La Unica — Restaurant in Colorado Springs

EDIT: I've only had this happen one other time in my life, but on our return trip La Unica, our experience was night and day. I originally rated 4-stars and that review is still below for reference. Our second visit was 2-star and I don't know which experience is more representative, so, I will average to 3-stars. Anyways, outside of the margs, which seemed just as great both times, everything else was extremely disappointing. I raved about the guac, originally, but the second time it was the same as most other places, i.e. loaded with tomato, onion, and lime. I hate lime in my guac, so this immediately stood out. Next, the queso my wife and I liked from our first trip was not the same either. Both visits the chips are what you'd expect from gas station nachos, but only the second time did the queso match. By that I mean, the first trip we were served real queso, the second we received the hot cheese you can get at 7-11, etc, it blew our minds how different this second experience was. Moreover, I ordered carnitas, but what I received was diced up, tough-ish pork chops. I'm not saying it didn't taste good, because it did, but that is not carnitas, it's cubed pork chops. My wife and I had discussed the notion of this being our new go-to after our first visit, but I'm not sure we'll return given how drastic our experience was between trips less then a month apart. I can't quite wrap my head around the quality difference. Like I mentioned, this has only happened to me once before and the first time it made me question if I reviewed the wrong restaurant. But this time that's not the case, it is definitely the same place, but a vastly different experience.

ORIG: I'm not sure how many times we drove by this place before deciding to try it on a whim. It was 4pm-ish, so we were thankfully able to get in without reservations, but they do require reservations, so give them a call. They have the best guacamole I've had in a long time. The margs are great, queso is great, we'll...

The worst Mexican food i’ve had in the Springs and all of Colorado. First, when you step inside, look up to see dozens of dustbunnies on the dated decor and A/C air return…should be a health code violation. Inside was smoky (vent issues?) so we were sat outside. We ordered quickly and food was reasonably fast. Something about not having silverware made it hard to eat, so my wife had to return inside to ask for some, no biggie. The nachos are laughable at best. Golden Round Tortilla Chips from food service? Canned Nacho Cheese? Chicken was unspiced. Absolutely horrendous…no melted cheese, no fresh jalapeño, no taste. Tacos had similar problem. Iceberg lettuce and a single cilantro leaf? Huh? Meat was underspiced and undersalted so i asked for Pico de Gallo. This place claims to be authentic, pico de gallo took 8 minutes? Apparently someone YouTube’d it and it came out as their large, diced tomatoes, canned Jalapeño’s, and some soggy combo of onion and stale cilantro.

The rice was passable, the beans were gross.

To top it off, our $12 and $14 meals with a $5 drink came out as a $60+ bill. No computer system, so they carried the one…3 times. Ran our card for twice the amount. Um, no.

But the food is the real showstopper....

Authentic Flavor, Incredible Hospitality

La Unica is our favorite Mexican restaurant, and it has become a regular go-to spot for my wife and me over the past few years. The location is humble, but once you walk through the door, you're in for something truly special. The food is consistently outstanding—rich in flavor, freshly prepared, and made with obvious care.

We’ve enjoyed every single dish we’ve tried, but we especially love the pork chops and the enchilada-chile relleno special. No matter what we order, we’re never disappointed.

What truly makes La Unica unforgettable is the warm, welcoming atmosphere. It’s a family-run restaurant, and the pride they take in their food and service shows. We were amazed when the owner remembered us after just one visit, and ever since, we’ve been treated like close friends. She makes everyone feel genuinely appreciated, like honored guests at her table.

La Unica is a place filled with heart, flavor, and connection. We can’t recommend it highly enough—every visit is a...