Masa Party

Top tamale spots in Dallas to stock up for 2013 holidays

Tamales from El Ranchito on Jefferson Boulevard in Dallas.

Photo courtesy of El Ranchito
Blue Goose Cantina has tamales to-go.

Photo courtesy of Blue Goose Cantina
At Urban Taco, you can get your tamales to go or eat them in the restaurant.

Photo courtesy of Urban Taco
Hot Damn Tamales in Fort Worth is worth the drive.

Photo courtesy of Hot Damn Tamales

Enjoying tamales during the holidays is a tradition for many Texans, regardless of birthplace. Making tamales is time-intensive. Buying tamales, not so much. Then again, you'll probably find lines at some of these veteran tamale spots.

In any case, here's our list of where to get tamales in Dallas. Most of these vendors require pre-ordering, but will sell whatever's left to walk-ups, depending on availability.

Agave Tamale Company, 106 N. Lambert St., Granbury. 817-579-7600.
Open 11 am to 4 pm Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day. No pre-orders and limited availability.
Fillings: Pork, beef and chicken
Price: $18 for 10

Blue Goose, five locations, including Addison, Frisco, Greenville Avenue, Highland Village and Plano. 214-823-8339.
Open until 4 pm Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork with chile con carne sauce, and chicken with jalapeño and Jack cheese
Price: $20 a dozen

Cantina Laredo, six locations in North Texas, including Addison, Dallas, Fort Worth, Frisco, Grapevine and Lewisville. 214-265-1610.
Pick-up times on December 23 and 24.
Fillings: Chicken and beef
Price: $16.95 a dozen

Dallas Tortilla and Tamale Factory, 309 N. Marsalis Ave., Dallas. 214-821-8854.
Open until 8 pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork, beef, chicken, pork and jalapeño, beef and jalapeño
Price: $8.95 per dozen warm; $7 cold.

El Ranchito, 610 W. Jefferson Blvd., Dallas. 214-946-4238.
December 20-22 and December 27-29.
Fillings: Pork, Sanchez family recipe
Price: $12 a dozen

Hot Damn Tamales, 713 W. Magnolia Ave., Fort Worth. 817-926-9909.
Open until 2 pm Christmas Eve; closed Christmas Day.
Fillings: Tenderloin, shrimp, black bean and cheese, poblano corn, mushroom and goat cheese, cranberry-jalapeño, chocolate, and more
Price: $20-$30 per dozen

La Popular Tamale House, 5004 Columbia Ave., Dallas. 214-824-7617.
Open noon-7 pm Christmas Eve; 10 am to 1 pm Christmas Day. (Farmers Market location opens at 10 am.)
Fillings: Pork, pork and jalapeño, spicy beef, chicken-tomatillo, mixed vegetables, beans and jalapeño. Black-eyed pea available December 26-31.
Price: 12-$13 a dozen

Lopez Tortillas & Tamales, 9727 Brockbank Dr., Dallas 214-353-9538.
Open Christmas Eve until noon; closed Christmas Day.
Fillings: Chicken, pork, rajas (peppers and cheese), raisin
Price: $10 a dozen

Luna's Tortilla Factory, 8424 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas. 214-747-2661.
Open Christmas Eve until 3 pm, but only for pre-orders.
Fillings: Pork, beef, chicken, bean, spinach, cheese-jalapeño, cinnamon-raisin
Price: $14 a dozen

The Tamale Company, at Eatzi's, Jimmy 's Foods, Rudolph's Meat Market, Celebration Market, Cox's Farms, Green Spot, Bolsa Mercado. 214-233-6392.
Hours depend on store.
Fillings: Pork, chicken-tomatillo, beef, cheese-jalapeño, vegan
Price: $13-14 a dozen

Urban Taco
Both locations (Mockingbird Station and McKinney Avenue in Uptown) are celebrating the annual 12 Days of Tamales, a special menu of tamales with a new flavor every day, available through December 24. Place a to-go order for any flavor with 24 hours notice.
Price: Minimum one dozen for $16.95

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Hello Cupcake

SusieCakes preheats the ovens for new bakery in Dallas' West Village

Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

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Bring on the cake baking: SusieCakes, the home-style bakery concept from California, will soon open a location in the West Village at 3699 McKinney Ave. Ste. 318, in Uptown Dallas. The grand opening celebration is set for Saturday, October 3.

The West Village store was first announced in July, along with a location in Frisco's Fields West.

It is the fourth Dallas-Fort Worth location following Preston Center, Hillside Village in East Dallas, and Fort Worth's WestBend.

Founder Susie Sarich first opened SusieCakes bakery in 2006 in Los Angeles' Brentwood neighborhood, and there are now locations throughout California, from San Diego to San Francisco. SusieCakes offers an alternative to the artificial flavors and preservatives found in most grocery store cakes by using fresh, simple ingredients by on-site bakers, the company says.

SusieCakes founder Susie Sarich Guests at the West Village grand opening could meet founder Susie Sarich. Photo courtesy of SusieCakes

The bakery has developed a loyal following for its Vanilla Celebration Cake, custom layer cakes, cupcakes topped with buttercream frosting, and nostalgic treats such as chocolate chip cookies, snickerdoodles, and flourless peanut butter cookies. Seasonal cakes and desserts also rotate throughout the year. For fall, think crumble-topped fruit pies baked in flaky crusts and holiday-inspired desserts.

Sarich says she's excited about the new Dallas location.

“Opening in West Village is a wonderful next step as we continue to grow SusieCakes in Dallas,” she says in the release. “As a Dallas resident, it’s been special to see firsthand how warmly the community has embraced SusieCakes. West Village is such a vibrant neighborhood, and we look forward to welcoming guests in and being part of even more celebrations, both big and small.”

SusieCakes' West Village Grand Opening Celebration will take place 12-3 pm Saturday, October 3, with special giveaways, music, samples, and an opportunity to say "hello" to Sarich in person.

The bakery will be open from 10 am-7 pm on opening day, with festivities including:

Free SusieCakes mugs for the first 50 guests, beginning at 10 am. with purchase, limited to one per guest
A raffle for the chance to win free cake for a year
The opportunity to meet Susie Sarich in person
DJ tunes and complimentary samples from 12-3 pm

The ever expanding bakery also offers delivery, both national and local, at susiecakes.com.

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