La Unica Mexican Restaurant Huntersville

My family and I visited La Unica last night, and from start to finish it was a delight. The place was very busy (a great sign!) the hum of conversation, consistent flow of guests, and bustling kitchen all gave it a lively, authentic feel. Someone brought ample chips with two both hot and mild salsa for each basket. There were multiple TVs playing different sports and lively Mexican music playing at a reasonable background volume. We ordered several dishes, and one highlight was the shrimp; beautifully cooked, juicy, and full of flavor. The portion sizes throughout were very generous. We could see others’ plates coming out, and there was no skimping. Even the sides and accompaniments were abundant. Service was friendly and efficient, considering how full the restaurant was. They seemed well-organized, and even under pressure kept things moving smoothly. If you’re looking for a Mexican spot with solid seafood, generous servings, and a vibrant atmosphere, La Unica is a winner. We’ll be back soon!

My sister ordered delivery for me for my birthday. This is my favorite Mexican restaurant. But not today! I ordered steak fajitas, which is what I get when I eat there. The steak was chewy and tough. The beans were running, and the beef, onions, and bell peppers were also very running. The tortillas we're very small compared to what I'm used to getting when I eat inside. I asked for extra beans because I don't like their rice. I didn't get that. I barely got enough of just what comes with the meal. I'm not sure why my order was this bad. This is my first and last time that I'll order delivery from them. I just can't believe how horrible my order was. So no, I don't recommend getting their food delivered!

Visited from Florida and was recommended by someone, so we tried it. We didn't wait long to be seated or for our orders to come out. It wasn't crowded, and we went round 2-3pm. on a Tuesday afternoon. All of our food came out fresh, extremely well seasoned, and good portions. My son and I had the Fajitas and the No Name Dinner. Both meals were fulfilling, and we will be back. No complaints, welcoming atmosphere, and very reasonable prices.

2nd time here in a long time. The atmosphere was very relaxing and enjoyable. The service was excellent and very friendly. Enjoyed the Margaritas. They have many varieties. The salsa was two fold: spicy and very spicy which was enjoyable. Love the idea of indoor and outdoor seating. Look at their menu and enjoy!

We all love Mexican food, but at La Única you’re treated like family—and your taste buds will be very happy! We’ve been coming here many times, and it never disappoints. Our favorites are the queso dip and Mexican guacamole. For mains, the flautas dinner and steak fajitas are always excellent. Everything comes out piping hot and incredibly fresh. The drinks are delicious (if you know what I mean 😉), and there’s plenty of parking on site. Service is always friendly and attentive, making it a truly enjoyable experience. Highly recommend!

Margaritas are great and the service was fast and friendly. The food is okay, but unmemorable and a little expensive... $4.00 for a fountain drink is a bit outrageous... Also, lots of lettuce?? Definitely disappointed in the guacamole.

I was so excited to be up this way today and finally able to try this place . I have been wanting this place for soooo long . I got the lunch chimichanga, I began to eat my chimichanga, and it was so delicious. I then went for the rice, which was where I messed up. I immediately opened the container of rice, stuck my fork in it and looked, and there was a black curly hair sure enough staring at me completely lost my appetite. I’m so upset 😭 I can’t even finish my chimichanga 😩😩😩

My salad wasn't as good as usual, but always love the chips and salsa!! Waiter kept our drinks filled and was courteous. I met a friend there that I hadn't seen awhile and the waiter was very patient with us in getting around to order and also didn't rush is off when we were done eating immediately.

There is nothing quite like your hometown Mexican restaurant.... I always get that comforting feeling when I walk thru those doors knowing I'm gonna sit down enjoy some drinks and some chips & salsa almost immediately. As someone who's been drinking at this establishment since I was 15; now being 23 it really is the same old place I always knew. The homey feeling to it and the nice Hispanic staff damn sure know how to make a white boy feel right.

Service is amazing here & the food quality is up to par. Not to mention their horchata is better than anywhere I've had it here in NC.

Great place to eat in never got disappointed but if you're ordering pickup it's mostly something missing or cold food even when showing up early they don't care just throw food in how can the same restaurant have so big of a difference in there quality?

Used to be good. Now the carnitas are bland, they constantly forget important items for carry out and pick up, like drink or tortillas that go with a meal and then think it should suffice to offer to just refund the tortillas not fix the issue.

I just love La Unica! Went there admittedly way too much when I lived in the area, and it's definitely a must stop when I'm in town now! I get the spicy salsa and I ask for the green salsa as well - they don't automatically give you the green salsa but it's great (good jalapeño and garlic flavor) - they also have a couple of other salsas you can ask for (spicier ones, etc) I get the California burrito with chicken and steak, no tomato, add fresh jalapeño, extra side of cheese sauce to dip in because sometimes the amount on top just isn't enough ;) it is so good! Will order it every single time, no questions! Always sit at the bar and the bartenders are always extremely attentive and QUICK! Large space inside with a lot of tables, but be prepared to wait during high traffic times because it's a popular place in the area!

My wife and I went there for lunch on a Sunday aftrnoon.very noisy and were disappointed with the quality of the food. We've crossed it off our list of Mexican restaurants worth visiting.

We love la única we eating every week but always when we have a server Ivonne B she is the worse server she came in take the order we ask water with lemon more salsa verde she bought with the meal and she never came until she being the check

Tasty meal. Ordered a #1 combo with rice. chips and Salsa Verde was definitely delicious and freshly made. Super quick and responsive service. Thanks!!

I've been coming here for years and it has been consistently very good. It is a fairly large restaurant, so wait time for a table is very minimal. The menu, to me, feels larger than other Mexican restaurants. Some favorites of ours are the chilaquiles mexicanos, Yolanda's, and the cheesesteak burrito. Service is also generally really good as well. They provide chips and salsa almost immediately after seating down. They also very quickly get your drink order and food order. The food comes out really quick, making this a great spot to be able to get in and out,

Great Mexican restaurant. Food is tasty. Large location with lots of seating. Great food and drinks and the service was quick. They do sing happy birthday and put a huge sombrero on your head and bring out a dessert.

Been years since my last La Unica review. At the time they had just moved into their current, larger location so, time for a quick refresh. They get 5 stars from me, as much for consistency over time as for anything else. Obviously we're talking consistently good here and it's both on the food and service side whether dining in house or getting something to go like we did last night. Couple interesting menu highlights I'd recommend... The No Name Dinner- Two spicy crabmeat/shrimp and two shredded chicken enchiladas are the main events and the seafood version can be very spicy (Tommy likes!) and the VERY spicy Bistec con Chile. This is OMG level heat, delicious but not for the timid. All in all we look forward to many more years of La Unica meals!

Decent spot for a quick lunch! I loved how quick the service was. I was seated right away and the food came quick too. The place is really nice and big. I ordered the tacos de asada lunch. It was a great deal because it came with 2 tacos rice and beans! The tacos were good, I just wish they gave me line with them or a crema to go on top because they were a little dry. The rice and beans were really good! I was pretty full but I wanted some dessert so I got the tres leches. It was pretty dry and flavorless and pretty expensive in my opinion. Next time I would get the flan instead.

I've been going to La Unica for years now, but most recently the food has slowly gotten worse. Yesterday we went to the Huntersville location. I ordered no name dinner. This has two burritos that have crab and shrimp in it, it had a very strong fishy smell and taste. This generally means the fish has sat out too long or is old. Also, the Spanish rice is not Spanish rice. It's white rice with vegetables in it. I hope they improve on their food quality. This used to be my favorite Mexican restaurant.

Every time I come here I am never disappointed with the service or the food! I love the hot salsa that comes with the chips. The queso is always delicious! I usually get fajitas and that dish is very tasteful. The food comes out quickly. The employees constantly replenish the chips and salsa. I like how big it is inside with the bar in the middle. I really love coming here when I am in the mood for some delicious food!

We love La Unica! This was such a treat. The service was fast, and our food was delicious. We will be back!

La Unica is the best! Fast, friendly service every time. Our kids love it too and we go there almost weekly.

Prepared to be FULL after leaving here. The serving portions are enough for 2 people. However since I don't like sharing I ordered the fajitas la unica. It comes with shrimp, chorizo, steak and chicken. It was so good! The size of it was so big, I barely made a dent. All of the meats were seasoned so well and tender. The fajita veggies were soft and had a nice char on them. My husband ordered the super fajita quesadilla and that is loaded with shrimp, steak and chicken. It was the biggest quesadilla I have seen. He couldn't even finish it. We tried the strawberry mango margarita with plenty of tequila in it! Everything was good. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We thoroughly enjoyed our first time here but certainly not our last.

Always good Mexican at La Unica. Salsa and chips are on pretty good. The lunch menu and portions are pretty decent during the week on your work hour.

Very accommodating. Great service. I go in frequently for lunch and occasionally as a very large group with multiple checks. They do a great job with both.

We came here on a Saturday evening (around 4:30pm) and were able to quickly get seated outside. The staff was very diligent in taking out drink and food orders. The cheese dip is delish and they provide two types of salsa as well (regular and spicy). The fish tacos were tasty, but don't expect it to be saucy. There was actually no sauce. The fajitas were a generous portion and hit the spot! Could have used a few more tortillas but an overall delicious Mexican meal. Plenty of parking in the lot/plaze.

La Unica is heaven on earth! Not only is the service amazing, but it's also super speedy. I highly recommend the queso and chips, as well as the tacos. I cannot describe to you how perfect La Unica is. If you haven't gone, do yourself a favor and go now! If there is a wait, it isn't long, and when you are seated the staff is sure to put you as a priority. 100/10

Updated review: the past several times Ive gone they had severely messed up our orders and had some pretty bad service. The food quality has gone down a lot as well. I also pick up from them uber/dd and i often stand there waiting a bit while the girls at the counter talk and giggle and clearly ignore me till they are finally ready to come over and ask me for the name. One time they said it wasn't ready and i wasted 15 minutes of time before the girl was like oh wait its been here the whole time. I really dont blame the restaurant for these things as it all just seems like horrible staffing issues and maybe it will go back to being good again someday.

La Unica is similar to other good Mexican food restaurants, you receive plenty of chips and salsa while waiting and receive some good Mexican food. Although my quesadilla was good, I wasn't a huge fan of the rice. However, the service was fantastic! The waitress was so kind and accommodating, I'd come back just for the kind service. The food comes out really fast too, this is a good place to go if you're really hungry and need food fast.

My wife and I were looking to try a new place as we have been to almost all the restaurants in the Huntersville are so we opted for LaUnica. We were pleasantly surprised as we drove in and saw a full parking lot. We were seated immediately and welcomed with traditional chips and salsa. The chips were warm as the were fresh out of the oven and the salsa was good. We ordered the enchiladas and steak and cheese quesadillas. Service was good and food came out quickly. Servings were generous and the food hit the spot as we had not had Mexican food in a while. I highly recommend this place and can't believe it took us this long to try it as it's convenient. We will return.

We've been eating here for years, at least once to twice a month. Every time, the food and service is awesome. Great ambiance for the whole family with a consistent and friendly staff. My favorite dish is the ceviche. Top notch place!

My 8 year olds favorite place. Says the salsa is "banging". Staff is excellent as well. It's always consistent and fairly priced. Couldn't be happier with this spot.

We haven't been here in a while so decided to give it a try. Things have really gone downhill for this establishment. Service was kind of slow and the food wasn't great. Tortillas were not fresh and fajitas had crazy amount of onions and very few peppers. It didn't seem super clean. My fork had dried rice stuck in it. The place needs a thorough cleaning.

One of our favorite restaurants since we moved to the area! Chick fil a has nothing on their speed of service! The quality is always consistent! Even if they are packed the wait time is never bad, drinks come out fast! Highly recommend the shrimp tacos :)

I love their excellent chicken tacos La Unica style and chicken torta sandwich with fries! Margaritas are fantastic.

Nothing spectacular but nothing disappointing either. Rather you find yourself right in the middle of something extraordinarily simple but good and sometimes that's a good thing. The place is huge so well suited for larger groups n kids. Plenty of TV's for the sports enthusiasts too. Plenty of parking as well. It was a Friday night and all we had was a 10 min wait so we'll done. Our first table was right in the path of a side entrance door and it opened every other third minute lol followed by a blast of cold air! So immediately they relocated us to a nice table smack in the middle of larger part of the place to be nice and comfy!!! I ordered 2 tacos served authentically with only onion and cilantro. The Lengua was tender and moist but could have used a lil more salt but the star was the El Pastor with a lil heat and a lil sweet note too. Their beans and rice just as expected. Hubby had a Lengua and chicken taco and he liked the chicken better. They serve you fresh chips - super thin and crispy yum with mild and hot salsa. The sopapillas were a nice sweet treat with a drizzle of chocolate and strawberries with whipped cream. Prices are very affordable especially given the generous potions.

I order here regularly through delivery services and have dined in as well. The food is always consistent, good portions and well seasoned. The queso is so creamy and flavorful but not spicy. Their red salsa is my absolute favorite! It's tomato heaven and is perfect to top any dish you order here. My favorite are the mixed fajitas with chicken, shrimp and steak. It again is a large portion and I always have leftovers for the next day. Anytime I visit in the restaurant the service is good and quick. I recommend dining in or trying it delivered. You get chips with your delivery order so no need to request more unless you have a larger group. Enjoy!

This place came highly recommended by two different coworkers. So I thought I was in for a treat. It had been a while since we had a proper Mexican meal and since we were celebrating my man's birthday - we came here. It started off bad. I opened my menu and it was dirty. I mean it smelled and liquid dripping out. The waitress saw me cleaning the menu and didn't even offer to give me a new one. She did bring out our salsa and chips and we thought it was super cute how they Serve the salsa in bottles and you can pour yourself. However one salsa tasted like flavored tomato sauce. And the chips although greasy were stale. It was very weird. We ordered shrimp cocktail and the shrimp were not deveined. And the sauce was very sweet. Overall 2.5 out of 5. I ordered the chimichanga plate and I cannot express how small the chimichanga was. I mean kid size for sure. The nacho sauce on top was not tasty and the beans it was served was a no go for me. The chicken on the inside of my chimichanga was moist. 2.5/5 My man ordered chilaquiles with rice and beans. Normally when you order chilaquiles it will plentiful and beautiful. His plate lacked any luster. The tortilla chips over soggy and the flavor was disappointing. After my first bite he asked if I wanted another, and there was no way I was going to eat anymore. My son enjoyed his burger and fries. But us on the other hand, neither of us finished our meal. We only finished the shrimp cocktail since it was $12. I felt bad. This was supposed to be a special meal and it was very disappointing. Catch me at Three Amigos next time.

I almost don't have no words for how bad this place was. It was so disgustingly dirty. There was plastic wrap over the top of the toilet!! There were black specks in the salt shaker that I think was mold on the rice in it. There was a cover off the sewer in the back (which someone could fall into) and a horrible smell coming out of either it or the dumpster. The entire parking lot reeked! The waitress was very grumpy and we rarely saw her. She got our drink order wrong and we had to ask twice to get her to correct it (when we actually saw her). After 40 minutes of waiting for our food she came and asked us again what we ordered. The food came out wrong but at that point we had been there a long time and were just done. The fajitas were very dry and I wanted to ask for salsa to add to them but it was forever before we saw her again. Then we had to wait a ridiculously long time for the check. Luckily, I didn't get sick. I was very worried that I would! Never again! This place is the absolute worst!!

Oh man.bad experience. Ordered dinner for 4 online for pick up Sat night. Left an $11 tip on a $50 order. Got to restaurant and order was ready to go. Got home to find that one entree- the Chimichanga was missing. Tried to call multiple times phone was busy. Decided to drive back. ( 15 minutes each way) Hostess was rude, no apology, just an offer to refund. We said-No I have someone at home with no dinner! Hostess said - well its going to be 20 minutes. And made us wait. Took 20 minutes. Again no apologies. After all that food was fair. Other meals were kept warm in home oven. Should have asked for a tip refund. On the bright side- No one got sick

Wonderful experience on a Friday night. Be patient if you come at a busy time, parking fills up but the restaurant is efficient and usually people are coming and going so a spot will become available soon! Fantastic service. Delicious queso. Fish tacos were great. There are two margarita sizes: 22 oz (in a cup) & 32 oz (in a fish bowl). I was surprised that my drink was more expensive than my meal, but the size + price made sense. Will come again!

All sooo. Good.. always a good idea with such good service we go all the time and enjoy it every time never a bad experience with helpful staff

Our family has been eating here for years at least twice a month. The food has been consistently good with the service being on par with your typical Mexican restaurant. I would give it a solid 4 stars based on that. Unfortunately there is a sporadic septic smell that we first noticed last year. Thinking it was an issue they'd address we've continued to visit. Evidently it's an ongoing problem that can't be resolved or would be too costly to repair. On more than one occasion we've smelled it from back parking lot, the bathrooms pretty much always smell, and sometimes you can smell the septic oder in the dining room. Not exactly what you want to smell while eating.

Always enjoy this place never has done me wrong very clean great food and a reasonable price the green salsa is my favorite and i crave it on a daily basis

El lugar es grande y la atencion es ok. Lo unico es que la sazon no es buena. He ido dos veces para tratar la comida pero no.

This place is great! Only a few things I would change. Atmosphere is wonderful, waitstaff could be a little kinder, food speed is VERY quick! Horchata- 3/5 quite watery Queso Blanko- 5/5 probably the best Ive ever had Nachos supreme- chicken is bland, plate for full size is the size I normally get for half size. Chimichanga- 5/5 delicious! But expected something bigger with the price. We will definitely be coming back!

Gosh I love Mexican food. This place is pretty standard. The chips were warm and crispy. The salsa comes in two's, a hot and a mild. I mix the two and appreciate that the hot is chunky which I prefer. The flavors were there in all dishes. My boyfriend ordered the Super Chimichanga which was to be two, one beef and one chicken. The portion was so small it appeared they used one large burrito shell split in two to make each Chimi. I ordered the ACP and was very surprised with the lack of cheese on the dish. Usually this dish is swimming in the cheese dip. Not so here. My daughter and her boyfriend both had the Burrito Tijuana (steak) with no complaints. So all in all it was a decent meal with the only thing I knocked a star off for was for the portion size of my boyfriends dish and the lack of cheese on mine. I will return though if in the area again.

We just returned from a Saturday lunch at LaUnica and although we've been steady customers and strong supporters since the founder, Willie, operated the restaurant in the shopping center where Whole Foods is now located, we have decided we are not going to return. It's a different place now. A stale menu, mediocre food, no pride in service, and today, an argumentative manager when we (and others) asked them to please durn down the incredibly loud music. In a half-full restaurant, our drinks were never refilled, two of our four orders came from the kitchen wrong, and the wait for our check was ridiculous. We recently discovered La Victoria in the former iHop restaurant across from Target, and it's a much better restaurant. Innovative menu, clean restaurant, and top-notch service. And by the way, it's owned and operated by Willie, the founder of LaUnica (who we understand is no longer involved with LaUnica). We're sad to say goodbye to this old friend, but pleased that we have a much better option nearby.

Pretty standard Mexican restaurant, but with better than standard service! The ambiance is fun and inviting, when you sit down you get greeted with chips and salsa for the table. I would recommend spending the extra cash on a small dish of their queso because it is tasty! I ordered the Mexican quesadilla meal with a medium margarita. The quesadilla came with Mexican rice and guacamole. I thought the portion of guacamole was very small and they could have given a bit more. The rice was pretty bland, as typical for many Mexican restaurants. The quesadilla had great flavor with a crispy tortilla which I liked. Lastly, margaritas were on point with the perfect mix of tequila and marg mix, I would recommend trying one of these! 3 for meal, 5 for service, 5 for margaritas and queso.

We were a party of 8 on a busy Saturday afternoon. We were seated almost immediately. Service here is great. Chips and salsa came out right away. We all ordered different things from the menu. I ordered the enchiladas verde and they were delicious

We recently moved from CA where Mexican food is super common and delicious. We tried several restaurants in NC but La Unica is the best! Their staff is friendly and attentive. Even on busy nights every one there serves you with a smile. Their wait staff make great recommendations if you are more adventurous. The food is authentic Mexican food. I love that they have several degrees of spicy to offer for their salsas and also suggest dishes based on spice. Restaurant is welcoming atmosphere and casual great for kids. The drinks are yummy as well. Enjoy!

why is it so hard to follow simple ordering? I literally ordered 3 of the Auth. CHICKEN tacos which comes with chicken, cilantro and onions. what did I get? BEEF 3 tacos with everything EXCEPT cilantro and onion. My recommendation.... find a Mexican restaurant that actually cares and hires someone who is capable of reading and preparing what's on the actual order.

What a great Mexican restaurant hidden off the main path! The drinks are plentiful, colorful, and tasty. The food is very fresh, hot, and delicious. The service is great; you feel really taken care of here. Our entrees came out quickly. My friend thought the chili relleno was odd and didn't care for their recipe, but enjoyed the rest of her meal. They have spicy salsa and mild for the table. It would have been nice to have a medium option. It's a bit far to be a local spot of us, but if you live in the area, this is great Mexican cantina to make your usual spot.

My husband and I really enjoyed our lunch! The staff was super efficient and friendly. We brought our baby with us and they were very accommodating. Food tasted great and we thought it tasted fresh with nice seasoning.

It's a very mediocre place for such rave reviews. That's the Huntersville dining scene for you.