La Joya Fresh Mexican in Simsbury.
Not much to say in the run up here.
It’s a newish Mexican restaurant in Simsbury.
So we went looking for tacos.
Al Pastor Taco
You know the flavor of orange chicken from dirty chinese restaurants?
Replace it with pork.
Then slather mayonnaise on top.
It’s better than it sounds, but not by much.
Also, the single shells aren’t grilled at all, so they are mushy and break apart.
The Rating: Al Pastor Taco
6/10
Fried Chicken Taco
Okay, the kale and the sauce on this (maple aioli) are pretty weak.
Again, the shell is an ungrilled mess.
But the fried chicken is excellent.
Perfectly cooked juicy inside and crispy outside.
If they just served fried chicken on it’s own, it’d be the thing to get.
But as a taco, good but not much else.
The Rating: Fried Chicken Taco
6.5/10
Duck Taco
Something is going on with duck.
It’s having a moment the way brussel sprouts did in the 2010s.
People are learning to cook it properly.
The duck here is cooked very nicely and has a very good flavor.
Not oily like duck can often get.
The pickled vegetables on the taco balance it nicely as well.
The Rating: Duck Taco
6.5/10
Carne Asada taco
Great meat. Grilled beef done right.
The avocado tomatillo salsa is a great addition.
Covered in cotija cheese and serrano peppers.
Very good taco trapped in a garbage shell.
The Rating: Carne Asada Taco
7/10
Overall Recommendation: La Joya Fresh Mexican is fine. It needs to get it’s shell game in order, and figure out what top their tacos with. The carne asada, the best of what we tried, is heading in the right direction.
Address: 834 Hopmeadow St, Simsbury, CT 06070
Hours: Sunday 12pm to 8pm
Monday Closed
Tuesday to Friday 11:30am to 9pm
Saturday 12pm to 9pm