AJ’s Burger & Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

went there for lunch — ate in the restaurant. the food was fine — nothing special. I had the ¼ chicken with pinto beans and rice — rather average and forgettable. unlikely to come back.

Excellent restaurant! Food is made fresh and from scratch.
Me and my girlfriend had an awesome time here. We will definitely be coming back.

Who would have thought to find Peruvian chicken and dishes in this unassuming place in this part of Oakland? It’s certainly easier to get here than Chicken Latino if you’re in the east end though, and I found the chicken here to be just fine. It’s nothing like Boston Market or Costco’s rotisserie; I was able to taste some of the spices infused into the meat that would not be in your typical American version. The prices were reasonable, and a quarter chicken combo was enough for one person. You get a choice of dark or white meat, and I found the dark meat to be very tender. For the sides, both the salad and fries were just fine. Service was decent; it was pretty clear they do a lot of take-​out and delivery with orders coming and going, but they have some tables for eating in too.
I am actually more interested in their non-​chicken Peruvian dishes, some of which Chicken Latino only serves on weekends. So all the more reason to come check this place out.

Platanos maduros, yuca, pollo asado, beans, empanadas, and tres leches cake! Sad that they moved from downtown, but now that they moved back to Oakland, they deliver through Happy Bellies. Yum!

It was really good! We got this delivered and I got a chicken quesadilla and my fiancé got some kind of chicken sandwich, I forgot what it was called. The entrees were great. I was disappointed with the empanadas though. We got those as an appetizer. I LOVE empanadas but these tasted strange to me, not like empanadas I’ve had other places. But the entrees were really good and that matters most.

Great tacos and burritos, but HORRIBLE, I repeat, HORRIBLE, delivery service. So bad, I can’t deal with ordering from them anymore.

I visited AJ’s with a couple of friends for dinner last Sat. We were looking for a place to have dinner in Oakland that offered interesting food and that we hadn’t tried, and AJ’s fit the bill. This restaurant is a bit off the beaten path, which may explain why we were the only diners at the time of our visit – they appear to do most of their business through GrubHub.
Because we’re adventurous eaters, all of us eschewed the American options to order the Peruvian ¼ rotisserie chicken combo ($ 7.49). Each of us got different sides – I ordered Yucca fries ($ 1 upcharge) and plantains, one friend ordered Peruvian rice and plantains, and another ordered pinto beans and salad. Additionally, my friends both ordered the chicha morada ($ 2.35). The chicken consisted of white meat, and had a nice caramelized skin and moist interior, as I’ve come to expect from Peruvian rotisserie chicken. The Yucca fries were starchy and a bit bland (adding some salt helped), and the plantains were a bit mushier than I’d like. I didn’t try my friends’ sides, but they seemed happy with them. The chicha morada comes in a bottle, as indicated on the menu. I did try a sip of it, and it had a nice flavor with hints of spices.
Overall, we were quite pleased with our experience at AJ’s. If it’s lunchtime and dinnertime and you’re in Oakland and you don’t feel like hightailing it to the Strip for Peruvian chicken, AJ’s is a nice alternative. Check it out!

I really recommend this place if you are ever craving… anything. You can get spaghetti or Russian salad or burritos or a single fried egg if that’s what moves you. Great hangover cure, great hunger cure. Delicious Peruvian sodas and … just… amazing! Eat here!

Great food and fast delivery with friendly service. I would have tipped more if I had known how far the driver had to travel to make it to my house.
User comment: I did not leave this review or ever eat here, and I don’t know how this review came to exist.

We had a great time at this brand new restaurant in South Oakland. While there is a variety of burgers and subs, I would recommend going with the Peruvian menu.
I had the Pollo A Lo Pobre, a quarter chicken with 2 fried eggs (so you don’t have to decide which came first). The chicken was seasoned to perfection, not too bland and not too spicy. The white rice was good and it came with plantains which were also prepared very well. My wife had Chicken Saltado, which she enjoyed very much.
I have high hopes for this place and hope people will come out and support it. It is relatively inexpensive, especially considering what you get for your money. The staff is friendly and efficient. I will definitely be back.