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A banana leaf tamal—textured soy protein in savory mole, capers, potatoes, a green olive inside organic corn masa and steamed in a banana leaf—at Flacos Feed La Revolucion serving vegan Mexican food in Berkeley, California, on Friday, June 5, 2015. Photo By Liz Hafalia/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

13 Spots to Stock Up on Tamales in the East Bay

Place your Nochebuena orders as soon as possible

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As you’re making your list and checking it twice for Christmas, don’t forget the tamales. On Christmas Eve, or Nochebuena as it is known in Mexico, dinner includes tamales, which you could say come wrapped up like little gifts ready to be devoured. We’ve wrangled 13 spots in the East Bay that sell them by the dozen so you too can participate in this tradition. Put your orders in now to eat a tamale or two at Christmas Eve; then, freeze and eat them again through the rest of the year, preferably with a steaming cup of champurrado.

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Norma's Meat & Deli

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Some of the Bay’s best tamales are tucked inside a Richmond convenience store like so much corn inside a plantain leaf. This Salvadoran shop offers pupusas and burritos, too, but for our purposes, the tamales serve as the star. Keeping a low profile, the best way to make this order happen is to pull up and scope things out for yourself.

A drive to Point Richmond is rewarded at Masa with 11 types of tamales including four vegetarian options and two dessert tamales (don’t miss the strawberry). The large tamales practically fall apart as they tumble out of the husk and that’s a good thing. The ratio of tender masa to filling is balanced and the price of $2 per tamale invites mixing and matching. Place Nochebuena orders as soon as possible.

Casa Latina Bakery

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In North Berkeley on San Pablo Avenue, Casa Latina sells long and skinny tamales in pork, chicken, or cheese. Plan on ordering a dozen of their sturdy tamales one week in advance for Nochebuena. Or, if eating them at Casa Latina under the gaze of a multitude of Frida Kahlo paintings, order them “al Vapor”-style, steamed and topped with salsa verde, queso, and crema, or “Abuela”-style, steamed, then fried and doused in mole.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

La Oaxaquena

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This East Bay-based tamale powerhouse puts up a stand at the Tuesday and Saturday farmers' markets in Berkeley. This outlet has been a favorite for a few years for its chicken and black mole and pork with red mole tamales, $60 for a dozen of either. Hit up owners Rosa Oliva and Carolina Santos directly at tamalesoaxaca@gmail.com to place your holiday orders.

If you’re a vegan looking for your fix of tamales, Flacos is willing to help out with that. The restaurant offers two types of tamales, the first is a tamal poblano with organic corn masa stuffed with chile poblano, black beans, and potatoes and steamed in corn husks. The other is the banana leaf tamale, filled with savory mole, capers, potatoes, and a green olive.

Casa Borinqueña

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Purveyors of vegan shrimp mofongo and family members to hit burger shop Malibu’s, the team at this Puerto Rican outlet dish up a mean plant-based pastele. Though the permanent location is still to-be-opened, pasteles go for $10 and can be ordered en masse for pick-up or delivery. Olives, garbanzo beans, peppers, and meatless meat make up each succulent serving.

Tamaleria Azteca

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At Tamaleria Azteca in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Oakland, this spot has been in business for almost 30 years, and you can expect hefty tamales with firm masa, available in chicken, pork, beef, cheese, corn, and vegetable — with the last two options being the ones not made with lard. Go with the pork, juicy and succulent, not just because they often run out of the vegetable and cheese options.

Tamales Tamaleria Azteca

La Guerrera’s Kitchen

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The La Cocina alumni, mother-daughter team at La Guerrera’s makes Guerrero-style tamales. Try chicken tamales or go with their vegan tamales made from lard-free masa and stuffed with calabacitas. Tamales can be ordered all month in December, but the last day for a Nochebuena pre-order online is December 22.

Supermercado Mi Tierra, #2

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If you plan ahead and show up at 9 a.m. you can score fresh tamales made in small batches at Supermercado Mi Tierra on Fruitvale most days of the week — though they sell out, for good reason. The masa is tender and flavorful, and the chicken tamale is everything anyone could want: juicy and well-seasoned, with an equal ratio of filling to masa. You can also find pork and cheese tamales. For Nochebuena, order 1-2 days in advance.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

Tamales Mi Lupita

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Tucked into a tiny parking lot on Foothill is a permanently parked food truck called Tamales Mi Lupita with three kinds of Mexican tamales — huge in size and full of masa but light on flavorful fillings — in pork, chicken, or rajas y queso. They also make Guatemalan-style tamales, cooked in banana leaves and available in pork or chicken.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

El Portal Restaurant

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In a San Leandro shopping center, you’ll find El Portal, where tamales are served wet, at the table, swimming in red sauce with cheese melted into it. Medium in size, the pork and chicken tamales come with a decent masa-to-filling ratio. Approximate the in-restaurant experience by warming El Pato enchilada sauce stirred with melty cheese to cover your tamales.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

Alicia's Tamales Los Mayas

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Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas’ large tamales feature familiar fillings with a twist — like chicken with carrot, zucchini, and potato. Try the vegetable tamales with nopales and garbanzo in masa that’s vegan and gluten-free, too. Alicia’s conveniently offers order pick up at her facility in Hayward or in San Francisco at La Cocina. Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market also carry ATLM tamales.

Tamales Alicia’s Tamales

Taqueria Senaida's

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A line of cars regularly snakes onto the stretch of Tennyson Road in Hayward that curves by Taqueria Senaida’s drive-thru. The menu is affixed to the front of an old van in the parking lot and in its window, a hand-written sign announces pork and chicken tamales. Hefty in size, the masa is flavorful with ample, well-seasoned meat inside.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

Norma's Meat & Deli

Some of the Bay’s best tamales are tucked inside a Richmond convenience store like so much corn inside a plantain leaf. This Salvadoran shop offers pupusas and burritos, too, but for our purposes, the tamales serve as the star. Keeping a low profile, the best way to make this order happen is to pull up and scope things out for yourself.

Masa

A drive to Point Richmond is rewarded at Masa with 11 types of tamales including four vegetarian options and two dessert tamales (don’t miss the strawberry). The large tamales practically fall apart as they tumble out of the husk and that’s a good thing. The ratio of tender masa to filling is balanced and the price of $2 per tamale invites mixing and matching. Place Nochebuena orders as soon as possible.

Casa Latina Bakery

In North Berkeley on San Pablo Avenue, Casa Latina sells long and skinny tamales in pork, chicken, or cheese. Plan on ordering a dozen of their sturdy tamales one week in advance for Nochebuena. Or, if eating them at Casa Latina under the gaze of a multitude of Frida Kahlo paintings, order them “al Vapor”-style, steamed and topped with salsa verde, queso, and crema, or “Abuela”-style, steamed, then fried and doused in mole.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

La Oaxaquena

This East Bay-based tamale powerhouse puts up a stand at the Tuesday and Saturday farmers' markets in Berkeley. This outlet has been a favorite for a few years for its chicken and black mole and pork with red mole tamales, $60 for a dozen of either. Hit up owners Rosa Oliva and Carolina Santos directly at tamalesoaxaca@gmail.com to place your holiday orders.

Flacos

If you’re a vegan looking for your fix of tamales, Flacos is willing to help out with that. The restaurant offers two types of tamales, the first is a tamal poblano with organic corn masa stuffed with chile poblano, black beans, and potatoes and steamed in corn husks. The other is the banana leaf tamale, filled with savory mole, capers, potatoes, and a green olive.

Casa Borinqueña

Purveyors of vegan shrimp mofongo and family members to hit burger shop Malibu’s, the team at this Puerto Rican outlet dish up a mean plant-based pastele. Though the permanent location is still to-be-opened, pasteles go for $10 and can be ordered en masse for pick-up or delivery. Olives, garbanzo beans, peppers, and meatless meat make up each succulent serving.

Tamaleria Azteca

At Tamaleria Azteca in the Santa Fe neighborhood of Oakland, this spot has been in business for almost 30 years, and you can expect hefty tamales with firm masa, available in chicken, pork, beef, cheese, corn, and vegetable — with the last two options being the ones not made with lard. Go with the pork, juicy and succulent, not just because they often run out of the vegetable and cheese options.

Tamales Tamaleria Azteca

La Guerrera’s Kitchen

The La Cocina alumni, mother-daughter team at La Guerrera’s makes Guerrero-style tamales. Try chicken tamales or go with their vegan tamales made from lard-free masa and stuffed with calabacitas. Tamales can be ordered all month in December, but the last day for a Nochebuena pre-order online is December 22.

Supermercado Mi Tierra, #2

If you plan ahead and show up at 9 a.m. you can score fresh tamales made in small batches at Supermercado Mi Tierra on Fruitvale most days of the week — though they sell out, for good reason. The masa is tender and flavorful, and the chicken tamale is everything anyone could want: juicy and well-seasoned, with an equal ratio of filling to masa. You can also find pork and cheese tamales. For Nochebuena, order 1-2 days in advance.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

Tamales Mi Lupita

Tucked into a tiny parking lot on Foothill is a permanently parked food truck called Tamales Mi Lupita with three kinds of Mexican tamales — huge in size and full of masa but light on flavorful fillings — in pork, chicken, or rajas y queso. They also make Guatemalan-style tamales, cooked in banana leaves and available in pork or chicken.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

El Portal Restaurant

In a San Leandro shopping center, you’ll find El Portal, where tamales are served wet, at the table, swimming in red sauce with cheese melted into it. Medium in size, the pork and chicken tamales come with a decent masa-to-filling ratio. Approximate the in-restaurant experience by warming El Pato enchilada sauce stirred with melty cheese to cover your tamales.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

Alicia's Tamales Los Mayas

Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas’ large tamales feature familiar fillings with a twist — like chicken with carrot, zucchini, and potato. Try the vegetable tamales with nopales and garbanzo in masa that’s vegan and gluten-free, too. Alicia’s conveniently offers order pick up at her facility in Hayward or in San Francisco at La Cocina. Berkeley Bowl and Monterey Market also carry ATLM tamales.

Tamales Alicia’s Tamales

Taqueria Senaida's

A line of cars regularly snakes onto the stretch of Tennyson Road in Hayward that curves by Taqueria Senaida’s drive-thru. The menu is affixed to the front of an old van in the parking lot and in its window, a hand-written sign announces pork and chicken tamales. Hefty in size, the masa is flavorful with ample, well-seasoned meat inside.

Tamales Annelies Zijderveld

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