During the holiday season there is one entree you may wish to try at the Merle Hay Food Court for take out that is "Tamales." The Tamale Industry is a small family operated business that has authentic tamales, burritos, enchiladas flavored with their down home recipes. Depending on your taste buds you may want to try their offers. I tried the Mild Pork Tamales and the Chicken Enchiladas. The masa (Corn Dough) was tasty but not light and airy enough which made the small tamale dry -- needing salsa. Yet the masa had the best taste to others that I have tried. The attention to detail by the wait staff was super in a dying food court that lacked patrons. As quiet as the atmosphere was it still was reminiscent of the days of old where customers enjoyed the fun smells of yesterday. Go and Support! read more

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Service was very good, food came out fast. I won't waste the money on making your food a meal however, as the beans and rice are bland. The Tamales were pretty good though, I really enjoyed them read more

Tamale's Industry - 2 Tamale Meal - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

A solid staple in Merle Hay Mall. With the presence of Tamale's Industry, Vietnam Cafe, and Lazize this food court has become a mecca of flavors that can rival anywhere in the metro. All they need is a good sushi joint and I'd be set. Not to worry though...Wasabi Chi is just down the road and a little East on Douglas. Feeling like some good from scratch Mexican food? Shut off the news, get off your couch, bust out of your house, and go get your Tamale's Industry on! Get some! read more

Tamale's Industry - Pork torta. - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

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What industry is my abuelita in? She's in the tamales industry, of course. As are these guys, inside the Merle Hay Mall. I guess they're trying to make an entire industry out of making tamales which is a nice concept but these tamales aren't really my favourites. They're also not bad, and the prices are pretty low so four stars is absolutely fine. The Merle Hay Mall has a lot of these pretty amazing little places which are not your typical Mall food at all. So for that reason I really appreciate this Mall a lot. Service here is nice but the guy and the girl who seemed to be in a relationship or something were very visibly angry and annoyed with each other. Lots of yelling and what not. Slightly off-putting but didn't take away from the good product. read more

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i LOVE TAMALES INDUSTRY!!!! Mexican Cuisine in and of itself amazing, but somehow, someway, Tamales Industry made it 1000x BETTER!! I thought Tamales Industry was just another mid run-of-the-mill mini mall restaurant, but I was surly mistaken. If your making the same mistake, underestimating Tamales Industry, don't. Its amazing. read more

The Tamale industry has a positive history and will not disappoint if you have an interest in authentic Latin American food. Some of you may remember them from having a restaurant near North high School. Yhey originally are from southern California. It is in a mall court but that does not mean it's not good. I love the entire concept of what is happening with this food court with some better small family-owned businesses having restaurants there. this eclectic mix has been good there's some good independent barbecue independent Vietnamese independent Mediterranean independent Italian, independent Mexican and really the only chain is a Maid Right, but it's independently owned.. You have really accessible parking right next to Kohl's and if you take a little later lunch you'll have no problem parking going in and either sitting in a safe distance at your own table or getting something to go. My friends and I usually go to lunch after 1:00 and each sit at their own table and wear masks and go for a little walk when we're done eating. The ceilings are very high on the air circulation is good so there is risk but it seems to be minimized. The staff and all the restaurants wear masks gloves in the mall has people sanitizing the tables in between each use and putting a table poster indicating that the table has been sanitized. The gentleman who runs the place is very polite and accommodating and goes out of his way to make sure everything is clean, fresh, and flavorful. I had the shredded pork tacos, and they were outstanding. it's a solid choice and simple food but.He had plenty of fresh lettuce in the taco and a great green chili sauce to put in it. there are plenty of other options on their menu. did I mention they have Jarritos the Mexican pop in bottles his flavored with cane sugar one of my favorites. It's a well-kept secret and a nice gem in Des Moines to get some multiple to-go orders from different businesses and satisfy everybody's taste cravings or to sit with social distance and have choices. read more

Ok Ill admit it. Ive got some pretty jacked up ideas of what's good and what's not. For example. Bologna. I hate the name brand bologna but I love HyVee bologna. I prefer Bar S hot dogs over Oscar Meyer. I prefer Long John Silvers fish and chips over Waterfronts fish and chips and I love Spam. After todays visit to Tamales Industry in the Merle Hay Mall food court I can now add another to my list of questionable food choices. I prefer Hormel canned tamales over Tamales Industry tamales. Nova and I have been seeking out places that we've never been to in hopes of finding that hidden gem and we were excited to give this place a try but before I go any future let me share a tamale story because I know all to well what a good tamale taste like. My sister and her boyfriend at the time were forced to take me with them to a party in west side of downtown Kansas City. Mike Hernandez was hosting the party and I thought he was a badass because Gabby was his girlfriend and I had a huge crush on Gabby. The party was happening in the backyard but my sister made me stay in the house. Mike asked me if I liked music and gave me his over the ear headphones. He showed me how to use his stereo and turntable and put on Fleetwood Mac's Rumors album which had just came out. I listened to album over and over again, while watching Gabby, my sister and the other ladies work in the kitchen preparing food. Every now and then one of the guys would wander in to grab a beer and slap the ass of whatever woman he claimed before stumbling back outside. I'm pretty sure my sister told Gabby I had a crush on her because I saw them talking and Gabby turning to look at me, tilting her head and giving me an "ah, that's so sweet" kind of smile. Mike would pop in once in a while to check and make sure that I hadn't destroyed his stereo which was as a big as a Ford Pinto or Oprah during one of her bad years. What does this have to do with tamales. Pretty much everything because my dear sweet Gabby brought me a plate of them halfway through my second trip of side two of Rumors and they were delicious, creamy, filled with flavorful meat and had a chili sauce over them. Fast forward to a couple years ago when a gentleman that I hired to work for me showed up at work with Elk tamales. Once again these were moist, properly seasoned and came with a sauce. We each ordered the 3 tamale plate which comes with rice and decried beans. The retried beans were the best part of the meal, followed by the rice. We got the pork tamale, chicken tamale, and the poblano with cheese tamale. The pork and chicken tamales were indistinguishable. When I thought I was eating the pork I might have been eating the chicken and vice versa. I couldn't tell since they were both flavorless and drier then a nuns nasty. The poblano and cheese however had at least a hint of something going on in there and it was our favorite but saying that it was our favorite is no different then comparing one colonoscopy to another. None of them are fun, or delicious for that matter. I'm not saying that Tamales Industries weren't good, ok yes I am and I'm also saying that on the scale of every other tamale I've ever in my life, they are at the bottom, right behind the canned Hormel Beef Tamales in Chili...what. In Chili Sauce. Not a fan. Sent from my iPad read more

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If you like homemade Mexican food from scratch, then Tamales Industry is the real deal. I just had the fruit tamales for the first time in my life (who knew!) and I was not disappointed. I ordered a pineapple tamale and a strawberry tamale to try them both. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect. The made from scratch masa in the tamales was moist and fluffy. They were both just the right amount of "sweet." The corn flavor and texture of the masa blended well with the sweetness of the fruit, somewhat like a cake. The fruit was mixed with the masa in both of them, but the pineapple tamale had sweet chunks of fruit that gave it a nice texture with a burst of pineapple flavor! The owner is always very friendly and courteous. He always patiently answers my questions about how his food is made. If you want fresh Mexican food that is different from the all the other "cattle call" places in town, then try Tamales Industry. But don't expect your standard Tex-Mex or Southwestern style cooking. This is a little different. read more

I can't believe I am the first to review this amazing place! I first discovered them a few years ago at a special event at West End Salvage and it was instant love. I thought they were a specialty vendor/caterer until months, maybe even a year later I scored a chicken little? deal (like groupon but local) and was so excited to discover I could pop in whenever. They were over by North H.S. then and now they are conveniently located in the Merle Hay food court. Don't let that disuade you from giving this place a try. If you love the papusas at the farmers market like I do, then you will love their homemade tamales and other menu items. My husband said as good as their tamales are, their enchiladas are every bit as good. Their salsa verde is spicey, yet flavorful. The prices are amazing and so is the owner. He is so friendly that I want him to have a booming business as I think he deserves it. This summer, they have finally been accepted as a temporary vendor at the downtown farmer's market on select dates. Give this place a shot, your taste buds and tummy will thank you! read more

100/5, this Mom and Pop shop stayed open to serve us food. They are a friendly local brand that deserves more recognition. The food is absolutely fantastic. read more

Southern California is my homeland. My search for authentic Mexican tamales has brought me to a little known corner of the Merle Hay food court to tamales industry. To cut to the chase - food is fairly priced and is of high quality. Everything I've had here is amazing and made with love. I bought about 2 dozen tamales to my friends party and they were a hit! Didn't get any pictures but I will be back soon! read more

This was a spot I had been wanting to try, and I was not disappointed. I ordered a torta with pork. It was great! The bread was fresh and toasted to be crispy. The flavors were fresh and delicious. I cannot wait to come back and try their food again. They also offer take out or delivery. They were so kind and had great customer service! read more

Visited their Place in the mall.Not ,impressed. All I had was the beef tamale.That's what I was looking for. I am from Texas and thi9s is NOT what I see down there. Tamale..beef...looked good.But a fork in it showed it was like a plain cornbread cake...and not a very good one...was wrapped around some shredded beef that was....just HOT...spicy hot.Like taking a slice of white bread and pouring some hot sauce on it and rolling it up.No flavor.Just heat.I could not taste any chili powder,onion,garlic...none of that came through. Such a shame since tamales are SO labor intensive. Today I stopped by their stand at the local farmers market...and textually they were better.Sitting in that large vat and soaking up some of tamale water did them good. But the flavor was the same....just hot sauce read more

Anyone who knows me understands that I will typically over order when trying a new eating establishment. And if they know that, they also know I can be a cheapskate. This is where restaurant.com certificates can be an ally to my predilections, as I am required to order a certain amount of food, but also get some bucks off my final bill. Enter Tamale's Industry - a great fit for me because prices are reasonable, and I had said restaurant.com to use from a while back. Conveniently located in the Merle Hay Mall Food Court, the logos and posted menus were colorful, inviting and easy to read. I expected a limited selection of tamales, but was greeted with options galore. In addition to six plus tamale options, the menu also includes burritos, enchiladas, tacos and tortas. Patrons can go a la carte, or get a combo meal including rice, beans and a small drink (no refills). My reluctant wife ordered the chicken torta, and I did the two tamale meal with a mild beef tamale and poblano pepper and cheese tamale. I am not a huge fan of tamales in general, and "The Industry" didn't convert me, but that should not be taken as a reflection on their quality. Grainy corn masa generally lacks the big pops of flavor that I prefer. Tamales were served in the traditional corn husk. It was impressive to see real shredded beef used in the mild beef tamale, as I expected the usual bland ground beef so rampant in DSM Mexican food. The poblano and cheese tamale was more flavorful as a whole, and in addition to the poblano strips and (orange/cheddar?) cheese, included diced tomato. I opted for the spicy green salsa, and was very impressed by the bright tomatillo notes, and it did indeed bring the heat. The rice and beans were pretty standard, with a light sprinkling of cotija cheese on the beans, and a little corn mixed into the Spanish style rice. The drink was very small, but do we seriously need buckets of high fructose corn syrup at every meal? Now the torta is where we formed a bond with Tamale's Industry. For the unacquainted, a torta is a sandwich with griddled bread, not unlike a Mexican panini, but with less roof of your mouth cutting hardness. From the first bite, my wife was sold on the crispy bread, melty cheese and well-seasoned white meat chicken. This one also came with lettuce, tomato and refried beans. And the size, oh the size! This thing was about five or six inches wide, and at least eight inches long. A great value, and flavor to spare, I was thankful to snag a couple bites before it was gone. I would go back tomorrow for a torta. And the next day. And the next day... read more

Tamale's Industry - Bigger than ur cabeza - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

I have tried many tamales in my life but these are hands down the best! Being from Southern California that big competition. read more

Tamale's Industry - They have the tastiest tamales! Just their corn masa is tasty. - Mexican Near Me - Des Moines, Iowa

This is one place in the metro where tortas and tamales exist on a menu. This is great when you're looking for new options in latin foods. It's a shame everything is so bland here. Maybe the secret is in the tamale sauce, I had a torta. The sandwich was bursting with ingredients, but no seasoning or flavor. I ordered guacamole as an extra, and I'm glad I did. It was obvious the guac was packaged, but atleast it had flavor. The salsa tasted like tomato sauce and nothing else. Perhaps I chose the wrong thing on the menu, but I don't think I'll be back here soon. read more

Definitely not a cookie-cutter, chain restaurant. Homemade everything with good presentation. Tamales (wrapped in corn husks) were very good, as was the spicy green salsa. Unfortunately, getting the meal took almost 20 minutes with only two orders ahead of me -- much too long for mall fare. Combo meal also came with a laughably small drink. read more

Tried calling for delivery....after getting order together...was then informed there was a $35.00 minimum. I think it needs to be clearly stated before trying to order food. read more

The best tacos in Des Moines! Their tamales are incredible as well and the owners are very friendly and always remember me and my order. Highly recommended! read more

Iam originally from Arizona so when I saw this place I was excited tamales in Iowa. However when I walked up to the counter and saw the prices I was a little thrown back 18.00 for a half dozen are you kidding me. I could get a dozen for $12-14 back home but I was already here so I figured I would give it a try. I got a green chili and pork tamale. Very dry and little meet for what you pay. Won't ever come back would rather take a chance and buy from some strangers house off of Facebook market place. read more

Amazing chicken enchilada! It was made to order, nice and saucy. Spanish rice with corn was a nice touch. I'm going to try the tamales next time. read more

If you post hours of operation, honor them. Drove 20 miles only to have them be closed.

I honestly did not expect tamales from a restaurant to be this good! It was fast and the food was fantastic. Even my kids liked it and they hate everything. read more