Score one for cultural appropriation?

I’ll confess that I tend to be a partisan of the Delta variation on the tamale, that Mexican/Central American dish that dates back thousands of years. 

Essentially a Black Southern twist on what was introduced as Mexican migrant food, the Delta tamale is usually made with cornmeal rather than the traditional masa dough and tends to be smaller, wetter and spicier. The result of this ingenious culture clash is one of the great culinary treats of the Mississippi Delta. 

But my favorite traditional tamale in Memphis is at Emilio’s Grocery on Getwell, just south of I-240. 

Emilio’s became a favorite occasional lunch spot after I discovered it half a dozen or so years ago, but I had not been back since pre-COVID. It had been too long. 

Here, the masa’s not too dry. The pork is fresh, tender and well-spiced. And most importantly, the two elements are close to equally balanced. You don’t find yourself hunting through the masa for a bite of pork. You can also get chicken tamales at Emilio’s, but pork is my preference. 

Emilio’s is a small grocery store with about three aisles of dry goods, a couple of registers in the middle, and a tight but bountiful produce section at the west end, opposite the entrance. This central space is bookended by a butcher counter to the left and a little dine-in lunch space to the right. 

Though I only discovered Emilio’s half-a-decade ago, it’s been around since 1994 and claims to be the first store in Memphis to serve “authentic menudo, carnitas” and other items, including fresh specialty produce from Mexico and Latin America, to a primarily Hispanic customer base. The menudo – a spicy beef tripe soup with hominy – is available on weekends only, and seems to be a big seller.

Unless you live or work in the immediate area, it’s the kind of neighborhood spot that probably requires a detour, and it’s worth it.

The lunch counter, so to speak, includes about 10 tables, brightly lit and adorned with colorful streamers that crisscross the space. A makeshift wall of on-sale piñatas separates it from the registers. 

There’s a full menu here. Tacos, enchiladas, burritos, etc. On the day I visited, there was a birria taco special. And there’s a full self-serve taco bar, which offers plentiful paths to adornment, whatever your order.

But I came to get reacquainted with the tamales, which are a $10 deal twice over.

A tamale plate – two tamales with rice and beans – is just $4.99. It could be a “$5 deal,” and I’m not sure you can get a better lunch in Memphis with just a Lincoln (and a little change for tax). But even if you add a large agua fresca – I had the yummy horchata – your total lunch bill, including tax, comes in at $9.31. 

Or does it?

The tamale plate actually isn’t on the menu board – new since I last visited – and when I asked if I could get a tamale plate for lunch, the nice young woman behind the counter seemed uncertain. 

She retreated to the kitchen and someone came out with her to confirm the option and show her where it was on the register. 

The man waiting behind me, a regular it seemed, ordered the same, chicken rather than pork. After we both sat down, he told me that he gets a tamale plate all the time and the person at the register is often confused about it. Sometimes he’s charged $4.99. Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less. So it goes.

Most of the tamale business seems to be takeout, and that’s where the variation on a $10 deal comes in: You can get a pack of half-a-dozen, wrapped and warm and ready – for $7.99 a bundle.

I say why choose? I got a six-pack of pork tamales to take home. There are also whole, roasted chickens to go. On past visits there have been cinnamon-dusted churros at the counter. None this time, but I’ll look again.

The tamales aren’t the only thing I got to go.

I love small grocers, and especially ones that are region- or cuisine-specific. As a Midtowner, I’m a semi-regular shopper at Viet Hoa, the great Asian market on Cleveland, between Poplar and Union.

The butcher counter at Emilio’s is a “best-kept secret in Memphis” contender, so I got a pound of pastor-style pork and a few other items. Tonight will be taco night at my place. 

As I was receiving my pastor, a big pan of fresh-made fried pork rinds were placed atop the counter, under a heat lamp. I snapped a photo before I went to check out, but I did not buy any. I do not know why. I blinked. I’m disappointed in myself and pledge to do better next time. And this time next time won’t be more than a year. 

Emilio’s Grocery, 2757 Getwell Road, 901-365-3015.