By Mia Mikki

In January 2020, the little Corona storefront that is now Evelia’s Tamales didn’t have a kitchen, but Evelia Coyotzi didn’t care. She liked the location; it was half a mile from the spot where for 20 years, Coyotzi had sold homemade tamales out of a food cart to a loyal fanbase of customers.

Today, those loyal customers have a place to sit and enjoy their food, and Coyotzi runs a tight ship of 18 employees serving up a variety of tamales, tacos, quesadillas, and more. But how exactly does one woman turn a tamale cart into a powerhouse of Mexican cuisine? It was a labor of perseverance and love, one that is telegraphed into nearly every tortilla and drop of salsa on the menu.

Coyotzi arrived in New York City from Tlaxcala, Mexico, in 2000, working at a McDonald’s near the World Trade Center at the time of the terror attack. When the debris settled, the McDonald was forced to shut down, and Coyotzi decided to support her family by making and selling tamales for two dollars in her neighborhood of Corona, Queens. In time, Coyotzi’s tamales gained quite a reputation, even acquiring a stamp of approval from the late Anthony Bourdain, a celebrity chef known for exploring international cultures and cuisines.

But opening a permanent location would prove to be a challenge and nearly financially ruined Coyotzi. When she finally leased the space at 96-09 Northern Boulevard in 2020, the coronavirus pandemic swept through the neighborhood, forcing Coyotzi to keep the doors shuttered until March of this year. But the bad luck didn’t stop there; for the nearly two years that Coyotzi rented the property, she had to pay rent. She depleted all her savings, but if you talk to her today, she keeps an optimistic view of her struggle, saying, “It has been a very tough 20 years, but we kept going.”

And what a treat that she did keep going. None of her tamales suffer from the telltale dryness that is all too common in the dish, and her standout dish is the chicken tamales with salsa verde, a supremely moist bundle of corn, tender chicken, and punchy, bright cilantro. When asked about the secret to her tamales, Coyotzi says, “For other people, it might be different, but for me, it has to have a lot of salsa.”

If anything falls flat, it might be the tortilla chips. A little too greasy and tough to be truly enjoyable, skipping this appetizer only means more room for another plate of tamales, perhaps the surprisingly flavorful black bean and cheese.

What’s most delightfully surprising of all? Coyotzi still charges only two dollars for her tamales, a price that is virtually unheard of in NYC. In fact, nearly everything on her menu lands under 10 dollars.

So, if you find yourself in Corona, go ahead and venture inside Evelia’s Tamales. You’ll be instantly charmed by the colorful woven tablecloths and rows of paper prayer flags strung from the ceiling. The drinks cooler is generously stocked with a rainbow of Jarritos and cups of fresh tamarind juice. Coyotzi has poured her heart and soul into the restaurant, and it’s only just the beginning for Evelia’s Tamales. Coyotzi hopes that one day, people all over New York can step into a supermarket and pick up a box of Evelia’s brand tamales. One thing’s for sure; we can all learn something about perseverance from this little Corona eatery.