I'm not sure why all the bad reviews, I've had nothing but great experiences here. I've moved from California and this is the closest I've found to authentic Mexican food so far. The green chilli sauce is delicious and I put it on everything, also love the breakfast burritos ! I live near by and come here frequently and will continue to. Service is friendly and quick. read more

Fabulous tamales and fabulous prices! Green chili is good. Get the tamale plate.. 3 tamales covered in green chili w/ rice and beans. Its only $4.15!! Definitely a whole in the wall type place, I suggest ordering to-go. read more

I would rather defecate into a bag, leave in a drive-thru of a closed McDonalds, pick it up the next day driving thru rather than coming back to this place The food is awful and disgusting, I ordered their hamburger burrito and fries with green chili sauce with a tamale and what I got was not food but dog leftovers. The burrito was disgusting, meat somewhat bland and some of the fries were frozen. The Tamale was disgusting hard and not a tamale but dry chalk. Yuck!. read more

Considering the restaurant is called Tamale Kitchen I was EXTREMELY disappointed, the chicken tamale was disgusting and looked like it was shredded in a blender looking like canned Vienna sausage read more

If I could give negative stars I absolutely would. We ordered Tamales from here. After all the name of the restaurant is the "Tamale Kitchen". However, the actually tamale selection is very limited. Upon receiving the chicken and jalapeño cheese Tamales.. the disappointment was imminent. Being from the South and having authentic really great tamales..I hoped for better. There was far to much masa and jalapeño for me. The cheese and chicken was not even in existence. I had a coworkers try them and he agreed with me. It's really sad and misleading (the restaurants name). I'm not sure where they learned how to make tamales but I can tell you they aren't authentic or even good. Don't waste your time or money on this place. read more

I have been going to Tamale Kitchen for 10+ Years! And services is just going down hill! The girls at the front who answer the phones are so rude. When you call to place an order they talk to you like they hate their job. They always mess up on orders, ALWAYS. And they make it hard to check it to see if it's all there because they tie the bags in knots. Management should train the cashiers to smile more and have better customer service!!! read more

Place is disgusting I ordered a breakfast burrito at night and it's like they gave me the food from this morning potatoes and egg all hard they didn't warm my tortilla the rice is always hard and the beans were dry and didn't taste like they normally do I called and customer service sucks he told me I don't know what to tell you! Do not waste your money here read more

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You know how there's the "Good" 3-Star review, and then there's the one that's... not so much? This is one of the Good 3-Star Reviews. Now that I've tried both Tamale Kitchen and its' across-the-street Neighbor, Tamales Moreno, I can say that Tamale Kitchen's Tamales are "Good." But Morenos' are Great. We got a half dozed on their Red Mild tamales. These were on the small side, and overspiced for my palette. But that's just personal preference. They were pretty uniform in size and amount of meat in the center, and the masa was not dried out, but not overly moist either. I enjoyed them, but I didn't get that "Abuela was up all night making these Tamales for me" feeling. And THAT is the sign of a good Tamale! Of "The Two Tamale Places" here, Tamale Kitchen has the larger, brighter interior. And a more varied menu. But their food seems to me to be over-spicy just for the sake of being spicy. We had a Picadillo Burrito, which was mouth-searingly hot. Cuban, Caribbean, and South American Picadillo, all of which I am familiar with, none of which are spicy in any way. So that was a shock. And I'm just not a fan of potatoes in a burrito. It just seems like filler. As for quality of the beef, though, that was fine. Just, again, personal taste preference. The service attitude here was fine, if not overly friendly, but competent. We did not experience the rudeness noted in other reviews. (Even being a White Girl in their 'hood.) If you prefer more spice in your mexican food, this may be your choice. I prefer more flavor than spice, and more often than not, you'll find me across the street at Tamales Moreno. read more

Tamale Kitchen - Half dozen tamales at Tamale Kitchen. Mexican Pepsi, too! - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, Colorado

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This spot has awesome tamales and I can't wait to try the other dishes they have available. I moved to the neighborhood a few months ago and heard so much good stuff about this place. It was definitely a must try and while it's a bit cozy waiting for takeout, there seems to be ample seating for when they do get busy. They even have a small back patio. You must check out this classic spot in Lakewood! read more

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This place used to have great food which made up for the poor service. Lately, the food has been awful and the customer service even worse than before. Last time I went in to the restaurant the man that helped me was extremely rude and threw my change at me which landed behind the register and he refused to get it for me. Their salsa used to be incredible but now it's like water. There is nothing good about this place. Disgusting! read more

This is The spot for a quick bite. I always eat the breakfast special burrito with bacon, the best ever! Very inexpensive and tasty. Better to call them and order carry on at lunch time because the line can be huge! I can find better tamales someplace else so I stick to burritos and asada plates. read more

Tamale Kitchen, thank you so much for feeding us this morning. We highly appreciate it. It was AMAZING!!

I feel like every time we go the staff is always very rude. The prices keep going up but the service gets worse and the food is mediocre at best. read more

Tamale Kitchen has very good food at a good price. Their quality and service have greatly improved since they got their previous manager back in charge. The extra hot green chili is very hot and tasty, the best in town in my opinion, and their breakfast burritos are loaded. You gotta try their smothered picadillo plate. read more

For the price I love this place. The green chili is fantastic and smothered on so many different kinds of burritos I eat here once a week! Love it!!!! read more

I came here with a co-worker today and was mightily impressed. Do not disregard their dessert menu. It exists and could not be more delicious. Food: I tried all three types of tamales (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wSzi5I17LG9F2wYLIkSovg?select=nEfgsjRDRmxx7nNFVZi0jw) they have here ($1.00 each). The green "hot" tamale is exactly as described. That thing is jalapeno central. The red mild was pretty good, but the meat was sort of dry. As for the veggie, it was probably my favorite of the three. The corn meal hides chunks of corn kernels as well as other vegetables. I sampled some of the picadillo which was pretty good. Also, as I was standing in line, I watched the cooks fry up some breakfast burritos. The smell was pleasantly intoxicating. Oddly enough, I think this place shines in the dessert category. They carry flan as well as sopapillas, thin pieces of fried (yet still soft and moist) dough covered in sugar and served with honey (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/wSzi5I17LG9F2wYLIkSovg?select=MaAngUhdyM7Cd_lWzY3uxQ). They look like empanadas and can be served with meat inside. I scarfed my four huge pieces down way too fast. It's not on their paper menu, but get it anyway! Atmosphere: The interior is what can be described as authentic Mexican, if that means anything... I loved the Maya-looking pictures on the wall. Nice touch. Service: The lines get long during lunch but die off rapidly. The food comes out fairly quickly. Synopsis: Get the sopapillas. read more

Tamale Kitchen - Vegetarian, Red, and Green Chili Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, Colorado

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If you like being treated coldly and rudely this is the place for you. When you go in you are not greeted. The employees act as if you are a major hindrance to their day. Not once have I been thanked for my business. Yesterday we placed an order. When we got home, we noticed it was missing two items. One order did not look like what was ordered. We called and took the order back. It turns the order was correct except for missing the two items. nothing was offered. We were told to take our cold food. They said this was not their fault. We weren't going to argue with them. We told them to keep the order and left. We were made to feel as if we had done something wrong. We will never recommend this place and we WON'T be back. read more

Well, I promised to come back and update after trying the tamales across the way (at Tamales Moreno) and that is what I am here to do. First off, this time I went into the Tamale Kitchen instead of having my boyfriend pick up a bag of tamales and bring them home. To say the least, this diminished the experience considerably. The service was poor and they forgot some of what we ordered. The sopapilla was mediocre and the tacos were pallid and boring. Worst of all, the tamales were flat, not-fresh and contained very little meat. Also, the flavor was lacking. To top it off, the place is kind of gross inside, particularly the bathroom which made me want to douse myself in bleach after exiting. Distressing. Without question, you will find far better tamales across the street at Tamales Moreno. Sure, the food Tamale Kitchen offers is (relatively) fast and certainly cheap, but so are the tamales at Tamales Moreno, in fact, the owner is nicer and service is better. I just don't see why anybody would pick this place over the other. read more

Amazing Mexican food at unbeatable prices. If you are coming home from a late night out and need a quick snack, or an entire meal to combat an impending hangover, Tamale Kitchen is the place to go. I've been coming to this place with my family for over a decade, and we make stops here whenever we are in a hurry or need a breakfast burrito fix. New additions to their menu are usually advertised with colorful marker drawings (carne asada fries rendered in magic marker is a site to behold), but they have many items on the menu that are mainstays. I recommend: Chicken tacos Simple and tasty. No frills, just good food. Egg, potato and bacon burrito "Smothered" Delicious chili, and a comforting meal for any time of day. Tamales If you want to throw a party on a budget, this is a tasty option. Tips: If possible, know what you want before you go to place your order. Get a menu and stand in the back until you are ready to order. These guys are nonsense when it comes to ordering. Have a second location of where to eat your meal. While there are tables and chairs there, the atmosphere leaves much to be desired. Bonus: Open until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays! read more

I'll start by saying we did order about an hour before close. That could have been the problem. We got the chicken enchilada, the beef burrito, and the beef tacos. The beef was flavorless and seemed over cooked, though I've noticed that seems to be a common trend with most Mexican places. I guess I don't understand how taco seasoning is a foreign concept. The chicken had a weird texture and looked less like chicken and more like potatoes... which is a first. The sauce on the burrito left a strange after taste and was too spicy for him. So... in the end, I wound up eating a lean cuisine meal, and my husband ate a totinos pizza. That's another Mexican restaurant we can cross off our list... read more

First off, how can I be the first one to review the Tamale Kitchen? Wow! I've had the supremely excellent tamales from the other TK locations in town, but the other day I was in the neighborhood and wanted a burrito SO damn bad, so I stopped at the original TK. Don't let the ghetto location or the crappy taco stand/run-down Dairy Queen feel deter you from eating in this place! I was totally satisfied, and you will be too. I had a smothered pork burrito, and my boyfriend enjoyed the cheese enchilada dinner. YEAH! Even dine-in orders are served in styrofoam containers, but who cares. My burrito was a huge conglomeration of green chili, tortilla, and pure awesome shredded pork without a hint of gristle. The cheese enchiladas must have been pretty damn good too because my boyfriend basically inhaled them in 2 minutes. Next time I really want to get one of the "family dinner" packs, which consists of a bunch of tamales, green chili, tortillas, beans and rice. Sweet! The tamales are to die for, of course. I would normally take away a star for the fact that this place is totally barrio, but the food makes it impossible for me to detract any stars. Just don't bring a first date to TK - it's about food here, not ambiance. You know it's good when a bunch of Hispanic people are waiting around for their take-out orders. read more

Tamale Kitchen has consistently delivered. From my last review, I mentioned the overall saltiness of their food. I forgot, but was quickly reminded after my last recent order, of one of my other primary complaints...the heat on the green chile. My wife has absolutely no tolerance for any spice, so she has always complained that the green chile is very spicy. It is difficult when you order their tamale dinner packs because that is the only sauce available, but we dealt with it. My boys have slightly higher tolerance for heat and they were now saying how spicy their breakfast burrito, ordered "special", were. Just know when you order, mild has a fairly good amount of heat but tastes pretty good. But, without it, food is just not the same. I ordered a bacon, egg, and potato burrito plain, and it was just that...plain, no flavor, dry.....hated it. read more

We are regulars at this place. I love it. It is yummy home made Mexican food at Taco Bell prices. A smothered beef and bean burrito is under $3!!! . If we get tamales we always get the green ones. They are nice and spicy. I never eat in, the decor is alright except for the big fan by the bench when you are waiting for your food, that bugs me. Also at dinner time there can be quite a wait, but you can avoid this by calling your order in. Oh and don't forget they have yummy breakfast burritos there as well. read more

Really yummy! I love this place! Authentic Mexican food. Try the stuffed sopapilla. They have Pepsi! read more

The girl at the counter acted like I was pulling her teeth by asking to order food and asking questions about the food. Very rude. She should be a maid or a janitor so she doesn't have to deal with people. Pros: Vegetarian tamales Cons: Where do I begin, Rude staff Greasy processed everything Tastes like beans from a can Filthy bathrooms Place smells like sewage when you walk in the door Takes forever to get your food read more

Whenever I want a smothered breakfast burrito, I head for Tamale Kitchen. My favorite is the egg/bacon/potato and I order it to the exclusivity of everything else. With a medium sized soft drink, it's less than $5. You can't beat it. The atmosphere in the restaurant is nonexistent, so I usually eat in my car or take the food home. Traditionally, there are lines out the door on New Year's Day, with everyone taking home their tamales. I'm not crazy about their tamales but they're cheap, and can be thrown in the freezer and heated up in a few minutes when you're hungry. read more

OMG, a nasty, gross, short, hair in my tamale. Man, they were good too. But the whole time I was waiting for my order a worker kept going in and out of the kitchen and I could see in, and all I could think was that it seemed so dirty, and so did the staff. The hair appeared at the end of my dozen, I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. So disgusting. To me, that's the worst, finding a random hair in your food. GROSS! read more

Great location! Right in front of a beautiful lake! It was my first time and they were really nice on explaining the menu and giving their recommendations! Also a great price if you're craving tamales! Definitely will go back for a quick bite read more

I love theTamale Kitchen. I have eaten at this establishment since in was in the tiny building next to the barber shop. Absolutely the best! read more

The prices they have on line are different then what they charge you and when you try to explain the guy that works there is very RUDE and he hung up on me well I was talking, I will take my business elsewhere and the food has gotten gross anyway so maybe this was a blessing. read more

This place isn't trying to be anything it isn't. It's a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant with delicious, greasy food at cheap prices. And that, my friend, is why I love it. One thing that I enjoy about the chicken burritos here is they use fried chicken instead of grilled chicken (I believe they just recently offered an option for grilled). It makes the burrito that much more flavorful, and fatty-ful. But who ever went to a Mexican restaurant looking for a healthy meal? The tamales are good and also quite cheap (about a $1 each). The green chili is above average for your typical Denver Mexican fair. I only wish they were open til 10pm, because I always get a craving for this place around 9:30pm. read more

I think this is the original Tamale Kitchen and it is, by far, the busiest. Amazing green chili (in various degrees of hot), hand-mashed guacamole, home made chips and their tamales are phenomenal. Tamale kitchen is also a great place for breakfast burritos - steak, chorizo, you name it - smothered in their green chili - yum! This is definitely a hole-in-the wall and not a place to take a date, but the food is really good with super fast service. read more

Customer service is absolutely poor they don't know how to get phone orders right or carry out orders right. I love tamale kitchen but the Mississippi location SUCKS DONKEY ASS do not visit the Mississippi location!!! I had to give this location one star just to post this! read more

We got dinner. Didn't expect the chili rellano to come in the form of an egg roll. Didn't receive two items on our order. Overall, food tasted bad. Used to love the breakfast burritos but haven't had much luck with them lately either. read more

very rude staff ever time we come here! i dont get it ...why? be gracious you have a job. Owners need to teach service quality! my burrito was cold and so that may explain the health code violations they have. I will not be back! Las Casita is better quality and the staff so nice and friendly! read more

This place has delicious food for a great price. They have fast service too. Thank you to all the workers for all you do, you guys are all awesome! read more

I will give two stars because the first time I ordered from ugh DoorDash the correct food came the following 3 times it was wrong so I will not order from them using doordash again read more

I've been let down by Tamale Kitchen once before. I guess it's my fault for trying again. The food is decent for the price. If you order delivery you will definitely be missing a few items from your order. Also, this is their "crispy Chile relleno" soggy asf and inedible. At least the beans were edible. Never again for me. Just go to Taco Bell for better food and you will actually get all the items you pay for! read more

Tamale Kitchen - Mexican Near Me - Lakewood, Colorado

Had a breakfast burrito with egg and sausage and loved it. Great tortillas, the perfect amount of spice and not too salty like a lot of the other breakfast burritos that are popular. Good flavor and reasonable price for a good sized portion. I'd recommend for sure! read more

Good food for cheap and it's fast. Their green chili is awesome! The actual building is a bit dingy and old but the food is great, highly recommend if you want authentic Mexican. read more