Frelard Tamales

"Ringing in at a half-pound each, the vegetarian tamales at Frelard Tamales are massive and stuffed with everything from sliced jalapeños and cheese to spinach and corn. You can also add toppings that accentuate the fillings without getting in the way, like crema, limey guacamole, and tangy pickled carrots. And while you could order virtually any meatless masa-snuggled meal here and walk away pleased, you need the sweet potato mole. You’ll get a vegan tamal featuring fork-tender sweet potatoes and a nutty mole that’s rich while still letting the yams speak for themselves. They say “hey, I’m f*cking delicious,” by the way." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley

"Frelard Tamales used to be a walk-up window in Green Lake but as of August it’s a full-service restaurant inside Fremont’s El Sueñito Brewing (which owners Osbaldo Hernandez and husband Denny Ramey also run). You can still get the comforting tamales with plenty of veggie and vegan options that made this place famous, but do yourself a solid and check out the expanded menu. The carnitas tacos are meaty and rich but balanced by a sharply acidic salsa, but the real star are the corn tortillas, which are crisp but still pliable and so, so satisfying to bite into." - Harry Cheadle

"The only problem with this former Mexican takeout window in Green Lake was that you couldn't sit down to an excellent husk-wrapped bundle until you got home—but they fixed that. After opening a sit-down restaurant in Fremont with their brewery operation El Sueñito, the instant gratification of eating a piping hot tamal from Frelard Tamales the second you receive it is now possible. And yeah, it helps that the name makes more sense now. There are tasty tacos served on Three Sisters tortillas and a noteworthy pepper jack queso on their expanded menu. Still, you're really here for crema-drenched masa snuggling a huge serving of chicken braised in salsa verde. " - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley, gabe guarente

"One of our favorite spots for a quick lunch has moved from its Green Lake walk-up window to a sit-down space in Fremont. Located inside brewery El Sueñito, the restaurant has space where you can sit down with a Mexican lager and enjoy half-pound tamales. Perhaps most importantly, now the name finally makes sense.  We recently checked out Frelard Tamales. Read our first thoughts here. " - kayla sager riley, aimee rizzo, gabe guarente

"Frelard Tamales serves the best corn husk-wrapped bundles in town. Ringing in at a half-pound each, these steamy stunners are massive and stuffed with everything from sliced jalapeño and cheese to braised rioja pork. You can also add toppings that accentuate the fillings without getting in the way, like crema, limey guacamole, and tangy pickled carrots. While you could order virtually any of their menu items and walk away pleased, the salsa verde chicken and sweet potato mole tamales are the best two options and make for a great casual lunch or dinner." - aimee rizzo, kayla sager riley