Milwaukee's best tamales: Your ultimate guide

Milwaukee's south side is one of the Midwest's richest enclaves of authentic Mexican cuisine, and tamales here rival those found anywhere in the country. La Casa de Alberto consistently emerges as the top destination for weekend tamales with exceptional mole, while El Rey Foods has anchored the tamale scene for over 45 years as both a retail and wholesale supplier. For mobile options, Get Them While They're Hot Tamales offers the most reliable and beloved food cart experience, and traditional tamaleras selling from coolers outside churches remain the most authentic route to holiday tamales—though you'll need to order by early November.

The tamale tradition runs deep in Milwaukee's Mexican community, with many family recipes dating back generations. Whether you prefer the masa-forward style of a food truck tamale, the cheese-smothered tamales suizos at Taqueria Buenavista, or the unique Oaxacan preparations at the newly opened Del Valle Oaxaqueño, this guide covers every avenue to finding exceptional tamales in the greater Milwaukee area.

Restaurants serving exceptional tamales

La Casa de Alberto Mexican Food stands at the apex of Milwaukee's tamale scene. Located at 624 W. National Ave., Chef Alberto Gonzalez (formerly of Conejito's Place) produces weekend-only specialty tamales featuring tender chunks of spiced pork wrapped in thick, moist masa with a hefty layer of smoky sauce. The occasional surprise of melted Oaxacan cheese inside makes each bite memorable. With 371 Yelp reviews and customers calling it potentially the best Mexican restaurant in Milwaukee, this intimate spot delivers what critics describe as "lard-and-love quality." Open Wednesday through Monday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Expect around $100 for four people with margaritas for a full meal.

Guadalajara Restaurant at 901 S. 10th St. in Walker's Point has served family recipes from Genoveva and Felipe Losada since 1987. This 12-table spot feels like eating in someone's grandmother's kitchen, and their mastery of arbol chile extends to their tamale preparations. Urban Milwaukee featured them as recently as August 2024, calling it "special" among the city's countless Mexican options. Arrive early on weekends—20-minute waits are common for Sunday brunch. Combination specials run around $15.99.

Taqueria Buenavista has earned a devoted following for their signature tamales suizos—pork tamales bathed in verde sauce and topped with melted white cheese. The main location at 6000 W. Burnham St. in West Allis serves what transplants from Texas and Los Angeles call the most authentic Mexican food they've found outside the Southwest. Their secret jalapeño cream sauce elevates everything on the menu. Additional locations at 3447 W. Forest Home Ave. and 7507 W. Oklahoma Ave., plus regular food truck appearances, make them accessible across the metro area. Tamale dinners run around $9-10.

Azteca Restaurant MKE in South Milwaukee at 901 Milwaukee Ave. evolved from a walk-up window inside a gas station to a full-service establishment with a 4.6 OpenTable rating. Their weekday lunch buffet (Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.) includes tamales, and their cochinita pibil demonstrates the same attention to slow-cooked meats found in their tamales. Catering packages for 20-70 people include tamale options.

Conejito's Place at 539 W. Virginia St. remains a Milwaukee institution known for its legendary mole sauce and paper-plate service. While Chef Alberto Gonzalez has moved on, the decades-old operation still draws loyal crowds. Recent reviews note an 18% service charge and some quality variation under new management, but longtime customers continue returning. Nothing on the menu exceeds $11.

Small taquerias and family treasures

JC King's Tortas at 3128 S. 13th St. offers something unique: the guajolota, a Mexico City street food sandwich featuring three tamales inside a bolillo roll. The tamales arrive browned and crisped on the outer masa, available with shredded chicken in verde sauce or a queso-and-pepper combination. Smother them in creamy jalapeño or mango habanero sauce for the full experience. Open daily from 9:30 a.m., with delivery and catering available.

Del Valle Oaxaqueño & La Casa Del Pan opened in February 2024 at 1100 W. Historic Mitchell St.—the former Lopez Bakery location—bringing authentic Oaxacan-style tamales to Milwaukee. The Heladio Garcia family prepares tamales Oaxaqueños alongside tlayudas, mole dishes, and traditional Oaxacan breads. Their mole tamales have already earned devoted fans, with Google reviews averaging 4.7 stars. This represents the continuation of tamale tradition on Historic Mitchell Street, where Lopez Bakery served the community for 50 years before closing in January 2024. Open daily from 5-6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Specialty tamale vendors and holiday sources

The Milwaukee area hosts several vendors who specialize primarily in tamales rather than offering them as a menu afterthought.

Get Them While They're Hot Tamales operates as Milwaukee's most beloved dedicated tamale cart. Run by La Cena LLC, they maintain a consistent weekly schedule: Fridays at Howell & Oklahoma, Saturdays at 84th & Howard, and Sundays at 92nd & Burleigh. Their savory lineup includes tender pork, chicken with zesty red sauce, ground beef, and creamy pinto beans with cheese. What sets them apart is their dessert tamale selection: pineapple and coconut, strawberries and cream, and cinnamon apple. Call (414) 882-9408 for guaranteed availability, delivery with 24-hour notice, or catering inquiries. Tamales typically run $20/dozen.

I Love Tamales, owned by Racine County Supervisor Olga White (nicknamed "Super Tamale Woman"), crafts oversized artisanal tamales from scratch—sorting and cleaning corn husks, rehydrating peppers, and grinding masa herself. Her unique flavors include curry chicken, Mexican pot roast, and pumpkin dessert tamales. She also offers "tamale bombs" (tamales covered in salsa and cheese), South American banana-leaf-wrapped varieties, and vegan options without lard. Based in Racine but serving the Milwaukee area, find them on DoorDash or at events throughout the region. Prices reflect the artisanal quality and generous portions.

Traditional tamaleras represent the most authentic route to holiday tamales. These women sell from coolers outside churches after Mass, at laundromats, and through word-of-mouth networks. Doña Esther sells from a cooler at Blue Kangaroo (29th & Greenfield), while Cirila takes orders by phone with family members making deliveries. Expect to pay around $20 per dozen with typical minimums of two dozen. The peak season runs from December 1 through January 5 (Christmas through Three Kings Day), and orders placed by early November ensure availability. These tamales emphasize traditional techniques—lean meat to complement steamed masa, meant to be eaten within 12 hours of preparation for optimal quality.

Holiday ordering—plan ahead

Tamales hold profound cultural significance during the Christmas season, with families gathering for tamaladas (tamale-making parties) and placing bulk orders from trusted sources. Holiday demand far exceeds normal levels, making advance planning essential.

For guaranteed holiday tamales, place orders during the first week of November. Traditional tamaleras begin accepting Christmas orders early and often sell out their capacity weeks before the holiday. El Rey Foods maintains more consistent supply through their wholesale production, making them a reliable backup option. Get Them While They're Hot Tamales accepts holiday catering orders with advance notice.

Lopez Bakery, which served as a cornerstone holiday tamale source for 50 years, closed permanently on January 14, 2024. Their famous holiday tamale kits—a dozen tamales with cookies, empanadas, and conchas for $30—are no longer available. However, Del Valle Oaxaqueño at the same Mitchell Street location carries forward the tradition with Oaxacan preparations.

Grocery stores with notable prepared tamales

El Rey Foods has anchored Milwaukee's Mexican food scene since 1978, operating four locations with in-house tamale production. Their flagship at 916 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr. features a Taco Loco taqueria serving tamales hot. El Rey's wholesale division supplies countless Milwaukee restaurants, making their tight, compact pork tamales—"shreddy red chili pork, smartly seasoned"—perhaps the most ubiquitous in the city. Additional locations at 1320 W. Burnham St., 3524 W. Burnham St., and 5200 W. Oklahoma Ave. all carry tamales, available by the piece or bundled in foil with a bow for gifting. Prices run approximately $3-4 each or around six for $4 in the hot case. Open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Monterrey Market distinguishes itself with house-made tamales featuring unique sweet flavors. Their larger flagship at 3920 S. 27th St. (a 38,000-square-foot former Toys R Us) and original location at 3014 S. 13th St. both produce tamales on-site using a 30-foot hood system. Beyond standard chicken, pork, and cheese varieties, they offer pineapple and strawberry dessert tamales rarely found elsewhere. Open 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Cermak Fresh Market locations at 1236 S. Barclay St. and 1541 Miller Park Way stock tamales in their prepared foods section, including vegetarian and vegan options—a rarity in the Milwaukee tamale scene. Their full-service kitchen and on-site tortilla machine signal authentic Mexican grocery focus. Open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Pete's Fruit Market at 1400 S. Union St. and 2323 N. Dr. MLK Jr. Drive stocks tamales in their hot food cases alongside carnitas and Amish rotisserie chicken. The newer Bronzeville location includes Pete's Kitchen with expanded prepared food options. Open 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., 365 days per year.

Margarita Paradise inside the Milwaukee Public Market at 400 N. Water St. offers house-made tamales including pork, chicken, cheese and jalapeño, black bean (vegan), and a unique Wisconsin cheese curd tamale. At $5 each, they're pricier than grocery store options but convenient for Third Ward visitors. Open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

For bulk frozen options, Costco carries Del Real Foods Pork Tamales (15-count bags, approximately $18.79)—stone-ground corn, hand-wrapped in husks, gluten-free. Reviews praise them as the best store-bought alternative when homemade isn't available.

Food trucks and mobile vendors worth tracking

Berta's Tamales operates from a colorful truck typically found on Cesar Chavez Drive near National Ave., based at 1536 S. 12th St. Berta herself serves what Shepherd Express describes as "masa forward" tamales—generous portions of pillowy masa around moist, saucy pork. Her strawberry dessert tamale ("dulce") and dangerously spicy chile de arbol salsa have earned devoted followers. August 2024 Yelp reviews describe the masa as "perfectly crumbly and moist, with rich flavors that melt in your mouth." She also works the festival circuit, including Sawdust Days in Oshkosh. Call (414) 643-0577 for schedule information.

Marta's Tamales specializes in Guatemalan-style tamales—a unique offering in Milwaukee. While their brick-and-mortar location at 551 W. Becher St. closed in 2024, the food truck continues daily operations at 1023 S. Cesar E. Chavez Dr., where they've parked for over six years. Three tamales run $10, and they also serve pupusas and revolcado (Guatemalan stew). Call (414) 975-5410 for availability. Available through Uber Eats and Postmates.

Guanajuato Mexican Restaurant operates a farmers market stand at the South Shore Farmers Market (2900 S. Shore Dr.) on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon, June through October. Their selection includes pork, chicken, veggie, and bean tamales with house salsa—an excellent option for combining tamale hunting with Saturday market shopping.

Mexican Fiesta (August 22-24, 2025, at Henry Maier Festival Park) features over 36 food vendors, including dedicated tamale operations. Tamales Oaxaqueños food truck serves banana-leaf-wrapped Oaxacan-style tamales—larger, flatter, and rectangular compared to standard preparations—with pork tamales ($22) featuring salsa verde and chicken with salsa roja.

How to track mobile vendors

Most Milwaukee food trucks and tamale carts maintain Facebook pages where they post weekly schedules and location updates. For Get Them While They're Hot Tamales, visit facebook.com/get.hot.tamales or their website gethottamales.com. StreetFoodFinder.com lists schedules for registered trucks. The most reliable method remains direct contact—calling or texting vendors ensures they'll be at their usual spot and have tamales available.

Traditional tamaleras require word-of-mouth connections through the Mexican community or patience spent checking known locations like church exits after Sunday Mass. Their tamales represent the most traditional preparations but require more effort to locate.

Quick reference by category

For weekend specialty tamales: La Casa de Alberto (624 W. National Ave.)

For daily availability and bulk orders: El Rey Foods (4 locations)

For cheese-covered tamales suizos: Taqueria Buenavista (6000 W. Burnham St., West Allis)

For Oaxacan-style preparations: Del Valle Oaxaqueño (1100 W. Historic Mitchell St.)

For Guatemalan-style tamales: Marta's Tamales (food truck, Cesar E. Chavez Dr.)

For sweet and dessert tamales: Get Them While They're Hot Tamales or Monterrey Market

For vegetarian/vegan options: Cermak Fresh Market or Margarita Paradise

For the tamale torta experience: JC King's Tortas (3128 S. 13th St.)

Conclusion

Milwaukee's tamale scene thrives across restaurants, grocery stores, food trucks, and traditional street vendors, concentrated heavily on the south side along corridors like Cesar E. Chavez Drive, National Avenue, and the 13th Street corridor. The closure of 50-year institution Lopez Bakery in January 2024 marked a generational transition, but new operators like Del Valle Oaxaqueño ensure the tradition continues. For the best experience, visit La Casa de Alberto on a weekend for their specialty tamales, track Get Them While They're Hot Tamales to their regular spots, and cultivate relationships with traditional tamaleras for authentic holiday orders. The key to Christmas tamales is simple: order by early November, expect to pay around $20 per dozen from traditional sources, and be prepared for minimum order requirements. Milwaukee's Mexican community has maintained these traditions for generations, and the quality available today rivals any city in the country.