Discover La Unica, a contemporary taqueria located on Upper State Street in Santa Barbara, CA, where authentic Mexican street food meets a modern, clean interior design. Both dine-in and take-out options are available, allowing you to enjoy our delectable offerings such as spit-roasted al pastor tacos, pollo adobado tostadas, norteño alambres, and birria tortas, all crafted with the freshest, high-quality ingredients.
Based on 97 reviews, the restaurant has received a rating of 4.3 stars. Price
✔️ Dine-in ✔️ Takeout
Address:
3771 State St, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Phone: (805) 689-5619
Social Profile: 
Hours
| Friday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Monday
(Labor Day)
|
11 AM–9 PM
Hours might differ
|
| Tuesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–9 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–9 PM |
Menu
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Menu Photos
Photo Gallery
Reviews
Rod Castillo
I was excited to try Taqueria La Unica after seeing good reviews. While they had a good variety of salsas, disappointingly none were spicy and they were flavorless. Their dish meant to cure hangovers, Levante Muertos, was too salty and left me wanting a beer, but they don’t sell any even though they have beer on the menu. The guacamole was good, but the tostadas were stale and the nopales were slimy. The tacos were okay. The tacos de lengua were not chopped, so it was just a big hunk of meat. Lily’s Tacos does better tacos de lengua. Overall, it seemed like Americanized Mexican food that didn’t impress this Mexican food fan. I’ll stick to Rudy’s for tortas and Tacos Cuernavaca for tacos al pastor
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Greg
Volcanes were pretty good, nice salsa bar. Guac could use some flavor – no onions or cilantro detected. Pretty pricey for an order at the counter and take a number kind of place. Took a while to decipher the menu. At least they have outdoor seating.
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Adam Lowenstein
Redefines tacos in Santa Barbara- amazing menu with robust tacos in both flavor and filling. This is the real deal when it comes to melding Mexico City style with gourmet flair- clearly the best tacos in the Central Coast. Can’t wait to go back.
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Murat Okcuoglu
The taste is amazing, flavors you will never find anywhere else. Huge selection of different authentic dishes, fresh and quality ingredients. Definitely must try.
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Diego Adolfo Santamaria Razo
Over the last days, I’ve been assessing Mexican restaurants in Santa Barbara and this is the best I’ve tried. To be honest, the best tacos I’ve ever had outside of Mexico.
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Evie Abat
Delicious food. Dog friendly patio. Tried the Tacos Santa Barbara (yummmmmm. very generous serving. the corn tortilla was bursting and deliciously drippy), the Papas Bravas (loved the super crispy taters amongst the regular cooked. bien condimentadas!), the beef wrapped asparagus (delightful w a touch of sweetness from the sauce). Will be back to try more!
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Tom Cez
Deep fried cheese dish and salsa bar pico de Gallo was tasty. Chicken taco comes with spicy beans and dap of guacamole for $6.50.
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William Lu
Tasty Tacos but a bit Pricey
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Alexander Jelinek
First, the Costras are the best thing on the menu. See my picture below. Also there is a large selection of sauces so try them all, but my favorite is the pineapple, which is tangy and very spicy.
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Dave T
Best Mexican food I’ve had in Santa Barbara. 7 months exploring menus here daily. Los Altos, Taqueria SB and Casa Comal for mole and amazing carnitas. They just opened packed to the door but orders arrive within 5 minutes even when slammed. Amazing food. Stellar menu. Great staff. Well run, well managed, consistent and they do not skimp on portions you’ll leave full, satisfied with a box to go and smile everytime. I keep coming back for more
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