Tamalex Restaurant

Great authentic Mexican food. I can’t believe I found my Pozole 👾😭🥰 Great music and service. They said the second location has Mexican Karaoke 🎤 yuuuuu! 😅🥰🙌🏽

A friend of mine told me about this restaurant. We ended up ordering their tacos. So glad she referred us…the tacos are delicious! Even delivery is great. We called and ordered again and they were delivered in a reasonable amount of time and were freshly made. Looking forward to actually eating at the restaurant.

When my girlfriends & I found this restaurant, I felt like I stumbled upon a well kept secret. I’d never heard of it before & was excited to try a new place. I’m so glad we did. The atmosphere was cozy, the service was 10/10 & the food was delicious. I highly recommend the guac & fish tacos.

The güera salad & the shrimp diabla are outstanding! Very friendly & professional staff. Wonderful selection of tequila and mezcal’s. Top notch margaritas. They went above and beyond to celebrate a birthday.

Excellent food, fresh ingredients, great service!

I had the fantastic chilaquiles at the Italian Market Festival and just had to visit the restaurant for more. They did not disappoint! The al pastor tacos were also out of this world. Great fresh ingredients, and fast and friendly service.

Every time I try to write a review, I gobble my food up too fast before I can take pictures! Tamalex's food is just that good. I usually get the Al pastor tacos, which are loaded with flavor, and the guacamole and chips. Their guac is always fresh and their chips are always crunchy and never stale. Plus, the pricing here is very reasonable!

Tamalex is a little gem in Philadelphia, serving up authentic Mexican food that hits all the right notes. As a Mexican living in the U.S., it’s not always easy to find food that reminds me of home, but this place absolutely nailed it. I had the quesadilla de huitlacoche with a handmade, fried tortilla—crispy, flavorful, and just like you’d find in Mexico. The gordita de chicharrón prensado was another standout. The chicharrón was fresh, homemade, and had that perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture. You can really taste the love and care that goes into every dish. It’s a humble spot—nothing fancy—but that’s part of its charm. The focus is all on the food, and it really shows. The service was fantastic, too. The staff was super friendly, attentive, and made sure we felt right at home. I also noticed they serve some Honduran food, and I have to say, I really want to try the pupusas next time. It’s awesome to see them offering flavors from across Central America, making the experience even more special. If you're craving authentic Mexican and Honduran food in Philly, Tamalex is a must-visit.

Stopped by on a Friday night for a table of two and was seated quickly. We ordered the chorizo nachos to start which were so good! For entrees, we got the pambazo and steak enchiladas. Both were amazing, this was the first time we tried a pambazo and it was delicious! Portion sizes were huge and we ended up packing half of our entrees. Also ordered the horchata and tres leches. Definitely a great neighborhood gem

Very good Mexican food served by a friendly staff. Nice ambiance and very clean. That is all I can think of.

Delicious, authentic, affordable, and big portions!! Absolutely loved lunch here and I will dining at Tamalex a lot more. I've tried plenty of Mexican restaurants in the south Philly area and it's hard to pick a "favorite" since many of them are amazing, but Tamalex is top 3.

I ended up at Tamalex one afternoon after work let out early to grab late lunch. Cabeza tacos "al gusto" - which came with grilled cactus and melty cheese in the taco in addition to the usual cilantro and onion, as well as grilled cambray onion and ripe red jalapeno on the side, were probably the best tacos I've had in Philly so far. They were so good that I was sad I ended up there without my wife, so we came back the next day (July 4th, and these folks were doing god's work staying open) and had MORE tacos, this time al pastor. My lovely lady wife had an excellent steak burrito. And their jamaica (hibiscus) agua fresca hits, too. We are coming back and trying other things before too long. Tamalex checks all the boxes - excellent quality of food and presentation, great service, unbelievable value, and a steady stream of really great mariachi band stand videos playing on their TV while you eat. There's really nothing else to say, other than "if you love Mexican food, you need to come here."

A small restaurant in south philly neighborhood with friendly service and filling portions. I've visited three times. First time I bought a burrito with chorizo to go and it was okay. It could've used more flavor, so I drizzled it with the red sauce included, and that was bland as well. I was thinking the food might taste better if I eat at the restaurant, since I waited a while to eat my burrito by the time I got home. The second time I tried a steak dish that wasn't currently on the menu. The plate was filled with food. The steak was tender, but everything was missing flavor, even the guacamole. It didn't taste like they added any lime or flavor at all. I don't even remember the avocado tasting nutty. I used both sauces included, and neither tasted like anything. The third time I got nachos. The tortilla chips are thick and crunchy. The cheese, tomato and gauc topping were all bland. Nothing I ate was very memorable. I wanted to love the food since they have so many great reviews, but for me, it's missing something.

Hole in the wall gem in South Philadelphia! Small, family-owned spot that serves super authentic flavors. Definitely a place to try if you're in the area! ig: gaogirlsgrubbin

I heard great things about this place but my first time experience overall was a bit disappointing. The place smelled like cleaning chemicals upon arrival. Two people in my party commented on that the second we walked in the door. The service was very slow but the workers were nice. It took about 50 minutes for our nachos to come out and then our entrees soon followed not giving us enough time between the two. The food was good but it just took so long to come out and the place wasn't busy at all. I'd probably come back and give it another try but would just sit at the bar.

We had a great experience at Tamalex with our kids. Food was fantastic (including one of the best vegetable plates I've ever had) and our server was kind and patient.

One word- Delicioso. There's nothing better than eating at an authentic Mexican joint. We went on a Tuesday night and the server was busy with phone orders. Even so, she acknowledged us and told us to grab a table. After ordering our food, the chips and sauces were served. Taste: robust flavor. I ordered Al pastor and they served it on a smaller corn tortillas. According to my friend that's the size they use in Mexico rather than the larger size i usually was served. - Their sauces were great. The red one wasn't too spicy and the green one gave a good balance. -I also ordered their "jelly salad". You have to get it from the fridge and it had an interesting taste to it. It's basically jello mixed with a thick sweet cream. I wasn't too keen on this, but had to try. Service: she was busy, so i will let it go. She was kind and catered to our needs. Price: Inexpensive. My al pastor was $9. Some places charge as much as $13. Overall, I will go back and order another Al Pastor bc they did not put pineapples on my tacos and Al Pastor is known to be mixed with pineapple. Also, my friend asked for a cup of water and it tasted...funny. So, you might want to get bottle drinks from the fridge.

Great service. The woman who took my order was super friendly. I've been here multiple times before, and this meal was my best. I ordered a chorizo burrito after a long day at work and it definitely hit the spot. So many great Mexican spots to choose from in South Philly. They also serve Honduran food here as well. I was definitely satisfied. I will keep coming back.

Tamalexian--verb. Of utmost deliciousness; hearty and homecooked. The best food in Philly, period.

Had a steak burrito. I think it was pretty good. The portion was generous. The steak could have been more seasoned. But this was a solid burrito.

Another tasty Mexican spot not on 9th st! GREAT pupusas! I could eat these for every meal for the rest of my life and die happy. Slapped some of their salsas on each bite and enjoyed the side pickled salad thing. My shrimp burrito also had easily over a dozen shrimp in it, it not more. Hefty and very good. Added more salsas for some heat, and it did fall apart on me, but I think that was due to user error. I'm coming back to try their flautas and sopes

If you are looking for authentic Mexican food you've found the right place! Tamalex has a variety of options on the menu so it won't be hard to find something you'll like. I ordered a shrimp quesadilla and it tasted nothing like what I'm used to. The cheese was thick white cheese but it was absolutely delicious and instead of the normal flour tortilla, they used a corn tortilla but it wasn't a grainy corn tortilla and they weren't stingy with the shrimp either. The quesadilla was loaded! I also ordered nachos and a shrimp burrito. Again then we're very generous with their meat! I also ordered a horchata and it was absolutely delicious. I see why this place was packed on a Sunday afternoon. Come here for a real taste of Mexico.

Their pozole and agua fresca was out of this world!! The only thing I recommend is that they skim the oil from the pozole. It was a minor inconvenience but took me a few seconds to clean the meat and grano were delicious highly Recommend!!!

I was in the Italian Market area of Philadelphia and got a sudden craving of tamales. I Yelped a few places and found great reviews here. Definitely not disappointed! I was running low on time so I ordered a few. The person who tended to me explained that their menu is a mix of Hondurian and Mexican cuisine, but they only had Hondurian tamales. I wasn't familiar with them, and he explained the difference. I decided to give them a shot and placed a take out order. Once I got home, I opened them up and they were still warm (tamales were very well wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil and a takeout box). I opened one up and saw it was very soft (not good, not bad, I thought. It was very flavorful and soft. Sometimes tamales turn out too dry, but this one was the opposite. There was a very generous portion of chicken inside too! Very satisfied! I would like to revisit and eat there next time! As I walked in and out of the establishment I saw soups, steak, and tacos that all looked delicious (and again, generous portions).

The Culinary Adventures of Tom Coghlan February 24 · Tonight, I ordered Mexican Food... I can't say enough about, nor can I believe I have gone this long without writing about Tamalex Restaurant at 7th and Federal...http://tamalexphilly.com/. I have been enjoying them for YEARS ! EVERYTHING there is as authentic as you can get. There are things on their menu that you probably never heard of, but are a hell of a lot of fun trying. This is what I usually have them make for me. (It's not on the menu).. Steak and Shrimp Fajita with LOTS of cheese with made to order Guacamole and Fresh Chips and Tortillas I had a half of a bottle of Chardonnay, in the fridge and figured, what the hell. there IS shrimp... IT WAS GREAT!

Just had lunch here... really good - quesadilla, beef tongue tacos, etc. no pictures available to post because the food is now all in our tummies!

We usually/often order takeout food from Tamalex. The food is always great! The place is simple, clean, unpretentious. Service when we pick up and occasionally dine in is always excellent!!

Tamalex is hands down the best restaurant in the city. I found out about this hidden gem through Jay Critch's most recnet mixtape where he drops them by name. tamalex is bussin , no kizzy. Imagine going literally anywhere else in the city ????

genuinely amazing food. ate one there in person, and everything was flavorful and fresh. i recommend the hibiscus drink! the chips were clearly house made and the salsas were great. i've also ordered doordash from here and the food definitely holds up. will be coming back frequently!

The review is for the tamales which is available in the morning on weekends. I called at 10 in the morning for pickup and they are piping hot. The cornmeal is so smooth, not too skimpy on the fillings, pretty good flavor. The size is pretty big. Perfect for breakfast. Not spicy.

This is my favorite place for Mexican food around. I always come here when I'm in the area. I have traveled a lot and the Camarones a La Diabla here are the best I have ever had by far. The staff are nice and attentive always. This is the only place I'll eat Mexican food in Philly.

Came here for last minute tacos on my way home. There were about 5-6 groups ahead of us waiting for pickup orders but the orders come out quick. Ordered 1 set of beef tongue tacos and 1 set of al pastor tacos. Each order comes with 3 tacos accompanied with limes, radish, cucumber, green onions, and both green and red hot sauce. The beef tongue tacos came with 2 large slices of beef each. These required a bit more chew than I am used to be with beef tongue but they were nicely seasoned. I was sad to see no pineapples on the al pastor tacos but the meat was nicely seasoned. The taco shells for the al pastor were a bit hard and dry although there were no problems with the beef tongue set. The red sauce was the spicer of the two by just a tiny bit and had a strong tomato flavor but I would not consider either of these two sauces spicy.

was missing home (miami) and Nicaraguan food so i got the caldo de res. sooo delicious. will be going back!!

I have so far tried chilaquiles sencillos, tacos al pastor, and tamales (i don't remember which kind). My friend tried two different sandwiches and they were enormous haha! EVERYTHING was absolutely delicious; I cannot recommend this place enough. It's not a very large place so if you have a larger group, maybe try calling ahead. But do yourself a favor and check this place out for some authentic and flavorful cuisine, you won't regret it.

TALE OF TWO TAMALES Imagine it- you have been craving tamales for weeks now and you find a restaurant that literally has that tasty steamed morsel in the name. It has to be fate!? You order your tamales along with some other tasty dishes and you get back to your place only to realize... YOUR ORDER GOT SWITCHED WITH ANOTHER. It's okay though because you wanted to try some nopales anyways. I really feel like if the nopales are cooked well, the restaurant is legit. This place is legit. You start digging in and the pain from your missing tamales melts away like the delicious pork carnitas tacos. You try some of your brothers Bistec a la Mexicana and you don't even remember why you were upset in the first place. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because of the mixup of bags but that's okay because it's nearby and Tamales are within reach.

A great small place located in South Philly that serves reasonable Mexican food. My supervisor raved about this place and my co workers and I decided to come to Tamalex restaurant for some good ole lunch. We all arrived at Tamalex on a hot Sunny day, we were greeted by our friendly waiter who took all of our orders. I decided to get the chorizo tacos and fries, while my co workers decided to get the chicken burrito. I was also encouraged to try the horchata drink which was very delicious. The drink was huge and my supervisor informed to me that it consist of sesame seeds, rice, vanilla cinnamon and other spices, I personally thought the drink taste like the milk from my favorite cinnamon toast crunch cereal. When my chorizo tacos came out they were spicy and also delicious and my fries were crispy and crunchy. Overall a small restaurant that consist of a friendly staff and affordable food, everything I believe was like 12.00 and under. Parking is so so if you drive around for a while, you'll probably find a good parking space. I'll definitely return if I'm in the mood for good quality Mexican food!

So good, the chicharron is out of this world. Definitely will be ordering again. SUPER fresh

Some of the best papusa in the area! Always hit the spot, and great hrs since they are open til 11.

This BYO cash or Venmo place is really awesome! They have about 6 or so tables. The food was delicious - I had the steak burrito. The prices were super reasonable too.

Absolutely fantastic AND authentic Mexican and Honduran food. They have daily specials which you can never go wrong with and the price points are spectacular. If youre into your Mexican food and want the best you can get, Tamalex is the best lil neighborhood joint you'll find. Also. You have to ask for specials, there's never a menu. I just casually check out everyones food around me sometimes to see if there's anything new I should try hahahaha If you don't go here you're sleeeeeeepin!

Everything we have ordered here has been amazing and their portion sizes are huge. So good that we ordered 3 weeks in a row! Their tinga on anything is delicious (quesadilla, gordita, etc). Al pastor tacos are also super flavorful. Best of all, they have pupusas! I also tried their baleanda, and it's essentially a breakfast taco but much larger. Their salsas are fantastic too.

Hole in the wall Mexican/Honduran spot nestled on the corner of 7th and Federal. Haven't encountered a bad experience yet as I've dined in and ordered take-out numerous times. The portions are huge and worthy. Enjoyed their tacos, tamales, and Bisteak Asada. Surprisingly, I never knew I would like grilled cactus. Love their Horchata! Good service and overall solid food.

This place continues to be excellent! Just wanted to provide an update in light of COVID. There is no indoor or outdoor seating available, it is takeout only. You must call to place an order - they are not on any of the online ordering platforms. Sometimes the phone is busy, but just keep calling. They still accept credit cards for orders over $15, which you can pay for when you walk up to the door. However, they've made the process a little easier by posting their Venmo QR code. You may pay via Venmo when you walk up to the door, if you wish. This is one of my all-time favorite places, I hope we can help keep them afloat!

I've been going to this restaurant almost everyday since I discovered it last week. Tamelex offers authentic Mexican and Honduran food with great prices. I've tried their tacos al pastor, enchiladas with mole sauce, empanadas, flor de calavaza quesadillas, sweet plantains, pupusas, cactus salad, tamales and their horchata!!! All of these dishes have been delicious and extremely satisfying to eat. I can't wait to try their tres leches cake! Their ambiance is very casual but has a colorful flair with their mural. To use credit card they have a $12 minimum.

Ordered from this restaurant on GrubHub. About half of our food was correct, and then the other half was multiple variations on a nacho theme. That is to say, half of our order was completely incorrect. I thought, It's not impossible that the wrong order was picked up, so I called the restaurant. I don't know who I spoke with, but the man was immediately on the defensive. "I cooked what the order said," he said. "Well, the order I received was wrong." "That's not my problem. You should have called the restaurant," he replied. "Why are you on GrubHub if you want people to call?" "It's not my fault. You should call the restaurant." And so on. Food was pretty damn good but customer service is GARBAGE. For that reason alone, I'll never order again. GrubHub refunded my whole order.

Coming from Chicago this place was very very good! Everything was so fresh and tasty! Another plus was the handmade tortillas!!

Everything here is excellent! Only complaint (more like a quibble) is that they don't put much pineapple on their Al Pastor tacos. Oftentimes I don't see or taste anything. It's a minor quibble because they're still very good without it. Somehow the salsas here outshine just about every other Mexican place I've tried in the area. I usually get their tacos, burritos, enchiladas or breakfast dishes. You really can't go wrong. I get takeout and they never keep me waiting too long either.

excellent food with solid prices. The food was fresh and everything tasted delicious. I would order from here again.

We come here exclusively for their tamales and they never disappoint (except when they run out)! The tamales are large and steamed to perfection before pickup. The mole and the verde fillings are both amazing and ample. We love pouring their salsa on top for that extra kick.

We still absolutely salivate over the breaded chicken cemita. We've been doing pickup during Covid, and have ordered from here more than anywhere else. You can pay by venmo- the information is on their inner door. You call when you're there and they'll bring the food out to you. Safe and delicious. We'll be back again soon!

It's a standard Mexican restaurant! You get what you like and it tastes like what you expect it to taste like!

My boyfriend and I have been to this place twice now. The service is consistently good. Food comes out relatively quickly. They have yummy fresh drinks like tamarind or papaya. It's a pretty homey, family oriented place. Now to the food: I ordered the chicken enchiladas last time and they were pretty good, solid 4 out of 5. The second time I ordered the crispy tacos, and that was more like a 3.5 out of 5, but more so because it felt more like an appetizer to me. The crispy tacos were rolled up and fried, whereas I was expecting more like a fried flour tortilla that was nice and crispy and fluffy but an open taco. My boyfriends steak tacos however were pretty damn good. Overall We really like this place and will continue to eat here The menu is pretty extensive so I plan on trying more things!

they are number one in south philly. only other contenders may be los gallos and SP Barbacoa. so many other greats in south philly. but they are the best.

*Hidden Gem* If you're in South and craving some seriously good flavor then this should be your choice.

When I lived in Philly, I went to this place weekly, for a couple of years. Mexican and Central American food, all of it prepared perfectly every time. I dream of going back.

Las meseras son muy dispitadas, no ponen atención alo que se ordena. Y tiene que cambiar su carácter cuando van yegando las personas al restaurante

Went here again this weekend (place still gets 5 stars!!) but just as an update - for those wanting Tamales the waitress recommended going in the morning on Saturdays and ordering them... they usually sell out by 10am!! It sounds annoying, but once you go to this place you can't blame them. It's so genuine and authentic (feels like someone is cooking out their personal kitchen in a way) that it only adds to the appeal that they're selling out of things.