ROCKPORT—You know what Maine can never see enough of? Great Mexican food.

Joe Simko, owner/chef of the new Taco Joe’s food truck, opened quietly last week in the parking lot of The Country Inn in Rockport, next to two other food trucks: 207 Eats and Shift, wood-fired pizza.

Having grown up in Everett, Massachusetts, Simko’s family decided to move to Maine six years ago, back to where his great-grandparents once lived.

“We all decided to come back to where our roots were,” he said.

Along the way, Simko has put his time in numerous restaurants, starting as a dishwasher, then as a prep cook, a cook, and even a bartender. Mexican food was always his favorite and this year, he decided to take all of the recipes he’s absorbed over the years and turn out a little menu from a customized food truck. Inside, his setup includes steel tables, a steam table, a flat-top grill, a sandwich station, and a couple of refrigerators.

“I love to cook, but I also love the customer face-to-face aspect, so a food trailer was the right solution for me,” he said. With a two-year-old daughter and a fiancée, the time was finally right for it to all come together.

His menu is simple: tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and even hot dogs for kids. His flavors were influenced by his years in Boston, when he worked at a Mexican restaurant, and by his friends.

“Where I grew up in Everett was a huge melting pot of cultures,” he said. “I had friends from El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Portugal, and Brazil, so going over to their houses for dinner and tasting all the different flavors introduced me to a new world of food.”

“A lot of the recipes I saved in my head and tweaked a little,” he said. “I don’t use any sauces; I just use combinations of spices and everything is small-batch made daily.”

His offerings include seasoned chicken, pork carnitas, and carne asada. His pico and guacamole are all made daily from scratch.

After a week of being open, the carne asada burrito has been the biggest seller, followed by the pork carnitas tacos and the chicken quesadilla.

While prepping for the lunch crowd, the inside of the truck was fragrant with the smell of cumin and coriander. One bite of a chicken taco with its simple toppings of cheese and fresh tomato and cilantro was the real deal.

Simko credits The Country Inn for making the parking lot accessible to his business and the other food truck businesses. He said people in the trades who don’t have a lot of time for lunch have praised his food and thanked him for having on-the-go offerings.

“A lot of people have told me it’s so hard to find Mexican food like this,” he said. “I had a woman from Florida tell me she can get food like this anywhere, but not up here, so she got two chicken tacos and then came back for carne asada.” 

Simko’s truck will be parked all summer and fall in The Country Inn parking lot until November. He’ll also do some Maine fairs and festivals such as The Union Fair and The Windsor Fair. To stay on top of Taco Joe’s food and schedule, visit its Facebook page.

Kay Stephens can be reached at news@penbaypilot.com