The newest CT Cantina & Taqueria, located in Dunwoody, is a resort-style restaurant in the truest sense of the term.
The space is beautiful, airy and relaxing, evoking such tourist hotspots as Tulum and Cabo San Lucas.
But resorts generally are not known for excellent food, typically prioritizing quantity over quality. I sensed the same pattern at CT Cantina, thanks to a few quality-control issues.
The chain’s flagship Dunwoody location is not the easiest to find. It’s at the center of the Campus 244 development and patrons must drive past the restaurant to park in a gated lot behind the building. Each time I visited, there was a sign for valet service, but there were no attendants working. From the restaurant’s expansive patio, I could see cars occasionally stop there to wait for a valet that never came.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Inside the restaurant, the high ceilings, fold-away glass patio doors and modern Mexican decor infuse the space with relaxing vibes, and its location in the middle of the complex creates a peaceful bubble away from the hustle and traffic of the Perimeter area.
The 280-seat restaurant has several separate dining areas, in addition to a bar and lounge, that can accommodate dinner groups of just about any size.
The service was very good, aside from a few curious delays. On each visit, we were seated promptly and friendly servers were accurate with our orders. Complimentary chips and salsa were delivered soon after we arrived, and our house-made tortilla chips were refreshed regularly.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
I usually love free chips and dip, but I found the salsa service at CT Cantina a little frustrating. It involved four different salsas served in shallow, square ramekins. The tiny servings and shape of the vessels made it difficult to get much salsa onto the restaurant’s excellent tortilla chips. On the plus side, though, you probably won’t ruin your appetite before your food comes.
The other appetizer dips were served in much better vessels. The queso dip was good; the guacamole varied from one visit to another. Unripe pieces of avocado appeared in the guacamole and also on top of some entrees, with their dense texture and unpleasantly grassy flavor detracting from otherwise solid dishes.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
The esquite (grilled corn cut off the cob), served as an appetizer, was an excellent seasonal offering, and a few other dishes stood out. The street skillet, one of the most expensive items on the menu at $34, included large portions of nicely seasoned carne asada, pollo asado and grilled shrimp, served alongside your choice of fresh corn or flour tortillas. And the restaurant’s generous version of fajitas easily could feed two people.
The quesabirria tacos also made a strong showing, their crispy shells stuffed with melty cheese and rich, fork-tender beef. The tacos were served with the traditional consommé for dipping, always a fun inclusion.
At Saturday brunch, CT Cantina serves an additional menu of breakfast-focused items, including a massive bowl of chilaquiles, as well as savory stuffed crepes, an unusual fusion of Mexican and French cuisine that worked out surprisingly well.
But while the brunch dishes were solid, don’t expect finesse when it comes to the eggs — the ones served with the chilaquiles were scrambled hard. It wasn’t clear whether other options were available.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Although its food is not particularly special, CT Cantina is the type of restaurant that’s easy to root for. Its founder, Rafael Jaime, worked his way up from dishwasher at El Toro’s original Chamblee location to the ownership of a large Tex-Mex restaurant group. He opened the first CT Cantina at Halcyon in 2019 and, working alongside his children, has expanded to five locations.
It’s easy to see the Jaime family’s success continuing in Dunwoody; CT Cantina really does feel like a resort restaurant, an enclave near the Perimeter where guests can take a laid-back mini vacation.
CT Cantina & Taqueria
1 out of 4 stars (good)
Food: Tex-Mex and Mexican
Service: usually good, although it occasionally can drag
Noise level: low to moderate
Recommended dishes: mini street tacos, Jalisco burrito, street skillet, quesabirria tacos, esquite
Vegetarian dishes: most menu items, including the street tacos and other entrees, can be made with a choice of Impossible beef, veggies or potatoes; other items include queso dip, guacamole and esquite
Alcohol: full bar with a long tequila list
Price range: $25-$50 per person, excluding drinks
Hours: 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays
Accessibility: fully ADA-compliant
Parking: gated lot, free for two hours
MARTA: about a quarter-mile from Dunwoody station
Reservations: yes, via Open Table or phone
Outdoor dining: yes
Takeout: yes, online ordering available at website
Address, phone: 244 Perimeter Center Parkway NE, Dunwoody. 770-765-6171
Website: cttacos.com
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s dining critics conduct reviews anonymously. Reservations are not made in their name, nor do they provide restaurants with advance notice about their visits. Our critics always make multiple visits, sample the full range of the menu and pay for all of their meals. AJC dining critics wait at least one month after a new restaurant has opened before visiting.
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