My new favorite tamales spot, I am so glad I don't have to drive to East L.A for quality tamales. These taste just like grandma use to make them . A+ Tamales read more

On a Saturday morning in late July, my sister and I came here to buy tamales. My coworker recommended this place. We arrived at 9am and we ordered 1/2 dozen of 3 red pork tamales and 3 green pork tamales $21. They sold out on chicken tamales at 9am. We waited few minutes for our pick up. Inside is very clean with bright yellow walls. Then more people came inside. The green pork tamales are moist and taste really good. They open at 7am on Sundays and 5am on weekdays. A few Parking spot in front of the store. I forgot to take photo of the tamales since I ate it at home.? read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Tamales menu - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

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Purchased the chicken verde and noticed that the tamales are not enough meat on it, less this time. (Not like it used to be.) Got disappointed. The taste still good but where's the chicken? read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Purchased this chicken verde tamales I noticed that less meat now, not like it used to be what happened? Got disappointed. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Disclaimer: I am a harsh tamale critic. It is so hard to find homemade grade tamales in a business setting. I feel like tamales are easy to make and easy to not get right. Having said that.. my review: Parking is in front but a bit strange because it's tight. Hours aren't super clear, but their instagram page has the most accurate info though I went earlier this week only to find a typed page on the door saying they would be closed from Tuesday to Thursday. I get the need for a break after the holiday rush, but the notification of the closure wasn't on social media so I went and found them closed. I had gone just before Christmas, and they only had the elote. I tried it and thought it wasn't bad so I was intrigued to try the other varieties. The staff are very kind, and this a grab and go type of set up. I went today around 11:00am. They have been open from 5am-noon or sellout, whichever comes first. They usually have 5 savory fillings or 3 sweet ones. They also sell champurrado. Of the flavors, they only had 2 savory left and 2 sweet. I opted to try the 2 savory they had left (pork with red sauce and chicken with green sauce). The chicken had a kick that tricked you into wanting to eat more and more of it! The pork was good but not spicy just tasty. All was going great until an hour after trying these when the heart burn hit. It was the lard. I totally know that a good tamal needs manteca, but when that manteca doesn't let you forget what it tastes like that means that it wasn't done right. As in, the lard wasn't heated enough or too much. Needless to say, these were not the best tamales I have ever tasted so the quest continues! read more

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With the change of ownership, I have experienced better quality tamales. The red and green pork are super saucy and have more meat than before. The cheese tamal had more cheese in it than before as well. Overall my family and I think the tamales are better now and they meat to masa ratio has improved. They even offer to call ahead to place your order which is a huge plus for those that aren't locals. The taste and quality has been pretty consistent the last few times we have gone this year. Our go to spot for fresh and hot tamales! We purchased a doz green pork, doz cheese, and half a doz red pork and our total was about 97.00. Well worth getting our fix. read more

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A good tamale in town ? Found ! Red is not as spicy as the others..! Saucy and delectable... Service is fast sweet and on point ! The lady's are caught up on the holiday season rush ! Quick quiet and clean ! read more

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Came on a Sunday morning it's packed. We were able to find parking but quickly after people were parking on the street which is a bit hard to get out of. Need to have backup driving skills. Thank goodness my husband was driving. I would've parked at CVS buy some chapstick there then head to Maria's. The tamales are excellent. Very oily but the flavor is juicy. Our favorite is the chicharrones, jalapeño, pork.. we haven't tried any of the sweet. We paid for half a dozen which is currently $21. If you order individually it is $4.50. read more

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The flavor is good but gave us wrong meat! There are 6 tamales that's going to trash because I don't eat chicken! read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Ordered pork but was given chicken - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

So disappointed order 2 green pork tamales and a cheese. They don't taste the same. The masa is different now. The cheese tamales have jar jalapeños and call it rajas. Literally the pork tamal gave me asco. There's a stinky smell to it. I've been coming here for over 15 years, haven't gotten any in the past year or so but man did they change the quality. I didn't see the old grandmas making the tamales, so I knew something was up. I asked an employee and she said that the place was bought about a year ago. If they're not going to keep the same recipes or menu change the name. I was eating my green tamal and took who knows what out of my mouth. So disgusting. Needless to say I won't be coming back! read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Found this on the pork tamal. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

I was in the area and tried to stop by, but they were completely sold out -- which only made me more curious. I didn't give up and came back the next day to finally try their tamales, and I'm so glad I did! I ordered the chicken, red pork, and green pork tamales. All of them were absolutely delicious, but the red pork tamales were definitely our favorite -- so flavorful and tender. Pro tip: ask for their homemade hot sauce if you like a little kick. It takes everything up a notch! Definitely worth the return trip. read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

I would give it 5 stars but the fact that every time I call they never have cheese tamales in stock anymore! I'm talking about calling in at 8 am and being sold out already. The hype is real though don't get me wrong. They taste better now than they did back in the days. Don't know if they changed ownership or something but the tamales taste different in a good way. The cheese tamales now have raja de chile which they didn't a few months back. Definitely better quality than settling for Northgate tamales that they have unlimited quantities of. Call ahead and order though if you don't want to risk going out there in person and getting disappointed to learn they're sold out already. To the business- please produce A LOT more cheese tamales for us who don't eat meat! I guarantee you whatever extra you start making, they will sell out! People like them after all. Provecho! read more

Hmmmm very tasty . Takes me back to when I was a muchachon in abuelas kitchen. Only reason I have four stars is they are rather small for the price .. sorry just imo. read more

Wow....what can I say. They were SO GOOD. Took to a rest home and Evetyone was happy!

We're been buying our tamales here for several years and have never been disappointed. The inside has received a welcome remodel, including paint, a new counter and menu signs. The service is fast and friendly, but I would recommend arriving as early as possible, as they sell out quickly. read more

Came here for the first time cus I had a craving for some tamales... and I've gotta say I might've found my new tamaleria place! It's situated in a busy street, so parking might be limited especially during the weekends. It also gets very busy but it's worth the wait. We came at around 8:30am-ish to order, but they were sold out so we were told to come back an hour after we came. We ended up placing an order for a later pickup, and we were in and out once we picked up our order. I ordered chicharron tamales as well as their chicken tamales. It was SOOOO delicious! It was freshly made so the masa was fluffy and they were very generous with the filling inside. The chicharron had a little bit of a kick to it, but I love spice so I didn't mind. The chicken wasn't dry at all and it was super savory. My mouth is watering as I write this review lol. Definitely give this a try when those cravings for tamales come in :) read more

I've been coming here for years and this place remains consistent and delicious. There is a wait to make your purchase but the wait is worth it. As soon as you walk in you can smell the delicious aroma of tamales. They have red and green made of pork, then rajas con queso, and sweet flavors (pineapple and strawberry), all are delicious and very fluffy. Service is quick and the ladies are super friendly. The parking is shared with other businesses and a church so at times it's challenging to get a spot. read more

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family loves these tamales, they have good portion sizes good meat we tried the chicharron and red pork and green pork. everything is pricey these days but overall 40 for a dozen for the quality of tamales is good bigger than most tamales the cafe de olla is a little on the sweet side. We frequent here for tamales and they just opened up. Tamale season is around the corner. this is the place for it read more

I wanted to try this place for a long time but they close at noon. I finally got to stop by and, this place makes the best tamales I've ever had. read more

Heard about this place through my brother- since I was in the area I decided to stop and try one- I got the red pork- masa was moist not dry - meat was plenty and flavorful- shredded pork but would taste better if it was shredded a lil more- Establishment was very clean when I walked in I was immediately greeted and waited on. From 1-10 I'd give the tamale itself a 7 - definitely not the best I've tasted but good enough. read more

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Well, I just got back from buying a dozen and will never go back. These are now bite size tamales and for nearly $40 a dozen these are kid size. In NOv 2024 I had a great experience and wrote a great review and now I will take it all back. If you want great tamales go to boyle heights and East LA and their prices are way better. incredibly disappointed. read more

My favorite place to get to tamales I can eat them all day every day. I always recommend for people to get there early.

Updating my review of this Tamaleria. After many months under new ownership. Also after 6-7 recent tamale purchases here. I can say...they are getting much better. Consistent too. Masa got fixed. Over all balance too. I am back at 4 stars for this place. read more

I walked in at 11:24am their time to close is 12pm and when I was about to order they tell me they are closed. Never fails there's always something going on here with these Ladies. I know for a fact it's new management because back then this was my go to Tamales's place but everything has changed. SMH. read more

There's no doubt that these tamales are delicious. I think they are racist, I don't speak Spanish, i always place orders and they give them away. Sometimes they even giggle and give me dirty looks. FOOD IS GREAT, SERVICE IS TERRIBLE. read more

Best tamales in San Gabriel Valley plus a Great customer service... i fully recommend it...

This is my second time here and this place amazes me. The tamales were already very good but they are even better this time. They have the recipe hands down, shout out to the new owner. We order red and green sauce and cheese and jalapeños and they were the bonb. The service was amazing as well and the place is very nice and clean. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - This is the green sauce and pork tamale. It was very moist and tasty. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Second time I got charged and missing items this time I was missing three tamales the previous time I was missing too so everything starts adding up after a while so basically having Customer for a long time I just don't wanna continue. I just grab my stuff and left didn't bother to check, but when we got Place to eat the tamales so in charge of the double check the items before the customer leaves read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

I had this place bookmarked for the longest time. Always wanted to go but reading the reviews about the 1-2 hrs wait, I got scared. Today, I finally decided to drop by. Lucky me! There was only one person ahead of me. When I got mine, the line started forming. I ordered the red, green and cheese. The green seems to have more flavor compared to the red. The green also has some spice to it. I wouldn't say I am an expert on tamales but growing up, I ate quite a lot of tamales. Whenever I see tamales, whether in the market, the festivals, farmer markets or the streets I would get some (only the fresh ones tho). I recalled that one of the best tamales I ever tried was from a festival in SD. It was so moist and so good that it forever stays with me lol The ones here were good but it wasn't that moist and juicy. As mentioned above, the red one wasn't as flavorful as the green. I think mainly because the meat was not spread evenly. One side was filled with meat while the other side has no meat at all. Which made the tamales somewhat dry. Needs more meat and more sauce. However, these tamales were a lot better than many other places. Many people make it really dry and that is a no no. I haven't tried the cheese one since I got full with two. So I don't know about the cheese yet. Would be nice if the tamales came with pork and cheese in one. I would come back to get more if the line ain't too long. I wouldn't wait an hr+ for it. Parking was a bit weird. Little curbs in between so be careful when reversing. read more

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It's me and my wife's second time here because they have very good tamales and service but I don't know what they did to the tamales but today they were the best Tamales we have ever had. If you're craving tamales one day and want to get some this is the place guaranteed! The staff especially the young lady in the front today is very welcoming and friendly. read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - This were the bomb Green pork in green sauce. We also bought the red sauce and cheese and jalapeños my wife's favorite. - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Review is for the LP location. Though I've nvr liked their tamales at El Monte, decided to give these a try. I went about 4 days after their opening, bought 1dz Red, Green & Chicken. Red was decent in flavor and saucey. A few were undercooked. Green Pork was thick & dry masa but very little meat. Chicken was trashed. VERY dry masa & the Chicken even more. On top of hardly having any sauce. Sonny T's review on the Chicken is true, though again, masa on mine were dry. Guess they don't like honest reviews based on one's experience b'cause my review on their IG was deleted. When in craving, I'll probably stop by again for the red, and maybe give green another try. But definitely not Chicken. read more

Tamales are dry! The masa breaks up even when you just unwrap it! Its main purpose and focus is to sell the products and not the quality of the food! read more

Some of the BEST tamales in the San Gabriel Valley. They just focus on tales and tortas now. Moist tamales with good amount of meat and not too much masa. Good prices compared to other places around. read more

The tamales are exceptionally delicious! Quick service and nice variety of tamales to go. read more

Pros: delicious pork tamales with heavenly spicy sauce. Most staff speaks Spanish but I've been fortunate enough to have a Spanish-English translator from another customer or a staff member. Cons: unexpected wait times and supply. I come here for their savory Red Pork Tamale Torta/Sandwich with hot sauce. There have been complaints of inconsistency or decrease of their filling/masa ratio but I haven't noticed it. If you talk to the locals about where to get tamales, it's at Maria's Bakery. Pro Tip: if you order hot sauce on the side, you'll get a nice container (think twice amount of those small containers from El Pollo Loco) of deliciously spicy hot sauce for a small fee ($1.75 in 2022). Story time: I think these Tamales are yummy for a few reasons. The base masa is yummy, the fillings are tasty, and the hot sauce is delicious. It's one of those few sauces that I would love to have on everything. When they make Tortas they'll pour the hot sauce with a pancake syrup dispenser. The way these tamales are supervised with an Abuela and handled make me feel that these tamales are made with love. I appreciate the fact that the tamales here are supervised with the same Abuela's always working there in the back. I've seen her every time I come here. She's cutting tamale wrappers, cleaning pots, checking on filling. She's known to me as Abuela (not sure if she's Maria). The fact that she's there making the Tamales makes me feel that I'm picking up food from a friend's house. On top of that, the workers here handle the 1,000 degree tamales with their bare hands. It's just what they do, I'm surprised that they still have fingers at the end of their shift. The people who work here are built different. Big points for that type of food handling. I don't even worry that the workers sometimes don't have gloves because the food is so hot. Side note if business owners are reading: I can't imagine owning a business like this where there's an unpredictable demand. Some days are just crazy where the line wraps around to CVS (next store over). There's a scarcity to these tamales. If you come too late, they'll run out. In my eyes it makes them more valuable but I can imagine how frustrating it is as a consumer. I wish there was a way to know how many tamales are left for the day. Or to cut off the line if they're sold out. Maybe a sign "Low Supply" or send someone to pre take orders before they run out? Please take this yelp review from my perspective--I'm an Asian American dummy who doesn't know much about Mexican food. When I think of Mexican food, It's Nachos, Carne Asada Burritos, and Tacos read more

Amazing tamales, great customer service service & the place was spotless. The cheese w/ chile slices is their best seller & sells out quickly. I bought 1 dozen cheese, 1 dozen green chile w/chicken & 1 dozen red sauce w/ pork & they were all the same size & had a fluffy texture. The wax paper over the corn husks they were wrapped in was greasy, but the actual tamales were not. They cost a bit more than my local tamale lady, but being able to see that they're made in a clean restaurant makes it worth it. read more

I would go at least 3 times a week for my tamale torta before work. I haven't been there in about a year. I went the other day and asked for a torta ahogada (extra salsa) and it barely had any salsa. I went back and bought, didn't ask for more salsa I bought another one, asked for the salsa on both sides of the bread instead of on top of the tamal and I got the same. Barely any salsa. Hey I'm Mexican I like spice. Si no pica no save a nada. I don't know if I'll be going back. I felt like I was being served by robots. No warm hi how are you or no smile good morning. This change was not for the better. read more

Had a couple dozens of different flavors catered for my jobs Christmas breakfast and everyone was delighted with the tamales. And the food was so warm and ready to eat! I love that. Everything was so amazing and the customer service was top notch. Shout out to all the ladies working, especially Melissa and Letty working the front, super sweet and helpful girls. Thank you! read more

This is my favorite spot for tamales they're usually moist, healthy, and very good. Lately though, I've noticed a change: twice now, the tamales have been a little dry with barely any chicken. Not sure if they've changed cooks or recipes? I hope it goes back to the way it was! read more

First time trying the tamales today they were small but with alot of meat in it i got 3 red 3 green havent tasted the green ones yet i think they should b gd like the red ones read more

Tamaleria Maria’s - Tamale - Mexican Near Me - El Monte, California

Great tamales! Great service! All my visits are very nice and welcoming. Always courteous and very consistent in all categories.