Staff and owner is very sweet...food was very flavorful and delicious...I will be coming back

The chicken was amazing. It was catered for our school in Arvin. Everything tasted just like home. 100% recommend!!

They catered to our school event todayin Arvin. The food was amazing! The chicken is so flavorful.

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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Tasty special unique flavors . Menu difficult to understand not because of language . It's confusing . Perhaps pictures and labels would help. We saw other people have same issues confusing menus. Also air con was not working comfortably we saw 2 wall unit on but was sweltering read more

I rolled up on a 107 degree July day with three tired kids and the host immediately helped us. Most of my family is easy, but me and my daughter have some specific allergies that can make coming to unknown restaurants difficult sometimes. I explained the situation to the young man who took care of us, and he made sure everything was just right. My sons were happy watching baseball, my daughter and I got the food we could eat, and we all cooled off and chowed down before getting back into the heat. read more

First time at this restaurant! Service was amazing, and food was delicious! Great place to go for a quick bite or even hangout! Definitely recommend this restaurant! 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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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 am david and my wife mimi went ther sunday. very nice plce to eat. service was excellent. and the owner was nice to us. very affordable price. 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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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

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

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

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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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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Great food and customer service ! The papa rellenas were bomb ! Chicken has flavor and wasn't dry like other places. Would definitely come again read more

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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Discovered this place because we were looking for tostones and pastelitos. If you're from DR, PR or Cuba and in Bakersfield and craving food from your cuisine... definitely check it out. They have a few things on the menu. One con is my chicken bowl was too salty. Everything else was great. A taste of Caribbean. read more

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

The food was delicious. We got to know the owner and were treated with great service. The aesthetic of the restaurant was very cultural it felt nice. My favorite food was their chicken and their Cuban sandwich dipped in the green salsa! read more

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

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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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

Food and service is always great here. Brought the whole family' during our road trip and was well worth it.

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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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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Delicious pollo asado. Better than el pollo loco, yes I said it! The marinate is exquisite, you can taste the spices and the lemon. You can also taste the mesquite coal they use to grill it. Their pork ribs were dry, not that good. If you're there go for their chicken. Their plantains are marvelous! So sweet and soft. Not soggy tho. The meal comes with yellow rice and black beans or pinto beans. The black beans are way better! The place is big and clean with friendly staff. Next time I'm there I'll try the beef ribs and report back :0) read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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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