Artesano Tamaleria: Not Your Abuela’s Tamales
Downtown LA’s Fashion District houses some of the best Latin/Spanish/Mexican focused restaurants in the entire Los Angeles area. From mom and pop places like Sonoratown to the high-end dining you get at DAMA, we have it all, and you can now add a new tamale cafe to the list.
Artesano Tamaleria lives up to its name- they sell some seriously artisanal tamales inside a cute but casual atmosphere, you have to admit a tamaleria is rare even for Downtown LA.
Stepping inside the small but open cafe you almost feel lighter, it’s so well lit and color-coordinated it makes you feel at peace, and actually relaxes you. That’s what owners Jorge and Nélida intended, what they didn’t expect was the rush of customers who are now regulars, some coming twice a day for their tamales. Their grand opening is coming soon in November but they’ve already begun fulfilling catering orders for Thanksgiving.
“We didn’t invent anything, but we do think we reinvented the way tamales can be enjoyed.” Their tamales are made with vegetable shortening instead of pork lard so they’re a lot lighter and easier to digest, AKA you can eat multiple ones without getting sick. They have all kinds of options for vegans, carnivores, lactose intolerant, vegetarians, those with a savory tooth, and even two sweet ones you can enjoy as dessert.
The set up of the cafe is meant to make the tamales more approachable and accessible, they’re served with a simple agua fresca option and you can certainly grab a seat to enjoy your meal or take them to go. The location is perfect for those who work or live near the Fashion District, but it’s definitely worth the visit, especially if you’re going to the Santee Alley.
Opening up shop here was a no brainer for Jorge and Nélida, they knew they wanted a densely populated area with lots of foot traffic, but more importantly, they wanted somewhere known for a Latino community. Those who have never had tamales are, of course, a special crowd of customers to cater to but there’s nothing like the thumbs up approval of others who know a good tamale when they see one.
According to Jorge and Nélida, that is exactly what they have received, love and an outpour of approval from their target audiences. The big hit amongst all of them is the chipotle beans tamale, which happens to be vegan, and adored equally by people who are and aren’t vegan.
Artesano Tamales not only bring people together, but they also bring cultures together, “We have a customer who is Asian, we proudly served him his first tamale ever and now he’s hooked,” says Nélida as she passed me my favorite tamale of them all- fish.
Don’t be afraid to step outside the box DTLA, heck maybe switch it up once in a while and do Tamale Tuesday instead of Taco Tuesday (or really go all out do both!) You can begin by visiting, what will soon be, your favorite tamaleria.
artesanotamaleria.com | 819 Santee St, Los Angeles, CA 90014
Written by Mariana Ramos | Photography by Jack Strutz
