This place shows that they caring about how they treat EVERY person that walks into their doors. FOOD is AMAZING. i think about their food all the time, I respect that they have limited hours but darn i wish they were open like 24/7 LOL I LOVE THEIR FOOD, I LOVE THEIR VIBE, AND I LOVE THE AMBIANCE. It feels like going to your favorite aunts to eat and your cousins are really nice. (the staff lol) Fried fish, snapper is ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. crispy and fresh, my GOTO. Fried chicken comes in big hearty pieces. Sausage BBQ platter is delicious too. my go to sides are the yams, potato salad and mac and cheese. SO GOOD. The desserts are really good too and they have different stuff. I've had their peach cobbler, banana pudding, and german chocolate and wish i wouldve gotten another because i just wanted to keep eating it. People who complain about the location are just entitled unseasoned people who dont appreciate the real raw culture of long standing family establishment. The people who complain about the location are the ones who have their house like robots in all grey and bland. DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM. I LOVE the inside, it makes me feel at home, and taken care of. Waitress and staff are SO KIND. I have been here over 5x and EVERY time the owner Paul comes up to me and asks how everything is and if he can help me. The staff is SO welcoming and i've heard them talk about how they like working . You dont get that going to a chain that is more performative and just wants to profit as much as they can.

I got the bbq rib tip special with greens that were VERY flavorful juicy and not soggy! Along with their excellent Mac n cheese band swet cornbread! My partner got fried red snapper Mac n cheese and rice with gravy! I drank kool aid and he drank starry (sprite). The wait was about 20 minutes but IT WAS WORTH IT!!! It's a little dark and old looking inside but the food is good and it has an open kitchen! We left a great tip and I wish they are open Mondays and Tuesdays... we spent under $50 I will DEFINITELY be going back I have one suggestion... doesn't affect my rating... I would update the place a bit it's a bit gloomy nd dusty

This place is a must try I'm very picky when it comes to fried chicken. I like Popeyes and now I like chef Paul's, I'm going back to taste more from the menu I also love that feeling when my money goes towards supporting small businesses

My hubby had the combo plate with ribs, tri tip & hot link. I had the shrimp & grits. Best food in town. Didn't disappoint. Service was excellent.

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".

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!

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.