Factory Tamal
Mexican restaurant · East Village ·
Handmade tamales, breakfast sandwiches, paninis, and tortas
Handmade tamales, breakfast sandwiches, paninis, and tortas
"This new location of Lower East Side mainstay Factory Tamal makes four to five tamale varieties per day. Some, including its chicken mole and chicken salsa verde are standard, while others feature delightful but less common pairings like bacon and mozzarella. Either way, a few tamales make for perfect brunch fare and are likely to still be hot when you get them to your brunch destination at one of the two nearby parks." - Eater Staff
"A labor-intensive, fully handmade tamale operation in New York that revives the ancestral Mesoamerican technique of nixtamalization using white corn imported from Mexico. The corn soaks in a hot water-and-lime solution for seven hours to remove the hull and boost nutrition, is washed and peeled, dried for 12 hours, then ground on volcanic stone and hand-sifted for about three hours to achieve a fine, fluffy masa. That masa is slowly hand-mixed with lard, chicken broth, and salt, left to rest, then spread on rinsed corn husks, layered with a family-recreated Cholulteca mole and chicken, wrapped, and steamed. The founder set out to restore a tradition that had largely been lost in his parents’ generation, emphasizing patience, dedication, and a deep connection to memory and ancestry—cooking here is presented as both cultural preservation and a way to reconnect with family through flavor." - Terri Ciccone
"The East Village outpost offers tamales starting early (8 a.m., 9 a.m. Sundays) ranging from classic chicken mole poblano to quirky bacon-and-cheese, plus meal-size salads, Mexican tortas, Italian panini, grandma’s cocoa, and admirable breakfast sandwiches served until closing at 7 p.m." - Eater Staff
"One of the city's few restaurants pushing tamales into the mainstream, Factory Tamal is opening an East Village location as part of that effort to make tamales more common in NYC." - Tanay Warerkar
"The spectacular egg sandwich at Factory Tamal is a must-try. It comes in several permutations, starting at $3 for egg on a brioche with special orange sauce. Adding a sage sausage link costs an additional dollar, and including sliced tomato and gruyere cheese brings the total to $5. The sandwich's over-easy egg makes it challenging to eat with one hand, but it's worth the effort." - Robert Sietsema
