Hot Tamales
Hot Tamales is a great New Mexican restaurant located as you’re driving into Rio Rancho. The menu has just enough items but not so many you’re overwhelmed. And each dish is a great choice! Click HERE for the entire review.
1520 Rio Rancho Blvd SE, Rio Rancho, NM 87124
OVERALL BITES:
Value: Plates start at just under $10 each and go up from there. You do get complimentary chips and salsa as well as a sopapilla with each entree. You can’t go wrong with that!
Taste: This is what keeps me coming back. Hot Tamales has a unique taste that is present in every dish. The New Mexico green chile is roasted to perfection and just hot enough too!
Presentation: Nothing too fancy. Just a great hearty meal meal.
Vibe: I love the dining area of Hot Tamales. NM colors, little figurines throughout and a ceiling that is also NM through and through.
Accessibility: Right off Highway 528 on the East side just North of Intel. They do get pretty busy during the lunch hour and you may have to park across the street on the East side.
Review – Hot Tamales
A little bit of background on this review first. I’ve been wanting to review them for quite some time and have had quite a few meals there. The first time my phone died so I wasn’t able to take pictures. The second time my camera wasn’t working properly and pictures weren’t saving to my phone. I don’t recall what happened the time after that but here I am now. Pics to prove it and another great meal at Hot Tamales.
I love Hot Tamales! The atmosphere is great, the decor is pretty cool, the service is always great and the food keeps you coming back. The dining room is a good size with both a North and South area. The ceiling is distinctly New Mexican with the colors, the wood ladders and zarapes. There is also small figurines around the entire South dining area which are pretty cool. The entrance isn’t very special but the counter where you pay looks like a small casita which I thought was pretty cool.
It was right after the lunch rush so I was able to find parking pretty easily. I ordered my favorite meal – green chile chicken stuffed sopapilla. This is what I love about Hot Tamales, the green chile is always roasted perfectly and it shows in the flavor. The chile is hot but not to where you can’t taste the food. In fact, everything comes together in a perfect balance. You get two small to medium sized sopapillas stuffed with chicken, covered in lettuce and tomato, smothered in green chile and then the shredded cheese is melted on top. You also get a side of rice and beans. The portion is pretty decent where you’ll feel full but not so big you regret it later.
Hot Tamales get 4.5 Bites!!! Like I mentioned before, I’ve been trying to write this review for a while now so I’ve been able to experience them quite a few times. They are definitely one of the better restaurants in Rio Rancho. The only drawback I can find is that they open at 11am and the parking lot gets packed during lunch (which is great for them but not so much for me).
Check out their Website and Like their Facebook page too! Better yet, go get yourself some great New Mexican food at Hot Tamales!