Ohhhh man. Good food, the kitchen cares. However, I can't leave a good review due to the Manager Violet. Walked in as a complete newbie off the street and she took my order and let me pay $20 for 2 tamales/2 sides when I could have had 2 tamales/ 3 sides for $14 on special. I asked her after why she didn't say anything and she told me to look at the menu closer, that I didn't have "common sense". I mean dudddde, I was looking up at the menu, the special was on paper on the counter. Would it be so difficult to anticipate I'd like to pay significantly less for more? Like WT...I was completely shocked when she said she WAS the manager. read more

I ordered a #4 - 2 Tamale with 1 side. For the Tamales, I selected one Aztec and one Cascadia, and for my side, an Avocado Cilantro Lime salad. (I did not understand that 'avocado cilantro lime' is the dressing, not the ingredients of the salad.) My husband uncreatively copied my order, only with a single change - he had one of his Tamales "wet" (with a green sauce). Since my husband asked for one of his "wet", neither came wrapped in the traditional banana leaf. (Both of mine were wrapped together in one leaf, so that might explain it - they get treated as a pair.) Oddly, though he asked for green sauce, there was only a white sauce visible. Though the container was filled with a sauce, too, which probably was the green sauce. He said it had a "touch" of heat, but not enough to really make a difference. I'm not that familiar with tamales, but I did enjoy these. We both would have enjoyed some sort of actual hot sauce, but even without it, these were quite tasty. read more

See all

The tamales are delicious, as are their refried beans! I even like the vegan tamales, especially the Harvest Blend. The owner and staff are incredible too. The owner does a good job of making you feel appreciated. Great to have businesses like this in the community! read more

Looking for something to eat, found this place. It is very clean, staff is friendly. The tamales are good. I ordered a red pork (score of a 3 of 10). I also ordered a green hatch chili pork tamale (score 4 of 10). I had a choice of refried been or regular beans "spicy". I went with the spicy, which I give a 3 of 10 spice level. Overall, food is good... but no tamales beat Jovita or Alejandrina's tamales. Got to travel far to get those!!!! read more

I found a new reason to go to Bellingham! Hungry? Drop EVERYTHING and rush over here! Let's start with walking in the door... The owner (Dora) greeted us and walked us through the menu. She didn't just say "we have tamales". She described them and highlighted specialties on the menu. Dora also discussed how the New Mexican cuisine is different from Mexican. Then she gave us time to make the order. We took a seat at the impeccably clean tables and eagerly waited for the food. Once the plates arrived... I mean I knew I was in the right place within 10 seconds of walking in the door, but I KNEW I was in the right place when we got our orders. Tamales. So many options. I went simple traditional pork. Delicious. My wife went with a vegetarian option. Delicious. I was afraid my eyes were getting too big for my stomach but I also ordered Quesabirria tacos. Sooooo glad I did! Best ever!!!! And know my eyes were not too big for my stomach. Sides refried beans and salad. The beans were creamy and smooth. That salad...simple shredded iceberg with some diced tomato. Then it's topped with just the right amount of an avocado lime dressing and queso fresca. So simple so good. Dora and team came by to check on how we were enjoying the food. To say that Dora understands customer service is an understatement - she models the highest levels of customer service and sets the standard high! We felt like we were part of her family - not customers - throughout the whole experience. Yeah. I'll be back. read more

I haven't had anything that tastes like the food my grandma used to make until I discovered The New Mexico Tamale Company. From the first bite this food blew my mind and took me right back to summer's at grandma's house. Needless to say I've been back more than a few times since that first bite, and have yet to be disappointed. The staff are all incredibly friendly and helpful. The owner is usually there and is very kind and friendly as well. What I really love about this place is their take home options. Of course you can order anything to go. But..... They also offer fresh chips, salsas, sauces, queso, and frozen tamales! Needless to say I highly recommend The New Mexico Tamale Company! read more

See all

We have been enjoying New Mexico Tamale Company for years! The food is always so fresh and delicious, and the variety is terrific! The owner, Dora, is so friendly and welcoming. We always have some frozen tamales in our freezer for an easy dinner - southwest chicken and harvest are our favorites! They sell tamales in frozen six packs, and they are so easy to prepare at home. They have now started serving brunch and it is AMAZING!! We had the breakfast bowl with chorizo and the breakfast scramble, also with chorizo. I also enjoyed the raspberry-orange mimosa! I highly recommend New Mexico Tamale Company!!! read more

See all

As a vegan, this place is like a gift that keeps on giving. So many vegan choices, including breakfast! The food is outstanding and the non vegan agrees. Some of the friendliest staff ever make dinning here a wonderful experience. read more

We originally ordered New Mexico Tamale Company through DoorDash for our Christmas Eve dinner, but there was an issue with the order on the 23rd and it never went through. When I called the restaurant, Dora had no record of what I ordered -- completely not her fault and entirely a DoorDash issue (and my own ordering ignorance). What happened next is why this place deserves five stars. Dora took my order over the phone and made sure it was delivered by her partner on Christmas Eve. They absolutely saved our holiday dinner. And the food... wow. The tamales were moist, tender, and incredibly flavorful with just the right amount of spice. The traditional rice tasted fresh and homemade, the beans and cheese were full of flavor, and the biscochitos were the lightest, most delicate cookies we've ever had. Between the incredible food and the genuinely kind women running this business, New Mexico Tamale Company is a place I can't recommend highly enough. We will definitely be back. read more

Seriously the best chile relleno in Bellingham! Order at the counter. Don't be in a hurry when you go.

We were starving, and got super excited about finding a legit New Mexico restaurant during our visit to Bellingham. And with such high reviews on Yelp! I am not a food snob, but I did grow up in New Mexico and truly love hatch green chile. It has brought real tears (of joy) to my eyes in other New Mexican restaurants. This was honestly some of the worst restaurant food we've had in years. Flavorless, soulless and it seemed like it was made in a factory in New Jersey 3 years ago. Put in a can, then dumped on our plates and microwaved until it was barely warm. Maybe it was because we ordered the stacked enchiladas instead of the namesake tamales? Maybe it was because the owner wasn't there? Maybe it was because it was late in the day? I'm not sure of the reason, but I feel compelled to leave a review because when I see a place with a 4.6 star rating with lots of reviews on Yelp, featuring my favorite food in the world, I get very excited. The "chicken" on the enchiladas was much less appealing than the canned chicken we feed our cats (not joking). The green chile had a little heat, but was a dark greyish green with a strange viscosity that was off putting. The rice was mushy, and the beans were lifeless. Everything had the same strange flavor, that stayed in our mouths for an hour afterwards. I hope our experience was just an anomaly, and this place is normally great. read more

Used to love these, am a member, but last batch of pork tamales was missing pork. Flavor is still there, not the meat .. Pity read more

I saw the sign for this place while driving through the snow. I thought to myself "no way that is authentic or any good in this part of the world." Boy was I surprised to read all the positive reviews! I decided to give them a try and to just order a couple. Needless to say I went through those tamales in two meals and kicked myself for not ordering more. I placed my order online and they were ready within 20 min for pick up. As soon as I opened the bag I knew the tamales were the authentic abuela-made style tamales of my youth. Can't wait for an excuse to come back here to stock up on tamales for rainy days (of which there are a lot!) read more

Got a hankerin' for tamales and saw this shop one day after Christmas. I stopped in. Bought one package (6 tamales) of the pork traditional and one package of the queso vegetarian. They are great tamales! The pork have a lot of meat and great flavor. I love the queso ones. Also got the avocado cilantro sauce! It's a must! I'm already planning my next trip to the shop to get some more for my freezer. Yum! read more

Food was bland. Bean tasted like they was from a can. Salad was just shredded lettuce w/tomato's. I ordered flautas and got tequitos. Rice was eeww and the service was hella rude. Blah just gross read more

Ok, sooooo... Truth be told I had zero expectations of this place. We are California Mexicans, new to the area, and were looking for a good tamale shop ( and quite frankly, there aren't a lot of options ). We saw that this was a New Mexico style, which we had never heard of. Knowing that New Mexico is right next to Texas (and I can tell you that CA Mexicans generally can't stand Tex-Mex food) we were worried. However these tamales were absolutely delicious! The masa is excellent quality, the meat is delicious, and the proportions were on point. Minus the fact that the salsa can be a few notches spicier, all in all the food quality is fantastic and we will continue to come back regularly for the delicious food. Further, the staff is so nice and welcoming, they literally make you feel like family. Highly recommend! read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Bellingham! Absolutely everything is so delicious and the staff and owner are always so nice. Also tons of vegan options! read more

Ariiba! Uno dos tres cuatro is how many Tamales my belly was telling me I could have eaten! New Mexico Tamale Co. is a hidden gem in a secret spot = use the Google to find it & get here pronto amigos!!! Hint - if you're near Burlington Coat Factory - you're in the right place! I have been coming down to Bellingham for years & so I was excited to try out Tamales at this Yelp hot spot! I wanna say it's my first time but in thinking back, I think I tried them before but was not impressed. Darn it! This is the last weekend to come down to States for awhile - restrictions go back into effect on Monday night = a PCR test will be required to re-enter Canada! I still haven't made it yet to the Cheesecake Factory! I hate hate hate bats!!!!! Covid-19 be gone now - we've all had enough! My go to Mexican food has always been, tacos, burritos or Quesabirria! Tamales are starchy, so I was glad to see my plate portion a little on the smaller side & I was happy with that. My Southwest Tamale (chicken) was tasty, the rice delicious (I actually do not like rice) & the beans were easy to chomp down. My Tamale had me speaking in Spanish - with an accent that would make Don Julio proud ... & I speak nada a word in Espanola! NMTC started over in Ferndale in 2017 & then relocated to Bellingham last summer. Gluten free Tamales should make many happy & I found them filling & not heavy in the belly! Vegans will be happy eating here - NMTC won a vegan award. The owner Dora, came over to enquire about our meal & chat. Very nice lady. NM Tamale Co. is one of Yelps top 100 (2020) restaurants, so do pop in whenever you're in this area! I will definitely go back & try other menu items. Gracias. Feliz Navidad. read more

See all

I love tamales. I wanted so badly to try this place last time I was in Bellingham, but they were closed for a special event on the day I had planned to visit. I ended up being back for a few days and this was the first place I went. Great menu with diverse choices for vegetarians and vegans as well as meat-eaters. They have many new Mexican dishes, not just tamales, which all sounded good, but I wanted to start with the specialty, so I ordered a wet tamale plate with the Aztec and Harvest Blend tamales and the side salad. I was slightly partial to the Harvest Blend, which had a more pronounced sweet-savoury flavour that I really like in tamales, while the Aztec had a more "refreshing" flavour profile. Both tamales were very good as were the red and green sauces. I'm generally more of a green sauce guy but I couldn't choose a favourite here because they were both so flavourful, so I highly recommend doing the half-and-half on the sauces. The salad is just shredded lettuce and a bit of diced tomato with dressing, but the hatch chile vinaigrette made it taste amazing. I also got a slice of lemon cake because I'm a sucker for cake, and I was a little surprised to see that this was, like, professional cake bakery level cake - it was decorated beautifully but also tasted fantastic. I would say it was a little overfrosted - there was seemingly a double layer of buttercream on top - but I may not have felt that way if I'd had someone to split it with and not felt obligated to work my way through the whole huge slice myself. On that note, I was also surprised that this generous portion of high quality cake was only $4.75 when I've definitely paid twice that for smaller pieces of fancy cake many times. I did not see the owner while I was there, but the staff that were there were very nice! Although it's a place where you order and pay at the counter, they will bring your food out and clean up for you. And my food was ready very quickly. Very welcoming, easy-going atmosphere. read more

New Mexico Tamale - Harvest Blend & Aztec Tamales w/ Hatch Vinaigrette Salad, Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Cake - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Tasty tamales with lots of vegan options and reasonably good value. I stopped in for lunch during the week to grab a quick lunch. You order at the counter and they bring out your order minutes later. They have two vegan tamales, and offer up plates where you can combine 1-3 tamales with 1-3 sides. I got the 2 tamales + 2 sides plate ($14.75 plus tax). The two vegan tamales were: Aztec (squash, white corn, bell peppers & hatch green chile), and Harvest Blend (yams, black beans, caramelized onions, brown sugar & hatch green chile). Both were good, but I preferred the Harvest Blend, where the sweetness from the yams and brown sugar really complements the black beans, and the spiciness is more apparent. The sides (vegan spicy beans and salad) were OK -- the salad was particularly lame, being mostly iceberg lettuce. Friendly staff, fast, tasty enough, and good value. Worth checking out. read more

New Mexico Tamale - 2 vegan tamales + 2 sides plate - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Yall I did not even attend this establishment yet I am drawn to write a review based on the food I just received from an event this restaurant catered for. BLACK BEANS SO GOOD! Oh my lord. When you are a vegetarian or a vegan, you get quite used to the fact that people don't care enough about non meat items to season them in a way that makes them taste good. THESE PPL DO!! So good. Thank yall for the wonderful food. read more

The people here are very nice, but the food is extremely over priced for the amount/quality. I just paid $23 for a "loaded quesadilla" which turned out to be a very mediocre and plain chicken and cheese quesadilla with a small thing of refried beans on the side. Disappointing. read more

Great people here. You know you will have a good experience at a place if the owner is there. The owner keep an eye on the service and the food. She is friendly (as is all of the staff). The service was not intrusive but when a dish was finished it disappears quickly and quietly. The food, oh wow the food. I had never had Tamales before. At New Mexico Tamale they have over 15 different types of tamales. They have savory, sweet, meat filled and Veggie. I will be back! read more

New Mexico Tamale - New Mexico Tamale restaurant - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Genuinely, I don't think there is any better service than at New Mexico Tamale. Bellingham has some great restaurants; expensive places with exceptional service, BUT nothing compares to the home feel and the warmth of this eatery. The owner is an amazing human being who lives to serve. The passion for her customers and kitchen is the most popular item on the menu. Whether you order it or not, it's always included. Her smile does not fade, her ability to remember repeat customers, and the delicious home cooked meals from her kitchen are what make New Mexico a must have if you're in the mood for Mexican in Bellingham. New Mexico is a 6 if Yelp would let me. I can't say enough about visiting New Mexico Tamale. SERVICIO: EL MEJOR COMIDA: ESPECTACULAR RECOMENDACIÓN? NO TE LO PIERDAS! read more

Waited in line forever because the menu is confusing so so people in front of me asked a ton of questions. Then paid $16 for a tamale and refried beans. you can imagine my disappointment when i then was handed a box with 4" tamale in it and a scoop of baked beans. I think this place is just riding off the reward they got a few years back. I don't give bad reviews often but this was down right wrong. read more

I finally made the trip to New Mexico Tamale after their move to Bellingham. And the tamales are just as good. I am impressed with the number of different fillings they have, and like how they have multiple vegan options. Next time I will try some of the other items on the menu. For now I just savor the memory of the tamales I had. Especially the jalapeño one. read more

Awsome food. Awsome service, clean establishment, friendly staff. Highly recommend to anyone who loves Mexican food.

For vegans this is absolute heaven. There were so many choices that I will have to return again and again to try them all. The tamales were tender, flavorful, the maui bites, omg, the crispy taco to die for. I intend to be a repeat customer, especially since they also offer delivery (don't use uber or the others). Dora the owner was a delight to meet, conveying her intent that her vegan offerings would be as delicious as her traditional New Mexican dishes, and she has succeeded. Thank you so much, Dora! read more

So disappointed in the quality of the overpriced lunch and the tamales I purchased today. I first tasted the tamales at the Barkley farmers market a couple of years ago. The tamales were fantastic.The masa was light, fillings, fresh and authentic. Today everything tasted stale, oversalted, tiny portions for lunch and over the top expensive. Seriously, get it together or close it down. read more

The food and service here are exceptional. The tamales were fresh and delicious, the owner came out to talk to us and all the other guests individually. The restaurant is spotless, it's clearly well taken care of and has a passionate staff. 100% recommend if you're in Bellingham. read more

Consistent. That's what I love about New Mexico Tamale Company. It doesn't matter what day you go, or what time you're there, the food is outstanding. Perfect masa/protein balance tamales. Side dishes: whole beans flavorful beyond single note Rice: too many placces are dull and this is not that: spice - fresh. Vegetarian? I can take you there. Vegan. I can take you there too. Plus, the owner Dora actually cares about her customers. She'll remember your previous order and ask about it. (Granted, we had a weeknight dinner and the placed a football halftime family order, so there was the close time interval.) RECOMMENDED read more

Do you want the best! Please try this place. Very friendly staff, quick service, and delicious food. read more

New Mexico Tamale - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

We loved this place! Friendly & quick service, reasonable prices, and delicious food; what's not to like? Too bad we don't live here. We ordered the vegan yam tamale, the green tamale with corn and beans, and a cup of the delicious spicy chicken soup. Everything was amazing & the server was so helpful and friendly. Oh, and we ordered the sopapillos. They were good but not as amazing. I've had them only once before at a different place, where they were more deep fried with powdered sugar. Here they were pale and not as crispy as I remember them to be, and they came with a little packet of honey. But then again I'm not an expert on them and they were ok. I don't think I'd order the sopapillas again but everything else, YES!!! (Wish I'd gotten a photo of the tamales and soup too, but I forgot. read more

New Mexico Tamale - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

We did an online order for a scheduled pick up and our food was done 15 mins before our scheduled time. I was worried the food would be cold but when we got it and drove home, the tamales were still piping hot. I ordered the two tamale plate with vegan rice and normal beans. The jalapeno cheese tamale was definitely my favorite of the two. It was nice and spicy and the cheese was fresh as well. The masa for the tamales were super moist and not dry at all. The "queso" tamale had corn, chile, and cheese. This one was still delicious as well and definitely not as spicy. The beans and rice were so good. We also got the buñuelo which was fire! They were so good I wish I got two of them! read more

New Mexico Tamale - #5 - Two Tamale Plate - Two side (Vegan Option) Queso tamale Jalapeño tamale - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

The food is delicious. The atmosphere is very friendly. The owner oversees everything from the kitchen to the table bussing. Plenty of vegan options! I had the vegan tamale which was absolutely delicious. I also went back another time and had the vegan Quesadilla. I haven't had a quesadilla since finding out I was allergic to cow milk, so having vegan choices is a wonderful find. The quesadilla was excellent. Vegan, vegetarian or meat eater, try this restaurant! i highly recommend NM Tamale Co. read more

We went there for the first time at their new location I got the burrito and it was different from burritos elsewhere but it was good My wife got the wet tamale plate and she said they were not as good as they were at the ferndale location and she did not enjoy the meal read more

See all

First rate tamales, but high priced and all the other dishes, including rice & refried beans were a disappointment.

I was skeptical of tamales this far north but was swiftly proven wrong. The service was amazing and they had a very accommodating menu. There's really something for everyone. read more

Delicious food, amazing service, clean restaurant, easy access off I5. Highly recommend it. My wife tried the two tamales, both great. I loved my wet burrito with red and green sauce with pork. The red and green salsas were delicious as well. Definitely stop by on your way through. The owner lady was so friendly, and even gave our toddler son a frog stuffed animal. read more

New Mexico Tamale - Wet Supreme Burrito (small) - New Mexican Cuisine Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Quality of the Food: My son and I got a couple of tamales to go. As soon as we opened the container, we realized we may have made a mistake. The tamales were in a plastic bag with water collected inside. They were even wrapped in paper (over the husk), which was drenched. After his first bite, my son's first word "No good." I have to agree with him. The tamales were MUSHY! I found another reviewer who complained about their "soggy" tamales although many others loved their tamales. At least for us, if the texture is ruined, the flavor doesn't matter, a deal breaker. Since our order was ready in less than 3 minutes, I assume those tamales were sitting in a steamer for god knows how long. It really beats the purpose of making tamales fresh every day. COVID Measure: Their website says their employees are all fully vaccinated. Personally, I don't care if the cashier doesn't wear a mask if they are fully vaccinated; however, I do care if the people in the kitchen do not wear masks. You may not get sick if you're fully vaccinated, but you can still contract the virus. NO ONE in the kitchen was wearing a mask (just so that you know). ************************************************************ If you found my review helpful, don't forget to hit "useful" and/or "cool"! It helps other Yelpers. If you liked my review, follow me on Yelp or send me a friending request. Stay safe and healthy and keep Yelping! read more