I'd had this spot bookmarked for a long time as it was listed as the best place to get a tamale in all of TN by Yelp a few years ago. I found myself in Knoxville for work and the stars aligned; I managed to convince my coworkers to come have lunch here! We found parking in a large lot about two blocks away. It sadly wasn't free but we enjoyed walking around and looking in the shops. The inside of the restaurant was clean, cool, and cute. One wall contains lots of coolers/fridges where they store drink options (shout out to Wiseacre beer!) as well as lots of their tamales, which you can take home to prepare. Staff are happy to provide tips on how this can be done, as one of my coworkers took several tamales home (and her family was pleased with them too!). It seemed like only one person was working. He was extremelyyyy soft spoken and not super friendly, honestly, but our food came out in a timely manner and he wasn't rude or anything. Four of us, myself included, got the chicken tinga tamale, and one person got the classic tamale. I got mine as a meal, which came with rice, black beans, and curtido. I also nabbed a bottled tea. Personally, I didn't love the drink selection -- all a little too bougie/health food-y for me (I'm a simple girl who wants a simple Diet Pepsi or Coke or regular fresh brewed sweet tea) - but no big deal. Everything was quite good! I've been trying to decide if I like tamales or not and this place brought me to the conclusion that yes, I do - I just hadn't had one this good before! The corn was fluffy, the chicken was tender and well-seasoned and plentiful, and the salsa on top rounded it out well. The beans and rice were also very well seasoned and tasty accompaniments. I'd never had curtido (fermented cabbage) before, but I'd say it's a bit brighter than its Korean cousin, kimchi. I liked it but the portion was so large and the flavor so strong that I did ultimately tire of it after 4-5 bites. My coworker took the rest home! Overall, I get the hype around the tamales in particular. If you're craving one, definitely give this place a try! read more

Good Golly Tamale - Chicken tinga tamale, black beans, rice, and curtido - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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quick, affordable, and delicious. What more could you ask for? if you're wondering if one tamale is enough, it absolutely was with the 2 sides! I love this spot and I haven't seen tamales served anywhere else in Knox so I appreciate something new always. i'd 100% reccomend! read more

Good Golly Tamale - Chicken Tinga Tamale - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

First time here. I had white fish tamale with salsa, it was delicious. There was only one person working, and service was slow or I was just impatient, hungry, couldn't wait to have the tamale! Place has cute hippie vibes. I dig it! I will definitely come back! read more

Good Golly Tamale - White fish tamale - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Good Golly Tamale is one of Knoxville's true gems. I had the cheese and bean & cheese tamales, and they were honestly better than homemade ones I've had from family--tamales are one of my favorite foods, and these were some of the best I've ever eaten. The masa was soft and flavorful, the fillings perfectly seasoned, and the salsas added just the right kick. Service was excellent, and the cool decorations gave the place a fun, welcoming vibe. Prices are fair, portions are filling, and I'm already looking forward to going back read more

Best tamales in town with amazing customer service. The banana pudding is a plus! Their chill and comfortable interior is nice as well! read more

Good Golly Tamale - Fullhouse - Curry chicken tamales, black beans, rice, curtido and salsa! - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Ordered a nice handle of tamales everything was hot well received and delicious it reminded me of my great grandmas tamales which I haven't had in ages a little slice of home across the border amazing food service anyone complaining are entitled snobs who rather eat tex mex than something close to home with a spin and I cook for a living read more

We were visiting Knoxville and enjoyed their tamales! We definitely will come back again! Nice shop!

So delicious. So many tamales to choose from and everything is so flavorful. My husband really loved the greens and beans that came as sides. read more

First, yummmm. I love poblanos so my first time try had to be the queso poblano and it did not disappoint. Fresh, homemade flavors at nearly fast food speed, Instead of an overwhelming menu, they're doing fewer things but with excellence. If you like tamales, you gotta give it a try! read more

Best tamale I've had in YEARS! I'm obsessed with this place and definitely going back.

Very cute place. You order at the counter, grab utensils, hot sauce and water, sit down and they will bring you food to the table. Service was very friendly and the food came out quickly. I got two vegan tamales: Calabacitas and Vegan Soul and both of them were delicious. Very good ratio of dough and filling and perfectly seasoned. I didn't even use much salsa that comes with them they had so much flavor. Husband got Curry Chicken and Chorizo and he liked them a lot too and he normally hates tamales! That really says a lot about the flavor and taste of these tamales. We also got a side of Curtido and it was good but nothing to write home about. Overall, were good meal! read more

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The best tamales I've had outside of Cali and New Mexico. Absolutely delicious! I especially like the vegan option. Service was excellent - great suggestions, quick food, ability to buy more to take home. Ambiance is serene and chill. I love their simple utensils set-up and clean-up. High quality, straight-forward, no nonsense great food! read more

What a wonderful find...thanks to Yelp. Friends and searched a bit online and reviews for this place we're pretty good. It's street parking or use of the public pay lot down the street. If you use the public lot, pay up at the machine right away as they someone that goes around verifying that parked vehicles have paid. You can extend your parking by paying online. Now this place isn't anything fancy inside, but it works. One whole side is actually their refrigerated storage. You order at a walk up counter, but they bring your order to you. The staff we interacted with were all pretty nice. On this visit I tried the Chicken Tinga tamale (their best seller) and a Chorizo tamale, and a can of beer. There's a combo plate (comes with beans and rice) but they said it's filling and most just order two tamales a la carte or a single combo. I went a la carte. Now it took extra time for the Chorizo tamale. Chorizo is one of my favorite items and I'd never had a tamale like this before. So they served me the Chicken Tinga tamale first. It was pretty big and hot. The masa was alone had a good taste but as a whole with their salsa, this tamale was definitely better than expected. I actually thought that just one tamale a la carte would have been enough for me. But after a few minutes, the Chorizo tamale arrived. It too was very tasty. Paired with a beer out of the cooler, these tamales hit the spot! If you're a tamale fan, I recommend you give this place a try. Based on the numerous pick up orders I saw going out the door, I think the locals must agree. read more

Good Golly Tamale - a storefront on a street corner - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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Delicious tamales with vegan and vegetarian options. Friendly servers, cute ambience, and grab some from the freezer to have at home some night. So good! read more

These are some darn good tamales, coming from someone that's driven to the most authentic tamale restaurants in all of Mexico! This place is where it's at - incredible food, amazing ambiance and super friendly staff. read more

Highly recommend. Bean and Cheese! Soooo good! Liked the Vegan Soul too. Kind and SUPER fast service. Cozy atmosphere. Cute neighborhood. Free parking under the bridge. read more

Good Golly Tamale - Two tamales at home. - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Really really good tamales!!! Coming from Southern CA, never thought I would have found any so good and authentic in TN of all places....free parking is a little tricky to find here read more

I was told about this place at the Nourish Market. I'm from Cali so I definitely know authentic tamales, so I didn't have high expectations for a any sort of Mexican food in Tennessee. The vibe is kind of a hippie vibe when you walk in. In my head I thought, oh no is this a vegan joint. I ordered a queso Poblano and a classic. The masa is a different texture than normal tamales. Normal tamales are kind of compacted/dense. But here was more loose/fluffy. I didn't care much for the classic; was ok. Weird that there was ground beef in a tamale. But the queso pablano...... Aaaaaaaamazing! It had such a good flavor, I wanted to get more but I was already full. Ive already told 3 people to check this place out. $12.13 4 stars they had a different texture than the regular tamales that are usually compacted cornmeal. The queso poblano was amazing. The beef one was OK. I was kind of surprised to see ground beef in a tamale read more

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Ridiculously good tamales. So good I immediately ordered a second round to go just after finishing my plate. read more

Good Golly Tamale - warning: unwrap first. - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

I don't know how I ever drove through Knoxville and missed this, but I was glad I found it. It's in a stretch of what looks like the old part of town, with limited and paid parking, but notably free parking nearby under the bridge. When I dropped in, they were doing takeout only, despite having some nice looking seats set up in a pretty open store. I don't know enough about the policy environment around here to comment further, and this stuff all changes by the day anyway. There are some (but by no means all) vegetarian and vegan tamales. The website suggested a number of specials, but I saw no evidence of these on actually visiting the store. In any case, I was happy enough to try the basic vegetarian one (pepper and cheese) as well as a "vegan soul" which contained some sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, and greens. It was a very American flavor combo, and very much "of the South". The included salsa was delicious. Signage indicates that their vegetarian tamales are rendered with vegetable oil, and they did seem a tad oily to me, but not enough to make me not want to eat them. read more

Good Golly Tamale - Vegan soul - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

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I love tamales! I was very excited to see a tamale restaurant in town! Located in downtown Knox, the location is perfect. Easy to stop in on a day when you're exploring the city! Has a very California, laid back ambiance that I enjoyed. One thing I really appreciated was the vegetarian and vegan options! Overall, I didn't care for the food. I requested a pork tamale, but the lady working said they didn't have any prepared that day. She said I could grab a frozen (or refrigerated) one and take it home to prepare, but I decided to go with something else. I chose a beef tamale and a queso and poblano tamale. The beef inside was not what I expected at all, which could have been my misunderstanding. I expected ground beef and if not ground beef then maybe diced steak, but what I received was such an odd shape, texture, and taste. It was more along the lines of chewy mini hot dog shaped beef. Thankfully I had ordered a poblano and queso tamale as well, it was flavorful, but again, not my favorite tamale. The rice and beans had an odd flavor as well. I'm not sure if it's a seasoning they use when cooking that I don't like, or if I went on an off day. The lady working the counter was very nice and helpful in explaining things since it was my first time there. I wanted to love this place, but something about the food fell flat. I really want to give them another try and I'll be sure to update my experience when I do! :) read more

Good Golly Tamale - Queso Poblano Tamale || Beef Tamale || Black Beans || Rice || Salsa - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Vegan soul tamale was rich with sweet potatoes and black eye peas. Pico was fresh and added just the right hint of spice. Great selection of beers, kombucha, and cider! read more

Good Golly Tamale - Vegan soul tamale - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Employees were super kind and lovely and the tamale I had was the best I think I've ever had. Happy that they had Topo Chico too. The pretty plants and decor were also nice. read more

The bar for good tamales is high for this Texan, and frankly, I didn't know if Knoxville could deliver. But my reservations were thrown out the window on my recent order from Good Golly. Featuring an array of authentic flavors, including a number of killer vegetarian options, this spot does it right. We stopped in for a to-go order on our recent visit to Knoxville before leaving town, and I'm so glad we did. She went with the black bean and cheese, whereas I had the queso and poblano. Both were delicious and steamy, with the most tender sweet masa, served alongside a fresh red salsa. From the freezer case, we picked up a couple bags of their tamales calabacitas to hold us over until our next visit. I can't wait to visit and raid their freezer again soon for a taste of home all the way in the heart of Appalachia. read more

Excellent wholesome classic tamales, with new age spin. Tiny spot in old city, parking is a challenge, but dash in, pick up, get home and get WOWED. read more

Great vibe and ambiance! The food was fantastic and every option is gluten free. They have tons of drink choices and even vegetarian options. The service was also great! read more

The food is so good here that I would eat it today, Tamale, and even the day after. Oh, those beans, the human beans working here really know how to cook those beans. And the rice is so nice that I ordered it twice. The ricey is very nicey and not too spicey. But the star of my plate was that poblado cheese tamale, delicious. Nothing cheezy about that, Tamale. It was a genu-wine, mighty fine, Tamale. So for about 12 dollar this lunch made me hollar. I have a hunch that I'll be back here soon for lunch. read more

Good golly, this place is total Yums!!! My sister and I stopped in for a bite after getting more wonderful haircuts over at Lox and I'm very pleasantly surprised!! Visiting from Miami I (apparently) passed up the tamales last time I was in town as we usually have them in plentiful amounts lol!! This time however, I have been lacking in my tamale game and, jumped at the chance to get in some good tamales!! Boy oh boy!! I couldn't be happier with that decision as this place makes AMAZE tamales!!!!!! My sister and I split 2, queso pablano and ... I don't remember the other but we had it on a platter and MAN it was a VERY healthy portioning of food and we couldn't even finish!! The pickled cabbage is AWESOMEMMMEEEEE - the pricing is fantastic, the product tastes fresh and it's a nice quick in and out or a long and linger if you prefer. The atmosphere is very adorable as well as casual comfortable as well. A definite must go to when I'm Knoxville!! read more

Good Golly Tamale - Tamale plate - Vegan Near Me - Knoxville, Tennessee

Easy parking, delicious options! Always have a vegan option that you don't have to question if you're missing anything by getting it!

Well, it came highly recommended, but I'm not joining the fans unfortunately. Foremost, the young lady manning the order/pay counter clearly would prefer to have a different job :-/ and had minimal words and no smiles. Tamales were just okay. Needed more seasoning/flavor. I was glad to see the tamales were filled end to end . I ordered the Traditional (this one was a C-) and the Poblano Cheese (a solid B). If you wander through Asheville NC, visit the Tamaleria on Patton Ave - super casual hole-in-the-wall with great tamales. read more

Super deli tamales! Stopped here to pick up dinner while on a road trip south with my sister. I called ahead to place the order and get clarity on the menu (some items are listed under special/seasonal on the website). This spot is a fantastic option for groups with different diets (vegan, vegetarian, meat eaters). We ordered 2 vegan soul, 2 calabacitas, 1 queso poblano tamales and two sides - black soup beans and spanish style rice. Everything was sooooo good! Even the salsa on the side was splendid. We also got a kombucha upon arriving - they have a nice drink selection. There is free parking under the bridge (Old City Lot). The location seems nice and I love the interior decor - nice atmosphere, quiet, open for indoor dining, self serve water. I would definitely return here if I find myself in Knoxville again. read more

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One of my go-to spots in town. LOVE all of the vegetarian tamales. The fall special butternut squash tamale is incredible - we buy them in bulk and keep in our freezer! read more

I tried the Vegan Soul on recommendation of the cashier. It was soooo good. The blue corn tamale is a first for me! The filling was flavorful and reminiscent of our favorite Deep South flavor. read more

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This place is legit! The masa is soooooo moist. Each tamale is wrapped perfectly. Thin layer of masa, generous, flavorful meat. Best thing is that they sell frozen Tamales so you can take home. I've had tamale in Ca, TX, AZ, NM this is one of the best. Top 2 best tamales I've had! The restaurant smells like grandma's kitchen. The decorations and the plants makes the place so inviting. Service was great and many selection for non alcoholic and alcoholic drink. Stop by and try! You won't be disappointed. read more

Service + food + drinks + vibes = excellent dinner experience. Best place we've stopped in Tennessee :D read more

In Old Town Knox around lunchtime and stumbled into Good Golly Tamale. Long line. Small menu. Big on flavor. Choose your tamale. Select your side. Pick drink out of cooler. And enjoy. We had the veggie pot pie, pork, and beef tamale. Pork and veggie pot pie were amazing. Beef was okay but a tad bit dry. Sides we had were rice, collard greens, and black beans. Beans and greens dynamite. Rice dry so would skip that and fill up on others. Place is small but adorable and the area is super fun. Make a stop for some great food soon! read more

The food is incredible and so reasonably priced. My favorite is the Chicken Tinga, and I love their salsa. I highly recommend and have brought numerous friends and family to try! read more

Food was fantastic and came out within just a few minutes of sitting down. Prices are good and portions were large for the price. I will definitely be back! read more

I was so thrilled to find this place in Old Town Knoxville. Not only do I love good tamales, but I love the name of this place. My daughter and I didn't experiment very much during our visit, but had 2 classic tamales, a side of curtido, and a side of spanish rice. The sides were big enough for us to share, and they were good and fresh tasting. The curtido was a new dish to us, but after the first bite we decided we liked it. The masa on the tamales was so good and so authentic tasting. Have made my own tamales, I know what good masa is, and this fit the bill. The service was efficient, and the ambiance was interestingly eclectic. 2 tamales and 2 sides were around $20. Reasonable for these days. We left happy. read more

PLANT BASED TAMALE(S)!! They had 2 flavors of tamales today, YAY! The Vegan Soul and the calabacitas, would recommend both. Don't miss the curtido. read more