There's a reason this place is a destination, rather than a side quest. I live 92 miles and 2.5 hours away, and I make that pilgrimage a few times a year, much to my wife's consternation. "The freezer's full. Stop bringing home tamales." She's an infidel, a blasphemous Pharisee whose ignorance of the one true tamale is a point of ridicule. Tamale's are an art more than a science. My grandmother used to shut down her kitchen for two weeks each year to make tamales, which would fill a chest freezer for her husband to feast upon for lunch throughout the year. And when we went to visit, he'd share his hoard. To a point. They're both gone now, but I no longer have to wait for a family trip. Also, I can drive myself, so there's that. I make what I call The Tamale Run, a six hour drive that starts with a drive to lunch in Union Gap, a cooler filled with ice and a stack of frozen tamales, and ends with a saunter through Mt Rainier National Park. There are far worse ways to spend the day. And before you go and say, "Hey, you're spending half your day at a park," understand that part is the side quest, the icing on the cake if you will. A bonus I enjoy, but would gladly live without. So long as I get my tamales. Most tamales are dry. The masa tends to lose too much moisture when steamed. The result is typically a crumbly mess that lacks flavor and makes me wish I hadn't bothered. Los Hernandez tamales are moist, rich, and filled with consistent flavors that take me back to the trips of my youth, when my biggest concern was running out of AA batteries for my Walkman (I'm old). So do yourself a favor. Make the trek. Enjoy the journey. Savor the tamale. Ignore the other voices who tell you not to waste gas driving that far for something you could get closer, even if the nearby offerings are crap and unworthy. Tamales are more than just a food; they're a religion. Go, pray at the temple. Take your burnt offerings and some cash. Tell the priests and priestesses that you have come to kneel before Zod, or whatever your faith system commands of you. read more

Been wanting to stop in for a while now. Unfortunately they didn't have any of the seasonal options, so we got some chicken and some pork. They were quite good- maybe not the best I've ever had but meat was tender and moist, everything a good tamale should be! I just know a gal that does smoked pork tamales that's pretty hard to beat... Wish we would have got some salsa too. read more

We always have to stop here when in town. Too late for the asparagus Tamales, but the pork, chicken, and jalapeño & cheese tamales are just as good! We stopped in for a quick lunch break then armed to 2 dozen frozen tamales to bring home. Service is always quick. I love this place! read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Lunch special; 2 tamales with rice & beans $6.99 - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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We drove from Tacoma to Spokane and willingly added about 75 miles to the trip just to stop in Union Gap for Los Hernandez. That should tell you something right there. This isn't some trendy stop or overhyped roadside thing. It's just really, really good food made by people who clearly care about what they're doing. We ordered the lunch plates and ended up sitting next to Mr. Hernandez himself. We got to hear about how he started the place because he genuinely loved working with masa, and how that slowly turned into winning a James Beard America's Classics award. Nothing flashy about it -- just years of doing it right. Knowing that story while eating the food made it feel even more special. The rice was fluffy and deeply seasoned -- not an afterthought. The homemade pinto beans were tender but still held their shape, topped with pico that added exactly the right acidity and freshness to balance the plate. Then the tamales -- jalapeño & cheese and pork. He spoke highly of the masa, and you could immediately tell why. The texture was spot on: moist but structured, never dense. The filling-to-masa ratio was right where it should be. Every bite felt balanced. The salsas were bright and flavorful, but they enhanced rather than covered anything up. You didn't need to smother the tamales -- they stood on their own. The place itself is humble and unpretentious. Floral tablecloths, paper plates, simple seating. Exactly how it should be. You're there for the food and the people behind it. They sell fresh and frozen tamales at a few other locations too, which is honestly dangerous information to have. Absolutely worth the detour. Five stars without hesitation. read more

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Came by to get some lunch! There was parking next-door, which is really convenient. When we walked inside, we were greeted by the staff and they told us about their menu. We ended up getting 2 lunch specials one with pork and one with chicken. We both also got the special tamale as well. After being seated, our food and utensils came out pretty quickly. The food was super fresh, and I love the sides as well. Overall, it tasted really good! I especially liked the jalapeño and cheese one, because it had great flavor, and as a person who doesn't handle spice well it was the perfect amount of heat. I also heard from other people that the asparagus one was super good, so I hope to try it next time when I come back and it's back in season. read more

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passing through Yakima at 9 am. Friend commented that there is a James beard rated tamale place.. but it doesn't open until 10.. stopped by to see where it was and they had opened early just because. Basically describes the whole neighborly experience. Tamales were great.. I'm not a fan of ground corn. I would recommend bringing a cooler as they sell fresh and frozen packs to go read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Asparagus and cheese seasonal - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

Incredible food and salsas. Helpful and kind owner with gracious staff. Must stop for us as we drive between Seattle and home.

This place is amazing! Fast service, tasty food, parking it's got it all. We got the asparagus tamale, pork tamale and chicken tamale, all were super flavorful and salsas amazing! read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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A lot of James Beard American Classics awards seem to be given out more due to a restaurant's history and influence within the community rather than a focus on the quality of the food. While we were excited to visit another American Classics award winner while driving through Union Gap, we kept our hopes grounded due to the poor experience we've had in several other winning restaurants. Los Hernandez Tamales is primarily takeout only, with people typically dropping in to buy several dozen tamales to eat at home. We stopped in just to try the food out, so we started by only ordering one of each: Pork Tamale/Chicken Tamale ($2.56 each) - The tamale consists of masa, more coarsely ground, with a nice toothsome texture, filled with chunks of meat. The chicken is moist and tender, with a good chicken flavor, while the pork is shredded well, but a bit on the drier side. I prefer the chicken over the pork but both are excellent. The masa is really the standout here - I would honestly just eat it by itself. (5/5) Jalapeno & Pepperjack Tamale ($3.18) - I was a bit confused why this one cost more than the meat filled ones, but then I unwrapped the tamale and started digging in. This tamale is just a bit larger than the pork/chicken and contains way more of the excellent masa. There's just a tiny bit of spice from the jalapeno and cheese pockets dot the interior. The tamale is not soggy or watery; it's just moist enough to keep the mouth from drying out as the tamale is eaten. The overall flavor is great and I have to say I loved this more than the meat filled tamales. (5/5) I loved the tamales so much that I went back in and ordered an extra half dozen to take with me on the rest of the trip. Yum! We talked a bit with the people inside and apparently they have other seasonal specialty tamales. From April 20th through July/August they have asparagus filled ones, and from September to February they have jalapeno. They usually have nopales as well, but they were out when we visited. I can safely say I was very impressed with the tamales served at Los Hernandez Tamales. I definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Union Gap. read more

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Tamales are amazing! Go for the family vibe! Truly the best tamales I've ever eaten! Be prepared because they sell out of the best ones.

I had their asparagus tamales YEARS ago, and finally made it to the restaurant. I brought my parents, who love asparagus but were not believers in the tamales, and they loved them!! More than the chicken, more than the pork. (Those are really good too, but go for the espárrago, if not, what are you doing?) read more

Stopped by on the way to a Walla Walla wine trip and so glad we did. Small local restaurant with one item on the menu - Tamales. They had pork and chicken available and both were wonderful. Another plus is the speed of service. We received our food within 2 minutes of ordering. It was hit and delicious!! Enjoyed the green salsa, beans and rice as well. So glad we stopped! read more

My wife and I ate at Los Hernandez for a Sunday lunch. The building is small and quaint, almost like eating at grandma's house. We both got the tamale special with rice and beans. My wife got the chicken tamales and enjoyed them. I had the pork tamales. They were moist and flavorful. The salsas were excellent. They also have tamales to go and sell their salsa. I would highly suggest giving this place a try. read more

Live in Seattle, passing through on a road trip and stumbled across the best tamales I've ever had. Super moist without being soggy. Counter service lady was super nice and helpful. Their salsas are DELISH and I took a frozen pack to go, just wish I had more. Brought the nopal home, steamed them and they were amazing. I had pork cheese and jalapeño and couldn't decide which one I liked most. Careful in the freezer for the to go packs bc the plastic wrap tears easily since it's so cold in there. Now I'm trying to figure out how to do a weekend in Yakima to try these again. read more

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South of the Yakima Costco exit, off Main Street, this unassuming place is THE stop for us through these parts. The place is nothing fancy, it just delivers delicious tamales. I usually go with the asparagus cheese variety. Moist and taste, they are great. If I'm not taking the frozen varieties (asparagus or chicken or pork) I am sitting down for a plate of 2 asparagus with rice and beans. Not a steal, but definitely worth the stop. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Plate of asparagus and cheese tamales - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

As always the tamales were amazing The people are wonderful They taste just like my mom's tamales read more

Came here on the strength of my sister-in-law's recommendation. Wonderful vegetarian tamales - well worth the drive from Western Washington! read more

Super friendly service and excellent food. I will be stopping by and picking up every time I pass through Yakima.

This is authentic restaurant for home made tamales. Lunch comes with 2 tamales, rice and beans. The pepper jack and jalapeño tamale has some good heat! Very friendly staff serving and in the open kitchen. Green salsa is served in a small cup with each tamale. There's help yourself napkins and plastic forks on each table. They are very busy with take home orders! There are four tables in the small restaurant which is in the front. Tables are covered with clear plastic over flowered cloth. Celebratory colorful flags hang from the ceiling. Come here for the authentic tamales! As you enter, you will be greeted with a happy hello! read more

Saw this on King 5 evening news. Stopped to try it out on our way from Seattle to the Tri-cities. I ordered 3 chicken and 3 pork tamales for about $17 something. The salsa was separate and a small costed $3.75. I was hoping to be blown away based on king 5's review, but I was not. Will not return again on my next trip. read more

We stopped by here for lunch as I heard of this place through an article saying this restaurant won a James Beard award. It's a no-frills place that, as the name suggests, serve tamales. There were 4 types of tamales - chicken, pork, asparagus and pepperjack, and nopales (cactus). We got 2 of each for the 3 of us to share, as well as the red salsa (more spicy) and the green salsa (more spices). All the tamales were so good - they're not the typical dry and floury ones that I normally encounter - they're very flavorful, moist, and nicely salted. I liked the asparagus a fair amount as it is quite unique, and that seemed to be a crowd favorite too. For non-vegetarian option, the pork is amazing. Prices are very good (less than $8 per person) and the food came out very fast (less than 5 minutes), fitting perfectly in our itinerary. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Asparagus and pepperjack tamales - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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I've been going here for years and will never go back. Their tamales are now way smaller and way overpriced. And, it's obvious that they are now using the cheapest cuts of pork and chicken they can find. I work with all Hispanic people and they complain too about the deterioration of this once amazing place. The salsa is still bomb, but fiesta foods has better salsa for half the price. read more

Well, this was an unexpectedly underwhelming experience. When I found out that I was to travel to Yakima for training, the first thing I did was start looking for the good places to eat. Los Hernandez Tamales was number one on my list. I arrived around 5:15 on a Monday (the earliest I could possibly get there.) I literally walked out of training, got into my car, and drove straight there. The young person at the counter was very polite. I was hoping to get two tamales with rice and beans, but they were out rice and beans. That wasn't a big deal. I ended up choosing one of each of the tamales--pork, chicken, and asparagus. The guy at the counter also convinced me to pick out an "ice cold" soft drink that turned out to be lukewarm. That wasn't a big deal either. The big deal was that the tamales were mediocre. The best of the three of it was the asparagus and that was thanks to the pepper jack cheese. The pork one came in second place, and the chicken tamale was dead last. They were all different degrees of bland. I have a few more days here, so I'm hoping to find some really good Mexican food. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Tamales--one of each - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

Such a cute hole in the wall place. We were highly recommended to visit here for their tamales and it did not disappoint! We tried everything, pork, chicken, asparagus then they just gifted us cactus, which was my favorite. It was hot, steamy and cheesy, what a great combo! And the prices were so reasonable, it fed us very well. read more

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We've never had an asparagus tamale and had to try, especially since they won a James Beard award! I am not a tamale aficionado by a long shot, so maybe it was lost on me. My bf definitely appreciated it more than I did. We tried all three and ranked in order from most to least favorite 1) pork, 2) asparagus/pepperjack, 3) chicken. They also sell masa if you want to make your tamales and frozen tamales too. A few tables located inside. Most people seemed to take their orders to go. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Tamales unwrapped! Chicken, left ($1.93/ea), asparagus/pepperjack, middle($2.39), pork, right ($1.93/ea) - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

Came here because we heard these were James Beard winning tamales. We got the pork ones and the asparagus ones which we were told were the award winning ones. They were okay. We were hoping because the shop was super mom and pop that it would be an explosion of flavor. It wasn't. But at least the service was nice and the food comes out fast. The locals buy these by the dozens, so maybe I'm just comparing them to the street tamales I used to eat when I lived in LA and San Diego, but still, with the James Beard designation I thought this would be amazing. There are only two or three tables in the small shop, so you might have to get these to go. read more

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Already went back less than a month later. My fiancé and I got to meet the owner and talk with him for a bit. He was very friendly and we could tell he was passionate about his tamales. Please open up a location in Portland :,) read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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Every year I drive to Yakima to buy their asparagus tamales! I only bought 6 today (dang that keto diet) & as we leave their parking lot, I'm already regretting that I didn't get my usual dozen! I love everything about Los Hernandez! Their customer service has always been top notch & today was even better. We were greeted by a beautiful lady when entering & she just shined happiness! She also told me that I made it by about 1 week for the asparagus tamales - thank goodness! She also told me that after they are finished with the fresh asparagus that they will be making cactus tamales. Wait, What? I'm already planning another trip over just to try those too! I bet they go great with a bottle of Yakima wine! read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

The food was spectacular. While eating, a gentleman mentioned this place was on TV and I don't expect anything less. Service was great as well. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Pork and Pork & Chicken Tamales (Fresh Steaming Hot) - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

Easily the best tamales I ever had. Im not Mexican but I look like it so I have some say. Very flavorful - the masa was moist and a little chewy unlike any other tamale I've had. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Pork & Chicken Tamales (Fresh Steaming Hot) - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

This is your stereotypical hole in the wall, it's also small, 4 tables, a counter and right behind it the kitchen. If you blink you miss it. The locals love it, I counted about 10 customers, all but one to go ordered lunch specials or only tamales. As you can read in one of the pictures it's been in business for 34 years, so everything is dated. I say this not as a bad thing, I can appreciate a pot that it's been used to prepare a meal that will nourish your body and soul!! I didn't take a pic of the kitchen/stove area out of respect, but when you come in, because you will come in; take a look at the pots stack against the back wall. They tell a story. Now, to the tamales!!! Pork is the thing!!! They are great. I ordered the lunch special with a soda is 12.96; the tomatillo sauce (green) it's the best really. Ahh I am forgetting... the calendars on the side wall are free!!! read more

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Came in to try tamales, but I'm a sucker for Sopes, so had to indulge in the daily especial! I enjoyed the pork, the black beans, the cabbage, the queso fresco and salsa so much, sitting atop that beautiful masa! I also tried a chicken tamale, which was just ok.....but the Sopes....now that's good eatin'!!!! Super kind service by the lady up front, and my food was ready quickly. read more

Simply the best tamales I have ever had. My partner got the asparagus and I got the chicken and the pork. All were fantastic and the salsa was also delicious. Service was friendly and very fast. Will definitely be stopping here again on our way home! read more

Tamales were delicious, flavorful, moist, and tender. I tried all three that were available and my friend has the combo w rice and beans, which she was really good. My fav was asparagus, though they were all good and I wld eat again. Chicken was dark meat, which I loved. Inside decor was also cute. We ate inside. Service was fast and friendly. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Tamales--chicken, pork, asparagus + pepper jack. - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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Definitely worth the drive from the wet side of the mountains for these wonderful tamales, especially when it's asparagus season. We bring a cooler along and stock our freezer for the year. It's also fun to combine the trip with a hike or a visit to one of the nearby breweries. Great road trip and great tamales. Que bueno! read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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Service is always fabulous. Food is sooo good as are the margaritas. Atmosphere is authentic and everyone is very friendly and helpful. Great for groups and family. Have been here many times, never disappoints. read more

I absolutely love me a good tamale this place is definitely the spot I will definitely recommend the lunch special and will be back again. Vancouver WA to Yakima worth the drive and will definitely add this as my recommendation and regular spot read more

In my travels between Eastern and Western WA, I do my best to time by drive so that I will hit Los Hernandez right around lunch. A perfect option for a refuel for me and for the car. Last time we were here they were out of the acclaimed asparagus (we got there a little later in the day) but still loaded up with a dozen tamales for home, and a couple of plates for lunch. The quality, flavor, and simplicity is what brings me back here again and again. It's doesn't have to be fancy --- just make it delicious. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - a sign for tamales fresh daily - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington

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Thanks to King 5 Evening we had to drive to Yakima and try these tamales. Growing up in Los Angeles and having fresh tamales homemade means my standards are pretty high. I ordered the chicken, pork and seasonal asparagus tamale plates. Man oh man I was in heaven! Now I know why they are featured on the king 5 evening show so often. We bought 5 dozen frozen tamales to bring home and share with the rest of the family. It's worth the drive there and we will be heading back soon. Highly recommend for authentic tamales. read more

OK, I'll say it up front. I don't love tamales, so I wasn't dying to eat here. I'll admit it though; that was me ordering another two tamales and shamelessly stuffing my myself. I'll be back. read more

Los Hernandez Tamales - Pork & Chicken Tamales (Fresh Steaming Hot) - Mexican Near Me - Union Gap, Washington