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Jesse’s Tortilla Factory | Waco, Texas

Opened in 1958 by Jesse Contreras, Jesse’s Tortilla Factory is family owned and operated. Today, Jesse’s Tortilla Factory is owned by Jesse’s daughter, Alice. Jesse’s son, Santos, assists in overseeing the restaurant. Today, Jesse’s supplies about 35 area restaurants.

In 2019, Jesse’s Tortilla Factory began offering weekday lunch plates from 10:30am – to 2pm. Tamale plates come with your choice of three pork or spicy pork Lists tamale plates as $9.95 plus tax and on Our Menu, tamale plates are listed for $9.75 plus tax, a difference of 20 cents. A taco salad (chips and salsa not included) costs $5.95 plus tax.

Although Jesse’s has no dine-in seating available, grab a lunch plate and head to nearby Cameron Park for a change of lunchtime scenery.

For cheese lovers, there is queso that’s available in one-cup servings all the way up to the gallon sized container. Tamales from Jesse’s are such a hit, they are made in their house on the corner complex. Employees handcraft chicken, beef, regular pork or spicy pork tamales. Tuesday is Tamale Day and Alice estimates 100 dozen tamales are made and sold weekly. Taco and chalupa shells are sold by the dozen or by the box of 108. Tamales from Jesse’s are a December tradition.

Today, Jesse’s Tortilla Factory employs almost a dozen people.

“Love this place!!! Best vendors ever!!!”

“Fresh tortillas, excellent tamales, good hot sauce/salsa and toasty corn chips! Good prices, too.”

“Great taco salad. They have great tamales too. Reasonably priced too.”

“Returning customer, Christmas time and anytime, even COVID-19 time – really good tamales! We’re heading over there now for more fresh hot pork tamales, beef tamales, and chicken tamales.”

“Knew their mom and dad and they would be proud of Alice and Santos for carrying on the tradition of making some of the best tortillas, chips, salsa, and tamales in town.”