Can't recommend this place enough!! We had the chicken meal, chicken bowl and Asada fries, but they subbed chicken for us. It was all excellent. The salsas were fresh and amazing. Joe overheard that it was our first time and gave us the guava and cheese pastelitos. Those were excellent too. Service was so friendly. The place has a great atmosphere. It's our new favorite place!! read more

FOOD WAS AMAZING . Absolutely loved the empanadas. Definetly my new go to spot ‍‍‍ we got food catered and everything was still hot and warm when we got it. Mac and cheese was very delicious .0 read more

The food was amazing!! I loved the mac and cheese as well as the chicken and green salsa. The owner is so sweet, will definitely get again !

I love Ay Papa Que Rico! (fka El Pollo Riko) Every dish is pure deliciousness. No trip to Ay Papa Que Rico is complete without their mesquite grilled chicken. Their chicken is made fresh and is super juicy. The chicken breast, which at most places is the driest cut of meat, at Aye Papa Que Rico is surprisingly moist and flavorful. While the chicken is what they've become known for, I recommend anything on the menu. The lamb plate is one of my favorite dishes. It's super scrumptious. Most dishes come complete with their rice, beans, and tortillas. There is a bit of a fun internal debate on which housemade salsa is the best. I love switching between the verde and rojo, though the salsa they serve with their chips is amazing, especially if you like some fresh chunks of veggies in your salsa. The Cuban sandwich deserves its own paragraph with how tasty it is. While it may not be traditional to dip a Cuban sandwich in salsa, at Ay Papa Que Rico it has become a local practice. After one dip, you'll understand why. Their staff is super friendly and make you feel like family very quickly. It is clear they want to see each guest enjoy their meal and that they take much pride in serving each dish. The restaurant is always clean and well taken care of. Aye Papa Que Rico has become a go-to for myself and any friends or family. Their dishes are perfect for any gathering or hang out. I always receive a warm welcome when I arrive with Aye Papa Que Rico in hand! :) read more

Popped in for a quick early dinner. I was confused by the name because on the outside the restaurant says. El Pollo Riko and on yelp the name is something else as you can see in my post. I remember coming to this restaurant in 2021 shortly after they opened and I decided to come back and see what's new. This restaurant offers a variety of food, influenced by Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, and Cuba... Oh, and of course the US. Their bread and butter is the charbroiled chicken that usually comes with a side of rice and beans, tortillas, and red and green salsa. They have other things on the menu, such as a good variety of sandwiches, including Cuban sandwich, appetizers, such as potato balls stuffed with ground beef, yuca, fries, green, fried plantains, and ripened plantains also known as maduros. The restaurant also offers other things like a plate with ribeye steak, rope of vieja, which is a Cuban dish, and ribs. They have a wide selection of sides, beverages, and desserts. The restaurant is nice and clean. There is plenty of seating for large and small parties. The bathroom was pretty clean as well, but you do need a code to get in. The wait staff was very attentive and offered to explain the dishes and offer suggestions. I spoke to Adrian, who was very nice. This business is a family owned business local to Bakersfield. I ordered the half chicken with yellow rice and black beans. The black beans were exactly like my ex father-in-law's who was Cuban. I ordered a side of the maduros and also ordered ham croquettes -- the ham croquettes were amazing! The chicken was delicious and included a wing, thigh, drumstick, and a breast with the rib bones. The chicken was so delicious and tasted fresh. The skin was charbroiled, so I got some crunchy bits in there, overall it was a good portion and easily shareable, especially if you get appetizers and extra sides. I am definitely going back to try other things such as the stuffed potato balls, Cuban sandwich, and the ribs. There is so much more to try, additionally the restaurant serves Salvadoran and Argentinian sausages. Enjoy! read more

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We recently had an Elite Event at this place. I raved about it so much I had to take my wife. She ordered us the half-chicken. You get both rice and beans. It's plenty of food for both of us. The chicken was delicious. The food took a few minutes longer than expected to come out, but that was because they cook it right. After tasting it, we didn't mind the extra few minutes wait. The dining area is comfortable. It could have been a few degrees warmer. It was a cold day. All-in-all it's an awesome place for lunch. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed. read more

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Delicious food, my friends and I were driving past going to yosemite and my friends were telling me this place is a must try! Just finished eating and it was amazing! Definitely coming back next time I'm driving through:) read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

i like the food taste, decor is interesting and lighting is very dim, though I know they are trying to create a certain ambience. Menu listing is very confusing in my opinion. There are lot of foods selection and I wish I had more patience because looking at other peoples foods I wish I ordered those items, not to say what we ordered didn't taste good. read more

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Had to visit Pollo Riko again, since the last Yelp event. It didn't disappoint. Wish I would've remembered to try the sausage sandwich but overall the meal was very good. The Cubanos are huge and you can easily split one, especially if you add a side. The fries, which are always my go to side, were perfectly cooked McDonald's style fries. I feel they were a little lacking on the seasoning but overall good with their green salsa. The green salsa can go on anything. The place as picking up for lunch but mainly for to-go orders. The BBQ was definitely going because it was a little toasty inside, but it didn't help on a sunny/muggy windy Bakersfield day. You definitely get what you pay for. You aren't short changed on the food and it is made to order, which is always a plus for any restaurant. Definitely will be returning and trying a few other things. Sausage platter, sausage sandwich, the potato balls (Reminiscent of Porto's in San Fernando) and the plantains for sure. read more

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During one of the hardest times for our family after the loss of our baby nephew, Joe and his staff showed us so much kindness and compassion. Not only was the food amazing, but the care and support they gave our family meant everything to us. They truly went above and beyond for people they didn't even know. We will never forget their kindness and support during such a painful time. May God bless Joe, his family, and his business. read more

Great food Great service...would love to have one closer to home everything cooked to perfection....looking forward for a return visit read more

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Passed by here from Las Vegas back to Bay area, and I must say this is a highly recommended stop!! Great ambience, family owned restaurant- had the great pleasure of meeting Joe and his son and they are very friendly and accomodating! Food is fresh, chicken is very juicy, well seasoned and savory- best grilled chicken we ever had (and we have lived and travelled from east coast to west coast). Serving size for dishes including side dishes are hefty, perfect for our big family. Service is awesome and just as mentioned, very friendly and warm they treat you like good old friends and family. and the price, I must say, very affordable with the grade A++ quality taste of food. I wish we could taste everything but our stomach could only hold so much! It's worth the stop, we will even go for a little joyride for this place alone! Bonus: they have happy hour!! *Yelp name says Ay papa que Rico but if you go to website link and the address itself, this fantastic place's name is El Pollo Riko, just want to make sure nobody miss this great find* read more

Enjoyed a delicious dinner catered by this restaurant. The thin cut ribs, sausage, grilled chicken flavored yellow rice , black and brown beans , fried yuca and plantains all served with tortillas and fresh salsas . I would highly recommend this location for all your catering needs . Enjoy read more

Updated! Always and I mean ALWAYS on point! Fudging delicious chicken every time, plus that green salsa. Anahi was amazing and made sure we knew about the new menu items and they look so bomb! The restaurant location is in a prime location too! They have huge ceiling fans that keep the place extra cool with all the chicken they cook. I highly recommend trying their new Al Pastor! read more

Flavorful chicken and rice and beans. Great owner and staff will help you decide what you want on their mexican with a little cubano influence. You can get potato balls and guava strudel (think Portos). Great flavor and staff. With the mesquite grill is can get hot inside but it feels nice in colder months. read more

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I don't even have enough words to express how grateful my family and I are to Joe, his family, and his incredible staff. During one of the most devastating and heartbreaking moments of our lives after laying my nephew to rest, they showed us nothing but genuine love, compassion, kindness, and support. Despite the difficult circumstances that brought us together, the food was absolutely amazing and everyone truly enjoyed it. But what stood out the most was not just the food it was the care behind it all. Joe called the day before, the day of, and even the day after just to make sure everything was okay and to check on how our family was doing, all while he was out of state. That level of compassion is something you don't forget. His son delivered the food and was incredibly kind and respectful, even refusing to accept anything extra as a tip. The love, generosity, and support they showed our family went far beyond business. It reminded me that there are still good people in this world people willing to go above and beyond for a grieving family they didn't even know. We will forever appreciate everything they did for us during such a painful time. May God bless Joe, his family, and his business abundantly for the kindness they poured into our family when we needed it most. read more

Another great visit and another great meal !!! Luanna was our server today and she was awesome!!! Very attentive and great personality!!! Food as always was great , and portions were plentiful!! If you haven't come here , you are definitely missing out! read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Sampler - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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This place is amazing. Best chicken I've had. Every bite was juicy and cooked to perfection. This is definitely my go to spot and talk about hospitality... I went right after a gym session and the owner himself came out to great me and made sure everything was 100 percent to my liking. Perfect place for a date night, work outing or family dinner. Only took a picture of these two pieces left of my meal because I ate the rest of it but had to stop and do a review read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Stopped here on the way to Norcal. Loved their chicken burrito. It was filled with their juicy chicken. Beans and rice were well seasoned. Was looking forward to the yucca fries but they were overly salted. Burrito bowl was just okay. Not shown but the cheese empanadas were great and came out oozing hot. Lots of seating. Noticed most people take out. Quick service. read more

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This place reminds me of el pollo loco but way way better. The chicken was really juicy and seasoned perfectly.

I thought I would never come here because it was like El Pollo Loco....no, you HAVE to come here! Its waaay better than El Pollo Loco. Their chicken is juicer and flavorful. Their potato balls have so much more flavor than Portos (although mine here were a little over cooked). I didnt care for their empanada. It was too wet on the inside and made the dough soggy. (We ate this after our meal). Our meal was the chicken meal and it was great. My husband and I were able to share. It came with chicken, rice, beans and corn tortillas. This is a great little starter meal to try their food! I also had the jalapeño poppers. The breading is a little thick. read more

Upgrading them to five stars. Been a while since I've had some, El Pollo Riko and I was reminded why it's worth rating five stars instead of four. Dam good chicken! Very flavo Still loving the atmosphere, music and customer service. Great job guys! read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Half a chicken combo with rice and black beans - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Stopped by Ay Papa Que Rico on the way back home from Yosemite and so glad we did. The Cuban chicken was super delicious and the service was great. Definitely recommend if you're passing through! read more

11/10 FOOD!!!! The owner is so kind & the food is amazinggg!!! Definitely one of my favorite BBQ places now :) their chicken was sooo flavorful & just the right amount of moist, not dry. They give you a charred jalapeno with it which I LOVE. I also loved their jalapeno & cheese empanadas, the beans (the black beans were my fave), the rice, etc. The salsa rojo & verde were bomb too. Everything was so delicious read more

The food was great it was so clean and I love the place smell and food and the food I can't stop thinking about and I just love every bite and bit of it and the se was so good read more

Always wanted to try this place. No I didn't get chicken because I had grilled chicken the past 2 days so I got a carne asada burrito, beef empanadas, and a papa rellena in with beef. The burrito was fresh and temperature hot with lots of flavor. The asada was tender and it didn't need any salsa on it since it was good as is. The empanada was pretty good and so was the papa rellena, just wish they added a little more ground beef in it. Topped it off with a gwayaba pastelito. Altogether it was $28 without a drink. A little pricey but I just wanted to try a little bit of everything. Would probably come back to try other things in the menu. read more

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It was my first time trying this place yesterday and it did not disappoint!! I got to try their delicious & juicy chicken, tender beef ribs, rice, beans, and their amazing plantains. The food was fresh, flavorful, and clearly made with care and everything came out quickly. You can tell this place takes pride in both their food and customer service. The atmosphere was clean and comfortable, making it a perfect spot to enjoy a meal. I catered for my office meeting today and everyone loved it. My team got to try the same items listed above plus a few other tasty dishes--Mac & Cheese, Ropa Vieja (shredded beef), and a refreshing garden salad. The guava strudels were a favorite! The manager Joe was super sweet, professional, and helpful. He made the catering experience so pleasant and stress-free. His son and staff treated me very well yesterday. I highly recommend this place! Prices are reasonable and worth every bite. read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

The food here was absolutely amazing!! The rice was so savory, the mashed potatoes and gravy easily better than KFC, and the mac and cheese was my personal favorite! We also tried the pineapple strudels, WOW!!! And don't even get me started on the empanadas, or l'll be hungry all over again even though I'm already full. I'm definitely coming back for more! read more

Every time I come out here to Stockdale in Bakersfield it's a must stop to eat here. There pollo a la carte Taste amazing with great flavor makes your mouth melt. Their service is excellent and very polite. I definitely would recommend this place to everyone. read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Food great, service is awesome, ambiance lively. We enjoyed the Cuban, Argentinian and Brazilian flavors. We'll be back! Btw, service was the best. Everyone had smiling faces. read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Their sampler plate. Beef and pork ribs, sausages, lamb and chicken. The sides are black beans and rice. Sides of Tostones and Yuca. - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Friendly service. You can tell they care about the food, and making sure the customers enjoy everything. Our group got empanadas, asada fries, a Cuban sandwich, a chicken burrito and a Caesar salad. Everything was really good, tons of flavor and very fresh. Decent prices. Genuinely good place. read more

Everything that was catered was labeled, which I really liked. Chicken was flavorful, rice was amazing. Everything I tried was very good. My favorite part had to be the Guava Strudels. Service of delivery was top tier and professional. read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Catering - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Great food and great service! I reached out to Joe (the catering manager) the same day of my event to see if I'd be able to place an order and he went above and beyond for us! He even had our food delivered to us at no extra cost. All of our guests loved the food. If you're looking for some good food for your next event or even just for dinner, I recommend giving them a try! read more

Not that this place needs extra 5 star reviews!! Lol I'm actually pissed off at myself for not reviewing them till now!! What!! Ok Ok spank me i deserve it! ;) OMG! Literally one of the last few local places i absolutely LOVE!! Staff is awesome! Kind of a crappy location but you know the best places are in crap locations Lol so go!!Clean and smells insane as soon as you walk in. So easy to eat low carb here too! And if you want to indulge i'd pick the chicken burrito or a steak quesadilla Lusciousness!! Oh god the flavour they put into everything they make is just so divine! I'd describe that chicken burrito (i'd get this before i went back to low carb) They only way to describe this is unctuous!! Fat ass burrito filled with that insanely delicious pollo asado grilled chicken, sautéed onions, rice, cheese, juices oh man i'm making myself drool! Haha! Just get it and order a large green and red salsa trust me!! You will want to drizzle that on each bite! I could do shots of their salsas that's how much i love them! Gasm!! I've had most everything here! The mixed grill will feed a family comes with most of their f*cking incredible meats!! Lamb chops, ribs, beef ribs, sausage, chicken (which is insane!!) etc oh god all you need is that salsa and that's my dream high protein low carb meal baby!! Oh and if you're a burger person those rock too! Pastries the guava is my fav!! If you want to indulge their jalapeño poppers and the papas rellena de carne (meat filled potato balls) omg so bomb!! Anyway you get my drift come now enjoy and You're welcome!! ;) read more

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The Best service and bbq spot in Bakersfield. Everything was fresh and delicious. Thankyou EL POLLO RICO

I got a half chicken a dessert and it was soooooo good, fresh and flavorful. I'm meal prepping and this is the best chicken ive tasted and makes me more excited to eat healthier. The staff was really friendly, very helpful with explaining the menu. I will be a consistent customer! Can't wait to return! My new favorite place to eat! 100000/10 read more

We catered el Pollo Riko for a birthday. The food was delicious & offered a great variety of options.

First time here and I tried the Cuban sandwich and chicken quesadilla. Cuban sandwich had so much flavor I definitely enjoyed it. The quesadilla was so huge I couldn't even finish it. It was oozing out with so much cheese and chicken. I'm not even a fan of chicken but they have tender, juicy, flavorful chicken! The person who took our order was very nice and even let us sample their chicken! read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Huge chicken quesadilla full of flavor! Onion, pepper, juicy chicken and cheese ! - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I got this catered for a big 50th party. The food arrived on time and it was amazing. There was more than enough to feed everyone, and for them to get seconds. My favorite is the rice and macaroni and cheese. Everyone else devoured the chicken. Would definitely cater them again! read more

Amazing Cuban sandwich! Definitely recommend this place Owner Joe and staff are on point. read more

Ay Papa Que Rico - Amazing Cuban sandwich! I recommend coming to this location. Try out all their amazing food. The owner and his staff are on point.. - Latin American Near Me - Bakersfield, California