A coworker brought these into work and I have been thinking about them for weeks! I used to pass…read morethis location going between the grocery stores on Cermak and never thought to stop by. Finally today I had a chance to park in the loading zone and grab a few of what was left: green and red salsa pork tamales and then 1 of each of the sweet ones for my kids. The pork tamales were great and had a lot of flavor. My daughter loved the strawberry and will try the other ones later. I will be back!

I usually think the great tamales are sold only on the streets in Pilsen, I normally see pop-ups…read moreand buy a dozen. I saw a store front called "The Tamale Lady" and I had to give it a try. I was surprised how reasonably priced these tamales are. I asked them which is most popular and she told me the green chicken tamales are most ordered. I bought a dozen of the red sauce pork ones also. Both choices are a hit with my family and I been coming here weekly for my tamale crave Payment is Zelle or Cash. Street Parking available too.

The Tamale Guy has been a Chicago staple for over 20 years. I had the opportunity to sample these…read moremade-from-scratch offerings over the holidays when the Chicago History Museum offered pick-up dates for catering orders at the North and Clark Cafe. What better time to unwrap the gift of a tamale than heading into the New Year. The signature tamale varieties available for ordering included cheese, pork, and chicken, along with the famous salsa verde. I opted for chicken and was pleased with my choice. The order came with reheating and freezing instructions. The masa is light and the chicken is fresh and high-quality. The perfect comfort food to add spice and warmth to a Chiago winter! I look forward to sampling some of the other varieties and appreciated this collaboration for spotlighting a locally owned business that I might not otherwise have had the opportunity to try.

This is my second time trying tamales from The Tamale Guy. The first time was when he opened a…read morebusiness on Chicago Avenue near Damen right before Covid hit. Unfortunately, after hearing so much good feedback I decided to try them for myself. Sadly, they were a poor in substance and taste. And sadly his business didn't survive Covid. But he's reopened at another place on Diversey and Richmond between Sacramento and California out of a bar called Quality Time. I want to thank the bartender Dan or Stan(?) for helping me with my order. I ordered one dozen red tamales and a half-dozen chicken tamales. Complimentary salsa was given. Although the flavor for both tamales was good. Presentation had a lot to be desired in order for them to a true wrapped tamale. The filling on both at times were leaking from the side, as if the masa (cornmeal dough) wasn't completely covering the filling. And what's with the one single chintzy corn husk wrapping? I like that they didn't have a lot of masa covering the meat. But they were somewhat sloppy. And update your prices on your tamales since I was charged $12.00 per half-dozen instead of the $11.00 listed on your website. Or notify the customer of the price increase. One more thing, that salsa was very watery. Would I return, I don't know. The jury is still out on this one. But I might go back to the bar and try a special drink that was being offered and depend on how it went down. might order just a half dozen. I am going to check out a new establishment on Harlem Avenue near Addison, that sells tamales. And compare them to yours. The winner gets my return visits. The flavor was almost there, but packaging had a lot to be desired.

Tried this at West Fest, stepped outside my comfort zone and just tried it. Man, it was sooooo…read moregood! I could have eaten 5 more. Next time I'll get the large. The service was nice and the food was ready fast!

Tried it at a local festival after looking on Yelp. Total let down. Overpriced, bland, and falls…read moreapart while you eat it Skip and save your money!

We started visiting the new Maxwell Street Market some time ago and ran across this little vendor…read more Mama Lula makes pupusas right in the stand and heats them up on a griddle. They can be made with cheese, pork meat, and refried beans and any combination of those. You never know what they'll have that Sunday but it will be made fresh and hot. The pupusas are somewhat like a peirogi - a filled dough pocket where the filling can be almost anything. The pockets are made with a cornmeal dough. I think pupusas are native to El Salvador. Anyway you order your pupusas - one, two, three...depends how hungry you are. You get them on a plate and then put on a little pickled cabbage mix called curtido for spunk...add a bit of hot sauce or salsa roja and have a seat at the tables under the tent. This isn't fancy food or pretentious surroundings but the pupusas are well worth the visit. They also have coffee and pop to buy. Our party of four had one coffee and split six pupusas - all for $13. You won't beat it for many reasons. The only problem is we cannot find Mama Lula's in a storefront. We think this might be the only place you can get her pupusas. So whether you spell it pupusas or papusas...get yourself down here and give them a try.

This fest has really went down. it used to be sooooo much fun! It was moved to 16th street (from…read more18th street), and turned from an expression of culture and the Pilsen neighborhood to just another fest selling things. It was much smaller than previous years with less food choices and fewer authentic vendors and had bad music, at least during the daytime when I went. I usually stay to hear the musical lineups but this was so boring I stayed long enough for the kids to get tacos and look at the 3 shops that were there. They even had some band singing sweet dreams singing the wrong words! I hope the fest will go back the way it was then I'd return. If not I'd say skip it.

There are a ton of festivals that happen during the summer in the Chicagoland area and Pilsen Fest…read moreis one of them! I enjoyed listening to various types of performances from rock, DJing, to an amazing musical family band called Cielito Lindo. The band's age ranged from about 7 years old to the father's age, and they were amazing at harmonizing together. There is a lot of cultural aspects to this festival including Chinelos, a dance from one of the Mexican regions. It was so much fun to participate in! There are various businesses from Pilsen area that participate to sell food including Taqueria y Restaurant El Buen Valle, which had delicious tacos, and had tons of drink options like agua fresca and alcohol. It's only a few blocks long, so it's very contained and easy to get around. Would definitely come back next year.

Summer is here!!!!…read more Shaved ice at its best. There are few places that I would drive long distances for and this is one of them. If you are familiarized with shaved ice you know what I'm talking and if you don't, well it is about time and this is the place to do it. They have some great flavors and all are made from fresh ingredients. Here is a list of some the flavors they have: tamarind, guayaba, pineapple, peach, strawberry, vanilla, pistachio, eggnog, coconut, mango, coffee, cajeta (milk caramel), pecan among others. I have tried most of them and all are great, but there are few that are my favs. Guayaba is a the top of the list, followed by vanilla with rompope (kinda Mexican eggnog) with condensed milk, truly delicious. According to them the best seller there is the strawberry. You can always add condensed milk to any flavor, just request it. Do not be fooled, there are many raspas on this street. a few days ago on a regular Wednesday afternoon I counted 9 stands, yes 9, from Kedzie to Pulaski alone. I tried many of them (not on Wed., but over time) and none compare to Don Luis'. Raspas Don Luis, the best in Chicago

This is a real Chicago classic. You don't have to drive through traffic to get a Red Hot Ranch…read moreburger--there's one right by Sox park! A great quick-service red hots with a very focused menu. It's a small place with super limited seating, but there are a couple picnic tables outside if you like.

This one is an oldie and STILL a goodie! Stopped by 35th street Red Hots today for classic hot…read moredog with fries and as you can see it did not disappoint! This is a cash only service and they serve hot dogs, polish's and burgers. I always opt for their hot dog with everything (raw onions, sports peppers and mustard) with their fresh cut fries. BOMB! Always friendly service upon entry. This is a small joint with limited counter seating in the lobby walk through with picnic tables outside for outdoor dining. Located steps away from Sox stadium, so I'm sure it's a treat for ball park attendees. I've been coming here for years and will continue to do so. Enjoy! Tell'em Cat sent you!

I'm glad that the city is embracing food trucks. It was evident when I saw lines at least 30-40…read morepeople long during my lunch break. Even waiting to get a cupcake took about 20-30 minutes! I think vendors underestimated how many offices are starving when it hits noon. I liked that there was variety although I wish there were more. Perhaps that would have decreased the wait time. Since it was so long and I didn't want to spend 3/4 of my hour lunch waiting, I ate somewhere else. Mayor Emmanuel and other city officials, I hope you looked outside your windows today and saw the crowds at Daley Center. More food truck friendly events and laws need to be enacted because come on, who doesn't love food on the go? Looking forward to the next one with my office!

This is really cute! My favorite empanadas truck is here today, and I also got to try a tasty…read moredonut. When the weather is nice, it's so cool to have a bunch of easy options. Today's rally features two sandwich makers, one empanada truck, and two sweet choices (donuts and cupcakes). I guess I would appreciate more savory choices. I wonder if the trucks are taking turns or have to apply for a spot to set up on the plaza. This was pleasant. I would recommend stopping by if you're not rushed for time.