Last week we shared our list of the best places to get holiday tamales — but this perfect little package meal is something Denverites enjoy year-round. This photo captures a long gone but not forgotten spot, Zona’s Tamales, which sat at the Five Points neighborhood’s namesake intersection for more than 40 years.
Zona “Mama Zona” Moore’s shop — which felt more like hanging out at her house — served tamales, but was also famous for its pig ear sandwiches and a deep menu of fried catfish, hot links, greens, mac and cheese, and other soul food classics. The restaurant was a community staple, where neighbors rubbed elbows with political figures like former mayor Wellington Webb.
Mama Zona passed away in 2021 at the age of 95, but her legacy lives on through her 14 children, more than one hundred grandchildren, and Denverites’ memories of the culinary magic captured in a place some simply referred to as “the pig ear stand.” Special thanks to Denver Urban Spectrum for the lovely, in-depth obituary for Zona Moore, a true Mile High icon.
