The tamales here are the best! They are all organic and made with natural ingredients with no lard. I ordered the Red Chili Chicken, Pork, and Jalapeno Cheese all in the 4/6 count packs to go. The tamales to go are vacuum sealed with an expiration date and can be reheated in the microwave or steamed. The pork tamales were the most expensive at $15.49 for 6. The Jalapeno Cheese tamales were $9.99 for 4 and were extremely spicy. I was surprised how intense the heat was from the jalapenos. The chicken tamales are the most reasonably priced at $10.99 for 6 and are very flavorful. There is a very slight spicy taste, but nothing overwhelming at all. The mild salsa was the perfect spiciness level for my preference. It paired well with the fresh corn tortilla chips. The tortilla chips were very costly since they were $4.00 for a small bag. I also ordered the horchata which was very sweet and creamy with a strong cinnamon flavor. It was perfect and refreshing for the hot afternoon. Service was good as the worker was friendly and helpful. There are a few tables to eat hot prepared food there. This location is part of an industrial condominium, so it is a small warehouse suite. The prices for the tamales are cheaper than the location in Old Sacramento. The tamales are also available at Whole Foods Market however, are more expensive. read more

Emma's Tamales - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Kind of hidden on power in and Elder Creek Road. I really like their salsa they have it in mild and hot and their tamales the chicken one specifically with red sauce and sometimes green sauce is amazing! read more

Emma's Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Came to pick up a Too Good To Go order which were 3 different packs of frozen tamales that have surpassed their sticker date. They're frozen so it should still be good. Have yet to try them but they look and sound amazing (sweet corn, pumpkin, and chicken red sauce). Cute little shop that you can also dine in or order fresh food to go. If I remembered correctly, there's 2 bench tables. Staff there was friendly, unfortunately I didn't catch her name. I just know she's not Emma. read more

Emma's Tamales - Too Good To Go order - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

Fresh-tasting tamales with natural/healthy ingredients! Tried four different types of tamales, rice, beans, and salsa. The tamales I tried were the Red Chili Chicken Tamales, Chicken Tamales, Jalapeño Cheese Tamales and Chipotle Tofu Veggie Tamales. I personally didn't care for the Chipotle Tofu Veggie, but I really enjoyed the other three. The Jalapeño Cheese Tamales were my favorite, they had a good amount of kick to them. I definitely recommend getting the salsa to go with the tamales; it adds a lot to the flavor. Side note: I noticed there wasn't consistency in the sizing of the tamales, some were much smaller than others. I love that they have vegetarian and vegan options! read more

See all

My mom and I stumbled upon this place on accident and I am so glad that we did. We weren't really expecting to see any vegan options so we were shocked when we saw that they had vegetarian and vegan menus with so many options. Fun fact, the kind worker informed us that the owner actually started this restaurant as a vegetarian/vegan spot, so cool! We ordered every single vegetarian and vegan tamale on the menu. They were all extremely flavorful and delicious, but our favorite was the pumpkin tamale by far. It was amazing. We also took home some pork tamales for my brother and he loved them. I'm happy that we now know that there's a local spot that offers bomb tamales, I'll definitely revisit soon. Thank you! read more

See all

I've been a lunch customer at the Power Inn location for at least the last 5 years and I promise the tamales are a hit!!! I love the family style service and it just feels like home. My personal favorite is the green chili chicken. My husband is vegan and there's options for him as well. In my opinion 5 stars easy. read more

Emma's Tamales - Hibiscus tea so refreshingly delicious. - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

Helloooooo tamales! What? Vegan tamales too? Five or more different types of vegan tamales?? I simply must! Noticed this spot off of busy power inn road and had to stop. They sell tamales in larger quantities if you preorder! I'll be freezing these beauties and systematically eating them over the next few months! So happy I found Emma's Tamales! Maria, the sweet employee, was kind, knowledgeable and professional! I felt very welcomed here. Highly recommend read more

Emma's Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

Best tamales ever!! The service is optimal, efficient and the tamales are delicious!! read more

I have to apologize to Emma's!!! I recently picked up an order through the "Too good to go " app and was a bit upset that I got some frozen stock. First they stayed late for my pick up, Thank you. Second , yes I complained about my order. I do appreciate your efforts and your cooking So I got some Vegan Tamales. Not my first choice, but they are absolutely delicious. Really , if I didn't know , I wouldn't. The Tamales are excellent. I wish I could spend the time to steam them. But DELICIOUS is my word. I am looking forward to trying some more. So , a big YES to Emma's. I do recommend. If there are better , ? I don't know. Thank you again for the wonder tamales and the extra consideration for my order read more

Haven't been there in over decade since I live over an hour away. Looked at their menu and it is essentially the same. I am trying to avoid GMO corn, which probably 95% of Mexican restaurants use. But Emma's has always used non-GMO corn. The menu itself is excellent. Lots of choices for meat eaters and vegetarian/vegans. Highly recommended. It is so nice to be able to get non-gmo chips and salsa read more

The food was absolutely fantastic! The lady there was so helpful, explaining everything about the food and how long they've been around. It's such a lovely little restaurant, and I've already been back four times since my first visit. read more

Very tasty! The staff did not seam pleasant. Very convenient location. Will come back soon! read more

I was craving Tamales randomly and discovered this place on Google Maps. I met the owner and she went over all the Tamale flavors she offered. She was very friendly and cooked several varieties for me to try. I absolutely loved the Pork and Red chili chicken tamales. They were so flavorful and tasty that I just had to purchase a package of each to go. The salsa options I selected and layered on top of the tamales were also a hit. Overall this hidden gem is a must-visit. read more

I went to the Elder Creek location and the lady there took the time to tell me about the different tamales and the vegan options. I discovered sweet corn and black bean tamales, thanks to her. She was very cordial and helpful. I also bought the habanero salsa and tortilla chips. Both were very fresh and delicious. I look forward to going back. YUMMMM! read more

finally had Emma's tamales . After years of finally able to try Emma's tamales I now would say im not eating there again . They are just okay they aren't the best tamales but they are just okay . 1 stars for flavor , food representation, restaurant atmosphere, restaurant staff the restaurant cleanliness the parking the location . The girl working there is not welcoming at all she never will say hi , she will not say welcome in , she won't say how are you , she doesn't talk speak in any way just stands there and waits for you to order and will turn the iPad for you to leave a tip it's not cool at all . :| Other customers came inside and it's the same thing . tamales are very plain and have no flavor at all you will definitely need salsa and salt from another restaurant because the salsa was also very watery no flavor . It was very disappointing everything about Emma's Tamales the food the workers staff and the restaurant atmosphere is only a 1 star and only because the food was warm . 20 dollars for 5 tamales sucks :( very small no flavor very expensive no friendly staff workers . Simple not coming back . It's hard to find good tamales . This place is only okay because it is only thing close to home food at least that and for that it's 1 stars . Most of all the staff played a part in it . Being the face of the company when you're the first person a customer sees should be welcoming friendly and inviting . Also they have a dog that just starts to bark at you when you walk in under the table. Also the total cost was $27 and some change because of the coke in glass bottle . SHE DIDNT EVEN OPEN THE COKE BOTTLE HAD TO USE A LIGHTER IN POCKET OF MINE : ( the WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS AWFUL HONESTLY read more

Emma's Tamales - Food and restaurant staff - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Emma's Tamales are very good. We have been going out of our way to purchase them once or twice a month for a few years. But we won't be going back because we no longer want to eat any seed oils like the canola oil used in theirs tamales. I wish they would consider using lard or olive oil or avocado oil instead. read more

I have been vegan for over a year now and I crave and miss the foods I grew up on and I'm always searching for the best vegan restaurants nearby. Emma's vegan tamales are delicious. I highly recommend. read more

Cool little hole in the wall, just picked up a couple dozen sweet corn tamales and they were amazing and very affordable. The masa is very good! I read a couple negative reviews so I was kind of hesitant to coming, but I'm glad I gave it a try! The ladies working were friendly and nice. I'll definitely be coming back and recommending to friends and family. read more

Yummy! Tamales were delicious and service was great. Definitely worth the effort. Try them...you will like them.

After a long weekend all I am craving is your tamales Monday lunchtime can't come soon enough . See ya soon read more

Best tamales around town, apart from the ladies selling them in the Walmart parking lot lol! If you are looking for authentic tasting tamales come here! read more

Emma's Tamales - Menu display - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Upon entering, you would think you were visiting a car shop, but in fact, this humble, small deliciousness of the malice is a hidden gem south of Sacramento. This place has a East LA vibe in which they serve traditional tamales with exceptional taste. It's family owned, and the memorabilia that decorates its surrounding walls or transport you to many different events in time. This place has a small seating area and it also offers a restroom. They sell homemade cookies! They offer catering services from what I gathered. Definitely will be coming back on the weekend in the morning for some sweet, tamales coffee. Just remember they close on Sundays. read more

See all

I am not vegan, but I bought the refrigerated began/veggie tamales and they were delicious! ALso, I was treated by a young man and he was so nice, great customer service! Can't wait to try their other plates and food. read more

Decided to try a new spot. Interesting shop as set up in industrial building. Vegan, vegetarian, and meat options for bother tamles and enchiladas. Vegan for me and meat for the coworker. Located this place via vegan search on yelp. Not a fan of either of the vegan options. Coworker got beef, chicken, and Chile rellano, not very impressed either. Salsa was lacking flavor as well. Per research they have another location I. Old sac, and sell their salsa at many local grocery stores, and tamales at many as well. Was hoping for a home run.... read more

See all

Pork, chicken and beef tamales were dry and crumbly. Was very disappointed for the price I paid for 3 dozen.

Tamales are phenomenal but last time I went the girl working forgot the sour cream I paid for and was just generally cold & stand-offish. Usually the owner is there a lot of times working and she's incredibly friendly and communicative but I'm not sure if the employee today was just having a bad day or generally hates life/her job but it seemed like she could not wait to be done helping me with my order and get me out of there. read more

Absolutely worth a try. We came here to grab a quick lunch. They are a hole in the wall kind of establishment close to our home, and the very friendly girl at the counter offered to warm up our food for us but we opted for takeout. We got two red chili chicken, one pork and one jalapeños and cheese tamales for around $11, and nuked the food at home. The girl who helped us wrote how long we should heat up the food in the microwave for, and she wrote which tamale was which inside the box which was very helpful. Now the food: it's not a traditional tamale I that's what you're looking for. The masa is a little dry and lacking in flavor but the fillings were nice. The sauce we were given was a very flavorful salsa. We enjoyed our lunch quite a bit. It's not everything one expects a tamale to be, (or at least wasn't everything I expected) but we are planning on purchasing their pack of 6 of different flavors and have on hand for future snacking. read more

Delicious, authentic vegan and vegetarian options! Dine in the cozy indoor picnic area or take your food to go! They also have frozen options for meals to enjoy later. We were visiting and purchased several packs of vegan tamales, rice and beans... I was able to eat healthy while on vacation without interrupting our hosts meals. read more

In an industrial park surrounded by grease monkeys and tire shops sets Emma's restaurant. They serve the best Tomales in Sacramento. Basic and unassuming, They serve their food with a smile. You will understand once you taste it! HUGE SURPRISE! Highly recommend. They have a new joint in Old Sacramento. Seriously though, check out the original spot. You'll be glad you did! read more

See all

*food shack alert* Why does food shack grub always seem to taste better? Emma's Tamales is no exception. I love this place. They have lots of delicious tamales and burritos. There's horchata (yes!). They offer prepped lard-free masa. They have jars of in house made salsa. You can pick up vegan chorizo. There's hot dogs, too. There are lots of vegan and vegetarian options. The lady behind the counter was a sweetie. Decor is fun, with old signs and musical instruments. There's a few tables inside, if you'd like to chow down there. Tamales are also available in sealed plastic wrap, if they are freezer bound. read more

Emma's Tamales - Vegan Tamale--perfect! - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

Yummy and great service as always! Not only are their tamales and salsa tasty, but their polish dogs are bomb af too!

I had two chicken tamales with their "hottest salsa". Let me start off by saying, the maza was not good. One of the most important things in a tamale is the maza. Right off the back it wasn't starting off good. Then the chicken has little to no flavor. The last part to make things worse. The salsa was not hot at all. Overall all, you can tell that they are made to be frozen and shipped. I will never go back, not even if they are free. Best of luck to anyone that tries them. read more

Stopped by on my lunch break and was greeted by an incredibly nice staff member. Food was affordable, flavorful and all around great, would highly recommend either of the two chicken tamales! check this spot out if you're in the area but definitely worth the drive otherwise. Thank you again for the great customer service and wonderful food. read more

My hubby picked up a 6 pack of frozen pork tamales for $12.50 yesterday from Emma's Tamales. I'm not a big tamales fan so I wasn't too excited when he came home with them. We just had 3 for lunch today and they are soo good and soo meaty!! I thought it might've been a fluke that my tamale was so meaty so I had to try another one and it was also meaty! The flavor is so good also! I hate when tamales have too much masa and not enough meat which is probably why I was never a big fan of them, but these are delicious and will definitely be back for more! I want to try the chicken and seafood ones next time! Heck, I want to try them all! read more

Emma's Tamales - Pork Tamale - 1st one I ate, so meaty! - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Staci, Thank you for your response to my review that I posted 3 months ago. Are you the business owner? Or, are you a friend of the person that "helped" me while in the shop? If you are in fact the business owner, do you think it is good business practice to post an employee's medical issues on a social networking site? ** If you are the business owner, feel free to message me with your phone number and I will call you at a convenient time for you. Regards, Ray L. read more

Kind employees, super cool vibe, and the tamales were Delicious definitely coming back

Delicious! Fresh tamales goodness. Yes. Don't let the location fool you, it's a hidden gem. The housemade hibiscus tea was cold and refreshing. You can also buy them frozen or in party sizes. We'll be back again! read more

Emma's Tamales - Best tamales ever! - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

Well made and flavorful tamale, best I've had in a long time. Friendly customer service.

Havent been here in a while... but emmas has best vegan tamales! The mother Earths tamal to be exact! read more

Emma's Tamales - Salsa verde goes great with their chips! - Mexican Near Me - Sacramento, California

See all

Excellent beef tamale. I'd say this was the best tamale I've ever had. Service was good and the shop was clean. Will try the enchiladas next time. read more