Vegan-friendly
Lacto
Ovo
Delivery
Take-out
Mexican
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. A local family-owned restaurant specializing in hand-made tamales. No lard used in the making of all products including the rice and beans. Offers vegan and vegetarian tamales. Previously at 3747 W Shaw Ave. Reported closed February 2021.
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609 E Olive Ave, Fresno, California, USA, 93711
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 28 Feb 2021 by AnnasOrganic
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30 Reviews
First Review by angiec804
lavendereyelids
Points +130
???? - Edit
Can't recommend. We ordered everything that was vegan on the menu (the 4 kinds of tamales with sides of pinto beans and tomato rice). Like one other reviewer stated the tamales are very bland. No sauce or spice in or on them. I'm pretty surprised at the number of positive reviews. The sweet corn tamale is the only one with a good flavor and even that just had a corn and corn flour filling. The rest literally contain boiled mixed veggies. It tastes like vegeterain food made by people who don't know how to cook vegetarian. I've never had tamales before so I can't comment how authentic the taste was but I suspect not so much. To be fair, I liked the side of pinto beans but it was just basic pinto beans.
Read moreGuest
JenAFur
Points +37
A lot of vegan options for tamales. I selected the spinach/artichoke, nice! - Edit
Nice place to fill up on vegan Mexican food!
Read morePros: Mexican food!!!, Healthy vegan options , Beans with no lard
Guest
KarenAlcantara
Points +15
Many great vegan choices. - Edit
My family and I love Casa de Tamales. It's a great place to go for lunch, brunch, or dinner. They have three different vegan tamales on their regular menu. We like to get one of each. Each one is topped with a different, colorful salsa. The rice and beans taste great, too. We love the variety of homemade beverages including juices, teas, and sangrias. We've made it a family tradition to go every year for Mother's Day Brunch and we also buy the soyrizo tamales for Christmas every year. I would definitely give them a 5 if I could.
Read morePros: Variety of vegan tamales, Variety of beverages, Good value
Guest
spiceislandvegan
Points +1304
Not good - Edit
We passed through Fresno and were excited to have a restaurant with a vegan option. Unfortunately the tamales were not good. They were old tasting. The masa was hard and chewy. It is so unfortunate. The filling was mushy. It seems the vegetables were over steamed. I have had really good vegan tamales and these were not. The rice and beans were bland. The good thing we had was just the Agua Fresca. Maybe it was just an off day but if the tamales were too old please don’t serve them.
Read morePros: Agua Fresca
Cons: Old food, Oversteamed, Hard masa
Guest
AndrewRunner
Points +50
Mexican comfort food - Edit
The tamales are good, and even better with their salsas. The rice and beans are nice, especially with some of their pesto sauce. The aguas frescas are often good, tho sometimes too sweet. Their drinks are tasty and at times they have specials.
Read moreIf they had their soyrizo all week long they'd get 5 stars, I'll change my review! Please expand it from just Sunday beautiful tamale woman!
Pros: Good choice of tamales, Enough food to share, Dem salsa tho
Cons: Delicious soyrizo only on Sunday, Beans and rice need seasoning
Guest
Peacekey
Points +54
tasty vegan tamales - Edit
I really love their vegan tamales. I keep wanting to try their vegan pozole but they only sell it at a certain time😒 owner us very friendly . I wish they sold jackfruit tamales
Read morePros: good vegan tamales, good drinks
Cons: pazole is not all day, no jackfruit :(
Guest
Aless81
Points +358
Very good! - Edit
The staff were really friendly and knowledgeable about their vegan options. The asparagus and mushroom ones are really good though I did not get any sauce on top of it. It did come with really good pineapple salsa though. Oh, and their chipotle mango lemonade is AMAZING.
Read morePros: Plenty of vegan options, Amazing drinks
Guest
Lanahexapod
Points +635
Delicious vegan tamales - Edit
They have 3 vegan tamale choices on the regular menu - all of which are great, but my favorite is the spinach and artichoke. Make sure to stop by on Sunday mornings to try their delicious soyrizo and potato brunch tamales.
Read morePros: Delicious tamales
Cons: Soyrizo and potato tamale only on Sunday brunch
Guest
rjv94
Points +30
Satisfied! - Edit
The vegan tamales were fresh and tasted delicious! The portobello and asparagus were number 1 for me. Staff is friendly and the environment is very quiet and pleasant.
Read moreGuest
wootangclam
Points +46
Deserves 5 stars! - Edit
The vegan tamales here are delicious, and I love the sweetie drink! Delicious, absolutely no complaints! The staff is always really nice😄
Read moreGuest
AnnasOrganic
Points +35
Amazing! - Edit
The spinach artichoke tamale had great flavor, and the soy chorizo and potato tamale was divine!
Read morePros: Vegan items are clearly labeled , Hostess was super helpful, Authentic flavors
Cons: Pozole was a little bland
Guest
QueenBJ
Points +44
Good place for Lunch - Edit
Great service and food. Friendly staff. Place is quiet and clean. Love that beans and rice are vegan friendly as well as some of the tamales. Signature drink is the best!
Read moreGuest
thespicychickpea
Points +93
Awesome vegan options! - Edit
These tamales were sooo good and authentic. The rice and beans are vegan, which make a perfect addition to the other food. Even half of their dessert tamales are vegan. I got the creamy spinach artichoke and the savory sweet corn with green chili sauce. It's a great place for meat and plant lovers to dine together.
Read moreGuest
Pearlpeachy
Points +313
Perfect! - Edit
I was passing through town and knew I had to try this place. I LOVE tamales and always crave them, but rarely find vegan ones. I tried all 3 of their savory offerings, plus rice and beans and homemade habanero pesto salsa. They were all wonderful. And to make it even more wonderful, there were dessert tamales! We tried the traditional sweet corn and the pumpkin. Both were awesome! Can't wait to go back someday! The combo meal also came with a very nice drink, hibiscus mint lemonade mix.
Read morePros: great prices , good variety , dessert!
Guest
Trixie28
Points +145
worth the trip! - Edit
Great food, great service, nothing but good things to say about this place. Btw: The vegan sweet n savory corn tamales are amazing!
Read moreGuest
sara038
Points +51
Good but not Great - Edit
As a Latina, I've had quite a few Tamales in my lifetime. Of course no one's cooking is ever going to compare to my mom's or my grandma's but Casa de Tamales wasn't bad. I went with my cousin who is also vegan and we both decided to get two tamales, the farmers market tamale and the portobello and asparagus tamale along with beans and rice. We both loved the portobello and asparagus tamale, but as for the farmers market one it was a bit on the dense side. The texture of the masa was completely different than the other tamale and the salsa that came on it was a bit sour. I also felt like the rice and beans needed a bit more flavor to it. All the other reviewers seemed to enjoy the rice and beans so maybe we just came on an off day. I definitely would come back for the portobello and asparagus tamales and to give the sweet corn tamale a shot.
Read morePros: Indoor/Outdoor Seating, Friendly Service, Fast
Guest
ChefSarahMaui
Points +45
Super Disappointed - Edit
I was visiting Fresno for work, and hoping to find some great tamales. I was excited to see that Casa de Tamales had vegan options, and that the beans were lard-free and corn non-GMO. I drove all the way from Clovis.
Read moreI had two savory vegan options with rice and beans with jamaica. Most of the rice was undercooked (still crunchy and hard), the beans had no flavor (no salt, no pepper, no cumin). The two veggie tamales were rubbery and dry, like they had been cooked the day before, then reheated in a microwave and were out of the husk. It was mostly corn, with about 2 tablespoons of veggies per tamale, at most. The portobello tamale had 1 tiny piece of asparagus (?) and zero portobello. The Artichoke option had a few pieces of spinach, a couple chunks of tomato, and zero artichoke. There were no salsas included, just a small spoonful of guacamole and a spoonful of grilled corn that was more burned that grilled and chewy. The juice in the jamaica was on the edge of going bad, kind of fermented. I was really looking forward to eating here, especially with so many great reviews online and support of non-GMO corn. But the food had zero flavor, not even salt. Maybe the meat/cheese versions have more flavor?
I checked in the next day with with local co-workers and they also said this wasn't a good place for tamales in the area.
The girl at the register wasn't super friendly, but whoever I took my plate to, maybe the manager, was friendlier.
Pros: quick service, like fast food, cheap, entire meal cost $9, outside seating available
Cons: not clean, grimy floors, food had no flavor, undercooked rice, not fresh, did not have the ingredients advertised
Guest
SierraSarah
Points +30
Authentic tamales - VEGAN! - Edit
It's slim pickings in the Central Valley to find menu items that are specifically labeled vegan. I am so appreciative that Casa de Tamales points out their vegan options. And the tamales do not disappoint. They are delectable!
Read morePros: Vegan tamales, including dessert tamales, Rice and beans are vegan too, Owner is friendly and helpful
Guest
Rm488158
Points +53
great - Edit
It has good tamales offers a some meet some vegetarian and some vegan ?. Beans and rice were good as well... I'd say I really liked that their food did not leave an oily aftertaste and tamales were packed with flavor
Read morePros: good size tamales , big portions on beans and rice, the food is labeled vegan, vegetarian
Cons: parking was tricky since is located behind the bui
Guest
Carmenmichelle
Points +18
Amazing! - Edit
I just became vegan not to long ago & I was scared to try out new food. Good thing I came here bc the food is amazing & the workers are super nice! ??? I would suggest the Farmers Market tamale & they have a pretty good portion of rice & beans!
Read moreGuest
valleys and sea
Points +101
AMAZING!!! - Edit
Was driving through Fresno after coming down from Sequoia and this place sounded good, so we stopped for lunch.
Read moreThis place was amazing!!! Nestled in some strip of college-y looking restaurants and donut shops, the location was kinda misleading. Once you're inside, they have a small menu with a handful of clearly-marked vegan tamales, and if I remember right, a chipotle lemonade that was really good. But when the tamales came, they were all great!! Super tasty, and several different types, including a dessert tamale that tasted like corn bread.
We thought about buying a dozen for our drive to the Bay, but opted not to. Kinda wished we would have now.
This place was definitely worth the stop. I only wish it was more convenient for me to pass through Fresno more to stop back in for more tamales!
Pros: Everything was so tasty!!!, Vegan items clearly marked, Great selection of vegan items
Cons: They haven't franchised to my town yet...
Guest
Craig N
Points +90
Very tasty tamales that did not disappoint - Edit
Made a significant detour on our way home from Sequoia national park because of all the reviews here. Guess we liked it since the wife ordered a dozen tamales to go after we stuffed ourselves with the two tamales with rice and bean combo. Our family eats a lot and we were completely full. The whole meal we kept on saying we should have ordered three tamales instead of the rice and bean combo. The tamales were that good. We tried everything. Staff gave us a complimentary sweet corn tamale which tasted similar to but is better than cornbread and resulted in a bigger tip for got them.
Read morePros: Excellent flavors, Huge portion of rice and bean combo, Very friendly and attentive staff
Cons: Little pricey but well worth it
Guest
RachaelSera
Points +140
Unique and very v-friendly - Edit
I love how vegan-friendly they are here: lots of different tamales, rice, beans, etc.
Read moreI'd never had tamales before, so I have to admit the novelty added to my experience. But even ignoring that, they were really fantastic--especially the chocolate!
We tried every vegan/veganizable tamale they had, plus the rice and beans. Farmer's Market, Mushroom and Asparagus, Artichoke and Spinach, and Savory Corn. All of them were delicious.
FYI, the website mentions a soy-rizo one, but they no longer carry it as of my visit.
The Farmer's Market appears to be a regular item as of my visit as well.
My personal favorites were the Savory Corn and Artichoke and Spinach, but that's really just personal preference. They were all well executed.
I also adored the rice--I'm a bit of a rice snob, and it was excellent.
The chocolate tamale was some of the best, moistest, densest chocolate cake I've EVER had. Loved it! We had to order it without the chocolate sauce to be vegan, but it didn't even need it!
Pros: unique, delicious, knowleadgable, friendly staff
Guest
jennamichelle1
Points +337
Gem for Vegans - Edit
The vegan tamales here are so tasty, and I love that they have a nice variety. We loves them so much that my mom orders their tamales for family Christmas. The staff is knowledgable about what is vegan and what isn't. We can have the beans, and they make a great salsa/guacamole.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Tuesday February 18, 2014
Pros: Knowledgable Staff, Great food, Good Options
Guest
Chia
Points +3635
Vegan tamales - Edit
I had read about this place on happycow and decided to eat here enroute to San Francisco a while back. Here's my Casa de Tamales review.
Read moreIt's a simple little restaurant located in a large shopping plaza that also houses a Food Co and an Old Navy store. Plenty of parking in front. You order at the counter, and the food is brought to your table. There is also a little window into the kitchen where you can watch the owners make tamales by hand.
The menu did not denote which items were vegan, so we had to ask. Fortunately, the young woman working at the counter was knowledgeable and told us which ones were vegan: cinnamon raisin, sweet corn, soy chorizo, and portabello mushroom & asparagus. I wanted the soy chorizo, but they did not have it that day. So I got the mushroom & asparagus and the sweet corn tamale.
The mushroom & asparagus came with a side of salsa-guacamole. It's flavorful though a bit salty for my personal liking.
The sweet corn tamale, however, was so yummy! I so enjoyed the sweetness and the soft texture of the masa. It was served with a slightly spicy green chile sauce--a perfect combo. I wish I could have taken some more with me.
Casa de Tamales seemed like a popular place with the locals who enjoy their tamales. There were many customers there when I was there.
Pros: get the vegan sweet corn tamale
Guest
CalebWalker
Points +28
good vegan options - Edit
Very tasty. They make some better tamales for the farmers market which are rarely available otherwise. I'd come here much more often if they had
Read moreGuest
KathyMcCrary
Points +30
WOW - Vegan Tamales - Edit
My husband and I were in Fresno for 2 days and this place had fresh tamales with so much flavor! Their unique combinations for the 3 vegan choices were creative and as I said, exquisitely tasty. We tried all 3 - portobello & asparagus, savory sweet corn and soy chorizo con papas. OMG - we could not believe how great they were! I will be ordering frozen tamales from this restaurant to send to my mother in Atlanta - yes, they ship anywhere in the US except Oregon. What a find!
Read morePros: Flavors, Atmosphere, Friendly staff
Cons: Not all veg
Guest
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