Where to get Tamales

Where to get Tamales

By Rob Heidrick Friday, 05 December 2008

Shoppers are not the only ones bracing themselves for the holiday rush. Many local Mexican restaurants and bakeries are gearing up for the busiest months of their culinary year: tamale season.

The Southwestern treat made from spicy cornmeal dough and wrapped in a corn husk has become a yuletide tradition for Texas families in need of a quick and delicious meal for visiting guests. Ever since tamales entered the mainstream, demand at local eateries has skyrocketed, said Teresa Juarez, whose family owns Juarez Restaurant & Bakery in Round Rock.

“We get people from outskirts of Austin coming in, and people from San Antonio, Dallas, Houston,” Juarez said. “People ship them to other states sometimes. We sell a large volume of our tamales during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season.”

While standard tamales are made with pulled pork, there are several ways to customize them. Chicken and beef are other popular meat options, and ingredients such as chili powder, verde sauce and jalapeños give an extra kick.

• Alfredo’s, 800 W. Pecan St., Pflugerville, 990-8026, Pork (mild or hot), $8.99/dozen
• Antonio’s Tex Mex, 16912 N. IH 35, Round Rock, 238-8969, Pork, chicken, veggie (regular or with verde sauce), $10/dozen
• Camino Real, 907 FM 685, Pflugerville, 989-8833, Beef • $9.50/dozen
• Casa Garcia’s Mexican Restaurant, 15803 Windermere Drive, Pflugerville, 989-2524, Pork • $12/dozen
• Chucho’s, 1615 Grand Avenue Parkway, Ste. 208, Pflugerville, 252-0708, Pork, chicken, $1.99 each
• El Manantial, 15608 Spring Hill Lane, Pflugerville, 251-2900, Pork, chicken • $8.99/dozen
• El Matador Restaurant, 113 W. Main St., Round Rock, 255-9777, Pork • $7.95/dozen
• El Rincon, 200 E. Pecan St., Pflugerville, 990-0250, Pork, chicken, $8/dozen
• Juarez Restaurant & Bakery, 1701 S. Mays St., Ste. P, Round Rock, 255-6262, Pork (mild or hot), $8.30/dozen
• La Margarita, 1530 N. IH 35, Round Rock, 388-1103, Pork • $11.99/dozen
• Mariachi’s de Jalisco, 2000 S. IH 35, Ste. G1, Round Rock, 246-3929, Pork • $7.99/dozen
• Mario’s Tex-Mex Cafe, 3810 Gattis School Road, Ste. 106, Round Rock, 238-0114, Pork, chicken, jalapeño, bean and cheese, $8/dozen
• Mesa Rosa Mexican Restaurant, 2850 N. IH 35, Round Rock, 218-1818 • www.mesarosa.com, Pork • $9.99/dozen
• Rio Grande Tex Mex Restaurant, 1720 N. Mays St., Round Rock, 671-7966, www.riograndemex.com, Pork, $9.50/dozen
• Speedy Tacos, 2000 N. Mays St., Ste. 300, Round Rock, 246-3881, Pork (mild or hot), $8.50/dozen
• Tío Dan Puffy Tacos, 409 Round Rock Ave., Round Rock, 246-7733, Pork (mild or hot), $8/dozen