Alamo Tamales on Navigation to close its doors

Alamo Tamales at 2310 Navigation is closing its doors. The Houston institution, open since 1960, is set to vacate its East End location on Jan. 1, 2020, although it will continue to operate at its outpost at 809 Berry Rd. The restaurant is beloved for its hand-rolled tamales available in flavors including pork, beef, chicken, bean and Salvadoran corn and chile. less Alamo Tamales at 2310 Navigation is closing its doors. The Houston institution, open since 1960, is set to vacate its East End location on Jan. 1, 2020, although it will continue to operate at its outpost at ... more Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Houston Chronicle Photo: Eric Kayne, For The Houston Chronicle Image 1 of / 18 Caption Close Alamo Tamales on Navigation to close its doors 1 / 18 Back to Gallery

Alamo Tamales at 2310 Navigation is closing its doors. The restaurant is set to vacate the property early next year after nearly 40 years of operating at the East End location. It will, however, continue to operate at its outpost at 809 Berry Rd., manager Lucrecia Garza told Chron.com.

This week, management began handing out a letter to customers at the Navigation location, letting them know about the forthcoming closure. It reads in part:

“As many of you know, the east side of downtown has been under renovation for a few years now. They have finally reached Navigation and Canal St., where we are. After contemplating selling for a long time, we have finally made the decision to do so. We are not selling the business! We are shutting down this location at 2310 Navigation on January 1, 2020.”

Garza said the condition of the property, “It is an old building with no cooling, no heat and little parking space,” also contributed to the decision to shutter the Navigation address.

Alamo Tamale recently revamped its location at 809 Berry Rd., which it has occupied for more than 60 years.

“It’s an old building that we fixed up. Our operations will move over to this location, which has a bakery and banquet hall," Garza said.

Alamo Tamale Company, open since 1962, is beloved for its hand-rolled tamales available in flavors including pork, beef, chicken, bean, and Salvadoran corn and chile. The Navigation restaurant is especially busy during the holiday season when the line to purchase tamales often wraps around the building.

Marcy de Luna is a reporter. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcydeLuna and Facebook @MarcydeLuna.