This hidden jewel on the MS Coast has killer-good tamales with a cult following

The first time I heard about the Tamale Shak was from Chef Matt Kallinikos, the chef at Thirty-Two at the IP Casino Resort.

I think that Thirty-Two is one of the top restaurants in the South, so if Chef Kallinikos lavishes praise on a restaurant, I am going to check it out. And I sure am glad I did.

Wendy Reed is the chef and owner at the Tamale Shak, and she is fond of saying, “We love to cook.” No statement could be truer.

The Tamale Shak is a hidden jewel, and it is a small, a bit out of the way, walls and ceiling decorated with guests’ memorabilia, a one-page menu, but everything that comes across the counter from the open kitchen is killer-good.

Food of this quality only comes from a kitchen filled with passion for what it is doing, and that is the Tamale Shak. Wendy Reed learned to cook at her grandmom’s New Orleans kitchen, and one of her favorite things was making tamales.

She started this business seven years ago using the recipe she grew up with, and has since developed a cult following. This is the kind of place that you better come early, because everything is made from scratch, and when it runs out, it is done for the day.

The menu includes most of the classics you’d expect, like fresh-made tamales, burritos, quesadillas, tacos and nachos. I tried the tamale plate, and it was fabulous, made with three homemade tamales, lots of cheese, black beans, pico, sour cream and sriracha. It was bursting with complementing flavors, just a hint of fire, and perfect in every way. Make sure to ask for sides of the Shak’s housemade chili sauces.

There are five burritos to choose from, including chicken, shrimp and beef, a loaded option, a burrito smothered in red or green chili and a Shak Attack, which is described as having “everything you could imagine” on it. That’s my kind of burrito. The loaded nachos looked particularly good, with a choice of chicken or beef, and all the toppings you would expect. There are also beef, chicken, shrimp or fish tacos, adorned accordingly.

The toppings and sauces are pretty much the same for each category, but it is the quality of the toppings that makes this place so darn good. Everything is crisp, clean, fresh and sparkling with flavor and vibrant colors.

The trick, of course, is no shortcuts, just solid family recipes, made with true passion for cooking and getting it right.

There is a small wooden sign out front that says “tamales and beer.” It’s a lovely combination, and, as far as I am concerned, not much more is required.

The tamales stand up to anything found in the Mississippi Delta and are certainly the best to be found on the Coast.

Tamale Shak

Location: 1717 30th Avenue, Gulfport

Hours: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday

Phone: 228-265-3713

This story was originally published December 18, 2020 at 5:50 AM.