I recently visited Tamaleman in Norwalk to try their tamales, ordering the cheese, chicken, and pork varieties. It was nice to chat with the owner, who took over the business just seven months ago. While I appreciate their effort to bring this cuisine to the area, I believe there's room for improvement. The tamales had a good flavor profile, but I noticed they contained a lot of masa compared to the filling. Unfortunately, the moisture level was lacking, making the experience a bit dry. I think focusing more on perfecting their tamales, rather than offering a wide variety of menu items, would help them stand out. Given that their name is Tamaleman, it would be great to see them specialize in tamales and refine their craft. Fresh branding and a clear focus could really elevate their offerings and attract more customers. For now, I'm giving them a three out of five, but I'm hopeful they'll make some positive changes in the future read more

Once upon a time, when this Faerie Queen is in this town, this is the stop for lunch! The tamales are amazing! We love the traditional chicken tamales and the champurrado really hits the spot. A very simple place, fairly priced, and delicious. Worth checking out and enjoying here. The end. read more

Tamaleman House - So many delicious options! - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

Been here twice, the first time I had the tacos which weren't that bad, but the 2nd time we came here, we ordered breakfast and it was not good. I had the pollo Verde tamale to start and it was dry and had little meat, needed more shredded chicken. I also had the carne burrito, however when I unraveled the aluminum foil from the burrito, it looked moist on the flour tortilla and was not tightly wrapped. The tortilla was soft almost as if it was defrosted from the freezer and became moist from the ice melting, very bland and did not taste fresh at all. The "carne" was ground beef and the toppings were lettuce, mushy beans, very little rice, and other questionable vegetables that were not that of a traditional carne asada burrito. It wasn't even carne asada, it was carne ground beef that looked very similar to the "Taco Bell" meat just a few feet away. The cashier, although she was nice, was not too knowledgeable of the menu and had to think twice upon answering any questions. The menu looked promising, but the food quality just did not meet the standards of most taco places. You're better off going to Alberto's. It cost a total of $27 for 2 burritos and 1 tamale; the carne burrito was $11.50, a hefty price for a ground beef mushy burrito. The sauces were not good either, very watery and lacked flavor. Though this is in the city of Norwalk, there are far more taco places in Norwalk that are way better. I hope they can get better with their flavor and quality, needs a lot of work if they want to still stay open at this house, the Tamaleman House. read more

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Unfortunately, the food is not the same with the change of ownership. I went in a week ago and had a chicharrón tamale because that's the only ones they had available at 11 AM on a Sunday- the tamale was very tasty but the champurrado was not good and it took them almost 10 minutes to give to me because they had to warm it up- it was cold and did not have a good flavor, when I sipped on it in the car. I don't know why there was a change in ownership but I miss the other owners and their delicious food and great service. read more

First time here and we tried a variety of items. Those quesabirria tacos are out of control. The corn tamale and chorizo empanada were also excellent -- great flavor all around. Already looking forward to the next visit. read more

I only had their pork tamale and it was pretty good. It was freshly cooked so the meat was tender and the masa was soft and refined. It was a simple set up but functional. The owner herself attended to me. read more

Al pastor burrito - 2 stars - Al pastor is not good, they put lettuce purple onions corn, which is weird... beans and chips - 2 stars - decent, kinda runny, chips are homemade but burnt Tamales pork - 3 stars - small AF... taste good read more

I came here on my lunch break and it was delicious. I was served right away and the staff were really friendly. It's an unassuming little spot. Lots of pick up orders, not many people sit inside. I've recommended it to everyone at work and I'll tell everyone in Cerritos! Just be mindful the tamales are finite! I went at 11:30 and they were already sold out of queso con jalapeño! So I know it's delicious. read more

Tamaleman House - Chicken sopes and rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

I'm so sad. I didn't realize they changed owners. The tamales are so flavorless. I instantly knew new owners cause the flavor was very lacking. I tried pork , chicken and raja. All literally tasted like water with masa no flavor profile at all. read more

A few days ago I drove by this plaza in Norwalk and saw this business here. I knew immediately that I needed to try it, tamales and empanadas are both some of my favorite foods! I had the chance to try it today and I really liked it here. For one, the menu is very simple and offers a lot of different foods. I was thinking it was only tamales and empanadas but it turns out they sell a lot more than that. The cashier, who was super sweet and helpful, explained to me that their most popular items are the flautas and the quesabirrias. I ended up ordering one of each tamale, they have green chicken, red pork and cheese with jalapeño. They also had chicharron but I didn't try that one. I also ordered a pork empanada and chicken one as well. The best tamale for me was probably the cheese and jalapeño one, I've always been a big fan of these so I had a pretty good feeling about it, and a close second would have to be the red pork one. I didn't like the chicken one so much though. Now for the empanadas, I enjoyed the chicken one more than the pork one. It feels like the chicken they use for the empanadas is different than the one for the tamale. Overall, I found my experience here very good. The cashier is helpful and nice, the inside of the place is clean and the food is really good. I'll definitely come back to try it again! read more

Tamaleman House - Menu as of 2/23/24 - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

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My regular tamale lady retired so I had to find another tamale vendor. The donut lady next door recommended me to this place so I gave it a try. Clean store. Has treats for and drinks for individual sale. Picture menu and written pricing for tamales by the dozen. The first visit, the gentleman owner was very impatient with my poor broken English understanding skills. We eventually figured each other out but it was slightly stressful to make a dozen tamale order. Ordered 6 chicken and 6 Chile to try. Price $22 per dozen (this is with tax included). Initial thoughts, small tamales. May not be worth the money. However, after eating them, I felt different. Loved the chopped/diced green chicken. Little masa. My favorite tamale. Second time, I called in 1 dozen chicken and 1 dozen Chile. Picked up in the evening. Price $44. Everything was consistent. Third time, placed an order for 2 dozen chicken. The owner took my order for pick up. A lady was at the desk when I arrived. Her English was even worse than the owner. We had a terrible time getting my message across. Already placed a two dozen order frozen chicken. It was chaotic. I went home, heated four up and found the masa was twice as much with same amount of chicken... this was disappointing. I hope this was a one time fluke. If not, I'll be saying goodbye to this place and will be back on the search for another tamale person. I will buy it one more time to see how it goes. * I get that this is a tamale place and their first language is not English but simple dialogue about their own menu should be the minimum requirement for communication. read more

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Unfortunately, after the change in ownership, the food quality has gone downhill. I ordered a bacon breakfast burrito and was surprised to receive one with pork chops. They have also changed their tamale recipe, and unfortunately, it is not for the better. read more

Stop playing !! These tamales were disgusting. They had a chemical aftertaste. I bought 6 and threw up after one !! I have never had tamales that were this bad and why were they wet !! Disgusting. Never again. The service was top notch though. I'm just saying. Yuck tamales !!! read more

The foods amazing here. The tamales are delicious they're small, but I like that they're affordable and I'm able to try different flavors in one meal 10/10 read more

Stopped by today again and purchased the chicken and pork tamales, which I had not tried and they were good. Will keep coming back.

The tamales were really thin and soft and floppy. I was not a fan. The service was good but the quality was not there

Wrong order given. I ended up with a chicken tamale when I wanted chili cheese. And did not taste good. Disappointed.

Came in here to check out. I was next door. I have tamale man a shot. I was very surprised.. it was very good. The tamales was very small but they had a lot of meat. They are very hot fresh. If you got a craving for tamales. This a good spot . The deal they had in front was 3 tamales for five dollars. That's not bad of a deal. Its a great snack. On our way to Disneyland. The owner was very nice. Got my tamales fasting quick. There few different kinds of tamales chicken or pork. I love the pork one. They are individually wrapped. read more

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After reading the reviews. I do agree that the tamales here are tasty and but on the small side. I paid with cash but noticed that had a card machine set up. We ordered the chicken, pork, and beef. It had good meat to masa ratio. Reason I gave it three stars was because some tamales tasted fresh and moist, while the others were drier. Overall I would come back here again to support local business in the area. read more

This was probably one of the most difficult reviews for me to write. This is only because I tried five different tamales and it was hit and miss. I will start off with a positives. The masa (outside of the tamale) was really good and had good flavor. This was consistent among all the tamales that I tried. The cheese one was my favorite. It was really delicious and I would do that again. The chicken Verde and pork were also really good, but I found that these tamale (as well as others) were on the dry side. You can see by the pictures that they even look dry. And this is where I struggled because they had good flavor, but it didn't overcome the dryness. The Chicharrón one was not a favorite, it was just way too gooey and slimy. The one that was beef was dry and did not have a good flavor to it. So overall, I would probably only go back for the chicken and the cheese if I was in the area. Service was good. if I could, I'd give them a 3.5. read more

Tamaleman House - Cheese, chicken verde, and beef - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

I recently visited this place and although it's very small like the size of their tamales. The tamales were very tasty just like home made, other places load up on their masa but here at tamaleman they had the fight ratio of masa to meat, there was a nice gentleman that helped me with great service. The reason for a 4 star was because their tamales were small. read more

I'm on the fence about this place. Tamales were very small. They were not hot, just lukewarm. Don't know if I would ever try those again. Husband had an Al pastor burrito, it was too spicy but had good flavor. My DD had a chicken burrito that was way too salty, couldn't even eat it. read more

Tamaleman House - Tried a cheese and jalapeño and a chicharron tamale. Very small tamales. Was lukewarm, just all right in flavor. - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

Their tamales are without a doubt 5 stars alone. They're Quesadilla is not a quesadilla though, it's actually only a Mexican flat soft taco with a dry outer layer. I mean it's good, which is why I give it 3.5/4 stars... but I was craving an actual Quesadilla. Their salsas are still the worse I've ever tasted. I wonder why they haven't changed them? I just can't seem to understand how they can make such delicious tamales and come out with that -2 stars salsa? I always forget to say, "no gracias" on them salsas. Please work on it. read more

Tamaleman House - The Quesadilla that is actually a Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

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My coworker brought some chicken empanadas to work and it was delicious! The crust was soft but yet crispy and not oily. When I asked where the location was she told me its Tamale Man! Surprisingly I know about this place cause I would order their tamales time to time! Also good. I will def come back and order a box of chicken empanada for my next event! Their service is great! The ambiance is a hole in the wall. Casual. read more

I went for tamales on a Saturday morning. My daughter is a very picky eater and she wanted tamales so I decided to give this place a try. The reviews I read are true, the tamales are pretty small and they are 2 dollars per... but they are tasty and My daughter loved them. I got there before there was a line which is good because when I left, there was a line. Haha. I'll be visiting them again soon. I just wish the tamales were a but bigger. ALSO THIS PLACE IS CASH ONLY. read more

Tamaleman House - Front entrance, tamale holder - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

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Very small portions, nice people, taste good, they open when they want , they are very friendly.

Been looking for a local spot and I finally found it!!Great fish and shrimp tacos at a good price

Got quesabirria tacos and they were amazing. Service was so good, quick and friendly. It was so good I got a to go order for later. Definitely coming back again. read more

I'm so glad the name caught my eye, I told myself worse comes to worse it will be another Mexican restaurant I'll cross out. I had one chicharon and one cheese Tamale... bomb! (They're hella small, but the taste makes up for it) I had a beef (4stars)and another of spinach (5 stars) Espada... BOMB!! and I'm also trying their Menudo... 4 stars and only because it seems they forgot to drain the chile out Definitely coming back, no need to continue trying around, I found the spot! read more

Tamaleman House - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

26$ for a dozen tiny tamales. They say made fresh daily but I don't believe that to be true. Some of my rajas had fresh cheese and others the cheese had dried up. The flavor is there, but not for the price. I will stick to my tamale lady and just drive to El Monte. read more

Tamaleman House - Smallest 2$ tamale, this was cheese and jalapeño. I used the tea packet and hot sauce for size reference - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

This little hole in the wall serves tamales and a couple of plates of food. I went because of the tamales and I this little place has some delicious tamales! I'm not going to lie I saw some of the reviews and heard the tamales are on the smaller side so I ordered 4. Cheese and chicken and they are packed with cheese and chicken and are very tasty! Butttt they are small! I paid $9 for 4 tamales. I would definitely come back for them as they are very flavorful. The service I was assisted by a guy and he seemed very nice! read more

Tamaleman House - Cheese tamale - Mexican Near Me - Norwalk, California

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Cheese tamales bomb af! I went to the donut shop next to it and this place caught my eye. I went in and I got 1 tamale to try it out. I messed up by getting just one. Should I got 5! read more

Found this place while I was at a bakery I frequently go to so I decided to stop in and give them a try. My biggest fear with tamales is that the masa will be dry And there'll be little to no filling. Thankfully that wasn't the case for this spot. I ordered a few chicharron, pork, and cheese. All were delicious but my favorite was the chicharron. I plan on going back to try more. read more

Green chicken tamale good red not so good that is all I have tasted. Good and fast service. Small place

Amazing place to get tamales year round. Iv been going here for a few months now and before they just had tamales(they have a huge selection!!) but now they expanded their menu to all kinds of items and now it is a little sit down restaurant. The owner is super friendly. Today I got the chicken empanadas and OMG the chicken inside tasted super fresh and had that unique bone in flavor and combined with the green sauce and cheese on top it was beyond amazing!! I regretted not getting more as I drove home eating them in the car read more

Notice, that all the people leaving a bad comment have something in common? I won't say it here, because I don't want to get flagged. What do you expect for $2, a normal size handmade tamale? There's Nicaraguan tamales that are $15, EACH.. yes, they're 3 sizes bigger than a regular tamale, but still don't pack this much flavor. 5 stars are solely for the tamales, other items are 3 stars at most. read more

Tamales were just ok the owner looked like he had and attitude. Poor customer service. When I went in it was Zelle only. Maybe things have changed but I don't think that I would ever go back. read more

Damn what a hidden treasure. Quesobirra & pescado tacos were so good! I gotta stop here every time I go to Luisa & Sons. Gracias Tamaleman!

Tamales are pretty depressing that how small they are let's not talk about the price ridiculous

Chicken empanadas are bomb!!! Chicken tamales are small but fully loaded with meat and flavor.