Primo Patio has been one of my favorite little restaurants in South Beach. It's a cozy neighborhood joint that looks like a hole in the wall from the front but actually opens up to a nice size... More

Primo Patio has been one of my favorite little restaurants in South Beach. It's a cozy neighborhood joint that looks like a hole in the wall from the front but actually opens up to a nice size patio in the back. They serve great Caribbean cuisine at very affordable prices (lunch for 2 about $25 incl tip). You have to try the calamari, the jerk chicken and the jerk steak, and the "primo" sauce that they serve with everything is ridiculously addictive. Everything we've tried has been a winner! The owners are super friendly and passionate about their business. It shows in the food.
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When my DH used to work at 2nd and Brannan (and we lived at Bayside) we would meet for lunch at Primo Patio. They have great jerk chicken and a nice outside seating area like you are visiting a... More

When my DH used to work at 2nd and Brannan (and we lived at Bayside) we would meet for lunch at Primo Patio. They have great jerk chicken and a nice outside seating area like you are visiting a friend for lunch in their backyard. I love it!
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Jerk Chicken? Check. Large glasses of lemonade with free refills? Check. Sort of nasty tasting limp fries that are prone to breaking apart at just the right time to ensure that some of their... More

Jerk Chicken? Check. Large glasses of lemonade with free refills? Check. Sort of nasty tasting limp fries that are prone to breaking apart at just the right time to ensure that some of their spiced mayo falls on my shirt to permanently stain it? Check. Bread that dissolves when you get a Jerk Chicken Sandwich, making sure that a big ol' chunk of chicken falls onto your shirt, permanently marking it with a turmeric and oil stain? Check. Of all the lunch places in the area, Primo Patio is the place where I just can't really get excited to go. I mean, the food is good - get the jerk chicken as a quesadilla and you can appreciate the classic Caribbean flavor of the jerk spices, even though a quesadilla isn't really traditional island fare. The yellow cumin rice is pretty good, but the steamed carrots are just sort of an afterthought. The ginger beer, what should be a signature drink, is just bottled Stewart's Ginger Beer and there are much better versions than this corn syrup laden soda. For me, it's the place to go when you're sick of everything else. Put on something you don't mind staining with various sauces and marinades, get a big tumbler of lemonade and pretend you're sitting in an island cafe next to beautiful people in swimsuits, not in the industrial quarter of San Francisco sitting next to people in business suits.
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