Tamaleria La Dona: Authentic Mexican Tamales in South Gate, CA

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 star rating.

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 negative one either.

La Doña! If I couldn't get my mom's Tamales, these are the next best thing. They are amazing and delicious! I know other people have different taste buds, but I always tell my kids to try new things once. If you don't like it, then you don't like it. I'd recommend this for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late night snack. They're not open late night! I usually buy half a dozen, so I could have some for the next day. You have to wear a mask, so have some respect for this great small business.

These people know what they're doing. The cheese and chicken are the favorites among our extended family of white people. Good, friendly service.

5 stars for Corn Tamales!!!! I drive out once a month from So. Orange County, 45miles one way, because no one makes them this good. I don't care for the other meats, I felt they had too much masa for the quantity of meat.

Delicious, but either they just moved in, they're buying furniture as they go, or they're closing soon. If you don't mind no frills, and just want to to get and out, this place is great. Amazing fruit and cheese tamales.

Don’t let the appearance fool you. This is one of the best places for tamales in LA, which is saying something. Don’t go if you’re looking for boutique, but if you want the classic favorites, pollo, queso, puerca, this place is first rate. And their elote tamales are The Best! You can order ahead if you want, by why bother? I walked in on Christmas Eve morning and, yeah, it took a half hour before I walked out with my order, but any other day, it’s in and out, and even if you have to wait, there’s that great smell from the kitchen and you can see in where there are a couple of dozen industrial sized steamers chugging away, which is almost worth a visit even if you’re not buying dinner.

Good tamales ....not the best I have ever tasted but they Worth the price ....they are good And cheap