Looking for a friendly Cafe in Fresno, CA? Chef Paul's Cafe is known for quality drinks, fresh flavors, and a comfortable place to relax or get work done. Rated 4.60 stars from 1080 reviews, we’re here to make every visit feel easy and enjoyable with great service and quality.
Popular Items
Frequently ordered and highly recommended items at Chef Paul's Cafe
Our Story
Welcome to a place where great food meets warm hospitality. We believe dining is more than just a meal - it's an experience to be savored and shared.
Our kitchen is dedicated to creating dishes that bring people together, using recipes that honor tradition while embracing innovation.
Photos
A glimpse of our restaurant experience
Food & Drinks
Tomatoes & Okra deep fried in a seasoned cornmeal batter with a side of arugula aioli sauce
Tomatoes deep fried in a seasoned cornmeal batter with a side arugula aioli sauce
Okra deep fried in a seasoned cornmeal batter with a side of arugula aioli sauce
Salmon salad with garbanzo beans, cucumber relish, tomatoes, feta cheese with a balsamic oil and vinegar dressing and a balsamic sweet glaze.
Tri-Tip salad with red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, hard boiled egg, grated carrots, red cabbage and shredded cheddar cheese. Served with your choice of dressing.
Chicken salad with red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, hard boiled egg, grated carrots, red cabbage and shredded cheddar cheese. Served with your choice of dressing.
Shrimp salad with red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers, hard boiled egg, grated carrots and red cabbage. Served with your choice of dressing.
Fried green tomatoes with arugula aioli sauce, red onions and romaine lettuce.
Grits topped with deep fried okra in a savory sauce
Array of sauteed seasonal vegetables and mushrooms topped with muenster cheese
4 Crispy Fried Pieces of Chicken with 2 Waffles Butter & Syrup
4 pcs of Smothered Chicken in our Homemade Gravy with 2 sides of your choice
1 Crispy Fried Chicken Breast with 1 Waffle Butter & Syrup
3 of our Crispy Fried Chicken Wings with 1 Waffle Butter & Syrup
1 Crispy Fried Chicken Wing
1 Crispy Fried Chicken Leg
1 Crispy Fried Chicken Thigh
1 Crispy Fried Chicken Breast
4 pcs of our Crispy Fried Chicken Wings with 2 sides of your choice and cornbread
4 pcs of our Crispy Fried Chicken Breast, Thigh, Wing & Drum with 2 sides of your choice and cornbread
Choice of fish - red snapper, catfish or tilapia seasoned with Creole seasoning and blackened. Served with two sides of your choice and cornbread.
Two deep fried filets coated in cornmeal and seasoned to perfection. Topped with arugula aioli, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and pickles
Two deep fried filets coated in cornmeal and seasoned to perfection. Topped with arugula aioli, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and pickles
Two deep fried filets coated in cornmeal and seasoned to perfection. Topped with arugula aioli, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and pickles
Baked in white wine, garlic and lemon. Served with tartar sauce or arugula aioli. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
Baked in white wine, garlic and lemon. Served with tartar sauce or arugula aioli. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
Baked in white wine, garlic and lemon. Served with tartar sauce or arugula aioli. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
Sauteed large prawns smothered BBQ sauce and fresh rosemary. Served with two sides of your choice and cornbread.
Deep fried shrimp coated in cornmeal and seasoned to perfection. Topped with arugula aioli, tomatoes, red onion, lettuce and pickles. Served with your choice of two sides.
7 Large shrimp breaded in cornmeal and fried, served with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
3 pieces of tilapia breaded in cornmeal and fried, served with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
3 pieces of catfish breaded in cornmeal and fried, served with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
3 pieces of red snapper breaded in cornmeal and fried, served with tartar sauce and lemon. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
Large prawns with chicken andouille sausage, chefs special sauce and grits, topped with green onions. Served with Garlic Toast
Chef Paul's special recipe. Served with your choice of two sides.
Served with your choice of two sides
Served with two sides
Braised beef oxtails, smothered in a rich brown sauce. Served with your choice of two sides and cornbread.
All beef hotlink's served on a sandwich roll with your choice of two sides and a side of BBQ sauce.
Served with your choice of two sides.
Cut up and served with Chef Paul's special BBQ sauce
Porkchops smothered in a brown gravy. Served with your choice of two sides
Fried to perfection and served with your choice of two sides
Served with ribs, tri-tip, a hot link and your choice of two sides
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Please call and check for availability
Please allow for a 24 hour notice
Please allow for a 24 hour notice
Hear from our valued guests
Omg!! I don’t know how it took us so long to get here! This spot is incredible!!! Chicken and waffles are amazing! Beef tips are so tender! All of the sides are amazing! And the staff is so genuinely kind and friendly! We can’t wait to come back
The best chicken and waffle place in Fresno! Plus other southern home cooking! A must for all southern cooking fans.
I can't say enough good things here. Never had shrimp & grits before...absolutely delicious! We also tried ox tails, shrimp po' boy, burnt ends, most of the sides, and all were great. My favorite side was the cabbage. Next time I'm taking a huge container home. Everyone there was super friendly and the atmosphere feels like going to a friend's house for lunch.
After an event, we stopped by to eat here and did not regret it at all. The food was amazing as well as the service, and overall atmosphere. We tried the BBQ combo plate which was not only affordable but also delicious. We wished we could have tried everything but it gives us a reason to make the drive to try more of the menu next time! Thank you chef Paul's cafe. See you soon!
Came with my mom and sister for lunch. The fried chicken here is so incredibly good. We also had chessy grits, greens and Mac and cheese and everything was so good. My mom also had the ox tails. They were a little small but came with plenty and they were so tender!! I had a sweet tea and let me tell you that was some sweeeeeet tea. The flavor was great but I did have to dilute it. I will definitely be coming back!
Had a special where they smoke some ribs and then cut off the tips and cook them in some garlic and sauce. It was excellent. This place has great food and the staff is very friendly. Definetly plan on going back and trying other things off the menu. Highly recommend.
The smothered pork chops were amazing! Everything we've tried there has been simply delicious. And everyone who works there is nice, friendly, and makes it a great place to have lunch! Portions are large. We love it, and plan to eat there again next week!
It's a wonderful experience to enter a restaurant and be warmly greeted and appreciated. The food was delicious and my daughter from out of state thoroughly enjoyed both the food and the friendly staff. Not a fancy establishment but spacious and well maintained. I strongly recommend it. My meal pictured was hot sausage sandwich with sweet potatoes in a delicious buttery sauce and chop string beans. Not to forget a very tasty peach cobbler.
Don’t let the humble exterior fool you—Chef Paul’s Cafe is legit. Good down home soul food, but with a twist, at least to this Southerner. I got the”tri-tips,” which is thin slices of beef with a side of BBQ sauce. The beef was nice and tender and flavorful. Also got the Mac & cheese and potatoes & gravy, which were great. The biggest surprise was the green beans—nice and tender but served with some kind of delicious tomato relish mixed in. Chef Paul and Pam were friendly, gracious hosts. Liked the classic soul/R&B playlist too. If you only have time for one meal in Fresno, like me, make it Chef Paul’s!!!
I've been to Chef Paul's a handful of times now, and it's HANDS DOWN, the best soul food restaurant you'll find in Fresno! Their fried chicken is bomb!! Crispy and well seasoned on the outside but juicy inside! Fried okra and fried green tomatoes also are amazing to share with the table. The hot link is delicious as well, definitely get the after kick of spiciness, but doesn't overwhelm! And the chili beans have deep flavor to them! Servers and staff are super friendly and you can tell they enjoy working there. Chef Paul is usually hanging out and stops by tables to say hello. The restaurant itself is small but has larger tables. Which is needed when you order so much food! Would recommend Chef Paul's to anyone looking for some good old-fashioned soul food
Common questions about Chef Paul's Cafe
Chef Paul's Cafe is located at 952 F St, Fresno, CA 93706, United States, Fresno, CA, United States.
You can reach Chef Paul's Cafe by calling +1 559-478-8516.
Chef Paul's Cafe has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 based on 1080 customer reviews.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following accessibility: Wheelchair-accessible car park, Wheelchair-accessible entrance, Wheelchair-accessible seating, Wheelchair-accessible toilet.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following service options: Delivery, On-site services, Takeaway, Dine-in.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following highlights: Great dessert, Serves local specialty.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following popular for: Lunch, Dinner, Solo dining.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following offerings: Coffee, Comfort food, Quick bite, Small plates.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following dining options: Brunch, Lunch, Dinner, Catering, Dessert, Seating, Table service.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following amenities: Restroom.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following atmosphere: Casual, Cozy, Quiet, Trendy.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following crowd: Groups, Tourists.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following planning: Accepts reservations, Usually a wait.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following payments: Credit cards, Debit cards, NFC mobile payments.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following children: Good for kids, High chairs, Kids' menu.
Chef Paul's Cafe features the following parking: Free parking lot, Free street parking, Plenty of parking.
Business Features
We look forward to welcoming you. Make a reservation or stop by - walk-ins welcome!
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