This is a counter service, "create your own plate" type of style restaurant. There's no waitstaff. You basically point to the food you want and someone behind the counter gets it for you. Ample number of choices - Including, but not limited to White rice, rice and beans, beef, chicken, yuca, Madurai's, etc .There's also a small salad bar. The portions are very generous. The prices are very reasonable/affordable. There's a parking lot across from the restaurant and space is usually never an issue. The restaurant was recently renovated. Good for eating in or take out. CASH ONLY. There's an ATM in the restaurant. Give it 5 stars because of the generous portions, low prices, friendly staff, quick service and good tasting food. read more

I haven't been to Celia's in years, so I figured it was time to give it another go. We ordered Rellenos de Papa (potato balls), two combo plates with beef guisada, and yellow rice. We chose sweet plantains, and potato salad for our sides. And to drink, passion fruit juice and lemonade. The total came out to around $45, which I found average for the serving size. The jugos are SO delicious. The passion fruit was refreshing and packed with strong sweet flavors, and the lemonade was just as good. The beef guisada was tender, flavorful, and perfectly saucy, and it paired so well with the spices in the rice and peas. The potato balls? To die for. Crispy on the outside, flavorful meat and soft potato insides. Easily one of my favorite things we ordered. Overall, I was really happy I decided to give Celia's another try. The food was flavorful, nostalgic and comforting. read more

I'm a normal customer Celia's I used to love the food there after my last experience there on June 26th 2026 I was there I wanted to eat white rice and beans and pork and fried plantain and I was eating the food as soon as I ate three to spoons of white rice and beans and ate a couple pieces of pork and right there at the restaurant I extremely got a reaction from the food I immediately went into cold sweats the food was in my stomach like I had a baby wanting to come out I nearly did not make it home because I should have went straight to the hospital but I think they should really take better care of how they serve their pork I'm pretty sure it must have got reheated from the day before or something because normally when you eat something that does not go good in your stomach you get the runs but this case was not the runs I immediately at the restaurant started going into cold sweats like something really was not good I think they should take better care of the pork I will never revisit that restaurant after that experience thank you read more

Celia's Restaurant - You nearly kill me - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Love their food. Taste just like home cooking growing up. Staff is quick and portions are good and the pricing is great. Grab a Malta with your meal and you're highly satisfied. Only negative is the parking read more

amazing. Honestly good pig feet. Love the ambiance and service was up to kept. Good luck read more

Celia's Restaurant - a container of food with rice and meat - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Clean and bright, excellent service. Many food choices. I found the seasoning too salty for my palate and high on fat content. I recommend giving it a try because if you're a Latin food lover, this might be the place for you. It's a welcome addition to the neighborhood read more

Excellent Latin American joint in New Bedford. A bit of a hole in the wall, it does have tables and chairs for sitting, but most people go there for take out. One Friday we got there around 12:30pm and there was a line about 10 deep. They offer complete meals for $5 (includes a meat, rice and vegetables). It is a nice filling option. They have pork, beef and chicken dishes to choose, at least 3-4 varieties of any one of those meats...some BBQ, some slow cooked, some roasted, etc. They also serve empanadas and other Latin American snacks. Cash only. Plenty of parking on the street or lot across. read more

See all

I love this place. Portions are always plentiful, food is very flavorful and delicious. I treat myself to a Chippi and a plate from here whenever I'm in the area! My favorite tradition read more

Celia's Restaurant - Large plate $10 plus an extra dollar for plantains, so worth it, delicious! - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Spacious eating area, fast service, friendly staff. Food is not expensive and you get a lot of it !

Food so good I inhaled it before I could take the picture. Authentic quinine with flavors that don't disappoint! Friendly atmosphere. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Meat pie - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Very good quality food. Love this place. I was sad when I moved since it was a block away now it's like 20 minute drive but I go from time to time and it's still delicious although they raised the price +($2) it's still worth it. Now I made myself hungry thinking about it read more

Amazing food. I have been here countless times and have never been disappointed. The food here really makes you feel right at home. The portions are relatively large and you get a lot of bang for your buck here. If you only have a little bit of money on hand and need to grab a meal to fill you up, look no further. This place is also a perfect place to grab food for the next day also. I typically eat half my plate (or buy an extra depending on how hungry I am) and warm up the food either late that night or the next day. read more

Great food. Big portions for good price. Staff was very friendly and it seemed like a very popular spot for locals.

If you want quality inexpensive fast Caribbean style meals that taste great you have come to the right place. Pulled pork, codfish, ribs, chicken, empanadas, and desserts are all amazing and affordable! read more

For cinco de Mayo I decided to pick up empanadas from Celias. Well I had to go back and pick up a second batch. Why was this my first time there. This place has been at the same spot for 16 years. Delicious!! And the employees were very friendly read more

Celia's Restaurant - Empanadas! Delicious - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Good wholesome food. If you need to fill up on a budget, there's no better place in town.

Probably the best place around for Carribean cuisine. Love the pastalijos here, definitely my favorite! The staff are hard-working and kind as well. The vibe is very, very Puerto Rican (lol) from the reggaeton in the background to the delectable smell of the food!! celia's is for sure my go to whenever im in the mood for a latino meal! read more

You can't say no to this place I've been coming hear for years and never had a bad plate ! Fresh , hot , delicious food . I recommend everything on the menu. I love the lay out ( buffet style) you see what food your picking and you also have to try the pastelitos (best around) !!Also the passion fruit juice is the amazing, if your ever near this location stop by grab a 5$ plate you won't regret it! It's also really reasonably priced for the portion. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

The food is always delicious and fresh, the owner & workers are really friendly and it's crazy cheap! I am a vegetarian, and while this restaurant seems to cater to the meat eaters, the $5 plate with rice, beans, veggies and salad is amazing! I could eat it every day. read more

The food and portion sizes are AMAZING. This business has been around for more than 20 years and makes delicious and affordable Latin dishes. Sooooooo good - we eat here at least once per week!! read more

I've never been to their location. The girls from work have stopped by there twice to pick up lunch. I need to go in one day. I love their food. I get beef and rice with an empanada. They have super reasonable prices, great portion sizes and really good food. Recommend the place for sure. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Rice with beef and an empanada. Yum! - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

Wide selection of Spanish food, fast and friendly service! Cash is still king with an on site ATM Machine and bar for your beer and wine consumption. Several TV's playing Music Video's and sports entertainment if you eat in or you can simply take home your delicious selections! Prices are very reasonable; bring your family and enjoy your food with no dishes to clean up afterwards! Off street parking is a big plus!!! read more

If you're looking for fine dining, totally looking in the wrong place. But if your looking for some amazing hardy traditional Spanish food, this is it! Very healthy portions of food and good selection of proteins. We opted for the ox tail, goat, beef, fried pork, and pig feet. Least fav was the pig feet cause of the texture, but overall everything was on point. Totally recommend checking it out, great tasting food and good pricing. read more

See all

Terrible I have nothing else to say it's just not the place for me the meat was cheap tasting and just gross

Best Dominican food I've ever had. Super quick and easy stop to get food. The line is usually long but it's never a long wait.

Celia's place is amazing. Very, very savory and delicious. A little confusing to order...

Delicious food at rock bottom prices served with a smile. We were looking for an off the beaten path place to have a quick and inexpensive dinner and this place was perfect. A steam table of a bunch of meats and sides and a nice lady to tell you what it all is. I had some super tender and flavorful steak with a side of white rice and my partner had savory ribs with a side of brown rice. We both had plantains and sodas from the cooler (Diet Coke for me and Dominican grape soda for him) all for less than the price of two movie tickets. Free parking across the street and a soccer game on the television. It was a great place to eat and hide out from the snowstorm. I'd go back in a second. read more

This one best spot good people let talk about the food it is so delicios the best Celia's keep the good food hahaha we love ure place

OMG, when my sister lived at my house and brought Celia's home i would chomp at it. Its honestly really good food and i suggest getting food from Celia's read more

I'm dominican, and this food is just like the one I eat back home. Everything was delicious, you get tons of food for 5 dollars. I heavily recommend for when you have little time during lunch break, or just for a day you don't want to cook. I'm so excited they have guandules!! Very traditional, very very GOOD. read more

Celia's Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Bedford, Massachusetts

I had been to Celia's years ago before they renovated and I remember the food being good but the place being so small. I went again a few days ago with some friends and boy had I forgotten how delicious their food is!! Not to mention the renovation and expansion is amazing!! There were a lot of people getting takeout. Their food is fresh Hispanic food and the prices are sooooo reasonable it's almost a steal! I got a $5 dollar plate, comes with your choice of yellow or white rice, your choice of meat option, and a type of salad. There were a lot of other things I wanted to try but stuck to something simple. Will definitely being going back!!! read more

Still one of the best local spots for Caribbean food. A lot of imitators have popped up over the years but Celia's is still the most consistent and affordable. read more

This was our first time visiting this restaurant. The food was delicious! We ordered 3 large dinners. The beef was so tender and flavorful and the stewed chicken was perfect! My family and I devoured everything! Even my 11 month enjoyed the rice and chicken!! We were able to sit and eat on person and felt safe given the spacing between the tables. The girls working the line were super sweet and helpful! It is cash only, but there is an ATM inside. They have high chairs for little ones and the bathrooms were spotless, I felt 100% comfortable changing my daughter in the women's bathroom!! We plan to take the 45 min drive back in a few weeks for another visit!! read more

Delicious food and huge portions, especially for the price. Would highly recommend for takeout.

Great Spanish food! I come here all the time and get the beef with the yello rice it is amaizing! If you like Spanish food this is the spot to come to it is cash only though for the heads up read more

My husband brought me here a few years ago when I first moved to the area. I was skeptical, but dont judge a book by its cover here. The homestyle authentic food is delicious. We always add an empanada or two to our order. Their food sells like hot cakes and the place is always busy with returnung customers. read more

If these guys had a better location they would make a killing! Food here is some of the best I've ever had. Very hole in the wall feeling but truly a hidden gem. I usually get rice, beans and chicken legs and it's incredible. Great portions for the money, I couldn't believe it when I heard about it from a friend, but truly one of the hidden gems of New Bedford! read more

First trip to NB in a decade. $5 lunch plate, can't beat it. Empanadas were top notch.

Best food, best ambiance. Like being in a Dominican grandmother's kitchen. A real treat.

The tastiest, most abundant food in New Bedford for a excellent price. For five dollars you can get a heaping plate of meat (roast chicken, ribs, Cape Verde style pork and chicken, stewed goat), a carbohydrate (brown or white rice, spaghetti, or plantains), and a vegetable (or a second carb.). The staff is extremely friendly as well. There is no menu, just go in, and ask the kind server at the counter what the daily fare is, and delight in the bounty of New Bedford hispanic cooking. Don't miss this place. read more