Undercover Diner Visits Uno Mas

Photos by Undercover Diner

Lynchburg is blessed with a plethora of Mexican and Latin American restaurants that enhance the palate of our city. A newcomer to this portfolio is Uno Mas, which opened on Fifth Street earlier this year.

The restaurant is in the old location of Grey’s, which was a favorite date night spot for my husband and me, so when we stopped by Uno Mas for a recent Sunday brunch, we were a little hesitant to see if the new spot could live up to our old standby. The Uno Mas team transformed the space into a vibrant, colorful eatery with fun touches like an old VW bus as a serving station.

The menu is extensive, and Sunday brunch includes both the regular menu and several other breakfast items such as pancakes and a breakfast burrito. I decided to start off with the Bloody Maria and was pleased with the very flavorful drink I received. It had a nice vegetal note and a spicy kick that was the perfect start to the meal.

My husband and I decided to share a couple dishes and ordered a potato and veggie taco as well as the huevos rancheritos. Huevos rancheros is my favorite brunch dish, so I was excited to see how Uno Mas’s version measured up.

Unfortunately, my excitement started to wane the longer we waited for our food. We were two of only six people in the restaurant, and our wait time was not proportional to the amount of food we ordered or the number of patrons dining. The other diners also experienced a delay in receiving their food as well.

Once the plates hit the table, we were more than ready to eat. I started off with the taco, which I was disappointed to see mainly consisted of bell peppers, which I don’t love. After removing a few, I dove in and was greeted with a very bland bite. I did like the texture of the vegetables and potatoes together with the corn tortilla, but it needed salt.

We then moved on to the huevos rancheritos, which were different than any I have had before. Served with three soft corn tortillas, the dish also had rice, refried beans, the same sauteed veggies from the taco, and two fried eggs topped with a ranchero sauce. This sauce was the star of the dish. I ended up making tacos with all parts of the dish, and I found myself scrounging around the plate trying to find more sauce to dip them in. It was a tangy, bright tomato-forward sauce that was balanced with a hint of smoky ancho peppers.

Overall, our experience at Uno Mas was average. We loved the atmosphere and drinks, and I think this would be a fun place for a happy hour or a late night at the bar, but it won’t go into our regular rotation.