One of Toronto's newest Jamaican patty shops is rapidly also becoming one of its most popular, and its owner says it all comes down to great quality and even better service.

Despite opening less than a year ago in Little Jamaica, Eglinton West's Kingston 12 is a certified local legend, serving up what many consider to be some of the most underrated patties.

Underrated, that is, only because the shop opened its doors in the fall of 2023, but its star is already on the rise — and fast.

"When Randy's closed, I saw a need [for] a good patty in the city," co-owner and founder Gordon tells blogTO, referring to the neighbourhood's most iconic patty shop which closed down in 2022 after 40 years in business but recently announced a comeback.

So, inspired to fill the need for a proper patty joint in the neighbourhood, Kingston 12 was born.

"The name Kingston 12 first manifested about a year ago," Gordon says, "so we haven't been in patty business a very long time."

Gordon's partners and co-owners, Cecil and George, however, have. While Gordon's background is in construction, Cecil and George each boast over 20 years' experience crafting droolworthy patties.

Kingston 12 offers seven different patty flavours.

"There's no Kingston 12 without Gordon, George and Cecil," Gordon says, noting that, when deciding to open the shop, finding the absolute best of the best was of the utmost importance.

His efforts have paid off, because the shop is now offering what Gordon believes to be "one of the best patties in Canada."

Initially offering four simple options; beef, chicken, vegetable and ackee and saltfish, within months the shop's menu expanded to seven flavour options with the addition of beef and cheese, vegetable and cheese and chicken and cheese.

When asked what the most popular flavour at the shop is, Gordon simply responds "all of them."

"People come in and if we don't have the flavour they want, they don't think there's anything they're going to like," he tells blogTO, "so I tell them 'try this one, and if you don't like it, you don't pay; if you do like it, then you pay.'"

Ninety per cent of the time, Gordon says, the people pay. Frequently they'll even leave with a box of them.

Love the patties? Leave with a box.

"People come in, they try the patty, they love the patty and then they can't get enough of it," Gordon says.

It's obviously true, too, because the shop has already expanded to a semi-secret second location in the city for what Gordon refers to as "those in the know."

Sandwiched between Swan Dive and Kwento on Dundas West, the second shop is in a kind of soft-opening phase as the Kingston 12 team focuses on perfecting the service but people have already been stopping by to check it out.

"People walk up to us and said 'thank god you're open, we need more spice in the neighbourhood,'" Gordon tells blogTO.

The new location is serving other Caribbean classics in conjunction with the patties, as well, like Curry Goat and Oxtail, which was offered at the Eglinton location before Gordon decided to pare down the menu and focus on perfecting the patties.

The plans for expansion run even further, Gordon tells blogTO, as the business is explores franchising opportunities and as Gordon works on a new project; a Caribbean supermarket that'll put the highest-quality, most authentic Caribbean cuisine in the city in one spot, which is still in early days of development.

With the popularity of the patty joint increasing seemingly exponentially by the day, Gordon's main focus is on ensuring the patties remain great quality and in good supply, while ensuring everyone gets the chance to try them.

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"Even if you don't have the money, you can come and try the patty," Gordon tells blogTO, "everyone should try."

If you want to try Kingston 12 for yourself, you can visit them at 1808 Eglinton West, and keep up with them on social media — though Gordon, by his own admission, "doesn't have time for that stuff."

When you're hard at work bringing Toronto some of the best patties in the city like Gordon is, I think you can get a pass.