Ever taken a walk through the Upper Beach? The stretch of Kingston Road between Woodbine and Victoria Park (accessible via the 502 & 503 Streetcars) is home to a growing group of businesses who pride themselves on shopping and dining locally. Next time you’re taking a stroll in the Beach proper, walk north from Queen St. Once you reach the top of the massive hill, you’ll have inevitably worked-up quite an appetite (and thirst). Kingston Road has a number of pubs and restaurants that will hit the spot.

King’s Diner (906 Kingston Rd) is a family restaurant that’s been on the strip for ages. Their home cooking is stick-to-your-ribs kinda stuff, and it seems like their pricing is stuck in a time warp. Grab a Soup & Sandwich or a Burger combo for under $6. This place is quite busy on any given night and is extremely kid friendly.

Walking into The Feathers Pub (962 Kingston Rd), it feels more like you’re on Coronation Street than Kingston Road. And although Betty’s Hotpot is not on the menu, Feather’s still serves up some decent pub-grub. Wednesday is Rib/Wing night, with half-racks of ribs or pounds of wings are on offer for $8.95. They also have $1 off selected Pints each day of the week. Love their claim of having a “staggering selection of draft.”

No Bull Burgers has opened up their second location in the Upper Beaches (1019 Kingston Rd; co-lo @ 179 Parliament St), bringing the gourmet burger craze to the hood. Local, organic, Angus Beef with unlimited gourmet toppings, fresh-cut Fries and a price-point that is slightly lower than its competitors. Good stuff! A full review of what’s on offer can be found here: https://torontofoodblog.com/2012/04/29/no-bull-burgers/

The Americana Hot Dog Co. (1036 Kingston Rd) also recently-opened and is super kid-friendly. Their Smokin’ Hot Dog (jalapeños, lettuce, onions & hot sauce) is $6 very well spent (IMO). They proudly serve Nathan’s Hot Dogs.

There are also a number of specialty stores designed to eliminate one’s need to gravitate to a supermarket. Grab your meats at Close to the Bone (929 Kingston Rd) and your cheese at the Art of Cheese (925 Kingston Rd). Or you can order a fully-cooked meal to go at Courage Foods (946 Kingston Rd). So, if you’re interested in shopping locally and supporting local businesses, Kingston Road in the Upper Beach has got pretty much everything you need, with a Beer Store to boot.