Tamales Elena y Antojitos announced its closure last month, but the family behind it is rallying to give it another chance.
: the bright and tangy tomatillo-laden pozole verde, the thin and crispy griddle-fried fish taco pescadillas, the pinched-masa picadas dolloped with beans. In mid-May, after nearly one year of questioning their restaurant’s future, the Irras family announced they would close Tamales Elena,
Heralded for its tamales wrapped in corn husks or verdant banana leaves and an array of other dishes traditional to Guerrerense cooking — especially those from the seaside region of Costa Chica — Tamales Elena y Antojitos opened in July 2020 to widespread acclaim.
Maria Elena Lorenzo, center, with four of her five daughters — Judept, left, Maria, Heidie and Teresa Irra Lorenzo — outside Tamales Elena y Antojitos in 2021.They began to wonder whether shortening their hours could work, or tweaking their menu in a way that would minimize food costs. The family also wondered if they should change locations — perhaps move downtown, where their food might reach more customers, though the rent is still too expensive.
“A lot of people were really upset and sad that we were closing,” said Teresa, who primarily manages the restaurant’s social media. “I had to get back to a lot of people on Instagram, or people [were] calling and asking where we were, why we weren’t open, since it was all last-minute. Customers came here to the truck to look for us; since we were closed over there [in Bell Gardens], a lot of customers made it to Watts.