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Photos: A Preview Of The Hideout's Charming New Riverwalk Pop-Up Tonight

By Tankboy in Arts & Entertainment on Aug 20, 2015 5:25PM

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Exterior of The Hideout Riverwalk location, photo courtesy The Hideout

The whispers started last June that The Hideout might be bringing their decidedly off-the-beaten-path charms to the heart of tourist Chicago: the Riverwalk. On Tuesday we received an email confirming the fact that not only was that rumor true, it was opening this week.

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Interior of The Hideout Riverwalk location, photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

The email invited us to last night's soft opening ahead of today's grand opening, and we admit we headed downtown with a slight bit of trepidation. The Hideout has a charm that is built into its location—next to a city refueling depot and truck storage lot—that also allowed the venue's unique culture to grow into its own over the last couple of decades. But The Hideout's vibe isn't based on the building it occupies, it's based on the people that have formed a community around it. But how would this community translate to a downtown location?

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OUtside stage at The Hideout Riverwalk location, photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

It turns out the new location, a pop-up venue that will be open for the remainder of the summer, proves that The Hideout charm permeates any space its community chooses to occupy. When you approach the new space, located on the Riverwalk just off the State Street bridge stairway, the first thing you see is a collection of wooden benches with umbrellas spilling towards a small stage that bears the familiar Hideout logo on a wooden sign.

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Interior of The Hideout Riverwalk location, photo by Jim Kopeny / Tankboy

Most folks were outside enjoying the late summer breeze, but we decided to enter and were greeted by a number of iconic Hideout objects, including a huge AV Fest / Hideout Block Party sign, as well as other knick-knacks that evoke the charm of the down-home original space. In the center of this huge room is a bar housed within a miniature replica of the club's facade. The taps weren't quite up to speed last night so we perused the menu of canned beers, wines and specialty cocktails created just for this new location.

Hungry? There is a small food selection, including Pasties from Bridgeport Pasty, and a rotating selection of fresh fruits and vegetable from Crisp! The Hideout Riverwalk opens Thursday, so head down, grab a bench and a cold beverage in the midst of downtown.

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The Hideout Riverwalk menu, photo by Michelle Meywes

The new location's hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., daily. Music will be performed every weekday but Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.