After a windy, rainy, and snowy February, Portlanders are searching for a hearty supper. A plate of tamales is the ideal way to warm up.
Readers responded with their top eateries, food carts, and farmers market stalls when we asked them last week where they could find the greatest tamales in the Portland region.
A few unconventional answers were also received. One reader gave the Tamale Man, who travels throughout Southeast Portland with a cooler full of fresh tamales, high marks. Another boldly declared that the greatest place to eat homemade tamales was in their own house. Although it regrettably lacks an address, I firmly think this might be the case.)
The ten finalists listed below are locations that individuals most frequently cited, ranging from Beaverton, Milwaukie, Tigard, and Portland proper.
Voting is available once daily until 11:59 p.m. at the link at the bottom of this post. March 4, 2025, Tuesday.On Friday, March 7, we will make the findings public at atoregonlive.com/readers-choice.
Ancestro is run by Leticia and Marco Escamilla from Cadejo Coffee on the North Park Blocks.Russell, Michael | The Oregonian
Ancestro
According to one reader who voted Ancestro the greatest place in the city, the tacos at this Northwest Portland Mexican pop-up are created with love. Michael Russell, a dining reporter for The Oregonian/Oregon Live, lauded the restaurant’s chicken-stuffed mole tamal during his brunch visit earlier this month. Bites like black bean tamales are occasionally included to the weekly menu variations.
9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 804 N.W. Couch St. Thursday through Sunday; Instagram: @ancestro.pdx
We sampled the dulce pi a tamales, rajas con queso, and pollo with salsa verse at Camila’s Mexican Food.Profenna Chiara
Camila s Mexican Food
Reporter Chiara Profenna stopped by Camila’s Mexican Food, a black food truck serving a range of traditional tamales, along the Tualatin Valley Highway. Pollo with salsa verde (chicken with green salsa), rajas con queso (cheese and peppers), and the occasional sweet pineapple tamal are among the flavors.
Daily hours: 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.; @camilas.mexicanfood on Instagram; 3645 S.W. Elliott Place, Beaverton
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Canby Asparagus Farm Casa de Tamales
This Mexican restaurant in Milwaukie is the place to go if you want diversity. With over 50 distinct tamal fillings ranging from traditional chicken mole or chorizo to Dungeness crab, asparagus, and wild mushrooms, the menu is extensive and diverse. There’s even a large menu of dessert tamales with chocolate, marionberry, and other options. The vegetarian green corn tamales are suggested by readers.
Milwaukie, 10605 S.E. Main St., noon–8 p.m. noon to 7 p.m., Thursday through Saturday. www.canbyasparagusfarmcasadetamales.com/ on Sunday
The menu and other décor of Ki’ikiba, a Yucatecan eatery in Northeast Portland, on Friday, December 15, 2023One of the Oregonians, Dave Killen
Ki ikib a
Known for its burritos and panuchos (stuffed, fried tortillas), this family-run Yucatecan restaurant won The Oregonian/Oregon Live’s 2023 restaurant of the year award. However, readers also can’t get enough of the tamales from the mom-and-pop restaurant, which are wrapped in banana leaves and served with slow-cooked pork and chicken.
11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 3244 N.E. 82nd Ave. Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Instagram user Sunday;@kiikibaapdx
Los Tamales Locos
Los Tamales Locos, a restaurant in Southeast Portland’s Collective Oregon Eateries district, serves a variety of freshly cooked tamales stuffed with cheese, jalapenos, pork, and chicken. This reader can help you decide if you’re unsure: There is nothing better than (the) Rajas tamale with Oaxacan cheese.
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at 3612 S.E. 82nd Ave. Tuesday through Sunday; Instagram: @los_tamales_locos
Por Qu No? may be found in Portland on North Mississippi Avenue and Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. On Monday, Sept. 30, 2024, the Hawthorne location offered specials such vegetable tamales and pollo barbacoa.The Oregonian | Mims Copeland
Por Qu No? Taqueria
This eatery has won numerous Readers Choice Awards and was named one of Portland’s top five Mexican restaurants as early as 2014 and again last year. Readers are applauding Por Qu No’s Oaxacan-style tamales this time around since they are filled with flavorful and substantial ingredients and covered in banana leaves. Every day, a changing menu featuring vegetarian and meat options is offered.
11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at 3524 N. Mississippi Ave. and 4635 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd. Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. https://porquenotacos.square.site/home on Sunday
Salvador Molly s
The restaurant Salvador Molly’s is well-known for its Great Balls of Fire challenge, but its tamales are also a hit. It began as a tamal cart at a farmers market in 1993, but the physical store opened thirty years later. Salvador Molly’s is still available today during the on-season at the Hillsdale Farmers Market and Portland State University.
Sunset Blvd., 1523 S.W., 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday through Saturday,Salvador Molly’s website
In Aloha, Tamal Express is a well-liked location. We sampled pi a de dulce and tamales verde with pollo.Profenna Chiara
Tamal Express
Tamal Express, a local favorite for fresh tamales, is located along Tualatin Valley Highway in the Aloha Food Carts pod. The menu includes chicken, pig, and cheese types as well as a sweet pineapple tamal that is painted pink with strawberries and stuffed with coconut and raisins. One reader remarked in Spanish, “The food never fails.” The tamales are wonderful and incredibly authentic.
Beaverton, 20001 S.W. Tualatin Valley Hwy., 6:30 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Instagram: Sunday;@tamalexpressllcon.
Tamale Boy
Founded in 2008 as a catering business, it currently operates three physical sites in Happy Valley and Portland. According to one reader, tamales are always flavorful and wonderful. The menus feature both northern Mexican (yellow corn masa steamed in a corn husk) and classic Oaxacan (white corn masa steamed in a banana leaf) preparations.
11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 1764 N.E. Dekum St. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. 668 N. Russell St., Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Happy Valley, 12960 S.E. 162nd Ave., Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday; https://www.tamaleboy.com/
The Tamale House
More than 15 years ago, this family-run Mexican eatery started out as a farmers market stand. It now offers a full menu at its physical location in Tigard, including six different kinds of tamales that cost $4.50 apiece. Pork, barbecued pork, chicken, cheese, jalapeño, corn, and sweet tamal are among the fillings.
Every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., 13185 S.W. Pacific Highway B-1, Tigard; https://thetamalehousepdx.com/
Vote here
Voting is open once day until 11:59 p.m. March 4, 2025, Tuesday.On Friday, March 7, we will make the findings public at atoregonlive.com/readers-choice.
Veronica Nocera writes on culture and life. She can be contacted at 503-221-8111, [email protected].
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