Minto Jamaican Market

I’ve been coming here for years, when they used to sell plates and you had to call to find out the special for the day. Damn… I miss the jerk chicken, curry goat and oxtails. I digress… In the interim this is your go to spot for beef patties, coco bread and authentic Jamaican seasonings, food, etc. I’ve always been provided great customer service and will continue to go there anytime I’m in the area. Definitely a go to spot for patties!

Best Jamaican parties in Oakland. Also go there for my coconut bula, dough bread, pig tails (for the wife), and other Jamaican. Products.

OMG! A place in my neighborhood where I can get Jamaican meat pies! Delicious, great selection of ingredients/​hot sauces, and run by a nice local family.

This little market is Jamaican me CRAZY!
I was feen’in for some good tasty Jamaican patties and after talking to some close family they told me to come here as this place sales cooked and frozen patties. I called before I came and was told that yes, they do sale patties frozen.
I jumped in my whip and was headed to Oakland. This little market is right on the corner of Broadway and 41^st street with TONS of parking. It was a Sunday when I came and I didn’t have any issues.
I walked in and was stunned at how much items they sale in here. Every seasoning that you need is sold here. They even sale the small patties and large patties and oxtails… OMG!
Its a family owned market and when I came in the young girl was really nice in making sure that I got all the patties that I needed.
I was amazed at how many different options they had:
~Beef
~Vegetables
~Chicken
~Curry
~Jerk
What the hell, let me get one of each, what the heck!
They even make already cooked patties in Beef and chicken and I have to say they are REALLY good!
Although the market is small they sale some very good authentic Jamaican sauces. I wanted to buy everything in there and just use it in some of my home cooked meals.
I will definitly be back to buy some more of their patties. I just found my new «go-​to» spot!

I remember years ago coming to this market and feeling welcomed, smells of beef patties and CoCo bread. However presently and today my experience was unwelcoming and rude. Today I tried to enjoy my day and prepare good Caribbean food. I had chicken patties and plantains in my hand. I greeted the young lady, whom stared me down and motioned to me, instead of communicating or greeting me. I was unwelcomed and the service was rude. This is not a representation of the Jamaican/​Caribbean people and the community that is apart of me.
I will not step foot in, this store again. I am not angry yet disappointed, that I can not support my community. Peace&Love

A neat little find if you’re in the area. They have some great meat rubs and various West Indies snacks.

Love the veggi patties, hot and crisp. Good Jamaican product selection.

Great store, and one of the only places in Oakland with a full variety of Caribbean products.
My Family is all about Cuban (We are Cuban, American, West African and mucho mas) and West African food, and some of the products needed to cook Caribbean West African-​based cuisine, (Yucca, Manioc, Taro, Oxtails, Malanga, Platanos etc.) are not readily available at standard american stores and markets, and it’s all here including what I believe to be the largest selection of West Indian hot sauces in the east bay. They sell Habaneros and Scotch bonnets by the box, and finally, there is nothing on earth quite as good as a Jamaican meat pie.
I recommend this place to anyone who is a lover of West Indian and Caribbean food.
Been going there for years and still love it.
As far as the service, the owner, a cool customer, is simply not going to jump around for people, and is on his own time, and I don’t have any problem with that. Caribbean time is all about not rushing. But that’s just me. I don’t go there when I am in a rush.

If it weren’t for my husband being Jamaican I would never set foot in this place again.
The patties are *ok* but for authentic patties just go to Jamaica. Hell even the airport in MoBay have better.
They carry a decent amount of Jamaican items that are sold at a decent price. Don’t bother with the scotch bonnet peppers in the freezer, you can get better fresh ones at the supermarket.
The service … Lord God, NO! Please don’t judge all Jamaican people based on the service you get, or don’t get, in this place. In a word, RUDE. If you’re lucky they might grunt at you but likely will just stare you down like you have no soul. If they are out of something it’s your tough luck and don’t bother asking when they might have it.
A contact high is free.

This place needs some good competition from other Jamaican stores. I’m fairly new to beef patties, so I don’t understand why I come into the store so often and there are no beef patties ready. Is this normal in Jamaica and in places on the east coast for a Jamaican store to be so inconsistent with the availability of beef patties? Feel free to contact me, anyone, who can enlighten me.

Just moved to San Ramon, California from Atlanta and I have been craving jerk chicken. Couldn’t find it any where. I looked high and low and found this little market. I was very happy. Had just what I wanted and at a good price. Glad I found this place. Having jerk chicken tonight.

The one star i gave is only because I have to give a rating. I would give this place a zero rating.
The person behind the counter… I think he is either a Zombie or smoking too much. He seems to be disengaged from reality… i asked him a question and he seemed to think i was speaking another language other than English.
Most of the time he ignored my questions and only engaged with me when it was time to ring up my items. O, when I mean engaged he spoke to me in a volume and language I could understand when he wanted money.
I am from England, my origins are West Indian, so I know whats what… the patties are good, the shop is dirty, the plantains had fruit flies all over them, the scotch bonnets are OLD! I was really excited to come to this shop and travelled an hour to get there… i was happy to see that they carried some familiar favourites… Hardough Bread, Ribena etc.
The customer service myself and my partner received was terrible. I will NEVER give this man/​establishment my hard earned cash again.

My long search for jamaican patties has finally come to an end. This place is as legit as it gets and they are super friendly!

Time: 3:31pm/69°F mostly sunny
Purpose: This place was bookmark for the longest just never had the chance. So today after Temescal event I went to check it out.
Set-​up: A small shop on the outter edge of Temescal located on Broadway. Walking in here reminds me of man must wak a shop in downtown Oakland. Upon walking in grocery shelfs on your left and frozen/​cold drinks on the right. The prize of the shop is behind the medicine counter were the toaster oven is located, use for their famous pattys. A cashier area itself along with a few DVD’s is thrown in for good measures.
Staff: One guy with aviator glasses, dreadlocks and Jamaican traditional hat, could be owner. He didn’t want to sell attitude he will base on what’s your ethnicity is before assuming this is a buyer or a loiter. No problem I dress like this on weekends and have disposable cash on hand to buy. As he was chatting it up with his friend this was over a minute upon walking in. Finally he let go and ask if he can help me.
Cleanliness: Grade C, some items are dusty a good indication of not caring or careless of what’s should be done. Freezer had open meat uncovered along with bread inside, dough will absorb it.
Eats/​Drinks: A curry chicken patty $ 3.50 and ginger beer $ 3.49. I’ve never had one before but I was excited to try it. I was hoping it was full of spices and real shredded chicken fibers oozing out. Sadly this wasn’t the case. The pastry part was thick and dense the chicken meat was okay it wasn’t moist but dried and hard.
Products/​Services: Cold drinks, patties of three flavors, frozen seafood, vegetables, sauces/​spices, crackers, cookies, traditional Jamaican pantry goods, dried fruits, herbal drinks, medicine, DVD/CD’s, clothing, sandals, necklaces, poster, flags, t-​shirts.
Punch Lines: All authentic Jamaican goods, hard to find items, small place, stuff from front to back, famous patties, good selection of spices, baked at home, not too friendly worker, no attention to customers. AC transit stop, 7 – 11 store, car dealers, car rentals, service stations, kaiser hospital, Oakland Tech, street parking, up the street to Piedmont ave, laundromat, residential/​business area.
Tradeoffs: After all the excitement and high hopes of trying a patty here it didn’t wow me in any ways at all. You come for patties but end up getting a flavorless chicken pocket of unknown mixed meat. There wasn’t even parchment paper to hold it. Luckily I had a piece of foil from my left over burrito and use it so no oil will go through fingers.
Final Thoughts: Don’t be too excited when you get here there’s no culinary skills to see how patties are made instead comes out from a corrugated cardboard box that’s made months in advance kept frozen for as long as it can be till there’s a buyer. Yah maaan itttttts goodddddddd maaan! That’s the phrase they all use!

5 star beef patties — which come from one of my favorite spots back home (NYC). The store otherwise is a 1 star hole in the wall with not much but old looking products. But unless you want specific jamaican goods, you’re really just there for beef patties.
Some people hate them, but I grew up on them and they are a comfort food for many NYC natives.
I buy them both heated up and frozen to stash at home.

Came here Saturday morning to get bulk frozen beef patties and coconut bread. We usually go to a restaurant in PA that serves these but decided to cut out the middle man and go straight to the source.
It’s a very small store but very well stocked. They have other merchandise besides food like shirts, sunglasses, key chains, dvd’s and cd’s.
We’ll be back for sure.

After reading the reviews, i know why it’s so hot in this store, they are cooking patties or something in the toasted oven all day!
Minto is small with mostly hot sauces, mitchell’s ice cream, sodas, baked goods and other jamaician groceries.
buys: round spice bun (1.35)
–has different spice taste, not sure what it was.
notes:
–didn’t see sign of patties, prepped foods…

Bought an Easter Bun today and it was TERRIBLE! Very dry, no fruits. Went back to store to return it because I was not paying $ 11 for a bun that was inedible. The guy at register would not return my money for the bun back but told me he would give me a second one for ½ price. Took the 2^nd bun home and SAME thing. Absolutely dry, unable to eat. Nearly $ 20 dollars for two Easter buns I can not eat. I really wonder if they are buns from years past that they try and sell again! Very disappointed!!!

They close at 8:30pm, but by 6pm, they only had FOUR of the beef patty left.
They were very spicy and I liked the flakiness, however the filling was definitely not a beef patty, it is actually very similar to an empanada. Actually, it’s exactly like it except they call it beef patty lol.
My friends got the ginger beer, and they liked it! Apparently it just taste like a strong gingerale.

Jamaican Me Crazy With The Grocery And Tings.
If your having difficulty finding Jamaican groceries then look no further. This small yet wonderful market has all you need make Jamaican food– jerk chicken, patties, oxtails, rice & peas, curried dishes, plantain chips, coco bread. They have it all, although frozen they have scotch bonnet peppers too!
Its a bit pricey compared to the markets on the east coast but hey the Jamaican community is small so what do you expect. I get all my grocers here since they have all I need and the service is good!
If you don’t have the energy to make or don’t know how to make patties, they sell the here: vegetable, chicken and beef. They are warm, flaky and delicious for 2 bucks.