The Hideout — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

The Hideout is not a bar you’ll find on accident, nor is it one that you’ll accidentally forget.

Our group ended up at The Hideout as part of the Chicago Bar Bracket - an NCAA tournament style bracket to find the best bar in Chicago. Without this endeavor I don’t think any of us would have ever stumbled upon this gem that this been in operation since the 1890’s. Yes, that even includes Prohibition, and no, they weren’t a speakeasy. Apparently they just kept operating as a bar as if Prohibition wasn’t even a thing. So Chicago.

Once you figure out where the bar is, ignore it’s somewhat industrial neighborhood, and stop caring about the fact that it looks like an average tied house with an Old Style sign out front, you’ll find a damn good bar.

The cocktails we had didn’t blow us away, but they did have a house cocktail which managed to get us a bit buzzed after one of them, the Wooden Leg: Rye, soda, lemon & bitters. Also, Lawrence, the bartender, in addition to being a good guy to chat with was also very knowledgeable about the beers on tap. I had already tried every one of them on previous occasions, but still enjoyed him giving us the rundown on the beers and it seemed like he was well suited to help someone find what they like.

Unfortunately we weren’t there late enough for a show, but fortunately they had a pretty legit and relaxed patio with a couple of picnic tables. That was great because even though the inside was fine it might have been a hair too divey to hang out inside without a crowd there yet.

Overall the bar was a great experience and very relaxed. The service was great & I even noticed the Bartender adjusting the volume of the music as he noticed our group is in more of a conversational mood.

Definitely my sort of dive bar, and definitely worth going out of the way for. I’ll for sure make an effort to come back to the bar for a show - hopefully for the bartender’s band, The Lawrence Peters Outfit.

As for how it fared in it’s Chicago Bar Bracket matchup against Delilah’s, unfortunately, The Hideout fell just short because Delilah’s bartenders made some...

Really bad dive bar with outdated decor , smelly restrooms , over capacity, and horrible D.J. and/or sound system. The place is just used for democratic political events mostly or to boost the owners arrogance or political career. Employees are rock star dreamers who really have no customer service or entertainment value ,which is probably why there so bad, rude and obnoxious ( with owners full approval of course ,except to bar fly regulars ) Owner Tim is a narcissistic publicist who gets unknowing tourists from states like Idaho and Michigan to leave good reviews when they have actually never been to a good dance bar .He secretly tells people it’s a lesbian bar just to get more customers and has gay parties to keep the illusion . Acts and shows are boring and have no entertainment value . Beer and bourbon selections are gross. just one example of his sick marketing tactics . Bands he pays like $150 have no musical skills at all. The comedy shows are also worthless .He manipulates tourists to leave good reviews by doing special favors , when they have no clue what a good dance bar is. Hopefully this review stays up because he and his wife are very good at removing bad reviews to further there money making revenue from this boring and worthless tourist trap. Waitstaff are fly by night losers who milk the clock . Also really poor , stale air quality with no air conditioning and fleas everywhere from lack of cleaning. Creepy industrial neighborhood with high crime rate. No secure parking lot or comfortable seats. Also Mr tutens team has lack of sensitivity to the blm movement by not having a diverse crew and not renting to African Americans or minorities in his private multi unit apartment building, pays substandard wages , and treats employees and customers like dirt. All events are catered to wannabe hipsters with nothing for Latinos like salsa night or decent dance parties. No food except when they open the non permitted kitchen, order take out and then pan it off as a real kitchen....

Went to a show here last night (5/30/13) to see Caroline Smith and the Goodnight Sleeps.

We took a couple buses from Lakeview with no problem - this place is definitely appropriately named. Getting off the 72 at North and Throop, you walk through an industrial park that is a bit sketchy when the sun is down. Though, this added to the mystique of the joint and helps give the name its meaning.

As you walk up, you are greeted with a nice outdoor patio that is lively with what seemed like regulars - hipster/hippie types. The front bar area has a dive-y feel, very welcoming. My eyes went straight for the chalkboard beer menus - on tap they had: Gumballhead, Little Sumpin, Trumer Pils, Cross of Gold, Oberon, Bridgeport IPA maybe a few others. All draft beer was $5, a totally fair price for Chicago and other cans/bottles hover between $3-$6 depending on quality.

Bar service was a little slow and snotty, but nothing to get up in arms about. As you order drinks, the double doors to the stage will open and close a few times, giving you a glimpse into whomever is on stage at the time. The separation of bar and stage is done very well and the music is not intrusive to the bar area. As you walk into the performance room, you are greeted with a wooden basement feel - Christmas lights on the ceiling, big swordfish and other marine life mounted on the walls, and a classy "The Hideout" sign just above the stage.

You really can't beat the feel and drink prices here. I hope I have an excuse...