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| - Went here today for the first time, and was excited given the glowing reviews.
I'd say it was fine, but I wasn't as blown away as others. Being touted as the best patty ever and all that, maybe it set the bar too high. I enjoyed it, though. The crust was flaky and nice, and the fillings had good flavour.
First I got a curry goat patty, since I'd never had a jamaican patty with goat in it. I thought it was interesting and definitely brought something new to the table. It was spicier than I expected, and overall satisfying.
Then after some shopping nearby, I went back and ordered combo 2. I got a mild beef patty, a coco bun, and a peanut punch ($2.75). The value was good. I liked the softness of their coco bun, but I felt it didn't add much to the equation. I live quite close to Allwyn's (another well known jamaican patty institution) and I don't think Allan's did enough for me to warrant the trip, at least not often.
If anything, the big omission was coleslaw. My favourite item to get at Allwyn's is a "patty on a bun with slaw"... he puts the patty in the bun for you, then throws in a nice helping of delicious coleslaw. It pairs so well. In my eyes, the slaw is the star of the meal, and it's what elevates it from good to great. To me, that's the point of the coco bun -- to act as a housing so the coleslaw doesn't go anywhere. Having just gotten the patty and a bun today, it felt empty -- the patty is already wrapped in its own high-carb breading... what's the point of wrapping it in even more empty filler? Essentially, it was missing that satisfying creamy yet crunchy slaw I love so dear.
Would I go back? I would, if only because of the extra variety. Allwyn's generally only has mild and spicy beef, and rarely has chicken/veggie. Allan's seems to keep all 5 on hand at all times. The goat was worth it since it's unique and has a nice taste.
If I went back, I'd get just patties on their own (either fresh or a dozen to go) but I don't see myself making a trip to Peanut Plaza just for this. Overall, I found it good enough to get 4 stars.
P.S. Service was fast and quite friendly. Cash only.
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