St. Louis, MOTamales

George Mahe's tamale guide for St. Louis Magazine records one thing here that no other entry on his list does: a plantain leaf replaces the corn husk, which the guide says gives a fresher, sweeter flavor that works with the rich corn masa. The filling is chicken with mole made in the kitchen. Order the chicken and mole tamales. Mahe opens the guide by noting that tamale making is time consuming and kitchen labor expensive, which is why they run out around town, so call the Lemay Ferry Road counter ahead.

St. Louis Magazine's tamale guide calls the Honduran influenced tamale at this Cherokee Street dining room excellent, and describes a masa wrapper creamier than most and almost custard-like. That texture is the reason to come. George Mahe's guide opens by noting that tamales vary in shape, texture and contents from country to country across Mexico and Central America, and this is the entry on his list that shows it. Order the tamale first and build the rest of the table around it.

Tamales are a favorite at this Hampton Avenue restaurant, and St. Louis Magazine's guide calls the combo platter one of the better deals in town: twelve tamales in three styles, four filled with beans, four with pork, and four with cheese and jalapeño, for $23.99 at the time of writing. Order the platter and split it across the table, which is a practical way to taste three fillings in one sitting during the December run. The guide lists it among the city's restaurant tamales rather than its market ones.

The tamales at this Sutton Boulevard kitchen in Maplewood are stuffed with cheese and poblano, then topped with a choice of chicken tinga, birria or ground beef. St. Louis Magazine quotes its own writer Cheryl Baehr calling them an absolute masterpiece. Order them with the birria, which brings the braise and the masa together. The build is closer to a plated dish than to the husk-wrapped tamale sold by the dozen elsewhere on this list, which is why the guide files it under restaurants.

Sauce Magazine describes a sixteen-seat roadside counter on Manchester Road that has changed little since its 1962 remodel, and lists tamales topped with Edmond's Chile Co. chili on the slotted menu board beside the griddle-smashed burgers and the housemade root beer. St. Louis Magazine's tamale guide makes the same pairing, calling a chili-topped tamale the companion to a Carl's double cheeseburger. Order one of each and drink the root beer from the frozen mug.