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.

Great food and very friendly service. Closed Monday & Tuesdays 11:30-4:00pm.... Helps Fresno State football

Absolutely delicious. great, friendly and timely service. Desserts are really good, the fried fish snapper with potato salad and Mac and cheese is so elite. my favorite the owner is usually there, and will check in with each table if they're not too busy . no complaints, def one of my favorite hidden gems in Fresno.

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.

Great food! Potato salad is the best! Raspberry salad dressing is delicious (I don't know anyplace else that has it). I thank our order taker (I'm sorry, this old brain forgot your name) for making me listen to the entire list of dressings instead of defaulting to my standard Thousand Island. Place is in older section of downtown and has the charm of the area. I loved looking at the artwork, album covers and figures. Three of us and each a different item. Me, chicken salad - wife, wings with sides - friend, ribs with sides. Next time the wife and I agreed to try something different as we will be back!

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 oxtail Gumbo Chicken and waffles Fried fish While 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.

Ribs, hot link, yams, greens, cornbread and BBQ sauce. Chef Paul combines down home with majestic. To paraphrase 2pac, my wife has "All eyes on food."

Finally checked this Fresno gem off my local bucket list and boy did they live up to their reputation! An inconspicuous store front that harkened of the hey Day of China Town lead way to the coolest old-school diner. From the door to the dining tables, counters and open concept kitchen, I felt like I was surrounded by a rich culture and history. Ordered a kids' meal and a sweet tea, which were both perfect and generously portioned. Chicken was crisp, flavorful and the pieces were surprisingly big for a kids' plate. Sweet potatoes and tea transported me back to the Low Country, Georgia with their southern sweetness and luscious texture. But the star of the plate was the side dish of stewed cabbage: tangy, tender-crisp with a homey and bright acidity. A recommendation from the super-attentive waitress; so glad I ordered this instead of my usual fave, collard greens. You will be seeing much more of me in the near future! Can't wait to try more of the menu items!