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Tamales... what better "comfort" food is there in this world than tamales? Especially tamales that are fresh and lovingly made by friendly people... Tamales La Bamba... open weekends and located near Denio's Auction Yard, in Roseville, CA. Consider this: La Bamba offers only one product: Tamales. But... you have to keep in mind that their tamales are made in-house from fresh ingredients, and at only $4.50 each, tax included, you can afford to indulge in at least a couple of them. That's a bargain, but wait until you savor one of their delicious tamales... As with all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: Tamales La Bamba is located in a pre-fabricated metal building, on Atkinson Street in Roseville, CA, just a short block north of Denio's Farmer's Market and Swap Meet. Tamales La Bamba is located on the street outside of Joseph's Auction Town, which has been closed since 2012. You can see the old sign from Joseph's, which is still standing, and it simply reads "Town." It's a little past 10 in the morning on Sunday, April 19, 2026, and I've arrived at Tamales La Bamba to enjoy a Sunday morning breakfast of some of the best tamales in Placer County!
Photo: As you enter the restaurant, you'll meet the friendly owner of the business, Edmundo, as he relaxes behind the metal cart, which serves as the counter. There is nothing fancy about the restaurant, as the tables are folding, and the chairs are metal folding. When you order a soda or a bottled water, you may receive your order from an ice chest, as refrigerator space is limited, as the fridge is dedicated to tamales. The decor is pure Mexican, and if you close your eyes, you'd almost imagine yourself inside a small tamale restaurant in Mexico.
Photo: Today's menu selection is very simple, and offers just five varieties of tamales. Back in 2013, the restaurant stopped selling beef tamales, as according to the owner, beef was getting too expensive to offer as a selection.
Photo: Meet Edmundo Gonzalez, the super friendly owner of the restaurant, as he places my plate of two tamales on the counter. La Bamba Tamales has been in business for over twenty years, and Edmundo knows all about customer service, as he treats each customer like a member of his family. I placed my order for a chicken and a pork tamale at the counter, paid for them, and Edmundo picked them out of the refrigerator. He asked me if I wanted them to go, but I declined, as I prefer to enjoy my tamales in his dining room. The tamales arrived cold from the refrigerator, but if I had wanted them warm, the restaurant has a microwave oven for the occasion. I was in too much of a hurry to enjoy the tamale goodness to wait to have them heated!
Photo: Each table is set with two trays of sauce, a green salsa verde and a red ranchero-style red chili sauce. How do you decide which sauce to enjoy? Maybe place green sauce on one tamale, and red sauce on the other? The sauces are on the spicy side, so if you're "sensitive" in that direction, you might want to take it easy. But, the sauce is rich, robust, flavorful and enhances the delicious tamales. I highly recommend it!
Photo: I'm a happy guy, as I give a "thumbs up" to Edmundo, and the delicious tamales served at La Bamba Tamales, located in Roseville, CA.
Photo: Tamales La Bamba is a "mom and pop" restaurant that's only open on weekends, as they're located on Atkinson Street, just a short block from Denio's Auction Yard. The menu advertises several varieties of tamales... but you have to ask, as not everything is available, as the menu advertises. Today, I enjoyed a chicken and a pork tamale, which made for a delicious, early lunch. Tamales La Bamba produces amazing tamales, and is the solo "Tamale only" restaurant in Roseville, and to my knowledge, all of Placer County. Tamales La Bamba is open on Saturdays and Sundays only. Their amazing tamales are made at home, and brought to the restaurant, in stored in a refrigerator, ready for instant service. If you request, the friendly staff will warm your tamales in a microwave oven, but in my case, I love tamales any way I can find them, so I couldn't wait for the microwave, as I had to "dig in," enjoy, and "pig out" on fine tamales. One advantage of chilled tamales is that no state sales tax is charged. The masa is made from scratch, so is the sauce, and the meat is locally sourced. As I mentioned before, the tamales are made in mama's kitchen, using Grandma's recipe and brought to the store, placed in the fridge, ready for you to enjoy. In chatting with Edmundo, Friday and Saturday nights are family "tamale making nights" at home, as the staff prepares tamales in the evening, and then get up very early in the morning to ready the tamales for each day of business. It's not uncommon for the store to have a "run" on a certain variety of tamale and sell out, so just because your favorite tamale is listed on the menu doesn't mean it will be in stock, as it could be sold out. If you have your heart seat on a certain variety of tamale, I suggest you arrive early. I removed the tamales and placed them on the corn husks, which enhanced the delicious flavor, and made for a great photo. The pork tamale is the smaller one with a reddish hue, while the chicken tamale is slightly larger. Both were equally delicious!
Photo: I cut my chicken tamale in half, scooped a spoonful of green chili sauce, and enjoyed! The chicken filling was seasoned, and delicious, and when combined with the home-crafted masa, made for the perfect tamale. The green, tomatillo-based chili sauce worked especially well with the chicken tamale, and complimented the delicious flavor.
Photo: The red chili sauce seemed to go better with the pork tamale, but the green chili sauce went well too. The pork tamale began with delicious, tender pork filling, surrounded by Grandma's masa dough, giving the tamale an earthy, rustic taste that was simply out-of-this-world delicious. The delicious sauce enhanced the amazing taste of the tamale, but didn't overpower it. This sauce is bold and quite spicy, so if you're sensitive to spicy sauce, I'd suggest you add just a little to see how it works for you. No worries on my part, as I simply loved it! Great tamales, great people, and authentic Mexican cuisine. If you're looking for great tamales, look no further than La Bamba, in Roseville, CA. You'll find them open every Saturday and Sunday at their store on Atkinson St., just a block or so north of Denio's Farmer's Market and Swap Meet. Tamales La Bamba Copyright(c) 2026 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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