Tucson Tamale Market

I was next door at Plato's Closet when I saw the banner largest hot sauce selection in Tucson. I couldn't pass that up! They had a really good selection of all varieties from mild to extremely hot. I just picked up almost $100 worth of hot sauces from them. Can't wait to get home and try them out. They even have samples for you to try while you're there . Very friendly as well

This place is great. I had tamales everyday during my visit to Tucson and these were my favorite. There’s a salsa bar that also has pickled jalapeños.

The black bean - cheese tamale was great . The blue masa - veggie (vegan tamale) looked like it was not steamed to me - the flour was uncooked . When I brought it up with the lady at the counter, she affirmed that I was cooked and that she could offer me another one if I liked. I didn’t take another one , but that was that. The salsas were excellent, the Spanish hot and spicy rice for the side was not spicy at all and kind of lacked flavors.

We picked up an OG Pack to feed 10 teenage girls and 7 adults. The tamales were amazing. The chips were delicious, the beans and rice were delectable. We fed everyone and there was left over food. The cookies were a great dessert option and the kids loves them. The salsas were perfection. The best tamale I have ever tasted. The packaging was so nicely done and made transport easy and non-mess; portable tins and boxing made it easy to transfer to home ovens for warming and serving. I am a business owner any will definitely be using them again to cater client functions. A big thanks to Frank and Ariel.

Tamales were delicious. My husband had a problem and a chicken while I had vegetarian. Service was fast. Order at the counter and they bring it to the table. Average seating with a few tables outside on the small patio.

Never had tamales for breakfast before lol We were staying across the street and walked into this place. If you love tamales and hot sauce, this is the place to be. I ordered the 2 tamale plate (chicken and pork). Came with rice. ($12) All very good. Fresh salsa bar. Employees were super helpful. Clean restaurant. Music was 1990s hip hop and rnb.....perfect!

We're in Tucson for a long weekend. My wife recommended this place because she ate there on her last trip. I was skeptical. First time I ordered I had a chicken tamale and a pork tamale. After you took our order I went over to the salsa bar and got the condiments that I wanted. They had different salsas to try and jalapenos and limes to grab as well. When our food came I was absolutely blown away. It was so good! I haven't had tamales too much in my life and these were so good that we returned another time before we left. This time I had the pork chicken and beef tamales. All are absolutely fantastic! The staff was very nice and friendly. The atmosphere was fun. They had hot sauces that you could buy from several different brands. Most of what I've never heard of before. There was an area where you could also sample some of the hot sauces as well. I look forward to going again when we return.

Absolutely one of my favorite places to eat at in Tucson. You literally can't go wrong with anything on their menu. I usually order and dine in because I love their salsa bar and it's a store too so you can buy items to give as gifts to family members and friends that aren't fortunate enough to live near this gem of a place. The people that work there are great and they're always so kind and nice to talk to. I must recommend their Mexican slaw with any order. The tamales are good with subtle flavoring and you have to appreciate the hardworking crew that makes the tamales basically by hand at the production facility. I'm never disappointed whenever I leave here and it is a must for anyone visiting the Tucson area.

Back in 2009, while at a family gathering in Tucson, I learned about Tucson Tamale when our local family took us there. I was an instant fan and have been going back whenever I'm in Tucson. I've tried several of theirs, and my favorites are their green chile chicken, red chile pork, black bean & cheese, and breakfast sausage & cheese, but they are all good. Now, you can get them in many grocery stores nationwide, so you know I'm buying these much more often.

This was a great spot to grab a chill dinner on a Friday evening. We came with friends and I tried the tamale plate with both beef and chicken tamales. They have a self serve salsa bar with 3 different types of red and green salsas, which were fresh and flavorful. There were also a mind-blowing number of hot sauces to both sample and purchase. The tamales were all good, the beef wasn't quite as flavorful as I was hoping but the chicken had a stronger flavor. The texture was good too. We'll be back!

We went here to try it this place out. Said they were Tali bites. I thought for sure they would be like little tamale. Bites, instead, it was like paupers= with jalapeno poplars. So I paid $6 for 6 and it wasn't worth it. If you're true Mexican which I brought my friend. Every thing was made back East, so is it really not true Mexican stuff? So this is you more. Healthier Mexican food. And there's a kid also in there. Bring your kid to work day. I guess so, it's kinda loud with the child. There was another couples in there.

We loved visiting Tucson Tamale and grabbing a few items to go. Their tamales are very good all across the board. We shared the Green Corn Chicken, the Green Corn Chile, the Red Beef, and the Veggie. I would have loved to try the seasonal pumpkin, but they were out. The sides are very good as well. The cabbage salad has a nice kick to it, and the rice was wonderful. The salsas are quite delicious with a range of heat for your palate. The chips were just okay. They seemed like a grocery store chip, and I would have loved a little warmth to them. This place is easy to find, easy to navigate, and the people were very friendly. I'd revisit again for sure.

Saw this place recommended by a few people on Reddit. The hype is real; I'm a fan. - delicious beef, chicken and blue corn (veggie) tamales - delicious black and pinto beans - delicious Mexican slaw - delicious salsas - expansive inventory of hot sauces. While not the biggest I've ever seen it's still a lot of hot sauces. Friendly folks here. Reasonable prices.

I had previously had Tucson Tamales from the freezer section of Whole Foods. So, when I saw I was nearby I had to stop in. I got the two tamale plate with sides and drink. First time trying the Red Beef and Pork tamales. I loved the Red Beef!! My favorite. The pork was mushy and was bland. I'll skip it in the future. Chips and salsa was good. I bite of the black beans and I threw it out. Didn't like the taste of it at all. Should have returned it. Service was okay. Liked the outside seating area.

Tasty tamale options- green corn and green chile pork and cheese are faves. Their salads are also fresh and their coleslaw is wonderfully spiced with Mexican oregano. Can't go wrong with any of the sides, and the salsa bar!

My sister-in-law sent us a care package for Christmas from Tucson Tamale. The family was very excited to open them up. We had amazing options to choose from. My favorite out of all of them was the sausage and cheese. I have never had that in a tamale, I was sure missing out. They were all delicious and they are almost gone. I haven't been to their location. So I am lucky to have been able to try them here in California. I highly recommend.

Came in from PHX for the day to try different food well surprise this place is well not good at all . I wounded how it got to the 4 stars . Meet was mushy , rice was dry and bean no good . And we got there when they just open on Sunday morning

Absolutely delicious, nice decor/vibe, and a great selection of hot sauces to try and purchase. Service was slow but the cashier was training so I can't speak to usual standards. Manager was speedy though.

Not what it used to be. This is way overpriced and the quality is terrible. You can find better tamales at any parking lot in Tucson. Half a dozen for $27? The beef was bland, masa was an odd texture. Visitors, stay away. Research Mexican restaurants in Tucson, even consider finding someone selling at a parking lot. These are not tamales.

We ordered takeout. Decent food and prices. Service was a little odd, bordering on impolite. Lots of salsas for sale inside the store.

Tamales are delicious! Red chili beef are our favorites. Always consistent and good service.

We ordered 16 green chile/cheese tamales for Christmas, thinking they were the traditional "Green Corn" tamales that we have ordered many times in the past. They were very disappointing. It seems the maza "recipe" has changed since we last ordered them, and if there was cheese in them we couldn't taste it. We threw them out.

Nice selection of tamales including vegetarian and vegan with fresh or frozen to buy and it in or take out. Also very large selection of hot sauces . Service quick helpful , ambiance nice. Great quick stop when hangry for tamales .

Terrible tamales. No flavor. Masa and no meat. The hot sauce selection is great though.

Ok, so here is the thing about Oregon. If you move here from the desert Southwest and want YOUR Mexican food favorite goodies (whatever they are) you might be a touch sad and frustrated. Even if you are a gringa like me. Because: 1) Mexican places in the PNW can be a little gimmicky at times. Overdecorated with Mexican stuff and often servers greet you with "¡Hola amigos!" ( to which my visiting Latino-American old college friends took strong offense) and the music can be overdone. Way overdone. 2) The margaritas are just usually not great. Frozen or on the rocks. The last one I got had sugar on the rim instead of salt. (No, it was not fruity). Whaaa?! The chips and salsa are often just terrible and you are better off grabbing some Juanita's chips and a fresh salsa from Freddy's. 3) Some favorite things are stupid wrong. If you are like me ( I lived in Phoenix, Tucson, San Francisco, Austin , and Yuma) well the Mission Burritos are just missing, the fish tacos are sometimes lacking, you cannot find any decent queso, the Hatch Chiles are plain hard to find, the fajitas are not correct, and the tamales are...well, wrong. Bad. They show up huskless, covered abysmally with usually a sweet goopy sauce,shredded lettuce, and cheese. And they just hurt my heart. I do not know why this happens. My mom moved up from AZ after me and could not be dissuaded from ordering a tamale. In Phoenix they were her go to. I tried. I tried to tell her. She was so bummed. There are some good places, do not get me wrong, do not send me hate messages either, but they are usually good *with* an Oregon lens. But. Tucson Tamale Company sells their OG tamales online and in several Portland groceries including Freddy's, Safeway, and New Seasons. Frozen or cold in the deli ( that is at Safeway) they are around $3-4 each. Their online store has even more varieties along with some sauces,spices, candies, and other items. I tried the chicken and chile (ok, a little dry), the pork with cheese and green chile ( much better) and then last, the cheese and green chile (aka " green corn"). OH. MY. GOD. The package said " unwrap happiness." And I did!! Inside its corn husk, the masa was perfectly sweet and fluffy, the chiles were tasty, and there was a cheese pull. I am so happy about this. It was a pretty dang decent green corn tamale, of course not exactly like the ones the nice Pasqua Yaqui coworker in Tucson used to give me made by his mom, but 100% better than most if not all the tamales I have had in Portland. I am a happy happy camper. Of course my minions do not get it but I know my mom in heaven is giving me a high five. Now if I can just find some real Navajo tacos.

Wonderful fresh tamales anytime of the year. I went to find a hot sauce my son wanted. They have a ton of different hot sauces on their wall of heat! Decided to grab lunch while I was there. The two red chile beef tamale plate with two sides was wonderful. The tamale was light and filled with just the right amount of beef. For my sides I got the fresh corn tortilla chips and Mexican slaw which was a tasty light touch to the meal. They have a wonderful selection of fresh salsas to add just the right amount of heat. Also their staff was very nice and friendly ensuring everything was wonderful. I love supporting a local businesses. especially ones that do so much to give back to the community. I work in the Amphitheater Public School District and I know they have helped to support education in our community. Make the time to go visit a true jewel in the desert at Tucson Tamale.

Attention to all the pumpkin spice and sweater weather lovers out there, Tucson Tamale has a seasonal vegan pumpkin tamale. It's basically an incognito pumpkin spice latte but made into masa and wrapped in a corn husk (the sweater). In masa form, the aroma and taste reminds me of pumpkin bread. It will have you saying "it's fall y'all" before your last bite. Speaking of seasonal tamales, they also offer a Thanksgiving tamale. If carving a turkey isn't your thing then this is this is the next best option. It features roasted turkey, carrots, celery, and onions combined with sweet red cranberries, a touch of sage, and their homemade white masa. Instead of yelling, "Ma, the meatloaf!", you'll be saying, "Ma, the tamale!" Keep calm and masa on! They also offer traditional and vegan tamales such as red chile beef, chorizo and cheese, black bean and corn (V), blue corn and veggie (V), and green chile (V). Between the seasonal and everyday tamales offered at TTC, I can enjoy a tamale throughout the year and not get tired of one. I definitely recommend ordering your tamale with a side of chips and salsa because it features their homemade flavors. Their salsa covers the entire spectrum of spice level from Sherry's mild to Colette's medium to Todd's fire. Elite tip - sign up for rewards program and receive 2000 points. Also, your can order from Tap and Bottle, next door, and they will deliver.

The Tamales are so good here and the staff were very friendly. Our party of four ordered just about every tamale type offered on the restaurant menu plus sampled all the salsas at the salsa bar. Note that they have a huge variety of frozen tamales, but only a small fraction are offered hot for eating on site. I had the vegan blue corn vegetable with Mexican slaw and black beans, everything was great. The tamales were large, moist and the bit of spiciness in the slaw complimented it perfectly. Our party also ordered guacamole and chips and the chips are stellar, melt in your mouth crisp and light and the guacamole was nice and chunky. Be sure and stop here if you are in the neighborhood, or on the East side at Tanque Verde.

Tamales that are consistent and perfect for large parties/group events. Everyone will be able to find a flavor of tamale that they want and its easy to pick up a bunch for a group. There are a bunch of frozen options that I've taken home for an easy meal later. Their red chili and beef and green chili and cheese make for great standard options to enjoy. They are not the perfect tamale but I've been happy with the quality of food when I've gone. There are also seasonal flavors to choose from so you'll never get sick of the same old flavors.

What can I say Tucson Tamale knows tamales! It's basically a to go place like the other location. I stopped in because I really wanted a great tamale and I got the pork and cheese one, and it did not disappoint. There is a large selection of hot sauces, and dips to go. It's a one stop shop for dinner or gifts ( cause nothing says I love you like a dozen tamales!). Throw some hot sauce in the bag and you got it made. Share the love!!!

Tamale Heaven. The welcoming staff helped fill my order with friendly service. The place is clean, well stocked and they have a huge selection of tamales with hot sauces to please any appetite. I purchased several frozen items and ate them at my leasure. The tamales held up to reheating very well and tasted fanstaic. I plan on stocking up for the winter season.

Green chile and cheese tamales are pretty good. Problem is portions, definitely the smallest tamales I have ever had. When you pay $8.00 for 2 tamales I would expect them to be somewhat decent size. These are not, basically 2 tamales equal one if even that. Then $4.29 for one jarritos. Price to value is way out of proportion, I will just buy somewhere else.

Okay, but not amazing. Got the 2 tamale plate, which comes with 2 sides. Tried the green chile pork & green chile chicken. The pork version was better than the chicken one, but both could have been a bit more flavorful. I also found the chicken one to be a bit dry. For the sides, I got the pinto beans and chips+salsa. Would be willing to give them another shot if I'm in the area, but probably wouldn't go out of my way to try it again.

We didn't like it. The tamales tasted like the typical tamales you can buy frozen at the grocery store. We are used to authentic tamales with rich flavor and this wasn't it. Service was great and the place sort of feels like a little store rather than a restaurant so not exactly an experience. If you like bland food you might like this place.

I have used Tucson Tamales for two events with a College I work at. They are outstanding every time, they are on time, reliable and provide a variety of options. I absolutely enjoy working with them and how easy they make catering.

Staff was very helpful and friendly as we picked up our takeout order. It was complete, hot and tasty. I had the red chili tamale and it was awesome. The guacamole was so citrus-y, chunky and flavorful. I loved it. The mild salsa was delicious. I also had the vegetarian blue corn tamale--I did not know what to make of it; the masa was wet and loose yet the flavor was good. I cannot wait to try other menu items.

I live in Indiana. My wife had family in Tucson when I met her. I was introduced to the restaurant many years ago. Other than her aunt's homemade tamales. There my favorite and as we RV'ed through the area I ate there and took many home for my kids to enjoy.

We ordered the Street Taco catering for a small event and they didn't disappoint! Everything was delicious, we highly recommend them.

I m ready for tamales and eggs. These chipotle beef tamales are the most flavorful. The offer a discount if you take 6 or more. A dozen is very expensive here. So I got a half. I buy them Frozen, they come in sealed bags of two. Can't wait for breakfast! They also offer salsa but I make my own with jalapeños I roast on the Barbie. All good. Update: I ve had 4 of the 6 I bought over two meals. They have changed making style. More Masa less meat. We ll eat the last two but no more from here. Too bad the Tamale I chose was used to be great.

We have never been to Tucson, so as we were driving to our hotel we saw "Hatch Green Chilis (on Saturdays)". We pulled in. We were immediately greeted and offered suggestions. We ordered the 2 tamale plate : 1st tamale was chicken and green chili, 2nd tamale plate was cheese and green chili, our sides were chips & pinto beans. Although the salsa bar was not bad, we really liked the hot sauce sample fridge. We tried a few and they were pretty good. It was a great selection and fun try to sauces I might not ever try. The tamales were moist and I enjoyed the cheese and green chili tamale a little more than the chicken, but both were good. The staff was exceptional.

This was my first time at Tucson tamale. Upon entering I noticed that they have outside patio as well as indoor dining. everything was nice, clean and tidy an I was immediately welcomed when I came thru the door. They have a very large menu of different types of tamales but because I'm mostly vegetarian, I tried three vegan tamales with two sides dishes. One tamale was of blue corn masa, Another of black beans and my favorite was the green chilies and cheese tamale. My sides were a spicy rice dish and then a cold rice salad. I took it home and it was still hot by the time I arrived and everything was delicious, in fact they gave me so much food, I had to eat half of it the next day. They offer frozen tamales that you can take out and quite a large selection of different sauces and some unique drinks. I highly recommend them, all was great and the service was friendly and efficient!

I feel lucky to have such an awesome tamale business in Tucson! I wanted to get to Tucson Tamale to pick up some Thanksgiving tamales because they have exciting special tamales but we ended up stopping by after Thanksgiving and were enticed by too many others! Next year, Thanksgiving tamales will happen though! The thing to know about Tucson Tamale is they have incredible tamales of all kinds, whether you are looking for meat, vegetarian or vegan! This trip we picked up frozen tamales to go and eventually decided on green chile pork with cheese, red chile beef (one of my forever favorites), chorizo and cheese (so yum) and a JoJo! I've only been to the location on Oracle and it is so welcoming and fun inside! They have every hot sauce you could imagine for sale and they even have a sample station if you want to try it before you commit to a particular sauce! They also have a little candy area that my child immediately spied with his eyes and we did get a few little candies because it's fun!! I do love eating in too and getting it prepared the proper way and having the yummy salsas there but sometimes you are on the go and it's so nice to pick up some quality tamales for later!

I am updating a review . I ordered tamales for christmas and was goven the incorrect tamales...i ordered red chili beef but was given only 4 of those and the rest were breakfast tamales. Unfortunately we dont like those and couldnt eat them for dinner like planned and it was too late being Christmas to get this corrected. My husband called and they apologized and refunded the order. I want to thank you at tucson tamale for making it right.

The food was amazing whenever I am in Tucson I always like coming here. I got the pork and chicken tamales both were really good. When you come in try the sherrys mild salsa. It doesn't have any heat to it just really flavorful. For a semi fast food restaurant the service was terrific everybody was really nice. I will definitely be back. If I could give more stars I would it's that good

2-Tamale Plate Red Chile Beef Tamales Green Chile & Cheese Green Corn Tamales Chips & Salsa Bar Black Beans Mexican Slaw

Love the vegan and vegetarian tamale options here. The vegan blue corn is my favorite. The veggie curry tamales are good? But they leave my tastebuds a little confused so I'm not sure how I feel about them. My friends love it though. They offer takeout and also frozen tamales for purchase. All the ones I have tried have been delicious. I did try a seasonal pumpkin tamale a few years ago and it tasted like Fall. Mmm, still dreaming about those. I am always disappointed by their sides and salsa. The chips are not my favorite and the salsas are a little bland and watery. I'll stick to only tamales in the future.

Best Tamales in Tucson. Always taste fresh even the takeout frozen tamales. Not much room to eat inside but well worth the trip

I've come to accept something: I don't really like tamales. I find them bland. I don't understand them, but this place could almost change that. Now why would I go to a tamale place knowing I don't really like tamales? The answer is that I figured if anyone could make a tamale that made me understand the devoted followers of tamales, this place voted Best in Tucson could do it. I ordered the chipotle beef and cheese and a green chile pork tamale for the two tamale plate. Sides of black beans and Mexican slaw. Everything was ready quickly and I took my order to go so that if my tamale dislike was not shaken, the restaurant would never know. They shouldn't judge my reaction to their product as I had no business ordering it to begin with, obviously. So here we are, in the car, down the street, lining up the condiments and sides. First up, the chipotle beef and cheese in jalapeño masa. I broke off some of the masa to get to the filling and took a bite. Hmmm. Not bad. Now a bite with red salsa - this did not pair well. Now a bite with green salsa - Yum! I liked a tamale. I douse the rest in green salsa and happily munch away. Now I'll save you an extended description of the green chile pork. Let's just say, the normal masa (while perfectly prepared) reminded me that it was still a tamale. And I'm not a tamale person. So if you're like me, go get a chipotle beef and cheese, thrown on some green salsa and feast away. Make sure you get some Mexican slaw too. If you're like anybody else, going to a tamale place because actually like tamales. I promise you're going to be pleased no matter what.

Over the years I had given up on tamales unless homemade, but after returning to our beloved Tucson we were blessed to find the 100 year old, Tucson Tamale on Oracle nearby. I had been ordering online for several years for in-laws and ourselves. And they are soon to be nationwide! We personally keep a variety in our freezer for small meals. I haven't tried any of the vegan, but have tried every meat tamale they make, and a few holiday specials. My in-laws have tried the vegan, and all are exceptional. Unlike most, they balance Hatch chili heat with the ingredients perfectly. Please try this store. The service is fast and friendly.the selection goes beyond tamales, as well.

I love the tamales and I'm coming back to get my fix.. it's been years since I last ate there tamales. I used to work for them we had an awesome team. I miss and love y'all

The take home tamales from Tucson Tamale are a true local treat! They freeze well and reheat perfectly, our favorites are the Red Chili Beef and Green Chili Chicken. The meat is perfectly marinated and clearly high quality, all you need is a microwave to reheat them. They also make a great holiday gift for neighbors, coworkers, friends, or family.

I had high hopes for this place after having such good Mexican food all over Tucson but was sadly disappointed. They taste like any other tamale you can get at the grocery store. Even the sides were not good. The "Hot & Spicy Spanish Rice" was too dry, hard and not spicy at all. The "Mexican slaw" was just a normal slaw salad. There was nothing special about this place. You are better off going to a more "mom and pop" restaurant if you want fresh, handmade tamales.

Decent tamales but definitely not the best in town especially considering their outrageous prices. For Gods sake, people, we're talking about some maza and a couple ounces of meat. You guys are crooks.

Second stop of our visit. Lots of options. Vegan, vegetarian, meat, sweat, and all GLUTEN FREE! (I know, duh! It's corn, but some people mix) Served as plates, with two sides. Other options are burritos and salads. Price was okay for all of us (no added drinks)

Eight Dollers & 50 Cents For 1 Tamale. Don't Waste Your Time or Hard-Earned Money at Tucson Tamale. I Ordered 4 Tamale's with Beans & Rice. 32.50 I Received 4Tamale's 3 Tablespoons OF Pinto Beans & Tablespoons of Rice. The Tamale's Had More Masa Than Fillings. I Have Live in Tucson for 30 Years. Tucson Tamale got to me Once. Never Again Ever!

Friendly staff and decent tamales. Love the large selection of hot sauces and being able to sample them.

Great, fresh tamales. If you are a vegetarian or require a gluten free menu, this is your place.