Tamales Elena

"While pozole is only a weekend affair at some restaurants, Tamales Elena offers it every day of the week. Tomato and pork define the rich broth and balance each other with some acidity to cut the fattiness. There is a generous amount of tender pork within the soup, paired with chewy bits of hominy that offer a great textural contrast. Toppings lean classic with cabbage, avocado, cheese, radishes, and more." - Rebecca Roland

"Over the years, this family-owned operation has gone from food truck to brick-and-mortar restaurant back to food truck, but one thing has remained constant. Tamales Elena’s puts delicious care into everything on its Afro-Mexican menu, from fried-to-order tacos dorados that you dip into salty, chile-stained consommé to the Guerrero-style pozole topped with pork cracklings. And, of course, there’s the namesake tamales made with fluffy, well-seasoned masa. This colorful truck now parks in front of a recycling center in Watts and sets up a sidewalk table so you can eat your antojitos then and there. Most people, however, use this colorful truck for a grab-and-go lunch or pick up the two dozen spicy pork tamales pre-ordered over the phone. Either way, you’ll walk away with an excellent meal at a reasonable price. Cash only. Food Rundown photo credit: Sylvio Martins Tamales These tamales are masa-heavy, and, in this case, that’s a fantastic thing. Tamales Elena’s steamed masa is plush, salted, and subtly sweet, and the main reason why these tamales are some of LA’s finest. You can order yours wrapped in corn husks or banana leaves and choose from fillings like cheese with jalapeño, shredded chicken in tart salsa verde, or tender pork in a spicier-than-expected salsa roja. There’s no wrong choice, but we highly suggest asking for the tamal especial #2, which means your tamales arrive bathed in barbacoa consomme loaded with chunks of beef. photo credit: Sylvio Martins Tacos Dorados You’ll hear everyone ordering these freshly fried tacos and for good reason. They arrive hot in your hands, shiny but not oily, and full of rich barbacoa seasoned with all the salt this taco needs. Drizzle in the truck’s zippy salsa verde and dunk your taco into the chile-stained consommé for maximum flavor." - Sylvio Martins

"Afro-Mexican traditional cook Maria Lorenzo and her talented daughters serve regional dishes from La Costa Chica on a trailer in Watts, like mole costeño, spicy menudo rojo made with chile costeño, and tamales in banana leaves. Whether pork in salsa roja, chicken in salsa verde, or cheese and spinach, the banana leaf tamales are the real tradition from Lorenzo’s region in the Mexican state of Guerrero, with a fatty masa soaks up the spicy stews and delivers a lot of flavor. Corn husk tamales are available as well. Open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. until sold out., Monday to Saturday, and until 1 p.m. or until sold out on Sunday." - Bill Esparza

"Los Angeles “Tamales Elenas Y Antojitos is the only Afro-Mexican restaurant in LA, with a menu highlighting dishes from Chef Maria Elena Lorenzo’s home state of Guerrero, Mexico. Like most people, I always order the pozole, but deep down in my secret place, the pescadilla is the star of the show for me. Thin, crispy, and filled with perfectly stewed fish, this made our top-ten tacos in LA for good reason. Throw in a beef tongue guisado and one of their namesake tamales, and you’ve got one of the most soul-penetrating meals I’ve eaten all year.” - Brant Cox, LA Editorial Lead" - team infatuation

"We are definitely still mourning the closure of Tamale Elena’s Bell Gardens restaurant, but luckily, their tamales are not gone forever. You can preorder their fantastic tamales by the dozen or half dozen from their food truck in Watts, with current variations including chicken with salsa verde, strawberry, and cheese-jalapeño. Call or text the number on their Instagram bio to place your pickup order. We haven’t been here yet, but want you to know this spot exists." - Team Infatuation