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closeWednesday, Oct. 28, 2009
Doughnuts are a must-do at Paul’s in south Fort Worth
Paul's specializes in the two most important food groups: doughnuts and gyros.
Christopher Kelly
Rick Press
The fried-shrimp platter Rick Press
Rick Press
Chicken noodle soup and a chicken gyro Rick Press
At long last, a restaurant that specializes in the two most important food groups: doughnuts and gyros.
We were planning to dine somewhere else when we took a right turn onto Hemphill Street in south Fort Worth and saw the signs for Paul’s Donuts Subs & Gyros (yes, that’s the actual name). Having passed the place many times over the years (Paul’s has been in business for the better part of the decade) but never actually going inside, we thought we would scrap our original plans and give this place a try.
A little tzatziki sauce on a rainy day never hurt anyone, right?
For the most part, it proved to be a wise decision. An all-purpose, order-at-the-counter diner that also serves big burgers and breakfast, Paul’s is not likely to win any culinary prizes for its straight-over-the-plate dishes. But if you’re looking for a filling, satisfying lunch (and maybe a blueberry cake doughnut to chase it all down), Paul’s does just fine. The loyal clientele — we arrived at 1:30 p.m. for a late lunch, and the place was still crowded — would seem to agree.
Since we’re trying to watch our waistlines, we opted for the chicken gyro ($3.99), which arrived open-faced. The pita-bread foundation was light and moist; the grilled chicken piled atop was tender and nicely seasoned. Our only complaints: Paul’s went a little too heavy on the shredded iceberg lettuce and not quite heavy enough on the tzatziki.
Somewhat less notable was the chicken noodle soup ($2.29). The broth needed a serious jolt of salt, and the square chunks of chicken and plump, soggy noodles seemed right out of a Campbell’s can. A service demerit, too: We were halfway through our cup of soup when we remembered that we had actually ordered the tomato Florentine.
We also tried the fried-shrimp platter ($6.69), a large portion of lightly fried popcorn shrimp, along with a hearty serving of french fries. Again, the whole dish could have used a bit of salt, especially the fries. But we’re always appreciative of any fried-food platter that doesn’t leave us feeling like we need a heart transplant. Paul’s keeps the grease factor to a minimum.
On to more important matters: the doughnuts! We tried a sampling of desserts, including doughnuts, brownies and baklava. The blueberry cake and cinnamon-sugar cake doughnuts were both marvels: sweet, moist and marvelously spongy, without being too heavy. The traditional chocolate-covered doughnut was the kind of airy, chocolatey concoction that makes you want to eat a dozen at one sitting. Considerably less successful were the brownie (much too sweet) and baklava (a bland, gooey mess), but the place isn’t called Paul’s Baklava Brownies and Gyros, so we’ll forgive it these missteps.
The price tag can’t be beat either: 15 bucks and change for our main courses. The box of desserts came to $7, and left us with plenty to share when we got back to the office. Lesson learned: Just because a place advertises two food items that have nothing to do with each other doesn’t mean you shouldn’t immediately pull over and check it out.
817-926-5500
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