Our daughter and husband suggested this restaurant which we visited on a weekday night. Friendly and attentive staff welcomed us despite the fact the place was packed! Our attentive hostess explained the menu, promptly submitted our appetizer and main course selections, and kept us supplied with drinks while we eagerly awaited our entrees. The food is locally prepared, and the passion and expertise of the chefs is evident in the fresh, hot meals they prepare. The taste of the typical fare was beyond our expectations, and we didn't have to force ourselves to visit a second time within 7 days! The restaurant clientele included couples, families, and singles; all received excellent, attentive service coupled with aromatic items on the menu . The atmosphere was warm and inviting; noise levels from content patrons were easily tolerable. I strongly recommend this restaurant, and, if you're lucky, you'll probably see my family there when you visit! Management appreciated our comments and welcomed us back for more exceptional dining experiences! read more

First time as a New Mexican being here and it was fantastic. Faith was our server she was perfect..friendly kind and attentive. The food was sublime with not an unpleasant bite in the bunch. Cannot wait to be back. read more

Hot Tamales - Stuffed sopapilla - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Alright so this food wasn't bad at all. I would just say it seemed to be catered to taste buds that maybe prefer less spice. It was good but for my preferences I didnt think it was great. The sopapillas were amazing though. The service was quick and friendly. The dining room was packed so I definitely think theres a market for this food. Would I eat it again? Yeah for sure. Would I go out of my way for it or choose to eat it over other NM places? No, not really. read more

Hot Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Always good service and food. A little wait, but usually if there is a wait because there are no tables, it's a good sign.

Food is always so great! Service is friendly. I like that it is quiet enough to have a conversation. Their green chile is the best we've found and anything we order with it is exceptional, the Navajo Taco, chicken enchiladas or stuffed sopapillas are just a few of our favorites. Love their chips and salsa as well. Chips and nice and crispy. We come here whenever we are in town. read more

I have been craving chili rellenos for days and Hot Tamela's usually has really good ones but tonight the grease might have been too hot, the outsides are dark and the inside was mushy. The batter was a little thicker than it has been in the past. Almost corn dog thick. Ordering over the phone was a breeze and pick up fast and friendly. read more

This is a great place for a group to get together. There's plenty of space and the staff was helpful and accommodating. The food was good too. read more

Seated quickly. Not overly packed (we have been here when parking is hard to find and there's a little wait to be seated). Chips and salsa out with our drinks. Chips are thicker, crispy. Salsa is just spicy enough. Food served quickly. My husband got the combination plate. I got Miguels Calabacitas Bowl. I love a good caldo and this was it. Filled with flavor and a little picoso. Shredded chicken. SO good. read more

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I love this place! The green chile in my opinion is the best! And I know this is very controversial because there are so many different places with green chile but I love this one! Disclosure I'm not from the mother land of New Mexico but in my opinion I love their green chile the most! Also the chile rellano is delicious! The breakfast is delightful! They have a rellano plate with fried eggs and it's heaven. I love the basic breakfast with fried eggs, tortillas, green chile, bacon, and papas. The pancakes are delicious and fluffy! The French toast is also crispy on the outside and not too eggy. My daughter proclaims that they have the best food ever! I love how they also give Sophia's and Chips with salsa during breakfast time! Service is nice, it's always clean and everything on the menu I have tried is delicious! read more

We were promptly seated and placed our order. I had ice tea, light ice as usual. I added my white sugar. We got salsa and chips and asked for a side of sour cream. We got a 2 ounce cup of it that was not filled all the way for $1.79. Rip off. The chicken and mushroom tacos were good as well as the calabacitas in a small money dish. I had the chili rellenos with double rice. I got two well fried greasy chili rellenos with a very thick battered covering and skimpy peppers inside and almost an indiscernible amount of cheese. I really had to poke around to find any at all. It lacked flavor other than the greasy coating and a small scattering of melted cheese on top. I ate the rice and left the rellenos mostly on the plate, dissected looking for something to salvage. Not much luck there. The service was good, my meal was a huge disappointment. read more

Hot Tamales - Taco plate, 1 chicken 1 mushroom - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Fabulous as usual. Great taste in Rio Rancho. The tres amigos is an amazing dish. The Spanish rice is delicious. It's very very good food. read more

Hot Tamales - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

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People have been recommending this place to us, but this was our first time visiting. So glad we finally were able to try them! The complimentary chips and salsa were crunchy and spicy with good flavor. The service was quick and syaff were helpful,accommodating, and nice. Ate so fast we forgot to take pics, but today we tried the green chile stew with beans and the guaco chicken tacos with beans and calabasitas as sides. Plates also come with sopapillas. Everything was delicious and came out fast. We will be back! read more

Hit Tamales always has amazing food and great service! It's a family friendly establishment. Being born and raised in NM, I am picky with New Mexican food and Mexican food, but Hot Tamales has never disappointed me! I highly recommend their Huevos Rio Ranchos with carne adovada on fry bread-sooooo good!!! read more

Family feel atmosphere, dim lit, traditional New Mexican decor. Food was delicious, we got combo plates and Chile cheese fries. Chile was great tasting, we do like it hotter but was a good we experience overall. Service was friendly. Would repeat and tell others about it especially those living in Rio Rancho. read more

Finally got to try this place. I recommend the tamale cakes appetizer, it was probably my favorite part of the experience. The service was friendly and the rest of the dishes were pretty decent. But I'll be honest I would go back here just for the tamale cakes those were really great! read more

By far my fave New Mexican fare restaurant in Albuquerque. Always delicious, authentic, fresh. Green or red...gonna be HOT!!! read more

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I am kind of a New Mexican food hater, which I know is a terrible thing to admit. But- let me say that Hot Tamales has some of the best food in the state. It is sooo superb and I can't even place why. You start off getting chips and salsa, and end getting sopapillas on the house. The service is great, the food always comes out quickly even when it's packed. The menu is diverse and has breakfast all day. Green chile is hot, red chile is flavorful. I always get the same thing- rellenos buenos with sour cream and it's soooo bangin. The ambiance is pretty special, they have a beautiful paint job- probably the best I've seen in any restaurant. I hot tamales read more

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The food appearance looked good. I ordered the "arroz". Moments after consuming I began feeling nauseated. We were headed to a concert. I spent most of my time in the restroom sick to my stomach. Long story short it had to be bad food. Next day I suffered stomach pain, diarrhea, burping, cramping, headache. I would be careful choosing arroz. I wouldn't know if the food i was served was fresh or sat under a heating lamp for hours. I'm disappointed. Would I recommend this place? Not for now I wouldn't. read more

I have not been to Hot Tamales in 20 years. The last time, I remember it being "OK," which is a euphemism for average at best. Today, the same. Below is the reason I am giving a score of *** stars. When I walked up to the hostess station, there were 3 young females around high school age just standing there. No one acknowledged me in any way. The sign said: PLEASE WAIT TO BE SEATED, which is what I was trying to do. Several minutes passed before anyone attempted to seat me. My server came by fairly quickly and asked me what I wanted to drink. Water, no ice and no lemon. The menu was fairly extensive, so I needed some time to peruse it. I made my choice of Tres Amigos- 3 different enchiladas, with a side of beans and a side of potatoes. I was served a complimentary chips and salsa. Half the chips were stale, and the other half were fine. The salsa had an abundance of cumin, so much so, that was all I could taste. Too much cumin! The enchiladas were the same way, overdosed with cumen. My server seemed attentive at first, then, disappeared when it came time for the cheque. There was a lot of food for the price, so if you are hungry and don't want to pay too much for a Mexican lunch, then, Hot Tamales is your place to go. There was a young lady with pink hair that was busing tables. She was working her butt off. She was the only one in the entire place that was actually working hard. Maybe in another 20 years I will try this establishment again. read more

Great food! I loved the Tres Colores, my brother loved the Tres Amigos, and my wife said the chile rellano was the best she has ever had, with wonderful red sauce. My only regret is they don't serve margaritas. read more

The food here was incredible Our server Dionne was really wonderful. It was the best meal I have had in a long time. read more

Hot Tamales - #8 Stuffed Sopaipillas #7 Navajo Taco - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

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Great place in Rio Rancho to eat Spanish food. I'd like the chicken tacos. They have great, Sopaipillas and many other good food options. . They have excellent. customer service. the place is always clean and welcoming.. read more

We went here to try and get dinner. Wednesday nights they are super busy. So, we left. I dint recommend going here on Wednesday nights. read more

i've had better mexican food in Albuquerque. if you like super hot mexican food, you'd probably like this place. but the regular items need more flavor, like the tacos and the queso. the queso was runny and not very thick. friendly service read more

Hot Tamales - Chile con Queso & Chips - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

Just moved to Rio Rancho from Santa Fe. Finally had the chance to visit Hot Tamales. First of all, we came early on a Tuesday and were seated right away. Dionne, our waitress brought complimentary chips and salsa right away and was very helpful explaining the menu to us. The green chile chicken enchilada was excellent. I substituted one the sides for the calabacitas which were very good. The portions are generous but so good that I ate it all. Can't wait to try the enchiladas and chile rellenos. The professional signage on the exterior of the building made me think that it is a chain restaurant but it isn't. It is a family owned business which Dionne told us has been in business for 21 years. The service and the food were excellent. Very few places make you feel like you are eating in somebody's home. We will be regulars and thank God that we live only 10 minutes away. My wife had the chicken fajita salad with the poblano ranch dressing which she loved. read more

Hot Tamales - September 2025 menu front - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

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First of all if you've eaten Carne Adovado while visiting g or living in New Mexico, you know it's a staple there. Well, this place has e best I ever eaten and I've eaten a whole lot. Combined with red & green chile sauce their Carne Adovado enchiladas are over the top delicious. Their wait staff are friendly, quick, and super nice. Their web listings decor is similar to a diner but with a southwest twist. Don't miss going to eat here! read more

I got the pork green chili stew with beans. I liked that the stew had potatoes and other ingredients differentiating it from other stews I've tried. But at the same time, although there was a heat kick, the flavor was surprisingly bland for a green chili stew dish. The table and seat had some food leftovers from the previous occupants. The wait staff seemed stressed out and in short supply. read more

Hot Tamales - Green chili stew with beans - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

I have been wanting to eat here for a very long time and today I finally did. Start with the service. We got there after the lunch rush and it was still busy but we were seated quickly. Our waitress was great. I told her it was my first time here and she was patient and helpful. I brought my mom and my nephew with me and they also thought our waitress was great. Chips salsa and guacamole came out really fast. Salsa has a smoky flavor and is nice and spicy. The guacamole was average. Our food also came out pretty fast. I had a combination plate and a side of tacos. Green chile was good and spicy while the red had flavor it lacked any heat to it. The rice was really tomato flavored, I didn't really like it but the beans were really good. Portions were generous. I soaked my beans and sopapillas in honey and they were great! Sopapillas weren't huge but they were soft and pillowy. The tacos were smaller than others I've seen in New Mexican restaurants but they were good especially with a little bit of salsa. Overall a 3.5 from me because the food is good and the portions are generous. Our waitress deserves 5 stars for the way she treated us. Restaurant is lucky to have her. Two thumbs up from me I'd definitely recommend trying this place. Hopefully I can come back soon and try something different on their menu. read more

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Service- great 5 stars Food- I usually love this place, the food has always been great. I've been there dozens of times and have always loved the food, except for last night. I ordered the 3 tacos with ground beef. It was horrible, I couldn't event finish 1 taco. the beef was so bland. I tried to salt and pepper it and it did not help at all. I told the waitress and she said sorry, we have some new cooks. I told the host/check out person and he said I'm sorry you didn't like it. Perhaps next time I will ask if I can have a sample of the ground beef first. I did like the beans and rice. I give the tacos 1 star. read more

The beef burrito was good as was the salsa that had a mild but smoky flavor to it. Enchiladas seemed just okay. I sure wish they would serve beers here . It would be nice to go with dinner. read more

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Always great for catering for work! Everyone loves Hot Tamales!!! Great customer service with attention from managers for special requests!

Amazing food! I usually take food home, but this was so good I couldn't stop eating. The cakes are crispy and the potatoes perfect! read more

Hot Tamales - ##11 Tres Colores - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

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I don't know why I didn't know about this place sooner! Food was really well done. Service was excellent and loved the feel of it all. Bright cheerful and friendly. I'll be back. They don't have a liquor license. So I missed my margarita. read more

Really great dinner here! We had to wait close to 30 minutes to get in as the restaurant is fairly small, but it was worth the wait and we were able to wait in our car. The staff was super friendly. The food was very tasty - great salsa to start and the sopapillas are some of the best I've had. Super fluffy and good! My husband and I both had fajitas and my son got stuffed sopapillas. Everything was fantastic! Definitely check it out if you want good New Mexican food in the Rio Rancho area! read more

This is a local hidden gem for Mexican food. You even get an empanada with your meal. Stopped by for breakfast (weekends only). The resturant is very clean and cheerful. The service was great. Would highly recommend coming here for good Mexican food. read more

Hot Tamales - Skillet Supremo - Mexican Near Me - Rio Rancho, New Mexico

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Had an excellent lunch with several family members and it was great! A great selection of classic and newer dishes. Big portions of excellent food. Attentive wait staff even though it was a busy lunch hour crowd. We dined in the main room and it was a bit noisy and rather cold...but, otherwise a very enjoyable meal. Recommended! read more

The food never disappoints me here. Both chiles are great. Service is usually great and fast. Only down side is I go out once or twice a week and like a beer with my meal. No alcohol served. But the food usually makes up for it. Great job guys. read more

We had the stuffed sopas with beef and an a la carte beef and bean burrito with added egg. $23. Hot tamales once again did a terrific job on both the service and the food!! The free chips and salsa were fresh and delicious!! And, both the red and green salsas were hot enough to bring a little sweat. Awesome food at great prices!! read more

I will forever love to come here for a Navajo Taco. It's so delicious, Christmas style is how I get it with a Coke! The service is always quick and friendly. If you're looking for a convenient restaurant with good food! Its here! read more

Reasons why I recommend this place: 1. Food is delicious, yes another New Mexican dishes with the same helpings but fret not. The hot tamales appetizers are rare and also a surprise in great ways. The Calabacita soup is so savory, flavorful with great spice and flavor. (I do have to let people know that if you can't handle your spice to let your server know, the soup and hot tamales does have a kick to it) 2. Great value for the size and price you order. Though I must admit the side of rice is a bit sad but it's not persuading me to not come obviously. 3. Service is always amazing, most places the other servers don't really pay attention to you but for this restaurant, the servers are so nice and helpful even if it's not their table. 4. Great space for small and big groups. read more

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