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A plate of tamales with shredded yellow cheese.
Tamales from Delicious Tamales.
Delicious Tamales

Where to Find Tamales in Austin for the Holidays

Pork to barbecue to sweet to vegan

by Nadia Chaudhury Updated
2 comments / new
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Tamales from Delicious Tamales.
| Delicious Tamales
by Nadia Chaudhury Updated
2 comments / new

Truth be told, tamales are really Texas’s best holiday dish. And Austin restaurants and food trucks are making it easier for those seeking the traditional food this season, either by keeping the corn husk-steamed item on the menu all year long or offering seasonal specials for pickups and deliveries.

Here are Austin’s best bets for tamales this holiday season. There are classics from Tex-Mex restaurant Tamale House East to vegan options at Mr. Natural to brisket ones at barbecue restaurant Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew. Many restaurants even offer preorders just for the month, including Lick It Up and Fresa’s.

For other seasonal needs, there are holiday takeout meals, holiday dessert preorders, and holiday dine-in meals. Likewise, check out these holiday cocktail pop-ups.

Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Norte Atx

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The North Austin truck parked at Circle Brewing Company is slinging holiday tamales now. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

2340 W Braker Ln, Austin, TX 78758
(512) 939-0140
(512) 939-0140

Nissi Vegmex

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The North Austin vegan Mexican restaurant is open for preorder vegan and gluten-free tamales. There’s the verde and the rojos, both with salsas, with minimum orders of a half-dozen for $14, with a dozen for $28. The deadline is Sunday, December 18, and payments are made via Venmo with pickups on Tuesday, December 20.

9012 Research Blvd Unit C-6, Austin, TX 78758
(512) 994-8226
(512) 994-8226

Stiles Switch BBQ

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Again, the Brentwood barbecue restaurant is offering its smoked brisket or pulled pork tamales by the plate as part of its Days of Smoked Meats specials for the holidays. Alas the tamale plates, which come with Spanish rice, brisket pinto beans, and chile con queso, are only available on Sunday, December 18. The tamale specials are also available at Stiles’s Cedar Park location and sibling restaurant the Switch in Belterra Village.

6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752
(512) 380-9199
(512) 380-9199

Also featured in:

Rosie's Tamale House

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It’s in the name: the Bee Cave Mexican restaurant is all about pork tamales, available by the half-dozen or full dozen, or find tamales among the combination and dinner plates. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone or in person. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

13436 TX-71, Austin, TX 78738
(512) 263-5245
(512) 263-5245

Nixta Taqueria

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The East Austin taqueria’s preorder tamale array includes duck/mole and rajas/panela cheese both by the dozen. There’s also an add-on package with salsa macha, hot sauce, and coffee. Preorders can be placed online for pickups on Monday, December 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Also featured in:

Tamale Addiction

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Farmers market stalwart Tamale Addiction offers all sorts of tamales for the holiday season and beyond. The frozen tamales — ranging from meat to sweet to vegetarian to vegan — are available for pickups at its farmers market locations, its Manor, Texas kitchen, or Dia’s Market, plus there are deliveries available.

Austin, TX
(512) 278-1775
(512) 278-1775

Lick It Up

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The El Paso-based vegan Mexican truck is offering three kinds of vegan tamales for the holidays: red chile, cheese with green chiles, and black beans with cheese. Orders come in the half-dozen for $15, or the full dozen for $27. Orders can be placed online with pickups on Wednesday and Thursday, December 21 and 22.

2421 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702
An open tamale with meat.
The seitan steak tamale from Lick It Up.
Lick It Up

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Tamale House East

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The tamale tradition lives on with the legendary East Sixth Tex-Mex restaurant, where tamale plates are plentiful, available for pickup orders placed online, and indoor/outdoor dine-in services.

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 495-9504
(512) 495-9504

Also featured in:

Mr. Natural

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For vegan tamales, hit up the vegan Tex-Mex restaurant, where the tamale plate comes with fillings like tofu/sunflower seeds, pinto beans, vegetables, or cheese/jalapeño. Pickup orders can be placed online for either of the two locations (the other on South Lamar), and both offer indoor dine-in services.

1901 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 477-5228
(512) 477-5228

Taco Joint

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Both locations of the Mexican taco restaurant offer up the tamale veracruzano, which is made with seasoned chicken. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone for either location (the other at San Jacinto at (512) 473-8223). Both offer indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

134 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX, 78704
(512) 599-5144
(512) 599-5144

Also featured in:

The Vegan Nom

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The vegan taco spot is offering vegan tamales from Mike’s Killer Tamales this holiday season. Preorders of half or full dozens can be in person or over the phone, with two vegan and gluten-free options, the vegan masa rojo beef with potatoes and the smoked gouda cheese with poblano masa. Pickups happen on Tuesday through Christmas.

2324 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 497-3147
(512) 497-3147

Also featured in:

Guero's Taco Bar

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The South Congress Tex-Mex restaurant offers plentiful tamales on its regular menu, plus there are tamales available individually, half-dozen, or full dozen with fillings such as beef, pork, and bean and cheese. Pickup and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1412 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-7688
(512) 447-7688

Also featured in:

Fresa's South First

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Holiday tamales are back at the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant’s Bouldin Creek location. On deck are dozen tamales filled with chicken tinga, black bean and cheese, or guajillo pork shoulder, available with salsas. Then there are meals with charro beans, Mexican rice, salsas, queso, and guacamole. Orders can be placed online. Pickups are available from Thursday through Saturday, December 22 to 24. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

1703 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 992-2946
(512) 992-2946

Also featured in:

Matt's El Rancho

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Find pork tamales among the longtime South Austin Tex-Mex restaurant’s dinner meals and sides. Pickup and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 462-9333
(512) 462-9333

Also featured in:

Curra's Grill

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Order the avocado margarita with the Tex-Mex restaurant’s tamales. Fillings range from pork to beans to chicken mole to black bean. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

614 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-0012
(512) 444-0012

Also featured in:

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Beerburg Brewing

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The Hill Country brewery’s holiday tamale preorder menu is available now. Options include red pork or bean/cheese by the dozen. The deadline to order is Friday, December 16 with pickups from Monday through Friday, December 19 to 23. Place pickup orders online.

13476 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736
(512) 265-0543
(512) 265-0543

Also featured in:

Delicious Tamales

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The tamale shop offers all sorts of tamales to-go. The San Antonio-based chain carries traditional chicken, jalapeno-bean, and pork tamales as well as a variety of new takes on the husked treats, like the Southwestern-style vegetarian tamale with corn and black beans and the atomic tamale, which is packed with pork and heat-heavy ghost peppers. Pickup orders can be placed online; there is national shipping; and a bunch of third-party delivery options (Uber Eats, Grubhub)

1931 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78741

Leroy And Lewis Barbecue

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Among the new-school barbecue truck’s holiday preorders are tamales in red chili barbacoa, green chili pork, or sweet corn, available by the dozen. Place orders online, with pickups available on Friday, December 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Host site Cosmic Coffee is open for patio dine-in services.

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Also featured in:

Huckleberry

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The seafood truck is offering two types of tamales for the holiday season, shrimp and mushroom ones. There are two pickup days with different deadlines. The first deadline is Thursday, December 15 for pickups on Sunday, December 18; the second deadline is Tuesday, December 20 for pickups on Friday, December 23. Place pickup orders online.

Still Austin, 440 E St Elmo Rd Unit F, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 900-5818
(512) 900-5818

Also featured in:

Mi Ranchito Restaurant

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The far south restaurant has tamales year-round. Choose from pork, chicken, jalapeño and cheese, bean and cheese, vegetarian, sweet potato, and strawberry, available warm, cold, or frozen. Takeout orders can be placed online.

1105 Farm to Market 1626, Manchaca, TX 78652
(512) 292-8107
(512) 292-8107

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Norte Atx

2340 W Braker Ln, Austin, TX 78758

The North Austin truck parked at Circle Brewing Company is slinging holiday tamales now. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

2340 W Braker Ln, Austin, TX 78758
(512) 939-0140
(512) 939-0140

Nissi Vegmex

9012 Research Blvd Unit C-6, Austin, TX 78758

The North Austin vegan Mexican restaurant is open for preorder vegan and gluten-free tamales. There’s the verde and the rojos, both with salsas, with minimum orders of a half-dozen for $14, with a dozen for $28. The deadline is Sunday, December 18, and payments are made via Venmo with pickups on Tuesday, December 20.

9012 Research Blvd Unit C-6, Austin, TX 78758
(512) 994-8226
(512) 994-8226

Stiles Switch BBQ

6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752

Again, the Brentwood barbecue restaurant is offering its smoked brisket or pulled pork tamales by the plate as part of its Days of Smoked Meats specials for the holidays. Alas the tamale plates, which come with Spanish rice, brisket pinto beans, and chile con queso, are only available on Sunday, December 18. The tamale specials are also available at Stiles’s Cedar Park location and sibling restaurant the Switch in Belterra Village.

6610 N Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78752
(512) 380-9199
(512) 380-9199

Rosie's Tamale House

13436 TX-71, Austin, TX 78738

It’s in the name: the Bee Cave Mexican restaurant is all about pork tamales, available by the half-dozen or full dozen, or find tamales among the combination and dinner plates. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone or in person. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

13436 TX-71, Austin, TX 78738
(512) 263-5245
(512) 263-5245

Nixta Taqueria

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

The East Austin taqueria’s preorder tamale array includes duck/mole and rajas/panela cheese both by the dozen. There’s also an add-on package with salsa macha, hot sauce, and coffee. Preorders can be placed online for pickups on Monday, December 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

2512 E 12th St, Austin, TX 78702

Tamale Addiction

Austin, TX

Farmers market stalwart Tamale Addiction offers all sorts of tamales for the holiday season and beyond. The frozen tamales — ranging from meat to sweet to vegetarian to vegan — are available for pickups at its farmers market locations, its Manor, Texas kitchen, or Dia’s Market, plus there are deliveries available.

Austin, TX
(512) 278-1775
(512) 278-1775

Lick It Up

2421 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702

The El Paso-based vegan Mexican truck is offering three kinds of vegan tamales for the holidays: red chile, cheese with green chiles, and black beans with cheese. Orders come in the half-dozen for $15, or the full dozen for $27. Orders can be placed online with pickups on Wednesday and Thursday, December 21 and 22.

2421 Webberville Rd, Austin, TX 78702
An open tamale with meat.
The seitan steak tamale from Lick It Up.
Lick It Up

Tamale House East

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702

The tamale tradition lives on with the legendary East Sixth Tex-Mex restaurant, where tamale plates are plentiful, available for pickup orders placed online, and indoor/outdoor dine-in services.

1707 E 6th St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 495-9504
(512) 495-9504

Mr. Natural

1901 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

For vegan tamales, hit up the vegan Tex-Mex restaurant, where the tamale plate comes with fillings like tofu/sunflower seeds, pinto beans, vegetables, or cheese/jalapeño. Pickup orders can be placed online for either of the two locations (the other on South Lamar), and both offer indoor dine-in services.

1901 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 477-5228
(512) 477-5228

Taco Joint

134 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX, 78704

Both locations of the Mexican taco restaurant offer up the tamale veracruzano, which is made with seasoned chicken. Pickup orders can be placed over the phone for either location (the other at San Jacinto at (512) 473-8223). Both offer indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

134 E Riverside Dr, Austin, TX, 78704
(512) 599-5144
(512) 599-5144

The Vegan Nom

2324 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702

The vegan taco spot is offering vegan tamales from Mike’s Killer Tamales this holiday season. Preorders of half or full dozens can be in person or over the phone, with two vegan and gluten-free options, the vegan masa rojo beef with potatoes and the smoked gouda cheese with poblano masa. Pickups happen on Tuesday through Christmas.

2324 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78702
(512) 497-3147
(512) 497-3147

Guero's Taco Bar

1412 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704

The South Congress Tex-Mex restaurant offers plentiful tamales on its regular menu, plus there are tamales available individually, half-dozen, or full dozen with fillings such as beef, pork, and bean and cheese. Pickup and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

1412 S Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 447-7688
(512) 447-7688

Fresa's South First

1703 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704

Holiday tamales are back at the fast-casual Tex-Mex restaurant’s Bouldin Creek location. On deck are dozen tamales filled with chicken tinga, black bean and cheese, or guajillo pork shoulder, available with salsas. Then there are meals with charro beans, Mexican rice, salsas, queso, and guacamole. Orders can be placed online. Pickups are available from Thursday through Saturday, December 22 to 24. There are indoor and outdoor dine-in areas.

1703 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 992-2946
(512) 992-2946

Matt's El Rancho

2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

Find pork tamales among the longtime South Austin Tex-Mex restaurant’s dinner meals and sides. Pickup and delivery orders can be placed online. The restaurant offers indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 462-9333
(512) 462-9333

Curra's Grill

614 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704

Order the avocado margarita with the Tex-Mex restaurant’s tamales. Fillings range from pork to beans to chicken mole to black bean. The restaurant is open for indoor and outdoor dine-in services.

614 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-0012
(512) 444-0012

Related Maps

Beerburg Brewing

13476 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736

The Hill Country brewery’s holiday tamale preorder menu is available now. Options include red pork or bean/cheese by the dozen. The deadline to order is Friday, December 16 with pickups from Monday through Friday, December 19 to 23. Place pickup orders online.

13476 Fitzhugh Rd, Austin, TX 78736
(512) 265-0543
(512) 265-0543

Delicious Tamales

1931 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78741

The tamale shop offers all sorts of tamales to-go. The San Antonio-based chain carries traditional chicken, jalapeno-bean, and pork tamales as well as a variety of new takes on the husked treats, like the Southwestern-style vegetarian tamale with corn and black beans and the atomic tamale, which is packed with pork and heat-heavy ghost peppers. Pickup orders can be placed online; there is national shipping; and a bunch of third-party delivery options (Uber Eats, Grubhub)

1931 E Oltorf St, Austin, TX 78741

Leroy And Lewis Barbecue

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Among the new-school barbecue truck’s holiday preorders are tamales in red chili barbacoa, green chili pork, or sweet corn, available by the dozen. Place orders online, with pickups available on Friday, December 23 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Host site Cosmic Coffee is open for patio dine-in services.

121 Pickle Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Huckleberry

Still Austin, 440 E St Elmo Rd Unit F, Austin, TX 78745

The seafood truck is offering two types of tamales for the holiday season, shrimp and mushroom ones. There are two pickup days with different deadlines. The first deadline is Thursday, December 15 for pickups on Sunday, December 18; the second deadline is Tuesday, December 20 for pickups on Friday, December 23. Place pickup orders online.

Still Austin, 440 E St Elmo Rd Unit F, Austin, TX 78745
(512) 900-5818
(512) 900-5818

Mi Ranchito Restaurant

1105 Farm to Market 1626, Manchaca, TX 78652

The far south restaurant has tamales year-round. Choose from pork, chicken, jalapeño and cheese, bean and cheese, vegetarian, sweet potato, and strawberry, available warm, cold, or frozen. Takeout orders can be placed online.

1105 Farm to Market 1626, Manchaca, TX 78652
(512) 292-8107
(512) 292-8107

Related Maps