Bar Buddies: Shadyside Hideaway
After Ariel rudely referred to my stand-in last week as being “prettier” than me, I probably shouldn’t have been so kind as to go out with her again this week. Alas, I decided to let my truly kind heart prevail over my better judgment and forgave her for this transgression. This week, we headed to South Highland’s Shadyside Hideaway.
The location: Shadyside Hideaway is nestled in between Mad Mex and Millie’s Homemade Ice Cream on South Highland Street. While this is a prime location, Mad Mex’s kitchen closes at midnight and Millie’s closes at ten, so this bar doesn’t work out for things like midnight munchies. That is something to keep in mind lest you find yourself hungry at 1 a.m. leaving Shadyside Hideaway.
The drinks: I ordered an "Iron City" and Ariel grabbed a whiskey ginger. It seemed this would be the best use of our ability to get drinks at this stop, but I also watched the bartender make a tequila sunrise for someone. A tequila sunrise is not a complex beverage, but maybe we did not take advantage of the options to the point necessary to evaluate the drinks. The bar has a neighborhood feel to it, so ordering anything more ostentatious seemed out of place at this establishment.
The vibe: They were playing The LEGO Movie on the big screen when we walked in. No one seemed to notice. They were once playing March Madness on the television and never bothered to change it for at least two hours once the games were over resulting in a bar for adults playing this children’s movie.
Other than that, the vibe was a lot like any other neighborhood bar. The bartender spoke to the patrons as if they were close friends, and they very well might have been. There’s a small outdoor area that we decided to stay by, and there are plenty of couches, tables, and stools inside for the number of people who were there. We stayed outside, which gave us a bit of separation from the rest of the patrons and therefore a spot to sit and talk. The bar is not particularly spacious, but unless we went on a down night, the space is good to just sit and hang out with a friend.
Lit or Nah: Nah, since this isn’t really the type of bar to go and get lit. It’s a neighborhood bar that seems to be actively avoiding college students who might prefer the nearby Urban Tap. This is the place to take a buddy for a drink and catch up, not the place for a night out making ruckus and other activities that you youths enjoy. In fact, if “lit” is the adjective you would use for a good night out, it seems Shadyside Hideaway never wanted you there in the first place.