Los Tamales Locos

Mexican restaurant · Lents

Los Tamales Locos

Mexican restaurant · Lents

2

3612 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266

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Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null
Los Tamales Locos by null

Highlights

Authentic tamales, Oaxacan mole, gluten-free, organic  

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3612 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266 Get directions

$10–20 · Menu

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3612 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266 Get directions

+1 971 386 7228
Tamaleslocos58

$10–20 · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 11, 2025

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@eater

The Best Tamales in Portland, Oregon and Beyond | Eater Portland

"Parked within the Eastport Food Carts pod, Los Tamales Locos serves its namesake with fillings like mole-braised pork, chicken in chile verde, and rajas. Tamales here strike the right balance of moist and fluffy, though the mole with the pork may even outshine the masa. The cart’s take on a Oaxacan tamale comes with shredded chicken and tomatillo." - Eater Staff

https://pdx.eater.com/maps/best-tamales-portland-oregon
View Postcard for Los Tamales Locos
@eater

Where to Find Tasty Tamales in Portland and Beyond

"Parked within the Eastport Food Carts pod, Los Tamales Locos serves its namesake with fillings like mole-braised pork, chicken in chile verde, and rajas. Tamales here strike the right balance of moist and fluffy, though the mole with the pork may even outshine the masa. The cart’s take on a Oaxacan tamale comes with shredded chicken and tomatillo." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden

https://pdx.eater.com/maps/tamales-portland
View Postcard for Los Tamales Locos

Michelle M.

Google
Absolute BEST veggie tamales I've ever had! (And they're huge!!) Road-tripping from Seattle, we didn't realize PDX got hit by a snowstorm last night so most of the city is closed. Very grateful to have stumbled across this gem today; food and amenities were fabulous! (Spouse and I grew up in So Cal; spouse said his bean and cheese burrito was the best he's ever had.) Horchata also rocks!

Ed Lee

Google
One of those food carts you want to visit every week for the tamales with the great Oaxacan Mole sauce. I received the menu and ordered the Oaxaqueno Tamale Box with chicken, rice, and beans after a short wait. The menu has enchiladas, street tacos, burritos, wet burritos with chile sauce, and tamales in a box or singles, I received my order in about ten minutes with no problems. The order included two tamales with a Mole sauce. The beans and rice had a nice taste to them and were not overcooked. The chicken tasted great with the Mole sauce and the tamale were wrapped in a banana leaf. Located on SE 82nd in the Core food cart pod just south of SE Powell. A great place to eat with friendly service, a menu with a number of options, and good food.

J Pierson

Google
The veggie tamale plate is amazing and a great bargain. The tamales were so flavorful and their hot sauce had a good kick. Highly recommend the tamales and can't wait to go back and try their other menu items.

Joy Schlossnagle

Google
The food is excellent! If you are undecided on what to order try the Taco combo. Beef chicken and pork, and a chicken mulita! Lots of other food carts around and if you want dessert, they have that too.

connie Garrison

Google
Los tamales locos made my birthday party of 30 perfect! Everyone loved the tamales rice and beans! Very affordable! They also made up vegan tamales upon request! No cooking made it easy! Superb customer service! Muchas gracias!

Jennifer Gibson

Google
Had a pick up from this place and was hungry. The staff here took the time to make up my order quickly. Ordered the 2 Tamale plate with a pork tamale with mole and a chicken tamale with chile verde. It was absolutely delicious! Well seasoned, moist and flavorful. The rice and salad complimented the tamales well. Customer service was great and I like the setup they have around the food cart. Great job all around: thank you! 😄👌

Axel Petzold

Google
BEST TAMALES IN PORTLAND!!! I'm dead serious when I say these are the best tamales, the sides are delicious, and their birria tacos are amazing. These guys are phenomenal 😍

Ankur Prakash Srivastava

Google
This was amazing. We had vegetarian tamales and they tasted soo good. We ordered again as even though our stomach was full the taste buds wanted more. Both red and green sauce with tamales were delicious.
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Ja'Nelle S.

Yelp
I placed another order through Postmates for Los Tamales Locos and not only was my order right, it was prepared quickly and the tamales are delicious! The Tamales are affordable and I will order again.
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Sabrina H.

Yelp
I just stopped part way though my meal of a cheese and jalapeño tamale with salsa from Los Tamales Locos because I had to write this. I love tamales, and have them at a lot of places around town, and this tamale is exceptional. I ordered 4, and it was an easy transaction. They came out in a to go box, which when I opened, I saw that each was individually, carefully wrapped for storage. I was just thinking about how I'd have to do that so I could freeze some for the future! The people were nice there and the menu items I didn't get but want will keep me coming back for a long time. Next time I'll get one dressed up with the queso, avocado, and Los Tamales' signature chili sauce. And the next I plan on a plate of Oaxacan tamales!!
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Dan G.

Yelp
Excellent Tamales! Everything is fresh and homemade. The family running it has so much pride in the food they serving. Prices are also reasonable. Recommend to everyone!

O4t7 D.

Yelp
Super amazing food, their chicken mulita is top tier for a low price I used to get this place all the time and it never dissapointed.
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Melissa M.

Yelp
I would only recommend this place if you love tamales that are fresh, fluffy and flavorful. They melt in your mouth and you just want to savor every mouthful. Every time I get food from here I'm mad at myself for waiting so long between visits.
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Chris H.

Yelp
Outstanding burritos and wonderful customer service, and an excellent value. The burritos are big and filling!
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Nevalyn N.

Yelp
This food cart capture my attention when I was in the fosters food cart station. I decided to give it a try with their tamale. I ordered a small rajas tamale plate. Waited about 10-15 mins for my food with a few orders ahead. I got my food and was excited to try. As I dig in, i enjoyed the flavors of the tamale. However the cheese was hard, not melted, and the masa was on the denser side of tamale. The food was a bit warm on the colder side. The rice was really bland for me. I like the pickled cabbages rather than just cold raw cabbages. Overall, it was a decent meal for the price!
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Ryan S.

Yelp
This is my second time here and I must say these are the best tamales in Portland! It's not even close. I love the pork tamales with mole sauce! So delicious. The cabbage salad compliments it so well. Keep it up. You got a forever customer.
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Julie Marcellina V.

Yelp
Very good! Better than Tijuanas lol I ordered two tamales. One chicken and one beef. The rice and beans were even really good.
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Kylie G.

Yelp
OMG these tacos are amazing. I ordered a shredded chicken taco and their carne asada taco and while both were great, the chicken was so good. Most places use diced chicken, but I always prefer and crave the shredded chicken so I'm glad there is faster paced place that offers shredded chicken. I ordered off Postmates and while I'm very picky with my to go food I took a chance and I'm so satisfied. The food arrived fresh and still intact - most would be soggy or cold, but these were still warm. They were each individually wrapped I believe that helped a lot. I also ordered the rice and beans and they are wonderful too. I already told a few of my friends about this little gem. Seriously good! I like that they have veggie options too as I have been back to reducing my meat consumption.
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Charlie S.

Yelp
I never have high expectations for a food truck, but this place gives brick-and-mortar places a run for their money. The ingredients taste so fresh and the mole is fantastic. I don't know what to say other than it's tasty. I do wish the portions were bigger or came with more sides, but I guess it's quality over quantity. I've only ever ordered via a delivery app, and the food travels well too.
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Tony A.

Yelp
Tasty and economically priced tamale and enchilada plates, along with chilaquiles verdes, a dish made with lightly fried tortilla chips, shredded chicken, queso fresco, and sour cream. Our favorites are the Oaxacan mole chicken enchilada plate, the pork tamale plate (which comes with mole), and the chicken tamale plate (which comes with chili verde). All plates include queso fresco, rice, and a small salad. Individual tamales come wrapped in the husk, with the open end dipped slightly in sauce. We were less pleased with the house burritos. Tamale and enchildada plates seem the way to go here. Delicious food, carefully prepared. We're looking forward to diving more deeply into their menu.
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Donna K.

Yelp
I decided to try them at their new location at Eastport Food Carts and I was glad I did! I had the tamale plate with one chicken and one pork tamale, and beans and corn for the two sides. Every bite was delicious, and I was able to make two satisfying meals out of it. I will no doubt return soon. Glad they are in my neighborhood!
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Salwa M.

Yelp
Listennnnnn! All the food was great! We got the 3 taco plate with the mulita, rajas tamale and chicken tamale. The stand out stars were the pastor taco and the rajas tamale. The way the pastor just melts in your mouth... omg, I am drooling just writing this. If you go here, make sure you get the pastor, you cannot go wrong with getting that! I can't wait to try it again!
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Quiana C.

Yelp
So good! I think their Tamales have perfect proportions and the burritos are so good. The Carne Asada is so flavorful!
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Jessica B.

Yelp
We had Los Tamales Locos yesterday for lunch at work and I can't stop thinking about it. They were the best tamales I have ever had. It came with salad and rice and they were amazing as well. I'm already planning my next trip for more tamales.
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Eli T.

Yelp
First, as I start this review, I just want to know...who the heck puts pineapple in a quesadilla?? I mean...really? I was torn between housemade nachos and an al pastor (spicy pork) quesadilla. I chose the quesadilla. Now, apparently, this place known for their tamales but if it's on the menu it should just as good. In my opinion, for $8, it should be amazing being that going rate is usually $7 or less and have some spice to it. All I tasted was sweet sugary pineapple. Here is a lesson. If you plan to change the game, actually make it spicy for the sweet pineapple to compensate the exchange and label it something else like "Island-style " or something to that effect. Typically, quesadillas aren't sweet in nature. I may try this place again for something more for what they are known for but after hitting the bathroom when I got home...I'm beginning to have second thoughts....good luck!
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Graphix G.

Yelp
Food: good, happy to go back for more --------- Wait time: ok, took about 20 minutes to get it. I recommend ordering ahead --------- Covid Safety: FAIL. The woman in the cart DID NOT HAVE A MASK ON. No mask below her chin, anywhere on her, nothing. I had already ordered my food when I realized this and I'm not in the position to toss $10 out the window so I ate it. The man kept pulling it down to talk to people too. We can talk through masks so no need to do that. It was uncomfortable and disconcerting to witness this. We are in a pandemic. For the safety of customers and the people working in the cart, they should have masks on. Full stop. They are working in a small space and breathing on the food and each other. Unfortunately, I can't in good conscience go back to this cart until after I get the vaccine and Covid is getting better, if at all. I really like this cart so I'm pretty disappointd that this is the way they are handling Covid protocols. Please do better.
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Mark F.

Yelp
Walked up and ordered not expecting much. Happened to be open on my way home with easy parking. Man, great food! I will definitely going back and bringing friends. I can't remember the names of what I ordered. I took home a burrito they had covered in cheese and a specialty platter with a taco, quesadilla, and soup. Everything exceeded your typical cart food. I'm going to say this is top three Mexican food in Portland. I was blown away at how good it was. I have to go back for their signature tamales next.

Mark G.

Yelp
I dare you to try to find better Mexican food in Portland than this delicious Oaxacan food cart. Absolutely delicious Molé Chicken Burrito and Tamales are fantastic. I drive right past the Portland Mercado to get my fix at Los Tamales Locos.
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Melissa H.

Yelp
I know, I know, you're supposed to come here for the tamales!!!!!!!! I didn't, but I will next time! What I did get though were tacos: asada, al pastor, and pork belly. I wasn't a huge fan of the pastor but the asada and pork belly were delicious.
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Jay D.

Yelp
Was expecting more based on the ratings and the prices. Might have been good, but they appear to have cheaped out on the ingredients which made everything super mediocre and bland. At almost 60 including the tip(mandatory in 2022 unless you want your food ice cold) for two burritos, sauces that they charge up the ass for, and 2 sodas, I was not impressed.

Margaret M.

Yelp
I love their food, if I could I would eat their great yummy food every day. Support this great food.

John P.

Yelp
Best burritos in the neighborhood! I've had this a dozen times. Never disappointed. Burritos are better than across the street.
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Brianna B.

Yelp
This review is based soley on the tamales. Everything on the menu sounds amazing and eventually I'll try it, but everytime I'm there I end up getting a dozen tamales! 3 different types, 2 meats and 1 veggie, all 3 equally AMAZING! I an a single person and I get the dozen every time, they're that good.And they freeze/reheat perfectly. I brought a pork one for my coworker today and after the first bite she says "why is this the best tamale I've ever had?" and asked for the location. Try this place out!
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Jody T.

Yelp
22July20 @ noon We had a mole enchilada and a burrito loco delivered. Food arrived on time and still warm. Good stuff. The enchiladas had plenty of meat in the filling and the mole was tasty with a bit of heat. The rice on the side was good with nice flavor and texture. The burrito was huge with lots of meat inside and other goodies that made it flavorful. The sauce on the side had a nice slow burn that we liked. The only down side was the plastic containers. Recyclable would be better.
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Brent W.

Yelp
This truck is in a lot across the street from the Portland Mercado with a sign that says Cocina Oaxaquena but it is the same place. There is a big banner on the corner to let you know they have tamales. I tried the Oaxacan quesadilla with chorizo and potatoes. It was very good. They were sold out of birria at around 2pm on the weekend. The salsa verde was good and next time I will try a tamale and hopefully some birria.
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Anita S.

Yelp
This was me and my boyfriend's favorite place to eat near our home and for me pretty much in Portland. We ordered food from here at least two to three times a week before pandemic. He passed away and I still love eating here even though I don't do it as often. The family that owns this cart are super nice and friendly. Their tacos and chili verde burritos are authentic and they have the best verde hot sauce that I've tasted in a really long time especially here in Portland. Now they even let me call to put in a pre-order so that it's ready when I get there and I don't have to wait as long as you more cuz they're always busy. The prices of the tacos are what tacos should be and the rest is reasonable especially for the quality.
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Fiona P.

Yelp
My husband is ADDICTED to their tamales! We cannot drive by without stopping to grab some, even if we aren't hungry! Per my hubby, they're authentic, cheap, filling, and EXACTLY what hits the spot when the tamale cravings hit. Do not miss out on this treat!
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Karl R.

Yelp
it's the best burrito on foster. the food is always fresh and i always feel great after a burrito, which usually makes me need a nap lol. it's closer to a 4 star considering location but i'm bumping it up since they're such sweet people. if i had one ask it would be to add more vegan menu items.
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Brian R.

Yelp
Super friendly service, fresh and flavorful food. I had the shrimp fajitas burrito and will definitely be back to try the tamales!

Zoë R.

Yelp
so i'm not usually one to order from a Mexican restaurant i haven't tried before especially for delivery because i've run into some very mediocre or actually foul ones since covid, (i swear i'm not picky it's just hard to find good authentic places where i'm at currently) so i but the bullet and ordered a asada burrito from here with guac and let me tell you it changed my life bruh. i haven't had a decent burrito in what feels like forever but this exceeded my expectations. i went to yelp to read the reviews (like i always do) and the positives heavily outweighed the negative so i'll be glad to say this place is a 10/10. u haven't tried anything else off the menu so far but i can guarantee with the quality of the ingredients i had that this is fresh authentic food that im super pleased with. i'd say if you are questioning wether or not to order from here, and see some negative reviews, read them thoroughly because 9/10 times it's some random karen who took issue with "waiting too long" or making issues out of nothing. there's a reason this place has such great reviews!! i've never been to the location itself but i hopefully will in the future!! (also didn't take a pic of my burrito because i devoured it in like .2 seconds, also they give you a good amount of guac which is always a plus, the soda was a little pricey for what it was but i was happy to support the business)
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Treva E.

Yelp
The tacos are dreamy...like literal perfection WOW! Chicken, asada, any of them. Highly recommend!!! Great lil outdoor open air seating.
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Violeta M.

Yelp
Really good food. Best street tacos I've ever had. Burritos are really good too, mostly I appreciate the clean meat, I hate fat on the meat and their meat has no fat on it. Also their sauce is really good, if you like spicy the orange one hits the spot. The minus one star is because last couple times I tried to order through grubhub they cancelled my orders with no explanation.
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Andy S.

Yelp
Your Mexican food better be good if you're right across the street from the Portland Mercado, and this is. I have tried the Tamales, the Carne Asada Tacos, and the Enchiladas Suiza. The Pork Tamales are moist, with hints of spices, and they are not hot by themselves. My little girl will eat them, which is a big plus. The Chicken Tamales are a good choice as well, and have a little more heat. A green sauce if I recall correctly. I definitely liked the Carne Asada taco I had, it was what I consider to be a more typical Asada taco than the ones available across the street at one of my favorite carts, Tierra Del Sol. The beef is chopped small, and is not tough. The seasoning is agreeable. I can't recall the Enchiladas very well, but they were good, and I will go back for more. The lack of Enchiladas has always been one of my gripes with the Mercado across the street.
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Joshua D.

Yelp
They have the best Tamales In the city and their tacos are nothing to scoff at. The Pork mole tamales are like nothing I have had and the chicken are right behind. This place is open really late but service is fast and consistent. It is better than any cart at the Mercado just up the street.
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Jill S.

Yelp
Wow! This place is great! We had 2 Oaxacan quesadillas (asada and chorizo y papas). They were made with Oaxacan cheese & big handmade corn tortillas. So good!!! We also had the chicken mole enchiladas- also great. My daughter had an American style chicken quesadilla (flour tortilla, cheddar cheese, with sour cream) also good. I didn't try the tamales but will next time.
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Christine D.

Yelp
I got a shrimp fajita burrito just now and i took one bite. Went to take another and saw the end of a hair sticking out. Pulled the whole long hair out with a huge chunk of rice attached. FOUL. And to think this person has been serving food all day. So nasty.

Maeve M.

Yelp
This place is so good ! I've had take out a few times and the quality is very consistent. I really appreciate their ingredients -- their veggies are tasty so all the vegetarian options are great. Freshly made guacamole all good.
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Toby P.

Yelp
We love the food here, best tamales around. We skip the Mercado crowds when it's hot, the best Mole I've had in a long time can be had from this unasuming little cart. Good Chili Verde and fresh salsa.

Julie R.

Yelp
This is the ONLY place to have good fresh tamales. Most other places have frozen and heat tamales with none of the flavor or the fresh ingredients. Do not compare this place to that place across the street! This is at 74th and Foster and has nothing to do with that other place! Authentic Tamales and tacos. I go once or twice a week to get my 2 chicken tamale fix with verde sauce. But today I tried their pork taco and it was to die for. I will definitely ask for that again along with their delicious sounding burritos. And I may have to switch to pork tamales! They are so friendly and are open when other food carts seem to be hit and miss. I think the only days they are closed are Monday's. Everyone else was closed on Super Bowl Sunday! They deserve 5 + stars and you can call ahead to order!

L M.

Yelp
We've ordered several times from here and it's consistently good. Really a step above. We usually order extra tamales and beans for dinner the next day. Never been disappointed, I highly recommend it!

Matthew Z.

Yelp
This is my favorite Mexican food cart in Portland. Their chile verde is incredible, food is always fresh, great customer service, and generous portions.

Renee W.

Yelp
Best Asada burrito I may have ever had. Guacamole was good. Overall I will definitely stop by here again. That burrito was truly delicious. The smells coming out of the car were quite heavenly. On a side note, this is the first I have stopped here at this food cart gathering and I find that the seating is nice. The have a cover for the rain, tables in the sun for those who need to bask, and a fire pit for the cold. Very nice spot.

Allison A.

Yelp
Just ordered today 5/5/19. If I could give zero stars, I would. First problem, we ordered a quesadilla and never received it. Second, we tried calling MULTIPLE times to ask/discuss where our food was and the phone just rang and rang. Lastly, the tamales I ordered...went to unwrap them and a LONG BLACK HAIR was wrapped with my tamale!!!! This is an absolute NO FOR US!!! The food that didn't have hair in it was mediocre and the other was simply a waste of money because I threw the tamales away once discovering the hair.