La Sierra Tarasca’s carnitas show off the style of Michoacán, where the iconic pork dish originated.
There’s a special place in my heart for Mexican eateries like La Sierra Tarasca.
First, and not least, in a time when the president calls our Latin American neighbors thugs, criminals and rapists and orders refugee families separated at the border, it’s time for the rest of us to stand up for our Latinx brothers and sisters, whether they have green cards or not. That matters.
Second, but far from least, I love Mexican food, especially carnitas. This iconic Mexican pork dish puts even Southern pulled pork barbecue – which it only superficially resembles – in deep shade.
Carnitas – whose name translates literally from Spanish as “little meats” – is made all over Mexico, and you’ll rarely find a taqueria that doesn’t feature it as taco meat. But carnitas got its start in Michoacán (“Meech-o-wah-kahn”) , the mountainous province west of Mexico City, where the ancient Tarascan people held their own against the powerful Aztec Empire.
La Sierra Tarasca? The name of this restaurant literally means “the Tarascan mountains”! This place has its roots in Michoacán, and it shows in some of the best carnitas I’ve ever enjoyed.
It’s a bit of a trip for many of us, out Old Shepherdsville Road past Appliance Park, past Fern Valley Road, to the strip mall where La Sierra Tarasca Mexican Restaurant resides a few doors from its sibling, La Sierra Tarasca Mexican Grocery and Carniceria.
More than just a taqueria, it joins a growing local Mexican-restaurant genre that we might call taqueria-plus, with table service and a broader menu that features regional specialties along with Mexican standards.
Decor is simple but bright, with turquoise, hot pink and yellow walls and colorful traditional cutout papel picado art hanging overhead in eye-catching rows of yellow, sky blue, red, and green.
Complimentary chips and salsa signaled good things to come. Yellow corn chips were admirably fresh and crisp. Dips were hot and hotter: Red salsa was textured and subtle with medium heat; a creamy, pale green avocado-jalapeño puree will light you up.
The six-page laminated menu offers a broad selection, and the prices are right. ...
Accessibility: The restaurant’s entrance and dining areas are on the level, accessible to wheelchairs, but the restrooms aren’t equipped with facilities for wheelchair users.
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You'll also find this review in LEO Weekly's Food & Drink section today.
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La Sierra Tarasca
6501 Shepherdsville Road
(502) 969-7938
http://lasierratarasca.com
Facebook: http://bit.ly/SierraTarasca
Robin Garr’s rating: 88 points.
Noise level: A happy bilingual buzz filled the good-size room on a busy Sunday afternoon, but it was no barrier to conversation. (Average sound was 72dB, the level of loud normal conversation, with occasional spikes to 86dB, similar to the sound of a hair dryer set on medium.)
Accessibility: The restaurant’s entrance and dining areas are on the level, accessible to wheelchairs, but the restrooms aren’t equipped with facilities for wheelchair users.