Dona Maria Tamales

Dona Maria Tamales is not only a landmark in Las Vegas – family-owned and -operated since 1980 – but beloved for its tamales and other authentic Mexican fare.

Just how authentic? Longtime Las Vegas Review-Journal restaurant critic Heidi Knapp Rinella says if you want to get some idea, stop by while there’s a big Mexican soccer game on the big-screen TV.

“It’s a lot of fun,” she said. “You can really revel in the cheering – and yes, sometimes a little jeering – for one team or the other, while getting your fill of well-made Mexican specialties.”

But back to those tamales: Dona Maria’s are so popular it’s become the go-to spot for families putting in special orders for Christmas Eve. And no wonder: These are the real deal, the just-thick-enough masa enfolding fillings of pulled pork or shredded beef in mild red sauce, shredded chicken in spicy green sauce, Monterey jack cheese with green chilies or sweet pineapple and raisin.

But Dona Maria definitely is about more than tamales. If your favorite Mexican dishes include burritos, enchiladas, tacos, tostadas or fajitas you’ll find them on this menu, in seemingly endless combinations.