Berta's Tamales

I've seen this truck parked on Cesar Chavez Drive (S. 16th St.) off Mineral many times, and I was in the mood for a burrito, so I took a drive on Chavez to look for the usual trucks. Then I saw Berta's and decided to try their tamales, since I've never ordered from this truck before. The menu is small, which is a good thing because you can't do much on a truck.Tamales were $1.50 each, burritos were $5.50, and tacos were $1.75 to $1.95, the flour tortilla cost a bit more than the corn tortilla tacos. I also saw quesadillas and tortas on the menu.I rarely order tamales because most places will use too much masa (the corn "shell" under the husk - you don't eat the husk) so the filling to masa ratio is way off and favoring the masa, or the masa is too dry. I like a tamale to have enough filling and a thin enough layer of masa that the filling is the star and provides the dominant flavor. I ordered one pork and one chicken. The tamales were very easy to unwrap (you don't eat the husk it's wrapped in), so bonus points there. Often the husk gets embedded into the masa when it's rolled, and I'll have to surgically remove corn husk from my tamale without breaking the tamale apart. That gets messy.The pork tamale (or tamal, if you prefer) was pretty good. The pork seemed to be stewed, so the broth added flavor to the masa. The pork was tender and had a good flavor. The chicken tamale was an example of what I don't like about tamales. The masa to filling ratio was off, and even though the masa wasn't as dry as I expected, it was still a bit too bland. The chicken had a decent marinade, may have been salsa verde, but not enough to tell. So, I liked one but not the other. However, the one that I liked was good enough to make me go back and try other menu items, like their tacos or burrito, or maybe a torta.

So, I love Tamales. Remind me of eating when young with my Dad. I order it at every restaurant. Yes, most places don't really do it right. They are dry, hopelessly dry. It's not the masa/filling ratio. It's that they take a long time to make them, so they make a large batch and let them get dry in the kitchen.I don't know what magic Berta uses, but by the Holy Mother these are the best tamales I have had in Wisconsin. The masa is crumbly and moist. It's not dry at all. It's rich with chicken flavor - they obviously use a stock. It's melts and crumbles (mumbles?) in your mouth. It's literally the definition of heavenly mouthfeel.The pork have a fantastic sauce/spice ratio. The corn flavor comes through distinct from the filling. The filling is tender. They come with a red sauce. It's delicious but not necessary. the tamal filling caries the flavor. The chicken was actually an outlier. I thought it wasn't as flavorful - except I hadn't gotten a chance to use the salsa verde. For the chicken you must use the Salsa Verde. But it so perfectly pairs. I may be having difficulty articulating. I am literally dilirious from finding a slice of both my childhood and Mexico in Milwaukee. I drive 30 minutes to getthem. Well worth the trip. Buy a dozen. But not my dozen.

Great Mexican food! Found them at the Sawdust Days in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, but they are based in Milwaukee.All of their options are meat-based but I asked if they could make cheese enchiladas for us and they were able to accommodate. Fresh lettuce and tomatoes, flour tortillas, Queso cheese and red (mild) sauce made it great!Will definitely go back next time we find them either in Milwaukee or Oshkosh.