Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in the Greater Los Angeles Area (including Orange & Ventura Counties and SW San Bernardino County)
Start New ThreadWhere can I get great tamales in the Silverlake to Eagle Rock area?
By missybocou
on Dec 16, 2008 02:58 PM
Story
Supertaster Daily: 5 Grilled Hot Dogs in 3 Minutes for Memorial Day
Story
Oreo and Hershey's Dessert Icings
Story
10 Spicy Snacks
Recipe
Easy Philly Cheesesteaks
Recipe
Easy Chicken Stir-Fry
Recipe
Spicy Oven-Roasted Chickpeas
View »
Friend of mine buys tamales every weekend sold by a vendor at the farners market Sundays (10am-2pm) in Atwater Village at the Wells Fargo Bank parking lot on Glendale Ave.
Permalink | Reply
I went to La Indiana yesterday for the first time, I had the red chile with pork and green chile with cheese, not sure which I liked better. Very tasty. The pork would taste even better if I was hungover. The best tamale I've ever bought that wasn't from a sidewalk vendor.
The dough was also the smoothest I've ever bought. Smooth without a jello-sh texture -- kind of like what most people think of as home-style mashed potatoes. I admit don't know what I'm talking about but I think of these smooth masa tamal's as Yucatan-style.
No line. No parking. Not fast service. Just off the freeway. No tables.
Permalink | Reply
OP was asking about tamales near Silverlake and Eagle Rock and that was the only place I knew about for tamales.
My fav is Juanito's, but La Indiana sounds like a stop tomorrow.
Permalink | Reply
I tasted some really good ones at Costco yesterday that might satisfy your everyday needs, yet not your special kind of need. All the woman did was steam them, and they were ready to eat.
Permalink | Reply
You'll have to go a bit further east for the real deal
It's christmas season and if you want the best you should go where the best are made
La Mascota
2715 Whittier Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90023 - (323) 263-5513
I'll pretend I didn't read that costco suggestion.
Permalink | Reply
I know it's a matter of personal taste but I have to disagree with the La Mascota recommendation. This is the first year in many that I decided I couldn't make my own tamales. So, my BH and I set out on a find the best tasting tamale venture so we could order them for Xmas. First stop was La Mascota. I order a couple of the pork w/red chile, chile con queso and a sweet tamal. We found them to be dry and the masa was too cake like. We went to Sandra and Lolitas on Whittier Blvd. We ordered the same. They were good but not great. Then we tried Cinco Puntas, same order. They were the best so far as the texture of the masa and the taste. Our last stop was La Indiana. We found these tamales to be the best all around. The chile con queso (a family fave) were very good but the chile was spicier than all the others. This is no problem and preferable for our taste. I have to agree with Hershey Bomar on this recommendation. As for Costco, no way.
Permalink | Reply
I too have to agree that the tamales at La Mascota were a bit disappointing. Dry with scarce filling. Maybe it was the time i went (busy weekend) but I had high hopes and left wanting better.
Permalink | Reply
For tamale's I prefer the very smooth masa variety. Who makes these?
The dry, bread-like variety is common and exemplified by Corn Maiden at the local farmers markets. Exactly what I do not like.
Permalink | Reply
Also, I reported back on Flor de Yucatan tamales a while back. Which are for sure in the smooth tamale category.
I like tamales that are wrapped in banana leaves and not corn husks the best.
Permalink | Reply
if it's smooth you're looking for you need to find a place that makes the masa with milk
Permalink | Reply
If you're interested in the su casa option, here's a recipe for Guatemalan tamales: http://blog.cfcausa.org/2008/12/16/ma...
It uses rice masa. The org I work for just put the recipe on our blog, along with a really cool video of a community making the tamales as part of their Christmas tradition. Hope this helps! : )
Permalink | Reply
I tried Sandra & Lolitas today. They were running low -- no green chile left. So I got a bunch of red chile tamales -- pork and chicken. The pork ones did not have much meat and had way too much sauce. The chicken were better much better but still not that great. The sauce wasn't spicy and the masa was both soft and crumbly.
Further away from downtown than other better places but no lines once you are their. Cash only.
I liked La Indiana much more and will try some place new soon.
Permalink | Reply
Today I tried Lilianas Tamale's. They were dry and not spicy at all. Very disappointing.
Also no parking, debit cards but no credit cards, light rail construction makes the drive a bit annoying.
Permalink | Reply
I had a green chile and queso tamale at Lillianas yesterday and it was amazing. Heaven. Worth numerous drives around the block to find a place to park, due to the Gold Line construction. I've heard that the bakery across from Walgreens on Sunset, in Echo Park also has good tamales.
Permalink | Reply
Well you should try the green chile and queso tamale at La Indiana -- especially if you like difficult parking.
Permalink | Reply
Tried the place across from Walgreen's, it's called something like Cuyalena. Not so great but good for Echo park -- very watery. I thought the pork was better than the cheese or chicken.
Street parking. $10 credit limit -- isn't that against the law?
Permalink | Reply
Tamales is Silverlake? Easy. Go to many of the bars in the neighborhood (4100, Little Joy) and wait for the tamale guy to come around, usually at eleven or so. They always let you eat them at the bar.
Permalink | Reply