The Tamale Factory

Place was bunk , not what it used to be , 2 tamales for $12 bucks and some change was not it!!!! , I only ate it because i was hungry and wasn’t gonna just throw away $12 like that , besides that the taste was horrible like what happened to this place ? Did it change ownership ? Did I just happen to come at a bad time ? Won’t be coming back at all rather hit the 7trees tamales in the morning

Cramped place, Tamales have no flavor barley any sauce, undercooked pasty mess. Feels like I got Walmart tamales. If you want flavor bring salt or add sour cream and salsa

They don't like gringos..... came in at 2 pm. No one in store and still didn't help me. Just looked at me like, why are you here ? Felt totally uncomfortable. Didn't order anything 😕 mean ass women....... Shame too, I wanted 4 dozen ! Also, 3.00 dollars for a can of soda ? NO WAY !

The customer service is really bad. I walked in about four girls made eye contact with me at once. No one greeted me for about 4 minutes. I was the only person in there waiting to be helped. They all just continued on with their conversation, Pretty much felt like it was a bother to even be a customer. I ordered, got my total and pulled out cash. The girl helping me gave me attitude and said “aht aht aht I don’t have change.” I go back to my car and get a 20 to pay with instead. Which she was fine with but when she opened the register there was plenty of 20s and 100s in there. The food was okay nothing special, pretty bland. That was with the salsa and sour cream on top. My husbands words were “soggy tamales”. He is more pickier with tamales than I am with tamales.

I placed an order for Christmas Eve and paid for it 2 weeks in advance. When I arrived at the schedule pick up time I was told they did not have enough food. I was shorted 4 orders of rice and beans. How can this happen. Obviously this was an order for a Christmas Eve meal where I was expecting to serve many guests. The whole operation was disappointing walking up to an outside tent with the food being stored in some sort of containers and the food that I did get was not great. It was cold and very disappointing.

I found out about the Tamale Factory reading the Mercury News a few years ago. I’ve been to the Tamale Factory a few times now and each time they have not disappointed. I just stopped by and bought some pork, corn and Jalepeno tamales and looking forward to them!

Let me be clear, you are coming here for Tamales!!!! It's take out only. They have giant pots constantly steaming their delicious Tamales!!!! The aroma inside is amazing and the taste is authentic! You can walk in and buy 1 tamale or buy a couple dozen. You can mix your dozen. I always get half and half. You can call in to make an order and pay at pick up. They take cash or card. Tips are welcomed. The Tia's are always working hard, and as you can see in my video with a smile. When I walked in, they were laughing and having a good time making tamales. Reminds me of my childhood. I was visiting my mom in Hawaii for November and it was an absolute must to bring tamales from the Tamale Factory. I also fully enjoy their Atole. I don't buy tamales anywhere else. That's the truth! Look no further, this is where you want to purchase your Christmas tamales. As a matter of fact, you can get tamales here all year long! Thank you, Tamale Factory!!!

the tamales were so good this time. masa to meat ratio was just right, and the chicken was cooked to perfection 👌🏾

They definitely know they're the best in town, but I do wish they'd put a bit more effort into handling the overwhelming demand during the holidays. While I appreciate that they offer online orders, there was still a bit of a wait. That said, I managed to try before the holiday rush, and it came out fast, hot, and absolutely delicious. It was so good that I came back for another online order during the holiday season which damper the experience. The tamales (chicken, pork, and jalapeño/cheddar) were fantastic, and we also really enjoyed the menudo. For the holidays, plan ahead ahead. Other than that, its worth the try.

I have to give a solid OK. My family has been buying from this location for years when we feel like having tamales, but not having the time to prepare them ourselves. We even occasionally buy the premade masa for ours from here. The staff for the most part are nice, but they have a small team (Roughly 5 people). If you are coming here for the holidays it is going to be a long wait. Unfortunately they did not separate lines for pre-orders (masa or tamales) and walk ups. People were trying to walk-in and not wait in line/confusing people who lined up. They were crowding the door way and making it hard to walk past (especially when holding a toddler). I don't know if they resolved this later on closer to Christmas/New Year's , but it's a turn off with how unsafe/professional that is. Regarding the quality and flavor, they are popular for a reason. It doesn't beat the home cooked ones but it hits the spot. Their mole has a nice kick, and the meat is moist. I do think because of the holiday rush the quality kinda lacks. I felt the meat was too stringy/needed more mole, and the masa was over packed. However, way better than bland Costco tamales. If your an atole fan, I do like to pick up one carton from here. Warms up the soul. Their prices are on the higher side, but at least they do take card.

Very friendly service. Got there 9am on a Saturday and there ended up being a long line shortly after (website quoted 1-2 hour waits). Very friendly service and food was delicious. Would go here again. This is a to-go restaurant only. They accept CC payments. Recommending preordering when possible to secure order while supplies last. They do sell out during busy times...

Lousy service! Went there to pick up order for a friend's memorial. Everything was ordered and paid for in advance; 6 dozens of tamales with 2- 32 oz containers of sauce/ salsa for $328. For whatever reason the 2 people working there knew nothing about the order and did not know how to confirm it even after calling a supposed manager. They had me waiting over 30 minutes while they helped different customers coming in making purchases. In between other customers they slowly prepared my order. This was extremely irritating as I had to drive 1 hour to deliver the tamales on time. Mind you I speak Spanish. On a positive note I tasted a pork tamale which was not only thick, but delicious. They keep their front door open with saran wrap.

Tamales were good and pretty big. The masa was moist and wasn't too salty. Maybe could've used less masa but it wasn't bad. The filling was carnitas and it was seasoned just right. I'd say if you're craving tamales outside of the holidays (Christmas tradition for us to have) this place is a decent alternative.

Shocked I've never reviewed this place. Been coming here for years. We actually did a taste test for this place and several others a few years back and they won. Best tamales in San Jose if you ask us. Good price. Friendly folks that work there. Overall just a San Jose institution that everyone needs to try.

Although the storefront is small, lines can be long, items might be sold out or is unavailable, but the taste and how moist the masa is immeasurable. I've been here a few times in the past 2 years and not once did I eat a dry tamale. They accept cards and they accept online orders. Granted, I've never tried to place an online order, but they offer masa by the pound. I did try their chile relleno, but thought it was too greasy, but their tamales are top-notch. I would like to try their menudo sometimes, but that option isn't available online and is available only during the weekends. Their red salsa is spicy. It's good! I've tried their chicken, pork, and cheese and jalapeno tamale. The pork and chicken are recommended. The cheese and jalapeno tasted undercooked. Staff working hard. They try their best to make the line go by quick.

Best Tamales in San Jose! The masa is soft and always has the most authentic flavor. The filling is perfectly salted and keeps you wanting more. These are pretty big, worth every cent!

Annual Christmas delight; very good tamales; yes pricey but hey it's the holidays. So eat & enjoy !!

Amazing Tamales & their Green Salsa is to die for sabroso. Just getting harder and harder to order for Christmas morning from them.

The girl was so rude . The cheese and chili had chunks of cheese ( little cheese squares, no flavor and we ended up throwing them away. We had been going there for years and the last two times was not worth the hour and a half drive. Glad there are other tamale places now

The tamales were really good. The masa was really moist and not dry. I ordered the chicken and pork and got the red sauce. The red sauce is really hot and I like spicy food, so be forewarned.

Have always been told these were the best tamales so we had to finally try them. We have tried a few other places and this place comes in second so far. This review is only for the pork tamales. For what they charge for a dozen, there definitely isn't enough meat in these and the masa could use a little more color to it. Can't say these were the best we've tasted, but not as bland as a few others we've had. Both meat and masa could use a little more chili to add more color and taste.

Small tamale shop located in East San Jose. It's been here for a while, serving good tamales. We like the pork tamale, cheese & jalapeño, and the sweet corn tamales.

I have patronized this small Tamale Factory for over ten years and their recipe has been consistently untouchable compared to many Tamale establishments I have tried and I have tried many over the last ten years. I don't mind that the prices increased. The service is great the staff is friendly and there's no room to sit and eat inside but I will always take one from my order and sit in the car and eat one. The heat on the Tamales have increased and I wish their could be an option for less heat and more heat. I like to enjoy eating and tasting my Tamale and not having to drink milk or water to cool my mouth down after each bite. I still give Props to The Tamale Factory for excellent tasting food. I will continue to patronize this establishment.

This used to be my go to place for Tamales but not it's all above making money now. Every sauce is a $1.00- not coming again.

We had party for Cinco de Mayo. we got a variety of. Tamales. we had the. Strawberry and. chicken and pork. The salsa was a bit spicy. It is taste like home Mexican food.. service was quick.

One of the best sources of authetic tamales in the south bay. Good price, hot, moist, and tasty. BUT . . . the demand during the holidays is beyond crazy. So, plan your purchases!

The tamales here are still good after over 10 years of going there. This time I tried a jalapeño tamale. It was OK but I can spray the pork in the chicken. The food is very warm when you get it too I like that. The prices have gone up since I started coming here. That is shocking. However, I will continue to come back as long as the tamales are this good! It's a small walking place, so the service was quick.

We were on a Tamale hunt. I had marked two places in San Jose and one in Hayward. The Tamale Factory was our first stop. We got three pork, three chicken and two Chile Rellenos. All items were served to us 'dry'. No sauces. We ate the Rellenos with some Chili Verde from another place. The flavors of the pepper, cheese and egg would have warranted a score of 5 because it was simply delicious. However, they had not removed the seeds and I ended up spitting them all out. The pork Tamale that I ate was fantastic. The masa was well seasoned. The meat to mass ratio was great. I broke my tamale in half so you could see thin the mass was. The meat was juicy and yummy. This was our best stop of the day.

I've been on a tamale hunt for quite awhile and I stumbled upon this place through Yelp! My friend recommended this place to me as well. Upon arriving, the line was out the door because the store itself is pretty small. So, there were actually only two people ahead of me and the line went by fairly quickly. I chose the pork, chicken and jalapeno and cheese tamales. Each of them were $4 and they are pretty big. I believe that salsa is sold on the side so there aren't any that is given to you with the purchase of a tamale. Pork: 4/5 The pork itself was was very soft and tender but slightly bland. The dough was also warm and moist but still on the tough side. I enjoyed it but it tasted better with salsa which I got from another taqueria. Chicken: 2.9/5 The chicken filling was decent but there was much more dough than there was filling.. Jalapeno and cheese: 1/5 Out of the entire tamale, there was only half a jalapeno inside and it was mostly cheese. However, the cheese was a bit funky and rubbery. It wasn't very pleasant. I would not order this one again.

Easy, fast and the best tamales in the Bay Area! Can't wait to return. I highly recommend.

Tried a pork tamale and it was great! Not dry at all like most tamales. Must be eaten with a fork or spoon because it's so moist. I don't like spicy food and this was only slightly spicy. Great flavor!!! I got an individual sized sour cream to go with it. I also tried the sweet pineapple tamale but didn't care for the flavor. Next time I'll have a corn tamale. The lady who served us was very helpful and friendly. Inside is very small with no place to eat. Their large parking lot has no shade so we drove somewhere else to find it because it was a hot day. A little messy to eat in the car, but worth it. We went at lunchtime and were the only ones there. So please come and eat here! Keep them in business!

Who doesn't love a good tamale? In my opinion, they are in short supply in this world. I've had so many mediocre or just ho-hum tamales, that eating one of those melt-in-your-mouth tamales are just a rare find. This is especially true in the Bay Area. The best tamales are always from someone's mother or grandmother. Those are the ones that are NOT mass-produced. The person making them is making them for flavor/taste. The filling-to-masa ratio is perfect. There is ample spices for both the filling AND the masa too. Unfortunately, this is usually tossed out the window when you're looking for good tamales at restaurants or stores. Those typically think only of profit margins (which are often pretty thin when it comes to the effort needed to make good tamales). The best store-bought tamales that I have ever had were from DELIA'S TAMALES in the Rio Grande Valley along the Texas-Mexico border. They have a newer location in San Antonio, Texas too; but, I've never sampled any there. But, I've been to several locations in the Valley. Even as I type this, my mouth salivates thinking of them! Delia's offered at least a dozen different types of tamales -- and there wasn't a bad flavor among them. My favorite were always the "spicy" variety (e.g., spicy chicken, spicy beef, spicy pork and cheese, etc.). With each bite, I'd sometimes close my eyes and be extremely thankful for Delia's amazing recipe! She had the perfect filling-to-masa ratio and the flavor was out-of-this world! So, during a recent drive back from the Lick Observatory atop Mt. Hamilton, I was already thinking of tamales! I set my GPS accordingly and traveled just a bit out-of-my-way to visit this wonderfully little restaurant. THE TAMALE FACTORY has a nearly-perfect filling-to-masa ratio too. The filling is very good and the tamales are quite large. The pork, chicken and jalapeño tamales are all worthwhile -- and certainly worth the trip to this modest store. My only disappointment is that the masa is a bit bland (and thick too). If it had a bit more flavor (like Delia's), I'd celebrate such thick masa. Unfortunately, there isn't much flavor in the masa. In fact, I'd be extremely happy if this restaurant offered "spicy" versions of pork and chicken -- and maybe some cheese in their jalapeño tamale. Still, these were pretty decent tamales for the Bay Area. Each tamales is $4 -- but they are pretty thick. If they were a bit spicier OR if there was more spice/flavor in the masa, I'd frequent this store much more often. AMBIANCE: There is no seating in the restaurant; so, you must take these tamales with you. The staff is very nice and friendly. Parking can be difficult because there aren't enough spaces (because most seem to be used by patrons of adjacent businesses). The next time you're in this part of San Jose, you should stop and pick up some tamales! It is worth the drive!

Pork Tamale is like the homemade you get at Christmas. Spicy juicy pork and melt-in-your-mouth masa. I didn't care much for the chili relleno...not enough cheese and lots of seeds. I drove 15 minutes to get there, and I'll do it again.

Seems like it can be difficult to find good tamale places open for earlier lunch, so it was grand to stumble across The Tamale Factory. There's plenty of parking in the strip mall lot. There also weren't any other patrons present when I stepped inside the little shop. Tamales are $3.50 each or $42/dozen for pork, chicken, sweet, and jalapeno. Corn tamales are $4 each. Chile rellenos tamales are $4.25 each. Menudo is available on weekends for $13 for a 32oz cup. Salsa and sour cream costs extra at $4/small, $5.50/medium, $9/large containers. I ordered a dozen pork, chicken, and corn tamales to-go. The lady helping me scooped them out of the huge, steaming steel vats behind the counter. I liked the green pork tamales the best of the 3 I tried. It was the most flavorful, followed by the sweet corn tamales. The chicken tamales didn't seem cooked all the way. At least, the masa (corn flour) was wet and not completely steamed through. I ended up throwing them in the microwave for a few minutes to solidify them up. Not a bad place overall to grab tamales. I recommend the pork and corn ones. They are pricey, but it seems like everything has gotten pricier lately unfortunately.

Used to be really really really good. Unfortunately they've kind of fell off. It appears they're extremely Maza heavy which isn't bad because I love the masa

Not from the area, but I work in the bay, was craving for some authentic Mexican food. Google had high ratings for this place, well telling you this ain't your place. The reviews with high ratings are old and maybe with time the quality/ethnicity has declined! Not worth the $4.00 each tamal. The masa itself was too salty, odered a green chicken & jalapeno and it was dry, hardly any chicken, the ratio to meat/masa is not equal! Too much massa at the end it's just a big bulp of masa then any of the flavor ingredients! You're better off with tamales from street vendors! This place has the reputation just bc it's been here for years BUT NOT WORTH IT!

I've been coming here for years. They are the best in the west! The creama and their homemade salsa is to die for!!! Thank you for making my tummy happy over the years actually decades

We got tamales here for Christmas Eve, and the entire experience was amazing. They have a great website for online orders. A great process for picking up, very fast and easy. The tamales are delicious! Firm and moist masa and yummy fillings. We had chicken and pork. The red and green sauces are also delicious. Will definitely go back any time we get a craving for tamales.

Monday before Christmas, stood in line for 25minutes and was worth every second. Met some good people in line and it moved fast. I've been coming here for years and nothing tops their comforting masa that never fails in its consistency. They offer Pork, chicken, jalapeño and cheese, and a sweet one I've never tried. The jalapeño was spicy and looks like they use 2 kinds of cheese. Tasty and different. The meat ones are spectacular. Open for walk in until the 22nd then order pick ups only. I will be ordering early next year and sending some to lucky family on the east coast. These tamales add to the quality of life down here in the south bay. Excellent! PS- Sneak into the panaderia next door for cookies as big as your head and some interestingly yummy pastries and carby bread treats to eat while you wait!

This is by far some of the best tamales you can find. They make them fresh daily and it shows. If you are looking to get the best tamales for your buck, this is the place to go. It is worth noting that if you are planning on ordering them for the holidays, make sure to order ahead of time online because they will run out. Like I said best tamales you can find.

Been coming here for a while now ever since my lady had shown me this spot & it's amazing! I love cruising around and eating some tamales with my lady and the kids!

Before Covid these tamales were so good!! Especially pork. Now they are so bland. Nothing special about them at all and the prices went up thru the roof. No thank you.

The tamales from this place taste authentic, just how mom used to make them. My favorite are the pork and the chicken tamales. The rice and beans also taste great, authentic flavor. The atole is also delicious, i love how its not overly sweet but still thick and rich. The only downside is the price at $4 per tamale. However I understand we live in the bay area and the price of living is through the roof so I won't dock points for it. The lady up front is also very friendly. All in all I would definitely come back.

The tamales are pretty good and honestly these are dangerously delicious. If they were any cheaper, I would scarf these down continuously! The limited menu makes the decision easier but the question isn't chicken or pork, but how many you can consume this time. Service is quick and they are also on doordash now too. All in all though, this place is legit and is the place to go to get your tamale fix.

I LOVE the tamales! Fast service! Polite ladies! I got 2 dozen and shared with my co workers I got tons of compliments! I'll be coming here for my tamales

There is something so simple yet beautiful about a freshly made tamale. I remembered learning how to make them from my friend's nana who taught me so much about the entire process. It's been a long while since I've last had one, yet after my visit to The Tamale Factory, the fond memories of delicious tamales came back to me in flying colors. I got myself the Pork Tamale, the Chicken Tamale, and the Sweet Jalapeño Tamale. All tamales are $3 each and are hot and ready to serve upon purchase. In sum, they are all amazing. The Pork Tamale and Chicken Tamale are cooked exactly how I wanted them to be cooked. The meats are tender and juicy. The masa (dough) has the right balance of soft and coarse that makes the tamales enjoyable. The Sweet Jalapeño Tamale is my personal favorite. It has Mexican cheese and cut jalapeño and absolutely kicks butt for something vegetarian. Pair your tamales (especially important for the sweet jalapeño tamale since the meat is absent) with their salsas and sour cream and you're completely set! I went here on a Sunday evening, an hour before closing. Parking situation wasn't too bad. First one in line. Got my order seconds after purchase. The lady who did my order was a real sweetheart and properly bagged my order. It was all a joyous experience. I am truly inspired by The Tamale Factory to relearn the art of making tamales. Until then, you will see me here when I need my tamale fix. I swear on it!

At close to $50- a dozen, that is a bit pricey for tamales. I enjoyed their products in the past but at these prices it's tamales from Costco. Inflation is the small business killer.

6 pm on a Monday. I came in with my friend and ordered 4 tamales, 2 chicken, 2 pork. Total was $15.30. There were 3 ladies in the back, 2 making tamales, and 1 as the cashier. I could be wrong but I think they only spoke Spanish, so if you don't know any it might be a little hard to communicate with them. I was in and out in about 1 minute though. They have the tamales on like this large steamer pan to keep them hot. The plate they give you in is kinda flimsy styrofoam though. It's good for 1-2 tamales but will food at 3-4. The chicken was amazing. Good firmness without being dry and delicious stuffing. The pork fell apart though :( still tasty but I think it was undercooked.

customer service was very low and one of the worst I've had. The cashier seemed like she was not listening, as I was placing my order and four dollars a tamale is a bit high plus additional fees for sauce and sour cream is ridiculous. The reason why I went in today was because the lady that parks in the parking lot of FoodMaxx was not there. The reason why I went in today was because the lady that parks in the parking lot of FoodMaxx was not there.

You can the tamales are from the day before, dry chewy cheese. And that's all good but sell them cheaper. ‍ I mean there expensive but I don't mind paying it but for fresh one.

I've been coming to this place for a while now and I got to say lately I've been very disappointed. Most recently I purchased a dozen tamales and 1/2 of them were uncooked. I didn't find this out until I arrived home 1 hour later. I tried to resolve the issue by calling them and when they did not pick up like their vmail says to do I left a message. It has been 3 days now and still no response. Thinking about looking elsewhere where the service seems the price.

I'm sad that Lucy's Tamales is no longer open. Lucy's won the International Tamale Festival in Indio, California at least once and in the top three at least a few times. Lucy's had the best arroz (Mexican rice) that I've ever had and I've eaten at a number of Taquerias and restaurants. I was in Morgan Hill and decided on the way back home I would get tamales. Much to my chagrin Lucy's was closed but I had read about the Tamale Factory a couple of years ago so I decided to give them a shot. I got a dozen pork tamales to go and was pleasantly surprised. For me a tamale should be good enough that you shouldn't need sauce and it can be eaten right out of the husk. The masa was almost perfect, it wasn't dry or wet, it was almost the perfect texture and moist. The ratio on most tamales of masa to meat is too much masa or too little meat. The Tamale Factory has very meaty tamales with the right ratio of meat to masa. Overall, a very good pork tamale. I'm a pork tamale foodie.

The times that I've been there the pork and chicken tamales have been pretty good. The pork ones have a good spice to them.

This place left much to be desired. There was a line outside of their doors plus it was rainy and cold when I went here to get dinner. I was planning which tamales I was going to order until I got to the front of the line. That was a big mistake and a colossal waste of time because when I finally got order, all they had left were pork tamales. There was no heads up or warning upfront of what tamales remained. Not cool man. I ended up ordering some pork tamales and luckily they were good. The pork inside was plentiful and the maza was fresh and tasty. Hopefully their service improves and they're honest about what type of tamales they still have left especially when there's a line of people waiting. Wouldn't want another patron to be blindsided like I was.

To my ESSJ'ians -- this place is it for your tamale cravings. I visit on average once a week for takeout, and most others do since there isn't space for dining in. I think there is one or two tables set up at most. The store is small and that's because the kitchen takes up the majority of the space. You can see one to two cooks in the evening prepping and making the tamales in house. They have some good options: pork, chicken, sweet, and jalapeño. I love the corn tamales -- always made fresh and to perfection with a hint of homemade goodness. The dozen sells just shy of $30 by the batch (you can mix and match, of course). Salsa and sour cream are extra, and are sold by S, M, L. They sell hot chocolate and some other one off items, but the star of the house are the tamales so make sure to stop by on the way home -- you won't regret it. Simple, filling, and delicious!

Good tamales, but way too expensive. $4 a tamale. A family purchasing their tamales would bankrupt themselves. And it's in a low-income community.

My husband and I were craving tamales and decided to pick up a dozen and a half for us and the family. We bought mainly pork and a few cheese with jalapeño (one of cheese and jalapeño came out so spicy, I cried with laughter but it was still really good. The rest were normal and not as spicy, guess I got that one jalapeño that had some real heat lol) . The tamales were pretty good, it's so hard to find actual good tamales. They tasted homemade and made with love. Super filling, I was only able to eat 2. We had some the next day for breakfast. Toasted them on the stove and they were still super yummy. I now know where I can get tamales year round and not wait for Christmas for them lol.