These people literally saved Christmas - ok, maybe just Christmas Eve, and maybe just dinner, but it was a really big deal, nonetheless. First, the critical information: the tamales are delicious!! They're not cheap ($28/dozen), which is totally fair because they're made without lard and taste incredible. We had a dozen green corn chiles and just ate the last ones last night - yum! Can't wait to taste their other flavors!! Next, a compliment on availability: through a series of schedule changes and misunderstandings, our Christmas Eve tamale order fell through and I had to scramble at the last minute. This place was open on Christmas Eve day, and the lovely people who run it were pleasant when answering the phone, and truly friendly and welcoming to all of us who lined up right out the door. Genuinely, my family and I are grateful!! read more

I've tasted plenty of tamales always searching for a great tasting one because I don't know how to make tamales myself. I almost gave up looking for a good tasting tamale's that is until I came across "The Tamale Store", what a great find!!!!!! Every bite was soooo goooood"! The taste couldn't get any better. These tamales are everything a great tamale should be: soft, moist, corny, and packed full of great tasting ingredients. There's no skimping on these tamale's what a selection to choose from, the Tamale Store offers meat, vegan, vegetarian, and sweet tamales. You have to try the chicken with green chili, rice and cheese, incredible!!!! read more

I heard once that you can't make good, moist tamales without lard, but that person was wrong. The Tamale Store makes theirs without lard, without shortening, and they're the best tamales I've ever eaten. You know how so many tamales disappoint and make you sad when you break your fork into them because they only hold a hint of something inside? That's not what these are like. These are packed with all kinds of stuff. Corn. Mushrooms. Spinach. And they're unbelievably moist. Even though the tamale store has meat-filled and vegetarian options, our meat-eating friends have fallen in love with the vegan tamales after we introduced them. We all insist they are the best tamales we've ever eaten. The Southwest Chipotle is the best of all. The cool thing is that you don't have to be near their location to get some. The Tamale Store has booths at Farmer's Markets all around the valley, most days of the week. You can check their site for the scheduled day in your city. read more

Your hours are what exactly? Online showed open. Better communication please. It 6pm on a Wednesday, & I'm starving.

Tamales... without attitude! Not an easy place to find, I drove by several times... keep your eyes open or bring a friend. The "store" is just that... small area with a chalk board menu that ( based on the amount on dust on the sill ) changes allot. I was greeted by a genuinely attractive and extremely pleasant woman that was eager to help. Their menu includes many different types of Tamales.....7 different types of Meat combinations, 4 Types of Vegetarian, 4 Types of Vegan and 3 types of "Dessert" Tamales. Each tamale is $2.00 6 for $11.00 or 12 for $22.00. Frozen & ready to heat and eat! ** NOTE: as of my writing, no debit or credit cards accepted! I opted for the Chicken with green chile, Green corn and cream cheese, Beef red and pork red. For dinner tonight I had the Chicken Green Chile and the Green Corn and cream cheese.. First let me say,, the masa is AMAZING.. fluffy, lots of flavor.. the best I've ever eaten.. the chicken filling however... not to my liking.. the dark meat chicken filling reminded me of a pot pie filling... OK... just not great. The green corn and cheese... was a different story. Fantastic, tons of corn, chiles and cream cheese. I LOVED it... the whole tamale was a big fluffy yummy tamale!!! I didn't even use the salsa I made.. the favors alone were enuf. I look forward to trying the rest of my purchases, but right now... I recommend that you at least stop by, pick up a few and try them... I'm sure that you'll find something you really enjoy. I read more

Yummy is all I can say. My husband had never really experienced great tamales. He had the usual dried out bland tamale, not at The TAMALE STORE. It was the Saturday before Christmas and they were basically sold out. We bought the 3 options they had, Red (hot) pork, Green Pork and the green corn. WOW, the green corn are now going to be a favorite. We used our rice cooker to steam them and made rice at the same time. AMAZING. We can't wait to go back and get more flavors. Thank you so much!!! read more

This place sells some darn good tamales considering it is challenging to find places in Phoenix to buy them. You can pick them up at local Farmer's Markets during the week or pre-order them and pick them up at the store. I am a vegetarian so I went for the Vegan one with corn, spinach, and mushrooms. It was pretty fantastic. My carnivore friend says the pork one is the best one out of the meat selection. Make sure to have exact change if you stop into the store..and yes, it is slightly difficult to find. Buena suerte! :) read more

The Tamale Store made me a believer! Not having grown up in the Valley, I wasn't exposed to tamales until recently, and I must say my initial impressions were not too favorable. I was ready to chalk up tamales under the category of ethnic food that is more about tradition than taste. Most of the tamales I'd tasted were bland, mealy affairs of corn skimpily 'stuffed' with under seasons fillings. Then one day, upon a suggestion from a friend, I tried a Tamale from the Tamale Store at their kiosk at the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. Now I'm a believer! Unlike the tamales sold at most other places in the Valley, the Tamale Store's version consist of the perfectly cooked masa that is fluffy AND flavorful, overflowing with scrumptious fillings. They carry a full range of tamales, from the traditional (beef, green chile, pork, etc) to unique vegetarian combos ( green corn and cream cheese, spinach and mushroom) to delicious dessert choices (blueberry, pumpkin...) I haven't been to the retail store yet, but they are the highlight of my regular trips to the Downtown Phoenix Public Market. I usually have one to eat on the spot, and take a dozen frozen ones to enjoy at home. read more

The tamales were pretty big but there we're still delicious. They have a small market place in the back. Restaurant counter in front of you when you walk in. The frozen tamale line is on the left side of the shop. I was a little confused when I walked in but lots of friendly patrons. Excellent place. read more

We ran into the Tamale Store purveyors at the Citadelle Market a few weeks back. In the fall/halloween spirit, we decided to get two of their pumpkin tamales (frozen). The next night for a nice dessert, we prepared them in the steamer. I don't know what I was expected, but, wow, they sure were good. Went back the next week, and decided to get something a little more savory (in addition to a couple more pumpkin ones). We settled on two ground beef/cheese and two green chili chicken. Again, we prepared them in the steamer from frozen. And again, they were quite good, I cleaned my plate and part of my wife's as well. Definitely will be getting more tamales from there, they are so good. The only thing keeping them from a five star review is that in the two pack of ground beef tamales, there was one ground beef and one shredded meat (probably beef, but quite possibly pork). Hopefully it was just a one time mistake, a lot of people (like me!) don't eat pork for one reason or another... read more

One week before Christmas and already out of beef tamales. Forget your holiday tamales, folks. They're not taking orders by phone (so says their website). So I drove to their storefront on Cave Creek this morning. Give me 3 dozen red chile beef. Already out. Ok, give me the red chile pork as an alternate. Already out of that too. Guys, it's Christmas. Most people want the traditional. The other restaurant I drove to after leaving The Tamale Store had the traditional red chile beef so I bought there. I will buy there next time, too, because I don't have time to waste with The Tamale Store. read more

Got my tonsils out and this is all I wanted the moment I left the hospital and wow if you don't believe in God you will after you taste even a nibble of these tamales. Sssssoooo good! I want to eat 100 of them read more

Got my Christmas tamales here, first time ordering, not the last! Sampled many types, all were good, all had their own merrits. EVERYONE's favorite was the green chili chicken tamales, for me a close second were the chicken mole followed by the green chili pork and the poblana chilis and Monterey Jack. My biggest complaint about most tamales is the excruciating lack of filling, but not from The Tamale Store! These are big tamales with big filling. Trust me and get your tamales here. read more

The aesthetic of the location is gorgeous and very clean. Employees at the time were polite. Food was brought out room temperature which was very disappointing. Sides (beans, rice, street corn) were bland but tamales had great flavor. I only took a few bites so I could take it home and heat it up to eat it hot. read more

The tamales are good and are huge. They have a good variety and everything I have tried is pretty tasty. I will definitely go back!!!

Ok, so I am sort of a tamale aficionado. My step mother makes REAL authentic tamales from her own family recipe. It is very unusual that I find one I like outside of her house. But I tried a sample of these at Momma's organic market one saturday morning, and I a HOOKED!! SOOO many to choose from . I brought home an assortment of half a dozed, plus I ate one there. They are the best anywhere! Many unusual and traditional combos. Cream cheese in a tamale?! Who da thunk? Sweet green corn is my favorite! Try them, you will be so glad you did! read more

Until very recently, I didn't know that Tamales are traditionally a Christmas food! Well, now you can have THE MOST DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS WHENEVER YOU WANT! The Tamale Store makes the best tamales I've ever had. Not to mention their staff is friendly. Can you say "yay"? If you've had tamales before and were unimpressed, you probably had a bad one. I've had many bad tamales in the indefatigable quest of good ones, and this store delivers some high quality stuff. The one idiosyncrasy of the store is this is definitely a STORE and not a restaurant. There is no seating area to eat, and most of their offerings are frozen for later enjoyment. You can, however, inquire what they have hot if you're hungry right when you go. Careful! When they're hot, they are HOT! read more

Let's see where do I start this place is awesome if you love tamales than they are ampullae named properly the tamale store you will not get a bad tamale you'll get great service you will get great atmosphere and on top of it great food. I was brought here because people think I have a good taste in food and I think they have a good taste in food because I was brought here the servings are huge I am a huge guy and I could not finish my plate that's how impressed I was with the tamale store portions. Whatever sauce they put on it is delicious I would love to have an IV of it in my home while watching TV. The only thing I was disappointed in was they did not have dessert tamales immediately ready for sale I probably would've bought a dozen and tried to eat a dozen but they were frozen and I took them home and they were delicious. Tamale tamale store you have impressed this hungry Hawaiian and I will be back Mahalo read more

I hit up the Tamale Stores table at the Old Town Scottsdale Farmer's Market on Saturday, where the two brother owners were giving away free samples of their warm corn treats. They have standard beef, pork and chicken tamales as well as a number of sweet ones including blueberry and pumpkin. I bought a packet of two cheese and mushroom tamales that i had today for lunch. all i have to say is mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. gooey cheesy goodness! I haven't been to the store...yet. But it seems inevitable that i'll get myself some hot, sweet pumpkiny tamales for thanksgiving. read more

Decided to try the Tamale Store for dinner tonight & it glad I did! I had the green chile chicken tamale with rice & beans. So, so good. Tried all 3 of the salsas and all were great! The employees are super friendly & welcoming. The restaurant is super cute! And the Mercado has dessert & snacks, the popsicles are awesome! Will definitely be back again! read more

This place is bomb! A friend of mine couldn't believe I've never been there before. Well now I know where to go for the best tamales In Arizona! Hands down!!!! read more

This place is amazing! We ordered 2 dozen tamales for takeout and they were so delicious. The customer service was excellent both during the placing of the phone order and pickup! read more

Really nice store, friendly staff. They have tamales and other options witch makes it nice. I have stopped by twice and enjoyed the food. They also have frozen tamales, witch are pretty good . read more

I can only refer to the red beef tamales. They have good flavor however, there's way too much masa used. Each tamale has enough masa for 2 tamales and at $40 per dozen, that's some expensive masa. read more

Got 2 of their chicken chipotle tamales at the Ahwatukee Farmers Market. I should have listen to the guy and got more!! They were delicious! The masa was fluffy not too dry or creamy and it had flavor to it. The filling was just right spicy and made with white meat, no fat. Next week I'll get a dozen... Or two, who knows? read more

Awesome Mexican Tamales! Had the pork red Chile tamale bowl which comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, salsa and all the fixings. It was amazing and well worth the stop in! So happy we tried it and will definitely be returning customers! read more

Everyone should try this place. Family operated tamale restaurant with amazing, authentic Mexican food. Tamales are super flavorful and they make the best Pazole that I've ever had. read more

Best tamales ever!!! I'm vegetarian and came across their bean and cheese tamales at Whole Foods. When we read that they were 10 minutes away. I stopped in! Everyone was super nice, and the wait for fresh tamales was quick! I'm obsessed and in so much joy that they don't use lard in the tamales, and that they've got 5+ vegetarian options and even a few vegan options! I've tried every vegetarian/vegan option they offer, and the bean and cheese are by far my favorite, but I would highly recommend any flavor!!!! I can't wait until they open their restaurant this year- my job is around the corner and I'll be a frequent diner! read more

My Girl and I were looking for tamales a la carte. We had NO IDEA we have such a Goldmine close to our house!!! As soon as you walk in the place It's really clean and smells delicious! The 2 fellas that work there were very helpful in explaining the menu. Para Mi en Espanol y para Ella en Ingles. She had the Green corn with 2sides. Calabacitas they called them, were zucchini and corn in this delicious base. WOW!!! Lleno con Sabor!!! So flavorful!! I had the Pork with red chili in a bowl. Y por supuesto, tenia que comer las cabalacitas tambien! I had both cabalacitas and my tamale!!! Dinner was Absolutely OUTSTANDING!!! I will make sure I tell everyone about this place. I knew it was going to be good when we heard Daddy Yankee once through the door! The price was good and the food is So Great We can't wait to come back. Gracias Ustedes y no Podemos esperar a regresar!!!! read more

I had one of the best meals of my life here yesterday. My stepmom makes some amazing tamales so I went in with a high bar and The Tamale Store surpassed it by a mile. The green chili chicken and red chili pork tamales were so flavorful and were dressed in the perfect amount of sauce. The refried beans and corn and rice on the side were mild in flavor and helped balance the flavorful tamales. The meal was a large serving size so I left full and extremely satisfied. The family who owns the restaurant was very welcoming and helped explain the ordering process to me when I walked up to the counter. They are passionate about what they do and they do it well. I will be back and next time I'll be bringing my friends. And anyone who just likes good food really. You're welcome to come too. read more

Wow, by far the best tamales I've had to date. My stepfather said that his tamale recipe came from his grandmother's recipe and she had cooked for Pancho Villa. I thought they were pretty good until I moved to San Diego. A co-worker brought in some tamales his mom had made that were so good, she would make large batches and sell them to over 30 people who worked at the company. Pancho. Villa would have shot my great step grandma if the tamale store had been around in those days!!! I wouldn't have minded either, my ex-stepfather a real piece of work lol. And the Tamale Store makes my recipe look and taste like a tamale kak uh.. I would highly, highly, recommend a trip here, but don't be surprised it's not a sit down restaurant. It's a take-out place and they have freshly frozen or what's hot options of tamales. Whichever you choose you definitely won't be disappointed. read more

The chiliquile tamale plate is sooo good! Their beans are delicious too! You'll need a nap after this place! They even have frozen take-home tamales! read more

If you are in the mood for Good Mexican food and Don't want to wait the line at Valley Luna, turn around and look at the place that you will make a regular place. The Tamales are perfect. The nachos were huge and tasted so good that I almost didn't eat the amazing Tamales. Give them a try, you will be happy with the staff and food. read more

Absolutely loved all the tamales I tried. My favorite is green corn is my favorite. I don't order from The Tamale Shop.

There's no contest, these are the BEST tamales!

Based on the reviews, I stopped by yesterday and picked up a dozen of the frozen pork red chile tamales from their Mercado. The young lady was very helpful and kind. I followed the microwave directions on the package and they came out perfect! They are awesome! Just like my abuela used to make! They truly pack them full of pork red chile goodness and minimize the masa as much as possible. I am definitely impressed and will be making return visits to try the other varieties! read more

The Tamale Store makes some of the best tamales around! Finally got a chance to try them at the local farmers market and have been hooked since. With guests coming for Christmas, I decided to purchase some tamales for some holiday snacking. We got a variety of flavors and all were marvelous. We particularly enjoyed the pork red chili and the chicken green chili. I love how much meat they pack into these babies as well as the soft masa, which is full of flavor. The Tamale Store is surely my go-to place for a fabulously convenient and tasty tamale! read more

So good!!! The Bean & Cheese tamale with their green salsa is my favorite. I buy them frozen, perfect for keeping on hand when I do not feel like cooking. They go straight from freezer to steamer, done in 40 minutes. They are microwaveable, though I haven't tried reheating them that way. When buying a dozen, you can mix flavors, but minimum 2 of each. Someone different has helped me every time I've been, and everyone has been very nice. read more

Love the Tamale Store even though their hours drive me crazy! I've tried pretty much all the tamales- my favorite are the Jack and poblano peppers, the green chili chicken and red beef. So tasty and delicious and so stuff full of ingredients. The BF likes the Vegan tamales the most but enjoys all the other ones we buy. The tamales are so delicious and so easy to reheat, I've never had an issue with reheating them in the microwave or steamed in a pot. We've even taken them camping and steamed them; which was amazing. I haven't tried their dessert tamales or their salsas, but I look forward to it! They are not open at the actually store during the weekends as they are off at multiple farmer's market, which I often forget and have to wait to refill our tamale stock until the following Tuesday. Or I get down in time to the farmers market downtown and clean them out of the ones I like best! read more

Awwww man! Quick addendum...PLEASE add the Chicken Chipotle tamales to the "EAT THESE!!" list.