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Start a Top 5 for TamalesEditor’s picks
Press picks, until locals rank their own Top 5s. Sourced from the local food press. As seen in Charlotte Observer, Unpretentious Palate, Charlotte Magazine, and Axios Charlotte. Updated September 2026.
Johnny Burrito · Uptown
Find Johnny Burrito below the Uptown towers on South Tryon Street. Alongside the California-style burritos, this lunch counter makes tamales by hand. The tamales have included chicken, beef, barbecue pork and vegetable fillings. They sell out, so the tamales are the reason to arrive before the lunch rush rather than treating them as an afterthought to a burrito.
Southern Pecan · SouthPark
The Mississippi tamales are a destination dish at this SouthPark Gulf Coast kitchen. Soft, pillowy masa holds a generous duck filling, and a spicy tomato broth brings smoky roasted-pepper flavor around the tamales. They arrive as a substantial plated dish rather than a bundle to carry away. The large patio gives the restaurant a relaxed setting for an order that can nearly make a meal on its own.
Havana Carolina Restaurant & Bar · Concord
Start with a Cuban tamale at this family-run Concord restaurant, then add croquetas or yuca fritters before moving to a larger plate. The tamale stands out among the appetizers. The dining room sits on Union Street South in downtown Concord, with Cuban cooking at the center of the menu.