Tamales Elena is widely regarded as one of the best tamale vendors in LA. It isn’t as well known as vendors in East LA and Boyle Heights primarily because they operate out of a mobile trailer in Watts. In the middle of the pandemic, they opened Tamales Elena y Antojitos, a brick and mortar in Bell Gardens.
Chef / Owner Maria Elena Lorenzo hails from Costa Chica, an area along Mexico’s Pacific coast in the state of Guerrero. The area is home to a majority of Afro-Mexicans, people of African descent that are born and raised in Mexico. The cuisine too is unique and reflects the blend of the two cultures. Lorenzo is the first to open an Afro-Mexican restaurant in LA.
The restaurant is located on busy Garfield Ave near popular John Anson Ford Park. Masks are required upon entering and due to its small size, they only allow two people inside at the same time. If someone is waiting outside to enter, you are to wait outside after placing your order. For those that wish to remain in their car, they also have a drive up window.
When they operated out of their trailer, the menu was limited to tamales and champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate). Operating from a brick and mortar, Lorenzo is able to add other items like guisado, tacos, pozole and elopozole. The word elopozole is derived from elote + pozole and is a Guerrero staple.
Fish tacos are not like the typical Baja fish tacos you find in LA. These are hard shelled tacos filled with shredded fish, onions and cilantro. Biting into them, the taste of the fresh corn tortilla nicely framed the fish, onions and cilantro. The tacos are light and delicious.
The advice given by many customers is to order the Lengua Con Platano Macho Guisado. Beef tongue is prepared well; the result is amazingly tender and it is almost like eating a tender steak. This stew is combined with plantains in a slightly spicy red sauce.
Chilaquiles Rojos is a popular breakfast dish in Guerrero. This dish is enhanced by the use of quality fresh corn tortillas. Even with the red sauce, the tortilla chips remained crunchy and the corn taste came through. Two fried eggs topped this dish.
Tamales are their signature dish. The masa is seasoned and ends up extremely moist. Both the chicken in green salsa and the pork with red salsa were delicious. I have since learned that the tamales wrapped in banana leaves are even better because they are made with fresh masa.
Lorenzo renamed her eating establishment to Tamales Elena y Antojitos (appetizers) to reflect that the menu extends beyond tamales. The food is both unique and exceptional and is definitely worth a drive out to try them.
Tamales Elena y Antojitos, 8101 Garfield Ave, Bell Gardens, CA 90201; 562.674.3043