Here is Where You Can Get The Best Beef Patties in Philly

I am 27 years old and I tried a beef patty for the first time in my life yesterday.

I had a major sweet tooth last night and was craving funnel cake and water ice. It took some major convincing to get my boyfriend out of the bed at 9:30 on a Sunday night. But once I have my mind set on something, I stop at nothing until I have it. We started looking up a bunch of places in the Landsdowne area that stayed open until late and my boyfriend recommended we go to this place called "CJ's." He claimed that he and his friends had been going to that spot since they were kids.

We pulled up to CJ's Water Ice and Ice Cream and I felt like a little kid at a candy store. It had been so long since I had either water ice or a funnel cake, and this small joint was just inviting us in with its bright lights, signs, and menu that you could see from across the street.

I ordered my usual cherry water ice and my boyfriend got pina colada flavor. We also got a funnel cake to split between the both of us. Right before we were about to pay at the last second, he quickly asked for a beef patty. I'm not going to lie I had no idea what that was. I'm from Maryland...we eat crabs over there.

For those of you who are culturally native like me, a beef patty is exactly what it sounds like. A croissant-type bread stuffed with a bunch of beef inside. It's a type of Jamaican food that is normally called Rastas.

It was life-changing. who knew that such a simple dish could be so amazing. My boyfriend has grown up around that area all his life and he said everyone knows to go to CJ's if you want a good beef patty. They say it is as close to a home-cooked Jamaican meal as you can get in the Philly area.

Check them out at 1035 MacDade Blvd, Collingdale, PA 19023.