When Yelp released its list of the Top 25 tamales in the entire United States, it was framed as a guide to spots “worth traveling to.” The list was compiled using ratings and review volume from Yelp’s Elite Squad, with restaurants required to be open as of Nov. 13, 2025, and to have passing health scores.
Two Texas cities made the cut. Dallas had one entry. Houston had one entry. Albuquerque also landed a spot.
El Paso did not.
Pepe’s Tamales Facebook
Pepe’s Tamales Facebook
For a city that many consider a tamal capital, that omission raised more than a few eyebrows.
According to reporting from the El Paso Times, the lack of local representation does not mean El Paso lacks standout tamales. If anything, it highlights a disconnect between how Yelp measures food culture and how tamales are actually experienced here. Many of the most talked about tamales in El Paso do come from well-known brick-and-mortar locations, but longtime locals will tell you that some of the best tamales in the city are sold by independent cooks outside grocery stores, out of coolers, or through word of mouth, places that rarely rack up Yelp reviews.
Vianey Molina
Vianey Molina
The El Paso Times also pointed out that this is not the first time El Paso tamales have gained national attention. In a now-famous moment from 2000, then Texas Governor and President-elect George W. Bush ordered 13 dozen tamales from Pepe’s Tamales for his last Christmas Eve dinner in Texas and for inaugural events in Washington. Bush and his wife, Laura, reportedly remembered El Paso tamales as “the best,” a detail that locals still proudly reference.
Google Street
Google Street
To further underline what Yelp may be missing, the El Paso Times published its own list of top tamale spots in the region based on Yelp reviews from November 2025. That list includes Pepe’s Tamales, Gussie’s Tamales & Bakery, Tamales Lupita, La Tapatia, La Moderna Bakery, Chepe’s Tamales, La Colonial Tortilla Factory, El Prado Bakery, Carlos Bakery in Sunland Park, and Hilda’s Tamales.
It is a solid list, full of longtime staples and local favorites. Still, it barely scratches the surface of El Paso’s tamale culture.
So the question is simple. Do you agree with Yelp’s national list leaving El Paso out entirely? Do you agree with the local list, or do you think it misses the cooks and pop-up sellers that many El Pasoans swear by every holiday season? In a city where tamales are tradition, not trend, it may be time to ask who really gets to decide what the best tamales are. It is worth mentioning one more time that El Paso tamales were ordered by a former U.S. President, so, yeah.
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