Tamales La Pasadita Restaurant

I came here for the tamales but also tried some of their tacos and a mango agua fresca. The tamales de pollo en salsa roja was phenomenal and you can't beat the price of $2 / tamales. I had been on a bad run with tamales so it was nice to find a place that is doing it right. The masa was cooked perfectly and you can tell that they are pulling the chicken by hand. The tacos were also great and the mango agua fresca was super refreshing. I'd happily come back here again and indulge myself in their delicious tamales.

Do not judge this book by it’s cover! What it lacks in atmosphere it more than makes up with what it delivers. Delicious food and excellent service. Highly recommend their tamales and homemade drinks!

This place may not look at beautiful on the out side, However the food is delicious and 10000% authentic! I have been coming to this restaurant for years and it is the BEST in Charlotte! You want real tamales? You want good good quality? This is the place !!! It's truly a GEM

The pozole soup was amazing! Tamales were delicious. I’m super critical of my Mexican food too. This will be my go to spot from here on out.

Just found this place and am addicted to the tamales. Check it out for sure.

As authentic as authentic gets. Best Street Tacos in CLT. Recomendaría este lugar para comer.

Excellent comida, numero de telefono actualizado.

I came from California to Charlotte on a job and was happy to find a high rated Mexican restaurant on Yelp. Tamales Las Pasadita was excellent authentic Mexican food ! It was lunchtime and I ordered the (5) Tacos Dorados plate which are 5 delicious golden lightly fried shredded chicken tacos with sour cream, shredded lettuce, and a slice of tomato on top. Fast & friendly service. Good price too. I'll be back. ¡Perfecto Gracias!

Unless you know a good tamalera and you have a way to contact them directly to make you a good batch of tamales in their kitchen, there really aren't any good options for tamales in Charlotte. Well, let's face it, there isn't any good Mexican food in Charlotte... hard stop. But, this is one for the better options if you want traditional Mexican tamales. I have not had anything else here, only tamales and they're pretty good. This is also dependent on when you go (day and/or time). Their 3 tamales special is fairly cheap for $11-$12 and come with rice and beans. I say that the quality is a bit dependent on date/time, but this is slightly just a natural issue with the tamales themselves, and how long they can sit in the steamer. Sometimes, they can be a little dry. The only drawback is that the dough to filling ratio can be a little lob sided towards the doughy, which isn't the best. But, flavor-wise, you can't go wrong here!

One of the very few places in Charlotte serving authentic Mexican food. The dishes are non-Americanized, so you get the real deal. When I miss taco stands in Cali, I go here.

Fantastic hidden gem for traditional Mexican food. Definitely recommend for take out.

We noticed this place recently opened up in our neighborhood and of course had to try it out! We picked two tamales for our appetizers (cheese and chicken), we also had a Carnitas Burrito with Rice and Beans and we also had three tacos (Carne Asada and Chorizo with Potatoes). The sauce they provided with the order where so good, spicy, but tasty! Only giving 4 stars because by the time we got there, they ran out of a lot of stuff and we only had limited options. We will be back, next time just earlier during the day.

I learned about this place on Yelp and we gave it a try for lunch. Just like the prior reviews mentioned, this place is sparking clean. It's most likely your first impression when you walk in. We sat at the "bar" (no alcohol, just high top surface and bar stools). We were warmly welcomed to order. If you slightly know Spanish, this is where you can put it into practice because the menu is in Spanish and the employees speak Spanish. Although most of the items have a translation for you to figure out what the items are, the hiccup is when you start asking questions for clarification. Either way, we were able to figure it all out and I enjoyed the experience. I ordered two pastor tacos and one pork tamale. This was my first time trying a tamale and I only have one word to describe it, "different!" But a good different! I can't really compare it to anything but each bite I took I kept saying "this is interesting." I took a second to even Google it. My husband ordered two chicken tacos with rice and beans. He enjoyed his dish as well. We topped our meal off with two pineapple frescas. It was so fresh that we ordered a large cup so we could take some to go. Overall, I'm glad we ventured off to this business. We enjoyed our experience and our food!

Delicious and authentic and affordable. If you love tamales, this is your place. Just go.

I lived in AZ over 50 years and had access to some amazing tamales. One bite transported me back to Tucson. I'm so glad I got a mixed dozen- pork with green sauce, chicken with red sauce, and cheese with jalapeños. Sounds so good I may have another one for lunch!

You know what they say. Tamale is another day. One of the best places to eat in all of Charlotte with some of the most delicious Mole you can imagine. I would know. I have a Mole on the inside. Also, absolutely wonderful service and good prices and probably my favourite meal in the whole city that I've had so far - and I've had quite a few good ones. Like The Cure, I come to "Charlotte Sometimes", and when I do, I come here. Really... One of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at in North Carolina. The prices aren't bad and the food is spectacular. The service is as good as the food. The mole is second-to-none and absolutely dreamy, perfect and delicious. The tamales are the excellent kind wrapped in banana leaves, and are amazing as well. It's a very unheralded little place, so make sure you stop by when you're in North Carolina to try some of the best Mole I've had anywhere in the country. Eat here quickly. Before the world ends as predicted by Dennis Quaid. Oh wait, that was that movie, The Day After Tamale. Prices aren't dirt cheap, but then neither is your Dad. Oh wait, he is. And don't try to kill your Tamale. Because Tamale Never Dies.

Look for the sign that says Tamales if you blink you will miss it. A small unassuming building is a church on one side and a restaurant on the other. Not really sure what to expect was pleasantly surprised the restaurant was bright and clean. The gals running the place this day were sweet but speak little English. That said keep an open mind and a good attitude and you will get what you want. Two chicken tamales were ordered came in a red sauce instead of verde. Was a bit disappointed until tasting them. Texture was right and had plenty enough filling. Three containers wete placed in front of me. Verde a green salsa, red salsa and crema if needed. Taking my time staryed looking around. There are two menues one written on a board the other over head. Not knowing Spanish was still able to understand some of the menu and the prices. If in the area do give this place a try.

Delicious! The lady I ordered from did not speak English but we made it work. Tamales were delicious, the sauce is very spicy which I like. Must try

Great food, the tamales are fantastic. Would definitely recommend and I'll be back real soon

I absolutely LOVE this place but the last 7 times I have come the doors were locked/closed...each time during their listed open hours. I'm sitting in the restaurant now and they said due to staffing issues their hours of operation are now 8-4pm m-sun. Seems they are cutting back on the amount of carnitas and cheese/jalapeño tamale production due to lack of customers too. Super sad bc they have the best in town!!

Doesn't look like much, a unique authentic Mexican restaurant. The tamales were amazing, I was so full and still wanted more. They provided crema, verde salsa y rojo salsa. They had few agua choices, I would've loved some lemon water, and they were out of Asada tacos.

I'm waiting to check in to my air bnb and seriously hungry after hitting the breweries last night. The building is so unassuming you may miss it but don't! I ordered the lunch special, 3 tamales with rice and beans. I love tamales. I order them everywhere I go and these were amazing. I ordered the tamales de pollo en salsa rojo and smothered them in the hot sauce the lady behind the counter gave me. The tamales are soft and the meat is juicy. The rice and beans are flavorful and a great change of pace from the spice of the tamales. If I lived here, I'd be a regular. Definitely hit this place up if you're in the area. It's a hidden spot not to be missed.

I've always wished I had a Mexican grandma. A little old lady who would speak to me in Spanish, make me tamales and pinch my cheeks. Tamales La Pasadita might just fill that void. When we arrived for dinner around 8pm on a Saturday night, we were the only ones in the small restaurant. We sat at the counter and chatted with the friendly young man taking our order. He speaks beautiful English by the way, in case anyone was worried about a language barrier. We ordered a little bit of everything... Tacos (even the lengua!), tamales, rice & beans, a tostada and aguas frescas. Everything was delicious, especially when we added the red hot sauce and sour cream from the squeeze bottles. The real stars were the tamales though! I tasted the chicken, queso & jalapeño (my favorite) and pineapple. The aguas frescas are the perfect way to cool off your mouth from too much hot sauce. I loved the watermelon, Ted enjoyed his pineapple. I swear, I think I could live on tamales and aguas frescas alone... Happy to have discovered another authentic spot in Charlotte!

This is a cute place with delicious food! Staff is very kind and happy! I am from Tucson AZ And this spot fills my craving for good from home!

It's a very hole in a wall place. You kinda get thrown off by what's around it and the small parking space. Once inside doesn't look all that great either but the food definitely makes up for it. I got the burrito with two tamales rojos, while my girlfriend got two tamales rojos as well and two tacos de carnitas. When ordering they did apparently ran out of carne asada for tacos so that was kinda disappointing, so just watch out for things being out. I just think if they are out I expect fresher food if they have a limited amount or because of covid getting certain things are tight. I got a watermelon water which tasted pretty good too. All in all it was good but the area and the parking was meh and the inside was meh.

Do not miss this cozy restaurant and its authentic, tasty and extensive menu. Cheerful, welcoming and comfortable for a conversational meal with family or friends. This is not a nachos and guacamole joint. It is a sturdy neighborhood eatery that has served the Mexican/Cental American community in Charlotte for five years now. Who wouldn't want to be a part of this?

The most authentic tamales in Charlotte. We ordered about 5 dozen over the holidays. They were great fresh and after freezing.

I've been trying to find the best tacos in Charlotte and I am still on the search. Got there around 6:30pm. It's pretty hidden. I've been driving down plaza road all the time and never noticed it. It was very dead and quiet, but clean. Parking was a little bit sketchy, but I had no other choice. I ordered one of each of every variety of taco that they had and wanted to try their famous tamales. I ordered their red chicken tamales. Unfortunately the tamales was a let down. The tamales itself and the chicken was dry. Maybe because it wasn't fresh and they probably had to heat it up, but one compliment is that the masa had a very good flavor to it which I enjoyed. The tacos on the other hand were quite delicious. The meat portion was very generous and the flavor of each one were very delightful. The hot sauces and watered-down sour cream were a nice addition too. For me I like to smother my tacos with sauce, but for this place, you want to be careful because their least spicy sauce is already spicy for me (I'm not a spicy person, but for the average person, it is spicy). I truly enjoyed my taco experience. If it wasn't for the tacos, I would have given this place a 3 and a half star review. One thing I did wish they would have done would be to give me a little more slices of radish to compliment the tacos. Pros: good meat portion for tacos, flavorful meat, clean inside Cons: expensive tacos ($2.75 each), dry tamales, sketchy parking Conclusion: not the best tacos in town

Wow! This place truly took me by surprise! During Love Week the bestie and I decided to take a lunch break between events. So we headed to Tamales la Pasadita. I must say I was a little skeptical but at the same time I'm ALWAYS down to try a place once lol, and if I love it... of course I'm reviewing it and then I'll go back hahaha. Well that has happened for this place! Walking into the restaurant that has the BEST TAMALES in Charlotte I absolutely LOVED how brightly colored the sea foam green. It gave the restaurant so much light and made it feel very refreshing when you walked in. The entire restaurant was SPICK AND SPANE CLEAN! And I take note of everything and this place was spotless! According to the owner his wife likes things to be clean lol. I LOVE IT! The bathrooms were small but understandable due to the size of the restaurant. And the hand wash station was outside of the restroom. So that's good, this way you don't have to worry about touching a door knob after washing your hands. SMART! The entire menu is in Spanish, so if you don't know Spanish, can't read Spanish, or at least know what the basic words mean like {Pollo = Chicken}... You may want to download a translator app. Thankfully I know a little Spanish plus I had my bestie with me lol. I ordered what I could then she went through and made sure I ordered it correctly. Food Although we went for Tamales I also wanted tacos and I do glad I ordered both! The tacos were sooo delicious ! But the tamales were out of this world! Hot, fresh and filling! Everything was made to order and didn't take long to make. Oh and they had Augas Frescas my FAVORITE!!!! This is the first place in Charlotte that I've located it so if I only go back for a full cup of this, I'll be a happy girl. But I'll be back for it all. For all the food we had, our bill was $14.00. Tamales: $2.00 ea Augas: $2.75 ea Tacos: $2.00 ea You can't beat that!

The owner Braulio is attentive and passionate about the restaurant. These tamales are definitely authentic and delicious. All three are different- left to right cheese with a slice of Chile, red sauce with shredded chicken (a little spicy), lastly green salsa with pulled pork. $2 per tamal. The carne asada taco is so fresh- add some of their homemade green salsa and sour cream. $2.75. Their Aguas frescas (fresh juice) are made daily they are out of this world. $2.50 and you can get a refill. This restaurant is a hidden gem with out a doubt. Stop by, you won't regret it!

The food and service was exceptional! The taco's were very tasteful and rich in spices.

Food was simply deliciousness. Had the chicken tamale, chicken and steak taco with rice and beans. The sauce provided was spicy but delicious. The meat was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. Even the rice and beans with that sauce on top was so good. My new go to for authentic Mexican food. Can't wait to try other items.

Don't let the appearance fool you. This is legit and very clean. We got the $8 tamale special with Pollo, Puerto, and jalapeno/queso tamales. One each. It comes with rice and beans. The chicken was a little on the dry side but the pork and cheese tamales were spot on. The black beans were the best I've ever had. The rice was...rice. We also got three tacos. A carnitas, a El pastor and a chicken. These were phenomenal. The pastor was a flashback and the best I've had in Charlotte. This is NOT Tex Mex so don't ask for crunchy ground beef tacos! The Verde sauce! Omg make sure you ask for extra. I could drink that stuff! Glad I found this little spot.

If you care more about good food than ambiance then you will love this place. No frills, just a small room with a counter and some booths. Perfect, I don't want to pay $10 to sit in a fancy room, I come for the food. Ordered three tamales the pollo, puerco, and Coco. All three of them were amazing! The coconut one would especially be good on nights when you're craving a little something sweet. They have a choice of salsa Verde and salsa roja with crema as well. At $2.00 a pop these are definitely worth the price and a great budget lunch.

10/10 recommend. i never know where to get tamales, so i hopped on yelp. this place does NOT disappoint!!!

This is an authentic Mexican restaurant that serves your typical menu PLUS Tamales!!!! I've been here a few times however it truly is one of the best places for... you guessed it, TAMALES! Living far away from Los Angeles it is pretty tough to find the perfect food and most especially a staple like tamales at our home for the holidays. This is also a pretty cool story Braulio the owner who for at least a couple of decades has been serving Charlotte tamales every morning along with his wife out their two food trucks located in different spots if the city, they've worked hard and have had a consistent recipe for great Tamales all through the years and I'm happy to tell you that they are small business owners. Happy and proud that people can achieve their potential and success when they work hard. Please try the most delicious tamales in Charlotte and you'll be back for more soon.

Truly a hidden wonder in Charlotte. The staff are so kind and the food is made with love. This is an awesome hole-in-the-wall, authentic, restaurant. Must try!!!!

Living in Arizona for 37 years I've had more than a few tamales in my time. I also admit that I'm kind of a snob when I come to tamales. With that being said I was more than pleased after sitting down to the daily special of 3 tamales with rice and beans. I went with one each of the jalapeño and cheese, pork, and chicken tamales. I honestly don't know which I loved the best! The green, red, and white salsas were the perfect topping to this outrageous combo. I have to say these were some of the best tamales EVER!! I will be back Update: Went back again with the intent of trying something I haven't tried on the menu. Well.....I went with the tamales again! They were so good the first time I had to have them again. Review of the second time? Just as good as the first!! Great tamales! Yum

Super authentic Mexican food cooked. I think it's the best in Charlotte and I've tried it all on both sides of the border. Tamales made fresh daily, along with menudo, pazole, tacos, mole, etc. Don't the let the outside appearance discourage you, it's an oasis of deliciousness. I've gotten carry out and dined in and it's both been great. They do take credit cards *most* of the time, but I've been a few times when their internet/square reader is down. Come with cash just in case!

This past Saturday I was out with some friends who wanted to check out Tamales La Pasadita. Having never heard of it, no problem. I love trying new places. It is a hidden gem on The Plaza. Although it appears very small from the outside it does goes further back with several booths and single seats down a countertop. Now, don't expect anything fancy, just a good old school restaurant. The menu is on the wall above you and as I checked it out they offer an extensive list of items, Tacos, Tostados, Tamales (of course) and several more. They also have aquas fresca in several different flavors. Having never been I decided to stick to some basics, just to get my bearings down. I ordered two chicken tacos, no cilantro, a carnitas tamale and rice and beans. Everything is cooked to order and can be tailored as you wish, no cilantro, no problem. The food arrived piping hot from the kitchen and was so fresh. The tortillas were heated/fried to perfection and the tacos had a great amount of chicken and onions. The tamale was amazing. And, the rice and beans..definitely order the rice. It was cooked perfect and just the right side to go with my meal. It was hard to not finish them, but I was so full. Tamalas La Pasadita is a definite Taco Joint I will hit again. A true family owned restaurant with great food and service...

Sí, sí, sí! Delicioso! It's worth a stop at the ATM. Cash only. This is a little hole-in-the-wall tamale and street taco restaurant. The seating is limited to a handful of booths and maybe a half dozen seating at the counter. How cozy! Hubs & I packed up the newborn and were on a mission for authentic, fresh tamales. Score! When the plate arrived at our table, we instantly were pleased. The aroma took us back to some of our best vacations. The flavor was savory and the portions were generous. We had a 3-tamale platter special and 2 street tacos for less than $15! And we were completely full and satisfied. What?!! The food is made to order. Employees are very courteous. Wish it were closer to me and I'd become a regular. Guess it's a good excuse to get out of my Charlotte bubble. Go, enjoy, take cash!

Was a very nice experience. Good food, nice people. Think Mexico street food, but CLEAN! They have a 93 health score. If you like tamales you better get here fast.

This is a great, hole in the wall, family friendly place. I feel like I'm eating tamales from a family recipe passed down for generations. Three tamales with rice and beans for $8 is the daily special.

This is an amazing little hole in the wall Mexican and maybe my favorite Burrito in Charlotte. You need some basic Spanish to order and their hours can sometimes be inconsistent however our neighbors and I really love getting food to go from here

I love a good hole in the wall place and this was PERFECT! The tacos & tamales were authentic and savory. A must try! Only 10 mins from uptown and not too busy on a Wednesday which is perfect for lunch!

Ordered tamales for Christmas and they were delicious! Will be back for more. We ordered the chicken, pork and cheese/jalapeño and LOVED them. Highly recommend this place.

If you like tamales, this is your stop. Green sauce with pork are my favorite Tamales . The vegetarian in a banana leave is great also but I wish the could make the same with chicken and red sauce... recommended 100%

If you like Tamales this is a must try- they're awesome. Authentic and very tasty- the best I have ever had. Tried the pork and chicken- pork was my favorite. I'll definitely be back.

As a recent Los Angeles ex-pat, I have a deep burning longing for really good authentic Mexican food. There have been some glimmers of hope and some bitter disappointments along the way (I'm talking to you! Cinco de Mayo! Really?! Liquid queso and bacon bits do not belong on good Mexican food!! SHAME!!) Hermanos y hermanas, I am here to sing the praises of Tamales de Pasadita. Gone are the urges for an authentic barbacoa or al pastor street taco. No longer will you yearn for your Christmas tamale. Fear not the neighborhood or appearance of the rough this diamond is nestled in. A warm smile and a courteous hello await you just inside, as does the best food this reviewer has had in quite a while. Much as gracias a mis amigos por la comida fantástica.

What a hidden gem. Don't judge a book by it cover! This is the MOST authentic Mexican food I've had I Charlotte and it is absolutely delicious. Everything I've order has been amazing. Tacos, tamales etc. don't forget to get the agua fresca!

pollo asado was amazing! a little surprised the chicken was cooked and served with skin on, one taste and i am still thinking about that flavor! very friendly experience, parking was just fine, dining area was clean and tidy. now about the bathrooms... the door frame for the toilet room is appropriately sized for pre-pubescent children and most abuelas. i got a nice chuckle as i ducked into the room to break the seal. somehow i quickly forgot the doorframe was small and proceeded to smash my head into said frame after flushing. huge wow factor, i briefly wondered if rick moranis shrunk the building while i was in the toilet room...then my wits returned. all that to say duck twice in the toilet room.

It's my favorite place to go for traditional Mexican food, hands down the best place for tamales.

Good food. They could be charging much more for this kind of cooking. Boricua stamp of approval.

Very authentic. If you want real Mexican, this is the place to go. I enjoyed their tacos and Pozole De puerco

My absolute favorite place to eat tamales (besides grandma's house) lol. Love the staff and love the food! The tamales are wonderful. And the tacos are huge and so delicious! I just tried the sopes today and those are also super delicious! I love this place and I would recommend it to anyone looking for traditional, home made Mexican food.

This place is amazing love the al pastor tacos I would definitely be coming back here again I really recommend it