Inside these walls exists a world of music, art, performance, plays, poetry, rock and rebellion. Welcome to The Hideout. It is a regular guy bar for irregular folks. These folks just don’t fit in or just don’t want to fit in.
The Hideout is more than just a bar. It is a balloon-frame house built in 1881. It was constructed in just two days. Undocumented workers built it at the end of the 19th century. Later, undocumented bootleggers and gin runners ran it.
During Prohibition, this was a neighborhood tavern and speakeasy. In 1934, after Prohibition ended, it became a legal bar. That’s when it officially took on the name “The Hideout”. The name comes from its remote location. It was in an industrial zone filled with factories and warehouses. Snow plows were stored nearby.
Angelo “Sax” Favia took over The Hideout in 1947. His nephew Phil and Phil’s wife Chuckie helped Sax build the back room. They used their honeymoon money in 1954. The Favia family ran The Hideout as an unmarked bar until 1996. Locals who worked in nearby warehouses and factories frequented it. U.S. Steel and Procter & Gamble employees were regulars.
In 1996, Eleanor Favia sold the bar. The new owners were Tim Tuten, his wife Katie, and twin brothers Mike and Jim Hinchsliff. Katie Tuten’s father had been a regular at The Hideout. She and Tim Tuten became regulars in 1986.
The Hideout is located in Chicago’s North Branch Industrial Corridor. This area was zoned for manufacturing. There were concerns The Hideout could be impacted by the “Lincoln Yards” development. But The Hideout plans to stay in business.
The Hideout is best known for its music performances. Devil in a Woodpile is a regular house band. Robbie Fulks was an artist-in-residence from 2011 to 2017. The Hideout Block Party was a weekend-long music festival. It was held almost every year between 1996 and 2017. The Hideout also hosts non-music events. Soup & Bread, First Tuesdays, and The Interview Show are regular community events.
Spending time at The Hideout is like being in a family living room. But it has legendary music in the back lounge. It is a beloved local bar that is both friendly and a musical institution.
People know that The Hideout is different. Jack White threw up in the alley here. He put on some red polyester pants. Then, he flew onstage and played his pants off. Phantom Planet filmed their first low budget video here. Robin Hitchcock got drunk on red wine. He sang classic rock covers with Mr. Rudy Day. Jon Langford performs with every band he has ever been in here.
The Hideout is a place where people have their benefits. It supports every cause except Republicans or the War. Friends have gotten married here. There have been baby parties, bas mitzvahs, and Christmas parties. Memorials and wakes have been held for fallen comrades.
Every year, The Hideout throws an Anniversary Block Party. Anything can happen. The Hideout is not your Dad’s bar but your Granddad’s bar. It is the bar that Granddad went to when he was young and crazy.
The Hideout is small, and small is beautiful. It’s not for everyone, but for every one. So, step inside and become part of The Hideout family. Enjoy the music, the art, and the rebellious spirit that makes this place so special.