Leveling up on Mexican Street Food at Santa Barbara’s Taqueria La Unica

In yet another sign of the upward trajectory of Santa Barbara’s food scene, the upper State Street building which once held Taco Bell is now home to Taqueria La Unica, the latest restaurant from the Los Agaves Restaurant Group. 

Speaking of signs, the one for Taqueria La Unica says, “Est. 2021,” the birthplace of the concept, say the owners, but the actual venue at 3771 State St. has only been open a few months. Launched this spring as an outpost for traditional Mexican street tacos and other taqueria favorites, the restaurant took a while to find its footing. Starting with the fact that the neighbors in nearby San Roque and Hope Ranch were eager for a new fast casual concept, but needed a menu they could understand — the first rendition of the rather extensive menu was in Spanish only, which slowed down the line because people had a LOT of questions. 

Now happily translated — with additional explanations for some of the less familiar items — the menu and kitchen of Taqueria La Unica are quickly becoming a neighborhood mainstay under the guidance of Chef Gerardo Marin, one of three chefs (the others are Richard Garcia and Danny Reyes) who oversee all of the cuisine for the Los Agaves group. That enterprise now includes five locations of the flagship Los Agaves (the original Milpas Street, De la Vina Street, Marketplace Drive in Goleta, Westlake Village, and Oxnard), as well as Flor de Maíz on the waterfront, and Santo Mezcal on lower State Street.