CDT Cocina

No flavor. I can’t taste any flavor. I almost never give reviews but i felt like i had to. Everything was dry. Ordered take out and no salsa was brought to us. The presentation was horrible, the tamales we’re not good at all, all masa barely any meat. Carrots on a taco? This is not authentic Mexican food. Everyone in our group disliked it.

We are from Reno and we're not familiar with the Fresno area. We were so lucky to find this place. The food was amazing and it was very affordable. My wife has a gluten allergy and was having difficulty finding somewhere to eat in town. Everything on the menu here is gluten free! There wete no questions about what to order and no worries! The customer service here was amazing. They were so kind and attentive. The food was like nothing I've ever had before. This place is definitely a hidden gem and made it worth taking a trip to Fresno!! If we are ever in the area we will make it a point to stop here and eat. Words cannot describe how delicious the food was. I would give them 10 Stars if I could!

Stopped by this cute little taco/tamales place while I was on a road trip. I was drawn to their vegan options by all the reviewers. Excellent vegan tamales. Portebello and broccoli was my absolute favorite. It was so flavorful, and the portebello really stood out. The artichoke and spinach option was also amazing! We both tried the cauliflower and mock chicken tacos, but they were lacking flavor. Chips and salsa was alright Minus one star because of their dirty bathroom. Also I don't like that they use plastic cups. :(

My favorite place to make memories and reconnect with friends! They make excellent unique alcoholic drinks, the pesto habanero fries are a must. You know the food is good when mostly everyone is chatty and loud & then your conversations take a break to relish in the food. Best tamales ever, hands down. I’m a bit biased because I’ve been enjoying Liz’s tamales since 2014 or so. If you’re vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, pescatarian , etc she’s got options for all of those preferences. By far my favorite is the chicken poblano & cauliflower taco. Honestly everything is amazing here. This is the one place that feels like coming to my hometown and eating a relatives best cooking. That’s how comforting and good it is.

Visting from MI for the week and after hitting the gym, I wanted to try some vegan option food. Google found this spot and the food looked promising. Came in for lunch and here is everything I ordered: strawberry with minty lemonade, habanero pesto fries, small ensalada, one jalapeño and cheese tamale, creamy chicken poblano tamale, vegan Dorado, and the fiery Barbacoa. Everything was yummy!! Highly recommend trying this place at least once. Also a side of that habanero pesto will go along way on the tacos too!!

So good! Main thing here are their tamales but the tacos are so good as well. I love the cauliflower tacos here, fried crispy and the perfect crunch. The tortillas are homemade. Everything is so high quality. We went for a la carte but you can also get as a plate with rice and beans. The prices are very reasonable. Their cocktail menu looks delicious, we shared the watermelon margarita and it was so refreshing. For $7 for a cocktail this is the best deal in Tower for amazing hand crafted quality drinks. I loved Casa De Tamales, same great food, kicked up a notch in presentation and atmosphere!

Seven stars, 1. Amazing fresh food with great prices 2. Attentive staff that provide quick service 3. Great menu options, vegan, family, mix and match 4. Great support for women owned businesses 5. A salsa that wasn’t too spicy, but spicy enough A visit to this restaurant, means you can ask any of the staff members any question. Clean, and beautiful new ambiance is fresh in the tower district. A menu that allows you to order for not just yourself but has the option and instructions on how to store and share the flavors you will get. The tamales came unhusked and ready to eat with a fork. Tacos had delicious combinations of meat, vegetables, and tortilla. This is a must stop in tower district

Just tried CDT for the 1st time, I got their Vegan tamales, one was spinach and artichoke and the other was portabello and brocolli, I got the beans and rice and Cucumber Lemonade with it. The tamales were good, I loved the pineapple salasa they added on top. The interior of the restaurant was really beautiful, nice place to have dinner. They also have a margarita bar, I got my food to go, I will have to dine in eventually. The service was great, located in the heart of Tower District in Fresno. I'LL be back to try their other vegan tamales. The rice was tasty and the beans were whole pinto beans, which I love. The two item plate was $10.50, very affordable. UPDATE: tried their Farmers Market and Sweet corn, my new fave duo! They also had a pineapple thyme lemonade that was AMAZING!

I'm a high 4/5, my wife was a solid 5. the food was great. fresh. tasty. great, bright flavors. unique offerings. something for everyone given a limited menu. good drinks. service was lacking - it seemed like we caught them at a weird time - but they pulled through and got the job done. I didn't like the noiseness of the room, but it's hard to complain when most modern restaurants have no sound dampening. maybe that's a weird complaint, it just seemed noisy in there. I don't think there's enough here to keep me coming back, but I can definitely see my wife bringing her friends here from time to time.

So about 10 minutes after I posted a review about the dry salmon and delicious cheddar and jalepeno tamales and not getting water refills for quite some time, my boyfriend found about a two inch piece of wire in his rice and beans. He refused to let me take a picture it and post it. Very dangerous. Check your food if you eat here.

Came here for Valentine's Day and the staff and service were so nice ! Like extremely nice! Everyone came and checked on us periodically and the chef even came out to meet us. Service itself was top tier. The ambiance was romantic, mood lighting and music playing in the background. The decor is modern with traditional talavera tiles. Bathrooms were super clean. Now on to the food. We got the habanero pesto fries 5/5, I can sit there and eat a whole basket to myself but decided to share with my husband. It was good! I also ordered a 2 item meal with rice and beans for only 11 bucks ! Very inexpensive for a whole meal ! I got the New Mexico pork tamale 3/5, I wasn't a fan of sweet and savory as it came with a pineapple salsa but I will say the masa was super soft and not thick like some places. I also got the citrus marinated chicken taco which came with Napa cabbage and chipotle aioli 4/5. I wouldn't compare this to a taco from a taco truck, think elevated and sophisticated. Now while we enjoyed the food and really enjoyed the drinks, I want to put on here that the wait for the food was very long. Granted it was Valentine's Day but we went at 6:30 pm and the restaurant wasn't too packed. We finished our appetizer and our food didn't come out for 35 mins after ordering. We finished our meal and our dessert didn't come out for another 20 minutes. We were in the restaurant for over 2 hours. So keep that in mind if you're going for a date night and have plans after. Overall, the food and the service was amazing. Service was so good that it's worth the long wait for the food and drinks. Would return in the future.

Their food is so good! Kind staff, cute decor. Their mint lemonade was sooooooo good.

5/18/25 Such a fan of this woman owned restaurant! Especially after a Great Yelp experience! I called and ordered their 2 items plate that comes with rice & beans. The worker was very kind and happy to give recommendations. Ordered the recommended creamy chicken poblano tamale & citrus marinated chicken. She said it would be ready. Arrived, greeted and worker was very kind and order was ready. Paid for it and wished a good day! Great! Restaurant is classy and Great! Calm & nice. Lunchtime! Chicken poblano tamale was flavorful with a nice, spicy kick! Sauce included made it even better! Citrus marinated chicken taco was Tasty! Lots of flavor! Beans and rice were healthy and Really GREAT! They deserve every star! It's a lot! But Leftovers too! Great service & GREAT lunch! Highly recommended!

Delicious food with warm and inviting atmosphere. I'm glad I found out casa de tamales came back as CDT Cocina. Used to come here as the old name. It's gotten fancier but the food is still good and great customer service. I will say the blue berry tamale was not as good as it used to be. It was a little dry. Not as delicious as I remember them but the rest of the meal was on point. Glad I rediscovered this little gem in the heart of Fresno. Look forward to coming back and trying a couple different tamales.

There was a couple of twist here and there in the menu. The food is quite average, even with their fusions. The waiters try to be accommodating, but they don't make the menu. It could be considered pricey for Mexican food, but I think you're really paying for the ambience . The restaurant is beautiful gorgeous bar fully stocked, if you just wanna play for atmosphere you found it, they have specialty drinks as well.

The ambiance is super cute and very clean! Food was excellent, good selections of drinks (margs!) tacos, tamales, and even a salad. We opted for an assortment of tacos and were not disappointed. We went on a sleepy Sunday so the service was kind of slow when we were waiting for our tab, but everyone we interacted with was very friendly. I'm curious to come back and try more things

Service was very slow and inattentive. Salmon was so dry, and beans and rice was bland. Loved the feel, just wish the service and food matched.

On Saturdays they have a special 2 plates for 15 dollars. You get to chose 2 items from tamales to tacos. They have meat and vegetarian options as well. I always get a chicken tomatillo and this time I tried the beef taco. The meat on the taco and the spicy salsa was so delicious. I honestly think the taco didn't need corn on it. The tamales are always good and keep me coming back. They also have really good margaritas too.

I love CDT Cocina! The food and service are always on point. I remember when they were located downtown - it's so good to see the restaurant thriving in the tower district now. I always order the two combo plate! Try the Cauliflower tacos and tamales if that's your jam. Amazing flavors and get some of their pesto sauce on the side if you like heat. SO GOOD! Give this local gem a visit

Great Saturday lunch at CDT Cocina in August 2024. Very inviting and nicely decorated space with beautiful bar and high top and table seating. Love the light fixures! Friendly service throughout our visit. Great selection of margaritas. I'm on the 2024 sobriety wagon so I enjoyed one of their NA drinks, the Sweetie! A great and refreshing mix of hisbiscus tea and minty lemonade. The perfect amount of sweetness. Ben said his margarita was good but a little too sweet for him. We enjoyed our dishes. Their chicken ensalada is the perfect size and tasted very fresh. The chicken was very tender. Ben tried the taco and tamale combo. He said both were good and the spicy sauce on the side was a great suggestion by our waiter.

First, wonderful seasonal drinks. Highly recommend getting whatever is on that menu. Chips and guacamole are perfect and I've never had a bad tamal. I go nostalgic with the NM red chile pork, but each favor I've tried has been very good. Service is friendly and attentive. Local done right!

Was looking for a place near Tower Theatre where we were going for a show and this happened to be right next to it. Apparently Tower has a street market on Thursdays. This place was fantastic! Staff were super nice and the six tacos and habanero fries special for only $22 was awesome! Yes this was spicy but the flavors were on point. We chose 2 cauliflower, 2 chicken and 2 carnitas tacos. All were very good, but the cauliflower were excellent. The fries were the star of the show. Plan a date night and check this place out.

Friendly service, a variety of seating options, & plenty of vegetarian & vegan tamal options. Always a great place to eat

Had some friends take us to dinner here because they enjoyed it so much themselves. I love the simplicity of the menu and every option was great. Tortillas were freshly made there, along with their house infused tequilas. We all got a different drink and they all were great. I would order any of them again. For dinner we ordered a big platter of tacos & tamale's with a variety, so we could sample several things. The carnitas were fantastic, and i can't say enough about the cauliflower tacos. I had a little sweet tooth so i ordered the honey corn tamales which came with their house mixed chipotle honey. It was delicious and hit the spot. The servers were all very nice and attentive the entire time. The owner even came by to check in and make sure we were good. The setting is relaxed and casual for any evening out. Will for sure be visiting again and recommend you give them a try.

The dude and I came to CDT Cocina several times and absolutely love this place. This cute restaurant is located in the heart of Tower and it's hard to miss. Once you walk in it's seriously stunning inside. They have music going on and the owner is always there greeting and interacting with her customers. Each time we were seated immediately. They have a limited menu but tasty options. They are vegan and gluten free friendly too! Each time I always get the tacos and the dude gets the combination plate which is under $12 which comes with beans and rice choice of tamale or tacos. The carnitas tacos are absolutely tasty and I highly recommend . The chicken tacos are hit or miss but I haven't tried their other meat options. The tamales are flavorful and delicious. The staff is wonderful as well. The cocktails are dirt cheap and GOOD. Top notch. I usually get one or two, the dude gets one or two along with agua Fresca. Overall, we come here for the food and drinks as this is the only place we know where you can get two full meals, three to four cocktails all for under $40. It's an absolute steal. Seriously makes dining out so much enjoyable! If you haven't tried this place out! You are missing a hidden gem. Cannot wait to come again! They will continue to have our business!

Clean, good looking restaurant with a full bar and flexible seating. Delicious tacos, tamales, salsa and chips. Guacamole has tomato in it which is a plus or a minus depending on who you are, but we enjoyed it. We fed six people here for $60, which is a feat in 2023. Food was great at any price point but the flavor to value ratio at CDT is off the charts. They also sell family meals, both take away and for on site consumption. Recommended!!!

Came here for lunch and didn't disappoint! The palomas were sooo freakin good. The caraf poured about 4.5 glasses (cup was filled with ice). Just the paloma alone would bring me back in!! They had different types of tamales and you can get a combo with rice and beans. The food came out so fast and was super hot. (Ordered: Mexican Pork, Chicken Poblano and Farmers Market) We were walking around tower and decided to come in, and this was the best decision. Prices were really good and everything was perfect. Hope they get locations in North Fresno. Love love love!!

Tasty and gluten free. Bonus, there is a full bar. Worth a stop if you're in Fresno.

The tamales are still the best in town. The servers are friendly and the food is always served quickly.

I really like the tacos. Getting my husband to like them is another project. I am a vegetarian and it is a bit taxing to find great vegetarian food in Fresno. There are lovely tacos and burrito and I will continue to work at it.

It was my first time here and I loved it. The restaurant itself is nice and the service was great. CDT cocina is casa de tamales, but they expanded their menu and are now CDT cocina. They have vegan options too! We were seated right away and we chose to sit at the bar. They offer drinks, and I ordered a paloma and it was very good and strong. Order some appetizers and our entrees. For starters we ordered the habanero pesto fries, but they brought us guacamole and chips on accident. We still received our fries and they were good. The habanero sauce was spicy but not too much. The guacamole was one my of my favorites. For entrees I ordered 1 chicken and 1 cauliflower taco and my boyfriend ordered a pork tamale. The cauliflower taco had habanero salsa, so be careful when you take a bite, it can get you good. I had a bite from the tamale, and it was mainly masa/dough. A little more meat would be good. We will be back! Our experience was good. I think it's a nice spot to get some drinks and appetizers. I'm excited to come back.

As an American, who lived in Mexico City for five years, I humbly must say that I have a very high bar because I absolutely love Mexican cuisine. And I will tell you this place is exquisite actually pure gourmet on a very unpretentious level. The taco and tamales were very well executed.

I am super impressed with CDT Cocina! The food and drinks here are both really tasty and *extremely reasonably* priced. Service is also quick and the staff is friendly. It's right next to Tower Theatre and very close to Second Space, so perfect before a show! The food here is great, especially the tacos. They offer a wide assortment of both tamales and tacos, and I am pretty sure they used to be Casa De Tamales (it would make sense with their name). The star of the show here is the vegan tamales and tacos, especially the cauliflower taco, which is probably the best vegan taco I've had anywhere. My (toddler) daughter, who can be picky, really liked the cauliflower tacos too. If you are vegan or just dairy-free, you will definitely find a lot on the menu here that's good. The drinks here are also really tasty. We mostly drank palomas, which are a steal at $17 for a carafe (but also quite strong)! The "perfect diez" is a great drink too. This is definitely one of the top restaurants in the Tower District, and you should definitely consider it for a tasty (but also reasonably priced) night out!

We ate here before a concert at the Tower solely on the recommendation from ABC 30's Dale Yurong's Dine & Dish and ARE we glad we did! CDT Cocina was amazing. The atmosphere and food were great. The margaritas were awesome! I highly recommend the Perfect Diez (It's like a citrus creamsicle), yum. The carnitas and fiery barbacoa tacos were scrumptious! The waiters & waitress were so nice and great to interact with. Thank you for making our evening even better.

Sooooo good because it's simple- no fancy twist, just traditional mexican food! My margarita tasted like it was made with an agua fresca and it was DELISH!!!! The prices are just the cherry on top- very affordable compared to other places. Waitress was super sweet and the ambiance is super cute. Will be returning for sure!

The habanero fries were SO GOOD! Will be getting them again. The soyrizo tamale plate was also delicious. It was jam packed with filling. The other tamales not so much. We only got about one bite of cheese in our cheese one. We did get some beef in our beef tamale but for how big the tamale is I thought there would be more. It was much more masa. That cauliflower taco was also delicious! It had great flavors and the cauliflower still had a crunch. The sweet tamale was so yummy but I wasn't a huge fan of the sauce it came with.

Picked up a family meal for dinner tonight. It consisted of my choice of 12 tamales, pint of rice and pint of beans and their delicious salad. The meal is $48. I added on a side of their delicious (spicy!) citrus chicken for the salad and had a Paloma while I waited. Great experience so far and even better when I got home and all the salsas, cheese, crema, side of chicken were in their own containers and the tamale boxes were all marked so we knew what was what. While I waited, o saw the gorgeous platter of tacos and jalapeño pesto fries they added to the menu. Looked really good, will have to try next time. Anyway, had to update my review to let you all know the family meals are totally worth it!

I really love coming to this place. The service is great and the food is BOM!! I I came a week before my Birthday and we had cauliflower, carnitas, and al pastor tacos. We also have an order of pesto fries and some yum tasty margaritas. My friend and my daughter loved the carnitas tacos! They said they were so, so, good!! I loved my cauliflower tacos and the pesto fries needed more pesto sauce but they were good. We had the watermelon margarita carafe. You and your friend get one and a half margarita from the carafe. They have great ambience and great Music playing. I can't wait to comeback!! I also got some tamales for dessert to take home. I love the blueberry and the corn flavor. Very delicious

Just came today with my friend she ordered one item plate w/ chicken tamale cups and guacamole. I ordered 2 items carnitas taco and jalapeno and cheese tamale. Guacamole and chips tasty the salsa was watered down and bland no flavor looks like they used canned tomatoes. My tamale had too much masa . My carnitas taco needed more flavor. My friend also said the only thing good was the chips and guacamole. Although disappointed in the food we both left a good tip. But neither of us plans on coming here again.

10/10 - the best part of moving to Fresno. Eating plant based super affordable, easy, and accessible here. They have limited hours so put it on your calendar or pay attention to when you can go cause it's worth it and probably for the best cause I'd be there too much if they were open more often. Really amazing food with amazing flavor and large vegan selection that carries plant based to next level. My thanks to the chef

Tacos were excellent as was the service. My son enjoyed the fine selection of alcoholic beverages.

This was not our first visit we have been here a few times, but this last experience we were able to really appreciate the quality of the food. We ordered Habanero Pesto Fries and the combination of the ranch was wonderful. We will definitely order that again. Maybe next time ask if they can be a little more crispy. We were only going to to sample and then being the rest home. They didn't make it home... we ate them all. Lol I did order my favorite Creamy Chicken Poblano, and the New Mexico Pork. You will never go wrong with those two tamales. Our first time trying the sweet corn tamale ..... and it was perfection!!! Yes perfect. We didn't even use the side of honey one it. It was tasty just as as. The wonderful surprise was the cauliflower tacos!!! I don't know how they perfected the roasting of the cauliflower, but they did. The taco filling/ toppings were truly designed by a chef who knows how to showcase flavor!!! We will definitely order those again too. Don't forget to wash it down with a MINTY LEMONADE. Some restaurants make it too sweet and not refreshing. This is just how it should be.

If you have a need to be gluten free then this is the place to be! 100% gluten free. Nice to be able to go and eat and not worry if the food will be cross contaminated . Very casual but very friendly.

yes very chill place to eat some mexican food and drink with friends and catch up. i highly recommend the fries they have it's so good!!

Situated in the tower district between all bars and clubs, CDT Cocina is a must-visit spot for anyone looking for delicious artisanal Mexican dishes and drinks. I highly recommend their habanero pesto fries, which were a perfect blend of spicy and savory (not pictured because we couldn't wait to dig in) I ordered 3 tacos, and was surprised by how filling they were. If you're planning on going dancing later, leave some room! The barbacoa tacos were absolutely delicious. The meat was tender and juicy. I also ordered their special salmon taco (available only on Friday's) and while it was good, it ended up being my least favorite item. Their zumbarita was a refreshing and unique take on a classic margarita. The jalapeño and cucumber infused tequila gave it a nice kick. It's a little on the weaker side though, in terms of alcohol content. Service was prompt and friendly, I really can't say anything bad about this place. 9.8/10

Very cute place with great service. I love that they have vegetarian and vegan options. All of our food was good. Out of the four tamales we tried, I would order the jalapeño cheese and the portobello/asparagus/broccoli again and then try something else for the other two. The tamales were a good size, and the masa was good and not greasy or falling apart. My zumbarita was delicious too. We will be back!

Took over an hour to get tacos. Had to ask for more water and the check that also took forever. The employees were not in a hurry and seemed very unorganized. It was not a short staffing issue.

My favorite place to make memories and reconnect with friends! They make excellent unique alcoholic drinks, the pesto habanero fries are a must. You know the food is good when mostly everyone is chatty and loud & then your conversations take a break to relish in the food. Best tamales ever, hands down. I'm a bit biased because I've been enjoying Liz's tamales since 2014 or so. If you're vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, pescatarian , etc she's got options for all of those preferences. By far my favorite is the chicken poblano & cauliflower taco. Honestly everything is amazing here. This is the one place that feels like coming to my hometown and eating a relatives best cooking. That's how comforting and good it is. The service is warm & friendly, and they are truly passionate about their food.

Really delicious tamales! We loved the variety of types offered and the wonderful service! I took some home for my family too! Mushroom was our fave!

Fantastic food. Fantastic service. Clean tables and restrooms. They make thier own masa.

Came here for brunch this morning with a few friends and was pleasantly surprised at how good the tamales were. We came right at opening, so they weren't busy at all. We were seated right away and our drinks orders were taken promptly. They have a brunch menu with some specials and mimosas. For my meal, I had the chirizo tamales with fried eggs on top, rice and beans. I also ordered a mango mimosa...because brunch! The tamales were delicious. The masa was flavorful and moist and just the right size. The fried egg on top is a must if you're having tamales for breakfast! The mimosa was also good and a fair price at $4 a glass. I had a wonder experience here and will definitely return to try more of their many variety of tamales! Food was great as well as customer service. Great addition to Tower!

I recently discovered this place and it is so yummy!! I can't wait to take my family!! They have delicious tamales, tacos, chips, salsa, and guacamole! They also have yummy margaritas! The staff is so friendly and the prices are very reasonable! Also, it's gluten free, which is really cool! It's a super cute little place and I will definitely be going back with my family!

I have always really enjoyed your food but I ordered through DoorDash today and the tortilla of my taco was covered with mold and I didn't notice until I'd eaten half of it. Very disappointing.

I came for the margarita tasting and stayed for the food! I loved the event as I got to taste a lot different items and loved it all. It's my new favorite go to place for delicious food and drink. I can't wait to take my friends here. The service was amazing too. The staff was friendly and i really liked that it was quiet. Maybe because there were no children there. I also like that it was crowded too. I felt like it was my own little private party. My fave margarita was the carrot thyme one. To my surprise! It was deeeeelicious! Also, the food was amazing too. Homemade tortillas for the tacos and very moist and flavorful tamales. I could eat them everyday. A lot of vegan options too. I look forward to another tasting and sharing this place with my friends!

Their food is amazing . Love their Guacamole and chips Great atmosphere. Everyone is friendly. Great Customer Service

I've been coming to casa de tamales since it's inception, and what's always brought me back was the farmers market vegan tamales. They are so DELICIOUS. but lately it's been hit or miss. Today 2/16/23 4:47p they're just not hitting like they have on previous visits. They taste like the pickled jalapeños and carrots from a can inside some masa. I also orders some vegan jalapeño and cheese tamales, and they're delicious. If farmers markets continue to be not as good as they were in the past, I'll be forced to switch to the jalapeño and vegan cheese tamales. Everything is still good. But the farmers market tamales are lacking. Hopefully it's just this batch.

Casa de Tamales has moved & changed their name - but is still delicious!! The inside of the restaurant is nicely decorated and comfortable. You order at a counter when you walk in, and are then seated. Highly recommended the chicken tomatillo tamale! Soft and moist masa with delicious tomatillo salsa on top! And the agua fresca was so good! Our server was friendly and the owner even came by and was super nice. I would definitely come back! This is an awesome woman-owned restaurant, and they source most of their tequila from woman-owned businesses!!