La Indiana Tamales

How does one lose a customer after the first visit? You find a way to piss them off several ways. First, when it was my turn to be helped, lady behind the counter proceeded to tell me they only have chicken and cheese available much to my disappointment. Fine, I asked for 2 dozen chicken and 1 dozen cheese. She brings my order and rings me up. The person behind me is helped by another lady to which the gentlemen ask for the pork in Spanish. I was waiting for the lady to say something like they don’t have any but no, she doesn’t. At this point, I’m in shock and was thinking that I have been racially discriminated against because I’m a Chinita. If they told me I needed to order in Spanish for my puerco tamales, I would have gladly done so. To say I was pissed is an understatement but I didn’t want to be a jerk since there was a line of people behind me.
I get home and proceeded to let the Tamales cool down for a bit while I get some housework done. I finally had a moment to sit and eat so I decided to reach for the cheese tamale. I unwrapped it and began eating. After the first bite, I noticed it was not cheese but chicken. So I checked the bag. Pulled the plastic bag inside to read the label: Chicken/​Pollo. Seriously? This just adds insult to injury. So not only did I walk away discriminated against but they didn’t think I was worthy enough to get the right order. Gee, thanks!
I don’t like leaving negative reviews but this was needed. As an Angeleno, the color of my skin or my appearance should not dictate the kind of service I should get.

My usual Christmas tamale spot changed ownership and is now being managed poorly so I had to find a new place to get them. I remember coming here when I lived in the area back in the day and the tamales were very good. So I stopped in to get a few dozen for my support staff and wasn’t disappointed. The tamales were as good as I remembered, especially the queso con green rajas. This is my new stop for Christmas tamales and a new tradition has begun.

Cravings of tamales in your mouth? Does your mouth water just thinking about it? Then go fulfill your desires here. O so delicious tamales, burritos, and pupusas.
It’s a hidden gem. No really.
There are no tables inside, just a small hole in the wall with a counter where you order. Tamales come out fast but if you order a pupusa prepare to wait a while.
During holidays I always see people lined out the door, ordering massive amounts of tamales. It must be good!

Here for some menudo for Mom, she loves it every weekend! Makes her happy I will surprise her!

La Indiana is one of my favorite places to get gorditas ever. You walk in and its a tiny place that is a combination of a convenience store (beer and little essentials) and a giant food counter where you call out your order. They sell fresh tortillas, masa, tamales, burritos, gorditas, pupusas and other delicious stuff.
Be prepared to wait a bit if there are many people standing around when you get there. The ladies at the front are hustling back and forth bringing our pounds of masa and other things they are being asked for. There is no dine-​in option, everything is to go.
I ordered three gorditas: chorizo con papas, papas con chile, and rajas con queso. I love that they offer to put cheesy beans in at no additional charge. My favorite this day was the papas con chile.
They offer the flavors mentioned plus beans and cheese, chicharron, pork in green salsa, nopales, and others.
Give this little hole in the wall a try, you won’t be disappointed!

I’m usually do not like tamales, but my co-​worker brought some in from this place and it was soo good!!! I had the cheese one and fell in love!

I didn’t know they made pupusas here. Any ways, yeah they’re pupusas are freshly made but they use more masa than meat. I’d like it to be equal.

if you happen to be in East Los Angeles you absolutely must stop by a grab a dozen tamales.
I grew up two blocks away from La Indiana Tamales and every Christmas, Easter and just about every family celebration included tamales from this place. So the question for those who know me is: «Why is a Japanese guy eating tamales?» — answer: because they are the best.
I always win bets with clients and friends who say they make the best home made tamales. When I bring the goods from La Indiana, the contest is over before it even starts.
red chile pork, red chile beef, cheese & green chile, chicken, elotes — all superior to any tamale from anywhere anytime.
just be aware: if you come anytime around the christmas holidays, be ready for a line of people out the front door and limited availability. (or just prepay and order online to make sure you get yours)
La Indiana also has deli style foods — they have great gorditas and
I drive from Placentia, (orange county) in traffic (I hate traffic) to get tamales here. they are that good.

I gotta say that I was a little disappointed. I gave 4 stars because I have had their pozole and have tried their champurrado a couple of months back and it was GOOD I LOVED IT, however, I can’t say the same for the cheese tamales :(they are very salty that I couldn’t even finish half of one.

Eww these were so gross! The cheese tamales were so dry on the ouside but watery inside! Couldn’t eat the whole thing.

Cool spot for some morning tamales and champurado, but still not as bomb as my grandmas. Even the lady’s that sell them off the cart are a little better than indianas, but they come trough when all else fails. Did I mention they sell beer too?

I live near by and there tamales are ok in taste, just to salty for me. They recently added, popusas, gorditas which I haven’t tried.

The tamales were nasty because the masa had a nasty aftertaste like they mixed dirty dishwasher after washing your dishes in a gas station toilet.

La Indiana has absolutely the best tamales in Los Angeles.
I always buy a dozen cheese tamales, they come packed with white cheese and strips of green chile and a strip, or two of white onion. I’ve been coming here for many years and have always been pleased with my tamales.
My friend likes the milder chicken tamales, so I always get a dozen of those too.
La Indiana offers a lot of other fine products.
The hand made corn tortillas are second to none, they sell them by the pound, about two dollars. They make them when you order them, so there will be a little wait.
I also like their bolillos, Mexican bread rolls. Crunchy, soft, delicious.
Menudo on weekends is also memorable.
I haven’t been disappointed by anything.
They have about eight fillings prepared deli style you can pick from to fill either a burrito, or gordita. A gordita is the Mexican equivalent of the El Salvadoran Pupusa,
although the pupusa is the winner in this department.
There is a tiny parking lot that can accommodate about four cars.
This is an exclusively to go location, no dining facilities, but I see people eating their steaming hot tamales on the street.
La Indiana is also a liquor store, so you might have to rub shoulders with the local wino, but that’s no problem. They just come in when they collect the cost of a beer, and leave with their prized brew.

OH YA… there pretty good. I always stop in when I’m in the area. Nice people tamales are nice & hot with paper wrapping ready to eat. yummy

TAMALE SNOB HERE! I must say these guys don’t skimp on the meat, beef or pork or chicken so flavorful, you’ll come back for more. This is strictly a takeout spot, deli style. No chairs so grab n go and hope that it’s not super-​packed. Total secret local spot, no frills just thrills foodwise.
It’s a gem and I’m glad there is a place like this $ 1.45 per tamal. $ 2.65 for their Gorditas, which are like little corn pockets full of your pick of fillings such as bean n cheese, potatoes n chilli, chorizo con papas etc. Amazing little goodness, but try not to overdo it here, as it can become an addiction! Friendly service, coffee, beer, teas n herbs too.

Absolute best tamales in ELA IMO! Maza is moist, meat is tender, chile is just right! I also enjoy their awesome Chile Relleno burritos! Don’t just wait for the holidays, anytime is a good time to eat here!

I ordered cheese, chicken, corn and pineapple. The cheese was tasty, I don’t eat pork or chicken tamales but my wife said the chicken was okay. Pineapple was okay. Corn was so-​so.
I would have given this place another star; however, the area is shity! No place to sit and only a few spots to park. We parked on the same side of the street one structure north by freeway overpass. As we were eating, a fucken drunk open a gate and walked to area under freeway as he was undoing his zipper. He hid behind a tree and I guess he pissed.
He walk from behind the tree and walk over next to a cement column leaned against it, dropped his pants, took a shit, wiped his ass with something he picked up from the ground and pulled his pants up.
That piece of shit came back to the sidewalk, entered La Indiana and came back out with a 40oz bottle of beer. He walked back under the freeway and sat next to a lady chopping something on a table. It looked like she was preparing something to sell.
I did not tell my wife who thankfully can’t see to well without her glasses. I will not return to La Indiana because our pendejo pinchi borracho appears to be a regular who frequents La Indiana for his beer.
I would not like to touch anything after that baboso pissed on his hands or wiped the shit out of his asshole with his fingers.
Pinchi PUTO cochino!

These tamales are about ½ the size of Juanitos Tamales. The masa is very dense, not coarse, but really packed densely. The chicken with green sauce was very tasty, but it would be nice if they increased the filling a bit. I thought other LA tamale places (see my list) did better in the filling to masa ratio. Considering the prices at about $ 1.45 (no discount for quantity) I’m not much of a fan.
The cheese with green chili was nicely spicy with the cheese nicely spread throughout the filling.
The elote tamale was a touch sweeter and very tasty.

Best tamales. Masa is moist, as is the shredded meat in them. I’ve long been on a hunt through Los Angeles to find the best tamales. Not just «really, really good tamales,» but tamales that have that extra «something» that you can’t quite put your finger on. One day I took a trip around So Cal to hit up known tamale spots, and LA Indiana Tamales popped up as one I hadn’t tried yet. So, off I went — and wasn’t disappointed.
Now, the tamales at La Mascota Bakery, Liliana’s Tamales, Mom’s Tamales, Mama’s Hot Tamales are all in the «very, very good» category. They’re all a little different, and folks may prefer one over the other based on masa preference, choice of fillings, etc. But La Indiana Tamales deserves to be one of the power players too. It’s my personal favorite. Here is where I go to stock up on tamales to bring back to the East Coast, and here’s where I’ll be getting my masa for the holidays.
Ordering is pretty easy — you walk up to the counter and order what you want. They also sell different types of masa by the pound, as well as tacos, burritos, chicharron, etc. No place to eat, tho, so you have to take it out to go or to eat outside