San Diegans are celebrating the holidays with a traditional Mexican dish -- tamales.
While tamales have long been a staple for Mexicans at Christmastime, traditional food has become an essential part of San Diego's culture as well given the city's proximity to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Dozens of people waited outside Las Cuatro Milpas in Barrio Logan on Christmas Eve. The tamales at this local spot are so people lined up for nearly an hour for their order, they told NBC 7.
Why? Because they feel like home.
"Just the flavor, the way they make them, they have a great taste to them," customer Jess Rodriguez said. "They're like homemade, and they are definitely worth the wait, always worth the wait."
Monica Weaver returns year after year for these particular tamales.
"We come every Christmas for them because they're so good," Weaver said. "It's homemade and it has that homemade feeling to it, which is perfect for Christmas."
