Frelard Tamales was doing brisk business when I stopped by on a Friday for lunch with my dad. The establishment serves authentic Mexican tamales out of a barnyard door along Latona Avenue NE in Seattle's Green Lake neighborhood. Through the tall glass windows, I could see women busily making mounds of them.

The tamales come in many varieties, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Being a carnivore myself, I ordered the salsa roja pork (pork loin, chile de árbol sauce, potatoes with herbs and spices) and the salsa verde chicken (shredded chicken breast, tomatillio salsa, onion with herbs and spices). I paired these with a side of refried beans and Monterey Jack cheese, and washed it down with glasses of watermelon and pineapple aguas frescas (a light fruit drink popular throughout Mexico).

My dad agreed that the food was not only budget friendly but the freshest and tastiest Mexican food we could recall eating.

The staff are warm and welcoming. Evangelina Sahagun, the mother of Osbaldo Hernandez, who owns the restaurant with his husband Dennis Ramey, greeted me at the door. Her Puerto Vallarta–based family recipes are the secret behind Frelard's success, although she noted that the owners are involved in "every aspect," because they create all the "different flavors that we push out."

Sahagun invited me inside to watch her make "real" tamales. When I pressed her for her favorite ones, she admitted that she couldn't get enough of the salsa roja pork and spinach & cheese.

But "everything is delicious, because I make it with love, and I love cooking," she added.

Frelard Tamales is located at 6412 Latona Avenue NE, in Seattle (206-523-6654), or online at https://www.frelardtamales.com/. It also offers delivery options and free meals for those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.