Chef Paul's Cafe

A friend and I were on our was up to Sacramento and we needed to stop by somewhere for lunch. He threw out a few suggestions but I was hankering for some fried chicken because I've haven't had it in a while. That's how we ended up at Chef Paul's Cafe. It had some serious home cooking vibes here and we were greeted immediately by the nice waitresses. We were SUPER hungry so we ordered a lot. I ordered a plate of fried chicken with chili beans and mac n cheese. My friend ordered the jambalaya plate and the bbq platter to share between the two of us. After we ordered, we were approached by a gentleman with a bluetooth ear piece. I thought this was gonna be some guy trying to sell us something but it turned out it was the owner (or I think he is... his face is on the house hot sauce). He wanted to let us know that he appreciated us stopping by and if there's anything we needed let him know. Each plate came with some soft and moist cornbread so we asked for butter to eat the cornbread with. It was amazing. The owner saw us eating the cornbread with butter so he offered us his secret stash of butter. We politely declined cause we gotta move on to the other stuff:Fried Chicken - moist, crunchy and fun to pair with all the hot sauces on the table. Yams (side) - THE BEST THING I'VE EATEN THIS YEAR HOLY MOLY. LIKE A WARM SWEET DESSERT THAT'S TELLING YOU ITS OK, ITS OK TO HAVE THIS SWEET STUFF WITH YOUR MAIN DISH.Chili Bean (side) - Amazing. You can tell this is definitely home made cause you can taste each and every ingredient clearly. Packs a punch with it's seasoning. Green Beans (side) - Very good. Gotta have some vegetables right? Even though it's made simmering in a tasty sauce. Mac n Cheese - Very good mac n cheese. Simple, not dry, and again, tastes very good with all the different hot sauces on the table. My buddy killed his Jambalaya. He didn't want to get his hands dirty cause he needed to keep his shirt clean to visit some clients. The owner told him that they can get him a bib and fill up the Jambalaya again if he wanted to take it to go. Very nice of them. The bbq platter was good. Each meat was moist and tasty but I really enjoyed the sausage link that was on it. I love sausages and that link was top tier. Very juicy. Wow, that was a lot. When I go on a rant and write a bunch about a place, I usually had a great time or it made a lasting impression. I was definitely enamored by the vibes, hospitality, and the experience that Paul's Cafe provided. The only downside is that I probably won't be back here because we're not from there. But if I'm ever in Fresno again, I'm definitely coming back and I already got plans for that Oxtail next time.

Still the best of the best! I'm uploading pictures of the menu, since we went again today. I had the rib tips and they were fantastic, and less messy to eat than the regular ribs. I re-read my previous review and remember that off-chicken fried steak. It was during the Covid-stupidity. I remember having to eat in our truck. I'm sure it had to do with an ingredient shortage. I've had it again since and it's fully returned to its former glory. In fact, I mentioned to Chef Paul one visit (not today's) that I was wanting the chicken fried steak, but it wasn't on the special so I was excited about the ribs. Chef Paul said, "I got you" and made me the chicken friend steak even though it wasn't on the menu for the day! Also, if you ever get a chance, buy some of the Chef Paul sauce for your home kitchen. They were out so we couldn't get one today, but once chili peppers grow again it will be back. He makes it from scratch from peppers he grows himself! We have one bottle in the fridge and one in the pantry that will get us through this seasonal "shortage".

Great customer service! Nicely portioned sized food! And a home-like retro styled restaurant! My brother and I ordered the gumbo and braised oxtail. Both very yummy!!! They were even nice enough to give another oxtail to my brother as they noticed there wasn't enough given at serving.Chef Paul even came out to ask how the food was! Such a nice touch. Will be back again.

Chef Paul's Cafe is located in the historical Chinatown district in Downtown Fresno. Interesting neighborhood. I sense the age of the original buildings and I see some redevelopment going on. I didn't see any Chinese people and only one Chinese restaurant.Chef Paul transitioned from a catering business in 2010 to his current storefront. I admired the decor inside. Menu had an excellent selection of soul food. I ordered the oxtail.Crinkle cut fries were crispy on the outside and soft in the center. Loved the light fried potato flavor.Oxtail was tender and had a nice beef flavor. The light brown sauce provided a nice additional flavor. Good portion size. Great tasting dish.Staff was nice and provided great service. Next time I'm in town I wanna try the fried catfish and fried chicken.

I can't believe it took me so long to try Chef Paul's, it was EVERYTHING I expected, if not better! The nostalgic feeling inside makes you want to hang around for awhile but the staff makes being there even better, they are all so kind and welcoming. The food was so satisfying, came out in a timely manner and was plentiful. I have no complaints and look forward to coming back here again soon!

we stopped by on the way to yosemite and i am so glad we did! firstly, the VIBES were phenomenal and the owner (paul) and all the employees were so kind. the food was delicious!

I didn't have a chance to process how good this place was cause I ended up demolishing my fried pork chop before it clocked in my mind. All our food was bomb, but I have to hand it to the ox tail because that was some next level stuff. Don't even get my started on that hot sauce man. You telling me I can eat this food in a nice retro made place? While the servers are so nice? I'm going to need a gym membership along with a second serving of this stuff cause I'm about to double my weight.

What else is there to add to the litany of praises for this place? More praises, of course--if only to underscore the menu's consistent quality. More so, I want to support locally- and minority-owned businesses. What we had:Braised oxtailGumboChicken and wafflesFried fishWhile it's true that it's in a sketchy part of town, this shouldn't stop you. (It didn't stop Joe Rogan--twice.) In fact it shows the lack of pretense of Chef Paul's. It's all about the food here, so much that Chef Paul himself comes out to see to it you're enjoying your meal. He did it with us. If you've never had soul food, check this place out.

Such an iconic restaurant in downtown Fresno. This gem is everything it's cracked up to be. Wonderful southern cooking that is authentic. I tasted my sister's grits and they were better than any I had in New Orleans! I had the fried green tomato and aioli sandwich. It was really good. Nice crispy tomatoes and very flavorful sauce. It was on a tender roll with onions, lettuce, and fresh tomatoes. Really delicious. I got to choose two sides and I opted for the cabbage and yams. Both were really good. I preferred the cabbage as it was so beautifully flavored. I tried my sister's Mac and cheese, and it was very creamy and yummy. Chef Paul came to our table and we had a nice chat. Such a great experience. I highly recommend visiting this epic restaurant.

Got the Tri-Tip Sandwich and the smothered chicken, and they were so good!!!! The vibes in there are great, Chef Paul and workers are so nice and make your time there so nice! Definitely going to go back. Ya'll need to try it!!