El Tamal

This is my breakfast on the go, I always grab a couple on my way to the train in the morning I wake up too late for a real meal. At $ 1 a tamale, you can be gut busting full for $ 3.
To Rebecca’s review, it is safe to say that I’ve received the wrong tamale approximately 50% of the time. Also, the pink tamale you received is actually the molé variety.
I’ve discovered if you order molé, the only one that is colored, you have a much higher likelihood of receiving the correct tamale. I pretty much stick to molé and verde.
Regarding the raja/​cheese, it will clear your sinuses, but tastes sooooo good with the salsa verde.

I came across Alberto’s Unilocal review of this little joint shortly after I moved to the neighborhood and made it a priority to check out. Indeed, simply a counter (out in the open) and a dude, this place is the definition of simple.
I ordered 3 chicken tamales at a buck a pop, which were then pulled out of a steaming hot lobster pot, wrapped and handed over. The event of going to the place and seeing the little operation is a treat in its own right. Its just so… mama y papa, so down home. I toted the corn wrapped babies home and once inside, despite not being hungry, decided to dip into them out of excitement.

The first one, the cornmeal itself is sweet and spicy, deliciously tender, but alas, a cheese tamale. Not chicken as I had ordered. No biggie, I often get tamales from other places and they get mixed up, and frankly, I don’t know how they tell them apart. The cheese has a green pepper in it, and is tangy, but not HOT. Time to sample my next tamale, a pink-​colored spicier one, but still not a fire-​y experience, and find the elusive chicken inside. This one wasn’t such a «wow». Frankly, the chicken was kind of off-​putting, it didn’t taste fresh, almost a little too far from fresh. I couldn’t get too far into it before shrugging it off. The third tamale? Cheese again. Still good, but not what I ordered.
So, he got one out of three correct on the order, but it happened to be the one I wouldn’t order again. I really want to like this place, so I’m gonna give it another try (hopefully the mole tamale is better than the chicken) and see how the tacos fare.
I recommend getting a tamale here for sure, just don’t get too excited beforehand.

In the past few weeks, I became addicted to tamales. Sure, I’d get ‘em every now and again at Chavella’s or other Mex spots, but they always seemed tacked on to a preexisting menu, and thus, secondary. El Tamal changed all this, as their eponymous thrust is still tempting my tastebuds and heating my seat from 800 miles away.
El Tamal is one guy, a counter, a sign, and — I assume — several abuelitas de Pueblo who stuff and wrap these doozies in the evenings. The sign states what’s available — tacos de goat y pollo, and fantastic, fresh, steaming masa cakes with pork, cheese, chicken, mole, salsa rojo, or peppers. All are delicious and economical, at a mere buck a pop. Tacos, although still untried, and thus unYelped, are a reasonable $ 1-​$ 2, and appear to be what the locals standing at the counter favor.
Come early, as el Señor closes down by 1 PM and sometimes earlier. I’ve gotten a pink tamal dulce and tea for breakfast and walked the others home for lunch.
Beware: the spicy tamales are quite hot. The mild ones have a pleasant kick to them, but you WILL feel the salsa rojo later.
I bitch and moan about finding authentic Mexican food, but this is the (fuck, a bad pun approacheth) the real enchilada. Did I mix metaphors? Ay, pinche!