Taqueria La Unica

Consistently good Mexican food, some of the best Santa Barbara has to offer! The tacos are delicious, and the salsas are to die for! (I particularly recommend the habanero cremosa and the pineapple habanero salsa.) The ambience is warm and inviting, and the food presentation is excellent. Overall one of my favorite spots in Santa Barbara!

A “taqueria” is a Mexican restaurant specializing in tacos, but TAQUERIA LA UNICA goes beyond that. They offer an incredible variety of amazing dishes that are bursting with flavor. If you’re a guacamole lover, you must try their very delicious GUACAMOLE. It complements all other dishes perfectly. The ALAMBRE plates are a must-order. They’re not your typical fajitas; they grill sensational dishes that are simply incredible. My personal favorite is QUE ME VES! It’s a flavorful cheesy combination of El Pastor and pollo adobado, along with a medley of other delicious flavors. As a great alternative, LA UNICA Alambre serves a fantastic sirloin steak dish. Their steamed corn on the cob, ELOTE DEL PUEBLO, is another unique and delicious dish. A tip: ask for less mayo if you prefer a milder flavor. Lastly, their SURF N TURF BONE MARROW is a standout dish. It features roasted bone marrow topped with flavorful steak and shrimp.

Super friendly staff. Food was flavorful. Only negative is that the menu is extensive but not comprehensive in one “spot”. Some items on the wall, some on the printed menu and more on the monitors.

Came here for the vegetarian tacos which were DELICIOUS, will return for the really cozy service from the cashier cheerfully guiding me through my options (including a veg taco that was off-menu!) and the excellent salsa bar and bottled CHILI OIL which was mega-yum. There's two outdoor seating options and a dining room. In the front streetside there is a fireplace outside that pumps serious heat & ambience, and on the side there's outdoor seating with no fire, but it's also much quieter tucked away from the street traffic.

Taquería La Única truly lives up to its name, unique and authentic! The flavors are rich and traditional, just like real Mexican street food. The tacos are fresh and full of flavor and the portions are generous. The staff is warm and welcoming, the chef, the cashier en the server, were so kind, they went above and beyond making the whole experience even better. If you’re craving genuine Mexican food that tastes homemade, this is the spot. Definitely a must-try!

Excellent tacos and Mexican food that reminded me of the food I got on my recent trip to Mexico City! Priced well and delicious with large portions (we over ordered!) the Al Pastor is delicious, and the costra and gringa’s were huge. Highly recommend and will be coming back

The Smoked Marlin Tacos are amazing! The charred, smoky Marlin is a game changer and I recommend them for any fish taco fan. I guarantee it will be your new favorite taco. Taqueria Unica is an awesome addition to the SB Taco scene.

Tried this place for the first time & it did not disappoint!! I got greeted by friendly staff as soon as I walked in, they have a received my food very fast, & the food was super delicious 😋 I ordered the birria torta with a jaritos drink plus I got a complimentary basket of tortilla chips and queso dip which was also very good!! Overall 10/10 & I will for sure come back again to enjoy more of their delicious food❤️‍🔥 🍽️

Wow the best tacos Al Pastor with an incredible salsa bar that is self served We used to go to a place on Milpas but they charge $1 per extra salsa container And that's when we tried Unica and never went back to our old spot. Service gets a perfect 10. They serve chips too! Food is ready pretty fast! Try them and you will become a big fan. Bathroom are clean too.

I saw this place on IG and bookmarked it so I can remember to visit as I pass SB from Ventura County!! This place is easy to find off the freeway and their parking lot is easy to get into. I got the grilled fish cabo taco with elote corn and the hubby got al pastor and chicken taco along with a side guacamole. I'm not sure why chicken taco was more than the al pastor but we wanted variety so we got it. Hubby said the al pastor was delicious and he could have eaten two of them. Everything tasted good and it lived up to the hype. I'm glad I finally checked this place out. It's super busy on a Thursday night at 7pm and they ran out of the orange sauce so that was a bummer. Maybe I'll stop on my way back or next time.

Tripas tacos, extra crispy for the win! Only place in town I know that has tripas everyday as a regular part of the menu. (Also, they have picanha which is very hard to find) The whole salsa bar is so yummy which is a staple for any taqueria. The habanero is my favorite! Super clean, aesthetic seating and great service! They're very attentive for being an order at the front type of restaurant. A new favorite

Food is superb. Big surprise was the Enchiladas Verde as the salsa and tortillas were 5 stars themselves! The salad with Steak was good but needed some more variety of veggies to make it 5 stars-that said the steak was tender and very flavorful. Btw, the Frijoles de la Olla was 5 stars also. I will be back!!

This place is amazing. I love their weekly specials which keep me coming back over and over again. I love the taste of their al pastor and their salsas. I'm a huge fan of Mexican restaurants if they make a good salsa and this place has many great tasting salsas. I really love getting their al pastor burritos and tacos but also love their que me vez alhambres. Can I also just comment on how friendly and kind all their employees are!? They are so kind! They make me want to keep coming back. There are other places in SB that sell food delicious like this but I stopped going because basic service lacks. that's not the case here. I highly recommend this place. I love it!

Thanks Yelpers for pointing out this excellent taqueria. We were greeted at the door by an employee who explained the layout of the restaurant and pointed out highlights of the menu. This place is way more than a simple taqueria! Prominently displayed in the kitchen is a tromba and the al pastor they make is authentic and delicious. But then everything we had was delicious. Elote/Mexican street corn is over the top. It's a multi napkin mess but worth it. My wife's favorite were the flavorful and decidedly not vegetarian beans. The salsa bar is quite good with a habanero crema that should be hot enough for any palate.

I love this place, the food is amazing and the service was excellent! Nice decoration

The tacos are flavorful and they do not skimp on the protein/filling. The sides are equally as tasty. There is a salsa bar with many options to try something different. I look forward to ordering other menu options.

This restaurant has easily made my top 3 list for Mexican food in Santa Barbara! I love the Los Agaves restaurants so I was excited to try La Unica when it opened, and I have not been disappointed at all. All the birria menu options are fantastic, and I keep coming back to the birria torta. It comes with consommé sauce to dip in which is incredible. The flavors are really well balanced between the seasoned, stewed meat, the fluffy bread, the avocado, and the sauce. Make sure you have extra napkins. It's juicy and messy and so worth it. Another favorite is the nachos. This is a big platter of delicious chips smothered in cheese, beans, meat, and all the toppings. A great dish to share! Again, the flavors really compliment each other in this dish with the spiciness of the sauce, the creaminess of the cheese, and the crunch of the chips. There is a salsa bar and complimentary chips. Fun options that feel unique and some really spicy ones. I'm trying to work my way through the menu. It's full of great looking options. But the birria...too good!!

Probably the best Mexican restaurant that I've been to! definitely the best in Santa Barbara! The tacos are all specialized and have so much flavor. The salsa and extra toppings are a must! Service is great, you order at the kiosk first. Love the cute little lights outside and good ambience inside. Highly recommend the Sonora and the El Dorado. LOVE 10/10

First time here and it's worth every penny! Just a light lunch before a big dinner! The service is good and fast! Very clean with windows on all 3 sides of dining area!

Modern authentic taqueria across from my EV charging spot. What a find! We walked in and were immediately impressed with the mix of clientele. We loved the gringas which is more of a quesadilla. The Agua Fresca of cucumber was sweet and refreshing. We were offered a free basket of chips and could fill up on salsas at the salsa bar. The guacamole was ok, needs more seasoning. Lots of free parking in adjacent lot. The staff was very friendly and checked on us a couple times. No real signage from the street, but worth a visit!

I finally made it into the former donut/tacos/whatever location to check out the popular Mexican restaurant. I ordered the Lavanta Muertos (beef birria broth with bone marrow) and it was rich and flavorful. Everything was fresh, including the tortillas. The staff was friendly and it was kept very clean. They aren't cheap, but you're getting quality food in a casual atmosphere. I didn't realize that they were part of the Los Agaves group, but I can see the similarities.

Love this new addition to the upper State La Cumbre corridor. Delicious varied menu artfully presented. Great salsa station. Get the birria!

Great tacos! And awesome aqua Fresca! Can't go wrong with any of the tacos. Much better than super cucas

While this taqueria is a little pricey every bite was worth it. I ordered the Taco Cabo and Queso Fundido and everything was so full of flavor. Everything came out super quickly and I loved siting outside on the patio.

Great service and delicious tacos. We are visiting Santa Barbara for a few days and decided on tacos for dinner. We had chicken quesadillas, al pastor tacos, birria tacos and cachete tacos. Everything was so good!

These tacos might be better than the taco truck at tri-county. Definitely in the top 3 for best tacos in SB. Possibly the best. Pro tip- Mondays (at least from 4-6pm not sure about other times) tacos are $2.00. So go here on Mondays for a taco Tuesday deal and the truck at tri-county produce on Tuesdays. Then you decide which is better. My money is on these guys. Atmosphere is awesome, way better than the Dunkin' Donuts that used to be here and ironic that the place was originally a Taco Bell back in the early '00s. Top notch tacos. Service was great too, staff was super polite and friendly. Tables were clean, the whole place still has that "brand new restaurant feeling".

First time here and we will be back soon! Got the pollo and asada tacos. Excellent! Love the self-serve salsa bar. Service was fast. They have daily specials for some $ savings.

When we learned that the Los Agaves group added a taqueria to their holdings, we were pumped. Los Agaves was the first restaurant I ate at when we moved to SB 10 years ago and it's been a staple since then. By far the best salsa in town, great service, a few good options for vegetarians. Unfortunately, the taqueria disappointed when held up against Los Agaves. The salsa was a 6/10. Vegetarian options were ok, but ratios leaned toward overwhelmingly cheesy. The service wasn't too bad though and the food came out quickly.

Fabulous lunch at Taqueria La Unica. Noticed it had good reviews yet I had never heard. Skeptical at first my perspective quickly changed upon arrival. I was quickly greeted in a very clean and organized looking taqueria. I ordered the al pastor tacos and bean dip on the side. The bean dip was definitely different but by all means delicious! How do you make a bean dip good? Heck if I know, but they make it happen here. It has a spicy, purée consistency which was great with fresh chips. The al pastor meat was very flavorful and complimented the salsa, pineapple, cilantro and onions just perfectly. I noticed the line after I had sat down had blown up. I can see why this place is so popular. Recommend on upper State St.

Been waiting for this to open and then for the lines to settle down. I enjoyed the Costra Al Pastor with the cruncy cheese crust and the Alambres La Unica was a very large portion with steak and chorizo sand came with 6 corn tortillas. All the salsas were good but the stand out was the charred pineapple salsa. Very tasty especially on the Al Pastor. My only complaint is there are no chips to eat with the salsas and when we went no beer or wine, so it doesn't feel like a place to go for date night.

Wow! We walked in and Rosio greeted us and helped us with menus we could read. She really went out of her way to help us order and she made sure our food was good. The nachos were enough for four people and the asada tacos were delicious. Had a strawberry margaritas and enjoyed those two. The staff kept the dining area so clean. Between the excellent and friendly service and delicious food this place will be around for a long time. The bar sitting area was a nice addition too.

We have been excited to try this new Los agaves spin off and finallly got around to giving it a try! I'd give it somewhere between 3.5-4 stars overall. The good: the Al pastor. Holy moly YUM. This may be one of my new favorite Al pastors in town. If you go on mondays it is cheaper so the Al pastor tacos are only $2. We also tried volcanes one chicken, one skirt steak. It was good but didn't blow me away. One note-- there are no chips here so you won't get your los agaves chip fix which was a little bit of a let down! Overall will be coming back but will probably stick with Al pastor options!

Great food! I had the veggie al pastor and an order of guacamole since I'm vegan and the food was bursting with flavor (medium spicy). The salsas were delicious as well. On top of the great food the place is really clean and well-managed. Friendly service and food comes out promptly.

First time dining here and was a bit taken back with $90 for 4 people at a taqueria. Then I remembered I was in Santa Barbara. The staff were efficient and friendly taking our order. This is a counter service establishment. Our food arrived at various times but it was hot and fresh. The quality ingredients were on display and were reflected in the taste of the food. We enjoyed our meals and the different salsas available at the salsa bar. The restaurant was very Santa Barbara in decor both indoors and out. Setup for efficiency and throughput more than elegance or ascetics. A decent taqueria with above average food.

Amazing!! The staff is so nice and sweet and very knowledgeable. I ordered the Veggie Al Pastor and my date ordered the Al Pastor Costra. Both of our meals were delicious! The establishment was very clean and open and had a welcoming atmosphere. I highly recommend.

Just really savory and good - we enjoyed ourselves and thought the food was fresh and perfectly prepared

I love this place - reasonable pricing - cold beer and great tacos. Really great menu with authentic Mexican food - give it a shot

I had 3 tacos al pastor, they were plenty. Great tasting plenty of meat. This place will be on my favorite list next time in Santa Barbara. Place is very clean and staff is friendly

The Los Agaves Family has been dominating the Mexican Restaurant scene for a while now, and it's no surprise that their newest addition of "Taqueria la Unica" has people like me hyped up and ready to see what new creations they are serving up. I came here on opening day, and was prepared for a long line, so come here with patience and expect to wait for about 15-20 minutes. Unfortunately, they only had one cashier but I know they are hiring right now, so most likely they are short staffed. I even spotted Carlos Luna (the owner) and his brother helping dish out orders! It was nice to see them putting in work at the restaurant. Their menu offers a variety of tacos, plancha, volanes, tortas, burritos, costras, alambres and veggie tacos. They also have aguas frescas, strawberries n cream, and arroz con leche (rice pudding). Prices range from $2.99 and up! On my visit, I decided to get La Unica Alambres. This comes with sirloin y picaña chorizo, onions, chile anaheim, mushrooms and cheese. Served on corn tortillas so you can make tacos. The meat was a little overcooked for me, but It was still delicious and full of flavor! I also ordered their fresas con crema (strawberries n cream). This was a perfect dessert to finish off with! I'm looking forward to coming back once the hype dies down, but overall, I'm happy to see a new taco restaurant closer to my job! It was much needed in the Upper State Street area.

BEST lengua I've ever had - hands down! Amazing tacos and tortas with juicy and flavorful meat. They also have an endless salsa bar with fantastic flavors and heat levels for everyone. Service is fast and friendly, even letting me make substitutes for the tortas meat. The only downside is the tortillas for the dips are just fried whole and lack much flavor. It would be worth switching these out but I understand it's probably a move to better use the products they have. The guac and bean dip themselves are fantastic so not worth taking away a star.

Tried La Unica for the first time. Just opened a day ago. Food came out fairly quickly. Everything looked great and tasted amazing. Pastor was my favorite so far. The cashier was super friendly and kind. Will be back to try some more items on the menu.

Stopped by today for lunch. I was standing 3rd in line for about 5 min. 3 employees looked at the line from behind the counter but no movement to take any orders. A guy sitting at the counter on his computer finally came over and asked if we needed menus but still did not attempt to take orders. I decided to leave rather than further my disappointment.

$8 burrito week drew me in and WOW, what an epic burrito it is / was! I opted for the pastor and it was packed with all good things like cheese, pasilla, meat, rice and beans, quite possible that it was one of the best burritos I've ever had. Counter service was friendly and I now will return for more of what looks like the other great food on their menu.

Delicious variety of veggie tacos and we loved the salsa bar. 10/10 Nice decor with indoor and patio seating.

This is definitely off the beaten path but it is a must try when you are in Santa Barbara. The tacos were so delicious; the salsas were incredible! I had the chicken tacos that were really good and my husband had a combination of tacos that he really loved. The guacamole and chips were very much on point. The portions were ample. I will definitely return when in this area. Free parking available.

The pastor!! The pastor tacos are incredible. So flavorful, juicy and a little crispy. Just so, so good. We also had the carne asada, chicken and birria tacos which were all great.

I love salty food, their food was good but way too salty. The margarita and the salsa bar A+.

This is a great new spot in town that I went to for the first time yesterday and it was so good that I'm headed back over there now for lunch again. The Birria flautas and the corn were both amazing. I also tried the papas Bravas, but it wasn't what I was hoping for; not like what you'd find in Spain. All the other food I saw coming out of the kitchen looked delicious.

The food here is GOOD, REALLY GOOD, IMO. It sits in a previously restaurant cursed location. Will Unica be here to stay? Parking off State Street is good. The inside is bright and airy, with an abundance of nice patio seating. I went with my son for lunch on a Fiesta Sunday and it was packed. Lots of friendly staff, hustling through orders, asking how things were, lots of happy people - expect nothing less from the Santo Mezcal folks. The inside is definitely up, up scale from what you expect from a taqueria. The menu board is pretty much all in Spanish, but there are translations on the menu card. Lots of traditional and specialty tacos and meats, burittos, apps, etc., as well as vegan options. I also spotted beer. My son and I ordered a mix of sirloin taco, chicken taco, tacos al pastor, and a taco with tonque (lengua). At the end of the order taking, our cashier asked "would you like chips and guacamole" with that? To that we said "sure." Then you take a number and sit. I also ordered a strawberry horchata. Note that a small basket of chips are delivered to your table upon sitting down, and the salsa bar has a number of salsas, mostly puréed types. The habanero had a nice kick to it. The guac came out with lots of chips and a fried tostadas, and it was huge. Very good, fresh tasting, chunky and pure, with a bit of cilantro, but frankly way to much for two people. At $8.00, I was cheap and took half home with me. The sirloin and chicken tacos fall into the $6.50 something category, and come with a small side of beans. I didn't know why. My son had both a sirloin and chicken taco, so he had two containers of beans and gave me one. If he had 3 chicken tacos, 3 containers of beans. etc. Seems like it would be easier to ask if one would like a side of beans with any taco, than to include it with some tacos and not with others. Otherwise both tacos were excellent tasting. The one tonque taco came with a lot of salsa and onion on large rectangular plate - a slice of slighly chewly meat rather than chopped as I have had elsewhere. I would have preferred to dress it myself as it was a bit overloaded with the green salsa. The al pastor tacos really shined, IMO. A flavor to die for, with some pineapple and grilled onion that gave a nice touch of sweetness. I could have eaten 5 of them and at $3.00 each, they are one of the most economical options. You might be detecting a common thread: Unica is quite expensive for a taqueria. $45 for two of us, and that just feels weird. True the food is overall very good, it's comfortable, it's nice, but taquerias first and foremost are street food and when you elevate street food it doesn't have quite that same "this is really tasty and cheap" value proposition. Even all the varied fancy platings were a bit strange and seemed to detract from the simple food being served. Basic white plastic and round for everything would have been perfectly fine and have let the tacos take the stage. I'm interested in trying some of the other items and know what to expect next time. I think many people will love Unica's approachability, clean look and delicious food, but with a myriad of old-school, lower price taquerias in town, it's not going to be my everyday taco fix.

Very expensive. 2 small tacos, 2 of the cheeses ones, guacamole ( that I never received), one coke= 38$. Give me a break. Good is average at best. Totally over rated, go to one of the local taquerias, better food,salsa, and price

Another visit at this Taqueria. Stopped by for Taco Tuesday $2.25 Alpastor, Suadero and Chorizo. Perfectly complimented with Horchata and Fresas con Crema. Service was quick despite being there during lunch time.

Yes. Another taco place in Santa Barbara. But before the comment...it's not only tacos that they sell. They got their tortas, their mulitas, alambres and bone marrow-that's if you order the levanta muertos. We tried the costras and the Birria, levanta muertos. The costras are basically melted cheese with your choice of protein and two corn tortillas. The Birria tacos are delicious and not overwhelmed with grease as other location. It's comes with a generous portion of consume. The levanta muertos is basically a bone with the bone marrow and a plate of Birria. I rather just get the tacos. The tacos are decently prepared with a generous amount of meat. The place has been redesigned to look like a casual upscale taqueria. Staff is very friendly. Try the burnt salsa with pineapple on the Al pastor tacos. The only negative is that the picana and steak are too dry and overcooked. I ended drenching with salsa to eat. This place is a little pricier than other taquerias in the city, but delicious.

I'm a big fan of Los Agaves, so was really excited to try this spot! Great for a quick meal and really authentic Mexican choices. The Santa Barbara Tacos are super tasty! So much food that I had leftovers. Their guacamole is also delicious. I appreciate the water dispenser right at the front of the restaurant with large cups for helping yourself. They also have a nice selection of salsas available to help yourself to as well! I was there on a Tuesday and it was really busy at the lunch hour. This is a great location with lots of parking around the building. The staff helping us were all really friendly. I can't wait to go back!

I love this place! The food is awesome. Shout out to David who is the coolest guy and has the best service/food recommendations. My go tos are the picanha tacos with guac or an asada or Al pastor burrito with pineapple. The volcanes and nachos are really great too. Overall, an excellent food spot with great staff. Thanks to Elizabeth and Antonio too for being super cool too!

The food was creative, fresh and delicious. This place is not your usual taqueria. The decor is also creative and pleasant, even the restroom had beautiful tile. The service was great. Very attentive. We are foodies who have eaten a LOT of Mexican food. Taqueria La Unica stands out! We will definitely be back

Food is fantastic, prices fair, staff friendly. They check on you after food delivered to table and clean tables promptly when people leave. Tortas are huge! Lots of delicious new dishes to try!

Wow!! Very good Food!! Tacos de asada, lengua, quesabirrias and frijoles charros!! You won't regret it!

I L O V E La unica. My roommates and I come 2-3 times a week and spend all day craving it and stalking the instagram posts. After a long day of studying and working, there is NOTHING like rewarding yourself with LA UNICA'S FIRE CUISINE I love you so much La unica and will always and forever be one of your most passionate fans. Keep on making the world a better place with each day of amazing, nutritious eats. You guys are awesome. Bless you.