Emma’s Tamales

Visited July 17th..see receipt. This cute little place is located at the old Sacramento waterfront and next door to Railroad Fish and Chips. I discovered this place while walking around the area. I LOVE tamales and they make over a dozen different kinds. I got the beef and chicken tamale to go (to bring it back to the hotel). They were moist and flavorful! I appreciate that the prices reflect what a typical tamale would cost. Very reasonable! The man that waited on me was very nice and even brought water out to some doggies! They also have warm chips and salsa for purchase. I will be back and will buy a dozen next time i am in the area ! YUM!

Had a hankering for an enchelota while in old Sac and stopped in Emma's for a bite. Service was friendly and informative however food took a minute to heat up in the microwave. As with all food warmed in a microwave the enchiladas temperature was a variable. The dish was a bit mushy as well. I bought some tortillas chips for 5 bucks and used the enchiladas as topping. Hot sauce was not hot and a bit skimpy. Was hoping for better.

Vegetarian Burrito was good. Felt soggy but the flavor was very well put together. Great Story of Emma

Yesterday July 13th I took my three grandsons to Old Sacramento. Ages 11 9 and 7. We stopped at Emma's to get some tamales ,vegetarian, which were delicious but the gentleman there gave me a pumpkin tamale because I have been going to Emma's in the South area for a while and had never heard of the pumpkin tamale. I must say thank you. I don't even like pumpkin and this pumpkin tamale was delicious. Thank you again. And by the way the other two tamales were delicious also.

Joe was so informative, welcoming and provides a great environment. The tamales were phenomenal and so was the homemade salsa. The price of it all was unbelievable! It was not expensive at all. We will be back here more often.

I’m kinda confused by all the reviews. The lady we had was wearing gloves, super kind an welcoming, gave us water for our pup twice. My dad who’s picky about food said they were good. Not as spicy as he wished but not bad. I couldn’t base a review off just vegan options or such. The food yes looks like it’s being warmed up. As if they make them the day before. Honestly only stopped cause they had authentic coke an that’s all that matters to me lol. I’d stop here again too!

Tried their tamales. They were pretty good. The service was really good atmosphere was a two star because of the homeless people that were nearby

I ordered tamales, burritos, enchiladas and a jar of salsa on doordash. They said they were out of enchiladas, that they don't sell the tamales I ordered and they "aren't sure why doordash let me order that" so I'm thinking these guys really don't have their **** together already, burritos and salsa show up, it's not the salsa I ordered and the lid is dented (clearly dropped) and literally just a ziplock bag of frozen burritos wrapped in tinfoil(they don't have pictures) 45$? give me a break. I don't trust you to make me a bean burrito!! Their tamales are pretty good but I won't buy them anymore not a well run business

Visited July 17th..see receipt. This cute little place is located at the old Sacramento waterfront and next door to Railroad Fish and Chips. I discovered this place while walking around the area. I LOVE tamales and they make over a dozen different kinds. I got the beef and chicken tamale to go (to bring it back to the hotel). They were out of the red chili chicken. They were moist and flavorful! I appreciate that the prices reflect what a typical tamale would cost. Very reasonable! The young man that waited on me was very nice and even brought water out to some doggies! They also have warm chips and salsa for purchase to the left of the counter. I will be back and will buy a dozen next time i am in the area ! YUM!

This is an excellent choice for a quick bite if you're visiting old town. We tried the red pork, green chicken, jalapeño with jack cheese and the tofu chipotle. The jalapeño with jack cheese was my favorite! You can also buy refrigerated take home packs too. This place has sooo much variety. Also no lard used in the tamales. Don't get me wrong, I love a traditional tamal made with manteca but it's nice to have a lighter option, plus it's better for heart health if that's what you're into. The man at the counter was lovely! The vibes are super chill. It left me wanting to come back for more!

While in Old Sac last Friday, my husband and I decided to pick up some tamales to bring home. I'm happy to report that we have been eating them for lunch all week! We ordered a pack of the Jalapeno and Cheese and a pack of the Chicken - both were very tasty and packed with flavor. If you like spicy, you would definitely like the Jalapeno and Cheese option. Emma's is a little hole in the wall, with no seats inside, but the outside has tables that are perfect for people watching and just enjoying the sights and sounds of Old Sac. There was only 1 employee working when we stopped in and she was hustling while making another customer's order, but she acknowledged us multiple times and thanked us for being patient - which to me, goes a long way. Check them out if you're in the area and craving some tamales - I also saw hot dogs and some other yummy items on their menu. We'll definitely be back!

Emma's tamales are very good my favorite was the jalapeno and cheese tamale spicy and a perfect flavor, Kalam is an amazing worker very kind knowledgeable and a great personality I would come back based on this employees very helpful nature if you're in old sac stop by and give Emma's Tamales a try they do not disappoint they have meat seafood cheese jalapeno vegan options and gluten free as well.

In the heart of old Sacramento. They have Emma's Tamales. I ordered the seafood tamale. Service was quick, nice attendee at the register. I couldn't taste the crab but only the shrimp. Overall it's decent for this small establishment. Very small but clean shop.

We tried a bunch of tamales * Red Chili Chicken * Green Chili Chicken * Seafood * Blackhead * Jalapeño Cheese Tamales were served with fork, butter knife, napkins & hot or mild salsa. My spouse & I shared them all. My favorites were the Jalapeño Cheese & Seafood. My spouses favorite was the Red Chili Chicken & Seafood. He said the Jalapeño Cheese had to much kick so not for those who don't like heat. They have bottled beverages or 2 inhouse drinks. The lady working was very friendly & helpful when making selections. The resturant itself is small but there's tables & benches outside to sit; first come first serve style.. They sell prepackaged tamales to go & they're good for about 3 hrs before they have to be refrigerated. Give them a try!!

Not only are the tamales absolutely amazing but the guy worked in the counter. What's fantastic I was having a terrible hot flash almost blacking out and he had nothing but empathy and turned the fan on so I could stay cool great customer service.

Such an amazing service whenever we come to old town sac we never miss coming here! Joe is amazing always so kind goes above and beyond in customer service! Not to mention there's no Lard in the tamales!

I am from SoCal so good Mexican food is plentiful. The tamales were good, but not best I've ever had. I didn't like paying $1 for a tiny tbsp of sour cream. I thought that was ridiculous. The woman working there was super nice and very friendly. I also ordered their green tea. It was good but needed a touch more stevia. The salsa was not flavorful. Again it was a TINY amount of pico de gallo. I sat outside which was nice. It was my first time to old Sac.

I am concerned that the gloves are not being replaced every order as I've witnessed her ring up an order and continue using the same gloves to handle the food. She's protecting her hand and not a potential food poisoning or stomach issues.

We were in Old Sacramento several times & passed by. This day I decided to stop by & try the tamales . My favorite is Jalapeño & green chile. I was excited until I noticed they were frozen. The girl helping me warmed it up in the microwave. The flavor was good but the contents were chopped up in little pieces. They have lots of vegetarian options. Not sure I'd go back. I do hope they stay open. They have been struggling since Covid. I'm sorry I ate mine so fast I forgot to take a photo.

Great quality good variety with vegan options Great customer service. Love the pineapple raisin tamale.

Cute little spit near the waterfront. My friends recommended this place, so I was excited to try it out. When I entered, the staff warmly greeted me and asked me to wait. Then they took my order, microwaved the pork tamale, and within minutes, they served them to me. The tamale was a good portion, and the flavor was ok. Sauce was mild.

Joe always takes care of me and my family everytime we come here. Has quickly become one of our favorite spots because of the atmosphere he creates. Above and beyond service, not to mention the tamales are great. The horchata is phenomenal as well. I strongly suggest anyone in the area pays Joe a visit and he will take care of you!

I tried the tamales and the enchiladas (green sauce). Such amazing food! It was a hit with the whole family! The woman that helped me was positively amazing. Absolutely getting food from there again!

I love sweet tamales so I figured I would give it a try. There was wayyyy too many raisins in it and they also add coconut. It would be better if it was just pineapple without the other two things. Pricing wasn't too bad. A pack of 4 was $10

I grabbed these to go and they were so good! There was space to eat there but these were great for a quick grab Lots of vegetarian/ vegan options too.

Bland tamales that taste worse than the ones that you buy at Costco, everything is microwaved and lukewarm. I wouldn't give this food to the homeless.

I waited a few minutes on a Saturday for the lady to come back from her break and reopen. I ordered a #1 special (hot dog and chips) and waited. She gave me my hot dog, I asked "where are the chips?" She said "you ordered a hot dog, you didn't order the special!" I guess she misheard me or I ordered wrong but I thought you're really not going to give me a small bag of chips? What would that put you out? Judging from other reviews here lousy customer service is the daily special at Emma's. Nice job. Keep up the one star service.

I was honestly shocked but these tamales were legit good and I'm only giving it 4 stars because they were pricey. $4 a pop! I expect higher prices for anything at a tourist spot but dang! We tried a pork and a jalapeño cheese which was spicy! I don't know if it's because we were hangry but these definitely hit the spot for a quick and different snack to tide us over until dinner. It's a walk up and order type place with some outdoor seating next door to the fish and chips place. I would definitely hit them up again if I was in the area. Sorry there are no pics. Again, we were hangry. LOL

mid tamales that are refrigerated and microwaved for $14, salsa wasn't spicy at all and barely gave any. expensive for what it is, i felt sad after eating this. if that was my last meal i would just shoot myself on the spot.

Very rude closed the door in our face before closing time. DO NOT RECOMMEND. The guy working there was very rude!

Very fresh ingredients. Tamales aren't even my thing and they were delicious. Liked the special with rice, beans and horchata.

This place had friendly service, they were super quick, and had tasty tamales & hot dogs! Easy outdoor seating.

Came to the location on a Thursday, and they were closed. Their hours on the door says they're open on Thursdays.. but why are they closed?

Omg yes!! I wax looking for a burrito! Tamale killed it! This place hit the spot as being from San Diego memories came flooding! Love love love

Flavorless dry masa tamales. I suppose having veggie options is what makes up for it. Green enchiladas were flavorful but the chicken was mush and I assume the sauce was canned.

Dry tamales that don't make up for much flavor wise. Rice and beans seemed microwave. I liked my tamales but my codiners did not really enjoy theirs, and after I tasted I could understand why. I'm sure there are better tamales in the area.

Really delicious tamales!! They have lots of vegan options and also ones with meats. I also highly recommend the fresh salsa to go with it! Took everything home and stemed them on the stove for a quick and easy meal. Can't wait to try more items from this delightful restaurant!

I love that they have frozen tamales and for a pretty decent price! I'd love to try the tamales but the times that I've been, they didn't have them. Great service!

If you're looking for time-consuming fine dining, Emma's isn't for you. If you're looking for a quick bite so you can get back to enjoying Old Sac, this is the place. Lots of vegetarian and vegan options. Got the veg breakfast special which was brought out promptly and tasted quite good. Seating is shaded picnic tables shared with other restaurants.

Those who've helped me were super polite and friendly. The Organic Bean Burrito was delicious, I had to double check that I ordered a vegan burrito because I couldn't tell that there was no cheese in it. It was so creamy and flavorful.

I was so excited to have learned that a tamale spot opened in my neighborhood, only to realize that everything here is reheated. Nothing is made on-site. I guess their food is made elsewhere, packaged, and reheated at this location. The tamales were mediocre and OVERLY priced.

Unfortunately food wasn't up to expectations. They gave me wrong order missing 1 pork tamale which is supposed to be the star. The green chicken tamales didn't have enough sauce. The meat was fine but not enough green sauce. The sweet pineapple tamales we had were on the dry side and lacking some sweetness. If I could do a two and a half it would of been that but can't do half a star.

Horchata is way too sweet. They don't have ice. New employee that wasn't very well trained. Wife liked the green iced tea.

Order at 2.16pm by 2.52pm stil didn't have my order.. it doesn't take that long to reheat a small tamales. Judging from other unhappy customers here your turn to wait if you must

Was overjoyed to find out Emma's has a location in Old Sac. Bought two packs of vegan and gluten free tamales for my lunches at work. Bought beans and rice to eat there. The veggie tamale is really good but dry. The potato black bean one is bland and drier. That's what happens when there's no cheeze. They get 3 stars for the veggie tamales. They get 0 stars for the potato ones, -4 stars cuz not only do they nuke as everything is premade, but they do it in plastic, and -4 stars for giving me regular sour cream even though I asked twice and the man working there insisted it's vegan. I should have proven him wrong on the spot cuz I knew it looked too white. So, if I could give them negative stars I would, for this location only. Idk about the other location. Beware of the man running the old sac location. He gives himself too much credit for being the force behind having vegan options at this location but doesn't even know the product line and which ones were gluten free. It was yet another thing I had to point it out to him. Can't believe his reason for nuking everything is "that's just how we do things here." When I saw that he pulled my beans and rice out of the microwave in the plastic, I said I won't eat that. He gladly warmed some up in a paper boat, but that does not make up for all the other crap.

I LOVE Emma's vegan tamales. I've tried all the vegan varieties and they are all great, with a good balance of filling to masa. My favorites are the pineapple (sweet) and Chipotle Tofu (savory, not spicy). I've also tried the vegan mole sauce, but it was a bit too sweet for my taste. The tamales are easy to heat and don't last long once they hit the plate. Ok, writing this review has made me hungry...excuse me while I run to Emma's real quick.

Loved the service chips and habanero salsa yum homemade from scratch better polite humble and kind horchata was so good my daughter loved

So nice that there's so many vegan options! However, it was extremely disappointing that a lot of them had peanuts. Although the ones I got were delicious, I was sad that the vegan options were reduced by having an allergy that typically wouldn't inhibit me from having tamales.

Best tamales in sac, my girlfriend is vegan and lives off their vegan tamales. Owner was super friendly and passionate about her business.

Loved it!! Had the Mother Nature (?) tamale and the hibiscus tea which was so good. Great service. Nice outdoor seating

Made us wait 50 minutes just to reheat the frozen ones, saw it right in-front of my eyes through the window and when i asked "is this fresh?" had the audacity to say "yes it is ". Better buy the frozen ones, they are less expensive and same thing. Just reheat at home and will take less time.

Best tamales!! I bought a few four packs and brought them home. They are perfect for breakfast or lunch! So much flavor!!

The food seemed microwaved and my girlfriend found s piece of clear plastic in her enchiladas. What brought us here was the vegan tamales initially. The older gentleman taking our order seemed confused about the menu items.