Music on the coast: Mr. Ed's Espresso & Juice Underground Pub

PORT ORFORD, Ore. – When it comes to music venues in Coos and Curry County, Mr. Ed’s is the name on everybody’s lips. Edward Houck -or Ed, as the locals know him- has lived in Port Orford for about 30 years. During that time he’s own a handful of businesses, most of them coffee shops.

“I always wanted a coffee shop (…) it’s like what can I do where I can sit and play guitar, and still make money?” After renting his previous business for about 5 years, Ed took the plunge and built Mr. Ed’s Espresso & Juice Underground Pub anew, on his own property. “I had this piece of property, so I built this basically during COVID. So I was the crazy guy building a restaurant while everyone else is shutting down.”

Ed’s perseverance through those tough Pandemic years would ultimately pay off. In 2023 he received an award from the state of Oregon for economic development as recognition not only for his thriving business, but also what that business brings to the community. Mr. Ed’s Espresso & Juice Underground Pub is one of the only establishments in Coos and Curry counties offering live music on a regular basis, and attracts folks from all over the coast.

Ed runs and open mic night every Wednesday, and live music Thursday’s through Sunday. The pub is a place for musicians to meet and share their art. Local musician Chad Steele says Mr. Ed’s is what got him playing with his current band, SWERV. “I wasn’t even in a band, he convinced me to play there doing my looping set. That’s how this band –before they were SWERV we were Port Orford Heads– that’s how they found me.”

Ed’s own band Antique Dog is among those that grace the stage on a regular basis. When they play at Mr. Ed’s those bands not only reach a broad local audience, but those performances are also live streamed. Ed explains that it’s taken him some time to fine tune his multiple cameras and microphones that allow him to film and live stream performances at the pub.

For Ed, the love of music runs deep. “Every house I’ve had, one of the rooms was a music room. Now I’ve got this, it’s like I’ve been practicing my whole life for this. I’ve just always… just love music.” That love of music is evident to anyone who walks into the pub, from the mosaic of musical instruments that decorate the business’s walls and ceilings, to the fully equipped stage that looks out onto the pub’s dining room. According to Ed most of the instruments within reach are playable. “Walk in, you just grab something off the wall and you can play it. If it goes on the ceiling it’s a goner.”