A one-star tamale review that went viral across social media has now been revealed as a marketing stunt created by the restaurant itself.
The post, which racked up hundreds of thousands of likes across platforms, appeared to show a confused customer criticizing a Mexican restaurant’s food before quickly backtracking with a five-star correction.
The original review, attributed to “Rebecca O,” read: “Absolutely awful tamale. It was chewy, stringy, and I couldn’t even bite through it.”
A second review followed with full stars: “OK, I was just told I’m not supposed to eat the cornhusk. That just changed the whole experience.
“Seriously the best thing I’ve ever tried omg. Sorry I don’t know how to delete my other review, my bad.”
The screenshots spread rapidly online. On Instagram, a post from @pubity surpassed 300,000 likes. Multiple Facebook uploads also drew thousands of reactions.
The Tamale Store reveals the truth
The post originated from The Tamale Store, a family-owned restaurant and marketplace in Phoenix, Arizona.
The business shared the review on January 29 with the caption: “It’s OK Rebecca we forgive you.”
Speaking to Newsweek, Pauline Alvarado, chief marketing officer and co-owner of the store, said she “cannot believe how viral [Rebecca] became.” Alvarado later confirmed that Rebecca O does not exist.
“Rebecca O actually came from my imagination. We receive this complaint from new customers all the time. They are not always sure how to eat a tamale and sometimes start with the corn husk,” she said.
“In our 18 years in business, I cannot count how many Rebecca O’s we have had. I wanted to showcase that in a lighthearted and funny way!”
Alvarado explained that the idea was inspired by a real customer interaction.
“The idea came from a woman who purchased a hot tamale the day before and came back to complain. When I went to see which one she had been eating, I realized she had eaten part of the corn husk. We both laughed, and I gave her another tamale on the house so she could try again. That moment inspired the Rebecca character,” she said.
“Although she is made up, she represents many first-time customers!”
