I had to edit my response after this horrible esablishments response to my review. By far the worst food I have ever eaten. I took 2 bites. The del Mar burrito was the worst wet burrito I have ever had. No flavor except the clam chowder that was poured all over it. It was like vomit! Disgusting garbage. The smell alone made me gag!! What ever you are cooking up you should just stop. I will come in and cause a scene if you keep coming food.
Atmosphere: 1
Recommended dishes: Chips
Earl Heberlein
Fantastic tamales and burritos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
C B
Had the Brussel sprouts very good and well cooked added some habanero sauce. I will be back here for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bruselas Fritas Vegan GF
Connor B.
Loved Tamale Boy and Valley Public House in Happy Valley! I got the vegetarian tamale, guacamole, and 2 tacos: cauliflower & a mushroom one. I was a big fan of the guacamole and will be getting it whenever I visit Valley public house again. The mushroom taco was good but I wish they put more filling. Cauliflower one was good too but I thought the mushroom one was tastier. The veggie tamale was very good and surprisingly juicy (no pics because I made a mess opening it). The employee who served us was also very cool and nice! Highly recommend.
Andrew Studer
I've always really enjoyed eating at Tamale Boy's Portland locations. While in the area, I stopped by the Happy Valley location for the first time for dine in. I noticed a big difference in my experience here as the salsas (which are usually left out for you to bring to your table in Portland), were kept behind the counter and rationed off into three of the tiniest plastic containers. Despite this being a completely unnecessary consumption of single use plastics, I felt like I was unable to fully enjoy my meal and use the amount of salsa I want... (I promise I don't always drown my food in salsa).Considering I chose to dine in to utilize the very tasty salsas as I've done at TB's Portland locations countless of times, this was a bit disappointing. Additionally, the usual veggies for the burrito were served on the side for some reason instead of included into the wrapped burrito. A bit odd but not the end of the world.Overall, I left feeling a bit disappointed considering I've only ever had incredible experiences at their Portland locations but the food is overall pretty great and reasonably priced!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Pp Inmouth
The food was good not great. I found it really gritty. Like sand was in my food. I like my food to be somewhat spicy. The chili Verde didn't come close to making me sweat. I added more salsa and Still hot the spicy level.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tamales Oaxaquenos Half Dozen
Amy P.
Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow. I would have preferred some other choice words to describe the absolute ecstasy I just experienced while devouring Tamale Boy's seasonal Tamazole soup, but I'm trying to keep this PG. In all seriousness that was the best soup I have EVER had, hands down. I'm recovering from a cold and it cleared out my sinuses like a machete cutting through a thick jungle. Oh wow. I am a sucker for hominy and this soup delivered in spades! Accompanied by almost a whole juicy lime for squeezing, and an entire tamale floating in luscious spicy broth. Garnished with avocado, onion, and thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (bless you Mexico for elevating this most humble and robust ingredient), I would very happily die right now. If I ever end up on death row this will no doubt be my last meal. GET IT NOW.
Ryan B.
This place is great for quality Mexican food. You can't beat the beer options being at Public House.
Tia J.
We stopped in this location because we could see the large signage for the "public house". I had in mind that it would be bar food type offerings, fried foods, sandwiches, possibly burgers... that's not what this place is. As we strolled around we found food pods, a lot like what you'd find in a mall food court. Tamale Boy was one of these as well as a pizza place and one other. Since we were starving we decided on Tamale Boy for our meal. The service here was great! Super friendly people and great customer service. The food was just ok though. We chose a salad and a chimichanga with an order of chips and guac. The chips and guac were the best part. The guac had great flavor. The salad and chimichanga weren't great. The rice served as a side wasn't good at all. Since tamale is in their name we might stop back in to try a variety of those and I'll update my review at that time.
Nikky B.
Came for late lunch looking for fresh tamale since I have been craving it since this summer and still haven't found a decent place in or around PDX. One key factor, in the last year or so most of the conferences and meetings I attended, the Tamale Boy was catering them. So I was hoping fresh tamale would be better.This Happy Valley location is located inside the Valley Public House in Happy Valley sharing space with Whiskey Barrel Lounge and Ranch Pizza. The Valley Public House turns 3 on October 28th, 2023. I don't know if Tamale Boy joined this shared space from the beginning.The portion of tamale is very generous, more than enough for two servings or to share with another person. For a non-Hispanic food lover like me, what I love and crave about tamale is the masa; this is the primary make-it-or-break-it for me! Unfortunately, both of the tamales I ordered the masa were bland and too little compared to the meat portion. The green sauce was what saved it for me to finish 1/3 of each tamale. If you prefer meat a lot more than masa in your tamale, then this is your place. Oaxaquenos Tamale-Cochinita Pibil, steamed in a banana leaf ($6): slow-roasted pork in citrus juices, achiote, and a variety of spices specialty of the state of Yucatan. The pork was too salty for my taste even with the citrus juice.Norteno Tamale-Tinga de Pollo, steamed in corn hush ($5.25): the chicken in this one had a bit more flavor and was much more enjoyable than the slow-roasted pork in the Cochinita Pibil. Again, as I mentioned above for both tamales, the masa had a very disappointing lack of flavor and portion. Tostadas De Ceviche GF-Seasonal Specials ($16): this was surprisingly a hit and saved it for me during my first visit here! I would definitely come back for this! Though it listed both tilapia and shrimp ceviche marinated in lime juice, which is what I prefer over a tomato base, there was noticeably more shrimp than tilapia in all three crispy tostadas. I could taste the marinated shrimp but couldn't say the same for the tilapia. Everything that came with this was well-seasoned and balanced in textures. Well Done, Tamale Boy! If you like lime-based ceviche, this is a must-get item!Platanos Fritos ($6): only 2.5 slides, too little for this price, and was over-fried for sure. The flavor was still good since the plantains were ripe with sweetness. It was not worth the money nor satisfied my dessert craving.Cafe Luna ($5): it was too sweet and too weak coffee for me, forgettable. Overall, prompt and friendly service! It is a much-needed addition to Happy Valley's growing eateries. Opens 7 days a week until 9:30 PM, except Sunday until 8:30 PM per Yelp's hours updated 3 months ago.P.Y. (Post Yelp): My own spin on giving a shout-out to place with Toilet Seat Covers! The shared restroom space is cleaned and well-stocked with toilet seat covers!
This place was recommended by a family member and I must say I was mildly surprised, the place is clean the atmosphere is welcoming and best of all the food is pretty dam good, we had the tamales Verde with a order of refried beans and chips plus a pepperoni pizza and a couple of coconut and strawberry smoothies to wash it all down with, I can honestly say the service provided the our server Lorenzo was excellent but its the food at a good price that'll keep us coming back, all together I think we spent around 35.00 for this feast, not bad at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tamales Oaxaquenos Half Dozen
Katy S.
Wow this food was so f***ing good!! I ordered most of the vegetarian options on the menu (lol) and my boyfriend and I were full halfway through our plates but still finished the whole thing. The churros were delicious as well. I ordered for pickup and it was ready super quickly!! Very impressed and stoked to be so close to such good food.
Valerie A.
I was strongly encouraged to try this place based on "non Hispanic" access......basically you don't have access to homemade. We bought mole(not on menu but they have it), rajas, green, and tinga. The make or break for me in a tamale is the masa. They did have an excellent proportion of filling to masa. Unfortunately the masa consistency varied in each flavor. Rajas is my absolute favorite tamale in any form these felt absolutely flat. The rajas had a small a blob of cheese, the peppers, red sauce and then corn had been added, which was a first for me. The tinga was blah, they was a large amount of chicken and red sauce which was at bad but tinga is onions....glorious, juicy, onions, chipotle and warming your soul with some chicken. The only one I would stomach again was the green sauce, I like the heat, the masa was under, the meat was mush and unidentifiable. I get what they are trying to do but it was fail for me. The tamales are huge, one serves 2! Packaging was done very well. staff was friendly and responsive, location was clean.
Cindy Q.
Dear Tamale Boy, Where have you been all my life? My valet, Uber Eats, hooked us up on this blind date tonight. You did not disappoint. You started out strong with a light creamy queso fundido which after a few bites, started to make my mouth tingle. Way to get spicy on the first date!The appetizer led into three small, but very plentiful barbacoa tacos. I loved how you wrapped them in blue corn tortillas. Very classy. One bite in and I knew we were going to have a second date sometime in the near future. The meat was so tender and juicy. And that flavor. Wow! Knock my socks off and I now I can't wait to taste the whole menu. Tamale Boy, thanks for being such an amazing first date. You showed up on time. You presented yourself very nicely. You made me smile. You made my mouth tingle. And you left me wanting to come back for more. How does Friday night sound?
I had to edit my response after this horrible esablishments response to my review. By far the worst food I have ever eaten. I took 2 bites. The del Mar burrito was the worst wet burrito I have ever had. No flavor except the clam chowder that was poured all over it. It was like vomit! Disgusting garbage. The smell alone made me gag!! What ever you are cooking up you should just stop. I will come in and cause a scene if you keep coming food.
Atmosphere: 1
Recommended dishes: Chips
Fantastic tamales and burritos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the Brussel sprouts very good and well cooked added some habanero sauce. I will be back here for more.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bruselas Fritas Vegan GF
Loved Tamale Boy and Valley Public House in Happy Valley! I got the vegetarian tamale, guacamole, and 2 tacos: cauliflower & a mushroom one. I was a big fan of the guacamole and will be getting it whenever I visit Valley public house again. The mushroom taco was good but I wish they put more filling. Cauliflower one was good too but I thought the mushroom one was tastier. The veggie tamale was very good and surprisingly juicy (no pics because I made a mess opening it). The employee who served us was also very cool and nice! Highly recommend.
I've always really enjoyed eating at Tamale Boy's Portland locations. While in the area, I stopped by the Happy Valley location for the first time for dine in. I noticed a big difference in my experience here as the salsas (which are usually left out for you to bring to your table in Portland), were kept behind the counter and rationed off into three of the tiniest plastic containers. Despite this being a completely unnecessary consumption of single use plastics, I felt like I was unable to fully enjoy my meal and use the amount of salsa I want... (I promise I don't always drown my food in salsa).Considering I chose to dine in to utilize the very tasty salsas as I've done at TB's Portland locations countless of times, this was a bit disappointing. Additionally, the usual veggies for the burrito were served on the side for some reason instead of included into the wrapped burrito. A bit odd but not the end of the world.Overall, I left feeling a bit disappointed considering I've only ever had incredible experiences at their Portland locations but the food is overall pretty great and reasonably priced!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
The food was good not great. I found it really gritty. Like sand was in my food. I like my food to be somewhat spicy. The chili Verde didn't come close to making me sweat. I added more salsa and Still hot the spicy level.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tamales Oaxaquenos Half Dozen
Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow. I would have preferred some other choice words to describe the absolute ecstasy I just experienced while devouring Tamale Boy's seasonal Tamazole soup, but I'm trying to keep this PG. In all seriousness that was the best soup I have EVER had, hands down. I'm recovering from a cold and it cleared out my sinuses like a machete cutting through a thick jungle. Oh wow. I am a sucker for hominy and this soup delivered in spades! Accompanied by almost a whole juicy lime for squeezing, and an entire tamale floating in luscious spicy broth. Garnished with avocado, onion, and thinly sliced iceberg lettuce (bless you Mexico for elevating this most humble and robust ingredient), I would very happily die right now. If I ever end up on death row this will no doubt be my last meal. GET IT NOW.
This place is great for quality Mexican food. You can't beat the beer options being at Public House.
We stopped in this location because we could see the large signage for the "public house". I had in mind that it would be bar food type offerings, fried foods, sandwiches, possibly burgers... that's not what this place is. As we strolled around we found food pods, a lot like what you'd find in a mall food court. Tamale Boy was one of these as well as a pizza place and one other. Since we were starving we decided on Tamale Boy for our meal. The service here was great! Super friendly people and great customer service. The food was just ok though. We chose a salad and a chimichanga with an order of chips and guac. The chips and guac were the best part. The guac had great flavor. The salad and chimichanga weren't great. The rice served as a side wasn't good at all. Since tamale is in their name we might stop back in to try a variety of those and I'll update my review at that time.
Came for late lunch looking for fresh tamale since I have been craving it since this summer and still haven't found a decent place in or around PDX. One key factor, in the last year or so most of the conferences and meetings I attended, the Tamale Boy was catering them. So I was hoping fresh tamale would be better.This Happy Valley location is located inside the Valley Public House in Happy Valley sharing space with Whiskey Barrel Lounge and Ranch Pizza. The Valley Public House turns 3 on October 28th, 2023. I don't know if Tamale Boy joined this shared space from the beginning.The portion of tamale is very generous, more than enough for two servings or to share with another person. For a non-Hispanic food lover like me, what I love and crave about tamale is the masa; this is the primary make-it-or-break-it for me! Unfortunately, both of the tamales I ordered the masa were bland and too little compared to the meat portion. The green sauce was what saved it for me to finish 1/3 of each tamale. If you prefer meat a lot more than masa in your tamale, then this is your place. Oaxaquenos Tamale-Cochinita Pibil, steamed in a banana leaf ($6): slow-roasted pork in citrus juices, achiote, and a variety of spices specialty of the state of Yucatan. The pork was too salty for my taste even with the citrus juice.Norteno Tamale-Tinga de Pollo, steamed in corn hush ($5.25): the chicken in this one had a bit more flavor and was much more enjoyable than the slow-roasted pork in the Cochinita Pibil. Again, as I mentioned above for both tamales, the masa had a very disappointing lack of flavor and portion. Tostadas De Ceviche GF-Seasonal Specials ($16): this was surprisingly a hit and saved it for me during my first visit here! I would definitely come back for this! Though it listed both tilapia and shrimp ceviche marinated in lime juice, which is what I prefer over a tomato base, there was noticeably more shrimp than tilapia in all three crispy tostadas. I could taste the marinated shrimp but couldn't say the same for the tilapia. Everything that came with this was well-seasoned and balanced in textures. Well Done, Tamale Boy! If you like lime-based ceviche, this is a must-get item!Platanos Fritos ($6): only 2.5 slides, too little for this price, and was over-fried for sure. The flavor was still good since the plantains were ripe with sweetness. It was not worth the money nor satisfied my dessert craving.Cafe Luna ($5): it was too sweet and too weak coffee for me, forgettable. Overall, prompt and friendly service! It is a much-needed addition to Happy Valley's growing eateries. Opens 7 days a week until 9:30 PM, except Sunday until 8:30 PM per Yelp's hours updated 3 months ago.P.Y. (Post Yelp): My own spin on giving a shout-out to place with Toilet Seat Covers! The shared restroom space is cleaned and well-stocked with toilet seat covers!
Restaurantji Recommends
This place was recommended by a family member and I must say I was mildly surprised, the place is clean the atmosphere is welcoming and best of all the food is pretty dam good, we had the tamales Verde with a order of refried beans and chips plus a pepperoni pizza and a couple of coconut and strawberry smoothies to wash it all down with, I can honestly say the service provided the our server Lorenzo was excellent but its the food at a good price that'll keep us coming back, all together I think we spent around 35.00 for this feast, not bad at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tamales Oaxaquenos Half Dozen
Wow this food was so f***ing good!! I ordered most of the vegetarian options on the menu (lol) and my boyfriend and I were full halfway through our plates but still finished the whole thing. The churros were delicious as well. I ordered for pickup and it was ready super quickly!! Very impressed and stoked to be so close to such good food.
I was strongly encouraged to try this place based on "non Hispanic" access......basically you don't have access to homemade. We bought mole(not on menu but they have it), rajas, green, and tinga. The make or break for me in a tamale is the masa. They did have an excellent proportion of filling to masa. Unfortunately the masa consistency varied in each flavor. Rajas is my absolute favorite tamale in any form these felt absolutely flat. The rajas had a small a blob of cheese, the peppers, red sauce and then corn had been added, which was a first for me. The tinga was blah, they was a large amount of chicken and red sauce which was at bad but tinga is onions....glorious, juicy, onions, chipotle and warming your soul with some chicken. The only one I would stomach again was the green sauce, I like the heat, the masa was under, the meat was mush and unidentifiable. I get what they are trying to do but it was fail for me. The tamales are huge, one serves 2! Packaging was done very well. staff was friendly and responsive, location was clean.
Dear Tamale Boy, Where have you been all my life? My valet, Uber Eats, hooked us up on this blind date tonight. You did not disappoint. You started out strong with a light creamy queso fundido which after a few bites, started to make my mouth tingle. Way to get spicy on the first date!The appetizer led into three small, but very plentiful barbacoa tacos. I loved how you wrapped them in blue corn tortillas. Very classy. One bite in and I knew we were going to have a second date sometime in the near future. The meat was so tender and juicy. And that flavor. Wow! Knock my socks off and I now I can't wait to taste the whole menu. Tamale Boy, thanks for being such an amazing first date. You showed up on time. You presented yourself very nicely. You made me smile. You made my mouth tingle. And you left me wanting to come back for more. How does Friday night sound?
Food was very good. Guacamole was fresh.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5