Aug. 20--The Hideout, a dive bar and club tucked away in an industrial area on the North Side, quietly opened a much more visible outpost on the Riverwalk this week.
The Hideout Riverwalk officially opened for business Thursday morning after hosting a soft launch Wednesday night. The bar-club, at 35 E. Riverwalk South, will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., through Nov. 1. The first band, The Wandering Boys, will play Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Co-owner Tim Tuten said bar staff decided early in the winter not to host the club's annual block party this year and were looking for another project to celebrate The Hideout's 19 years.
"We are so psyched about this," Tuten said.
Outside the bar, eight picnic tables are set up on the south side of the Chicago River east of State Street for patrons to enjoy mostly country and acoustic live music, which will be offered most evenings. Tuten said he's also considering lunchtime acts. Bands slated to play include Devil in a Woodpile and The Hat Stretchers.
A storage space filled with tables, chairs, bicycles and construction equipment was converted for the indoor bar that can hold up to 100 patrons. A ping-pong table will be set up in the back of the bar.
Frequent Hideout customers will recognize familiar touches from the North Side outpost. Staff replicated the front porch and bar signs and hung a yellow stage curtain and string lights. Tuten said the staff and musicians who often play The Hideout spent the last two months constructing the decor.
The booze is also the same as in the North Side club: Pabst Blue Ribbon is $4 and malort shots are $5.
While much of The Hideout Riverwalk mirrors the original location, there are a few differences.
There is no cover charge and all ages are welcome at The Hideout Riverwalk. Handheld pot pies from Bridgeport Pasty (including ham and cheese and turkey and sage) are available for $8.
Tuten said he's not sure how many people the new location will attract. Five people came in during the first hour of opening Thursday morning but a group of 20 tourists wandered in on Wednesday.
"We don't know what to expect at all," Tuten said.
