The Hideout
Bar · Bucktown ·
Prohibition-era bar with live music, dancing, and community events
Prohibition-era bar with live music, dancing, and community events
"Soup & Bread is a free weekly community meal that used to take place at the Hideout. Now they’ve turned their attention to donating food and meals to food pantries around Chicago. If you’re interested in looking at some merchandise they have for sale, click here." - adrian kane
"A century ago, this small bar in Bucktown was a go-to spot for locals who weren’t going to let Prohibition stop them from having a good time. Now, the drinks are legal, but the Hideout has become one of the city’s most established performance venues. It’s essentially just a small old shack, but it’s a perfect space when you want to be as close as possible to the music. They often have a wide variety of artists—solo singers to psychedelic space rock bands—and a great summer concert series if you want to listen to some tunes on a patio." - john ringor, nick allen
"The Hideout is a Chicago treasure, even if in 2022 it drew controversy and temporarily closed to address concerns. It’s back, and the tiny spot along the Elston Industrial Corridor is a spot for a low-key night out. Beyond music, the space also books community events and comics. Anthony Bourdain once hung here." - Naomi Waxman
"A dive and small concert venue nestled between Lincoln Park and Bucktown along the Elston Industrial Corridor, the Hideout is reopening Tuesday, January 10 after a two‑month closure prompted by an Instagram post from a former worker who said owners created a toxic workplace that was not welcoming to Black people; among the incidents cited was an allegation that ownership refused to act when the worker was spat on by a white customer, the worker was later fired for alleged performance issues, and ownership says they’ve used the closure to create a Diversity & Inclusion Council and better staff resources." - Ashok Selvam
"Tucked in the back of Dalva, the Hideout reopens on Friday, August 19 and will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to close. I learned from owners Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud and Eric Ochoa that although they updated the space to better work for staff, customers shouldn’t notice visual changes—“it’s going to look basically the same”—and that the biggest change is the menu: a dozen classic cocktails ranging from an icy gin martini to a whiskey-laced Gold Rush plus a tempting list of spirits. The owners say they’ve inverted the two bars so the Hideout now provides the dark, moody dive-bar energy they hope will attract industry folks after work, serving “classic cocktails done with really good booze.” Bartenders will work with a limited number of spirits and modifiers, patrons will often fetch their own drinks, the space seats about 40 between down and upstairs (including six stools at the bar), and it will be available for private parties and pop-ups." - Lauren Saria
