When two co-workers at two different jobs offer unsolicited recommendations of the same restaurant in the same week, the universe was trying to tell me something. The message was loud and clear: Time to go get a burrito.
I had received an email from a sales rep at the Sun saying she’d been to La Unica Taqueria recently and that it was “burrito heaven.” A few days later at my day job, I was laying tongue-and-groove plank flooring for the third day in a row. There was sweat on my brow, a hunger in my belly, and a song in my heart when a guy on the crew said we should hit up La Unica for some bomb burritos.
I sang, “I got fiiiiiiiiive on it,” and off we went.
With stomachs growling like Mufasa, we passed probably 12 taco spots along the way to La Unica, but my co-worker assured me that this was the place for stuffing burritos in my face. So I kept driving, and when we finally arrived, I saw what all the fuss was about immediately.
Their burrito selection was immense. The menu had all of the expected entries—asada, pastor, chile verde, chile colorado, pollo, vegetarian—but it also proclaimed loud and proud that they offered a tri-tip, a San Felipe (with chicken breast and bacon), a Santa Fe (with chicken and poblano peppers), a surf and turf, and a Philly cheesesteak. Each of these special burritos came with french fries stuffed inside instead of rice and beans.
I’ve had my fair share of regular burritos in my day, so I went with the Philly while my co-worker got the tri-tip special. It wasn’t until I sat down to wait for my grub that I took in the full extent of the taqueria’s menu.
They serve menudo every day of the week (which I still need to try but have heard makes an excellent hangover cure), sopés, dinner plates, nachos, more kinds of loaded fries than I ever thought possible, shrimp seven different ways somehow, and holy crap! Wet tortas? I didn’t even know that was a thing, but it looks just like everything I’ve ever wanted!
I sat drooling over everything on the menu, but it was too late. I’d already ordered, and my burrito was on its way.
My co-worker and I both ate ravenously between grunts of approval. I knew I’d have to go back to work and probably shouldn’t eat till I was full and suffering. So I set the big burrito down three-quarters of the way through, looked at it lying there like a Siren, and picked it right back up to demolish that delicious tube of flavor in its entirety.
I was stuffed, but that cheesy steak, peppers, and special sauce combination was too good to leave unfinished.
I came back a few days later with my wife and kid because I couldn’t leave that wet torta uneaten, and I wanted to get my hands on some of those loaded french fries, too.
If I had to sum up the entire restaurant in one word, it would be “indulgent.” It’s clear no one asked if the ideas for menu items would be healthy, or reasonable, or true to tradition. The only question asked by the menu’s architect was, “What would be utterly delicious?”
Owner Mario Chavez opened the restaurant back in 1991, so I’m not exactly cluing anybody in to the hippest new joint in town. Although, the place’s well-established history is part of what makes it special. Many of the workers have been there for decades, including head cook Juan Carrillo, who said the crew is tight-knit, like a second family. At first, they focused on producing the best classic dishes they could muster; they only began to experiment with the more creative menu items a few years ago, he said.
“We wanted to create other things to stand out with the new menu, add a different taste,” Carrillo said. “I like serving people, trying to make better food every time.”
Ultimately, Carrillo said the restaurant’s goals are to make the best food they can make and give the best service they can give, a plan that has long resonated with hungry regulars.
Sick of the same old burritos? Try something unique at La Unica.
Roll contributing writer Nick Powell in a tortilla with cheese and french fries and call him a special burrito at npowell@santamariasun.com.
Powell’s Picks
• Wine and cheese have had a beautiful relationship for centuries, but even the best routines can get a little stale. You can’t blame cheese’s wandering eye for landing on the scene’s hottest beverage: craft beer. Solvang’s Cailloux Cheese Shop is hooking up with Naughty Oak Brewing Company for a beer and cheese pairing event on Sunday, Aug. 4, at 2 p.m. in Orcutt. Tickets cost $25 and are available at my805tix.com or at the Naughty Oak taproom. Just don’t let wine find out about all this.
• For a tiny little town, Los Alamos sure has a lot of surprisingly good grubberies. Sample the lot of ’em at Eat, Play, Love Los Alamos, a thoroughfare affair wherein folks such as yourselves purchase a sampling glass and a punch card for $40 and use them to try wines, beers, appetizers, and desserts all up and down the town’s main drag. Get every hole in your card punched and double your chances to win a one-week stay in South Lake Tahoe. The event takes place on Saturday, Aug. 3, from 1 to 5 p.m. and registration starts at The Station on 346 Bell St. Call (805) 344-1014 for more information.
• Congratulations are in order for Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria. Their tasting room is the only one from Santa Barbara County to be nominated by USA Today as a contender for a spot on their readers choice list of the 10 best tasting rooms across the country. Support a local winery by voting at 10best.com/awards/travel/best-tasting-room-2019/. Not familiar with the place? They’re always hosting special events, like Tom Petty tribute band Petty and The Heartshakers on Friday, Aug. 2, at 6 p.m. Check it out already.
• Looking for a sweet new way to day-drink? Check out Kitá Wines Doughnuts and Wine Experience on Saturday, Aug. 3, with servings at 10:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. They’ll be pairing gourmet doughnut bites—think blueberry cake with fresh, local lemon icing—with their newest white wines and a bright rosé. Tickets are $15 for club members and $30 for the general public. Visit kitawines.com for tickets. Early bird gets the doughnut!
Contributing writer Nick Powell doesn’t know about dipping doughnuts in wine, but he’s willing to try anything once at npowell@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Aug 1-8, 2019.