People in Toronto just love Jamaican patties. As a Middle Eastern woman, it was never something I was curious about. But, honestly, I heard they were delicious, which is why I didn't want to try them out — I didn't need to add to my daily cravings.
But I caved, and now here we are.
If DJ Khalid, my fellow Arab, obviously loves them, then maybe I'll enjoy them too.
I Tried The Best Jamaican Patty Spots In Toronto According To Locals
So, a couple of weeks ago, we put up a poll on Instagram, and you told us what your favourite go-to Jamaican patty spots were in Toronto, and I chose the top three recommended places for my taste test.
Interestingly enough, I thought I'd be hitting up some TTC subway stations, but that was not a fan favourite, which came as a shock to me. Instead, all three spots were in downtown Toronto.
Something to note is I actually had no idea what I was getting myself into, nor do I know what to compare the patties to. So, naturally, I thought they would be something similar to an Indian samosa, crispy on the outside and full of flavour on the inside — I was wrong.
I started my adventure at Kensington Market's famous Golden Patty spot. Then, I went to Patties Express in the PATH and ended up at Allwyn's Bakery on Queen Street West.
After visiting all three spots and trying the patties with an open mind, I finally concluded how I feel about this Toronto delicacy.
Golden Patty
Golden Patty in Kensington Market.
Price: 💸
Address: 187 Baldwin St., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: As the most recommended place in our Narcity poll, this was definitely a favourite among Jamaican Patty spots.
This was the moment I had been waiting for, trying my first ever patty. The anticipation was rising as I walked into the store, got overwhelmed with the options and quickly ran out. But, the door never stayed shut; that's how I know that people loved this Kensington Market spot.
My first thought was how cheap the patty cost! Like, $2.35? I've never bought food this cheap in my life!
Once I got this warm Jamaican patty in my hand, I took my first bite and wow, did it bring up many questions.
Wait, it's not supposed to be crispy? This shocked me. But again, I took another bite with an open mind.
Finally, I started tasting the Jamaican flavours in the meat and could see the appeal, but there just wasn't enough meat, in my opinion.
Patties Express
Patties Express in The PATH
Price: 💸
Address: 65 Queen St. W. Unit BG0150, Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: This Jamaican patty spot is located conveniently in the PATH and it's open every day.
Some of you Toronto Metropolitan University students might remember it being on Elm Street, but it relocated to the underground world of Toronto.
For $2.52, the Jamaican patty was hot, like hot, hot! And I could smell the aromas from a few feet away, hence my excitement to run over there and give this another shot.
Here, the meat was so juicy and flavourful that I finally felt like I knew what people were raving about. The patty dough itself was also flaky and doughy, which made it a perfect combination.
The patty had a balance between the amount of meat in there and the dough that wrapped it, creating mouthwatering pauses between each bite. YUM!
Allwyn's Bakery
Allwyn's Bakery on Queen Street West.
Price: 💸
Address: 404 Queen St. W., Toronto, ON
Why You Need To Go: Allwyn's Bakery is very popular in Toronto; there are many locations in the GTA, and they are reviewed highly on Google.
This spot was quite popular on Queen Street West. Delivery people were walking in and out along with people in the area.
Other than patties, the menu was filled with Jamaican favourites such as Oxtail stew, Jerk Chicken sandwich and Curry Goat. But, people were still ordering Jamaican patties, so I was excited to try them.
This time, the patty cost $2.85, and the meat felt more peppery and less crispy compared to the other spots, which was excellent, and their dough was not as flaky but more doughy, which I like.
But, oddly, I still liked it, so it was good for me.
Final thoughts
So, here's the thing, I found myself constantly comparing it to something crispier and meatier, so each spot was kind of disappointing to me when I left. But, when it came to choosing one spot as my favourite, Patties Express was the clear winner by far.
It had the perfect balance of meat, flavour and dough crust, which made it enjoyable. I definitely ate it the fastest without much thought, but the only bad thing about it was trying to find it. I was on a treasure hunt in an underground world that I wasn't very used to.
Tied in second and third place would be Allwyn's Bakery and Golden Patty.
But in terms of flavour, I'd choose Allwyn's Bakery over Golden Patty because I immensely enjoyed the peppery meat flavour and thicker outer shell.
Whereas, Golden Patty was the cheaper option.
Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, and I would head over to a Jamaican patty spot in my future, but you can guarantee it was not what I expected.
