I live a block away, also. I've never been here. I think I'll go with this suggestion tomorrow night. (Still have leftover Christmas stuff to finish.)
Balderas Tamale Factory on Grant Rd near between Jones and 249 has good spicy pork if you are on the NW side. I tried to go in the Saturday before Christmas and they didn't have any Tamales for walkup customers, only people who had placed orders.
Dona Tere tamales are the best I've had period! They are 3 x the size of your average tamales and they sell at a little over $1 each. They used to have a location on bellaire but it closed however there are 2 more one on Beechnut by Gessner and another one by hobby airport i heard. Their tamales are big and are stuffed very nicely with chunks of pork or chicken as well as a few other fillings. I was addicted to these tamales for years...glad to know someone else shares my obsession for tamales. http://blogs.houstonpress.com/eating/2007/10/robbs_review_tamale_time_at_do.php
There's a little old lady that stands outside the Shipley's on Ella @ 34th every Saturday morning. She has an igloo cooler filled with fresh chicken, beef and pork tamales. I think a dozen costs $6. Very good.
the bar i frequent has an old mexican lady that comes in on thursday nights selling her homemade tamales. $6 a dozen.
I used to hangout at Little Woodrow's on West Alabama. Every Fri or Sat night about 11PM, workers from the Mexican joint next door would walk through the bar selling the leftover tamales for $6 or $7 a dozen. What bar are you hanging out at, Mac?
I miss Texas Tamale prices. I buy tamales from "The Tamale Lady " in San Francisco at a bar I like called Zeitgeist. I think she charges $4 per tamale these days. They're bigger and porkier than Texas Tamales, but still, I miss $6 per dozen tamales.
Can any tamale enthusiasts tell me how Berryhill Tamales compares to the rest? I have only eaten at Berryhill, b/c they have a vegetarian tamale. But I don't know the difference between a good tamale and a bad tamale.
Well, if you immediately spit out tamale after taking a bite, it's probably bad. I was going to add if it gives you the runs afterwards also, but most mexican food does that anyways.
