Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Tamales Escondido

    4.3 (31 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated 3 months ago

    Tamales Escondido Photos

    Business Info

    TAMALES ESCONDIDO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Tamales Escondido

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Tamal de Puerco
    Isaac P.

    Came here after trying other tamales in the area (it was like a tamales tour Saturday for us.) These were the best that we had all day. Taste was very homemade and the size was rather decent. They pack their tamales with a good amount of protein so that masa to meat ratio is good. The lady running the register was very sweet. Only thing, is they are technically to go only, but did have a table with 4 chairs inside. Definitely coming back here. FOUR STARS.

    (Beef tamale)  I got too excited to take a picture before i ate haha
    D M.

    It's so hard to find a good tamales place in escondido. Was craving tamales & found this hidden gem behind a sketchy alley. But don't be fooled, the tamales were so good & affordable. I believe about $2.80 per tamale. They have shredded beef, chicken, pork, & vegan tamales. Also strawberry & pineapple tamales ??? Wow! The amount of meat inside was plentiful! The younger gentleman with glasses was our cashier & he was super nice & patient with us ordering. I will be back to order more soon!!

    Chicken tamale.
    Jessica P.

    Let me start off by saying, Delicious I'm never disappointed. I have been buying their tamales for years when they sold them at the church. They are definitely not skimpy on the meat portion. I will definitely return real soon

    See all

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 2
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Best tamales in San Diego. I'm definitely getting my Tamales here during the holidays.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ca N.
    1
    25
    8

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Best tamales of my life!! Maria was very sweet and is up early most mornings to make the tamales fresh!! Thank you!!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of W L.
    0
    2
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Good food but sometimes they don't put the correct amount the last time I bought some my tamales were all raw and under cooked

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of D M.
    28
    307
    238

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mari J.
    81
    15
    9

    1 year ago

    Deeeelicious!! Excellent service and price! Very helpful, tamales are perfect for a special occasion!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ashley T.
    10
    86
    30

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alisa M.
    1571
    1194
    240

    10 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karen P.
    138
    13
    12

    6 years ago

    Deliciosos tamalitos and champurrado!! The red salsa is very spicy and good as well! Yummy!!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Steve M.
    6
    164
    169

    4 years ago

    Always great to find excellent tamales! I would call first and place and order... it can get busy at lunchtime et.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    The Tamales were dry the meat was stringy and hard to chew I still have not found a good tamale in Escondido .

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Best tamales in town 100% third time coming back to it and champurrado is the best I've tried here in Cali

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Great food and great prices! The pork Tamales are to die for!

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Tamales Escondido

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Mexican 66,184 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Ahipoke

    Ahipoke

    3.9
    (167 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    As a poke lover, they really do a great job with their marinade options and fresh fish choices. You…read morecan choose pre-marinated fish or make your own marinade. I would give this location 5 stars alone for their unagi. I had a piece on the side and it was just like butter. Worth the extra $1.50. I personally made a garlic shoyu marinade and it was perfect on my salmon. They had a great variety of options for toppings too! My husband enjoyed his mixture too, and specifically we both enjoyed his spicy salmon. The only downside was the white rice was a little over cooked but it didn't really matter with everything on top of it. We did end our meal with splitting their macaron with green tea ice cream. You could tell the macaron wasn't fresh, which shouldn't be expected from a frozen macaron anyway, however, the green tea ice cream was pretty good. Hit the spot for a sweet treat! Would definitely come back when we are around town.

    If you need a quick meal and do not want the Dave's Hot Chicken, Applebee's or Chili's that are in…read morethe same shopping center, then this is an alright choice. I did not have an issue with the fish or toppings, but the taste overall is mid. I felt like the brown rice I cook at home tasted better than the one I got tbh. My portion was good, but my boyfriend and I were surprised his was so small in comparison to mine when we got the same priced item. The bathroom was kinda dingy but functional and served it's purpose. The soda/water machine was broken but thankfully I had a water bottle with me. Staff was nice.

    Photos
    Ahipoke
    Ahipoke
    Ahipoke

    See all

    Sayulitas Mexican Food

    Sayulitas Mexican Food

    3.9
    (382 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    On Thursday (6/18/2026), I ordered a burrito without cheese and was told it doesn't contain any…read morecheese. Unfortunately, when I got home, I found that it did. As someone who is lactose intolerant, that's something I have to be careful about. I called the restaurant, and the employee I spoke with said they would remake it for me the next time I came in. When I returned on Monday, Alexis helped me. It turned out my name hadn't been taken when I originally called, so there wasn't a way to verify the order. Even so, Alexis listened to my situation, trusted my word, and honored the remake. She handled everything professionally and made the situation right. Mistakes happen, but great customer service is how they're resolved. Thank you, Alexis, for taking care of it and making things right.

    This place when I moved to San Marcos would have been 5 stars a couple years ago. Was my go to…read moreprobably weekly for a long time. Customer service to this day is great, nice people. I'm not sure what changed in the kitchen but I pretty bummed on the last 5 times I've gone. I get the California every time I go and add guac for reference, I'm a simple guy. Under-seasoned meat or not enough meat, soggy or dry/stale fries, light on guacamole when added sometimes, missing cheese. The consistency has been really off unfortunately for a pretty simple burrito. My last time I went I ordered the usual California burrito no sour cream add guac, got the burrito and it had sour cream and guac.... But no meat???? It was a big tortilla with sour cream and guacamole only in it lol. I laughed at the mix up and the customer service was great getting a refund (didn't request it they just gave it to me) and replacement burrito. Still decided it was my last time going there after that as even the replacement tasted like the meat had no seasoning on it. Writing this review to hope they turn things around some time in the future, I miss coming here but can't justify spending that much $ for a burrito I'm worried to be bummed about....again.

    Photos
    Big burrito!!
    Big burrito!!
    A peek inside the CONGA (refried beans, rice, and carne asada) burrito
    A peek inside the CONGA (refried beans, rice, and carne asada) burrito
    Menu

    See all

    Menu
    Akita Japanese Restaurant

    Akita Japanese Restaurant

    4.3
    (520 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Tucked into a sleepy strip mall in Escondido, Akita Sushi feels like a quiet surprise. I didn't…read moreexpect chirashi at this level here--but it delivered. A friend who lives nearby had been raving about it, so we finally went, and I'm glad we did. Two Japanese sushi chefs behind the counter--always a reassuring sign--set the tone right away. The three of us, longtime friends, all ordered chirashi dons. No hesitation, no need to compare notes--just trust. And it paid off. Fresh, generous, beautifully composed. Good friends, good food--it really does make life feel simple and full. We'll definitely be back soon.

    We have ordered delivery from this overrated place before, so I figured maybe dining in would…read morechange my mind. Nope. Big mistake. It was Sunday night and we were driving back to Escondido from Anaheim. GPS says they close at 9:30 PM. We roll in at exactly 9:05 PM. Place still had customers inside, open tables, and two hostesses literally started walking us to a table. The male host said, "Last call is in 10 minutes." Cool. I jokingly ask, "For alcohol?" because I wanted TWO damn sushi rolls, not a 12-course feast. He says with a smile, "No. Last call for food and everything else." Okay... easy day. We already knew exactly what we wanted. Simple order. In and out. No biggy. Then came the look. You know the look. The "damn it, I want to go home, why did customers show up during business hours?" look from management and the sushi chefs. Next thing you know, manager says we cannot be served. Wait... what happened to "last call in 10 minutes?" Suddenly now it is, "You missed last call at 9:00 PM." It was 9:06 PM. So your establishment closes at 9:30 PM... but actually closes at 9:00 PM... but also has a last call in 10 minutes... but also refuses service? Got it. Crystal clear. Listen, if y'all want to leave at 9:00, then change the damn hours to 9:00. Do not advertise 9:30 and have people driving 70 miles just to get hit with attitude and false hope. So we walked out and went somewhere else. Being turned away wasn't the problem. The problem was being treated like customers showing up during YOUR posted business hours was somehow our fault. Change your damn hours to 9:00 pm then. Do better!

    Photos
    Akita Japanese Restaurant
    Spicy tuna cut roll and salmon avacado cut roll
    Spicy tuna cut roll and salmon avacado cut roll
    Ribeye steak Teriyaki

    See all

    Ribeye steak Teriyaki
    Mike's BBQ

    Mike's BBQ

    3.1
    (1.2k reviews)
    1.4 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Full bar

    Stopped by Mike's Barbecue in Escondido for a late lunch around 3:30, and overall had a solid…read moreexperience. We ordered the tri-tip slider, cheesy fries with meat (not totally sure which cut), mac and cheese, and a couple of beers. The tri-tip slider was delicious--simple, flavorful, and really well done. The cheesy fries were also a highlight, loaded with meat, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, cheese, and barbecue sauce. Definitely a satisfying dish with a good mix of flavors. The mac and cheese was a bit of a mixed bag. I had heard great things about it, and while it was good, it was topped with crumbled Ritz crackers that didn't really add much. I think the intention was to bring in some crunch, but it didn't enhance the dish and slightly took away from the overall flavor. Service was great--our waitress was friendly and attentive, and she even brought us warm cookies at the end, which was a really nice touch

    Met a friend for an early dinner here and hadn't seen her for a year so we were excited to catch…read moreup. We've both been here several times before and our company uses Mike's for catering lunches so we love the food. THIS was the WORST experience ever! We were treated pretty rudely by our waitress and felt like we were bothering her by being at her booth. The interactions were kept to a minimum after the initial attitude. Seriously, if customers annoy you then perhaps you shouldn't be in CUSTOMER SERVICE. I put the card in the holder and she walked by picked it up never said a word, $20.00 tip on a $75 bill and not even a thank you, have a nice night, NOTHING. The guy at the table next to us had the misfortune of being in her section too and when she kinda of slapped the check on the table he was standing up and my friend said wow, did she really just do that & he noticed it too and made a YIKES face. The food was great but hold the attitude, you really put a sour spin on the visit and dinner.

    Photos
    Gourmet Salads
    Gourmet Salads
    Craft beers
    Craft beers
    Full Slab Beef Ribs

    See all

    Full Slab Beef Ribs

    Tamales Escondido - mexican - Updated June 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...