Super hole in the wall, mom and pop shop restaurant and mini mart. You can tell it's a community and local favorite, especially looking at all of the photos on the wall and how everyone sort of knew everyone that was coming in. I believe at a certain point it was a Polynesian Mexican fusion restaurant based on photos, but during my visit, it's definitely more skewed to being a Polynesian restaurant. It's in a somewhat suburban area, so there's street parking and you may have to walk a bit, but we were able to find parking just right across. Park Avenue is a mini mart and shop, along with a restaurant. Hot foods, baked goods, shirts and apparel, jewelry, imported snacks and sweets, canned and jarred foods, and a fridge with some drinks and to go goods too. I was already super full already, but we were able to try a bit of the food and take the rest to go. Pretty generous portions and very unique food that is a bit more difficult to find elsewhere. We got the Taupou Plate which is a 3 item plate order with 2 side items. For this, we chose the lamb, turkey tail, and curry and for the side items we got the banana and taro. Interesting mix of sweet, creamy, savory, and umami. I'm not the biggest fan of turkey, but turkey tail isn't a very common "cut of meat" to order. Really rich, tender, and a bit greasy, but if you love turkey, this is perfect for you. Nice mix of flavors with this order and has the most variety. Definitely get this if you want a little bit of everything. Lamb meat was also moist and rich as well. Unique eats and great welcoming service as well! read more

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Incredible Polynesian Food and Amazing People! Park Avenue Polynesian Restaurant is hands down the best Polynesian food I've ever had -- fresh, authentic, and full of flavor. The brisket was unbelievably tender, and every dish at our table was delicious. They baked their own bread daily. The family who runs the restaurant is so warm and welcoming, making you feel like part of their 'ohana (family). A must-visit spot -- you'll definitely want to come back! read more

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Fun Adventure! Hidden in an older, quiet neighborhood near historic downtown Riverside is a mom and pop gem. This is where the joyful Polynesian heart and soul resides: Poly Market, located on tiny Park Ave. Do not be intimidated to venture in. This unremarkable, rather cluttered, but very friendly, ethnic market drew us in because we had heard about its unique, small, hot food deli. Not to confuse you, but at one point it was known as Park Ave Polynesian Market. It is the same place, renamed and refocused. Disregard any reference to Mexican food that may appear on Yelp. That part of the menu has been discontinued. The owner, Lilo, brought to you directly from Samoa, made some changes a few years ago and is focusing only on his beloved foods from the South Pacific. His wife does the cooking/baking. They have been in business for about 8 years now. Not unlike Filipino turo-turo style food service, he offers a small selection of hot food items in steam trays. You point, he dishes it up into styrofoam to-go containers and provides plastic ware. There are only two small tables set up inside the market, so don't plan on fancy dining and bringing big parties. This is mostly take out. I am not sure exactly how he determines what to charge, because he simply asked, "How much do you want?" Uh...one serving, I guess. Whatever that is. He dished out some food, then said, "Is this enough?" I came for the Turkey Tails. I ended up with 5 plump ones in a its own juices. If you are unfamiliar with this elusive delicacy, also cleverly known as The Pope's Nose, these are the little triangular stumps of tailbone, with fat and meat attached, from the turkey's hiney. Yes! And when cooked right, they are gems of flavor. This was a braised version and very tender. Add to that what was called "Chop Suey" (aka Sapa Sui). This is unlike the Chinese version with egg noodle, more similar to a Filipino pancit bihon, made with a clear, glass noodle and stir fried meat and vegetables. Delicious. Braised lamb ribs. They are not easy to find. His are meaty, simple and tender. These were slow cooked in their own juices and seasoned simply to let the lamb flavor shine. His lamb products are from New Zealand. Curry. This is a very delicate, creamy, curry gravy with meat (lamb) chunks and a few vegetables. Very tasty, not at all hot/spicy. Meat pie. This was my absolute favorite! They are big, round, 4" diameter hand pies filled with meat filling. Today's were filled with beef and vegetable. The outer pastry was incredibly delicate and flaky; it simply melted in my mouth. I do not need to look elsewhere for better. This is it! They make them in-house and bake daily. They are served warm. Pineapple pie. This is another hand pie, bigger than your hand, shaped like a huge half moon, but with a thickened, crushed pineapple filling. Freshly baked and served warm, the pastry crust tastes more cookie-like. They are not overly sweet. We were not as excited by these, too much dough, very little pineapple. Sodas and other beverages are retrieved by you, the customer, from commercial refrigerators. If you look closely, you will find one shelf containing cold bottles of Guava sparkling beverage and Ginger Beer (both are Bundaberg brand imported from Australia). A must try! And if we get lucky, Lilo mentioned that he sometimes cooks outside in front. He was referring to bbq'ing Huli huli chicken and roast pig... but not until the weather cools down. It's a lot of work, but he said, when he has done that in the past, the lines of people ran down the street. We can only hope he considers doing that again! His future plans also include adding a few more tables inside so he can start serving an American-style breakfast. For now, the remainder of the store is full of metal racks. The shelves are filled with canned meats, dry noodles, and other imported ingredients that are typical for Polynesian cuisine. You will also discover small racks of Polynesian jewelry, plumeria and hibiscus hair ornaments, and other trinkets. In a small, back room slightly larger than a closet, there is more. Colorful Polynesian style clothing, more imported products, and two large freezers filled with bulk bags of frozen meats and fish. Yes, even bulky bags full of those elusive turkey tails! I really enjoyed listening to his background music, such as Hawaiian favorites sung by Iz and Don Ho. Very nostalgic. I look forward to returning! Note: Days open on their Yelp page are incorrect at the time of this writing. They are closed on Sunday and Monday. read more

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The pies are delicious. And so are the sausages and lusipi! Will be back again since it's quite close to me read more

Park Avenue Polynesian - Meat pie - Polynesian Near Me - Riverside, California

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Since this was my first experience in Polynesian food I can't tell if it was the best, but it was the best I ever had. I had the curry lamb with rice and I could eat that every week. Thanks for the great food and making us feel welcome. read more

I had the yellow curry with lamb and it was so delicious I had to take some home for dinner. The people there are super friendly. Parking is a little difficult on the street but worth it. I'll definitely be back. read more

This is the only place that sells Samoan food that I have been able to find in Riverside. The food is delicious and I would suggest it to anyone. And I have suggested it two of my family members.! read more

The name is a bit misleading. I didn't see Mexican food in here, just Samoan food. Located off Park Ave right beside Tillman Riverside Mortuary. Parking is along the street amd I had to park 5 cars away. The prices are pretty good. I got the tilapia w Taro and banana, and a 3 item w Sapa Sui (noodles), corned beef, and the sausage w Taro and banana. And I also got the oka and palu sami on the side. The noodles were good, very nicely seasoned and they use muli pipi in it. Corned beef was a wee bit fatty. Tilapia fish was very fresh and seasoned nicely. Pairs well w the Taro and banana. Palu Sami was good, nicely seasoned w coconut cream Overall food was good. Location inside is a bit small and there is nowhere to sit but they sell Polynesian flags, bracelets, hair accessories, misc souvenirs, and kukui necklaces. Try them out if you're craving samoan food!! read more

My go to for Samoan food and goodies, reminds me of home. Great service and has everything I need to get a taste of Samoa!

If Poly Ave didn't exist we would have to drive an hour and a half in traffic to Carson to get any Samoan food. God Bless this store! We visited the other day looking for a Samoan bible for my nephew. They had Mormon ones in stock and Pulotu said they were getting Catholic bibles soon. Couldn't leave without picking up some taro and noticed they had Samoan and Fijian taro. Went with the Fijian taro and face-timed my mom to pick the ones she wanted cause if we show up with bad taro we're going to be cursed out! They sell hot food items, the regular Samoan food supplies and some necklaces, shirts/ofus, etc. but it's mostly a food store. If you're looking to try Samoan food you can try it here, but I'd recommend going in and asking what they have for the day and what each dish is. I love oka, palusami and chop suey but not sure if they always have it available. Thank you Pulotu and crew for always showing love and making us laugh when we visit! read more

Food is fire. Personally love the meat pies, manapua & palusami! But everything is bomb here. Family owned business, always friendly. Make sure to go early. read more

What a hidden gem in a nondescript suburban neighborhood! Super friendly service, wonderful variety of dishes to try and some fun grocery store gems. There is only a small table with two chairs inside so food is best taken to-go, but worth the stop. I loved the lamb bun, lamb curry, pineapple pie (not too sweet and HUGE), turkey tail, coconut cream taro and lamb that was cooked like a pork belly which gave it such a good crisp. read more

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Quite neighborhood pantry, hidden plus Polynesian tresure. The food gives you an idea of how Polynesian food culture is built. Taro for me is a flavor in desert treats. And sweet drinks, as part of the Polynesian peoples menu. Its like the casavas big brother, and it makes a potato feel like eating lettuce. Its starchy chewy and dense. Served with a savory salty coconut sauce i can see how it became the staple of the islands. Turkey tail, nice meaty bites roasted in good flavor tangy sweet a and savoey. I equally enjoyed it. I ordered the chop sui as a secondary choice. And its amazing to see how that siah changes between groups. Thus ibe is prepared with stir-fried glass noodles so its a treat to the normally wheat based egg noodle in chinese food. I got a side of palusami, and it was the best greens i ever had!. My wife had the curry, and the chow main. Polynesian curry it was good. Had a warm spce and it had a lot of that good coconut flavor. All in all it was a good dinner extremely filling when paired to the taro root. Im gonna go back later to try their other dishes. read more

This is my second time here and I like the way they've changed the inside, there's a couple tables to sit down and eat and it looks nicer than it was. The food is good like really good!! Everything that I've ordered has been tasty- just right. The only things that I forgot about was to order the meat pies that I heard are really good there. So I'll have to go back in try that.. read more

This restaurant is a treasure! Filled with fantastic traditional foods. I personally love their home made pineapple half moon pies and the home made bread! read more

Park Avenue Polynesian - Enjoying a special treat! The food is fantastic & we love supporting local businesses too. Thank you Park Ave. Polynesian Restaurant! - Polynesian Near Me - Riverside, California

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Food here is so good!!!!!I live near by and the people there are so nice.Very polite all the time

The food needs work. The oak literally is may and fish. Half moon pies are deflated; I had to ask the girl what those were. The people are nice just their food really needs work, nice try though. read more

The cooked food was delicious and the pani popo soft and tasty Thanks for the goodness will be back again!

Great place if you need a quick fix of Samoan food. They even have Hawaiian Sun fruit juice! Great service from the couple that was there, Very friendly and helpful. We're not from the area but it is a great find. read more

Terrible customer service!!! In February I put in an order for May, and was notified the day before my event that they ran out! Very inconvenient!!! read more

Staff is friendly, but definitely not Poly/Mexican restaurant. Samoan food and goods only. Store is a little messy, bakery items sell out super fast in the mornings. But, if you are looking for Wahoo cans of Tuna, pisupo, noodles for sapasui, taro, variety of Polynesian tshirts and assorted jewelry and sei's, this place is for you. They do have Samoan hot food that is behind the counter and you can order what they have available that day. Would go back again for food and canned goods. 1 star taken off because of the disarray of the goods. read more

My good friends own this spot and the food is always great. I love that I don't have to drive all the way to LA County anymore for my Sāmoan food, or other Sāmoan goods. read more

Their oka and fai ai mussel are my favorite. We live in the Palm Springs area and am glad that we don't have to drive to Anaheim or Carson anymore. read more

Love this place...home away from home...food is delicious...and some shopping favorite snacks...pancake....corn beef...taro..crackers..bongo...twisties..ufos...ohhh yessss list goes on....thank you owner...Bula read more

This place is great and friendly! Food is Amazing! Now I wanna go visit the Islanders home because this food completely shocked me. I'm loving it here read more

So my family and I just moved to Riverside and I was in the mood for some island grinds, yelp gave me this place and I'm glad I finally stopped in. Meet Paul nice gentleman running the place he showed me the food and I was like back home in mama's kitchen. I had taro and banana, chop suey, sausage banger nd turkey tail, the food was very authentic and delicious to taste. Glad I can get Poly food when I'm craving or missing my mom. read more

So we decided to take a small trip in to the hood... What we found was decent foot but maybe a deeper understanding of our selves in the process . Food was tasty and fresh. A nice stroll through the neighborhood that forced upon us a few hours of deep reflection. Or ... gas read more

Great Food! I strongly recommend this place! When you get there drive slow there are several stores on this block read more

The other day I accidentally stumbled upon this little gem and I am so glad that I did! They have a very good menu with items ranging from freshly made aguas frescas to shrimp mojo de ajo. My favorite dish, shrimp aguachiles, was not on the menu but I still decided to ask the server if they were able to make it. She said yes and that she would be glad to make it! Everything that we ordered came out extremely fresh. The shrimp aguachiles were spot on and everything tasted authentic and home made. I could tell that every item was made to order. The prices are very reasonable and the staff is friendly. I was also told that they have a $1 street tacos every weekend! I love authentic family restaurants and I would definitely go out of my way to return to this place. read more

Very nice owners, the food is cooked fresh. I had lamb, turkey tail and salty beef (povi) with Taro. It was delicious. I tried the pineapple pie, it was ok, the lady cook said she was trying different recipes out. I just recently went there and they had meat pies, They said call ahead of time to see if there are any left as they go pretty quickly. It's nice to have a local spot to get some Polynesian food, especially when it's cooked well. Hopefully they add themselves to uberEATS so I can get delivery lol read more

I've lived around the block from this place for 20+ years and never considered coming here til' I saw the yelp reviews. BIG portions (like Heroes), cheap! And fresh to order. I got the chilaquiles con huevos, they were better than any other place I've had them. Small, authentic hole in the wall. A must try! read more

Park Avenue Polynesian - Chilaquiles con huevos (over hard) and an agua de horchata. - Polynesian Near Me - Riverside, California

Horrible experience. Dirty tables, no way to know who was working there when we walked in, the door had broken glass, loud karaoke machine started soon after we walked in, tables too small for more than one person to sit. Come if you're alone, I guess. Never bring a date. read more

Im usually a little picky when it comes to chilaquiles but this place made them just how i wanted ! i dont like them too spicy and they made them perfect :) GREAT prices and big portions. read more

Park Avenue Polynesian - yum!!! - Polynesian Near Me - Riverside, California

Amazing Aguas frescas, most dishes under $7, authentic mexican flavor. Definitely worth the money and time. It's a hidden gem off University. read more

I had order a ordered in which i needed it to be delivered, the man whom delivered was very polite an helpful, he brought me my food an drink id would go back again i was pleased. read more

Authentic mexican food, by gracious owners/chefs. Amazing lunch buffet for $6 weekdays! Great for students. I recommend this gem to everyone! And try the bakery next door! Yum ! read more

Amazing food! Great service treated me very well! Their tacos on the weekends are heaven! I feel like I'm in Tijuana

very good food, great prices, the breakfasts are yummy!! love this little place