic brought all our food quickly and it was delicious!

  • June 27, 2026

    Eva gave excellent service and took our orders quickly the food was served hot and fresh. Great Customer Service.

  • June 27, 2026

    Eva was great! Amazing hospitality.

  • June 27, 2026

    Eva is so amazing! I love coming here and I always ask for her!

  • June 27, 2026

    Nicolas un server muy educado y atento.

  • June 27, 2026

    Nicolas excelente atendiendonos , excelente comida.

  • June 27, 2026

    Gracias Nicolas y Piero muchas gracias ! excelente atención!.

  • June 27, 2026

    Santiago was amazing!

  • June 27, 2026

    Our server santiago was amazing food and drinks was great😋

  • June 27, 2026

    The atmosphere, food, and drinks are phenomenal. I highly recommend the esquites and aguacate relleno if you you want something light (and to make sure you have room for some margaritas). Thank you Estefania for the great service and for recommending my drinks!

  • June 27, 2026

    Great service provided by Estefania. Everything was delicious! 10/10 recommend. The horchata tastes delicious!

  • June 27, 2026

    Gracias Estefanía por tu atención y servicio ! La comida estaba riquísima y el ambiente estaba genial.

  • June 26, 2026

    Great food, great atmosphere, great service! Santiago was amazing too!

  • June 26, 2026

    Estefania was wonderful tonight for our group! Top notch service!

  • June 26, 2026

    Estefanía was a WONDERFUL server! so polite and welcoming!!

  • June 26, 2026

    Excellent service and food, Santiago

  • June 26, 2026

    We had an amazing time watching the World Cup games here and would definitely come back in for the hospitality/ atmosphere. Juan Gabriel did an amazing job in taking care of us and make the time fun. Would definitely recommend

  • June 26, 2026

    Juan Gabriel was a great waiter, was quick, efficient, attentive.

  • June 26, 2026

    Great service. Amazing food. Empanadas, Fajitas, and tres leches are all on point.

Overall Score

73 / 100

  • Health inspection grade 40/40
    Grade A
  • Dietary transparency 7/20
    2 options listed
  • Community rating 20/20
    4.9★ average
  • Hidden-gem status 0/10
    Not flagged
  • Track record 6/10
    Improving, 0% clean

Composite score from health grade, dietary options, ratings, and inspection record — distinct from the state-derived health grade.

Opening hours

Monday
11 AM to 10 PM
Tuesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Wednesday
11 AM to 10 PM
Thursday
11 AM to 10 PM
Friday
11 AM to 11 PM
Saturday
11 AM to 11 PM
Sunday
11 AM to 10 PM

Inspection history

The following records are from Florida DBPR public inspection records, most recent first.

  1. January 26, 2026 · Complaint Full

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 1 intermediate · 2 basic

    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained
    • 24 — Storage & handling of clean equipment and utensils; air drying
    • 31 — Handwash sinks accessible; handwashing supplies & sign provided
  2. July 17, 2025 · Routine - Food

    Inspection Completed - No Further Action

    0 high-priority · 0 intermediate · 5 basic

    • 08 — Cross-contamination: raw foods separated; food protected during prep/storage
    • 14 — Food-contact & nonfood-contact surfaces properly designed/maintained (×2)
    • 29 — Plumbing installed & maintained; mop sink; backflow prevention
    • 36 — Floors, walls, ceilings clean & maintained; proper ventilation

This grade is calculated by us from Florida DBPR public inspection records — Florida does not issue official grades. How we calculate it →

Data last updated: January 26, 2026