Celestin’s

Love the atmosphere of this place. The staff are courtious and very quick. Go here for a nice afterwork dinner with friends and you will definately enjoy yourself. I had the jambalaya. Between 1 and 10 I gave it a 7. A tab bit on the heavy side with a bit to much oil. However the lavoring was great.

closed

More of a memorial than a review, as this restaurant sadly has closed its doors after many decades success and tasty food. The owner decided it was time to retire and sold it to another successful sacramento restaurateur whi plans to open a new «southern» style restaurant in the same location.
Rumor is that a few of the more popular celestins dishes may make their way to the new restaurant menu. For all us die hards lets hope so, personally i hope the gumbo and grio make the cut.
They have always had the best gumbo around, and you can pick and choose your ingredients and make it just how you like it. Servied in a huge bowl, it is literally all you would need to eat that meal, although i usually like to get grio too, which is a deep fried pork with a spicy vinegar dipping sauce.
Other great menu items they have had is the key lime pie, The cuban sandwiches, the scallops in coconut and lime juice, Black bean soup, and the Caribbean Nachos, using sliced fried plantains rather than chips.
I will miss going here, i used to make it a monthly destination, I hope they put out a cook book or something, because food this good needs to live on.

Oh my lord, if those sweet potato fries, with their delicious brown sugar shell, aren’t the greatest thing to hit your taste buds, I don’t know what is.
It’s kinda a pricey place but the food is unique (where else is serving a hot crab sandwich with cheddar and tomato; delicious!!!). If you’re there for lunch get a half sandwich with the sweet fries. It’s plenty and only 7 bucks!

:^)
Festive, caribbean-​style, great gumbo broth, friendly service & bartenders, not too crowded, scotch bonnet hot sauce (request it), veg friendly, rum cake, killer grio for meat-​eaters, nice happy hour, cozy patio, two flat TVs, bread + butter is free and amazing, big rum selection and «spirit guide» that is 1.67 MB

:^(
Seafood gumbo is losing seafood: no more snapper or salmon and the crab has changed and is now soggy & fishy. I’ve heard negative things about the way things are run. A bowl of seafood gumbo is now crazy overpriced at around $ 20! [veg gumbo is still reasonably priced at around $ 10].
THE THREE BEARS [sort of]
There’s no middle size of gumbo for dinner — either teenie tiny cup or great big bowl! I feel silly ordering 3 cups.
5 STARS
If they bring back good seafood gumbo, offer a medium sized gumbo for dinner, and I hear nice things about the management, 5 stars. Until then, 4!

Vegan gumbo? Hell yea, sign me up. Another one of those great places I could take my dad and brother to so they could nom on meat and seafood while I could get my decent vegan grub on.
It didn’t disappoint. The vegetarian gumbo was very filling, great vegetables and spices. I wish I’d tried the mound of sweet potato or Cajun fries, but I was trying not to be a complete piggy. Good draft and bottled beer selection too.
Efficient and friendly service, even though the restaurant seemed pretty busy on a Saturday evening.

I’ve been here 3 times now and have never left disappointed. The service in the bar area is always timely and friendly. (pretty sure we’ve had the same waiter each time, sorry i don’t know you’re name but your service is fantastic) After having had the Gumbo, jerk burger, and something else i can’t remember the name of, i’ve never been let down by their food. Tuesdays they have a great happy hour.
Bottom line: Lord knows I’m a voodoo child baby
I want to say one more last thing
I didn’t mean to take up all your sweet time
I’ll give it right back to ya one of these days

Something different and good, but I’d go 3.5 (I’m developing a pattern here, yikes). The tostones put Celestin’s over the edge to 4 stars with a crunchy, salty, spicy and tropical start to the meal. Get them!
I liked the décor here, lots of art and caribbean motifs. They had a good amount of outside/​inside stuff going on which brightened things up on a stormy night. I had to wait a good 5 at the front to be seated, as there wasn’t anyone at the greeting station. I bet the outside is really nice to eat in during the warmer months.
The bar area was good for me to eat at, with tables and TV’s of the game. The bartender was stretched but very nice. The employees were openly complaining about the mal-​management. (Hint to owners: make your staff happy and they won’t be so upset and I won’t have to hear about it)
I had the aforementioned tostones. They weren’t as thin as I am used to, more like the ones in Costa Rica. They were crispy and chewy and came with a spicy, oily picked stuff that was very piquant but easily cooled by the fried plantain. I had the chicken creole, which comes in a red sauce and a rice and beans mix. The avocado and tomato ‘salad’ could have been bigger, because it went perfectly with the rest of the meal but ran out about half-​way through. The rice and beans were outstanding; the depth of flavor showed the talent of this chef. Veggies added to the fresh taste.
The chicken was good, but I prefer higher quality meat. I’d rather pay a couple bucks more for all white meat and something I like to sink my teeth into. Some of it was not very edible, but the sauce was really fantastic. It was based on tomatoes and onions, and I’m not sure what else is in a creole seasoned dish, but it was very good.

Hot diggity.
I grabbed takeout from this joint a few days ago. The gumbo was fan-​effing-​tastic. I didn’t even feel bad for eating meat* when I wrapped my lips around that sliced andouille sausage.
I will be back whenever I have a hankering for taste of the islands.
There might have even been an authentic Carribeanite behind the bar.
* I generally exhibit a preference for vegetable options

Came here for the first time on a first date in early january, since then i’ve come back on a weekly basis. Fantastic selection of island cuisine, especially the jerk wings and the house gumbo. The gumbo is loaded with scallops, tiger shrimp, adouille sausage, etc. The place always has a really relaxed vibe the the service has always been on point. I was also very surprised with the prices in comparison to the quality of food.
Go there on Tuesdays, their bottled beers are all $ 2. ohhhhh yeah…$ 2 redstripes on the reg!

Haven’t been here in a while. True. But what do I still remember about this place? THE FRIES. Everything else has faded away, (but it does leave a generally pleasant feeling, so it’s at least decent) but what I remember in fine detail are the sweet potato fries. They are delicious and cheap and you get a good amount.
Come for the fries and maybe get a burger or some gumbo to go with. Oh yeah, and parking’s a pain.

Came here for lunch the other day. If you wearing a silk blouse, probably not best to sit outside close the misters — you’ll end up looking a little spotty.
I had an order of the Cuban half sandwich ($ 7.75) which also came with choice of fries. Of course I had to have the sweet potato fries! Love the way that they are lightly coated with sugar too and crispy! The pork in the sandwich was tender and flavored just right.
Service was a-​okay, nothing spectacular. I’ve heard that the happy hour is worth checking out, will have to try it out!

I had Paella on Monday, so why not on Wednesday too! This is another Unilocal research that I’ve been conducting: Where is the best paella.
I scheduled another dinner with the girlfriends (different group from Tuli’s) just to have another excuse to Unilocal about another great place I frequently go to. I’d Unilocal from memory, but then its not an authentic Unilocal experience (at least in my book).
I ordered:
1. Sweet potato fries. which NEVER disappoints.
2. Jerk Wings: very tasty and spiced to perfection.
3. Paella: Driest Paella I’ve ever tasted. Definitely not worth $ 24 :(
I was sharing with a gf. She really wanted Jambalaya, but I convinced her to share the Paella. I feel sooooo bad. It wasn’t great at all. I wish I just had the Jambalaya that my gf was craving for. That would have been more saucy/​wet type of rice. This was like freakin Chinese Fried Rice in my Paella Book :(This is what happens when I let my research take over. I don’t consider my friends’ craving and convince them of my Unilocal Research.
I’ll be back despite the Paella experience. This place has a pretty awesome happy hour and I have yet to order the Jambalaya and Gumbo. I’ll be back with an update!

After months of «I’ve been wanting to try that place,» my girlfriend and I finally decided to eat dinner here. Our feelings for the food can be summed up with the date’s conclusion:
She ate more food off my plate than her own. While waiting for the check on the over-​crowded patio my girlfriend leaned onto one butt cheek and either tore a hole in her pants or released a cloud of potpourri from her anus towards the table two feet away from us.
Classy.
My point is that the smell and noise coming from a butthole was more impressive and memorable than the food here.
Fortunately for Celestin’s I’m no longer dating that girl, but if I had to return to Celestin’s, I’d bring another girl to melt some more patio furniture.

I’ve been to Celestin’s quite a few times now, and I’ve never been anything less than extremely pleased with their food. To date, I’ve tried their sweet potato fries, the jerk fries, the tomato and avocado salad, a couple sandwiches, several burgers, and the pork grio. I’ve also sampled bites of the vegetarian items on their menu. The only items that gave me even the slightest gripes were their burgers, which were too tall for my mouth and a little bit too greasy.
They also have a fun selection of cocktails which, along with the fries, become extremely affordable during their surprisingly long happy hour.
If you enjoy bright and sunny spaces, you’ll also be very happy with the décor. It’s very tropical and festive.
Finally, if the weather is nice, try the outdoor seating. It’s in a reasonably peaceful area, and it also makes it easy to see if your meter is running out of time (the best parking around here is metered, but it never lasts long enough). If the weather is really hot, they have one of those water-​misting devices that keeps it pleasant.
Overall, I really have no complaints about Celestin’s. It’s definitely in my top 5 restaurant rotation for the area.

My parents and I stopped in here again today for a drink or two.
I still love Celestin’s. I love the atmosphere when you walk in. It’s a clean and spacious restaurant with bright colored walls and a friendly staff. We sat in the bar area and the guy who was serving was from Haiti — very sweet and friendly server!
I ordered a lemonade, my mom ordered a Toasted Head Chardonnay, and my dad ordered a jack n’ coke. My mom and dad were surprised that their drinks were brought in such large glasses. You definitely get what you pay for! My lemonade was just right with just the right amount of tartness.
Feeling a bit hungry, I decided to order an appetizer of a cup of the chicken gumbo. It was very tasty! The broth was just a tad bit spicy but easy to handle, the chicken was tender, the rice well cooked, and just the right amount of onion. I would gladly order one of Celestin’s gumbos for my entrée next time I stop in here again for a meal.
I’m glad that we chose to stop in here for drinks. This is a great place to stop and have a drink or two with some friends even if you’re not wanting to grab anything to eat.

I’ve eaten here a few times, and very much enjoyed myself. They had a pair of black bean veggie burgers on the menu for my last visit, and they were awesome. A nice mix-​up from your traditional veggie burger. A side of sweet potato fries makes for a fine addition.
But what i really like about this place is their «last call» happy hour… Friday and Saturday from 9 – 10. They pour some pretty good sangria for cheap and have food discounts. The perfect way to end a Second Saturday art walk or start off a weekend night of adventure!

This place is a GREAT place. I love the service and the food. I especially love the happy hour! :D The décor is unique. I have been here twice and would come again. THe Gumbo in the happy hour is very good. My friend ordered a chicken appetizer and it was very bland.. Overall, i recommend coming here (Especially before a club or something).
Pros: Service, Food, Unique
Cons: Vacuums money out of you wallet… (pricey for some items)
Stars: 4 flat

So, after another consultation with the Entertainment book, that the old man and I are trying to work our way through, we settled on Celestin’s after a failed attempt to Cervantes.
Folks always say Celestin’s gumbo is pretty good. They are right, the gumbo is as close to homemade as I’ve tasted.
The chicken empanadas were pretty tasty, as well as the accompanying creamy dipping sauce.
Nice to see that they offer Cuban sandwiches, maybe I’ll try that next time. This time I ordered the chicken curry, which came with rice (with only about 4 beans mixed in), one platano, and the ever so simple, yet tasty avocado & tomato salad. The curry dish was a half order, as a dinner special. But, the portion was just perfect. The old man had a Cajun chicken sandwich with the sweet potato fries. YUM. Everyone is right about those fries. .. tasty and addicting, sweet and salty. .. my favorite combo.
There’s also a bar area with a TV in which we were able to view, from our table, the Lakers bite it. They seem to have a pretty good selection of happy hour food specials too.
If you’re hankering for some good gumbo, and none of your relatives will make you any until Christmas. .. then, get on over here. The offer it by the cup, or BIG bowls — with a variety of meat and seafood additions.
I will definitely come back to snarf down some more gumbo and sweet potato fries.

My first time at Celestin’s was nice! The mojito was nice and refreshing and tasted great with the sweet potato fries. I had the creole veggies and the portion was really good and the sauce was fresh, the rice and beans had the perfect texture. The server even brought out bread and olive oil (since I am vegan she offered olive oil, which was great) that was fresh and warm.
My boyfriend ordered the tri-​tip po’ boy with fries. The sandwich was pretty small for the price, at $ 10 it should have been a bit bigger. He said it was tasty though.
I will be going back!