Rico y Exquisitos Tamales Oaxaquenos

I know this is a lame review but I have to give them only three stars because they weren’t there! I searched high and low for the best tamales on Unilocal and drove across town during rush hour to taste the heavenly delights that the other reviewers described… aaand. no tamale cart :(I arrived around 6pm so maybe they are only there at lunch or maybe they sold out and went home. I would have loved to check a website or call a number to check their hours but I guess I just can’t expect that much from a street cart.
PS I went literally across the street to Tamales El Mexicano. They were actually there and had lots of hot fresh deliciousness for sale.

Ricos Tamales is right. Very filling and delicious tamales sold here for those who want some quick lunch or just something on the go. Definitely my go to place for tamales. Green chile is definitely spicier than the red, but overall not that spicy for those who are a bit sensitive to that. Tamales de dulce (pineapple and strawberry I think) aren’t very sweet, but are definitely delicious.

Bomb! my family makes tamales Christmas Eve but I had out of town quest wanting tamales last week… So I found this place on Unilocal.In my opinion very authentic, homemade tamales!

When you have a craving this where to go, closer to me than City Heights, but its good not the best but well do. Besides tamales there is a taco truck in the same parking lot and they are pretty good for being here in University Heights.

You guys should try the banana leaf tamales. I really wanted pork but they only happened to have chicken and also their hot hot sauce seems to be very delicious. I must say they were pretty bomb!!!

Great food !!! We come here couple times a week and every time it’s great. Nothing fancy but food is solid 5 stars.

There is nothing better than a warm moist tamale on a cold cloudy day like today. I ordered a chicken tamale. It hit the spot I wish I ordered more than one! I hate to compare (hence 4 stars vs 5) but there is absolutely nothing like my mother’s tamales. Since my mom is 4 hours away and only makes her amazing tamales once a year this is good enough for me. Plus their customer service is superb.

I’ve eaten tamales oaxaquenos in Oaxaca and Mexico City for years. Now I live in San Diego. I couldn’t stand the cravings anymore. Off to the tamale cart. I am eating one now as I write. Oh, my. That wonderful tender masa with a hint of banana leaf flavor. Don’t be off put by the foil wrapping. There is banana leaf inside. I reheated mine in a huge Chinese steamer. Three tamales fit on top. One is enough for breakfast with café con leche and black beans cooked with epazote and green serrano chili. Now all I have to do is sit outside at dawn on a foggy morning and smell woodsmoke to be right back in Oaxaca. I bought three pork tamales also, but I have yet to try them. I’m hopeful, however. Just go!!! Update: I just finished a pork tamal. Yum. Very tender masa with the corn flavor enhanced by the husks. However, my heart belongs to tamales oaxaquenos… what can I say? Eat lots of pork tamales and leave the oaxaquenos for me.

Yum! I ordered one pork tamale from this cart after shopping at NPP just to give them a try and I’m so glad I did. The flavor was amazing with a good amount of heat. I can’t wait to try the other flavors and the corn too.
It was wrapped well and for a $ 1.50 ea., a good deal.

Really Really Really good.
We tried the pork tamales then the chicken tamales.
Very flavorful. The chicken tamales have a nice kick to them.
You can smell the green chiles the moment you break one open.
Reasonably priced at $ 1.50.
The corn was a treat at $ 2.00 an ear. Never made it inside North Park produce. Good excuse to go back.

my brother has brought me tamales twice from this place and i love them. they are fresh made with masa that has good soft texture. the masa isn’t seasoned much, but it doesn’t need it either. tamales are large and full of meat and for $ 1.50 a piece is a really good deal.
they don’t serve anything else besides tamales which makes this perfect take-​home food.

In my quest for amazing neighborhood street food during a tamale craving, I found this tamale cart on Unilocal!
After a short walk, the husband and I see said tamale cart. I am amazed that the picture on Unilocal is so accurate. Of course, we were a bit hesitant. However, we were not disappointed.
These tamales are authentic as authentic can get for a poor white girl without any Latin American heritage. Really, what do I know? What I do know is that these tamales are delicious, large and cheap!
A must try for the tamale lover! Plus, the lady working at the cart is very very friendly!

I bought every type of tamale they had to offer and tasted every one of them and I can honestly say that these are as good as you can get, aside from my mother-​in-​laws kitchen!

The little lady in the picture is awesome. She sells some of the best tamales. I recommend the tamales in the banana leafs. They have a totally different taste from regular tamales and have the right amount of spice.

This is definitely your best tamale option along this stretch of El Cajon. Unless you’re using «tamale» as a euphemism for something more obscene, in which case it still might be your *healthiest* option.
For those of you not in the know, Oaxacan food is the highest form of deliciousness Mexico has to offer. And while Los Angeles has dozens of Oaxacan restaurants, and Oaxaca has thousands of Oaxacan restaurants, San Diego has none, and the one that used to be in Tijuana is gone now. So I might be missing something, but as far as I know this tamale stand may also be the finest Oaxacan restaurant in the city. Which is pretty sad. But while you won’t get your four different kinds of mole or your smoky mescal or your plate of toasted grasshoppers here, you’ll get a very respectable tamale. They do have tamales wrapped in banana leaves, which are common to Oaxaca.
Find the cart stationed very conveniently at the entrance to North Park Produce, which also just happens to be the most wonderful grocery store in town.