If you’re in the mood for a tamale, why would you go anywhere but a restaurant shaped like a tamale? The Tamale opened at 6421 Whittier Blvd in East Los Angeles in 1928, where they offered not just tamales and tamale pie, but hamburgers, chili, and something called Spanish Delight (which I had to look up and found it’s a type of casserole.) You could wash it all down with malted milk (“As you like ’em”) and for dessert a 5-cent ice cream cone. All in all, it sounds pretty good to me.
Miraculously, that building is still there. This image is from March 2021:
Still there but not serving tamales.
I recently subscribed and I enjoy your daily reports of Old LA. I found your website while searching for info on the King’s Tropical Inn, of which I have fond memories with Grandma/pa.
Thanks Steve. So many people tell me how much they loved going to King’s Tropical Inn. It really must have been a very special place.
Wow, so surprised it’s still there. Doesn’t look as much like a tamale as before, though.