Searching for the BEST TAMALES in Chicago

The food scene in Chicago is not only exciting and everchanging but can feel pretty overwhelming and unconquerable for two part-time foodtubers like us. It somehow feels more attainable and quite fulfilling to stick as close as we can to those classic dishes and eateries.

We feel like we're truly tasting the city when we opt to avoid most of the trendy spots and follow recommendations from our hardcore Chicagoan followers. And for those recos we're thankful. Plus, most of these places are usually budget-friendly too, which means we get to try more of them.

We have recently gotten quite a few requests to cover delicious tamale spots around the city. And that was a ton of fun. It was incredibly hard to narrow it down to 4 spots, but we believe these places are a great place to start with a nice variety of offerings.

Here are our picks for the video in no particular order of preference:

Tamales lo Mejor de Guerrero
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Address: 7024 N Clark St,
What to get? Oaxacan chicken mole tamal is our favorite. And a tamal de elote
Price: $2.75 each/$2 each respectively
Why? You’ll find a variety of delicious tamales here, but the chicken Oaxacan chicken tamal is creamy and addictive.

Yvolyna’s Tamales
Neighborhood: Pilsen
Address: 814 W 18th St.
What to get? Poblano and Cheese Oaxacan tamal is our favorite.
Price: $6 each
Why? Yvolina is known for her creative vegetarian and vegan tamales and they are so flavorful. They can be spicy.

La Casa del Pueblo Taquería
Neighborhood: Pilsen/La Villita
Address: 1834 S Blue Island Ave
What to get? Chicken and Pork tamales to start.
Price: $1.25 each
Why? If you’re looking for grandma grade cooking, this place is it! You’ll want to take home more than tamales.

Xocome Antojería
Neighborhood: Archer Heights
Address: 5200 S. Archer Ave.
What to get? Chicken and Pork tamales to start.
Price: $1.50
Why? The masa is light and incredibly flavorful. And you get meat with every bite. Not too spicy.

Here are a couple of OUR favorites:

Zenaida
Neighborhood: Rogers Park
Address: 7401 N Clark St. (It changes.)
What to get? Chicken and Pork tamales.
Price: $1.25 each
Why? These taste very homemade: simple, comforting and tasty. A bit spicy.

Mi Tía María Tamales
Neighborhood: South Loop
Address: Maxwell Street Market (And Facebook)

What to get? Oaxacan Tamales
Price: $3.50 each
Why? These are some of the best Oaxacan tamales you’ll try and the sauces are amazing, too.

Tamale Guy Chicago
Neighborhood: Ukrainian Village
Address: 2018 W Chicago Ave
What to get? Chicken and Pork tamales.
Price: $9 half a dozen.
Why? These are some tasty tamales too. And you can get more items from their creative menu.