Mexican Cuisine Favorites Vanishing From U.S. Restaurant Menus
WHO:
NY Post - Tamale entrées have dropped 7.8% from menus across America.
Fox News - Robert Mahon is a restaurant operator and director of operations for Mahon Hospitality Group.
Fox News - Elio Gomez is the executive chef at Taquería Picoso in Alexandria, Virginia.
WHAT:
Fox News - The price of a completo in Chile has increased from 2,500 pesos ($2.60) to 3,500 or 4,000 pesos ($3.60 or $4.10).
ABC News - Chile's monthly basic food basket cost just under $100 in August, up 5% from a year earlier.
ABC News - Chile's unemployment rate rose to 9.5%, the highest level in five years.
ABC News - Chile's Central Bank cut its 2026 growth forecast from the previously projected 1%–1.75% range to 0.25%–0.75%.
NY Post - Tamale entrées have decreased by 7.8% from menus over the past five years.
Fox News - Mahon stated that his restaurants have discussed offering tamales but find the economics difficult.
Fox News - Gomez's tamale-making process takes about three days.
Fox News - Gomez charges $6 for a tamale, which he considers inexpensive given the labor involved.
WHERE:
Fox News - Taquería Picoso is located in Alexandria, Virginia.
Fox News - Mahon operates restaurants named Amor Loco and Toro Loco in New York City.
WHEN:
NY Post - The data comparing tamale menu presence is from the second quarters of 2021 and 2026.
WHY:
ABC News - Rising food and transportation prices are contributing to the acceleration of annual inflation to 4.1% in the past 12 months.
Fox News - High labor requirements and limited pricing flexibility make it difficult for restaurants to offer tamales.
Fox News - Tamales are labor-intensive, requiring considerable preparation and training.
HOW:
ABC News - President José Antonio Kast has instructed his team to draft a “labor emergency plan” to be presented in the coming weeks.
Fox News - Gomez's tamale-making process includes sourcing corn from Mexico, nixtamalization, grinding into masa, and careful assembly and cooking of the tamales.
Fox News - Training for tamale preparation takes months to ensure proper technique and consistency.
(UPDATED September 20, 2026 20:56 UTC)
In Chile, the price of a completo has jumped significantly, now costing between 3,500 and 4,000 pesos, while the monthly basic food basket reached just under $100 in August, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous year. The country is also grappling with a rising unemployment rate of 9.5%, the highest in five years, and the Central Bank has revised its 2026 growth forecast down to a range of 0.25% to 0.75%. In response to these economic challenges, President José Antonio Kast has directed his team to prepare a “labor emergency plan” to be unveiled in the coming weeks.
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(UPDATED September 20, 2026 19:57 UTC)
Tamale entrées have seen a significant decline, dropping 7.8% from menus across America over the past five years. Restaurant operator Robert Mahon, who oversees establishments like Amor Loco and Toro Loco in New York City, mentioned that while his team has considered offering tamales, the high labor costs and limited pricing flexibility present challenges. In Alexandria, Virginia, executive chef Elio Gomez at Taquería Picoso takes about three days to make his tamales, which he sells for $6, a price he believes is reasonable given the extensive preparation involved.