I checked out Paul's Place tonight after reading about the "place" on the Yelp app for my new Droid X phone. (What a great phone!) Paul's Place has been coined the "Greek McDonald's" by the Reader magazine back in 1995. I read this on a faded version of the article framed on the wall. It matched the decor perfectly because all the other framed pictures and prints were also faded and of Greek subject, like gyros and Greek islands and architecture. The interior could certainly use a makeover. The menu is on an old school light board that isn't very appealing but the wide selection of offerings here will have you looking at it for awhile. Prices are very reasonable. Upon others recommendations, we tried the bacon avocado cheeseburger, pastrami sandwich, and chili cheese fries. We ordered at the counter and filled our soft drinks at the self serve fountain and sat at one of the many booths inside. The disposable cups were also Greek in theme with images of an Olympian and the Parthenon. Our food came up quickly. The burger was just okay- the bacon was thick, crunchy and delicious and the avocado fresh and plentiful. The problem was with the burger patty itself. It was only "wafer thin" and wasn't the juicy ground chuck I was hoping for. The chili cheese fries were also good but not great. The portion is generous and a value for the price. Definitely share these- too big for one person and not good enough for a stand alone meal in my opinion. The best in show today was the pastrami sandwich by a landslide. The sandwich was hot and piled high with the tastiest pastrami I have had in quite some time. The pickles and mustard were in perfect proportion and at $5.79, worth every penny. One last item I wasn't thrilled with was the little paper napkins provided in the "diner" style table dispensers. Not an ideal implement when eating messy food like the chili cheese fries. I'll be back to Paul's Place again soon I am sure for some drive thru pastrami and I'm looking forward to trying the breakfast menu as well. (Perhaps the steak and eggs for around $8?!?) I'll let you know! Opa!! read more

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They put water in their syrup bottles to make it last longer. Super gross! I asked for a different bottle and they gave me another watered down one. I pointed out that it's watered down too so they gave me to-go syrup packs. How much is syrup? $1? read more

I like this cozy, quick, cheap and affordable place. It reminds me of Tom's and a little similar to Pitstop which is right across the way. I get that the food isn't fancy but it's affordable and great for those times when you want the restaurant feel but don't want to pay the restaurant prices. My favs have been the Gyro sandwich and turkey burger on a whole wheat bun and sweet potato fries. I love these dishes. Things I would avoid personally is all the fried foods and the omelettes. They don't put cheese on there omelettes which surprised me the first time and tried to request it after but was too late since it has to melt while cooking. Place itself could use some sprucing up with a shotty drive through intercom, faded promo pictures, outdated decor, etc. but it's cozy and people are friendly. It's a good place for locals who want something quick, simple, affordable and close by. read more

Paul's Place - Shrimp dinner - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oceanside, California

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I don't know what happened, the food use to be so good, especially the burgers, now the burgers are so dried out, overcharred and the patties are so thin. The burgers use to be so good! I've also ordered other food items... the gyros for example, the meat was so salty it was inedible. I called about it and was told to save it and bring it through the drive through. I did, the lady took the gyro and quickly refunded my money. She didn't seem too surprised. I was told that the gyro meat comes from somewhere else, they just cook and serve it. It's been too many times now that I've driven through only to be disappointed. I won't be returning. read more

Expensive, food is good, but make sure you check your items ordered double avocado bacon cheeseburger and got regular cheeseburger called them to let them know and I get questioned as if I'm gonna go through the hassle of making it up for a burger, I get no apologies or nothing just a come back and we'll have your burger ready we'll I would assume so right, I take the burger just so they can see what it's missing because you never know I could have somehow missed the presence of avocados bacon and an extra patty somehow, I'm assuming I'll get to keep the burger because what are you gonna do with it right hopefully not sell it again and hopefully maybe get a discount money back or free item or something but nope not even an apology they took the burger gave me mine without so much as a sorry but more of an attitude of inconvenience, so sorry to have disturbed you at work, maybe do your job right and I won't have to. Won't be returning to Paul's place ever again I've ate there for a long time and customer service has never been amazing but this was just bad. Well I'll leave it there so I can go enjoy my burger and now cold onion rings because yeah they are cold now after driving back and forth. Thanks for nothing but a waste of gas. read more

Local mom and pop shop! Love Pauls Place! Delicious food, decent prices, nice employees. I love their breakfast plates! Dinner for breakfast is always fun read more

I'm a huge burger fan and I would like to say for the price and quality of their burgers you absolutely can't go wrong. The burger itself was juicy, the vegetables tasted very fresh, and the dressing they put on their burgers is a fine balance of savory, sweet, and a hint of tart that compliments the burger very well. I wish they had more Paul's Places around Oceanside like some of these other "burger places". I'd say Paul's Place burgers is the epitome of a comfort burger. I will always recommend Paul's Place if anybody asks me about a local burger joint that doesn't break the bank. read more

I have eaten here twice with my adult son (who bought both times - lucky me to have a great son like this!). Both times I enjoyed the service and food. I would choose this over McDonald's, which is down the street, anytime! The prices are fair and the food much tastier (not that I won't eat at McDonald's as necessary). This go around I had the double bacon/cheese/avocado burger and onion rings. BURP!!!!!!, that burger was great and did not fall apart on me! The onion rings were solid! - not too crispy, but not limp and/or oily. My onion ring snob wife would give them two thumbs up, as I do. The woman taking our order was very friendly and helpful when it came time to get the most bang for our bucks. Although you order at the counter they deliver to your table. Yes this place is probably out of the way for many people, ever since the Highway 76 expansion cutting many of these businesses off from the main flow of traffic. However, it has easy access from Hwy 76 if passing through and need to refuel your gut on those nightmare travels home during rush hour. I believe they also have a drive-thru, but won't swear to it (we walked in both times). Good Lord! This is an edit and I think I will add it as a caveat to every future review: BEWARE of some reviewers who show a pattern of complaining, but rarely complimenting a good experience. Or, they give NOTHING but one (1) or five (5) stars; with nothing in between! This can be a very useful site, but these types of people can ruin it for others if the others don't take a moment to click on their past reviews to see if there is a extreme pattern of bitching or praising. read more

This place may have good food but the service is extremely rude. The older lady that works there is so rude that her rudeness trickles down to her employees. I couldn't understand them at the drive thru so when I finally got to the window and asked to change something, she wanted to wash it off my hot dog and remake it. Wash it off? Are you kidding me! I then watched them remake the hot dog by cooking it in the microwave. After this, I will never eat here again. read more

1 Star for being open. The food here is HORRIBLE, the biscuits I'm 99% certain they buy from KFC next door and sell at Paul's, the sausage gravy is bland as can be, toast comes with a spoonful of butter in the middle (not spread out) and bread gets soggy within MINUTES, sausage patty I returned because it tasted like WD-40, then replaced it with toast and got charged extra for the toast? WTH...... never again, I won't recommend this place to anyone. If you want quality food from a small restaurant, go to Mary's on Coast Highway. read more

Straight up diner good, pretty dang good too. I usually just get the chicken gyro, pretty healthy considering. I took a star off because the pricing is kind of crazy.......I could have a nice meal at a sit down restaurant for that combo price. I will continue to support the locals though, I get it. MAYBE incorporate daily lunch specials to help me and the bottom line?? Please don't leave oside. read more

The food was mediocre and the service was even worse. My brother in law found a hair in his meal and when he went to let someone know, the person just shrugged his shoulders and said: "What do you want me to do about it?" DON'T eat here. read more

I love the food but the owner is just terrible. When you eat inside, you're only able to have one free refill on your drink. Everything is charged extra, the owner is very cheap and stingy. She gives me an attitude every time I eat inside with my service dog. If the owner wasn't working in the building taking orders, this would be a good spot and I would rate it higher. read more

Worst quality food and service!! They can't seem to get an order correctly! Ordered a Greek chicken salad , only come to find there is no chicken and the lettuce is yellow/brown soggy!! And top it off with a soggy rubber pickle!!! Don't waste your time, they serve rotten old food! read more

Great diner food. The service and quality of the food is a step above your average diner. Portions are large and reasonably priced. I believe it is owned by a family member from the family that owns Angelo's. The menu is similar but with more Greek options and I think slightly better food. I recommend the Greek chicken or the gyros but all offerings are solid. read more

Paul's Place - Gyro Dinner with Fries, onion rings, and side salad. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oceanside, California

We've eaten here quite a few times, we placed an order ahead for pick up, there' was one car ahead of us, it took over 10 minutes sitting there, waiting. Dinner was disappointing- Greek chicken dinner- it was super dry & lacked flavor, the onion rings were hard, the pastrami sandwich was good (that's our go to). So bummed read more

We love Paul's Place! This diner is the definition of a hidden gem. Are you looking for breakfast, burgers, gyros, or huevos? They have them, and they're great. The chef is a pro, the owner is wonderful, and it feels like a family. Everyone has a regular favorite here - huevos rancheros for me - and you'll crave it until you come back again. 5/5 love it. read more

I'm always happy when I eat at Paul's. It's fresh, affordable, filling, and pretty quick. The staff is always friendly too. The greek omelette is very filling and so yummy! Definitely recommend the club sandwich with fries as well. And the shakes are AMAZING! Thick and creamy and you can tell they use real ice cream. read more

This is my go to place when I'm hungry and not sure what to eat. Their Greek chicken dinner is awesome and their pancakes are yummy. The prices are reasonable and the delivery of service is fast for fresh homemade food. Their customer service is pleasant and friendly read more

If I could give a zero star I would. The pastrami sandwiches were the best until they started boiling the meat, now it's a bunch of flavorless boiled meat between two pieces of bread. And when you tell them you noticed the difference, they argue and say they have always cooked it that way. It is clear they no longer care about customer service or food quality. Have been coming here for over ten years, and today was my final visit. read more

I went here for lunch one day because I had left my lunch at home. I had heard a lot of negative reviews from my coworkers but I decided to try it for myself because they had a wide variety of things on the menu. Well unfortunately I won't be coming back. I've got an egg cheese and bacon omelet and asked for a Diet Coke as well she said OK and then charge my card $10. When she handed me my food with no drink I asked where my drink was, and she said opes I didn't charge you for your drink. So this omelet cost me $10 it's actually on the little side with no drink I after if she would just give me the drink and she said no I have to charge you. I won't be returning... her customer service was poor read more

I am so tired of the poor treatment here. I've spend so much money solely for convenience and all for nothing! Every time I ask for something it seems like I'm given major pushback!! I am so not happy with the customer service nor the food that proves to be inconsistent. I asked for something as simply as banana peppers on the side and they want to charger me AND on top of that they don't even give me the one that comes with the order!!! I guarantee I am not the only one that has these issues. I am so fed up with this establishment and I'm boycotting!! I hope many other do as well and if not you'll get it soon enough. I was a loyal customer and they couldn't even recognize that, always made me feel like I was always the one that brought complication!! When simplicity is all I ask for ! They make it complicated and they turn situation into drama and issues. When I talk about they I mean the actual owner ! Whom is super rude at times including her staff! I am beyond done with this establishment and will take my orders else where. Right down the street at PIT STOP! Where they serve the same salad at a cheaper price and don't give me the old end of the avocado!! Good luck with this place! Goodbye and good riddance! read more

Paul's Place - BLT w/ avocado. Onion rings & drink added. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oceanside, California

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I've been coming to Paul's Place ever since I was a little kid, and it has always been the same but in a great way. The food is delicious and the staff is very friendly. It gives you a vintage vibe of an old diner and the bacon avocado burger is perfection. read more

Have to update my review since visiting here tonight. I'm a long term customer to this place- ordered my usual Greek salad. ($9 by the way, and thats WITHOUT chicken)- it was HALF the size as it normally is, and missing half the toppings. Literally half a box of lettuce. They are becoming stingy - and are going to lose me as a customer because of it. Sorry Paul's, you were great when I was in high school 10 years ago- but no more after this experience. read more

We just moved around the corner and it seemed like a good place to take the family. We all got burgers they were dry nothing special. Fries were ok. My wife's burger came with a giant piece of plastic in it, not sure what it goes to but she's pretty grossed out. I'll never go back. read more

Paul's Place - The plastic out of my wife's burger bacon avocado burger... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oceanside, California

Greeted with a big happy smile and patience while we studied the breakfast menu. We ordered a breakfast burrito and the pancake combo. My grandson barely finished the burrito and gave a thumbs up. My wife and I shared the Pancake Combo which I barely finished. Yes we shared, and still more than enough. The pancakes were excellent, the scrambled eggs perfect the bacon was maybe the best I ever had - well done and crispy and not greasy. The salsa was the best. Oh did I mention the coffee was excellent with continuous refills. Some might call the a clean little hole in the wall, small restaurant, but the people love what they do and the customers love it too. I found this on a Yelp review looking for a place close to the Soccer Tournament nearby. The reviews were right on and when I am even close to Oceanside, I am going to visit again. Great prices and a happy environment. The thanked the staff for a great breakfast. read more

I actually enjoy the food at this place but they've made my order wrong before and recently they got it wrong again. I called and asked if they could remake it and they said yes. Haven't been able to come back due to not being in the area and it's been a few days but I called back to see if they will still remake it and they want to me to give them my phone number and for them to ask everyone who works there if they did indeed make my food wrong. Seems like they have to launch a investigation over having to remake one salad. On top of alway ordering the same items and them charging me a different price every time and NOT giving me an itemized receipt ever. read more

After coming here for years today was the last time my family and I will be coming here. My father decided to take my sons to the place we thought was the best place for breakfast. Unfortunately it was the worse choice. My son ordered breakfast and as he poured the syrup over his pancakes he realized the syrup was too watery and in fact had a weird taste. My son grabbed his food and explained to the older lady ( not sure if she's the owner) that he was not happy with the syrup. By that point the lady was offended and turned her back to my sons while speaking to her. She then told my son she was unable to do anything about it and threw some buckets she was holding. Very unprofessional and rude. Things happen and the least she could of done if offered me worse of pancakes. Never expected this from her especially after coming here for years. Thank you to the waitress who tried to help. read more

I always loved Pauls Place. It's just my type of place to get a good burger. Staff is friendly and moving on a quick pace. The owner is a nice lady of Greek background. I used to come here for the gyros which were well made and delicious. They have Mexican food and Greek food. Both seem fine but I always go for the double bacon cheeseburger. It's a delight and well made. The atmosphere is cozy. I've been coming here for years. Still love it indeed. read more

Paul's Place is a great option for substantial nostalgic eats. The gyro plate, fried mushrooms, and French fries are my standard choices. Every once and a while, I get in the mood for a certain type of French fry and Paul's hits the spot every single time. When I've dined in, I've noticed it's a favorite of men, middle aged, different walks of life. I like that. It's definitely where you want to go to get your money's worth. read more

I'm not q person to talk crap on mom n pop spots but today whoever the young girl was that was working maybe should of stayed home or called in sick or maybe tell daddy not today. My wife put in an order, I show up to pay but first ask about taquitos and time it would take to get em done...cashier responds that it won't take long at all. Get the order go home and no taquitos noir any extra food. I drive back, miscommunication, cashier thought I asked for fries, it happened and I put in a taquitos order no problem. Get home never got extra fries. I call and let em know and the girl that packed the food says she did put in the fries and says what you want me to do about it? I don't know maybe offer me some fries!? I go back and the young girl, not the cashier continues to call me out, saying she packed it but we didn't. Why would I bother over some fries? Sucks that bad employees kill it for establishments. Also the young girl thank you for telling me not to come back. read more

Before i go into depth about this place let me just say I'm a regular customer and over time this place has become one of my least favorites in the valley and heres why. The owner Vicky is very rude and stingy, customer service to her is nothing she has told me "customers are nothing" to my face ive asked for extra ranch and she charges me a ton every single time very stingy!!! when something is wrong with my order and ask her kindly to fix it she throws the bag at me when we are done. customer service is key to me. Second behind the counter is disgusting if you saw the nasty buckets of water and other gross things you would be very disturbed. Foods overpriced i pay almost 30 dollars for two burnt burgers and fry's for me and my boyfriend it's ridiculous. I don't recommend this place at any cost. Id rather recommend you to the McDonald's across the street for better service. read more

Before today's visit to Paul's Place, the last time I had food from here was over 3 years ago. The look of the restaurant has not changed much. The outside could use a new paint job. The drive through menu/speaker needs to be replaced. The lady taking the payment may need to take some time off to rejuvenate. The two changes I noticed were the chicken sandwich size looked significantly smaller and the prices were much higher. The sandwich was still good. The lettuce and tomato were fresh. I ordered a combo meal (fries and a drink ) for an additional $2.85 (much, much cheaper before). I was shocked at the extremely small drink. I wanted to ask them if they were giving me a kid's cup. For the quantity and quality I got for the price I paid, I would not visit Paul's Place that often. Maybe, it'll be better in another three years. read more

Every time...no....every single god damn time I go to Oceanside, I stop by Paul's Place. There is something for everyone here. If I'm "being good" nothing on earth beats the Greek Chicken Plate. Delicious rice with grape leaves and capers, half of a lemon herb roasted chicken, some of the best pita bread I've ever had, and a side salad with an herb olive oil, and vinegar Greek dressing. The price: $6.75. wtf right? yeah I know. If I'm "being bad"....BEST CHILI CHEESE FRIES EVER (NO EFFING JOKE) a must try. Do not die without having had these, especially with a side of ranch. Yes this dish will shorten your life by a week at the least, yes it will hit you, like all good things, as a tranquilizer dart, yes you may need to nap in your car before driving home. BUT DO TRY! Price: $~3.50 I get the fries with their BACON AVOCADO CHEESEBURGER. It's big delicious, they never skimp on the avocado, and its one of my favorite burgers of all time. GET THESE TWO TOGETHER AND YOU'LL FEEL LIKE YOU OWE ME SOMETHING. but no need man. no need. Not just that! Paul's Place is know for their breakfasts. They have a turkey, avocado, and bacon omelet that Takes up the gigantic plate, which I always get with wonderful house potatoes, and your choice of bread. The servings are huge, cheap, delicious, and all of the food is incredibly fresh. Do not go to Denny's! (though it costs the same). Price: $~5.00. Please, if you're hungry heading past Pendlton-get off on the 76 and head here. The menu is huge, I've tried most of it, and am always pleased with what I order, but I usually stick to the same things I stated above. This is one of those family businesses that is reliable -every time I come here, everything is the same: the food, the service, the prices-so comfortable. Also good: $2 bean and cheese burritos $3 fried mushrooms/zucchini $4 pastrami sandwich read more

After several pretty good experiences following Yelp reviews including The Money Pit, I saw the "gourmet" on the sign on Paul's and thought, Why Not? Honestly, this run-down type of establishment would normally scare me, but I have renewed courage from Yelping and being Yelped, I mean, helped out with Yelper reviews. So, I drove through, turned off the car, it was about ten minutes to get my burger. It was the most horrible thing I've ever seen or tried. The meat quality, great if you like gristle. GROSS. I hate to waste food, but this burger only got one bite, and so only one star to Paul's. Note the lady at the window was gruff, no smile, no thank you. WTF? And I paid for this experience? Avoid! read more

Blech is the word I would use to describe the food, the building, the windows, the floor. Once is all I could say for my experience at this dive. Smelly is another word that comes to mind. Someone gave this place 5 stars OMG read more

I'm not sure how anyone could not thoroughly enjoy the killer bacon avocado cheeseburger. I'm in heaven every time O eat one. I have to starve myself all day before I can eat one because it's soooo bad for you... But it's totally worth it. The service can be painfully slow and the younger woman working the drive thru can be a bit unfriendly for my taste, but she becomes a VERY distant memory after taking a bite of the burger - and don't forget to order their delicious fries. I would have given 4 stars but I experienced really bad service today and all of a sudden they've started charging .40 for ranch when it was free before. read more

I've been coming to Paul's Place since I discovered it when I first moved here a few years back. I love old fashioned cheeseburgers and they have my favorite fries. The club sandwich is also pretty good. It's a little pricey and there's a little wait at the drive thru, but it's usually worth it. The staff is always friendly and I've never been disappointed.............That is until tonight. They close at 10 and I called in an order at 16 till. Conversation went as follows: Me: "Hi, can I order a cheeseburger and fry please." Pauls: "We close at 10 and it's 5 minutes till 10." Me: "Actually it's a quarter till 10." Pauls: "Well, we close at 10 and leave at 10. How long will it take you get here?" Me: "Around 10 minutes." Pauls: "Well, I don't want to place your order if your not here by 10. How far do you live? How many miles?" Me: "About 5 or 6. I can be there before 10." Pauls: "Well, what if you're not here by 10? We will be closed and locked up and leaving at 10. And if you're not here..........." Me: "You know what? Nevermind. I'll go somewhere else." Pauls: "Okay. Yeah." Me: CLICK Are you freakin'' kidding me? Talk about not needing my business. I love the food and I go there all the time and always recommend it to people. But that was just plain rude. I just can't return to an establishment like that. Any advice? I need to find a new place. read more

I've been coming here for years. From my experiences the staff is friendly the food is well made from the gyros to the burgers. I usually get the double bacon cheeseburger combo and it does not disappoint the fries are awesome, nice and thick and the burger itself is quite delicious and tasty. They also have Mexican food which I have only tried once. I had a carne asada taco and found it well tasting as well. I have to give this place my compliments. read more

I'm giving Paul's a 5 for the friendly service, and consistently good home cooking. Where else can you get breakfast, carne, burgers, and fish and chips? It isnt fancy, it isn't expensive, it's just Paul's; and when every other place is making dinner complicated it's nice to have somewhere simple and good to rely on. Oh, and if you don't want to be surrounded by loud kids and silly memorabilia (we won't name names), then just go one more block west down Mission to this place. read more