Look, I REALLY wanted to like this place. I am a fan of no-nonsense diners with competent waitresses who serve simple food. I'm like Ron Swanson that way. Also, it was close to a dance studio where my wife was taking ballet lessons. I say again: I really wanted to like this place. However, in this place, the Universe turns inside out. Seemingly nice waitresses disappear into unknown spaces never to reappear. Food you ordered 45 minutes ago, she explains, went missing when she switched out her "ticket book". The food arrives cold and poorly prepared. Small portions. Poor quality. I go BACK two days later to give Paul's a second chance (yep, I am "that guy"). I arrive shortly after it opens. Again, a seemingly nice waitress tells me to sit anywhere. She arrives with a small glass of water and a menu and disappears. I wait 5 - 10 minutes for her. She never reappears. I hear laughter and conversation in a kitchen somewhere. I am the only customer. They can't be bothered to take my order. Paul's, I get it now. You are beyond redemption. Find a new line of work. Serving food isn't your thing. read more

It's a very standard, go-to American, small town style diner. If you want eggs benedict, it's not on the menu. Our waitress told us that the cooks, "might" make it, but it "depends on what kind of mood their in." A word of advice, if the cooks aren't in an eggs benedict mood, you better not be either. Our waitress, a blonde lady with a pixie cut, was really nice to us. She kept giving me more coffee, and smiling. I like it when people are nice to me. I'd do here again, because it's close, it's plain. It's like the flannel shirt my grandfather gave me. Warm, worn, and safe. read more

Kids are huge fans! Classic diner vibe with great food. Price is right and the place, with its dinner look and feel is super clean. Don't forget to check out the elbow bar while you are there. Will I come back? I already did. Check it out next time you are in the wonderful downtown of Vancouver Wa read more

I went to Paul's with coworkers for breakfast and would definitely give it a thumbs up. Biscuits and gravy rocked. Very friendly service. Our waitress did a nice job. Simple place but sometimes simple is perfect! Will go back! read more

Our server was VERY nice! However, our food was not. We went for dinner on a Saturday evening about 6:00 pm. We were the only ones in the finer. The kids food was fine, one ordered a waffle and the other a sandwich. Both were good. Hubby and I ordered dinner. Hubby had pork chop, fries and peas. I had chicken fried steak, mashed and peas. The peas were horrible. Very old frozen peas. Wrinkled. Tough. Not hot. Very very yucky. My mashed potatoes smelled bad. Enough that I could smell them on the fork. I've never had anything like that ever. And hope to never find out why they were so bad, as I ate a bite before I figured out what was wrong. The beef gravy on the mashed and steak was very dark brown. Cooked way too long and that burnt beef taste of packaged gravy. Hubby really liked his pork chop. That's right. One. One small thin cut pork chop. From the dinner menu. Not the senior one either. And his dinner roll was never brought. We've decided to save Paul's for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is so not their strong suit. read more

I thought it would be super greasy - but I was totally wrong. Very yummy, non greasy, non-over-salted breakfast. YAY! I love finding a new breakfast place! Can't wait to try the blueberry pancakes. PS The waitress called me "hon" but it was totally authentic and therefore added to the experience nicely. I tipped her big. read more

This is our breakfast go to place when family is in town, usually Sunday morning. The menu has all the traditional American classics at good prices. Serving sizes are more than enough but I always lick the plate clean. My wife always gets the hash because it's the best around. I like to mix it up and never have been disappointed. The staff is great, service is prompt and friendly but not over bearing. I hope they're all doing well during the pandemic. And I hope they all return when this is over. read more

I'm not really sure how you can be open for dinner and close at 6pm. When I walked into ask the person working the register rudely said "we are closed", well then I guess you should turn the open sign off. The morning shift isn't nearly as rude so I recommend coming for breakfast. read more

Paul's Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

Pretty impressed with this place. I had the special, which was blackberry pancakes with eggs. The blackberry syrup looked and tasted like the real deal, not some sort of Smuckered purple-dyed disaster. My partner had the Denver Omelette, which was alright he said, but nothing worthy of Sunday morning worship. The service was nearly perfect for a not-yet-caffeinated, not-yet-nourished, probably not-yet-totally-awake clientele. Attentive, quick, without being harsh or smothering... with just the right amount of sarcasm to make you smile, even that early in the morning and despite whatever you might have consumed the night before. It was a good place to be in the morning. read more

This place was alright... * Had the Swiss Mushroom Burger. It was pretty good... Nothing too extraordinary, but I was hungry. * The place looks like it's been around for a while... Could use a little decor facelift. * Otherwise, it's ok... Meh. Alright. I didn't really see anything on the menu that would bring me back or make me highly recommend to anyone... Just like a typical Denny's or Shari's... Nothing too special. read more

Good diner. Very well-preserved, old school diner. Check out that counter! The menu offers breakfast and lunch items all day long. Pretty good variety and good quality food, but nothing fancy. Friendly service. read more

See all

I went here about 30 minutes before closing. Service was a bit slow to start, but was fine after my order was taken. I ordered a hot tea, and although there were several varieties of herbal tea displayed behind the counter, I was given one bag of Lipton. It came with honey packets and a nice big carafe of hot water, though. My tuna melt left some to be desired. There was a nice grill on the bread, but the tuna salad was wet and sloppy and kept dripping out of the sandwich as I ate. It was also cold in spots. The fries were nice and crispy on the outside and tender on the inside - golden perfection. I may return to try the breakfast menu someday, but from this experience I won't be going way out of my way to make that happen. read more

I have been coming to Paul's for years. I absolutely love this place! The food is traditional american style diner food and it is SUPER! This is also my 9 year old's favorite restaurant so you cannot go wrong there! Awesome sandwiches, great breakfast, amazing salads...the fries and ranch are just about my fave thing ever! Owner is sweet and friendly, and our favorite waitress always greets us with a smile! read more

We went for a simple breakfast, food took forever to come out, was undercooked when it finally did arrive. We watched two other tables that came in after we had ordered receive their food before we did. Servers weren't attentive to anything other than the amount of coffee in your cup. Overcharged us and the couple paying before us. Bad food, bad service. Won't be back. read more

I went here on a whim. As a vegetarian, there were a couple of options for me but I ended up choosing a grilled cheese. I splurged a bit and upgraded my side from a choice of tater tots or french fries to onion rings. My coffee came first. Really good coffee. The establishment was very homey and comfortable. Atmosphere felt familiar like I could easily become a regular. Onion rings were AMAZING. Grilled cheese didn't wow me. The customer service was wonderful and I felt very welcome here. Would definitely go back. read more

I really enjoyed my breakfast here! The waitress was friendly and the restaurant was clean. They also have great drinks if you just want to hit the bar :) read more

Whenever I go to the Couve I stop in and have a drink here! They sure do make a good whiskey and 7! I haven't eaten the food here yet but one of these days I will and I'm sure they won't let me down... There is a parking lot for Paul's patrons and there is good street parking in addition. They hours i believe are regular bar hours.... read more

The bartender didn't even ask for our ID until we started asking questions about ordering food. She then starts to say they don't sever food when legally they have too. We got nothing but attitude. The bartender was such a b***h pardon my French. We quickly went somewhere else. read more

We came in for brunch 1pm on a saturday not very crowded we were seated immediately. Service was prompt I ordered chicken fried steak the portions are large and tasty! Fabulous cranberry vodka! We will be back! Samara is a great communicator and excellent server! read more

One of my favorite places for lunch near downtown Vancouver. Older 1970s decor with a lunch counter. Friendly staff and good tasting food at a reasonable price read more

Only tried their breakfast. Clean, good food, decent portion size and good prices. Service is prompt and attentive. They seem to run a tight ship there. read more

Paul's Restaurant - Chicken salad looks nice fresh and crisp. Yummy. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

I tasted the soup, it was good but barely warm. I ordered country fried steak....I asked "please bring me steaming hot food." she brought me barely warm food. I sent it back. it came steaming hot but the meat was burnt. I asked her to ask the cook what was the problem. she said he was worried about the gravy separating. the quality was good but that cook is a lousy excuse. I would have done better. there were only two customers, including me. could there be a good reason for that? read more

I really wanted to like Paul's if for no other reason than to prove to my husband that I can pick a little dive that has great food. I truly failed. Rather, Paul's failed me. I recommend the tuna salad sandwich. I think there was one on the menu, and this seems like a place where you might get a good one. read more

I am Holly H. I did not write this review. Been there for breakfast and lunch. Breakfast is consistent and well done. Lunches are great. Look to the specials. They are usually something different read more

This place has a very nice small town truck stop diner feel to it even though its in downtown. I always get the chicken fried steak and it never disappoints, being that their gravy is amazing. Definitely my favorite breakfast place, not too pricy and great service. read more

This is my favorite place in town definitely my go-to spot here almost every day food is consistent and staff is excellent

Service was wonderful, food was very good, not perfect, but good. Had a bacon burger and hash browns with gravy (I'm weird) and it was very good. Probably the best diner Burger in Vancouver. Waitress was very nice and on it service wise. My glass was refilled, my food was hot and tasty, and it didn't break my wallet. Thank you! read more

Paul's Restaurant - Quaint Diner Atmosphere - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

Thuroughly enjoyed a late beakfast at this classic diner of a Sunday morning per our local friends recommendation. We found the restaurant quiet at the time of our visit. Our waitress was prompt and quite friendly. I was impressed by the portions we were served and the timely manner in which our food arrived. Everyone in our party of 4 was more than satisfied with their meals. My 4 year old son loved his cute pancake and devoured the entire thing! I hope for another opportunity to visit Vancouver just to have an excuse to eat at this sweet little greasy spoon! read more

Paul's Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

Once the waitress saw us, she was extremely pleasant and kind. The setting was circa 1979, but kitschy. Basic food done well. Pancakes were thick and dense. My daughter enjoyed her food- pigs in a blanket with a side of applesauce. I picked the taco omelet. Cheese was real, meat had good flavor. Home fries were decent. I agree about the oil on the toast. Real butter would be better. It is a diner/coffee shop feel that is a stop in time. I do want to say that the place was very clean. read more

Paul's Restaurant - Hot chocolate done well - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

See all

Had a very bad experience here months ago with your blonde night time bartender and I swore that I would never come in here again, but I gave in and tried it again this time during the day and couldn't have been happier. Robin is absolutely great and treated me like I was a VIP the whole time that I was there. She was very attentive made sure that my food was correct and really did her best to make sure that I was satisfied with everything. read more

i stop into paul's every time i'm in Vancouver. why - if it's only ok? well, because it's consistently ok. i have never had a bad meal there, but how could i when i just order the two-egg breakfast with no meat? my boyfriend usually has the cheese omelet, which is ok, too. i love that you can have hashbrowns or home fries, which suits us well, as i prefer home fries and my boyfriend prefers hashbrowns. if you are wanting fancy... go elsewhere. i just love that there are still places in vancouver where you can get typical diner fare in a diner atmosphere and with diner prices. read more

Casual diner style restaurant with a cool retro vibe, reminds me of hangouts of my youth (without the cigarette smoke). The people were nice, the breakfast food we ordered was good and the prices were super reasonable. I recommend the pancakes. read more

Paul's has lots of booths and a long sit down counter -- so during the early morning hours I can take up two spots and read a newspaper, without getting in the way. I have breakfast there once a month, the food is always placed on the plate so well -- sometimes I do a double-take. NO Wi-Fi. M-F 6am-6pm, Sat 7am-6pm, Sun 7am-3pm (as of May-2008). read more

It was late at night so I didn't have any food here. This review is of drinks and service only. We came in, sat down, the server girl came over, cleaned up and took our order. She brought our first round of drinks, which were cheap and pretty good. Then we all decide to take a round of shots. Mind you, we just came in and got our first drink. She brings over a round of shots and says the following: "Ok, this is it for you guys for a while". "Wha?!" 0.o No one at our table was even buzzed. No one was acting weird or drunk or unruly or anything. How do you make any money if you cut your customers of on their second drink... After a while she let us have more. She did ask about 10 times who was driving and how we're all getting home. I do appreciate the worry, I really do, but come on... My mom would have let me drink more than that. read more

I'm not from Vancouver, and I've only been here for breakfast - several times. Whenever I am passing through the Vancouver area I always look forward to stopping here. Paul's looks and feels like a slice of the 1960's, and I mean this in a good way. I'm not sure that what I perceive as a 1960's atmosphere is necessarily the owner's intent, but for me a breakfast here brings back a great feeling of what fine casual restaurants once were like. Paul's was clean and cheery. The waitresses who have served us have mostly been career types who were very pleasant and professional, who made you feel welcome, and always kept the coffee full. The food did not disappoint. I always get an omelet, and each time they have been very nicely cooked. The omelets came with potatoes and toast as expected. The portion sizes were generous and the prices reasonable. I suppose Paul's is "nothing special". It's just a simple, friendly, well run restaurant with great service that is doing it right! read more

I'm flabbergasted that the ppl here are return customers!! Psycho. WORST FOOD EVER! Unless you enjoy your breakfast from a can of cat food. My B.F has not stopped B¡+©hing since we left Lmao!! However I have nothing bad to say about the staff they were all really nice:) read more

Good basic breakfast, nothing fancy. Good service, friendly service with a smile. Good prices. read more

Paul's Restaurant - 9.00 Spanish omelet special with guac, salsa, sour cream, and 4.25 for good size pancake, that is good - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Vancouver, Washington

See all

Felt as if during the coronavirus starting to take effect on the business and worry of the waiters that this was influencing a not too good mood. The food was ok and one of the staff members ignored me when I asked about napkins. The food doesn't make up for some of the staff being not polite except for two of them were saints, happy and cheery. read more

I have been here a couple of times with family and did not care for it either time. First time I ordered the hash....it came straight out of a can. The other time I went I got a sandwich, bland and boring to say the least. There are many tastier options in Vancouver. read more

good, solid, americana breakfast if that's what you're after. Definitely has the feel of a diner from a different era. I've had this same breakfast in hundreds of places. You know it when you see it. So, nothing I can't get elsewhere. Service was great. Very friendly. Ungodly portion sizes. One plate could serve a whole family. Just not my thing generally. Coffee was bland. read more