El Modelo Mexican Foods Tamale Plates Price

El Modelo Mexican Foods is famous for its Tamale Plates, a meal featuring three of the restaurant's huge and handmade tamales. The tamales are generously topped with red chile, chile meat, and melted cheese, then garnished with fresh lettuce. The plate is served with a side of chips to complete the meal. The El Modelo Mexican Foods Tamale Plates price ranges from $7.90 to $13.65.

The tamales at El Modelo are a different preparation from the tamales at a restaurant like La Salita. El Modelo is known for its large, satisfying tamales made with fresh, locally bought ingredients. La Salita's tamales are also highly regarded but are part of a broader New Mexican menu. The feedback are exceptional, with customers calling the tamales outstanding and potentially the best in the world.

The history of El Modelo's tamales dates back to 1929 when Mrs. Carmen Garcia started a tortilla business in a single room of her Albuquerque home. The business was so successful that she hired Petra Vargas to make tamales, who then taught the entire Garcia family the craft. The operation expanded significantly after Mrs. Garcia's son, Leo, returned from World War II. The present-day El Modelo building was constructed in 1947 on the site of that original three-room house and has been a local institution for authentic Mexican food ever since.