Hundreds line up for tamales at 2 San Antonio staples ahead of Christmas

SAN ANTONIO – Hundreds gathered early Tuesday across two San Antonio staples to get their hands on a necessary holiday tradition — tamales.

KSAT’s Patty Santos and photojournalist Santiago Esparza visited two tamale shops, Tellez Tamales’ General McMullen location and Ruben’s Homemade Tamales on the East Side.

Luis and Manuela Tellez founded the General McMullen location in 1975. Recipes are a family secret, and the same employees have made the tamales for years.

Tellez Tamales has another location, its factory, located on the 1800 block of Bandera Road.

While Tellez Tamales is closed after Tuesday through Christmas, Santos met one man in line who was buying jalapeño and barbacoa tamales to “last from now through Christmas.”

Brenda Tellez, one of the shop’s owners and the daughter of Luis and Manuela, said one person even arrived at 10:30 p.m. on Monday to wait in line.

“That’s incredible that they do that, that’s their tradition,” she said.

Around 9 a.m., KSAT visited Ruben’s Homemade Tamales located on the 1800 block of Rigsby Avenue, to find about 100 people in line.

Ruben’s will be open at 7 a.m. on Christmas Eve to take orders, the shop’s owner said.

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