Parties. Offices. Fundraisers. Holidays.
Tamales by the Dozen — For Your Party, Your Office, Your Holiday Table
From 5 Dozen to 500
We've Filled Tables From Birthday Lunches to Christmas Eves
Tamale season: all catering is pickup only. We're too busy in the kitchen to deliver and set up until the season wraps up in January. After that, full catering is back: we bring it to you and set it up.
Catering means the math gets bigger and the planning gets earlier. That's the only difference. An office lunch for forty? Give us forty-eight hours. A Christmas party for two hundred? Give us a couple weeks. A holiday catering order for fifty-plus dozen comes with a deposit, not because we're being careful with our trust, but because we're being careful with the masa. We have to order ingredients, schedule production, and reserve the steamers. Christmas tamale season runs from October through December. The closer you get to the 24th, the more days ahead you'll need to call. Order early and we can handle anything Lubbock throws at us.
The process is short. Call us, or fill out the form, and tell us how many dozen, what varieties, and the date you'd like to pick up. Victor confirms the order, you get a written total, and for big orders you put down a deposit. On the day, your order is bagged, boxed, and ready at the factory window. During tamale season, you pick up at 6205 19th.
Order Size & Lead Times
Plan ahead and we can handle anything. Here's what we need from you.
Standard Pickup
No big pre-order under 10 dozen. Come by Monday through Friday, 10:30 AM – 8 PM, or Saturday from noon to 5. Bean, cheese, and chicken are steamed fresh for you, so call at least an hour ahead for those.
Payment: Pay on pickup
48-Hour Notice
Ordering 5 or more dozen? Call or fill out the form at least 48 hours before your pickup date. We'll have your order ready and confirmed.
Payment: Pay on pickup
1–2 Weeks + Deposit
Large orders — offices, events, holiday catering — need 1 to 2 weeks lead time. A deposit is required, amount based on order size. Victor will discuss on the call.
Payment: Deposit upfront, remainder on pickup
Christmas orders are open
Christmas tamales: get your name on the list
We're already taking holiday orders by phone. Call us, tell us how many dozen and which kinds, and we'll write your name down for pickup. Holiday orders go out on two days this year: food on the 23rd, tamales on Christmas Eve.
By the second week of December every steamer we have is spoken for. The sooner you call, the easier it is for us to say yes.
We don't ship. Every holiday order is picked up here at 6205 19th St.
Holiday food orders
Wednesday, December 23
10 AM – 8 PM
Christmas tamales
Thursday, December 24 · Christmas Eve
8 AM – 5:30 PM
Fundraisers
Turn Tamales Into Money for Your Team
Raising money for a soccer team, a church group, or a school club? Sell something people are already glad to buy. We'll handle the tamales and help you get the word out.
Tell Us Your Goal
Call or fill out the form with your group, your dates, and how many dozen you're aiming for. We'll set your pricing so your team keeps a real cut of every order.
We Help You Promote It
We'll get you order sheets to pass around, and we'll help spread the word from our own counter and pages so your fundraiser reaches more of Lubbock than your group could alone.
Pick Up & Hand Out
Your whole order is bagged, boxed, and ready at 6205 19th on your date. You hand out fresh tamales, and your team keeps the difference. That's the fundraiser done.
Ready to plan one? Call (806) 780-LEAL or send us the details below and tell us it's for a fundraiser.
Common Catering Questions
Before You Place a Big Order
The questions worth answering before the form. Anything else, call (806) 780-LEAL.
Do you deliver catering orders?
Not during tamale season. Until the season wraps up in January, every catering and bulk order is picked up here at 6205 19th Street. After that, full catering comes back: we bring the food to your place and set it up. If you need a smaller order brought to you before then, DoorDash works for retail quantities.
What's the smallest catering order?
5 dozen with 48-hour notice is where we draw the line between a regular order and catering. Below 5 dozen, all we need is a call an hour ahead for bean, cheese, or chicken, so we can steam them fresh. Above 50 dozen, lead time stretches to 1–2 weeks and a deposit is required.
Can I substitute or mix varieties?
Yes. Most catering orders are a mix — half pork, half chicken is the most common, with green chile and bean filling out the order for groups with vegetarians. Tell us your breakdown when you fill out the form or call. There's no extra charge for variety mixes.
What if I need to cancel?
Call as soon as possible. For orders without a deposit (under 50 dozen), there's no cancellation penalty if you call before production starts. For orders with a deposit, the deposit covers the masa, fillings, and production scheduling that's already underway — once we've started, the deposit is non-refundable. We'll work with you in good faith on partial cancellations.
Do you set up, and do you send servers?
With full catering we deliver and set up, but we don't send servers. We drop the food off, set it out, and leave the serving to you. That's on hold during tamale season, though: from now until the season wraps up in January every one of us is in the kitchen, so all catering is pickup only.
How early should I order for Christmas?
As early as you can. Holiday orders are call-in only and go out on two days: food orders on Wednesday, December 23, 10 AM – 8 PM, and tamales on Christmas Eve, Thursday, December 24, 8 AM – 5:30 PM. Orders over 50 dozen need six to eight weeks. By the second week of December every steamer in the kitchen is full and we start having to turn orders away.
Can you accommodate dietary restrictions?
There's no lard in our masa or in any of our tamales. The masa is corn, so it's gluten-free, and most of our tamales are gluten-free too. Ask about the ones you're ordering and we'll tell you. We do share one kitchen, so cross-contact between varieties is possible. If your group has specific allergies, call us and we'll talk through what's safe and what isn't.
Request a Catering Order
Fill out the form and Victor will follow up within 1 business day. For orders over 50 dozen, please give us at least 2 weeks.
Or call directly: (806) 780-LEAL