Célestin's Restaurant

I came for dinner on a Friday night, it was very busy but the wait wasn't long. The server was very attentive and I' m all about customer service and being tend to. The food was delicious. I got the chicken sandwich and my sister got the gumbo. The sandwich was fresh and the bun wasn't soggy. The sauce was great and the fries were fried perfectly. My sister absolutely loved the gumbo and she's tried plenty in her lifetime, so it was a relief that she enjoyed it and found it delicious. The key lime pie is delicious!! It's eight dollars a slice but it's well worth it. The crust is made in house with fresh squeezed limes. Overall we enjoyed the food and the service. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Wonderful ambience and sublime food.

Reviewed on Facebook

Absolutely delicious, we ordered the Brazilian style pacific snapper and it was absolutely fantastic. Ordered it to go & service was very speedy and polite. Would love to dine here again. Looked like a great date spot. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This was hands down a fabulous experience from the moment I waited outside for my friend to join, to the moment we walked in, from the server recommendations to the AMAZING food!  This was my first time and I was blown away.  I will definitely be returning and recommending to anyone looking for an amazing experience and superb food. I had the scallops and was in love. Try it and you will see! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My husband and I had lunch here today 2/7/20. First of all, all the parking spots in front of the place were taken, but we drove around the corner, to the high-class residential area that surrounds this location, and we parked on the street just fine (about 25 yards away). When we walked in, we knew right away that the owner (Phoebe?) must be an artist or very fond of art. She has decorated this restaurant in the most beautifully artistic manner. Because Valentine's Day is around the corner, they have taken the trouble to put up the most beautiful Valentine's Day decorations and flower arrangements par extraordinaire! Let's just say that the decor in this restaurant is "off the charts" awesome, simple as that!Next, we were seated and greeted by Gabe, a really affable young man, who waited on us. I got some Red Stripe (Jamaican) beer, which was a typical British Lager (because the British ruled Jamaica for 100's of years), and I just happen to love British Lagers! We then ordered the Celestin's Gumbo with everything in it (all the meats), especially including Jalapenos, but not including Habaneros: we wanted it hot but not "burning our rear end the next day" hot! You know what I mean? We also ordered the Jamaican Jerk Chicken with the brown rice and mango chutney. What can I say guys: both these dishes were exquisitely delicious! We absolutely loved every morsel of them. It took me back to my New Orleans days in graduate school at Tulane, and to my several vacations in the Caribbean! This was definitely Cajun/Creole cuisine of the "upper shelf" category, that's for sure! The only criticism I have is that the bread that came with the Gumbo could have been a better quality, softer, more fresh cut of a French Baguette. Ours was kinda hard to bite on. Next, we ordered the Key Lime Pie and the Chocolate Pie, both of which were just awesomely yummy! Key Lime Pie gets an A+. Apparently they make the pies in their kitchen also, unlike some lower echelon restaurants.We live way out in the SF Bay Area (100 miles away), and we only come to Sacramento once in 10 years, but let me tell you this much: we wish there was a Celestin's in our town! We would be back often if they were in our town!PS: I even loved the artwork in the bathroom and passage! It certainly proved to me just how much the owners care about attention to every single detail. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Been going to this place since three restaurants ago.  Hands down the absolute best gumbo around.  Period.  Not cheap but well worth it. Obviously the gumbo is the star.  Order it with what you like in it but for me that means everything.  They can put chicken, fish, smoked sausage, shrimp, scallops.  This is the "brown roux" type gumbo not the "okra" type gumbo and there is a big difference.  The brown roux really adds a deep flavor.  For other dishes they also have an amazing key lime pie.  The grio and griefs plantains are very good.  I don't know if they still make it but they used to have a dish called scallops in coconut lime sauce that was almost as good as their gumbo.Honestly I have never tried anything here that wasn't great.  The owner Patrick is a real character too and a lot of the artwork is painted by his wife.  Look for the tall guy with the handlebar moustache.  That will be him.You can't find food like this anywhere.  Honestly he could open up under a bridge somewhere and we would all find him.  I'm doing glad he came out of retirement, it was quite the gumbo drought for a while there. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

The food here is simply delicious. Most restaurants I go to regularly have one dish that I like and I'll re-order it whenever I go. I have yet to find a single item on the menu that I would not re-order.  The gumbo is easily my favorite here.  Seating is cramped due to its small size and expect to wait on a Friday or Saturday night unless you make reservations. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I used to frequent their downtown location way back when.  First time since they came back and reopened in east sac.  Went for lunch and had the gumbo, the creole chicken sandwich and limeade ! ! All so delicious. The gumbo has a great helping of seafood and sausage.  The roux was sooo delicious. 2 of us shared the large gumbo. The sandwich has a tasty sauce coupled with avocado and capers.  Absolutely delicious!!!! Fries and whatever the seasoning is, it's amazing. Service was great. Our waiter was so very kind and helpful, gave us a great experience. We will be back!!! Oh and parking was easy!!!Thank you for reopening. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Nice (very small) restaurant in Sacramento. Delicious food.

Reviewed on Facebook

Great little restaurant with outstanding food/great ambience and walking distance from home.

Reviewed on Facebook

Excellent food and good sized portions. We're definitely coming back again.

Reviewed on Facebook

A very pleasant wonderful atmosphere. Excellent entree’s and service!

Reviewed on Facebook

A wonderful gem in East Sacramento. So glad they opened back in East Sacramento. A charming quaint place. We have been to their restaurants on J St and K St. I don't know why it took us so long to come here. But we will be back soon! Wonderful food and service! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great place. Love the menu. Recommend the corn cakes and key lime pie. The servers are super nice and very helpful with suggestions. I visit this spot often, especially after work when you just want a good meal in a comfortable environment and quick service. They have several vegetarian options! Love the Veggie Gumbo! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food, great service.  A most pleasant dining experience. Would recommend for any occasion. A must try

Reviewed on Yelp

We have been long time fans of Celestin's.  We are so happy to have them back after several years off.  Great food as always. Get there early as parking is limited. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Service was great!! Food was even better I will be back to have a dine in experience because I took my lunch to go and was very impressed!! Key lime pie is a must!!!!

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and small neighborhood local restaurant!

Reviewed on Facebook

Been here twice since they opened in the East Sac location. Both times the food has been fantastic. Best Po Boy sandwich I've ever had and excellent gumbo.

Reviewed on Yelp

The food is very good. I'm from the south, with Creole roots, so I know a good roux when it comes to gumbo. Some crab and okra would've been in my gumbo, but that's just me. The atmosphere is great! I enjoyed myself. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Went for dinner recently. Very nice place, cute decor and food is delicious. Will definitely come back to try other dishes. Service was very attentive and friendly. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Being from the South, we're picky about our Southern food but this far exceeded our expectations based on our other experiences west of the Mississippi. The Célestin's gumbo was great. Nicely layered roux and generous with the proteins. Key lime pie was tart and well balanced. My Cubano sandwich had everything I look for, and the fries had just the right amount of Cajun spice. Staff was courteous and prompt. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

This tiny little Creole joint by the park is underrated. I've been balking due to mediocre reviews but finally came around to getting takeout other day and was pleasantly surprised. We got two paninis - the grio and the chicken creole. For starters, any paninis cut in a sharp diagonal is already a win in my eyes. Don't know what it is about those sharp corners but reminds me of some of my favorite sandwiches. Flavors are strong and had good balance. They actually messed up my order and gave me a cubano which I ended up liking even more and when I called back, they hooked me up with a free sandwich so service was nice. Will be back to try some of their other offerings and hopefully even dine in for a cute date night spot. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

First time stopping by. The restaurant is a quaint little spot  that seats about 25. Service was excellent. Food was good. I had the Célestin's Gumbo. It came with sausage links, shrimp, chicken, rock cod, and scallops. The seasoning was good. I did add a little salt once I got down to the rice. There are several other dishes I will certainly be back to try. Namely the shrimp and grits, grio (marinated braised and deep fried pork), key lime pie, corn cakes and black beans and shrimp po boy. Great experience all around. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Went for dinner on Saturday afternoon! It was excellent. We loved the food and deserts. Very quaint and nicely decorated!! Will definitely be back.

Reviewed on Yelp

This is the best restaurant in McKinley Park area Sacramento, Ca. The food, waiters, atmosphere and we even met the owner.  A must have place to go!

Reviewed on Yelp

Great food and Sangria. Service was very good. Had the gumbo (delish) wife had the snapper, also delicious! We will definitely be back to try some of the other dishes which also looked good.

Reviewed on Yelp

Seafood gumbo, plus a pretty presentation? Score! My family and I love this place. I appreciate the fact that when we ask for spicy here, we get spicy! Yum . The staff here are all super friendly each time we visit. I always enjoy whenever we get a chance to catch up with the owners...good people! I wish the establishment was a bit bigger, but the food makes up for the occasional long wait. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Lovely locale, friendly staff, and delicious dishes.

Reviewed on Facebook

Our girlfriends group of 11 met for lunch at Celestin's on August 7th.  Though Celestin's is small inside, we made a reservation well in advance and they accommodated us perfectly.  All our meals & drinks were excellent:  gumbo; scallops in coconut lime sauce; Brazilian Style red snapper; Cubano sandwich; Grio; tomato avocado salad; fried green tomatoes (appetizer special that day); Key Lime pie; refreshing Sangria and Limeade.  Our waiter (I wish I could remember his name) was also excellent - helpful, cheerful, and attentive.  Several of us had been to Celestin's before and now we'll all be back with family! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My and my girls decided to visit to take a walk down memory lane and we're glad we did.  The place is a little smaller now but the service and food where on point. I ordered the special which was fried red snapper.  It was very good it xame with red beans and rice, avocado tomatoe salad and fried plantains.  It had a vinegar dipping sauce and paired very well. One of the ladies ordered gumbo and it had a rich roux with lots of sesfood and chicken. The key lime pie was very well balanced with the sweet and tart with a graham cracker crust that had just the right texture.  I'll be back but I'll make reservations. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Came here with family on a Friday evening. This is a small restaurant tucked into East Sac near McKinley. Small parking lot in a little shopping/business center, but plenty of residential street parking. The restaurant has maybe 10 or so tables and we waited a bit for one to become available for a party of 3. In that time, several different parties came and picked up takeout. Though there are a number of interesting and tasty-sounding options on the menu, I had to go with gumbo, as is their specialty. I like how you can customize to whatever you like - shrimp, sausage, chicken, other. Because I love rice (rice is life), I always wish for more rice than gumbo in a serving of gumbo, but that's just not how it's done an such is life. The roux flavor (is that what you call it?) is pretty rich and deep, you can tell it's been built up and developed. The color of the gumbo is also really dark, more brown than red I would say. At first I thought the serving size looked small, but my eyes deceived me and I left VERY VERY (read: too) full. We also tried a slice of key lime pie (check out their dessert displays!) which was very, very good. All in all a positive experience and one of the few (only?) places I know of in the area for good gumbo. Service is solid and the intimate setting of the restaurant is cute! Good for families and dates, just note that you will likely be very close to other tables given the size of the restaurant. Not super cheap, but worth it for what you are getting. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Good food! My aunt and I like the Manga Jito very very much, which is very suitable for ladies since it's light on alcohol. The service was nice, they were smiling at you all the time. It was a wonderful experience, and I will definitely go back again! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Such a great neighborhood spot. The gumbo is fantastic-- and comes in many variations, meat, seafood, and vegan. They have really good cocktails too. And their fries are the best in all of Sacramento! More...

Reviewed on Yelp