So back to the history. During prohibition, Big Al Capone ran the speakeasy as a retreat from the big city. Movers and shakers would travel out into the country to visit the casino and brothel on the building's second floor, now ironically turned into a performance room with plenty of dining space.

And still to this day, the copper piping remains under the floor boards on the lower level. In the back room, Al and his henchmen would make liquor in bathtubs and send it into the bathroom across the building. When a patron would turn on the hot water, it wasn't scalding H2O pouring out of the spigot. It was good ol' moonshine ready to pour into your glass. If the police would set a raid, Al and his guys would flip a valve, sending ordinary water out of the tap instead. It was truly a marvel of 1920's technology.

But back to the food. The Hideaway is known for its steaks and for good reason. They age them all in house and fire them up over a real charcoal grill. On this visit I tried the BBQ Ribs and they're absolutely delicious. They come smothered in Al's own sauce complete with a nice little kick. Not too spicy...they're done just right.

Meals aren't cheap but each order comes with large portions of garlic bread soaked in olive oil, with soup AND salad. It's truly a ridiculous amount of food. You can read the whole menu here.

You'll find Al's at 35W337 Riverside Drive in St. Charles. It's a pretty strange drive up there, but just remember Al picked this location for a reason. It wasn't easy to find. I, however, benefited from more than 1920's police officers could ever imagine. Google Maps got me there perfectly.

So have fun at Al's and be sure to tell Bill Brooks that Marcus and "metromix TV" sent you. And once you get back, leave me a comment and let me know what you thought! Enjoy!