Here today, gone tamale

Holiday hot list: Where to find the best tamales in Dallas

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

If you're part of a Mexican family that celebrates the festive tradition of making your own tamales during the holidays, then please give us a call. We'd like an invitation. If you're not, then you're like the rest of us: Buying your tamales from one of the many area vendors who ramp up production when December rolls around.

Below are some of the best tamales money can buy; most require pre-ordering but will do walk-up sales, depending on availability.

Blue Goose, all five locations, including Addison, Frisco, Lower Greenville Ave., 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 within jalapeno and jack cheese. $20 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 jalapeno, beef and jalapeno. $8.95 per dozen warm, $7 cold.

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-jalapeno, chocolate, and more. $20 to $36 per dozen.

La Popular Tamale House, 5004 Columbia Ave., Dallas 214-824-7617.
Open until 7 pm Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Fillings: Pork, pork and jalapeno, spicy beef, chicken-tomatillo, mixed vegetables, beans and jalapeno. $10-$11 a dozen.

Lopez Tortillas & Tamales, 9727 Brockbank Drive, Dallas 214-353-9538.
Open Christmas Eve until noon; closed on Christmas Day.
Fillings: Chicken, pork, rajas (peppers and cheese), raisin. $9 a dozen.

Luna's Tortilla Factory, 8524 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-jalapeno, cinnamon-raisin. $12 a dozen.

Urban Taco, both locations at Mockingbird Station and McKinney Avenue in Uptown, are celebrating their annual "12 Days of Tamales," a special menu with a rotating flavor every day, available December 13-24. Place a to-go order for any flavor with 24 hours notice, minimum one dozen for $24. You can also order the daily flavor at lunch or dinner, as a tamale trio plate with black beans and roasted corn con crema for $9.75.

12 Days of Tamales Menu:

December 13 – pollo con mole poblano
December 14 – cochinita pibil
December 15 – guajillo pork
December 16 – potato zucchini con queso fresco
December 17 – frijoles y queso Oaxaca
December 18 – tomatillo serrano con pollo
December 19 – carnitas con mole poblano
December 20 – Dos Equis Amber barbacoa con chorizo
December 21 – guajillo piquin con pollo
December 22 – chicharron adobado con salsa verde
December 23 – green chile con picadillo
December 24 – chicken tinga & potato

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Opening News

Dallas diner & music venue will open in former Ferris Wheeler space

Courtesy

Pancakes

A new restaurant has been unveiled that will take over the former Ferris Wheeler space near Dallas' Design District at 1950 Market Center Blvd.: Called AM/FM, it'll be an all-day diner and lounge with a big backyard and a stage for live music, and it's from Spune Productions, the music and event production company.

According to a release, it'll open in early January initially with evening hours, cocktails, and a few afternoon soccer matches. Music acts are already booked beginning January 8. More hours will be added down the road.

Ferris Wheelers BBQ, which was also a restaurant with a big backyard and a stage for live music, closed in November after eight years. Spune had already been involved since 2023 to help ramp up the live music side. Now they'll take it over with a fresh new personality and long hours.

They were famous for having a Ferris wheel on-site; an inquiry on its status went unanswered.

The diner will open daily at 7 am, serving "musicians coming off late nights, workers heading into morning shifts, and neighbors who want a place that remembers their name," says the release very poetically.

They've redecorated the interior with a new bar and banquettes that wrap the room. Alongside the renovations inside, the set-up outdoors will evolve over the coming weeks, with extra care given to the concert experience,

Menu
The food at AM/FM will be rooted in elevated Diner classics, with a menu overseen by chef Anastacia Quinones-Pittman (Oh, Hi! Hospitality) that's influenced by Mexican-American kitchens and Nuevo Southern traditions.

Breakfast offerings include huevos rancheros, breakfast tacos, breakfast empanadas, French toast, avocado toast, pork belly toast, and an intriguing twist on pancakes called masa pancakes, made using masa harina AKA corn flour.

Lunch includes a chicken Milanesa Caesar salad, Sonoran hot dog, fried catfish po'boy, kale salad, Cobb salad, and a Mexican twist on chicken noodle soup with fideo noodles.

Entree plates include pot roast, meatloaf, fried chicken, and a weekly pot pie.

The beverage program will aim for accessibility with coffee, cocktails, and craft beer, says Victor Rojas, Quinones-Pittman's partner at Oh, Hi! Hospitality.

openings