Restaurant Spotlight: Is Don Julio Overrated?
I give my honest take on this Buenos Aires meat institution.
You have probably heard of it. Even if you haven’t traveled to Buenos Aires yet, the name “Don Julio” has probably come up. It is all over the best restaurant lists. In 2020, it won the best restaurant in South America from 50s Best. Every “foodie” blog writes about it. NYT’s travel guides will include it. Same with “Eater” or “Time Out.” Its popularity has skyrocketed over the last few years. So, is Don Julio worth the visit? Or is it an overrated tourist trap?
One thing I am trying to do with these “restaurant spotlights” is give my honest take on places. I am not in the “foodie world.” I show up to restaurants as a typical customer (although I might seem suspect with my camera out). They don’t pay me to visit. I have learned that there is a restaurant “clique,” so to speak, a mutually beneficial relationship between restaurant owners and food journalists. They fly in the same social circles. This leads to biased praise in the local and international press. While some are worthy of recognition, others benefit from being friends with the right food journalists. I have no doubt Don Julio received the award for the best restaurant in Latin America due to the owner's friendship with the right people.
I have been going to Don Julio for over 12 years. It has been a spot where my friends and I enjoy long, unhurried lunches. The kind where the hours fade away over a few bottles of wine (or 8), and the dinner crowd starts to trickle in. We even show our respects to this meat temple by wearing suits.
I have seen it evolve from a little local neighborhood corner parrilla into the current monster it has become. It is a place that is tough to make a reservation months out. People crowd outside its doors sipping champagne, waiting for a chance to sample the “best meat in Buenos Aires.” Any resemblance of a "local" spot is gone, with most customers being international tourists.
I can officially now say that Don Julio is overrated. That doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth the visit. It just means that if you can’t make it, don’t stress out. I have always found the quality of meat at Don Julio to be exagerated. It is above average, but many places do better. I also prefer grain-finished meat over the grass-fed meat Don Julio specializes in, so consider that. What is not historically overrated is the overall experience. The service is impeccable. The wine list is incredible. All the side dishes are great. The ambiance is on point and intimate. It is the best overall representation of a sophisticated Argentine food experience. But now, with the prices and the hassle of getting a table, it has moved into the “overrated” category.
Since restaurants started to open up again after COVID-19, Don Julio has seen a spectacular rise. Whenever a big celebrity comes to town, local media covers their visit to Don Julio. Messi visited it. Same with Matt Damon. Add on top the “Best restaurant in South America” (quite the joke if you ask me) award, and the influx of tourists hasn’t stopped. With this has come an extreme jack-up in prices. While Don Julio has always been on the higher end, it has reached astronomical levels for Buenos Aires.
Of course, international tourists might still find it cheap compared to their home countries. But as someone living in Buenos Aires, I am used to great steaks for the equivalent of 20usd (often 10usd-15usd) or less. And an overall experience with wine for under 30usd-40usd per person. The steak my dad said was the “best he had since Cheyenne, Wyoming in 1979” at El Imperfecto was less than 5 dollars. A steak at Don Julio these days will run between 50 USD and over 100 USD. It used to be much less at around 15 to 20 USD. It is now expensive by international standards. Most Buenos Aires restaurants have seen a price drop in USD with the recent peso devaluation (even as peso prices increase), not an increase like Don Julio.
Due to the tourist demand, Don Julio has been able to jack up their prices by a lot. Per person, a trip to Don Julio (with meat, starters, sides and wine) can cost easily over 100 dollars, which is astronomical for Buenos Aires today with the peso weakness. This has made the restaurant's clientele most likely 80% - 90% tourists. The prices are just too high for most locals to justify. On the flip side, this influx of tourists has come with an increase in quality of service. While always some of the best service in BA, it is even better now. But this might not impress visitors, as what is exceptional service in Buenos Aires is most likely the norm in their home countries and to be expected.
The bottom line: Don’t stress if you read about Don Julio as a must-visit in Buenos Aires, but you can’t make it. You can find better meat elsewhere and for a fraction of the price. But Don Julio still is a fun place for the full “Argentine parrilla experience.” And you might still find the prices reasonable compared to those in your home country. If that is your case and you can’t reserve online, I suggest a few things:
Head over to Don Julio one of the first days you arrive in the city. Ask the Maître d’ if space is available over the next few days. Tables might have opened up that don't appear online.
Head early, around 11:30 a.m. for lunch or 7 p.m. for dinner, and put your name down. You should be able to get a table at some point. They will serve you champagne while you wait.
Don Julio
Guatemala 4699, Palermo
Open every day: 11:30am - 4pm, 7pm - 1am
Finally! An honest contemporary review of a classic restaurant. That is to say, Don's is a special place for sure, but the run up in prices and change in clientele definitely warrants a move into the "over-rated/over-priced" category. And with so many new and upcoming restaurants around town, the top joints should not be able to rely solely on their reputation forever. Time to up your game, Don's!