Tamales by the dozen

It's that time of year.

A family illness prevented our family from cranking out our dozens of tamales.

So which place(s) in Chicago have the best home made tasting tamales by the dozen(I grew up eating tamales made with white corn masa, stuffed with shredded pork cooked in red chile sauce, wrapped in corn husk)?

Also is Panchos tamales on 21st still in business?

Hi,

Today (Christmas Eve), I had lunch at a pupuseria in Waukegan. I saw a number of orders of tamales going out the door. I inquired when was the latest one could order tamales. The owner advised they can make no more than 500 tamales a day, they stopped taking orders 2-3 weeks ago. He indicated larger restaurants probably stopped taking orders a few days ago.

While in pursuit of finding something else, I walked into a Mexican market in Round Lake. They had an assembly line making tamales. I noticed they were taking orders not for today but for pick up tomorrow. I know nothing of their quality, but they are available tomorrow.

Jalapeno Produce and Market
322 Rollins Road
Round Lake, IL 60073
Tel: 847/546-4566

They are open at 8 AM tomorrow, I believe closing at 4 PM (it might be 2 - so double check).

I pm'd someone who knows how to contact one of the street tamale vendors from Clark Avenue.

Regards,

Thanks but both are too far - I'm SW of Chicago

Had this message not been moved, I'll bet responses would have been timelier and more numerous.

too little, too late now:

el milagro on blue island:
Taqueria El Milagro
1923 S. Blue Island Ave.
Chicago

don't mean to be offend, but.. tamales by the dozen isn't a tall order, a search on here yields 79 entries for tamalese one of which would've been my post on El Milagro's tamales...

TonyC wrote:too little, too late now:

el milagro on blue island:
Taqueria El Milagro
1923 S. Blue Island Ave.
Chicago

don't mean to be offend, but.. tamales by the dozen isn't a tall order, a search on here yields 79 entries for tamalese one of which would've been my post on El Milagro's tamales...

T-C:

Finding tamales for sale isn't hard but finding ones that approach the quality of home-style handmade ones is and it's ones of that kind of quality that OdM was clearly seeking, judging from the wording of his o.p. above.

OdM:

This question has come up at least a few times this year and it seems to be a gap in the knowledge of the board (or perhaps a gap in the current offerings around town). I had some very fine ones from the far eastside some years back but have been unable to relocate the shop that produced them. I'll keep trying and will post if and when I succeed.

We recently had some Veracruz style tamales (wrapped in banana leaves). Probably not exactly the style that you had in mind but quite good. Of course, Christmas Day is now past, but still... I'll check and see if the chef in question is willing to do a large batch and sell them.

Antonius

Antonius and TonyC

Normally I don't find myself in this position as our family usually makes our own and I didn't think finding tamales would be such a chore.

I was in Pilsen/18th St on Christmas Eve. I asked inside Panaderia Laredo who might have tamales and she recommended La Cebollita on Ashland. I checked there and they were sold out. I saw a huge line of people outside tortilleria del rey buying masa and I felt like bribing someone to let me go home with them.

Acting on 1 post I found on LTHforum I went to El Milagro on Belmont/Ashland but all they had left were tamales blancos (cheese and jalapeno) of which I took the last 13.

Actually, I LOVE the banana leaf wrapped tamales. I used to get them at HarvesTime on Lawrence but they stopped carrying them. I think Panchos Tamales on 21st made them, thus my question if they were still in business.

I have also bought tamales at the Maxwell Market at Roosevelt and Canal, also quite good but the market is only open on Sunday's and my shopping was Saturday.

Hopefully my family will make tamales in 2006.

I think LTHforum readers could benefit if there was a link that provided reader's list of top ten places for...................No comments or reviews, just business names and addresses. Readers would vote for their favorite establishments and the votes would create the top ten in each category.

Top ten places for tamales
Top ten places for roast beef sandwiches
Top ten places for sushi

Just my humble thoughts. I find searches to be quite time intensive and not very productive.

orgullodemexico wrote:Antonius and TonyC

Normally I don't find myself in this position as our family usually makes our own and I didn't think finding tamales would be such a chore.

I was in Pilsen/18th St on Christmas Eve. I asked inside Panaderia Laredo who might have tamales and she recommended La Cebollita on Ashland. I checked there and they were sold out. I saw a huge line of people outside tortilleria del rey buying masa and I felt like bribing someone to let me go home with them.

Acting on 1 post I found on LTHforum I went to El Milagro on Belmont/Ashland but all they had left were tamales blancos (cheese and jalapeno) of which I took the last 13.

Actually, I LOVE the banana leaf wrapped tamales. I used to get them at HarvesTime on Lawrence but they stopped carrying them. I think Panchos Tamales on 21st made them, thus my question if they were still in business.

I have also bought tamales at the Maxwell Market at Roosevelt and Canal, also quite good but the market is only open on Sunday's and my shopping was Saturday.

Hopefully my family will make tamales in 2006.

I think LTHforum readers could benefit if there was a link that provided reader's list of top ten places for...................No comments or reviews, just business names and addresses. Readers would vote for their favorite establishments and the votes would create the top ten in each category.

Top ten places for tamales
Top ten places for roast beef sandwiches
Top ten places for sushi

Just my humble thoughts. I find searches to be quite time intensive and not very productive.

I have a feeling that's going to be a hardsell on this forum.

Not so cheap, though well executed tamales can be obtained via Bombon Cafe:



Bombon Cafe
38 South Ashland
Chicago, IL
312.733.8717

According to my friend Anita, who grew up in the Pilsen area and spends days making tamales with her family for Christmas Eve, the best store bought tamales are from Casa de Pueblo, 1810 S Blue Island. There is a grocery store and and a restaurant.