El Unico - Lake Elsinore, California

Dha

A mom and pop eatery featuring authentic Mexican food. A hidden cute place with a great patio for outside dining.
Food was good- just needed a little salt. Menudo was delicious-no funkiness.
Service was excellent. Definitely a place to try if you some how end up in lake elsinore.

Moira E.

What a lovely, garden setting. my daughter invited my husband and I to lunch here, and we’re not disappointed
Homemade chips and salsa
My husband had a fish 🐟 tacos🌮. I had a shrimp burrito 🌯
The patio seating is just gorgeous. And the food was delicious.
We will definitely be stopping by here again and are certainly happy to have found this hidden gem in Lake Elsinore

Jo E.

This place is so cute. They have a dog menu, the patio is adorable. Love it here. Yummy food also.

Irredeemable S.

As usual, El Unico never disappoints. My husband is diabetic, and has to watch his carbs. They offered to make him a carnitas burrito in a bowl, basically the burrito minus the tortilla. We brought it home, and he used the carb friendly ones, and the El Unico fix was complete! The burritos 🌯 a gigantic, you definitely get your money's worth. My husband has been getting food from here since the original gentleman started this place, when it was just barely a shack. I started 35 years ago, and it was barely much more than that. The food, the atmosphere, and everything else that makes a place magical, still exists here, in this place. Now, I bring my adult son, and his friends, as well. Thanks, from my family to yours, for continuing with the impeccable service, food, and family feeling that was started so many, many years ago.

Jon V.

Highly recommend. We got the Shrimp Ceviche Tostada, make your own tacos (asada and carnitas, half pound each), and pistachio cake. Very dog friendly. In fact, our dog got the protein dinner and they gave him a bowl of water. The outdoor seating was so nice and lovely! All the food were delicious! The service was great even if it technically wasn’t a sit in restaurant. On top of that, the food was super cheap for the quality and quantity we got. Definitely going back.

P.S. wish they had more taco toppings.

kristina K.

I’ve been a fan of El Unico for many years! I was so glad to see they reopened so I could eat my favorite tacos again and have my boyfriend try it! We went for dinner. He loved the patio! We ordered fish, shrimp and carnitas tacos and french fries. The tacos were so tasty! I’ve never had the carnitas there. It was so fresh! After we ate I asked him if he’d like to come back. He replied “Yea! I want to try more!” I showed him the menu and he was excited to try several different tacos next time! We will be back!

Ambrose R.

First time visiting. Red chilaquiles were delicious, came with rice and beans. The beans and chilaquiles were almost like my moms, the only thing missing were the freshly diced onions on the chilaquiles. The rice was okay. No refills on drinks, served canned soda. No indoor seating and it was cold and damp today. Sat outdoors in patio area which was very nice. In the summer I'm sure it's lovely but today, not so much. The restaurant shares bathrooms with the park that is right behind it. There's no hot water and air blower to try and dry your hands. I thought that was a little strange but oh well. I'm going to visit again and try something different from off of the menu. I would recommend this place to anyone who likes Mexican food. The prices were reasonable too.
6/1/2023
Second time here. I was fortunate enough to meet two of the daughters of the founder of the restaurant. It's a family business. This location has been here since 1983 (40 years) and Gloria is running the show. She told me that La Unica, was the original spot and it started as a tortilla factory and has grown into what it is today. Another sister runs that spot. But I digressed. So I stopped in and ran into Martha, another sister but, she doesn't work here. Without knowing she was related, I asked what was good, she replied, "Everything." I liked her immediately. They were super nice Gloria was awesome. I ordered Taquitos. One chicken one beef. The beans were good the rice was a little dry. The chicken tortilla soup was very flavorful. It was a lot of food. I'm stuffed. The patio is lovelier than the last time I saw it. Photos don't do it justice. My initial review was pre-Covid. Do yourself a favor, if in this part of town, visit this Mexican Restaurant. I do believe Martha, I think "everything" is good. Thank you El Unico for a wonderful experience and an even better meal. Gracias!

Guldana A.

We liked it very much. Delicious food, very fast