“Original” Solly’s Hot Tamales
- Once customers taste Solly’s Hot Tamales, they keep coming back for more.
It’s probably unlikely that when Solly’s Hot Tamales began in 1939, the original owner dreamed his tamales would still be popular 87 years later. Yet, today, the tamale stand is as popular as ever, selling tamales not only to Vicksburg residents but shipping them across the country. Once people get a taste of the hand-rolled tamales, there is simply no substitute.
People come from all over to eat Solly’s Hot Tamales. There is a map of the United States in the restaurant that marks either where customers have traveled from or where the tamales are shipped to, with all 50 states represented. People from other continents have enjoyed them as well.
Located at 1921 Washington Street in Vicksburg, the restaurant is anything but fancy. Customers walk across the concrete floor to the counter on the back wall to order. The menu has been expanded a bit over the years to appeal to a broader customer base, but there is no doubt that the tamales are the star of the show. Purchase three, six, or twelve tamales, all made daily on-site, by hand, just like they always have been.
Henry Solly was a Cuban immigrant who made his way from Texas, where he learned to make tamales, to Mississippi. He originally sold his Solly’s Hot Tamales from a small white cart that he pushed through the streets of downtown Vicksburg. Henry eventually opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Before he died in 1992, he turned the business over to his friend, May Belle Hampton, and her daughter, Jewel McCain. Both women worked at Solly’s.
McCain now owns Solly’s, but due to health issues, Karen McKnight is running the business. McKnight relies on help from her extended family to assemble and roll the tamales each day.
In addition to tamales, Solly’s offers chili burgers and chili dogs, burritos, Frito pies, nachos, fries (plain or loaded), or the popular Fiesta, which includes tamales smothered with refried beans, chili, onions, cheddar cheese, picante sauce, sour cream, and served with tortilla chips.
But it’s the tamales that keep people coming back, year after year. The recipe for the Delta-style tamales has never changed. The filling is made with ground beef with Solly’s special blend of seasonings. The dough is made of white cornmeal, and they are rolled into corn husks. There is a two-step process to cooking the tamales, starting with steaming them before adding water and allowing the tamales to stew in the sauce that is formed.
Once customers taste Solly’s Hot Tamales, they keep coming back for more. Now, generations of people look forward to eating the famous tamales, which have set the standard in Vicksburg and beyond.
The restaurant was awarded the Best of Vicksburg 2025 in the Mexican Restaurant category by BusinessRate, based on Google data on customer satisfaction, brand reputation, and service excellence. That authentic feedback from customers is what will propel the business into the future so that new generations can enjoy the flavor of Solly’s Hot Tamales for years to come.
Solly’s Hot Tamales is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 10:30am to 5pm.
Susan Marquez
