MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Located on the west side of Mount Vernon on Barker Street, Katt's Westside Stories has nothing to do with the 1957 musical, but it's truly a place that feels welcoming, where you can enjoy cocktails and tell stories.
“I knew it was a dive bar and being 85 years old, I generally wouldn't hang out in it, but it's just like a home away from home, a happy place,” said Ellen Mattox.
Owner Katt Boynton converted this small pace into a theme bar, one that changes every month. Its all about making people feel better and encouraging them to be themselves.
“Lots of people come here having a bad day. They don't leave with a bad day,” Boynton said. “At daytime it's very quiet. At nighttime the music goes up and the characters change a little bit.”
Karaoke is a big part for this bar when it comes to entertainment. They call their Karaoke “Sing Song Bing Bong” and its not your typical karaoke by any means, they really take it to the next level.
“It gets pretty wild, people come in and you get mixed reactions” said Rob Berlinski. “A lot of times you have people walk through the doors and kind of like, take a look around and just turn around and leave but a lot of people stay.”
On a typical night, you'll see the regulars dancing on top of tables, singing their best tones with colored lights that will make you feel like you are at a concert.
“A lot of people come into a bar looking for an escape and we provide that escape” Berlinski said. “People came up to me and said, 'You know, this has saved my life.' That's what makes it important.”
Westside Karaoke Nights are Thursday to Saturday from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Happy Hour is on Wednesdays from 7 p.m. to close, where you can get well drinks for $3.50, and bucket of Budweiser for $ 20.
Try their Katts Meow. A cocktail with raspberry vodka with raspberry hibiscus tea, and raspberry simple syrup.
Katts Westside Stories is also popular when it comes to food, one of the must popular item of the menu is their famous Reuben sandwich.