Hands down the best gluten-free, vegan tamales I've ever had! These have quickly become a weekly must-have for me at the farmers market--I genuinely look forward to them every time. The flavor and texture are incredible, and they're so good it's easy to get hooked. And the red salsa? Absolutely next level. It's hands down the best salsa I've ever tasted--so good I'd happily drink it with a straw. If you love tamales, do yourself a favor and give these a try. read more

Tried a ready-made tamale at the farmer's market the other day and it was magnificent! So I picked up four more frozen ones for dinner tonight with some beans and homemade Spanish rice. Picked up a Pork Tomatillo Tamale, Chicken Mole Tamale, Beef Tinga Tamale (wrapped in banana leaves), Pork Pastor Tamale. All delicious! The interior are tasty but worth special mention is the extra fluffy and flavorful masa. Very happy with these, will try ordering from their store in Manor as well. read more

Tamale Addiction - Clockwise from the upper left: Pork Tomatillo Tamale, Chicken Mole Tamale, Beef Tinga Tamale (wrapped in banana leaves), Pork Pastor Tamale. - Farmers Market Near Me

The best tamales north of the RGV! It's been difficult to find good vegetarian tamales in Austin. I had a vegetarian and vegan tamale and both were amazing! My husband had the pork and his was delish as well. Super light, fluffy, and moist masa with equally as great filling. Will definitely be returning! read more

Tamale Addiction - a man and a dog eating food - Farmers Market Near Me

NOT gluten-free! I am celiac and have been told at the Sunday and Saturday markets that the tamales were all gluten free for almost a year now. Today, their menu had changed at the market to reflect that the chicken mole contains gluten, and the woman blew it off saying it's always contained bread crumbs, oops. I could never pinpoint why I was feeling "glutened" and sick on and off for so long, and this is why. Their website proudly says gluten free, and doesn't even say the chicken has bread in it, so beware if you have allergies! I was so mad to hear this after almost a year of being told they were all gluten-free and me telling them I had an allergy. To misrepresent your products as gluten "safe" is very dangerous. read more

Saturday mornings are my day for Farmers Markets with the pups, complete with coffee and some great food fare at the Market. Last week and this, I tried the Tamales at The Gardener's Feast. I LOVE Tamales, but having made them as a teenager with friends and seen the sheer amount of LARD that goes in them, I relegated myself to only 3 per year. Enter The Gardener's Feast - LARD-free Tamales - YAY!!! These are excellent Tamales without the lard. They also sell blue corn tortillas ($3.50/dozen) and blue corn gorditas ($?) too - if you get there early enough to grab them. Tamales... so yummy. They have a Chicken Mole Tamale for $2.50 that melts in your mouth. I also tried the special (seems to have everything in it but the kitchen sink) tamale for $4 (cannot remember the name) .. .if you are a fan of sweet and savory together it is not bad... but I am stickin' to the Chicken Mole. It is perfection. They are VERY AUSTIN in their selection - as they usually have a selection of about 6 different tamales to suit any meat/non-meat preference (vegetarian and vegan too) These guys are at the SFC Farmers Market, Barton Creek Farmers Market and Hope Farms Farmers Market (could be at others - but these are the ones I frequent) and they take the Go Local card for orders of 6 or more. They are a nice refreshing slice of Tamales without the lard guilt and the fast ticket to heaven. read more

Tamale Addiction - Chicken Mole tamale - Farmers Market Near Me

Oops. I had the pork tomatillo, not the beef. Tried the Beef Tinga this weekend and it was delicious as well.

I love Tamale Addiction. They are the best tamales I have ever tasted. The masa is fluffy rather than slick like some you might buy frozen, and the fillings are great. Lard free and not greasy! At Pedernales Farmers Market where I shop they are available fresh or frozen. The frozen store well, and taste as good as the fresh, and they are an easy go to when you don't feel like cooking. One is enough for us, but sometimes we cook three and share halves of each. read more

I've met many a tamale I don't like. For me, the masa is the difference and lots of moist (not greasy) filling. Most Austin tamales are too tough and skimp on the filling. Not these beauties. Hubby and I enjoyed a chipotle chicken and tomatillo pork tamale for dinner after picking them up at the Barton Creek Farmer's Market last week. Both were moist, tender and tasty. If you plan on purchasing tamales from The Gardener's Feast, go early. All their tamales use organic ingredients and are gluten free, lard free and delicious. Their menu is very diverse and includes dessert and vegetarian tamales. I am curious about their Mexican brownie tamale made with organic white corn masa, cocoa, organic cane sugar and chocolate bits. Doesn't that description make you want to go get one? Right now? read more

Everyone knows what a total Mexican food snob I am. I really am. Tamales are an especially big sticking point for me. Let me just say it - I have never had a good tamale in Texas. The damn Texican tamale is a tiny little greasy bugger usually filled with ground beef or minced up chicken that has absolutely no relation to the nice fat tamales with chunks of meat in them that you can buy from a tamale vendor in Mexico. (Or other cities with Mexican populations; I have no idea what is wrong with Austin). Lard? I love lard. Lard is delicious and good for you as far as I am concerned. Yeah, go ahead and make my Mexican cookies with pure lard. Love it! You have to understand - I grew up in the shadow of my grandmother's tamales and the tamales in the neighborhood of East Los Angeles. So, you can imagine my trepidation and haughtiness when I saw these hippy-dippy lard-free tamales at the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market. But then I looked at the menu and saw a nice mix of traditional and modern flavors. I looked into the steamer and saw nice fat tamales the way they are supposed to look. So, I tried two - the Pork Tomatillo (Chile Verde) and the Mexican Chocolate Brownie. As I unwrapped my treasures, I saw the perfect size of tamale neatly and properly wrapped with care in a corn husk. I tasted the masa. OMFG, this masa is amazing. I can't believe it does not have lard in it. Fluffy. Oh lord, fluffy and light, but not dry. I was taught to mix the lard with the masa hard until a ball floats to the top in a bowl of water. This is much more difficult than it looks. These tamales had the perfect texture. No lard?? Amazing. The pork was tender. The tomatillo sauce just the perfect amount of spice. Could have used a bit more meat and sauce, but it was really, truly delicious. The salsas they served with it were flavorful and hot. So then I tried the Mexican Chocolate Brownie tamale. Heaven. It reminded me of champurado, that beautiful hot thick Mexican drink, a variation of atole, made with with mexican chocolate and corn masa and sugar served with breakfast or the late evening meal (cena), especially on a cold day. I have wonderful memories of going to Sunday mass in Mexico (I don't go to mass that often, but I love going to Spanish language mass in an ancient church in some little town) and then sitting with people eating tamales and champurado bought from pushcart vendors outside the church. This tamale was good; really good. Just barely sweet, with the corn and chocolate flavors merging together just perfectly. Outstanding. Then, I went to the Barton Creek FM. They had another stand there and I decided to try a couple more, because at this point, a review was imminent. I picked the chicken mole and the pork pastor. These were not quite as successful. The mole was a tad sweet, but very good. But then they broke my heart by giving me a damn vegan tamale with limp veggies inside instead of pork pastor. I didn't open it until I got home, so I could not take it back. It tasted ok, but a vegan tamale? Really what's the point - and I really really wanted to try the pork pastor. I am not taking a star off, though, because the tamales I ate at Sunset Valley made up for them. read more

To echo what everybody else here says, lard-free tamales! :-D The tamales here are genuinely good. They have great pork tomatillo, chicken mole, or veggie (spinach!) tamales, as well as tamales of the Central American variety. At $2.50 a pop, they are more expensive than a dozen tamales you'd get during Christmas time or at another establishment, but they are worth it! There's nothing greasy or overwhelming about the food. I also think a lot of people have a lower threshold for organic/healthier foods because of said reason, but these tamales are better than most of the kinds I've been raised on. Both their green and red salsas are delicious, robust, and not the least bit watered-down. The woman who serves them with her two adorable kids at the Farmer's Market is really friendly. If a man is serving the tamales, ask for him to cook your tamales a little longer because he tends to serve them on the cold side. I promise it's worth the wait! And speaking of waiting, wait until you get to a hard surface to eat your tamales. I can never wait until I sit down to chow down, and I often end up with broke tamale on the ground and an instant herd of dogs. read more

If you're looking for authentic mexican tamales, this isn't the place. The flavor is good and I appreciate the chunky texture of the filling. But, there are a few issues with the execution. First, WAY TOO MUCH MASA. You see these giant, fat tamales and get excited about what's inside, only to reveal.....masa. Seriously some 2 inch cross sections were 80% masa and 20% filler, Now, ours were delivered, so maybe I don't have the full story, but the foil wrapping was black with char. Tamales are supposed to be steamed, so I don't know why they would be charred on the outside. Which maybe leads to my other complaint: dryness. Stab these with a fork and they crumble apart. Usually, my experience with tamales is that they're still moist enough to hold together for a good bite. So, yeah, these had a nice flavor, but there's no comparison to what I've had in San Antonio or the valley. read more

Is it authentic? No idea but it's best tamales I had in the Austin area. Big, super tasty and creative fillings, very friendly owner/person who was selling at the farmers market. Reasonably priced. Yum! read more

This is one of the few foods for which I will drag myself out of bed on Sunday mornings and drive over to the Farmers Market. It is also one of the few places where a vegetarian can eat tamales without worrying about disgusting lard sneaking its way into your mouth. Compared to the tamales I've seen elsewhere, these are bigger, have more yummy filling, and less grease. I've tried most of the vegetarian/vegan ones, and they are all incredibly good. The salsas you can get to accompany your tamales are also amazing. The perfect way to start a weekend morning! The only downside is they tend to start running out pretty early, which poses quite the dilemma for people who like to catch up on lots of missed sleep on weekend mornings. I only wish they would hurry up and open a permanent food cart somewhere! read more

I love getting Gardener's Feast tamales on my weekly trips to the farmers' market. My favorites are the Pork Tomatillo and the Black Bean & Cheese. You can get them piping hot or cold (to reheat later) for $3 a pop. Totally worth it. My only gripe is the one at the Sunset Valley Farmer's Market never seems to have hot tamales at the start of the market (9:00 am) so if you get there early and want breakfast to-go it's not possible (unless you have ability to reheat it later, which I usually don't). I have only had one experience where the tamale was extremely light on the filling and I think it was just a fluke mistake because generally they have a decent amount of filling amongst the moist lard-free masa. 100% organic and gluten-free. Also has vegan/vegetarian options. read more

Most excellent tamales ever and it's all organic. They're always so plump and HOT. I'm more of a fan of the chicken mole than the other pork but I promise they're all delicious and $3 each. Worth it. I'm loving the environment of the farmer's market. Go get yourself a nice dessert nearby after. :) I'd make this a weekly thing. Even maybe a daily thing. So yums. read more

When I'm trapped at school without having packed a lunch or dinner (d'oh) it sends me into a crisis mode. Where can a girl get food around campus where the protein:carbohydrate ratio is favorable and not total bullshit? Imagine my delight seeing tents set up in the quad yesterday. A farmer's market and mama's hungry. Most days I am not a tamale fangirl and I haven't had good mole in a long time. So what was I doing here? Going through a metamorphosis or some shit because I am now down wit tamales 4 lyfe thanks to Gardener's Feast! I ordered two stuuuuufffeeeddd tamales filled with chicken mole and pork tomatillo. As I unwrapped my pork prize I took a moment to admire the wrapping. That was a nice looking corn husk. That's a sentence you never think you'll say but once you eat tamales from here... you'll understand. Once I took that first forkful of tamale... oh, man. Oh, lawd. It was so tasty and the texture was just on. Point! I ate the mole one when I got home and was even more impressed with how great it all came together. It's been awhile since I've geeked out over some new food but dayum - this takes the prize! I can't wait to be hungry at school again (on a day they are there - of course). read more

Maybe it's because I only had homemade tamales once or twice in my life but I can tell you that I've had my fair share of awful tamales. I know what they shouldn't taste or look like. These tamales are by far the best I've had because they are not dry, the pork is tender and the smell is infectious. I've had the Pork Tomatillo and Xochitl (vegetarian) and I'm in love with both of them. I believe they are a fair size and loaded with yummy. 100% organic, perservative-free, lard-free, gluten-free food additive-free, and trans fat oil-free. If you are a lover of tamales, you must try them here. Next time I need to get to the farmer's market earlier because I would love to try their tortillas or maybe a gordita! read more

The BEST tamales ! Truly -- Miss them every time I leave Texas. The bean and goat cheese is my go to, but they're all fresh and always moist. Literally doesn't get any better. Especially with the green sauce! read more

How did we miss The Gardener's Feast every single time we have gone to the Cedar Park Farmer's Market!?! We finally got some tamales yesterday... sooo good!! These tamales are large and have a good balanced ratio of masa to filling. Masa was moist and not greasy at all. Very flavorful all three types we got: chicken mole, pork tomatillo, and pork pastor. The salsas available on the side have a nice kick to them... spicy! Definitely will be getting more and trying the rest of the tamale types and other goodies they sell!! read more

I became obsessed with tamales upon moving to TX years ago. I love them but most leave you feeling gross and gluttonous (at least they do for me!) I love that these tamales are lighter and fluffier without sacrificing any flavor. The fillings are delicious - I've tried just about all of them. The chicken mole, pork pastor, and the banana leaf one with meat and plantain are among my favorites. The dessert ones are super tasty as well! You can get them warmed or frozen at several farmers markets around town. I love getting the frozen ones as they reheat beautifully - I just take them out of the foil, wrap them in a damp paper towel, and microwave them (about 2.5 min for the smaller ones, 6 minutes for the larger). Perfect! read more

The tamales are outstanding. They melt in your mouth! These guys have it figured out. Get them now before they go bigtime!

Incredible tamales. I discovered these guys at the Cedar Park Farmer's Market, where I now restock weekly! Tamales are the perfect reheatable late night snack...they freeze very well. My favorites are the chicken mole tamales, and the black bean & goat cheese tamales, $3 each. AND they're organic/lard-free??? Awesome. Also, they are very friendly in that quirky Austin way that we all love. Try the green salsa! read more

I had the pleasure of trying these tamales at Texas State's farmer's market. I was skeptical because I was a very hungry woman and looking for a filling lunch and wasn't sure how much you could pack inside a tamale. I was very happily proven wrong. I ordered two vegan tamales, the mushroom and the cactus (after debating between that and the spinach), and both were delicious. The man working the booth was also very friendly and his recommendations did not lead me astray. I'm sad it was the last farmer's market of the semester but I'll be sure to catch them in Austin! read more

I've been eyeing these guys at the farmer's market for a bit now - I finally ventured over. I had no idea Tamales could be this could! I grabbed the black bean and goat cheese - and as different as it sounds - have no fear! It's fantastic. They were so fluffy and tasty and NOT greasy!! I look forward to trying another one next week. read more

Just flat out awesome! What more can I say amazing tamales, great price, nice guys.

had these at the sat. farmers market down town. best ive had in town! stoked. read more

I always felt "meh" about tamales.... until I had these. Wow! Delicious! And organic and lard-free?! Reasonably priced, piping hot, and the salsas are excellent. I'm stuffed but craving my next visit already. read more

The Gardeners Feast had the BEST food out at Circuit of America's MOTO GP. So glad I stumbled across their stand while taking a hike around the area. My entire group had tamales the next food trip after seeing how great my food was. Hope it was a successful weekend for GF. read more

I recently bought three tamales at the farmers market in the Triangle and was less than impressed. The woman selling them was nice enough but the tamales were far from impressive once I got home. I had asked if she had any samples (every other vendor I have come across does) and was told that she didn't offer samples. I wondered if these were really that spectacular then why not let everyone taste and decide? I thought, I would give it a try though on the word of a couple customers and the reviews. As a native Texan I know great tamales and have had my fair share. I was not expecting traditional Mexican Tamales and I have an adventurous palate but I have to say I will not be purchasing these again - at least not without being able to taste them and see that the quality is vastly improved. The ratio of masa (the corn mixture that encases the filling of a tamale) to filling was horrific! I had many, many bites if not close to a third (1/3) of each of the three (all different flavors) tamales where I had no filling at all!! None. It was just eating pure masa. I can't understand how the ratio can get so off. If you are a fan of masa, then yes, you'll love these tamales as that is likely all you will get. I am a foodie and have eaten all over the world. I think that you can find much, much better especially in such a food-saturated city as Austin. The only reason I did not give these 1-star was because I do think that there could be potential for these to be good. Still, they need some serious work. Even the mushroom one, had whole mushrooms as the filling. Texturally, it was a little strange to me as most tamales are filled with a shredded type meat. I couldn't understand why these mushrooms weren't very finely minced or diced to more closely resemble a traditional filling. In the few bites that actually had mushrooms I felt like I was eating an enchilada filling that was put inside a tamale. If you have a few extra bucks to throw away then go ahead. I would suggest however, you ask for a sample and try one before you buy. read more

These are the best tamales I've ever had--and I've eaten a lot of tamales. No lard, lots of different ingredients to choose from, and the lightest, fluffiest masa around. I order these en masse sometimes for dinners and events--and get them delivered to the house for no extra charge. This beautiful family makes glorious food. Get the bigger banana leaf tamales for something even more hearty and savory! read more