La Palma
2884 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-647-1500
Grubgirl found this place on Yelp because she had to prep for an impromptu Mexican-food themed get-together. Tamales had been purchased on 24th Street before, but the exact store name was forgotten. Since this task had been assigned to her partner in crime, TBJ, we figured Yelp may provide a good referral.
And deeeelicious and fresh were the results! Six pork and six chicken tamales later, we’re still impressed. The masa is made fresh onsite (that’s the corn mash-like stuff around the meat). You can purchase masa there to make your own Mexican dishes from scratch. They’re also known for making their own fresh tortillas. You know it’s legit when the people of that establishment’s ethnicity actually shop at and run the store, too. (Think: good Chinese restaurants)
But make sure you’re either really good at pointing at things or know your Spanish – because “lost in the woods” types not used to such Latin authenticity are not going to get a helping hand here.
12 fresh tamales, $21.00. Wow. That’s $1.75 each for a just-right sized tamale. Big eaters – you may need two if you’re not accompanying one with anything else. But that’s still ok because it’s still cheap.