LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — It's a tradition as old as time, and one local shop, Doña Maria Tamales, is churning them out by the thousands this holiday.
I stopped by one of their two valley restaurant locations and spoke to the owner's son, Xzavian Johnson, who says Dec. 23 and 24 are the busiest days of the year for the annual tamale rush.
“I don’t think they put numbers up — probably around 2,000 to 3,000 dozen a day," Johnson said.
That's 24,000 to 36,000 tamales they prepare or sell daily during the holidays.
Johnson tells me some customers order six months in advance. Just last week, Doña Maria had to cut off new holiday orders because of the mountain of tamales they still have to make.
Locals tell me they're a hit — and not just at Christmas time.
Doña Maria Tamales regular Kris Turner tells me the people are what makes this place so special and keeps her coming back.
WATCH | Take a look inside the holiday tamale rush at Doña Maria Tamales:
If you stop by Doña Maria, you'll likely see Turner and her family. She says they go every Tuesday and Sunday, but some weeks they are at Doña Maria's up to four times. This tradition all started years ago with a simple trip for drinks.
“We started coming in for the margaritas, and it just escalated from there," Turner told me.
Now, they feel like they're part of the family.
“They’re our Spanish-speaking family, because we can’t speak Spanish," said Turner. “We celebrate all our birthdays, all our special events, everything.”
Johnson and his family agree.
“I just think food in general is like, the secret to unity," Johnson said.
They've been cooking up food for Las Vegas locals since 1980.
“My mom says all the time it’s crazy, she knows people that have known her since she was a little kid, and now she knows their little kids. We see grandpas, kids — three generations of people coming in," Johnson said.
While they are no longer taking any holiday special tamale orders, Doña Maria Tamales is open for indoor dining with tamales still on the menu, hoping to bring holiday joy to everyone.
“This is Christmas; this is my family," Johnson said.
