Tamale Mama

I stumbled upon this fantastic spot and I'm so glad I did! From the moment I walked in, the aroma alone promised something special, and I was not disappointed. The Food: The tamales here are outstanding. I tried the red chile pork and the creamy chicken poblano, and both were exceptional. The masa was perfectly soft, moist, and flavorful—definitely not dry or bland like at some other places. They were generously packed with high-quality meat, and the sauces provided a great depth of flavor with just the right amount of spice. I also sampled their horchata, which was a 5-star complement to the meal. The Service: The staff were incredibly warm, friendly, and happy to give recommendations. The service was quick and efficient, even during a busy lunch rush, making the entire experience smooth and welcoming. The Atmosphere: The restaurant has a genuine, relaxed, and very clean environment, far from a "fast-food" feel. The simple, local energy makes you feel right at home. This place is all about honest, bold, and unapologetically flavorful food. I highly recommend stopping by and trying their amazing tamales. I will definitely be back!

Tamale Mama makes the best tamales I've ever had! They are moist and have a hardy amount of meat! The flavors are mouthwatering! I purchased one dozen of the chicken ones and a side of beans and rice! The prices are very reasonable and the service for pickup was fast and easy! I wasn't able to get a pic of them unwrapped honestly they got eaten too fast 😅 No time! I highly recommend visiting here I am going to try their pozole next!

We stopped by for tamales after seeing her content on Instagram. The food did not disappoint. My husband ordered two green chile chicken tamale plate and I had posole and a red chile pork tamale. It was delicious. The next time we are in Fresno we will be stopping.

Found this place on Instagram. I ordered 2 dozens pork tamales (red)sauce and 1 dozen chicken tamale with green sause. The pork tamales were good and moist not the biggest but they were good. The chicken tamales were okay if I was going to go back, I would for sure get the pork tamales.

The best tamales 🫔 in downtown fresno hands down!!! Dont sleep on Tamale Mama. Their tamazole is 🔥, well everything we tried was oh so good. My lil brother took me and This was my first time there! Try it, you'll do more than like it, youre gonna live it!

We went and purchased a total of 4 red pork tamales, a chicken quesadilla, and a bean burrito. Everything was delcious. The service was great and the dining area was clean and well lit. We would recommend for our friends and family to try Tamale Mama. We will return again soon.

Excellent service everybody’s humble a the cook came out to see and check if everything was good The food was very authentic. Their coffee is excellent as well. Ask for Tracy and he will give you a mushroom coffee. Very good. The environment is great. There’s a little construction going on right now, but you can still park in front of the establishment I appreciate good food so I highly recommend this establishment for everyone that is in town And the prices are good

Food is excellent. Tamales are well seasoned. Masa is very smooth, moist and well seasoned. I gave 3 stars for atmosphere only because this is a simple restaurant without any frills, but I would eat there if I want my food hot and fresh. Ordered online and picked up quickly. Parking is easy. Street parking.

Tamale Mama in Fresno offers an outstanding Mexican dining experience that stands out for its authentic flavors, warm atmosphere, and creative dishes. Known for their delicious tamales made fresh daily, this cozy spot brings the rich, homemade taste of Mexican cuisine with a modern twist. One of their signature dishes, the tamazole--a unique combination of tamale and pozole soup--delights with its tender masa and savory pork in a richly seasoned broth, making it a must-try item that food lovers rave about. The menu boasts a wonderful variety of options from flavorful carnitas tacos to the highly recommended Ruben burrito and jalapeño and cheese tamales, where the balance of spice and dairy creates a memorable bite. Patrons appreciate the reasonable prices and the inviting casual setting, which includes both indoor and relaxing outdoor patio seating that feels like dining at a friend's colorful garden. The friendly service and attention to detail, including drinks like fresh lime water and horchata, further enhance the overall experience. Tamale Mama is more than just a meal; it's also a community journey, born from the passion and hard work of owner Christina Leon and her family, who have shared their love of Mexican heritage and culinary artistry with Fresno. This restaurant is a gem in Fresno's Chinatown that delivers vibrant, home-cooked flavors while providing a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy a taste of authentic Mexican culture. Whether you're looking for comfort food or something refreshingly inventive, Tamale Mama is highly recommended for a flavorful and heartfelt dining experience

I'm glad that there is a place where you can get tamales year round. Comparing my family tamales with theirs, they are okay. Ours have a lot more meat and softer, theirs well; I got the two tamale combo and I could tell they were from two different batches. One tamale had plenty of meat and the other very little and I was hoping they were softer. Needs more manteca, lol. The tamazole was good and tasty, I broke up the tamale to soak up the juice of the pozole. The roasted red salsa was very tasty but wished it was more spicy. The star of the breakfast was the Chia cucumber lime drink, was so delicious and the horchata was really good too. I was disappointed that they open at 10am should be sooner. Tamales are eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner! The service was okay, the young girl at the cash register could be a bit nicer and with more enthusiasm, more cheerful. But the food was serviced quick - I liked that. The ambiance was okay it's a typical Mexican restaurant. Overall, it's okay not fantastic but would return for the aguas frescas for sure.

Came here on a weekend evening and there was a table of folks inside and a couple of to-go orders. I ordered the popular 2-tamale combination plate with rice and beans. I ordered the jalapeño cheese tamales. The tamale was very good -- it melted in my mouth and the cheese was also very soft. The jalapeño was not too spicy and fit well with the tamale. The rice and beans were also made well - very tasty. Parking is mainly street parking as the parking lot nearby was a little crowded and further to get to the restaurant as we would have liked. Staff members were fine, but looked a little tired and doing a lot of things (front counter, cleaning tables, etc.) Overall, this is a solid option for tamales, though they have fewer tamale choices than I would have expected for a place whose namesake is after tamales. Reading their story in the newspaper was pretty inspiring.

Super nice folks. The spot is a bit seedy but worth the visit. They have great tamales and other food. The salsas are delicious. I do recommend

Today we sat in and ordered DoorDash. We got a two plate, enchilada, rice and beans and three chicken tamales the enchilada plate. I would rate a eight out of 10. Great flavor. Great quality chicken very homemade taste green sauce. It was topped off with crema and lettuce. Beans great flavor, 7/10, Rice was 6 out of 10. I tasted more flavorful rice, but it's good. The tamales MASA is moist seasoned and very good texture. That's what you want. A great tasting tamale not no grainy, MASA or dry MASA perfect masa and these hit because of that the salsa are very flavorful y picoso tamale. Mama is a hidden gem ordered it on DoorDash. It came packed Neatly and it was very hot. Everything was fresh. Everything came with utensils napkins salsa everything needed will be trying again.

I made an order online for a dozen beef and a dozen chicken. The tamales here never disappoint they always come out so soft and delicious. Myself and my wife both have very sensitive stomached to spice and we were able to eat both with no issues. It's the only place I know where I can eat either tamale and not upset my stomach. Service was quick since it was an online order so no issue. Parking is a little hard to find there but so worth finding parking for the food.

My husband asked to go to this place for Father's Day. So we took him and his dad... there was a total of 5 of us. It worked out fine for us but there was a lot of people there and the place is kind of small. I did see there was a door im wondering if it is another room with seating... anyway... I'm not much of a tamale eater so I was a little nervous. We ordered a chicken tamale, a jalapeño and cheese tamale and pork... They were soooo delicious and fresh! My favorite was the jalapeño and cheese but the others were super good too. The chile relleno plate was Amazing... I would have never thought there would be this restaurant in the area where we were just because it's not in a place where you would be looking for food. There was red salsa and green salsa... both fire! The staff was really busy but very attentive... Everything was sooo good and we will be back very soon to try a few other things on the menu.

4/16/25 Hot & New!! Must try! Getting lunch. Arrived and greeted by nice worker. Asked what dishes were most popular. Told the Tamazole and picked it. Also asked for extra hot sauce and given. Paid for it with a short wait and received! Nice restaurant. Clean and safe. Lots of seating and Spanish music playing! Lunchtime! It is Pazole with a chicken tamale. Wow! great Tamazole! Really tasty! Tender chicken and hot sauce spiced it up and made it even better! It came with a lot of tortilla chips! They were tasty too! Leftovers also! Good service & GREAT lunch! Highly recommended!

Food was okay a little salty and was not bad but I wouldn't say good but solid 6 . Service is like fast casual workers working hard not a personable type place nothing wrong with that tho fast casual is cool. 7.2 I would rate .

Finally went and tried this spot , has been on my feed for a while . Starters parking isn't bad , but you may need to park a little further. Wait time is long but it's because people don't know how to order and cashier explains everything in detail. The enchiladas were average , green salsas was supper bitter which means it's mainly tomatoes . Tamales were decent but dried. May go back and try other stuff but not the tamales or enchiladas. They both lacked flavor. Horchata was amazing though !

Food was not great and the chica didn't want to be there. Later that night had great tacos at the Grizzlie game. So much for supporting downtown businesses Responding to the owner- You were out of the special(5pm) -chile rellenos so I had 2 dry tacos and an average tamale. My friend had a decent burrito tho. Good luck.

we were first of the day customers walking in we said hello with no response the cashier was not friendly looked like she didnt want to be there didnt say anything to us we ordered 1dz tamales and a combo plate of chili rellenos we recieved our food and left when we got home we sat down to eat and the chilie relleno combo plate i ordered rice and beans were ok but the chilie relleno NO it was nasty tasted like days old the cheese had a taste as if it were bad definetly not fresh or just a day old it must have been there for a while just nasty and the tamales not the best dry and no flavor ..Vallartas taste better than this place .. Defenitly would not be going back here place doesnt make you feel welcomed and the lady wasnt friendly no wonder everytine i drive by its always empty not busy at all but i dont recommend this place very bad first impression

I highly recommend this little gem their tamales, burritos and pozole was authentic and delicious definitely a must try!

So yes they hooked me from instagram. I saw their ad for the tamazole and that looked amazing so I followed. Then they posted something about a pizza tamal and that looked intriguing! So I knew I had to get there and I think it was New Year's Day and they were one of the few places open. I drove downtown and found them. They have a big lot in the back and at this time it was pretty empty. I noticed their outside eating area and snapped a quick pic. I hear they are re-doing it right now so consider this the before picture. I went in and the amazingly intoxicating aroma slapped my face. I drifted to the counter to place my order. The friendly face who greeted me took my order. I ordered a dozen tamales for $27-$30. I had to wait about 5 mins for them to wrap it all up. Within 10 mins I had my order and was on the way back to my car. I was so happy! As soon as I got home we ate every last tamal. They were so good! The masa to filling ratio was on point. The cheese tamal is gooey and salty. Very satisfying. Will I be back?! Yes! That's for sure!

In all honesty, I saw this restaurant come across my tik tok app and I was intrigued by the tamale pozole. I had to take a drive to get there because I don't live in Fresno. But I'm a foodie and felt it was worth the drive to check it out. Besides, who can turns down tamales?! The inside is small and the menu is very simple. They serve 3 different types of tamales; pork, chicken and green chile and cheese. We ordered the tamazole, and the wet tamale combo which is your choice of 2 tamales with green sauce poured over the top, rice and beans. Of course, my meal wasn't complete without a cucumber chia agua fresca. The Agua Fresca was refreshing and yummy! The tamazole was very good. They place a tamale of your choice (I chose pork) in the bottom of the bowl, and pour the broth with hominy over the top of the tamale. The broth looked lighter in color so I was nervous that the flavor would be bland but not at all. It was delightful! The wet tamale combo was mediocre but I would definitely be back for the tamazole. A delightful bonus was what we assumed to be the owner came over to talk to us and we had a great conversation!

A friend found this on Instagram and suggested we try it out since people were raving about it and rightfully so! We walked in and it was packed, the lunch rush was finishing up. The service was EXCELLENT! The food came out right away and was delicious! I also ordered an horchata latte which was to die for. I am looking forward to visiting more often!

I'd seen the reviews of this place online and had been wanting to check them out! Cute little place downtown. The service was fabulous! And the pozole and tamales were very good. I had the pozole and the pork tamale and my date had the birria tacos and a chicken tamale.

First time trying this place and it has some really good tamales here. Stopped by on Saturday at 12:30 for lunch and this place was PACKED. Not only was it packed, the line was to the door consistently. If that's not a good sign for good food, then I don't know what is lol. The menu is very limited but it's a good one. They offer some pretty unique Mexican dishes like the Tamazole and Ruben burrito, however I'm personally thankful for that. Due to the uniqueness, I actually ordered both those dishes. The Tamazole was good, would rate that dish a 7.5 out of 10. The Ruben burrito was a 10/10. Such good flavor, can't reccomend this burrito enough. Also tried the green chicken tamale and it was so good! The tamales here are so moist and well sized. Overall very pleased with my lunch today. Very good authentic Mexican food at good prices. Defenitly don't sleep on trying this place at. Support this local Fresno buisness. Thanks Tamale Mama.

I had the pozole with chicken tamale in it. This is the first time trying this place. Based on my order it was very good. Would I come back, the answer is yes. Now my fellow coworkers who also have been a regular here are regular patrons. On this day, there's at least 12 of us that ordered here. Some ordered the tacos. Some ordered the burritos. A lot of us ordered the pozole with tamale in it. Everyone was happy and content. Most of my coworkers have been to Tamale Mama multiple times which tell me it's good. So I'm basing on the fact that people I know love this place should be worth your while to give this place a shot.

The service was nice and friendly, their food didn't take too long to come out. I seen the Tamazole on social media and my co workers wanted to try this place. The place is kind of hidden. They do have a lot of parking but if you drive too fast you will miss the parking lot. I had to try the broth of the tamazole before putting the extra ingredients. Their broth was really good, chilli oil that came with it was not hot.... Little disappointed at that

I tried the tamazole which is pozole with a tamale of your choice inside and it was pretty good. I also tried the chile relleno and it was delicious. I then tried the cheese and jalapeño tamales and they were decent but not the best. Finally I tried the chicken tamales and they were pretty good. The service is great and the ambience inside was very nice. However, the area outside of the restaurant is not very good because there's a lot of construction going on right now and it's very difficult to get there without getting stuck in traffic and detours. Overall they are worth the drive and the hype.

I wanted to update my review. I was violently throwing up after I ate here. I had wet tamale chicken plate. My friend's quesadilla w carne. Burrito, and birra bowl. We all had different courses and were sick. I was so sick I had to go to ER. A week later I can still barely hold food down. I will never eat here again be cautious.the tamales here are not flavorful either. Idk how this place went viral. None of the food was nothing to WOW ABOUT!!! Shows you how much social media lies!!!

I ordered half a dozen today, the meat was great but unfortunately the masa was a little undercooked. I would still highly recommend tamale mama to friends or family!

ok finally tried this place based on the tv hype and all the reviews, actually my second time trying due to being so busy. i tried a bowl of posole and it was ok, not the best and not the worst, it was a simple bowl of posole that to me needs more flavor in the juice. also tried the chicken tamales and they were more chicken and masa with no sauce so they seemed really dry.

We come here once a year. This place is awesome. The tamales remind me of my mom's home made tamales. Just perfect. They are large, plenty of meat to masa ratio. Flavor is on point. Imo they are kid friendly. Not too spicy. We had the Ruben burrito and carnitas burrito. And wow wow wow. Bomb. The owner came out to see how we were enjoying the food. I think that's an awesome touch of customer appreciation. Of you live in the area or with in your traveling allowance, 100% go to this place.

All went well as usual the red tamales are still my favorite. it's worth a stop to try.

Tried it for the first time and honestly it was 50/50 wasn't the best, but also wasn't the worst. I tried a few items on the menu and the only thing I actually enjoyed was the Tamazole. The tamale in the Tamazole was small, but good. The flavor of the actual pozole broth was pretty good as well. The chicken Enchiladas weren't so good. A side of rice and beans was a very small portion and wasn't put in a sealed container. The service is always crazy lines (on weekends) so I ordered online. I chose a few items, but when I got to the actual restaurant they told me they ran out of menudo so they had to refund me. Reasonable prices and the restaurant itself had every table occupied maybe because it was on a Sunday not sure, but I'll only go back for their Tamazole and order an extra pork tamale to add to the Tamazole.

The food is always good when we come here. We've been here multiple times already & will continue to keep coming back. Generally we order the tamozle & it's always good. The soup flavor is perfect. Service is quick as well.

The tamale taste good, but I ordered the jalapeño and cheese. And you can't even see the jalapeño and cheese. It's barely there. It's just all masa, expensive just to eat masa. Very disappointing.

What cool little place! Our family ventured to Tamale Mama for a quick morning bite. People were great and helpful. A unique Mexican Restaurant with some pretty good Tamales for $3.50 each or by the dozen. I ordered and forgot to snap a photo, but trust me, delicious, creamy smooth soft tamales. I preferred the Jalapeño and Cheese but the Green Chicken was good too. Everyone in my family was so pleased with their order. It's not a fancy place, but the food is great. Order to go or find a seat to enjoy! This coming from a PNW girl!

Can we talk about it. Lets go....Tamale Mama is another one of those jewels of a restaurant we have in Fresno with the main focus on tamales. Tamazole that's all imma say. I'll leave the rest of the research up to you. The service and food are super on point. If you don't believe me follow them on IG. Five starz!

Love this place. Ordered the Ruben burrito with chicken and cheese and jalapeño tamale. It was so good. Customer service was excellent thanks to the young man who helped me with my order. I will definitely be back. Highly recommended!!!

I had heard about this place for a long time. We were finally in the area and decided to stop by. It's a small restaurant with plenty of parking. I came here specifically to try the tamazole. I love trying new things and I love how they made two Mexican dishes into one. You walk I. There's probably about 12 tables so small but good size. The menu is on top big where you can read it. I loved that there wasn't too many things on the menu it was simple and to the point. It was my first time here so the young guy who took his time to explain how a tamazole order works. You order either free chicken tamale or red pork tamale and they just add the pozole. We ordered one of each. My son ordered 2 green chicken tamales. My youngest get ordered a side of rice. We got 2 horchatas for $42 that was a great deal. I come from the Bay Area so I was in shock with the price. A family of 4 eating amazing food for $42. The service is fast . The pozole size was big very filling. The bring you cabbage,onion,chili,and lime. The flavor of the pozole was very good and that spicy chili was so good. I read reviews and I personally did not expect the dish to come with more meat than the tamale I personally thought that was enough. I loved that with the tamale they bring extra green sauce no where else does that. Overall my entire family loved the food and it was a great valve. We will definitely be back. Highly recommend this place we had an amazing experience.

Always coming here to pick up lunch for work. Order ahead online so it's fast and waiting for you. Still super hot when I picked it up. Tamazole was good but didn't like the texture of the tamale in the soup, got soggy really fast. Try their dark red salsa, so flavorful and a good kick but the spice doesn't kill or linger around too long. Rice was super flavorful and good but texture was too mushy and soft for my preference. They are not skimpy, so much food for the price!

Hidden gem in downtown Fresno. Food was fantastic! Very friendly staff! Will be back for sure!

Everything was very flavorful, mixed both red and green sauce together and it tasted even better. Can't wait to come back and try other items on the menu

I placed an order online and my food was ready in no time. I got 3 pork, 2 chicken and 1 jalapeño and cheese tamales. The masa and meat were delicious. I bought some green and red salsa on the side. The red was a little to hot for me but the green was perfect on my chicken tamales. The cheese tamale I wish had more cheese but the masa was good. I Will definitely be back to try more of their menu.

We drove an hour to check it out and WOW. We had the tamazole and on a scale from 1-10 we gave it a 100! Best I have ever tasted. Then we brought home pork and cheese/jalapeño tamales and they are wildly good. Salsa! a ten. So yeah.. worth the drive.

Heard about Tamale Mama's through social media. Stopped in on my way from Modesto for work to San Bernardino county the stop was well worth eating in . The TAMAZOLA was delicious!!! Told the staff that I would post my review...The area isn't appealing but the vibes inside and staff are super nice going out of their way to make you feel like family!!!!! Thank You for the great experience and great food Best regards, Carlos Ortiz

Service is very awesome. The food is kind of bland needs more flavor to it. But I must say they have very good drinks there Horchata is awesome and so is the cucumber chai lime? The masa needs more flavor. It's just too bland for my taste buds. And it would be really nice if they put like a Monterey jack cheese inside the cheese and jalapeño tamales instead of just the mozzarella because there's never no cheese inside their jalapeño cheese tamales

I'm obsessed with the tamale pozole and their coffee menu! Service is great and the food is just comforting. Can't wait to go back!

Located where Tulare Street Bistro used to be. My husband went and ordered to go when they opened. He said the lines were long but went pretty fast. The orders took a while. We ordered 1dz tamales: red pork, green chicken and jalapeños with cheese and order 3 chicharron tacos. He said he they tamales didn't come with salsa they had to purchased separately, bummer. So he ordered red and green salsa that came in containers. The tamales were okay nothing special, as expected small amount of meat inside, but the masa was really good moist and had a really good flavor. The chicharron tacos were a bit disappointing and would highly recommend skipping. It was soggy, skimpy portioned slathered in the same green salsa they used for the green tamales it was not worth the price. Was so excited about the hype but was quite disappointed. Might have to give their soup dishes a try but probably won't make our way to go unless we're in the area.

Ordered Menudo which was highly edible, but no chili flakes or cilantro and just a tiny bit of onions. Enchiladas were green chicken enchiladas and this is not specified on menu, so we assumed we were getting regular enchiladas with red sauce and were quite surprised. Tamales were pork and chicken...masa was undercooked and very little meat or flavor. Chicken was almost non existent. Tamales were mostly all masa. Beans and rice were good, but such a small amount. The restaurant door was open the whole time due to air circulation I'm assuming, so we had to fight flies inside which is highly annoying when you're trying to eat. Service was fine and staff was friendly.

Food was good, worth the try to have it at least once. Tamazole was hominy only, no meat other than what was in the tamale, and it had a lot of masa. Friendly staff! Nice little spot to grab a Abuelita Latte! Yum

Service is the worst I've ever experienced anywhere. FYI Don't ever order or go to Tamale Mama my order I picked up on Friday was wrong I ordered pork tamales and I got jalapeños and cheese. So yesterday they said that they would replace my order today to pick up at 10am. Well my caretaker has been waiting since 10am and they just now announced they ran out of meat tamales. So I called them very angry they 1st said my tamales are there waiting to be picked up. Then they said they are making more for me to pick them up in a little bit Then hung up on me didn't say goodbye didn't let me say anything just straight hung up the phone. Extremely bad customer service!!!!!!!! For them trying to fix my original order that I placed 3 weeks ago.

I have been watching this young man make videos, and promote his mothers small business selling tamales out of her home for a few years now. I have been wanting to try his mothers food for awhile but haven't made the time until today. We finally made it a mission to go, but now instead of his mother selling outside of her home, they now have a restaurant. The restaurant is located in downtown Fresno, on Tulare st. (old Japan town) the restaurant is very clean and nicely decorated, air conditioned, and really nice. They were very welcoming and friendly. We ordered a half dozen green chicken tamales, and my husband ordered a chicken and cheese burrito with rice and beans on the side. I ordered a chicken and cheese quesadilla and side of rice and beans to go for my daughters. My husband loved the chicken and cheese burrito I tried a couple of bites and I loved it, The tamales are made fresh daily and the taste was delicious. We went around 2:30 and they were already sold out of Menudo and Posole and most flavors of tamales. I recommend to go early. We will definitely be going back with family and friends. Their salsa is incredible we bought small portions of both green and red to take home one enjoy.

I ordered delivery so I can't say anything about the ambiance but the delivery was punctual. The tamales were okay, the masa definitely needs more lard. The masa was rather dry (due to the lack of lard) and both the pork and jalapeño queso tamales could have had more filling and flavor. All in all these are the tamales you buy in a pinch. Like 3rd or 4th round of holiday visitors.

I finally had the chance to try this place out after watching their tik tok videos over the past few months. I went in on Saturday, July 1, 2023, around 12:30ish. There was a note on the door indicating the wait would be about 30-45 min. I waited, but it didn't seem longer than 20 min. They were super busy, so I got my order to go. I got the two tamale (chicken) plate, one chicharrón taco, and a regular chia cucumber agua. The combo plate was delicious, beans and rice were perfect, and the tamales were pretty good. I'm one who doesn't mind a lot of masa, so these were good because the masa was warm and soft. The chicken on the inside could've been more moist, but I just doused it in the green salada that was included. The chicharrón taco was okay, but I've had better elsewhere. The chia cucumber agua was so refreshing and perfect on this hot day. I'd probably try this place again.

I tried it several times. Food needs flavor, a bit dry. It's just the hype. Place is small. Service is pretty good, but still needs a little work.