Tamales Around the Heights: Where to Order by the Dozen This Season

Tamale season runs from Thanksgiving through Three Kings Day, and the area around Houston Heights has some of the best-by-the-dozen options in the city. From a Greater Heights bakery that has steamed them since 1998 to a family-run Michoacán-style shop in the Oak Forest orbit, here is where to order great tamales close to home this year.

El Bolillo Bakery: The Greater Heights Anchor

At 2517 Airline Drive, El Bolillo Bakery has been a Northside and Greater Heights institution since 1998. Its housemade tamales, pork and chicken with Hatch chile among them, are sold year-round by the half-dozen and dozen, which makes it the easiest reliable stop on this list. As the holidays approach, the bakery takes preorders for big gatherings, so call ahead or order through elbolillo.com and pair your dozen with a bag of pan dulce while you are there.

The Tamale Joint: Michoacán Style in the Oak Forest Orbit

Just north of the Heights at 3352 E TC Jester Blvd, The Tamale Joint has become a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2021. The family-run counter makes its Michoacán-style tamales by hand, with brisket, spicy pork, and chicken in the regular rotation, and it is open daily from 7 AM to 7 PM. It is one of the highest-rated tamale spots around the Heights, and the website makes holiday preorders easy.

Laredo Taqueria: A Counter Classic at the Foot of the Heights

For an old-school takeout counter experience, Laredo Taqueria at 915 Snover St, on the Washington side just below the Heights, is the real deal. Tamales run around $10 for a half-dozen and roughly $19 for a dozen, the kitchen does not sit on them long, and the counter closes in the mid-afternoon, so plan to go early in the day. Bring cash or a card and join the line of regulars who know exactly why they are there.

La Guadalupana: A Short Drive to Montrose

A loyal following keeps La Guadalupana Bakery & Café humming at 2109 Dunlavy St in Montrose, a quick hop south of the Heights. Since 1995 it has baked and steamed pork, chicken, spinach-cheese, and jalapeño-cheese tamales, and the staff will send you home with a dozen frozen to reheat whenever the craving hits. The hours are a bakery's hours, 7 AM to 2 PM, so treat it like a morning errand.

Alamo Tamales: Big Batches, Zero Stress

When you are feeding a crowd and need quantity with quality, Alamo Tamales keeps two locations minutes from the Heights, on Airline Drive and Berry Road. The San Antonio-born company hand-makes pork, beef, chicken, jalapeño-cheese, spinach, and sweet-corn tamales, sells by the dozen at around $18, and is known for never running out during the holiday rush. It is the dependable math-for-a-party choice, and alamotamale.net lists both near-Heights counters.

Worth the Drive: Molina's Cantina

If you want the legendary pick, Molina's Cantina's pork tamales are famous enough to have been served at the White House, and the restaurant takes holiday pickup orders through New Year's Day. Its Houston locations are a drive from the Heights, but Molina's is the answer when you want to make the meal feel like an occasion. Order well ahead for the Christmas week.

How to Tamale Like a Local

A few pointers make the season easy. Order early, especially for the week before Thanksgiving and Christmas, because a dozen tamales sells out fast at every stop here. Tamales freeze beautifully, so buy an extra dozen and stash it for New Year's. Reheat by steaming, husk and all, for about 20 to 30 minutes, and let everyone unwrap at the table. A dozen feeds a hungry household or a small gathering, and a half-dozen is the right amount for a weekend treat.

Tamales are the great holiday equalizer: everyone's family has an opinion about where the best ones come from, and every family's answer is affectionate and slightly competitive. The good news for the Heights is that the best answer does not require a road trip. Pick a counter, phone in your order, and warm up the steamer. For more of the neighborhood's favorite eats, our tacos and Tex-Mex guide is a good place to keep going.