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    El Unico

    4.6 (221 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Order El Unico Takeout or Delivery

    El Unico Photos

    Business Info

    EL UNICO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Unico

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    Reviews With Photos

    Cabesa tacos.
    Jeremy M.

    Another go to Mexican spot in Lake Elsinore is El Unico. This is my go to for Cabesa Tacos. Hands down they have the best and most tender cabesa tacos that I've ever had. This reminds me of my childhood. Customer service is great and the staff is always helpful. The ambiance is cozy outside type of area where you'll see birds around you, bugs flying around so your orders may end up being to go as it's an outside type of seating. Other than that the rest of the food from what my wifey has had been very good and on point.

    Tiffany T.

    Oh my, this spot is so delicious. We came on a colder day, and there was only outdoor seating, which may be something to keep in mind. Saturday at lunchtime, the restaurant was pretty busy and seemed potentially understaffed. The outdoor seating area had lots of seats (seems that most people are doing takeout), and is so beautiful. Absolutely loved what they did with the foliage here. While I will say the chicken enchiladas didn't particularly stand out to me, the rice and beans were some of the best I've had. I don't generally like rice and beans but I cleared off my plate here. And we were all blown away by the nachos (with carne asada)--they were so delicious and easily devoured. It's a large portion, and well worth the value. Such a lovely spot and I'm glad to have stopped by. Hope to be back soon!

    Chips and salsa
    Andrea M.

    Food and drinks are freshly made in the kitchen w all fresh ingredients. Presentation is beautiful and the taste is even better. Maybe some of the best food and drinks in the whole area. Try the horchata!!! Your welcome

    Mom enjoying her Machaca on the lovely patio.
    Chris W.

    Wow! Now this place is a true "hidden gem" but once you know about it, I can guarantee you will be back! I had El Unico bookmarked for places I wanted to try while visiting Lake Elsinore, I loved the idea of it being in the park. And now I LOVE it for the food! I ordered crispy shredded beef tacos (one of my faves) and it had to be one of the best I have ever had! The shell was light and crispy, the beef - so amazingly flavorful... mmmm, just thinking about them makes me hungry! Each bite was bursting with flavor!!! The beans were tasty and the rice light and fluffy. The ambiance of eating outdoors in the cute patio, was so peaceful and serene... I loved hearing the birds tweeting in the bushes. The service was friendly and our waitress brought our order to us and offered suggestions about the menu and salsas... I loved the hot one! All in all... I will definitely be back! Do yourself a favor and go enjoy this place with this gorgeous spring weather in Elsinore. Thank you - you are truly a unique dining experience.

    Get the chips and salsa..
    Donny S.

    Ok so I've been here a handful of times and even recommended this place to friends and family. The food has so far been consistently great and the service is spot on. It's a bit of a hidden gem. But just know once you get off the 15 freeway and head into Old Town Elsinore it's all the way at the end of the road connected to Main Street Park. No inside seating but the outside area to eat is private and nice. I will keep going back when in the area! Thumbs up for me!

    Menudo!
    Eliza B.

    Most authentic Mexican food in the Area. Everything was so tasty and reminded me of moms cooking Patio ambiance by the park is so cute and relaxing for a Sunday morning outing with the fam. Plus they're puppy friendly with a pup menu and offered our pup water. Overall 100/10 for taste, authenticity, friendly service and outdoorsy ambiance.

    Taquitos plate...
    Jessie A.

    portions are just right..tried the taquitos plate this time.. a must try are their burritos also.. ( the hubby gets them every time)..lol

    Chicken Hard Shell Taco
    Clara G.

    Well this is a bummer. I have ordered the menudo to go before and it was good. I wanted q tqco and enchilada plate , which they said they couldn't do so I ordered one cheese enchilada and one beef enchilada plate. I then ordered a chicken hard shell taco on the side. When I got home realized I was given two beef enchiladas instead. The beans and rice were good but my enchiladas were dry definitely not enough sauce. The hard shell taco was in a seperate container and was sitting in water. So when I went to eat it, it was soggy.

    Shrimp salad
    Trang H.

    I got the shrimp salad and it was sooo tasty. The ingredients were fresh and they did not skimp out. The service was fantastic and food came out within a reasonable time. The ambiance is the best part. It's all outdoors which creates a peaceful and tranquil environment when it's not busy.

    Menu
    Alma M.

    Came for the first time. I highly recommend the chili verde burrito with no onion. This place is attached to a park and seating is outside but there is a patio heater. My uncle had the shrimp cocktail and said it was one of the best he had ever had. I highly recommend this place.

    Menudo

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    2 months ago

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    1 month ago

    Excellent food, fast and friendly service, large covered patio, I will definitely return!

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    23 days ago

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    7 months ago

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    10 months ago

    This place is amazing quality food and presentation clean and good ambience. I drive about 1/2 hour for this place..

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    8 months ago

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    9 months ago

    Really good service are Great the tacos, the burritos, their dessert The food is a good temperature.

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    11 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    8 months ago

    Delicious $5 tacos, what' more can one ask for? Friendly service? ! Yes! Great place!

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, tried for the first time and loved it. Must try for breakfast. Good size menu for a small restaurant.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food with nice outdoor seating. Many food options reasonably price and they are dog friendly.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Best tacos in a park! They have wonderful tortas de lomo and burritos with a variety of cool drinks. Beautiful patio sitting.

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    Page 1 of 6

    El Unico Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - El Unico

    When is this place going to re open best lil hole in the wall compared to all these so called Mexican food restaurants?

    We opened back up in February! We are closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to short staff sorry for the late response!

    Are they open again?

    Yes! Thursday-Monday from 9 A.M.- 7 P.M. Sorry for the late response!

    Can anyone confirm if El Unico is open or closed?

    They were suppose to open this past Monday but unfortunately over the weekend they had an electrical fire and had to push back their reopening date.

    Is so el unico open for business , our family misses their food and kind service?

    Just heard in What's up Lake Elsinore FB Group that they will be opening this Monday 10/19/2020. You can also following them in instagram @elunicomexicangrill

    Is el unico closed down for good ! Please say no!!?? Their phone has been disconnected for quite some time now, gate is closed with no sign !

    It's been closed for a while, not sure why...I'm hoping it reopens! I've also tried calling and their phone was disconnected

    Anyone know what kind of chilies they use in the chicken tortilla soup to give it such a wonderful flavor?

    Chipotle ancho chili's I believe

    What bakery do they get their cakes from?

    The Cheesecake House

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    El Comal Cocina y Cantina - Posole

    El Comal Cocina y Cantina

    4.2(507 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    El Camal Covina y Cantina, has decorated very festive and welcoming. Full bar serving wonderful…read morecocktails. Complementary chips and salsa are served immediately after you sit down. I ordered the taco Chile Relleno plate. The chili ran was poblano pepper stuff with Monterey Jack cheese, fried golden brown topped with a delicious rancheros sauce. The taco was my favorite deep fried corn tortilla stuffed with very tasty shredded roast beef. Very, very tasty refried beans and tasty rice. The Tamarindo cocktails were delicious! Wonderful customer service.

    Don't blink you'll miss this place. It's really easy to pass. Parking is a bit tight. Luckily we…read morecame when most of the neighboring businesses were closed. As far as ambiance this place definitely gives the Mexican ranchero vibe. With murals on the back of the bar chairs. Lots of space for waiting with 3 benches. Small patio but they were not seating on the patio. And expect a wait because this place is popular. The food was good the service was good. There was a bit of a confusion as my uncle did not articulate what he wanted correctly. What he ordered and what he wanted were not the same. He wanted carnitas enchiladas what he got was the carnitas combo plate and a side of enchiladas. I ordered the carnitas sopes which were delicious! Highly recommended. The chili releno that my mom order did not look good to me. It looked like they spread onions, peppers and tomatoes on top of the chilies instead of blended into the sauce. The taco salad that my aunt ordered looked basic. Drinks amazing!!!

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    El Comal Cocina y Cantina
    El Comal Cocina y Cantina - Menu

    Menu

    El Comal Cocina y Cantina - Back Bar

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    Back Bar

    Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina - Al pastor and Carnitas tacos with great green salsa

    Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina

    3.8(267 reviews)
    1.8 mi
    $$

    Nice clean facility with high ceilings, kind of feels like a church.*…read moreFor my dietary needs, I had a vegetarian taco which basically consisted of a flour shell with whole pinto beans, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, and lettuce.(*pray) Washed down with a cold AMBER DOS EQUIS, hit the spot! Excellent service. Note: all items will be fried in some sort of animal fat, including the complementary chips if that is a concern to you, thus my special order.

    Hola Emilio! We had…read morelunch today at Emilios place and I have to say I was very impressed. It's taco Tuesday and they had 4 or five different tacos on offer for 3.50 each. If you have ever had a taco Tuesday special other places you may have gotten these flimsy street tacos with not much inside except cilantro an onions. Well that's not these. Crispy shells stuffed with meat, lettuce and lots of cheese, a bargain at any price. A custom veggie taco was made for my veggie friend and recently appointed Elite yelper Brent. Thumbs up from the far end of the table. Chili Verde, rice and beans was excellent, besting my regular spot in Menifee. The table salsa is just OK and got the job done. Service was solid, we stayed almost 2 hours and our server was wonderful til the end. Oddly the place was empty other then a few regulars at the bar, but I hear they are busy at night. I already can't wait to return

    Photos
    Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
    Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina - ********** Ten stars for the queso dip. Everyone loved it! Staff is great, too !

    ********** Ten stars for the queso dip. Everyone loved it! Staff is great, too !

    Emilio’s Mexican Restaurant & Cantina - The Margarita Flight

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    The Margarita Flight

    El Ranchito Taco Shop - Menudo on a Weds.

    El Ranchito Taco Shop

    3.5(357 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $

    First learned of this spot from my aunt, it was her favorite place here…read more Plus I remember they had a solid breakfast burrito. So my experiences vary depending on how I'm experiencing them-if delivery, not too pleasant because they don't secure their packages. If dine-in, they have yet to disappoint. Certainly recommend dining in I've had their flan, their super nachos and their huevos rancheros. The latter two, were perfect. THIS is my new go to spot for nachos-hard to find a place where you can get loaded nachos with nacho cheese and they have both shredded and nacho cheese sauce here. Just amazing. The huevos rancheros...well look at them. Doesn't that look delicious? It was. I won't speak on the flan because, well, I don't think I like flan much. The dining area is roomy. Service was prompt and friendly. Tvs going, arcade machines. This is a great spot with great food-just be weary of ordering delivery.

    We keep coming back!…read more El Ranchito has cheap, Mexican food that is easy to love. The food is pretty good. My husband and I love it. The price is fair. You walk up to order and they bring it to your table. I enjoy the cheese quesadilla and cheese enchiladas plate. The French fries with nacho cheese are a good option too. My husband loves the flautas and breakfast burrito. Ambiance is kind of bar like on one side and restaurant on the other. The tv is usually loud playing some sort of sports.

    Photos
    El Ranchito Taco Shop - Karaoke going down tonight

    Karaoke going down tonight

    El Ranchito Taco Shop - Carnitas Super Nachos

    Carnitas Super Nachos

    El Ranchito Taco Shop - Store front

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    Store front

    Guadalajara Mexican Food & Cantina

    Guadalajara Mexican Food & Cantina

    3.7(355 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Just had lunch today, at this restaurant. Have been dining here for about 30 years. The food is…read moretremendus. İ enjoy the Chile Verde. The beans are great, but the rice is just like Mom used to make it. Service was top notch. Our waitress, Felisha, was professional, knowledgeable completely of the menu, very nice, humble & courteous. Highly recommend her. The food, the staff & the restaurant, make you feed like you are dining at home.

    Edit: dropping it from the two stars down to one given the business manager's response. This…read morebusiness has no idea how to treat people and should not be in business. My Mom never asked for anything. She's 80 years old and should not have been treated this way. Came to this location for the first time today. It's a cute place and the food and drinks were generally good. It's very noisy in the restaurant, which is fine, but it makes communication more difficult. I believe it's partially for this reason there was a miscommunication about our order. My Mom ordered a grilled chicken and cheese quesadilla and when she cut into it the chicken didn't appear to be grilled. But she continued to eat it. When the waitress came back to check to see if everything was OK my Mom said yes but she had ordered grilled chicken, not shredded chicken and they said they would go speak to someone. The waitress came back and in a very aggressive manner told my Mom she did mimic the order back to her and she could have told her when she came by the first time. My Mom tried to explain she wasn't asking for anything but the lady wasn't having it. She repeated she had repeated the order when she placed it. My Mom asked what I thought and I said in my line of business the customer is always right but this wasn't my line of business. The lady then said yes well this is food service. My issue with this is they were argumentative and defensive. And you pay a lot of money for food service these days. For that you expect both food and service. They didn't manage to get either right. I would not recommend this restaurant.

    Photos
    Guadalajara Mexican Food & Cantina
    Guadalajara Mexican Food & Cantina - Shrimp Taco plate , 4 of them!!! So good

    Shrimp Taco plate , 4 of them!!! So good

    Guadalajara Mexican Food & Cantina

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    El Unico - mexican - Updated September 2026

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