Seeking Out Transit-Oriented Tamales in Bellingham
New Mexico Tamale Co. is a short stroll or roll away from Cordata Station. But don't overlook Frelard Tamales at Sunnyland's El Sueñito Brewing.
At different points in time in my former media career back east, I contributed food writing and/or edited food and dining coverage for local publications in Washington, D.C., including The Washington Post's now-defunct Express commuter newspaper, Washington City Paper, and DCist, a local news site I co-founded 20 years ago and was sadly shuttered by WAMU Public Radio earlier this year.
But even when off-the-clock, seeking out good food and transit adventures have always been a great pairing.
That's been true when I've taken Route 21 to get Khmer noodle soup in Long Beach, California's Cambodia Town; the New York MTA's Q train out to Brighton Beach, Brooklyn for Uyghur dumplings and fried lamb ribs; or the TRAX Green Line in Salt Lake City for Mexican food at the Red Iguana (and its incredible diversity of mole offerings) after landing at the nearby Salt Lake City International Airport. The transit journey can be just as memorable as the food.
Living car-free in the City of Bellingham, unless I'm sticking around my neighborhood, any venturing out for food usually involves transit. After being pulled into a Thursday evening work event on short notice, I took some time off on Friday and wanted to break out of my normal lunch rhythm close to home. So I ventured to Cordata, across town on Bellingham's north end near Bellis Fair Mall, to seek out tamales.
When my partner and I moved to Bellingham, local friends and colleagues had recommended the New Mexico Tamale Company, owned by Dora Ruiz aka "The Tamale Lady," as a spot to check out at some point. But when you live car-free on the Southside, venturing to Cordata is a more involved crosstown trek, including a transfer downtown. But Friday's downtime allowed me to make the journey from Bellingham Station on the WTA's Route 232 via the Green GO Line, which terminates at Cordata Station, like so many other WTA bus routes.
For a suburban transit center in an expanse of Big Box stores, strip malls, and underutilized parking lots, there's a lot within walking distance of Cordata Station, including Whatcom Community College, the Cordata location of Community Food Co-op, a branch of the Washington State Department of Licensing, a Dairy Queen Grill & Chill, and a few strip malls, including the Cordata Place shopping center that's home to the aforementioned New Mexico Tamale Company, Pho Ly Vietnamese Cuisine, and Larabee Lager Company (which will be hosting the WTA's upcoming transit trivia night on June 11).
Admittedly, I should have scouted out New Mexico Tamale Co.'s menu online en route to Cordata to make a more informed lunch choice since there's a lot to choose from. I opted for something fairly simple: A meal combo with one tamale (traditional pork with red chile) and one side meal (shredded lettuce salad with hatch chile vinaigrette), plus a small order or pozole. My lunch was quite good but in hindsight, I could have easily had two tamales or added some beans and rice or something else.
There's clearly more I need to try here on future visits, including the hatch green chile and cheddar biscuits and gravy featured on the brunch menu. For vegetarians and vegans, you'll have good choices, too. And if you're looking to cater a larger party, you'll be in luck. Remember, tamales spark joy and bring people together!
New Mexico Tamale Co. is clearly beloved locally from the number of times it's come up in casual conversations about food in Bellingham and the fact that it's a short stroll or roll over from the Cordata Station gives it higher marks in my book. Beyond all that — and this should go without saying — hatch chiles are delicious and certainly worthy of a crosstown bus journey.
A Wonderful Marriage of Tamales and Beer in Sunnyland
When discussing transit-oriented tamales in Bellingham, it's important to not overlook a relative newcomer, Frelard Tamales at El Sueñito Brewing Company (1926 Humboldt Street at Iowa Street) in Sunnyland. I was first introduced to Frelard Tamales living in Seattle, where I'd take King County Metro's soon-to-be axed Route 20 from the U District to Frelard Tamales location on Latona Avenue NE & NE 65th Street near Green Lake.
Frelard, which got its start at the Fremont and South Lake Union farmers markets in 2015 before moving to a brick-and-mortar space in 2018, has grown into a wonderful Seattle–Bellingham marriage with Sunnyland's El Sueñito opening in 2023 with a co-located outpost of Frelard Tamales. Both were founded by Dennis Ramey and Osbaldo Hernandez, making El Sueñito Washington's first gay- and Mexican-owned brewery. Soon, Seattle will get its own co-located El Sueñito and Frelard Tamales on N. 36th Street in Fremont. (Frelard's Latona location will close when the new Fremont location opens.)
There's a lot to like about El Sueñito's beer (and I'll save that for another time) and Frelard's tamales, which include various meat, vegetarian, and vegan options, plus seasonal specials. A Frelard tamale is hefty, filling, and much larger than the ones served at New Mexico Tamale Co. I've come to enjoy Frelard's jalapeno and cheese, mushroom and cheese, and salsa roja pork tamales. (The tacos are also great and will certainly be mentioned in a future exploration of local transit-oriented tacos.) Vegetarian and vegan eaters have great choices at Frelard as well. The Sunnyland location, with its large outdoor covered patio, is a great spot to enjoy beer and tamales. I always leave satisfied and happy.
Although Frelard Tamales and El Sueñito Brewing are within a 15-minute walk of Bellingham Station via the pedestrian and bike path connecting Railroad Avenue and Bellingham High School, it is not as transit accessible as I'd like. If the WTA's Route 4 (Downtown to Cordata/WCC via Sunnyland, PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, and Birchwood) had higher frequency — it's generally once and hour and lacks Sunday service — Sunnyland's multitude of breweries, including Otherlands Brewing (2121 Humboldt Street near Virginia Street) and Kulshan Brewing (2238 James Street at Carolina Street), would be somewhat more transit friendly. Route 331 (Downtown to Cordata/WCC via Barkley and the Gold GO Line corridor) on Cornwall Avenue and Alabama Street is close by, though. But if you're headed downtown from Sunnyland, it's likely faster to walk unless you're watching the schedule closely and time things just right to catch a bus. Pro-tip: Walking along N. State Street between Sunnyland and Downtown Bellingham can be very unpleasant, so the bike and pedestrian path to and from Railroad Avenue and Bellingham Station is a better way to go.
I'm looking forward to more transit-oriented tamale treks around Bellingham this summer.
How to Get There:
- From the the WTA's Cordata Station bus hub (served by Routes 3, 4, 15, 24, 26, 27, 29, 48, 232, 331), New Mexico Tamale Company (1451 Meridian Street), is a short walk south across Westerly Road to the Cordata Place shopping center.
- Frelard Tamales at El Sueñito Brewing Company (1926 Humboldt Street at Iowa Street) is a short walk from the WTA bus stops for Routes 4, 49, 72X, and 75 at James Street & Kentucky Street and about a 15-minute walk from the WTA bus hub at Bellingham Station in Downtown Bellingham.