There's a reason why this restaurant was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place thanks to an overnight trip to Indianapolis and the Food Network App. We were skeptical as we drove down what seemed to be an endless road into nowhere but we finally reached civilization in the form of a little strip mall. Of all the places to find an authentic Latin American, the middle of nowhere Indiana would not have been my first guess.
We ordered two tamales each and I must say this was one of the most delicious things I have ever bit into. Soft Tacos and Burritos should bow before the tamale because it was royally incredible.
Every single bite I was more surprised how delicious it was and continued to be right down to the mess before me.
The other weekend my boyfriend woke up and asked if I wanted to go there for Sunday lunch. Though we didn't go (that time) we were both willing to drive 2 hours and 122 miles from Cincinnati for lunch.
Now THAT is good food.
Simply Amazing! Â Grew up thinking tamales in general were bland and disgusting, i researched places to eat for a trip to Indy and everywhere i turned it had the tamale place listed and being a big DDD fan i had to give it a try. Â SO Glad i stopped and found how amazing a tamle can taste along with some of the best chips and salsa i think i have ever had. Â A must stop anytime you are near INDY. Â only negative might be the limited seating but to stand and wait for a spot to open up is well worth it. Â Can not say enough about this place.
Review Source:Great Place...been coming here for years. The tamales are made EXTRA large, and great but come early for largest variety of tamales; check the white board for type and quantity available. Don't forget to try the dessert tamales. Vegetarian tamales are available.
Love the tacos (3 for 7.95) and one will fill most folks up and if you buy 3 enough food to share. NACHOS, 1/2 order can easily feed two people. Made to order with White cheese, black beans, any meat you prefer and of let's not forget fresh cilantro. Additional toppings also available so load up.
Very fast service. Walked in, line had 14 people ahead of me...OUT of building in 6 minutes which included waiting on grilling of tacos. Guy behind me just ordered tamales, chips and cheese and was out in in less than 5. You don't get hung up at the cash register so don't hestiate to stay if the line is long. And it usually is at lunch because its GOOD! Great value for the amount of food and easy to split with a friend.
I bit into a tamale they classified as "spicy" and got the hiccups right away. No joke, I hadn't even finished swallowing when I started hiccuping. It was hot, for real.
It was also delicious and if I had had 15 more drinks and a second stomach I could have finished it. As it was I had to eat all my tacos, and my chips and salsa, and my beans. The moral of this story is they give you a lotta food folks. And for a fairly insignificant price.
Ordering is kind of cafeteria style. They have a dry erase board with the selections of the day. As they run out (which they do fairly quickly) the choice gets erased. You step up to the counter area and place your order, swing around to the left and pay at the register. Drinks are in a cooler or soda machine. Seating is minimal.
You can't go wrong with whatever you order. I tried a variety of meats and delivery methods and was pleased as punch with them all. So the next time someone says "Mexican in Indy?!" just point them to The Tamale Place. Unless you're saving all the tamales for yourself which would be completely understandable.
Great place for homemade tamales, IF you can manage to snag one. Â Supplies are limited (look at the whiteboard to find out how many of each variety they have left in stock for the day) so go early. Â The last time I was there, I arrived for lunch at 10:45 AM to make sure they had a decent selection. Â Good thing, too. Â By 11:05 there was line almost to the door.
Review Source:I'm from Southern California and I've been dying for a good tamale. Â I had the green sauce chicken tamales. Â The taste was excellent, however the Masa exterior is a bit of thick and out of proportion with the filling. Â This was the difference between the 3 and 4 Star rating. Â This may have been an off day so I am willing to try again.
Review Source:Wow, great tamales! Hot Tamales!
It was pretty good. Â We flew into Indy and stopped here to get some good tamales.
All were fresh having been made that day. Â They are in limited supply so once they are gone they are gone. Â Beware when they say spicy, they mean it. Â My spicy pork was almost too hot to eat they must use habanero. Everything was as Mexican as it gets. Â I recommend it!
These tamales are ROCKIN and the tacos are pretty righteous too. Â I go there for pick up usually and get a taco to eat in the car as I drive home. Â There is no way I am going to make it all the way to the Southside with a bag full of warm delicious fresh made tamales! Â
WARNING!!! Â Get there early!!! They mean to sell out so they can be fresh every day! Â Worth a trip!
Holy cow! This place is delicious and I wanna come back for more!! First off, I should say my hubby and I were driving on the westside to do some furniture shopping. We were both needed a little snack to get us going for the expedition ahead. Somehow we both had the same idea. GASP! Go to The Tamale Place!!
So after turning sharply into the parking lot and rushing inside-dude we were starving. No one wants to go furniture shopping on an empty stomach! We ordered our tamales and enjoyed very very much. They look small but man they pack a lot. They are super delicious with all kinds of meats or peppers in them. They are such a hot commodity that by the time we were there, they had sold out of a lot. Which is cool because it tells me people dig this joint.
Either way, I think I have to say every time I drive Rockville to go to the westside, I'm going to have to stop here for a little tamale action!!
We drove all the way from Chicago. Just for Tamales. That's right Just for Tamales. Â Great, Just Great! Â They were big and meaty. The sweet tamales were perfect. Â
Get there early. They can and often run out. Â It's in a mall so it's easy to find parking.
If You are ever in the area stop there early. Â we got there at 12 pm and they had most of them.
Everytime I go here, I feel like that meme and just want to go; 'Tamales. Tamales everywhere'. This place is the bombdiggity in terms of good, cheap food in Indianapolis.
One of our customers happens to be a few blocks up the road, so when we learned that one of my bookmarked Triple D places was this close, we had to go. This was the first introduction to tamales for my husband, whom in almost five years of marriage apparently never seen me order one. I had to tell him they were good, and explain what they were to release the apprehention. 'But how do you know what they are?'. Sigh.
All kidding aside, the Tamale Place is a funky little joint with a large amount of tamales on their menu. Be warned that not all of these are necessarily available, take a look at the whiteboard on the RHS wall to see what your options are. The tamales are made in advance, so when they're out- they are really out for the day.
My favorite is the poblano and cheese, with chicken and salsa verde being close second. They also sell fresh tacos, which are great! I like the fish and chicken varieties, but be warned that they add a LOT of cheese. If you order light cheese, you will end up with a regular amount.
The guacamole is fresh, creamy and good. I personally really dig my own guac, and feel it is better than theirs but it is definitely much better than other places. The salsas are homemade, and the hot variety makes us sniffle (for a change). It is perfect! The tortilla chips are made out of the same masa as their tamales, so you just know they are super fresh. All handmade products simply cant be beat!
I do wish they would have fresh horchata or jamaica, but jarritos will have to do. No biggie. I still love you.
The only thing wrong with this place is Guy Fieri's face all over it, no one wants to see him when they are eating. I realize they are proud of being featured on his show, but lose all the posters and pictures.
That said, the food is awesome, enough to make me deal with seeing that d-bag for a bit. Actually, there is a second thing to complain about, not enough seating, the place is always packed.
Even if Guy Fieri is falling flat in opening new restaurants, he sure knows how to pick places for his show.
Some of the best tamales... ever. Masa was moist and light. Not to starchy or dry, meat filling was flavorful and had punch.
Tacos come with A LOT of cheese, a taco reminds me of the quesadillas at Gordo's in Berkeley, and that's a good thing.
However, avoid the carne asada at all costs, very disappointing, it cost a star.
We were in the mood for some authentic Mexican cuisine, but we knew we weren't going to find that at a chain restaurant, so we took the advice of the nearly 100 reviewers and tried something new. Wow! I wasn't expecting what I received. The cashiers must have thought we were crazy ordering multiple items. No one charges $2.50 for a big taco or $3.25 for a giant tamale, right? Wrong. So incredibly wrong.
I ordered the chipotle chicken tamale and the beef tamale with a side of sour cream, 1/2 rice and 1/2 black beans and an order of chips and white queso. My partner ordered three tacos (fish, chorizo and chicken). Words can not express how embarrassed we were once we saw how big the tacos and tamales were! Tamales averaged 8" x 3" and weighed a good 10-8 oz each. The tacos were about 6" and full of maybe 1/4 lb of fresh ingredients. Each item has a completely different flavor profile. The flavor of the chipotle chicken tamale is completely different than the chipotle chicken taco. And the seasonings for each were unbelievably complex...an explosion of flavor in every bite. The fish in the tacos was grilled to perfection and tender. The salsa is complex, the chips fresh and crunchy, the rice soft and rich.
Oh, and one last thing: CHOCOLATE TAMALES! Get there early if you want one, though. Totally worth it. I am slightly ashamed to admit I could eat here 2-3 times a week.
Make the drive and thank me later.
I am a super lucky girl, because I drive by The Tamale Place on my way home from work every day. Â That is a blessing and a curse, because if I let myself, I would eat almost nothing but their amazingly delicious tamales (and I would eat LOTS of them. Â All the time). Â
These are the real deal from my experience living in Southern California, where it was not unusual to see people selling fresh and delicious tamales that were made in Mexico that morning and sold on the streets of San Diego later that day... The Tamale Place's quality definitely rivals anything I tried from any of the local abuelo/abuelas in Cali, and the variety is unparalleled. From chipotle pork to chicken verde to pumpkin, The Tamale Place  has an amazing variety of tamales, although they rarely have everything, because things sell out pretty fast. And luckily for my waistline, the tamales freeze beautifully, so I almost always have a few waiting for me in my freezer.
this place offers many different types of tamales. Â they only have a certain number of each type of tamale everyday, so if you want the best selection... go early! Â The tamales are delicious and reasonably priced. Â I wish it was closer to my home! Â I also wish they had more locations. Â
Best tamales I have had in Indianapolis! Â Authentic. Â Good mexican food. Â De-lish! Â :)
I don't like tamales, but the tamales here are pretty good! Â The cuban nachos were amazingly fattening and delicious! Â The carne asada torta is okay and the chicken torta is pretty good. Â The bread didn't feel very fresh and was the one negative. Â Pork taco was delicious!
HUGE portions at reasonable prices... order HALF a torta unless your name is Kobayashi.
$4 half tortas
$5.xx for small nachos that was still more than 1pound worth of meat and cheese and lettuce and other stuff
$3ish for taco
$3ish for tamale
I didn't even realize this place is famous and Guy Fieri featured this place... but now I understand why. Â Large portions of good food at a good price!
My mom and I stopped here on our way from St. Louis to Cleveland because we saw the place on DDD. Â The place is small and there are only about 3 tables outside, so if you get there during peak times, be prepared for that. Â Also, they only make a certain amount of certain items each day. Â Once they're gone, they're gone and they don't make more. Â I was disappointed to see that they only make one type of dessert tamale each day. Â My mom was looking forward to trying the apple tamale that was featured on the show and I wanted to try the pumpkin tamale. Â Unfortunately, they were only serving the pineapple raisin dessert tamale that day. Â My mom tried it and, although it was good, thought that the filling to masa ratio was a bit off (meaning it needed more filling and less masa).
I ordered the spicy chipotle chicken tamale for lunch. Â The tamales come with chips, salsa (mild or hot), a drink, and your choice of black beans or rice. Â My tamale was delicious and gone too soon. Â The rice was good, too. Â The chips were odd to me, but okay. Â I asked for the hot salsa, but it wasn't hot enough for me. Â All in all, I'd stop by again for the chipotle chicken tamale but wouldn't go out of my way for it.
I had never much appreciated the form that is tamale before I had one of their's years back. One of the fellas I worked with came back with a bagful of the most amazing tamales I had ever had. Unfortunately, he didn't work there much longer due to a run-in with Johnny Law, and I never found out where he got them from. I imagined a grandmother's kitchen with a drive-thru window basked in a halo of light.
A year or two later, and a friend suggested this joint. I thought it bold to call it THE tamale place, but later realized I didn't connect the dots when my jailbird friend told me he "got them at the tamale place." I had found the magical destination with fantastic masa skills.
I try to beat the lunch rush and get a better selection of their ever dwindling flavors of tamales. But, I always top it off with the cheesiest taco ever put on handmade tortilla. Well, two if I'm feeling fat. All the fillings are great, but I tend towards the carne asada, pork and chorizo varieties. And, despite the crowd, you should try to eat there. The tacos should be eaten immediately to get them at their gooiest best.
Why the four stars you ask? The chips, salsa, and sides are all sub par in my book.
My wife and I stopped here on our way from Chicago to southern Indiana. We'd heard about it because of Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives, so we figured it was worth stopping to check out. We were not disappointed. The only potential drawback is the limited seating, so if you get there during a peak time, like we did, just be forewarned.
As for the food, it's just flat out good, and you get a lot of it. Even when it's busy, they are very quick, so you don't wait long. The meal we both got included a tamale (pretty large), chips, black beans, and what must be a freshly made salsa. All for a very reasonable price. We will stop again on our next trip through Indianapolis for sure.
If you are a vegetarian, the Tamale Place is a must for lunch. The Tamale Place is a lunch time staple for many people who work around this side of town. Unfortunately, there aren't a lot of great lunch places on the west side of town (but on the east side of 465). The Tamale Place is a go to place for people who work at Rolls Royce, Allison, Stout Field, among others. The Tamale combo is a pretty great $8 lunch, with so much food you won't be able to eat it all. Â
For vegetarians, I highly recommend the Vegetarian Nachos or the Veggies with Green Sauce Tamale. The nachos are my favorite menu item -- but make sure to order a half order. They are huge.
I would give Tamale Place 5 stars if it weren't for problems with parking and seating to eat lunch. It is difficult to find a place to sit and we often have to take our lunch back to the office. Otherwise, it is a must for those who work on the west side for lunch!
Had been hearing good things for several months, so we drove 20 minutes from work for lunch to check it out.
We arrived at 11:20am and it was already crazy busy. Got to hand it to the staff - they were remarkably efficient. Looked at the board and thought that a one tamale combo for $8 may not be the best value, but given the name of the place i went for it.
Holy crap the sides are huge. A tub of black beans and a tub of some of the best salsa I've ever had. The chips are truly unique and compliment the salsa very well. The tamale was very good. I tried the spicy pork and it had very good flavor but was just a tad dry. A drink came with the combo.
Overall and excellent first experience and plenty of other options to try on the menu. I will be back and hopefully often, even though it's out of my way from everything except the airport.
Went here a couple times when I was working in the area.
had the chipotle beef tamale, chock full of meat and spiced well very good.
Returned tonight just before close and they were all out of Tamales but ordered a couple tacos not expecting much, I was wrong! they were packed full of meat and melted cheese. This was more like a quesadilla brimming over with all kinds of ingredients.
The chips here are pretty crunchy and kinda hard maybe stale? Their salsa is really tasty too.
Humble-unpretentious location and store, but very good tamales and other stuff
Pros
- All of the food is fresh, there is an army of cooks in the open kitchen
- Wide variety of tamales, and other stuff I haven't tried
- Easy to find, just off highway
- Lots of parking
- Given the high volume of traffic, the place is clean, could be a little cleaner.
- Real coke with real sugar, yummy.
- Tamales come in mild and scorching hot spice
- At $3.50 per tamale, take a bunch home they freeze well, reheat in steam basket.
- Chips are fresh and crispy
- Fast service
- As another poster observed, the tamales are very filling.
Cons
-Limited seating, but I haven't had to wait for a seat
- Our eat in tamales were not very hot temp, the dozen I took home were still very warm 2 hours later, so I'm not sure what happened here.
- My first visit, the rice and beans were nicely seasoned, this time the beans were bland.
- As observed by another poster, it would be nice if the combo included smaller portions, but rice and beans not just pick one.
- So, no real complaints about this place
Recommendation
For about the same cost as the Golden Arches. you can get a very fresh and very tasty meal, so why not try something different?
The regular tamales are mild, the hot are very spicy. The next time I go, I will get all mild (including the dozen for take home and freeze) and regulate their spiciness by using the spicy salsa they sell. Even the hot salsa is way hot, so for me I may go all mild. Either way, get some salsa as its very fresh and is very tasty with the tamales and chips.
Very very authentic Mexican cuisine. The staff is very friendly and the food is very very tasty. I think it's some of the most authentic Mexican food I have had in Indianapolis. Definitely definitely recommend! Also when they say Spicy they mean Spicy!
Only thing I would critique is that the place does not have enough seating for as busy and popular as they are, I sometimes find myself having to take the food to go simply because there is no place to sit.
This is an interesting place - I have not seen it's like here. Â Wife and I went down there at 5:45 pm with an appetite, first time at the Tamale Place. Â I had a Chipotle Chicken tamale and a Pork Taco, she had one Green Chicken tamale and one Chipotle Pork tamale with black beans, chips and a soda.
All the tamales were very fresh tasting and all had different flavors. Â The masa has a very nice texture, and two tamales (or one tamale and one taco for that matter) are plenty for a meal. Â The pork taco was excellent, with very flavorful and tender pork, lots of cilantro and sweet onions in a soft taco shell. Â The hot sauce is green, thick, and plenty of heat.
The only drawbacks I could see for eating in are the plastic plates and utensils, and the lack of beer, but the food is unique enough to keep me coming back anyway.
Love the tamale place, hate not realizing I want tamales until late in the day when all the clever people who posses foresight have already gotten their tamales. The chipotle chicken is definitely my favorite, but I've never had a tamale I straight up didn't like.
The plate comes with rice or black beans - I would prefer the option of half rice half beans but it's not going to ruin my day. I also like tamales that have a higher filling to masa ratio, but that's personal preference.
The tamales are huge, so come hungry.
A friend and I were meeting for lunch one day and he said, "Let's meet at the tamale place" and I said, "What tamale place?" And NOW I know why this is called THE Tamale Place!
This was my first tamale and they had a huge range of selections! I have now tried several different tamales and the chicken verde taco and everything is to DIE for. Try it - you won't be disappointed.
It's true that once they run out of a certain tamale, that's it for the day, so you may want to arrive early, but then there are the crowds... The restaurant is frequented by people who come in from their businesses in their suits, and the locals who walk back home with it in a sack. Everyone loves the tamale place!
Come in ready to eat a tamale and chill out. Don't be pretentious and don't expect any favors, just be part of the crowd and enjoy!
One word: Amazeballs
The Tamale Place is one of those restaurants you'd drive by without looking twice, and that would be a terrible mistake! Â Located in a strip mall on the West Side, it doesn't look like much from the outside. Â Inside however is some of the most authentic and delicious ethnic food I've had in Indy. Â It was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives, so you know it's going to be good.
The first time you come here, you may be a bit confused to order. Â They have a dry erase board next to the counter with their tamales of the day and how many they have left. Â They'll write your name on a paper plate and pass it along to get filled with your yummy treats.
Start off with an order of the chips and queso. Â They give you a lot, so you'll have some to take home and reheat if you choose! Â I love the chicken nachos with cheese lettuce and black beans. Â My boyfriend goes crazy for their tamales, especially their dessert tamales.
It's small in here, so be prepared to take your order to go or fight for a place to sit. Â Even at 2:30 in the afternoon this place was packed when I went this past weekend.
All in all: Delicious! Â Go immediately and often!
jajajaajajajajaja - I have been dying to laugh in Spanish for quite some time. Woo! Glad I got that off my chest.
Down to business:
You want to know how I found this place? A deeply-rooted love affair with tamales that for some reason or another led me to wisely google the following: "tamales in Indianapolis"
VOILA! The Tamale Place. A Godsend to tamale lovers in the 317.
I feel cool for saying this - I was a fan of The Tamale Place before it was cool - before they moved to their spacious (yet still not big enough) new location -before the Food Network was raving about their meat-stuffed cornmeal monsters. Â Â Â Wow! I know....
Which tamale is the best, you ask? All of the above. I have yet to have a dud. With their sell till we sell out tactics - availability changes with each visit. So go in there with the following simple desire in mind: "I want a tamale."
Take your meal to the next level with their homemade tortilla chips and salsa. Or, if you're a beanlover like moi, go for the plain black beans.
Ayaya - yo tengo un tamale - ahora!
oh---one more tip: stock up. I always have a stash of these puppies saved up in the freezer - they freeze very well.
for the road: jajajajajajajaja
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