Very simple and straightforward setting: order at the table/front and then pick one of the outdoor tables to sit at. I opted for take out, so they wrapped my tamales in a parcel. These tamales are stuffffffffed! They offered a variety of tamales -- sweet, savory, combination of both, vegetarian, you name it! Would've loved to try more of the sweet ones. Ordered the frijol con queso y chapulines, cuitalochecon que Oaxaca, and flor de calabaza con queso. All were very good -- with the flor de calabaza being my favorite. Each tamale had an even ratio of filling and masa. Don't think you can go wrong with any of them. read more

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My husband and I visited Tamales Doña Emi when we were exploring Colonia Roma a few weeks ago, and everything we tried there (and we tried several tamales) was incredible. Some of the best bites of food we've had on either/both of our two visits to Mexico City so far! Tamales Doña Emi is a family business. The restaurant's namesake Ermilia Galvan Sanchez (Doña Emi) started selling tamales from a cart in the 1960s; her granddaughter Carmen has taken on the lead role at the shop. Tamales Doña Emi is a window stand with seating out front under an awning. It's homey and comfortable and totally casual. And the service was friendly and lovely and quick, too. Their menu is incredible; they offer so many different tamales - sweet, savory, vegetarian... They were creative but completely delicious. We tried several: lomo con aceitunas (pork loin with olives); huitlacoche con queso de cabra (huitlacoche with goat cheese); frijol con queso y chapulines (beans, cheese, and grasshoppers with salsa morita); and higo (fig - a sweet tamal). I have eaten a lot of tamales in my life: some good and some not so good. But all of these tamales were sensational. Every single one. And as if that weren't enough - we tried some of their champurrado (a chocolate-based atole - a drink made from masa). Surprise surprise - also delicious. I'd try anything at Tamales Doña Emi. Everything on the menu! I absolutely loved my first experience at Tamales Doña Emi. I'm sure I'll be back for more tamales from this special place until I've tried the whole menu. read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Champurrado - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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So glad I wrapped up my Mexico City trip with tamales! For about $9 USD, we got three tamales, and the masa was incredibly soft and fluffy. I ordered the pork with green sauce, which was juicy, tender, and absolutely delicious. The pineapple tamale, on the other hand, didn't have much pineapple, so I'm not sure I'd get that one again. Just FYI, my VISA credit card was declined, which has never happened before. My bank showed the charge and then a reversal. Always have some cash on hand! read more

Tried the Chicken Mole, so good, so moist! On the sweeter side but didn't bother me. It's huge, Emi is friendly came to the table and check on people. I should have buy more and take it home!! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Chicken Mole - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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You gotta get here early to get the best tamales. I got there around 12 and a few options were already sold out. Luckily I was able to get the chicken mole tamal and the apple dessert tamal. The chicken and mole tamal was good overall. I was hoping it would be a bit more moist and the chicken would be softer, but it was still good. The apple dessert tamal was delicious! It has some cream cheese inside and the Masa was flavored with cinnamon so it was a great combo. I know people talk about tacos and churros in CDMX, but don't forget about tamales! Especially these ones! read more

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When it became obvious I was an English speaker they found the English menu for me and found the speaker with best English.; she was great! So kind in letting me taste the four atoles they had available that day. I came an hour after opening and stayed for an hour and in that time the fig with walnuts and cheese sold out so I'd say get those purchases in first and then chill. My dad loves tamales so I wanted to bring some to him and learned that they recommended the tamales as good in the fridge for 7 days. Also learned that customs doesn't allow meat products from Mexico to US for the most part so buy dessert ones or just sauce ones is smart. Tried the grasshopper one, like the crunch. Tried pork with tomato and green olives after that. It is moist but I honestly just love the texture so much more with a green banana leaf instead of the corn husk read more

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This was a fun restaurant with some tamales with interesting fillings. The service was great and helpful and we were taken care of really well. I knocked off a star only because the masa was really dry...it didn't seem like there was any fat in the mix when they were making it. The guts of the tamales were delicious though. Also we ordered their spicy hot chocolate and were served something like a warm milk with coconut bits in it. It was good....but I really wanted to try their hot chocolate. Maybe for another time... read more

WOAH!!! I love tamales but I have never had any this good prior to visiting Tamales Dona Emi. The menu is a bit overwhelming with a large variety of traditional and creative tamales. I decided on two: the Mole con Pollo and Champinones con Queso Tamales. The tamales were heavenly soft and savory. The Mole con Pollo was filled with tender chicken in a rich flavorful mole with flavorful spices and a hint of light bitter chocolate. The Champinones con Queso were filled with juicy tender mushrooms, tender pork, and flavorful salsa verde with a light kick. I also tried Atole for the first time and it was phenomenal! I had the Maiz Azul one. This corn drink was flavorful, creamy and warm. Overall, Tamales Dona Emi is a must visit for any trip to Mexico City. You will likely have the best tamales you have ever tried. read more

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walk up to the table/window and order, then grab a seat outside or take them to go. cheap and easy menu. spanish & english menu. they serve beer, coffee and juices. WOW. get the fig tamale. thank me later. so unique. i have never seen this combo before. the creamcheese is what really hits the nail on the head here. i also had the chicken mole one. this was good, but it needs more sauce. it was a bit dry. i tried my friends spinach and veggie one. LOVED IT. wow. this also needs more of the red sauce, but overall, it was close to perfect. would come back in a heart beat. ps they do run out of some items, which i respect because that means theyre fresh daily. read more

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More than three generations are serving Delicious tamales for breakfast at Dona Emi. They are huge so be prepared to share. My husband and shared the mole con pollo, soft shredded chicken smothered in a perfect mole sauce. Flor de Calabaza con queso, zucchini and squash blossoms, yes, goat cheese, and a green sauce. For dessert, because he doesn't have dessert at breakfast, we shared. Higo, fresh figs, with pecans and cream cheese. When you walk up, they have cards on the table describing each to mollie if you flip them over there is the English translation. The people here are very friendly, so don't be afraid to ask questions. They also have delicious coffee! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Generations. Friendly staff happy to help tourists with limited Spanish. - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Saw reviews on Yelp for this tamales and they were on point! Ordered some after eating there and had it delivered to our hotel frozen to take home! read more

Popped by this small shop for breakfast on a Tuesday morning. I came right around opening so it wasn't too busy. I was also one of the few people not grabbing a to go order on the way to work so I was able to sit at one of their handful of tables. I ordered two of the traditional tamales (rajas con queso and mole con pollo) and one of the specialty tamales (the pumpkin squash). The specialty one may have been missed due to my poor Spanish, but the two traditional were more than enough for breakfast! As more of a red salsa guy I saved it for last. the mole con pollo had a great rich flavor and the tamale had a soft, cake like texture. The rajas con queso had a little more bite to it, but the cheese and cakey texture more than balanced it out. If you come here the atole is a must. I had the nuez atole which gave it a great nutty taste, but it didn't overwhelm the base flavor which was kind of like if someone tried to make milk out of a corn tortilla. I can't recommend this place enough, their service was fast and friendly, even if you've had tamales before they have an excellent variety. It also isn't such a heavy breakfast that it will weigh you down read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Mole con pollo - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Dicen que son las tamales mas ricos del mundo. No he probado un tamal de cada pais, pero de los tamales que he comido en mi vida, confirmo que no se comparan con los de Doña Emi. Grande, esponjoso, húmedo, y rico es un tamal. Todo eso con creatividad es un tamal de la famosisima Doña Emi, conocida como Ermilia Galvan Sanchez cuando empezó a vender tamales sin una tienda en los 1960s. Su tradicion se ha convertido en un negocio exitoso con tamales artesanales y atoles con varios sabores. Ademas de los "tamales tradicionales" (de que hay mas de 500 variedades en Mexico), Doña Emi ofrece tamales gourmet con rellenos creativos, como huitlacoche con queso Oaxaca, cerdo con aceitunas verdes, o manzana con nuez y crema Philadelphia. Encontré este lugar durante una caminata en la tarde y compré el ultimo tamal que se quedó - un tamal dulce! Fue tan dulce que regresé la proxima manaña para encontrar una fila grande fuera de la tiendita. Los empleados ayudaban a sus clientes con los ordenes, casi todos que fueron listos rapidamente. Fuera de la tienda (que es mas como una ventana), hay dos mesas y sillas por los que quieren relajar. Si eres turista en otra parte de la ciudad, vale la pena caminar/pedir un Uber por la Roma Sur para conocer los tamales de Doña Emi. read more

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This was a little bit of a walk from the clusters of breakfast spots in Condesa, but well worth the effort. Google map was a little off, and we had to walk round a couple blocks to find this place. Look for their awning with the black background and green letters. I have to say that this was probably the best "hole in the wall" experience out of our 5 days in Mexico City, and I would definitely come back here the next time I visit. The tamales were so fresh and delicious, with the silkiest masa I've ever tried, and they were much MUCH bigger than expected. Some flavors you can choose large or small. Honestly probably one large one was enough as a meal, but I wanted to try everything and ended up getting 4 for two people. For not even $10 USD! Even though the menu on the wall had over a dozen flavors, the cards on the table tell you which ones were actually available at the time. My favorites were the huitlacoche and rojo. It was my first time trying the famed fungus. Don't be put off by the color. If you are into the magical funk from truffles and blue cheese, you will enjoy the milder version that is huitlacoche. The rojo was a light tomato based sauce I think, and it helped to cut the richness of the cheese. The manzana tasted like apple pie filling, which would be a great dessert, but I'm partial to savory ones. The staff was very helpful. Not all spoke English, but I could get by with my broken Spanish. Even so, they got someone to help make some recommendations for us. There was a line about 5 people ahead of us when we showed up on a Friday morning, but moved quickly, even with someone ordering dozens to go. There were 3-4 small tables on the side walk where you could seat yourself and the staff will bring out the tamales and utensils to you. read more

The perfect breakfast in every way. We got the rajas, verde, and huitlacoche with goat cheese. All were excellent. The rajas was the standout for me. A great way to start your day. Service was friendly and helpful. There is sidewalk seating and you order at the window. Go here! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Best tamales I have ever had, but I will never tell my mother in law that! Very spongy masa which was very easy to digest! Great flavor and awesome prices. read more

Let me just start by saying that we arrived at closing time. The sweet grandma and her family were happy to accomodate us! The moment we walked into the cute, small establishment, we fell in love with the place. Since we came late, they had already sold out of most menu items. Even though we didn't pick what we ate, the tamales were magical! We had the tomato tamales with poblano chilies and a sweet desert tamale with blackberries. Both were amazing. The tomato tamale was very unique and tasty. The flavor of the tomato was great and the cheese added a nice touch. The sweet desert tamale was also original and the blackberry was pleasant! The service was very prompt and they were very kind to us despite us coming at an odd time. Toward the end, they even made an extra effort to show us some of the best tamales on the menu for next time. Overall, we would definitely recommend Tamales Dona Emi if you are in the area! read more

Go early, get as many as you can!! Was surprised that it didn't come with salsa but you don't need it! Flavourful and certainly not dry!

I love tamales, so when I did a little research on tamalerias in cdmx Doña Emi was the business that came up on most lists. It just happened to be the last few days of my trip and I couldn't find enough information on the restaurant online so I figured to take a chance and headed out around 11:45. The business hours on yelp and on their flyer state they close at 12:30 but they seem to stay open till 2 or until they run out of tamales. Im very happy I went, the tamales are amazing. I ordered the Verde con carne de puerco Cuitlacoche con queso de Cabra Mole con puerco y frijol ayocote & Verde con queso I also purchased a Champurado. This is a corn drink with chocolate. It has the consistency of a thin smoothie. Usually drank warm but I preferred it room temp. Their tamales range in price and come in small and large sizes. Two large tamales is enough to fill you up! If you happen to come on the weekend or Friday, it's recommended that you show up early. Tamales are usually had for breakfast in CDMX so they tend to run out faster on those days. The Uber drops you off near a school, just walk back towards the beginning of the school and the spot is across the street. They also take orders the day before on WhatsApp then you can come and pick them up. They take credit cards on orders over $50mx read more

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The tamales were delicious. You must get there early otherwise you won't get the kind you want. I tried the atole de nuez and the rajas tamales and both were amazing. The service was excellent and the place was clean. read more

Family-owned and operated restaurant serving perfectly made, fresh, and HUGE tamales! The tamale texture was perfectly moist and fine. They have classic flavors, specialty flavors, and sweet flavors. My favorites were the traditional verde con pollo and mole con pollo. So good! For something different, try the cuitlacoche con queso oaxaca. It's an edible corn fungus which is a very popular Mexican ingredient. So popular in fact, farmers will purposely infect corn crops to grow the cuitlacoche. We bought a bag full of the fresh tamales and packed them in our suitcases. Flew them all the way back to Florida for my family to enjoy back home. They loved it! Definitely the best souvenir of the trip. read more

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Very tasty tamales I've ever had.. We had fig tamale and chicken with green sauce. Best tamales ever!!!! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

Great tasting tamales! David gave us free samples of new and upcoming tamales. The ambience is very clean and welcoming. This will be my go to spot whenever I come to Mexico. The tamales were huge and very tasty. I highly recommend coming to this place! Champurrado is amazing! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Mole Tamale - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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This was by far the best place for fresh tamales! From the classic flavors like chicken mole to insanely delicious sweet tamales with nuts and figs and everything in between! Get there early and get some tamales along with a champurrado! read more

Tamales Doña Emi - Tamales Near Me - México, D.F., DIF

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Excellent tamales! Overall, texture of the masa was very fine and not dry. Flavors were solid, with favorites being huitlacoche w goat cheese, roja with cheese, and mole. The mole flavor we felt was a little less intense than the others we found on the street carts. However, the filling to masa ratio was pretty much as high as you could get! Not as much of a fan of the sweet one- tried pineapple. More of a pineapple jam infused masa. However, they'd run out of guava when we were there so would give that a try. No line on a Wednesday morning at 9am. They have English and Spanish menus and are super helpful. Also, recommend getting all small tamales if you're going to try a couple, as these were already quite large. read more

The most delicious tamales de huitlacoche!! If you are a vegetarian, YOU NEED TO COME HERE! They also serve delicious dessert tamales!

David our tour guide to Teotihuacan was amazing, and not just because he recommended we come to this tamale spot, which is owned by his family! We uber'd over early on our last day in DF, and ate some tamales on the spot, as well as took some to go (shhh dont tell customs...). They were honestly the most fresh and delicious tamales ever! And David's family is so nice, his mom even gave me a free cuitlacoche tamale, which is a weird mexican fungus thing that is delicious! Please come here if you are in the area, you won't regret it! read more

Tried multiple non-traditional tamales. The best we had was with goats cheese and huitlacoche (a fungus). Also liked the masa toles (drinks), my favourite was the azul but nueces was also good read more

The tamales here are delicious and completely worth going out of your way to come early on a weekend morning for. On the weekends, it is recommended that you come before 10 am, because by then they will have sold out of many of the tamales. They come in two sizes, grande and chico. I recommend getting a grande savory tamale and a chico sweet tamale. The tamales are well made, with a warm, creamy texture that is very filling. My favorites are the pollo verde and the zarzamora con queso, but many on the menu are reliably good. They also serve atole (a corn based drink). The simple ones like with atole with pecans taste best. This place is always busy and the service is friendly and efficient. There are a couple of tables outside to sit at, or many people just come to buy their tamales to go. read more

The tamales and Dona Emi were amazing! Service was extremely friendly. We tried 3 different tamales (savoury and sweet), and each one was fantastic. Highly recommended. read more