Hot Tamales

The workers and owners who run this place are horrible, nasty, and rude. They don’t care about the customers, they don’t care about good service and they definitely don’t care about good food. Do yourself a favor and stay far away from here. The food can’t really be called Mexican because it comes out of cans and is barely edible.

Good food; Friendly service. However, they don’t use gloves while preparing your food. They may take your order and handle the money and go right back to touching the food they’re preparing without gloves or washing their hands.

This place seems to do fine, but I’m not sure why. It seems to serve only «Mexican» food for people who think chipotle is more authentic than taco bell. Food is boring and generic. No idea what kind of cheese this is bit it’s about as Mexican as the rest of the menu. Actual menu item: «Bacon Cheeseburger burrito — beef, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and spicy mayo». What? It seems clean (the reason for 2 stars over 1), the people eating here seem not hungry when they leave, but that doesn’t make me want to eat here. Also, it’s called hot tamales, they don’t serve tamales, aka the single best Mexican fast food there is.
I will eat my shoe* if more than 3 people on premises (staff included) during the lunch rush have actually been to Mexico.
*note — I will not.

(Oh gosh. I normally write reviews to the tunes of my favorite songs. But, as I hated this establishment, I shall choose a song I also can’t stand. So: To the tune of «Achy Breaky Heart» by Billy Ray Cyrus)
You may find yourself stuck, or in a dining rut
And think that you should hit this little place
Unassuming, sure, but don’t open the door
Or you’ll have a big grimace on your face.
You can call the dish, a burrito if you wish
But with that title, I must disagree
’Cuz if you think I’ll eat that stuff you may call meat
You must think quite a fool of me.
Don’t even think
Of getting more than a drink
I just don’t think you understand
This place is such a joke
I hold out zero hope
That Hot Tamales could please any man (or woman.)
Seriously, easily fooled by the VERY cheap prices. Should’ve been my first tip. Even with dirt cheap prices, not worth it if you are eating dirt cheap product. I tried a buffalo chicken burrito. Rough chunks of chicken, allegedly some sort of hot sauce, black beans and lettuce. I don’t think I tasted a single flavor other than bland, with the exception of my soda. My stomach hurt for the rest of the day, and I spent much of it feeling gastrointestinal distress. I will, for no reason, ever ever come back. Not even if the food was free.

Was picking up boots at the shoe repair shop across the street and noticed this spot, which describes itself as «unexpected Mexican». I was intrigued by that descriptor and a tamale sounded amazing to me on one of the coldest days so far this winter. Upon entering the restaurant, I observed that the place is clean and well set up and it smelled great but that’s where the good ends and the bad begins…
I should have turned around and walked back out the door as soon as I realized that there are *NO TAMALES* on the menu. If a restaurant owner doesn’t see the problem with naming his/​her establishment after a menu item that they don’t actually serve, that’s probably a pretty big red flag as to how seriously they’re taking their menu… However, I was in a hurry so I persisted to order a black bean salad.
I kid you not, the «salad» (ha.) turned out to be a bed of tortilla chips (???) under a bed of shredded taco lettuce with a little bit of rice, a few black beans, and some diced tomatoes masquerading as salsa on top. If such a thing sounds appetizing to you then make it yourself and save the $ 8 and heartache that there are still Philadelphians who think this qualifies as Mexican food in the year 2016. They have a few press-​clippings hanging by the cutlery station from when their original location opened in the mid-90’s, which honestly explains a lot. In 1995, middle school cafeteria-​style tacos might’ve been acceptable, or even exciting, to find in a Center City restaurant but, thankfully, those days are long-​gone. There are, quite literally, *dozens* of better options for authentic and/​or creative Mexican food in Philadelphia and I would recommend literally any of them over Hot Tamales, including national chains.
Truly, the only thing «unexpected» about Hot Tamales is how shockingly bland and totally inauthentic the food is.

I don’t really get the low reviews for Hot Tamales. I have been a customer since they were in a smaller space on Sansom St waaaay back in the day! I could eat here everyday — and when I worked at 18^th & Market, I practically did except for maybe one day out of the work week and that was simply because I was too embarrassed to go in for the full week. I love their hardshell tacos that have just the right amount of meat, cheese and tomatoes. And I have no idea what how they make their chili but the chili chilito is something that I dream about frequently. If only they were open on weekends…

I don’t understand how this place stays in business. They have very limited hours and their food is terrible. I have never had worse Mexican food. Nothing is authentic to the point I even asked for hot sauce and was given buffalo sauce and was told that is all they have right now. Chipotle has better Mexican food than this place. I would recommending going anywhere else but here for food. Well at least it was a cheap mistake.

Quick, cheap and tasty, only lunch under $ 5 within walking distance of Comcast center

Finally tried this place after walking by many times. Wish I hadn’t. It is very inexpensive and you definitely get what you pay for. The food wasn’t horrible, but it was bland and just tasted cheap. The best way I can describe it is that it tasted like someone described to them what a burrito was and they winged it without ever trying a real one. The only way I would recommend this place is if you were very hard up on money and just looking to put inexpensive food in your belly. I will not be coming here again.

I wish I could give a half star. I went there for lunch after a peer planned a lunch and work thing there. Terrible. I got the two pounder California chicken and it just sucked. No flavor, No salt, No spice nothing at all. I ended up throwing the whole burrito! Cheap doesn’t always mean good. Go somewhere else. And yea, its cash only.

This place is alright. I ordered a california bowl a couple of weeks ago and it was decent. Just a bunch of slop in a bowl, really. Chicken, rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese (cheddar I think, maybe monty jack) and guac if my memory serves correct.
It all seemed fine and not particularly fresh. Especially the salsa. The salsa was straight from a can. Reminded me of those Pace picante sauce commercials. New Yawk City. Yeah, that one.
I got my bowl to go and it came out super fast. Like amazingly fast. Like I ordered and paid. And then I looked at the menu again while I waited. I got half way through the tacos and BAM my bowl was hot, ready and packed up nicely to go. And it stayed hot all the way back to the office.
Interested in coming back at some point and exploring the rest of the menu — especially if I don’t have time to kill!

I always like to think this place is a front for secret CIA operations or something. I mean it’s only open for 4 hours a day, Monday through Friday, and it’s cash only. It’s usually pretty crowded during lunch but still no clue how they stay open!
It is what it is – cheap, basic Mexican food. The basic burrito is good enough; if you try to go for their unique options you might be disappointed. I like it enough, and sometimes you seriously just want to remember simpler times and eat iceburg lettuce and refried beans in a flour tortilla.

So my 1-​star review was conveniently removed by Unilocal HQ because of my lack of «first hand experience» when I in fact came here, ordered, and ate ON MY OWN. So… seems awfully shady.
I had the worst Mexican food of my life, if I can even call it food. When I asked for spicy, rather than putting salsa or jalapenos or something, my burrito was douced in vinegar-​y Tabasco. C’mon everyone knows Tabasco isn’t spicy its just salty. The burrito wasn’t warm and it was small. I thought they were really cheap but she said I had to eat two to get full. Like is this burrito tapas or something?
I would seriously recommend going anyyywhere else to get Mexican food. Just walk 10min and go to Chipotle on walnut.

Great lunch spot. I’ve been going to Hot Tamales for years. The owners are always super friendly, remember my usual order, and play great music. The food is consistent and affordable, if maybe kind of no-​frills. In my book though, that’s not a criticism.

Had lunch from here during a work meeting. I had the carnitas tacos. Very good and fresh but the portions are small (only 2 in a box). Someone else got the nachos and they were huge and they were also very fresh! Great lunch spot.

I eat lunch here at least three times per week. They are tacos llike mom used to make with the help of Old El Paso. That isn’t a bad thing! The tastes are clean, the tacos are simple, the burritos and chillitos none to spicy. Nothing is greasy. I get a simple inexpensive lunch with this unusual hot sauce that is more Carolina pulled pork baste than Tabasco. I crave that sauce.
Try it of you don’t need beaucoup salt and cayenne to enjoy your lunch.

Great lunch spot if you work in Center City. Tacos are a little over a buck and usually 3 or 4 will do the trick. The BLT burrito is amazing.
Caution: Burrito’s are small, that’s why most are around $ 3… My recommendation: get 2 or 3 tacos and a burrito to make for a great lunch. And don’t forget the amazing hot sauce to add on top. Avoid nachos as it’s not melted cheese, more of a cheese fry sauce.
Always friendly service and very quick… Even has a outdoor seating on a nice day

I have never really thought much of the food here. Today it was again mediocre and it came with attitude instead of helpful service. I will not be back. And since I was the only one in there. I dont think many others are going back either.

This is a no-​frills Mexican joint. Don’t have high expectations, but do have an empty stomach.
The burritos and tacos are good and will do the trick if you’re craving something spicy. Skip the nachos and cheese though as the cheese is gooey and resembles cafeteria-​style cheese whiz.
Bottom line: It’s cheap. It’s decent. You can grab lunch for under $ 5. Try doing that anywhere else in this area.

If you are looking for crappy, cheap iceberg lettuce style Tex-​Mex that is one step above from Taco Bell, this is the place for you. And I say this as someone who occasionally craves exactly that.
Tacos are around $ 1. I usually get the ground turkey. The hot sauce is vinegary style and good.
Today, for some reason I opted for the spicy «beef» chili salad. Unfortunately, it was like 99.9% beans and if it had ½ oz of beef on it, I’d be surprised. But besides that, and the fact that they wouldn’t sell me an extra side of tortilla chips (it would have been the same price as their nachos) this place is not half bad.
I can’t lie. I will definitely go back.