Los Hernandez Authentic Tamales — Restaurant in Yakima

I’m genuinely confused by the amount of high reviews here. I assume it has something to do with the fact that they proudly display their receipt of a James Beard award and people don’t want to disagree with that and look culinarily incompetent. Let me tell you, I wish I tried these tamales in 2018 when they received that award because there is simply NO WAY the tamales I had here were the same tamales from then. Firstly, the masa was gritty and had NO FLAVOR. We paid $2.69/tamale and they were literally smaller than my plastic fork. An absolute robbery. I would not feel morally ok about charging someone so much for such a small tamale. (Yes, I know they are laborious to make as I have grown up making them as well). I’m assuming once they received the award, they knew people would just come to try it so they gave up on giving anything of quality or quantity. I have a child who quite literally only ever wants to eat tamales and she wouldn’t even eat hers. Super bummed out by this experience and heed caution to others to note that they receive their award 7 years ago and what they serve today is not what one...

Delicious tamales! This place is tucked away in the corner of a plaza, on the edge of town, but well worth the drive. Orders are taken at the counter by friendly, kind staff, then they will bring your order to your table. As for the food, it's excellent. I had a jalapeño con queso tamal and a tamal with chicken - both were so good, I ordered two more! The masa is rich and full of flavor while still having a nice, light texture. Tamale fillings were also good; the jalapeños are mixed through the masa and the cheese is in the middle whereas for the chicken tamal, the meat is soft, seasoned, and generously portioned right in the middle. Rice and beans are also flavorful and the rice was fluffy. An added perk is that this place also sells masa and materials for you to make your own tamales at home as well as pre-made, frozen tamales you can just steam and eat. Overall, this place is wonderful and highly...

These are some of the best tamales I have had to date. The tacos were really tasty too. All the food, down to the beans and rice was packed with flavor. They have fresh juice and horchata to accompany lunch. And the selection of beers prompted me to grab a few for the road. The variety of drinks in the fridge was great. We had a variety of tamales. Surprisingly, we loved the veggie tamales. The masa had a homemade taste that reminded me of tamales that I would get in Mexico. Nothing out of a bag. All fresh ingredients. The beans were somewhat unusual in that they had a wonderful light stock and chopped fresh vegetables that really enhanced the flavor of the beans themselves You'll savor every bite. Bring a big appetite. Next time I visit, I'll be sure to get some fresh and...