The service was quick and great! I got tamales de pollo, puerco y de rajas and they were ALL AMAZING. Special shoutout to the rajas ones. The salsa that they give with every meal is also yummy! read more

The Tamal Factory - Tamale - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

What happened to the Tamale Factory? I went there the other day, because I really like the tamales and it didn't seem the same. I walked and no one greeted me. There were number of people in the back who looked like they didn't want to be there. Finally someone washed their hands and came out. Again, no greeting. I ordered my tamales and they went into the back and packed them. They silently brought them out, then a woman came out to take my credit card. The only thing she said was "¿Recibo?". I said "adios" as I left, no response. Very strange. BTW, the price on the web site is incorrect. Got the tamales home and put them in the steamer. After a while I plated them and started to unwrap them. Some had a lot of masa on the outside of the corn husk which made them fall apart, revealing very little filling. The masa was not the tasty fluffy masa I'd had in the past but dry and basically tasteless. The fillings, what little there, was not enjoyable. This was a real disappointment. We try to support local businesses but with the number of other places offering tamales, we'll not be returning. read more

I tried the pork and corn tamales today. Both were great! The masa had a nice bite, and the filling had good flavor and texture. 3 large tamales for 11 dollars feels like a great deal too! Service was quick, and they were served piping hot. 4 stars because they were wrapped messily in the corn husks, with masa on the outside, making them difficult to eat. I also wish there was a lower waste option packaging wise as there was a lot of excess plastic. read more

My husband and I drove past this place, and I made him turn around so I could grab a few tamales to go.  I ordered a pork tamale and a jalapeno with cheese.  The pork tamale was just average, but the jalapeno with cheese was fantastic!  It was absolutely delicious, and I savored every last bite!  If I lived in the area, I'd be one of their best customers. read more

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It was just ok to me. Too much mass to meat ratio. I do like the pineapple and raisin and the sweet corn. read more

Amazingly great place for a tamale and different kinds as well authentic and as perfect as can be if you're looking for great tamales search no further this is the only place to go read more

I ordered a vegetarian tamale and they purposely gave me a sweet corn one. I asked if I could get a glass of milk and they said no they didn't have any and you could clearly see the milk sitting in the carton in the cooler behind them I will never come back here again!!! read more

I love their chili cheese tamales. Friendly people. Not everyone speaks English but understand well. Fast service and only a couple of chairs so plan on not dining in. My brother likes the pork tamales. read more

Food was undercooked and still raw. I tried to call the lady and see maybe they just took them out too early and she just began to argue with me rather than just help me out . read more

The Tamal Factory - Raw still - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Great find. I wanted pick up a few quick tamales for a good price and that's exactly what I found here. Got two chicken and two pork. The pork was a bit spicy in a good way and chicken had good flavor. They were decent size for $3.50 each. read more

Tamales are some what good, masa goes on thick and meat too salty otherwise they OK, service is good I really like them

The tamales are good, however the Masa is inconsistent because there is often too much salt, and sometimes not enough. I do not like surprises. read more

Best tamale place anywhere on the California Central Coast! Their masa taste and texture is delectable and so delicious! I enjoy their pork and red chicken tamales, but hubby prefers the green chicken because he likes less spicy foods. The cost of $3.50 per tamale is worthwhile because it is a generous portion per tamale. One with their yummy rice and beans fills me up. The Tamal Factory is easy to find, across from the Chase Bank on Watsonville's main street. It's basically a walk up to the register, order, and take out. There is one table with maybe two chairs if you need to sit. It's our habit to pick up their tamales every time we need to visit Watsonville for errands. You can buy tamales by the dozen for about $43.00. They also deliver but it needs to be a dozen tamales for an order. The nice ladies who tend the cash register speak English well enough for ordering. It's a popular place, and they open up at 7 a.m and close by 8 p.m. read more

Why did I not know of this restaurant? The BEST tamale! The closest tasting to my grandmas tamales! I only had the pork and the flavor was delicious! I would have liked a bit more heat but these are the right amount of heat for anyone. I can add chili oil to put these tamales over the top! The meat was so flavorful without being salty. It was very moist! We didn't have to order ahead. They were ready in the morning. We picked them up at 10am. The price per tamale has gone up since I bought them years ago but the tamales had lots of meat. The ratio of meat to masa was just right. Don't get your tamales anywhere else read more

This review is on the price. Walked in and noticed it is now $38 for a dozen of tamales. I had to walk out without them as I thought it to be way too expensive as I would need two dozen to feed my guests. I went home and made them myself! read more

I thought I would get a burrito. The posted price read said $12.56. I clarified that I wanted this price. He said that will be $15 +". I insisted on the posted price. A lady said, words to the effect,"[The owner can't remove the posted price because it is written in Sharpie]". He started to build the burrito. I walked out. The tamales which I have purchased here before were never really that good! Tamales are a cultural favorite and sort of COMFORT FOOD. So, I buy them. Sometimes they have made mistakes in selecting what I ask for. It must be difficult to dive into gigantic pots to withdraw the right TAMALE. They are elusive little critters. It's better I make my own! If you are in this "factory" leave at once! read more

We were looking for a covid-cautious place and in a hurry (didn't want my wonderful best friend to reach hangry on her birthday. I am so glad she felt a little comfortable at the first 3 places we checked (ok that sounds strange...) BECAUSE we ended up at the Tamal Factory. My best friend and stepdaughter ordered vegetarian burritos, and reported that they were delicious. Each section seemed to incorporate a new ingredient, and they said every bite was packed with flavor. I ordered a sweet corn tamale and a chicken tamale. Both were delicious, and under $6 for my filling lunch! The woman that helped us was very sweet, patient, and efficient. Our food was ready quickly, and it nice packaging to take and enjoy at the park down the street. Lastly, and super random, I am finally giving a picture with a review...of these cute mugs that were on sale and fun to look at while we waited for our order. Definitely returning the next time we're in town :) read more

The Tamal Factory - a variety of pottery - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Yum. Best tamales I've had in Santa Cruz County yet. Had the Chicken with green sauce and the Pork. The pork was the winner but both were really good. Both were quite moist and very flavorful. Shoot, my kid even ate some of them. Very small shop. You could eat there, but best to take them to go. read more

La masa está buena pero la carne párese comida de perro. Super molida y muy muy salada. Compramos de pollo y de puerco pero los dos sabían súper malos. Y muy caros!!!! No recomiendo para nada. Saben mucho mejor los tamales que venden en los estacionamientos. read more

Excellent service for a large order of tamales for a party. Tamales are large, and freshly made. Prepare to order in Spanish.

Best Tamales in town. Reasonable and made fresh daily. They also have plates. Great Chili realenos and just a little hole in the wall in Watsonville on Main street. read more

my wife bought tamales from there yesterday evening and to our surprise, they raised the price by a ridiculous amount......they mentioned the price increase which is understandable in these times, but to pay $90 for 2 dozen tamales.....NO!! I would have declined the order, unfortunately she went forward and bought them...sadly, this will be the last time we purchase anything there read more

Couple of weeks ago, it was my turn again at work to pickup lunch for the team, so I scrolled through the list of restaurants we have tried in the past, and opted for Tamal Factory as I had never had tamales before in my life (I know right?!?!). I called in to place my order, and the lady kept telling me they were out of stock of various menu choices. It turns out for the tamales, the menu is quite deceptive because they only had 3 of the options available! When I arrived, the lady behind the counter was very friendly, however did ask that I wait an additional 5mins as my order was still being prepared. Not a big deal, and certainly not much of an inconvenience. One of my coworkers did warn me though that Tamal Factory has gotten his orders wrong every time he orders from here, so I made it a point to check my order before leaving. And sure enough, they shorted me a tamale. While our team collectively ordered a wide assortment of different menu items across the board, I focused on the tamales and got 1 pork and 1 chicken tamale. The pork tamale was DELICIOUS! The pork was stripped, well-marinated, and delivered just a bit of spicy kick to every bite. In contrast however, the chicken tamale was quite dry and left me wanting. There is parking available in a private lot on the property, however it is oddly designed as it is only wide enough for 1 way traffic, and parking slots are angled at a 45 degree turn. Which, although easy to turn into, is really hard to turn out of when trying to face the opposite way when attempting to pull out. And while they do take credit card here, Visa and MC only. AMEX and Discover are not accepted. read more

Ordered one chicken, one pork and one sweet tamale. My son (6) devoured the sweet tamale and my husband and I enjoyed all the tamales. The pork tamale is a bit spicy. Delicious and I'd recommend coming here! read more

The Champurrado is amazing, not super sugary like most places. The Tamales are moist and flavorful. The flautas are crunchy and filling. The cheese in the Chile relleno is a bit salty but works well with the rice and beans. Overall I really like The Tamal Factory. Wish they had some pan dulce to go with their Champurrado, but there are plenty of bakeries in town. read more

Been wanting a pork tamale for some time now. Went into this restaurant and ordered 4 of them. Overly priced, so I thought they're going to be delicious since the price was high. Nope the pork tamale was wet tasting like if there was to much broth in it, spicy that you couldn't taste the meat. I've had a lot of tamales in my day but this was bad. I hear a few people saying they're the best but that's your opinion as this is mine. I also asked for a couple of tacos but they ran out of Carne asada. read more

I love the chicken Tamales here .I got their two chicken Tamales with rice and refried beans for dinner yesterday to go.Everything was fresh and delicious .I recommend this place read more

The Tamal Factory - the menu of the restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

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Best tamales in town. If you are looking for good quality tamales and other Mexican dishes. Try The Tamal Factory. I ordered a bunch of tamales this past Christmas and everyone I shared them with, loved them. You won't be disappointed. read more

Best tamales in town love it I'll be trying chili relleno when I go back there . Never had a bad tamales read more

Amazing tamales! They're so fresh and hot. We did our covid-era dining usual of eating on the trunk of the car. Two per person was very filling. I wish I bought more to take home. I like the pork ones! I would come back to this place if I was in the Watsonville area or passing through. read more

We stop here every chance we get on our way back from Monterey to load up on tamales and distribute to our San Francisco buds. This is the real deal. Pork is our favorite but the all the other ones are pretty good as well. read more

I just called to get a price on a dozen tamales. $38 dollars a dozen? Really; price gouging at its finest!!! No thank you! so ridiculous

Today, we had some business to get done in Watsonville, and after deciding we wanted to eat something we settled on this little Tamale place. In our various food adventures my wife and I have realized, if we don't place high expectations on places we will often be pleasantly surprised, and that is definitely the case with The Tamal Factory! We tried the pork, chicken, elote, and the sweet tamales. We loved it all. I can't say that I am a tamale expert, but I have tried many and these were the best we have had so far. The Elote was VERY flavorful, and full of corn. Sometimes one might question if a main ingredient was actually used, because it's lackluster or just missing taste, but not with this one. The sweet is tasty with a good balance of sweet. It didn't taste dried out. My wife truly enjoyed the pork, she said it was tasty and not dry. The pork was tender and actually had flavor. It was a bit spicy at first, but she had little tolerance for spice. She also enjoyed the chicken. She said it was a little drier than the pork, but still good flavor. We are used to the tamale offering in San Jose, however whenever we get a chance to get to Watsonville, I will definitely go back. The service was nice. The place was small but clean. We enjoyed the food, and best of all we enjoy supporting a small business when we can! Definitely worth a try if you haven't. read more

fresh tamales. There was very little filling compared to amount of massa. A friend of mine said they used to have big chunks of meat and chicken. Not the case anymore. read more

Worst tamales I ever tasted the meat tasted bad and like frozen burrito meat 0 stars if I could

I was craving tamales de raja and was so happy to be able get some today. The tamales looked and tasted fresh. It's really difficult to find tamales so this place is a gem. It's a really small location so if your a large group or a large family I would just take it to go. read more

The Tamal Factory - Tamales de Queso con rajas de Chile. - Mexican Near Me - Watsonville, California

Great tamales but the restaurant's eating area needs a little cleaning. We were also misquoted over the phone for a group order, and it ended up being more expensive than we were told as well. The best tamales are definitely the pollo verde and the jalapeño cheese. read more

These are 5star tamales with 2 star service. If I'd ordered them take out this would be a 5 star review. I had the jalapeño cheese tamales. the masa was very good and the jalapeño was flavorful even if it wasn't all that spicy. You have to request the salsa (they don't tell you about it). It must be good as I noticed walking out everyone else was putting it on their tamales. read more

About as close to homemade as you're going to get. Tamales for me are a holiday tradition. My niece told me about this place. So I drove down and bought some and I'm glad I did. The tamales are really good. The masa has great flavor along with the meat inside. The two combined make for a delicious holiday treat. I will definitely be going back to get more. read more

ATOLE ATOLE ATOLE. It is like champurrado and horchata-- this place is like crack! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH. Yummy and cheap tamales and super good atole.... YUMMMMMM....... *drool* logistics: they take all kinds of plastic, even american express the parking can be tricky.. yes you can park illegally at jalisco's lot but that is shady.. SHADY they have about eight different types of tamales SU ATOLE ES LA BOMBA..and perhaps un poquito sexy small store.. get it to go read more