The Tamale House East location is on its fifth year and is run by the Inka Cinko.
Five generations of stories are behind one of Austin’s favorite Tex-Mex restaurants.
Story by Rochelle Friedewald
Photos by Brittany Mendez
One Friday night during a particularly strong craving for Migas, I walked into Tamale House East and caught the band in full swing. While the trumpet player wailed, I stood in line and observed the handful of couples on the dance floor. Most couples were older, twirling and stepping to the folk music. Some would go for a couple dips and spins, while others just held their partners close and swayed to the music, stopping between songs to sit and laugh over a couple of Micheladas. “We have live music here once in awhile,” says Rob, a bartender that works most weekends. “It’s nice to see our regulars having fun, it’s a part of the tradition, you could say.”
For Tamale House East, tradition is the name of the game. Carmen Valera and her siblings, the owners and operators of the famed establishment, have restaurant management in their blood. Most of Carmen’s early childhood memories surround the first Tamale House in Austin, an establishment operated by her grandparents, Moses and Carmen Vasquez, from 1959 to 1988. “We grew up around potato and rice bags,” Valera says.
A picture of the Virgin Mary and painting of Frida Kahlo surround the bar inside Tamale House East.
The restaurant was closed and bought out for a handsome profit, but the family affinity towards authentic cooking was not lost. The children of Carmen and Moses Vasquez owned and operated their own Tamale Houses. Bobby Vasquez opened his restaurant on Airport Boulevard and Valerie Vasquez opened hers near the University of Texas at Austin campus. Over the decades both establishments were closed and never reopened, leaving behind one remaining relic of the Vasquez family legacy – Tamale House East.
The story that led to the Tamale House East locals know and love today is unique. When Carmen Valera’s mother, Diane Vasquez-Valera, bought the east side property, her aspirations seemed far-fetched. Right next to the railroad tracks and in a part of town that was deemed undesirable and rundown, she opened a restaurant that seemed doomed from the start.
Tamale House East was also somewhat of a departure from the Vasquez family formula. Instead of strictly using the recipes passed down from generation to generation, Diana incorporated dishes that blended her Peruvian husband’s cuisine with the traditional Mexican fare she grew up with in her parent’s restaurant. After years of operation, she closed the restaurant to focus on her real estate career, but kept the family living in the upstairs apartment.
Enchiladas Verdes with rice and beans are a popular dish.
Diane’s five kids, including Carmen, went on to college to pursue their careers and travel the world, but kept coming back to the little, hidden gem on East Sixth. “We just couldn’t let that great kitchen go to waste,” joked Juan Vasquez, one of Diane’s children and co-owner of Tamale House. With the neighborhood flourishing at the time, they knew if they were going to do this, they had to commit. They renovated the kitchen, opened up a little patio area, and added vegan dishes, specialty Migas and Sunday brunch to the menu.
What once was a quiet Austin spot has become a gentrified neighborhood, with condos and art studios popping up out of thin air. As real estate costs increase, the Vasquez family seems to grow stronger and more determined to preserve their undeniable space in the Austin food scene. “Our family has seen our property taxes double, triple.” says Diane, the original Tamale House East operator and now mentor to Carmen Valera, who leads the siblings currently running the establishment. “This hasn’t scared us. It’s a great thing when you can run a business and bond as a family. We aren’t going anywhere.”
A group of friends talk at the patio area of the restaurant.
Even as the effects of gentrification threaten the Tamale house legacy’s livelihood, the authentic establishment seem to be a hotspot locals can’t live without. Some patrons praise the Migas, declaring it the best spot in the city for the Tex Mex favorite. “I come every Tuesday after my shift, just before they stop serving them at three,” says avid customer Greg.
Others say the huge, hearty tamales are the crowning jewel of the establishment. Though many throw their own personal favorite in the battle of the best Tamale House East meal, one thing is clear – the Vasquez family legacy is a beloved one.
