We all know that summer in Toronto means construction. And this summer perhaps no neighbourhood has been hit harder by torn up streets than Queen Street East near Broadview. Unfortunately the construction can’t be sped up or stopped, and that means that businesses and residents have to keep doing their best to keep their lives going and thriving as much as possible.

One of these local businesses is one of my favourite new spots in the city… Boots & Bourbon Saloon opened in 2013 as one of two new country bars in Toronto and has been doing great business since day 1. They’ve got a great menu that includes Spicy Deep Fried Pickles, Taco Salad, Beer Can Chicken and lots more. They have a drink menu that makes me happy with Grandma’s Texas Lemonade, Hillbilly Champagne, AND Molson Stock Ale on tap. And the TVs have always had sports on when I walk in the door.

And because it’s a country bar you know that there’s line dancing, live music and all kinds of country themed contests and giveaways on the schedule. In fact, it was Boots & Bourbon who supplied the tickets to Little Big Town and Keith Urban at the ACC earlier this year – that was an awesome contest to win. They have also given away tickets to Tim McGraw, Brad Paisley, Tim Hicks and Boots & Hearts in recent weeks – prizes that country music fans in Toronto have been very happy to win… trust me.

As a reward for all of their hard work and contribution to the country music community in Toronto, and Canada as a whole, Boots & Bourbon has been nominated as Country Club of the Year by the Canadian Country Music Association in 2014!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know there was a Country Club of the Year category until I was looking at the list of nominees for this year’s awards… but it was a really cool surprise to see Boots & Bourbon on the list with Cook County Saloon (Edmonton), Knoxville’s Tavern (Edmonton), Cowboys (Calgary), and Ranchman’s Cookhouse and Dancehall (Calgary). The fact that B&B is the only club outside of Alberta to make the list is an extra feather in their cap. Think about it, this is a big country – and outside of 2 cities in Alberta, Toronto has the best country bar in Canada. And you can go check it out any night of the week.

Right now all of the businesses on Queen East need your support while the construction continues. I know it’s not super convenient to get there by either TTC or car, but you can walk through Queen St. E and check out the local shops and food and drinks and dancing and fun.

So, on a nice day why not head east, take some time and a few dollars, and enjoy the area. I promise it’s not that crowded most of the time right now, but it’s totally worth the trip and dealing with the street closure. And if you love great food, drinks or country music, CCMA nominated Boots & Bourbon Saloon is definitely worth checking out.

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Joshua Murray

creator of content, daddy blogger, writer, coffee drinker, fan of the Batman. proud mo bro. prouder dad.