It’s Tamale Season at The Hungarian Butcher

Plus, dim sum is coming to Grandview Yard, DankHouse is landing in OTE and more food and drink news.

The Old World butcher shop The Hungarian Butcher is also known for excellent tacos and tamales (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

Don’t Miss Tamale Tuesdays at The Hungarian Butcher

By Bethia Woolf

Some of the hottest and highly craveable items on the Columbus food scene right now are the tamales from The Hungarian Butcher. They’re only available at the Linworth butcher shop on Tuesdays from November through February—the season when tamales are most popular in Mexico.

There are a few things that make these tamales special, not only their scarcity.

Still-warm tamales at The Hungarian Butcher (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

The tamales are the handiwork of The Hungarian Butcher’s head sausage maker, Gaby Ledesma, who was born in Mexico City (though his family hails from Guanajuato). Ledesma switches up the tamale flavors each week—last week it was ropa vieja made with The Hungarian Butcher’s smoked brisket, braised in a rich tomato sauce with cumin and onion.

Earlier in the month, the lineup included puerco en salsa verde and oxtail birria. Coming up next week are tamales rajas (roasted poblano peppers and cheese), which shop owner Dan Varga told me are his favorite—high praise from such a dedicated carnivore. Varga says they plan to offer tamales dulce (sweet tamales) over Christmas.

The Hungarian Butcher’s tamales are only available on Tuesdays, now through February (Credit: Bethia Woolf)

Beyond the tamales’ complex, high-quality fillings, their masa is made with house-rendered lard from Mangalitsa pigs. You can even buy quart containers of the lard at the shop, which just celebrated its fourth anniversary.

Ledesma learned to make tamales from his uncle when he was 12 years old, and his many years of experience shine through. Here, that experience is paired with the creative possibilities of a butcher shop.

The Hungarian Butcher’s tamales are only available on Tuesdays from opening (11 a.m.) until they sell out. They make exactly 200 tamales every Tuesday—the maximum they can produce. In my recent experience, the shop typically sells out by 11:30 a.m., and sometimes before the store even opens, so I strongly encourage you to call and order ahead.

The tamales are sold in batches of 10 for $40 and are served hot and ready to eat.

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Find It:

The Hungarian Butcher

2177 W. Dublin-Granville Road, Linworth

614-600-2254

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News & Happenings

Around the Columbus Food & Drink Scene

Dublin’s Ty Ginger Asian Bistro has long been known as one of the region’s top spots for dim sum and now its owners are planning to open Dim Sum Asian Bistro at 775 Yard St., Ste. 190, formerly Jason’s Deli in Grandview Yard. According to the Columbus Dispatch, the restaurant is set to open Nov. 25 and will serve lunch and dinner.

Newark’s DankHouse Brewing Co. confirmed this weekend that the 8-year-old brewery will be adding a location in Olde Towne East. DankHouse, which was founded in 2017 by husband-and-wife team Josh and Heather Lange, will be taking over the former Camelot Cellars space at 901 Oak St. Square Roots Restaurant Group, which runs Shakedown Street Food at the Newark brewery, will also be joining DankHouse in Olde Towne East. Columbus Business First has more here.

Honest Friend Brewing (Credit: Erin Edwards)

Pranom, a Thai food pop-up that travels nationwide, is stopping by the new South Side brewery Honest Friend this weekend. The pop-up will take place noon-5 p.m. (or until sold out) Saturday, Nov. 22, at 2112 S. High St.

Linworth Grill, a dine-in Mediterranean restaurant from the owners of Zaki Grill, is now open at 2245 W. Dublin-Granville Road. The new spot replaces the hot dog eatery Junkyard Dogs.

Rambling House Music Bar (310 E. Hudson St.), which closed—seemingly for good—in late September, will reopen under new ownership on Thursday, Dec. 4. The new owners of the Old North music venue and cocktail bar are Michelle and Tucker Bohm. Matter News has more reporting about the sale and the new owners here.

If you were hitting the bar scene in the early aughts, you may remember Spice Bar at 491 Park St., which later became Spice Gastro Lounge & Club. It closed in 2010, making way (for better or worse) for the now-closed Park Street Cantina. Well, it’s 15 years later and One Hospitality Group (formerly Corso Ventures) plans to revive the concept as Spice Restaurant & Bar and reintroduce an Asian-inspired menu. Look for it to open next spring.

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