Beloved Mexican food disappearing from restaurant menus across America

The tamale was once a familiar presence on Mexican restaurant menus in the United States, sharing space with tacos, burritos and enchiladas. Increasingly, though, diners looking for one may have to search.

Tamale entrées have dropped 7.8% from menus over the past five years, according to Technomic's Ignite Menu data comparing the second quarters of 2021 and 2026.

One reason may be a basic restaurant calculation: Tamales require considerable labor for something diners expect to be relatively inexpensive.