I was recently in Oklahoma City for work, and a coworker told me we had to check out this local "tamale place." It's definitely a no-frills, hidden gem--the parking lot is pretty small and there's no indoor seating, but the food speaks for itself. ​The prices are unbeatable: $2 for single tamales. I got the $10 lunch plate which included 3 tamales (any combination of chicken, pork or cheese) rice, and beans. Also, tax is included in the price! ​The tamales were fantastic--the pork and the cheese were easily my favorites. Just make sure to swing by an ATM beforehand because it is cash-only. Highly recommend grabbing a quick order to go! read more

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It's considered by many people to be the best tamale place in town. Chicken or pork : the tamales are "very moist, soft, and have excellent flavor." read more

SO GOOD! Fast friendly service. Piping hot fresh tamales and elotes. Can't wait to come back.

These ladies work HARD, they are kind and consistent. My tamales are always AMAZING, SO fresh that my tamales are still steaming 10 mins later. El patio has the best tamales in Oklahoma City!!! Truly authentic and can't get any better read more

Tamales El Patio - Chicken tamales - Mexican Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

The ladies who work here are so dedicated and kind. The tamales are the best I've ever had, anywhere!!!!!

The lady was very pleasant and helpful and very fast. The food was so delicious and so inexpensive for the amount of food that I got. I think my food weighed about 7 to 8 pounds. And all I got was the tamale meal with rice and beans. It was for tamales that were huge. And they tasted so good. So fresh! There is no place to sit down. So it's pretty much a grab and go type set up but very clean! read more

Tamales were brought in at work for a diversity food day. Oh my goodness!! They were one of the best tamales I have ever had! So flavorful and they had a good amount of meat on the inside. They definitely have my business now (just wish they weren't so far away from me)! read more

Best tamales in the state. If you haven't tried them, you're missing out. They have cheese and chili chicken and Carnitas. They have a dessert tamale I haven't tried. read more

Everything is delish and coming back for more. I recommend this place to everyone. My daughter when she comes in from Texas she always orders tamales for me and for her to take back home. She says its the only place she'll buy tamales. read more

Excellent tamales. We tried all three varieties and enjoyed each one. We also tried the elote en vaso and a hibiscus agua fresca. It was all great. Make sure to get a jar of the green sauce as well! Service was very friendly and fast. This place is cash only, but very worth it. read more

Two word: authentic tamales We've been buying tamales exclusively from this south-side gem for over 5 years. I prefer the cheee and jalepeno, but the family likes pork. This is a cash-and-carry place, so plan accordingly. The staff are super friendly and helpful. Don't let the outside of the building scare you away. read more

I love this place. Their tamales are yummy. Good price I've tried them all . They all are good read more

its very good and love that place.. I wish its close to my house in moore service is great , and very friendly. read more

This place is a gem. I couldn't tell you if the Pork tamale is better or the Jalapeño Cheese tamale is better, I love them both.

Omg. If you love tamales, this is the spot! My friend took me here and we were so amazed how delish the tamales were. I ordered pork and cheese/jalapeño and it was perfect. They are huge! It was nice and hot and you cold literally eat it right out of the bag. It would be helpful to order ahead of time to be sure they have what you need. They open from 8;15am-10pm. And they serve more than just tamales. I also ordered a melon agua Fresca and it was bomb. Next time I would love to try other things they have there like the elotes. It's a really small place so the wait could be a while depending on what time you go. The lady who served us was so nice. We will definitely try it again. Also it is cash only. Come prepared. read more

Tamales El Patio - The tamales w fresh pico - Mexican Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

I've been here more times than I could count. I've taken family, bought some for friends. The cheese is my absolute favorite, with all the spice! read more

Someone in Edmond mentioned this place in a post. Had been wanting to try it since coming to Oklahoma 3 years ago. So...we made the hike over. Got a dozen of chicken tamales. Couldn't wait to try them. Upon inspection at home, I was thinking that they looked flavorless. Wrong!!!! Very flavorful and big. We'll be back. read more

Tamales El Patio - Chicken Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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The food is really good to my taste is the best store-bought tamales in town. The service is ok nothing good or bad to say. The ambience nothing to say this is a small place and is not sit down and eat place. read more

Stopped by for a late night snack before closing at 10 pm and tried the chicken tamales for the first time! AMAZING! Owner was fantastic too - very sweet and described each Fresca. I tried 3 (guava, coconut and cantaloupe ) and they were all refreshing and delicious. Leaving OKC tomorrow but will bring tamales home with me! read more

Tamales El Patio - Chicken tamales, chips and a cantaloupe aqua fresca - Mexican Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

After having incredible tamales in San Antonio last year i'm on a mission to find an OKC equivalent. I arrived and the building was exactly what I was hoping to find, it was clean but it had all the looks of a hole-in-the-wall gem. The price I thought fair at $20 per dozen and it was fair. The first thing I noticed when pulling them from the foil was that they were GIANT. Unfortunately i'm not looking for size, i'm looking for quality to which these fell short. Starting with the masa, it was not well wrapped within the husk and immediately they began to fall apart when I peeled back the husk. Then the fillings, chicken was first and it was dry dry dry chalk in my mouth dry. Then came the pork which was far and away the best option, last was the cheese/jalapeno which was surprisingly good though cold in the middle. Gosh darn it if I didn't want this to be better. I wish the best for this business but my mission for great tamales in OKC lives on. read more

Tamales El Patio - the front of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Been buying here for about 10 years, can truly say one of the best tamales around. I'm a 65 year old gringo. I've been eating tamales my whole life and from everywhere. By way,way far the best. Just a plain and simple little shop. Love it !!!!! read more

Best tamales in OKC. Only tried them and recently and we haven't been about to stop coming back. Fresh and big! Service is quick and nice. Definitely felt like home walking in. Very nice establishment. read more

A half dozen tamales, 3 cheese/pepper 3 pork, and some verde sauce made a wonderful dinner in our hotel room last night. This batch of verde sauce was spicy!! Best tamales, nice service, so good. One of our repeat OKC places to go. Take cash! I think they're still cash only but didn't check this year. I just know. And go. Mmmmmm! read more

Don't. Sleep. On. These. Tamales. $20 for a dozen, cash only, take out and a steal at twice the price. Dig this: they also have elote that's JUST right, and - CHOCOBANANAS made scratch. Live your best life. read more

The women are so nice and the customer service was fantastic. We decided to get the red and the cheese/rajitas Tamales. We couldn't wait till we got home to try them. Literally we didn't wait. We both tried half of each flavor. The masa was light, flavorful and perfect on the "meat to masa". Definitely plan on going back! Oh and they are made normal sized lol. Yall might be thinking what the hell the comment is about but here in the town where I live, they make them the size of a damn marker with a sliver of meat . YALL HAVE A GREAT DAY! read more

The tamales were amazing! I love the pork! The chicken was still good and a little spicier but the pork was amazing and my favorite. We had them for a party and it was great! read more

Tamales El Patio Authentic. Mexican. Tamales. Made from the heart. Good for the soul. It's a divey-esque hole-in-the-wall--cash only--little spot serving up tasty tamales. I imagine a kitchen full of Hispanic women gathering together listening to music, sharing stories, and hand making these tamales like generations of women who have come before them. That fantasy I have about the origins of these tamales elevates their deliciousness to a whole 'nother level every time I eat them. I just can't help but love them so much: chicken & jalapeño, pork, and cheese and jalapeño. Bring cash and pop in here for a snack, to carry out dinner, or to get a dozen tamales to-go to share with people you really like. They have like 3 tables if you want to dine in, but it's more of a to-go kinda place. My favorite combo is to get one chicken tamale and a cheese tamale and eat them together. They always run out of cheese tamales first so go early if you want to order those. I love their cheese tamales so much and am always miffed when they are the first to run out. A Peruvian person told me it's because the cheese tamale is an American invention. The ladies here just make some with cheese because it's the Amurican thing to do, but it goes against the traditional cultural practices of filling corn masa pockets with meat only. Well, whatever. The cheese tamale is an upgrade on a classic. Nothing wrong with that. But go early if you want some (case and point). I can eat about 2-3 tamales per sitting depending on how hungry I am. I love to eat their pork tamales with some yummy Valentina sauce. They have a couple of other menu items like hot dogs, street corn & snow cones, but really go for the tamales. Though, the snow cones are good on a hot summer afternoon. The staff is friendly. Of course their native language is Spanish, but that doesn't mean you can't place your order and get exactly what you want in English. So fear not. These tamales are so wonderful to share with family and friends. Pick up a couple dozen and bring them to your next family/friends gathering. You'll be a party hero, for sure. Don't finish all of them? No problem. They freeze really well or make great leftovers the next day for lunch, too. --------- May 2018 read more

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Finally found a place that makes legit delicious tamales!! Amazing service and worth the drive.

I love el patio tamales.I think they taste the closest to my moms tamales. I prefer the pork. Yum,,yum.Iv been going to el patio for about 13 yrs.ever since my mom passed. read more

OMG, I am so happy that I found this little gem!! Don't let this tiny little place or location deter you from going or you are going to miss the best tamales you have ever tasted! I'm serious!! Someone had told us about this little place that had amazing tamales so one day we stopped by and we are all obsessed with them! Anyone we share them with want to know where this place is! Lol They have pork, chicken, and cheese w/jalapeño tamales and although you can purchase them single, most people buy them by the dozen or half dozen! Once you taste them you will be buying them by the dozen! They also have the Mexican street corn which is incredible too! And if you want a cup of fresh fruit or strawberries and cream, they have that too! You will not regret checking this place out! Get you a half dozen or dozen tamales wrapped nice and neat in foil and piping hot!! And they will stay hot for hours! They are also great to pop in the microwave with the corn husks on and warm up for a quick snack or meal! You will love them! read more

These are some pretty good and authentic Mexican tamales. The masa is just the right texture -- soft, not too wet or crumbly, holding it all together nicely. Any cheese tamales are hard to find and was my favorite of their three options -- cheese a thick, salty slab, with a few jalapeños mixed in for flavor. The chicken and pork tamales are a little bigger, all tamales $1.75 each, or $20 for a dozen, $10 for 6. Pork is shredded and tender, with the typical reddish-orange marinade, but it is a very mild version and with no heat. I wanted a bit more flavor. The shredded chicken is simply done but tender, and cut the heat of the jalapeños nicely -- flavor pretty good but something tasted a touch gamey in it, not sure why. So flavor-wise only one out of three met my expectations, which I admit I set high on tamales, growing up on super flavorful Peruvian tamales. But I don't get why the ladies did not offer me their popular salsa verde for an extra cost. I only read about it after our visit. Next time I guess. I also tried their elotes in a cup, priced $2/4/6. Corn from a can here, not as creamy as I like them, flavor more sour and salty, and not that great fresh limey sour I crave in a great elotes/esquites. More dour. It was just okay to me. Maybe a less heavy-handed dusting of Tajin might help. This is one of those hole in the wall spots that nearly everyone gets takeout from. The ladies cooking and serving are helpful and all smiles. It does help to speak Spanish here, and it is cash only. read more

Great food!! Always fresh and very authentic! Tamales taste like home! Elote is the best in town. read more

My grandma's family immigrated from Mexico in the 1920s and along with that came a tamale tradition that meant every year as Christmas approached the entire kitchen was transformed into a tamale assembly line. Grandma died a couple decades ago, but we try to keep her tradition alive...bottom line, I could buy tamales from this place and skip all the cooking, wrapping and steaming. Nobody would know. These are seriously the best tamales I have ever purchased. The place is a little hard to find (The big red chili is actually on a post in their courtyard so it doesn't stick out like you'd think it would). The pork are better than the chicken but they always are, chicken is just too dry of a meat. The real key that sets these apart is the masa. It has the perfect bounce and the exact right ratio of fat to masa to keep it from being too chewy or powdery. Get the green sauce too, but be judicious. It isn't too hot but it will certainly clear your sinuses. I did get a cup of elotes. Nothing special there. If anything it was so salty that it completely overpowered the creaminess but it may have just been someone getting heavy handed with the tajin. You can get elotes anywhere though, you can *not* get tamales like this just anywhere, five stars period dot, six if I could give that. Couple Notes: -Prices are up just a bit, $12 / half dozen, $22 / dozen. -Cash only! read more

Amazing tamales we always get them on Christmas. Service is good, well prices went up just a bit but the taste and authenticity never fails i give them 10/10. read more

Perhaps the greatest tamales I've ever had. You'll order 6 and immediately come back for 6 more. You'll get served those quickly, then you'll realized you should just order 6 dozen and take them home. Do yourself a favor and come get these ASAP. read more

We always order a dozen chicken and a dozen pork, and our order's always hot, fresh, and waiting for us with nary a hitch. The elote is superb, too. Cash only -- you've been warned in advance. read more

I love this place! The tamales are sooo good and fresh. It's hard to find good New Mexico style tamales and this place is super close to that. One day my sis and I went on a tamale testing adventure all over okc and this place won hands down! I've been going there ever since! read more

This place has the best tamales! Today we purchased chicken & pork, they were the best I've ever had. Rice & beans were very good too! I will be returning! Bring cash they do not accept debit, just giving a heads up so you do not have to go the the ATM up the street lol. read more

The best in OKC. Salsa's too. Friendly owners. I drive 20 minutes to get here. They only do one thing - and they are the best at that one thing. Hands down best tamales in OKC. read more

Doesn't take cash and prices of tamales went up. Positive side Corn in a Cup is yum.