Four of Yelp’s “Top 100 Places to Eat in 2020” are in Washington State, located in Whatcom, King and Pierce counties.
The restaurant motto is "be prepared to unwrap goodness,” but customers are also showered with love from owner Dora Ruiz.
She refers to them as “sweetie” and “honey,” and regularly takes “pulse checks” to walk around the small eatery and make sure everyone is enjoying their meal.
"It's important that you take that moment to appreciate them,” she said.
The menu features tamales made with hatch chiles, which are only grown in New Mexico and offer a distinct flavor. The proportions also differ from other tamale restaurants – Ruiz uses 50% masa and 50% filling.
New Mexico Tamale Company is located at 5687 3rd Ave. in Ferndale and is open for lunch and dinner every day but Sunday.