Leander eatery uses traditional family recipes

Martha and Obed Cepeda had been making tamales for their family and friends for years when in 2010 they decided to sell the homemade creations at local farmers markets. The couple turned their passion into their profession and opened Tamale Place in Leander in May 2013 with a certified commercial kitchen—a requirement set by farmers markets for vendors.

Their daughter, Cyndi Hall, manages Tamale Place, and her parents make the tamales.

"They spend six days a week, 12 hours a day in the kitchen preparing tamales," Hall said. "It takes two days from the very first step until the tamales are ready."

The tamales are all made from scratch, Martha said. Tamale Place tries to source as many products from local farmers markets as possible and uses organic masa—a dough made from corn flour—as well as hormone-free meat and seasonal produce, she said.

Each tamale is handmade, Hall said, and the Cepedas use a family recipe to ensure the tamales taste the same to every customer, every time.

"In the whole process, my parents pay close attention to the details," she said.

"We make an average of 2,000 tamales a week and we never freeze them ahead of time, so they are all fresh," Martha said.

The tamales are available in nine flavors, and customers can also order a tamale casserole. During the holidays Tamale Place offers seasonal flavors such as butternut pecan and banana leaf tamales.

"We offer a variety for everybody to enjoy—the traditional ones, the vegetarian or the vegan," Hall said.

Cedar Park resident Cristina Flores said she prefers the pork tamales.

"They taste just like the ones my grandma used to make," she said. "That is what keeps me coming back."

Tamale Place sells a selection of tamales at area farmers markets, but customers can also preorder their choice of tamales in person or online to pick up at the shop in Leander or a farmers market, she said. Preorders must be placed at least 48 hours before pickup, but the Cepedas said they need orders to be placed several weeks in advance during the holiday season.

The majority of customers first try Tamale Place at local farmers markets, Hall said, and the business has gained many loyal customers.

"I started going to the Georgetown Farmers Market and tried her tamales not knowing what to expect, and I was impressed with both the quality and flavor," Georgetown resident Susie Bullock said. "I have continued to buy a dozen tamales every two to three weeks for months now, and I'm always pleased with them."

Selling at local farmers markets

Cedar Park on Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 11200 Lakeline Mall Drive, Cedar Park

Wolf Ranch on Saturdays 9 a.m.–1 p.m. at 1015 W. University Ave., Georgetown

Georgetown on Thursdays 3:30– 6:30 p.m. at 1525 W. University Ave., Georgetown

Sun City on Tuesdays 9 a.m.–noon at 2 Texas Drive, Georgetown

Tamale Place tamale fillings:

Pork

Chicken

Cheese and jalapeno

Tex-Mex beef

Black beans

Spicy black beans

Spinach and rice

Nopales (cactus)

Some special holiday flavors available

Tamale Place, 2403 S. US 183, Ste. 102, Leander, www.tamaleplace.com, www.facebook.com/tamaleplaceoftexas, [email protected], Hours: Tue. 1–7 p.m., Wed.–Fri. 11 a.m.–7 p.m. and by appointment