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    Hot Tamales

    4.2 (377 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Hot Tamales Takeout or Delivery

    Hot Tamales Photos

    HOT TAMALES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Hot Tamales

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    Sopapillas
    Lisa D.

    Seated quickly. Not overly packed (we have been here when parking is hard to find and there's a little wait to be seated). Chips and salsa out with our drinks. Chips are thicker, crispy. Salsa is just spicy enough. Food served quickly. My husband got the combination plate. I got Miguels Calabacitas Bowl. I love a good caldo and this was it. Filled with flavor and a little picoso. Shredded chicken. SO good.

    Taco plate, 1 chicken 1 mushroom
    Laura B.

    We were promptly seated and placed our order. I had ice tea, light ice as usual. I added my white sugar. We got salsa and chips and asked for a side of sour cream. We got a 2 ounce cup of it that was not filled all the way for $1.79. Rip off. The chicken and mushroom tacos were good as well as the calabacitas in a small money dish. I had the chili rellenos with double rice. I got two well fried greasy chili rellenos with a very thick battered covering and skimpy peppers inside and almost an indiscernible amount of cheese. I really had to poke around to find any at all. It lacked flavor other than the greasy coating and a small scattering of melted cheese on top. I ate the rice and left the rellenos mostly on the plate, dissected looking for something to salvage. Not much luck there. The service was good, my meal was a huge disappointment.

    Menu
    Dwayne R.

    Fabulous as usual. Great taste in Rio Rancho. The tres amigos is an amazing dish. The Spanish rice is delicious. It's very very good food.

    Enchiladas
    Sidney P.

    By far my fave New Mexican fare restaurant in Albuquerque. Always delicious, authentic, fresh. Green or red...gonna be HOT!!!

    Mia M.

    I am kind of a New Mexican food hater, which I know is a terrible thing to admit. But- let me say that Hot Tamales has some of the best food in the state. It is sooo superb and I can't even place why. You start off getting chips and salsa, and end getting sopapillas on the house. The service is great, the food always comes out quickly even when it's packed. The menu is diverse and has breakfast all day. Green chile is hot, red chile is flavorful. I always get the same thing- rellenos buenos with sour cream and it's soooo bangin. The ambiance is pretty special, they have a beautiful paint job- probably the best I've seen in any restaurant. I hot tamales

    #8 Stuffed Sopaipillas #7 Navajo Taco

    The food here was incredible Our server Dionne was really wonderful. It was the best meal I have had in a long time.

    Chile con Queso & Chips
    Brynlea H.

    i've had better mexican food in Albuquerque. if you like super hot mexican food, you'd probably like this place. but the regular items need more flavor, like the tacos and the queso. the queso was runny and not very thick. friendly service

    September 2025 menu front
    Ray L.

    Just moved to Rio Rancho from Santa Fe. Finally had the chance to visit Hot Tamales. First of all, we came early on a Tuesday and were seated right away. Dionne, our waitress brought complimentary chips and salsa right away and was very helpful explaining the menu to us. The green chile chicken enchilada was excellent. I substituted one the sides for the calabacitas which were very good. The portions are generous but so good that I ate it all. Can't wait to try the enchiladas and chile rellenos. The professional signage on the exterior of the building made me think that it is a chain restaurant but it isn't. It is a family owned business which Dionne told us has been in business for 21 years. The service and the food were excellent. Very few places make you feel like you are eating in somebody's home. We will be regulars and thank God that we live only 10 minutes away. My wife had the chicken fajita salad with the poblano ranch dressing which she loved.

    Tacos ala carte. Small but tasty.
    Timmy S.

    I have been wanting to eat here for a very long time and today I finally did. Start with the service. We got there after the lunch rush and it was still busy but we were seated quickly. Our waitress was great. I told her it was my first time here and she was patient and helpful. I brought my mom and my nephew with me and they also thought our waitress was great. Chips salsa and guacamole came out really fast. Salsa has a smoky flavor and is nice and spicy. The guacamole was average. Our food also came out pretty fast. I had a combination plate and a side of tacos. Green chile was good and spicy while the red had flavor it lacked any heat to it. The rice was really tomato flavored, I didn't really like it but the beans were really good. Portions were generous. I soaked my beans and sopapillas in honey and they were great! Sopapillas weren't huge but they were soft and pillowy. The tacos were smaller than others I've seen in New Mexican restaurants but they were good especially with a little bit of salsa. Overall a 3.5 from me because the food is good and the portions are generous. Our waitress deserves 5 stars for the way she treated us. Restaurant is lucky to have her. Two thumbs up from me I'd definitely recommend trying this place. Hopefully I can come back soon and try something different on their menu.

    John F.

    The beef burrito was good as was the salsa that had a mild but smoky flavor to it. Enchiladas seemed just okay. I sure wish they would serve beers here . It would be nice to go with dinner.

    ##11 Tres Colores

    Amazing food! I usually take food home, but this was so good I couldn't stop eating. The cakes are crispy and the potatoes perfect!

    Green chili stew with beans

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    23 days ago

    Always great for catering for work! Everyone loves Hot Tamales!!! Great customer service with attention from managers for special requests!

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    Stevarino G.

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    1 year ago

    Food was great! I got a burger and our large party got a mixture of Mexican foods and everything was good. The service was good as well

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    Ask the Community - Hot Tamales

    For all the white people out there, how realistically spicy is the green chile and red chile?

    I can't do to spicy , So I get sauce on side . Not sure about the heat of these sauces. I've only eaten there once.

    View All 3 Questions

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    Tap N Taco

    Tap N Taco

    (185 reviews)

    $$

    We've been to this place 2 times. The 1st time we ate inside & the 2nd we used the drive-thru to…read morepick up our to-go order. Our 1st visit was around dinner time and the place was packed. We were worried about finding a table for a family of 4 since the main seating area is not the largest & it was really busy. But a table cleared right after we ordered so it worked out. The service was warm and friendly. They have a good selection of food - we wanted to try so many things. I had the chicken, barbacoa, and al pastor tacos. My wife tried the vegetartian tacos. Our kids ordered the asada baked potato and the asada nachos. Everything was delicious and tasted authentic. We've eaten many good meals in Mexico and this food tasted as good & possibly better! It's been a while since we've been this excited and satisfied while eating a meal - everyone was so quiet devouring their food. Just driving up to the restaurant you can catch the awesome scent of delicious food working up your hunger. There's so much to like about this place. The workers are friendly. There's an app you can use to order ahead & have ready to pick up using the drive through. They have an awesome menu & delicious food. The churros & agua fresca are great. The main area is family-friendly, but there is a bar/more lively indoor area & outdoor seating where you can hang out with your friends while having drinks and good food. There is an energetic happy vibe here. We have added this restaurant as one of our top go-to places when we go out to eat. Our kids get excited when we tell them that we're going to eat here! This place is a hidden gem - I highly recommend trying it out!

    Tap N Taco is serving up some top notch authentic tacos. It is a light in a dark area of D'arco…read moreHighway. When you come upon Tap N Taco you know something is happening. There is great energy. There are two sections: one for the full bar and sports watchers and the other for families, both with the great food. You have a variety of meats you can top tacos, quesadillas, nachos, and papas; all served up with speed and a smile. They are willing to make your personally requested adjustments to fit your needs. They have all the standard drinks, and also traditional horchatas and agua de jamaica (sweet and not very strong). We enjoyed everything we had including the asada, al pastor, shredded beef, birria, and the potatoes were a revelation (melt in your mouth and a great pairing for any of the meats). Come and enjoy!

    Hot Tamales - mexican - Updated May 2026

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