Carolina Tamales & Restautant

🇲🇽 SINALOA, MÉXICO (via Eat the World Los Angeles) - The flavors of Cosalá, in Sinaloa's highlands, have a home on Alondra Blvd. in Bellflower. For just over two years, the bright pink words “Carolina Tamales” have announced themselves to passersby at the busy Alondra Blvd. and Clark Avenue intersection in Bellflower. If you read the smaller sign, you will be invited to try “estilo Sinaloa” and if you pick up the menu you will see even that narrowed down to the Pueblo Mágico of Cosalá. As with restaurants that offer food from Culiacán, Sinaloa’s capital which lives on lower ground about 155 kilometers from Cosalá, the food focuses more on the land than the sea. While you might be tempted by tacos de marlin that show up on the menu, it is plates of chilorio ($18.95) that should take top billing. This dish of slow-cooked pork that is then fried with chiles once tender is available with eggs or vegetables. Each plate comes with rice, a wedge of white cheese, and a pool of frijoles puercos, one of the most amazing foods that come from Sinaloa.

Sunday brunch with my family was outstanding. Carolina Tamales in bellflower has the most amazing service, and delicious food. Not to mention the overall establishment is clean and welcoming. It felt like I was having brunch at my mom's house. My compliments to the chef. Everything we had was amazing. We had the pozole, menudo, chorizo plate and barbacoa. If you haven't tried Carolina Tamales you need to! Thank you to everyone specially Alfredo.

My family and I really enjoy the food here; however, during our most recent visit, the customer service was disappointing. The employee at the front desk appeared upset when I paid with cash and said, “Great, now we don’t have change anymore,” in a dismissive tone. I would not have minded paying with my card if this had been communicated politely.

The only reason I keep coming back it’s because the corn tamales are good and they are near me. Other than that the customer service is not it! The owner has no personality, she’s not friendly at all. She has this face likes she’s angry most of the time. The times I’ve ordered she’s always been the one who’s helped me, just dry person!

Tamale Triumph at Carolina Tamales! Carolina Tamales in Bellflower is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic Sinaloa-style Mexican food. I dove headfirst into their tamales, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! Their signature Sinaloa pork tamale was flavorful and perfectly cooked, but the real star for me was the chicken tamale. Packed with tender, juicy chicken, it was the definition of comfort food. For something a little spicier, I ventured into the chipotle chilaquiles. The chipotle flavor was fantastic, with just the right amount of heat to make my taste buds happy. The chips themselves were perfectly crispy, not soggy at all. They came with a delicious side of frijoles de puerco (pork beans) and a refreshing macaroni salad, making it a truly well-rounded dish. Next up was the machaca, a Sinaloa specialty featuring shredded beef. The beef was beautifully seasoned and came with fresh grilled vegetables and perfectly diced potatoes. The accompanying Peruvian beans and Mexican rice were excellent complements. Carolina Tamales also boasts some seriously saucy chilaquiles verdes. If you're a green sauce fan, you won't be disappointed. They also mentioned having champurado, a perfect warm drink for chilly days. For dessert, I couldn't resist their tortillas de dulce. These sweet treats were like a delightful combination of crepes and pancakes, and absolutely hit the spot. To wash it all down, they have a great selection of drinks, including agua de cebada (barley water), horchata, and agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea). Overall, Carolina Tamales is a hidden gem in Bellflower. The food is delicious and authentic, the portions are generous, and the service is friendly. Highly recommend checking it out!

I had the tamales they're chilaquiles and their menudo and it was fantastic I'll be going back it's a diamond in the rough everyone should try this place OMG it's good 👍

Service kind of sucked. Food came out a bit cold. Even the coffee wasn’t hot. Only thing hot was the tamal. The food wasn’t the best.

Bad customer services. Made two separate mistakes with my order. Instead of apologizing or taking accountability they made excuses.

Amazing restaurant , food tastes super fresh and authentic. The servers and owner really make you feel welcome and their hospitality is through the roof. The strawberry horchata is amazing and the decor of the restaurant is really nice in pink. Will be sure to come back!

Food was delicious! Service was great! I had the Sinaloa plate and tamale de elote. It's a cute little restaurant would come again

Amazing tasting food, tastes just like mom's and grandma's food. Delicious salsa, beans and rice.

Came here n got their red chilaquiles n tamales they were on point full of flavor my kids loved them too small kitchen but the staff makes it work love their attitude n always smiling .parking can be troublesome as it's small n in the back but I parked on street .

Heard about this from a family friend decided to try it Sinaloa style food is on my top list We went in on a Sunday because we were craving white menudo And to begin staff was very attentive and very friendly The outdoor patio is super cute & aesthetically pleasing Brought chips and our drinks out quickly I ordered a tamal sinaloa was so good i didn't even take a picture Menudo was 10/10 so tasty perfect temperature. Really satisfied the craving! Will definitely be back because the options on the menu look so good!!

Red chilaquiles are fire. But the tamales are from Northgate. Just go straight to the source. But the chilaquiles are pretty fire. 5 star to the chilaquiles, 2 for the tamales because they are ok but cheaper at the northgate.

Food was really good, we cant wait to come back and try more items off the menu! Our server was also attentive and friendly.

We ordered a dozen tamales but they're so stingy with the salsa. The staff said they could only give 3 or 4 the most.

Arrived at 8:30am, 30 mins after opening. I ordered 1 pork and 1 chicken tamal. The masa was really dry for both. You'd figure they'd be fresh right after opening, but I guess not. The inside wasn't too bad

We waited for our waitress for about 10 minutes. I asked the other waitress to help us when she took the man sitting next to us his order and walked away after I had tried to get her attention but she said our waitress will be out. That same waitress left and came back out to wait on her tables and our waitress never came out, so we left to our usual place of breakfast.

Their Tamales have a good flavor but they are over dry because they got over cooked and they don't have the right amount of grease also they could be old tamales and they over cooked them but the truth about this tamales their dryness is due to being over cooked weather because they are not fresh from today but they are very dry.

Darn it, I had high hopes. Carolina Tameles tasted good/OK. But I prefer tamales that are moist and full of red sauce (Right image).

my little slice of heaven! hands down my favorite Mexican restaurant in the LB/ Bellflower area. The customer service is always amazing. They definitely make it feel like home. & the food 100000/10 always fresh and delicious. Will always come here no matter what time of the day it is.

We ordered the sweet corn tamale, de pollo verde, sinola tamale, pineapple empanadas, all were, very delicious. The tamales were not more masa than filing, very tasty. Macaroni salad is ok, for me needs more seasoning. Loved the refried beans. Jamaica was super sweet. And ordered fresh homemade flour tortillas , very good. The gentleman, I didn't get his name was very hospitable and gave us a sweet tortilla for free. Omgoodness oh soooo goood. This is a small place of business, very clean. Some two tables in the front & seating in the back outside.

I was going to see a place of residence and spotted a sign saying Tamales. Hard to find a place that gives you the true authentic tamales. We parked in back and the place has a small parking and also has patio seating. Walked in the front and small place you can sit to eat a few tables. This place is true mom and pop family run and authentic smells of great food. The menu is great with so many options of course including the tamales. We decided to get a tamale plate with beans and rice. They give you two options of beans and rice or pasta My wife chose chicken and pork Sinaloa tamale and 1 pork I had 2 pork tamales we both had Beans and rice. they give you a choice of two styles of beans the ones I got I forgot the name but they were delicious and my wife got the other style which were also good. The rice brought back memories of my mom. The rice was the way my mom would make. I had Horchata and my wife water and Sunny D. The Tamales were as I could say from years of eating Mexican food at home as well as other places when I was younger: authentic as it could get. I was so filled with joy my palate was excited. I know wow this man's noodle is twisted well to be honest I haven't tasted tamales this great since I was younger. like homemade by also like a mom and pop in Pico Rivera before they change their recipe. The place is named after the family mom. Grace her daughter was the wait staff. She is so friendly and knowledgeable and the rest of the staff that I saw working as efficient as well oiled machine. the kitchen was not that big but the ladies worked in harmony. I loved seeing a well functioning mom and pop establishment. This establishment has a A grade Cleanliness: 8 Staff : 9 Food : 10 Location: 7 Menu: 8 Customer service: 9 Dining : 7 Parking : 6 I will return to try some of the other dishes. This is located on Alondra look for the sign that says Tamales.

I didn't want to share because it was my little secret for a while but I love this place for the champurrado (hot chocolate drink). It's delicious. The service is great and food is always fresh and tastes home made.

2nd time here and I wasn't impressed. I order papas con chorizo and they gave me burn chorizo. I was embarrassed to complaint, our waitress was so nice .anyways I don like the inconsistency of the food . The 1st time it was yummy today I wasn't impressed . . I hope the next time it's a better than the 2nd time.

We were referred to this restaurant by a family that owns and operates a tree trimming service. Originally, they were going to the residence of the owner of this restaurant, whom operated a to go food service out of her house. After several years of honing her cooking skills and by the suggestions of friends and family, she opened up this brick and mortar restaurant. This location as both street and a private parking lot. There's ample parking in the rear of the restaurant, but you'll also see their patio dining area. It's a covered patio with several tables and restrooms located in the corner. The main entrance is in the front, but there's a door labeled employee entrance, but you're more than welcome to enter from there. There's a menu board above the register that has their signature tamales. There's another menu available with all their offerings. Everything is made fresh in house, which you can definitely taste. Everything tastes amazing here, from the tortilla chips, machaca, flautas, salsa, etc. The young server that works here, the niece of the owner, said something that really made sense. "As a server, your hands are representation of you and the restaurant". She says she makes sure to have them done on a regular basis. There's also locally sourced baked goods available as well. I highly suggest either saving room for some or take some home with you, they're really good.

We had the pleasure of visiting this family-owned business, and it exceeded our expectations. The warm welcome and attentiveness to our order were remarkable. It was a pleasant surprise to be greeted by the owner, a gesture not commonly seen. The authentic Mexican cuisine was delicious and full of flavor. Starting off strong was the "Machaca con verdura y papas" definitely a popular dish. The ideal way to savor it is by wrapping it in a tortilla with some delicious sauces - a fiery combination! Our quest for excellent posole ended here; the tender meat, flavorful broth, and balanced mix of veggies and potatoes were just perfect. While they offered a variety of tamales, the standout was the pork tamales. The agua Fresca was also good but highly recommending the horchata and pineapple

Great service- excellent meat in the tamale- frijoles de puerco is bomb! Definitely will be back!

ME ENCANTO! El chilorio y los tamales de puerco 100/10! Bien recomendado! Quisiera vivir mas cerca para venir más seguido la verdad.

been inside here two times to eat great each time made a holiday order for Thanksgiving and this is when I'm writing the review As soon as I put the bag in my car, the smell of the tamales was just overwhelmingly great what they make here taste outstanding the service from everybody there is also always good They say hello to you when you come in they thank you. Very warmly when you leave. You can't go wrong with this place Thank You Carolina tamales team!

I bought pork and cheese tamales they are nooooooooooo good ! I bought rice ,frijoles puercos and a macaroni salad and that was good . The other thing that's annoying is the they close the kitchen one hour before the actual. Closing time ! I would not recommend this place . I don't know why people are so hyped about the tamales .

I recommend the sweet corn tamale, the pork tamale is very good too like they make it in Sinaloa but the chicken tamale was a dry taste equally chicken and masa were dry. Maybe if they would make it like the pork tamale would taste better. I also bought empanaditas de cajeta and they are fresh and tasty. The staff was very kind offering variety of products and the place is clean too. Next time I want to try pan de mujer and maybe stay for some enchiladas.

Very authentic tamales. The tamales were very delicious and had a lot of meat. The service was good and fast. We ordered to go.. in and out in less than 10 minutes. The place looked very clean and neat. I will definitely have to be back to eat there.

The chilaquiles are the must here . . . No wait the cafe de olla is the mist here. You know what, do both cause it's worth it. Been here twice and going again cause it's just good Mexican food. The waitress is nice and tell you what the chilaquiles have and the ambiance in the back with outdoor patio is nice. Let's make this place pippin'

I tried the tamales de pollo verde and they were so good. The chicken was shredded. I assume it's white meat. But the flavor was good. I wish they were a little spicy. Also the chips and salsa were so yummy. I am definitely going to come back to try the breakfast

The food was amazing! Service was great the ambiance is fair. Not to many tables and its all outdoors so try and go early.

Great service I must say I was impressed first place I try that actually reminds me of the exact taste of sinaloa.super nice servers and staff also parking was great definitely a must come back type of place.

This place has amazing staff with great friendly customer service. Edgar and Alfredo were able to help us get 2 dozen delicious tamales last minute. They made out Christmas so much more than blessed this year and their amazing willingness to make sure we're taken care of with prompt quick service and effective customer service management. They were actively listening to our needs while being patient with us while they were closing. Will be coming back!

I was looking for a place to buy good tamales for my coworkers, and Carolina Tamales was suggested on Yelp. I ordered a dozen each of chicken, pork, and cheese. The price was about $30 per dozen. It's definitely not the cheapest place around, but the pricing is fair. Luckily, my coworkers and I really enjoyed them a lot! The tamales were super fresh, moist, and flavorful. The chicken and pork meat were very tender. You gotta also try the tamales with their red and green salsa....super delicious! The workers were really friendly and helpful. I'd definitely come back for more!

This is the only place i go to buy my tamales. They remind me of when i was younger. Such great service and food

WOW!!!!!! Thank you baby Jesus for this little gem in the city of Bellflower. Food literally tastes homemade we will be back soon!

First time trying this place and the tamales are delicious. Sauce, meats and cheese are well portioned. The size of the tamale is average not to big or small. I ordered a few dozens (pork, chicken and cheese). The order was made over the phone and Alfredo was not only friendly but very helpful. Great customer service. I called a few days before to my order. The payment was made electronically which they text you the link. Since I didn't order the corn also known as the Elote tamale, I believe it was Carolina who kindly gave me the tamale to try and she was absolutely correct. It is delicious not dry not too moist. Just perfect! I am not an elote tamale fan but this once changed my mind. I will be ordering some along with more of the other tamales. If you need tamales for the up coming holidays, place your order!

Honestly, this place is a hit or miss. The first time that I stopped by, it was pretty good. I stopped by today and purchased some chicken tamales and they were very disappointing. They were super dry, it's supposed to be chicken in green salsa, it was pure dry chicken and very little of it as you can see in the picture. I definitely will not be coming back. Also, almost $4 for a tamal.

Best tamales ever!!! Their service is even better! Highly recommend, love supporting this business. If you've never had Sinaloa style pork tamales this is the place to try it!

Hello All, so this was my first time here & will be my LAST!! The white menudo wasn't the business. It had NO NOOO FLAVOR at all it was like eating a bowl of water with pork meat. The tacos dorados / faltas lol wheee also nasty. I come from a background from SINALOA Culiacán to be correct! And the food wasn't anything like my mom's cooking or similar to anything from Sinaloa. So it shouldn't say AUTHENTIC SINALOA FOOD BECAUSE ITS FAR FROM IT! I also had the frijoles puercos, and also not the business. Now the service was the worst EVERRR!! I waited 30-45 min for my menudo. Shouldn't the menudo be ready to serve when available? 2nd the portion of onion and celantro where just enough for 1 bowl when we ordered 2 bowls of menudo. (Like really) to top it off my bill was 75.00$ for 2 menudos , 1 order of flatas/dorados 1 coke and 1 auga Fresca. That's expensive if you ask meee! lol This place shouldn't represent Sinaloa because it's making the food culture look really BAD! The food taste so much delicious then you think if you go to this place. Have a nice Sunday funday to ALL!

This is one of the best, authentic Mexican Sinaloense food.I'm from Mexico and this is the best!!! The service the quality the taste just like no other if you like Mexican food or you're from Mexico this is a must 1000% recommend it feels like your grandma it's in the kitchen. Some thing you have to try Is TAMALES SINALOENSES TAMALES DE ELOTE CHILAQUILES AL CHIPOTLE MENUDO W/ BREAD CHILORIO MEATBALLS SOUPS BARLEY (agua fresca) Beef Machaca Plate Comida Casera EmpanadasPork Sinaloa Pork Tamale Plate

Food tastes amazing and authentic! Quality much better than the restaurant around. Owners were very welcoming, generous, and passionate about their food. Will be coming back every time I'm in town!

Tbh the tamales are not good at all , The Sinaloa tamales are more expensive and they are basic .... I got 5 tamales and a small horchata and it was 36 $ do not recommend we threw the tamales away ....

A hidden gem in the city of Bellflower some of the best chips and salsa beans, rice Chillaquillas and tamales I have ever had. Everything about this places is first class. I will be going back soon.

Authentic, super delicious, great service & most importantly, affordable. Chilaquiles Rojo Elote

This review is strictly based off customer service and I will be back for another review after my husband and I try our tamales for Christmas! I preordered my tamale order when they opened @ 8AM and the guy I spoke to was extremely helpful. I scheduled for a 12:30 PM pickup, but I was running late and showed up @ 1. There was a bit of a line, but I waited patiently until I was seen. At first I thought the girls were super busy and not as attentive as I would have liked. When it was my turn, they told me that they had sold my order to someone else because I showed up late (at this time it was now 1:15). They asked if I still wanted to wait 20 minutes and I said yes because I drove from Upland. While I waited they charged me, talked to me, and gave me a tamale and Jamaica on the house. All the workers began to be incredibly warm to me. They Not sure how the food is, but based off the customer service... I am more than pleased. Hoping the tamales are worth the drive, but the ladies working here made my trip that much better !! Thank you to the girl who helped me out (Grace), you're amazing !! P.S. very cute and trendy spot that is easy on the eye!

I'm surprised to see this place at 4.5 stars . Food is mid . better places for what they serve . Ate the Barbacoa I felt like I was eating carne con chile rojo . My girl ate the tamales and she thought they were mid I tasted it also and found . The jalapeño and queso tamale was a bit too dry . Anyway on to the positives . Overall Wasn't a bad experience , the waiters were attentive . And La musica pues estába bueno el mix Corridos , de esos que te pega la sed de unas cervezas when listening to it . I like to give places a second chance so we will see next time around .

The pork Sinola tamales are AMAZING!!! The best tamales I've ever had!!! The Mac salad is also very tasty! The staff are all very friendly and helpful and check on you often. By far the best tamales in town!!

What a treat!! Excellent food and great service. Cafe de olla was on point. Chips and salsa were fresh and tasty. I ordered 1 chicken and 1 pork tamale... super good!! I ordered the flautas.. everything on the side... if you like potato tacos you will like them... they were good... they gave us a bottle of sour cream and a bowl of panela cheese ... both extremely fresh. Hubby got the corn tamale... best ever!! He ordered the bistec ranchero and really liked it. Son had the sinalose beef and very good. The flour tortillas were better than the corn. We will definitely be back... I literally wanted a dozen tamales.. they were that good!!!

Muy buen sabor comida 100% estilo sinaloa Good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I strongly recommend this place

I kept wanting to try this place and I am glad I finally did ! In the past week I've been here 3 times that's how good it was. The frijoles puercos are sooo good literally as if I was eating them in Culiacán. We also tried the tostadas the barbacoa and the tamales. All soooo good! On top of that their service is really good and it's a family owned business which is the best. I'll definitely be coming back to try the rest of the menu. Keep up the awesome job guys!

Food is amazing services suck last year was like 4 hour to pick Christmas orders but I say they just open give them one more chance well my not good 2 hour waiting for a pre order. Is not good u order cuz u do want to wait on line they need to get more organized or don't get to manny orders