Rant: The $2.50 tamale lady outside the laundromat on 7th vs the $9 'artisan' tamales downtown

Sean Murphy · 2026-09-29T15:15:09.574792+00:00

So last Tuesday I'm hauling two loads of towels to the Spin Cycle on 7th and there's this woman set up on a folding table with a cooler, selling tamales out of a pot still steaming. I grabbed three for $7.50, ate one standing on the sidewalk, and it was honestly better than anything I've paid triple for downtown. Now here's my problem: half the people I tell this to say I'm nuts for eating food off a folding table, and the other half act like I just found the holy grail. The downtown spot charges $9 for two, has a chalkboard menu, and the masa is dry every single time I've gone. But they have a permit, a sink, and a health grade posted on the wall, and she has none of that as far as I can tell. I want to be a good neighbor and I also want good tamales, and I don't know how to weigh those two things. Where do you all draw the line on street food that slaps but has zero paper trail? Do you ask about permits or just hand over your cash and say thanks?

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Rant: The $2.50 tamale lady outside the laundromat on 7th vs the $9 'artisan' tamales downtown | Cheap Eats Heroes - HW Forums