Tamales Lilianas

Simply put: classic Mexican food filled with flavor and nostalgia, terrific tamales, enchiladas, menudo, pozole, and molés. Reasonably priced and excellent customer service leave nothing else to be desired! Oh, and their Jamaica & Horchata taste like your abuela made it this morning!

Always down for Tamales at Liliana’s when I’m in town. The menu has variety of traditional Mexican dishes too but the tamales are a tradition for me. Champurrado is amazing and well balanced in flavor.

I had the Carne Adobada (Marinated Meat). Super delicious. Recommend it wet (that's what she said). The pozole was great just needed a little more flavor hence the Polozera bottle which goes perfect with it if you like spice like I do. Gives it a little kick. The tamales were delicious. Cheese and Chicken were perfect. Pork was a little dry but perfect flavor. The elote tamale was sweet & delicious. Beans were really good.Overall, 9.1 out of 10. Service was great. Parking is okay. The lot they have is a little small but street parking is an hour. Thank you very much.

If you're seeking genuine Mexican cuisine in East Los Angeles, look no further than Tamales Liliana's two locations. Both restaurants, owned by the same proprietor, offer a delightful culinary experience that captures the essence of traditional Mexican cooking. The flagship location on Cesar Chavez Avenue boasts a more spacious setting, though parking can be limited. Meanwhile, the smaller 1st Street restaurant relies on street parking but compensates with notably helpful staff that elevates the dining experience. Both establishments are impeccably clean and well-staffed. The tamales are consistently very good—substantial and flavorful—while the chilaquiles deserve special mention as some of the finest in the area. The menu showcases authentic Mexican dishes prepared with care and traditional techniques. Non-Spanish speakers should approach with patience, as the authentic atmosphere extends to the predominantly Spanish-speaking staff. This minor communication challenge adds to the cultural immersion rather than detracting from it. The 1st Street location stands out particularly for its attentive service. The staff's helpfulness creates a welcoming atmosphere that complements the delicious food perfectly. Both restaurants contribute vibrant local color to East LA's culinary landscape, making either spot worth the trip. Whether you choose the roomier Cesar Chavez location or the cozier 1st Street spot, Tamales Liliana delivers an authentic Mexican dining experience that rewards the journey.

I was here from a recommendation in the Facebook group "SGV Eats" for tamales. I've been looking for a place to pick up a bunch of tamales at a time. I called ahead to place an order, and they had it ready for pick up. I paid with a credit card, so I was charged an extra 4%. The total was about $36 for 12 tamales. I had no problems with parking (they do have a small parking lot) because I was in and out. The reason for three stars is the tamales weren't as great as they were described to be. Maybe my expectations were too high. They were hot when I picked them up. But when we started to eat them, they got dry very quickly. I got six pork and six beef. The inside seating area looks spacious. They also have a large covered patio outside.

Food was ok, this is a local institution I understood. However, for being in the heart of East Los Angeles I thought it was extremely pricey. Our server was kind but hardly came around. The food my son ordered was excellent, but my caldo/soup was pretty much slopped together and the leg and thigh were tough as rocks. Very disappointing. Respectfully I still tipped well but unfortunately I can’t recommend this overrated establishment.

POZOLE is not the same as before and very little meat enough for one tostada and watery. SERVICE was horrible from that one girl, we where there for hour, and she only came twice, once to bring food and 40min later to ask if we needed anything, which I wanted water but not 40 minutes into my meal, I also had to get up to ask for a check, she also forgot my Tamal that I had ordered. It was Sunday and it was slow, not packed, empty outside, no reason to be slow on our table. All other waiters where attending their clients just fine.

I highly recommend this place. Just prepare yourself for the service not bad .... but not good either. The tamales were so good!!! The pozole was amazing!!! The shrimp plate was so good. Flan was good. The place was so cute I didn’t like the pigeon on the ceiling, but whatever. The service can improve, the we sat at the patio and the young lady forgot about us. We needed napkins and wanted refills, they didn’t check in on us. I left a terrible tip because the food was good, but the service left a bad taste in our mouths. It was unfortunate because the chefs deserved a tip, but not the waitress. Next time I go and get the same service I need to figure out how do I tip the cooks abs not the waitress

Popular among the locals! Definitely busy during the morning and evening. Grandma approved. "Ya se pueden casar"! Lol We always get our Tamales here and that is their specialty! They have a variety of Mexican dishes and dine in seating for a very casual, cozy, home like dine in. Parking: there is small parking lot, along with free street parking

I've had their tamales, tacos dorados and champurado. I really like their tamales. My favorite is the cheese tamale. The masa is thick and the cheese inside is so tasty. Each tamale is $3. The tacos dorados were good, but they were tiny. The champurado was tasty and I had pan dulce at home that I dipped in it. I just wish that they didnt make it as thick. Also if you get it to go, they serve it in a container with a lid instead of a coffee cup, so you won't be able to drink it until you get home. Tamales and champurado are always piping hot, so be careful with your first bite/drink.

Updated menu as of October 2024. Champurrado is very delicious as well as the tamales! My favorite were the green ones.

We had a group of 20 and they were able to take care of us all in timely fashion - I loved the food and will come back for sure - only negative was they were out of sweet tamales when we visited

It is so hard to buy tamales when the ones made at home always taste the best. We went all American this holiday and decided to do a prime rib roast but woke up on Christmas morning unable to ignore our desire for tamales on Christmas. Drove down on a whim and stood in line which was not too long and went by quickly! you get to the front and place your order then stand off to the side and once the order is ready, they charge you out. You can pay with card but expect a 4% fee. My all time fav is the rajas con queso which is chili and cheese. it was so moist and delicious and soo worth it! I also liked the red pork and the green chicken. Tried a couple just for fun like the elote and strawberry. You can preorder for pickup!

Los tamales de elote estaban malos tenían algo duro adentro como parte de la mazorca y no me gustó además de la larga espera por eso no me gusta ir ahí

Food is delicious! Got a bad fresh OJ squeeze but got it replaced with new and the atmosphere cont. to be mom kitchen style. Pans making noise in the background and people chatting. Only Down side, pricy than most places.

I used to love coming here for breakfast but it has gone DOWN HILL! Beware! I drove 30 minutes to get here to get cheese tamales. NOT ONLY DID THEY CHARGE ME $5 for salsa (which used to be free) but the tamales are expensive. $25 for 6 tamales AND THEY DONT EVEN HAVE CHEESE! Wtf? See images attached

What we got: - Chilaquiles con 2 Huevos Estrellados / (Chilaquiles with 2 sunny side up eggs): $16.25 - Pozole: Plato Grande (Large Plate) $15.75 I loved it; it's a big portion, so I recommend sharing it with another person or getting the smaller portion if you can and still take some leftovers home. - Menudo, plato Chico (Small Plate) con pata (foot): $12.75 - Tamales Por Dozena (By Dozen): $30.00; two of the following (ended up getting all flavours) -- Chile Rojo Con Carne -- Chile Verde Con Carne -- Pollo Con Verduras -- Dulce (Pasitas con Piña) -- Elote -- Fresa I didn't particularly enjoy the tamales after the fact, so I want to give it a try in-person and not as take-out. - Café de Olla (coffee in a mug): $3.25 (No refills) - Jugo de Naranja (orange juice): $4.25 Service is quick and non-fussy. There's plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, but it does get busy, with lines forming for brunch time. Just be aware that that if you do sit outdoor, there are a lot of flies and small mosquitoes; sometimes they'll remember to give the automatic fly swatter. Some flies to come inside too. You can also place a pick-up order - there's a secondary line on the side to pay and pick-up your order. Parking is tight though; while they have some spots in their parking lot in front of hte restaurant, more than likely, you're going to end up having to parking on the street.

Love this place very much but I've notice that they really need a bus*boy cause tables last a while without clearing them up

I decided to eat inside and Ordered Menudo n Chilaquiles.. Our waiter took long, besides that, I noticed that my table and the next table the "Red n Green Sauce" did not get changed, 2 families had the same Sauce! I was food Poisoned after and blamed this, Called Manager Claudia said "That would never happen here"I told her the feedback not asking for a ReFund, BAD SERVICE.. Disappointed.. Hope Real Management fixes this. BE READY TO PAY 4% IF PAYING W A DEBIT CARD!!

Decided to try Lillianas for some last minute holiday tamales and I'm glad to report they are delicious! I got the cheese and chile flavor and there was plenty of both in the tamale, which had very moist masa. It was addicting and I wish I ordered more! My sister tried the pork red sauce one and also proclaimed it as delicious. They are three dollars each and a good size.

I used to love this place so much. Recently I went and paid $92.00 for three dishes and cafe de olla. And 3 tamales. The prices have risen so much and chilaquiles with two eggs plain with no cheese or sour cream $17.75. I guess that everything has gone up, but make it make sense. Fried chips in green salsa is not with $17.75. Plus they charge 4% for using debit card? The large menudo plate is smaller. We even asked if it was a large and the waiter said yes. Its was a small bowl. As much as I like this place, I think I'm going to stop coming here. The staff is great, always good service, but it's gotten ridiculous expensive. It's now a little luxury to eat here. Food is good, but overly expensive for the type of food. What once was an affordable place to come eat comfort Mexican food with your family is now, an expensive once in a while treat.

I came here several weeks ago to try their tamales to order some for Christmas. They weren't bad, I've had better but decided to go ahead and switch up this year from going to my regular spot. Bad decision!! So I called today to place my pre-order of Christmas tamales and was told that I had to come to the restaurant and order them there. We don't live close to the restaurant but had to get this done so we drove all the way there. I get to the counter, then told that they don't take pre-orders and would need to come back on the day I wanted the tamales, which is 12/23 for Christmas Eve. This was incredibly frustrating because I was told on the phone that I had to come to the restaurant and got there and now being told to come back on the day I wanted the tamales. No pre-order!! I just wish that was initially communicated to me and I wouldn't have bothered driving all the way there. I really don't understand why they don't accept paid pre-orders! This was a total inconvenience and I'll never come back here again!! I left here and drove to my regular spot, La Moscota and placed my pre-order. Their tamales are better and it's a far better managed restaurant!!

THIS RESTAURANT RIPPED ME OFF. They actually stole from me! A few days before Christmas 2023, I bought a dozen tamales, and 4 additional tamales. Their menu noted that if you buy a dozen - the charge would be $35, and each add tamale would be $3 each. When the bill was presented to me by an older man which took my order, I pointed out that the price didn't seem right. I showed him the menu. They charged me $35 (this part was correct) & They charged me $5 for each additional tamale instead of what their menu advertised. I told the man about it and he said that since I'm paying a discounted rate for a dozen, they had to charge me more for each tamale. I told him that the menu did not note this. He just shrugged his shoulders and told me to pay now. I'm a woman, I was alone and I was in a hurry, so I paid what he demanded on my credit card. We're only talking about approximately $8 more dollars, however it is the principal of the matter. How he treated me has everything to do with this business's integrity and honesty, both of which this business lacked me. Don't buy from this business because they selectively decide who they are going to be honest with, verses who they are going to be dishonest with. They don't treat all customers the same. I am very disappointed.

Man this place sure went down hill , I haven't been here in over 4 years and decided to finally give them another chance today.. to start off the tamales were All reheated , which came out hard and burnt !! There's Nothing fresh about this place , they just reheat everything on a microwave and sell it to you . I order 2 de pollo with verduras and 2 de dulce .. and all of them had lil to NO taste whatsoever and the burnt taste is horrible .. the masa was hard , felt like you were eating a crunchy taco that's how hard the masa was . And the worst part about all this is that each tamale is freaken expensive $3 each and $8 for a large champurrado !!! The reviews don't lie folks , this place SUCKS!! Nothing authentic about this place unless you like microwave tamales that are burnt and taste like water !! NEVER coming back here again !!

The restaurant was busy but did have tables available and we're attended to quickly with a great demeanor. The Server was pleasant and served us in a timely manner even though more customers continued to arrive. The chillaquiles with steak were delicious and my wife enjoyed her taco plate. It was a great experience and the Server definitely deserved the 30% tip!

The tamales were so disappointing they are not the same like before they have lost the favor and they have a very small amount of food inside. They are getting cheap and still charging the same price. So sad this was my place to come and have some delicious tamales. I'm from EastLos and came to visit from San Diego. So sad, never coming back to you restaurant again. So is my Dad that lives in EastLos.

After a routine eye appointment, I decided to walk and browse local businesses with a friend. Immediately I seen nothing but a huge yellow tent from my location. As I grew closer I became more Thrilled as I seen the signage that read Lilliana's Tamales in huge red letters. Excited!!!! Could not wait Honestly ! Parking lot was full not that it has plenty parking at the moment. I believe the tent set up has taken part of parking. Good thing I walked to this location. There is street parking ! I tend to shy away from streets myself. Things were busy upon arrival, plenty of seating under the tent tables. Biiggest concern & downfall for me truly were the flies. It is hard to control I'm assuming we are in an open space at the same time Lilliana's Tamales have done there best to provide an open business safely. Once we were seated Let's say I was thrilled eager to try thier Tamales tis the season. Funny thing is I est one or two and done lol. I asked for suggestions I was handed a menu. Maybe I'm being silly however, I was a first timer just asking. She was busy managing tables. I most certainly recieved A cheese Tamale and Beans. Kept it simple I assumed i would get salsa My plate certainly didn't attract the eye. However, I gave it a try dug in and wished I had some sort of salsa on my tamale next time I'll ask beans were good. I was honestly hoping for chips and salsa being a mexican restaurant. I had water they had no available Diet. Our visit was brief. I'm most definitely coming back another day just may have been off but I'd give it another shot besides I read reviews they are ranted about. !

They have one of the best menudos I've ever had 10 out 10 I would recommend it.. They are known for their tamales but their menudo is top tier...

The food is good, I always have the pozole here and it's always consistent The service is always good as well but this last time I went we got a woman server older lady And she was very hesitant and felt like she was trying to serve us and get us out of there quickly So when my family and I were finished eating my girlfriend went up to pay She payed with a credit card and our server asked her if she wanted to add anything She was asking for a tip After our bad service and her not checking in on us regularly she was still asking for a tip Every time I eat at this place I leave a big cash tip This place isn't the same I am not coming here anymore

Awesome food, good prices and very friendly employees. Tamales here are the absolute BEST!! People travel from EVERYWHERE for the tamales. During my recent visit, I met a couple that drove from Palm Springs specifically to purchase ten dozen tamales AND a woman that drove from Santa Barbara for the same items. Outdoor seating is large and plenty of tables which are usually crowded. The real negative about this place is the parking. Parking lot is small so you'll have to find parking on the street. Overall, a great experience

Honestly the pozole and champurrado are delicious! The tamales are basically just the maza and a few strings of meat or maybe I just gotten the bad ones these past 3 times. They don't check up on you unless you waive them down and most of the time the waitresses look like they are in a bad mood. I will continue to recommend the pozole because I haven't had better elsewhere but only if you don't care for customer service.

Visited this spot with an old friend, the service was great. I ordered a wet carne asada burrito, it was topped with cheese and chile verde. It was so good I ordered another to go. It was only $10.95. We also had tamales topped with same chile verde. Parking was ok for this area. The ambiance was average, our waitress was amazing. Overall the food was fresh, service was great. I been going back for my Wet Burrito fix. I love to support the spots. When they in fact deserve it.

The tamales are frozen. They are not fresh. You can't taste the freezer. Last time I ate their breakfast I got sick. They USED to be good. Not anymore.

My absolute FAVORITE for tamales! But, I just left there and ordered some vegetarian tamales for my friend--and they gave me CHICKEN in error!! I'm SO bummed. And so is he. He can't eat them.

Looking for amazing fresh tamales? Look no further! Liliana's is definitely a LA Icon spot for tamales. During the holidays you better get there early because you will find a long line and most likely a news crew covering this delicious spot. Masa to meat ratio is perfect and flavor of the pork/red sauce is delicious. They don't overprice their tamales and have great quick service for pickup. Do yourself a favor and get there early in the morning to beat the rush and walk away knowing that you've beat the rush and will be a hit at the dining table. Plenty of street parking available out front if their parking lot fills up.

The food was great! The cafe de olla on ice was good! and they have gluten free options if you ask em. Would come back here again!

Great service. Great tamales, especially the elote.. loved the jamaica drink....loved the open seating and the wall murals....just be aware weekends are massively crowded...the wait is long for a table...the parking lot at noon impossible tho they do have valets...I was lucky to find residential street parking. But they do have coveted dining al fresco to help get that long Sunday line grow shorter...despite the busyness, no one rushed us....overall it was a fun and yummy dining experience for our party of four. But uh, go on a weekday if you can.

Had the best tamales but as time went by they forgot to take care of their on going customers. I went here yesterday I spent almost 80$ on tamales and I asked for salsa cos lately there tamales are lowkey dry and the lady in front refused to give me salsa and wanted me to pay for it after I'm spending so much they can't even offer salsa? Crazy if you come here beware of the lack of customer service.

We ordered tamales from this place several years ago for work around Xmas time and everyone loved them. However, something has changed! We ordered a few chicken tamales and a few cheese and chile tamales to go. I was really excited to eat these tamales but was sadly disappointed. First off, the chicken was bland, no flavor whatsoever. Tasted like straight up boiled chicken. The only way I was able to eat it was by pouring a lot of salsa on it. The second chicken tamale I had the next day barely had any chicken and was just thick masa. I mean at $3.00 a tamale you expect a decent amount of meat and some flavor to it. Also, consistency of the meat was completely off in each tamale. For a dozen tamales we paid $36.00! You get a better deal at Costco...12 tamales for $18.00 and they are very good. Should've stuck with Costco!

Complimentary parking Fast service Reasonable prices First time here and I got seated very fast! Food came out as fast as I ordered it. Tamales were a bit on the dry side, but still tasty. The cafe de olla was delicious.

I love Lilianas. I mean, it doesn't get better then closest to homemade Mexican food. From their Chilaquiles to their Menudo and Pozole and so many more great options. We come to this restaurant very often. The service here has always been outstanding. Very friendly servers and quick to attend. I recommend trying their Menudo. They serve it on Saturdays and Sundays. Just be prepared to wait in line to be seated. Inside of the restaurant, they have a few TV's which most of the time, they're always playing a soccer and basketball games (some live tv as well). So if that's your vibe, you'll definitely enjoy it even more. I recommend this place! You have to give it a try. If you're reading this, trust me. My top 5 plates: 1. Menudo 2. Pozole 3. Chilaquiles Rojo 4. Albóndigas 5. Machaca MUST TRY CAFE DE OLLA!!!

Tamales were not that great . I expected more from a place that does Tamales. The pork tamales were dry . The cheese were ok too thin. The coffee prices are alittle over price .

Went here today with my husband as we saw it on the news and had to check it out. We decided to have lunch. It's was excellent and the service we got from our waitress Romy was even BETTER. We also took a dozen of tamales home and they were so good. We look forward to returning and will request our waitress Romy again. Great restaurant!

Had been hearing so much about their food and was finally able to experience it for myself. The restaurant has lots of indoor seating as well as a patio; however that wasn't available on account that the day we went it was pouring rain. They have a counter outside I'm assuming is for to-go orders. You can also place your order inside as well at the register. They are very popular for tamales so I'm assuming that's why they have two windows to be able to order from. The service was good considering they were busy, the food came out fast and the server was attentive. I ordered tacos dorados de papa and it was delicious! They have a big menu and I look forward to trying other dishes in the future!

The food is still pretty good here. Been coming here for years for special occasions. Tonight was a complete shitshow, I doubt I'll give them any business anymore. The prices are much higher now. The service is GARBAGE. After being sat at a table, the waitress took our drink order and then disappeared for 15 minutes. Finally got our drinks, placed our order for food. Food took a little while to come out. After that, she disappeared again! No refill and no chips (apparently you have to pay for chips now, WTF?!) and we had to flag down another waitress for our check. They also tack on a 4% charge for credit cards. Good luck getting a tip with shit service and ripping people off with higher prices and a bullshit 4% charge!!

Tamales were good and their system during the holidays is efficient. The tamales were a little dry but they're good enough for tamales in the 11th hour if you need them for the holidays like we did!

Over priced. Not worth it, over rated! Paid $8.27 fir this small cup of beans, only because it was 90 degrees hot and first place I seen on my drive

Food is amazing! Great service! Everything I've had reminds me of my mom home cooked meals. It's authentic real Mexican food.

I love the tamales here!!! There's also so many other breakfast options that you must try. Here are my recommendations: The café de olla is delicious! Chilaquiles verde yum! Pork and verde tamale Rajas con queso tamale Chicken and veggie tamale Parking can be a bit tight in the parking lot there is plenty of street parking around the place. Pricing is a little bit higher, but you do get quite a bit of food. The only con is occasionally the tamales can be dry. Hopefully you're able to catch them on a good day. I've only had that happened to me twice and I've been many times.

Liliana's has been a main stay and a go to for tamales for as long as I can remember. But am I the only one that have noticed the quality of the making of the tamales have gotten sloppy and over cooked? I get that they are always busy but it seems they are concerned about quantity over quality. Lately the red and green tamales have been dry and the masa is smeared all over the damn place. Granted they still taste good but total party foul with the dry masa.

Prices are very high for mediocre Mexican food and ambiance. We gave this a few tries in case it was just a bad day but nope.

The food was delicious i got a nopales Gordita and chilaquiles. First time i try the cafe de olla was to sweet for me. The server helped by adding regular coffee. Was perfect after that. Lot of space for you to sit. What i learn was you need to let someone know you want a table before sitting.

Not great. Dry masa and little meat in tamale. They need to improve quality. It's mass produced so not recommending this place.

3.5 Found this place on Google maps, thought I'd give it a try because I absolutely love tamales. There is a large indoor and outdoor seating. I was there during brunch hour on a weekday, so it was not too busy. The outdoor seating has a lot of flies and small mosquito so I got that a couple times. The menu is available all day per the waitress. The waitress was very nice, and very attentive. I wanted to try the tamales, so I got red and green pork. It came out fairly quickly and they are pretty large! I have to say the tamales were just OK. I expected them to be really good because this place is named tamales Lillianas, but I found them to be quite dry, masa was not very flavorful either. They gave me a side of red and green salsa. I'm not sure that I would come back again for the tamales, it looks like they have posole, which is one of my favorites, so I may or may not try that in the future. I'd say if you're in the area stop by, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come eat here.

I had the chilaquiles they were so good. The coffee needs improvement, not strong at all a little watered down but the food was delish.

What has happened to the Tamales ? Dry tasteless ! All masa with no flavor whatsoever! I don't recommend this place to anyone! They need to go back to the drawing board and do something about the Tamales ! Save your money people !

We were very disappointed in the tamales. I bought 5 different kinds and they were all mostly masa. The red and green pork tamales were super dry. It's too bad because the little bit of the green sauce that I did taste on the corner of one was really good. The cheese and rajas had barely any rajas. I had heard so many good things about this place and was excited to to try but I'll have to keep looking for a tamale place.