Tamalería La Doña — Restaurant in South Gate

La Doña tamales are one of my preferred establishments when it comes to tamales. The times I've been there I get greeted w a smile & receive immediate service. Their tamales are always served steaming HOT! The texture of their masa is nice & soft w a good amount of meat inside of them. Their cheese tamales are also filled w a descent amount of cheese. I've also noticed they are not greasy, which is definitely a plus! I've had other tamales where I later regret eating because they give me really bad heartburn. If you're not accostumed to eating chile then they may not be suitable for you to enjoy, since they are a tad bit on the spicy side. Their corn tamales are the best I've had so far! They are made with the right amount of sweetness in them & smooth to the taste. They do sell sodas & water there, but I really recommend their hot champurrado, it is so flavorful & delicious! On the down side, I did try their red menudo which is served only on the weekends, but I did not really enjoy it the way I would have hoped to. For me it was lacking flavor. 😏 That is the reason why I could not give them a 5...

3 Weeks ago I ordered and paid 3 doz tamales, over the phone for Christmas eve pick up. A week ago I called to re-confirm my order, just in case and to prevent any issues.

My pick up time was 9AM but having heard of their long lines on my pick day I called at 6:15am to make sure they would be ready. The manager was very nice and told me they were ready already and I could stop by anytime. I asked how long the line was and she said "The line is very long, but don't worry about that. Since you ordered and paid in advance just come straight to the front to the pick up line.

OMG! I rushed over and the line was like 3 blocks long. I parked, and as instructed went all the way to the front. The pick up line was empty so they gave me my 3 doz tamales and I left. Was in and out within 3 minutes. The best part is that the tamales are DELICIOUS. BIG, LOTS OF MEAT. My loved them and this is now my go to place for tamales. Amigos, skip the line. Order and pat over the phone...FELIZ...

I guess there are lots of variables but they always have decent tamales, sometimes quite tasty and other times a bit bland. Sometimes the green, chicken tamales are the best and other times the cheese or pork ones are best. Ofcourse, most people who know how to make their own know that there are no tamales as good as homemade but for a quick fix, this is the spot to go. One thing I can say is always on point is the freshness. They are always warm and fresh. The champurrado is pretty good too. All in all, come June or July when I'm starting to crave tamales again after the Christmas plethora but don't feel like turning my house into a sauna in the summer heat, this place will satisfy that craving. They take cards and have drinks as well. They'll give you a bit of salsa upon request or you can buy a larger amount of ok salsa. I guess this isn't the best review but it isn't a...