EVERETT, Wash. — Diners are so crazy for the organic tamales at A & A Café and Tamaleria in Everett, they sell out virtually every day of the week.
The small restaurant on SE Everett Mall Way is a family-run business specializing in fresh, handmade tamales - both savory and sweet. Customers can choose between beef, chicken, pork, or vegan tamales, along with pineapple, strawberry and mango flavors for dessert.
They also offer breakfast options – tamales topped with fried eggs.
Husband and wife team Ali Carbajal and Ana Rivera run A & A Café, and the recipes reflect a rich family heritage going back generations. Carbajal's mother Lourdes designed the menu using ingredients and techniques handed down from her great-grandmother in Mexico City.
"I think it's personally nice because mostly all our customers said, “Oh, this reminds me of my mom's tamale, this reminds me of my grandma's tamale,’ so it's nice because they've been searching for that and we've been able to provide it for them,” Rivera said.
Carbajal added, “It's been great. That feedback, it's very nice to bring warm food to a warm heart.”
Everything is made from scratch, including the salsa and traditional beverages like Atole de Nuez – a hot corn-based drink that includes cinnamon water and ground pecans.
Care is also taken with the beans to make them more digestive-friendly – they’re soaked overnight and the shells are removed before cooking.
A & A Café and Tamaleria | Suite IJ, 607 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett, WA 98208, Open from 7 am – 7 pm daily. Customers can pre-order tamales.
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