Manuel's Hot Tamale's

Ice Cold Beer and Manuel's
Nuthin bettuh! Ya eat a tamale, den take a big swig a beah. Da beah congeals da grease onna roof a ya mouth so dat it's coated and ready fuh da nex tamale! Itsa kinda lahk a nevuh endin cycle...tamale, beah, grease mout, tamale, beah......
OkieYat
Thu Mar 20 08:23:02 2003

...my dad reminded me that on Jefferson Highway there was a tamale place named 'Manuel's' which years ago also had a thriving bookie operation on the premises. Does anyone know if this place still exists?
LakeviewGal
Tue Mar 18 23:04:57 2003

We used to go Manuel's on Jeff when I was in high school. There never were many people in there, and I wondered how they could keep it open. Now I know!

My best friend from high school had an aunt who was a bookie, so we didn't have to bother with going to strangers. Aunt Mae's bookie phone was in a fake window air-conditioner, and the family legend was that the one time she was raided, she stuffed her books in the toilet (excuse me, terlit) and had her son sit on it looking as though he was taking care of business.
OkieYat
Wed Mar 19 19:12:33 2003

Mr. Lake
No longer on Jefferson Hwy.
Tue Mar 18 23:10:10 2003

The only Manuel's that I know of that's still open is on Carrolton near Canal (is it near Canal?). Just a window really, like a snowball stand. But they make tamales which are sold frozen in local supermarkets. You probably remember seeing little carts and the vans all around the city -- they usually had a light shining on a little 'Manuel's Hot Tamales' sign. Can't remember the last time I saw one of those.

Manuel's has more than just tamales to offer. You can also order tacos, enchiladas, nachos, tamales with chili and cheese or hot dogs with chili and cheese. These are only available at the Carrollton Avenue takeout location and you can even dine al fresco at the picnic tables provided by Manuel's.   CopCop

MidCityMan
Thu Mar 20 08:50:07 2003
... the original Manuel's Hot Tamales was an old Mexican
gentleman with a pushcart back in the 1950's on the corner
of Carrolton and Canal. My father used to give me a couple
of dollars and I'd ride there on my bike to purchase 4 dozen
tamales which were absolutely delicious. He'd wrap them in
newspapers,I don't know if that affected the flavor or not
but it sure spoiled me for any other tamales after that.
I left da city in the early sixties and when I finally
got back he was gone and there was a building across the
street from his original location proclaiming Manuel's
Hot Tamales. I would assume his family are the proprietors.

http://www.manuelshottamales.com/

If you're craving those Manuel's Hot Tamales, you can order them on line at http://www.manuelshottamales.com/index.htm
but I doubt that you'll get them wrapped in newspaper.

BTW, they STILL wrap them in 'da papuh' if you purchase them yourself on S. Carrollton.
CopCop

Tamales here are about the size of your finger. In most other places they're about 6 inches long and an inch or more wide. My husband and I got a kick out of a young couple at Manuels a few years ago--they were pondering how many to order. They decided on 6 for the 2 of them. We informed them that a dozen each was more like it.  Mr. Lake

Mr. Lake
Red Beans and Manuel's???
Wed Mar 19 23:07:54 2003
 
Never had that combo. Or spaghetti and Manuel's. Beer and Manuel's is my favorite combo.

It's good to see that 'out'ta townahs' can order up a few dozen online. I've had the frozen product and it is very good.

Big Mac eater downs 19,000th burger
The guy (Don Gorske) says he's obsessive compulsive and 'In fact, attorneys defending McDonald's against a lawsuit claiming its food makes people fat used Gorske as an example of someone who frequently ate fast food but stayed slim.' Story from CNN at http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/Midwest/03/20/offbeat.big.mac.ap/index.html

I wonder if anyone has kept track of how many Manuel's hot tamales they've eaten.