If you're craving authentic, melt-in-your-mouth tamales, Tamale Shack is an absolute gem on the Gulf Coast! From the outside, this place might seem unassuming, but don't let appearances fool you--inside, it's tamale heaven. Each tamale is perfectly seasoned, packed with flavorful fillings, and wrapped in that soft, comforting masa that keeps you coming back for more. The staff is as warm and welcoming as the food itself, making you feel right at home with every visit. And the best part? They keep their prices reasonable without compromising quality. Tamale Shack is a must-visit for anyone who loves real, down-to-earth tamales. I forgot to take pics of the actual tamales cuz i ate them too fast read more

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As a true Mexican I Can say these are the worst tamales I've ever had. so skinny, all bread/masa with barely any meat, so tiny not authentic at all. If I could give zero stars I would. So disappointed. I was pregnant and craving these , almost wanted to cry for how terrible they were also to mention the explosive diarrhea they give me read more

I love their tamales and soft tacos! Cute, tiny place with good food and cold beer!!!

I tried their taco sampler and it was a fun way to try a few different kinds. The fish taco was probably my favorite light, crispy, and perfectly seasoned. The steak taco had a smoky flavor that stood out. Toppings were fresh and not overloaded. The staff was friendly and explained the menu since it was my first time. It's a great place to stop by for casual, tasty food. Will be back. read more

Tamale Shak - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

My husband stopped in just for tamales. He said they were amazing as always! He brought three home for a snack. I'm not a big tamale person but I did have one with the green and red sauce he brought home and it was very good. I normally get a burrito when we dine in. I'm sure the service was great as always and you can't beat the cool little place! read more

unfreakinbelievable Tamales ! Flock around and find out for yourself!! Thanks Don! This was the first place I found with fresh amazing REAL homemade Tamles in 6 years , and am coming back once to twice a week from now on! Boom! enjoy yourself! read more

Where to start great food and the staff is very good make sure you look at days open before you head there. read more

Tamale Shak - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Friendly staff and always delicious food!! Love the decor ! Definitely recommend it!! They give military discount also!!

I really wanted to like this place I swear but it's mediocre for a place to call themselves tamale shack I would think they would have more variety than just pork tamales and I too if that they are super tiny lol I'm full Mexican so I grew up eating my mommas tamales and I expected more I guess. They have spicy and non spicy pork tamales which are delicious but you gotta eat like 6 to be full lol and I'm tiny I'm 4'11" 100 pound girl lol . I hope in the future they expand their tamale menu that would be amazing. I'll give this place a try in the future when I come back from south Florida. The customer service is on point btw! read more

Tamale Shak - the front of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Have been here many times over the years. A little bit expensive, but where isn't these days. Good tamales. Very casual spot with a chill laid back vibe. read more

Definitely coming back here! We came out here for lunch. If you're not paying attention, you'll miss it. It is a quaint building painted in bright colors with a really cool beach vibe. Parking is pretty limited but available on the side and behind the building. Upon arrival, you go in and order your food at the counter. They have a lot of great options. I went with the tamale pie. It had four tamales and a bunch of toppings and was just absolutely delicious. I truly loved it! The flavors were rich and felt very authentic. They have a tiny bar and a couple of tables inside and a few picnic tables outside. Since it was a beautiful day, we sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather. We didn't have to wait too long before an employee brought out our yummy food. It was a great experience all around! They do serve a variety of beers and regular drinks. I think I also spied a margarita in a bottle although I just purchased a water. I'm sure I'll know more in the future because I'm definitely coming back here when I get a chance! read more

Tamale Shak - Tamale pie - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

A bit smaller of a menu (or perhaps more select), but the food they do is good and service is good. Spicy isn't overly spicy, at least for me. I get this, they have to make what many would call "spicy" and most people's spicy certainly is not my definition of "spicy." All in all, this is a good place to go to if you find yourself in the area. read more

Holy cow this place is gem! BEST BURRITO I HAVE EVER HAD! I was gonna give it five before I even tried the food. Parish beer on tap was great! Staff are the best! read more

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Another jewel found at the beach! As Texans, we have eaten a lot of tamales and made a lot of tamales. These are some of the best I've ever tasted. The only criticism I have is they are small compared to Tex-Mex tamales. But the taste and price are hard to beat. I had the spicy and my wife had the mild. Both of us were pleased. We plan to go back and try the tamale plate and the tamale pie. read more

This is a great, small, local spot. The indoor seating is extremely limited, so if you want to eat there, be sure to get there early for lunch. I've had the spicy tamale plate each time I've been, and I highly recommend it -- it's full of flavor and delicious. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. read more

Fantastic find, off the beaten path. I was sold when i saw the hand painted sign that showed parking in the rear. Parking is not plentiful Seating is not plentiful But the food is OUTSTANDING. We tried the Tamale Pie and Tamale plate and half way through my son looked over at me and said , "Are you going to finish that?". Well heck yes, it is freaking fantastic - but like a good Dad, I ate half and shared half. . The ingredients were fresh, nothing from a can and cooked up individually from two cooks you see preparing food. Service is swift and friendly and the flavor combinations are fantastic. read more

Tamale Shak - Tamale Plate - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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Food is excellent hard to beat. We drive 70 miles to buy there tamales. Look for the little blue building off I 20

I've been buying their spicy tamales since we moved to the Coast 6 years ago. Have tried several of their items and everything was very good. Great Food, Great Service and Great People !!! You won't be Disappointed !!! read more

They call it Shak for a reason because it's tiny. But the size of the building doesn't matter when it comes to the food. I'm not the biggest fan of tamales (they are still good though) but they've got plenty of other selections. I could sit in there for days being entertained by all the fun stuff on the walls! The kitchen is visible from the counter so you get to watch the action of the food being made. read more

Heard about their tamales so had to stop by. Customer service was great. Tamales were smaller then expected for the price, but they were still good. Recommend stopping by for lunch, they have other menu items. I plan to try the whole thing. read more

Tamale Shak - Half Dozen Pork Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

great casual atmosphere, food is amazing, jodi & wendy are awesome!! highly recommend read more

I was super impressed with this place. The location can feel intimidating, but the food is superb and the staff are even better. I love coming here and getting rice and beans while sitting on the porch and relaxing to the breeze. The staff working came and checked on us multiple times, always with a smile. A previous review said no bathroom, but my husband asked and was showed a bathroom. I love this environment. It's so chill. It reminds me of being on a beach in Mexico (not Mississippi's grey water beach) and just chilling. We brought our pup on one trip with us and before we were seated we had a gentleman come and bring him some fresh water. This place is just oozing with good vibes and feelings and I hope it continues to thrive. Thank you for the great food and feelings!! read more

Tamale Shak - Pineapple dreamin - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

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I've been twice in one week and I must say, if you're reading this and wondering if it's worth it, it's much more than that. It's worth going out of your way for. Do yourself and someone you care about the favor and get thier entire menu in your system. I love me some good Mexican food and they've got the Juice over here, y'all. It's all about simplicity; when you're able to make something taste extrodinary with just a few, basic ingredients, you know you're onto something. The menu is simple, nothing overwhelming and has mostly everything you could want out of a small Mexican joint like this. The place is quaint and decorated with that feel of this Carribean, Mexican, off-the-highway joint you might find in a Central/South American country. Vibrant colors, a few select beers on draft and some seating both in and outside for those nicer days. There's live music here also on days when the weather permits, I suggest coming down and spark up a conversation with Wendy (one of the owners), she's pretty awesome and can make a mean quesadilla! My first visit I went with the shrimp tacos which I took to-go. Didn't even make it out of the parking lot with them. I wanted to go back in and order two more but I had to battle the fat guy within and show some restraint. But less than a week later I was back for round two and the shrimp and chicken quesadilla was my next choice. Perfect, grilled shrimp and chicken cheesiness! Wendy asked if I had their tamales (which I have not), that is up next which might beeee...oh I dunno...tomorrow?! Newest addiction in Gulfport, great job! read more

Tamale Shak - Spicy shrimp tacos - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

First time trying this place. The young lady at the register was great! Super friendly. I ordered the fish tacos to go. There was very little wait. The fish on the tacos was fresh and had good flavor, the ingredients that dressed the tacos was also fresh and had excellent flavor. A truly wonderful meal! They smelled so good on the way home, that I had them inside and eaten before I thought about taking a picture! read more

Absolutely love this place. The Spicy Tamales are awesome. The tamale pie is so good too. Havent been here in a little bit but its still as good as when I came the first time. read more

Doesn't look like much when you drive past but this little tamale shack is the bomb. We share that tamale pie with half spicy and half regular tamales. The flavor was great not too spicy but full body flavor. Next time we're in Gulfport Mississippi will definitely come back and visit. The staff was super friendly and helpful. read more

Tamale Shak - a plastic container of food and a bottle of soda - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

My husband says when we go to Gulfport we need to go to the tamale shak. My response to him is " your crazy, we are going to go to the gulf to have Mexican when we live in Arizona." Boy am I glad I listened to him. The ladies that operate this joint are amazingly kind and friendly and the food was delicious! It absolutely lived up to Arizona Mexican food, with a little southern flare. We will go back again!! Such a great find! read more

First time here and my wife and I loved it. This is the first place where my wife really liked the tamales. Her shrimp quesadilla was full of large shrimp, she couldn't finish it. I had tamale pie and it was fresh made and delicious. Will be back... Oh and the music was good too. read more

We came down from Philly. We drove past the brightly painted shack. We just knew it had to be good. After reading a bunch of reviews we were determined to make sure we stopped before heading back north. Absolutely worth it! Tamale pie was great! The spicy could be a lot spicier, but I am a dragon. I love the heat. Taste was fantastic. The beef tacos were some of the best I've ever had. My wife thought the same. She's a cilantro hater, but said she didn't mind it at all in these tacos. Please give a try, you won't regret it. read more

This place is great. Not much to look at, but good food. good prices. Limited menu, but it is a mostly lunch place. Tamales are specialty, but other stuff good. Bunch of different kinds of beers. But also, the staff is great. Funny, Friendly and quick. Actually, entertaining. try it. read more

I got the spicy tamale pie and it was awesome! Love the bold flavors throughout the masa and all the toppings just add to the dish. read more

Tamale Shak - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

$10 for two tiny chicken tacos for a place in the hood that pays about $1000 a month for rent that doesn't even have a bathroom? Come on. gimme a break. I can get a two tacos, rice and beans, with chips and salsa at several mexican restaurants in town for $10. This just does not make any sense. I've been to places in Houston and Dallas that don't charge these prices. If you want to get ripped off in the hood, that's your choice. read more

First time going to the Tamale Shack and I was very disappointed in the quality of the food and the amount you get for the price you pay. I will never go there again. read more

Question do they have Posole? Definitely gonna try this place out just wanna know if they have posole and what day is it made on?

Little unassuming "shak" amazing tamales and tacos. Very friendly owners. Even has a tiny bar read more

Tamale Shak - The "shak" - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Such a cool little place. This "shack" has one table for 4 inside placed across from a small artisinal draft beer bar. More picnic style seating outside if you cannot wait to get home to dig into your tamales. A little sign in the front window read "No Trespassing...Unless You're a Pirate". Pirates are great. The tamales were great too! I ordered the tamale pie and a half dozen of the spicy/half dozen of the mild. The "pie" was 4 spicy (my choice of spicy or mild) tamales covered in a saucy chili and topped with cheese and pico de gallo..with a few black beans and corn kernels sprinkled on top. It was served in styrofoam take-out tray. Super awesome good. The tamales are typical Mississippi Delta style (though I think they use masa harina instead of the coarser ground meal), 3" long and quarter size diameter, real corn husks, juicy, with the right amount of pork fat in the sauce. The spicy ones had a few black beans and corn kernels and flecks of hot peppers mixed in..(Not Delta typical..the lady behind the counter said this was her Southwestern style batch...ohh man they were good.. oh yeah..the tamales were offered with a wicked roasted tomato black pepper salsa. The mild were very good too. These did not have the corn and pepper flakes in them...as good as any I have had on the Tamale Trail. They also have tacos , quesadillas, and chicken. Something I'll try after a few more tamale indulgences. They really know how to put flavors together here. Cannot wait to go back!! read more

Tamale Shak - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi

Started with the tamale pie. It was excellent! My wife had a half dozen tamales. We waited years to get back here to eat them and they did not disappoint, so then we decided to order a smothered baby beef burrito. It was good as well. Had some Shak sauce on the side and have to get a jar to take home. It was Spicy and very flavorful. The only thing that would make this place better is if they would sell dozens frozen by mail. It's worth the 12 hour drive, but you just can't do that often enough. read more

Visiting from Virginia. This small place is by far the best taco I've found after moving from Colorado to VA. I tried Tamales and Beef Taco and boy I tell you, it's something to call home and talk about... i ask the workers if they have opening for dishwasher that work free with food benefits...so if your around the area give them a try...will be back read more

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This is really all you need to know! Friendly staff, great food, reasonable prices! Eat here, now!

First timers and enjoyed every bite. Already planning next for the next time. Had our pup and the guy even had dog biscuits. Glad to find places we can take him and enjoy our meal. The Tamale Pie was very very good and the fish tacos were amazing! read more

Tamale Shak - Mexican Near Me - Gulfport, Mississippi