Traditional or with a twist, Houston has tamales aplenty
Mexican tamales are among the local foods that rule the holidays, and rightly so. Tamales aren’t just delicious, they’re a festive way of sharing the joy of the season.
Houston is blessed with many fine tamale purveyors making a variety of styles and fillings; the flavors range from traditional red chile with pork or beef to barbecue brisket, to vegetarian to sweet dessertlike concoctions.
As restaurant owner and food historian Sylvia Casares rightly points out, fillings are important, but it is the corn masa that rules.
“Masa makes a tamale’s first impression,” said Casares, the owner of Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen and author of “The Enchilada Queen Cookbook.” “The filling is important, but masa dough is critical. If the dough is light, fluffy and flavorful, anything in the middle is OK.”
Here’s where to buy bundles of masa joy around town.
Molina’s Cantina
Houston’s oldest family-owned and -operated Tex-Mex restaurant is offering its traditional pork tamales for $11.95 per dozen ($2 off regular price) for the holidays. Available for contactless curbside pickup from all three locations: 7901Westheimer, 713-782-0861; 3801 Bellaire, 713-432-1626; and 6300 FM1463 in Fulshear, 832789-6450; molinascantina.com.
Arnaldo Richards’ Picos
Picos’ variety distinguishes it from the holiday tamale pack. The restaurant’s parking-lot tamale stand is a festive touch. Picos makes Norteño (corn husk, $9 half dozen) and Oaxacan (banana-leaf wrap, $18 half dozen) in flavors that include pork in red chile, chicken in green chile, beef in red chile, chicken in black mole, black bean and cheese, vegetarian and several sweet varieties. Available 11 a.m.-9 p.m. daily at 3601 Kirby, 832-831-9940; picos.net.
JQ’s Tex Mex BBQ
Pitmaster/taquero Joseph Quellar is popular with taco aficionados thanks to his smoked birria de res and smoked pork chicharron tacos. He’s putting the same barbecue love into his smoked Prime brisket tamales, $30 per dozen or $15 for half dozen. They can be ordered on jqstexmexbbq.com during the week for pickup on Sundays at Fluff Bake Bar, 1701W. 15th in the Heights.
Alicia’s Mexican Grille
Local Grupo Herrera owns four restaurant concepts including Alicia’s and Galiana’s Tex Mex & Agave Bar which will be selling scratch-made Herrera family tamales through the holidays. Choose from chicken with green salsa, pork with red salsa, or poblano rajas and cheese (vegetarian); $15.95 per dozen of $8.95 for half dozen. Pre-order 24 hours required before pickup at Galiana’s, 24110 U.S. 290, Cypress, 832-658-6853; or all five Alicia’s: 12002 Richmond, Houston, 713575-2550; 26326 U.S. 290, Cypress, 281-304-1833; 25725 Interstate 10 W., Katy, 281-347-1800; 20420 U.S. 59 S., Richmond, 281-912-6363; and 20920 Kuykendahl, Spring, 281-350-8383; galianastexmex.com and aliciasmexicangrille.com.
Candente/Pit Room
Popular craft-barbecue outpost the Pit Room is offering tamales from its sister restaurant, Candente. The handmade tamales, featuring masa made with brisket fat, include birria de res (smoked beef shank and short rib, $25 per dozen, including consommé), smoked brisket ($25 per dozen) and roasted poblano rajas, jalapeño and queso fresco ($20 per dozen). To order, call 281-8881929 for pickup at 1201 Richmond; thepitroombbq.com. Orders must be placed by Dec. 21 for pickup from11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 24.
Killen’s Barbecue
Ronnie Killen’s famed barbecue restaurant is selling smokedbrisket tamales on weekends only through the holidays. Priced at $20 per dozen, they are available on a first-come/first-serve basis; no pre-orders. The brisket is flavored with Killen’s coffee barbecue sauce. Killen’s Barbecue, 3613 E. Broadway, Pearland, 281-485-2272 is open at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday until sold out; killensbarbecue.com.
Dinner for Four
This new catering and foodservices company run out of a shared commercial kitchen in Cypress is preparing tamales (pork and red chile, chicken and green chile, and cheese and jalapeño) for $12 per dozen. Order by Tuesday evenings for pickup on Fridays at 17527 Huffmeister through the holidays. See Facebook (facebook.com/dinner4four) or call 832-875-3473; direct messages accepted for orders.
Henderson & Kane General Store
The Old SixthWard culinary purveyor is offering tamales in collaboration with Cochinita & Co. (smoked brisket, smoked pork, smoked turkey mole and vegetarian) for $13.95- $14.95 for half dozen. Vegan tamales (mushroom and epazote, and butternut squash, corn and poblano; $13.95 for half dozen) fromSomos Semillas also are available. Find order information at hkgeneralstore.com, 715 Henderson; three-day notice required for tamale orders.
Momma’s Tamales
This new Bellaire tamale purveyor is open at 5214 Cedar but also sells at Urban Harvest Farmers Market, 2752 Buffalo Speedway, 8 a.m.-noon every Saturday, and Braeswood Farmers Market, 5401 S. Braeswood 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays and 3-7 p.m. Wednesdays. Pork, chicken, spinach and cheese, black bean and cheese and jalapeño and cheese are $15 per dozen, $8 for half dozen. For ordering information, see eattamales.com.
Tacos a Go Go
Chef/owner Maribel Gomez, a native of Hidalgo, Mexico, prepares pork tamales ($14.99 for half dozen) and vegan tamales ($13.99 half dozen) for takeout and delivery from all five Tacos a Go Go locations. See tacosagogo.com for information.
Hugo’s
Chef-owner Hugo Ortega’s flagship restaurant makes cochinita pibil (pork), chicken in mole poblano and mushroom and pipian tacos for $24 per dozen, available at 1600 Westheimer. Call 713-524-7744 or hugosrestaurant.net to order.
Caracol
The Galleria-area restaurant at 2200 Post Oak offers pork with adobo, chicken mole pasilla, and mushroom and tomatillo tamales for $24 per dozen. Order online at caracol.net or call 713-6229996.
Xochi
Hugo Ortega’s downtown restaurant specializing in Oaxacan cuisine is preparing chicken with mole negro, and mushroom with mole amarillo tamales for $24 per dozen. Order at xochihouston.com or call 713-400-3330 by Dec. 21 for pickup Dec. 24 at 1777 Walker; xochihouston.com.
Goode Co.
Chile-braised pork tamales are available for $12 per dozen from Goode Co. Grocers, goodecompanygrocers.com, for delivery and pickup at Goode Co. Barbecue, 5109 Kirby and 8911 Interstate 10 W. Tamales also can be picked up at the holiday pie drive-thru set up two days before Christmas between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at barbecue restaurants (Kirby and Memorial) as well as 8865 Six Pines Drive in TheWoodlands. Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen
Pork and chicken enchiladas, $20 per dozen, are available daily at Sylvia Casares’ two restaurants, 6401Woodway, 713-334-7295, and 1140 Eldridge Parkway, 832-2303842; sylviasenchiladas.com. Large orders require 24-hour notice. Call to order; curbside available at both locations. Through the holidays, Sylvia’s is offering a complimentary dozen tamales for each five dozen ordered.