Peaches Patties, the contemporary Jamaican-patty shop in Bernal Heights owned by SF native Shani Jones, fills a conspicuous gap in San Francisco’s food scene: an unfortunate lack of Caribbean dining options. Shani, the daughter of a Jamaican mother and a father from New Orleans, makes her patties from scratch every day, selling beef, curried chicken, and spinach versions.
These pastries are buttery, plump, and redolent of hot pepper, allspice, and thyme, a much-appreciated departure from the all-too-common fate of patty fillings ground into unidentifiable mush. You can complete your patty meal with two other San Francisco rarities: warm sweet plantains, and fluffy rice and peas.
With a boost from small-business incubator La Cocina, Shani has steadily built her business out of a tiny stall in a shared food hall. Where Shani really shines is in Peaches Patties’ local catering, where she has more room to show the finesse and diversity of Jamaican cuisine.
