Sometimes childhood memories are not in any way, shape, or form similar to the reality they are trying to conjure up. Luckily, some places where those memories were initially formed still exist to provide the comparison. Roosevelt Tamale Parlor is one of those places for me, and I am grateful that it still exists and even more grateful that the new owners had the wisdom to continue making the signature tamales and sauce. The rest of the menu has changed with the times, but the tamales taste like a faint memory to me, a taste memory from another time, but the same place.
As you might expect, each table is furnished with tortilla chips and salsa. It's hard to ruin a tortilla chip, so I'll pass on the judgement of these. Guacamole on the other hand can easily be ruined for me, if the chef decides to practically liquefy it in the name of smoothness. I love the chunky guacamole served here as it not only tastes of fresh, buttery avocado, it looks fresh.
Here it is the famous Roosevelt Tamale, served with creamy, refried, pinto beans and a light Spanish rice, along with the seriously good sauce. The shape is not necessarily significant, but these are less rectangular and more square, with a nice thick masa and very generous meat filling.
Beef, chicken; no matter what filling you choose, they are tender, full of flavor, totally delicious and a testament to the longevity of the recipe. I encourage everyone to try this historic San Francisco classic. It could not be considered California cuisine, but it's pure San Francisco to anyone having grown up in the city. Johnson's and the Hot House are gone, but Roosevelt still stands.
The cheese and beef enchiladas are also worthy of your attention. The rest of the menu also looks worthy of exploration and I vaguely recall a crab enchilada that was very good, but unfortunately the website is down and the menu item cannot be verified.
2817 24th St (between Bryant & York St)
San Francisco CA 94110
(415) 824-2600
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