Friday, April 19, 2024
When it comes to handmade, artisan tamales, Josefina Bravenec knows her stuff.
Making tamales is tedious work, but at Josefina's Tamales, it is a labor of love.
Josefina's is located at 515 Cleveland Road, Suite 9.
Bravenec was taught the art of tamale making from her mother and grandmother, but sometimes adds her own touches.
Tamales are a favorite among many Texans.
There’s an old saying that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, and that is true where Josefina Bravenec and her husband Tom are concerned.
Tom asked Josefina out several years ago after she sold him some of her homemade tamales. She would sometimes make the tasty treats for friends, and that is how the two met.
They married in November of last year, and now lucky Tom gets tamales whenever he wants.
One hot tamale may be off the market, but Bravenec’s special recipes aren’t. In late September she fulfilled a years-long dream by opening her own storefront. Josefina’s Tamales is located at 515 Cleveland Road #9.
Bravenec makes artisan handmade tamales using family recipes from Reynosa, Mexico. She learned the skill from her mother and grandmother but is not afraid to create her own original recipes, such as brisket tamales.
The entrepreneur’s menu includes red pork tamales, chicken green tamales, red chile vegan tamales, and tamales made with jalapenos, cheese, and beans. Customers can also purchase freshly made rice, charro beans, and chips and salsa.
Tamales are $15-$17 per dozen, and the side items are $7.99 for 32 ounces.
It didn’t take long after Josefina’s opened for word to spread through social media, and apparently at least one bar.
Bravenec’s tamales are “delicious,” one man recently posted on Facebook. Bravenec said she has heard that there has been buzz about her in Pecan Plantation, and one customer told her that he works at a bar and that “everybody was talking about your tamales.”
Bravenec offers take-out only. Customers are asked to place orders 24-48 hours in advance, but it’s okay to drop by. She always makes extras.
Orders can be placed by calling 817-243-0806, through josefinastamales.com, or by emailing josefina.stamales2020@gmail.com (yes, the ‘s’ in Josefina’s is on the other side of the period in the email address).
Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Josefina’s is closed Sunday-Tuesday.
Bravenec has lived in Hood County for three years. She had lived in Glen Rose for 20 years but moved here because of Tom, who manages an air conditioning business.
The couple likes to tell the story about Tom’s efforts to convince the dark-haired Mexican native to go out with him.
At first, Bravenec would always respond with, “Sorry, I don’t speak English.”
Tom would respond, “But you were just talking to me in English.”
Bravenec would reply, “But I was selling tamales, not looking for husband.”
After Tom called her in 2018 to wish her a happy birthday, a romantic relationship began.
Bravenec said that Josefina’s Tamales has turned out to be a dream for them both. Tom supported her goal of business ownership, and the two worked together to paint and remodel the space.
“He said, you have a good product, and I think it will be okay,” Bravenec said.
And so far, it has been. Sometimes people are even standing outside Bravenec’s door before opening time, while she is still preparing that day’s food.
It can be tedious work, but for Bravenec, it is a labor of love.
“It takes a lot of time to makes tamales, that is for sure,” she said. “I knew that I was going to (open a business) one day. A lot of people said making tamales is so hard, and this and that. (But) I love it.”
