I love Ay Papa Que Rico! (fka El Pollo Riko) Every dish is pure deliciousness…read more 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! :)

Popped in for a quick early dinner. I was confused by the name because on the outside the…read morerestaurant 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!