Tamalli

WARNING, STAY AWAY! Is there an option to leave no stars on Unilocal? Wait, actually. this place OWES ME STARS!
On a brief trip down Milwaukee Avenue heading northwest on a Friday night, the street was bustling, the music was pumping, the smell of summer was in the air. Having one of those indecisive days, a friend and I decided to check out what appeared to be a diamond in the rough on the outskirts of the neighborhood. We were ‘hoping’ for this place to be our new hidden little gem.
First of all, the menu truly gives little description of what you will be ordering.
Service was fine, but let me tell you what was not. THE FOOD! (Critical component, yea?) The first dish we received was an open-​faced tamale, and my friend took one bite and was going to vomit. My curious nature didn’t all me to see this sign as enough to keep me from tasting the plate for the first time, and so I made my first attempt at an awkward looking presentation. WHAT THE FU*K? SOMETHING IN OUR FIRST DISH WAS SPOILED! IT DOES NOT TAKE A CONNOISSEUR TO TASTE THIS FACT! SOMETHING IN OUR DISH TASTED LIKE SPOILED VEGETATION!
Moving on, it was too late to get out now while we still had our health. I will pretty much order and eat ANY quesadilla that is presented to me since I have a thing for them, but HOW do you get this wrong? The cheese wasn’t even melted and had NO taste, and did I forget to mention that they gave me a flour tortilla instead of the corn that I asked for, not that it mattered at this point. Two orders of chicken corn tamales, OK, they look safe. Again, NOT UNTIL YOU TASTE THEM! The masa corn TASTED LIKE A DOG TREAT YOU’D BUY FROM PETSMART OR PETCO! The rice mixed with peas and carrots was my only safe bet for something edible last night. Oh NEVER MIND, THE RICE TASTED LIKE KIBBLES AND BITS! I’ve never seen rice go this wrong, you could taste the funk before it even entered your mouth. (I don’t know what dog food tastes like, but I know the scent since I’ve spent much time in pet stores in the last couple weeks and let me tell you, this food tastes like what you smell in those stores)
PRICES WERE OUTRAGEOUS FOR WHAT YOU ACTUALLY GET: NASTY, SPOILED, DISGUSTING, TASTELESS, EXPIRED, DOG FOOD! We left hungry since we both only consumed in total between the both of us, 1 ounce of food including the chips they served us in the beginning which were hard enough to break your teeth. Save yourself the money, go purchase a 1 pound bag of dog food, and you’ll get the same quality and taste, but a MUCH BETTER VALUE! You might actually wake up without a severe case of food poisoning which we both have the following morning.
WHO WROTE THE REVIEWS TO THIS PLACE! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD RECOMMEND THIS PLACE?! I go to this extend to really save anyone from considering such a vile ‘pebble in the rough, that needs to stay in the rough’. You took me for $ 50.00 once, but you’ll NEVER TAKE MY MONEY AGAIN! (Consider it a donation towards the chef’s immanent need to take culinary classes NOW). Whoever thinks this food is good, is either a dog, OR was violently drunk.
When the EL passes overhead, the restaurant trembles, and you can’t have a conversation, that’s about the only GOOD thing I can say about the place. If you plan on taking a girl here, save yourself the embarrassment! PLEASE! Tight, humid, sweaty quarters, you feel like your in an army barracks eating in this place. I am unbiased, but this is truly the first BAD place I’ve eaten at in nearly 2 years and so I share my voice!
P. S. Two orders of the same tamale plate, and one is salty while the other tastes like sweet cinnamon bread pudding. Hmmm, did someone drop their gum in the dough while they were mixing it in the back?
THIS IS NOT AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FARE! THIS IS AN IMAGINATIVE PLACE GONE TERRIBLY WRONG! UUUGGGHHH!

Okay they take only cash… something that normally would make me keep walking because I never carry cash but the boyfriend always does so we popped in to check it out.
The place is really cute. The staff was all women which is always an impressive point for me. I like to see women owned/​run businesses. I can’t verify if it is women owned but the three seemed pretty in control rather then just workers…
I got a Coconut horchata. Um YUMMY! This thing was amazing!
Now the chips were chips but the salsas were bright, fresh and tasty.
I was really digging the place till our food came.
All three dishes tasted the same. Sweet and spicy. I love sweet and I love spicy but too sweet combined with spicy puts me off… and the fact all three very different dished tasted the same was a let down.
SO over all I was disappointed but I hold out promise for the place. It is close by so we will try it again.

The football burritto is dead.
Tamalli is a cute little storefront with a small staff serving super fresh mexican food. Something like a poor man’s Frontera leaving the pretension for those outside the neighborhood, Tamalli provides a unique angle on Mexican dining that Arturo’s and the rest of the hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants have lost.
Tamalli is a bit of a step up price wise, but the fresh foods and subtle flavors don’t disappoint. The kitchen opens up onto the restaurant and it has the feel of a family run operation. So bring your family and friends and some BYOBooze and share a tapas style meal together at a fun little place in the neighborhood.

My husband and I were both disappointed in the food. My husband ordered the «tamal nejo» carne asada. It was just an open faced tamale basicallly served on a banana leaf. The maza did not seem cooked all the way through as it was still very white and seemed boiled. I ordered the «gringo» and it was just tasteless. It is two flour tortillas filled with melted cheese, pork, and pineapple. The meat is poorly seasoned. The service was fine. The restaurant was a little loud due to the close seating. The restaurant is BYOB. I will not return.

What a cute little place. The only con: in the winter it’s freezing in there! I don’t think their heat works.
The good stuff: BYOB, the enfrijoladas, the quesadillas, the tamales (duh), everything is ordered one at a time so you can try a bunch of different stuff.
It was only $ 38 for 3 people. No, that is not a typo. It’s a fun place… I’ll go back, but only in slightly warmer weather!

As I sit here ready to write a review, I am at a lack of words for describing the experience at Tamalli. We dine at Maiz from time to time, so we are familiar with the menu and the tapas-​like dining. And much like Maiz, Tamalli delivers the same kind of overall dining experience. Some of the ideas I love and the rest are just okay.
First, the positivies. The service was prompt and extremely friendly. Even though there was a large party, the server made sure to take care of our 2-​top. The guacamole with the pomegranate was excellent. The Nejo tamale was also very, very good. Also, the fact that most dishes can be customized from carnivorous to vegetarian options is a huge plus.
On the downside, the Huarache (cecina) and the Oaxacano (pollo) tamale were nicely presented, but the flavor was lacking. This was quickly rectified with a little spoonful of their fantastic salsas.
I can understand how people would be a bit taken back by the prices, however, if you order 4 – 5 different things to split, you can walk out of there with a full belly for around $ 20-​$ 25. Not too much more than your average sit-​down Mexican place. And the tapas style allows you to sample a wide variety of items which is nice.
My take is that Tamalli sits in an interesting space. They are doing something creative and as such, they find themselves in a bit of limbo. More costly than a tacqueria, but not quite to the fine dining of a Tompolobampo.
I give them credit for trying something new and hope things succeed.
The space is nice and lends a nice atmosphere. So much so that the passing trains hardly register.

Delicious and not your typical taco stand, with friendly staff to boot. Good vegetarian options. Their corn tortillas are homemade and thicker than what you’d run into at the grocery or common taqueria, and make anything with them standout. I like the décor, too, though I’ve only done takeout. However, their prices have increased beyond what I think is reasonable for their small (at least for carryout) portions. Also, cash only is a hassle.

I had been meaning to make a stop at Tamalli since the little restaurant on the corner caught my eye a few months back. I finally made it in on my way back home this past Friday. Tamalli is a colorful place, good to dine solo as I did, or with friends.
It was cold out, so I made a dash inside for a quick bite. I ordered the veggie tamale and the atole. Atole is a delicious hot drink made from corn starch, and a traditional drink for the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. My Mother, who is Nicaraguan, used to make it for me when I was young. Try it, it’s similiar to what many know as chai, but flavored differently.
My veggie tamalli was good, but it wasn’t hot, rather, a bit on the luke warm, cold side. Not sure what happened there. It was also rather small for the price. I understand that food is pricey these days bc of the economy, but I honestly think that Tamalli would please many more customers if the portion size was slightly larger or, the price was slightly lower. The atole was very good, but I expected it to be in a much bigger cup than the tiny coffee cup that it was served to me.
The owner said the idea is to share, kind of like tapas, which would help with the prices. I will give Tamalli another try when I come with a friend so we can share and split costs. Overall I think it’s a nice spot that I would like to frequent, BUTTTT, the portions and price still need to make sense. For a new business, hopefully the owner will read the comments so that he knows what areas to improve upon! I wish Tamalli well!

Went back again last night. Unilocal,you know I love you, but I have to say you’re an idiot if you don’t dine here at least once. For the money, there is no better Mexican food in the city. Just go there. You’ll probably see my wife and I eating. Found out also, that it is BYOB, so grab a nice Pinot and head over. Don’t be a douche, eat here.

It was a dark and stormy night. As the thunder bellowed and the lightening flashed, we sought refuge from a light in the distance. It was… Tamalli.
On the recommendation of the server, I had the enfridjoles (sp) which is the owner’s favorite, with mushrooms, poblano peppers, corn, cheese and avocado. It was good, but I had heard from a friend it was awesome. I didn’t find it to be awesome, just ok. I think the sauce was a tad bit bland.
The husband had a burrito and he loved it. We says it was much better than the other restaurants in the area. It wasn’t busy at all when we went. Another table was just finishing up when we came in and as we were finishing up, another couple came in. I’m not sure how it’s going to play out for this little place.
I think it was priced fairly. I like that everything was made to order, when you order. But I didn’t appreciate being overcharged a $ 2 for my meal. I mean, it’s just $ 2, but still.
Just a note: this is a cash only place and it’s clearly marked on the on the door as well as the menus.
We’ll try it again and see how it goes. Stay tuned!

Cons: Only takes Cash. Expensive for small tacos
Pros: AMAZING FLAVOR, GREAT FOOD. Each bite is like a experience. The tamilis taste like cake, the tacos are amazing. And I drempt about the CARNE ASADA last night

I was excited when this place opened but sadly I will not be a frequent diner here. The food, while home cooked and delicious was outrageously priced. It was about $ 6.50 for a single tiny little tamale and $ 7 for three tiny little tacos. I can go over to Irazu and get a huge taco for like $ 3 that is bigger than their 3 tiny tacos. Way way overpriced for the location and their target clientele. That’s probably why it is usually empty when I drive by.

Live nearby, and stopped in to check it out. Was not that impressed. The fact that they only take cash, had stopped me for months from walking in. And once I did, I felt like it was just kinda blah. Got the guacamole to go, and it was extremely underwhelming. lacked flavor, and was generally small for the $ 7.00 it cost.
All in all, I probably won’t be back, nothing jumped off the menu, too verbose a menu, with little actual description.

Always on the hunt for overlooked or underappreciated restaurants, I spied the Tamalli storefront while driving west on Armitage and made note of its friendly exterior and cute logo.
Run by the same people who own the amazing Maiz in Humboldt Park, Tamalli serves fresh and fast Mexican cuisine with interesting flourishes and flair.
The guacamole came topped with cranberries, which were surprisingly delicious and infused the smooth and rich flavor a sweet and textured pop. Burritos were ginournous and plated nicely, and entrees were a generously portioned and creatively cooked.
Atnosphere is a bit lacking and the layout is tight, but the service was friendly and they were doing a brisk business in takeout, which was great to see.
I did think the prices were a bit high for what essentially was a takeout operation, but the food certainly was enjoyable and the restaurant definitely a fun and funky option for the area.
So yay for Tamalli.

Has a rather nice interior, I didn’t get the feeling it was «fast food» either. The restaurant features one page of mostly different kinds of tamales, and the second page has some more rather traditional offerings. The place seems slightly more up scale than the other Mexican food spots around the area.
We had two of the tamales dishes and they were quite good. Totally a place to hit up if you’re looking for some different flavor in the area.

This place is pretty good and definitely a nice addition to the few other spots in the hood like Lazo’s and Arturo’s. I agree with the other Unilocaler that the rice and beans are a pass– even though they are a staple for me when I eat Mexican food.
I got the veggie burrito and it was REALLY good. You pick two veggies and it comes with the fixings– just be sure to ask for lettuce and tomato, I’m not sure it would have been on there if I didn’t say it.
My boyfriend got the chicken enchiladas and all I got was a, «it’s pretty good.» So, I guess no complaints there.
They serve salsa verde and salsa with the chips they bring when you sit down and those were both really good.
They only except cash and they don’t serve alcohol-​FYI but apparently it’s BYOB… I will make note for next time :)
Prices are a bit high for this little place, but it’s good food.

This was our second trip. My husband and I really like this place and love it’s addition to our neighborhood. Great Mexican food and nice and fresh and fast.
The table salsas are fresh and pack a punch! I always order the watermelon water to cool things down a bit (drink slowly, these freshly made waters are $ 3 and can go quick!). I would love to try all flavors (strawberry, mango, coconut, horchata, pomegranate, etc…) at some point. If you are curious, stop in and order out a fresh water — it will make your walk home (or wherever) a treat in this hot weather!
Food is always fresh and sooooooooooo good. Last time I had the enchiladas rojas with zucchini and corn. So good and the red sauce had a sting to it — very well made and healthy than dripping, gooey plates that others will slap down in front of you. Plates come drizzled with fresh cheese and sour cream and cilantro. It looks like they really take care in preparing your plate for you.
I could pass on the beans and rice… Somewhat bland and cost extra, anyway.
I’ve heard the steak burrito was good. Guac is yummy, comes with dried cherries (or craisins?) on top — sweet touch!
Service is nice and not rushed — I wish the best for this new resto — it’s never packed but hopefully they do a good take-​out business.
Really cute inside (punchy colors and décor is quaint/​kitchy), clean so far — not your typical Mexican place in Logan Square.
BYOB — I’ve seen people bring a 6-​pack and wine. They have glassware for you.
Be prepared (don’t be shy) to ask questions. No serving sizes are offered and I never know how many veggie I’m allowed to order in a dish.

Cute little spot. Fast food atmosphere, but prices a tad higher. Solid taste, great salsa! 5 – 10 pm t-​sun