Tamales are masa spread on a corn husk, filled with pork in red chile, chicken or beans, folded and steamed until tender. In San Antonio they are a Christmas tradition, made by the dozen across the West Side.
The tamal is one of the oldest dishes in Mesoamerican cooking, and in San Antonio the holiday tamalada, the family gathering to make tamales by the hundred, is a deep-rooted December ritual. Mexican-American families and West Side spots like Tellez produce them by the dozen through the holidays, and the city holds an annual tamales festival celebrating the masa-and-pork tradition.
2 editor picks for Tamales in San Antonio, ranked by editorial score. All San Antonio signature dishes · Tamales across every city.
Also in: Mexico City, Albuquerque.
Mi Tierra Cafe y Panaderia ★ 4.4
market-square · 218 Produce Row, San Antonio, TX 78207
Mi Tierra has run 24 hours at Market Square since the Cortez family opened it in 1941, a Tex-Mex landmark with strolling mariachis and an in-house bakery.
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa ★ 4.1
west-side · 1737 S General McMullen Dr, San Antonio, TX 78237
Tellez Tamales & Barbacoa is a West Side weekend ritual, where you buy barbacoa by the pound and tamales by the dozen to take home, paired with a Big Red.