Joya Restaurant & Lounge

4.4

1648 Reviews

$30 and under

Latin / Spanish

Charming
Fancy
Healthy

Joya Restaurant is no longer in operation. After 15 wonderful years, we are riding off into retirement. It has been our sincere pleasure to serve you all these years and we thank you so much for your patronage!

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Latin / Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(650) 853-9800
Website
http://www.joya.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Judith Lopez
Private party facilities
From initial design inception, Joya was envisioned to beautifully accomodate private parties. As such, Joya is a collection of unique, yet flowing separate spaces capable of hosting private parties from 8 to over 200 people in comfortable, modern style.
Private party contact
Nancy Morita: (650) 440-4798

Location
339 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Cross street
Florence Street
Parking details
Abundant free parking adjacent to Joya in the multi-level Florence Street parking garage.
Public transit
Palo Alto Caltrain stop is just a few blocks away.
Entertainment
During the spring and summer seasons, Joya often hosts live Latin musical performances on its open air patio. The lastest event information is announced on our website: www.joyarestaurant.com
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Papas Bravas$10.00
Fried potatoes, pimentón, garlic aioli
Guacamole & New World Chips$15.00
Fresh avocados with plantain, gold sweet potato, yam, & taro root chips
Yuca Fries$12.00
Honduran yuca with chipotle aioli
Ceviche
raw seafood cured in citrus, choice of: local rock cod 'ecuadorian' style; mexican bay scallop 'aguachile'; ceviche mixto (shrimp & octopus)
- ea$15.00
- Sampling of All Three$42.00
Ahi Tuna Tartare$22.00
Fresh avocados, ponzu glaze, lemon, serrano chili essence, fresh mango
Dungeness Crab Cakes$20.00
Two crab cakes, pasilla peppers, corn, 'testy' creamy lobster sauce
Charred Spanish Octopus$22.00
A la Gallega-style, truffle fingerling potato, arugula, apricot-habanero coulis, chili essence, smoked paprika
Peruvian Chicken Anticucho$18.00
Organic Mary's chicken thigh marinated with harissa sauce, served with green mojo
Hanger Steak & Grilled Pepper Pintxos$20.00
Hanger steak, sourdough bread, shishito pepper, chipotle aioli, garlic parsley
Braised Short Rib Tacos$15.00
Three tacos. Jicama salsa, horseradish cream
JOYA Sliders
Three sliders with brioche bun. Choice of:
- Kobe Beef$15.00
- Chicken & Onions$15.00
- Chickpea & Zucchini$15.00
Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers$15.00
Fresh yucca, goat cheese, oaxaca cheese
Veggie Tacos$12.00
Three tacos. Grilled nopales & queso fresco, guacamole, chipotle aioli, criolle slaw
Croquetas$14.00
Organic lentils, baby spinach, Oaxaca cheese, fresh guacamole
Parrillada de Setas$16.00
Grilled wild mushrooms, fresh sliced red grapes, goat cheese-honey mousse, truffle oil
Brussels Sprouts & Pork Belly$12.00
Extra virgin olive oil, herb-lemon aioli, Niman Ranch smoked pork belly
Fried Calamari with Fresh Jalapeno$20.00
Garlic salt, cilantro aioli
Seafood al Ajillo$25.00
Gulf of Mexico shrimp, clams, mussels, garlic, pimento, Worcestershire and lemon
Latin Empanadas
Three empanadas. Choice of:
- Three; Chicken & Chipotle Empanada, Potato, Sweet Peas, Queso Oaxaca, with JOYA Salsa$16.00
- Three; Sweet Corn, Poblano Chile, Queso Fresco, with Avocado Jalapeño Sauce (Vegetarian)$16.00
Artisan Cheese Plate$26.00
Valdeón, manchego, urgelia, & marinated queso fresco, served with membrillo el quijote, poached apricot, black truffle honey
Bacon-Wrapped Medjool Dates$17.00
Dates stuffed with valdeón cheese, glazed with Spanish sherry
Charcuterie Plate$26.00
Serrano ham, lomo embuchado, salchichon, soria pork chorizo, with pickled nopales

Salads & Soup

Kale & Nectarine Salad$15.00
Organic dino kale, goat cheese, fresh nectarines, shaved red onions, sunflower seeds, raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Joya Cobb Salad$15.00
Romaine lettuce, serrano ham, hard-boiled egg, cherry tomatoes, red radishes, queso fresco, tortilla chips, cotija-jalapeño dressing
Mixed Greens Salad$14.00
cherry tomatoes, shaved fennel, shaved red onions, aged sherry vinaigrette dressing
Special Soup$13.00
Chef's special soup (changes weekly)

Platos

Pan-Fried Salmon with Lobster Sauce$32.00
Norwegian salmon, mustard spring greens, organic pearl barley, sundried tomato 'testy' creamy lobster sauce
Gulf of Mexico Camarones with Mezcal Cream$30.00
Pasilla roasted potato, house made tortilla trio
Grilled Eggplant Rolls Stuffed with Plantain$25.00
Queso fresco, Garbanzo-tomato sofrito, organic arugula, apricot-habanero coulis
Zucchini Noodle & Crispy Cauliflower$24.00
Organic zucchini, cilantro pesto, cherry tomato, piquillo pepper sauce, shaved manchego
Oaxacan Chicken Mole$30.00
Organic Mary's Chicken, chocolate-chile mole, nopales asados, pickled onions, sesame seeds
Argentinean-Style Hanger Steak$36.00
Grilled 10 oz hanger steak, yuca fries, grilled onions, cilantro-chimichurri

Paellas

Paella Clásica (Serves Two)$58.00
Saffron rice, mussels, chicken, clams, scallops, gambas, calamari, pork chorizo, bell peppers, and english peas (Traditional preparation please allow 30 minutes)
Vegetarian Paella (Serves Two)$45.00
Saffron rice, truffle oil, roasted red onions, piquillo peppers, english peas, bell peppers, zucchini, broccoli, fennel, mushrooms & cauliflower (Traditional preparation please allow 30 minutes)

What 1,648 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.6Service
4.6Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

1,646 Reviews

RF
RobertF
VIP
San Francisco
33 reviews
4.0
33 reviews
Dined on May 25, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Interesting and tasty menu items, good service. The ceviche was excellent (we got the three item sampler) as was the tuna tartar. Only negatives were that I was a little disappointed in the Paella Clasica and (we thought) the Kobe beef sliders were a little over-cooked and not distinctly flavorful. Overall, good food but perhaps not quite worth the price.
Is this helpful?
MB
MichaelB
VIP
San Francisco
37 reviews
2.0
37 reviews
Dined on May 19, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
The service was terrible. I oredered a desert and waited 30 plus minutes and nothing arrived. When I raised the matter with our waiter, he barely acknowledged the issue, showed no remorse on the fact that I had waited all this time, and just checked the bill to remove the line item. He showed zero customer service !! He had a total attitude about him.
Is this helpful?
DC
DeanxC
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 12, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a family celebration and felt we were treated like royalty.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on May 12, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food was ok, not incredibly special but not poor either. Price was high but not ludicrous. Ambiance was very good, service was very good. Overall, happy that I came with my partner to try it, but unlikely we’ll return again. Location of restaurant and ambiance were driving factors to come visit.
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h
hmbfox
VIP
San Francisco
60 reviews
5.0
60 reviews
Dined on May 5, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We went specifically for the tapas and they were excellent! Beautifully presented and delicious. We very much enjoyed the tacos with braised short ribs, the lentil croquettes and the chicken sliders. The room is beautiful, tables are reasonably spaced and quiet (a welcome change from recent experiences in other restaurants). I recommend sangria. Staff was friendly, gracious and attentive. We will be back for sure.
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BD
BettyDraper
San Francisco
27 reviews
2.0
27 reviews
Dined on May 3, 2024
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
A friend and I had dinner at Troya this week and it was just ok. I haven’t been there since before the pandemic and it seems to have declined. Food was just ok, unfortunately.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
7 reviews
3.0
7 reviews
Dined on April 17, 2024
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
We were celebrating a birthday here , service was very good as was the food. Thank you for making it a fun evening .
1 person found this helpful
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 17, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This was my first time visiting. It was a customer dinner meeting. Every aspect of the experience was five star. the food preparation and display was top-notch. The service was outstanding. I’m looking forward to returning. Great job Joya.
2 people found this helpful
W
Will
VIP
San Francisco
12 reviews
4.0
12 reviews
Dined on April 12, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food was good overall, the fried foods were a bit greasy as the didn’t drain the oil prior to serving. The prices are ridiculously high for what it is but location probably dictates that. Overall a nice restaurant but not any special.
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 11, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a great experience celebrating our Anniversary!
2 people found this helpful

FAQs

Joya Restaurant & Lounge is rated 4.4 stars by 1648 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Permanently Closed

This restaurant is permanently closed.

339 University Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94301

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
Florence Street
Neighborhood
Palo Alto
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Latin / Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Abundant free parking adjacent to Joya in the multi-level Florence Street parking garage.
Public transit
Palo Alto Caltrain stop is just a few blocks away.
Payment options
AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Judith Lopez
Entertainment
During the spring and summer seasons, Joya often hosts live Latin musical performances on its open air patio. The lastest event information is announced on our website: www.joyarestaurant.com
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.joya.com/
Phone number
(650) 853-9800
Private party facilities
From initial design inception, Joya was envisioned to beautifully accomodate private parties. As such, Joya is a collection of unique, yet flowing separate spaces capable of hosting private parties from 8 to over 200 people in comfortable, modern style.
Private party contact
Nancy Morita: (650) 440-4798

Joya Restaurant & Lounge

Permanently Closed

There’s more to explore

Dining areas

Additional information

Tapas

Papas Bravas$10.00

Guacamole & New World Chips$15.00

Yuca Fries$12.00

Ceviche

Ahi Tuna Tartare$22.00

Dungeness Crab Cakes$20.00

Charred Spanish Octopus$22.00

Peruvian Chicken Anticucho$18.00

Hanger Steak & Grilled Pepper Pintxos$20.00

Braised Short Rib Tacos$15.00

JOYA Sliders

Stuffed Jalapeño Peppers$15.00

Veggie Tacos$12.00

Croquetas$14.00

Parrillada de Setas$16.00

Brussels Sprouts & Pork Belly$12.00

Fried Calamari with Fresh Jalapeno$20.00

Seafood al Ajillo$25.00

Latin Empanadas

Artisan Cheese Plate$26.00

Bacon-Wrapped Medjool Dates$17.00

Charcuterie Plate$26.00

Salads & Soup

Kale & Nectarine Salad$15.00

Joya Cobb Salad$15.00

Mixed Greens Salad$14.00

Special Soup$13.00

Platos

Pan-Fried Salmon with Lobster Sauce$32.00

Gulf of Mexico Camarones with Mezcal Cream$30.00

Grilled Eggplant Rolls Stuffed with Plantain$25.00

Zucchini Noodle & Crispy Cauliflower$24.00

Oaxacan Chicken Mole$30.00

Argentinean-Style Hanger Steak$36.00

Paellas

Paella Clásica (Serves Two)$58.00

Vegetarian Paella (Serves Two)$45.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Joya Restaurant & Lounge restaurant rated?

Is Joya Restaurant & Lounge currently accepting reservations?

Permanently Closed

Dining areas

Additional information