Tamales Alberto

On the Grid : Tamales Alberto

"Tamales Alberto has been around since 1997. They started selling tamales out of the back of a bakery and then moved into this Echo Park location. There are many places to get tamales in LA but none quite with the diverse selection, flavor, or quality from their family recipes. Priced very well, the tamales are offered in around a dozen different types of fillings...From chicken with green sauce to cheese & jalapeno to even blackberry. Also offered are vegan and vegetarian style tamales." - Ludlow Kingsley

The 14 Best Tamales In Los Angeles

"Though Tamales Alberto was established in its current Historic Filipinotown location in 1997, their tamales date back to the 1960s, when Alberto Meija was selling them as a street vendor and then later out of the back of a local bakery. The tamales themselves are still made using the family's recipe, which produces dense-yet-juicy blocks of perfection. Our favorite is the cheese and jalapeno, but both the chicken in salsa verde and pork with red sauce are strong options as well. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available." - brant cox, sylvio martins

"Tamales Alberto, Echo Park. Tamales Alberto has been around since 1997. They started selling tamales out of the back of a bakery and then moved into this Echo Park location.There are many places to get tamales in LA but none quite with the diverse selection, flavor, or quality from their family recipes.Priced very well, the tamales are offered in around a dozen different types of fillings...From chicken with green sauce to cheese & jalapeno to even blackberry. Also offered are vegan and vegetarian style tamales."

Los Angeles

Tamales Alberto - Review - Historic Filipinotown - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"Though Tamales Alberto was established in its current location in Historic Filipinotown in 1997, their tremendous tamales date back to the 1960s, when Alberto Meija was selling them as a street vendor and then later out of the back of a local bakery. The tamales themselves are still made from an old family recipe and are dense-yet-juicy blocks of perfection. Our favorite is probably the cheese and jalapeno, but both the chicken in salsa verde and pork with red sauce are must-orders as well. Vegan and vegetarian options are also available." - Brant Cox

Syed S Mehdi

Google

This is an amazing spot we discovered just yesterday near Echo Park. The chilaqules were bomb and delicious. Very authentic. Staff were friendly and inviting. Ive tried a few other restaurants with chilaqules and this has become my top 3 for sure. There are other items in the menu I am looking forward tk try next visit soon.

Karla Zamora

Google

I made a pickup order for December 24th, and it was a smooth process. I did pay cash because they said I would get a discount, but on the day they didn't discount anything ( I didn't mind, but don't say you will and then don't). Service on pickup was ok. They just gave me my order, and I paid nothing extra. The favorite tamales were the cheese with spinach and cheese with jalapeño. I also got the beans with cheese and fresa, but those didn't have a lot of flavor. They say you can freeze them, but frozen tamales aren't the same, better if you buy them hot and eat as many as possible, lol.

Jorge Carrillo

Google

Amazing food, amazing price. Authentic hole in the wall restaurant in the heart of LA. I was surprised it wasn’t busier on a Sunday morning because their breakfast chilaquiles were so good! We got both the green chilaquiles with chicken and egg as well as the chilaquiles de mole with chicken and egg as well. I would definitely recommend both plates just be aware that the green salsa is a little spicy and it can be a bit much for those who aren’t used to the spice. The flavor of the green sauce was great though! They have a couple small tables outside too so it’s dog friendly :)

Toteona Gray

Google

The green chicken tamales were absolutely amazing! We came Christmas Eve and they were open and ready for business. I understand we came on a busy day so perhaps that is why we could not buy mixed batches. The flavor was amazing and the price decent. The only downside is that we could not get a mixed batch and you had to purchase them in half dozen or more. It would have been nice to be able to have partial one flavor and partial another flavor for a half dozen. The other Downside is that the chicken tamales were fridgerated and not hot. Therefore if you were planning to eat one in the car that isn’t an option. But, overall it was a positive experience and if I am in the area again I will def be getting another half dozen of chicken verde.

Nathan Larson

Google

The greatest tamales, particularly the queso/ jalapeño…. Amazing . Lovely staff. Thank you!!

Silverio Delgado

Google

If you enjoy a tasty savory fresh tamale then this is the spot. The atmosphere great too!

Fernando Sanchez

Google

Really good food, is really close to what we eat in Mexico but not quite there yet, even so a really good option, I was satisfied. The red chilaquiles were really good, had some chorizo eggs on the side and one tamale (beef) to try, the prices were really reasonable like 13 dollars a person with the drink included. Overall I recommend this place for the quality of the food and the price .

Yrah Rayos del Sol

Google

I can’t even eat my tamales. I bought 4 tamales for me and my girlfriend, just a quick grab before I start getting ready for work. The chicken tamales I got taste like soap. My girl on the other hand finished hers and she got the pork one mainly because she’s hungry. But as one of the many line cooks in the field, my advice for this business is ALWAYS taste your food before pushing it to the line and please get better at food handling. I can’t believe I choose this place more than the street vendors cause I had tried way too cheaper and way more delicious tamales out there.

Blue S.

Yelp

The tamales are DELICIOUS!! The texture is just right, the flavors are mouthwatering good, and the staff is the sweetest. They even make tamales for doggies!! Definitely coming back here!

Elia B.

Yelp

We were very disappointed by our visit this Sunday morning. Our food was brought out to us on paper plates and togo cups meanwhile the table next to us had proper silverware and plates. Seemed as if we were being kicked out. The drinks & tamales were cold; the quality of the masa was different as well as the portions. The waitress/cashier seemed annoyed when we asked her for a rag to clean our table. We were also given a very unfriendly response by our questions about the menu and their online ordering system. The unwelcoming customer service discouraged us from asking to get our food reheated/replaced. What a shame, this place has always been our first option for tamales in this area. Our search for new tamale businesses begins.

Amparo I.

Yelp

One of our local families favorite spot! The ambiance is family friendly. Offering aguas frescas and the traditional cafe de olla. A nice touch is they have the cold version of this coffee, especially on hot days. The service was okay, the cashier noted one of our orders wrong and first debated back with us but ultimately recovered. The tamales were delicious, they melt in your mouth! And the chilaquiles are on point (just be cautious they are spicy).

Jackie A.

Yelp

This isn't a review about their tamales since I have yet to try them. But it's about their service. I waited in line quite patiently while the customer in front of me took her time ordering and chatting. When the customer in front of me was being rung up, she asked for salsa with her half dozen tamales. The lady said oh that's right and gave her a couple of salsas. Then the customer in front of me wanted more and paid for that extra salsa. When it was my turn to order, I ordered a half dozen tamales. And when I didn't get salsas with my order, I asked her for salsas. She told me it was $1. I questioned her because she had given out salsas to the customer in front of me. She said $1 and pointed to the sign. I didn't feel like arguing with her so I left. But I left with a not so good taste in my mouth. Be consistent. I don't know if she's a regular or they struck up a great conversation and she decided to be generous. But don't tell me that salsas are a $1 after you gave some to someone right in front of me for free.

Tommy S.

Yelp

El parking es en la calle. Medio complicado pero si hay. Asi que busquenle. El restaurante esta pequeño pero limpio, bonito y se siente muy familiar. Muchas ordenes son para llevar. Servicio es rapido, bueno y atento. La comida Toda muy deliciosa. El lugar cierra temprano pero es perfecto para desayunar. Definitivamente voy a regresar. Se los recomiendo. Parking is on the street. It is a bit complicated, but go around, seek, and you shall find. The restaurant is small, clean, and family oriented. A lot of their food orders are to go. The service is fast, good and attentive. Everything was delicious. The restaurant closes early, so it's perfect for breakfast. Will definitely return. I highly recommend this place.

Alexandria M.

Yelp

Very disappointing tamales. Bland masa and barely any filling. I would not recommend getting your holiday tamales here.

Sarah R.

Yelp

I have never had a tamal I didn't like- until now. We ordered 8 dozen for the holidays (beef, chicken, and cheese). My family normally makes our tamales but life got in the way this year. Still, we were excited to support a local, small business, and try something new. Ordering was easy, just did it on the phone. Picking up was easy too. But the food... your stomach will not thank you. First, these tamales are 90% masa. We kept having to cut huge chunks off because it was just mouthful after mouthful of masa. I'm a vegetarian so I only ate the cheese & jalepeno ones. Oooo girl- the cheese would not melt, had the consistency of soggy tofu, with such an odd/dull flavor, and each tamal had literally ONE jalepeno slice. Sometimes half a jalepeno slice. And these are not "green" tamales like you would think- they put salsa ranchera in it and it tasted straight out of a jar. We ended up getting more peppers and salsa and of course eggs to make them more edible but still no good. My family has literally never had any tamales left over after the holidays because we love them so much. But oooh we had BAGS left over this year! No one wanted to eat them. I called the shop after Christmas and let them know our experience. I asked if I could return the tamales we didn't eat and the owner let me know that I could return them only on the day he would be there and for half the price. Which I decided would be a whole lotta hassle to schedule and get down there when he was in, so didn't do. This is my first two star review and it wasn't easy to write, but this is my honest opinion and experience... could've given one star but the staff was nice.

David T.

Yelp

Just had these green chilaquiles custom made to my order. I had them scramble the eggs within the chips and add two eggs over easy. This was freaking delicious. 5 stars all the way plus their service is on point. You have to also try their cafe de la holla. Bomb

Heather S.

Yelp

Some of the best tamales you'll ever have hands down. Cozy little spot next to the hospital that you might miss if you're not looking for it. Plenty of choices to choose from and service is friendly.

Catherine G.

Yelp

Super good. Order ahead of time! Such a great food for a gathering! My favorite ones are the red ones!

Jose R.

Yelp

Celebrated at work with a variety of tamales. We ordered the spicy chicken, red pork but the surprise combination was the bean and cheese. You could not help but get other cultural influences, bordering on tasting like a Salvadoran pupusa. The dough was fluffier than the typical tamal but less masa, would make for a more a delicious combination throughout. Great place for takeout and the variety of flavors keeps it interesting (ie. Spinach and cheese).

Gloria G.

Yelp

I am beyond disappointed with Tamales Alberto! I haven't been here in a couple of years and from what I remember, the masa tasted fresh, moist and delicious, packed with flavor! I have no clue what happened to this business, but the tamales are terrible! I picked up a couple dozen assorted tamales today which I was anticipating to share and completely enjoy, but I was wrong! I am definitely calling to make a complaint as I am extremely embarrassed to share or keep! First of all the quality and pride in making tamales from this business is gone! Secondly, the masa tasted disgustingly stale and hard to the touch even when warmed. Lastly, They put zero effort in taste and it was simply bland. Nothing to enjoy here! I should have read all the other recent reviews before placing this order. Hopefully, this business takes the time to read this post and fixes the issues with their tamale making as I am not the only one that noticed the concern. But for now I will not be back to order their tamales. UPDATE: Changed Star Rating because the owner had no problem issuing a full refund.

Gloria G.

Yelp

Excellent as always one of the best businesses still standing with quality of food. Will continue to patronize this business

Lucy T.

Yelp

Sooo fresh and so good! The tamales taste homemade. Never dry always moist and they have such an amazing array of options to choose from. Chicken Mole Beans and Cheese And soooo many more. The chilaquiles are AMAZING!!!! Soooo good!! Everyone is super sweet and so helpful when making choices. The best place to go to for tamales!

Talulah B.

Yelp

Not the best tamales I've had, not the worst. They were closing early and my order was incorrect in multiple ways. Didn't get the tamales I ordered. As an ex-waitress, I recommend writing the order down so you get it right.

Rick C.

Yelp

I usually buy Christmas or New Years Tamales from another restaurant but my daughter insisted I get Tamales from Alberto's. First and foremost, the people that work at Alberto's are extremely friendly and go out of their way to be helpful. Second, I ordered several dozen tamales (Pork, Chicken, and Jalapeño) and they were great. I do wish there was a bit more filling inside the Pork and Chicken tamales, but to be fair, that was because the tamales are bigger than the ones we normally get with the same amount of fillings. Again, the tamales were awesome and the service was even better!!!! Definitely worth the drive.....

The Fab-5 Plus 1 B.

Yelp

The chicken, spinach and pork have amazing fillings. One person really liked the mole. Not very interested in the sweet ones.

Dennise A.

Yelp

I ordered a dozen tamales. Queso con rajas and chicken. They were okay. Expected more flavor. Masa was bland, almost watered down. I tried them again over the holidays and had the same experience. Service is always good. Friendly staff.

Salvador S.

Yelp

You won't regret it. Food is great and the service is excellent. I recommend you stop by and check this place out

Rick S.

Yelp

Best pozole in LA, Tamales taste great just wish they had more meat inside, it's mostly Masa. i don't mind paying more for more meat, maybe they should do a large size.

Ale M.

Yelp

PLEASE don't eat these tamales!! These tamales are most definitely not what a tamal should taste like. I have family from Central and South America. My husband's family is from Mexico and these are the worst tasting tamales I have ever had. The masa is bland, watered down. The cheese feels like chewing on cardboard. We bought 3 dozen for a family gathering, I was so embarrassed when everyone said they couldn't eat them and everything went in the trash. We ordered chicken, pork and cheese, 1 dozen each and all 3 were just disgusting. I know that eating street tamales are unsanitary but if I had to choose I would rather risk buying from the street lady than ever having to eat these again. FYI King Taco or Northgate Market tamales are way way better.

Emily L.

Yelp

I really love this place and I think about this place pretty often when I want tamales. Unfortunately it's quite far from me but it's a great spot for people who live on the east side. I will say hands-down it's my favorite tamale spot in all of LA. I would recommend it with the highest vigor. The price is great and I'd say get a dozen and don't look back. It does one thing great and that's rare to find nowadays. Take a picture for me so I was think of eating tamales wistfully. However be warned that parking is a nightmare and the location is extremely bad. The neighborhood isn't the best and looks really sketchy. But regardless, remember that you're there for the tamales and that will be worth it in the end. Just pray to the tamale gods for a parking spot.

Luz P.

Yelp

Horrible customer service. I had to order online because phones don't work. I ordered 24 tamales for Christmas. I had work so my mom went to pick them up. I received a text 20 minutes prior to pick up time saying my order was canceled and that I would receive a refund three days after. Super bummed out but fine. I get home and mom tells me they gave her the tamales but only after she had to wait almost an hour bc apparently according to them I never made an online order. They dismissed my mom and insisted she was in the wrong. Thankfully she persisted and after taking the time to check they found my order. Then they ask my mom to pay upfront for it when I had already done so at checkout online. I wish I had been there bc this is completely unacceptable. Not buying from this place again.

Stephanie L.

Yelp

I love tamales. And Tamales Alberto has great tamales. My favorite tamales are their vegan, chicken, cheese w jalapeno, pork, and cheese with spinach. My parties always have These tamales and everyone raves. They are fast and they are very nice folks.vparking is horrible so bring a friend to run in while you troll for parking. It's worth it.

Herbert C.

Yelp

The tamales are great but what made the experience was the people. Everyone is nice and most importantly when someone that looked like they were in need walked in, they provided them with food without hesitation!!! Points for being good people.

Henrique R.

Yelp

Don't know when they're open nowadays but I picked up a few tamales at the beginning of this shutdown shitshow, and the tamales are awesome! Tried the Chicken Green Sauce and Pork Red Sauce. I think I had the Cheese Jalapeño, but I'm convinced everything here is good. The front desk was nice too. Got there as early as 8ish one time and just parked right in front, placed my order, paid and walked out. I recommend them.

Ariana T.

Yelp

I was next door waiting for a coffee and who doesn't like tamales? So I decided to head over as I was looking at there yelp page I wanted to try there blue corn quesadilla with asada . So I order quesadilla and one tamale de pollo.. I believe I waited 5 mins so I got my quesadilla and all I was missing was my tamale . Which the person who help me asked and I let her know.. so I waited a another 5 minutes which I didn't mine .. So she finally gave me my tamale and she hooked a sista up with an extra one for waiting . She didn't have to do that .. the quesadilla was good wish it had onion and cilantro and a good hot sauce the tamale was big and good.. she said it was spicy which was not . I love spicy food .. But it's all good. Wanted to add I come from San Fernando City so I reheated everything..

Deborah S.

Yelp

First time trying the tamales here ordered red Chile pork and green chili chicken. So bomb and the masa is so silky smooth never had masa like this, the green chili chicken are a bit spicy for my taste. These are a must try!!!!!!!

Keesha F.

Yelp

These tamales are highly overrated! I ordered quite a few and they were all just okay.. I was not impressed, so I won't be back. Ordered: Pork/reds sauce- super dry Corn- the tastiest one Chicken/mole- no one cared for it Cheese/ pepper- stringy cheese- Not very good Chicken/green sauce- pretty decent Note: several were cold, they only pick a few to serve warm for the day.

Paula D.

Yelp

Ordered Tamales earlier And they had mold on the outside (wrap) Very disappointing and just nasty threw them out didn't even eat them

Christine V.

Yelp

Delivery was late but the Bacon breakfast burrito was really good. It's huge so you can definitely split it without someone else. I also ordered Cheese and Jalapeño Tamales and those were - meh. They make it very different than I've ever had. They add tomatoes to the stuffing and it's an interesting take, just not something I'm into. The masa is very moist and has good flavor but the cheese...what cheese? It's a tiny sliver and I wish they put more. Overall, it's not a terrible place but for the price and the food, I won't be going back. Also, beware of pricing online and the menus as they are higher when you go to pay. My coworker mentioned the discrepancy and they just said "oh, yeah. We raised our prices a while ago and didn't change it". Just a heads up l.

Carla F.

Yelp

Cute small little place to go to when you are in the mood for some home tasting tamales. My nieces are regulars here and it was their turn to pick a place for breakfast. You have a choice of: Tamales de- Chile verde (my favorite) de pollo Chili de rojo de puerco (also my favorite) Queso con rajas de jalapenos (added to my favorite list, again) De elote (all time favorite) con crema! I am getting hungry! Albertito why are you so far?

Kevin W.

Yelp

Tamales Alberto is a small tamale joint in Echo Park. The serve, you guessed it, tamales! They have other items on their menu but tamales are the main event here. Great for dine in and take out. Tamales have are good sized. Great masa to filling ratio. Chicken w/ Green Sauce - $1.60 - Flavorful and tender chicken. Good spice heat kick. Pork w/ Red Sauce - $1.60 - Tender pork but not as flavorful as the chicken. Cheese & Jalepeno - $1.60 - Good heat from the jalepenos, the cheese ended up looking like string cheese inside.

Ralph V.

Yelp

Went to Tamales Alberto again January 12th Thursday morning at 7 am. Mr Hernandez is great! The tamales were fresh and hot! I bought two red beef, two green chicken, two spinach and cheese and two bean and cheese tamales! Always Great food !!! Great people work here!! Very good customer service !!

Jose M.

Yelp

Decepcionado como ha bajado de calidad y sobre todo ese toque que hacia la diferencia de otros tamales. Primero que nada exageradamente picosos no veo el porque para eso hay salsas. Chilaquiles secos y también exageradamente picoso sea verde o rojos. Los tamales de frijol parece que lo hicieron con la cascara de frijol y duro. Y el queso que utilizan no tiene sabor.

Wing C.

Yelp

Been wanting to try this place since my husband unknowingly became obsessed with tamales. The hours are a little hard to follow - closed by 2pm? Finally stopped in this Sunday for lunch - a dozen assorted tamales for $18. We sampled a good number of the options - chicken with green chili, pork with red sauce, chicken with mole, cheese and jalapeños, tofu with chipotle peppers, beef with red sauce, chicken with cheese, and strawberries - my favs were the chicken with green chili and strawberries! I thought I would enjoy the cheese options more but the cheese were just too chewy for me. My least fav was the tofu chipotle - the firm tofu was just bleh. The strawberries caught me by surprise - perfectly sweetened, moist, and super tasty. Can't go wrong with any of the other protein options to be honest. Each filled with a generous cuts of meats. I was stuffed with just 3. Overall - I would come back to sample more of the menu and a dozen of just strawberries!

Liz F.

Yelp

Terrible tamales, dry and not enough filling, too much bland masa. Tried the rajas with queso and red Chile pork and was not impressed.

Della L.

Yelp

Purchase for the first time for Christmas All my guests were happy with the tamales. Thank you for your service .

Danny L.

Yelp

Na I've never had a more stingy Serving of meat in a tamal. At the most it was a pinch or half a damn teas spoon of meat in their tamal. Idk how they got celebrities to take pictures with them they probably felt sorry for them or didn't know what a good tamal is.

De Ying L.

Yelp

Yummy tamales and a good portion for the price. As of 2/24/22, each costs $2.25 and half dozen costs $14.25. I recommend the chicken with green sauce if you can eat spicy. The elote one is sweet corn tamales, though it's not my thing. The owner is very nice and will tell you about good deals. She said it's been in business for like 30+ years already. Super cool!

Elizabeth D.

Yelp

Okay so my moms tamales are the best I have ever had. Not even trying to be biased, but they slap people put orders months ahead, and this just happened through word of mouth Lol Anyways, I was near the area waiting for coffee so i decided to give this place a try. And oh my they were pretty good! I never really buy tamales bc they Jaír disappoint at other places but I will pick and my friends plates lol These I would return for :) I tried the green chicken, the mole (a little too sweet for me), rajas con queso. And went back to get a few more of the green chicken. They unfortunately had run out or the red pork which is my all time fave, so I will have to come back for that one :)

Inez E.

Yelp

Ehhh ordered through Yelp a chicken and beef tamale. Horrified I found a finger nail in the beef tamale. It's a whole pandemic going on and people aren't wearing any gloves while serving food.

Christina P.

Yelp

I love tamales and Alberto's serves up some really great tamales along with some I've never had. My friend ordered a pork and chicken with green sauce tamales. I ordered a canned soda, a sweet corn tamale, bean and cheese tamale and a spinach and cheese tamale - cane out to $6.50. There are both vegetarian options and meat options. The restaurant is small and very old school but I love it. It's an LA Classic. I saw that they had other fillings for the tamales like pineapple and strawberry which I would love to try when I'm in the neighborhood again. There's plenty of street parking and you just go up to the counter, order your food, pay and sit. Depending on what you order your food will be given to you at the counter or where you're sitting. Great spot to grab a quick and delicious bite to eat.

Karen M.

Yelp

This review is during covid so I'm not sure if the business is struggling or what's going on. First of all they changed their menu and they don't have any of the vegetarian and vegan options they used to offer so that's unfortunate. There options are very limited now which make me believe they are struggling. Second, the place didn't look clean or organized the day I went. There was only one young lady and even though she was friendly and helpful she gave me the wrong tamales. I went on 9/11 and the girl there got my order completely wrong how can you give me pork with red sauce when I asked for chicken with green sauce? I was very upset when I got home because I don't even eat pork so had to dump my tamales $13 to complete waste. Not good during these times. Not happy and I've recommended this place endlessly and now I can't

ClaudiA T.

Yelp

Tamales Alberto have always been good . Freshly made and hot served. They have a good variety of flavors, and now with their combos choices as well. Their agua frescas are so refreshing. The old location was always a hassle with parking . The new location on Sunset is more convenient with parking . Best to order ahead , they are always busy.

Karina O.

Yelp

Fresh, great taste, good variety, options for vegans! Customer service was great. We were there around 8 am and the young woman taking orders was very attentive, friendly, patient, explaining and answering our questions. The place is a gem in this area, small, super clean. Sitting area to enjoy the tamiles there. We love this place. Thank you so much. Champurrado was delicious. Definitely we are coming back. They take CC and Cash. Wonderful experience this morning

Roxann H.

Yelp

Outstanding! We're looking forward a new place for tamales as our closed down couple years ago.

Andrea A.

Yelp

If I am going to be eating something with dough, lard and tons of calories it better be REALLY good otherwise it's not worth eating in my opinion. I bought green chicken, mole, strawberry and a champurrado. All of the tamales were a 6/10 because they all had this weird taste like the dough was sour. The flavor wasn't great for any of them, they were a little bland and lacked something. This place isn't terrible but I wouldn't go out of my way to go here nor would I want to come back. The champurrado was okay, maybe a 7/10 not overly sweet but again was lacking flavor. I am Mexican so I am a harsh critic when it comes to authentic Mexican food. If you're just hungry and nearby it's fine just go, but don't expect the best tamales because you'll probably walk out disappointed. Service was good, everybody working here was nice. They did forget to give me some other things I ordered but it wasn't a big deal.

Joseline R.

Yelp

Raw Masa, it didn't have enough meat inside of the tamale. They have a large variety of flavors of highly lack of flavor.

On the Grid : Tamales Alberto

The 14 Best Tamales In Los Angeles

Los Angeles

Tamales Alberto - Review - Historic Filipinotown - Los Angeles - The Infatuation