Yvolina's Tamales
Courtney Smith · 495 Google reviewsYvolina's Tamales — Chinatown food where the tamales in the city sets the tone. A holdout in the best possible way. The cooking is rooted in real tradition. Solid veggie options. Thao Tran: "The tamale was delicious, fragrant from banana leaves, moist and filled with meat" [$]
What 591 diners keep saying
What 591 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Really delicious tamales in banana leaf. Keeps the masa moist but in a very nice way. Beans are super flavorful. Love that they always have a vegan option, got the quinoa and lentils one this time.”
“The tamales at Yvolina’s are top tier. The masa is thin and tender and the filing is flavorful. The real stars of Yvolina’s though are the mole and the service. We had the opportunity to try the mole negro, mole verde, and the caperino mole which I had never tried before but ended up bringing a jar back home. I had a great conversation with the person working there about mole from different areas. He was super knowledgeable about their products and the local community. They have a bunch of awards displayed and I understand why after eating there. I will go back every time I’m in Chicago to get another jar of caperino and a tamale, and hopefully for the Mole de Mayo festival!”
“Ok everyone. Your local Chicago's Cook is back. This time eating some of Halsteds favorite Tamal's!! This place has it. The flavor is there, and the chicken was masterfully cooked and wasnt dry at all!! I totally went back for a second Chicken Tinga Tamal! I will be coming back as i want to try their Mole next time!!! With that said, only $8 per Tamal so very worth it due to tbeir size and yes the filling is there!!. My only sad truth was the hours. 11-6pm. It doesnt leave much for a dinner crowd. However if you can get there then do so!!! It eill leave you full, and coming back for more. They even have fresh Horchata and drinks!!”
“The first time I went here with my vegan friend and I'm so glad to have found this place! Food is amazing and well portioned. Clean plate club!”
“First time here! Just walked out of this place so satisfied & yummy full! Tried the chicken tinga & poblano tamales both dinner style & it was such a unique but delicious meal!! My husband commented on how moist the tamales were! We hate dry tamales! Haha. We also got to try the kale limonade made in house & that was so refreshing! (Not pictured bc my son was drinking it) Their waiter & waitress were very welcoming, she let me try the mole sauces before deciding which one I wanted as my topping. They sell jars of their homemade mole sauces, so we took two home! Definitely recommend!!”
“The most DELICIOUS guacamole 🥑 and chips, tamales 🫔 , and horchata’s!! 😋 I discovered Yvolina’s Tamales at the South Loop night market/farmers market and was thrilled to see the restaurant is not far from the South Loop at all! The poblano tamale is HUGE and the masa is sooo delicious, it’s the best I’ve tasted for sure 💗 the guac is addicting, and I only wish there were much larger containers for it because it’s the best in the city to me 💓 the chips are so much better than anything sold at the store, I wish they were sold in stores for the convenience of getting them more often lol. And the horchata is so sweetly refreshing it is another one I wish I could get a larger size to enjoy 😊 I saw they have vegan tamales in one of the reviews, so now I’m even more happy the restaurant is so close! I highly recommend stopping by their booth in the farmers market at the Roosevelt Collection on Thursday’s 💝 or the actual restaurant which is a short drive down Halsted off Roosevelt if you’re coming from the South Loop.”
“I got the chicken tamale dinner and cauliflower ceviche. The ceviche was so good I forgot the tamale existed 😩 I've never had anything like it, it was packed with so much flavor and the cauliflower was so tender and soft! Even the chips were good and fresh. I'll be back to get a few containers 😅”
“I tried the tamal de rajas con queso with mole rojo, plus rice, beans, and the cauliflower ceviche. The tamal was delicious. The rice, beans, and ceviche were tasty but not spectacular. The mole rojo was a bit too salty for my taste. The biggest downside was that the restaurant didn’t have AC running, so it was pretty uncomfortable sitting in the heat. I’ll definitely be back for the tamales, but next time I’ll do takeout.”
“This one of the best oaxaqueños tamales in the city of Chicago. Once you tasted them you will keep on going back. My favorite is the chicken tamales with red sauce. It’s even better if you make it a dinner. Rice & beans. And don’t forget to order your agua de horochata.”
“The host was hospitable, i was shocked when I heard 8$ for one tamale but what the hey. I bought one to go and let me tell you it is absolutely disgusting. The masa is not seasoned at all, the chicken has a bit of flavor to it. The green sauce is OK highly recommend seasoning the MASA! 1 out of 10 would not try again.”
“I am food critic and Yvolinas Tamales is amazing. I appreciate the staffs and managers kindness to me even though I have autism and their food is amazing and really good. Owner and manager is very nice. The restaurant is in good condition. Amazing tamales. Must come back. 10/10. Spanish: Soy crítico gastronómico y Yvolinas Tamales es increíble. Agradezco la amabilidad del personal y los gerentes hacia mí a pesar de que tengo autismo y su comida es increíble y realmente buena. El propietario y gerente es muy agradable. El restaurante está en buenas condiciones. Tamales increíbles. Debe volver. 10/10.”
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