Yelp released a list of the Yelp Elite Squad’s top 25 tamales in the United States, and Arizona had a contender.
According to Yelp, these restaurants are worth traveling for. The Arizona restaurant that made Yelp’s top 25 was also one of the top three spots on metro Phoenix’s 2024 best tamales list, according to Arizona Republic readers.
To curate this list of all-time favorite tamales, Yelp identified Mexican restaurants and used Yelp Elite Squad’s “volume and ratings of reviews.” All restaurants were open as of Nov. 13, 2025, and had a passing health score.
Which Arizona tamale restaurant was among the best in the U.S.? Here’s what Yelp said.
The Tamale Store in Phoenix
The Tamale Store started as a catering business by Martha Castillo and her ex-husband when they moved to the U.S. in the late ’80s. Over time, she honed in on tamales and began selling them at farmers markets. In 2008, the family opened their first brick-and-mortar store. Ten years later, the shop expanded to its current location.
Yelpers praised both sweet and savory tamales. The chipotle chicken and sweet corn tamales were specifically mentioned.
Rating: 4.5 from 705 reviewers.
Details: 15842 N. Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, 602-435-2604, thetamalestore.com.
Reporting by Bahar Anooshahr, Arizona Republic
