Paul’s Food Center

There really is nothing better than having the entrance to a fully stocked small grocery store literally 5 feet from the entrance to my apartment building.
An excellent selection of fresh fruits and veggies. Every spice you could need or want. Homemade meals pre-​cooked for under 10 $ everything from lasagna, steak and potatoes, ribs, wings, burgers, baked and grilled fresh fish plates. And they are really good. Homemade pie slices YUM. Ben and Jerrys ice cream pints, a huge selection of breads, all the cereals, canned foods, pasta sauces and noodles. There really isn’t much you can’t get here that you can get at Hannafords only difference is they don’t have that huge salad bar area and a smoothie espresso drink section which is too bad but there really isn’t enough space lol and you do have Starbucks right across the street.
You can get hot coffee in the mornings or a bottle of wine or beer in the afternoon you can get any cleaning products you could ever possibly think about meeting including all the month and brushes and sponges. I recently was in the middle of making lasagna and I make my sauce by scratch I was able to go in and find Bay leaves and ricotta cheese. I was able to find Drano for garbage disposal sinks… of course things like cascade for the dishwasher stationary about as much as you would find at any rite aid. a pretty impressive dairy section and juices.
Yes obviously it’s going to cost a little bit more than Walmart or Hannafords and perhaps if you have a vehicle it’s not the ideal place to do the major shopping but for those people who live in the neighborhood and don’t have cars poles is a lifesaver I’m lucky enough to have transportation but I always forget at least a couple of things every week when I go buy my groceries and I’m not driving all way back to Walmart or even Hannafords when I can just walk down stairs I may pay 50 cents more and item but it’s absolutely worth it and their fruits and vegetables are even priced I believe. And the prices on their meats are comfortable to Walmart at least I don’t actually know that Hannafords meat prices off the top of my head…
The absolute only thing I say that keeps Paul’s from being absolutely perfect is the fact that they close daily at 6 pm. I wish they stayed open till at least 8 maybe nine on the weekend because those people who work don’t really have time to get home before they close.
I really like the group of women that works there as well. Review them also live in the apartment over Paul’s that I do and they are always very friendly efficient and always have a smile.

Went to Paul’s to get some eggs. Found a dozen eggs well over 2 months out of date (I understand that eggs last well past their sell by date, but these were cracked and smelled bad). I informed the cashier who said she would bring them back to make breakfast sandwiches (which are notoriously runny even by my standards). If you plan to make it to work our enjoy your Sunday, pass on Paul’s breakfast sandwiches. Not to mention their other nasty sanitation practices such as sending butchers and food prep worked to the bottle deposit room, after which I’ve never seen them wash their hands.

I do want to give more stars for Pauls… But I can’t bring myself to. It is the only grocery store directly in the middle of portland that has your general grocery needs. This is very convient for students and most people not willing to travel out of town to Hannafords or Shaws. The down side is the mostly the contents and the store itself. It SMELLS when you walk into the store. The entire store REEKS of alcohol from the bottle return center in the back of the store. Sadly, some of the employees also have some rather bad body oder, causing the over all experience of walking into a dump. If you’re there for dry goods, bread, dairy. you’re mostly safe. But I have often found expired food in the frozen section and sometimes in the dairy case. Most of the freezer case ends up covered in ice to the point where you can’t even tell what’s in there, let alone chip the frozen meals out. I must point out though that generally the employees are very friendly and there prices are very reasonable. I think what would improve the store the most is possibly moving the bottle return center outside in the back or removing it all together.

I actually parked right by this store, and made a note to check it out before leaving downtown Portland. It was okay, not the greatest and not bad. Just your typical small grocery store. This one did have a large selection of alcohol. No really quirky items. I did find tumeric in the spice aisle which I’d been looking for, but there really wasn’t anything super weird or cool. I didn’t see anything beyond a few homemade sandwiches in the prepared foods section. Prices were fine. The lines were long and slow. I always get stuck behind someone buying scratch tickets in small groceries like this, and it just makes time stand still. I think it’s perfectly find if you need a few items– I definitely wouldn’t do any real grocery shopping there.

if you want generic canned goods at premium prices, this is the place for you. just dont buy anything that is not in a can. even frozen food here is often spoiled. not sure how they manage that, but it happens a lot.

Two days ago I bought a few Lunchables at Paul’s Glamorous Food Center. Today I opened my fridge to feast on my Turkey and Cheese Lunchable to find. that both had expired TWO WEEKS AGO.
On the same day as purchasing the Lunchables, I had purchased an even classier Pancake and Sausage on a Stick (gimme a break, I was PMSing), only to get home to find that it was MOLDY ALL OVER.
I am seriously repulsed. This is not the first time things have been waaaay past their prime at Paul’s. I want to love Paul’s because I generally love trashy things. However, at the risk of dysentery I will not be returning.
I will be warning everyone I encounter NOT to go there.

Oh, Paul’s, what to say about your one-​of-​a-​kind food center.
I lovingly refer to this place as «Paul’s Super-​Food» and I’m here usually once to twice a week.
The clientelle make up the «super» part of Paul’s because the food certainly doesn’t.
They are a bit sketchy, but their seltzer water is reasonably priced. There have been numerous times I’ve bought cereal/​oatmeal/​pasta/​something else, and have gotten home only to realize it’s like, 3 months past the expiration date — so make sure you check before you leave.
They have these three separate bottles of malt liquor called «Zap» «Zonk» and «Zoom» — maybe that’s always worth the «Super» description.
The cashiers are all either mute or somewhat nice, but none of them go above and beyond to be friendly, well, except one guy with long fingernails.
This like like a townie place for groceries.
One time, my boyfriend got stuck in an aisle between those two people who ride around Portland in their wheelchairs that look like the pope-​mobile. It was a dangerous and frightening situation, much like shopping at Paul’s.