A staple and treasure of the community providing generous heapings of traditional Cuban foods ranging from staple meals like picadollo or pollo asado to desserts like tres leches cakes and absolutely top notch delicious cafe con leche. Not only are portions generous and ambience authentic, but the entirety of the menu is mindbogglingly affordable, the aforementioned mountain of picadillo costing a mere five dollars in the big 2026! I have been raised on this food, served their plates of rice, bean, and protein for over a decade, and hope to continue to receive their excellent hospitality for decades to come. Note that most employees are primarily Spanish speaking, though you will have no issues ordering in English either. All in all, an absolute gem. Community. Home. The best restaurant this side of the Hudson. read more

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Hole in the wall gem! Super friendly staff but you should come prepared to speak Spanish, it's totally a locals spot. Fortunately the employees were able to understand my order. There is no parking, but you should be fine to run in and grab food, theres always tons of cars double parked. They also have weekend specials with fish and goat orders. Enjoy! read more

El Unico Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

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El servicio al cliente de este lugar es igual o incluso peor que su comida. El ambiente de este lugar se siente tan deplorable por las meseras que literalmente actuan como si no les pagaran por poner un menu sobre una mesa sucia. Ellas porque en este caso son todas las mujeres; esta semana me sente y espere yo y mi esposa a que nos dieron el menu como 30 minutos y nisiquiera estaba tan lleno el lugar porque ellas literalmente no estaba paradas como la vrg. Después una nos dio el menu con la peor de las ganas y la forma q todas te miran por dios. Yo trabajo en el prestijioso "La Grande Boucheri" restaurant en New York y puedo asegurar que se como se siente estar bajo presion ya que he trabajado de cocinero, al servicio al cliente y actualmente manager .Si su manager o supervisor de este restaurante ve mi commentario quiero que de mi parte piense y les haga entender que ellas reciben un pago por las horas en el estableciento y que por lo menos deverian hacer su trabajo bien almenos para que su cliente quiera volver lo cual yo mi esposa y todo a los quee contado sobre este lugar haran. Finalmente recomiendo cambiar su servicio al cliente por algo con mas ganas à la hora de la reparticion de la comida cubana que para ser honesto esta tan salada, fria, agria, inflada e insabora como las meseras Att Mr.PMcfly read more

El Unico Restaurant - Foto de concepto de mesera que este lugar - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

Food is very salty, bad service, place is dirty. Roach restaurant although it is cheap , not recommend.

La comida es buena pero el servicio es pésimo creen q viene uno a pedir regalado la encargada administradora no se quien sea trigueña. Es petulante. read more

Let me preface by saying: I know next to nothing about Latin cuisine in general or Cuban cuisine in particular, I'm not entirely comfortable giving 5-stars to a place I've only experienced as "take-out," and organized crime in Union City was once headed by a feared man named Jose Miguel Battle, a former policeman in Batista's Cuba who became known in Florida, NYC, and Union City, NJ, as El Padrino aka the Godfather (ok, hopefully that's it for my irrelevant asides; now that I've gotten that out of my system, let me get back to the review...). In my limited experience with El Unico (according to Google translate, it means "The Only" in English), though, I would be hard put to award it anything less than 5 stars. In recent years, at my job in Hoboken, we've fallen out of the habit of ordering take-out food, which we did constantly. It was usually delivered, but sometimes had to be picked up by car or on foot (like when we ordered from the justly praised Fiore's, I had to trudge over in the summer heat in my cheap sneakers, with a mask over my face thanks to Covid, but it was well, well worth it!). The former Godfather of Lunch (in Spanish, that's "Padrino del Almuerzo") has had to hang up his title (although I think the title of "Sir Cheapness" is still occasionally applied to him, at least by a former co-worker named Tara), at least until recently, when a new employee appeared on the scene, a young man with a voracious appetite. So voracious, in fact, that the erstwhile El Padrino del Almuerzo bequeathed his title (after taking it down from where it had been hung up and dusting it off) to the starving young man. (The young man in question eats voraciously and constantly and never gains a pound...yet. He will. Give it time. Trust me; I've been there.) Another co-worker, with ties to the local community, passed around a menu for El Unico, and we decided to try it. Evidently, it's the very definition of a local restaurant, a hidden neighborhood treasure. Its menus are printed on cheap, flimsy paper. Cash only. Our order was placed over the phone by the new Godfather. He speaks Spanish, but even he had trouble making sure our 3-way order was clearly understood. (I sometimes have trouble with English, much less Spanish, so you can imagine what a potential disaster we might have faced had I been the one to order.) The order was delivered pretty quickly. While, as stated, I'm limited in my knowledge of Latin cuisine, I've always enjoyed Picadillo A La Criolla (ground beef Cuban style), which I was first introduced to when we used to order at Pio Pio way back when (another co-worker has said that Pio Pio has gone downhill in recent years, but I have no firsthand knowledge of that). It came with an enormous quantity of yellow rice and the potato-like Yuca (root of a cassava plant). I had a chicken soup brimming over with fresh chicken on the bone, vegetables and noodles. I topped it off with a Trigo Mora (wheat shake). I had never heard of this before, much less tasted one, but it was very good, and refreshing. Decidedly different (for this old gringo, anyway) but definitely intriguing. All of this for less than $20. A take-out, home-style feast for less than...yes, you read that right...$20. (As always in these reviews, I can't remember what my fellow diners had, but it was equally plentiful, and equally as cheap.) On another occasion, I had chicken and rice, with the soup, and a dessert of Tres Leches cake, which I have trouble resisting. The Arroz Con Leche (rice pudding) was less satisfying, but I'm eager to try the Torrejas (Cuban French Toast), or...in an extremity...there's Flan. Or I'll just return to that Tres Leches cake, which I can never resist. The price of a meal has gone up from $5 to $8, but that's still an enormous amount of hearty food for very little money. In this day and age, you can't beat that. I may have to accelerate my "dieting" plans, and Sir Cheapness may have to go back to ordering from the "kid's menu" and downing black seed oil (which he insists helps him lose weight), but it will all be worth it...as long as we can continue ordering out from El Unico. Muy bien! Excelente! Obviously, very highly recommended. read more

Amazing food and we have been loyal for over 40 years!!! Delicious food that never disappointed!!! My favorite is ropa vieja Moro maduros and yuca!!!!! read more

Amazing spot. 1) One of the few places in NY/NJ where you can get a large plate of chicken with rice for just 5 dollars. 2) They have other options, which I will try next. 3) Also, the restaurant is next to Planet Fitness and Tower Plaza. read more

I enjoyed every time so did. My. Man. I enjoyed it to was delicious the. Waitress. Was. Nice. I disliked. Her flirty comments. But it was ok. Over all. read more

El Unico Restaurant - This was. Ground beef. With rice and beans. He loved it - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

Great food and great price Got to stop eating in Bayonne bayonne in Jersey City they rip you off because you don't know any better go to this place order out and they also Cater they have excellent prices read more

El Unico Restaurant - Two Desserts to potato bowls two Cuban sandwiches three full dinners with rice and beans and meat soda bang for your buck 36 bucks - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

The food is affordable, tasty and the portions are large for the price been going there since I was a kid.

Quick, convenient and consistent meals at a great price. I miss living in this neighbor and being able to pickup whenever I wanted. Gracias por todo! Muy Rico siempre. read more

This place is a true gem. Cheap eats and plenty of food. Cash only. Traditional Cuban food in a home cooked style. A friendly reminder to people that you're paying about five dollars for a giant portion of food so don't expect anything fancy but the flavor is always on point and never disappoints. read more

Update: -First time trying their ropa vieja. That is 5 stars, so boosting overall rating to 4. Especially good with the salt and pepper shakers, and table hot sauce. Great value too. -- Update: I returned reading two good reviews from chefs and hearing about new ownership. Based on my return, there seems to have been a slight improvement since before. For my taste, the food still is under seasoned, but when I use the shakers at the table it helps a lot. The tastiest thing I had were the black beans and white rice. The lechon asado, the quality was mixed. Some pieces were tough and dry, but others were extremely moist and tender. My hunch is it's best to order this early in the day or as close to out of the oven as possible. So if before my rating was a 2.7, now it's a 3.3 about. I am tempted to give extra points because the food is so cheap. Might try that popular beef dish next time or some breakfast item. Also, the coffee is pretty good here. ----- Old review: You get a lot of food for the price but for me, it just lacks the wow factor. Overall taste is kinda on the bland side. read more

What can i say besides its the perfect little hole in the wall! Their food is delicious and they give a great amount too. The people that work there are extremely kind. Their pernil arroz moro yuca and empanadas are all delicious:-) would recommend if you're looking for a quick bite! read more

been coming here for decades. . an easy and quick go to spot . nothing to hide here, what you see is what you get . it's gone back and forth between a cpl different owners and supposedly back in the hands of original owners, idk... I do know I'll be coming here as long as they don't go anywhere read more

So I've heard of this place from friends who live in the area and they've always said how good the food was at ridiculous prices but I never thought it'd be that good! I walked in here to get a quick bite before going back to work. I order the Pollo Asado with Arroz Moro and Maduros. When I saw the menu I immediately assumed that the $2.50 price advertised didn't include the rice or the side but after stuffing my to go container and ringing me up with a can of soda my total was $3.50! I literally looked at the server and said, No Way! I love good food deals because let's admit it I love going out to eat. I couldn't wait to get back to work to see what all the fuzz was about in the taste since I was already proven that the prices were awesome. One word: DELICIOUS! The food was super tasty and fresh. Although the location is basically a hole in the wall the food is great, most holes in the wall are great like that. The locals kept coming in and out in the short period of time that I was there so I'm sure they'll be around for a while. read more

El Unico Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

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Cuban food for dirt cheap prices. They have $2.50 specials where you get a meat, choice of beans (black or red), choice of rice (white or yellow) and maduros. It's more than enough for a meal and a half and try to go around closing time, 9pm. They will pile your food high to get rid of what they have and even better is getting an order to go-rice, meat, beans, maduros so packed that the lid keeps popping off. This is a little Cuban kitchen, don't expect anything fancy. Food is tasty, flavored with a good amount of salt as with all Caribbean joints. I wouldn't say it's the best but for the prices who would complain? read more

El Unico Restaurant - all for $2.50 - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

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Excellent Cuban food and an incredible value! The portions are large, the meat is tender, the beans are flavorful, and the prices are so reasonable. The staff is very friendly and service is quick. It is cash only, but they have an atm on site if you need to use it. 100% will be back many times. read more

Ropa Vieja amazing food this place has been a staple for years worth your time and cash. Only accepts cash

A truly incredible spot for great food, service, and atmosphere! I brought my girlfriend there and it was a lovely unforgettable experience. I would definitely recommend for some affordable, high quality, authentic Cuban home cooking ! read more

I walked into Park Ave. looking for quick bite. I couldn't ignore blinking sign of El Unico. As I walked in, there were about 6-7 people waiting for their food. I looked up the menu board, i found a few thing I was interested in, but I was puzzled by the price. It's like snack-size price. Anyway, I went up to the cashier to order. If it wasn't enough food, I could order another dish. I ordered Pollo Asado with rice and beans. Guess what - I was told it's $3.50. The meal was as heavy as a pound! $3.50 became a meal and half! Wow! And I had the best steamed yuca. What a pleasant surprise meal. read more

El Unico Restaurant - Pollo Asado with yellow rice and yuca. - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

I moved to Weehawken about three years ago. Relying mainly on the local mediocre Italian joints for takeout. I've been a little intimidated by all the Spanish restaurants. Sometimes there's a language barrier. Sometimes the food is not so good. El Unico was recently reviewed and recommended by nj.com and so I just had to give them a try. Also, they're right down the street! Ordered delivery over the phone. Lechon Asado comes with yellow rice, black beans and plantains. But delivery was $10 minimum. So they sent me two meals. The bag weighed four pounds. The juicy and fatty pork and the sides pretty good. I agree that they lack seasoning. But the home style cooking is alright with me. And I can throw some hot sauce and pepper on myself. Unfortunately, they were out of the tripas. But I'll call or stop by earlier next week. This is a place in which I plan to become a regular. read more

We went to this place for the first time, and it is a cuban restaurant. We ordered breakfast for 2. And telling you the breakfast was wonderful. We are coming back again. read more

Affordable Cuban food with generous helping sizes and a convenient location. Cash only. Menu items depend on the daily specials.

This is my absolute go to place for a good meal at a good price. I have never been disappointed on anything I have ordered here. Also, it is now under the original owner, which has made it better than ever in the 26 years I have been a customer. read more

I ordered grilled chicken breast with NO onions for pickup. When I opened the container at home, there was a pound of onions on the chicken. I took it back and explained them I was allergic to onions and asked them to make me a new one. When the new order was ready, I asked the guy if it was new one or he just grilled the one that had onions on it. He said he made a new one. I opened the container at home and it turned out to be the old order, grilled the second time and it still had pieces of onions. The guy lied to my face!!! I called the place and almost an hour later they delivered me a new order. I don't remember being treated that badly at a food place. I could have had an anaphylactic shock! I will report this incident to department of health. Totally unacceptable! read more

+Great Cuban food The chicken was very tender. The plantains were very sweet, like a dessert +Great price +Quick Service + near hamiliton park, which faces the ny skyline + good for groups - closes 9:30pm on Sat. - fast food environment, got good for dates read more

El Unico Restaurant - Baked Chicken with rice and plaintains - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

The prices have gone up since I first started coming here (by atleast a dollar a dish).... Which was almost the entire reason I liked this place to start with. BUT! The outside is looking better, the inside is looking better (somewhat cleaner) and with that I don't mind paying a little bit extra. and they have Jarritos in glass bottles. PERFECT. read more

El Unico Restaurant - Thee inside has been redone! - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

I'm a legitimate trained chef and culinary professional with 15+ years of experience working with upscale companies and clients. This is truly a gem of a neighborhood cafe/restaurant. The menu is consistent, the food is always fresh and plentiful, and the customer service is excellent. I have tried many of their items including daily specials, and they absolutely "get it". My favorite dish is the ropa vieja with red beans and yellow rice, with a close second being the lechon asado. These 2 Latin culinary staples are available daily, for a price so low that you will wonder if they are even making a profit ($4-$5!!!). Food is seasoned perfectly and absolutely delicious. If you call to place a "to go" order and they don't answer, they ALWAYS call you back within a few minutes. There is adequate seating and restroom facilities as well if you choose to dine-in. Highly recommended. Authentic Cuban/Latin cuisine at extremely affordable prices. read more

Soooooooooo what can you say about delicious food at low prices. This place has such great food and the value is off the charts. Sometimes I go and cant believe Im paying so little for all the amazing food Im getting. It makes me want to go every day. If you find yourself in Union City you might as well stop by and get your next weeks worth of food here. read more

Place is the bomb. Visiting from out of state and happen upon this hole in the wall restaurant. We have been here 3 days and have gotten the coffee and meals 5 times!!! The food value is crazy good. Meals for $3.50 and that includes a Cuban coffee. Once you have a Cuban coffee you will never go back to Starbucks or any other place. read more

El Unico Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

Childhood memories. I'm from Queens NYC and my father lives out in West New York. I got introduced to this place by my father back in 1997. I remember my first plate was Arroz con pollo asado y frijoles rojos. It was so good and for the price you could never go wrong. Of course I was 7 years old when I first tried it and I wasn't thinking of money. I am 29 years of age now and It's still my number one spot every time I go and visit NJ. I love El Unico it really stands for its name. CHEERS FROM QUEENS NYC!! read more

The best place to feel the ~love~ from two sources: the love from delicious food down to your soul bringing good moods to the body & mind, & from quality large portions at phenomenal prices to all of the people. My take this Restaurant gives something big government does not give, that is quality food at low prices enough to never go hungry. I can just see a chain of this restaurant in Cuba & throughout the world. Just ask any customer especially the daily, weekly visitors & the monthly, yearly travelers! My thanks to the dedicated owners, employees & to my mom as well for letting me know not to stress to learn how to cook as El Único would help feed me after a long day work when she would be gone, mom always gave El Único two thumbs up :) Cecilia, Luis y Fredy Recio donde estéis gracias por el cariño y ternura cuando los visitaba para traducir, charlar o compartir un cafecito el el edificio. Cuando viaje a NJ los visitaré. Saludos desde la Florida, el frío ganó jaja! read more

Oh dear Lord!!!! Don't ever eat here! Yes cheap food. But restaurant supplier just told us never ever eat here The reason it's so cheap Is because the meat is about to expire Rat infestation Omg I haven't eaten here in years. I want to vomit thinking about this place Ugh I ate something that possibly had a rat roll across it Barf! read more

Delicious food that won't dent your wallet. El Unico has delicious Latin American foods for $5.00 or less. You get big portions and always leave satisfied. Service was a bit slow, I had to go up to the counter and order my meal as they did not come to serve me at the table. Once I ordered, the food was ready in less than 5 minutes, it was great. The place is a bit rundown but the food more than makes up for it. I would recommend it to anyone living in the area. read more

El Unico Restaurant - two people walking down the sidewalk - Latin American Near Me - Union City, New Jersey

Yesterday afternoon around 3pm my husband and I came to unico's to eat as we had been coming here for years. We ordered our food and sat inside to eat. Upon my husband and I taking our 3rd bite of our meal, we hear something land on our table. My husband immediately jumped out of his seat and screamed. I jumped up as well and when we both looked it was a huge "roach/waterbug" on our table very much alive. The waitress who was serving us walked over and said what happened. We pointed at the giant roach and she killed it with the rag she had in her hand. My husband and I expressed how disgusted we were and proceeded to walk out the exit door. I noticed the owner was by the front register speaking to someone about the restaurant and their plans of renovation and expansion. I nicely interrupted her and informed her of the big roach that landed on our table while we were eating our meal. She looked surprised and didn't say anything not I'm sorry nor any apologies. We are very disappointed at what occurred and how management and staff handled the situation. read more

They catered a baby shower I attended. The ropa vieja, yuca, Maduros, and rice were great. Couldn't complain. The ropa vieja was lean, tender, and juicy. read more

The breakfast was really delicious and well-served. The fruit plate was so big I could barely eat half of it, it was good surprise though) read more

After being a costumer for many years I went there again today. After waiting for about 15 minutes on the counter and not being helped for any of the employees, finally a young men came and asked me if I had ordered already. I politely said no and I mentioned I was waiting on the counter for about 15 minutes. In a very disrespectful and impolite way he told me: "and what is the problem? Don't you see everybody is busy? If you can't wait just go to some place else!" I could not believe on what he said and I immediately reported about his behavior to the lady on the cashier and left the restaurant. I definitely will never go back there again! read more