Chef Matt McCallister’s UnaVida Brings Modern Mexican Fare to Uptown’s West Village

Four-time James Beard nominee chef Matt McCallister is back at it with his latest venture, UnaVida. The fare here is Mexican but with a modern riff and an emphasis on high-quality, clean ingredients.

McCallister sharpened his culinary repertoire at Stephan Pyles before opening FT33 and, later, the celebrated Dallas restaurant Homewood (which sadly shuttered last February following the passing of co-owner Michael Barnett).

UnaVida resides in Uptown’s vibrant (and typically busy) West Village. But the parking garage is conveniently located next door to the restaurant, so getting in and out is effortless. The dining space is minimalist but elegant. Colorful and cozy booths line the walls, with a row of two-seater tables right down the middle.

On the menu, you’ll find shareable options such as whipped queso fresco (with crudite and peanut salsa macha), Casa Guac with ginger pepitas, dried blueberries and queso fresco served with homemade tortilla chips, and a simple yet top-shelf shrimp cocktail garnished with avocado, cucumber and cilantro.

There’s also a healthy selection of salads and bowls. The Rising Phoenix salad sounded fantastic with its army of ingredients: butter lettuce, cabbage, arugula, golden beets, butternut squash, watermelon radish, dried blueberries, mint, cilantro, goat cheese, ginger pepitas and cumin tahini, all topped off with habanero-lime shrimp (for six more bucks). Though, from what we could tell, you couldn’t go wrong with any of the salad choices on the menu.
We opted for the Sedona Bowl ($17) with asada grass-fed beef (additional $8). This bowl was a gorgeous, flavorful medley of black beans, sweet potato, pickled golden beets, roasted corn, cabbage slaw, jicama, ginger pepitas, jalapeño ranch and queso crema served over fluffy cilantro rice. The menu offers six other bowl choices, plus a build-your-own option.

We also grabbed an order of Crudo De Atun ($15) on the side (photo at top). Ultra-fresh, Sashimi-grade ahi tuna is topped with aguachiles lying on an emulsified macha verde and jugo verde sauce.
For our main, we went with the La Hamburguesa ($16), a signature blend of grass-fed ground beef and heirloom mushrooms with rajas con crema, lime aioli, queso Oaxaca and romaine on a brioche bun. This expertly crafted burger hit the mark.

UnaVida also offers enchiladas, burritos and tacos, but all with the restaurant’s signature modern touch; for instance, there’s a sweet potato taco with goat cheese, toasted pepita and charred green onions complemented by lime aioli. And, of course, there’s an array of premium margaritas and cocktails, including a caramelized pineapple margarita with tequila repasado, agave and lime. A handful of breakfast items, served all day, are also on the menu. Weekend brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

As we've learned, when a restaurant comes along with Matt McCallister’s fingerprints on it, the standard is high. And UnaVida didn’t disappoint.

UnaVida, 3699 McKinney Ave. Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.; Friday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight.