Santa Masa Tamaleria

“Food came out fast and hot, everybody was so kind, and it was SO good.”

Food came out fast and hot, everybody was so kind, and it was SO good. Some of the best food I’ve had in Chicago. Will recommend to everyone!!

rio santos

Jan 2026

“Santa Masa Tamaleria is a special place.”

Santa Masa Tamaleria is a special place. I drove 35 minutes from McCormick place in hopes of having a great Mexican breakfast. My expectations were far exceeded. Danny - the owner - gave me recommendations and talked to me about the history of the restaurant, which is about 18 months old. He and his wife are preparing this food with care, love, and exceptional skill. I travel extensively and this was one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to get back and try more. I can’t recommend this spot highly enough.

Aaron Kowalski

Dec 2025

“Came here for breakfast for the first time and was blown away by the service and the food.”

Came here for breakfast for the first time and was blown away by the service and the food. Everyone was so welcoming and sweet. The tamales and tacos were phenomenal. We even ordered a whole box to go. I will definitely be back. 💯

B

Nov 2025

“We stopped by in the morning and tried the rajas con queso tamal, which was okay.”

We stopped by in the morning and tried the rajas con queso tamal, which was okay. As we were leaving, we noticed their tamal of the month was an Italian beef tamal. To say that we were intrigued was an understatement so inevitably, we came back here for lunch. The chef immediately recognized us, joking lightly about us returning so soon (but can you blame us?). This time, we ordered a small side of chips, a Santa taco, and the main reason for our swift return: the Italian beef tamal. The chips were freshly fried to a beautiful golden crisp. The Italian beef tamal came with beef, giardiniera, and au jus over a layer of masa. Different from their other tamales, the masa for this one was wrapped in banana leaves, which is the typical wrapper in Oaxaca and southern Mexico. The masa had great texture and the beef was solid. The giardiniera, with its bright, tangy, spicy, almost electric kick, tied everything together beautifully. A clever fusion that not only worked, but worked incredibly well. The Santa taco was a beautiful meaty mess: adobada, chorizo verde, barbacoa, and a cheese crust all stacked on a perfect housemade corn tortilla that held strong. All the meats were so juicy, tender, and flavorful. The pickled onions and their extra hot salsa cut through all the meatiness so well with their acidity. The chef noticed how much we liked their extra hot salsa and brought over a small sample of his personal favorite salsa for us to try. The place wasn't busy and we were fortunate enough to get to know the chef a bit more. Chef Danny is warm, friendly, down-to-earth, and clearly someone who cooks with real passion and pride. We left full, happy, and honestly a little moved. Simple as it gets: good food, good people, and that’s enough.

Christina Huynh

Nov 2025

“The service was fast and friendly and the food was so delicious.”

The service was fast and friendly and the food was so delicious! It was a great mix of flavors and a large serving that neither of us could finish! Highly recommend for breakfast and planning to return for lunch!

Patrick Koeller

Nov 2025

“So good! Nice place sat at counter and enjoyed a delicious torta chilaquil. Can't wait to try some...”

So good! Nice place sat at counter and enjoyed a delicious torta chilaquil. Can't wait to try some tamales and the pozole. Super nice people too! They have vegetarian and vegan options also, if that's your jam. Update: have had more of their food and everything is wonderful. The pozole is out of this world. Huarache is delicious. I'm going to work my way through the whole menu.

Slavek Kucharski

Nov 2025

“Cooked fresh on the spot.”

Cooked fresh on the spot. You can see them cook your food. With bar counter seating.10/10

David Sadlo

Oct 2025

“Have you ever seen the move “LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE?“ Do you remember the scene where they taste...”

Have you ever seen the move “LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE?“ Do you remember the scene where they taste the mole (moh-Leh) and they all get filled with feelings of love and elation? That’s what it was like when I tasted un tamal de mole. It was bliss! It was joy! It was 💣!!! The sweetness and the saltiness crashed and the result was nothing short of spectacular. I also had… Tamal de pollo en salsa verde Tamal de pollo en salsa roja Taco de rajas and Agua de piña. All of it was amazing! ALL OF IT! The place is clean Decorated very tastefully The service is above and beyond. The prices are fair. The bathrooms are clean You can sit at the counter or at a small table. Parking was on the street and easy. Go there now and see for yourself

Jay Aye

Oct 2025

“Santa Masa’s food was fresh, delicious, and beautifully served.”

Santa Masa’s food was fresh, delicious, and beautifully served. They use homemade masa to make a variety of classic Mexican recipes like tamales, enchiladas, tacos, and atole. Get cafe de olla and the capirotada french toast is a must!

Reymundo Murrieta

Aug 2025

“Martín and MiLady were very attentive and kind.”

Martín and MiLady were very attentive and kind. The tamales are great, the atole was the best I have ever had. The Italian beef was their tamale of the month, and although the flavor was very different it was good. Wish I was local to come more often.

Penelope Gutiérrez

Aug 2025

“The moment we walked in to Santa Masa, I knew it was going to be good.”

The moment we walked in to Santa Masa, I knew it was going to be good. The Cafe de Olla was such a treat coffee. Jhoana was a joy to meet and her family and crew were so nice as well. We had the chilaquiles and pozole. They were both delicious! We ordered some tamales to go and those were great too. I'm very particular about tamales and these pass the test. So much so that I contacted Jhoana to set up a catering order for my birthday gathering a few weeks later. The process was thorough and she made it so easy to create a custom menu that included exactly what I wanted. We created a special agua fresca to be my signature drink. I wanted a cucumber limeade that was not sweet but very refreshing. It turned out perfect and every guest that tried it, raved about it. The rest of the spread included, breakfast burritos (I froze the leftovers and they were my breakfast meal plan for the next week), tacos, tamales, rice and beans. 10/10 recommend for dining in or catering. Thanks again Jhonana for being so awesome and helpful!

Reyna Smith

Aug 2025

“We did carry out but food was delicious and service was great.”

We did carry out but food was delicious and service was great! We tried the breakfast menu and definitely will be back for dinner! Menu looks delicious!

elizabeth diaz

Aug 2025