La Unica, Mexican Eatery — Restaurant in Pennington

We ate at the restaurant and loved it so much we decided to have Rafa cater our wedding.

First, the restaurant: it felt more like you were sitting at Rafa’s family table then you were at a restaurant. It was cozy, filled with laughter and great smells, and the food just kept coming. My (now) wife and I ordered pretty much everything on the menu and just sat there trying it all. The staff was incredibly kind, the food was unreal, and the homemade salsa… my god… it’s my new favorite. And I have had A LOT of salsa in my day.

Second, our wedding: My bride and I had a DIY ceremony and reception with a theme that demanded Mexican food. We had never dealt with a caterer before and Rafa made it so incredibly easy. His staff was amazing, they came in, took charge, and before we new it, people were lined up and being served. It was such a crazy day with little issues that needed to be dealt with all around, but NOT Rafa’s team. They made our job so much easier.

We served four different kind of tacos, rice and beans, chips and guacamole, salsa, and the street corn. We had the street corn at the restaurant, and Rafa said he had never served it at a catered even before, but he’d figure it out. It was perfect. Guests were obsessed with all of it, having seconds and even thirds. We got compliments from our veggie guests who said the veggie tacos were the best they ever had. Compliments from all our guests that it wasn’t just the best wedding food they ever had, but just some of the best food in general.

It felt like you had your favorite uncle there cooking for you, and I mean that in the best way possible. Rafa felt like family and he had to endure a big sweaty hug from me at the end of the night. What other caterer have you ever wanted to hug??

The final note on how good it was: My wife and I tried going to his restaurant again THE DAY AFTER OUR WEDDING for dinner because we couldn’t think of anything we’d rather eat than more of his food. Unfortunately, they’re closed Sundays, so we’ll have to wait a couple of days before we head back.

I can’t recommend Rafa and his team enough. Looking for your new favorite Mexican food spot? Hit up the restaurant. Want a caterer for your wedding or event that will have people talking for weeks to come? Hire Rafa.

Will try and add photos once we get them from our...

La Unica serves authentic Mexican street food from states like Baja, Sonora, Chihuahua, Jalisco and Yucatán. Dining here is the next best thing to booking a flight to Guadalajara or Mexico City. If you take a bite and close your eyes, it’s like you’re there.

There is a lot to like about this restaurant:

Father / son(s) are preparing your meal in plain view. Whenever I’m eating here, Dad is carefully teaching his teenage children how to prepare ingredients, present and package food, or how to oversee the establishment. It’s special chemistry and I love supporting the multigenerationality happening here.

La Unica’s cuisine does not rely on heavy doses of spices or herbs to deliver excellent and complex flavors. Rather, Dad knows how to prepare pork, chicken, beef, and vegetables expertly to bring out their best qualities and tell a story.

Their restaurant on Main Street is a bright, fresh, and colorful place to dine with ample seating … yet somehow remains intimate and family oriented at the same time.

There are no downsides to La Unica, other than their base menu has remained largely the same since they’ve opened. I think this is mostly a good thing (the food quality is always 10/10 consistently) but I would love to see a more diverse or seasonal representation of Mexican foods and beverages offered from time to time.

Overall if you’ve come across this restaurant and they’re open, I wouldn’t think twice about placing an order. For first timers, get the x3 pibil tacos — you won’t regret...

Be careful when ordering delivery from here. I placed a delivery order on the restaurant’s website directly but never received the order. My company is located just around the block from the restaurant. When I called the restaurant I was told they would not refund me because it was the delivery driver’s fault and since the delivery person was through a third party, the restaurant would not accept responsibility for any refund. I contacted the third party company and they told me that I would need to contact the restaurant for a refund since the order was placed through their website. I’m disappointed I was treated this way as a customer paying over $50 for lunch for my coworkers and I. The man I spoke to never called me back with a resolution or to offer any kind of assistance getting my money back. He was very apathetic and unapologetic. I understand they are not responsible for what the delivery driver does, but if an order is placed through the restaurant’s website they should assume responsibility for any undelivered orders or at least offer to remake the...