SF Bay Area, CATamales

The El Cerrito restaurant serves several Guatemalan styles of tamal. Try the pork-stuffed paches, which use potato dough, or the chicken tamales made with rice dough. An order of chuchitos brings two oval, chicken-filled tamalitos bathed in tomato sauce and crema. The dining room has imagery of Guatemala’s quetzal, and the kitchen also makes garnachas, small tostadas topped with beef.

This Oakland restaurant occupies a former fire station. Its dinner menu includes chicken tamales with rich mole served on the side, keeping the sauce from drying out during steaming. The mole draws depth from chiles and toasted spices. The kitchen also nixtamalizes corn in house for its tortillas. Order the chicken tamales with mole and settle into the tall, white-walled dining room or its patio.

This Mission District restaurant began as a tamale catering company, and fresh masa runs through much of its Oaxacan menu. The tamales are steamed until tender, with fillings that include chicken, cochinita pibil, potatoes, or cheese with poblano. Start with a chicken tamal, then look to the sopes, which pair crisp masa with pickled cabbage, guacamole, and beef brisket. The restaurant’s dark mole is another feature of the kitchen.

This Salvadoran restaurant mills nixtamalized corn in house for tamales pisques. The bean-filled tamal has smooth masa and can come topped with flame-scorched peppers and queso duro. The filling and toppings change with the season, so ask what version is on the menu.

The Market Street counter makes tall, corn husk-wrapped tamales with a cakey masa. Its pork version has finely shredded meat seasoned with earthy, mildly spicy achiote. Order the pork tamales for a direct taste of the shop’s masa and filling. Some tamales sell out by early afternoon, so order ahead to secure a walk-up order.