Mesero’s Handmade Tamales Are Nashville’s Best Kept Holiday Secret

If you think you’ve already sampled every comfort Tex-Mex restaurants can offer, you might have missed one of Nashville’s most delicious winter rituals: the handmade tamales at Mesero. Known for its polished but unpretentious approach to modern Tex-Mex, Mesero quietly rolls out tamales each holiday season, a fleeting special that regulars wait for all year and newcomers are delighted to discover.

The tamales are made by hand, each one wrapped with care, filled with tender pork braised in guajillo chiles until the meat turns deep and aromatic, then tucked inside soft, fragrant masa. The tamales are served in pairs (opt fir one with tomatillo sauce, the other rich with a smooth red chile).

Mesero’s dining room hums with easy conversation. The restaurant has already become a standard for refined Tex-Mex and Margaritas. When the tamales appear in winter, they feel like the city’s own holiday tradition wrapped in corn husk and memory.

Unlike most seasonal specials, Mesero’s tamales rarely appear on the printed menu. They’re a quiet secret shared among regulars, a dish you have to know to ask for. Some customers order them by the dozen to take home, while others stop in just for a plate and a margarita before the season slips away. That fleeting nature is part of the appeal. These tamales are not meant to last all year; they’re meant to mark a moment, a taste of culinary rhythm as the year winds down.

For those who grew up eating tamales around the holidays, Mesero’s version feels familiar yet elevated. For others, it’s a revelation, a reminder that great Tex-Mex cooking can be both soulful and sophisticated. Either way, they’ve become one of the city’s best seasonal pleasures, here for a brief moment and then gone until next year.

Whether you’re a longtime Mesero regular or visiting for  the first time, these tamales capture everything we love about Dallas dining in winter: warmth, flavor, and a touch of celebration.

Make reservations or order online to try the tamales before the season ends.