Frelard Tamales

Love this location. First time and i was blown away with the tamale texture, flavors and size. Very well worth the 6+ dollars per. Good example of paying for good quality tamales. Love the fact that they have vegan options. Tamales have a generous portion of protein and or vegetables. Masa has lots of flavor without overpowering the filling. Definitely brought me home. I am very particular about mexican food and I really enjoyed these. Most tamale shops will sell you an equivalent Tamal that are referenced as “mazudos” which means more corn masa than filling. These are equally distributed. If you want good tamales without going to my tia’s or grandma’s house or those of you who are lucky and have a partner who makes them delish (I am one of those lucky ones) then this is one of the best places to get some, pan fry them the next day or thaw them as a dessert in the case of the sweet corn or raisin tamal. Airfried, microwaved or pan fried afterwards are are other ways you can enjoy them. I personally prefer pan fried with some chorizo or refried beans on the side. Crafty labeling with color strings to identify the type. Pretty creative!! Would love to have them open up a seating area but there is none. Drinks are good. Especially the horchata. Salsa is a tomatillo base so normally tangy by design. Would love a red chile salsa to go with these. Definitely a grab an go place. There is a park near by so you could always go to green lake and enjoy a hot tamal. Keep up the good work Frelard!!

This cute tamale shop is a hole in the wall. Many have called it the best tamale shop in Washington state, and I hold some reservations. A tamale is often eaten by working-class people and is prized as an affordable meal. A tamale at Frelard costs $6.50 plus tax which I found so exorbitant that it took away from my experience. Prices were also not listed, which d felt deceptive. The service was kind, but I did wait in line for nearly five minutes despite one person being at the counter. Now the tamales range from vegan to meat-filled corn husks. I had the salsa verde and salsa rojo tamales which lacked heat and were slightly dry. However, the mesh of flavor did give me an inkling of home. Furthermore, Frelard has everything to make a good tamale to an excellent one, but even excellent ones should not cost $6.50. The salsa they give you is more tangy than spicy, and the wait can sometimes be extended. I'd return if I needed a touch of home, but I'd do so sparingly.

I tried Freland’s vegan tamale option today, and I could not believe how incredible it was. Most vegan and vegetarian tamales seem to lack the depth of flavor of a traditional chicken/pork tamale. I am always left wanting more. Not today… The masa was so chewy and satisfying. The vegetable filling was perfectly seasoned, and the texture was on point. I was floored by the quality. If I lived in Seattle, I would eat here all the time! Highly recommend.

These are delicious and huge!! They catered to my office today and everything was so good! I half of the chorizo and half of jalapeño, I was tempted to eat the whole thing at once 🤪 Perfectly displayed, labeled with the sides of rice and beans to choose from. Pickled Mexican chiles, salsa and even sour cream. Happy! These might be the best tamales I've tried in Washington state. Sorry, Los Hernandez, not sorry.

I’m going to start by saying that I love tamales. I was excited to see a tamales window/shop along the street. I was even more excited to see the variety of tamales available. I ordered the salsa roja pork tamale which tasted phenomenal. They provided a side of carrots, as well as salsa and sour cream. The server was really friendly and the prices are reasonable. Highly recommend!🙌

I drove by this place many times and always saw the line. Today my husband and I decided to try it out. I bought all three meat tamales and they were 6.50 each. It was hot and smell so good. They also gave sour cream, pickled carrots, and a green hot sauce (not sure what the name is). My husband likes the pork, I like the chicken the most, chorizo and cheese is my least favorite but it is still tasty. We will be back again and try the sweet tamales.