Toronto's most iconic Jamaican patty shop opening in new neighbourhood

A Jamaican patty shop in Toronto that could very likely be categorized as the city's most iconic is gearing up to open a brand-new location, but it won't be around forever.

Many are of the opinion that the almighty Jamaican patty is at least equally worthy of signature dish status in Toronto as the city's official signature dish, the peameal bacon sandwich.

In terms of accessibility, at least, you'll be far more likely to find yourself within spitting distance of a patty than a peameal bacon sandwich, save (maybe) for if you're physically inside of St. Lawrence Market.

Indeed, there's really no shortage of places in Toronto where you can find a patty when the craving hits, so much so that it would be entirely conceivable to think that they'd all just blend into the background.

Against unparalleled competition in the city, though, Oakwood Village's Randy's Patties has managed to rise above the noise and stay there ever since 1979.

After shutting down for two and a half years amid staffing challenges and endless construction in the area, the patty shop caused a city-wide wave of excitement when it reopened in August of 2024 — and now, there's even more to get excited about.

For the first time, Randy's is expanding beyond the bounds of its familiar Eglinton West haunt with a new pop-up location at the Eaton Centre set to open this week.

Randy's will be moving into a stand located at the heart of the Queen's Cross Food Hall on the bottom floor of the mall, among a variety of original concepts by Oliver & Bonacini, the hospitality team behind the food hall.

When deciding on what Toronto business should fill the devoted pop-up space next, O&B's Associate Director Amy Teggert tells blogTO that Randy's was a natural choice.

"Few foods are as iconic to Toronto as a warm, golden Jamaican patty—and nobody does it better than Randy's," she says.

"We're always on the lookout for vendors that create real buzz and reflect the rich, diverse flavours of the city. Randy's is one of those 'if you know, you know' spots—and if you don't… you're about to find out," she adds.

The pop-up officially opens for business on April 25 and is currently slated to remain in the food hall until August.