Paul's Restaurant — Restaurant in Vancouver

I came in today very excited to try the new Paul's and was left kinda bummed.

It feels like they haven't gotten their footing and a bit short-sighted in the corners they're cutting. The two servers they had on the floor were super nice, but stretched very very thin. Which was interesting because there were other staff members all over the place, especially going in and out of the Elbow Room space.

The menu is more concentrated, but it is very limited in description. It doesn't feel like you're knowing what you're getting. IE the house fries. They taste good, but I don't think people expect it nor does it fit well with breakfast unless you know what you're getting. Not a lot of vegetarian options, I didn't see the specials board in the far front corner and it wasn't advertised anywhere else. Had I of known there was a garden burger on the menu(it wasn't), I would have ordered it specifically.

The kitchen timing was unfortunate. It was clear they didn't time out my egg dish with the pancakes my party ordered. By the time our food reached the table, the pancakes were dry and cold. Also, butter is only served on small frozen pats wrapped in foil. I don't see how that is more cost efficent than a small scoop in one of their sauce cups, it would also have been nicer. The syrup was also pretty low grade, which can make or break a good stack. Also, my toast came 8 minutes after my breakfast arrived which happens. But, they also don't butter it after its toasted so not only was it stone cold by the time it reached me it was also gum cutting dry. The frozen pat of butter it came with didn't help so late in the game. Also, the sourdough is very thin and on the small side for $16 dollar plate. The frozen pat of butter it came with didn't help.

The food was good, the scramble comes on the softer side of cooked eggs, portion was reasonable but nothing special. The silverware looks super run down kept in mason jars. I had to jump tables to find one with a fork, it happens, I get it. But, the cutlery used is fairly school cafeteria grade so the presentation does it no favors.

I also ordered pie to go. The banana cream was awesome but the slices were on the smaller side when you order to go. I saw some table service slices were more on the impressive side. I also very specifically ordered a banana cream and a key lime to take to my husband(his all time favorite) only to find they gave me Strawberry Rhubarb which was a real bummer tonight when we opened it. I also checked twice, and they were very exited to tell me there was some Key Lime still left. I also had to ask a few times for them after paying. It was the lunch rush, so not a problem. I just wish we would have gotten the pie we ordered which was $8 or so a slice.

Great wait staff, the food quality was good, just a lot of little short cuts that drag it down a bit. Looking forward to giving it another try in the next...

I’ll start by saying the new owners have brought a breath of fresh air into to Paul’s. While prices have gone up and some menu items have changed, the service standards and quality have improved as a result. They have also preserved the original space and spirit, which is much preferable to the alternative (shutting it down, gutting it, and using the space for another concept).

We walked down from Uptown on a sunny day and enjoyed a late breakfast of the waffles, breakfast burrito, eggs & toast, and pancakes (Noah’s Ark). The food was fresh and flavorful, and the homemade jam and syrup for the toast and pancakes were incredible.

As the team gets their groove going, there is still room for improvement. My pancakes—big, fluffy and flavorful—were a bit mushy on the bottom, and I had to leave the center of one of the pancakes since it was more batter than solid. Since the portion sizes were large and I was already full, I did not bother sending back or flagging for the server. While the meals were filling and priced accordingly, I do agree that for the prices for the side dishes/add-ons seemed a bit steep for a diner-style breakfast (or portions not generous enough for the prices).

The space was clean and still very much looked like Paul’s. I am happy the owners have retained the historical integrity and style of this 70s era landmark, but I hope they’ll lean into updating the space through subtle changes rather than keeping everything as-is, embracing “homey” vs. “homely”. For example, more plants (or healthier looking plants), adding vintage art to the walls, and removing things like laminated signs taped in random places, etc.

Paul’s has the potential to fill a real void in Uptown, classic and consistent downhome cooking in a welcoming space with true neighborhood character. We’ll be back to try it more in the future, and I’ll update my review accordingly as things change or improve.

Glad to have an old spot made...

I had lunch there on the last day they were open. Here are the highlights... -- Server: "Would you like coffee?" Me: "Yes, please." The server then took the coffee cup away and never brought me any coffee, even after asking me two more times if I wanted coffee. -- I gave up on coffee, and ordered a Pepsi. It arrived cold, but almost completely flat, and twice as watery as it should have been, like someone had poured a third of a cup of Pepsi into a pint glass of water. Yum. -- I'm 53 and I was clearly the youngest customer in the place. -- In the time it took them to bring me my cheeseburger after I ordered it, I could literally have gotten into my car, driven home, cooked, built, and eaten a cheeseburger myself. And it would have been a better burger. The burger I received set up in my stomach like a lump of concrete and sat there for the rest of the day. -- Me: "Can I get some ketchup please?" Server: "Sure..." Disappears and brings back a ketchup bottle. An EMPTY ketchup bottle. Why on EARTH would you bring a customer a ketchup bottle with no friggin' ketchup in it?!? -- On the plus side, I'm pretty sure I had the first FRIENDLY waitress I've had at Paul's in over a decade. The last half dozen times I ate at Paul's Restaurant, my experience was very similar to this. Each and every time I wound up paying entirely too much for food that did not Merit the price that I was being charged for it. The food wasn't especially bad, but it certainly wasn't very good. Frankly, I'm astonished that Paul's has stayed in business for as long as it has. Most of the people I've ever known who were still willing to eat at Paul's died of old age almost 10 years ago. Paul's Restaurant reminds me of that one kid we all knew in school who was a nice enough kid, but not terribly bright, and we eventually realized that what we were seeing out of him really was the very best he could do, which...