Célestin’s is Back!

Normally, my weekly blog article gets posted on Sunday night, but I'm so excited about this one I can't wait! The very first restaurant I wrote about for my Sacramento Vegan blog was Célestin’s

Island Eats and Cajun Cuisine. Célestin’s had always been a favorite of mine, and I appreciated them all the more after I went vegan in 2002 because they offered clearly-marked vegan options on their menu. Sadly, less than a month after I wrote that blog post, Célestin’s closed, and I've been missing the restaurant, and their amazing vegetarian gumbo, ever since. 

Now, six-and-a-half years later, Phoebe and Patrick Célestin have come out of retirement to open a new iteration of their fabulous restaurant in the McKinley Park neighborhood. They opened their doors today, and I didn't waste any time getting over there.


Once again, their vegan items are clearly marked on the menu, although all I really cared about was getting myself a bowl of the vegetarian gumbo. It did not disappoint! Chunks of butternut squash, cremini mushrooms, bell peppers, and zucchini shared the bowl with rice and a broth that had a nice little kick to it. I was sure I'd end up taking some of it home, but I didn't stop eating until I'd finished every bite.

Almost as exciting to me as the gumbo was the return of Célestin’s fresh limeade. I travel to Colombia often, and I try to drink my fill of limonada natural while I'm there because I know there is no fresh limeade to be had at Sacramento restaurants. Now I know I can have it whenever I like at Célestin’s.

The new restaurant is tiny, so tables have been placed very close together, and ordering is done at the counter rather than at the table. Some of the Haitian art that hung in Célestin’s previous location adorns the walls in the new space, and Phoebe and Patrick Célestin are there to make sure the new Celestin's lives up to everyone's fond memories of the old Celestin's. The place was packed today, a testament to how much people in Sacramento have missed this restaurant.

Celestin's is located at 3610 McKinley Boulevard, and their phone number is 916-258-4060. Their website address is https://www.celestinsgumbo.com, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/greatgumbo/. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.