Editor’s note: Welcome to the Portland Tribune’s new series, Underrated Portland. Each month, with suggestions from readers who answered our surveys or responded to our social media posts, we will feature the hidden gems in Portland. Stay tuned to learn about the lesser-known places around the city. 

“Is it a new speakeasy patio, or has it always been there?”

It’s the question Scott McCulloch, co-owner of Twenty First Ave Kitchen & Bar, started speculating about his own space, even throwing up a sarcastic Instagram post on the topic.

The answer: It’s always been there.

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Regulars of this Northwest Portland karaoke bar don’t even realize that a few paces through the back door awaits an outdoor oasis.

“It blows my mind how people keep discovering it for the first time,” McCulloch said. “ Everyone’s like, ‘I didn’t know it was back there. Huh? I’m here for karaoke all the time. Where? Are you kidding me? That’s back there?'”

Twenty First Ave’s outdoor patio transports guests from a high-energy room filled with renditions of Gwen Stefani’s “Rich Girl” into a serene hangout spot with lulls of The Lumineers’ “Ophelia” playing on the speakers, paired with soothing sounds radiating from the pond tucked in the center. And in the summers, expect intense games of giant Connect Four and an outdoor bar at arm’s reach.

Open daily from 3 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. at 721 N.W. 21st Ave., this spot is one of Portland’s most underrated al fresco dining experiences, as suggested by a Portland Tribune reader.

“We’ve done a yin and yang,” McCulloch explained of the business model.

The yin: A high-energy party vibe at night.

The yang: A classic, comforting neighborhood dive bar during the day.

For those coming to see the koi pond, blame the local raccoons for the lack of koi, someone got hungry and there will be no more supply until further notice. The pond still flows and provides relaxing ambient noise.

“They are just part of the family,” McCulloch joked of the raccoons and their cuteness. “They’re the bane of my existence here, but hey, what can I do?”

Acquiring the decades-old bar

McCulloch and co-owner Mike Reed snagged the location in February 2017, after the bar, originally named Twenty First Ave Bar & Grill, had already won locals’ hearts for nearly two decades.

Both lifelong Oregonians, and Portland locals for decades, Twenty First Ave was a space they knew well as patrons.

McCulloch and Reed met at the Boiler Room, a karaoke bar that used to be in Old Town, where Reed worked and McCulloch drank. After “one too many,” McCulloch would often tell Reed they needed to go into business together. Until one day, it happened.

“We created an ethos,” McCulloch said of the dynamics of their staff. “Everyone’s looking after each other.”

Having a crew that cares for one another transfers to the patron experience, he explained. When customers see the chef having their shift drink at Twenty First Ave, it creates an environment that fosters reciprocal care and respect.

“That’s what fills our hearts with joy,” McCulloch said.

The biggest change the owners made upon getting the keys, was ridding video poker. It didn’t fit their vision for what Twenty First Ave would become. The second biggest change: the name.

It went from Twenty First Ave Bar & Grill, to Twenty First Ave Kitchen & Bar, placing emphasis on its locally sources, fresh-made menu items, which feature in-house salsa, chips, queso and more.

Another key factor is providing patrons with a solid lineup of drafts that are locals. This looks like locally owned brews ready for drinking, along with classic cocktails that hit the mark every time.

Karaoke-ing ’til the cows come home

Karaoke is central to Twenty First Ave Kitchen & Bar. It’s the driving force of McCulloch and Reed starting this business venture.

“Everybody likes to be a superstar for a day,” McCulloch said.

When he was younger, he loved dance clubs and the concept of creating this intentional, freeing experience. McCulloch described it as opening his living room and wanting that living room to be bigger and packed with as many friends as possible.

“You want something that makes it hard for people to have a bad time,” McCulloch explained. “You can flex in a dance club, but what I will tell you, it’s impossible to make a fool of yourself on a microphone and turn around and flex on something.”

Unless someone has the belting abilities of Whiney Houston or Celine Dion, even then, it’s hard to hit “machismo” status in a karaoke bar, as McCulloch described, but that’s the appeal for many.

What’s McCulloch’s go-to karaoke song?

For being the co-owner of a karaoke bar, McCulloch thought out this answer: Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under the Bridge,” a slightly moodier choice than his younger likings of hip hop.

If McCulloch were in his 20s again, he’d answer Digital Underground’s “The Humpy Dance.”

His wife, who was enjoying the patio on Thursday, May 29, with their dog, Lulu, would choose Alanis Morrisette or Gwen Stefani — two strong female vocalists.