This is a hit or miss place that really depends on the company you're with and the bands that are playing that night.
Having said that, the back room looks really really nice now. All it's missing is a real fireplace (which won't happen) and a pool table that doesn't look like it's had the sides kicked in (because it has).
The bathrooms are generally gross and small. It's not often that I hear liquid hitting liquid in the men's room which is disturbing when you're in a stall and down right dangerous at the trough.
Clientele generally range in age and social background pretty drastically which I actually like because why shouldn't we all hang out together sometimes? It's nice to rub elbows with folks you might not otherwise meet but every once in a while some real stooges mess things up for everyone. I haven't seen stooges end up at the Hideout often and in general have enjoyed the company.
You are not likely to see a smaller stage unless you're in someones basement and the sound system is less than stunning. Because the bar is small you don't really need all the monitors that some places have and The Hideout seems to keep the noise level pretty middle of the road. Bands tend to skew this by either trying to blast the room out or end up with wicked feedback because they are standing on top of each other. The acoustics are awful but that's mainly because the room is such an odd space so I am not envious of the sound guys job there.
Staff are generally nice and attentive. I haven't had to wait more than a few minutes for a drink when it's busy and they've always been cheerful and welcoming.